WOWZA!  I was really excited when I read about the March Charcutepalooza Challenge;  brining.  I have been wanting to brine a brisket, to make my own Corned Beef, ever since I received the Bi-Rite newsletter, last year. Cathy and Kim, our taste-buds thank you for picking this challenge.

This month’s challenge gave us two options to play with.  The Apprentice Challenge, where we could simply brine a whole chicken or pork chops.  The Charcutiere Challenge, where we could brine, and then corn, a piece of beef, such as brisket.   I have brined a turkey before, so I decided to forgo, the Apprentice Challenge, and grab the Charcutiere Challenge by the horns.

It would be unlike me if I did not deviate away from the required suggested recipe, and this challenge was no exception.  The recipe in Michael Ruhlman’s book Charcuterie:  The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing for brining has the addition of “pink salt”.  As I have mentioned before, I have a problem with using pink salt, and especially after Dominique taught me, that I do not need to use it.  I did omit it from this challenge.  Brining is simple;  dissolve salt, and sugar, in water,  then add warm spices to it.  I used unprocessed sugar, which gave my brine a nice amber color.  The spices I used were juniper berries, black cardamon pods, bay leave and some yellow onion.

Since there are only two of us, and we don’t need to be eating brisket for days, I went with 2 1/2 pounds of beef.  This would be enough for a traditional corned beef dinner as well as a little extra for hash.  I picked up a beautiful cut of beef brisket at the market.  Once my brine mixture was ready, I submerged the brisket into the salty bath, put a small plate on top of the meat, to hold it down, covered my pot, and put it into the fridge;  out of sight, and slightly out of mind.  I did check, every couple of days, to make sure the brisket was still well submerged.  Finally, day seven approached, I could not wait.  I figured the process would work, or I would risk making us sick or kill us for not properly brining meat.  The brisket, was slightly pink in color, very firm, and definitely smelled like corned beef.  I rinsed it very well, patted it dry, and simmered it long and slow, in a  mixture of minced onion, garlic, tomato paste and white wine.  After the brisket was done cooking, I let it cool, overnight.

I tossed around the idea of simply reheating some of the stock, and drizzling it over slices of the meat, but, I wanted more.  I made a glaze using Jamesons Irish Whiskey, grainy mustard, honey, and brown sugar.  I lightly painted the slices of corned beef, with the glaze and gently reheated for a few minutes.  It reminded me of candy chicken with a “kick”.

* serve with Roasted Cabbage and Roasted Carrots

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Brine, Brisket, Charcutepalooza, Corned Beef, Dinner, Glaze, Irish, Potatoes, Recipe, Roasted Cabbage, Roasted Carrots, St. Patricks Day Dinner, whiskey

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I have said it a million times …. okay maybe not a million but close, I LOVE RIBS!  But, Lenny doesn’t.  I love them spicy, sweet, sticky, gooey, grilled, oven baked, slow roasted, slightly charred, you name, I love it!  He tolerates me making them throughout the summer!

We had these ribs a couple nights back and they were …. sticky, gooey, slightly spicy and slightly sweet. Perfect actually! Our friend, David, asked us to try out a new product, Guava paste and I whipped up a great little marinade that went really well with these big bad beefy short ribs.

Guava paste is interesting as it comes in a big block which resembles the blocks we take cycling.  As soon as you unwrap the paste, the smell is completely intoxicating.  It is made from 100% fruit, no sugars and no preservatives, puree guava.  My first thought was to bake with it.  My second thought was to just eat it, as I cannot stop once I hope that baggie.  Then after a little brain storming with David, I decided to use some in a marinade.  The base of the marinade is fresh lime and orange juice, slightly thickened with the paste and then spiced up with some Sriracha.  I let the ribs marinade in half of the mixture and saved the other half to serve them with.

How were they?  Amazing!  The guava really came out not only in flavor but scent, it was intoxicating, really.  The spicy sriracha was the perfect match for the sweet fruit and slowly grilling them gave them a nice smoky base.  I am dying to make this again, but with a nice pork tenderloin.

* these ribs so really well with this salad

Have you tried Guava Paste?  If so, what is your favorite way to use it?

