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Recipe: 5 Hour Braised Leg of Lamb

By The Chubby Cook on December 29, 2011 in Dinner, Lamb

Well, it takes about five hours to cook this lamb to perfection but the whole recipe takes about six hours from start to finish, give or take a little bit of time. Also, I neglected to take pictures during the creation of this recipe, so bear with me on this one! I only have pics of the finished product… Here’s what I can tell you about this dish: you’re going to end up with succulent lamb, a hearty sauce AND a delicious gravy. How can you beat that? Served over a pappardelle noodle, this dish rocks.

There are two different ways to buy leg of lamb at the store. One with the bone in and one that has the bone removed. I’ve been talking with various people about the benefits of keeping the bone in during cooking for more flavor. The feedback I get is that for braising (which we will be doing in this recipe) it doesn’t really matter. Also, if you get a leg that already has the bone removed, you can jam all kinds of seasonings and whatnot inside. Well, as usual, I went with what I wanted and bought the bone in. I like the presentation.

To cook this dish, you are going to need some special equipment. The first thing is some cooking twine. You will also need a dutch oven, brasier or heavy stock pot to braise the lamb in. Lastly, a blender or immersion blender would be very helpful with the sauce at the end.

Ingredients for the Lamb:

1 5-6lb Leg of Lamb
15 Garlic Cloves, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 stick, unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Ingredients for the Sauce:

4 leeks, washed, trimmed and cut into 1″ segments
4 turnips, peeled and diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 large onions (Spanish will work), peeled and diced
2 shallots, peeled and diced
10-15 cloves of Garlic
4 to 8 more cups of stock, depending on the size of your braising pot
3 tablespoons flour

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.

Okay, so lets start working on the lamb. We have to truss the leg because otherwise it will fall apart while we are braising it and you’ll end up fishing out pieces parts of lamb from the pot. That stinks. To truss the leg, tie the twine around one end securely. Using a series of half-hitches, truss the length of the leg. Basically, you take the twine and wrap it around the leg, tucking the trailing end through the loop before you make the next loop. There is a very helpful demo you can view on trussing a leg of lamb here.

Once you have the leg tied up, take a paring knife and create pockets to push the slivers of the garlic cloves into. Stud the leg very well with the garlic. After all the garlic is inserted into the leg, sprinkle the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper all over the leg. Set aside.

Start heating the olive oil and 1/2 of the butter in the bottom of your pan for braising. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot (but not smoking hot), add the leg to the pan. Brown on all sides for 5-6 minutes and then remove the leg from the pot and set aside. You will have some fond (the browned bits) coating the bottom of the pan. That’s ok, we want that to add flavor to the dish. While the pan is hot, add in the stock slowly while you are scraping up the bits of the bottom of the pan. We have just deglazed the pan.

Put the leg back into the pan- the liquid should come up about 3/4 of the way to the top of the leg. Add the other 1/2 stick of butter and bring to a light boil. Cover the pot once it has started to bubble and put into the oven.

I checked mine about every hour or so, adding a little stock if the levels started to get low. After it has been cooking for about 3 hours, let’s start to work on the vegetables. In a large skillet or sautee pan, add some olive oil. Add the vegetables in batches- we just want to begin their cooking process. Cook the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes each. If some browning occurs, that’s perfectly fine, particularly for the onions. Set the veggies aside until the lamb has cooked for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, remove the lamb from the oven. Remove the lamb from the pot. Take about 4 cups of the stock from the pot and set aside. Add in the vegetables to the pot and lay the lamb on top of them. The stock should come up about 1/2 way to the top of the leg of lamb. If not, add more FRESH stock to the pot- not the stock that was cooking in the pot. Return the pot to the oven and cook for 1 hour more.

While the lamb and veggies are cooking, lets start reducing down the stock that we took out of the pot. Add it to a sauce pan and put it over medium head. Reduce until it is at 1/2 of the original volume. This should take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. While it is reducing, take out a small bowl and add the 3 tablespoons of flour. Add to it 3 tablespoons of water and mix well with a fork. This is called a slurry. Add the slurry to the hot, reduced stock while stirring. We just made a delicious gravy. Nice work.

Okay, so the lamb should be done now. Remove it from the oven and remove it from the pot. Set aside and cover with aluminum foil. With a slotted spoon, remove all the veggies from the pot. Add them to either a bowl if you are using an immersion blender or into the blender. Start to blend until pureed. If you need to add stock from the pot to thin out a little bit, rock on! It should have a thick consistency though.

Next up, spoon some of the veggie sauce into the bottom of a bowl, then using tongs take some of the lamb (it will be fork tender- no knife needed) and place on top. Pour over some of the gravy and enjoy! We had this with a delicious Barolo. Hope that you love it too!

Enjoy.

Succulent lamb with a veggie puree and reduced gravy. Mmm... good.

Comments { 1 }

Recipe: Goat Cheese Pasta with Arugula & Cherry Tomatoes (Vegetarian!)

By The Chubby Cook on February 28, 2011 in Dinner, Pasta, Vegetarian

This recipe is a shout out to my friend Abbe down at Lucky Penny Creamery. Recently I came into a goat cheese windfall- it doesn’t happen every day of the week so I thought you might be interested in hearing about it. The long and short is that Abbe at Lucky Penny Creamery saw fit to hook me up with some fresh chèvre and feta in exchange for some gear that they could use. It made my day when I found a box full of cheese, fruit and other goodies- made me smile for the entire afternoon. What has made me smile ever since is the cheese. If you haven’t tried Lucky Penny chèvre, you are missing out. It’s creamy, smooth and has a hint of freshness on the palate that is absolutely refreshing to taste. As I have written before in my Lucky Penny blog post, I think that their feta is some of the best available in Cleveland. The people at Lucky Penny know how to make really good cheese.

How can you pass up tomatoes that look this good? Photo by Scott Groth

That being said, I now had a large amount of a perishable product on my hands. I know, tough life. I gave some to my friend Jamie and then had some other friends over to chow down on some bread and cheese. All the while, I was racking my brain for a fresh, new recipe that I could make and post up. It took me a couple days, but inspiration came to me in the last couple days. I’ve been talking to people on The Chubby Cook Facebook page about coming up with more vegetarian options, so this recipe is my response to those discussions. Believe me, there are plenty more coming, but this is a good start. For your carnivores out there, have no fear, you’ll love this dish too.

