french food i DID eat in france: boeuf bourguignon

Technically J-Cat ate it, for our last dinner in Paris at "Josephine" Chez Dumonet. But obviously I had a few bites. With the weather getting chillier by the day, it's time to break out my favorite types of foods - slow-cooked, hearty, warming, intensely flavored, meaty.



There are thousands of recipes for Boeuf Bourguignon out there, ranging from the straightforward to the excessively complicated. And here is where I am conflicted. I love to make dishes in the most authentic way possible. But I also love simplicity and dislike fussiness. So where to find the balance without sacrificing authenticity? When it comes down to it, a dish like Boeuf Bourguignon just doesn't seem like it should be so complicated. Complex in flavor, yes, but at it's roots a simple, rustic stew. So this recipe by Ginette Mathiot, the "French Julia Child", which was published a few weeks ago in The New York Times, seems to strike a nice balance. Authentic in that it is the version that a French cook would cook in their own home, not the complicated beast of a restaurant version popularized by Julia Child. Both recipes authentic in their own way, and both yielding a more than satisfying result. Recipe after the jump:

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
Adapted from "I Know How to Cook" by Ginette Mathiot

1 tablespoon oil
3 ounces onions or shallots, chopped
3 1/2 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces, patted dry
Scant 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups any type of stock, hot
1 1/4 cups red wine
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs fresh thyme and 3 sprigs parsley, tied together)
Black pepper
3 1/2 ounces mushrooms, diced
Salt

1. In a heavy pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and bacon and cook, stirring, until browned. Remove them and set aside; leave fat in pan.

2. Add beef and brown on all sides (work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding).

3. Sprinkle browned beef with flour, stir until browned and add stock. Stir, scraping bottom of pan, then add reserved bacon and onions, the wine and bouquet garni. Season with pepper.

4. Simmer very gently for 2 hours.

5. Add mushrooms and cook 30 minutes more. Season with salt and serve. Or, even better, reheat and serve the next day.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Continue Reading "french food i DID eat in france: boeuf bourguignon"

j-cat cooks (srsly!): beef wellington (srsly!!)

It must be freezing in hell right now, because a couple weeks ago, J-Cat decided that he loves to cook. I don't think it should be too surprising that I have mixed feelings about this development. On the one hand, it is awfully nice to get cooked for, for a change. It's also nice that he finally understands why I love it as much as I do. But on the other hand...my kitchen.

Because J-Cat is not just someone who wants to cook; he wants to experiment. It's not fun for him unless it is some complicated undertaking that has maybe a 50/50 chance of being a disaster. The first big dinner he cooked for me? Beef Wellington. Because cooking a nice steak or a roast the very first time he ever cooked meat is not enough of a challenge, he had to go that giant leap forward and tackle the infamously tricky Beef Wellington. But let me just say, it really was quite good. I only had to step in a couple of times, and I only had a small heart attack when I saw the state of my kitchen at the end of the night.



The mushroom duxelle that he spread all over the tenderloin was so yummy that we spread the extra on bread and turned it into an appetizer. The meat itself was cooked to a lovely medium-rare, and cut like butter. The puff pastry was appropriately thin and crisp and shining with an egg wash. It was thoroughly impressive. And thank god for that, cause we spent a small fortune on the ingredients. My nerves may have been shot for the whole afternoon that he was tinkering in there, but this lovely dinner - which he made for our anniversary - more than made up for it.



He served the wellington with a side of truffled mashed potatoes, proving that after all these years, he does know the way to my heart after all. Recipe after the jump:

J-CAT'S BEEF WELLINGTON

1 lb beef tenderloin fillet
salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1/2 cup mushroom duxelle, recipe follows
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 egg yolks, beaten

Mushroom Duxelle (this recipe makes extra, and is delicious spread on baguette on crackers)
1 shallot, diced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, rough chop
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, rough chop
1 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Generously salt and pepper the tenderloin fillet. Heat the canola oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the fillet on all sides until brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while you assemble the duxelle.

Place the roughly chopped mushrooms and shallots in a food processor and process until it turns into a paste. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom paste to the butter and saute until it begins to release liquid. Lower the heat and allow to simmer until the liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool.

When the fillet has cooled, brush on all sides with the mustard. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap. Place the slices of prosciutto slightly overlapping on the plastic wrap, making the layer of prosciutto about as wide as the fillet is long. Spread the cooled duxelle evenly on the prosciutto. Set the fillet on the edge of the prosciutto and roll the prosciutto around the fillet. Wrap in the plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the sheet of pastry on a lightly floured board to a size that will fully wrap around the beef. Place the cooled fillet in the middle of the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash, the fold over the fillet and seal. Fold the sides up and over to cover the edges. Make sure the seal the edges well with the egg wash. Turn the wellington seam side down, brush the entire surface with egg wash. Cut shallow slits in the surface of the pastry. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

Remove the wellington from the refrigerator and give it an additional brush of egg wash. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the internal temperature of the meat is 125-130 for medium rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into 1-inch thick slices to serve. Serves 4.

