Meat

I love the richness and elegance of beef wellington, particularly for fancy winter dinners.  Beef wellington, if you haven’t had it before, is a medium rare slab of steak, topped with fois gras and mushrooms, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked.  The dish can be an expensive proposition, so I’ve transformed it into economical hors d’oeuvres. 

Makes: about 30 bites
Total kitchen time: 25 minutes (longer if starting with rare tenderloin)

Shopping list:

• 2 1 lb. fully cooked beef tenderloins (available at Trader Joe’s seasonally)
• 4 Oz. pâté (chicken or duck will work fine)
• 2 12” square sheets of puff pastry, thawed but still cold
• Toothpicks, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the top rack in the middle of the oven.
2. If you are starting with an uncooked beef tenderloin, season it to taste and cook until rare.  Allow the tenderloin to come to room temperature before carving, at least 30 minutes.  If using pre-cooked tenderloin, remove from the packaging and wipe all sides dry with paper towels.  Cut the tenderloin into long, 1” square strips.  You should get about 3 good strips per tenderloin; the rest can be saved for excellent next-day sandwiches!
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat.  Lay out one sheet of puff pastry and place the cut tenderloin about 1/2” from the top edge.  Spread a little of the pâté on top of the tenderloin.  Then, carefully fold the puff pastry over the tenderloin, rolling the meat and the dough until you’ve completely encased the tenderloin.  Press the dough down at the seam to seal it.  Using a sharp knife, cut the sealed portion of dough away and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat for a total of three “logs” per sheet of puff pastry.
4. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  Slice each “log” into 1” pieces, skewer with a toothpick, and serve!

We were able to save a little cash by using chicken pâté instead of expensive (and rare) fois gras.  We also left out the mushroom mixture you usually find in beef wellington – for our purposes, the mushrooms would be a little messy since they’d fall out the sides of the cut pieces.  Trust me, your guests won’t miss them.

Any German can tell you that wurst and and cabbage go hand in hand.  Any Spaniard will say the same of chorizo and beans.  But it takes a special, international inclination to make the case for kielbasa with brussels sprouts, white beans and mustard.  I’ll tell you that it works wonderfully!  The saltiness of the pork combined with the bitter, gentle crunch of the brussels sprouts and mildness of the beans is well-balanced perfection.  Plus, its cheap, easy and looks good on a plate!

Makes: 4 Plates of European Unity
Total kitchen time: 30 mins

Shopping list:

• 1 medium shallot
• 4 large cloves garlic
• 1.5 lbs. brussels sprouts
• 1 lb. pork kielbasa
• 1 can white kidney beans
• 2 tbsp. coarse mustard
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• ooks&fgbp

1. Peel the shallot and cut into quarters.  Make a small pouch out of aluminum foil (2 layers thick) and place inside the shallot and garlic.  Coat with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.  Seal the pouch tightly and place in the oven (I recommend the toaster oven) at 400°F for 30 minutes. 
2. Rinse and pick clean the brussels sprouts.  Cut each sprout in half, discarding any wilted or fugly outer leaves.  Steam (or boil, your choice) the brussels sprouts until tender when pierced with a fork.  Set aside.
3. Rinse and drain the beans.  Honestly, 1 can is a little too bean-heavy.  You may want to save about 1/3 of the beans for something else.  I know, I’m telling you now after you’ve bought a whole can, as opposed to buying 2/3 of a can.
4. Slice the kielbasa on a steep bias into 1/4” slices.  Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed non-nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Arrange the kielbasa slices and fry until crispy on each side, about 3 minutes per side.  It’ll smell like bacon, confusing your dog.  Set aside (the kielbasa, not your dog) on paper towels to drain.
5. If your skillet is full of porky goodness, keep it there.  Add a generous tablespoon of good olive oil and keep the heat at medium high.  Unwrap the garlic and shallot and smash them using the flat side of your knife.  They should be very soft.  Add them to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute. 
6. Add the mustard and cream to the skillet and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat to medium low and add the brussels sprouts and beans (as many as you want to use).  Toss everything together to coat, then season to taste with a generous amount of salt and black pepper.
7. Plate the kielbasa on top of your brussels sprouts and beans in a large bowl to serve. 

If you’ve been hit hard by the recession, don’t worry – you can make this recipe without the brussels sprouts or the beans (choose one).  There, I just saved you like $1.50.  Maybe I should invite Suze Orman over for dinner!

