District Seazened: 2013

Entree

Fillet Mignon with Mushroom Gratin

By The SeaZENed Palate - 3:13 PM

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Entree

Easy Crawfish Etoufee

By The SeaZENed Palate - 7:08 AM

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Breakfast

Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Butter

By The SeaZENed Palate - 2:53 PM

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Sweets

Moose Munch

By The SeaZENed Palate - 8:48 AM

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Entree

Roast Chicken with Chickpea Mash

By The SeaZENed Palate - 1:10 PM

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Breakfast

Green Breakfast Shake

By The SeaZENed Palate - 11:35 AM

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Seafood

Pink Squirrel Cocktail… ok, maybe not pink

By The SeaZENed Palate - 4:55 PM

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Lunch

Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese

By The SeaZENed Palate - 12:41 PM

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Entree

Apple Cider Braised Country Ribs

By The SeaZENed Palate - 8:46 AM

If you like the flavor of of baked beans you will love this recipe. This thick and richly flavored sauce infuses the pork in such a way that you will want to keep this as a winter favorite. Serve it over mashed potatoes or my favorite creamy polenta.

The reason this is made in a Dutch oven is not only for the even cooking, but also because you must sear the meat and brown the vegetables and tomato paste. This does not work as well in non-stick pans. If you plan to use a crockpot DO NOT skip the browning. BROWN FOOD TASTES GOOD!

You’ll need to soak beans overnight. I’m using Cannellini beans because they are a softer, creamier bean but great northerns would be fine too. This recipe calls for “country-style” pork ribs which are not ribs at all, rather strips of meat that resemble the size and shape of ribs that have been cut from the shoulder. Grab some good apple cider, molasses, grainy mustard, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and tomato paste and you’re ready to get cooking.

Serves: 6-8

mise en place

2 c. dried Cannellini Beans, soaked overnight
3lb Boneless Country-Style Pork Ribs cut into 3-4 inch pieces, patted dry
1 large Onion, diced
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk Celery, diced
4 big cloves Garlic, minced
1 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp. Grainy Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar
¼ c. Molasses
¼ c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ c. Apple Cider
1 c. Chicken Stock
2 sprigs Rosemary
3 Bay Leaves
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper

directions

Liberally season the pork with kosher salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, sear the ribs on all sides, 1-2 minutes per side. If the pan gets too dry, add a little more oil. Once seared on all sides, transfer the seared pork to a platter.

Start creating the braising liquid. Add a little more oil to the Dutch oven (unless enough remains from searing the meat, you just want a thin coating). Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery along with a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium-high heat until the onion starts to color and the carrot and celery soften slightly, about 8 minutes, remember - brown food tastes good! Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits of meat that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan as you go. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Clear a spot in the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes, then stir it into the vegetables. Add the mustard, sugar, molasses, vinegar, and a good pinch of salt. Stir. Add the cider, stock, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the pork to the pan and bring to a slow, steady simmer. Simmer covered until the pork is fairly tender, about 2 hours.

Once you get the pork braising, you should cook your beans. Drain them and place in a saucepan, covered by about 1 in. cold water. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until tender, about 1½ hours. Drain. (If easier, canned beans will work too)

Add the beans to the braising pork. Add a little more salt to season the beans. Simmer together, letting the flavors meld, until the pork is very tender, another 30 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

If you have leftover meat, shred it and serve over pasta the next day.

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Entree

Sugo di Carne (Meat Sauce)

By The SeaZENed Palate - 10:22 PM

When I was looking through the freezer today for dinner inspiration and found some ground beef. The big decision next was what to make for dinner. I decided on a pasta dish after finding a carrot, celery and onions. During our conversation over breakfast my boyfriend mentioned how he practically lived on Bolognese sauce while traveling throughout Italy. He said that it was very flavorful yet it wasn't as heavy as traditional American meat sauce he had grown up with.

Sugo di Carne is a delicious meat sauce that is totally worth the 4 hours it takes for the flavors to develop.

mise en place

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 red onions, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup dry white or hearty red wine (either works great)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes with juice (San Marzano is best)

Chili flakes

1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh or dried pasta

Parmesan cheese

directions

In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

As the vegetables cook slowly, they will perfume the kitchen; this is the moment to add the meat. Turn up the flame and stir in the beef, incorporating it well into the vegetables. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and breaking up the beef with the wooden spoon, until the meat has released its water and begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan. BROWN THE BEEF! Like Anne Burell says, “Brown food tastes good!”. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes. 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the fat content of the beef.

Reduce the flame, add the wine, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook at a very low simmer for 30 minutes, until the meat starts to stick to the bottom of the pot. Discard any excess fat, if you wish.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomatoes paste and 1/4 cup water to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Cover the pot and cook at a bare simmer over a medium flame, stirring every once and a while, for 3 hours more. The sauce is done when it is dense and the liquid is well reduced; it should be well combined and thick, but not dry. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add butter and stir until disolved to round out the flavor and cut down on acidity. While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the sauce from the pot and reserve.

The sauce can be cooled, transferred to a container, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for a couple of weeks.

Cooking the Pasta

Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining sauce. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

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Entree

White Wine Chorizo and Clams

By The SeaZENed Palate - 10:11 AM

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Entree

Red Curry Mussels

By The SeaZENed Palate - 7:23 PM

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Entree

Smoked Brisket and KC Style BBQ Sauce

By The SeaZENed Palate - 3:50 PM

My boyfriend and I recently purchased a smoker and we've been having fun trying it out. Yesterday was our first attempt at smoking a brisket, which I thought was incredibly flavorful and tender. This was very scary as this was to be the main dish for Hanukkah and Paul's dad, the family patriarch, had been in charge of making the brisket for the past 20 years. Now this Shiksa comes along and wants to make their holiday brisket.

