5 Allow this to cook together for 1 minute, then add the wine and bring it up to a simmer. Once it has reduced by half, add the beef stock and crushed tomatoes. Turn off the burner, and bury the ribs in the sauce. Cover the pan and put it in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat is peeling away from the bone.
6 Place the ribs on a serving platter, and season the sauce to your taste with salt and pepper. Pour just enough finished sauce over the ribs to cover, and serve immediately. Garnish with lots of freshly chopped parsley. The ultimate one-pot wonder, this dish is perfect served with Mashed Magnificence (p. 174) or Call the Po-Po on This Polenta (p. 177).
Chefology
SHORT RIBS
English-style short ribs are cut parallel to the bone, while short ribs cut across the rib bones are known as flanken-style cuts.
My Personal Wellington
Serves 4
In a traditional beef Wellington the entire beef tenderloin is wrapped in puff pastry, but I like making beautiful packages that are individual servings. I use phyllo pastry instead of puff, because it’s much more CLK friendly since it requires no rolling.
4 beef tenderloin steaks, 8 ounces each
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for pan
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 ounces foie gras, small cubes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1 pound cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
8 ounces unsalted butter
1 shallot, sliced
1 box phyllo dough
1 cup Charred Tomato
Red Wine Demi
Sauce (p. 205)
1 Preheat oven to 350°. Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Rub some olive oil over the steaks and season them heavily with salt and pepper. When the pan begins to smoke, carefully place each steak into the pan to brown for 2 minutes on one side, and then turn them to brown another 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat this until the tenderloins have become completely seared and crispy on all sides. Move them to a clean plate and refrigerate them.
2 Place your 12-inch sauté pan back over the heat (don’t wash it out, those bits have a lot of flavor), and throw in the cubes of foie gras. They will immediately start rendering fat. Add the fresh thyme and mushrooms. Toss this all together and reduce the heat to medium while the mushrooms sweat. Place your 1-quart saucepot over low heat and add the butter and shallot to melt slowly together.
3 Place a small strainer over the saucepot of butter, and once the mushrooms are completely soft, pour them into the strainer to drain. Top your chilling steaks with the strained mushroom mixture and return them to the fridge. Remove the butter from the heat.
4 Open the phyllo dough and unroll it onto a cutting board, and cut it directly down the middle, making two even rectangles. Stack them together, and pull one sheet off the top. Cover the stack with a piece of plastic wrap to keep its moisture in and prevent it from drying out. Using a pastry brush, very lightly paint the piece of phyllo with melted butter. Take another piece of phyllo and place it directly on top of the buttered piece. Butter this layer and continue until you have six layers.
5 Place one-fourth of the mushrooms in a tight circle in the center of the pastry. Set a steak on top of that. Bring up all the sides of the pastry to completely enclose the steak into the pastry like a present, turn it over, and set it on a plate. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other three steaks and put the plate in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the phyllo dough and make sure it stays shut when baking.
6 Lightly grease a baking pan with olive oil, place each steak folded side down onto the pan, and place it in the oven for 12 minutes (once rested this should be a good medium rare/medium). Allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting a small wedge (or triangle) out of each Wellington. Place the large portions in the center of each dinner plate. Spoon a circle of the Charred Tomato Red Wine Demi off to one side and place the small wedge of Wellington in the center of that circle. Lightly sprinkle the plate with chopped thyme and serve immediately.
The Perfect Pot Roast
Serves 10
A Sunday favorite, this complete meal requires only one pot. Buying a roast with no bone means less cooking time and easy slicing.
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
3- to 4-pound boneless rump roast
¾ cup dry sherry
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water
2 celery stalks, leaves attached
2 carrots, large
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 pound new potatoes
12 ounces baby carrots
1 cup fresh pearl onions
1 Preheat oven to 350°. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Heavily salt and pepper the roast on all sides. Once the pan has begun to smoke, carefully place the roast into the pan to brown for 5 minutes on one side. Then, turn it onto the next side for another 5 minutes. Repeat this for every side of the roast until it is completely browned, and then remove it from the pan. If your pan is too small to conveniently sear on all sides, use your torch to brown the sides with wonderful results. The idea is to brown the entire roast to seal in the juices.
2 Deglaze the pan by adding the dry sherry to the hot pan and stirring to loosen the tasty brown bits, and allow it to reduce. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the roast with Dijon mustard, and then season it
3 When with the fresh herbs. the sherry has reduced by half, add the beef stock and Worcestershire, allowing it to come to a simmer. In a very small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together to make, what we call in chef circles, a slurry. Pour this into the stock and again allow it to all come to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
4 Place the celery stalks and large carrots in the slurry and crisscross them to make a platform for the roast. Add the smashed garlic, and lay the roast on top of the vegetables.