Continue Reading "j-cat cooks (srsly!): beef wellington (srsly!!)"

recipe for passover: mama j-cat's matzo lasagna

I know that Passover is just about over, but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not have some leftover matzo. So why not do something fun and strange with it? This Matzo Lasagna is a recipe from J-Cat's mom. I first had it a couple of years ago at his sister's seder, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. So I decided to get the recipe and make it for J-Cat, who is a sucker for nostalgic foods that he ate growing up. The secret ingredient that really makes this lasagna sing is wine. The recipe doesn't specify what kind of wine, but I thought to myself that back in the day when it was probably written, the only kind of kosher for Passover wine most people could get their hands on was Manischewitz, that classic, super sweet concord grape wine. These days there are many more choices of kosher wines with much subtler flavors, so I went with a Riesling, which has a fruity sweetness that approximates Manischewitz without knocking you over the head with it. Recipe after the jump:



MAMA J-CAT'S PASSOVER MATZO LASAGNA
NOTE: This recipe makes a giant pan appropriate for a large seder. I halved the recipe for the two of us and had plenty left over for the next day.

6 large onions, chopped
6 to 8 matzohs
3 to 4 lbs chopped meat
2 to 3 can tomato mushroom sauce
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup wine
garlic, oregano and parsley to taste
1/2 cup oil

Saute the onions in oil until tender. Add meat and cook until red color of the meat disappears. Add sauce, salt, pepper,garlic, oregano, and parsley to taste.

In separate bowl beat the eggs and wine. Grease foil Lasagna pan. Dip matzoh in egg wine mixture and line the pan. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture. Place matzah dipped in wine on top. Repeat layers ending with matzah on top. Pour remaing egg wine mixture over top. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 1/2 hour.

Continue Reading "recipe for passover: mama j-cat's matzo lasagna"

not his mom's stuffed cabbage

Maybe it's someone's mom's stuffed cabbage, but as J-Cat so tactfully informed me upon tasting it, it's not his mom's. I wasn't exactly thrilled with that statement, but in all fairness I don't think he necessarily meant that he didn't like it. I think he just meant that it was not the same style as his mom's. Of course, I've never tasted his mom's stuffed cabbage, nor seen the recipe, so I have no idea what her's is like. Thus, I was obviously not shooting for that. I also know better than to even attempt to compete with someone's mom's way of doing things, obviously I understand the sanctity of moms' cooking. All I know is that apparently she does the raisin thing, and I'm not into that. The deli downstairs does the raisins in stuffed cabbage thing, and I'm not a fan. I went a much more straightforward route with these, I made the stuffed cabbage I thought I would like best, based on many years of ardent stuffed cabbage fandom.



This is what I want from my stuffed cabbage:
1. Beef, not pork
2. Tomato sauce, not gravy
3. Good rice to meat ratio
4. No raisins

My mother never made stuffed cabbage, but as far as I'm concerned, if she did it would probably be a lot like this. Actually, she'd probably put raisins in it, too. Recipe after the jump:

NOT J-CAT'S MOM'S STUFFED CABBAGE

1 head green or Savoy cabbage, about 2 lbs
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 parsnip, shredded
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 to 4 cups tomato sauce

Peel off about a dozen of the largest cabbage leaves and place in a large bowl. Boil a small pot of water and pour the water over the cabbage and let it sit for ten minutes until wilted.

Heat the oil in a large, wide pot. Cook the onions until they are soft, add the carrot, celery and parsnip and saute them for a couple extra minutes — until they are also soft. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool a bit. Mix in the meat, rice and tomato paste and season again with salt and pepper.

Drain the cabbage and pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the large vein from the cabbage. Roll about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in each leaf, roll like a burrito, and arrange in the same pot you sauteed the vegetables in. Pour in enough tomato sauce to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, letting them simmer covered on the stove on low for about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Continue Reading "not his mom's stuffed cabbage"

easy weeknight (dead of winter) dinners: beef stroganoff

A small disclaimer about this recipe: I'm guessing this is not particularly authentic, but I've been making Beef Stroganoff this way for so many years that it is now how I always want it. Especially when it's 16 degrees outside and I'm starving. It also happens to be that I devised this recipe during one of my healthier stints so there are a few attempts at lowering fat built in. I don't, however, think that flavor or texture suffers at all, and there are not too many times that I will say that so confidently. As with any of my "healthified" recipes, the key is cutting where it counts, and never cutting completely. Lower fat dairy products, but never non-fat. Less butter, but never no butter. Lean meat, but still a lot of meat. Recipe after the jump:



SIMPLE BEEF STROGANOFF

1 lb sirloin or tenderloin, sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips
1 tbsp butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup shallots, finely diced
2/3 up beef broth, or one bouillon cube dissolved in 2/3 cup hot water
1 1/2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup lowfat milk
1 cup lowfat sour cream
salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb wide egg noodles

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear until browned on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms begin to give off liquid. Return the meat to the skillet. Mix together the broth, worchestershire sauce, flour, and milk and pour into the skillet. Bring liquid to a simmer and allow to cook and thicken while the noodles cook. When the noodles are cooked, drain and plate. Take the beef off the heat and mix in the sour cream. Serve over the egg noodles.