 
In my ongoing quest of creating great dishes that use loose tea as a key ingredient, I’ve come up with some killer pork chops.  This recipe uses Apricot Peach Fruit Tea from the Portsmouth Tea Company to create an in-pan glaze that was born to love tender, juicy pork.  Too bad this tea is decaf – I’d sprinkle it over my bacon as a pick-me-up breakfast any day. 

Makes: 2 sweet chops
Total kitchen time: 15 minutes

Shopping List:

• 2 boneless pork chops, trimmed
• 2 tbsp. Apricot Peach Fruit Tea
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pat the pork chops dry on both sides.  Salt and pepper the chops on all sides.
2. Coat the pork chops on both sides with the loose tea.  Press the tea into the skin of the chops until it sticks. 
3. Place the pork chops on a room-temperature skillet (not nonstick) with at least 1” of space between them.  Cover the skillet with a  lid and place it over medium heat. 
4. After 6-7 minutes or so, the fist side should be nicely browned.  Flip the chops and cook, covered, another 5 minutes or so or until cooked through. 
5. By this time, a thick, sweet glaze has developed in your skillet.  Plate the pork chops and top with a heaping spoonful of the pan glaze.

If you’re planning on making ribs this summer, I applaud you.  However, if your rib recipe involves a bottle of Hunt’s BBQ sauce, you are denying yourself a transcendent epicurean experience: garlic-curry short ribs. 

Total kitchen time: 30 minutes prep, 4 hours, plus 15 minutes cooking time
Makes: 3 racks

Shopping list:

• 3 racks baby back ribs (short ribs)
• 8 tbsp. + 2 tsp. crushed garlic
• 4 cups prepared Turmeric-Curry Dry Rub
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• a lot of heavy-duty aluminum foil

1. Can be done 1 day ahead, refrigerate until ready to cook.  Work one slab of ribs at a time.  Lay out two large pieces of foil, on top of one another, big enough to cover the slab.  Pat the slab dry on both sides with paper towels, and lay bone-side up in the middle of the foil.
2. Spread 1 tbsp. of crushed garlic across the surface of the ribs (bone side up).  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the prepared dry rub over the bone side of the ribs and push the rub into the skin.  Flip the ribs over (skin side up) and repeat – 1 tbsp. of garlic, then 1/2 cup dry rub pressed into the skin.  You should have 1 cup of dry rub remaining, for the barbecue sauce.
3. Lay the ribs bone-side down and seal tightly with the aluminum foil. Working with the long side first, bring the opposite edges together and fold over to form a crease.  Fold over a second time to double the crease, being sure to keep the foil tight to the meat.  fold the short ends up towards the skin side and seal tightly. 
4. Preheat your oven to 200°F and set the top rack in the middle position.  Place a rimmed baking sheet or a large piece of foil in the bottom of your oven to catch any juice that drips off during cooking. 

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Tags: baby back ribs, barbecue, bbq, garlic, indonesian, ribs

What’s a dry rub, you ask?  A dry rub is mixture of spices (and sometimes dried herbs) applied to meat before cooking to add flavor.  Dry rubs are most typically used for barbeque, but there’s no reason you can’t sprinkle some over your scrambled eggs in the morning.  The picture above (which I will be sending to my neighborhood palm reader) shows the proportions you’re going for – its mostly brown sugar and salt. 

Total kitchen time: 5 minutes
Makes: enough for 4 racks of ribs

Shopping list:

• 4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  That’s it, you’re done.  Taste a spoonful and adjust to your personal preference. 

This dry rub, or a variation thereof, is also the base for my homemade barbeque sauce.  In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of dry rub, 1 cup of ketchup, some Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco,  honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and whatever else your heart desires.  If you start bottling it and selling it to friends, just email me for my address (so you can start sending me checks).  Enjoy!

 
At my home, grilling doesn’t get more perfect than a medium-rare charred piece of meat and tender, flavorfull roasted veggies.  This meal is a great way to feed a hungry crowd on the cheap (and the quick!)  Remember your flank steak science, though: never cook past medium rare, let the meat rest at least 15 minutes, and always slice on a steep bias. 

