Chez Steiny
Tuesday, January 07, 2003
Rosemary Pork Loin with Red Wine Sauce
Made this for New Year's Day. A fairly original recipe, though it's nothing any other chef, amateur or otherwise, couldn't dream up in a hurry. Wouldn't surprise me if this were already in a few cook books, anyway. At any rate ...
An simply-prepared main course for an elegant winter night's dinner, the key to this dish is using a proper, good wine.
Friday, November 22, 2002
Beef Stew
I took advantage of some off-time yesterday and made some good, hearty beef stew. Yeah, yeah, I used the McCormick Beef Stew mix. Not my personal choice, but Mom and Dad wanted it that way. The siblings refuse to eat most anything beyond taco salad, chicken fingers, and fast food anymore, so I don't even bother with them.
Anyway, the main lesson learned here was to never, ever, ever underestimate seasoning. It was pretty bland (particularly the veggies) until I threw some more pepper and salt into my bowl. Another lesson learned here was that Kosher salt doesn't really work all that well with soups / stews. Regular old table salt worked like magic. I'm starting to think that Kosher salt is for pre-seasoning, while table salt is for post-cooking seasoning. That would tend to make sense, no?
At any rate, I took advantage of the Maillard reaction and browned the beef pretty well before any water became involved in the cooking process. Browning is good. The veggies, however ... well, the carrots were OK (man, my new knife cuts through them like no tomorrow), the corn and peas were standard, but the potatoes were anything but good. They were somewhat green beneath the peel (not good), and I probably should have given them a hefty doese of seasoning before I added them to the liquid.
My main concern here is how to create a good stew from scratch. Would I want to use beef stock or broth? What sort of herbs / spices would I throw into the liquid to generate a good effect? Salt and pepper, for certain, but perhaps paprika? A shred or two of the cookie spices? Parsely, sage, rosemary, thyme? Simon & Garfunkel?
Experimentation may be in order ... until then ...
Saturday, November 02, 2002
Vegetating Thoughts
Charly (our German exchange student) requested that I make the Kung Pao chicken again before he returns home, only without the jalapeno. It would seem that Central and Eastern European folks do not enjoy spicy stuff. That's too bad. It's probably also why I think that stuff is bland.
So anyway, it turned out great as always, even despite only having a pound of veggies to go with two pounds of chicken. Then again, I always overestimate the amount of vegetables people around here want. Bought a jug o' Kikkomann instead of the bottle, this time. It makes it more difficult for Dad and Andy to drench their stuff in it. Score one for food purity!
Thinking about the vegetables, though ... I generally use a package of frozen "California" mix -- broccoli, carrot, cauliflower. Considering that those are probably my three favorites (I also love corn), I don't mind it, although they do have that ... frozen flavor thing going on. I can always tell the difference with them and fresh ones. I keep wondering how to get some more flavor out of the vegetables, though. Salt and pepper do well, and I've tried things like throwing in a little soy sauce, or chicken broth, or a little garlic, onion, and ginger (I always use these now), but nothing really brings a flair.
In a perfect world, I'd have a real wok with a good flame source, so I could make each serving of KPC individually and throw some pre-steamed vegetables in there to liven things up. As long as I keep making it American Family-style, though, I'm at a loss as to how to liven things up. (Well, other than sneaking some Thai bird chiles in there and having some very angry people come at me ...)
Monday, October 28, 2002
Friday Night Failure
I was going to make my old Chicken Marsala last Friday night, but it didn't turn out so well. Several factors:
Trying to adapt a recipe for 3 people to a recipe for 6, without enough sautee pans / burner space (this has been a serious problem in the past, one I'll probably try to rectify when I buy / build my own home). Trying to accomodate a certain parental unit who basically eats a little pasta with his sauce. Basically I tried to make what is, in essence, a reduction / deglazing sauce in a saucepan all by itself, without the cornmeal and such that would normally thicken it up. Watery schlock without much flavor. Rushing the sauce with flour and cornstarch. Deadens the flavor. Not draining the liquid after sauteeing the mushrooms. Big mistake. Substituting tomato puree for tomato paste. Not quite so big of a mistake. Equating extra water with extra volume. Underseasoning the cornmeal "breading" again. My new credo is that you can never overseason a breading.
Oh well, my new chef's knife kicks major ass, though. Thank you, my darling! I love you!
Monday, October 21, 2002
Kung Pao Chicken
Chez Steiny's Specialty
A classic Szechuan dish whose spiciness can be tailored to the individual needs of your dinner party. Peanuts and scallions accentuate the subtle flavor.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Wok, or a very wide sautee pan Nonreactive bowl for marinating
INGREDIENTS
2 lb. chicken breasts 1 bunch scallions or green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 jalapeno (or serrano or habanero), seeded and minced OPTIONAL: dried arbol chiles 2 TBS ginger, grated 1/2 cup peanuts 4 TBS soy sauce 4 TBS sherry or wine 3 TBS cornstarch 1 1/2 TBS red wine vinegar 1 TBS chicken broth (or water) pinch sugar pinch Kosher salt canola or vegetable oil
Using kitchen shears, cut the chicken breasts into small chunks (roughly 1/2 inch cubes) and place into the nonreactive bowl. Combine half the soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch and mix well. Add this mixture to the chicken and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and no more than 2 hours. Take this time to chop the vegetables, begin your rice, and begin your side vegetable dish. Before removing the marinated chicken, combine the remaining soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch with the vinegar, broth, sugar, and salt. This is your Kung Pao sauce.
