Prime New York Strip Steaks - And Then There Were None

All good things must come to an end, right?  So it is with the Year of Meat.  A 61-cut endeavor that started in early January, and truth be told, was questionable to complete in one calendar year, is now over.  In just over 9.5 months, yours truly cooked the 61 cuts on display in Paulina Meat Market.  And when you are cooking Veal, Pork, Lamb and Beef, and the taste preferences of Braise, Broil, Grill or Roast vary, there is truly no way to "save the best for last".  So, each meal, I just kept looking at the list and picked what sounded good for the next cut.  And lo and behold, as the year evolved, and the past few weeks passed, I was left with one cut, one final meal to complete the year.  The cut?  Prime New York Strip Steaks.

After having learned so much about steaks this year, I have learned what to season and what to leave well enough alone.  When it comes to New York Strip, it's a steak that could use some help on the outside (e.g. a char, a rub, a flavor step) while being sure to cook it to medium rare/medium and no more.  So, my idea for the final cut was to take a page from many a steak-house's book and go with a blue cheese theme.  Thus, I found a recipe for Blue Cheese Butter here.  Now, the recipe suggests putting this on a filet.  But I was just fine with using the Butter on the New York Strips.  Simple enough.  Blue Cheese, Butter, Thyme, Salt and Pepper.  Deliciousness.

As for the steaks, I got 2 12 oz Prime New York Strips from Paulina.  I seasoned them on both sides with Kosher Salt, Cracked Pepper and Cajun Seasoning.  Not too much, but enough to "blacken" when placed on a hot skillet.  Speaking of which, I got a large cast iron skillet good and hot over medium high heat with some butter and olive oil.  Once hot and ready, I seared the steaks for about 5 minutes per side (it really depends on how thick they are).  I took them off, good and blackened and test the temperature and found them at the perfect 125 degrees I sought.  I then let them sit under foil for a minute or two, and place a good size tab of the blue cheese butter on top.  Meanwhile, my wife made her signature hashed brown potatoes (thank you, Julia Child) and a new favorite, crispy brussel sprouts.  My goodness gracious, this meal was going out on top.  We ate this meal with a bottle of Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel, and I am still ooing and awing over the crazy tastiness of everything we had.  So good.

As the Year of Meat is now over, I look back at two questions people keep asking.  1)  What were my favorites? and 2) What lessons did you learn?  Well have no fear.  Those will be my last two blog entries coming soon.  For now, let me just savor the wonder of tonight's meal, and look forward to starting the "greatest hits redux".

61 down, 0 to go!

Spare Ribs - Easy as 3-2-1

When you are on a massive countdown of 61 cuts of meat, it is an odd coincidence that the 60th cut has a recipe that is essentially referred to as the 3-2-1.  It sounds a bit more like a countdown to take-off than it does an instructional guide to cutting meat.  But hey.  Here I am with only one more cut of meat left after today, and I am going to describe a super easy spare rib recipe by the expression 3-2-1.  So here goes.

Now, let me first say that if you had to prepare "everything" in this recipe all at once, it could be a bit more consuming.  But I have been fortunate enough throughout the year to have made and accumulated a bit of a collection of rubs, marinades and sauces.  I have a highly regarded pork rub that I used with the Pork Shoulder - Pulled Pork recipe just a few months ago, and plenty of it leftover.  And I of course have the BBQ Sauce recipe that Fat Dan provided me, and always have a homemade bottle handy.  So, taking into account that I had the rub and the sauce ready to go, this really was as easy as 3-2-1.  But if you're trying to replicate mine, feel free to use any high quality rub and sauce.  If you don't want to make your own, I say go local.

Paulina provided me with a full rack of spare ribs, membrane removed (that's important) and halved for convenience.  I got the Big Green Egg fired up for cooking on indirect heat, and used a large supply of soaked cherry wood chips for smoking.  My target temperature for the egg was 230 degrees, and once there, it needs to stay there for 6 hours.  Yep, I just gave away the rationale behind 3-2-1.  While the Egg was coming to temperature, I prepared the ribs rather simply:  A light coating of dijon mustard, followed by a complete (not thick, not thin) coating of my pork rub.  Once the Egg got to 230, the half racks went on the grate on indirect heat.  Closed the lid, and went to work (literally).  Here's where the "3" comes in.  After 3 hours on the grate unwrapped, I took the ribs off and wrapped them in foil (securely), and placed them back on the Egg for "2" hours.  Keep an eye on the Egg temp every so often to stay at 230.  And after the 2 hours wrapped, I unwrapped them and put them back on the grate for "1" hour (the final step in the 3-2-1.  During this last hour, I brushed the ribs several times with the BBQ sauce, to get the ribs wet with some of the sauce to caramelize.  Yum.

These ribs are phenomenal.  Paulina has provided me many delicious meats and this year has provided me many delicious recipes for my repertoire, but these spare ribs and more likely, their cousin (the Baby Back Ribs) are going to be frequent endeavors post Year of Meat.

60 down, 1 to go!

Bone-In Rib Eye - Butcher's Cut

I have made a lot of steaks this year, both in volume and in variety.  So, a couple of weeks ago, when I was in Paulina Meat Market buying meat for that night's meal, two of the guys there asked me what was left for the Year of Meat.  At the time, I was down to 5 or so.  When I told them what cuts remained, and when I said "Bone-In Rib Eye", an immediate reaction came from Andy who proclaimed it his "go to steak".  An immediate "second" to the motion came from Tim.  These are two guys who know their meat.  And I trust them when it comes to this sort of thing.  So, I stored that in my memory bank, and away I went.

A couple nights later, I was at dinner with my wife and another couple at Erie Cafe in Chicago.  I had never had dinner there, and I heard such amazing things about their steaks.  I was excited.  Since I knew the Bone-In Rib Eye was on my personal horizon, I opted for the Bone-In New York Strip.  And across the board, it was delicious.  But then I tried a bite of the Bone-In Rib Eye, and I heard Andy and Tim's voice in my head, and I "got it".

This past Monday, it was my turn to the grill up the Bone-In Rib Eye.  Because I knew this cut had no lack of flavor, I kept it simple.  Kosher Salt and Cracked Pepper.  That was it.  On the grill it went.  About 5 minutes per side.  Off it came, and got tented in foil.  Served it up with a now favorite side of Watercress, Radish and Blue Cheese salad with a new rendition of Polenta (say "Cheese" as in Cheddar).  Pair that meal next to a bottle of Amapola Creek Zinfandel, and you are talking about a high quality Monday evening meal.  Now, again.  I have made a lot of steaks this year.  But this is one I will make again soon after the 61st cut is cooked.

59 down, 2 to go!

Rolled Veal Roast - Porcini Rubbed Awesomeness

This was one that scared me.  It's Halloween season, so it's only appropriate.  But cooking a roast, which used to be terrifying, is now no big deal.  But a veal roast?  Never tried that, and had no idea what to expect.  But thanks to Paulina Meat Market and a Food Network Magazine recipe found here, this was delicious and fun to make as well.

First, I started off with a 2.5 lb rolled veal shoulder roast, tied with kitchen string.  Following the recipe, I blended dried porcini mushrooms, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and blended it into a pasted.  After a quick rub down of olive oil, I rubbed the paste all over the veal roast, and seared it in a cast iron skillet on all sides for about 90 seconds per side.  It smelled awesome immediately.  I then put it right onto a rack in an oven set to roast at 375 degrees, with a drip pan underneath.  And I let that go for about 90 minutes, and tested the temperature until it said around 135 degrees.

While the veal was roasting, I prepared/cut yukon gold potatoes, fennel bulbs (that's a new one for me) and garlic.  In a warm shallow roasting pan, I tossed them all with olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper, and then roasted those in an oven set to 350 degrees for 60 minutes.  Thank goodness for the double oven.  The timing worked brilliantly.  When the potatoes/fennel had about 10 minutes left of roasting, the veal hit its temperature.  Simply tenting the veal under foil while the vegetables finished was all I needed to go.  By the time I carved the veal, the vegetables had cooled and we were eating our feast.  And what a feast it was!  I love smells!  And I love tastes!  And this dish had them both in spades!

58 down, 3 to go!

Flat Iron Steaks - Whiskey Glazed

2014 is clearly the Year of Meat.  But I would also say that for me, it's also been the Year of the Manhattan.  I have grown an appreciation for Whiskey in all its forms.  But with meat?  Not yet.  Thus, tonight was the collision of the Year of Meat and the key ingredient in the Year of the Manhattan.

Whiskey Glazed is not the description of me.  Well, on some mornings after a few Manhattans, you might say it is.  But not tonight.  Tonight, it's all about marinating, basting and glazing.  Now, I have used flat iron steaks many times before, but never for grilling.  Because it is lean, quick to cook and adapts well to sauces, I tend to use it cut up as the beef for stir fried dishes.  And it works wonderfully for that cause.  But grilling?  Never done it.  But, I tell you what, it works quite well.

As for the recipe, it was the epitome of simplicity.  I found it here, courtesy of Food Network Magazine.  I chose not to use the recipe for the potatoes, because my wife concocted a newer version (and dare I say better version) of mashed sweet potatoes.  It's one of my favorite sides, and it just got better.  Paired next to a new grilled rendition that includes whiskey in the menu, and you have a happy weeknight meal.

Brown sugar, salt, pepper, whiskey whisked together until all is dissolved, followed by olive oil and smashed garlic.  Put the flat iron steak into the marinade, flip a few times for coverage, and let sit for 20 minutes.  After that time, remove them, pat them dry and ready them for grilling.  While they wait to be put on the grill, take the marinade and boil it on the stove top for about 3 minutes while stirring.  This will be used for basting the steaks while grilling. Speaking of grilling, get the Big Green Egg to 450-475 degrees.  And one they go.  About 4 minutes per side brought the internal temperature to 130 degrees, and medium rare deliciousness.  Off they came, tented them in foil for about 5 minutes, served them with mashed sweet potatoes, and the rest (yep, it's all gone) is history.

I have one veal, one pork and two beef dishes left.  The countdown is truly on.

57 down, 4 to go!

Center Cut Pork Roast - Peppercorn Elegance

I think that this may have been the most beautiful of dishes.  Leave it to Ina Garten of the Food Network to provide a recipe found here that not only tasted absolutely amazing, but delighted the eyes as well.  Everything about this meal was over-the-top good.  The kitchen smelled like a fine French restaurant.  The dining room looked elegant with the bone-in roast.  And yours truly feasted on a meal that no doubt will be repeated soon and often.  It seems as though I keep saying to certain friends that (in a way) I'm looking forward to my 61 Paulina cut quest to be over.  Not that I'm not enjoying it (because I have loved every minute of it), but because I'm anxious to re-make some of the ones I've loved so much.  Well, add another one to the list.

This all started with some expertise at Paulina Market.  Tim (a.k.a. the man) hooked me up with some preparation on the center cut pork roast, prepping and tying for optimal ease and presentation.  I took home a roughly 3+ lb center cut pork roast (4 ribs), and commenced my preparation.  I made a paste of olive oil, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, ground fennel seed (busted out the mortar and pestle for that one), Kosher salt and cracked pepper.  I rubbed that paste all over the loin, placed it fat side up in a roasting pan, and roasted it at 400 degrees until the center was at 140 degrees.  I will say that 140 is playing it quite safe, as there was barely any pink at the roast's center.  With the opportunity to do it again, I'd go with 135, maybe even 130.  But delicious regardless to be sure.  After taking the roast out, I tented it under tinfoil on a cutting board, and took the roasting pan and all its juices on to the stove top, adding butter, flour, white wine, chicken stock, dijon and whole grain mustards and green peppercorns in brine (drained) and brought it to a boil, and then lit simmer for roughly 10 minutes to let it thicken.  I then carved the roast, set it in a serving bowl and poured the sauce over it.  Served it with a side of spicy potatoes, and we had ourselves a meal.  Not to overlook the rest of the white wine (can't let wine go to waste when you use only 1/2 cup for cooking), and this was a meal now on the repeat list.

56 down, 5 to go!

Sirloin Tip Roast - A Complete Original

How many ways can you make Meat and Potatoes?  A lot!  This year has tested the preparations, combinations and permutations.  But for the Sirloin Tip Roast, nothing was repeated.  A complete original!

For the last beef roast of the Year of Meat, I took on the Sirloin Tip Roast.  I made a simple rub/paste out of olive oil, thyme, oregano, hot paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion, kosher salt, cracked pepper and cayenne pepper.  Big Green Egg fired up on indirect heat at 350 with some Oak for smoke.  And on it went.  About 90 minutes later (or thereabouts), the internal temperature got to between 135 - 140, the medium rare I like.

While it was cooking, I prepared a Yukon Gold potato recipe from Michael Symon's book, Carnivore.  I boiled them until tender, and drained and let them cool.  I flattened them a little bit and fried them in duck fat for about 4 minutes per side.  I then sprinkled in some lime zest, lime juice, chopped chives and sea salt.  Earlier, I had made a spicy dip for the potatoes made of mayonnaise, sriracha, hot paprika, ground chipotle, olive oil and garlic.

Meanwhile, my wife made a Spinach salad with dates, crispy shallots and a lime vinaigrette.

This meal rocked.  I would have preferred bacon fat or regular vegetable oil for cooking the potatoes, rather than the duck fat. But that was the ONLY thing I would change about this meal.  So good!

55 down, 6 to go!  (How crazy is that?  Only 6 more!)

Lamb Rosettes - Spice Revelation

After having been on this quest for some time now, it's with a bit of sadness that I can now announce that I have completed all lamb cuts for the Year of Meat.  Now, I will not profess that there was any thought that went into "saving the best for last".  In fact, I'm pretty confident that my favorites for the year have already been cooked.  But with Lamb Rosettes as the only remaining Lamb cut, I did not expect to produce the best lamb dish of the year, let alone one in which I followed no recipes.  But so goes the Year of Meat.

So first off, I had to find out, what are lamb rosettes?  Little morsels of deliciousness is the appropriate answer.  However, more specifically, rosettes are thin cut strips of lamb flank steak rolled into small chunks and skewered for marinating and grilling.  Unlike many lamb cuts where fat needs to be managed, rosettes are extremely lean, cook fast and are great for high temp grilling.  So, that's what I did.  Many years ago, I got introduced to an online spice ordering company called Penzey's Spices.  And I went through a cooking faze where curries were the craze.  I bought a 6-pack of Indian spice mixes that included Tandoori, Vindaloo, Garam Masala and a few others.  Two of the most used from that pack (and which have been finished, replaced and finished again) were Hot Curry and Sweet Curry.  Yeah, it's safe to say that I wasn't venturing out of a comfort zone I formed.  Well, in looking at the 6th one from that 6-pack, a spice combination called Sate, I saw that it went well with lamb.  Boom.  I took a few tablespoons, some Kosher salt and mixed it with olive oil into a thick marinade (or a watery paste).  Insert the rosette skewers into a ziploc, add the marinade and let the day run its course.

About 8 hour later, I took the rosettes out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.  And I fired up the Big Green Egg for high heat grilling.  Had some low maintenance sides, i.e. white rice and corn on the cob.  Crispy charring on the outside.  Medium Rare + grilling on the inside.  Indian spices in every bite.  Done and done!  Best lamb of the year, for my money.  Sure, the shanks were delicious, as was the Rack of Lamb (yum I do want to do that again, too).  But these guys were simple, flavorful, required no work (no bones, no fat) and low maintenance.  Can't get better than that.

54 down, 7 to go!

Roundbone Pot Roast - Comfort Food Fest

After not having ever made Pot Roast before this Year of Meat, the fact that this is my 4th Pot Roast makes me feel like I am a bit of a connoisseur.  There are the traditional ingredients, e.g. carrots, celery, thyme.  And there have been some advanced ones, e.g. mint, lemon zest, dried artichokes, figs.  As my flavor palate has evolved, I am realizing that I have traditional days and more advanced days.  It's probably a bit like life in a way.  There are the pizza and beer days, and there are the Porterhouse and Cab days.  When it comes to Pot Roast, I have discovered I like both, with perhaps a bit of a nod towards what I would call an advanced Pot Roast Anne Burrell recipe I made back in February.  That said, I still have my pizza and beer days.  And the Pot Roast I made last night, was for the times when you are simply craving good old comfort food.

