Prime Cuts

Are you looking for a quick and healthy meal that you can whip up after a long day at work?  Do you love grilled vegetables, feta cheese and pasta?  Well today we bring you our very first guest recipe here at Prime Cuts.  This recipe is from Yael Beeri.

Ingredients

2 red peppers
2 zucchini
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper
1 pack (500gr) pasta
200 grams feta cheese

Optional: Black olives

Preparation

• Slice the peppers and zucchini into thin strips then cut in 2 (or 3 depending on size) and place in a bowl. Add sliced onion and pressed garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the mustard and the honey, salt and pepper and mix well. Leave the veggies to marinate in the sauce for about 90 minutes, mixing them every now and again.
• Once marinated, spread the veggies in an oven tray and grill for about 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven (350 ºF).
• In the meantime, boil water to cook the pasta and cook the 500gr of pasta (in my opinion this goes especially well with penne, but use whatever pasta you want).
• Take the feta cheese and grate it into a bowl.
• When the veggies are roasted and the pasta is rinsed, place the pasta in a round (or flat) bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on it and some salt. Then pour the grilled veggies on top and mix. Above all that, place the grated feta cheese.

This pasta can be served as a hot dish as well as a cold pasta salad.

Do you have a special recipe that you want to showcase to other fans of Prime Cuts?  If so, send us a message on our Contact page.  We look forward to reading some new and original recipes.

Oh yeah, and if you liked this recipe, please make sure you subscribe to always receive the latest from Prime Cuts.

Photo by: Yael Beeri

After a little holiday hiatus we’re back with a new episode of Prime Cuts TV.  On today’s episode we explore the importance of letting steak rest before and after cooking and how that affects the overall quality of the steak when it is served.

There is a lot of background noise but hey, we’re a real steakhouse and we were busy

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Are you looking for something different to serve with dinner over the next couple days?  The quality and type of bread can make such a big difference in your meal.  So, today we are providing you with a modified recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking and our friends over at Serious Eats.

As always you should modify the main ingredients to fit yours and your guests tastes.  If you like more of a smoky kick, then add more chipolte.  Don’t like scallions? Feel free to remove them.  As with any biscuit, these are great with a small pat of butter.

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups grated and tightly packed sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
Kosher salt for topping

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, chipotle powder, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, scallions and the 1 teaspoon of salt.

3. Add the butter and, using your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, work the butter into the dough. The mixture should look like coarse sand. Add the cheese and stir to thoroughly incorporate it into the dough.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

5. Use a small ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and drop it in mounds onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

6. Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack. The biscuits can be served slightly warm or at room temperature (we like them slightly warm).

7. Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Enjoy!

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Are you looking for something different to make over the holidays to serve as an appetizer or snack?  Impress your guests over the next couple weeks with some homemade empanadas.  At the the end of the post we give you a filling recipe but there are literally hundreds of fillings you could come up with.  Have fun and experiment!

A little note before you start reading – we did not have our complete thinking caps on the day we took the pictures for this post therefore we don’t have pictures of every step we mention.  However, we do have pictures of some of the more important steps.  Don’t hate us ok?

Dough Recipe

Dry Ingredients

4.5 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons salt
Few shakes smoked paprika
1/2 lb (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter in small pieces
3 tbsp lard

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup cold water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar

Dough Procedure

Note: It is important to have some type of stand mixer to properly prepare this dough, as it is fairly hard and will require a good bit of muscle to thoroughly combine.

1. Begin by mixing all the dry ingredients with your stand mixer on a low speed with the paddle attachment.
2. Let these ingredients combine for approx. 5 minutes so the fat can be cut into the flour.  When it is slightly lumpy like biscut dough you are ready.  It is better to under mix than to over mix in this case.
3. In a seperate container, thoroughly mix all the wet ingredients together.
4. With the stand mixer on low speed add the wet ingredients to the dry in a constant slow pour.
5. When combined the dough should form a ball and the sides of the mixer bowl will be clean, it won’t take very long.
6.  Your dough is now ready to work.  I find that it is easiest when cut in half. 
    
7. Flatten the dough a bit to make it easier to roll out, then on a lightly floured surface, proceed to roll out to an approximately 1/8″ thickness.
    
