Category: Beef and Lamb

Frenched Rack of Lamb

This method will rival the best French Restaurants, yet is simple and easy enough for any home cook.

The hardest part is finding a Frenched rack of lamb. Ask your butcher to do it for you, or keep in mind that lamb chops and lamb loin chops, or even a boneless leg of lamb will all work just as well. This technique utilizes sous vide but remember: You can get nearly the same results going low-and-slow. The simple marinade is really the key to this dish.

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Steaks Sous Vides – The Perfect Steak

It doesn’t get much better than this people.

If you’ve spent much time reading this blog, you know that I’m all about temperature, because temperature is the only reliable way to gauge how your food is going to turn out.

Of course temperature and heat are different things.  Heat is about how much energy you’re putting into your food whereas temperature is a way to read how much heat is in food already.

Think about it like this:  If you decide to slow-roast a piece of meat on your smoker or in your oven at a low temperature over a period of hours, you’re putting a little bit of heat into it over a long period of time.  Conversely, if you sear a steak over a hot grill or in a hot cast iron pan, you’re putting a lot of heat into it very rapidly.

The reason it’s hard to cook that perfect steak, which is medium rare bumper to bumper with a crusty, golden edge is because there’s almost no way to cook it on low enough heat for it to turn out truly perfect.  Even slowly bringing your steak up to temperature in a 200°F oven before searing it (the method I generally recommend) is going to leave striations of doneness to a small degree.  Put too much heat in and it’ll be a bullseye of doneness with only the very center cooked correctly.

Enter the Sous Vide cooker – the solution to all of your protein problems.  No more striations of doneness, no more raw centers, no more accidentally-well-done food.  Just perfect, all the time.

How does this work?  Basically, when you cook something sous vide you hold the entire piece of protein at exactly the temperature you want for an extended period of time so no matter how much time it takes, you never overcook it.

So, what exactly is sous vide?  Sous vide is the process of cooking something in a water bath which is set to an exact temperature.  Essentially, what you do is you vacuum seal you protein in a plastic bag, either using a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method (I use the latter method; it’s cheaper and has never caused me any problems) to get all the air out of the bag and drop it in a pot of water that’s being held at a constant temperature until it’s cooked through; then you simply finish it off over high heat to sear the outside and there you have it – perfectly cooked food.

This is, in fact, the way high end steakhouses typically cook their steak.  Ever wonder how a table of five can order three different cuts of steak, one rare, two medium-rare, one medium, and one medium-well and they all arrive at the table at the same time, perfectly cooked, exactly as ordered, edge to edge?  The answer is sous vide.  They’ve had those steaks sitting in different water baths at different temperatures for hours, waiting to be finished off on a hot grill and brought to your table.

That’s the secret.

You can achieve these results at home too.  There are three ways to do this:

  1. Stove top method.  Heat water in a large pot to exactly the temperature you want, verify using a thermometer, and constantly fiddle with the temperature for hours until you’ve got whatever it is you’re making cooked through.  Forget it.  Too much time, too hard.
  2. Beer Cooler method.  This works astonishingly well.  Essentially, you get your water bath to a few degrees higher than your cooking temperature and the insulated walls of the cooler should hold your water at a relatively constant temperature for a few hours; long enough to cook a steak.  J. Kenji Lopez-Alt describes the process here.
  3. Purchase a sous vide immersion circulator.  It used to be that these things were too pricey for the average home cook, but due to the popularity of the sous vide method of cooking they are becoming increasingly affordable.  Generally, they’ll run you anywhere from $75-$150.  I got mine at Aldi for $49.99.  So far so good.

No matter what method you use, you really owe it to yourself to try cooking something sous vide the next time you have a couple hours.  Here’s a short recipe for the steak featured above.

Ingredients

For the Garlic-Herb Butter:

  1. 1 stick salted (yeah, i know) butter, room temperature
  2. 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  3. 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
  4. 3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
  5. 2 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste (or squished in a garlic press)

For the Steak:

  1. 2 steaks (filet, strip, or ribeye), 1.5 – 2 inches thick (the thicker the better, ask your butcher to cut you a few steaks if the ones in the case are less than 1.5 inches thick – remember, you’re searing these off at the end and it is possible to overcook your steak during that process).
  2. 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  3. Fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, etc), optional
  4. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

For the Garlic-Herb Butter:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until very well combined.
  2. Using plastic wrap, roll the butter into a log shape and twist the ends off (like a tootsie roll)
  3. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Steak:

  1.  Heat a water bath to 130°F for medium rare (135° for medium, anything past that forget the whole sous vide thing and just incinerate it on your stovetop; it’s easier that way).
  2. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper.  Toss each steak individually in a food-grade gallon size freezer bag along with the smashed garlic clove and herbs, if using.
  3. Using the water displacement method, seal the steaks in their bags.
  4. Introduce steaks to water bath and make sure they’re fully submerged, weighing them down if necessary.
  5. Hold steaks in the water bath at a constant temperature for at least 2 hours and not more than 4 hours.
  6. Remove steaks from bags and pat very dry with paper towels (Note:  they will look really weird – grayish brown and mushy – after coming out of the water bath; don’t worry, all is well).
  7. Sear the steaks over high heat, either in a cast-iron pan or ripping hot grill (surface temperature of heating surface should be 400°F – 500°F), 15-30 seconds per side.
  8. Remove steaks from heating surface and allow to rest; while resting, top steaks with sliced rounds of garlic herb butter and tent lightly with foil until butter is melted, 3-5 minutes
  9. Slice and serve

 

Boeuf Bourguignon

Another beautiful rustic French classic, the method for this dish bears a resemblance to Traditional Coq Au Vin.  When I made this for the first time, I followed Julia Child’s recipe to the letter, and I remember thinking about halfway through the process “This woman was insane.”  Now that I’ve made it a few times, I actually don’t think she was that crazy – it takes a bit of practice to get it down, but actually despite the fact that the whole process takes about 5 hours, there’s really probably only about 90 minutes of active time.  Still, it’s not the kind of thing you can whip up on a week night; you’ll have to wait for a day off to make it, but most of that day can be spent relaxing or doing other things while the delicious smell of beef braised in red wine permeates your home.

This recipe follows Julia’s recipe very closely, but has a few tweaks that are mainly to my personal preference, including the addition of celery and also an umami bomb.

Time: 5 hours (90 minutes inactive)
Level: Advanced
Cost: About $5.00 per plate
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  1.  Approximately 3 lbs chuck roast, trimmed of any fat or gristle, but left in large pieces
  2. Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  3. Vegetable or grape seed oil
  4. 12oz thick-cut bacon, sliced into lardons
  5. 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  6. 1 14oz can low sodium beef stock, divided
  7. 4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
  8. 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  9. 1 large onion, sliced
  10. 3 cloves garlic
  11. 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  12. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  13. 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  14. 2 bay leaves
  15.  Several sprigs fresh parsley
  16.  Several sprigs fresh thyme
  17. 1 750ml bottle dry red wine (cheap is fine, I use Aldi’s Winking Owl shiraz, $2.59)
  18. 12 small boiler onions
  19. 8 oz crimini or baby bella mushrooms, halved if large
  20. 1 shot brandy
  21. 2 lbs small roasting potatoes (which will actually be boiled)
  22. 1/2 cup chopped parsley, for garnishing

Prep and Mise En Place

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (like you would for pasta)
  3. Prepare mirepoix (celery, onions, carrots) and combine in a medium bowl
  4. Prepare umami bomb (soy sauce, tomato paste, anchovy paste) and combine in a small bowl
  5. Mince garlic and reserve in a small bowl
  6. Trim beef and season aggressively with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  7. Slice bacon
  8. Measure out flour
  9. Open can of beef stock
  10. Open bottle of wine
  11. Prepare Bouquet Garni:  bundle thyme, parsley and bay leaves together and wrap in cheesecloth (a coffee filter tied shut will work in a pinch)
  12. Slice the stem end (not the root end) off the boiler onions but leave them unpeeled
  13. Prepare mushrooms
  14. Measure out shot of brandy

Instructions

  1. Blanch boiler onions (not sliced ones) in boiling water for 7 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and, using a colander rinse under cold running water until cool.  Once cool, pinch the ends to peel onions under running water; the skins should slide right off.  Remove root end of onions with a paring knife, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate.
  2. Blanch bacon in boiling water for 10 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.  Pat dry.  (You want it dry – the more water there is in/on the bacon, the more angry popping and spattering you’ll get when you fry it).
  3. Into a large sauté pan over medium heat: Add two tablespoons of vegetable or grape seed oil along with bacon to a large saute pan and fry bacon until brown and slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate with paper towels to blot up some of the grease
  4. Over high heat, brown beef in large chunks in bacon fat, approximately 2.5 – 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned and a lovely fond begins to form on the bottom of the pan.  Remove beef to a cutting board and allow to cool.
  5. Add mirepoix (celery, onions, and carrots) to the pan.  Reduce heat to medium.  Sweat vegetables; as they begin to give up some of their moisture scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pan and incorporate.  If vegetables don’t give up enough moisture or fond threatens to burn, lower the heat and deglaze pan with a bit of liquid – stock, wine, or water.  Continue to sweat vegetables until they give up much of their moisture and begin to brown and caramelize slightly.
  6. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds
  7. Add umami bomb (mixture of tomato paste, soy sauce and anchovy paste) and stir to incorporate, another 30 seconds
  8. Add about 1/3 of the bottle of red wine to finish deglazing the pan and stop the browning process.  Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally and scraping up any remaining fond.  Once all the fond is incorporated, off the heat entirely to prevent it from reducing too much.
  9. Meanwhile, while wine and vegetables are simmering, cube beef into 2-2.5 inch cubes (they’re going to shrink a lot when they cook in the oven) and add to a dutch oven or braising pot.  Sprinkle the beef with flour and stir to ensure the beef is evenly coated.  Place uncovered, in 400°F oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, stir, and return to the oven uncovered for another 5 minutes.
  10. Remove beef from oven.  Add contents of sauté pan, bacon, remaining wine, 1/2 can of beef broth and bouquet garni to the beef in the dutch oven.  Stir to make sure everything is well incorporated.
  11. Cover, and bring to a boil.
  12. Once boiling, off the heat on the stove and place dutch oven into the oven and mostly cover with a lid, leaving the lid slightly ajar with a 1/2 or so inch gap.  Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
  13. Allow stew to braise for 3-4 hours in the oven until beef is very tender.  You shouldn’t need to babysit it too much.
  14. Approximately 1 hour before finishing, prepare potatoes and onions:
    1. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with water so water is covering potatoes by 2 inches.  Cover, and bring to a boil.  Add a large pinch of Kosher salt and then uncover and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer potatoes until they are soft and pierce easily with a fork, approximately 45 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons oil to a 10 inch skillet and sauté onions over medium high heat until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes.  Add remaining beef stock to skillet and deglaze any onion fond that may have formed.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  Cover or partially cover if stock reduces too quickly (ultimately, you want all but a couple tablespoons of stock to reduce)
  15. 15 minutes before finishing, transfer onions and whatever liquid remains in the skillet to the dutch oven; replace in oven as it was before.
  16. Clean the skillet, if need be, and prepare the mushrooms:  Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat.  Once foaming has subsided, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Sauté mushrooms.  You will observe that at first, the fat is absorbed into the mushrooms and the pan will look quite dry.  Once the fat begins to come back out of the mushrooms and the mushrooms look slightly wet, add the shot of brandy and flambé.
  17. Remove the dutch oven from the oven and add the mushrooms.  Replace the lid and leave a 1/4 inch gap.  Using sturdy oven mitts or thick potholders, firmly grasp the dutch oven and dump the liquid out of the dutch oven, using the lid to catch any large pieces, through a fine mesh strainer (to catch the smaller pieces) and into a 4 quart saucepan.  Cover the dutch oven and set aside.
  18. Simmer the liquid in the saucepan until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2, skimming off the fat as it rises to the top
  19. Meanwhile, drain the potatoes.  Add 1 stick of unsalted butter to the potatoes along with 1/4 cup of parsley and toss until butter is melted.
  20. Return reduced liquid from saucepan to dutch oven and stir to reincorporate.
  21. Serve stew over potatoes

Steak Fajitas

Steak soaked in a zesty citrus marinade and then grilled to perfection; serve with pico de gallo, homemade gaucamole, sour cream, roasted peppers and onions and Mexican cheese.  Easy, cheap and delicious.

Ingredients:

For the Steak

  1. 2.5lb London Broil or Tri-Tip Roast
  2. 1/2 cup orange juice
  3. 1/2 cup lime juice (approximately 6 limes)
  4. Zest of 1 lime
  5. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 2 tsp chile powder
  7. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  8. 1 TBSP kosher salt
  9. 1 TBSP coarsely ground black pepper.
  10. 1 cup mesquite wood chips (optional)

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. 1 Large yellow onion, finely diced
  2. 2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
  3. Large pinch Kosher salt
  4. 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
  5. juice of one lime
  6. 2-3 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped

For the Guacamole

  1. 3-4 large, ripe Haas avocados (or 6-7 little organic ones)
  2. 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  3. 1 3.5oz can hatch green chiles (optional)
  4. 4 TBSP pico de gallo (above)

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. 2 TBSP olive oil
  2. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 1 each: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper
  4. 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into half-rings

For Serving

  1. Medium size yellow corn tortillas, 3-4 per person
  2. Freshly grated Cotijá cheese
  3. Shredded Mexican Cheese
  4. Sour Cream

Prep:

For the Steak

  1.  Whisk ingredients 2-9 together in a medium size mixing bowl.
  2. Transfer steak to large 1-2 gallon ziplock bag.  Add marinade to bag with steak and massage to incorporate well.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or up to 8 hours.  Flip bag over half way through marinating process if possible.

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. Dice tomatoes first.  Add to colander and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Toss gently to season and allow to sit in the sink 20 minutes.  Tomatoes will give up much of their moisture making your pico less watery.
  2. Prepare onions, jalapeños, lime and cilantro.  Stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes to mixture and stir to combine again.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Guacamole

  1.  Halve avocados and remove pits.  Spoon avocado out of shells into a medium to large mixing bowl.
  2. Add ingredients 2-4 and mash well using a potato masher.  (Note:  Guacomole is best served right away.  If left in contact with air too long it will oxidize and turn brown.  If preparing a couple hours in advance, smooth guacomole in bowl, drizzle with lime juice, and cover with plastic wrap with the plastic wrap in full contact with the guacamole).

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. Prepare all ingredients as directed
  2. Add to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet and stir (or toss if you’re strong enough; cast iron is heavy) to combine.

Cook

  1. Light 1 or 2 burners if using gas; if using charcoal light 1 chimney starter full of lump charcoal and set grill up for 2-zone cooking.  Make sure the grill is good and hot.  Just prior to grilling steak, add 1 cup mesquite wood chips, if using.  Click HERE for more information on grilling and smoking.
  2. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry.  Discard leftover marinade.
  3. Place steak down on hot side of grill and sear, approximately 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  Transfer to cool side of grill.
  4. Add cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and close the lid.  Sauté fajita mixture in cast iron until nicely caramelized and soft, 15 – 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Steak and vegetables should finish at roughly the same time, but if they don’t just remove the one that is done and tent with aluminum foil.
  5. Once steak and Fajita mixture are done, remove and allow to rest for a few minutes
  6. Warm tortillas on a griddle or in a frying pan.  Sprinkle with cotijá cheese and continue to toast until cheese is melted.
  7. Slice steak thinly across the grain on the bias using a sharp knife

Serve

Plate Steak, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Fajita mixture, shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream together.  Have eaters assemble fajitas at table as desired.

 

 

Truffle Infused Steak Tartine, Brandy Mushroom Cream Sauce, Homemade Onion Rings

This is not as hard as it looks.  Seriously: it sounds impressive; it tastes professional; it is guaranteed to wow anyone who eats it (even if that person is just you).  There are quite a few steps here, so read carefully, but you’ll be surprised how easy this is.
Let’s dive in.

Time: 90 minutes – 2 hours
Level: Intermediate
Cost: About $7.50 per plate
Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Onion Rings

  1. 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  2. 1 12oz can beer
  3. 1/2 TSP baking powder
  4. 1 egg
  5. 2 cups vegetable or canola oil
  6. 2 large onions, cut into rings

For the steaks and mushroom-cream sauce:

  1.  4 boneless New York Strip Loin Steaks
  2. Salt & Pepper
  3. 2-3 TBSP clarified butter (also known as ghee, recommended), canola oil, avocado oil, or bacon fat – hell whatever you want as long as it has a smoke point of over 400°F
  4. 1 medium shallot, diced
  5. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 80z whole mushrooms, quartered
  7. 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  8. 1/3 cup brandy, for flambé
  9. 1 140z can beef broth
  10. 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

For the Toast:

  1. 1/4 cup good olive oil
  2. 1 TSP Truffle Oil (optional, but worth it if you have it.  Truffle oil is available from Amazon, Sprouts and Whole Foods for not too much and since a little bit goes a LONG way it’ll last you)
  3. 8 thick (1/4 – 1/2 inch thick) slices sourdough bread

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 275°F.