Recipe:  Guava Marinade

1/4 cup guava paste

6 limes, juiced

1 orange, juiced

1 – 2 teaspoons sriracha

1/8 cup canola oil

Add the juice from the limes and orange to a small sauce pan.  Add the guava paste and slowly heat over very low heat.  Stirring often so it does not stick.  Add the sriracha, to taste.  Remove from heat and whisk in the canola.  I used half of it to marinate the ribs overnight and the other half I gently warmed and served along side the meat.  Use with your favorite meat – get creative!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Beef, Beef Short Ribs, Grilled, Guava Paste, Marinade, Recipe, Ribs, Sriracha

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I have said it over and over again, we are big Donna Hay fans.  Her recipes are fresh, seasonal and very simple.   For the current (and the relaunch) round of HHDD, we picked this fresh beef skewer recipe.

This is a great recipe to have on hand for those evenings when you want a good meal but don’t want to spend a lot of time making it.  I had dinner on the table within 60 minutes.  The combination of cool rice noodles and slightly spicy beef is fantastic.  The beef is marinated in half of the dressing which was made with fresh lime juice, a little peanut oil and fresh red chilies.  Making rice noodles is one of the easiest things …. put them in a bowl, pour over boiling water and let sit for 8 minutes.  After they were cooked and drained well (I even patted them dry, just a little), I tossed them with kaffir leaves, cilantro, basil, snowpeas and the left over dressing.  This would have been great even on it’s own;  but, the caramelized grilled beef skewers were a perfect partner for the cool crisp salad.  We loved this recipe!

Now, get out there, pick up the ingredients and join us in this round of HHDD (Hay Hay it’s Donna Day).  Get your entries to me by midnight on the 30th of April 2010.  All the delicious details can be found here.

Recipe:  Chili and Kaffir Lime Beef Skewers

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Asian Inspired, Beef, Chili, Donna Hay, Food Blog Event, Grilling, HHDD, Kaffir, Lime, Recipe, Skewers

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I LOVE chicken fried steak – I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE!  I love the crispy breading that covers the beef.  I love how the greasy bits from the pan stick to the edges of the crispy coating.  I love dipping each piece of crispy greasy goodness into a puddle of creamy gravy.  And I have not even touched how I love the buttery mashed potatoes that get to share in all this fried goodness.

I was reminded about how much I love chicken fried steak (also known as Country Fried Steak) on a recent trip we took to Winnemucca to see my family.   You see, we took my mother to breakfast at the Griddle, one of the still standing businesses there.  In my previous life I use to be a waitress at the Griddle.   They had the best chicken fried steak and banana cream pie;  I think I ate it every night I worked.   Anyhow, I have been jonesing on the memory ever since we got home.

Lenny has never had it.  I really had no idea how to make it and decided to just go with the memory, that sweet sweet (or in this case savory savory) memory of how crunchy the breading was and how the meat was over cooked but that the gravy it was smothered in made it all okay.  I wanted him to love it just as much as I did.  And I want you all to love it as well!

I am going to apologize immediately as this recipe was done by memory and taste.  I normally do not even cook with a recipe but if I have my notebook next to me, I will jot down measurements and procedures along the way.  Not with this recipe.  It was all done by taste.  As well, the Griddle never made the gravy with green garlic.  After all, it was the late 70s, early 80s, no one even dreamed of eating “green garlic” back then let alone in Winnemucca.

Recipe:  Chicken Fried Steak with Green Garlic Gravy

1 lb grass-fed beef bottom round steak

flour

kosher salt

smoked paprika

fresh cracked black pepper

3 eggs

splash of water

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

4 stalks of green garlic, minced

chicken stock

milk

Turn oven on to 250.  Pound meat with a tenderizer until slightly thin, don’t over pound or you will have hamburger.  Set aside the meat.  Pour some flour into a shallow dish, season with salt, paprika and black pepper – all by taste.  Mix.  I removed about 3 tablespoons and put it into a little bowl.  Crack eggs into another shallow bowl, whisk in a splash of water.  Heat a frying pan over medium heat, drizzle in a bit of olive oil.  Dip the meat into the flour, then the egg and then the flour.  Put the steak into the frying pan.  Cook until golden and then turn over.  Cook the other side until golden.  Lower the heat and continue cooking until it is just the way you like your steak.  I cooked it until it was slightly over medium but not well done, still pink.  Remove from the pan and put on an oven proof serving plate.  Put into the oven and turn off the heat.   Heat a tablespoon of butter in the same pan as the drippings add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Lower heat.  Whisk in the flour.  Do not let it clump.  Start pouring in a little chicken stock, slowly, until you have almost the consistency you like (it should be  a little thick).  Then slowly pour in a little milk while whisking until you have the consistency you like your gravy.  Serve along side the fried steak.  Serve.  Eat.

