Beef Pastrami                                     Makes 2 pounds

Brine
2 ½ pounds bavette or boneless short ribs
1 gallon cold water
1 ½ cups kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ ounce (by weight or 4 teaspoons) pink salt (sodium nitrite)
1 tablespoon pickling spices
½ cup, packed, dark brown sugar
¼ cup honey
5 garlic cloves
To Finish
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, lightly toasted

1. Place the meat in a deep casserole dish that is just big enough to hold it.  Reserve the meat in the refrigerator while preparing the brine.
2. To make the brine combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepot and bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Place in the refrigerator and allow it to cool to 50° F. 
3. Poor the brine over the meat and use a heavy plate to keep it submerged.  Brine the meat in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 
4. Remove the meat from the brine, rinse it and then pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel.  Leave the meat uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to form a pellicle.
5. Hot smoke the meat to an internal temperature of 150° F, about three hours.  At this point the pastrami can finished immediately or refrigerated for up to three days and finished later. 
6. Combine the coriander seeds and black peppercorns in a spice grinder and coarsely grind.  Rub the mixture over the entire outside of the meat. 
7. To finish the pastrami preheat the oven to 275° F.  Place a wire roasting rack in a roasting pan with deep sides.  Fill the roasting pan with one inch of boiling water.  Place the pastrami on the rack and slowly roast the pastrami for two to three hours or until it is fork tender. 

Equipment:  Cutting board and knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, large casserole dish, large stockpot, clean kitchen towel, spice grinder, smoker, meat thermometer and a large roasting pan with a wire rack.

Pickling Spice                               Makes 1 cup
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons mustard seeds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons allspice berries
1 tablespoon ground mace
2 cinnamon sticks. Broken into small pieces
24 bay leaves, lightly crumbled
2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger

1. Lightly crush the black peppercorns, mustard and coriander seeds with the side of a chef’s knife.  In a small mixing bowl combine the toasted and crushed spices with the remaining ingredients.  Mix well and store in a plastic zip lock bag.

Equipment:  Cutting board and knife, measuring spoons, small sauté pan, small mixing bowl and a plastic zip lock bag.

In The Crust we Trust - Roasting Techniques

In the Crust we Trust

Developing a crust on a roast is extremely important.  The crust adds flavor, texture, dimension and depth.  The crust is developed by caramelizing the sugars in meat and by the Maillard reaction, a complex reaction between amino acids and sugars that produce sulphur compounds found in onions giving a more savory flavor to food.


The crust is almost always developed during the first part of the roasting process by one of two techniques:

1.       Oven searing uses the high heat of the oven (400°F to 450° F typically) to develop the golden brown crust.  Following are some searing times according to roast size:

A.      Up to 4 pounds – 20 minutes

B.      4 to 6 pounds – 30 minutes

C.      6 pounds or more – 40 minutes or more

2.       Pan searing develops the crust by cooking the meat first on the stovetop with a roasting pan, such as a sauté pan or preferably, a cast iron skillet.  The roasts are seasoned and then seared in the pan with a fat until each side of the roast is deep golden brown.  Pan searing is especially useful for developing a crust on smaller or more delicate meats, such as cote de boeuf.  I like to let the meat rest for a few minutes or even longer before finishing it in the oven.  This allows the heat to move to the center of the roast and further temper it.  Try using pan searing to develop a crust on the roast and then let it rest at room temperature while finishing other parts of the meal.  It’s a great trick to help out with timing.

Heat it up and settle it down!

It’s important to use high heat to get that beautiful golden brown crust, but if a roast is cooked at high temperatures for the entire time, the results would be dry, overcooked and chewy meat.  Therefore; it is important that once the crust is developed that the oven temperature is lowered to somewhere between 275°F to 325°F.  I prefer 300°F when finishing a roast.  So it’s high heat to develop the crust and then lower heat to gently finish cooking the roast.

Roasting 101 – Fundamentals of Roasting Meats

Chef Jeremy gets lots of questions about roasting meats so for the next few weeks, he'll cover a number of topics to help you roast meats successfully. He starts with the tools needed and then talks about tempering meats.

Tools for successful roasting

·         Oven thermometer – An oven thermometer is the only way to truly know the temperature of your oven.

·         Digital Probe thermometer – Designed to fit in the pocket, this is the best way to determine when meats are cooked to specific temperatures. 

