osso bucco with sour cherry gremolata

recipe adapted from tyler florence.

this is hands down one of my favourite comfort foods. i have made it with veal shanks for a long time, until one day my butcher only had beef shanks. nice guy, my butcher, thoroughly competent except for his tendency to ma'am people without cause. yes, ma'am. here you go, ma'am. a good day to you too, ma'am. what the heck?! made me feel like the patron saint of mothballs and wooden walkers. i smiled back and said nothing, cause he always cuts my meat exactly the way i ask for it, he trims everything, he even deveined shrimp for me. a good butcher is priceless.

4 beef shanks

4 tb all-purpose flour

2 tb butter

2 onions

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

3 garlic cloves

1 cup red wine

zest of one lemon, finely grated

2 bay leaves

1 14oz whole canned tomatoes, preferably san marzano

beef stock

gremolata:

3 tb chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tb orange zest, finely grated

2 tb dried sour cherries, diced

let the meat sit on the counter for half hour so it can come to room temp. give it a quick rinse in cold water to remove bone splinters and pat dry. season the flour generously with salt and pepper. heat 2 tb oil with the butter in a large pan. dredge the meat through the flour, on all sides. shake off excess flour and sear the meat until good and brown, on all sides. do not crowd the pan, do it in batches if you have to. remove the meat to a plate and add onions to same pan. saute a couple minutes and add carrots, celery, garlic, lemon zest and bay leaves. cook another 5 minutes, then pour the wine  - whatever red you have, so long as it's good enough to drink, never buy those labeled 'for cooking'. nest the meat back in the pot and cook the wine until reduced by half. crush the san marzanos by hand and add them to the pot, with enough beef stock to just cover the meat. [i've done it using water a few times, and it's just as good, so if you don't have stock it's no biggie.] bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partially covered for 2 hours. check every now and then, and taste the meat after 1 1/2 hours. you can also braise it in the oven, once you've got it boiling cover it and put it in at 375F.

for the gremolata simply mix all the ingredients together. serve the osso bucco hot over mashed potatoes, and about 1 1/2 ts gremolata sprinkled over the whole thing. it really is a thing of wonder how such a humble cut of meat becomes nothing short of exquisite, because that great marbling of connective tissue breaks down into sweet, melted comfort. the sauce has amazing depth thanks to the reduced wine and the quality tomatoes. eat, enjoy, loosen belt. do the dishes in the morning.

beef with sauce bearnaise

every now and then i get a song stuck in my head and it goes on and on. not a long while ago it used to be something from nirvana or queen or guns'n'roses. look at what life does to you: for the past two days the song i keep hearing is 'if you're happy and you know it'. i simply can't get rid of it. also clap your hands to support my daughter's budding organization, Say No to Potty, with its charming slogan that she obstinately announces every chance she gets: no potty never! no potty never! which is why i need this:

that and a nice relaxing evening, after the brat is down for the night. it's our version of date night. we just don't leave the house for it. in all honesty most days i don't have the energy to get dressed up and put make up on and arrange childcare to go to a restaurant. and since you're making the effort, you'd better go someplace nice, right? so there's that expense. and when i want to avoid it and go to a more accessible place i keep thinking i could've cooked better for half the dough. so instead i splurge on a nice cut of aged beef, which is what my husband would invariably order. filet mignon or ribeye or maybe a ny strip. either way this meal is ready in 20 minutes. i skipped the starch for lighter fare. roasted asparugus is plenty with the meat. i added red peppers before remembering said brat is not concerned :).

preheat oven to 400F. snap asparagus and line it up on a baking sheet. toss to coat in a tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. season simply with salt and pepper, maybe some herbs de provence. in a large pan heat 1 tb butter with 1 tb olive oil. when the foaming subsides place your meat in the pan and back off. do not mess with it. after 4 minutes flip it and cook for another 2 for medium rare. do not exceed 4 minutes on side two or you'll be eating rubber.

the sauce is my husband's favourite condiment for steak. i love tarragon, so it's a reccuring piece. whisking constantly in a double boiler while keeping an eye on the meat may be easy when your nerves are not frazzled at the end of a long day. there's an easier way: prepare the reduction while the meat is getting to room temp, and while the meat is cooking blend the sauce. in the blender. ta-dam!