Continue Reading "easy weeknight (dead of winter) dinners: beef stroganoff"

sunday supper: sick of short ribs yet?

After last week's meat fiesta with the cassoulet, I was actually not going to make a big meat dish this weekend, but then I found short ribs on sale and I just couldn't turn away. Short ribs. On sale. I swear that I'm planning a vegetarian chili next. We may be meated out. But at least this time around I tried a recipe I've never done before - John Besh's Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs.



The verdict is that these ribs were intensely flavorful, but admittedly this will not become my new go-to short ribs recipe, I am still very partial to my simpler red wine recipe and to the beer braise recipe. Part of my issue with this one is that is was quite sweet, and really lacking in acid. Between the Zinfandel, the porcini mushrooms, and the carrots, all of the major flavors were rich, but nothing had bite.



For me, short ribs are the most delicious, beefy, decadent cut of meat, and I just don't think they need such deep intense flavors to be great. Let the beefiness really shine through and keep things simple. But of course, these were still delicious, as any well made short ribs will be. And yes, I served them over rice. Again. Recipe after the jump:



JOHN BESH'S ZINFANDEL BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About two hours (with little labor)

4 lbs beef short ribs, cut flanken style (across the bone) or English style (parallel to the bone). Flanken are easier to deal with but slightly more fatty.
Coarse salt and black pepper
3 cups zinfandel
1/2 cup sugar
6 oz canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme, picked off stem
2 bay leaves
3 oz canola oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)
2 oz dried mushrooms, preferably porcini

1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper; be rather generous. In a mixing bowl, whisk together zinfandel, sugar, tomatoes, beef broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt. Pour wine mixture over short ribs and set in fridge to marinate for at least an hour, or up to 12.

2. Pour canola oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) and place over high heat. When oil is hot, working in small batches, brown the meat. Turn each piece to brown on all sides before removing from the pot.

Tip: A sturdy pot that conducts heat well has a lot to do with the success of this dish. Get yourself a cast-iron pot. It'll outlast you.

3. When all beef is browned and removed from pot, add onion, carrots, and celery, allowing onion to cook until browned, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Return beef to the pot along with wine mixture. Allow wine to come to a boil before reducing heat, skimming fat from surface.

5. After simmering for several minutes, add mushrooms. Cover and simmer over very low heat until meat is fork tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

6. Once the beef has cooked, remove from pot and keep warm. Turn up heat and reduce the pot liquids until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Transfer ribs to four shallow bowls, spooning liquid over top.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: sick of short ribs yet?"

short rib showdown: beer vs. wine

Short ribs are pretty much my favorite thing to braise when it's cold out. They are perhaps the main reason that beef will always win out as my favorite meat, despite my deep appreciation for all things porky. I have two favorite recipes for braising short ribs - one with red wine, and one with beer. I tend to prefer the red wine recipe, J-Cat prefers the beer recipe. This is pretty much the opposite of our actual drinking tastes, where I prefer beer and he prefers wine. I find that strange. In any case, I do love both recipes and since I will likely braise short ribs at least a few times this winter, this time I went for the beer braising because, well, I had beer in the fridge.

The key to this recipe is the combination of tons and tons of onions and a dark beer. The bitterness of the beer, the sweetness of the onions, and the profound beefiness of the short ribs is a truly glorious combination.



I, of course, eat this over rice, as I do with pretty much everything. You do want something to soak up the beery, oniony, beefy sauce. Obviously, mashed potatoes or bread would work just as well. Recipe after the jump:

BEEF SHORT RIBS BRAISED IN BEER
from "Staff Meals from Chanterelle" by David Waltuck and Melicia Phillips

3/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil
5 to 6 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed of fat
4 large onions, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin slices
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 bottles (12 ounces each) dark ale or beer
8 cups chicken stock
4 bay leaves
Coarse (kosher) salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a very large, heavy, flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add only enough of the short ribs to fit into the casserole without crowding and brown well on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. As the ribs are browned, transfer them to a platter and continue browning the remaining ribs in batches.

When all the ribs are browned and removed from the casserole, discard the oil from the casserole, but do not wash it (you want to keep those flavorful brown bits). Return the casserole to the stove. Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the onions and cook slowly, covered, over low heat until the onions are very soft but not browned, about 20 minutes.

