Salt-Seared Hamburgers

I often shy away from making hamburgers during the winter since I can’t grill due to the inclement weather and freezing temperatures.  Grilled hamburgers are, of course, more proof that there is a God who loves us.  And if I can’t have a really great burger, what’s the point of even making it?  There are times, however, that a burger just makes sense during the winter and this is a great way to do it:

Salt-Seared Hamburgers

enough ground beef to make as many 5 oz patties as you want

Kosher salt

Place a thin layer of Kosher salt on the bottom of a saute pan.  The salt does not need to completely cover the bottom of the pan.  Heat the pan over medium heat, and then cook burgers to your desired doneness flipping only once.  Serve.

The burgers turn out crusty, full-flavored, and salty.  It’s really quite delicious.  It’s my preferred way to make hamburgers inside.  In fact, I’ve even done this recipe during grilling season.  Here’s a picture:

New Meatloaf Sandwich Club Post

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Iceberg Wedges with Lemon Dressing and Bacon

This is a perfectly delightful and simple dish.  The dressing is just five ingredients: mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, Kosher salt, and pepper.  It’s wonderfully acidic, tangy, and just a tiny bit spicy.  It went fabulously with the sweet and crisp Iceberg lettuce.  And with some chopped homemade bacon on the top, it was amazing.  Here’s the recipe:

Iceberg Wedges with Lemon Dressing and Bacon, based on this recipe from Epicurious.com

1 head Iceberg lettuce, quartered,

2/3 cup mayonnaise

about 2 T of lemon juice, or to taste

1 tsp hot sauce (such as Frank’s), or to taste

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

about 1/2 cup just cooked bacon, chopped

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, Kosher salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.  Taste and adjust any seasoning.  Place an Iceberg wedge on a plate and drizzle dressing over the top.  Sprinkle with 1/4 of the bacon bits.  Repeat 3 more times.  Serve immediately. 

And here’s a picture of it with a BLT. 

Homemade Bacon Experiment

I have been reading a very excellent book: Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.  It is essentially a guidebook to curing and smoking your own meats at home.  Imagine making your own Pancetta, Proscuitto, sausages, pate, salami, etc.  And mostly, that’s what I’ve been doing.  However, I did want to try to do something like this.  I wanted to know how well I could make it and if I could really improve on the commercial varieties of meat available to me.  (I did an earlier post on this topic.)  And if it was terrible. . . well, at least I tried and learned something. 

Now, this post is not a how-to on bacon making.  There’s quite a bit to go into and it would just be best to buy the book instead of me trying to give my imperfect explanation of what’s going on.  Instead, here’s a few pictures of the process.  First, is the pork belly after I had cured it in a salt and sugar mixture:

Next, is a picture of my sliced bacon:

Of course, the question is was this worth it?  I have to say it most unquestionably was.  Even without the benefit of cold smoking, this is some very fine bacon.  It is salty, a bit sweet, and had just the right amount of smokiness (about which more later).  And, it is cut the way I like it: very, very thick.  Almost all, pre-sliced commercial bacon is just sliced too thin for my taste; when cooked, all you taste is crisp.  With a nice thick slices like this, however, there is an other-worldly meatiness to the bacon in addition to the crispy outside.  It was really, really good. 

Now, about smoke.  Traditional American bacon is smoked and no question, it’s good that way.  Applewood has come into vogue lately and I completely agree with it.  It’s a great flavoring to pork as are apples normally to pork.  However, to do that right, one should really use a cold smoker.  But, I don’t have one of those.  So I improvised and used an idea from a rib recipe I recently made.  Yes, I used Lapsang Souchong tea to “smoke” my bacon.  I simply put some tea under the bacon as I parcooked for a few hours in the oven at a low temperature.  It really worked and added a really nice but not deep smoky flavor.  I’m exceedingly pleased with the results.  This is definitely something I’ll do again.  I am now in control of my bacon and that’s a very good thing.

Creme Brulee

After last night’s dinner and dessert, I think I’m convinced that Creme Brulee is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get a “fancy” dessert on the table.  All it requires is a bit of heating, a bit of mixing, some gentle time in the oven, and a torch.  There’s nothing tricky about it and the presentation is beautiful.  Here’s the recipe I did:

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, based on this recipe at Epicurious.com

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar plus more for topping

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

5 large egg yolks

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Using the blade of a paring knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds from the inside of the bean.  Then, mix cream, sugar and vanilla beans in a heavy medium saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.

Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes; either ramekins or flan dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.

Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 to 40 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Then chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

When cool, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold blowtorch so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.