The cut for this Pot Roast was the Roundbone Pot Roast.  I seasoned it heavily with Kosher salt and cracked pepper, and then dusted with all-purpose flour on both sides.  I placed 3 cut-up carrots and 2 cut-up celery stalks in a slow cooker, essentially creating a "bed" for the meat.  But before putting the meat in, I needed to brown it on both sides.  Using a large cast iron skillet, I heated up canola oil over medium/high heat, and seared the roast for 5 minutes per side, until the surface was well-browned.  I then placed the roast on top of the bed of carrots and celery.  Using the same skillet, I added in more canola oil, lowered the temp. to medium and sauteed mushrooms in butter until cooked through, added in onions until translucent, then garlic, then a little bit of flour to thicken it up a bit, then some tomato paste, and lastly some chicken broth.  Again, nothing complicated.  Everything traditional.  Once I brought this concoction to a simmer, I poured it over the roast.  Gently placing a few rosemary and thyme sprigs on top of it, I set the slow cooker on high for 6 hours.

The smells!  Holy cow, the smells!  Nothing, and I mean nothing beats the smell of a slow cooked meal with great fresh herbs in it.  Yum.  I opened up the crock pot, gently got all the goodies from inside onto a serving dish (which was not easy, since the meat was just shredding with tender goodness) and took the picture below.  Oh yeah, and then we ate it.  With a nice bottle of Zinfandel.  For me, life doesn't get better than eating a great meal, with great wine with my amazing wife.  And that's what we did last night.  And that's what we'll do tonight!

53 down, 8 to go!

Leg of Lamb - Score!

The Houghton Mifflin dictionary lists "to mark the surface of (meat, for example) with usually parallel cuts" as the 14th most common verb use of the word "score".  Happy to know that this Year of Meat is not only causing me to dig deep into the metaphorical meat case for cuts, but it's also pressing me into using obscure definitions of common words.  And not to get too literary on you all, but this "score" had a little "double entendre" if you know what I mean.

A little history of me and Leg of Lamb.  But first, a little history of me and lamb in general.  To be totally honest, it's not my favorite meat.  Frankly, for the year of meat which includes Beef, Veal, Pork and Lamb, lamb comes in 4th place.  That is far from an indictment from this meat-loving soul.  But in the world of meat (both cooking it and ordering it out), I stayed clear of it just as a matter of paying homage to my preferred meats.  Again, not an indictment.  Just a matter of preference.  But then, in or around 2003, I discovered Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian "all you can eat meat" restaurant that rocked my world.  Shocker, right?  But the great thing about that place, there is no menu!  You just get everything.  A little card with a red side and a green side is provided to each diner.  When you want more meat, go green and watch it show up table-side.  When you need a break, go red.  Well, it was at Fogo de Chao, where getting lamb was easy, as I just needed a taste.  Leg of Lamb it was (and still is), and it remarkably became a "request" whenever I returned to Fogo.  You see, the gaucho's the bring around the meat do so in a ratio of the most common/popular cuts.  Perhaps the Leg of Lamb wasn't the big seller, so I always requested a special trip from a gaucho.  And it never disappointed.  Since then, I have found one other restaurant that prompts me to order lamb, and that's Roscoe Village's Turquoise restaurant, a little gem of a restaurant that warrants a trip if you've never been.  But as for my history with lamb, and with Leg of Lamb specifically.  Until this Year of Meat, the exposure was minimal.

So, we fast forward to this past Saturday, when I bought my Leg of Lamb from Paulina Market.  Sunday morning, I scored it (note definition above), and rubbed into it a little concoction of garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, Kosher salt, cracked pepper, marjoram, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary.  I then let it marinate for about 8 hours.  As I prepared the Big Green Egg for indirect heat at 300 degrees with apple wood chips for smoking, I let the lamb come down towards room temperature (about an hour).  And then, on the Egg it went.  About 3 hours later, after checking temps throughout, I removed the Lamb at 142 degrees and tented it in foil for about 10 minutes.  I commenced the carving, and those little rectangular scores that had gotten a little charred during the cooking were lamb candy, and I couldn't get enough.

We served it with a simple baby greens salad and steamed corn on the cob.  What did I have for lunch today you ask?  Leftover leg of lamb with cous cous and feta cheese.  Score!

52 down, 9 to go!

Hanger Steak - And Then There Were Ten

While plotting out my strategy for what to do with Hanger Steak, I learned that it is perhaps the most popular cut for Steak Frites, an absolute favorite of mine (shocking, I know) in French restaurants.  It's "meat and potatoes", while still sounding a bit high brow by avoiding the English translation of Steak and Fries.  But there is a simplicity (and I've said that before) that just doesn't need complication.  Well, in my research, I decided that Steak Frites would be "too easy", so I opted for a Hanger Steak dish that, while still easy, introduced a bit more complexity and a bit more flavor, Hanger Steak with Wilted Spinach and Gorgonzola Sauce.

Things started off simple enough.  Take a hanger steak, remove the center membrane (which essentially leaves you with two 10 oz steaks (perfect), and season them on both sides generously with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.  I heated up a large cast iron skillet with olive oil, and cooked the steaks for roughly four minutes per side for medium rare.  I then let them rest under foil while preparing the rest.  I then added 10 oz (that looks like a LOT) of spinach to the pan and stirred it quickly in the juices and it wilted in no time.  It shrinks from looking like a lot of spinach down to two small servings of it.  Crazy.  I moved the spinach to two dinner plates, and added cream and Gorgonzola cheese to the skillet and stirred until the cheese was melted and the sauce was thickened.  Carved up the Hanger Steak, served it on top of the spinach, and ladled some Gorgonzola sauce on it.  And although not Frites, we did do the "and potaotes" part of the deal with some good ol' mashed ones. Yum.

Now, let's be clear.  It was delicious.  The spinach was good.  The sauce was tasty.  But I have a confession to make.  I tried the Hanger Steak before I put it on the spinach with the sauce.  Just the Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.  And I tell ya, it was amazing!  Made me just want to fry up some frites and say bon appetit.

51 down, 10 to go!

Ground Veal - Stuffed Peppers

To kick off this Year of Meat, the first dish I prepared was an "old stand-by", my Grandma's Spaghetti and Meatballs.  It was a dish, that because my now near 97 year old grandmother never measures anything, took me several iterations to feel good about the result.  And now, it is a staple in the King household.  This blog is about meat, obviously.  So, I never did write about the Eggplant Parmigiana that I made last month.  But similar to my attempt with the Spaghetti and Meatballs, I interviewed my grandmother for the steps, the ingredients, the rough estimates of each ingredient, etc.  When did I perform the interview?  Last month.  Where did I perform it?  At my grandmother's house.  Why then?  Because it was the same day that while my wife and I were flying from Chicago to Boston, renting a car and driving 3 hours to western Massachusetts to visit her, my grandmother was making her homemade Eggplant Parmigiana and Stuffed Peppers.  And the food was absolutely amazing.  And since I am the only family member to have taken the time to "reverse engineer" her homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, I thought I ought to do the same for those two dishes.  And as I already mentioned, Eggplant Parmigiana is on the list.  And after tonight, so are the Stuffed Peppers.  Now, my grandmother made hers that night with Ground Beef.  But since I still had Ground Veal left in the Year of Meat, Ground Veal it was.  I did call Grandma to confirm that it would be an appropriate substitute.  She applauded the idea, and thus, I was off and running.

I bought the ground veal from my beloved Paulina Meat Market, put it in a bowl with diced onions and celery, dried basil and parsley, along with salt, pepper, an egg, some fresh Italian bread crumbs, garlic and cooked rice.  All of those ingredients were Grandma-approved, but the ratios and volumes were pretty much up for me to decide.  I hand mixed it all together, stuffed the filling into red and green pepper halves (internal seeds and stuff removed), poured a can of diced tomatoes over it all, covered it in foil, and baked at 325 for 90 minutes.

Much like the spaghetti and meatballs endeavor, there are things I will change.  I will use more salt, add some parmigiana cheese, and replace the diced tomatoes with the homemade pasta sauce.  I'll try Ground Beef and re-try Ground Veal, and I'll find the ultimate version.  That said, if I redid them exactly the same way next time, I'd be thrilled.

I've been counting down these cuts all year now.  And I'll keep doing it.  But in addition to the "big countdown" towards completing all 61 cuts, I now have only 1 veal cut left to go.  The end is drawing near.  And it saddens me greatly!

50 down, 11 to go!

Tomahawk Steak - Prize Winner

It's been a week since the conclusion of the 13th Annual Day of Meat, and to think about continuing through the remaining cuts of the Year of Meat, well, it felt a little anti-climactic.  With only 13 cuts to go (now 12), the light is at the end of the tunnel.  But with Day of Meat being such a huge night, moving past it sort of feels like a letdown.  Really?  No.  Not when Paulina Market publishes a contest for one of my remaining 13 cuts!  A contest?  You got it.

