Archive for the Meat and Steaks Category

A guest: “What is in this [chicken]?”

Me: “Why does something not taste good?”

He said, “No… it’s absolutely perfect…”

And from across the table, “This is the best chicken I’ve ever eaten… whoa.”

So, this is the secret of my chicken success. And this doesn’t mean there’s only one way to do this, but it’s my way. And it is good.

1. Use a good quality bird. I chose a free-range, Kosher bird. Kosher means it has been brined, which si a step I’d rather not have to mess with.
2. Keep it simple. Put aromatics in the cavity (in my case, thyme and lemon), and salt and pepper the bird liberally.
3. Tie it up. A trussing needle is not required.
4. Roast at a high temperature (475 or 500 degrees F) for roughly an hour. You want to get a temperature of about 155 degrees before taking it out to rest.
5. Wait.
6. Carve the bird in serving pieces.
7. Ladle-over the secret sauce.

Each time I do variations on the “sauce,” but there are always a few common ingredients. Shallot, garlic, lemon juice, fresh thyme, and butter. This time I also added a wine-stock reduction. Dijon mustard. Pour this over the carved meat, and serve. Sop-up the sauce with baguette. Don’t bother with potatoes or starchy vegetables. Go French.

There was something special when reading about Julia Child’s life, which I have been interested in, over the past several 8-9 years. Before she had a cooking show courtesy of WBGH in Boston, she ran herself a little cooking school in France with two friends. It was called Ecole des 3 Gourmandes, and as the movies and books will tell you, they educated home cooks in France.

My own creativity finds many outlets, from writing in blogs like this one, to making new sounds on the piano, and yes, my creativity has more recently flowered in the kitchen. A dream of mine would to take on Julia’s early profession, and host cooking classes. Think about what folks like Patricia Wells is doing now, between her home in Provence (using Julia Child’s own oven), and in Paris. She of course has far more skill and culinary experience than I have - which is why she can command 4-figure fees for students who come from the US and beyond to cook with her.

But it isn’t too soon to start thinking about what you’d like to do in retirement, is it? Or if you lose your job?

Tonight’s dinner was one such example, a compromise even.

“You like steak. I am not hungry, I only want a salad.”

Steak salad.

The big flavor profiles were from the dressing, crumbled blue cheese, and red onions. A really delicious heirloom tomato was in the mix too, with baby salad greens and herbs.

I seared a filet mignon in a frying pan in bacon grease (to use up two last strips of Applewood-smoked bacon, and use them in the salad), until about 115 degrees in the center. It later rested, before being carved into thin strips.

The dressing was made by reducing 2 parts beef stock to 1 part balsamic vinegar with thyme in a saucepan. When it gained some body and thickness, I let it cool, then whisked in a little grainy Dijon-style mustard and EVOO. It emulsified great, and had a great depth of flavor, including a savory sweetness. Dress the greens with this, and reserve some to anoint the pieces of steak on the salad.

Back to my original theme here… it’s simply a lot of fun to share your creativity with others. I find that in everything I do.

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of turkey. I am not sure how many people actually love stuffing, sweet potatoes, and green bean casseroles without the nostalgia attached to Thanksgiving. With only two this year, I decided to do something we’d really like than stick with tradition.

I’ll start with the star: some prime ribs of beef from Bellmont Butchery here in Richmond. Salted and peppered, and following David Rosengarten’s advice, that’s the way to go: simple.

Now, several years ago I made a recipe from Gourmet that featured brussels sprouts with crunchy shallots and a variety of mushrooms. I updated this dish this year with bacon, and instead of making my own crispy shallots, I used the northern European variety of crispy fried onions that is now available in local stores. They added both the requisite flavor and crunch (add them after the lot comes out of the oven).

Thanksgiving, in my estimation, shouldn’t be too worrisome a day in the kitchen. We’ve had our share of gratins but this year I went super simple, and did a Yukon Gold, roasted garlic mashed potato, but I likely put in a few extra pats of butter to make it all the more regal and Robuchonesque.

Of course, I think ricing is the best method.

The prime ribs came out great; I got the lot up to about 125 degrees then let it rest before splitting the lot into two healthy portions. By having a small one rib version, we both got the outer side, crusted with kosher salt and a melange of peppercorns in green, white, red, and black.

For dessert, we skipped pies and went for an old favorite: rice pudding with pears and caramel. I made it up a few hours after the main meal, as to not stuff ourselves to oblivion.

The dessert was good, but was not up to its former glory. I made a strategic mistake in the creation of the caramel: I added some of the dessert wine I had been poaching golden raisins in to the sauce, which thinned it out too far.

Yet, ultimately, there were no real complaints. I’m thankful for that.

I don’t find myself in Virginia Beach often, but I recently was there on business and sought out good cuisine. My search led me to an area of new development in the city of Virginia Beach (far from the water, this is far from Atlantic Avenue). Located at 189 Central Park Avenue, it is located adjacent to plenty of other dining options, including a Cheesecake Factory and a P.F. Chang’s. In fact, Chang’s welcomed everyone with their smell of garlic and spice that seems to emanate from everyone of their places.

Sonoma a beautiful space, lit in the evening with a multitude of candles reflecting off of their display of wine bottles. It almost appears to be half a wine store and restaurant. Modern decor is to be found, but it’s all very classy yet relaxing.

The menu was studded with more modifiers than our English teachers would have suggested. Each ingredient, it seemed, had something special about it. It all entices the diner, of course, but after reading through 4 or 5 dishes, it’s like a puzzle for your tongue. A variety of savory teases were available, from sausages, duck, foie gras, and an abundance of rare tuna. I opted for a spinach salad with caramelized nuts and pears—something rather typical, I guess nowadays, but it was absolutely delicious. I often don’t clear a plate completely clean, but this one was sent back looking bare.

For an entrée I chose their filet of steak stuffed with a soft French cheese, mushrooms, and accompanied with roasted new potatoes. This dish was perfumed by a sprig of fresh rosemary, and was rather tasty.

The restaurant of course offers a generous wine list, with options ranging from single glasses, wine flights (3 glasses), and half- and full-bottles.

Service is as brisk or relaxed as you like, and with windows facing the street, in warmer weather, there will always be a panoramic view. Now, if only this place was set in the mountains over a cascading stream, it might be perfect. When you leave, the reality is that you’re still in Virginia Beach, VA.

Warmly recommended. Inventive combinations of ingredients and a wide variety of wines.

I know two ways to make beef short ribs, and both utilize the same cooking technique: braising. You can do a wine-based sauce, or a vinegar-based sauce. Tonight I tried the vinegary approach, tempered with sweet vegetables and brown sugar.

It starts out with browning the short ribs.

Season them first with salt and pepper, then with oil, brown them on all sides in a heavy pan. I recommend using a cast-iron vessel or dutch oven.

After browning the meat, you can add your vegetables (carrots, pearl onions, bell pepper) and sweat them out. For flavor, I added one-half can of tomato paste. Then you add your liquid, which in this case was Xeres vinegar and brown stock.

I braised the ribs this time in the oven. I usually do it stove-top.

Meanwhile, I prepared potatoes to roast, not to mention broccolini.

Then when it was time to eat, I was like “why so much food?” I over-cooked. This was enough for a small party.

The broccolini was excellent. While I liked the sour type of flavor with the beef, I ultimately prefer a wine-based sauce. I thickened the sauce through reduction before serving.