Feb 29

“What’s your beef?”

By “What’s your beef”, I don’t mean the complaint, but your favourite steak. In todays sanitised supermarket  aisles we are persuaded that the best steak, must be the most expensive, because they are more tender. However given that the ‘choice’ cuts i.e. the loins and rib account for such a small part of the overall cow, maybe we are missing out on the tastiest parts. I won’t go into too much detail about cuts of beef, but let Bill write another post sometime, since he has years of experience in the industry.

 

US Beef Cuts

US Beef Cuts

UK Beef Cuts

UK Beef Cuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since moving to the U.S., I’ve have to re-learn what the different cuts are, since the most countries have decided on different methods of ‘quartering’ and the names for each of the primal cuts. Luckily within the first couple of weeks arriving here, I visited a Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse, with some friends. At a Churrascaria, the waiters bring huge skewers of barbecued meat to your table and carve off as much you want until you are full. Each skewer only has one type of meat on it and it was very easy to compare filet mignon against rib-eye, or sirloin against ribs, and so on. It was a great way to compare beef cuts side by side, and from the huge number of meats that I ate that night, I found the my favourite my flank, which I’ve found out since in the UK would be the thin flank or skirt.

Flank steak isn’t a particularly tender cut of steak,but it more than makes up for it in flavour. To me it tastes ‘beefy’, which I find a lot of other steak don’t nowadays. As long as you tenderise flank steak or marinade it first, and cook it for a reasonable time, it can be one of the best value, tastiest steaks you’ve ever had.

My favourite way of cooking flank steak is very simple. I take my own mix of rub, cover the steak and leave it for a couple of hours to help tenderise it, spray it with olive oil and cook it for about 15-20mins on a medium barbecue until medium rare.

Barbecued Flank SteakFlank Steak coated with rub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something I would like to do in the future is compare the same cut of beef from different grades, i.e. select, choice, prime and also from different breeds of cow at the same time to see if I can taste the difference.

Feb 29

Condiment Conundrum

Condiments Pic #1As a follow up to the post on What is in your spice rack? I went through the condiments that are stored in the pantry, kitchen cabinet and refrigerator. Once again, after taking stock of what had been accumulated, I could only just shake my head. The picture to the left is only a small sample of the total condiments that call my kitchen home.

What is a condiment?

Rogets Thesaurus states that a condiment is a substance that imparts taste: flavor, seasoning and spice.

If a condiment is a substance that imparts seasoning and spice, which is contained in all of those used and some rarely used packages in my spice cabinet, then what are all of those bottles that are pictured in this post? The internet provides huge selection of definitions and expanded explanations. After much research, the following link provides a detailed but quick read of what are condiments: Gale Encyclopedia of Food & Culture: Condiment.

The term “condiment” originally meant seasoned, pickled or preserved foods in Latin. Today, the word is broadly applied to a variety of foods, including spices, herbs, sauces, seasonings, flavorings, colorings, and even beverages. Okay, now we are getting closer to identifying of those bottles that are in my kitchen. The link goes on to say that there are five basic, but nonexclusive categories; Salt, Sweetener, Pickle, Spicy / Hot and Compound.

Now we are getting somewhere in understanding what is a condiment. Based upon these five broad categories, how does my collection of condiments get categorized?

Salt:

Bouillon Cubes (Beef), Bouillon Cubes (Chicken), Bouillon Cubes (Tomato with Chicken), Bouillon Cubes (Vegetable), Bouillon Paste (Mushroom)

Sweet:

Eel Sauce, Honey, Marmalade (homemade), Molasses, Peanut Butter (Creamy), Preserves (Apricot), Preserves (Strawberry), Syrup (Breakfast)

Pickle:

Lemon Juice, Vinegar (Balsamic – 3 different bottles), Vinegar (Red), Vinegar (Rice), Vinegar (White)

Spicy / Hot:

Horseradish (ground), Hot Sauce (Tapatio), Hot Sauce (Tabasco), Mustard (Chinese Hot), Mustard (Deli Brown), Mustard (Honey), Mustard (Horseradish), Sambal Oleok, Wasabi Sauce,

Compound:

Ketchup, Liquid Smoke, Marmite, Mayonnaise (Dijon), Mayonnaise (Helmann’s), Mayonnaise (Sandwich Shop), Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Thousand Island Dressing, Worcestershire Sauce,  Vanilla Extract

Since I am unclear as to where to place the oils that I use, I am creating a sixth condiment category:

Oil:

Oil (Extra Virgin Olive – 2 different bottle), Oil (Sesame), Oil (Vegetable)

Many of these condiments could be categorized in one or more of the six categories, but I tried to place them where I thought they would make sense. There is a seventh category that could be used known as Umami (uniquely savory) that will be addressed in a future post.