One of my remaining cuts was the Tomahawk Steak, a double cut Frenched bone Rib Eye that hearkens Fred Flintstone at a drive-in restaurant.  I had fun ordering it, asking for the biggest one they had.  I figured "go big, or go home", right?  So, what about the contest, right?  Well, Paulina is giving all its customers the opportunity to win Tomahawk Steaks for a year (one per month).  Let there be no mystery, I would LOVE to win this contest.  So what do you have to do to win?  Simple.  Cook a Paulina Market Tomahawk steak, take a picture of it (as creative as you want), and submit it.  Well, when you write a blog about every cut at Paulina, take a picture of it, and copy them on it, you can venture a guess that I planned to make this submission.  And here it is.

First, to the preparation. The first thing I did was prepare a Manhattan.  That has nothing to do with the preparation, but it set the stage for me, as it is a favorite drink of mine pre-dinner before a good steak.  Speaking of the steak, since the Tomahawk is just a good old bone-in Rib Eye, I turned to simple Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper as my rub.  Nothing to detract from the deliciousness of the steak.  I had the Big Green Egg fired up hot (up over 600 degrees), and cooked it about five minutes per side.  Because of its thickness, I used a meat thermometer to ensure medium rare cooking and pulled it at 125 degrees internal temperature.  In hindsight, I probably could have gone to 130, but I'd much prefer a little under than a little over.  From past steak preparations, it wasn't hard to decide on sides.  My wife put together skillet potatoes, and we jointly prepared a water cress, radishes and blue cheese with shallot champagne vinaigrette.

We served the dinner with a 2004 bottle of Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, and enjoyed every bite, every drop.  No matter whether or not we "win" the Paulina Tomahawk Contest, I will say that we did win the real Paulina Tomahawk prize, and that was a delicious meal with a desire for more!  As for the picture, we thought we'd simply display our food before we ate it, but in a way that should resonate with anyone who wonders where they should buy their meat.  The answer is simple.

49 down, 12 to go!

Day of Meat - Pork Shoulder and So Much More!

It all started with the first Day of Meat.  August, 2002.  I was always a meat lover, but not much of a meat cooker.  I held the party, mandated that no non-meat products would be allowed (except beverages), and cooked meat.  Sure, I sprinkled some store-bought seasonings on pork chops, chicken breasts and steaks, but the flavor profile was immature at best.  Fun?  Absolutely!  Start of a tradition?  To be sure!  But gourmet?  Not so much.

A lot has transpired since August of 2002.  Last night, my wife and I hosted the 13th Annual Day of Meat.  The menu has evolved.  The methods of cooking have expanded beyond just the gas grill, and now include the Big Green Egg for smoking, the oven for baking, two slow cookers for, well, slow-cooking and back to the Big Green Egg for grilling.  All the rubs, marinades and sauces are now homemade.  And the preparation, cooking and care/feeding (literally) takes pretty much from 6:00 a.m. until we put our heads down to sleep after the party.  The 13th Annual Day of Meat was a legendary night.  And like every year, I always say that next year, I'll have to one-up it.  But I have a year to think about that.  Let's talk about last night's menu.

Now, to qualify to have a blog entry on this website, I needed to knock off one of the remaining Year of Meat cuts from Paulina Market.  So, let's start with that.  The Pork Shoulder.  I got the biggest one in the display case, which weighed in at a little under 10 lbs.  On Friday night, I put on a rub (a bit of a hybrid Pork BBQ Rub I got from some recipes and trial and error) and put it back in the refrigerator.  Yesterday morning, I got the Big Green Egg going at 275 degrees (low and slow), and on offset heat with apple wood smoke, let it go until it reached 160 degrees internally.  I then wrapped it in foil, and poured some apple cider into the foil, wrapped it tight, and put it back on the Egg until it hit 195 degrees internally.  I took it out, and let it rest for about 30 minutes or so with the foil slightly opened.  And then I started shredding (and snacking).  After removing the bones and fat, there was a heaping amount of pulled pork..  And man, was it good!  I've written about Fat Dan's BBQ sauce before.  Let's just say that I put Fat Dan's (which is a bit more of a Kansas City or Texas style and I must say I hate pigeon-holing it) against a Carolina BBQ recipe I discovered last year.  And across the board from the guests, there was love.  Some for the one, and some for the other.  It was great to see the appeal of two very different sauces, and how people gravitated to both in equal degrees.  Great stuff!

The menu included the following (for all of these, the meat came from Paulina Market, the ultimate partner for the Day of Meat):

• Honey Pork Sticks Slices
• Pepperoni Slices
• Bacon Wrapped Wieners w/ Chili Powder & Brown Sugar
• American Bacon Wrapped Canadian Bacon w/ Chile Powder & Brown Sugar
• Cocktail Meatballs (Slow Cooked in Homemade Chili Sauce and a Wisconsin Farm Cranberry Jam)
• BBQ Beef Brisket (Slow Cooked w/ Homemade Fat Dan's, Onions and Jalapeno Peppers)
• Grilled Boneless Chicken Breasts (Marinated in Homemade Teriyaki Sauce)
• Grilled Paulina Market Italian Sausage (Naked and Wonderful)
• Grilled Skirt Steaks (Marinated in Homemade Maple Chipotle Sauce)
• And of course, the Pulled Pork w/ Carolina BBQ Sauce and Fat Dan's

With the Day of Meat now a thing of the past for 2014, the focus returns to completing the Year of Meat.  And the remaining cuts are starting to dwindle.  I may need a break for a few days, but the focus will return.

48 down, 13 to go!

Beef Shanks - A Tropical Treat

Like so many cuts of meat that have come before, bone-in Beef Shanks were a new one for me.  And these, also like many cuts that have come before, are best slow cooked.  So, slow cooked I did.  First, I had to start with the shanks themselves.  At Paulina, these come in the 2 inch thick variety.  But my goal was to get some about half that thickness.  So, my friends at Paulina cut them in half for me (though the bone and all) and gave me 4 1-inch thick shanks.

Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, I browned them in peanut oil for about 3 minutes per side.  After transporting them to the slow cooker awaiting the rest of the "stuff", I cooked up some carrots and onions in the same pan for about 6 minutes, added crushed garlic, star anise and bay leaves and cooked for another minute, and then added rice vinegar and soy sauce.  I transported all this on top of the shanks and set it on low for 8 hours.

Suddenly, 8 hours later, with smells throughout the house, I transported the shanks to a plate (meat falling and shredding off the bone).  I then strained the braising liquid, skimmed the fat and boiled the braising liquid until it was reduced in half.  I shredded the meat and mashed the solids (carrots, garlic, etc.) and put them it in a serving dish, and poured in the reduced braising liquid.  Served it with romaine lettuce leaves, mango salsa and fresh green onion.  Yummy, slow cooked deliciousness, tropical style.

47 down, 14 to go!

Lamb Shoulder (Round Bone) - Grilled Greek Deliciousness!

Never in my life did I think I'd be making homemade tzatziki.  I mean, tzatziki had always been one of those mystery toppings for me.  You go and get a delicious gyro on a warm pita (yum) and you'd get a generous helping of this amazing sauce with unique flavors and you simply love it.  And you get it again the next time.  But make it yourself?  Please!  Well, so goes the Year of Meat for me.  I have made more dressings, sauces, marinades, salads, rubs and sides this year, and that doesn't even include the meat!  But now that I have added this homemade tzatziki to the list, the sky truly is the limit.  Pretty much any time I ever grill lamb again, I'm making this sauce.  And what's better, with the right rub, it would go great on grilled chicken, too!  OK.  I'm getting hungry thinking of it.  Let's talk about this concoction.

So, thanks to Anne Burrell of Food Network Magazine, she hooked me up with a three-part recipe that included the marinade, the tzatziki and the salad/dressing.  In plotting out my strategy, and with a busy work day planned, I made the marinade and tzatziki in advance (the night before the dinner).  Smart move for many reasons, not the least of which was my busy work day ahead of me.  But it paid off in other ways.  In both cases, some of the stronger flavors (e.g. garlic) got tempered with time while getting incorporated with the other flavors.  Brilliant decision, and it wasn't even for that reason!  Great lesson learned.  So, here is how it went down.