I served this dish with yukon gold potatoes that I mashed with baby turnips, a little olive oil and salt.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Chicken Fried Steak, Comfort Food, Country Fried Steak, Dinner, Grass fed, Gravy, Green Garlic, Recipe

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Charcoal. How much thought have you put into charcoal?  Or better yet, the charcoal you use?  If you are anything like us,  none!  In fact, this is how it usually is at our house:  1) I buy a bag of unnamed lump charcoal and bring it home;   2) Lenny is standing at the grill, with the charcoal, newspaper, a chimney and is cursing me;  3) I start to rant about  how I want to use charcoal that is good for the environment, blah blah blah;  4) Lenny starts saying how he &^%* sure this charcoal is not any good, and he is now ready to switch to gas;  5) I take over and start the grill and vow next time to pick up a bag of Kingsford.  Let me say this, I normally do not buy Kingsford as I was under the assumption, they use chemicals in their processing, and I want our grilling experience to be as pure as possible; hence, why we don’t use gas.

Last week Current Lifestyles, and Clorox invited us to be part of a press trip at Kingsford University. We were very intrigued about Kingford University. As well it was thrilling to be included with an outstanding group of writers, publishers and food bloggers who all shared a common interest, the love of great barbecue and wine. We hope you will enjoy the following write up which includes videos, to give you that “feel like you are there” experience as well as lots of great grilling tips from World BBQ Champion, Chris Lilly.

The event kicked off with a meet and greet dinner at Pican, in Oakland, CA, where Chef Dean Dupuis wowed us with his southern cooking.  It was the perfect way to begin our university training,  mingling with our fellow students, who where some amazing writers, chefs, bloggers, and BBQ enthusiasts.  One of the highlights for us that evening was Chef Dupuis’ amazing fried chicken with truffle honey; we have never thought to drizzle the sweet, earthy honey over chicken, what an outstanding combination.

The following morning was spent at Kingsford University learning everything there is to know about charcoal.  We started with a history lesson on Kingsford.  Did you know Henry Ford started making charcoal in the 1920′s?  Mr. Ford learned the process of turning scraps that were left over from making the Model T, into charcoal briquettes.  Kingsford was built when a relative of Fords, E.G Kingsford started the site for making Mr. Ford’s charcoal – the rest is history.  After our history lesson, the staff at Kingsford University gave us an in-depth discussion of how charcoal is produced as well as a sneak peek at their new product that will launch in 2010.  Kingsford charcoal is produced by using more than 1 million tons of wood scraps.  That is right, no trees are cut down for the production, and the only chemicals used are natural.  Using the waste wood a char is produced in a controlled environment and then mixed with coal and small amounts of borax, sodium nitrate, cornstarch and limestone.  After an educational morning, we moved out to the patio to fire up some grills, where we were wowed by Chris Lilly.

After lunch, we headed up to Healdsburg for the next part of our Kingsford University education.  Healdsburg in our opinion is what the wine country is really all about, and there is no better time to be there then in the fall.  Warm days, crispy evenings and beautiful fall colors add to the intoxicating smell of wine being made all around you.  After checking into the lovely Healdsburg Hotel, we headed to Seghesio Vineyard for dinner.  Our hosts Peter and Cathy Seghesio made us feel like we were finally home.  They completely opened up their lives by sharing their passion of wine with us.  Seghesio has been in the Healdsburg area since the beginning.  Edoardo Seghesio planted his first zinfandel vineyard in 1895 and since then four generations of the family have been making Zinfandels and Italian varietal wines.

(this is part one of the series of videos on how to make Chris Lilly’s famed 12 hours pork butt – check out Chez Us Eats for the rest of the series)

After a wonderful meal that was served in the winery’s Redwood Room and was prepared by Chef Jon Helquis, formerly of Chez Panisse, we were formally introduced to BBQ Master, Chris Lilly. Chris is a legend among BBQ fans and has won numerous awards.  Chris is Vice President of the acclaimed Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and is the head of their competition team. Chris took the stage and gave us an in-depth demonstration on how to make his famed 12 hour pulled pork, which he injects with water and apple cider.  I had a blast being able to get in there and do some actual hands on injecting; great way to get rid of some frustration!  And yes, these pork butts cooked for 12 hours; Chris was a champ and woke up at 3 am to man the grill!

