Smoke and Pickles
Page 7
1Trim most but not all of the fat from the outer layers of the oxtail pieces. Soak in cold water in a large bowl for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2Drain the oxtail pieces, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl, sprinkle the flour over them, and toss gently to coat. Heat the corn oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the oxtail pieces and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
3Pour out the fat and wipe the pot clean. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, green peppers, garlic, ginger, and habanero pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables soften up just a bit.
4Add the browned oxtail pieces to the pot, along with the tomatoes, black bean paste, sherry, star anise, sugar, and pepper. Add the stock and allspice. Bring to a simmer and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours. If the liquid reduces too much, add a little water to keep the oxtail pieces submerged. The meat should be falling off the bone and the liquid should be starting to thicken up a little. Carefully remove the oxtail pieces, transfer to a deep platter, and keep warm.
5Add the lima beans to the pot and simmer the braising liquid for 20 minutes, or until it thickens to the consistency of a light gravy.
6Pour the black bean gravy over the oxtail pieces and serve warm with lots of paper towels; these are meant to be eaten with your hands.
Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze
I made this recipe with my dear friend Ashley Christensen, of Poole’s Diner in Raleigh, for a fund-raiser dinner for the Southern Foodways Alliance. We served it with sorghum-glazed carrots, Sea Island peas, butter beans, and a mess of bourbon. Afterward, we sang karaoke at her house, and I lost my shirt, literally, and the cops came and shut down the party. I hope your night is just as epic when you make this at your home. Serve the brisket with Quick Caraway Pickles (page 173) and Braised Bacon Rice (page 193). / Feeds 12 to 15
Rub
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Brisket
1 flat brisket (7 to 8 pounds; see note)
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Two 12-ounce bottles stout
1½ cups bourbon
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
8 cups beef stock
A handful of fresh thyme leaves with small stems
Glaze
One 10-ounce jar peach jam or preserves
1 tablespoon bourbon
½ cup reserved braising liquid
Pinch each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1To make the rub: Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
2Cut the brisket in half, against the grain. Put it on a baking sheet and rub the brisket all over with the spice rub. Don’t be gentle with it—use all the rub in the bowl. Let stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours to give the brisket a quick cure.
3Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
4In a rondeau or a large shallow pot big enough to hold both brisket pieces in one layer, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onions pick up a little color. Transfer the onions and garlic to a plate.
5Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat until it’s nearly smoking. Add the brisket, fat side down, and allow it to brown, untouched, for 5 to 6 minutes. Lift one corner of the brisket and check it; it should be nicely browned. Using tongs, flip both brisket pieces.
6Add the onions and garlic to the pot, along with the carrots, celery, tomatoes, stout, bourbon, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, beef stock, and thyme leaves and bring to a simmer over high heat.
7Cover the rondeau with a double layer of aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 4½ hours. Resist the temptation to peek under the foil. Remove the pot from the oven and slowly pull back the foil. The brisket should be very tender to the touch but still hold its shape. Transfer the brisket to a platter and tent it with foil to keep it moist.
8Strain the braising liquid. Reserve some of the cooked vegetables and ½ cup of the braising liquid for the glaze and return the rest to the rondeau. Turn the heat up to high and reduce the braising liquid for about 15 minutes.
9Meanwhile, to make the glaze: Combine the peach jam, the bourbon, and the strained braising liquid in a blender and blend until a smooth puree forms. Season with the salt and pepper.
10When the brisket has cooled a bit, using a sharp paring knife, score the fat side of the brisket by making slits about ¼ inch deep in a crosshatch pattern.
11Preheat the broiler. When the braising liquid has reduced, return the brisket to the rondeau, fat side up. The liquid should only come about three-quarters of the way up the brisket, so that the meat is submerged but the fat is exposed; this is very important, so if it is not the case, take the brisket out and reduce the liquid as necessary. Glaze the top of the brisket with the peach glaze, using 3 to 4 tablespoons. Transfer the rondeau to the broiler and check frequently: You want to brown the glaze without burning it; it should take only about 4 to 5 minutes.
12Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain into thick slices and place on a large platter. Ladle some of the braising liquid around the brisket. Drizzle a little bit more of the peach glaze over the brisket and serve with the reserved cooked vegetables.