The marinade was simple enough.  The juice and zest of a lemon, combined with fresh chopped herbs (oregano, mint, dill) along with garlic, red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil and Kosher salt.  All I did was chop and mix it and put it in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight.  My plan was to add it to the lamb shoulder chops in the a.m. to a ziploc bag, and let the marinade work all day.  And that's exactly what I did.  For the tzatziki (no lie, mouth is watering right now), some of the same ingredients for the marinade (garlic, dill, mint, Kosher salt) got added to some finely chopped cucumber, white wine vinegar and Greek Yogurt.  This too I did the night before and kept in the refrigerator.

On the day of, the round bone lamb shoulder chops (trimmed of any and all excess fat) went into the ziploc bag with the marinade.  About 60 minutes before cooking time, I took lamb out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature, and took the tzatziki out to do the same.  Fired up the Big Green Egg, and cooked the lamb for 6 minutes per side (turning them once in between to get the nice criss cross grill marks).  Took them off, and tented them in foil for 5 minutes.  During the "tenting", I mixed a salad of fresh arugula, squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, Kosher salt and feta cheese.  For presentation, the salad went on the plate first, with the lamb on top of that, and the tzatziki on top of it all.  Great look!  Great taste!  I felt like I was in Chicago's Greek Town and I did it all at home.

Thank you Paulina Market, and Food Network's Anne Burrell.  This was my favorite lamb dish of the year so far.  And it will return again!

46 down, 15 to go!

Sirloin Steak - Grilled Summer Simplicity

When I was young and my mother would have steak, when I asked what we were having the answer inevitably was a simple one, "steak".  I didn't hear things like filet mignon, bone-in rib eye or New York strip.  I heard "steak".  Maybe, on occasion, we'd go out to eat somewhere (i.e. York Steak House for those in the West Roxbury, MA area in the late 70's/early 80s's) and they may have used the word "sirloin".

So, let's be honest about a Sirloin Steak.  It's big.  It's cheap in comparison to the aforementioned cuts.  And it lacks flavor when over-cooked.  And yeah, no offense to my mom or those folks at York Steakhouse, "medium well" and "well done" were the only temps I saw until my adult life.  So, when I went to Paulina Market yesterday to pick up a Sirloin Steak, I made it a point to get the ideal "pull from the grill temp" to reach my "medium rare" goals.  Instructions were simple.  Throw a lot of rub on it, cook it about 6 minutes per side on a high heat Big Green Egg, and pull it at a 125 internal temp.  Instructions were perfect.  And it turned out a perfect medium rare.  I used a bold steak rub, a Christmas gift from a friend who knows my love of meat, and served the steak with some table side sauce options, including Maple Chipotle, Sweet BBQ and Worcestershire.  Served it with some steamed asparagus and an ear of Iowa Sweet Corn courtesy of my mother-in-law's care package of Iowa Sweet Corn.  I ask you this, what says "Summer" better than Sirloin Steak and Sweet Corn?

The result was delicious summer satisfaction, and another notch in the Year of Meat belt.

45 down, 16 to go!

Maple Chipotle Veal Skewers - Plan B Works

The expression "Plan B" is a bit overused.  In my mind, Plan B is not your second choice when you weigh your options.  Plan B is not an equally viable option to Plan A, a coin toss loss if you will.  Plan B, in my mind, is a plan that is concocted when your plan (aka Plan A) fails.  You are on your way to your favorite restaurant for dinner, and you reach its front door and see a sign that says "Closed for Private Party".  Wherever you go to dinner that night is Plan B.  Someone close to me (and I won't name names) recently planned a week-plus long vacation with his girlfriend.  Shortly before the trip, she bailed.  End of relationship, but it wasn't the end of the trip.  Plan B was invoked, and a substitute joined the planned trip.  Too funny, in my mind.

Anyhow, let's discuss my trip to Paulina Market this past Wednesday.  I was a man with a plan.  There were 18 cuts left at the time, and I had pre-determined what I'd cook that night.  Enter Paulina I did (now I sound like Yoda), and proceeded to the now famous display case.  To my dismay, Plan A was not there!  I waited patiently for my turn.  My number got called.  I inquired about my cut.  And it was confirmed, Plan A was not there!  Well, unlike my examples of restaurants and significant others, this quest is about cooking all the cuts at Paulina.  So, I had to think quickly on my feet.  There were 17 other cuts from which to choose.  What do I do?  I reacted quickly.  Paulina sells a great grille marinade, Maple Chipotle.  And I found myself looking at the Veal Stew Meat, and thought: Marinade + Skewers + Big Green Egg = Plan B.

And off I went with a cryovac sealed (thanks to Joe at Paulina) package of Veal Stew Meat with the Maple Chipotle Marinade.  A few hours later, I skewered them and grilled them on a 600 degree Big Green Egg.  About 5-6 minutes per side, served with steamed peas and carrots, and we had ourselves a meal.  And I tell you what, Plan B worked out famously.  I felt a bit like an Iron Chef, who opened a basket with Veal Stew Meat, and was pressed into action.  And I won!

44 down, 17 to go!

Bottom Round - Saturday Roast Beef Sandwiches

I used to eat my roast beef sandwiches the same way, every time I ordered one.  Roast Beef Sub with mayonnaise and pickles.  Occasionally I'd add cheese (provolone).  And on rare (no pun intended) occasions, I'd ask for an additional vegetable, like lettuce or tomato.  But the standard order was always mayonnaise and pickles.  But part of the reason what that I didn't order subs that often.  Not sure why, but I'd often have cold cuts at home, and I'd make more modest and dare I say more (perceived) healthy versions.  Turkey on whole wheat with mustard, for example.

But then, the Year of Meat commenced.  And on an occasion not long ago, I turned an Eye of Round Roast into Pit Beef Sandwiches.  So what happens when you have Beef Sandwiches for several days in a row?  Variety strikes!    With the Pit Beef Sandwiches, I tried them with Barbecue Sauce, with Horseradish Sauce and both were delicious.  Well, today, a different cut of beef (Paulina Market's Bottom Round Roast) was the order of the day.  I prepared it similarly, using a Southwestern themed rub all over it, and cooked it over indirect heat in the Big Green Egg at 375 degrees, with some Oak for smoke, until the center got to 125.  I tented it under foil for about 30 minutes, and carved it up for sandwiches.

Now, one of the things any Beef Sandwich eating man who lives in Chicago enjoys is giardinera.  Having grown up in Boston, I had never heard of it until moving to the Windy City.  What is it?  Vegetables like hot peppers, carrots, celery and the like are marinated in a spice-infused olive oil.  It goes great on "Italian Beef" sandwiches, and any other sandwich that calls for some extra kick and flavor.  So, Bottom Round is not by nature the most flavorful.  So, I smothered this thing in the rub, and upon carving it up, knew that the "rub-heavy" slices of beef would be flavorful.  However, not every slice was rub-heavy, so I decided to jazz up my first sandwich.  I went with a Kaiser Roll, with hot giardinera and dijon mustard.  Yep, each addition to the beef increased the spice-level just a little bit more.  And I have nothing but positive thoughts looking forward to my next sandwich (which will be for dinner in about 2 more hours).  Right now, I'm leaning toward mayonnaise and nothing else.  Can't wait!

43 down, 18 to go!

Pork Shanks - Crispy Buffalo Pork Wings

Well, yesterday was a remarkable achievement in the annals of the Year of Meat.  First, we (my wife and I) tried our first ever Pork Shanks.  Second, I made my first ever homemade buffalo sauce (nothing too crazy here, butter and Louisiana Hot Sauce).  Third, for the first time since we got married almost five years ago, I busted out the deep fryer and proved that there is less mess in the kitchen from its use than frying on the stove top with oil splattering out of skillets.  Truly remarkable.

First, the recipe.  Nothing crazy here.  I had seen Pork Wings on menus before, and was always curious.  In researching how best to make Pork Shanks, I saw a lot of braising.  And if you've read this space for the past seven months, you know I've done my share of braising.  But something caught my eye in addition to braising.  Deep Frying!  Not having previously known that what I saw on menus as "Pork Wings" were slowly braised Pork Shanks, subsequently deep fried and served "buffalo wing style", I was sold upon my discovery.  So, off to Paulina and obtained two Pork Shanks.  I shook them in a Ziploc with white pepper, granulated garlic and salt, and "dry braised" them in a covered ceramic skillet for 5 hours at 300 degrees, flipping them once half way through the time.  Tented them under foil for a couple of hours until completely cooled to room temperature, and fired up the deep fryer to 375 degrees.  I shook the cooked shanks in another Ziploc with Corn Starch.  Now, I should have only fried them for about 2-3 minutes.  I went for 5, but mainly due to the sheer size of these things.  Pictures I had seen online suggested much smaller shanks.  These were at least twice the size, so I figured twice the time.  My mistake.  So, they got a little too crispy on the exterior, but the interior was rich, moist and quite tasty.

