Terra : Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley (9780307815323)
Page 18
Slow-Cooked Veal Cheeks on Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Salsa Verde
Serves 4
Fork-tender braised dishes like this one are what we think of as soul food, and not only is this one deeply satisfying, it’s also very easy to make. Veal cheeks are among the most richly flavored meats, and cooked in this way, they taste like a world-class pot roast. Order them from a specialty butcher; veal cheeks are not as big as you may think, so figure about two to three pieces per person. Cook them the day before you serve them so the flavors can meld and develop overnight. This dish is also wonderful with mashed potatoes.
Marinade
2 cups dry red wine
4 cloves garlic, smashed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
½ cup coarsely chopped carrot
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 pounds veal cheeks, trimmed of extra fat and sinew (about 2 pounds trimmed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons Cognac
2 cups veal stock or brown chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
⅔ cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup sliced button mushrooms
Roasted Potatoes
1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Salsa Verde
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons capers
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 anchovy fillets
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 oven-dried tomatoes
TO MARINATE THE VEAL CHEEKS, combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the veal cheeks, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
TO BRAISE THE VEAL CHEEKS, drain the cheeks and other solids in a colander set over a bowl for 1 hour. Reserve the liquid and solids separately. Preheat the oven to 350°. Pat the cheeks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add the cheeks, and sauté until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a dish. In the same pan, add the remaining reserved solids and sauté until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved liquid and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that develops, then add the cheeks, red wine, and Cognac, and return to a boil. Add the stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and return to a boil. Lightly season with salt and pepper, and skim off any foam again. Cut a circle of parchment paper that just fits inside the pan and with a 1-inch hole in the center. Place the paper on the veal cheeks to cover and cook in the oven for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the veal cheeks are very tender.
Take the pan out of the oven (keep the oven on to cook the potatoes) and gently remove the cheeks; set aside and keep warm. Skim off any fat on the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in batches in a blender (be careful, as the sauce is very hot). Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse out the pan, return the sauce to the pan, and cook over high heat until reduced to about 3 cups. Return the cheeks to the pan and keep warm.
Meanwhile, to cook the potatoes, cut them into ½-inch-thick slices and toss them with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet pan. Roast in the oven until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
TO MAKE THE SALSA VERDE, combine all the ingredients except the lemon juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Just before serving, whisk in the lemon juice.
TO SERVE, mound the potatoes in the center of each of 4 warmed plates. Place 3 oven-dried tomatoes around the potatoes, then divide the cheeks among the plates on top of the potatoes. Spoon the sauce over the veal cheeks, then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the salsa verde around them.
Roasted Squab with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Pinot Noir Essence
Serves 4
We love squab! It has a sweet, gamy flavor that’s almost liver-y in its richness. Because squab is very lean, it should be cooked medium rare to keep the meat from becoming dry. It pairs beautifully with the earthy flavor of mushrooms, and we often serve it over a mushroom risotto like this one. If juggling the elements of this dish seems a bit too complicated for you, you may want to skip the giblets and simply garnish the plate with the rosemary sprigs.
Pinot Noir Essence
2 cups Pinot Noir
1 cup veal stock or brown chicken stock
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar (optional)
Wild Mushroom Risotto
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, porcini, black trumpets, or morels, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup shredded fontina cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 (1-pound) squabs, wingtips removed and giblets reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed
8 (6 to 8-inch-long) fresh rosemary sprigs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 baby Blue Lake green beans, blanched, for garnish
TO START THE PINOT NOIR ESSENCE, cook the Pinot Noir in a medium, heavy saucepan over high heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons. Add the veal stock, and cook until reduced to ⅓ cup. Set aside. Just before serving, reheat the Pinot Noir mixture and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. If the essence tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the acid; taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary.
TO MAKE THE RISOTTO, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. Add ½ teaspoon of the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and sauté the onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the outside of the rice becomes opaque. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Stir constantly, scraping the entire bottom of the pan until almost all the wine is absorbed by the rice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the simmering stock. The rice should be kept at a fast simmer and not a boil as you stir and add stock. Stir the rice constantly until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add ½ cup of the simmering stock and repeat the process until the rice is almost tender but still firm. Add ¼ cup stock and the sautéed wild mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is tender but firm. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the Parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, and parsley, and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from the heat.