Place steaks on a wire rack over a lined baking sheet.  Rub steaks on both sides with a drizzle of olive oil.  Season both sides aggressively with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Tent loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning and place them in the oven.  Bake in oven until internal temperature is about 115°F.  This will take about 20-30 minutes, but remember:  Cook with temperature not time.  Use an instant read thermometer to verify temperature.

While steaks are coming up to temp in the oven, do three things:

  1. Prep Onion Rings:  Mix ingredients 1-4 in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly to create a batter.  Slice onions into rings and add to batter.  Stir to incorporate.  Cover and set aside to let rest at room temperature.
  2. Prep Ingredients for Brandy Cream Sauce:  Dice shallots, mince garlic, and quarter mushrooms.  Get brandy, beef broth and cream ready to go.
  3. Prep Toast:  Slice sourdough bread into thick slices.  Add 1 TSP truffle oil to 1/4 cup olive oil and stir gently to combine, set aside and allow flavors to meld.

Once the steaks have reached an internal temperature of 115°F, remove them from the oven and pat dry with paper towels and allow to rest.

Increase oven temperature to 500°F for toast.

While steaks are resting and oven is coming up to temp, heat fat (ghee, clarified butter, avocado oil etc) over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan until almost smoking (about 400°F).  Once fat is up to temperature, carefully place steaks in the pan and sear until dark golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  You should develop a beautiful fond on the bottom of the pan.  Don’t overcrowd the pan – two steaks at a time is probably good.  Once steaks are seared, remove them and set them back on the wire rack to rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.

Carefully add shallots and sauté until mostly translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Note:  Don’t burn the shallots.  If you’re not sure if the pan is too hot, test for temp by tossing 1 little shallot piece into the fat.  If it sizzles and crackles loudly or burns, turn down the heat. 

As the shallots sweat out their moisture, scrape up any fond left behind by the steaks to incorporate.  Once shallots are translucent, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 -2 minutes longer.

Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until mushrooms have absorbed most of the liquid in the pan and the bottom of the pan begins to look a bit dry, 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 TBSP butter to mixture and continue to cook, continually scraping and stirring so as not to burn your fond, until the butter is absorbed into the mushrooms.

Note:  Mushrooms are flavor sponges.  Give them time to absorb the deliciousness in the pan.

Once the mushrooms have absorbed most of the liquid and butter in the pan, and the bottom of the pan is starting to look a bit dry once more, crank the heat up to high for about 20 seconds.  Lower the heat, add the brandy, and flambé.  Once the flames have subsided, add the beef stock and bring to a boil, scraping up whatever brown bits might be left at the bottom of the pan to fully incorporate fond.  Add the heavy cream, reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer until sauce has thickened to a gravy-like consistency.  Stir or shake occasionally to prevent burning.

For the Onion Rings

While sauce is reducing, heat olive oil for onion rings in a large saucepan until it reaches a temperature of about 375°F.

Note:  If cream sauce ends up finishing while onion rings are still being made, don’t worry.  Just off the heat and cover, then continue as follows; it will keep warm long enough for you to finish the other steps. 

Once oil is up to temp, use tongs to remove onion rings from batter one at a time, shaking off the excess.  Fry in oil a few at a time, until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per batch.  Using a slotted spoon, remove and allow to drain on paper towels.

For the Toast:

Brush sourdough slices lightly on both sides with oil mixture.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in 500°F oven for five minutes or until beautifully golden brown.

Final Assembly:

While toast is browning in oven do two things:

  1. Strain the mushroom cream sauce into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer to separate the mushrooms from the liquid.  Reserve mushrooms.
  2. Slice steaks into thin-ish strips on the bias.

When toast is finished, remove from the oven and plate – two slices per plate to make four plates.

Place 4-6 strips of steak on top of each piece of toast, followed by reserved mushrooms, followed by a generous drizzle of brandy cream sauce (Don’t be shy!).  Fan additional slices of steak around toast to look cool, if you like, totaling about 1 steak per person.

Serve with onion rings, steamed asparagus (or any other green vegetable) and a robust red wine.