you’ll need many a napkin to eat this sticky rack of deliciousness.
Good morning all.
My life has been overrun by my part-time job, internship, and now the World Cup. What will I watch when the World Cup is over?
Anyway….We celebrated Father’s Day a few days early this year. Initially, my plan was to make some delicious hanger steak. I’ve seen hanger steak at this one grocery store I often turn to for my foodie needs. However, (as predicted) the store did not have hanger steak in stock when I was, of course, looking for it. So, Plan B? Barbecued beef short ribs.
rubbed ribs getting ready for the oven
I started off by rubbing the ribs with a nice spice mix. For two slabs of ribs, I used (adapted from here):
4 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP smoked paprika
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
I let the ribs sit in the rub all day so all the flavors could marry. If I had things my way, I would’ve smoked these ribs for about 4-6 hours over low heat with hickory wood chips and such. Buuut, I don’t have a smoker. So instead, I opted to braise the ribs first, then finish them on the grill. In a roasting pan with a rack, add 1 16oz bottle of beer and some water so that there is about an inch of liquid in the pan. Place the ribs that you rubbed at least 12 hours ago on the roasting rack and put them in the pan. Cover with foil, and place in a preheated 250F oven. Roast for 1.5-2 hours. Check your ribs after an hour to be sure there is enough liquid. When the ribs are done (the meat on mine was falling off the bones – a challenge to get on the grill, but so worth it), slather (and I mean SLATHER. BATHE those ribs) in some barbecue sauce and grill for about 10 minutes.
While you’ve got some time on your hands as the ribs are braising, you may as well make your own barbecue sauce, right? Well, I did. I had no idea what I was doing, and it thankfully came out really well. I adapted this sauce from a variety of sources in an attempt to combine the best of both tomato-based and vinegar-based sauces. My sauce started out involving about…
1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of ketchup
1 TBSP molasses
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
some freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
2 TBSP brown sugar
sweet and spicey short ribs
Whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer. Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened to your desired consistency. I think I cooked mine for about 20-30 minutes. It was perfect timing, really. Once I put it in the refrigerator, the sauce thickened up really nicely. The sauce was REALLY vinegary at first, but it sweetened throughout the cooking process. Throughout cooking, I added a few more shakes of paprika for an additional smokey flavor, and a few more shakes of cumin for….well, mostly because I enjoy cumin a lot. The sauce was sweet, but had a nice kick. A perfect blend.
fresh garden herbs
Now that the ribs are figured out, it’s time for the side dishes. I decided to make grilled vegetable kebabs with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, onion, and little bell peppers. To go along with the vegetables, I made a sauce inspired by the chimichurri sauce native to Uruguay and Argentina (and probably other countries, too). It’s an awesome sauce, traditionally made with parsley, garlic, pepper and olive oil. I needed all of my parsley for the crab cakes I planned to make, so I used basil, oregano, and cilantro. The recipe is adapted from here. It turned out really nicely. Cilantro is such a powerful herb, and when combined with garlic, it stands out with such an intensity. I minced the garlic VERY finely (almost to a paste) so it functioned on an aromatic level, as well. (Yesterday, I spread some of the sauce on some bread and made a sandwich with it. I hope to use the rest of the leftover sauce as a marinade — it’d be awesome with chicken.)
Along with the grilled vegetable kebabs, I made some crab cakes. I used the same recipe as in here, except I added a little more mustard and worcestershire sauce. The difference ended up being minimal, but the cakes were still REALLY good.
jumbo lump crab cakes
Completing the compendium of side dishes was some awesome Mexican-inspired grilled corn on the cob, adapted from here. I grilled the corn for about 20 minutes, rotating the cobs every now and then to ensure even cooking.
a riff on Elote
Then, I deviated from the original recipe a bit and spread only a little butter and mayo on the warm cobs. I felt 1 TBSP of each was waaayy too much. I grated some cotija cheese, sprinkled it on the cobs, and dusted with a little smoked paprika. The cobs were still fairly warm, so the cheese ended up melting slightly. The mayo and cheese added a nice salty bite to the juicy, sweet corn.
And that was that! It was a fantastic and flavorful dinner. I don’t usually like barbecue sauce (I have been rather vocal about my dislike — the bottled nonsense is always way too sweet…), but thought this was deliciously savory, sticky, sweet, spicy, and perhaps most importantly, addictive as all hell. I could’ve eaten an entire rack of short ribs (in all fairness, there isn’t THAT much meat on ribs).
whew!
Happy Father’s Day to all, and Happy Summer, too!
yet another foodie milestone
Hello everyone.