The next day Chris continued to WOW us on the fine art of grilling.  We learned about grilling, making BBQ rubs, and finally the moment we had all been waiting for the unveiling of the 12 hour pork butt.  This our friend was well worth the wait, by far the best pulled pork we have ever had, and we are not just saying that.   After a filling lunch, we spent the afternoon with the  stellar team at Seghesio who gave us a brief course on wine blending, and everyone was able to blend their own bottle of wine.

With a free afternoon to ourselves, there was only one thing to do, and that was to take advantage of the fruits of the Healdsburg bounty and head out to do some wine tasting.  We decided to head to Michel-Schlumberger, they are considered the Healdsburg’s  Bordeaux house in a valley of zin.  Not only are they making Bordeaux style wines, but they are also doing so organically.  Now when one sees a bunch of hungry thirsty food bloggers coming through their door, one probably wants to run; instead we were greeted by staff with open arms.  Not only were they eager to have us taste their wines, which were really luscious and sexy;  but, they took us on a mini tour of the vineyard.  November at the Michel-Schlumberger is the perfect time – the colors of the vines, the coolness of the earth under your feet and the warm sun on your back – the perfect way to spend the afternoon.

After a few hours of down time at the hotel, we returned to Seghesio for our fare well dinner.  Chris continued to educate us on grilling with Kingsford, with a hands on demo on how to make perfect grilled pizzas.  These were not your ordinary pepperoni pizzas.  These pizzas were gourmet, such as Asian-influenced spicy shrimp pizzza;  yum.  Chris got everyone to don an apron, and to get there to create their own pizzas.  The group really enjoyed being hands-on.  The evening was not only fun but also very informative.  Come along by checking out these informative videos.

(this is part one of the series of videos on how to grill pizza – check out Chez Us Eats for the rest of the series)

We spent the rest of the evening eating, listening to music, talking to new friends and old, and cherishing the past three days that were not only educational but very fun.

We would like to give a special thanks to Chris Lilly, Kingsford Charcoal and Current Lifestyles.  We had no idea that learning about charcoal would be so delicious.  As well a big thank you to the Seghesio family for opening their home to us!

The big question asked of us after the event:  Would we make the switch from Brand X lump charcoal over to Kingsford?   We already have!!

Following you will find one of Chris Lilly’s recipes from his new cookbook, Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book.  It is for a beef tenderloin, which would be the perfect for your next dinner party.

Please sure to check out more photos over here and rest of the educational videos from the Kingsford University Event over at Chez Us Eats.

Recipe:  Mushroom Crusted Beef Tenderloin

*printed with permission from Chris Lilly – from Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book

Cooking Method: Indirect Heat

Suggested Wood: hickory, oak, pecan

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 10 to 12

Mushroom Crust

5 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

3 ½ cups minced mushrooms such as baby bella or shitake

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¾ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 whole beef tenderloin (approximately 6 pounds)

1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt

Melt the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the butter melts, add the minced mushrooms, garlic, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and salt.  Simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to soften.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Remove any silver membrane from the tenderloin with a sharp knife.  Fold the tail of the tenderloin back onto itself and tie it with cooking twine (this creates a roast with a uniform thickness to ensure even doneness).  Season the tenderloin with kosher salt.  Drain any excess liquid from the mushrooms.  Pat the mushroom mixture evenly over all sides of the entire beef tenderloin, making a thin crust.