Lucky Penny fresh chèvre. Delicious. Photo by Scott Groth

With regard to the recipe, it is really quite simple. Arugula has a distinct spiciness to it that just kicks the flavors into overdrive. If you can’t find arugula, you can use baby spinach in a pinch. I would add the spinach in at the last minute though because it will wilt more than the arugula. As you can see from the pictures, I used a variety of cherry tomatoes. The colors looked incredible to me, but if you can only find red tomatoes, they will definitely work. As mentioned, I used Lucky Penny chèvre, which is smooth and creamy. Log goat cheese can be used, but if you are going to use it hold back on adding salt until after the goat cheese has been incorporated due to the typical salty nature of log goat cheese. If you want, you can add cheese at the end, but it’s really not necessary.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

1 box rotini or other pasta which will catch the sauce.
2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup goat cheese
2 cups loosely packed arugula, washed and dried
1 cup pasta water
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Get out a big pot, fill with water and start heating to cook the noodles. This dish comes together in about 8 minutes, so the noodles should be cooking before you get started with the sauce. Make sure that the pasta water is salted. Cook according to the instructions on the box. If you want, make the pasta in advance. Strain (being sure to keep 1 cup of the liquid aside) and run under cold water at the end to halt the cooking process. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, heat a 2 count of olive or canola oil over medium-high heat. Make sure that your tomatoes are dry before dumping into the oil, otherwise the spatter will go everywhere. Toss the tomatoes into the pan once it is hot. Keep the tomatoes moving around every so often in the pan- some will start to burst which is okay. Cook the tomatoes for about 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the garlic. Stir continually for 2 minutes to avoid burning.

These tomatoes are sizzling. Photo by Scott Groth

Add in the goat cheese and incorporate gently. The sauce should turn from a bright red to almost a pink color. Looks good, right? Okay, so now we add in the reserved cup of pasta water. Incorporate. Add in 1/2 of the arugula and 1/2 of the pasta. Mix gently. If it looks like you are going to be light on sauce, add in some more goat cheese and pasta water. Continue to add in the arugula and pasta. Gently mix over heat.

Add in the chèvre and gently incorporate. Photo by Scott Groth

Put everything together in the pan to let the pasta absorb flavor. Photo by Scott Groth

Serve in bowls with a good chunk of rustic bread with some of the goat cheese on it. I smeared some Kerrygold butter on my bread, but that’s just me. As a side note, there is a world of difference between Land-O-Lakes butter and Kerrygold when it comes to flavor. I wouldn’t suggest throwing Kerrygold into just anything because it is expensive, but it definitely tastes great in baked goods and on bread. Okay, back to the pasta. This dish would go great with a Malbec, although we ate ours while drinking some Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. Some nights are just beer nights. Top with some fresh arugula, cheese if you would like and enjoy!

Fresh, light and delicious. Vegetarian too. Photo by Scott Groth

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Recipe: Sautéed Mushrooms and Kielbasa in Cream Sauce over Pasta

By The Chubby Cook on February 16, 2011 in Dinner, Pasta, Sausage

It’s winter. It’s Cleveland. It’s time to make some stick to your ribs goodness in the kitchen. What could be better than some mushrooms and sausage in cream sauce? Well, there are things that might be better, but this is an inexpensive and hearty dish that the whole family (or friends) are sure to love. Well, unless you don’t eat meat. In that case, substitute leeks for the kielbasa. I made the leek version for a good friend of mine about a week ago- it was pretty darn good. Gotta support the vegetarian cause every now and again.

Okay- so why use Kielbasa over a beer brat or other type of sausage? Well, for me it was simple- the kielbasa was on special at Miles Farmers Market. Should have picked up more while I was there, but hindsight is often 20/20. No big deal. If there are regrets to be had in life, I don’t want mine to be about sausage. Anyhow, kielbasa is a favorite of mine. I like the type which is fresh, not smoked. If I was making a dish where I wanted the smoke flavor component, I might opt for the smoked sausage but certainly not for this dish. I think that the flavor would overpower the earthiness of the mushrooms and subtle sweetness from the cream. If you can’t find kielbasa, substitute fresh bratwurst. Save the Italian sausage for another day.

For the pasta, you can really choose just about anything. I had this long spiral pasta that has been hanging out in my pantry for way too much time that we used. If I had a fettuccine or linguine cut noodle, either would have worked great. For some reason a longer noodle is preferable to me for this dish. You could use a penne or rigatoni noodle if you were in a bind, but the idea just doesn’t sit well. Who knows, maybe I have a prejudice against short noodles today or something. Odd. Let’s get into this recipe-

Makes enough for 4 dinner sized servings

Ingredients for the Mushroom and Kielbasa Cream Sauce

1.5 lbs fresh kielbasa
16 ounces baby bella or crimini mushrooms, cleaned and rough chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red onion, diced
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups 1% or 2% milk
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
About 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish

1 pound of pasta

Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. When it starts boiling, add in some salt.

So, like I said, it’s winter here in Cleveland. I’ve been suffering from cold after cold, so I have opted for a grill pan rather than standing outside over my actual grill. You choose however you would like to cook the sausage and I’ll explain how it happened at my house. First thing is first, turn the oven onto 400 degrees. Take the sausage out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Heat up an oven-proof grill pan and add in a little bit of canola or vegetable oil. When the pan is hot but not smoking hot, add in the sausage. As I have said before, you’ve gotta pay attention to what is happening to the meat while it is cooking. If the oil is crackling all over the place and the meat is smoking, your heat is too high. If your pan isn’t partying at all, the heat is too low. Right in the middle is the sweet spot. After the sausage has cooked for about 6-7 minutes, flip it in the pan with tongs and toss the whole shootin match into the oven. Cook in the oven for another 6-7 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through. When it is done, remove the pan from the oven and set the sausage on a cutting board to rest for a while.

Cooking the sausage in the oven releases a lot of steam but it definitely looks good enough to eat. Photo by Scott Groth

Now is a great time to start your pasta cooking. Add to the water and cook according to the directions on the box. If using fresh pasta, now is not the time to cook it. For fresh pasta, cook after everything else is done otherwise it will turn gummy and stick together. Nobody wants gummy pasta.

While the sausage is cooking, I started to cook down the onions in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat. First, melt the butter in the pan and add just a touch of oil. Toss in the onion and shallots. Cook for about four minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Browning is cool, burning is not. Add in the mushrooms. Cook for another six to seven minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Garlic burns quickly and becomes bitter- so be careful.

