Category Archives: meat

from big beef to quail

04.09.08
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Turn the Other (Beef) Cheek

Braised Beef Cheek with Pappardelle

Beef Cheek Ravioli with Agretti

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“Yeah, filet mignon is expensive,” David Evans said during our tour of Marin Sun Farms. “There’s only 15 pounds of it on a 750 pound dressed steer. You don’t want to spend so much, buy some of the lesser cuts.” I bought the Beef Cheek.

I was aware of beef cheek; Carol had Braised Beef Cheek at Absinthe just last week, and son Eric had Beef Cheek Ravioli at Babbo in New York about the same time. Here’s what he had to say about it,

“My beef cheek ravioli were arranged in a single layer on the plate, about eight handmade squares with a very light stock sauce coating. The menu promised a mix of goose liver with the cheek, but the liver provided more of a flavor than a richness, which the beef cheek had plenty of on its own. It was very very good and the others seemed to enjoy their taste of it, but I wouldn’t say it was mind altering. Perhaps too much hype had preceded it.”

I had never seen beef cheek for sale, until I saw it at Marin Sun Farms. I asked the guy, “What do I do with this, braise it?”

“Low and slow,” he said.beef_cheek.jpg

How could I resist, it was $7.99 a pound for a 1.2 pound cheek. Continue reading →

01.16.08
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Ham Loaf

For Super Bowl XLI We hosted our XIth Annual Super Bowl Party and about ten people showed up, a nice size crowd for our flat. For this, we bought half of a Country Ham and served the ham on small rolls with horseradish mustard. There was lots of other football food, as well as betting and whooping and carrying on, though nobody was really a Colts or Bears fan.

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After the game and after the last glass of wine and after the last ham roll, a lot of ham was still on that bone. We needed to come up with some way for the two of us to take care of that ham.

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I’m a big fan of meat loaf… why not Ham Loaf. Back at Columbus West High School, lo those many years ago, a couple buddies and I took an elective of Home Economics, Cooking. In the late 50’s this would be described as a girls course, guys took shop and metalwork. I took those too, and hated them. I signed up for Cooking because it seemed interesting, and, oh yes, to meet some girls. Cooking was way better than metalwork. I don’t remember all that we did in that class, but table setting and napkin folding stick in my brain, aside from the cooking. Chopping and baking led to the thing I remember best; our final project, Ham Loaf. I remember it was really good and it wasn’t something that my mother made, so it was new to me. Unlike meat loaf, it was tangy and sweet-and-sour. Continue reading →

08.15.07
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Get Green

In spite of the struggle over the Farm Bill and the chronic ineptitude of the current administration, I am encouraged by the movement of individuals, local governments and organizations, and now, Macy’s — for gosh sakes — to embrace sustainability. I was delighted to see the announcement for this event and took the opportunity to attend. This was the first of a series of three.

the announcement
Local chefs and farmers pair up at Macy’s
CUESA is partnering with Macy’s Cellar for a series of three cooking demonstrations and farmer/chef interviews. This Tuesday, August 14, Chris Cosentino of Incanto and Doug Stonebreaker of Prather Ranch Meat Company will show that meat lovers can be green too. Seating is first-come, first-served starting at 6 pm in the Union Square Cellar Kitchen at Macy’s. A $10 donation to CUESA will get you a seat at the demonstration, a sample of the featured dish, a glass of wine from Benziger Family Winery, a canvas Ferry Plaza Farmers Market tote, and a sample of Origins‘ new organic skin care line.

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The bag was provided by Origins. Thanks Origins!  

I attended and it was great! Continue reading →

08.09.07
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Grilling Again

Meat ‘n’ Potatoes
Yellow Bean Salad

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Back when the kids were growing up, we grilled all the time. Sometimes in winter, I would brush the snow off the grill to light a fire and grill dinner on the back porch. Then I built a cover for the porch — big enough to protect the grill, and me, but open enough to allow the smoke to dissipate quickly.
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The grill of choice was the Weber Kettle Grill, sturdy and tough, it would go through hot Boston area summers and frigid winters and last for years. And we used it relentlessly, beyond dogs, ‘burgers and flank steaks (an inexpensive cut at the time) to lobster, whole fish and even a suckling pig.

Soon enough, gas grills were invented, but they were big and clunky and ugly, and worst of all, not pure. Anyone who would use a gas grill was surely a wuss. Continue reading →

08.02.07
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Flank Steak = Six Meals

Grits and Flank Steak

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The remains of a grilled flank steak chill out in the meat drawer of the fridge. A flank steak runs a little under two pounds — way too much for a meal for two. It was a dear purchase from Marin Sun Farms, but it has already provided four meals.