For the sauce?  No mystery here, 3 TBS of Salted Butter with about a half cup of Louisiana Hot Sauce.  Simmer until melted and mixed, and toss the "pork wings" and serve.  We ate them with Mashed Potatoes and String Beans.  Hearty and (not so) Healthy.  But hey, it's....

42 down, 19 to go!

Bone-In New York Strip - Twice in a Lifetime

My wife and I went to Banff, Alberta, Canada this time last year.  It was an absolutely amazing place, with nature as its primary allure.  Glacial lakes, glacial hikes and eye candy far and wide.  I had the good fortune of having gone to a destination wedding there ten years ago, and knew the day I left that I would return.  Going there last year was the return of which I spoke, but we said the same thing when we left.  We would return.  And we will.  Nothing planned as of yet, but we know we intend to visit again.

A side benefit of the trip, and we weren't necessarily expecting this every night, was the amazing cuisine we had there.  I knew I'd get my share of game, from elk to venison to buffalo, but what I didn't expect was the quality of the preparations, the pairings and the flavors.  I was sort of expecting a traditional meat and potatoes experience.  However, the experience was nothing of that sort.  Our favorite restaurant there was a place called The Saltlik.  And a funny thing happened on our first night dining there (yes, we loved it so much, we returned for our last dinner).  I wanted to order a steak, and I found a New York Strip that sounded amazing.  I believe it had a peppery rub and blue cheese butter.  And when I ordered my steak medium rare, the waiter asked me a question I had never previously been asked, "do you want your medium rare traditional or 'Chicago Style'?"  To which I replied, "what is 'Chicago Style'?".  What I learned by going to a steakhouse in Banff, Alberta, Canada far away from my home city of Chicago, IL that 'Chicago Style' is medium rare on the inside but with charring on the outside.  To have my center medium rare is a must, but I must admit I was intrigued by the Chicago style.  I ordered it that way, and I can assure you that the steak I had that night ranks in my top 5 all-time steakhouse steaks.

Since then, I have never quite been able to replicate that steak, either through ordering in steakhouses or through my own grilling.  Until last night.

I made a quick run to Paulina Market prior to closing to pick up two bone-in New York Strips.  I grabbed two large potatoes, knowing full well that my wife would be quite pleased with my choice of sides (and knowing full well that she would take pride in making her signature mashed potatoes).  I put together a rub of equal parts Kosher salt, regular salt, brown sugar, fresh ground black pepper, granulated garlic, red chili flakes, smoked paprika and coffee grounds (yes, coffee grounds).  I put a light coating of olive oil on the steaks and rubbed them until well covered on both sides and let them sit covered at room temperature for a little over an hour.  I fired up the Big Green Egg and got the coals well lit, and after about 30 minutes of ignition, I closed the lid with vents wide open, to maximize the temperature.  When it hit roughly 675 degrees, I put a light coating of oil on the grill (carefully with elbow long fireproof gloves) and set on the steaks.  About 5-6 minutes per side (which sounds long, but if you've seen the thickness of Paulina's bone-in strips, you'd understand), until internal temperature got to roughly 135.  I took them off, tented them in foil for five minutes, added a tab of butter on them at serving with the mashed potatoes, and the rest was history.  Sort of like last year's history in Banff, with my once (now twice) in a lifetime Chicago Style New York Strip.  Like Banff's beauty, this steak was eye (and taste) candy!

41 down, 20 to go!

Center Cut Pork Chops - Peachy Keen

There are certain meats that you grill, certain ones you braise and others you roast.  There are so many ways to vary temperature, duration, exposure to heat, etc., that cooking meat is like a large decision tree.  What cut?  What flavors?  What appliance?  What temperature?  Etc.  For the most part, this year, I have followed "common sense" for each cut.  But not with the Center Cut Pork Chops.  Personally, I would think pan searing or grilling.  Cut 8 hours in a slow cooker?  Fall off the bone, shredded pork chops?  Yep, and I'm here to tell you I will do it again.  And again.  And again.

In terms of recipe, this wasn't that complicated.  I seasoned both sides of the chops with salt and pepper and seared them on both sides in some olive oil until golden brown.  After removing the chops to a plate for resting, I then sauteed some chopped Canadian bacon with onions for about 6 minutes (until browning), added in some garlic, a little bit of pale ale, chicken broth, salt, pepper and cider vinegar.  I transported that mixture to a slow cooker, put the chops on top and set it on Low for 8 hours.  And that, was that.

By the time I opened the lid after work, the smells throughout the house were euphoric.  My wife and put together a vinaigrette that went perfectly over an arugula and peach salad.  And that went perfectly with the chops.  The chops, as I mentioned in the beginning, we literally falling off the bone.  Now, sometimes you refer to baby back ribs that way, or short ribs or even chicken wings.  But pork chops?  Lean, white meat pork chops?  Yes.  Pork Chops.  Shredding like brisket, and moist throughout.  These things, combined with the peach salad, were a thing to remember!  And for me, tonight, I have leftovers, so I don't have to be nostalgic for too long!

40 down, 21 to go!

Cubed Steak - Chicken Fried Steak

I had to google Cubed Steak to figure out what it is.  Well, it's a lean, strip of meat along the rib that requires much tenderization.  So, at Paulina, they do the tenderizing themselves and ready the Cubed Steak for cooking.  Also as part of reviewing the results in google, I noticed that one of the most common preparations for it is Chicken Fried Steak.  Now, at first glance, I was thinking to myself that this was NOT going to be a healthy meal.  And truth be told, it probably wasn't.  But it wasn't deep fried, no lard, no vegetable shortening, no heavy cream.  So, although not the healthiest of choices, it also wasn't going to harden the arteries overnight.  Now, this blog space is NOT about health.  It's about meat and the deliciousness that results.  And when I saw Chicken Fried Steak (something I have not had in years, if not decades), the decision was a simple one.  And thanks to Ree Drummond of Food Network and her recipe, it was pretty easy to make.

A trip to Paulina Market yesterday sent me home with two cubed steaks for dinner.  As a quick aside, I also bought a smoked Hungarian Sausage.  Not related to this blog and this year's Year of Meat quest, I have been making my way through their smoked meats.  Pepperoni, Linguisa and yesterday, the Hungarian Sausage.  So good.  A great appetizer while preparing the Chicken Fried Steak.  But I digress.  Once home, I let the Cubed Steaks sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  I prepared a series of plates for dredging.  One with milk and eggs.  One with flour, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper.  One for the finished product.  I started by putting some salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.  I coated them with the flour mixture on both sides, shook the excess off, dipped them in the milk and egg mixture on both sides, shook the excess off, and one more trip into the flour on both sides, and set them aside ready for cooking.  In a deep skillet, I got canola oil good and hot.  In looking at the recipe right now, I realized that in my haste, I forgot to add butter to the skillet.  This could be part of my problem, but I will get to that in a second.  I cooked the steaks for about 3 minutes per side and took them out and set them on a paper towel lined plate while we got the rest of our sides ready and the gravy.  My wife made her now perfected mashed potatoes, and I made a brussel sprouts dish with shaved almonds, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (which I kind of burned, but they were still ok).  For the gravy, I used the leftover oil in the skillet with flour, and stirred to a roux, and added milk and kept stirring until the right consistency.  Added black pepper and seasoned salt for taste, and boom.

From a taste standpoint, these steaks were out of this world.  But I missed the boat on the "crunch/crisp" of the batter.  I think this happened for three reasons.  First, I think I let the steaks sit too long with their coating on.  In other words, I think the flour got too damp.  Secondly, I realized just now that I was missing the butter.  And thirdly, I don't think I had the skillet hot enough.  It was supposed to be over medium high heat, and when I put the steaks on, I had it on medium by mistake.  Now, with three mistakes, you'd think I would be disappointed with the outcome.  Not at all.  They were delicious.  Clean Plate Club!  But I do want another shot at these.  And I will clean up these mistakes and these will be crispy crunchy perfect.

39 down, 22 to go!