Upon arriving at the event my tension escalated as I told Paul's sister that I even brought bbq sauce for the Hanukka brisket. I'm sure they were wondering how on earth could he have allowed me to not only make the brisket, but to invade their time honored traditional family recipe by bringing bbq sauce. After all we live in Denver and not the south.

From the corner of my eye I could see Paul's sister steal a piece of the brisket and hurriedly pull him aside. I felt a bead of sweat slowly roll down the side of my head as I panicked at the thoughts of what she was saying to him. All I heard her say was, "I have a real concern…" Slowly Paul walks over to me and tells me what she said, "I have a real concern, now you have to make this brisket every year. It's fantastic! How do we tell dad?"

Brisket is known to be a tough piece of meat which needs to be braised or slow roasted. Cooking too fast will leave you with shoe leather or a few meals for your dog and this was not what I wanted to serve to m boyfriend's family.

I started by injecting the brisket with plain beef broth. You can buy a flavor or marinade injector at most stores that have a good kitchen department. I bought one at Bed Bath and Beyond for $15 and it came with two different size needles, one for thick and one for thin marinades. If you choose to do this, follow the direction of the grain. This way the needle won't leave track marks. Fill it with as much broth as you can.

mise en place
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (5 to 8 pound) beef brisket (flat cut)
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning

4 cups oak or hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes, drained. - We like a combination of woods for more flavor and used apple and hickory
3 cups apple juice
1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, for serving (recipe follows)
Start by injecting the broth into the brisket and let it sit while you prepare the rub.

directions
Special equipment: spray bottle for 1 cup apple juice
Combine all the spices in a bowl, mix well. Pat the spice rub onto the meat, making sure to heavily season the entire surface area of the brisket. Cover or wrap the brisket and let it sit at room temperature while getting the smoker or charcoal grill fired up. Do not leave at room temperature for longer than 1 hour. When the smoker or grill has reached 200 to 225 degrees F, add 1/4 of the wood chips and fill the pan with apple juice. Sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning just before putting the brisket in the smoker and close the door - When the grill has reached 200 to 225 degrees F, add 1/4 of the wood chips over the coals, close the grate, put the brisket on the grill, sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning and close the lid.
(The is grill is ready when the charcoal has burned to a white ash. If using a grill instead of a smoker, arrange the coals on 1 side of the grill, leaving an area large enough for the brisket to cook indirectly with no coals directly underneath the meat.)
Maintain a 200 to 225 degree F cooking temperature inside the smoker/grill, adding coals every 2 hours or as necessary if using grill. Add wood chips and spray the brisket with apple juice every 2 hours or every time you add new coals. Try not to open smoker/grill at any other time.
When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 170 degrees F on an instant read meat thermometer (after about 4 to 5 hours), remove it from the grill and double wrap in aluminum foil to keep the juices from leaking out. Return the brisket to the grill (or smoker) The brisket is finished cooking when it is very tender and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F, about another 1 to 2 hours. Let rest for 45 minutes, then unwrap and slice. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.

BBQ Sauce

mise en place
2 tablespoons chili powder1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt2 cups ketchup1/2 cup yellow mustard1/3 cup cider vinegar (1/2 cup if you like your sauce tart)1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup steak sauce1/4 cup dark molasses1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon hot sauce1 cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar works fine too)3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium cloves of garlic, minced

- Optional. If you are cooking indoors, or if your meat does not have a lot of smoke flavor, or if you just want more smoke flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
- About the vinegar. I like my sauce tart. Trust me, although it may taste tart from the bottle, it is perfect on meat. If you are not big on vinegar, cut it in half.
- About the steak sauce. There are many different brands and they all have different flavor profiles, but what we want here is the meaty depth of savoriness that they call umami, so use whatever you have on hand.
- About the oil. You may use butter or bacon fat for a bit more flavor, but keep in mind, they can get rancid with time, and they will likely shorten shelf life to about 1 week. Use a bottled vegetable oil and it can keep months.
- Secret optional ingredient. Add 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste. This exotic ingredient isn't really that exotic. It shows up on the ingredient lists of a lot of great BBQ sauces. It has a sweet citrusy flavor and really amps up a sauce. If you can't find it in a Whole Foods, an Indian or Asian grocery, it is available online.
Directions
In a small bowl, mix chili powder, black pepper, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, steak sauce, molasses, honey, hot sauce, and brown sugar.
Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the dry spices and stir for about 2 minutes to extract their oil-soluble flavors. Add the wet ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid off to thicken it a bit.

directions
Taste and adjust. Add more of anything that you want a little bit at a time. It may taste a bit vinegary at first, but that will be less obvious when you use it on meat. Strain it if you don't want the chunks of onion and garlic. I like leaving them in, they give the sauce a home-made texture. You can use it immediately, but I think it's better when aged overnight.

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Fillet Mignon with Mushroom Gratin

mushroom gratin:

fillet mignon:

Easy Crawfish Etoufee

Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Butter

Moose Munch

Roast Chicken with Chickpea Mash

Green Breakfast Shake

Pink Squirrel Cocktail… ok, maybe not pink

Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Apple Cider Braised Country Ribs

Sugo di Carne (Meat Sauce)

White Wine Chorizo and Clams

Red Curry Mussels

Smoked Brisket and KC Style BBQ Sauce

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