More Stove Top Grilling

Another day. another meal and today it's grilled beef flank steak and potatoes. I served the steak with with one of my favorite sauces, Salsa Verde. It's a blended sauce of Italian parsley, garlic, capers, lemon juice and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Tangy and flavorful, and great with meats or fish.

Grilled and ready to Slice

Pan Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

Steak and Potatoes with Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
1 bunch Fresh Italian parsley
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup capers, drained
Juice from 1 lemon
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 cup extra vireo olive oil

Method:
1. Blend all ingredients till smooth.

Note: Salt is not necessary because of the salty brined capers.

Flavor Packed Oxtails

Oxtails in Seasoned Flour


Browned Oxtails

Braised Oxtails with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Yes that's exactly what they are! the tail of a Ox or a steer. They are meaty yet bony with lots of body producing gelatin. Oxtails are allot like short ribs where they to be cooked a long time to become tender and very flavorful because of the high ratio of meat to bone. To cook these I chose to dredge them in seasoned flour and brown them well before adding my aromatics of carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Next I poured a whole bottle of Syrah in and put the top on the pressure cooker on. After coming to the proper temperature they cooked for about two hours. I served them with horseradish mashed potatoes and the very rich cooking liquid with vegetables. This kind of food is perfect on a cold Winter night with a glass of the same wine that went into the braise.

Pressure Cooked Oxtails

Ingredients:

2 pounds Oxtails

2 carrots, peeled & diced

2 celery stalks, cleaned & diced

1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced

1 750m bottle of red wine

4 bay leaf

Kosher salt/Fresh cracked peppercorns

1/2 cup A.P. flour

1 T smoked paprika

dash vegetable oil

Method:

1. Dredge the oxtails in four seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper.

2. Brown the oxtails in a heavy bottom pan or open pressure cooker with the vegetable oil.

3. Remove browned oxtails and add the vegetables to pot to brown.

4. Add the meat back to the pot and pour the wine in, add the bay leafs.

5. If using pressure cooker: place lid on and lock, bring to temperature, cook for 1-2 hours.

6. If using normal pot: bring to simmer, put lid on and place in 350F oven for 2-3 hours.

7. When meat is very tender, remove to a plate, reduce the liquid to a sauce consistency.

8. Add the meat back into the sauce, serve with Pasta or mashed potatoes.

Yield= 4

Korean Style Short Ribs

I grilled these Korean-style short ribs over the weekend and they turned out great. This thin cut of beef short rib is common in Korean cuisine and works well because the thin meat will absorb the marinade faster, and the cooking time will be only minutes compared to the long slow braise normally associated with short ribs. The marinade is soy sauce based with the addition of garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Other ingredients can be lime juice, rice wine, and sesame oil. In Korean restaurants these ribs are often cooked at the table on built in charcoal grills. I used a hot mesquite charcoal fire to quickly sear and cook them, only a few minutes on each side. I served the ribs with steamed rice and Korea's most famous condiment, Kim Chee. This spicy fermented cabbage is a whole story by itself, but I will say for now that I like it a lot. Look for a Kim Chee post soon.

Caveman Cut Rib Eye Steak

"Caveman Cut" Rib Eye Steaks

High Heat Grilling

Rib Eye Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin

It is not often that I will eat steak, but I just had this craving for it and my new grill helped with that decision. When I was looking for a proper cut of meat to grill such as a Porterhouse, a huge rib eye steak in the meat case jumped out at me, it was a locally raised cut of beef with really nice fat marbling and with the bone still attached, this monster weighed in at 24 ounces (683.28G) because of its large primal size it has been often called a "Caveman Steak". The secret to keeping the flavor is to simply season it with lots of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper and then placing the room temperature steak on a very hot grill to seal in the juices and produce a flavorful charred crust. To do this I used a good quality mesquite charcoal which burns very hot. After about five minutes on each side for medium rare it was done and then needed to rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. I made a compound butter with balsamic caramelized red onions and rosemary to spread on the still warm meat, it melted into a Delicious sauce. With the steaks a served sauteed shaved Brussels sprouts with bacon and a crispy Yukon gold potato gratin.