Lamb Shanks - Red Pepper Yellow Pepper

Having braised many times this year, I have grown quite fond of the low and slow method of cooking tender meats.  Whether via slow cooker or through the use of the dutch oven, the results tend to be similar: fork tender, fall-off-bone deliciousness.  Throw in the fact that I'm using meats and cuts I've never had before, let alone cooked, and it's been a culinary and gastro education I would never give back.

A few days, I used the style of cooking that works perfectly around a busy schedule.  Cut, prepare and start before work, slow cooker does it's thing during work, and resume and complete after work.  The result?  Braised lamb shanks with red and yellow peppers and feta cheese served with orzo and chopped tomatoes.  Perhaps this was "comfort food" served in late June.  But the high that day was only around 70, so it wasn't a total mismatch.

I started by simply seasoning the shanks with salt and pepper, and searing them until golden brown on all sides, which was about 8 minutes.  I took them out and set them aside, while I added celery, carrots, onions, bay leaves, oregano and cumin.  After getting the vegetables softened up a bit, in when some white wine and beef broth.  I then poured that mixture into the slow cooker and set the lamb shanks on top and set it to cook on Low for 8 - 10 hours.  A few times during the process (not often, since a major benefit behind the slow cooker is to keep the moisture/steam inside), I based the shanks with the increasing liquid.  The smells that emerged throughout the house were classic slow cooker.  After 8 hours or so (when the meat is clearly fork tender and barely staying on the bone), I removed the shanks and strained all the remaining liquid through a strainer into a sauce pan, let it settle, and then spooned off the fat from the top.  I boiled that liquid down by one half, resulting in a thick gravy.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, I sauteed red peppers, yellow peppers, and garlic.  And in a separate station, boiled some orzo and tossed the finished product with some garlic-infused olive oil and chopped tomatoes.  I removed the good lamb meat from the fat and bone, and served it "shredded style" onto the plate, topped with the peppers, some feta cheese and fresh parsley.  Garnished the orzo with parsley as well, and here is the end result.  Loved the feta-lamb-pepper combination!  Yum.

38 down, 23 to go!

Eye of Round - Pit Beef Sandwiches

If you think of the most common meal item consumed in America (and I have no proof whatsoever when it comes to this assumption), I have to imagine it has to be the sandwich.  It has to be the most common lunch item to be sure.  For three years in high school, I worked at my section of Boston's best sandwich shop, Steve Slyne's deli.  Steve himself was a landmark, a mecca of my hometown.  But so was his deli.  And I was one of the lucky few teenagers who fortunate enough to land a job there.  What did I do?  Pretty much everything.  In the early days, stocking soda refrigerators, cigarette displays and chips displays, sweeping floors and handling returned bottles/cans (Massachusetts had just instituted the "bottle bill" where the consumer can return a can or bottle for $0.05).  As I worked my way up the food chain (which happens quickly), I landed behind the counter, slicing meat, making sandwiches and constructing party platters.  I loved that job.  Anyhow, it was as a young consumer, and eventual employee of Steve Slyne's deli where my love of meat and of the hearty sandwich began.  Good times!  I went through phases of my favorites.  They had phenomenal meat, so you couldn't go wrong.  But back then, I frequented the Roast Beef and the Corned Beef, but it's where I developed my love of Pastrami.  Theirs was coated in a flavorful rub.  We sliced it, cooked it, and melted some muenster cheese on it and put it on a Bulkie Roll (known everywhere outside of Boston as a Kaiser Roll) with spicy mustard.  Hands down, still the best Pastrami sandwich I've ever had.  Great sandwiches, great memories and great friends.

One thing I noted yesterday while I was preparing Pit Beef Sandwiches, was that other than the Lamb Burgers I made a few weeks back, I had not made a sandwich during this Year of Meat.  So, let's give it up for Paulina's Eye of Round and the Big Green Egg forum online.  I married a bunch of suggestions from a bunch of well established Egg Heads, and created a sandwich that hearkened me back to the days of thick rubs and hot sandwiches at Steve Slyne's.

I started with a 2 lb Eye of Round (I must confess I asked for the 4 lb one to be cut in half), which was plenty for my wife and me, and left enough for a leftover meal or two for yours truly.  I coated it (which is putting it kindly) with a concoction of rubs I've accumulated throughout the year, including a rub which I mixed myself for brisket purposes.  I laid it on thick.  And then I added some more.  I let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours with the rub, and took it out about an hour before cooking.  I had the Big Green Egg set up for cooking over indirect heat at 375 degrees, with three good sized chunks of damp Hickory in there for smoke.  I put the Eye of Round on the grate, closed the lid, and let it do its magic.  Because I had a very small cut, I knew I needed to check the temperature after an hour (normally, it would be closer to 90 - 120 minutes).  Sure enough, after one hour, the temp was at 115, which was exactly where I wanted it.  I tented it (not wrapped, but tented tightly), for two hours.  The first 30-60 minutes is to let it keep cooking.  The last hour or so was simply to keep it warm until we were ready to eat.  I cut it extremely thin, almost shredding it, and served it on a Bulkie Roll (gotta go back to my roots) with some BBQ sauce AND Horseradish sauce.  I put the two on the plate and dipped the sandwich into them, depending upon which bite I wanted next.  These Pit Beef Sandwiches were top notch!  If Steve Slyne's deli was still around, and if I still worked there, they'd be on the menu to be sure.

37 down, 24 to go!

Boneless Veal - Parmigiana My Way

This year is a Year of Meat.  Yep, got that.  But additionally, this has also been a Year of Recipes.  Not having looked back at what I did for every one of the 36 cuts prepared to date, I'd venture to guess that a good 80% of them were prepared via a recipe I had not previously made.  And that's a good thing, because it means I'm not only preparing new cuts of meat, but I'm experimenting with new ingredients, leveraging different preparations and perhaps most importantly, I'm using appliances and cookware that doesn't get its fair share of use.  All good.  BUT...there is also a rewarding aspect of not using recipes.  Now, I'm not talking about the tried and true preparations I've used pre-Year of Meat.  I'm talking about having learned enough about cooking, ingredients and cuts, that I can venture out on my own and prepare a meal sans handbook.  For me, this week, that was Wednesday night and Veal Parmigiana!

First, let me say that my recipe-less evening is a bit of a stretch.  I start with a batch of my homemade pasta sauce, courtesy of many a phone call with my non-measuring Italian grandmother, who coached me through several iterations of spaghetti and meatballs from a thousand miles away.  But let me tell you (and I even told my grandmother this the last time we spoke), I nailed her sauce.  It is sooo good.  So, starting with that, Veal Parmigiana is bound to be good.  But, let me tell you.  The quality of this Veal Parmigiana did not end with the sauce.  It merely started there, and only got better.  For you, I give you this advice, use your favorite red sauce.  Whatever that is.  Your own recipe?  A favorite relative's?  Even a favorite jar?  It's all fine.  Start with that, and warm it up and have it ready.  Additionally, get your water boiling for some pasta.  With Veal Parmigiana, pasta is simply the side (or the bed).  Not a focal point, but a necessity.  Just make sure you time the pasta to correspond with veal's readiness.

So..to the Veal.  I got boneless cutlets from Paulina Market.  I prepared three plates (I used big dinner plates with a high lip).  The first was just equal parts flour and traditional bread crumbs with salt and pepper.  The second was two eggs whipped into a scramble (uncooked of course).  And the third was equal parts panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, with a healthy dose of dried basil, salt and pepper.  I took each cutlet, and led them down that procession, maximizing the amount that would stick in each phase, but shaking off any excess before the next phase.  What I was left with were some heavily coated cutlets with panko and Parmesan ready to pan fry.  I took a large cast iron skillet, and got a half inch of olive oil heated up over medium/high heat.  I then laid the cutlets in and let them cook for about 2.5 minutes per side.  If the oil is hot enough, this will create a nice thick golden brown crust on each side.  I then took the cutlets and laid them on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with a layer of Parmesan cheese.  I then ladled some of the warm pasta sauce over them, and topped them with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.  I put them into the oven on broil at the top rack to get the cheese to melt and turn golden.  If you time it right, the sauce and cheese get hot and melty, but the crust doesn't soften from the sauce.  Nailed it!

Served these with some angel hair pasta and some of the homemade sauce.  Delightful.  And the bottle of Chianti didn't hurt either.

36 down, 25 to go!