Put the wok or pan over the highest possible heat and add 2-3 TBS oil to coat the pan. When sufficiently hot, place the chicken in the wok and begin stir-frying. Just before the chicken is fully browned (5 min. or so), add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and scallions and integrate them with the chicken. Stir-fry for about 3-4 more minutes, then add the peanuts, letting them toast a bit. Add your Kung Pao sauce and bring it to a boil, creating a nice, thick sauce for the whole dish. Serve immediately over rice and with a side vegetable dish, perhaps sauteed Chinese vegetables or steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot?
Prep Time: 30 min, plus marinating time.
Cook Time: 10-12 min.
My Grade: A+
Family Grade: A
Friday, October 18, 2002
Quesadillas
It's been a long time since I cooked these, but they were really good, so I'm going to tell you what I did.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds chicken breasts 12 large, burrito-sized flour tortillas 2 cups shredded melting cheeses (Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, etc. work well ... any Mexican cheese is good, too) 1 medium onion 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 2 TBS ancho chile powder 2 TBS chili powder 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 TBS fresh cracked black pepper 1 TBS kosher salt
Mix the ancho chile powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt together. Season the chicken breasts with spice mix (Spice Mix "B") and grill over medium heat. Thinly slice both the bell peppers and onion, and saute well over high heat until a bit of carmelization of the onion and peppers occur. Shred the grilled chicken after letting it rest for about 10 minutes. On a tortilla, place some of the cheese on one half of one side, creating a "bed" for the filling. Place shredded chicken, more cheese, and onion/pepper mix in a relatively flat, thin layer on the tortilla. Place the tortilla on a medium-heat griddle and wait for the cheese bed to begin melting. Fold the tortilla over and flip it, cooking it until the tortilla is nice and crisp. Serve with salsa or queso dip. May also include other fillings such as guacamole, pico de gallo, sauteed mushrooms, hot peppers, etc. It's really up to your imagination what you can do with quesadillas.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 20 min, plus 2 min. per quesadilla on the griddle.
My Grade: B+
Family Grade: B+
Sunday, September 22, 2002
French Onion Soup
First course, going along with the Round Eye Roast below ...
INGREDIENTS
5 cups Lyonnaise-sliced onions (I use Spanish yellow, or plain white. I would suggest against red.) 3/4 cup wine or vermouth* 2 cans beef broth 2 shots brandy 2 TBS butter 1 TBS canola oil 2 TBS flour 1 TBS sugar 1 TBS kosher salt 1 French-style baguette (for gratinee) 1 cup grated white cheese (for gratinee)
Sweat the onion in a medium sized saucepan or pot with the oil and butter for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the sugar and salt. Allow the sugar to help carmelize the onions (about 30 minutes). When the onions are a nice carmel brown, mix in the flour. Quickly whisk in the wine, broth, and brandy, and bring the pot to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 90 min. - 2 hr. To serve gratinee (traditional), toast small slices of the baguette and grate your cheese (Swiss, Provolone, Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, and Asiago can all be used effectively. I would stay away from parmagiano reggiano simply because it grates so finely.) Ladle the soup over the toast slices in a serving rammekin, top with cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.
*A note on the wine selection -- red or white wines may be used effectively with this recipe. I usually end up using red wines, largely because I serve it with beef dishes and it provides a nice depth of flavor. However, white wines give the soup a much lighter character and will go better as a main course. The same can be said for standard vermouths.Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 2-3 hr.
My Grade: A
Family Grade: A+
Round Eye Beef Roast
Big meal last night, with a four-pound beef roast serving as the main course. French onion soup gratinee served as the first course, while mashed potatoes and peas accompanied the main course. A Kit-Kat bar was my dessert. Now for the recipies ...
Round Eye Roast
Nice, rare center with a crisp exterior, thanks to the Good Eats formula ...
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Small, shallow roasting pan Digital probe thermometer Strainer, if making jus
INGREDIENTS
Approx. 4 lb. boneless round eye roast 1 medium onion 3-4 stalks celery 3-4 large carrots 4-5 cloves garlic Several sprigs of thyme and rosemary (or your favorite herbs) Kosher salt Fresh black pepper Vegetable or canola oil
Preheat oven to 225°F. Roughly chop the celery into inch-long pieces and the carrot into half-inch pieces. Slice the onion into 8-10 wedges. Slice each garlic clove in half.
Lightly oil the roasting pan. Distribute celery, carrot, onion, and garlic onto bottom of pan. Lightly cover the roast in oil, then apply pepper and salt liberally to exterior surface. Place roast on top of vegetables and insert the probe in the roast, setting the thermometer's alarm for 120°F (medium rare). Place in the oven, and let the oven work its magic. Once the roast's temperature has reached desired doneness, remove and set oven temperature to 500°F. Return roast to the 500°F oven and let the outside crisp up (10-15 minutes). Remove the roast, place it under aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, allowing the juices to coalesce.
To make the roast au jus, place the roast on a resting rack, over a small collecting bowl (this can be done before or after resting ... I prefer to let it rest 10 min. in the pan, then move it to the rack). Deglaze the roasting pan over high heat on the stove with 1/2 cup red wine (your choice, but I think a zinfandel would go well), and 1 can or so of beef stock. For a richer jus, add about 3 TBS butter. Add the resting juices back to the pan, and strain (vegetables and all). Squeeze some more juicy goodness out of the vegetables by placing a heavy can on top of them and letting it sit for a few minutes while you carve the roast. Enjoy!Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 2.5 - 4 hr (depends on roast size, oven, and jus)
My Grade: A
Family Grade: A
