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STEAK OUT: HOW TO FIND GREAT STEAKS BY MAIL
If beef is, as the commercials say, “what’s for dinner,”
then prime, dry-aged steaks are what’s for grilling
outdoors this summer. A great steak is also “just the
ticket” (as my father used to say) for red wine lovers,
since beef and big reds partner as naturally as Fred and
Ginger.
How do you get the best steaks? In the old days you’d
simply ask your butcher, but good butchers have become
an endangered species. Fortunately, you can now order
great steak by mail. High-end steak houses such as the
Palm, Peter Luger, and Smith & Wollensky, and premium
meat retailers like Lobel’s in Manhattan, have long
snapped up most of the finest beef. Now their steaks can
be delivered to your doorstep.
Before dialing up 1-800-GIMME STEAK, however, here are a
few guidelines. The United States Department of
Agriculture grades beef based on several factors,
primarily the amount of fat or marbling within the
muscle of the meat. The more fat, the more flavor,
tenderness, and juiciness. Prime is the highest grade
for beef, with the most fat. Less than four percent of
beef is graded prime. Meat graded choice has less
marbling than prime, though some choice beef can be
quite good. Black Angus steak is a breed that has become
increasingly popular; most of it is graded choice.
Aging is important too. There are two types of aging,
dry and wet. (See following story on dry aged beef.)
Some companies sell both dry and wet aged meat. So make
sure you specify when ordering.
What kind of steaks should you order? My favorites are
New York Strip steaks and slightly fattier rib steaks.
Because they come from more developed muscles in the
animal, these cuts have considerably more flavor than
filet mignon, especially when they remain attached to
the bone. They are not quite as tender as filets but I
find that the firmness in both steaks is more appealing
than the somewhat mushy texture of most filets.
THE TASTE TEST
I ordered and ate a variety of mail order steaks.
Of the prime, dry-aged mail-order New York strips I
tasted, my favorite was an unbelievably tender and
buttery piece of Wagyu beef from Lobel’s. Wagyu is the
same breed used in the famed Kobe beef of Japan. Lobel’s
Wagyu is raised in Australia. Lobel’s more conventional
Midwestern American sirloin finished just ahead of a
steak (also from Midwestern beef) from the Palm, the
famous steak house chain. Both were precision cut to a
thickness of about 13/4 inches and cooked up
beautifully, nicely charred outside with a beefy,
medium-rare interior. Not far behind was Allen Brothers
Midwestern steak. It was faultlessly cut at 2 inches
thick and was juicy and delicious.
One might argue that Allen Brothers lost points because,
like most mail-order steaks, it came frozen. However,
it’s hard to tell if the difference was freezing or just
the inherent nature of the meat. Many steak aficionados
insist that frozen steaks lose juiciness when defrosted.
But the Allen Brothers steak was plenty juicy, just not
quite as flavorful. Still, if I had a choice, I’d opt
for fresh steaks.
Quality dropped off with the next two I tested. Niman
Ranch in Oakland, CA sells hormone and antibiotic-free
beef from humanely treated cattle, fed longer on grass
and less in feedlots than most cattle. Instead of
grading its beef, Niman believes that the treatment and
greater maturity of its cattle provides the needed
taste. However, while the fresh sirloin I tried was
fine, it didn’t have the depth of flavor the top four
had. Omaha Steaks International, perhaps the best-known
name in mail-order steaks, was the least impressive of
my tasting. Its frozen Private Reserve Prime sirloin
(Choice is also available) was reasonably beefy but had
a chalky texture.
For a different kind of steak experience, try Pasture
Perfect, a new line of beef from the New England
Livestock Alliance, a cooperative of farms from Virginia
to Maine. Animals are entirely grass-fed (which provides
heart-healthful Omega-3 fatty acids) and sorted for
tenderness (but not graded) using ultrasound equipment.
Because different breeds are used than more conventional
cattle, cuts are smaller. The Pasture Perfect New York
strip had a rich and earthy quality. It was a bit
chewier than the top four, but still quite juicy. (For
more information on grass-fed beef, see my Tastes column
in the upcoming August issue of Wine Spectator.)