Uncover the casserole and sprinkle the sugar over the onions. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions have caramelized slightly and are just light brown in color, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and continue cooking stirring frequently, until the flour turns light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 bottle of the beer and increase the heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.

Return the ribs to the casserole along with the stock, remaining beer, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, skimming the top occasionally, then reduce the heat to low and cook, tightly covered, until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours; you should be able to pull the bones from the meat with ease. Using tongs, transfer the ribs to a platter and let cool.

While the ribs cool, check the liquid in the casserole. If it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it's ready to use as a sauce. If not, increase the heat to medium and reduce the liquid until it reaches the proper thickness. This may take up to an additional 15 minutes. Taste; the sauce should be slightly bitter, with a subtle, balancing touch of sweetness from the caramelized onions. Season with salt and pepper; remove and discard the bay leaves.

When the ribs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and return the meat to the casserole. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. If you'll be serving immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce; otherwise, refrigerate overnight and remove the hardened fat before reheating.

Continue Reading "short rib showdown: beer vs. wine"

sunday supper: oven-baked "BBQ" brisket

I never used to believe in liquid smoke. It sounds like some kind of snake oil that only rubes fall for. How could it possibly work? Is a faux-BBQ even worth attempting? Well, I found out the answer yesterday, when I tried Homesick Texan's recipe for Oven-Baked Brisket. I figured, if a Texan found the result acceptable, it couldn't be THAT bad. And I must say, it was THAT good. Now, of course, the whole apt smells of hickory smoke, which certainly is not a bad thing. And I have a hunk of delicious brisket to make sandwiches and - dare I say it - brisket fried rice. And Morty thought it was freaking delicious, too. Recipe after the jump:



OVEN-BAKED BRISKET
From Homesick Texan

Ingredients:
1 four-pound untrimmed brisket
2 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons of black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion cut into slivers
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke plus an additional 1/4 cup.
1/4 cup black coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Mix together the salt, black pepper, cayenne and crushed garlic, and rub all over your brisket (more heavily on the meatier side but also a bit on the fat side as well). Allow the brisket to come to room temperature.
3. In a large roasting pan, add the slivered onions, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke, 1/4 cup black coffee, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and half the sliced jalapenos.
4. Place the brisket in the pan, fat side up, and sprinkle the remaining jalapenos on top of the brisket.
5. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake in the oven for four hours. At this point, if you want a more pronounced smoky taste, pour another 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke over the brisket. Otherwise, just continue cooking for another hour, or roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound.
6. Take the brisket out of the oven, and it should be tender to the touch. Let it sit out of the pan for half an hour, and then trim the fat on top and slice against the grain. If you desire a gravy, they pan juice is a fine, fine topping.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: oven-baked "BBQ" brisket"

sunday supper: bolognese of my dreams

Marcella Hazan's magical bolognese. As far as I'm concerned, there is no reason to go looking for another recipe. This is exactly what you want bolognese to taste like, smell like, look like, sound like. This is the sauce you turn to when you're simply craving pasta in it's classic and true form. And the only thing difficult about this recipe is having the patience to cook it as long as you should - no shortcuts allowed. If I had one complaint - one teeny, tiny, probably sacrilegious complaint - it's maybe that this can be quite greasy. I know fat is a good thing and I use the fattier chuck meat, but I couldn't stop myself from skimming off a little bit of the fat as it cooked. I don't know, I have a problem. Recipe after the jump:



MARCELLA HAZAN'S PERFECT BOLOGNESE
From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

NOTE: I took a few liberties with ingredient amounts, which I've noted below. Still awesome.
1 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs butter plus 1 Tbs for tossing the pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped carrot
3/4 pound ground beef chuck (I used a whole pound)
Salt
Black pepper, fresh from the mill
1 cup whole milk
Whole nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice (I used a whole 28 oz can)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta (I used 1 pound of dried rigatoni)
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Put the oil, butter, and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the onion's translucent, then add the celery and carrot and cook for 2 minutes more until coated well.

Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and a few grindings of pepper; crumble the meat with a fork and stir until the beef has lost its raw, red color.

Now the cool part: add the milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating--about 1/8 teaspoon--of nutmeg and stir.

Add the wine, let it simmer until it's evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all the ingredients.

When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers (just an intermittent bubble here and there). Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, continue the cooking, adding 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.

Cook pasta, drain, then add the pasta to the sauce with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Toss to coat evenly and serve with grated parmiggiano-reggiano.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: bolognese of my dreams"

the great steak sandwich

Ginger and sesame marinated flank steak, grilled medium rare. Horseradish yogurt-mayo. Grilled red onions. Peppery arugula. Crusty ciabatta.