Okay- so things are hot and looking good. Add in the cream. It will bubble, so make sure you are stirring. Add in about 1/2 of the milk. Reduce the temperature to medium-low. See how the sauce thickens up? Let the sauce reduce a little before adding in any more milk. Okay-
the sausage should be fully rested by now. Cut it into coins, reserving about 3 coins per dish. Toss the rest of the sausage into the sauce. Add in more milk and stir. You should have a thick, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust your salt and pepper. Taste again- when the salt level is correct, add in the lemon juice. Taste again- should taste better, right? If not, add in a touch more lemon juice- it will brighten things up.

This sauce still needs to reduce a little, but it is thickening up. Mmm... mushrooms. Photo by Scott Groth

Once the pasta is done, you have a choice on how you would like to serve it. The first option is to plate the pasta and spoon the sauce over the top. The second choice is to toss the pasta and the sauce together and then plate them. I find that with big chunks (like the sausage) it makes it difficult to toss the pasta and sauce together and have fair servings for everyone. Usually the last person gets the big daddy sausage portion. Around my house, that’s bush league. I plate the pasta and serve the sauce piping hot right on top. Then I throw the remaining sausage coins on the top, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Pair this one up with a cold brew or just about any bold wine- this dish will stand up against most beverage choices. Like with all my recipes, regardless of how you do it- I hope more than anything you enjoy it.

Pair this dish up with some fruit forward wine or a cold brew. Then dig in and enjoy! Photo by Scott Groth

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Recipe: Braised Pork Shoulder with Mustard Reduction Sauce

By The Chubby Cook on January 29, 2011 in Braised, Chubb's Recipes, Dinner, Pork

A while back, I posted up on Twitter that I was going to slow cook some pork shoulder in the oven. The response that came back was really obnoxious… people writing that at least I wasn’t calling it barbecue or asking why I would do such a thing to a good cut of pork. One person even went so far as to let me know that I wouldn’t enjoy the dish at all since it wasn’t going to be cooked over a grill. Apparently in the Twitter world, BBQ purists are very vocal. Well, all that nonsense aside, this recipe turned out really well. Good enough for me to proudly post on the site. That being said, let’s get to it.

When you are going to braise or slow cook anything, planning is really the key. You’ve got to start cooking early enough in the day for the meat to tenderize and break down through low heat cooking, otherwise you’ll end up with some tough, chewy meat. To plan for this, you need to know how much your cut of pork weighs and schedule about 45 minutes per pound. I was cooking a six pound, bone-in shoulder so I planned on about four and a half hours of cooking time. Add to that another hour to bring the meat up to room temperature, bringing the total time to about five and a half hours.

For this recipe, we are going to use a wet rub on the shoulder. This rub is more like a paste and spreads on very easily. We will be braising the shoulder in a mixture of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Only use 100% apple juice for this recipe- if you have an apple juice blend it will be too sweet. For the vinegar, I always find that Bragg’s is the best brand simply because it has the best apple flavor.

Ingredients for the wet rub:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Ingredients to braise the pork shoulder:

One 4-6 pound pork shoulder. Bone-in adds more flavor.
2 cups 100% apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for the mustard reduction:

2 cups of the cooking liquid, strained
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1 tablespoon butter

Okay, so let’s get the oven fired up to 400 degrees. Take the meat out of the fridge and pat it dry with paper towels. Spread the wet rub all over the top and sides. Allow the meat to sit on the counter for about an hour to get to room temperature.

Smear the wet rub all over the meat. Let sit to come to room temp. Photo by Scott Groth

Place the meat in a roasting pan and add in the apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. I used the heavy duty wide foil- it just seems to work better for me when using the roasting pan. Toss the roast into the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 215 degrees. We are going to cook this shoulder slow and low.

When you have cooked the shoulder for about 45 minutes per pound, take the roasting pan out of the oven. Using an instant read thermometer, check that the internal temperature is about 140 to 145 degrees. The roast will continue to cook out of the oven through carry-over cooking. Taking it to 160 or 165 will result in dried out meat. PLEASE cook the meat to your desired temperature- if you feel better cooking it to 150 or 155, do it that way. However you cook it, be sure to let the roast rest in the cooking liquid for about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Move the roast to a platter or carving board.

Let the meat rest in the juice. I had to take a little piece to try- delicious! Photo by Scott Groth

Next, we need to degrease the cooking juice. I use a gravy separator as it is the easiest means to this end. Once you have removed the fat from the cooking liquid, toss it back into the roasting pan. Place the pan on a burner, or if the pan is large enough place it on two burners. Turn the heat to medium and begin to reduce the juices. While the juices are reducing, add in the Dijon mustard.

Start to reduce the sauce over the stove. Photo by Scott Groth

When the sauce has reduced by about 1/2, add in the cream and mustard seed. You will need to stir frequently now. As soon as the sauce coats the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. You should now have a sauce which has a ton of flavor and depth.

You know the sauce is ready when it leaves trails when you stir. Photo by Scott Groth

For this particular dish, we chunked the meat rather than slicing or shredding. It was served over a bed of long grained wild rice which I cooked in chicken stock. With the rice, the delicious juicy meat and awesome pan sauce drizzled over the top, you can’t go wrong with this dish. Eat it up and enjoy!

Braised pork shoulder over wild rice. This was a pretty good dinner. Photo by Scott Groth

Comments { 9 }

Recipe: Penne with Pork Tenderloin & Tomato Sauce

By The Chubby Cook on January 26, 2011 in Braised, Dinner, Pork

This recipe brings back some memories. This is the very first recipe that I made for my wife about 10 years ago. I remember reading the recipe in GQ magazine (of all places) and thinking to myself that this would taste great- what a great dish to impress her with my cooking abilities. Well, as it turns out, the dish came out really well and I guess that it was impressive enough for her to stick with me this long! Since then, I have probably made this recipe about a dozen times. What I have learned since the first time is that it is a relatively foolproof recipe so the success should be attributed more to the recipe author than anywhere else.

The pork is braised in this recipe in wine and the puree from the canned tomatoes. Typically, I would not braise a pork tenderloin because there isn’t enough fat in the cut to stay moist. For this recipe, it works for some reason. One note: do not overcook the pork! Toward the end of the cooking process, check the temperature- I look for an interior temperature of about 140 degrees. The pork will continue to cook to with carry-over cooking while it is resting. Please be sure to cook the meat to your desired doneness.

Keep in mind that pork tenderloins come in packages of 2 for some reason. You’re going to need them both for this recipe to serve six. We’ll walk through cleaning them in the recipe. We serve this dish over pasta, but it would be equally good over some rice. Your choice. For the sauce you have a couple finishing options: leave it somewhat rustic or shoot it through a food mill. I typically leave the sauce as is- it is just so tasty there isn’t much that needs to be done to it. Let’s jump in!