·         Slicing knife – Slicing knives are designed to delicately carve roasted meats with accuracy and perfection. 

Tempering

Tempering roasts refers to allowing the cut of meat to come closer to room temperature before the roasting process.  Tempering a roast before cooking warms the internal temperature of the meat.  This allows the center to cook to the desired temperature without overcooking and drying out the exterior.  This important technique will help create the perfect and consistent doneness from the inside out instead of dry and chewy on the outside and raw and tough on the inside.


Next week: Jeremy will cover how to develop crusts on roasts.

Top Ten Pantry Items

Start the year off right with new items for the pantry... Jeremy Niehuss has provide his list of must-have pantry items for you.

Kosher Salt – Salt is the most important ingredient in the kitchen. Kosher salt has become an industry standard for seasoning in a professional kitchen. The grains are large, making it easier to season and control the amount of salt used. For general seasoning I prefer Red Diamond kosher salt, because they do not use chemical additives, such as anti-caking agents.


Maldon Sea Salt – Generally, as a chef I always season food as I cook, but sometimes a dish benefits from a small amount of salt just prior to serving. When I need a special salt to finish a dish, I almost always use Maldon Sea Salt. The large flakes of Maldon add a delightful crunchy texture. It is hand harvested from natural salt beds where the flakes develop their complex flavors from the minerals present. It’s this patient process that gives Maldon Sea Salt unparalleled flavor and texture.

Salt Works Black Truffle Salt – If you like black truffles, then you will love this salt. Artisan Salt Company out of Woodinville, Washington offers many different salts infused with exciting and unique flavors. Their black truffle salt is a blend of pure sea salt and Italian black truffles. Perfect sprinkled on foods like French fries, popcorn, pastas and potatoes.

Tellicherry Peppercorns – If salt is the most important ingredient in the kitchen, then peppercorns take a close second. Pepper plays an important role in seasoning savory foods, but often we don’t give a second thought about reaching for the tin of pre ground pepper. But, the truth is, much like good coffee, peppercorns loose most of their flavor once they are ground. At In Good Taste we use Tellicherry peppercorns for their rich, complex and aromatic flavor that develops because they are picked from the top of the plant where they tend to be riper and larger. Tellicherry peppercorns come from the Malabar Coast of India

Vinegars – Quality vinegar, is not only the foundation of a good vinaigrette, it also adds complexity to food by providing a balance to richness and sweetness.

La Vecchia Balsamic Vinegar – Good balsamic is expensive and bad balsamic is, well frankly, horrible. So what’s the budget minded chef to do? Use La Vecchia black cap balsamic. This balsamic vinegar is aged for 6 years giving it a slightly syrupy consistency and rich caramel flavors. La Vecchia Black Cap balsamic vinegar is perfect in vinaigrettes, marinades or for just dipping bread. Try drizzling this vinegar over grilled meats or vegetables.

Sanchez Romate Reserva Sherry Vinegar – Good sherry vinegar is the cornerstone of Spanish cuisine. With so many brands of sherry vinegar to choose from, I almost exclusively use Sanchez Romate Reserva sherry vinegar. This sherry vinegar has smooth and velvety taste with a slight caramel sweetness followed by a pleasant tart finish. This vinegar is aged for 3 years in oak barrels giving it a complexity that is unpatrolled in the world on vinegars.

Unio Moscatel Vinegar – Because this vinegar is made from the Muscat grape it has a very fruity and floral aroma with hints of nectar, blossoms and honey. The vinegar is flavor forward with a pleasant acid undertone that is not overbearing or harsh.

Beaufor French Vinegars – Beaufor is a French company that makes a full line of artisan vinegars. All of their vinegars show the flavors of the grapes used to make them and have well balanced acidity. We use Beaufor Champagne, white wine and red wine vinegars here at In Good Taste.

Unio Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an essential pantry ingredient. While there are hundreds of types and brands of olive oils on the market, I prefer Unio Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain. Unlike its spicy and often bitter Italian counterparts, Unio is a rich and buttery extra virgin olive with a fruit forward flavor.

Grapeseed Oil – Grape seed oil plays an important role in our cooking school. Its neutral flavor combined with a high smoking point makes it the best choice for vinaigrettes, pan searing, sautéing, baking and making emulsified dressings, such as aioli or Caesar. Grape seed oil is also rich in antioxidants making it a healthier choose for those health conscience cooks.

Freddy Guy’s Pure Hazelnut Oil – Cold pressed with local hazelnuts, Freddy Guy’s hazelnut oil has a clean hazelnut flavor, without any bitter flavors. Freddy Guy’s hazelnut oil is best used in simple preparations, allowing its amazing flavor to come through. Drizzled over grilled meats or added to a vinaigrette, this oil will add a whole you dynamic layer to your cooking!

Paprika (Pimenton) - Paprika is one of my favorite spices. It adds character and flavor to dishes without adding spice. Paprika, called Pimenton in Spain, is arguably the most important spice in Spanish cuisine, playing an important role in preparations including Chorizo and Paella. I am very partial to El Rey de la Vera Pimenton.

Dijon Mustard – In the pantry no one item is as versatile as good French Dijon mustard. Dijon has a clean and tart flavor that adds sharpness to foods. It also contains an important ingredient called mucilage, which is a sticky substance that helps create emulsifications, in preparations like aioli and Caesar salad dressing. Spending a little more money on a better quality Dijon is worth it. I am very partial to Fallot brand Dijon, although Beaufor makes great mustards as well.

Top Ten Cooking Tips

Just in time for the Holidays here's a gift from In Good Taste to you.  We put together 10 great cooking tips to help you in the kitchen over the holidays. 

1. Saute Technique - To help keep food from sticking always heat the pan first and then add the oil.  Heating the pan first allows the pores to open and fill with oil.  This prevents the food from getting stuck in the pores of the pan.
2. Peeling Garlic - Here's a quick way to peel garlic.  Break apart the head of garlic and put the cloves in a metal container with a lid.  A coffee can or a metal bowl with a plate over the top works great.  Shake the garlic in the container until the skins release.  Open the container and remove the peeled cloves leaving the skins behind.
3. Mise en Place - This French term means everything in its place.  Before cooking chefs prepare all their ingredients and arrange them in the order of the recipe.  Mise en place helps guide the cook through the recipe.  Mise en placing also helps ensure all ingredients have been prepped before cooking begins.
4. Timer for Baking - Always use a timer when baking.  Baked goods usually have a very small window of doneness.  Baked goods can go from perfectly baked to over cooked in a matter of 30 seconds.  Initially set the timer for 75% of the required baking time.  If more time is required continue resetting the timer for 50% of the remaining bake time.  Say a recipe calls for a cake to bake for 40 minutes.  The timer will be set for 30 minutes to start.  If after 30 minutes the cake needs more time, the timer is set for 5 minutes (1/2 of the remaining 10 minutes).  If after 5 minutes the cake needs more time, the timer is set for 2 1/2 minutes (1/2 of the remaining 5 minutes) and so on until the cake is done. 
5. Digital Thermometer - Digital thermometers are a great tool to help determine the doneness of food.  From cooking meats to temperature to cooking custards, thermometers are a necessary tool.  I prefer digital thermometers for accuracy.  If using an analog thermometer make sure it has been calibrated first.
6. Read the Recipe - Always read the entire recipe through before starting.  Look for items that need to be chopped or prepared before cooking.  Identify and gather equipment. 
7. Season in Layers - Season in layers while cooking.  Seasoning food before cooking or as it cooks helps to distribute the salt.  It also allows the food to absorb the salt seasoning ingredients from the inside out.  This brings out more flavor and helps reduce the amount of salt needed to season. 
8. Taste, Taste and Taste - Tasting is a very important part of cooking.  A good chef tastes their food from start to finish.  Tasting helps identify problems early in the cooking process and it also helps with seasoning in layers.  Tasting throughout the cooking process will help you to develop natural cooking instincts and better understand how flavors change and develop.
9. Fond = Flavor - Fond is the French term for all those bits of food left in the pan after roasting or pan roasting meats.  Fond has great flavor and should be incorporated into a sauce for the meat.  Fond can be removed from a hot pan by deglazing.  Deglaze hot pans by adding a water based liquid such as wine or stock.  Stir and scrape the bits of food into the liquid.  Make sure fond is not too brown or burnt before using it in a sauce. 
10. Use the Right Oil - Using the correct oil when cooking depends on the application.  When cooking with oil, avoid flavored or expensive oil, such as olive oil, which loses its flavor when heated.  Instead use canola or grapeseed oil.  Just make sure the oil you use for cooking has been refined for high heat or the oil may become acrid when heated.  Use extra virgin olive oil for low heat cooking or making vinaigrettes. 

For more great cooking tips sign up for our Basics of Cooking Class on Saturday, January 14 at 1:00.  This class is taught by our Executive Chef Jeremy Niehuss and covers many of the basics of cooking like a pro!

Chef's Technique - Blanching

Blanching is a food preparation process where food, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into a large quantity of boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval and finally plunged into ice water to halt the cooking process. One key to proper blanching is to quickly regain a boil after the food is added. A large quantity of water will help with this. The longer green vegetables are cooked below a boil, the more green color is lost. The blanching water should be seasoned heavily with kosher salt. This seasons the vegetables from the inside out.

Following are uses of blanching:

1.      Peeling: Blanching loosens the skin on some fruits or nuts, such as onions, tomatoes, plums, peaches or almonds.

2.      Flavor: Blanching enhances the flavor of some vegetables, such as broccoli, by releasing bitter acids stored in the cellular structure of the food.

3.      Appearance: Blanching enhances the color of some (particularly green) vegetables by releasing gases trapped in the cellular material that obscure the greenness of the chlorophyll. Since blanching is done and halted quickly, the heat does not have time to break down the chlorophyll.

4.      Blanching neutralizes bacteria and enzymes present in foods, thus delaying spoilage. Blanching is often used as a preparatory step for freezing and refrigerating vegetables.

5.      Blanching also weakens the structure of vegetables rendering them softer than their fresh state; this is beneficial for canning vegetables where the air in vegetables needs to be minimal.

Blanching Technique:

1.      Start with a large quantity of cold water. Always start with cold water. Hot water will contain traces of minerals and metals that come from the hot water tank and pipes. 1 1/2 gallons of water is generally sufficient for most home blanching.

2.      Bring the water to a rolling boil and season with Red Diamond kosher salt. Adjust the seasoning of the water by tasting it and adding salt until the salt can be tasted. I sometimes will season the water until it tastes like the ocean, which will perfectly season vegetables, but will not leave room for additional salt to be used later.

3.      Prepare ice water for shocking the vegetables after they are done cooking. Make sure you have a lot of ice in the water. A larger volume of shocking water with more ice will help to stop the cooking process quicker, keeping the vegetables from overcooking.

4.      Blanch the vegetables until they are tender and bright green. Don't worry about using a timer, but instead taste the vegetables to determine when they are done. I use a pair of tongs to pull one out. Let it cool slightly and then taste. A perfectly blanched vegetable should be tender, but still a little crisp.

5.      Immediately shock the vegetables. Only keep the vegetables in the shocking water until they are cold. Keeping them in the water for too long will cause them to become water logged.

And these are the secrets to perfectly blanched vegetables.

Traditions of Christmas

Traditions of Christmas, family friends, fun and of course food, are all elements of an exciting and festive Holiday Season.

Baking our favorite “goodies” is absolutely essential.  Each one of us has their own special favorite which stimulates memories of an especially wonderful person or event.  Of course, our families have their favorites and “musts” for the season.  Sometimes it seems as though the kitchen is the only room in the house. 

Using good quality unbleached all purpose flour, sugar, butter, fresh eggs and spices are critical.  You will taste the difference when using vanilla paste rather than vanilla extract as an example.  Freshly ground spices and toasted nuts are equally important.  You will reap the benefits in taste and praise from your family and friends.  Of course, purchase products that your budget can afford. 

Another essential element is equipment.  Sheet pans, silpats, parchment paper, mixers, sharp knives, food processors are necessary.  Also, an assortment of measuring cups, spoons, bowls need to be available.

The last element is to have a plan.  Take time to review your recipes, create shopping lists and check your pantry for items needed.  Also, research one or two new creations.  Never hurts to encourage some adventure for your palate.   Allow yourself enough time to mise en place (a French phrase defined as “everything in place” )before you start to assemble your recipe.  By measuring ingredients and placing them together you not only assure yourself that you have everything you need, but you will be amazed how much time is saved.   Allow enough time to enjoy the experience.   Be forgiving if the recipe doesn’t quite work the way your envisioned.  After all, it is only food. 

Bake some memories this year.  Invite family members and friends to join you and make some hot chocolate or mulled spice wine and enjoy one another.   This is a gift that will be remembered for years to come: a gift of sharing yourself with those who are important to you.  

Happy Holidays!!!
Sherry
(LO location)