The most popular steak is the filet mignon because it is
most tender, so tender that it is rarely dry aged.
Unfortunately, because it comes from the part of the
animal that gets little muscle development, it has the
least flavor. Here again, the more robust nature of
Pasture Perfect made it stand out. Among the more
conventional filets, I’d give Lobel’s the nod—perhaps
because it was the only one dry aged—over Allen
Brothers.
If you can’t decide between a New York strip and a filet
mignon, try a Porterhouse, which contains both cuts,
separated by a bone. This is a family steak which can be
shared by two or more people. (Lobel’s Porterhouse
weighs in at 31/2 pounds.) The T-bone steak is a smaller
version of the Porterhouse. Stanley Lobel, president of
Lobel’s, also likes hanger steaks (the kind used in
steak frites) and skirt steaks (frequently used in
fajitas), both of which are extremely flavorful but
somewhat less tender.
HOW TO COOK STEAK
To make the most of your steak, remove it from its
wrapping and leave it a room temperature for one hour
before grilling. (Frozen steaks should be put in the
refrigerator 24 hours ahead to defrost.) Season it with
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper and give it a
light rub with olive oil. To get a sufficient char on
the outside while keeping the inside rare to medium
rare, strip and rib steaks should be at least 1 1/2
inches thick, which means about a pound when boneless.
Depending on the heat of an oven broiler, a 1 3/4-inch
thick medium rare New York strip should take about 15 to
17 minutes, turning once halfway through. Cooking times
may be a bit shorter with outdoor grills, so check the
steaks periodically to avoid over charring. (Most beef
experts suggest cooking to an internal temperature of
130 degrees for medium rare. The USDA recommends 150
degrees.). Steaks should rest 5 to 10 minutes before
serving.
WINE CHOICES
Cabernet Sauvignon and steak is a classic match, but the
key wine component is less varietal or even flavor, but
tannin, because tannin cuts through fat. Perhaps that’s
why I preferred a youngish St-Estèphe from Bordeaux to a
Napa Cab. I also found several other wines I enjoyed
with steak, including an earthy Argentinean Malbec, a
Super Tuscan, and, despite its low tannins, a Burgundy
from Santenay.
Sources for mail order steaks:
-
Allen Brothers, Chicago, ILL, 800-957-0111, www.allenbrothers.com
-
Lobel’s Prime Meats, New York,
NY, 877-783-4512, www.lobels.com.
-
New
England Livestock Alliance, Hardwick,
Mass. 413-477-6200,
www.nelivestockalliance.org
-
Niman Ranch Inc., Oakland,
Calif., 866-808-0340,
www.nimanranch.com
-
Omaha Steaks
International, Omaha, Neb., 800-228-9872,
www.omahasteaks.com
-
Palm, Washington, DC, 800-388-7256,
www.thepalm.com
This article first appeared in my TASTES column in the
November 15, 2002 issue of WINE SPECTATOR.
DRY AGED BEEF
The next time you’re in the mood for a really good
steak, one that grabs you by the lapels and yells
“Beef!” try this money saving tip. Instead of ordering a
medium rare slab in the dining room of a place like
Smith & Wollensky, walk into that restaurant’s meat
aging room and inhale deeply. The intense, beefy aroma
will make you feel like you just ate a two-pound rib
steak. “Smells good, doesn’t it?” says Danny Kissane,
who has been aging beef at Smith & Wollensky in New York
for 18 years. “It’s like money in the bank.”
Dry aged beef is an investment in time and money that
few steakhouses, and even fewer retail stores, are
willing make. But it pays dividends for the likes of the
Peter Luger Steakhouse (where the porterhouse steak is
so legendary, beef lovers gladly make pilgrimages to the
restaurant’s decidedly less-than-tony-Williamsburg,
Brooklyn location), Smith & Wollensky (which has five
locations nationwide and a sixth Washington, DC in
slated for July), and Lobel’s Prime Meats in Manhattan
(which the 1997 Zagat Marketplace Survey called “the
Cartier of butcher shops” for sterling quality and
14-carat prices.)