There were three things that stood out while I was doing an inventory of my condiments. The first was that I have way too many different types of mayonnaise. How did that many types of mayonnaise end up in the refrigerator? The same could be said for the number of mustard that are in the refrigerator. The one that really has me shake my head was the Balsamic Vinegar. Three bottles of something that I particularly do not enjoy. I must have gotten two of those bottles as “regifts” from someone pawning off their own unwanted condiments.

The Thousand Island Dressing also stands out as being the only salad dressing in the refrigerator. It is not used for salads, but when I make Reuben Sandwiches at home.

So what are the condiments that I use most often?

Mayonnaise (Hellmann’s), Mustard (Deli Brown), Sambal Oleok, Marmite, Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Worcestershire Sauce, Bouillon Paste (Mushroom) and Olive Oil.

Interestingly enough, for someone who has a definite sweet tooth, none of the Sweet Condiments are used on a regular basis for cooking.

Condiments like seasoning herbs and spices are meant to transform and elevate the flavor, texture and complexity of the food that we eat. Whether is is on a sandwich, to marinate meat or used in a soup it is about enhancing the experience of eating.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 28

Grilled Margarita Chicken

The next best thing to drinking tequila is cooking with it. It wasn’t until I got to Texas I realised how many varieties of tequila there were, unlike the UK where we a limited to one brand that comes with a little red sombrero lid and I’m sure is just tequila flavour. This recipe for barbecuing chicken uses a marinade that is pretty much a margarita to add flavour to the chicken, but remember DO NOT drink the marinade as it has had raw chicken sitting in it.

Margarita Chicken IngredientsIngredients

  • Chicken breasts
  • Juice from one lime
  • 0.25 cups (60ml) of silver tequila
  • 2 large crushed garlic cloves
  • Bunch of cilantro (fresh coriander)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1tbsp ground coriander
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Some vegetables such as chillies, summer squash (courgette), peppers, onions, etc.

Method

First make the marinade from the lime juice, tequila, cilantro, olive oil, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Chop the chicken and vegetables into kebab skewer size pieces and mix thoroughly into the marinade, cover and leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Thread the chicken and vegetables onto skewers and cook over a medium heat barbeque.  Serve with lime wedges, and maybe a proper margarita.

Grilled Margarita Chicken

Grilled Margarita Chicken

 

Feb 28

Mac ‘n cheese is not a chemistry experiment.

not mac'n cheeseOne of the most comforting foods of all time, at least to my immediate family, has been reduced to a pre-packaged powder.  A DIY science experiment where you boil “A”, then mix with “B” & “C” to create something that really doesn’t resemble what the box says it is.  It reminds me of a chemistry kit my kids got.  That box says ages 5+.  Sounds to me, like the mac’n cheese industry needs to add an age on their box.

Boxed mac‘n cheese.  While it will satisfy most college-aged palates, I am far beyond the college years and my kids are quite a distance from entering them.  I see no reason why a product that promises so much goodness should be reduced to anything boxed.

For the cheese sauce, I prefer a cheddar / gouda blend. My husband, who likes everything smoked, likes his made with smoked cheeses & I truly do not make it for him, that way, often enough.

While researching a better mac’n cheese, I came across two concepts that cemented my belief that we NEED the real deal.  The first piece of magic, one egg. One perfect, versatile egg in the cheese sauce, creates a richness that I have not been able to duplicate, even with heavy cream. The second is panko.  I love panko breadcrumbs for just about everything.  Add them to the top of the creamy, cheesy, macaroni and you will the perfect balance of creamy & crispy.