Need I say more? Recipe after the jump:



GINGER-SESAME MARINATED FLANK STEAK
1 (5-inch) piece ginger, sliced thinly
1/4 cup sesame oil
8 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound flank steak

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well incorporated. Poor over the steak, cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring the meat up to room temperature. Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the steak for 5-6 minutes per side for medium rare, or an internal temperature of 130-140 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.

Continue Reading "the great steak sandwich"

lasagna, a lesson in poor planning

I'll just say it right upfront - lasagna is a pain in the ass. I'm not saying that it's a pain in the ass that isn't worth it in the end, but it does need to be said that lasagna is labor intensive. It also needs to be said that you need a lasagna pan to make a giant lasagna, and a regular baking dish is probably not a good idea unless you like a huge mess.

But anyway, I'll get to the mess later. The point is, lasagna has several components, all of which require separate preparation. First, the bechamel:



Easy to make, but when you don't have a dishwasher, it means another pot, another spoon. I highly recommend making the tomato sauce component of this element on another day to save yourself using every single one of your burners at the same time.

Second, the ricotta mixture:



Thankfully, no need for a burner here, but still another big bowl to wash.

Third, the meat:



The second burner in use. The third, of course, is the pasta itself. I could not have fit another pot on my stove. And here is where I give you an important tip:



Don't build a lasagna to heights greater than the sides of your pan:



It will be a mess. A delicious mess, sure, but I don't have a dishwasher. This was a bit of a disaster. However, there were a couple of big positives that came out of this lasagna, mostly the revelation that I actually prefer using lower fat versions of some of the elements - namely the cheeses and the beef - because I don't like really greasy lasagna. Recipe after the jump:

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNA
Adapted from a recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis

Bechamel Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
Salt and white pepper

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente (approx. 4-5 minutes)
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded past-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:

In a 2-quart pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch deep lasagna dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Continue Reading "lasagna, a lesson in poor planning"

comfort food requires cheese

And the more different kinds of cheese, the better. No one can argue with a cheesy beefy pasta dish when you're feeling cranky. And believe it or not, this version of Baked Rigatoni is not as bad for you as it looks. It's still not good for you, but there's more fiber!



See, this article in the New York Times agrees that whole wheat pasta has come a long way in the last few years. And that article is already 3 years old, I think whole wheat pasta is even betterer now! Tender, flavorful, and not as far from regular pasta as it used to be. So nowadays, I'd say I use whole wheat pasta in place of regular about 75% of the time. I don't think J-Cat even notices.



I also used part-skim cheeses, not just for health reasons, but because I prefer less grease in general. Same for extra lean ground beef. There's not really any need for fattier beef in this dish because there is plenty of richness from the three cheeses. So go for the cheesy pasta dish, every now and then, and don't feel so bad about it. You're cranky, and you deserve it. Recipe after the jump:

SLIGHTLY LESS GUILT-INDUCING BAKED RIGATONI
1 lb whole wheat rigatoni
1 lb extra lean ground beef (at least 90% lean)
2 tsps olive oil
3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or jarred)
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package suggests. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the beef, salt and pepper it liberally, and brown lightly. Add the marinara sauce and lower to simmer. Let simmer a few minutes until sauce is warmed through and beef is cooked. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Add the ricotta and parmesan and toss to mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the mozzarella and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Continue Reading "comfort food requires cheese"

sunday supper: delicious brined meats and their effects on my honeys

For minimal effort, you can get at least 3 different meals out of one incredibly easy preparation. The magical meat? Corned beef. This dish is so easy to prepare, I almost feel like I should actually brine-cure the beef myself or it really is cheating. But I really don't know where I'd get saltpeter. Buying a pre-cured brisket leaves only some simmering to do for a delicious meal. In some ways, the leftovers are the best part, you get corned beef hash with the leftover potatoes, or simply some sandwiches on rye bread.

And here's a peek at the typical post-supper Sunday evening at my house.



CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
1 3-lb uncooked corned beef brisket
16 cups water
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into wedges
6 small potatoes, cut in halves or quarters, depending on size

For Horseradish Mayo:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp prepared horseradish, or more to taste
zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse the brisket well under cold water and place in a large dutch oven or stockpot. Cover the brisket with the water and add the peppercorns, cloves, allspice, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that collects on top. Lower the heat to a moderate simmer and cover. Simmer for about 2 1/2 hours or until very tender. You can also put in a 300 degree oven to simmer. When the meat is tender, remove from the pot, set on a board and cover with foil. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the pot and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with horseradish mayonnaise.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: delicious brined meats and their effects on my honeys"

sunday supper: tried and true

Sunday supper was a big production this week, but alas, no pictures because I had company. At least, no pictures of anything cooked. Gene and Olivia brought Mom over and I cooked a three course meal. As is my way with entertaining, all of the dishes I made were tried and true. I just don't take chances with new recipes when feeding people other than myself and J-Cat. The meal started off with a Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion Galette, which I blogged about a few months ago. That thing is so good we would have been happy eating it as the main course, if I had made three times as much.