Beef Tenderloin - Back to Basics

Cooking every cut of steak possible this year has made me rethink my past go-to selection.  Throughout this Year of Meat, I have had the good fortune of cooking Rib Eyes, Prime Rib Eyes, New York Strips and Porterhouse Steaks, among others.  Each one has had me all giddy about my ability to cook restaurant quality steaks (and better, if I may add) along with great sides, rubs, etc.  So, when the time came to cook what used to be my go-to cut, the Beef Tenderloin/Filet Mignon, I have to admit that I was sort of "ho hum" about it.  Now, let me explain that my go-to cut was the "special occasion" in the household before 2014 started.  When we wanted to eat-in and open our best bottle of wine, the Beef Tenderloin from Paulina was the meal.  And you know what, there was good reason for that approach.

So in I went to Paulina on late Saturday morning, and waited along with 30 or so of my "closest friends" for my number to be called.  The order was simple.  Two Filets, one about 8 oz and one about 12 oz.  Done and done.  I took them out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking time, and used a steak rub given to us as a gift, a little gourmet style jar with a great scent.  On it went, on both sides, awaiting the Big Green Egg to come to temp.  Got the egg up to 500 degrees, and used a basting brush to brush some canola oil on the cast iron grill to prevent sticking.  Since Tenderloin is so lean, you don't benefit from any melting fat to keep the steak from sticking.  So the oil helps out in that regard.  About 4 minutes on the first side, about 6 minutes on the other side got us nice thick Medium Rare filets.  We served them with a watercress, radish and blue cheese salad we made earlier this year with another steak dinner, noted here.  Yum!

35 down 26 to go!

Lamb Loin Chops - Minty Cool Refreshment

Long before I started the Year of Meat quest, my wife and I would watch many an episode of many a show on Food Network Channel.  Perhaps our most watched is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri, who would drive his vintage car across the country to find some of the best local grub you could find.  We have been inspired to make dishes we'd never tried, and visit some local Chicago places highlighted on his show.  WhatI hadn't done yet this year was make one of Guy's recipes from FoodNetwork.com.  Well, with the Lamb Chops, we may have just begun an irreversible trend.

As for the Chops themselves, a visit to Paulina provided me three chops weighing in at 2 lbs total.  Now, these are bone-in.  But for context, there are some recipes that call for 8 chops to weigh roughly 2 lbs.  I cooked 3 chops at 2 lbs.  That is how thick these chops are.  Amazing!  As for the recipe found here, I must say that there was a level of ease and simplicity that punched some incredible flavors and "keeper" status when it comes to the likelihood of making these again.  First the rub.  I took olive oil and rubbed down the chops.  I combined some thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper into a rub, and covered the chops in it.  While that sat (and while the Big Green Egg was getting good an hot), I used a food processor to create a Mint Pesto for the Lamb (post-grilling).  In went garlic cloves, pine nuts, fresh basil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, grated parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil, and pulsed it to the right consistency.  As for the recipe, it's as simple as that.  A relatively simple rub for pre-grilling.  And a relatively simple pesto for post-grilling.  Throw that on a plate with some crispy potatoes and a side salad, and you have a minty fresh meal that can't be beat.

Now, since this is a blog about meat (and not just about rubs and pestos), let me share a few words about these chops.  In some recipes, it's suggested to cook these for 3 - 5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Because of the thickness of these chops, we had to go closer to 8 minutes per side.  Now, that seems like an eternity for lamb loin chops, and it is.  But there are two very awesome things to keep in mind.  First, these are Paulina extra thick chops (I swear, these are twice as thick as normal), so they'll take longer to get to medium rare in the center.  Second, because of the extra duration (and the amazing rub), these chops got a char on the outside that was absolutely crazy delicious.  Truly crazy.

34 down, 27 to go!

Beef Stew - Comfort Food Comfort

Whoever coined the phrase "comfort food" is a genius.  Without description, you know exactly what it means.  But what do you call the overwhelming contentment which results from comfort food?  Let's refer to it as "comfort food comfort", the contentment attained from having eaten comfort food.  And in the case of me last night after dinner, a double-dose of comfort because I knew I'd be having leftovers for lunch.  A double dip of comfort food comfort that just keeps on giving.  And since I just finished lunch...

When I think of Beef Stew, I think of my youth.  Again, back to the school cafeteria, I don't think I ever liked the Beef Stew that was served.  To be sure, I am highly confident that it came out of a can and had roughly 200% of the daily recommended allocation of sodium.  It also reminds me of the movie, Meatballs, where the winner of the "Mystery Meat" contest won with the answer of "some kind of beef".  But this ain't your youth's Beef Stew we're talking about today.  We are talking Paulina Beef Stew meat (aka small chunks of Beef Chuck) with some high quality ingredients, including a bottle of beer in the stew (I used Ellie's Brown Ale).  Is your mouth watering yet?

OK.  So, first I seasoned 3 lbs of beef stew meat with salt and pepper on both sides.  Let me pause for a minute.  This recipe which I found in a book (and don't have online links for you) is so old school.  The majority of the measurements are in pounds.  Gotta love that.  Anyhow, seasoned 3 lbs of beef stew meat, and using olive oil in a dutch oven over high heat, I seared both sides of the meat (had to do it in two batches) for about 6 minutes total per batch.  I removed the meat and set it aside.  Then, 10 minutes over medium heat (covered, but stirring every couple of minutes) for 2 lbs of sliced onions.  Then, add 5 finely diced carrots, 2 TBS of chopped garlic and 1/4 pound of diced thick prosciutto and stir/cover for 5 minutes.  In went 1.5 lbs of mushrooms (I used white and shitake) for a few minutes.  Then, we added the meat back in, the bottle of Ellie's Brown Ale, 3 cups of Beef Stock, a teaspoon of thyme, a teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce and 3 Bay Leaves.  Stir it all up, bring it to a boil, and then cover and turn to simmer for a little over 2 hours (until the meat is "fork tender").  Then, remove the meat with a slotted spoon, add in 2 carrots-worth of 2 inch chunks, and crank the heat to high.  Get it to a roiling boil to reduce the stew liquid by about half, getting good and syrupy.  During this time, the carrots should cook through (and they did).  Once the stew is ready, add the meat back in and turn the heat to low.  Let the meat warm through again, and serve.  No sides.  No bread.  No nothing extra.  Just stew, Cotes de Rhone and COMFORT!

33 down, 28 to go!

Sliced Liver - On My Own

In perhaps the most beloved song from the most beloved musical, Eponine sings "On My Own" from Les Miserables, and reaches a perfect ten on the sympathy scale.   It is a song about unrequited love, a young girl in love with a young man who simply does not see her the same way.  Well, through 31 cuts of meat in my quest to cook all 61, my wife has been by my side.  She even took a serving of braised oxtails.  Now, she didn't try it, but she tried to try it, if you know what I mean.  With the Sliced Liver, I was smart enough to ask, "you don't want any part of this now, do you?".  My suspicion was validated, and thereby I was left "on my own".  I know this probably doesn't reach 10 on the sympathy scale.  But it should be close.

I kept it simple.  I cut up a quarter of a sweet onion into slices and sauteed them.  Simultaneously, I pan fried two slices of bacon.  I kept shifting the sides of the pan to allow the onions to cook in the bacon fat, and moved the bacon to the other side.  Repeated that a few times.  Meanwhile, I had a 4 oz piece of liver that I simply dredged in all-purpose flour mixed with salt and pepper, and once the bacon and onions were a few minutes away from being done, I fried the liver up.  About 2-3 minutes per side.  Now, when I tell you that the liver was the 4th best thing on the plate, you have to realize that it fell behind bacon (who can beat that?), sauteed onions (also understandable) and ketchup (suggestion from Andy at Paulina who swore by his "recipe" for liver).  But how distant a 4th was it?

It was pretty distant.  Let's face it.  You don't see liver on the Food Network channel often.  You don't see it at Chicago Street Festivals next to the funnel cakes and gyros.  And you don't see it anywhere near the Big Green Egg.  But, I have to say that it wasn't terrible.  Let's put it this way, I finished it.  Now, you have to know that I am a "finish your plate" kind of guy.  But I am not afraid to leave behind something I can't eat (see Oxtails).  And I finished it.  Did I love it?  No.  Did I hate it?  No.  Will I crave it?  Never.  Will I cook it again?  Doubtful.  Did I get one step closer to cooking everything in Paulina's display case?

32 down, 29 to go!