5 Arrange the potatoes, baby carrots, and onions around the roast, cover the pan, and put the entire thing in the oven for 1½ to 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the roast in the center of a large platter with the small vegetables surrounding it. Pour some of the sauce over the entire dish, and serve the rest on the side.
Snake-Charmin’
Moroccan Lamb Chops
Serves 8
By marinating the chops overnight, this dish requires only 2 minutes of total cooking time. Serve with sautéd diced eggplant and tomato (Sautéed Vegetables p. 170) tossed with the Saffron Couscous (p. 186), and you’ll have an authentic gourmet Moroccan meal.
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 lamb racks, 5 to 6 bones each
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
1 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season each whole rack heavily with salt and pepper. Once the pan has begun to smoke, carefully place one rack, fat side down, into the pan and allow it to brown on this side for 5 minutes or until extremely crispy. Then rotate it to the other side to brown. Remove it from the pan to cool and repeat this with the other 3 racks. Once they cool, cut down each bone making individual “chops.” Hold the rack by one of the bones allowing the bottom to rest on the cutting board. In short sawing motions, run y
our chef’s knife along each bone while trying to cut each as evenly in size as you can. Place the lamb chops in plastic storage bags.
2 In a medium bowl, add the lemon juice and slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Whisk in the coriander, allspice, cumin, mint, ginger, and garlic. Pour this marinade all over the lamb chops, and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.
3 Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, set an oven-safe dish or sheet tray inside, and place your 12-inch sauté over medium-high heat. Shake off excess marinade from each chop, but allow most to remain. Once the pan is hot, carefully sear each lamb chop for 1 minute on each side, and then place them in the oven to stay warm while you repeat with remaining chops. When every lamb chop is crispy, they are ready to serve. For family-style presentation put a bowl of the Saffron Couscous (p. 186) topped with Sautéed Vegetables (p. 170) in a bowl and set it on the end of a platter. Cascade the lamb chops, slightly over lapping them as they build up toward the bowl of couscous and vegetables. Serve immediately.
Feta and Fennel Stuffed Leg of Lamb
Serves 10 to 12
Ask your butcher for a shortened leg of lamb (known as the shank half), with the shank end of the bone left in, and the hip end of the bone removed. The meat will come wrapped around the bone. With the hard work completed by the butcher, preparing the recipe is a snap. This meal comes out so juicy and colorful, your guests will be rendered speechless until the end of the meal. Make sure you only use this on big occasions, not crappy little ones, because it’s tough to ever top the experience.
¼ cup olive oil
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, reserve green tops
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped Swiss chard, tender greens
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3½ to 4 pound shank half of a leg of lamb, bone left in
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped kalamata olives
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano
½ cup red wine
1 Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add half of the olive oil. When it begins to smoke add the fennel and red onion, sautéing until they become translucent. Toss the garlic through the mixture and then add the Swiss chard. Turn the heat down to medium while the Swiss chard wilts into the onions and fennel. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat to cool.
2 Unroll the leg of lamb and evenly sprinkle the inside of the meat with the crumbled feta and olives. Spread a thick layer of the sautéed fennel and greens over the feta and olives. Roll the lamb closed, making sure all the stuffing stays in, and secure it with toothpicks. Season the outside of the lamb with salt, pepper, chopped mint, and oregano, wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge overnight.
3 One hour or so before you want to serve, preheat the oven to 375°, place your roasting pan over medium-high heat, and add the second half of the olive oil. When it begins to smoke, carefully place the leg of lamb into the pan to brown on one side for 3 minutes. Once it is crispy, roll it over to brown on the next section for 3 minutes. Continue this way until you finally roll it onto that last side, pour in the red wine, and place the pan into the oven immediately. Roast the leg for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 135°.
4 Set the lamb aside to rest for 15 minutes, and place the pan of wine back on medium heat to reduce it into a thick sauce. This won’t take very long, so watch it closely, and give it a stir occasionally to keep it from burning to the bottom. On your serving platter, make a bed of the reserved fennel greens, place the leg of lamb in the center, and pour the red wine sauce over the top. Serve immediately with Roasted Vegetables (p. 171). For presentation purposes, it’s quite exciting to carve the meat at the table. Place the leg of lamb on its side on a cutting board. Starting on the outside, cut thin slices parallel to the bone until you reach the bone. Transfer the slices to a platter and start again on the opposite side,
continuing until the bone is naked!