MEANWHILE, TO ROAST THE SQUAB, preheat the oven to 450°. Season each squab inside and out with salt and pepper, then stuff with a garlic clove and rosemary sprig. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Place the squab in the pan, on one side, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes; turn the squab on the other side and cook about 2 minutes longer. Set the squab on their breasts and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set the squab on their backs and roast in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, basting e
very 2 minutes until medium rare. To test for medium rare, insert a bamboo stick into the thickest part of the breast and hold for 5 seconds. Remove the stick and barely touch it with your lips. If the stick is warm, the squab is medium rare (flesh will be pink). Remove the pan from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before cutting.
Season the reserved giblets with salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauté pan or skillet over high heat until hot. Add the giblets and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the leaves from the bottom 3 inches of the rosemary sprigs and carefully skewer the giblets on the sprigs. Keep warm.
JUST BEFORE SERVING, cut off both whole legs (leg and thigh) at the back joint of each squab. Cut the whole breasts off including the wings and cut each breast in half horizontally (the 4 pieces should have the same shape, but 2 will have skin on them).
TO SERVE, divide the risotto among 4 warmed shallow bowls. Arrange the pieces of squab on top of the risotto in a circular pattern, alternating the different cuts. Pour off the fat from the pan the squab cooked in. Add 3 tablespoons water to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add to the Pinot Noir mixture. Finish the Pinot Noir essence. Drizzle the essence around the risotto, arrange the blanched green beans over the squab, and put the skewered giblets in the middle.
What is Deglazing?
DEGLAZING REFERS TO THE PROCESS OF USING A LIQUID SUCH AS WINE, WATER, OR STOCK TO DISSOLVE FOOD PARTICLES AND DRIPPINGS LEFT IN A PAN AFTER SAUTÉING OR ROASTING. THE FLAVORFUL LIQUID IS THEN USED TO MAKE GRAVY OR SAUCE.
Grilled Natural-Fed Veal Chops with Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant in Miso Sauce
Serves 4
We like to use natural-fed veal because it’s hormone-free and has more flavor than ordinary white veal. Don’t be concerned if it has a little more color than what you may be used to, it’s still wonderfully tender. The miso used in the stir-fry sauce is Hatcho miso, which comes from the Kyoto region of Japan and is very dark—almost black—and less salty than most other kinds. The technique of first deep-frying the vegetables before stir-frying them (sometimes referred to as “oil blanching”) helps preserve their color and integrity during stir-frying. This step is a bit time-consuming, so if you want to omit it, increase the oil slightly when you stir-fry the vegetables and give them a little extra cooking time.
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
4 (12-ounce) veal chops, each about 1 inch thick
Miso Sauce
¼ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
⅛ teaspoon grated garlic
¼ cup Hatcho miso or dark miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
½ teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1 cup Japanese rice or short-grain rice
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon sake (optional)
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
4 Japanese eggplants, stemmed and quartered lengthwise
½ onion, cut into 6 wedges
½ large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
½ large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 uncored small bok choy, quartered lengthwise, blanched for 1 minute, and dried
Garnish
2 teaspoons ½-inch-long diagonally cut fresh chives
½ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
⅛ teaspoon shichimi togarashi (Japanese red pepper mixture) or crushed red pepper flakes
4 fresh cilantro sprigs
TO MARINATE THE VEAL CHOPS, whisk together the peanut oil, soy sauce, and mirin in a small bowl. Put the chops in a glass baking dish and coat on both sides with the oil mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight, turning at least 3 times.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill.
TO MAKE THE MISO SAUCE, combine the ginger, garlic, miso, soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar in a small saucepan, then gradually whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil, remove from the heat, whisk in the sesame oil, and set aside.
TO MAKE THE RICE, put the rice in a bowl and cover generously with room-temperature water. Stir the water and rice with your fingers, then drain. Repeat this process until the water runs clear, about 3 times. After the last rinse, drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and let drain for about 30 minutes. Transfer the rice to a small ovenproof saucepan. Add the 1½ cups water and sake, cover with a tight lid, and set over high heat until steam comes out from under the lid. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a damp wooden spatula. Put the lid back on and set aside. Keep warm. Decrease the oven temperature to 250°.
Meanwhile, to start the stir-fry, heat 3 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot to 320°. Add the eggplant and deep-fry for 1 minute. Using a wire-mesh skimmer or slotted metal spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the onions, then the bell peppers. Set aside.
TO COOK THE VEAL CHOPS, season them with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium rare. Or, heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat until very hot, and cook the chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to the oven to keep warm.
To finish the stir-fry, heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until hot, then add the peanut oil and swirl the oil around in the wok to evenly distribute it. Add the fried vegetables and bok choy and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add one half of the miso sauce and bring to a boil. At the same time, heat the remaining miso sauce in the saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.
TO SERVE, mound the rice in the center on 4 warmed plates. Lay a veal chop on the rice with the bone sticking upwards. Place the vegetables on top of the veal chop (they can fall around the chop a little). Spoon the extra sauce around the rice. Sprinkle with the chives, sesame seeds, and shichimi togarashi, then top with a cilantro sprig.
Testing for Doneness
THE EASIEST AND MOST RELIABLE WAY TO TEST MEAT AND POULTRY FOR DONENESS IS TO INSERT AN INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER, INTO THE THICKEST PART OF THE MEAT. WAIT 30 SECONDS BEFORE CHECKING THE TEMPERATURE. THE FOLLOWING CHART GIVES UNIVERSAL DONENESS TEMPERATURES FOR COOKING MEAT, AS WELL AS THE TEMPERATURE THE MEAT WILL REACH AFTER RESTING AND CURRENT USDA-RECOMMENDED COOKING TEMPERATURES, WHICH ARE HIGHER DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD SAFETY. USE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT ABOUT WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU. YOU CAN ALSO GET A GENERAL IDEA ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE OF MEAT USING A METAL SKEWER, INSERTING IT FOR 30 SECONDS INTO THE THICKEST PART OF THE MEAT. REMOVE THE SKEWER AND CAREFULLY TOUCH IT TO YOUR BOTTOM LIP. IF IT IS SLIGHTLY WARM, THE MEAT IS RARE; IF IT’S WARM, THE MEAT IS MEDIUM; AND IF IT’S HOT, IT’S WELL DONE.
IN THIS CHART, “STEAK” AND “CHOP” REFER TO CUTS THAT ARE NO MORE THAN ¼-INCH THICK. IF THE ONES YOU’RE COOKING ARE THICKER THAN THAT, USE THE TEMPERATURE FOR ROASTS.
Temp: Blue
Cut: Steak
Remove: 115-120
After resting: 115-120
USDA: n/a
Cut: Chop
Remove: 110-115
After resting: 115-120
USDA: n/a
Temp: Rare
Cut: Steak/Chop
Remove: 120-130
After resting: 125-130
USDA: 140
Cut: Roast
Remove: 115-120
After resting: 125-130
USDA: 140
Temp: Medium Rare
Cut: Steak/Chop
>
Remove: 130-135
After resting: 130-140
USDA: 150
Cut: Roast
Remove: 125-130
After resting: 130-140
USDA: 150
Temp: Medium
Cut: Steak/Chop
Remove: 135-150
After resting: 140-150
USDA: 160
Cut: Roast
Remove: 130-140
After resting: 140-150
USDA: 160
Temp: Medium Well
Cut: Steak/Chop
Remove: 150-165
After resting: 155-165
USDA: 170
Cut: Roast
Remove: 145-155
After resting: 150-165
USDA: 170
Temp: Medium Well
Cut: Roast
Remove: 165
After resting: 170-185
USDA: 170
“WELL” IS ONLY RECOMMENDED FOR COOKING FATTY CUTS OF MEAT LIKE SPARERIBS, BOSTON BUTT, OR BRAISED DISHES. ANY STEAK OR CHOP COOKED PAST MEDIUM WELL WILL BE DRY AND TOUGH WITH MOST OF ITS JUICES COOKED OUT. MEDIUM WELL WILL SATISFY MOST PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT ANY RED IN THEIR MEAT.
Medallions of Lamb with Anchovy–Black Olive Sauce and Artichoke Fritters
Medallions of Lamb with Anchovy–Black Olive Sauce and Artichoke Fritters
Serves 4
“Anchovy with lamb?” That’s the response we hear whenever we put this dish on the menu. So we’re used to explaining that the anchovy here is not a dominant presence, but is used, in the manner of French and Italian cooking, to intensify and add depth to the sauce. With its bold flavors of kalamata olives, white wine, tomato, caper, lemon zest, and, yes, anchovy, this is a lusty sauce that’s a great match for a big cabernet. You can find chickpea flour in health food stores and Indian markets. It makes a light, flavorful batter that gives fried foods a beautiful golden finish. If you don’t want to deep-fry the artichokes, you can simply sauté them, or substitute another vegetable. It’s fine to use store-bought tapenade in the sauce.