What’s so special about dry aged beef? Taste and
tenderness. “Dry aged beef has a wonderful, rich beefy
taste I associate with fine beef. It’s mellow and
intense,” says Bruce Aidells, co-author (with Denis
Kelly) of The Complete Meat Cookbook. For me, the aroma
is meatier than other beef with a whiff of game and
earth. Taste is nutty and buttery—even fatty, but in a
positive way. The texture is equally buttery.
Only a tiny amount of beef is good enough to be dry
aged. Most of it is graded prime, which is less than 4
percent of all beef. A small percentage of beef graded
choice, such as Certified Black Angus, is also dry aged.
At the slaughterhouse, steers are cut into sections like
whole ribs (from which rib steaks are cut) or whole
strip loins (from which NY strip steaks are cut) and
shipped for dry aging at places like Smith & Wollensky,
where the meat is put into refrigerated walk-in boxes
for a period of 3 to 4 weeks. The temperature is kept at
a constant 34 to 38 degrees, the humidity a steady 50 to
60 percent.
During this period two things happen. First, the meat
loses a great deal of moisture. A 20-pound whole strip
loin will lose about 20 percent of its weight, according
to Kissane. This moisture loss concentrates the flavor.
The second effect is that the enzymes in the beef break
down the muscle fibers, tenderizing the meat. When a
whole strip loin has gone through the entire dry aging
process, the outside color turns a deep mahogany. Its
texture feels like a stiffened leather saddle. It looks
more like something you’d ride on than eat. But that
crusty exterior gets trimmed dramatically, reducing the
weight of the strip loin by an additional 20 to 25
percent—another reason why dry aged meat costs so much.
When the strip loin is cut into New York strip steaks,
they look an appealing rosy red and not much different
from wet-aged steaks.
Dry aged beef was the norm until about 20 years ago when
someone got the bright idea to put beef in vacuum-sealed
plastic bags when it left the slaughterhouse. In this
hermetically sealed environment, the meat aged in its
own juices. Hence, the process became known as
wet-aging. Because it is not exposed to air, wet-aged
meat does not lose much moisture. Nor is there a thick
crust that must be heavily trimmed as with dry aged
meat. Thus, wet-aged beef is considerably cheaper, which
is why perhaps 99% of beef is wet-aged, including beef
used at many well-regarded steakhouses.
Beef tenderloin, the large tube of meat from which filet
mignon is cut, is usually not dry aged because there is
no fat covering—as there is with the strip loin—to
protect the meat from spoiling during the aging process
and because beef tenderloin is already naturally tender.
But to add more flavor to that natural tenderness,
Schaub’s Meat, Fish, and Poultry in Palo Alto, Calif.
ages its tenderloins when they are attached to (and
protected by the fat of) the larger whole loin.
Some think dry aging isn’t worth the time and expense.
“There is a whole romantic fantasy behind dry aged beef.
But dry aged beef is not higher in quality than
wet-aged. You get more juiciness from wet-aged than dry
aged (beef),” says Todd Allen Hatoff, vice president of
Allen Brothers in Chicago, which sells 99% of its beef
wet-aged and has Morton’s of Chicago and Ruth’s Chris
steakhouses as customers.
However, Aidells calls wet aging, “A crock… The meat
sits in its own juices, blood really, that doesn’t help
the flavor at all. Wet-aged beef tastes wet, not juicy.
Dry aged beef tastes succulent and concentrated.”
To find out for myself, I compared Lobel’s dry aged NY
sirloin, rib, and porterhouse steaks, and ground beef
made from dry aged chuck with wet-aged sirloin and rib
steaks and ground chuck from a Food Emporium supermarket
in Manhattan and a wet-aged porterhouse steak from
Balducci’s in Greenwich Village.
The wet-aged sirloin did, indeed, taste “wet.” The dry
aged was more buttery, fattier. It was akin to the
difference between skim and whole milk. The dry aged was
also more tender and had a more pungent aroma. This
aroma, says Hatoff, may seem to be an off odor to those
who have never had a dry aged steak. But for my money,
it’s what good beef is all about. And if you like game
meats, you’ll love this kind of beef.
