SHOW-STOPPING SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Posted in Beef, Pasta & Noodles by sallybr

If you’re tempted to skip this post because spaghetti and meatballs are too pedestrian, don’t do it! This was the best dinner I’ve cooked in weeks! The first bite took me back to a small Italian trattoria where I had this dish years ago. These meatballs are tender, moist, flavorful, and the tomato sauce (note: contains neither onion nor garlic) gets a lift from the addition of capers. It’s so simple that you’ll be shocked at how flavorful it is! The recipe comes from the latest issue of Food and Wine, with small modifications that, modesty aside, worked quite well. It was a perfect dinner-date recipe for Saturday night. Uncork the chianti and let the music play…

SPAGHETTI AND ITALIAN MEATBALLS IN TOMATO CAPER SAUCE
(adapted from Food and Wine, original recipe from Massimiliano Alajmo)

for the sauce:
1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes (28 oz)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs capers, drained and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

for the meatballs:
1/2 cup white bread, crust removed, roughly diced
3-5 Tbs milk
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
8 pitted kalamata olives, diced
1/8 cup freshly grated Parmiggiano cheese
2 Tbs fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 tsp salt

Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, add the capers and oregano. Simmer for a couple more minutes, season with salt and pepper and keep warm while you prepare the meatballs.

Cover the bread with milk: soak it well. Drain any excess and reserve the bread. In a large bowl, mix both types of meat, add the softened bread, egg, olives, cheese, parsley, and salt. Wet your hands with cold water and very gently form the mixture into 1.5 inch diameter meatballs. You can prepare the meatballs hours in advance.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and bake the meatballs in a 400F oven for 20 minutes, turning them once during baking. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Gently simmer the meatballs and sauce together for 10 to 15 minutes over gentle heat.

Meanwhile, boil some spaghetti, drain, place back in the pan and add some of the tomato sauce. Place back on top of the stove to heat pasta and sauce together for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, add the meatballs, and serve with fresh Parmiggiano cheese.

(makes 15 meatballs, 3-4 servings, depending on who is eating… 😉

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My modifications involved baking, instead of frying the meatballs, and simmering them in tomato sauce afterward. This is my secret to great meatballs, without the harsh outer surface often associated with the fried version. I’ve seen (and tried) recipes in which the meatballs are cooked in the sauce from beginning to end, but the oven-roasting in my version intensifies their flavor and color.

I also increased the amount of black olives in the meatball mixture. The original recipe called for two olives (!!!!). Sorry, but two diced olives in a pound of meat doesn’t do it for us, Kalamata-lovers that we are. Feel free to adapt to your own tastes.

Chef Alajmo has two other recipes that made my mouth water in this issue of Food and Wine: Risotto with Capers and Espresso, and Pappardelle with Smoked Butter and Herbs. Makes me want to catch a plane to Italy and reserve a table for two at his restaurant, Le Calandre.

ONE YEAR AGO: Korean-Style Pork with Cabbage Slaw

14Jul2010

ANCHO-CHILE MARINADE: PLEASED TO MEAT YOU!

Posted in Beef by sallybr

This marinade rocks…and roll, hootchie koo! And it has all sorts of cool moves on the dance floor… In a single week, I made it twice, once for butterflied leg of lamb, and again a few days later for flank steak. Published in the June issue of Bon Appetit, it was just what the author promised: “this smoky grilled meat will be a delicious addition to your barbecue repertoire”.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK WITH ANCHO-CHILE MARINADE
(adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2010)

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 Tbs fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbs ancho chile powder
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 green onions
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 + 1/2 tsp salt
2 + 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 flank steak

Add the wine, oil, garlic, oregano, ancho chile powder, lemon juice, green onions, salt and pepper into a blender. Blend the mixture until smooth. Marvel at its color, and take a deep breath to indulge in the aroma…

Make very shallow diamond-shaped cuts on the surface of the flank steak. Transfer the marinade to a large dish that can hold the meat, place the meat inside and rub the marinade all over. Let it sit in the fridge from 2 to 12 hours.