Build a fire (wood or combination of charcoal and wood) for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void.  When the cooker reaches 225˚F, place the tenderloin on the void side of the grill and close the lid.  Cook for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 120-125˚F for rare, 130-135˚F for medium rare, or 140-145˚F for medium.  Let the tenderloin rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Beef, Charcoal, Chris Lilly, Food Blog Event, Grilling, Kingsford, Kingsford University, Mushroom, Recipe, Seghesio Vineyard

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I discovered the Gourmet Worrier a few months ago when I stumbled upon a post titled Snot Blocks, the name alone had me intrigued!  I was further enticed into Nanette’s home through her beautiful site where she writes about not only food, but family, love and travel.  Then we found each other on Twitter.  For me I felt like I had just found my twin, we were so much alike, this was simply pleasurable!  The past few months, we have shared numerous tweets, emails and I am noshing, very often over at her site.  A couple weeks ago, I got a message that her charming husband, Stephen, was going to be out in San Francisco and she wanted to know if I could recommend some places for him to visit.  So, I dusted off my very rusty restaurant list, gave it an update and sent it on.  Literally, minutes after sending, I get a message from Stephen, thanking me for the list and asking if we would like to get together with him – BUT OF COURSE!  We knew there was only one place in the city that he HAD to eat at, it was a must …….. Chez Us.

We love entertaining but we don’t do it as often as we would like, so we were pretty excited to be having a guest for dinner.  Now we needed to plan a delicious but casual meal.  There were so many dishes that we thought about making, from grilled pork tenderloin to a Moroccan Lamb dish, we decided to let it simmer in our minds until Sunday morning.   The weather was beautiful when we woke up so we decided it was a must to light up the grill and dine al fresco.  We wanted the meal to have freshest ingredients that are available in the bay area, sort of the season’s bounty.  The menu we decided on was:

Sazerac
Spicy Walnut Spread
Warmed Olives over Goat Cheese
Toasted Baguette Rounds
Fig, Melon & Prosciutto Salad
Grilled Porterhouse Steaks with Warmed Cherry Tomatoes
Hasselback Potatoes
Mixed Berry and Passion Fruit Brown Sugar Cardamon Pavlova

Now we have never met Stephen in person.  I know of his blog (check out the work he has done with UNICEF) and we follow each other via Twitter.  I know him through Nanette as well.  I like her and was sure we would like him.  Upon arrival Lenny wanted to serve cocktails.  Instead of offering the usual cocktail of choice, the vodka tonic, Laudalino decided on making his favorite drink, the Sazerac.   Lenny has not made one before so it was trial and error;  this drink may not be the drink for trial and error either!  The drink came out smooth and delicious but not quite the Sazerac he is use too drinking.  Either way the cocktails were a great way to start the evening and were enjoyed equally by all.

As soon as Stephen walked through the door, we all hit it off.  It was like a long lost friend was back in our lives.  We had so much to talk about, from food to business, to just getting to know each other.  Lenny and Stephen had lots of laughs commiserating over being with partners who are foodies  and how they use to have “six pack abs” but now they get baked treats – Nanette, no worries, they love it, it was all in good fun & I completely stuck up for us!!!  Thanks to technology, Nanette was able to join us via Skype, it was wonderful to be able to have her there with us.  It was such an enjoyable evening, that we completely lost track of time and food, the evening flowed as smoothly as the wine.   Okay Okay, I know you all love that we loved each other’s company, but where is the food!?  Here are some highlights and recipes.

Recipe:  Fig Salad

*adapted from David Tanis

figs

prosciutto

melon

fresh mint

Lay prosciutto on platter.  Cut figs in half, scatter onto the prosciutto.  Cut melon into thin slices and add to the platter.  Thinly slice mint and scatter on top.

Recipe:  Warm Olives with Goat Cheese

assorted olives

handful of fresh herbs – we used rosemary and thyme

zest from one lemon

sprinkle of olive oil

4oz goat cheese

Put everything into a frying pan and heat just until warmed.  Flatten the goat cheese into a disk and put into a swallow serving bowl.  Pour warmed olive mixture over the goat cheese.  Serve.  Eat.

Recipe:  Mixed Berry and Passion Fruit Brown Sugar Cardamon Pavlova

*adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon cardamon

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

6 large egg white at room temperature

1 cup chilled heavy cream

strawberries

blueberries

2 teaspoons sugar

passion fruit pulp, if you can’t find fresh use frozen

Heat oven to 275 with rack placed in the middle.  Lightly butter 2 8-inch round cake pans.  Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper.  Pulse sugar and cornstarch in food processor until well combined.   Beat egg whites with the pinch of salt at medium speed until they hold soft peaks.  Increase speed to medium-high and slowly add sugar, a little  at a time.  After all sugar has been added beat for another minute.  Add vinegar and vanilla bean paste and beat at high speed until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 6  minutes.  Spoon meringue between the two pans, smooth the tops.  Bake meringues for 1 hour, until they have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, the insides may be slightly soft inside.  Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon.  Let meringues sit in there until cool.  Run a knife along the sides and carefully turn meringue out of the pans.  Carefully remove the parchment paper.  They will be very fragile, hand carefully.