A whole flat brisket will come cleaned, so there’s no trimming needed.
What Is Fish Sauce?
You probably have seen fish sauce: It’s that bottle of reddish-brownish funk with a label you can’t read, and it’s always there in the Asian food section of the grocery store with all the other unfamiliar stuff you have no idea what to do with. If you actually dare to open a bottle and take a whiff, you smell what can only be described as funkiness. The remarkable thing about it, though, is that fish sauce makes everything taste better, and I mean everything—but it only takes a few drops for its concentrated funk to permeate a dish and miraculously transform it into umami flavor. Umami is that mysterious fifth taste that is indescribable by itself, but in the context of a whole dish, it is the depth, roundness, and savory element. Sometimes I simply call fish sauce liquid flavor. And, contrary to what you might think, fish sauce is best used in meat, not fish, dishes. Italians use fermented anchovies to add flavor in the same way, and so do the Scandinavians. Fish sauce is the Southeast Asian equivalent, simply fermented fish; it’s usually anchovies, but it comes in other versions too, based on squid or shrimp. Some of the cheaper brands use collected fish guts, not my favorite.
Cuong Pham makes the best fish sauce I’ve had this side of the Pacific. His company is called Red Boat (see Resources, page 279), and he makes what he calls a first-press fish sauce on an island in Vietnam where the temperature stays at a constant 80 to 90°F, with strong headwinds. Cuong’s fish sauce has only two ingredients: anchovies and salt. Salt is added to the anchovies, and the salt pulls the liquid from the anchovies as they sit in wooden vats for a year to ferment. It takes five pounds of anchovies to yield enough fish sauce to fill one 500-ml bottle. The process requires true patience, so maybe fish sauce really has three ingredients.
Fish sauce is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as good olive oil is to Italian cuisine. I use it to finish soups, sauces, stews, and dressings. A couple of dashes will bring to life an otherwise dull sauce. If only
the rest of life were that easy.
Bourbon-and-Coke Meatloaf Sandwich with Fried Egg and Black Pepper Gravy
Southern Living asked me to share a meatloaf recipe with their readers a while back. I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but I’d never made meatloaf in my life. I went home and made six different versions, none of which I liked. I took a break, poured myself a bourbon and Coke, and had a eureka moment. This bourbon-fueled meatloaf was the result, and it’s my favorite by far. It’s also the starting point for an intense, manly sandwich that you won’t soon forget. This sandwich goes great with a badass wheat ale like Gumballhead from Three Floyds Brewing Co. / Feeds 8
Meatloaf
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ounces bacon, diced
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
1 pound ground beef chuck (80% lean)
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Coca-Cola
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Glaze
¼ cup ketchup
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Black Pepper Gravy
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup reserved meatloaf drippings
½ cup chicken stock
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
Sandwiches
8 slices Texas toast (see note)
½ cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke’s
8 thick slices tomato
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large eggs, preferably organic
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2To make the meatloaf: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the bacon and mushrooms and sauté for another 4 minutes, until soft. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
3Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, yolk, ketchup, cola, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the bacon mixture. Mix with your hands until evenly blended. Form into a loaf and transfer to a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
4To prepare the glaze: Mix the ketchup, soy sauce, and brown sugar together. Brush it over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 145°F. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and carefully pour the drippings into a small bowl by holding the meatloaf in the pan and tipping it slightly. You should get about a cup of drippings; save this for your gravy. Let the meatloaf cool for about 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
5While the meatloaf is cooling, make the gravy: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth, then whisk in the drippings and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, whisking, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste, the black pepper, and a few drops of lemon juice to brighten the gravy. Turn off the heat and keep the gravy warm until ready to use. (The gravy keeps very well in the refrigerator for up to a day. Rewarm it in a small saucepan and add a few drops of water to help smooth it out.)
6To make the sandwiches: Arrange the bread slices on a baking pan and toast in the oven until nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Let cool.
7Unmold the meatloaf and cut eight ¾-inch-thick slices from it.
8Smear a tablespoon of mayo on each toast, then top with a slice of meatloaf and a slice of tomato.
9In a large skillet, melt a little butter over medium heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up, 2 eggs at a time, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, lay a fried egg over each slice of meatloaf.