My leftover flank steak generally goes into a steak salad, but I wanted something different for this last remaining hunk of steak.

Carol mentioned that at her conference at Westerbeke Ranch, they were served creamed chipped beef on toast, a humble dish in such a resort setting. But she said it was very special, more like toast points with a creamy, beefy dipping sauce. That’s one idea, but maybe I could come up with something other than toast as a partner for the beef. Continue reading →

06.07.07
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Arroz con Pollo

How could I resist, three chickens in a bucket, their pale red feet sticking up in the air bearing tiny cute toenails, seemingly perfectly trimmed. Fresh, free range organic chickens raised at Marin Sun Farms in Marin County.

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So I bought a chicken and Carol said, “Yuck, its got feet. It’s not very big, what are you gonna do with it?” I was thinking fried chicken; she suggested poaching. I don’t want to poach it, such a mundane fate for such a fine bird.

I read Bill Neal‘s recipe and commentary on Southern Fried Chicken. His book Southern Cooking is one of my treasures.

He’s very particular about his fried chicken. “You want chicken that tastes like chicken, with a crust that snaps and breaks with fragility — a contrast to the tender, moist meat.” He goes on, “First, the bird: only a whole, fresh chicken will do. (Frozen chicken tastes bloody and turns dark at the bone when fried. If you find yourself in the possession of one, stew it or bury it.)” Continue reading →

04.23.07
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Primo’s Saltimbocca

“Melissa’s grandfather Primo ate the Saltimbocca on a regular basis—his favorite dish, in fact— and the one dish Melissa never takes off the menu, for this reason.“Pork loin pounded thin, sautéed, served on a tall bed of garlic mashed potatoes with a sage Madeira shiitake sauce and a garnish of shaved Parma ham on top. The way Primo liked to eat it.”

Primo’s Saltimbocca as described in the story of Melissa Kelly’s Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine, in The Reach of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman.

Made me hungry, so I assembled the ingredients.

Here’s what I did:

Pounded two boneless pork loin chops thin

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pounded_pork.jpg Continue reading →

03.26.07
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The Real Veal

Veal Parmigniana
Broccoli Pasta Fall Back

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I don’t seek out veal, but I was shopping at Golden Gate Meats and there were these marvelous looking veal scaloppini staring at me from under the glass, my mouth watered at the thought of Veal alla Parmigiana. There was something about them that just cried out, “Parmigiana!”

I’ve never cooked it, to my recollection, but on a first visit to any “red Italian” restaurant, that’s what I’ll order, reasoning that if they make a great Veal alla Parmigniana, their other dishes might be good. With this veal, how could I go wrong?

I’ve cooked veal chops, made Osso Buco and bought veal bones for stock. I know that veal is the subject of some controversy among the animal rights folks. I too espouse the humane treatment of animals raised for food. Since I live in place with many superb and convenient farmers markets, and where even in the supermarkets all food doesn’t come wrapped in packages, I can rely on my rule with regard to organic/sustainability/good food issues, “know from whom you are buying.”
Continue reading →

03.19.07
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Slow Cookery

How I learned to live with a slow cooker.

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Bean and Seafood Stew
Slow Cooker Pollo Pulquero
New England Boiled (NOT) Dinner
Is slow cooking, cooking?

Beans
I was standing at the Rancho Gordo stand at the Farmers Market taking in the array of, gosh, 15 or more bean varieties and I asked the bean lady, “What’s the bean of the day?”

“Runner Cellini are just in, I made the best seafood stew the other day, Put the beans and a can of clams with their juice in your slow cooker, and cook them for six hours on high. You don’t even have to soak the beans. With about an hour to go, throw in a pack of Trader Joe’s seafood mix. Devine.”

“Do you always do your beans in a slow cooker?” I asked.

“I do now, it’s so easy, six hours, no soak.”

Wow.

The next day, I went to Macy’s and got me a slow cooker, an actual Crock Pot, 5 quart. Ready to go.
Continue reading →

02.19.07
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Pot Roast

Recently, the New York Times ran a recipe for Basic Pot Roast that struck my fancy. It got me to thinking about my mom’s pot roast with the fall-apart meat, gravy, carrots and potatoes melting in my mouth. I have no idea where her recipe is—if she used one. Sunday I got around to cooking this Basic Pot Roast.

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This is really basic; meat, water, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt and pepper. That’s it. One doesn’t even brown the meat. That seemed odd, but I decided to go with the recipe. Continue reading →