Combine the berries in a bowl with two teaspoons of sugar and let sit for at least an hour before serving.  Whip the cream until soft peaks form.  Put one meringue onto a serving plate, spread half of the cream over it and spoon half of the fruit onto the cream.  Drizzle spoonfuls (to taste) of the passion fruit pulp over the fruit.  Top with other meringue and repeat the process.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Berries, Cardamon, Dessert, Dinner, Entertaining, Fig, Goat Cheese, Local Food, Mint, Olive, Pavlova, Prosciutto, Recipe, Salads

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The time has come .. the Ultimate Burger contest has officially closed!  The Head Burger Master will be announcing the winning burger tomorrow – so stay tuned.

We would love to see which one is your favorite, please vote at the end of this post!

Bison Burgers with homemade buns

Marta ~ Just Call Me Marta

Lamb Slider w/ Arugula Gremolata & Gorgonzola Mayonnaise

Caleb ~ Food Goes In Mouth

New Mexican Cheese Bleeder

Francis Keyser ~ Cooking For Zo

Turkey Burger with Feta & Date Filling

Joan ~ Foodalogue

Lettuce-Wrapped Vietnamese Pork Burgers

Greg ~ SippitySup

Banh Mi Burger

Jessica ~ Food Mayhem

© laudalino for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Beef, Bison, Burger, Contest, Food Blogging Event, Grilled, Lamb, Sliders, Turkey, Ultimate Burger Contest

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This dish was inspired by a Cuban Dish, Vaca Frita. Instead making the beef crispy we stir fried it and seasoned it with fresh lime juice. Served with a simple Avocado Salad with thin slices of red onion. A light and refreshing dinner, perfect for a hot summer night or a cold San Francisco one!

I was inspired to make this dish after reading an article in Food and Wine magazine about Cuban Food.  I have always been intrigued about Cuban food, even though, I have never had it.  Lenny has had bad experiences with it and thinks it is all about grilled cheese (??).  When I told him about this woman, Lourdes Castro, that I read about and that I was going to try out or sort of try out a recipe, he just said, “we’ll see”!  I always love to hear a story about a cook and/or chef who is self taught, something romantic about it.  Lourdes Castro did not learn from her mother, in fact, she said her mother is a bad cook.  She did not become interested in food until she went to college in NY and then she became a self taught chef.  She  hosts cooking classes about Cuban Food and has written cookbooks.  She shared a recipe for Vaca Frita:  Crispy Beef, which is a beef dish that is marinated in lime juice and then cooked until crispy.  Unfortunately, when I read the recipe (or thought I read the recipe), I neglected to see that I  needed a green pepper and that I needed to boil the meat, let it marinate for an hour and a half and then cook it crispy;  there was no way this was going to happen on a work out night.

Instead, I sliced the meat thinly and then I sauteed it with garlic and onions and seasoned it with lots of fresh lime juice and salt and pepper.  Served along side was a simple avocado salad and warmed corn tortillas.  The lime juice in the meat was a great compliment to the creamy avocado and red onions.  This dish was flavorful, very easy to make and a big hit!  The only thing missing was a mojito!

Recipe:  Lime Infused Beef Stir Fry

1 lb beef flank, grass fed preferred, thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh lime  juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt, to taste

fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.  Saute the onions until caramelized, about 15 – 20 minutes.  Add the garlic, stir and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Raise the heat to a high medium, add the beef, and quickly stir fry until cooked to your liking.  Add the onion mixture and the lime juice.  Stir and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes, until fragrant and heated through.   Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.  Eat.

Recipe:  Avocado Salad

2 avocados, peeled and  thinly sliced

1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

sea salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Arrange the avocado and onion slices on a plate.  Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Avocado, Beef, Crispy Beef, Cuban Food, Lime, Lourdes Castro, Stir Fry, Vaca Frita

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Grass-fed flap steak filled with a mixture of ramps and morels which were gently sauteed with butter, sea salt and cracked black pepper.  Finished with a sauce that was made by deglazing the roasting pan with red wine and additional morels.