8. Once your dough is completely rolled out use a 5″ round biscut cutter to cut out circular “pie shells” from your rolled dough.  The remenent or part of the dough that is left over after cutting can be balled up and re rolled one time.  Just be sure to remove as much dry flour as possible before attempting this, it will be more difficult than the first batch, but is possible, and will produce an additional 1/3 – 1/4 more empanada shells.  Brush off any excess flour from the shells and place on a parchment lined sheet pan with out overlapping and place additional sheets of parchment between each layer of shells.  These can be refridgerated for up to 4 days for later use, just wrap the whole tray tightly with plastic to prevent air from drying out the shells.
    

Filling Your Empanadas

1.  To fill and prepare the shells as empanadas, you will need your favorite savory filling, and an egg wash of 2 parts beaten egg to one part water mixed thoroughly.  
2. Let the shells rest at room temp for approx. 10 minutes before beginning to fill, this will help to make them more pliable and easier to work with.   I like to work in an assembly line style doing four or five empanadas at a time.  
3. Place a tablespoon and a half of your filling mixture dead center of your shells.  
    
4. Next brush your egg wash on half of the inside diameter of the shell.  This is to form the seal that will lock the pastry together while cooking, dry sticks best to wet and vice versa.   
    
5. Next fold the shell on top of itself pressing the dry edge against the egg washed edge, and press firmly to seal.  
    
6. After I do this I like to use the tines of a fork to decoratively crimp the edges, then I take my biscuit cutter to round out the edge for presentation and to eliminate any misshaped or excess dough from pressing.   Your empanadas are now ready to be transferred to sheet pan lined with parchment and lightly sprayed with non stick baking spray.   
7. To finish simply egg wash over the tops of the empanadas thoroughly, poke a small vent hole for the steam with a samll skewer and lightly sprinkle with salt,  bake at 350 for 13 minutes Let cool breifly, then enjoy!
    

 Joe’s Favorite Empanada Filling

This one couldn’t be more simple…

Ingredients

1 small deli style ham (pre-cooked)
Some shredded provolone cheese (the older the better)
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Good quality balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Begin by shredding the ham on a box grater, (or chopping it finely)
2. You want about 2 cups shredded ham
3. Add approx 1-1 1/2 cups provolone
4. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and oregano
5. Add approx 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vin.
6. Mix thoroughly to combine, check for taste, and then ball the ham mixture tightly into 1.5 teaspoon amounts, and use to fill your empanadas,  you should get approx. 15 -20 empanadas. 

Enjoy!

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Today Joe shares his absolute love for one of the most basic ingredients in every kitchen, salt.  Ever notice that the best restaurants never have salt shakers on the table?  There is a reason for that.  This is an ingredient that anyone who cooks at home, for friends, or professionally needs to master.  Without knowing how to properly use salt, your dishes will not pop with flavor in the same manner.

Where do I begin to talk about salt…?  It is quite possibly the most important of ingredients you can have in your pantry, or possibly in your entire home/restaurant for that matter.  I remember reading a magazine article about different chefs in Las Vegas and it gave a little bio about each chef along with a favorite dish and small list of favorite ingredients.   While many chefs said kobe beef, foi grois, or truffles, a few said salt… not fleur de sel, or grey Indonesian sea salt…just salt.  I have to say that I did then and still do now, have a much greater respect for those chefs that chose salt, the most basic of ingredients.  Such a small amount can bring a dull piece of food to life, and the simple act of seasoning a dish properly with just the right amount of salt can be the difference between a bad rating and a rave review!

My name is Joseph Gionfriddo and I am in love with salt!

On today’s episode of Prime Cuts TV we wanted to discuss ordering different cuts of steak.  With so many options depending on the type and quality of restaurant you visit, it can be a little confusing.  Also, you may not know really what to order and have only been ordering the same cut of steak because that’s all you know.  Well, today we explain a few of the more popular cuts so that hopefully your next adventure out, you can try something different.

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Note: The video came out a little dark so it may be hard to see.  We’re working on improving lighting for future episodes.

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So, have you ever wondered how hot dogs are made?  It always seems to be one of those foods that everyone knows they don’t want to know what they’re eating.  We’ve both known for years what’s in hot dogs yet it doesn’t stop either of us from throwing some down on a grill every summer or buying them at a baseball game.