Makes: 4 people long for margaritas
Total kitchen time: 1 hr, plus marinating time

Shopping list:

• 1 2-2.5 lb. flank steak
• 1 large eggplant
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup mint, coarsely chopped
• 2 small red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. ancho chile powder (or fajita seasoning)
• 1/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs (diced day-old bread is best)
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
• olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine half the smashed garlic, half the cilantro, half the mint and all the peppers in a small food processor and pulse until the mixture is pretty fine, but not a paste.  If necessary, add a tbsp. of olive oil to help things out.
2. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak, and season with cayenne pepper and chile powder.  Rub with olive oil and 2/3 of the garlic mixture you just made.  Reserve the rest for after the meat has cooked.  Let the meat marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours.  Let the meat rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
3. Preheat your grill on high heat and make sure your grates are nice and clean.
4. Cut off the top and bottom of the eggplant.  Slice the eggplant into 4 wedges, lengthwise.  Then, score the flesh of the eggplant deeply (but not going through) with your knife at 1/4” spacing.  Turn the eggplant 90° and score it again to form a crosshatch.  Toss the eggplant with olive oil until lightly coated, then salt and pepper.
5. In your mini food processor, pulse together the remaining garlic, cilantro, and mint along with the bread crumbs, lemon zest and 1 tsp. of olive oil.  Rub the mixture into the scored flesh of the eggplant, pushing it down into the cracks. 
6. Grill the eggplant, flesh side down, just long enough to develop char marks, about 1 minute per side.  Set the eggplant on a rack above the grilling surface, or on a cooler side of the grill.
7. Grill the flank steak until medium rare, about 6 minutes per side.  Let the meat rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Slice the flank steak on a steep bias with a sharp knife.
8. Arrange the sliced meat, eggplant, and whatever other good stuff you’ve got going on a large platter.  Sprinkle the shredded jack cheese over the eggplant and serve to adoring fans.

If you can get comfortable grilling flank steak, you will always have a date for dinner.  Throw in a cool red wine or a pitcher of sangria and it’s a party!

May is a strange month for weather, and correspondingly for food.  When the temperature swings fifty degrees  in a week, it’s hard to know what to cook.  During a cold, rainy snap we had a few weeks ago, I decided to make one of my favorite winter dishes as sort of a farewell salute to gray skies.  This is more of a personal interpretation than a traditional ossobuco, but these flavors are so kick-ass that you won’t want to quibble over technicalities.

Makes: 2 people feel the warmth of winter, year round
Total kitchen time: 3 hours

Shopping list:

• 2 lamb shanks, bone-in
• 1 medium union, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. shitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste (tomato sauce or puree will work in a pinch)
• 2 cups wine (white for a sweeter dish, red for a more savory dish)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the polenta:

• 2 cups polenta, prepared
• if using firm polenta, you’ll need 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock
• 4 oz. dried wild mushrooms (porcini, shitake, morel, woodear)
• 2 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese (Rogue River is best, try Whole Foods)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F and place the top rack in the lower part of the oven.  Preheat a dutch oven or the heaviest large, ovenproof stockpot with a lid that you own.  Either way, get the pot rocket hot.
2. Season the lamb shanks on all sides liberally with salt and pepper.  Rub lightly with olive oil to coat and to promote browning.  Working one at a time, sear the lamb shanks on both sides on very high heat in your dutch oven.  Place the meat in the middle of the pot and don’t touch it for 3 minutes.  Flip it over and don’t touch it for another 2.  Place the seared meat on a platter to rest.
3. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the empty pot and reduce the heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the veggies have slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic (whole cloves) and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.  You should have a nice collection of brown bits at the bottom of your pot now. 
4. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute or so.  Then, add the wine and turn the heat up to high.  Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce the wine until it has thickened a little, about 8 minutes.  Add the beef stock, rosemary sprig and bay leaf and bring to a boil. 
5. Put the meat back in the pot and submerge it under the liquid and veggies.  Put the lid on your dutch oven and transfer it to the oven to cook at least 2 hours. 
6. When you’re about 45 minutes out from eatin’ time, place the dried wild mushrooms in a bowl of boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes.  Then, drain and coarsely chop the mushrooms.
7. Warm the cooked polenta in a medium saucepan over low heat.  If you’re starting with firm polenta, add a bit of hot chicken stock to thin it out.  Season the polenta with salt and pepper and add the chopped wild mushrooms.  When you’re almost ready to serve, crumble in the blue cheese and stir to combine.
8. When the lamb is done braising, remove the pot from the oven and place it back on the stove.  Let the meat rest on a plate, tented with foil.  Bring the pot to a vigorous boil and reduce the liquid until you have only 1 cup or so left, 10-15 minutes. 
9. Spoon a serving of polenta into the bottom  of a large dinner bowl and top with a lamb shank.  Cover the lamb shank with a generous helping of the reduced liquid and veggies.  If you like (and I’m sure you do) add a thin slice of blue cheese on top.

Well, that’s officially the season finale for winter cooking this year.  This dish is one of the heartiest, most soul satisfying meals I know, so the next time you find yourself out in the cold rain, you’ll know what to make.