The supermarket rib steak was tender and of good quality
and would normally have been perfectly fine without any
competition. But the Lobel’s rib steak was beefier and
more tender, though I saw less difference between these
two steaks than I did between the sirloins. The wet-aged
porterhouse had decent flavor but the dry aged was
richer, fattier, and more tender. A hamburger made from
the wet-aged beef seemed to dry out more quickly and had
a somewhat chalky texture. The dry aged meat was richer
and more moist.
In addition to using better meat than most of us can
get, top steakhouses have another advantage—broilers
that can reach blast furnace temperatures, up to 800
degrees at Smith & Wollensky.
(This article first appeared in my TASTES column in the
April 30, 1999 issue of WINE SPECTATOR.)
Sam's Tips for Cooking Beef Like a Steakhouse Does
To
simulate steakhouse cookery at home, I followed a method suggested
by Evan Lobel, vice president of Lobel’s. First, disconnect your
smoke alarm. Then put a cast iron skillet 5 to 6 inches from the
flame of a preheated broiler for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, season the
meat with coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly cracked pepper and
rub the seasonings gently into the meat with a little olive oil. Put
the steak into the heated skillet and cook 5 minutes on each side
for medium rare.
For a perfect
steak at home, you’ll need a piece of meat about 11/2 inches thick,
which gives you 1 to 11/4 pounds of NY sirloin strip on the bone. (I
think bone-in steaks have more flavor and juiciness.) Anything
smaller won’t give you a good crust outside to go with a medium rare
inside—let’s not even think about well-done. Porterhouse steaks will
take longer to cook because they are essentially two steaks in one,
a fillet and a strip. So the meat should be about 2 inches thick and
weigh 2 to 21/4 pounds. Invite friends.
COOKING TO BEAT THE CLOCK™: SOUTHWESTERN LONDON BROIL
ON THE GRILL
Will the Real London Broil Please Stand?
One of the pleasantries of warmer weather is the speed
and simplicity of meal preparation. And what could be
easier than steak on the grill?
If you’re in a hurry, however, forget about charcoal. It
takes too long to heat up. Even gas grills should
ideally warm up at least 15 minutes, though you can get
by with less time if you don’t mind not having a serious
crust on your steak. Don’t or can’t have a grill? Use
the oven broiler. Or, if you don’t want to heat up the
kitchen, a cast iron skillet, preferably one with ridges
to simulate the grill marks an outdoor grill makes.
As for the steak, you’ve got many possibilities. Top
loin steaks (which go under many names, like New York
strip) are wonderful, especially when you leave the bone
in for flavor and juiciness. Ditto for the rib steaks
(called rib-eye when boneless), though they aren’t quite
as tender. For my money, the most flavorful are
Porterhouse steaks, which contain the top loin as well
as part of the fillet. But these steaks can be
expensive.
For value, I’d choose a flank steak. You can’t miss this
steak in the meat case. It’s long and thin with an
obvious longitudinal grain. This grain can make the meat
tough if it isn’t cut properly. But that’s easily take
care of by cutting the cooked steak against the grain to
break down the meat’s fibers.
Flank steak is the cut originally used for the popular
London broil, which isn’t a cut of meat, as many think
but a style of preparation and cooking. Unfortunately,
butchers have made things confusing for consumers by
labeling other cuts of meat as London broil. Top round
steaks are often listed as London broil, for example.
They’re cheaper than flank steaks but not as flavorful.
They can also dry out if cooked more than medium rare.
Top sirloin steaks are sometimes called London broil.
They’re juicier, more flavorful and more expensive than
top round steaks.
Steaks for London broil are typically marinated in the
belief that marinades tenderize the meat. They don’t.
However, marinades do add flavor, though that takes a
few hours. We don’t have that time when we’re cooking to
beat the clock. So instead, I’ve used a
Southwestern-style spice rub.
Southwestern London Broil with Warm Potato
and Black Bean Salad
Two 8-ounce, red skinned potatoes
Salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional
11/2 pounds flank steak
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
One 15-ounce can black beans
1 rib celery
Half of a sweet onion such as Vidalia, about 4 ounces
1 tablespoon sliced, pickled jalapeno peppers
2 limes
1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1)Turn on the gas grill or broiler.