One pound of chifferi or elbow shaped pasta cooked very al dente.
One beaten egg
One stick of butter
¼ cup flour
2 ½ cups of milk
Tablespoon of mustard
1-¼ cups shredded cheddar
1-¼ cups cubed Gouda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne
One cup Panko unseasoned breadcrumbs.

 

  • Premeasure the ingredients while the pasta cooks, drain & set aside.
  • Beat the egg in a small bowl.
  • In a large saucier or pot, melt ½ the stick of butter.
  • When the butter is melted, add the flour & whisk while on medium heat. Dont turn up the heat, you cannot rush this.
  • Continue whisking until the mixture starts to smell less like flour & more nutty. Don’t burn it or you’ll have to start over!
  • Slowly pour in milk and mustard: keep whisking until smooth & thickened (5 minutes…?)
  • Take a ½ cup of the sauce & add it to the bowl of beaten egg, SLOWLY, while stirring briskly.  Now dump the egg mixture back into the original pan & whisk it all together.
  • Add the cheese stirring until smooth & melted.
  • Add the salt, pepper & cayenne and stir well.
  • In a 3 quart buttered baking dish combine macaroni with the cheese sauce.
  • Now melt the last of the butter (1/2 stick), in a bowl mix the panko with the melted butter until completely combined & sprinkle evenly over the top.
  • Bake this in the lower ½ of your oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  If the breadcrumbs start to brown too soon, move to the lower quarter of your oven.
  • Remove & let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

THIS is Cheesy Macaroni, not mac ‘n cheese.

Cheesy Macaroni

 

 

Feb 28

Grilled Smoked Turkey Burger with Onions, Blue Cheese and a Portabella Mushroom

For the past few years I have been developing what I believe to be a nice balance of seasonings for ground turkey to make a flavorful burger. Whereas a ground beef burger requires little in way of seasoning except salt and black pepper to bring out the natural flavors of the meat and melted fat, ground turkey meat is bland in flavor and leaner then most ground beef options.

Originally, I used to make these turkey burgers, serving them on toasted English muffins with melted cheese and topped with my favorite fixings. Then one evening a few months back when I was experimenting with Portabella Mushrooms, I thought why not combine a Portabella Mushroom and Broiled Blue Cheese with a grilled turkey burger and then top the burger with sauteed onions? To my surprise is was a very flavorful experiment that even now makes my mouth water with anticipation to the next time I make this dish.

The recipe below is for the grilled smoked turkey burgers. It is recommended to try it with the Portabella Mushroom and Broiled Blue Cheese, but enjoying the burger by itself, on a burger bun or an English muffin is just as good.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 LBS  of Ground Turkey (your preference on the lean to fat ratio)
  • 1/2 TBSP of Minced (Dried) Onion
  • 1/2 TSP of Kosher Salt or Table Salt
  • 1/2 TSP of Black Pepper (I prefer to use fresh ground Black Pepper)
  • 1 TBSP of Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 TBSP of Liquid Smoke (this is the secret ingredient that brings it all together)

Directions:

  1. At least an hour before cooking, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients
  2. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or more. You can prepare the ingredients in the morning and then cook the burgers in the evening for dinner.
  3. Depending on the size of the hamburger bun, muffin or mushroom, form your patties to be just a little larger for they will shrink during cooking. For large Portabella Mushrooms, one and a half pounds of ground turkey will make four turkey patties.
  4. Cook in a skillet or on the grill for 10 – 12 minutes on Medium High. You will want to flip them regularly.

Directions if preparing these turkey burgers to be used with Portabella Mushroom and Broiled Blue Cheese.

  1. 35 minutes before you are ready to eat, drizzle olive oil in a skillet, add salt and when the oil is hot, add one large yellow / white onion that has been sliced.
  2. Reduce the heat to Medium and allow the onions to saute, stirring frequently.
  3. 30 minutes prior to eating, follow the instructions to prepare Portabella Mushroom and Broiled Blue Cheese.
  4. 15 minutes prior to eating, begin to preheat the skillet to cook the turkey burgers or have the grill hot and ready.
  5. The sauteed onions should be ready about 5 -10 minutes prior to the turkey burgers being cooked. Turn off the heat and cover.
  6. Once the turkey burgers are cooked, place them on top of the broiled Portabella Mushroom & Blue Cheese and top the turkey burger with the sauteed onions.