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin package- about 2.5 lbs
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium or 2 large yellow or white onions, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
1 can whole Italian plum tomatoes
1 box penne pasta
Parmesan cheese for grating

Butcher’s twine for the loins.

Okay- let’s get the oven set to 300 degrees. While it is heating up, take the tenderloins out of the package. The first thing to do is pat them dry with paper towels. With a boning or utility knife, cut off any fat that’s just hanging out. Then find the silver skin. This is the part of the tenderloin that looks white and shiny. If you don’t take this out, it will be really chewy. What we are going to do is lay the tenderloin on the cutting board with the silver skin on the top and facing the right side of the board. About an inch from the right side of the loin, slip the tip of your knife under the silver skin. With your left hand holding the tenderloin, use the other to cut under the silver skin out the right side of the loin. Now turn the loin over so the silver skin is still on the top but facing the left side of your cutting board. Use the part you just cut as a flap to hold onto with your left hand. Put your knife blade under the flap and cut the remainder of the silver skin out. Ok- hopefully that went well. Repeat on the other loin. When you are done, make a 1 inch deep cut down the length of both loins. **See Note**

Next, mash the garlic and parsley together to make a paste. I used the side of my knife blade, dragging it and pressing down across my cutting board smashing the garlic and parsley together. If this seems extreme to you, use a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, really finely chop the garlic and parsley together. Take the paste and divide in two equal portions. Use one portion per loin and pack the cut you made with the paste. Next, tie the loins with butcher’s twine. **See Note**

Finely chop the parsley and garlic together. Photo by Scott Groth

Then mash them together to make a paste. Photo by Scott Groth

**Note** If you are not comfortable using butcher’s twine, you can make four or five incisions down the length of each loin and simply pack them up with the paste. I like the flavor to be uniform throughout the loin, so I use the twine. When I first started cooking this dish, I made the incisions.

Okay, whether you wrapped the loin in twine or made incisions, it’s time to season the loins. Liberally coat with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Take out a large skillet or dutch oven and heat over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 of the olive oil. When the pan is hot, reduce to medium-high heat, add the loins and brown on all sides. When the loins are browned, remove from the pan and set aside in a 9X13 baking dish.

Cut along the pork and pack with the paste. Photo by Scott Groth

Tie up the pork with some twine and then season the loins. Photo by Scott Groth

Add the onions and carrots to the pan. Sauté for seven minutes over medium heat. Add the oregano, basil, red-pepper flakes, wine and tomatoes. Simmer for ten minutes, breaking up the tomatoes as they cook. Pour the tomato mixture over the loins in the baking dish. Cover with foil and toss into the oven for about 2 hours.

Something to keep in mind is that the pork can easily overcook if you don’t have the pasta ready. After an hour and a half, I start the water for the pasta (I know that my pasta pot takes about 20 minutes to come to a boil- you will need to adjust the time for your pot). Take out a large pot and fill with water. When it has come to a boil, add in a good amount of salt. Wait until it returns to a hard boil and then add in the pasta. Cook to the desired tenderness. Drain and set aside.

Take the pork out of the oven and check that it has achieved the appropriate internal temperature. They say that 165 is appropriate, but I find that the meat is completely dry and devoid of all flavor at that temperature. I cook mine to 140 and let it carry-over cook for about seven minutes while it rests (PLEASE cook the meat to your level of preference). Remember to let the meat rest in the braising liquid. After the meat has rested, remove from the braising liquid. Remove the twine (if used) and slice the pork.

I serve this dish in bowls because the sauce is a little bit thin if you don’t run it through a food mill. Toss some of the pasta in a bowl and top with a scoop of the tomato sauce. Top with a couple slices of the pork and a touch more sauce. Finish with some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley. Serve with a nice Italian wine: a Barolo or a Chianti work great with this dish. Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Mmm... doesn't that look good? Penne pasta with pork tenderloin and tomato sauce. Yumm. Photo by Scott Groth

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Recipe: Pan roasted sausage, caramelized onions and chive mashers

By The Chubby Cook on December 6, 2010 in Dinner, Fall / Winter, Potato, Roasted, Sausage, Sides

There have been a lot of potatoes in my life recently. I attribute it mainly to the season change- when it gets cold out it is time to whip up some mean taters. So tonight I was looking through the pantry thinking about making a risotto for dinner when Caroline says that she would like some bratwurst and mashed potatoes. Well, okay then. Risotto tomorrow night.

Originally I was thinking about grilling the brats and serving them in some hoagie buns, topping with the mashed potatoes and calling it a night. The problem is that there is a snowstorm going on outside and I’m just not interested in braving the elements. Instead, I sliced them on the bias and pan roasted them over relatively low heat. Just enough sizzle to know they are cooking. I figured that some caramelized onions would do the trick to punch up the flavor a lot, so I got those going as well.

Potatoes were the last thing on my mind. I had some chives left over from a yogurt dip that we took to a birthday party on Friday, so I figured that was probably good enough. A little butter, some cream and chives would give the dish that degree of freshness that it needed. Sausage and caramelized onions are heavy on flavor and on the palate in general- the chives would give a blast of herb magic to the dish. This recipe is really easy so you can make it any night of the week.

Makes enough for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1 package Johnsonville (no kidding) Bratwurst, sliced on the bias into coins
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
1/2 cup cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup reserved cooking water
4 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

This dish kinda comes together from all directions right about the same time so it is important to start specific things earlier than others. The first thing to start on is the onions because they are going to take the longest. Take a pan out that has a tight fitting lid and turn the burner on medium-high. Melt the butter and add one tablespoon of oil. When the pan and butter are hot, add the onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cover the pan and don’t open it for at least five minutes. Listen to the pan- if you hear tons of sizzle, turn the heat down a little bit. If you don’t hear any, turn the heat up. You’re going to be cooking these onions for about 30 minutes, so have patience. Just about every 5 minutes or so, stir the onions and be sure to cover the pan every time. Pay attention to the heat in the pan- you don’t want them to burn.

Put the onions in the pan, cover and leave em alone for a while. Photo by Scott Groth

After about 7 minutes of cooking- time to stir a little. Cover and keep cooking slow and low. Photo by Scott Groth

After the onions have started, get a stock pot out and fill with water. Cover the pot and set over high heat. While you are waiting for the water to boil, take out a large skillet and put it on a burner over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, layer the pan with the sausage. If the pan is too hot, reduce the heat- it should just be sizzling, not burning the meat. Cook for about four minutes a side, then flip. When they are done, move them to a plate that is covered with paper towels to absorb some of the grease. Set aside.

Back to the water: when it comes to a boil, salt the water pretty heavily. When it comes back to a boil, add in the potatoes carefully. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until fork tender. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Strain the potatoes in a colander. Next, put the potatoes back into the pan and turn over medium heat. Cook off some of the moisture for about a minute or two. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the butter and cream (or milk if you want). Mash around. Add in some cooking liquid if they look dry. When you have the desired consistency, give them a taste. Add in salt and pepper as needed. Toss in the chives and stir with a spoon.

Okay- so the onions should be fairly caramelized by this point. Reduce the heat to low and uncover. Cook for another 5 minutes and they should be ready to serve.

These are what they should look like around 20 minutes or so. Starting to caramelize nicely. Keep em covered up. Photo by Scott Groth

When your onions look like this, it's time to uncover and cook for a couple more minutes. Photo by Scott Groth

So I thought tonight that we would have some upscale comfort food. I hit the plate with a dollop of ballpark mustard and spread it out with the backside of the spoon. Next up is a healthy serving of the potatoes, topped with some of the caramelized onions. I stacked some of the roasted sausage coins on top and hit it again with some onions. Nobody said that comfort food can’t have a little style. Tonight we enjoyed the dish with some Anchor Steam Christmas Ale 2010. All around, it was a really good dinner. Enjoy!

So this is it- some pan roasted sausage with caramelized onions over a bed of chive mashers. Mustard tastes good with this dish. Photo by Scott Groth

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Recipe: Meat Ragout prepared with Homemade Vodka Sauce

By The Chubby Cook on December 5, 2010 in Beef, Dinner, Pasta, Veal

I’m a sucker for vodka sauce. I find that vodka sauce has a more mellow, rounded flavor than marinara sauce. In my experience, vodka sauce is pale pink in color and chock full of flavor. I know that you can buy it in the store in a jar, but what fun is that? This recipe is relatively straightforward and will result in a sauce that is light tasting with a subtle sweetness that just pairs perfectly with the veal and beef in the ragout.

The idea to make the vodka sauce came to me while in the grocery store (which is where almost all my recipes are hatched), but there was one problem: I’ve never made a vodka sauce before. Seems like the story of my blogging career. So, I headed over to the jarred pasta sauce aisle and started reading the ingredient labels of all the vodka sauces they had. You will know I was there because all the jars are rotated ingredient side out. It seemed simple enough- tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, spices and vodka. I decided that I would pick up a red pepper as well and some veal and beef to make more of a hearty ragout than just a sauce.

To build some depth into the sauce, I used some anchovy paste. Some of you might be reading this thinking that it sounds gross, but it is a great way to build flavor into a dish and add a salt component. Believe me, you’ll never taste the anchovies- they are just working in the background to help out the dish. Buy the paste in a tube- it’ll last just about forever in the fridge.

We served this meal with some of my fresh French Bread with some black truffle butter slathered on top. That’s just naughty.

Makes enough sauce and pasta for 8 people.

Ingredients:

2 lbs pasta (I picked up these huge elbows that looked as though they would hold the sauce well)
1 red pepper
1 Spanish onion, peeled and small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb 85/15 ground beef
1 lb ground veal
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup vodka
2 cans whole, peeled tomatoes in puree (28 ounce)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1 heaping teaspoon of dried oregano
1 heaping teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper

So to get ready for this recipe, let’s simply get everything together first. Get out a big stock pot and fill it with water. Set it on the stove so it is ready to go. Open the cans of tomato sauce and paste. Dice and mince the onion and garlic. Turn on a burner (if they are gas) and place the red pepper right on the burner. It’s ok if the skin gets black. If you don’t have a gas burner, you can use a torch or roast the pepper in an oven at 425 for about 20 minutes. When the skin is blistered or blackened, place it in a paper bag, close the top and set aside.

This pepper just started getting charred. Use tongs to rotate around the flame. Photo by Scott Groth

Take out a large sauce pan and put it over medium high heat. Add in a tablespoon of oil and when the oil is hot, add in the onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about six to seven minutes. We want to sweat the onion, not brown it. Toss in the garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn. Using a silicon spatula to get all the stragglers, remove the onion and garlic from the pan and put into a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the pan again and add in one tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add in half of the beef. Let it brown a little and then add in the second half. If you add it all in at once, the pan will lose too much heat and your meat will turn gray. Cook the meat until it is done and place it in a separate bowl from the onions and garlic. Repeat this process with the veal, adding it to the bowl with the cooked beef. Set aside.

Return the pan to the burner and bring it back up to temperature. We are going to deglaze the pan with the vodka, so make sure that you are not pouring right out of the bottle. Put it in a measuring cup. When the pan is hot, for safety sake, turn off the burner. Pour in the vodka and then turn the burner back on. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the vodka simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

Tomatoes, pastes and spices just added- see how thin the sauce starts off. Photo by Scott Groth

Carefully pour in the cans of whole tomatoes. Stir to incorporate. Next, add in the tomato paste and anchovy paste. Stir to incorporate. Add in all the dried herbs, stirring. Lastly, add in the cooked onions and garlic. This needs to simmer for about 30 minutes. Please note: we did not add in the cooked meat here- we are going to process the sauce in a blender.

While the sauce is simmering, let’s take the pepper out of the bag. Using a spoon or the backside of a knife, remove the charred skins. Carefully open the pepper and remove the seeds and stem. Cut the pepper in half, keeping one half out to use in the sauce and one half can be refrigerated for some other use. Place the half pepper we will be using into the blender.

The tomatoes are broken down and the sauce has thickened. This is ready to blend. Photo by Scott Groth

As the sauce simmers, you can start to break down the tomatoes a little bit. We want to reduce the sauce to a nice consistency before we blend it. When you have about 15 minutes left before the sauce is done, cover the stock pot and turn the heat to high. Bring the water to a boil. Once the sauce is ready to be blended, heavily salt the water for the pasta and add in the pasta you have purchased.

So the pasta is cooking away and you are going to carefully spoon the vodka sauce into the blender. Please note that I have removed the center of the blender lid and have a paper towel over the hole. When you blend hot liquid, it creates steam which will pop off the lid if it is not vented properly! If your blender isn’t big enough and you have to work in batches, that’s ok. Blend the sauce on high- it will turn from a deep red to a light pink in the blender- check out the picture below. We have incorporated a ton of air into the sauce which has lightened the color. Pretty cool. When all the sauce has been blended, return it to the pan over low heat. Add in the cooked beef and veal and stir for a while to bring the temperature back up. Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate.

Check out how different the top and bottom look. Incorporating air through blending changes the color drastically. Photo by Scott Groth

The pasta should be cooked- drain it into a colander- make sure to shake it around to get most of the moisture off. Toss it back in the pot and add in about a cup or two of the sauce. Mix around in the pot. This is an important step as the pasta will absorb a ton of flavor while it is sitting in the pot.

Take out a bunch of bowls and portion out the pasta. Ladle a great big helping of the sauce over the top and garnish with some shaved Parmesan or Asiago and some chopped parsley. Serve with a side of crunchy bread and a nice Italian wine. That’s it. We’re ready to eat. Buon appetito! Salute!

Yumm. Chunky, meaty ragout with a rich vodka sauce and fresh bread. Delicious. Photo by Scott Groth

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Braised Lamb Shanks with White Bean Puree

By The Chubby Cook on November 27, 2010 in Braised, Dinner, Fall / Winter, Lamb, Sides, Slow Cooked

For the second year, we decided as a family to have a non-traditional meal at Thanksgiving. Last year we threw down some incredible food that would be hard to top. This year, the food had a depth of flavor that set us all reeling. Truly a special meal. The overall dinner was six courses and ran for about six hours from start to finish. Plenty of food, wine and laughter throughout the day which left us all a little sleepy and content. Nobody was overstuffed, just to the right level. Who knows what next year will bring!

The recipe for the braised lamb shanks and white bean puree is based on a recipe from John Fischer & Lou Jone’s book Bistros and Brasseries. The recipe looked so good that I followed it fairly closely, with a few changes made along the way to suit my taste preferences. Overall, this was some of the best lamb that I have ever eaten. Chock full of flavor, perfectly tender and delicious- this should be a recipe that you give a try sooner rather than later.

The recipe called for six lamb foreshanks to serve six people. Let me tell you, that’s a lot of food per person AND lamb foreshanks aren’t as easy to come across as you might think. I lucked out at the West Side Market, hitting Foster’s meats right when they had two lambs freshly broken down. I asked if I could order the two additional that I needed from them and the butcher said that it might be a week or more before he would have any available. We discussed my options and decided that two pounds of lamb shoulder would work extremely well for the braise. The reason I chose shoulder was due to the higher fat content. The lamb foreshanks don’t naturally have a high meat to fat ratio, so they might have dried out. The shoulder imparts its fat into the braising liquid and it was absolutely delicious. Next time, I might just get lamb shoulder for this recipe- it was outstanding on its own.

Lamb foreshanks. Ready to be seasoned and browned. Photo by Scott Groth

For this recipe, it is best to use homemade stocks. The depth of flavor will really shine through. If using boxed stocks, make sure that you use low sodium or no sodium stocks. It’s always better to add your own salt in- that way you know how much is going into the recipe.

Makes enough for six really hungry people or eight people with normal portion sizes.

Ingredients for the Braised Lamb Shanks:

4-6 lamb foreshanks. If you get 4, buy 2 pounds of lamb shoulder.
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
3 ribs celery, diced
2 washed carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
5 full fresh thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons loose fresh rosemary
12-15 peppercorns
5 anchovy fillets
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
3 cups red wine
1.5 cups white wine (dry)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup veal demi-glace or 2 cups veal stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water

Ingredients for the While Bean Puree:

2 cups dried cannellini beans
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 large white onion, diced fine
1 carrot, diced fine
2 celery ribs, diced fine
3 garlic cloves, smashed
4 full fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil

Okay, so there’s some prep work that needs to be done the night before cooking. Take the beans and pour them in a bowl. Add 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Cover and place in the fridge to rehydrate the beans.

The lamb shanks should take about an hour to prep and four hours to cook, so work back from the time you need them finished to know when to start cooking. I started at 9A for a 2P service. But, I took the shanks and shoulder out at 8A and coated them liberally with salt, pepper and olive oil. I wanted the seasoning to start to penetrate the meat and to bring the meat to room temp. You also have to look at the amount of meat being cooked. The shanks take up a lot of room, so if you need more than one pot be sure that you are prepared. I needed two pots so I borrowed one and split the recipe 2/3 and 1/3 between the large and small pot (approximations came into play on some items).

Turn the oven on when you are ready to start cooking to 325 degrees. Take out a large cast iron dutch oven or other similar cooking vessel. Put it over high heat on the stove and add about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the shanks on all sides, but do not crowd the pot- you won’t get browning but instead you will get gray, boiled looking meat. I browned 2 at a time and placed them on a platter as they were finished in the pan. Once they are all brown, toss in the shallot, onion, carrot and celery into the pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir for about 10 minutes until they are soft.

Season the lamb shanks and brown in your dutch oven. Photo by Scott Groth

Add in the tomato paste and stir for about 3 minutes to incorporate. Add in the rosemary, thyme, garlic, anchovies, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down if you are getting some fond (buildup) on the bottom of the pot. You don’t want the tomato paste to burn.

Add in the wine (both red and white) and the vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pot and crank the heat to high while stirring. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Add in the stock (veal and chicken), the cup of water and the sugar. Stir until simmering. Add the meat back into the pot and cover. Toss into the oven for 1 hour covered. After the hour, remove the lid and rotate the meat every 1/2 hour. You want the meat to constantly be hydrated.

The meat should be falling off the bone when it is cooked. Photo by Scott Groth

With about two and a half hours left on the meat, start to work on the white bean puree. Drain the beans. Add them to a large saucepan or stock pot. Add in the smashed garlic, carrot, celery, onion, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf and six cups of the stock. Bring the pan to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add in salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 hours or until the beans are soft and have absorbed the liquid.

These beans are ready for blending. All the stock has been absorbed. Photo by Scott Groth

Once the beans have absorbed the liquid, take them off the heat. Pick out the thyme stalks and bay leaf. Take 1/2 the batch and dump into a blender. If you use the whole batch, it will be too thick to blend properly. Pour in 1/2 of the cream and 1/2 of the garlic. Blend on high. Drizzle in the oil to incorporate. Pour out into the sauce pan. Repeat process with the remaining beans. Right before service, fold in the parsley.

Blend the beans to a creamy consistency. Photo by Scott Groth

The beans should be done right about the time it’s time to take the lamb out of the oven. Remove the lamb from the dutch oven and place on a platter. Cover lightly with foil to keep warm. Take out a mixing bowl and place a fine mesh sieve inside it. Ladle out the liquid and solids from the bottom of the pan into the sieve. With a rubber spatula, lightly move the solids around to extract their liquid as well. If you have a fat separator, pour the liquid from the bowl into the separator. If you don’t, skim the orange looking oil from the top of the strained pan juices in the bowl. Take the remaining pan juice and put into a sauce pan or skillet. Place over medium-high heat and reduce for about 10 minutes.

Plate some of the white bean puree and top with a shank or piece of shoulder. Pour the reduced pan juice over the entire shootin match. Dig in. Smile. Enjoy. Repeat.

Braised lamb on white bean puree, covered with jus. Outstanding. Photo by Scott Groth

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Steakhouse at Home: Seared Dry Aged Strip Steak with Cheesy Redskin Mashers and Bacon Croutons

By The Chubby Cook on November 23, 2010 in Beef, Dinner, Fall / Winter, Grilled, Potato, Sides, Tailgating

The reason to head to the steakhouse is simple: they have access to higher quality meat and cook it at higher temperatures to lock in all the flavors. I firmly believed this mantra until last week when we hit the Market District in Pittsburgh. What an incredible grocery store. It’s gigantic and has just about everything in it that you could imagine. The seafood department had conch, fresh squid, probably six different types of clams, mussels and oysters. I’ve never seen oysters at my grocery store. The meat department had venison, elk, python, quail and so many other things that it was truly overwhelming. The most important thing they have, and why I made the hour and twenty minute drive to this store, is dry aged beef.

Basically, at most grocery stores there are three types of beef to choose from. The first, and best, is known as USDA Prime steak. This cut of beef has the highest degree of marbling and is typically more tender and flavorful than the other cuts of beef. Any high-end steakhouse will be serving USDA Prime, yet only about 2% of all beef can be labeled as Prime. The only cuts of beef with higher fat content sold in the United States are a high quality Wagyu beef. But buyer beware; some Wagyu beef is of lower quality than Prime, but it is still sold at premium prices due to the Wagyu label. The best way to tell between the lower quality and higher quality Wagyu is the marbling – the higher quality will be excessively marbled. The second best is USDA Choice- this cut has less marbling and less flavor than Prime. It’s still a pretty good cut of beef and costs much less than Prime. The lowest grade available at most groceries is USDA Select. This has even less marbling and is a tougher grade of meat. Great for braising, stewing or other slow cooking methods.

This grocery had USDA Prime dry aged. There were two cuts available the day we were there: strip and Delmonico. The Delmonico’s were massive steaks and although they looked good, my eyes were glued on the strip steaks. The marbling was like snow flakes on the surface of the meat. I knew that I would try to sear these at a very high temperature and finish them with blue cheese before I had even bought them. Look at the meat- it’s incredible. For the rub, it is simple: salt and pepper. They’re sitting in some high quality olive oil in the picture while they await their debut on my grill.

Really well marbled strip steaks with salt, pepper and good quality olive oil. Photo by Scott Groth

See, what dry aging does is allow the natural juices to evaporate from the cut of beef, resulting in more concentrated flavors. A secondary, but very important process also occurs during dry aging: the enzymes begin to break down the meat resulting in a more tender steak. Ever had a steak that seemed to melt in your mouth? Probably dry aged. The dry aging process can only occur with Prime or Choice cuts of beef because the meat needs to have even fat content throughout the cut. The entire process imparts a robust and richly beefy flavor. Awesome.

Okay, so we needed a side with these steaks that would be really flavorful. The last thing you want is to have a really tasty steak and wimpy taters. Smashed redskins mixed with sour cream and colby jack cheese sounded like a great start. Caroline said that it needed something else and pointed to the massive slab of bacon we bought that morning at the West Side Market. She suggested lardon and I said that it needed bacon croutons. Some might argue they are the same, but I say that these jumbo, crispy bacon bites are bigger than lardon and should be categorized as croutons.

Slab bacon with two huge pieces for the bacon croutons. Photo by Scott Groth

Here we go: Makes enough for 4 people

Ingredients:

4 strip steaks (dry aged if you can find them) Prime or Choice cut
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
High quality olive oil
Blue Cheese- slices or crumbles

15 red skin potatoes, washed and quartered
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
Thick cut bacon (or slab bacon) cut into 1/4 inch pieces

To start, there are some things we need to do first. Get the steaks out of the fridge to come to room temp and hit the grill up for all its got. Crank it on high for at least 30 minutes- you want to get that grate as hot as possible. While the steaks are coming to room temp, they should be seasoned with a good amount of salt and pepper. I take the back of a spoon and rub the seasoning into the meat. You can use your fingers as well, but for some reason it just seems to work better for me with a spoon. Cover all sides. Then pour some olive oil over the steaks, making sure all sides are oiled. Let these sit.

Some giant bacon croutons- sooo tasty. Photo by Scott Groth

Bring some water to a boil. Salt the water fairly heavily after it has come to a boil- the potatoes will absorb the salt (giving the dish greater depth) and you probably won’t need more later. While the potatoes are cooking, let’s brown up some bacon. Take a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cooking over high heat may result in scorching- cooking over medium will render out some of the fat and result in really brown, crispy bacon. When it is cooked, carefully remove from the pan and set on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside until needed.

Dry the potatoes after cooking in the pan- stir to avoid sticking. Photo by Scott Groth

When the potatoes are fork tender, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest. Return the potatoes to the pan they were cooked in and put them over medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Drying the potatoes out will result in a better tasting tater. After a minute or two, drop in the butter and stir until melted. Take the potatoes off the heat and add in the sour cream and cheese. I smashed them with the back of a spoon since the skins were still on and it would have clogged my masher. If the potatoes look too thick, add in some of the reserved cooking liquid. Adjust the seasoning to your preference. Cover the potatoes to keep warm until the steaks are done.

Toss in the sour cream and cheese- mash with the back of a big spoon. Photo by Scott Groth

Okay, so the grill should be super hot by now. Turn one side off and leave the other side on high heat. Quickly put the steaks on the side with the burners off and close the lid to prevent massive heat loss. These steaks have enough fat content to cause flair-ups on almost any grill, so putting them over no flame will prevent this expensive cut of beef from being badly charred. Flip a couple times with tongs- never poke your meat, it lets the juices out. Cook until the desired temperature has been achieved. Bring the meat inside and let it rest on the counter, covered in foil, for about five minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak.