2)Cut the potatoes in quarters
lengthwise (do not peel). Then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide
pieces. Run the hot water tap while you put the potatoes in a
saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Barely cover with hot tap water. Put
over high heat, cover and cook 10 minutes or until barely tender,
then drain well.
3)Meanwhile, combine the cumin,
chili powder, cayenne, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and salt to taste
in a small bowl. Rub the steak with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil,
then with the spice mixture. Grill the steak over high heat on the
gas grill about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Or put the
steak 3 inches from the broiler heat source and cook for 5 to 6
minutes on each side. Remove to a cutting board. (If using a cast
iron skillet, put the skillet over high heat until hot, then cook
the steak over high heat about 5 minutes on each side.)
4)Meanwhile, open, rinse and drain
the black beans in a colander. Cut the celery rib crosswise into
thin crescents. Cut the onion into thin slices. Coarsely chop the
cilantro. Put the celery, onion, cilantro, and black beans in a
mixing bowl.
5) Mince the jalapeno. Juice the
limes. Put the jalapeno, lime juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of
olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and mix well.
6)Add the drained potatoes to the
black beans. Add the dressing. Toss well and check for salt and
pepper. Slice the steak on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Serve with the salad.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 524 calories, 40 grams
protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 25 grams fat, 7.8 grams saturated
fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 622 mg sodium.
COOKING TO BEAT THE CLOCK: DINNER FOR ONE
Ever walk into a restaurant alone and hear the maitre d’
ask, almost disapprovingly, “Just one?” A quick,
satisfying dinner at home can be equally nettlesome
because most recipes serve four people. But singles can
treat themselves to a good meal at the end of the day
too.
Chicken breasts and lamb or pork chops don’t normally
come individually packaged. You’ll need to break up
larger packages and wrap each serving in plastic wrap
(so they don’t clump together) and freeze them in
freezer bags. Better yet, ask the butcher to give you
that one you need for tonight’s dinner. Edible portions
of steaks, chops, chicken breasts, and fish fillets
should be 4 to 6 ounces. Figure 8 to 12 clams or
mussels, depending on size and how they are to be used.
For example, use fewer if combined with pasta.
One-pound packages of pasta can easily be doled out into
3 or 4 ounce portions. Expand your consciousness of what
goes with pasta too, whether a simple combination of
garlic, olive oil, hot pepper flakes, and parsley or a
more elaborate mix of meat and vegetables. It’s even
easier to make a single meal of couscous by steaming
this pasta, then tossing it with vegetables, beans,
herbs, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Some produce items – for example, snap peas, string
beans, and potatoes -- are more easily purchased in
individual portions than others. Staples like onions and
bell peppers are not always small enough for one. But
the salad bar contains onions, peppers, celery and more,
all nicely cut up for your convenience. Yes, it costs
more per pound than a sack of onions, but you aren’t
going to use that much. And these chopped veggies will
make a quick stir-fry with some cubed chicken breast
meat or thinly sliced flank steak, or all by themselves
for a vegetarian meal.
Don’t dismiss frozen vegetables. One-pound bags of
frozen vegetables reseal more easily with a twist tie.
Peas, corn, and lima beans are the frozen veggies I
typically buy.
Eggs are enormously versatile for everything from
omelets to scrambled eggs to huevos rancheros. I like
them in a frittata, the Italian flat omelet, because
almost anything from the fridge, such as a few artichoke
hearts, some leftover asparagus, ham or cheese, can be
thrown into it.
As for equipment, onions, garlic, and other vegetables
for one are more easily chopped in a mini chopper than a
food processor. And just because you’re cooking for one
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have skillets, pots, and
knives of good quality.
Meat and potatoes may not be fashionable, but they can
be very satisfying, and this recipe has only 420
calories and 10 grams of fat.