Inspired by the May ‘08 cover of Bon Appétit, Rachel and I attempted to take a dramatic photo of one of the world’s best recipes: steak frites.  I’ve already posted an entry on the topic, but this classic French dish is so important to my culinary philosophy that it deserves another visit.  Anyhow, mad props to Rach for taking the winning shot, pictured above.

 
These brightly-flavored baby back ribs combine all of my favorite things about Chinese cuisine: sticky-sweet sauces, quick cooking times, and… pork!  I would recommend doubling this recipe, cause, you know, you’ll be hungry again in 30 minutes.

Makes: 20 sticky ribs
Total kitchen time: 2 hours, plus marinating time

Shopping List:

• 2-3 slabs baby back ribs (about 20 ribs)
• 4-6 yards heavy duty aluminum foil
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp. ginger, freshly grated (no, you can’t use the powdered stuff)
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 tbsp. orange juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp. teriyaki marinade (in a bottle, Asian food section of your grocery store)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2 cup Chinese Barbeque Sauce
• 1/4 tsp. chili oil (add more if you like ‘em hot)
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, finely sliced (for garnishing)

1. In a small food processor, combine the smashed garlic, ginger, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil and vinegar.  Pulse on high for 30 seconds, or until you see very small, even pieces of garlic mixed throughout. 
2. Add the teriyaki marinade, salt, pepper, Hoisin Sauce, Chinese Barbeque Sauce and chili oil and pulse for a few more seconds to combine.  Reserve about 1/3 of the sauce mixture in an airtight container. 
3. Lay out two sheets of aluminum foil, large enough to cover one slab of ribs.  Place one slab in the center of the sheet and coat well on all sides with the sauce (from the 2/3 pile, not the stuff you reserved earlier).  Seal the ribs into a pouch with the inner sheet of aluminum foil.  Be sure to crimp all the overlapping edges tightly.  Next, seal the ribs with the outer sheet of foil.  This is your insurance policy.
4. Let the ribs marinate overnight.  When you are ready to rock and roll, preheat your oven to 300°F and set your top rack in the middle of the oven.  Place your rib packages directly on the rack and bake, sealed, for 1 hour.
5. Carefully remove the packages from the oven and open the top.  They will be HOT and hot liquid will come pouring out.  There, I warned you. 
6. Remove the ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet and smother them with the reserved sauce.  Crank your oven heat to 400°F and let the ribs bake for another 15-30 minutes.  You want the sugar in the sauce to caramelize, giving you a slightly crispy crust.  Watch the ribs carefully at this point, though - there is a fine line between caramelized and burnt.
7. Remove the ribs from the oven and place on a cutting board.  With a big, heavy knife, separate the ribs by cutting through the meat between the bones.  Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

You might also want to close the blinds and turn off the lights while you’re cooking.  About 30 minutes into the baking process, they start to smell so good that your neighbors will show up unexpectedly.  Just don’t make any noise when the doorbell rings and you should be all right.  Or, follow my earlier advice and double the recipe.

 
Majestic, isn’t it?  For many households, prime rib is a once-a-year tradition.  After all, there’s something about the Flintstones-sized scale of this chunk of cow that begs for a special occasion.  However, preparing this roast couldn’t be simpler.

Makes: 6 Flinstones cars flip
Total kitchen time: about 3 hours

Shopping list:

• 1 6-lb. bone-in rib roast
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Do ahead: season the roast with coarse salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 1-3 days.
2. Let the roast come to room temperature for about 2 hours before cooking.  Preheat the oven to 425°F and adjust the rack so your roast will be in the middle of the oven.
3. Bake the roast, bone side down, for about 20 minutes or until a crust has started to form.  Flip the roast over and reduce the heat to 300°F.  Bake until the internal temperature reaches about 125°F, about 2 hours, basting often with the pan drippings. If you have a probe thermometer, this is a great time to use it.  If you have an instant-read or meat thermometer, that will work too.  You want to carefully ensure that the roast doesn’t cook too quickly, or the meat will be dry and tough.  If necessary, reduce the oven temperature so that you glide into 125° as slowly as possible.
4. Remove the roast and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.  If you skip this step, you’ve just wasted all the hard-earned money you spend on this glorious slab of beef. 

Horseradish Cream Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. horseradish root, grated
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 2 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and flour over meduim-high heat.  Add the onion and sweat about 5 minutes.  Add the roasted garlic and stir to combine.
2. Add the horseradish root (as much or as little as you like) and cream.  Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
3. Using an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, puree the sauce until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper (and more horseradish root!!!)