10Drizzle the gravy over the eggs and top with some chopped parsley. Eat right away.
Texas toast is double-thick white bread. You can use normal white bread if you can’t find Texas toast.
T-bone Steak with Lemongrass-Habanero Marinade
Every once in a while, I like to dig into a big, fat, bloody steak. I might feel terrible the next day, but it’s so tasty when I’m eating it. One problem I find with a big steak is that after a few bites, it starts to taste dull. So I like to add a bright acidic marinade for a contrast with all that meatiness. The acid actually accentuates the umami element in the steak and gives it a punch that is quite addictive. Serve with Collards and Kimchi (page 200) and a glass of Circus Boy from Magic Hat Brewing. / Feeds 4 normal people or 2 very hungry ones
Marinade
6 garlic cloves
3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to within 2 inches of the root end and finely minced
2 habanero peppers, halved and seeds removed
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 10-ounce T-bone steaks, ¾ inch thick (see note)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1To make the marinade: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blitz on high until well blended.
2Generously salt and pepper the steaks. Place in a glass baking dish and pour half of the marinade over the steaks. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
3In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the butter and peanut oil over high heat until just barely smoking. Add the steaks, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, flip the steaks, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the steaks, uncovered, for another 2 minutes or so. Do the steaks look caramelized and moist and shiny from the marinade? Good, they are ready to eat. Remove the steaks from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for 2 minutes.
4Spoon the pan juices over the steaks; serve immediately.
A T-bone steak is a decadent cut. You can easily substitute 8-ounce rib-eye or tenderloin steaks. Or, try this with sirloin cut into thin strips and stir-fried, using the remaining marinade to deglaze the pan.
Ropa Vieja in Carolina Red Rice
When I was in New York City, Miguel was a line cook I worked with in various restaurants. He taught me about Latin cooking. Because of Miguel, I’ve grown to love chicharrones and salsa verde. This recipe is my version of a classic Cuban dish; Miguel would be proud. / Feeds 4 to 6 as a main course
Ropa Vieja
2 pounds flank steak, cut into 4-inch-wide sections against the grain
4 cups beef or chicken stock (use beef for a heartier stew, chicken for a lighter version)
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped (with the seeds)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups Carolina rice (see note)
2 cups water
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into ribbons
¼ cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pe
pper
1To make the ropa vieja: In a large pot, combine the flank steak, stock, vinegar, soy sauce, onion, celery, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
2Remove the lid and cook for another 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3Transfer the meat to a large bowl or other container. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
4Using a fork, pull the flank steak apart into bite-sized pieces, without completely shredding it, and return to the bowl. Pour the warm cooking liquid and vegetables over the meat.
5Rinse and dry the pot the ropa vieja cooked in. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the rice and toast, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the water, crushed tomatoes, and red pepper, then pour in the cooking liquid from the ropa vieja—don’t worry if some of the meat goes into the rice, it’s all going to get mixed in at the end. Cook for about 12 minutes, until the rice absorbs the liquid and is cooked through.
6Add the meat and vegetables to the rice. Stir in the grated Parmesan and parsley. Cook for a few more minutes, until you get the thickness you want; it should be loose and a bit runny, but not soupy at all. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
You can buy authentic Carolina rice online (see Resources, page 279), but any long-grain rice will work fine here, though you may need to adjust the cooking time. I wouldn’t recommend Arborio rice for this dish.
The Educator
Fred Provenza of Utah State University is one of the leading proponents of managing an herbivore ecosystem. I’ve followed his lectures for years. He explains how the special taste of a cow’s meat or milk is inseparable from its diet, which is the grass it eats and the soil it grows in. Clover is like candy to cows. One of the indicators of a good cattle farm is seeing robust clover in a field where the cows graze—as well as alfalfa, trefoil, timothy, fescue, and more. Most cattlemen will tell you that grain and corn in a cow’s diet is not a bad thing so long as they can graze on healthy grass as well. And healthy grass needs good soil. We tend to think of the importance of soil only when it comes to growing produce, but actually it is an essential nutrient for all herbivorous animals: cows, sheep, deer, rabbits, goats, birds. Even pigs, though actually omnivores, are kept on a herbivore diet on farms.