Low Fat Steak au Poivre with Garlic-Mashed Potatoes
One 8-ounce potato
2 cloves garlic
Salt
5-ounce sirloin strip steak, well trimmed
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive or canola oil spray
One small shallot
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free beef stock
4 tablespoons 2-percent milk
3 fresh chives or 2 sprigs parsley
1)
Halve the potato lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thin slices.
(Don’t peel.) Peel and smash the garlic. Turn on the hot tap water
while you put the potato and garlic into a saucepan with salt to
taste. Barely cover with hot tap water. Cover with a lid and put
over high heat. Cook for 12 minutes or until just tender.
2) Meanwhile, put
a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pound the steak to half
its original thickness. Spray with oil on each side. Season with
salt to taste. With a pepper mill on the coarsest setting, turn 20
grinds over each side. Rub in the pepper and salt with your hand.
3) Put the steak in the skillet for
2 1/2 minutes on each side for medium rare. Meanwhile, mince the
shallot. Remove the steak when done and keep warm.
4) Add the
shallot to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and stock and
increase the heat to high. Stir the bottom periodically with a
wooden spoon until the liquid reduces to 3 tablespoons, about 3
minutes.
5) While the
sauce thickens, warm the milk in a microwave oven for 30 seconds.
Chop the chives or parsley leaves. Drain the potatoes and garlic
well. Put in a food processor with the chives or parsley and salt to
taste. Add 3 tablespoons of the milk and pulse just until pureed.
Add the remaining tablespoon of milk, if needed. Pour the wine sauce
over the steak and serve with the mashed potatoes.
Serves 1
Per serving: 420 calories, 39 grams
protein, 45 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat,
91 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium.
HOW TO BUY AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF MY BOOKS
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of "Cooking to Beat the Clock: Delicious, Inspired Meals
in 15 Minutes" and "Low Fat Cooking to Beat the Clock"
for $15 and $17 respectively. There are NO shipping
costs for books shipped within the USA.
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CRUISING ON THE
SS MARINER
From May 11 to May 18, 2003
I had the pleasure of being part of a Radisson Seven Seas cruise
through the Panama Canal aboard the SS Mariner. I was joined by
Southwestern cooking expert Steven Pyles and Jean-Pierre Dubray,
chef of the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. We all took our turns
doing cooking demonstrations and having our dishes served at dinner
in the main dining room. It was great fun and the guests were not
only enthusiastic but very knowledgeable. The Mariner, by the way,
is a fabulous ship. Each room is a suite and each has its own
balcony overlooking the ocean. If you’re going to cruise, this is
the way to go.
For Mariner guests who are
getting my newsletter for the first time and for my regular
subscribers, here are all the recipes from my demonstration and from
the special dinner.
Soft
Shell Crabs With Warm Corn Salad
Penne With Broccoli Raab And Ricotta Salata Cheese
Flank Steak Salad
15-Minute Bouillabaisse
Middle Eastern Lamb With Cucumber Salad
Mixed Berries With Zabaglione
Soft Shell Crabs
with Warm Corn Salad
4 ears fresh corn
1 medium red bell pepper
3 scallions
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup flour
½ cup clarified butter (or ¼ cup each whole butter and vegetable
oil)
4 large soft-shell crabs
2 sprigs parsley
2/3 cup dry white wine
1) Put about 2 inches of hot tap
water and 1 teaspoon salt in a pot large enough to hold the corn in
one layer. Cover the pot and put it over high heat. Shuck the ears
of corn. Put the corn into the pot when the water boils and cook for
3 minutes if the corn is tender and very fresh, a few minutes longer
if it isn’t.
2) Meanwhile, dice the bell pepper.
Trim and thinly slice the white and green parts of the scallions.
Put the bell pepper and scallions into a mixing bowl. Mix the olive
oil, vinegar, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl or
cup. Cut the corn kernels from the cob and add to the mixing bowl.
(Use a kitchen towel to hold the corn if it is too hot.) Add the
dressing to the corn salad and mix well. Set aside.
3) Combine 1 teaspoon of salt, ½
teaspoon of freshly black pepper, the cayenne and flour in a pie
plate and mix well. Put a skillet large enough to hold all the crabs
in one layer over medium-high heat. Add the clarified butter. Dredge
the crabs in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour and add
them to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until nicely
browned and crisp.