A couple weeks ago, after a few twitter sessions, I had the pleasure of meeting David of Earthy Delights over the phone.  He was a “delight” to talk to as we both share the same philosophy about food – it should be simple, using the best ingredients and it should be GOOD!  He asked if we would be interested in trying some of his products, why, HELLO … But, of course we would!  I mean have you seen what he sells;  everything from honeys to fresh wild morels.  I was pretty excited after we ended our conversation and I hung up the phone.

Wednesday it was Christmas at Chez Us.  I came home to find the best package that only a “foodie” could love.  It was bursting at the seams with fresh morels, ramps, the famed Black Garlic that everyone is a twitter about, an assortment of dried mushrooms, olive oil from Italy, an avocado oil, balsamic cream, a lime juice and two Earthy Delight t-shirts.  I was grinning ear to ear and my mind was racing with ideas of how we would be consuming all of this joy!  This was definitely the best package we have received in a very long time!!

The first dish we created was using some of the very fresh and fragrant morels as well as the ramps.  Neither of us have never eaten ramps, so I was pretty excited to cook with them – I loved their slightly green and garlicky scent.  As well I have eaten morels a few times, mostly in Europe, this was the first time I worked with them.  Morels are NOT your ordinary mushrooms – they are meaty and earthy and very flavorful.  I found their texture interesting as they were rather woody when I started out.  I did enjoy their mossy and earthy scent.  I did not want this dish to be overwhelming with other ingredients – I wanted these *stars* to shine.  This particular dish was just perfect.  The combination of the ramps and the earthy morels went very well with the beef and red wine.  To continue with keeping the meal simple as to not take away from the star ingredients, I served a lightly sauteed zucchini which I sprinkled some truffle sea salt on.  The entire meal was elegant but not stuffy …. just good home cooking!

I bet you cannot wait to see what else we have planned for the rest of the bounty!

Recipe: Flap Steak with Morels & Ramps and a red wine demi glaze

*serves 4

1 lb flap steak

1 lb morels, quartered

1 bunch ramps, minced -  I used all the whites & 1/4 of the greens

2 tablespoons butter

sea salt, pinch

fresh cracked pepper

1/4 cup good red wine

Cover morels with cold, slightly salted water, to clean out any pests and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Drain well.  Melt butter and add ramps.  Cook until slightly soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in morels, sprinkle with some salt and cook for about 20 minutes. Strain and reserve buttery liquid.  Set aside.

Lay steak out on cutting board, put 3/4 of the morel mixture towards an end and roll into a tight log.  Reserve the 1/4 cup of morels for the sauce.  Heat an oven proof pan with a 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Sear the meat on both sides.  Transfer to oven and let cook for about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how you like your beef cooked.   Remove from oven and transfer meat to a plate.  Heat the juices with the left over morel liquid.  Add the red wine and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, until reduced and slightly thick, add the morels.  To serve, cut portions of the meat and drizzle the red wine and morel sauce over the top.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Black Aged Garlic, Flap Steak, Morels, Mushroom, Ramps, Red Wine, Truffle Sea Salt, Wild Ramps

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A grass fed beef cube steak seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper and crushed garlic and simply sauteed until caramelized served along side a lightly poached lobster tail with creamy melted butter.

As a regular reader you know Maggie.  If not, here is a bit on Maggie.  She is my god-daughter and I have been helping take care of her since she was born.  She is the apple of my eye, so to say, as are her brother and sister.  But, Maggie, is different, she is a bit of the “wild child” after all, how many 3 year old do you know, have claimed they are “foodies”.  The funny thing is, she really does like food, from espresso to the stinkiest blue cheese out there.  I promised her two things before her recent 3 birthday.  One, she could have her first sleep-over with me and two, we would eat lobster together, we see them swimming in their little tank at the Ferry Plaza all the time.  Laudalino was in Las Vegas or as Maggie calls it Lost Vegas, for business this week, so it was time to have Magalicious over!

We decided on the dinner menu during an outing to Half Moon Bay (we picked up the best strawberries and sweet peas) – she wanted steak, lobster and sweet English peas as well as something Chocolate!  When I ran to the market to pick up dinner, I saw some great looking cube steaks and suddenly remembered a way my grandmother use to cook them for us – simple with butter, crispy browned garlic pieces and salt and pepper – I loved how they were slightly browned (love the drippings in the pan even more) but still cooked to perfection.  I have not had them in years, so I picked a couple up along with one Lobster Tail (Larry Lobster as Maggie named him) and headed home.