Torch the blue cheese- I love using the torch. Photo by Scott Groth

Toss the blue cheese on top of the steaks and fire up the blow torch. You could melt the cheese on the grill, but I find that usually there is a loss of cheese or singeing of hair from my hands when operating at these high temperatures. Plus, blow torches are just fun to use. Melt the cheese, plate the taters and top with some of the bacon croutons. If I had chives, they would have gone into or onto these potatoes. Alas, they weren’t in my fridge but they would have tasted pretty good. Another option if you don’t like blue cheese is to slice some Boursin cheese on top instead. Either way, it’s sure to taste delicious. Pour some tasty wine and enjoy your meal!

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (mac n cheese) recipe

By The Chubby Cook on November 22, 2010 in Baked Dinner, Dinner, Pasta

Unless you’re lactose intolerant, we’ve all had some really good mac n’ cheese at one point or another- right? Hopefully. My first really good macaroni n cheese was at Michael Symon’s Lola restaurant when it was still in Tremont. One of my friends, Hollis, insisted that we give it a shot because it was simply delicious. When I was looking at the menu I thought that it had better be for fifteen bucks. It was worth the money and the drive to Tremont. That has to have been ten or twelve years ago now and since then I’ve had a few good versions of this old standby.

The easiest recipe is to microwave some Stouffers Macaroni and Cheese. Although it’s commercially made, it’s pretty good in a pinch. I stay away from any boxed version- that orange powder just gives me the willies. If you’ve got a few extra minutes and a desire to make some really good homemade mac and cheese then this is your lucky day cause that’s what we’re going to be doing. It’s not a hard recipe so stick around.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, why not talk about cheese for a minute. There are so many kinds out there that picking the right kind can be a really daunting task. Let’s start at square one: velveeta is not cheese. Now that that is settled, head to your local grocery store and check out the packed up cheese case. Find the one that has the fresh goat cheese, not the one with the cottage cheese. The cheeses that you find with the cottage cheese are less expensive, but they will be really oily when used in cooking. The ones in the actual cheese case should have a lower oil content which will help to prevent your mac n cheese from breaking. I’m writing macaroni n cheese all different ways because people refer to it so differently. Trying to appeal to the masses

Many of the better grocery stores have someone who is in charge of the cheese case. The best thing to do is ask them for their 3 cheese options for a homemade mac and cheese recipe. Everyone will say something different and have good reason behind their suggestion. Be sure to ask questions- about the sharpness, how the cheese melts and if it becomes oily and breaks easily. I chose 2 hard cheeses and one soft cheese for this recipe. You can choose to do any combination- I made a cheesy mac one time with nine different cheeses. Something gets lost in translation with that many, but you can really do whatever you would like for this recipe. Let’s get cheesy.

Makes enough for 8 large servings of cheese-o-rific macaroni.

Ingredients for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese:

1.5 lbs dried Conchiglie (large elbow noodles)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups 1% or 2% milk
1.5 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar (I used Middlefield) plus 1 cup held separate
2 cups Fontal Valle Alpina (white, mild melting cheese) plus 1 cup held separate
1/2 cup cubed Port Salut (soft, white cheese- sooo good)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Ingredients for the Crunchy Topping:

2 large shallots, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (loose, not chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (loose, not chopped)
9 slices of baguette, about 1/3 inch thick on the bias
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

So where to start with all this good stuff. First, get a large pot of water starting to heat on the stove- cover the pot so it heats more quickly over high heat. Kick the oven into gear at 350 degrees. Toss the baguette into the oven while it is heating- bake them for about 20 minutes or until crisp. We’re going to use these for our fresh bread crumbs. By the time the bread is toasted, the water should be at a boil. Heavily salt the water and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente. Do not overcook- it’s going to be cooked again in the oven. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and then strain the pasta. Cool under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Toasted baguette and herbs ready to be pulverized Cuisinart style. Photo by Scott Groth

Okay then, onto the crunchy topping. Take out your food processor and put the toasted baguette, rosemary and thyme inside. Obliterate until you have herb bread crumbs. Just let this sit. Next, mince the shallots and garlic but keep separate from one another. Take out a medium sized sauté pan- it’s going to be too big for the time being but you will need the size later. Add in the butter and heat over medium-high heat. We’re going to brown the butter, so when some white stuff gathers near the top, it’s time to toss in the shallots. Once the shallots are in the pan, stir frequently, for about 4 minutes. Toss in the garlic, stir frequently to avoid burning, and cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the bread crumbs and mix around. Stir for about a minute off the heat to prevent burning. Set the crunchy topping aside.

Brown butter breadcrumbs... aka: Crunchy Topping. Photo by Scott Groth

For the actual cheese part of this recipe, I used a wide sauce pan that looked large enough to hold all the macaroni. You’re going to need to stir a lot during this part (we’re making a roux), so make sure you can get to the entire bottom of the pan. Make sure that you have your ingredients ready to go into the pot because this part goes pretty quickly. Mix the pepper flakes, cayenne and nutmeg into the flour now.

Stir the roux until it thickens. Photo by Scott Groth

First, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Then add in the flour. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes- you want to cook some of the flour taste out but not brown the roux. This next part needs lots of stirring- add in the milk. Stir! Add in the cream. Stir! You should have had some bubbling going on and angry looking roux. Reduce the heat and continue to stir for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Start to add in the cheddar first. Stir to incorporate. Next in, the white melting cheese. Stir to incorporate. Lasty, the Port Salut (if using). Stir for 2-3 minutes. Give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning- add a little more salt than you think- the pasta will absorb some too.

Cheesy sauce ready for some pasta. Thick and rich. Photo by Scott Groth

Add in about 1/3 of the pasta. Stir. Repeat until all the pasta is in the pan. If it is too thick, add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin out a little. Pour 1/2 of the mac and cheese into a 9X13 baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of each reserved cheese over the top. Spread in the remaining pasta and top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the crunchy topping over the whole dish, cover with foil and pop into the oven for 45 minutes.

Should be called super cheesy mac! Photo by Scott Groth

This mac n cheese is ready for the oven. Photo by Scott Groth

Remove the foil and let cook for 5 minutes. I made the mistake of broiling, which almost burned the garlic in the topping. It’s crunchy already, so no need to broil. Take out of the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes. This mac and cheese recipe should result in a thick, super creamy and rich macaroni and cheese that will fly off the plate. Serve with some toasted baguette and a side salad with a high acid content dressing to cut through the richness of the cheesy macaroni dish. We ate the pasta first and salad second to clear the palate. However you do it, this is one recipe that’s sure to make your favorite mac and cheese list. Dig in and enjoy.

This is some good macaroni and cheese. Enjoy. Photo by Scott Groth

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