4) While the crabs cook, chop the
parsley. Remove the cooked crabs to a warm platter and cover with
foil. Pour all but a tablespoon of the clarified butter from the
skillet.
Do not save the excess clarified butter. Add the wine
to the pan. Raise the heat to high, scraping the bottom of the pan
with a wooden spoon. When the sauce begins to lightly thicken, pour
it over the crabs, then sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve the
crabs with the corn salad.
Penne
with Broccoli Raab and Ricotta Salata Cheese
1 bunch broccoli raab or kale (about
1 pound)
2 teaspoons salt plus additional for seasoning
12 ounces short pasta such as penne or fusilli
1 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken stock
4 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces ricotta salata cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to pass at the table
1) Put 4 quarts
hot tap water in a pot large enough to hold the pasta and broccoli
raab. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, 8 to 10 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, cut
off the bottom 1/2 inch from the bottom of the bunch of broccoli
raab and remove any withered or yellowed leaves. Then lay the bunch
on its side on a cutting board. Cut the bunch crosswise beginning at
the top. The leafy tops should be cut into ribbons about
3/4-inch-wide. The stem portions should be no more than 3/8-inch
wide. Put in a colander and rinse under cool water.
3)
As soon as the water boils add the pasta and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir,
cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli raab, stir, cover,
and return to a boil. Stir again, partially cover, and cook for 6 to
8 minutes, stirring a few more times, until the pasta is done to
your taste.
4) Meanwhile, put the chicken stock
in a 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Peel and chop
the garlic. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes to the pan.
Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Coarsely chop the ricotta salata.
5) When the broccoli raab and pasta
are done, drain and add both to the sauté pan with the garlic and
red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to mix
well. Add the
feta
ricotta salata and the olive oil. Toss well and serve.
Pass the grated Pecorino Romano at the table.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
20-ounce flank steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch watercress
1 medium head radicchio, 6 to 8 ounces
20 cherry tomatoes
1 small sweet onion such as a Vidalia or 1/2 small red onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1) Put the vegetable oil in a large
heavy skillet over high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
Add the steak to skillet, cover and cook for 5 minutes on each side
for medium rare.
2) Meanwhile, cut off and discard
the bottom 1 inch from the watercress stems and put the rest of the
watercress in a salad spinner. Slice the bottom from the radicchio,
removing the core. Halve lengthwise and, with the flat side down,
shred each half lengthwise with a knife. Add to the salad spinner.
Wash and spin dry the watercress and radicchio. Halve the tomatoes.
Cut off a thin slice from the top and bottom of the onion, halve
lengthwise, peel each half, and cut them into thin half moon slices.
3) Put the radicchio and watercress
in a large shallow serving bowl or on a large platter. Add the
tomatoes and onion. Put the horseradish, vinegar, olive oil, and
salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and mix well with a whisk.
Add all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dressing to the vegetables and
toss well.
4) Cut the steak in half lengthwise
(with the grain). Then cut each half on the diagonal (against the
grain) into 1/4-inch-thick slices about 2 inches long. Lay the meat
on top of the vegetables and drizzle on the remaining dressing.
Serves 4
15-Minute Bouillabaisse
Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 medium onion, about 8 ounces
4 cloves garlic
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground fennel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Three 4-ounce pieces monkfish or swordfish
Three 4-ounce pieces halibut, snapper, or sea bass
8 ounces cleaned squid bodies
1 small French baguette
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers from a jar
1 egg yolk (or ¼ cup egg substitute)
1) Preheat the broiler and adjust
the broiling rack between 3 and 6 inches from the heat source.
Combine the clam juice and ¼ teaspoon of the saffron (crushing it
between your fingers) in small saucepan over very low heat.
