Month: October 2009

Beef Heart Chili

/ Ren

I’ve been making and eating chili for a very long time now (some examples here and here), but I can honestly say that this is the most intensely-flavored, beefy–tasting pot I’ve ever had.  The secret?  Well, there are a couple.

Beef Heart Chili

Beef Heart Chili

Let’s look at the ingredients..

Chili Ingredients

its all about the ingredients

This is a fairly mild chili, but you can certainly increase the heat with jalapeño or Serrano peppers if you desire.

Clockwise from the bottom-left, we have 70% lean coarse-ground grass-fed beef, chiles Chipotle Dorado, New Mexico and Ancho, beef tallow, white onion, ripe plum tomato, Mexican Oregano, annatto seeds, cumin seed, sea salt, black pepper, long-neck garlic, coarse corn flour and freshly-ground beef heart.

Start by splitting the chiles with a scissors and removing the stems and seed clusters.  Its a good idea to wear gloves while doing this- I keep of box of recyclable medical gloves for this purpose.

Lay the split chiles out flat on a dry comal or heavy skillet along with some whole cumin seeds and toast over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 8 minutes.  Don’t let anything burn or it will be bitter.

Transfer the toasted chiles, cumin and annatto seeds to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into a semi-fine powder.  Set aside.

Melt beef tallow in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking.  Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add ground beef and heart and sear until well browned.  Transfer meat to a Dutch oven, then sauté onions and garlic in the same pan.

Add the onions, garlic, oregano and diced tomato to the meat along with about 2 cups of filtered water for each 1 1/2 pounds of meat.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the corn flour and simmer another 15 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper if necessary and serve garnished with finely minced tomato, white onion and cilantro.  Offer beans and/or tortillas on the side if you wish.

Beef heart is very high in iron, riboflavin, selenium and vitamin B12 and high in niacin, phosphorus and zinc, and has an extraordinary amount of cancer-fighting CoQ10.  The appearance, texture and taste are indistinguishable from that of high-quality ground beef, except that it has a beefier flavor than hamburger.

Giveaway: Ad Hoc at Home (Hardcover)

/ Ren

Wow, what a lot great recipes for home-cooked dishes!  This has surely one of our best giveaways yet – thank you all so much for participating!

I’m pleased to announce that the winner of the Thomas Keller book is Elya (elfimka).  Congratulations, Elya!  Please email me with with shipping information and I’ll get the book out to right away.

Be sure to stop back now and again for news about the next giveaway  🙂

 

I have a copy of this book in front of me right now, and let me tell you- it rocks!

“In the book every home cook has been waiting for, the revered Thomas Keller turns his imagination to the American comfort foods closest to his heart—flaky biscuits, chicken pot pies, New England clam bakes, and cherry pies so delicious and redolent of childhood that they give Proust’s madeleines a run for their money. Keller, whose restaurants The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York have revolutionized American haute cuisine, is equally adept at turning out simpler fare.

In Ad Hoc at Home—a cookbook inspired by the menu of his casual restaurant Ad Hoc in Yountville—he showcases more than 200 recipes for family-style meals. This is Keller at his most playful, serving up such truck-stop classics as Potato Hash with Bacon and Melted Onions and grilled-cheese sandwiches, and heartier fare including beef Stroganoff and roasted spring leg of lamb. In fun, full-color photographs, the great chef gives step-by-step lessons in kitchen basics— here is Keller teaching how to perfectly shape a basic hamburger, truss a chicken, or dress a salad. Best of all, where Keller’s previous best-selling cookbooks were for the ambitious advanced cook, Ad Hoc at Home is filled with quicker and easier recipes that will be embraced by both kitchen novices and more experienced cooks who want the ultimate recipes for American comfort-food classics.”

OK, so here’s the deal.  Submit a recipe (use the comment area below) for a favorite home-cooked dish (preferably featuring fresh, local ingredients) and I’ll put your name in the hat for the drawing.  Pretty easy!  Submit 2 recipes and I’ll put your name in twice.  Blog, Stumble or Twitter about the giveaway and I’ll put your name in once more!

The recipe(s) that you submit don’t have to be fancy and can be just about anything, so long as its yours or one that has been handed down in your family.  The winner will be drawn at random from all qualifying entries.  I can only ship the book to a US address (sorry), but everyone is welcome to participate!

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Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

/ Ren

Sprouted flour, pastured butter, honey, fresh lemon and poppyseeds are the only ingredients you’ll need for this wholesome treat..

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies (adapted from a recipe by Michael Ruhlman)

3 oz raw honey
6 oz pastured butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
9 oz sprouted flour, finely milled
zest of 2 small lemons
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Using an electric mixer, whip together honey and softened butter until light and fluff.  Stir in the zest of 2 lemons (a micro-plane works best for producing tiny zest), poppyseeds and vanilla (if using).  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour a little at a time until just combined.  Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter.  Twist the ends and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  Using a thin-bladed knife, cut the dough into 3/8 inch-thick rounds and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Best eaten within 2 days, not that that should pose a problem for anybody 🙂

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Farmhouse Delivery Launches New Farm Membership Program

/ Ren

In an effort to create a sustainable revenue stream for local growers, Austin’s Farmhouse Delivery is launching a new seasonal farm membership.

Each bushel (available weekly or bi-weekly) will contain about 10 different types of all-local produce, including things like turnips, sweet potatoes, fennel, broccoli, greens, citrus and heirloom cauliflower, all delivered right to your door.

Running from November 2nd through December 21st, membership includes invitations to exclusive Rain Lily Farm events including demonstrations, dinners, cooking classes and more.

The deadline to sign up is October 30th, so better hurry!

Farmhouse Delivery Seasonal Bushel photo by Jody Horton, www.jodyhorton.com

Farmhouse Delivery Seasonal Bushel photo by Jody Horton, www.jodyhorton.com

Eat fresh, eat local – support your farmers!

Elderberry Syrup

/ Ren

“European elder is a plant native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western-and Central Asia. Its flowers and berries have a long history of use in traditional European medicine. Elder berries have also been used for making preserves, wines, winter cordials, and for adding flavor and color to other wines. Native Americans used the flowers, berries, and bark of elderberry trees to treat fevers and joint pain for hundreds of years, but elderberry’s real claim to fame is as a cure for the flu. Israeli researchers have developed five formulas based on elderberry fruit that have been clinically proven to prevent and ameliorate all kinds of influenza.”  –Mountain Rose Herbs

“This syrup is especially helpful for those with colds or flu. The elderberry will assist with the healing while the added cinnamon, ginger and cloves will help the syrup to be warming and the honey adds an antibiotic and quality while also making the syrup soothing for sore throats and coughs. Take 1 tablespoon per hour during illness.  Elderberry syrup is also a wonderful preventative so you can take a few tablespoons of this syrup each day during cold and flu season to help avoid getting sick. Better yet, pour it over your pancakes and benefit from it’s health promoting properties while enjoying this special breakfast treat!”  –HerbMentor

1/4 pound dried organic elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
5 cloves
1  cinnamon stick
1 heaping tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cups filtered water
1 cup raw honey

Combine all ingredients except honey in a small pot.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume by half, about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then stir in honey.  Transfer to a sterile jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Take up to 1 tablespoon per hour during illness or up to 3 tablespoons per day during cold and flu season to help avoid getting sick.

This post is part of The Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays

For educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.