Course two was Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine, served over rice, with a side of Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This is a favorite recipe of mine, and I chose it because it's simple and cooks long and slow, leaving me free to work on the other courses while it braises. Also, everyone loves short ribs, how could you not?



Dessert was an Olive Oil Cake, served with vanilla ice cream and fresh blueberries. Gene also sniffed out some leftover Semifreddo when going back for more ice cream, so he got the double dessert treatment. The olive oil cake is a favorite of mine for its simplicity and unique flavor. The flavor of the olive oil is unexpected and rich without being overwhelming. It's my kind of dessert. The recipe can be found in my favoritest of of favorite cookbooks - Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

Recipe for the short ribs after the jump:

SHORT RIBS BRAISED IN RED WINE

Ingredients
4-5 pounds beef short ribs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bottle (750mL) dry red wine
3-4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper

Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over high heat. Generously salt and pepper the meat. Sear the short ribs on all sides in batches, taking care to not crowd them in the pot. Set ribs aside. Deglaze the pot with some of the red wine, scraping the browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pan. Return the ribs to the pot, add the rest of the red wine and the beef stock, enough to barely cover the ribs. Add the vinegar and herbs, bring to a boil, then lower to a strong simmer and cover. Simmer for 2 hours or until meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Remove about 1/2 cup of the simmering liquid and mix well with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour slurry back into the pot and mix well. Raise the heat and bring to boil, allowing the liquid to thicken and reduce. Adjust seasonings to taste. If desired, you can remove the bones and any of the tough connective tissue from the short ribs before returning them to the pot. Add ribs back to the pot when the sauce is beginning to thicken and continue to simmer until heated through and the sauce has reached desired consistency. This is a matter of taste, you might want to thicken a lot to approach a gravy, or you might be happy with a thinner sauce. Serve the ribs over rice, mashed potatoes or polenta.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: tried and true"

sunday supper: kare-kare

Ah, food. It's so nice to be able to eat it. Last week I was taken down by a neverending stomach flu that robbed from me the most comforting of comforts - eating. Three days of laying around at home and I couldn't eat a damn thing. Once I did start to be able to eat, for some reason I only craved junk food. First food back: Kraft Mac N Cheese. I must have been sick, because I never eat that otherwise.

Anyway, I'm finally returning to the land of the living, and because I'm an idiot I decided that my first real meal should be rich and beefy. The words 'rich' and 'beefy' specifically brings one cuisine to mind: Filipino food. My mom hardly ever made Filipino food when we were young, perhaps the occasional pot of benignet or halo-halo (aka loco-loco), probably because my dad was the cook in the family. Or more likely because most Filipino food is pretty bad for you. The kare-kare that I made on Sunday is no exception, but it is warming and comforting, and pretty easy to make.

Kare-kare is an oxtail stew with a peanut butter sauce. I think it is one of those dishes that might vary a bit from region to region, some recipes calling for tripe in addition to oxtail, some requiring banana heart or cabbage. (I skipped the tripe. I have nothing against tripe - I've eaten my fair share - but I've never cooked it and I don't have much desire to. It's unappetizing enough when cooked, I don't want to deal with it raw.) It seems like the primary ingredients regardless of region are oxtail, eggplant, string beans, achuete, and a peanut butter based sauce. Achuete, more commonly known as "annatto", is some kind of seed from a tropical plant often used as a red dye. I've never used annatto in its whole form before, I've only used it when part of a spice mix, like Goya Sazon. I think its primary function is for coloring, but it has a subtle odor and I do think it imparts a subtle peppery flavor. There was a difference between my kare-kare and my mom's, and she definitely doesn't bother with the achuete.



You can simply soak the achuete in water, then discard the seeds and use the water as part of the stew stock, but I chose to make achuete oil. I simply sauteed the seeds in oil for a couple of minutes. The oil begins to color immediately, and it only took a couple of minutes to get a deep red. This was a slightly problematic method only because I let the oil get a little too hot and there was a big of splattering. This turns everything it touches orange. Including my arm and the stove and the floor. Just keep the heat low.

I sauteed the onions and garlic in the achuete oil and added that to the stew.



The one element I am disappointed didn't work out for me is the toasted ground rice. It is used to thicken the stew, and while I don't think it's an absolute necessity, I was curious to try it. I tried to grind some raw rice with the Cuisinart, but it totally didn't work. I think this would require a spice grinder or coffee grinder, but my coffee grinder is too coffeed-out to use on anything else. I really need to invest in a second grinder reserved for non-coffee items. I ended up using some cornstarch to thicken it, but I think the peanut butter did plenty of thickening on its own. I also did not have any bagoong alamang, which is a fermented shrimp paste. This is really to personal taste, but I don't think I would have wanted it anyway, I'm not huge on fermented fish, and bagoong alamang is strong, salty, and very high in cholesterol. If you're into that stuff, it does help to cut the richness of the peanut butter sauce.