2) Put a large sauté pan or Dutch
oven over medium-high heat. Peel and quarter the onion. Peel the
garlic. Put the onion and 3 cloves of the garlic into a food
processor. Pulse just until chopped. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to
the skillet and raise the heat to high, Add the onion and garlic and
cook for 2 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, open the can of
tomatoes. Add the clam juice and saffron mixture, the tomatoes,
fennel, and salt and pepper to taste to the skillet. Stir well,
cover, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut each piece of fish in
half. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, add the fish,
cover, and cook for 5 minutes. While the fish cooks, cut the squid
into rings. Add the squid to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
4) While the seafood cooks, cut the
baguette into nine 1/2-inch slices on the diagonal. Put 8 of the
slices on a baking sheet and toast both sides in the broiler, about
1 minute on each side.
5) To make the rouille, drop the
remaining garlic clove down the chute of the food processor with the
motor running. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula, add the roasted peppers, egg yolk, reserved bread slice,
and the remaining saffron, crushed between your fingers. Purée,
then, with the motor running, gradually add the remaining 7
tablespoons of olive oil through the chute until the mixture has the
consistency of mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt.
6)Divide the seafood and broth among
4 soup plates. Spread the rouille on the toasted baguette slices and
put 2 slices on top of each plate. Serve any remaining rouille in a
small bowl at the table. Serves 4.
Middle Eastern
Lamb with Cucumber Salad
3 tablespoons olive oil
One butterflied leg of lamb, 1 3/4
to 2 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and pounded evenly (by the
butcher if possible) to about half its original thickness
2 tablespoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 large English (seedless) cucumbers
1 clove garlic
4 large sprigs mint or 4 teaspoons
dried mint
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 pocketless pita breads, 7 to 8
inches in diameter
1)Turn on the broiler on and set the
broiler pan so it’s 6 inches from the heat source. Put 11/2
tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high
heat. Meanwhile, rub the lamb with the cumin and salt and pepper.
(If the butcher hasn’t done so, pound the lamb between two sheets of
aluminum foil or wax paper with the side of a cleaver or a meat
pounder before seasoning.)
2)Put the lamb in the skillet, raise
the heat to high, and cover with a mesh screen.
Cook for about 5 minutes (depending on thickness) on each
side for medium rare in the middle.
3)While the lamb cooks, put the
yogurt in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to drain excess liquid.
Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Put into a large mixing bowl.
Peel and mince the garlic. Stack the fresh mint leaves, then roll
and cut crosswise into ribbons. (If using dried mint, crush the
leaves between your fingers.) Add the garlic, mint, vinegar, and
salt and pepper to taste to the cucumbers. Mix well. Add the drained
yogurt and mix again. Pour into a serving bowl.
4)Brush one side of each pita with
the remaining 11/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Broil for 1 to 2
minutes or until crisp and browned on one side. Meanwhile, thinly
slice the lamb on the diagonal against the grain. Serve the lamb on
a platter. Put the crisp pita in a basket. Serve with the cucumber
salad.
Serves 4
Mixed Berries
with Zabaglione
5 large egg yolks, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Marsala
1 pint each, blackberries,
raspberries and blueberries
1) In the top of a double boiler or
in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk yolks and sugar until well
combined. Mix in Marsala.
2) Put top of double boiler or
mixing bowl over a pan of water so that it barely touches water.
Bring water to boil and reduce to simmer, all the while stirring the
egg mixture with a whisk. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring
constantly, until zabaglione is thick and fluffy. Put in the
refrigerator, stirring occasionally until cooled. Cover.
3) Wash berries just
before using. Put into 8 cut glass dishes or goblets. Spoon out a
few tablespoons of zabaglione on top of each.
Serves 8.
SAM ON THE
RADIO AND IN PRINT
A CHEF'S TABLE. My Cooking to Beat the Clock segment can
be heard on A Chef's Table with host Jim Coleman. A
Chef's Table originates at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and
is syndicated on 14 public radio stations, often on
Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Check my web site for a
list of stations which carry the program and for the
recipe.
My Tastes column in the June 15 issue of Wine Spectator
is on Italy in California. Italians have had a great
influence on the food scene in the Golden State,
especially in the Bay Area. The June 30 issue is on
Spanish serrano ham and chorizo sausages.
My wine column in the July issue of Specialty Food
Magazine is on the wines of South Africa.
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