Month: November 2008

Beef Stock

/ Ren

No sodium, hydrolyzed yeast extract, butylated hydroxyanisole, sugar or artificial anything here.

Nothing you can buy in the store costs less or tastes anywhere near as good as homemade beef stock.  It could not be any easier.

Roast meaty beef bones at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once.  Add about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and coarsely chopped celery, onions, carrots and garlic to the pan and roast another 30 minutes.

Transfer the browned bones to a Dutch oven, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam then transfer the vegetables to the pot with the bones. Discard the rendered fat or set aside for another purpose if that’s your want- just don’t let it near the stock pot.

Deglaze the roasting pan with red wine, scraping up all the brown bits.  Add this to the pot with parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf and a couple of whole cloves.

Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 4 or 5 hours, occasionally skimming away any accumulated foam.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool completely.  Refrigerate and use within 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Pasta with Sea Conch and White Clam Sauce

/ Ren

A variation of the classic Linguine with White Clam Sauce.  Tasted much better than it looks in the pictures, by the way; seems I need to acquire some camera skills along with a decent camera.  Ah, well..

Sea conch, Pacific clams, S&P, white wine, my home-dried Italian herb blend, red chili flakes, red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, celery, butter, half & half and long pasta.

Drain the conch and clams over a sauce pan and set aside.  Add white wine, S&P and half & half to the liquor and and bring to simmer.  Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by half, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mince the seafood and chop the vegetables.

Cook the vegetables and seafood in a little butter and olive oil until “relaxed” in texture but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add herbs and pepper flakes.

Add the white sauce and simmer gently until thick, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and combine with other ingredients.

Serve with bruschetta and a spinach salad, if you like.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Steak Udon

/ Ren

Good stir-fry demands a proper, seasoned wok.  Properly cared for, this $15 wood-handled carbon steel model will last for years.

Cilantro, white miso, ginger, chili pepper, chives, scallions, red bell pepper, garlic, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, fresh udon noodles, sirloin steak, plum vinegar, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar and soy sauce.

While preparing the vegetables, marinate the steak in a non-reactive container with soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegars for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil (I’m using a high-heat tea oil made for this purpose) until it shimmers.  Test its readiness by dropping a small piece of beef onto the sloped side- it should sizzle and brown immediately.

Add the meat to the hot oil, drawing it up the sides and around the perimeter of the wok.  Let sizzle undisturbed until the pan recovers all its heat.  Add the vegetables to the center of the pan and stir to combine.

Continue to cook by drawing the meat and vegetables up the side of the pan.  Add a few tablespoons of the marinade to the pan and quickly heat the tofu, udon noodles, miso and cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Serve with additional soy sauce, hot chili sauce and sake, if desired.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Chicken & Biscuits

/ Ren

A one-skillet dinner, adapted from a recipe at the always-tasty What Geeks Eat

Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, celery, onion, potato, carrots, milk, baking powder, S&P, roasted chicken stock concentrate, all-purpose flour, white wine, butter and bone-in chicken thighs.

Prep the vegetables.  Cook the potatoes to about half done in a little olive oil and butter.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook until colored but slightly underdone (the flavor of root vegetables is enhanced by browning).  Set the vegetables aside.

Add a little more butter & olive oil to the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides.  Continue to cook the chicken until slightly underdone.  Set the chicken aside.

Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add herbs, liquid chicken stock and a spoonful of the concentrate to pan and reduce over high heat until reduced by half.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and simmer over low heat while preparing the biscuits.

Make a basic biscuit dough from flour, salt, baking powder, milk and cold butter.  Roll the dough into a cylinder then cut into 1 inch thick biscuits.  Place biscuits on top of chicken then put the skillet into a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the biscuits are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve 2 thighs and biscuits per adult.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Arroz con Habichuelas y Nopalitos

/ Ren

Red Beans and Rice with Prickly Pear Cactus

Dried red beans and rice, hot sauce, dried herbs and spices with bell peppers, S&P, Mexican oregano, tomato, red onion, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and a cactus paddle.

Prepare the rice and beans according to package directions or even better, make your own.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. 10 minutes before the rice is done, saute all but the cactus until tender, about 4 minutes.

Grill the cleaned cactus paddle for 2-3 minutes per side until fork-tender.  Take care not to overcook.

Fold all the vegetables into the bean and rice mixture and cook another 2 minutes to distribute flavors.

Serve topped with a squeeze of lime, queso bola and hot sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