Pot-au-feu

Another rainy week approaches and with that in mind I decided on doing a long and slow braise of Beef and vegetables. The classic name for this dish is Pot-au-fue which translates to pot on the fire. I started by taking a large cut of beef and seasoning it with Kosher salt and pepper, into a hot pot with a touch of olive oil to brown on all sides, this will give great flavor and nice color to the cooking liquid. I deglaze with red wine and add water to cover the meat. Fresh thyme, bay leaf, diced carrot, diced celery, diced onion and garlic are added, this is brought to a boil then turned down to a simmer, after a few hours the meat is getting tender and the vegetables are removed with a slotted spoon. A new bunch of peeled and cut carrots, onions and celery go in, these will cook for about half an hour and will be served along side the meat. At roughly the three hour mark, everything comes out onto a serving platter, the beef is sliced and the liquid is spooned over, Grain mustard and horseradish on the side. Other root vegetables could have been added as well as potatoes and that bottle of wine that was opened at the start can be served if there is any left.

Braciola

Braciola is a Italian dish simply translated into meat roulade or roll. Its made with a variety of different meats or fish such as swordfish, it has a filling of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and eggs or what ever ingredients are available. Rolled and secured with toothpicks or tied with string, browned and fried in olive oil or a tomato based sauce. Great as a side dish served with pasta on a cold winter night.

Beef Braciola

Ingredients:

1 Flank steak, pounded flat

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 handful spinach leafs

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped

Tomato sauce as needed

Method:

1. Combine the filling ingredients and spread evenly on to the flank steak.

2. Roll up with the meats grain running length wise, secure with toothpicks or string.

3. In a pan with hot olive oil, brown all sides then add tomato sauce, cover.

4. Cook at a simmer till tender, about 1-2 hours.

5. Remove string and cut into thin slices, arrange on a platter with the tomato sauce.

Y=4-6 servings

Classic French Cooking from a Classic Chef

Slowly Simmering Beef

Beef Bourguignon with Buttered Egg Noodles

Lately there has been allot of interest in the life and cooking of Julia Child who brought classic French cooking home to many people. My youngest daughter was recently given Julia Child's ground breaking book, Mastering the art of French Cooking. With her new cookbook open and a old Julia Child show on TV, she watched and wanted to recreate the classic Beef Bourguiqnon that was featured on the show. We were soon off to the store with a short shopping list to buy what was needed. With the cookbook open we quickly prepped and cooked the famous dish. After a afternoon of simmering in a heavy copper pot till tender, it was done. The stew was served with wide egg noodles and chopped parsley. My daughter loved making and eating it, she was very proud of her work. and vowed to cook more from the book.

Ingredients:

1 pound Beef stew meat, large dice, seasoned and dried on paper towels

3 Carrot, Diced

3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped

1 Sprig Thyme, Chopped

3 Strips Smoked or Unsmoked Bacon

2 Cups Beef Stock, homemade or low salt canned

1 Cup Water

1/2 Bottle of any big Rhone style red wine

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

Kosher Salt/Pepper

8 Pearl Onions, Peeled

8 Button Mushrooms, Quartered

1 bunch Parsley, Chopped

Method:

1. Slowly cook the bacon in a heavy oven proof pot, remove when browned.

2. Brown the beef in the bacon fat, very important to get well browned.

3. Add the garlic, carrot, thyme and continue to cook for a few minutes.

4. Deglaze with red wine, add water, tomato paste, cover and place in 300F oven for 90 min.

5. In a separate pan, brown the pearl onions in butter, add mushrooms and cook for another few minutes till just cooked through, season with salt/pepper.

6. Add the onion/mushrooms to the braise, check for seasoning and add a touch of cornstarch to thicken, add the chopped parsley to finish.

Serve with Buttered Egg Noodles tossed with a pinch of parsley and be sure to pour yourself a glass of the remaining red wine to toast your success in mastering a French classic.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

I saw some very nice beef short ribs in the meat case at my local market and I had to have them. Slow braised meat is great in the cold winter months, but right now its not much of a winter here on the West coast of California with record high temperatures. Here's how I made them.