We started the evening with a fine Passion fruit juice that I have been meaning to mix with something to make it more adult friendly, but once we busted it open, it was gone – we were loving it!  Then we proceeded to cook dinner together.  While I cooked the cube steaks, Maggie, had conversations with her new friend Larry, mind you, she kept telling him how good he was going to taste – I wish I had a video camera handy! Right before the punch into a boiling bath of salted water and lemon, Maggie, gave him a hug and a kiss and said she would see him soon – got to love that!

I was no intentions of documenting this dinner but as I was putting our meal onto the plates, Maggie grabbed a couple napkins and started setting the table and proceeded to tell me we had to get ready to take pictures like on “Chez Us”;  I was touched, she really wanted to do this and to be a part of it!  So, I handed her the little camera and we both shot away.  What a fun evening we had dining on a fine steak and lobster dinner finished by bowls of bittersweet chocolate ice cream.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Cube Steak, Grass fed, Half Moon Bay, lobster, Surf and Turf

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Homemade spinach pasta rolled and cut into thin noodles, then tossed with a country style ragu and sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, a wonderful and simple dinner.

I normally do not have “food” in the freezer, except for the token ice cream container or a few containers of stock as well as different citrus juices.    We just aren’t big leftover, frozen food people;  but, a couple weeks ago we (I) made a fantastic home made Lasagne.   We were lucky enough to have left over pasta, which is very easy to make if you don’t have leftovers.  I decided to cut the pasta into noodles and freeze them for another time.  As well we had some of the ragu left over, this is the best Italian ragu I have ever had.  Not only is it fantastic tasting but it is simple to make.

Tonight I cooked the noodles, warmed up the ragu, tossed together a frisee salad and we had dinner – thank you freezer for feeding us so well!

Recipe

spinach egg pasta (pasta verde)

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 oz./60g or more)
10 oz. (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 oz. (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 1/2 cups (14 oz./400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by hand you will need: A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired. A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough. A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta. Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly. A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets. Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough: Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading: With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and thinning: If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more. Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time. Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagna, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Homemade Pasta, Italian Ragu, Pasta, Pork, Recipe, Spinach, Veal

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Fragrant beef based soup served over soba noodles and edamame.

This dish came about from not having a whole heck of a lot in the house.  When I first started making this it was going to be French Onion soup as all I thought I had was onions and some left over beef stock.  While the onions were doing their thing on the stove, I started rooting around and I found some fresh ginger, lemon grass, a lime, some beef flank, soba noodles and edamame.  All of a sudden this dish was about to become something more interesting.

While the onions were sweating, I added some ginger, lime zest, and minced lemon grass.  After the flavors were well blended I added the beef and cooked it until the beef was golden.  Then I added the stock and let it simmer for a good hour.  It broth was so flavorful.  Right before serving I added the edamame.  I only keep them on the heat long enough to warm through and still keep their beautiful color.  To give the dish more substance (we were hungry) I served over Soba Noodles and finished with a squeeze of lime and a splash of Sriracha.

Not bad for being a dish made from the remnants of an empty cupboard – would make “old mother Hubbard” proud!

Recipe: Beef and Noodles

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

knob fresh ginger, minced

1/2 stick of lemon grass, minced

zest from 1 lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound beef flank, thinly sliced

3 cups of beef stock, preferabley homemade

2 cups edamame

lime to garnish

sriacha to taste

Heat olive oil, add onions and sweat for about 10 minutes.  Add ginger, lemon grass and lime zest, cook over very low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add beef and cook until the beef is slightly golden, but not crisp and not over cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add stock and cook for an hour.

15 minutes before serving cook, soba noodles according to package directions.  3 minutes before noodles are done  cooking, I set a mesh colander on top of the simmering water, be sure the colander is immersed in the water, then add the edamame, let heat through for the last couple of minutes left on the noodles.  Drain noodles and edamame.  To serve, lay a bed of noodles, topped off with the edamame,  in a deep or shallow serving bowl and ladle the beef broth mixture over the top.  Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top and a splash of the  sriacha.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Ginger, Homemade Beef Stock, Lemon Grass, Lime, Recipe, Soba Noodles, Soup

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