Chefology
TRUSS
To truss involves using string, skewers, or toothpicks to hold food together so it maintains its shape (and its stuffing) while cooking.
Chiles Rellenos
Serves 6
The chile relleno, literally means “stuffed chile,” and is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the city of Puebla. It consists of a roasted fresh poblano pepper (the poblano pepper is named after the city of Puebla) that is stuffed with cheese, rice, or meat. This recipe utilizes my special gourmet method for creating perfectly cooked rice every time.
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
6 poblano peppers
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 tablespoon smoked
Spanish paprika
1 cup long grain rice
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans
1. cup vegetable stock
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
¾ cup Queso fresco, white cheese
2 cups self-rising cake flour with a pinch of salt
4 cups corn oil
8 egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 Preheat oven to 400°. Place the poblanos on a sheet tray and drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil over them. Roast them for 15 to 20 minutes or until they have begun to blacken and blister. Remove them with your tongs, place them in a mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap to steam.
2 Place your Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once it begins to smoke, quickly sauté your onions until they begin to soften, and add the smoked paprika. Carefully add the rice, toss it all together, and allow the rice to brown for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the raisins and pecans, and then pour in the stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow this to boil, remove from the heat, cover and stick in the oven for 45 minutes exactly.
3 Once the peppers are cool, carefully peel off their skins. Make a 2-inch slit in the side and carefully remove as many seeds as you can, trying not to tear the pepper. Stir ½ cup of cheese into the rice mixture. Cup the pepper in one hand with the slit side up and open. Use your other hand to gently stuff ¼ to . cup of rice filling into each pepper. Close the slit in each pepper with two or three toothpicks. Save any leftover rice filling for adding to the Tomato and Avocado Fritatta (p. 144) for breakfast in the morning. Wash and dry the Dutch oven for the next step.
4 Dredge each stuffed pepper in the flour. Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the corn oil. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until the whites form soft peaks. Roll a pepper in the egg whites, and carefully drop it into the oil. Repeat with two other peppers. You should be able to fry three at a time. Turn them often, and fry them for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Gently remove them and place them on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the rest of the peppers, and carefully remove the toothpicks when the peppers 5Serve are cool enough to handle. warm, drizzled with Mexican Mole Sauce (p. 212) and garnished with the Queso fresco crumbled over the top. If you like, top it with some Latin Salsa Verde (p. 218) or Pico de Gallo Salsa (p. 215).
Did You Know This Crap?
Never try to simulate the flavor or texture of meat in a vegetarian dish, because if you do you will fail.
Leaning Tower
of Tofu Lasagna Stacks
Serves 4
I’ve received rave reviews for this vegetarian entrée in my restaurants. The tofu doesn’t replace the meat in this recipe. It is a high-protein, low-fat substitute for the noodles!
½ cup olive oil
16 ounces extra firm tofu
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
> 1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups (about 8 ounces) sliced cremini mushrooms
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 recipe Mighty
Marinara Sauce (p. 210)
6 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Make ¼-inch slices down the length of the tofu and lay the slices on paper towels to absorb any moisture. Gently salt and pepper each tofu “noodle” and cover with more paper towels.
2 Whisk together the eggs and milk in a medium bowl to make an egg wash. Line up a medium bowl of flour, the egg wash in the middle, and a medium bowl of bread crumbs on the end. Lightly dredge the tofu in the flour, dip it in the egg wash, and then coat it in the bread crumbs. Drop a pinch of bread crumbs into the hot oil. If it fries rapidly then the oil is ready. Carefully place four pieces of tofu in the olive oil and fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes), turning once to brown the other side. Place each finished noodle on a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven to stay warm and drain.
3 Rinse your 12-inch sauté pan, dry it off, return it to medium-high heat, and add the butter. When it has melted, toss in the mushrooms to coat them with butter, lightly season with salt and pepper, and turn down the heat to medium to allow the mushrooms to sweat. After about 10 minutes, when the mushrooms have released their liquid, add the zucchini and sauté until it also becomes soft. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper and turn out onto clean paper towels to get rid of the liquid we sweated out. Again wash this pan for the next step.
4 Turn the oven up to 350°. Lay four tofu slices in the sauté pan. Top each tofu slice with some mushroom and zucchini mixture, marinara sauce, and a slice of provolone. Then place another tofu “noodle” on each stack and layer with the other ingredients.
Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens Page 11