Ingredients:

4 beef short ribs, 3 inch cut
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bottle, dark beer
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 quart water
2 bay leafs
1 pinch saffron
kosher salt/pepper

Method:

1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown well in a heavy pot, drain fat.

2. Add the vegetables and saute for a few minutes, add the rest of the ingredients.

3. Bring to a boil then turn down to a gentle simmer, cook for about two hours while skimming the fat off the surface as needed.

4. Remove the meat and vegetables to a plate when done and tender, boil the braising liquid till it thickens, then return the meat and vegetables to the sauce. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve with buttered pasta or mashed potatoes, I used boiled potatoes and a garnish of fennel germolata for added texture and flavor.

Note: gremolata is a garnish of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic

Thai Style Beef Salad

Next best thing to having steak and potatoes one night, is using the extra steak the second day. With a hot day today of 95 degrees, my first thought is to make a salad using the extra cooked beef. Maybe I will make a rustic style tomato, beef and bread salad? I choose instead to make a spicy Asian beef, crunchy vegetable and rice noodle salad. Here's how I did it.

the dressing:
1 inch knob grated ginger root
1 clove garlic
juice of one lime
1 t chili flakes
1 dash sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 sprigs mint
1 dash fish sauce*
blend all ingredients till smooth

The salad:
1 peeled and shaved carrot
1 peeled and shaved cucumbers
1/2 package wide rice noodles* that have been soaked in hot water till soft, drained well
1 T chopped mint
1 T chopped basil
1 thin sliced jalapeno
1 pound Medium rare flank steak, chilled and sliced thin

Mix well with the dressing and arrange on a plate with the sliced beef on top, garnish with sliced green onions. Crunchy chopped peanuts would give good flavor and texture.
Serves 2-4 people

* Available at well stocked stores and Asian markets

Meat & Potatoes My Way

It is not offen that I eat red meat, but sometimes you get a craving and you have to go with it. I chose beef flank steak for its flavor and texture and the price won't kill my bank account. To start I did a quick marinade of quality red wine vinegar, fresh garden rosemary, crushed garlic and extra virgin olive oil which the steak was placed in to absorb flavor. Yukon gold potatoes were cut and tossed with salt, pepper and olive oil, then into a 400F oven to roast. My favorite sauce for meat and fish is Salsa Verde, made with garden parsley, capers, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice which is blended smooth. It is a strong tangy sauce that is addicting. By this time the meat had gained flavor from the marinade and reached room temperature which will aid in cooking. No grill tonight, so the blazing hot broiler worked great to sear and brown the flank steak. When done to a nice medium rare and a quick rest, its time to slice thin and serve along with the sauce and potatoes.

Note: When meat comes off the heat, the internal juices are so hot they will boil out if the meat is cut right away, when the meat cools, the juices will reabsorb into the meat fibers and not flow out and cause the meat to be dry.

Storm Black Out Dinner

It seems like we always get a big storm around the new year. Only three days into 2008 and we get slammed with a hurricane force storm, up to 8 inches of rain and winds up to 80mph in some parts of the bay. I came home from work to mild damage to my fence, palm leaves all over my yard and no power. This is not the way I want to start my weekend. I had noticed that my local market was open with generator power, so I stopped for something to cook on my working gas stove. The store did not have enough power for all the meat and fish cases, so everything was slowly getting warm. "Sell it or lose it" said the owner,everything was reduced in price to half off, it was a buying frenzy. I went with some big monster beef short ribs. At home with candles burning next to the stove the meat was seared till brown then allowed to braise for a few hours. A glass or two of wine helped keep me warm. Dinner was good then early to bed and power was restored by morning. Hot coffee in a warm house for breakfast helped erase thoughts of the cold dark night.

Red wine brasied beef short ribs

Its a cold and rainy night, so red wine brasied short ribs with creamy soft polenta is on the menu.



These beef ribs have been seared in a hot pan till browned. Diced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and red wine are added, brought to a boil then turned down to a simmer for three hours. During this time a dollop of tomato paste is added for flavor as well as body. check seasoning to taste and place the ribs in a large bowl over creamy polenta, spoon pan sauce and vegetables on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and a little lemon zest.
Note: If you haven't already poured yourself a big glass of a red wine, do it now!