Hot dogs have always represented “mystery meat” to a lot of people even though they never really knew how hot dogs were made.  You knew it couldn’t be really great meat you were eating but it tastes sooo good in between a toasted bun with mustard, onions, and all of the other great toppings.

Well today we finally found a video that shows you exactly how hotdogs are made.  It’s one of those videos that you know you really don’t want to watch, you’d rather not know, but you know you’re going to watch it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhwXPsTaRgc[/youtube]

What do you think?  Still want a juicy hot dog with all the toppings???

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This week we bring you an extra treat with another episode of Prime Cuts TV.  Also, for the first time, we bring you a cooking technique for a different type of protein instead of strictly steaks.  Today we show you how to properly pan sear salmon.  As an added bonus, we show you how we finish and plate the salmon at our steakhouse.

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We take a break from our regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special announcement:

I’m excited to announce that I will be speaking at the one-day Social Media Jungle conference taking place at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday, January 7th at the Venetian.  The first Social Media Jungle was an amazing day and I hope that I will see a lot of you in Las Vegas for this event.  There is an all-star speaker list (below) with a bunch of topics all surrounding social media.

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The official description of Social Media Jungle on the CES event page is:

“The Social Media Jungle at the 2009 International CES brings to light how the advent of social media is changing the way we work and live. Sessions include state-of-the-industry updates and a candid look at how social media disrupts the workplace by empowering companies to lower burn rates. Plus, learn how companies can motivate consumers through social media to drive product sales without increasing costs.”

Here is a complete list of speakers and topics:

8:30 – 9:00: Real-Time Social Networking
9:00 – 9:20: Welcome to the Jungle, Jeff Pulver
9:20 – 9:40: Navigating the Social Media Seas, Chris Brogan
9:40 – 10:00 – Industry Perspective & Update
10:00 – 10:20 – Industry Perspective & Update
10:20 – 10:40 – What to Look for in Social Media Platforms in 2009, Robert Scoble
10:40 – 11:00 – Return on Social Media Investment, Ben Grossman
11:00 – 11:20 – [ break ]
11:20 – 11:40 – Learn, Baby, Learn: Turn Your Social Media Addiction Into An Asset!, Jeffrey Sass
11:40 – 12:00 – Social Media Principles, Chris Heuer
12:00 – 12:20 – Naked PR: What Marketers Need to Know in the Age of Social Media, Susan Etlinger
12:30 – 2:00 [Lunch Break]
2:00 – 2:30 – How Reporters Have to Think of Themselves as an Entrepreneur and a Publisher Using their Company as a Platform, Daniel Honigman
2:30 – 2:50 – New Media Strategy in Challenging Times: Conquering the 3 Screen World: Dean Landsman and Howard Greenstein
2:50 – 3:10 – How Small Business can use Inbound Marketing/Social Media to Help Increase Their Business, Justin Levy
3:10 – 3:30 – The Convergence of CE and Social Media, Jeremy Toeman
3:30 – 3:50 – Managing Your Reputation While Being Genuine and Authentic Online, Dave Taylor
3:50 – 4:10 – How to Botch an Agency Briefing (No Matter How Cool You Think Your Product Is), David Berkowitz
4:10 – 4:20 [break]
4:20 – 4:40 – How Trust Drives Transactions During a Down Economy, Eric Weaver
4:40 – 5:00 – Leveraging Social Media for the Social Good, Rebecca Bollwitt
5:00 – 5:20 – How New Media is Changing the World, Brian Reich
5:20 – 5:40 – Transforming Unemployed BabyBoomers via Social Media, Carlos Hernandez
5:40 – 5:45 – Wrap up

To signup to atted Social Media Jungle or for more information, please visit the Social Media Jungle at CES event page.  The cost of this event is $295 in advance and $395 on-site.  In addition to the actual event, there will also be a meetup later that night…and what better place to have a meetup then on the Las Vegas Trip!

If you are able to come, please please please let me know either in the comments below or on Twitter (@justinlevy)!

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A couple weeks ago we showed you how to properly use a sharpening steel to keep your knives in good shape in between more intense sharpenings.  The best way to sharpen your knife is to use a wet stone.  In today’s Prime Cuts TV we show you how to properly sharpen a knife on a wet stone.  In between wet stone sharpenings, make sure you continue to use the sharpening steel to keep your knives razor sharp.

As always, please be very careful when handling any kitchen knives.

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