Anyone who reads this blog may know that I am a devoted fan of Anthony Bourdain. While he’s viciously uncensored and dripping with sarcasm, I love him, his show, and books.
Yesterday, he was doing a book signing at the Borders in downtown Manhattan, so I went.
anthony bourdain signing a copy of his book
As he strolled into the signing area with a beer in hand, he smiled and waved at everyone there to see him. He was really chill, friendly, and seemed to really enjoy bullshitting with his fans. His fans, by the by, are a weird sort. A mix of young and old, they appear to cleave onto everything Bourdain stands for: brutal honesty, which can at times be quite humorous.
I realize that he is just another person, like you and me, and that there was no real reason to be totally tongue-tied. However, once I approached the table at which he sat, all logic and reason left me. I went from being a composed, articulate individual to a stammering idiot with a flushed face. That’s okay, though. He greeted me with a huge smile, a slightly nervous hello, and he shook my hand. We talked about his beer, and the moment that I spent 2 hours waiting in line for passed in mere moments.
gaaahhhh
Sure, I could have asked him about being a chef. I could have asked him where and what to eat when I’m in Sydney. Hell, I could have even asked him if he’s heard the latest New York Dolls album. Instead, we talked about the stupid beer, smiled, I giggled, we posed, and finally said our goodbyes. Ah well. It still made my day.
After the signing, my mom and I went to Les Halles. Bourdain was formerly executive chef at Les Halles, though not at the location at which we ate. Nevertheless, the food surpassed my expectations and their fries are to die for. In his Les Halles cookbook, he gives the recipe for the fries in case anyone reading this wants to go for it.
What did I have?
moules
These mussels were DELICIOUS. And the portion was very generous, as well. I had my mussels in a tomato-garlic broth with cilantro and chorizo. I could’ve bathed in it.
frites
These french fries were expertly fried. They were very salty and crunchy on the outside, but warm and fluffy on the inside. These people know what they are doing. And I got a heaping plateful of them with my mussels.
profiteroles
Finally, for dessert, my mom and I split cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream. I gather they make their own ice cream because it was VERY VERY vanilla. I loved it. I usually hate vanilla ice cream, but this was done so well. It was creamy, but not heavy. There were specs of seeds from the vanilla bean, indicating that this was not store -bought shit. And the chocolate sauce they serve on the side was divine. Not heavy like a ganache, just light and frothy enough to drizzle over the pastry. It was bittersweet chocolate with a hint of cocoa. Whew.
It was an awesome day – probably the best this summer (so far?).
timely
Good morning everyone.
I did say that I would post again in a timely manner, so I’m attempting to make good on my word.
Two items are featured today: polenta that no one in my house liked, and pork that generally everyone felt tasted good.
Let’s begin with the polenta.
I tend not to post my failures on here, partly because I never take pictures of them, and also because I’m thinking of making a worst hits post in the future.
So, polenta.
cheesey, herby polenta cake
Polenta is essentially coarse corn meal cooked in water. Typically, 1 1/2 cups of polenta is cooked with about 4 cups of water. The water can be salted, as you would for pasta or potatoes. The cooking liquid doesn’t have to be just water, of course. For more flavor, you could substitute any stock of your preference, or you could even add a bit of heavy cream for some deliciously silky polenta.
I decided to just cook it in water. To a medium sauce pan, add 4 cups of cold water. Then, add 1 and 1/2 cups of polenta. Begin stirring, and turn on the heat to high, bring to a boil. This will need your constant attention…so keep stirring! If you don’t, it will stick and scorch. And who wants that? Once it begins to form a porridge-like consistency, add seasonings, herbs, whatever you want. After all the water has been absorbed, turn the heat down to medium-low/low and add 1 TBSP of butter. Then, fold in some cheese, perhaps marscapone or creme fraiche for a really velvety consistency, or some gruyere or cheddar for a nice bite. And there you have it.
You can serve it like that, or you can preheat your oven to about 350F and pour the polenta into a cast iron skillet (or some other oven-proof dish). Spread it out so it’s even, top it with more herbs or cheese, and throw it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. It forms a delicious crust on the outside, and maintains its creaminess on the inside. *I* thought it was very good.
The other night, we were set to have pork chops. So, with my day off, I decided to roast them until they were fall-off-the-bone tender.
roasted pork chops with roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs
I generally followed my previous roasted pork recipes and made an interesting sauce prior to putting this all in the oven. In a medium saucepan, I combined 2 cans of diced tomatoes, about a cup of red wine, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and fresh basil, oregano, and tarragon from my garden. I am LOVING my basil plant, it is going crazy out there and it’s REALLY fragrant. By far one of my favorite herbs.
In some olive oil, saute about half a vidalia onion until soft. Then add garlic, loads of salt and pepper. Stir, add the wine and cook out some of the alcohol. Then, add the tomatoes and mushrooms. Reduce about 1/4th of the volume. Then, add the herbs.
Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to the pork chops and place in an oven proof dish. Pour the sauce over the chops, and put in a preheated 350F oven for about 2 1/2 hours. Serve with some egg noodles and you’re all set.
Tuesday, I am (hopefully) going to a book signing with Anthony Bourdain. Holy. Shit.
to learn to cook
Hello everyone.
It seems as though I never write anymore! Unfortunately, my schedule for the summer is almost more intense than my school-year schedule.
A few weeks ago, my mom and I went to a cooking class at Classic Thyme in Westfield, NJ. The subject was “Supremely Simple Seafood,” which it was. It was as delicious as it was simple. My mom and I recently recreated this menu, and it took us a fair bit of time, but there are a lot of dishes involved.
pan fried oyster topped green salad
There were about 15 people in the class, and each group of people was charged with prepping a specific portion of the meal. The first dish of the night was pan fried oysters atop a green salad with creamy garlic and peppercorn dressing. Mom and I got to drain and dredge the oysters. They were huge, freshly shucked oysters and were, admittedly, a little gross to handle raw. Believe it or not, I have never tasted an oyster before this. If I didn’t like clams so much, I would say oysters are my favorite!
The oysters were soaked in a mixture of buttermilk and cajun seasoning, and then dredged in cajun-seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Then, they were fried in oil (not deep fried, just pan fried in enough oil covering the oysters halfway), and dropped on a paper towel to drain while cooling. The oysters take very little time to cook – about 2 to 4 minutes. They had a great crunch on the outside, and were absolutely luscious on the inside. A perfect contrast in textures.
The oysters were placed atop a salad with a creamy garlic dressing. The dressing was really fragrant, and had so many different flavors happening. The dressing involved sauteing some shallot, garlic, and peppercorn melange in some extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Once the garlic browned and the shallots were translucent, 1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce were added. This mix was reduced by half and cooled completely in the refrigerator. Then, in a blender, that mix was first thickened with some olive oil, and then mayo, dijon mustard, and some herbs were added.
sauteed flounder ala orange topped with seared shrimp
Initially, I was very skeptical about the orange in this dish. I am not a fan of orange-flavored things, and really favor lemon with my fish. However, the orange just…worked. It completely won me over. The fish was lightly breaded and then quickly pan fried, leaving the interior delicate and flaky. White fish has a very subtle flavor, which the orange lifted to another dimension. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, as well. It was seasoned with salt and pepper, and seared in butter (delicious). It was meaty, but not chewy (as overcooked shrimp so often is). It was juicy and succulent; the orange tasted really good with it as well.
pan seared scallop with horseradish mashed potatoes
This was an excellent side dish. Not only were the mashed potatoes decadent and creamy, but the scallop was seared to perfection. The trick to getting the most flavor out of these potatoes is to salt the boiling water with enough salt so it tastes like the ocean. Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them with butter, horseradish, and heavy cream. That is all it takes, and the result is DIVINE. I love horseradish, it adds a kick of heat without being overwhelming. The scallop was seasoned with salt and pepper, and then seared quickly over high heat so it caramelizes. Searing it on high heat ensures a deep caramelization without overcooking. After removing the scallop, some shallot, garlic, and leeks were sauteed with some lemon juice and butter. This “confetti” of leeks and shallots was placed on top of the scallop. That aromatic and savory confetti balanced the luscious, velvety interior of the scallop.
At this point, you are probably wondering if there was dessert. After all these savory dishes, what sweetness was to be had?
almond, walnut, chocolate and caramel bars
These oat bars were dessert. I am not going to lie, I felt a little ripped off by this. Don’t get me wrong, the bars were really good. Interestingly, the bars never cooled completely, so we had them while they were warm and gooey. But after that intense meal, this dessert did not seem to suffice. I like granola bars as a snack between meals, or even for a quick breakfast if I’m not all that hungry. Dessert? Not quite. They probably should have been served with vanilla ice cream or something to make it more desserty, but oh well. Served warm and gooey, these really quenched my craving for something sweet after all the garlicy-savoriness.
I have cooked a few things recently because I have been home in the evenings (at least part of the evenings), so more updates to come (in a timely manner).