My final lesson in this experiment was the revelation that natural ingredients are not necessarily the best. I used a natural peanut butter that had no added sugar. Bad idea, I just had to add sugar to get the right flavor. This is just a dish that needs the sweetness, any old supermarket peanut butter works best. I also used way too much peanut butter, mistakenly believing that more of it would bring out more flavor. Instead it made it way too rich and overpowered other elements. In this case, a little really did go a long way. Recipe after the jump:



KARE-KARE

Ingredients
3 lbs beef oxtail
2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp peanut oil (or any neutral oil)
1 tbsp annatto seeds
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb string beans
3 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp toasted ground rice (or 1 tbsp cornstarch)
salt and pepper, to taste
bagoog alamang, to taste (optional)

Preparation
In a large heavy stockpot over high heat, brown oxtail on all sides. Add beef stock and additional water to just cover meat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a strong simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until beef is very tender but not falling apart. In a skillet over low heat, saute annatto seed in oil until the oil turns red, being careful not to burn the oil or the seeds. It should only take a few minutes. Remove the seeds and discard. Use this oil to saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic to the oxtail. Add the green beans, eggplant and peanut butter. In a dry pan, toast the ground rice until it just begins to brown, then add to the stew. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes more, until the vegetables are cooked through. If desired, add bagoong alamang to taste before adding any additional salt. Serve over steamed white rice, with additional bagoong alamang on the side.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: kare-kare"

brisket and beer, revisited

What to do with the rest of a 5-lb brisket when the Steak & Guinness Pie only used 2 lbs?



Braise it. And what better to braise it with than a bottle of the Guinness you bought for the pie? The great thing about this recipe is that despite the two main ingredients being exactly the same as the pie, it tastes completely different. The pile of onions sitting atop the brisket brings an incredible sweetness to the gravy. I browsed around at dozens of slow-cooked brisket recipes for some ideas, and noticed that a great many of them called for Heinz Chili Sauce. I didn't even know what the was, but luckily found it in the local grocery store. The verdict on that stuff is that it's pretty much ketchup with some vaguely pepper-like tinge, but the moniker Chili Sauce is a little misleading. Stuff is sweet.



Paired with the brisket was simply sauteed white cabbage with caraway seeds. Also rather sweet, but a nice light contrast to the beef and gravy.



The gravy, by the way, was the best thing ever. Recipes after the jump:



SLOW COOKER BEER-BRAISED BRISKET

Ingredients
3 lb flat-cut brisket
2 bay leaves
2 small onions, sliced into rings
1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer
1/4 cup chili sauce (Heinz style)
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Preparation
Rinse and pat dry brisket and trim off excess fat. Salt and pepper liberally. Place in a slow cooker set on High, 6-hour setting. Scatter onion rings and bay leaves over the beef. Mix together beer, chili sauce, sugar, garlic and thyme and pour over brisket. Cover and braise 6 hours or until it begins to fall apart with a fork. Remove brisket and set aside on cutting board to rest. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan. Skim off any excessive fat, but leave at least a couple of tablespoons worth in the pot. Mix the cornstarch and water, add to sauce and simmer on low until thickened, about 10 minutes. Slice brisket against the grain and serve topped with the gravy.


SAUTEED CABBAGE WITH CARAWAY SEEDS

Ingredients
1 small white cabbage, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Melt butter over medium heat in a large, heavy saute pan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add caraway seeds and allow to toast for 1 minute. Add cabbage and saute until soft.

Continue Reading "brisket and beer, revisited"

sunday supper: battle pastry

Most people who know me at all know that I'm crazy about pastry. All kinds of pastry. Yet I haven't worked much with pastry beyond pie crusts or shortcrusts. I don't know why I haven't, considering how easy many pastries are. Because frozen puff pastry is the most amazing food item ever. Now that I've started working with it, I really think I may try wrapping everything in puff pastry. It would just make everything better, after all. For dinner tonight, I broke out a couple sheets of puff pastry to make a simple, hearty Steak & Guinness Pie.



Beef stew, wrapped in puff pastry? Bring it on. The ultimate in comfort food. Recipe after the jump:



STEAK AND GUINNESS PIE

Ingredients
2 lbs stew meat (round or brisket), cut in 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup portabella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 can Guinness Stout
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil. Saute onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, mushrooms, rosemary and butter and saute until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add beef, sprinkle with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Add Worchestershire sauce and Guinness. The liquid should just come to the top of the beef but not completely submerge it. Add water or beef stock if there is not enough liquid. Cover and simmer in preheated oven for 2 hours, stirring periodically. I recommend skimming the fat off about halfway through the simmer, depending on how fatty your beef is.

After 2 hours, remove the stew from the oven but do not turn off the heat. Set stew aside to cool slightly while you roll out the pastry. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry to about 1/8th inch thick and lay in the bottom of a 2 quart ovenproof deep casserole or bowl, allowing excess pastry to hang over the sides. Fill with stew, but avoid putting too much liquid in the pie. Roll out the other sheet of pastry a bit thicker than the first. Score lightly in a crisscross pattern. Brush the edges of the bottom crust with beaten egg. Lay top crust and press lightly around edges to seal. Bring excess bottom crust up over top crust. Brush top of crust with egg wash. Return to the 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: battle pastry"

stuffed

I have not disappeared! It's just that time of year. Holidays, social obligations, awards screening season, hibernation. Sadly, I have not had much time for cooking. Or, more accurately, I have not had much time for thinking about cooking. And with me, thinking and planning is more than half the battle when it comes to cooking. Ironically, now is the time that J-Cat has been getting increasingly interested in cooking. This weekend, he made me breakfast both mornings, and seemed to actually really have fun doing it. Yesterday he asked me what I was craving, and I answered hash browns, even though I did not really think he would attempt it. I love classic grated hash browns, but I can never seem to get it unless I go somewhere in the south with a Waffle House. What's with the preference for home fries around here? Home fries are whack. Anyway, J-Cat was determined to give me my home fries, so he googled around for some recipes, decided that he would pick and choose parts of various recipes, then essentially just wing it. Awww, just like me. And he said it was really fun! I guess he's finally starting to understand why I love it like I do.

The result was more like a giant latke than classic hash browns, but I love latkes so I still thought it was tasty.

Anyway, no Sunday Supper last night, as I was enjoying a lovely crafting afternoon at Leah's. I did manage to finish another stripe and a half on my ripple afghan, but it still doesn't look like I'm making any progress whatsoever. So since I do not have a great experiment to share, here's one of my quick and easy made up dishes from last week -- Stuffed Peppers.



Growing up in my household, I don't think I ever really tasted the classic versions of many foods. Both of my parents were totally incapable of making a dish without completely tweaking it to suit their tastes. This was not a bad thing, as my mom's meatloaf and my dad's burgers were awesome. I just never knew what real meatloaf tasted like. So Stuffed Peppers is kind of my homage to that. I don't even know what Stuffed Peppers are usually like. I don't think I've ever eaten them. I don't know what people usually stuff in them. I just kinda made this up.



The peppers were giant, so one per person was plenty. I stuffed them with a mixture of ground beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes, spices, cheese, and bulgur wheat. Recipe after the jump:

STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients
4 large green bell peppers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the bulgur wheat with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to steam for 15-20 minutes. While the bulgur is steaming, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add ground beef, breaking up with the spoon, and saute just until it begins to brown. On a hot spot on the skillet, add the tomato paste and let carmelize for a minute before mixing in. Add the tomatoes, reserving about a quarter cup, and stir to combine. Drain off any excess fat, if desired. When the bulgur is tender, drain with a fine sieve and return to bowl. Add the browned beef, seasonings, and cheese and toss to combine well. Set aside while you prep the peppers. Slice off the top of the pepper and remove all seeds and ribs. Fill with the beef mixture and place in a baking dish just large enough to hold the four peppers (this will help prevent the peppers from falling over when they soften). Spoon tomatoes over the top to prevent drying. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, then sprinkle cheese over top and return to oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Continue Reading "stuffed"

sunday supper: battle wine

J-Cat and I are total lightweights. Neither of us have any tolerance for alcohol, and it's totally pathetic. So last night when I got a bottle of red wine for dinner, I realized that if anything we'd each have maybe two small glasses and be left with half a bottle of wine. Of course, I could have stashed away the leftovers for the next night, but if you saw how packed my fridge currently is, you'd realize that this is not an option. So the logical conclusion is of course to cook with the rest of the wine, hence "Battle Wine".

Part one was a simple beef stew, to celebrate the fact that the weather has finally cooled down. My stew is so simple that it hardly calls for a recipe. Start with some olive oil in a big heavy stew pot, generously salt and pepper the beef, then sear beef on all sides. Toss in the roughly chopped mirepoix. (That's one of Josef's favorite words, and consists of carrots, celery, and onions.) Saute until the veggies have started to soften, then sprinkle the whole thing with a couple tablespoons of flour. You could also do it correctly and make a slurry with cold water and either flour or cornstarch, but I just sprinkled it in. Pour in a couple glasses of wine, then a big can of whole plum tomatoes. If you need more liquid, add either water or beef stock. Throw in whatever fresh herbs you have on hand -- I had a bunch of sage and parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower to a strong simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on how small you cut the meat and how soft you like it. I also add chopped potatoes, but hold them back for the last 45 minutes or so of cooking because I prefer them not so mushy. Serve with a piece of crusty bread, or over rice.



Coming up next, part two of Battle Wine, in which we experiment with some pears.

Continue Reading "sunday supper: battle wine"