Prepare a hot grill, cook the meat until medium-rare (5 minutes per side maximum). Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing it thinly.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Ancho chile powder might be my new found love in the kitchen. Smoky, funky and hot, but very pleasantly so. The brown sugar promotes a beautiful browning on the surface, and I’ve often been including it in my marinades these summer days. This ancho-chile version might go equally well on salmon, chicken, or even prawns. If you’re cooking a butterflied leg of lamb, allow the meat to marinade for a full 24 hours before grilling.

The flank steak? What a joy it is to eat! A succulent piece of tender, flavorful beef! We enjoyed ours with some simple zucchini sticks: this recipe without the yogurt sauce.

It was a tasty meal in less than 20 minutes, and my name isn’t even Ray! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: The Handmade Loaf

29Jun2010

DOWN HOME DIG-IN CHILI

Posted in Beef, Pork, Weekend Dinners by sallybr

Get ready for a big spicy spoonful of chili! In the winter, give me chili with cornbread and cabernet; in the summer I’ll have chili with tortillas and tequila (or cold beer). What a flavorful, succulent meal it is! You’ll find chili everywhere, north, south, east and west; in cookbooks, food magazines and websites (like this one), with many of those authors claiming to divulge “the authentic” recipe. Particularly in the Southern US, chili recipes provoke discussions almost as heated as the peppers they contain. But, I’m ready to jump into the fire, by sharing with you my husband’s favorite recipe. It’s not the hottest or the spiciest chili you’ll find, but it’s meaty, delicious and the best he’s ever encountered. He made it for me for the first time when we started dating and we’ve cooked it together many, many times since then.

DOWN HOME DIG-IN CHILI
(from Bon Appetit, 1988)

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 lbs stewing beef, chopped
2 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt), chopped
4 cans (14 1/2 ounce) stewed tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle pale ale (12 ounce)
7 Tbs chili powder
4 jalapeno chilies, seeded
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
Hot pepper sauce (Tabasco type), to taste

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add finely chopped onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables using slotted spoon and set aside.

Increase heat to high. Add beef and pork; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Return vegetables to pot. Add tomatoes, ale, chili powder chilies, cayenne and cumin. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer 2 hours, adding reserved tomato liquid if chili appears dry. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Uncover and simmer until thickened and meat is tender, 2 more hours.

Season chili with hot pepper sauce. Serve with green onions, cheddar cheese, avocado and sour cream.

Makes at least 8 servings.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This favorite version of ours might very well be “middle-of-the-road” in the debate about what should (or should not) be in a pot of chili. It doesn’t include beans, pleasing many, but it uses tomatoes, upsetting other purists.

We usually make it with beef and pork, and we recently tried a mixture of lamb and pork. We prefer this version, exactly as published 22 years ago (!!!) in Bon Appetit, by far. Some markets sell ground beef for chili, but it’s better to buy a large cut of beef chuck, some pork shoulder and cut them by hand into 3/4 inch cubes. The final texture is well worth the extra work.

Chili is ideal for entertaining, as it gets better when it sits in the fridge for a day. Sometimes we make a full batch, enjoy “chili for two,” and save leftovers in the freezer for an encore another time.

This dish deserves recognition as a “Perfect Saturday Night Dinner” !

ONE YEAR AGO… CINNAMON ROLLS

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21Apr2010

BEEF STROGANOFF

Posted in Beef by sallybr

When we’re seeking something decadent, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, beef stroganoff is a perfect option: it’s quick, simple, casual, yet delicious. I’ve heard people say that the dish is dated or old-fashioned, but a classic never loses its charm. Maybe thirty years ago it was overused and abused at dinner parties. Forget about that. A well prepared beef stroganoff (or stroganov, strogonov) is completely satisfying: succulent meat and mushrooms, cohabiting in a wonderful creamy sauce and served over noodles. What’s not to like? Among the many recipes I’ve tried, I recently settled on this one from Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet.

BEEF STROGANOFF
(from Ruth Reichl)

3 + 1/2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
1 cup beef stock (homemade if available)
1 pound filet mignon, cut in 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 Tbs sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbs fresh dill, minced

Make a roux by melting the butter and whisking in the flour, cooking for 2 minutes, stirring. Slowly add beef stock, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve, keeping it warm.