Compare that to make a tart or galette or even cookies.  There’s just not the same amount of active labor involved, although you do need to be around for the baking and simmering times.  Here’s the result:

A few notes:  1)  Do not buy one of those fancy, expensive torches from Sur la Table or Williams Sonoma or the like.  They’re probably underpowered and at least double the price of a sturdy torch that you can get at your local hardware store for about 10-15 dollars.  Trust me, it will work better and you’ll save money.  Plus, the torch is a multi-tasker while the wimpy specialty one is not.  2)  Be sure to really whisk the eggs well before adding any of the hot cream.  Doing so will help ensure that you don’t have a lumpy custard.  3)  Add the hot cream to the egg yolks very slowly.  Otherwise, you may end up with scrambled eggs.  Start out with about a tablespoon at a time and whisk thoroughly before adding more.  Be careful, you can only add the hot cream too quickly.  There’s no penalty for going too slowly. 

What you end up with is a smooth, richly flavored, and dense dessert with a delightfully crackly topping.  It’s really a treat.  Amanda liked it quite a bit. 

New Post at the Meatloaf Sandwich Club

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Dinner at Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill

[Disclaimer:  I was once employed at Doolittle's as a Saute cook.]

Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill in Fargo is really quite a nice dining destination.  The ambience of the restaurant is a little corny with it’s old school aeronautical theme.  Think of an airplane historical museum for 3rd graders.  But, you know, as a restaurant decor, it really is OK.  The colors are muted and the various airplane parts hanging from the ceiling provide a sense of “realness” that is simply lacking from the “neighborhood” type fake memorabilia found at Applebee’s and TGIF’s. 

The decor, being old-school, also matches the real star of the restaurant: a real wood-fired rotisserie.  The rotisserie spins and is fed fresh wood all day, infusing the restaurant with a lovely smokiness as well as the aromas of chicken, ribs, and beef.  Indeed, for blocks surrounding the restaurant, one can discern that lovely smell of smoky meat. 

Thus, the decor and the rotisserie give Doolittle’s a decidedly old-school feel which I think is a brilliant move because it is so darn comforting.  There’s almost a sense that there’s a connection to a greater and purer past when you sit down there. 

The food somewhat matches this theme.  Certainly, the rotisserie chicken, the mashed potatoes, and the chicken and biscuits evoke the classic comfort food mentality.  But the menu also offers some rather eclectic dishes like an Asian noodle stir-fry, Seafood-stuffed Portabella Mushrooms, Flatbread Pizzas, Fish Tacos, and Salmon with Artichokes and Kalamata Olives.  I’ve tried many of these and I think they are uniformly very good.  Almost everything is made from scratch in-house and the ingredients used are really top-notch.  And the fact that the rotisserie chicken makes an appearance in so many of dishes means that many of the dishes are simply outstanding because the rotisserie meat, in general, is really, really good. 

I did have one hiccup in the food last night, however.  I ordered a special menu item-the Rotisserie Leg of Lamb.  I thought this was a great step up for Doolittle’s-lamb is certainly a “gourmet” ingredient, at least to us upper Midwesterners.  It was served with mashed potatoes and Doolittle’s version of ratatouille.  The side dishes were good.  The mashed potatoes were flavorful if just a bit grainy from being just a bit undercooked.  The ratatouille was perfectly tender yet a bit misnamed.  I detected summer squash, zucchini, and onions in the dish but no eggplant!  I’m not really complaining about this (I am no fan of eggplant) but I do have an issue with the nomenclature.  Ratatouille is French dish of sauteed vegetables, of which the primary one is eggplant.  The lamb, however, was pretty suspect as they just could not serve it as a servicable temperature.  I like my leg of lamb medium-rare but from the menu, it is already served medium and our server asked what temperature I wanted my lamb at.  I had to respond medium as there was no way I wanted the lamb cooked anymore.  The lamb that I was served, however, was medium-well to well-done.  Of course, this meant tougher and less flavorful meat.  Doolittle’s may need to work on their lamb cooking skills a bit. 

Nevertheless, I do recommend Doolittle’s as a dining or just a drinking destination.  It offers good and sometimes great food and drinks in a grown-up atmosphere.  An added bonus is their half-price wine night every Monday night.  Even bottles from their reserve wine list are discounted. 

New York Strip Steaks with Balsamic Reduction

I keep telling myself that I have to stop eating large steaks from Meats by John and Wayne for dinner so often.  But I’m such a sucker for the excellent, excellent steaks they have there.  They are thickly cut and have a superior beefy flavor.  Of course, because they are thick-cut, a “small” steak there weights at least 8 oz. and most are in the 14-16 oz. range.  I’m not complaining but that’s quite a bit of meat for a single serving. 

I went ahead and ate another steak from there anyway.  My co-workers and I were discussing a steak and I just became ravenous for beef.  So, here’s what I did:

New York Strip Steaks with Balsamic Reduction, based on this recipe

2 New York Strip Steaks (Ribeye would also work well)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar

1 T butter

Heat a heavy, non-reactive pan (preferably not non-stick) over medium-high heat.  Liberally season steaks with Kosher salt and pepper.  Cook steaks, turning once, until they reach your desired level of doneness.  Remove to a platter and loosely cover with foil.  Add garlic to the pan and then immediately add the balsamic vinegar.  Reduce the vinegar by half and then take the pan off the heat.  Whisk in the butter in two stages.  Serve sauce atop the steaks. 