to make the sauce bearnaise:

2 tb shallot, chopped

2 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 egg yolks

1 stick butter, melted

2 tb tarragon finely chopped

1 ts lemon juice

salt, white pepper

combine the tarrgon, shallots, vinegar and wine in a small pan, bring to boil and then simmer until reduced by half. strain, set aside and let cool.

blend the egg yolks with the reduction. with the blender running start streaming melted butter slowly, and i mean slowly, until you have incorporated a third of the butter, then crank to high speed and pour at ease. blend until emulsified. add the chopped tarragon and lemon juice. season with salt and white pepper. keep warm if your meat is not cooked.

if you don't have champagne vinegar dry vermouth works just as well.

if you have leftover sauce don't toss it! use it the next morning instead of hollandaise for eggs benedict. i find them completely interchangeable. ever had shrimp bearnaise? makes for a quick delicious lunch. just be careful you don't scramble it when you warm it up.

red pepper meatballs

my daughter's culinary likes and dislikes change by the week. she now has a thing for bell peppers, especially the red ones. so lately i've put them in everything, and it made it somewhat easier to convince her to eat. it's still a struggle. she does not tolerate meat near her plate, with the glorious exception of hot dogs and ground meat. (i want to roll my eyes every time i remember this, of all the meat that's available, of all the cuts, she wants ground meat, gah.) not a big fan myself, except for meatballs and stuffed cabagge, i could care less if i ever see another burger or lasagna or whatever else they make with ground meat. i wouldn't know.
these, however, are liable to become the default meatballs. i put peppers both in the meat and in the sauce, and they impart a sweet flavor.

whatever meat you choose, do not get extra lean. fat is moisture. you want some fat in there. do not use dry breadcrumbs, they suck out too much moisture. pulse a slice of bread in the food processor to make fresh breadcrumbs.

1 1/2 lbs ground meat

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

1/2 cup parmesan

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 tb chopped parsley

1 egg

1 24 oz can crushed tomatoes

salt, pepper

place the meat in a bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. finely chop the onion and the pepper. sweat the onion over low heat for a couple minutes and then add half the pepper. continue cooking, without browning, until soft, about 10 minutes total. let cool and add to the meat with the parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley.

 preheat oven at 350F. form meatballs. heat oil and sear on all sides, in batches if you have to. remove to plate. drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and saute the other half pepper. deglaze with a glug of wine or stock, cook for a minute and scrape to release all the bits at the bottom and then add the tomatoes. put the meatballs back in pot and bring to a boil. cover and put it in the oven for one and a half hours. serve over pasta, mashed potatoes or polenta. the one i made is very basic, to let the meatballs shine: 4 tb instant polenta for every cup of chicken broth, poured slowly while whisking, to prevent clumping, cooked for 5 minutes, with a handful of parmesan added at the end. that sauce is amazing over it. and it's only better the next day in a meatball sub.

prime rib au jus and bacon potato torte

potato torte adapted from melissa d'arabian

my husband is a meat eater. he likes pretty much everything i put on the table as long as there's meat somewhere in there. i figured he'd be on cloud nine, right? wrong. this was overkill. it is impossible to eat anything but salad with this potato pie. it's not a side dish. and i'm pretty sure the prime rib is no garnish either. it's also likely to knock the wind out of your partener if you cook it at valentine's. probably more literally than you'd think.

the meat is very simple to prepare. i know it can be intimidating buying - and possibly wrecking - such an expensive cut of meat. this is just a very basic preparation, you barely have to do anything but plop it in the oven and wait for it to cook. all you need is patience and a meat thermometer.
get the prime rib (6 to 7 lbs) out of the fridge about half hour prior to roasting. preheat oven to 350F. peel and slice 8 garlic cloves. make tiny slits all over the meat and insert one garlic slice in each. season liberally with salt, pepper, and herbes de provence. place the meat on a rack inside a roasting pan and roast about 2 hours or until 135F for medium rare. remove from pan, tent with foil and let it rest 20 minutes before cutting. like melt-aways? you'll like this meat.
bring the pan to heat, add 1 cup beef broth and a glug of wine and cook until reduced by half. spoon this over the meat when serving, and all over the garlic mashed potatoes you'll make instead of pie.
also made a horseradish sauce, 3 tbs prepared horseradish, 3/4 cup sour cream, dash of hot sauce, squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt. can't have prime rib without it.

now this pie here. (hope you like it with a side of glare!) it is incredibly good. and it really stands up for itself, it's not going to be put to shame by no piece of meat. all you want with it is a green salad.

for the dough:
2 sticks butter, very cold and cubed
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 ts salt
8 to 10 tb ice water

pulse the salted flour with the butter in your food processor until it's a coarse meal. add ice water by the tablespoon just until larger clumps start to form. divide in two and shape into disks. wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. take one out and roll it to 10 inch diameter, line a pie dish with it and return it to the fridge.

the filling:
6 slices bacon
2/3 cup heavy cream
5-6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup grated gruyere or parmesan
1 egg, for egg wash

preheat oven to 375F. cook the bacon until brown but not too crispy, let cool and crumble it. heat the cream on low heat - you can infuse it with thyme or rosemary if you like. thinly slice potatoes, (if you have a mandoline, that works great) and working in circles make layers on your crust, making sure to season each layer with salt and pepper and bacon bits. make an even layer of cheese on top and then pour the cream slowly, all over the dish, to allow it to seep evenly. roll out the remaining dough disk. place it on top and crimp the edges to seal. brush with egg wash and make a couple slits to let the steam escape. put it on a baking sheet and bake it for 50 to 60 minutes. cover the edges with foil if they get too dark too soon. once you remove it from the oven let it rest at least 15 minutes before cutting.

i'd tell you about dessert, but there was no one left breathing after this meal. completely exhausted, did not even bother with the dishes until the next morning. gah. now i have that 'it's good, it's bad' song stuck in my head.

Romanian Holiday Fare

If you walk into any house in Romania during any holiday you're very likely to find this dish. It's tradition and custom you can't ignore. And if you're Romanian, you can't forget it even while living across the Atlantic from the place that instilled it in you. It's just not Christmas without it. What I love about it is this - it's simple, peasant food. Hearty, honest and mighty tasty. You can also feed all your family and friends and neighbours with one pot. It keeps well and it only tastes better the following days.
There are many variants to stuffed cabbage, this is the one we like:

5 lb pickled cabbage

3 lb ground meat, a combination of beef and pork

2 tb butter

2 cups onion

1 1/2 cups white rice

1 egg

8 oz smoked bacon or 1 smoked hock

1 bunch dill

6 oz tomato sauce

2 heaping tb tomato paste

salt, pepper.

The pickled cabbage you find jarred in the polish food section. The meat combo I preffer is 60% chuck to 40% pork. I always use pearl rice, but any white variety will be fine. Get the best bacon you can find, none of that thinly sliced stuff and don't even eye the turkey bacon. If you can't find one that makes you feel your arteries cloggin' up, just get a smoked hock or two.

First sweat the onion in the butter over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Set aside to cool.

Place all your meat in a bowl and add the rice, the egg and the onion. Season and mix using your hands to gently combine all the ingredients. If you overmix your meat will become dense and dry. Set aside while you prep the cabbage. Take out the leaves, unroll them and trim to size. You want about the same size in all of them. Place one in the palm of your hand, and put the meat in the center. Roll up as tightly as you can.

Chop the cabbage trimmings and any leaves left over and put a thin layer in the bottom of your pan. Put two slices of bacon on top and then make a layer of stuffed cabbage, as crowded as possible to prevent unwrapping during cooking. Then bacon. Then meat wrapped in cabbage. If you're using the hock, you want it in the middle of it all, so just build your layers around it. Top with another layer of shredded cabbage.

Wedge your dill between the cabbage and the wall, plop the tomato sauce and paste on top, and run water over it. You only want just enough to cover it. Bring to boil and then simmer covered for 2 hours. Replenish water as needed, check every 30 to 40 minutes.

Tip for other lazy***slackers like me: by trim the leaves I simply mean cut in half, leave out the stem. You'll get biiig, huge stuffed cabbage, but hey, you'll only need two before going into hibernation. It's a sweet deal. This recipe will yield 30 such mutants. Serves, um, 6?

And final proof of deliciousness:

Believe me, it's no small feat getting her to eat anything, much less something containg meat. QED.

*** Cholesterol screening not included. Each must purchase his own.