Dry the pieces of beef with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil on a large skillet and brown the meat on both sides, but do not try to cook it completely. Transfer the meat to a plate and reserve. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the shallots, cooking for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, until all the moisture evaporates, and they start to brown.

Return the meat with its juices to the pan. stir to combine and transfer to a serving plate. Reheat the reserved sauce over low heat, add the sour cream, mustard, dill, season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over beef and serve over noodles of your choice.

ENJOY!

Comments: Almost every recipe for stroganoff uses beef tenderloin, a cut that benefits from fast cooking, but doesn’t have much flavor. Since the sauce contributes most of the flavor for this dish, tenderloin has a chance to shine. However, when we lived in France, we frequented a small, inexpensive bistrot where stroganoff － one of their specialties － was made with a stew-beef, almost along the lines of beef Bourguignon. It was still delicious, but to me, a bit unusual. Fast forward a few years, and reading Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc, I noticed that his stroganoff uses braised beef short ribs! Well, that settles it: I will have to try his method, because it may just bring those memories of Paris, which are always welcome, back to our table! 😉

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30Dec2009

BEEF WELLINGTON ON A SPECIAL NIGHT

Posted in Beef by sallybr

Most couples have a song, we have a dish, … Beef Wellington. It was the first special meal that we cooked together, and it’s the recipe that we remember when a festive mood strikes. For something that’s surprisingly simple to put together (if you use commercial puff pastry), Beef Wellington is an elegant gastronomic statement. The rich combination of mushroom duxelles and foie gras raises the most delicate cut of beef to culinary heaven. Here’s a crucial piece of advice: use a meat thermometer to determine the cooking time, because overcooking will ruin this dish.

This year we chose Beef Wellington for our family’s Christmas Eve dinner, served as Evelyn George used to do it in my husband’s favorite restaurant, “The Carriage House” of South Bend, Indiana: with duchess potatoes and a wine reduction sauce. Fresh asparagus completed the meal.

BEEF WELLINGTON
(adapted from many different sources)

4 beef tenderloin filets, 1.5 inch-thick
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

for the mushroom duxelles
4 ounces mushrooms
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
1 T Madeira wine (or Sherry)

puff pastry (home-made or good quality store-bought)
slices of foie gras
egg wash (1 egg beaten slightly with 1 tsp water)

Heat oil on a large skillet until it starts to smoke, season the meat with salt and pepper, and sear the filets on both sides over high heat; 2 minutes per side. Reserve.

Prepare the duxelles: finely dice the mushrooms (preferably by hand) and squeeze 1/4 cup portions at a time in a fine cloth (twist the cloth to tighten the squeeze) to release their bitter juices. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet, add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the squeezed mushrooms, saute until fully cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, add the nutmeg, Madeira wine, and cook for a couple of minutes. Reserve.

Assemble the Wellingtons: roll out the puff pastry to enclose each individual piece of meat. On the center of the pastry, add a slice of foie gras, 2 tablespoons of duxelles, and set the seared filet mignon on top. Enclose it in the pastry, with the seam facing up, then invert the whole package, so that the duxelle layer is on top. Brush the surface of the wellingtons with egg wash, placing small cutouts of pastry as a decoration, if you wish. (Wellingtons can be assembled 6 hours in advance, keep refrigerated).

Cut some slits through the pastry, and place the packages in a 400F oven until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 125-130F for medium-rare – about twenty minutes (it will continue cooking a little more while it rests). Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

(to print the recipe, click here)

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RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE

1/2 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup veal stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter, cold, in small pieces

Remove most of the fat in the pan that you used to sear the filets, leaving about 1/2 tablespoon. Sautee the shallots for a couple of minutes, then add the red wine and deglaze the pan well. Add the veal stock and boil gently until the sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter in pieces, a few at a time, swirling the pan over low heat. The sauce will get a smooth shine from the emulsion with butter. Remove from heat and serve alongside the Beef Wellingtons. If necessary to re-heat, do it over very low flame.

(to print the recipe, click here)

ENJOY!
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