What you end up with is some richly flavored and nicely browned steaks with a slightly sweet and buttery sauce.  The sauce has enough flavor to stand up to the strong beef flavor of the steaks.  It was really quite good.  Here’s a picture of the dish:

I served it with french fries made with Yukon Gold potatoes.  They act quite differently than russet potatoes.  They do not crisp nearly as well as the russets but they have a very, very nice creaminess that was quite pleasing as well as having that extra “butteriness” that is the hallmark of Yukon Golds.  Enjoy!

Lunch at Mexican Village

Mexican Village is a Fargo/Moorhead restaurant mainstay.  It’s been open since 1970 in downtown Fargo and has just nrecently opened a beautiful new restaurant in the south part of Fargo.  I remember being there as a child, as an adolescent, and as young adult.  It’s comforting to know that there are some things that are constant in life.

As the name implies, Mexican Village serves Mexican style food.  Which means there is plenty of refried beans and Spanish rice that surround various combinations of tortillas, meat, cheese, and sauce.  The standard enchiladas and tacos and chimichangas and fajitas are there.  There’s really no surprises on the menu and all of the dishes (even if they do sort of all taste and look the same) are solidly good, save one dish: the Pollo Fundido.  It is unquestionably the best thing Mexican Village serves.  It is a flour tortilla filled with shredded, seasoned chicken that is then deep fried.  It is then covered with a jalapeno cream cheese sauce.  Let’s just say it’s dynamite.  The chicken is nice and tender, the shell is pleasantly crisp, and the sauce is just spicy enough.  The richness of the cream cheese is not only comforting but is also brings all of the flavors together.  It’s really quite a perfect dish and a steal at around $10. 

It is rare for me to repeatedly order the same dish at a restaurant as I like to sample and try new things but the Pollo Fundido is so good that I nearly uniformly order it whilst at Mexican Village.  Others seem to agree.  At a recent birthday lunch of around 10 guys, 9 Pollo Fundidos were ordered.  Sounds likes a pretty ringing endorsement to me.  Here’s a picture of the dish:

Roast Pork Loin with Potatoes

It is not often that a side dish becomes the star but that is what happens in this recipe.  The potatoes, oh the potatoes, in this dish are something other-worldly.  They are crisp, they are creamy.  They are salty and they glisten with the thinnest coating of pork fat (a very, very good thing).  It’s a veritable flavor explosion. 

In contrast, the pork loin seems almost boring, even though it’s not.  It’s roasted meat, how could it be bad?  Especially with the flavorful “wet” rub of garlic, rosemary, and sage.  The garlic toasts ever so slightly on top of the pork giving a sweet and pungent flavor while the herbs add earthiness.  Yet, due to our devotion to low-fat cooking, pork is bred to be lean, lean, lean and hence, the pork is inevitably a bit dry and a bit less flavorful than I know it could be.  Nevertheless, it’s a fabulous way to eat pork.  Here’s the recipe:

Roast Pork Loin with Potatoes, based on this recipe from Epicurious

Serves 3-4 people

1 2 lb pork loin

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for sauteing

3 garlic cloves

2 tsp minced sage

1 tsp minced rosemary

4-5 medium potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold 

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl.  Liberally season the pork loin all over with Kosher salt and pepper.  Then rub on the herb mixture.  Ideally, place the pork loin on a roasting rack in a roasting pan but you can simply put it on a sheet pan or cookie sheet as well.  Place in the preheated oven.  Now, immediately, heat up your saute pan(s) with a good bit of olive oil.  Saute the potatoes in a single layer, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until they just begin to color, about 10-15 minutes.  Use two pans if you have to; it’s important that you get the potatoes in the oven about 15 minutes after you start roasting the pork. 

Take the roast out of the oven and place the potatoes underneath the pork.  If not using a roasting rack, you can place the pork directly over the potatoes.  Put the pork and potatoes back in the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 150 degrees.   This should take about an hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and tent with foil.  Let rest for 1o minutes.  Remove the meat from the pan and carve.  Toss the potatoes with any pan juice.  Serve immediately.

A few notes:  1)  The Tuscans call pork loin “arista” which comes from the Greek word aristos which, in turn, means the best.  I like the name.  2)  The original recipe asks you to cover the pork loin with foil and roast as such for two hours.  Perhaps this will result in a more tender loin but I think I prefer the quicker roasting method just for the fact it is quicker.  3)  Don’t be afraid to make more potatoes; they’re really that good.  If you do, just cook them in stages, starting before you put the pork roast in the oven.  It’s important that the potatoes have enough roasting time.  4)  This might be the most important thing.  Choose a pork loin with a good fat “back” on it.  Don’t buy the leanest loin you can find.  If you do, you’ll miss out on a good deal of juiciness in the meat as well as a lot of flavor in the potatoes.  When it’s this good, splurge a bit on calories.  Enjoy!  Here’s a picture of the final product: