Jan 25 2011

Charred-Aged Provolone with Oregano and Tomatoes (“Provoleta”) Recipe

Joseph Gionfriddo

Most people will laugh at how simple this recipe is, but this simplicity is what I want to come through here.  Argentine food is best when uncomplicated and to me the most influential recipes have always been those with very few ingredients. When this is the case, quality is of the utmost importance as is the attention to which the chef pays to cooking. For this dish, and for Argentinean cooking in general, the two most important factors are having a well-seasoned cast iron griddle or pan and having a comfortable working relationship with Medium/High heat.

Charred-Aged Provolone with Oregano and Tomatoes (a.k.a “Provoleta”) Recipe

Ingredients

Aged provolone cheese, cut into rounds 1/4″-1/2″ thick (Note: Get the best, most dense provolone you can find from your local Italian deli or market, and have your deli man slice it for you to your desired thickness, as a smooth flat surface is the key here.)
Extra virgin olive oil
Diced tomato
Dry oregano
Sea salt

Special Equipment

Cast-iron griddle or pan

Preparation

  • Preheat your oven to 350.
  • Get your cast iron skillet evenly heated to Medium/High, or just before the point of smoking.
  • Lightly oil your provolone, one side only, and wipe off any excess, you want it well lubricated but not saturated.
  • Carefully place your provolone firmly, oiled side down, on your cast iron griddle.
  • Let sear for about one minute or until the corners of the cheese start to brown lightly and lift from the griddle.
  • With a flexible metal spatula carefully lift the provolone off the griddle, being careful not to disrupt the seared surface, it will require some scraping to get underneath but with a little careful nudging, should not stick to seasoned cast iron, and should be light to medium golden brown, too much searing will result in a darker color and a bitter taste.
  • Place the provolone seared side up in an oven safe casserole dish, and bake for about 5-10 minutes, until cheese begins to bubble and is soft in the middle.
  • Remove from the oven and drain off any excess oil/grease and top with a pinch of diced tomato, oregano, and a little olive oil, season lightly with a small pinch of sea salt.

Provoleta is best when eaten still warm, with some crusty bread.  It is a very filling appetizer and contrasts nicely with a mixed greens salad dressed with simple vinaigrette.

Again this may seem like a lot of words for such a simple recipe, but the key is in the technique. I can honestly say that all my friends, family, and regular customers who come to Caminito and eat Provoleta, say it is the best cheese appetizer they have had. It is in my opinion certainly more flavorful and interesting than another fried mozzarella stick!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo Credit: Justin Levy


Sep 17 2009

Tri-Tip Trifecta

Justin Rasmussen

There are times in life where having a nice cut of beef for dinner is great but then there is the time when you have the tri-tip trifecta. What is the tri-tip trifecta you ask? It starts with a glorious cut of beef stuffed with sausage and two types of cheeses. This my friend, is something of glory. By no means is this meal my “last meal” but it comes pretty damn close. It all started one summer evening over drinks, we were talking about how one could make one great meal even better, that’s when I heard about the tri-tip trifecta. My friend Nicolette told us what it was and when we heard about it our mouths watered, we almost went to the market to make it right then.

We first tried with two different tri-tips, one stuffed with mild italian sausage and the other with hot italian sausage; the hot was better. We used sharp, white english cheddar and gouda; both were awesome. The first time we tried it we made an amazing coffee-based rub for it, it was amazing but we thought we could do better. The second time we replicated the trifecta and made a brown sugar and scotch wet rub; this was absolutely ethereal.

The best part about the trifecta if done right is that both meat flavors are balanced well, the cheeses are strong but not overpowering and the rub will be tasted subtly in every bite. This is a meal you should come hungry to, you should skip lunch, maybe even breakfast. The trifecta needs to be paired with something great to drink, I decided to pair it with a nice 18 year old scotch, pair it right and you will not be disappointed. As amazing as the trifecta was, it needed to be balanced with fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus. This mixture was the right amount of texture, starch, and love. As we gathered around the table to eat there was moment of silence as each person was served, it wasn’t in awe of the trifecta itself but that the complexity and fullness of the meal just made sense. Everyone ate pausing for moments, to understand and take in all of the flavors that was being presented in an almost perfect succession. This meal wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t a Michelin star dish, it was simple cooking perfected by people who really love the journey and the taste of food. By people who love sharing their lives around the table one meal at a time. The tri-tip trifecta brought us to the table but we stayed because of each other. Make it, enjoy it, love your friends and family.

Ingredients

Rub
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp crushed coriander
pepper and salt to taste
1/2 cup fine scotch (the better the scotch, the better the rub)

Trifecta
3lbs. tri-tip
2lbs. hot italian sausage
1/2lb. sharp white cheddar
1/2lb. gouda
kitchen string

Preparation

Rub
Mix contents until fully mixed, this is all about your personal taste, I started with small quantities until I found something I liked. I like heat and scotch so my recipe definitely reflects that, rework accordingly.

Trifecta
Make two cuts along the side of the tri-tip, almost like you’re going to butterfly it. You’ll have essentially two pockets, this works better as the tri-tip stays together better.
Cut the sheathing off the sausage and remove it. Stuff the sausage into the two pockets.
Cut cheese into small cubes, mix and stuff. (At this point the tri-tip should be about twice it’s original size)
Tie the tri-tip so it holds everything in, you don’t want the cheese melting out onto the grill or your oven.
Apply the rub evenly and allow it to rest for at least an hour before cooking.
Cook at 350 until desired doneness is achieved.


Sep 12 2009

Don’t Forget About Flank Steak

Joseph Gionfriddo

So I’m back, I am alive, and I still eat a steak every night after I cook about 50 to 100 for my steakhouse customers…and guessflanksteak what I wanna talk about, steak…OMG!

In particular I want to address flank steak, which although quite similar, should never be confused with skirt steak.  Flank is a relatively inexpensive, thin, trapezoidal shaped, lean, very specifically grained steak. Flank does not cut into typical American portions very well due to its shape, and for this reason flank is often thinly sliced AGAINST THE GRAIN, and served a few slices per person.  Have I said flank enough times yet?  I’m gonna say it some more.

Flank is a steak that I have never featured on one of my menus but I have prepared it in restaurants I have worked in prior to Caminito, and I occasionally have used it as a special.  The most recent time I prepared it was perhaps my favorite, and the inspiration for this post.

Browsing the local farmers market one day I found some excellent grass-fed all-natural flank steak.  The steaks were, on average, a bit smaller than their domestic grain and corn fed cousins, but the color and texture were phenomenal, deep ruby red colored, with little to no fat or sinew on them at all.  I was so impressed, I had to buy them!

Now came the challenge of how to prepare these steaks.  I know you are all asking “how would preparing a steak of any type be a challenge to a beef loving carnivore such as yourself Joe?”  The challenge lie in the fact that I am a restaurant steak guy.   My steaks are pre-cut and ready to go on the grill the second they are ordered.  Flank however is not this way.  It is a steak that is better left whole during the cooking process and sliced immediately prior to consumption, rather than before it is cooked.

The difficulty for this is what happens when only one customer orders this steak? Or worse yet when two customers order it at different temperatures?!  The answer, as with all great cuisine, is a simple one: don’t give people the option, and serve as a family style entree, for two or more people to share.  As far as the temperature is concerned, the more well-done inclined eaters are welcome to have the end pieces, while the other folks can enjoy the nice medium rare interior…nuff said!

With this thought in mind I was planning a menu for a few of my favorite customers of all time, a family of five who I know love the family style dining.  Flank to the rescue.  I used two of my smaller than average grass-fed flanks for the five of them and with sides and salads was more than enough.  However, flank steak on its own does not have a lot of fat, and therefore is not the most flavorful piece of beef, so I needed to do something to flavor it up a bit.

The perfect thing for a steak with a high ratio of surface area to interior mass is a spice rub.  There is almost more outside to flank than inside, and this is the perfect combo for developing a delicious and flavorful crust.  Taking a recipe from the archives I decided to use my basic black peppercorn rub.

There are a few points to take into consideration when applying this spice rub though.  The first is that you want to develop a crust, which is a dry thing, not a wet soggy one, so start with dry steak before you apply the seasoning.   This can simply be done by firmly patting your steak with a few layers of clean paper towels to remove excess surface moisture.  Next, liberally apply the spice rub to completely coat the entire exterior of the steak; patting it firmly onto the meat. You will know you are done when the exterior of the steak is completely dry with a complete spice coating. I like to let my seasoned steak rest for 10 minutes before putting it on the grill, if during this 10 minutes any of the exterior becomes moist, just add more spice rub to make completely dry again.

For grilling and serving there are a few good (correct) ways to do it.  The steak and your grill need not be lubricated with cooking oil because the dry steak should not stick to your grill.  To doubly ensure that sticking does not happen, get your grill decently hot before cooking (medium-high at least).  Flank is thin steak so for medium rare it will not take long, no more than 5 minutes per side.  But please, please, please, let this steak rest for at least 5-10 minutes before you attempt to slice it.  This is done in order to retain the precious juices inside this wonderful meat, the exterior crust will help act as a barrier as well.   Now that you have waited patiently, get out your sharpest, thinnest, longest knife, and sharpen it some more.  You are now prepared to begin slicing your masterpiece,  do so with great care, AGAINST THE GRAIN, and about 1/8″- 1/4″ thick.

Fan out your slices artistically on a serving platter, taking special care to make sure that you display a good portion of both the seasoned crust and perfectly cooked interior.  You will now be faced with the great and painful dilemma of chefs and cooks across the globe: Actually serving this beautiful display, and watching your hungry guests devour with ravenous speed this wonderful and under utilized cut of beef, while making a disastrous mess of your meticulously plated family style steak dinner.

You could, if you wanted to, follow this method for any steak, but it truly works best with flank.  As I mentioned before, flank is relatively inexpensive and readily available (even at the farmers market) so why not try it.  I was certainly glad I pulled this dish out of the archives..and oh yeah, my family of five LOVED IT!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: TheBittenWord.com


Jul 26 2009

Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon-Sugar Butter & Ice Cream

Justin Levy

Today Melissa Delgaudio shares her a little piece of grilling dessert awesomeness with us.  Melissa is going to be a new regular contributor ’round here.  By day Melissa is Principal of Honeybee Consulting.  You can usually find her hanging out over on Twitter.

It’s Summer and backyard chefs across the country are reveling in Weberific, char-grilled glee. True, it grilledpeachesmight seem that there are few things in life as laden with awesomeness as a great burger or steak right off the grill, but if you just open your mind…grilling can be oh, so much more.

More, you ask? Why yes! While there are limitless things that can be cooked on your trusty grill, few will leave you so satisfied and awash in post-meal ecstasy as fruit. Yeah, you heard me: FRUIT.  During the summer, the possibilities are only as limited as your imagination. Pineapple?  You bet.  Bananas?  Sure.  But those are fruits for another day.  I’m here today to talk about peaches and the sweet, magical deliciousness they’ll bring to your table.

Peaches. Sweet, delicious peaches.  Loaded with their own natural sugars and juices, they’re the ideal candidates for grilling.  And they’re nearing the peak of their season, so now is the perfect time to bring them to the table.  Whether you choose a juicy golden peach from Georgia or South Carolina–slightly acidic and a little tangy with notes of butterscotchy goodness–or a sweet, perfect white peach, ripe with undertones of raspberry-like perfection, from Central California, your results will be sublime, I promise you.

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches, halved with stones removed
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of Kosher or sea salt
Vegetable (or some other neutral) oil
Your vanilla ice cream of choice

Preparation

Heat your grill to high (and remember to clean your grates … you don’t want your fruit to taste like the blackened tuna you made earlier). While it’s warming up, mix the butter, cinnamon, sugar and salt in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Lightly brush the cut side of each peach with oil, to prevent sticking. Grill peaches ‘til they’re golden brown and just cooked through (about 3-5 minutes). Top each half with a couple of teaspoons of the butter mixture and serve to your salivating dinner guests with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Devilishly simple, sweetly seductive. Grilling fruit will tantalize your taste buds and open your mind to all that grilling can be.

Enjoy!

Photo by: mccun934


Jul 23 2009

Ears of Corn and Freshly Caught Fish: The Best Beach Food Around

Joseph Gionfriddo

Recently I went Striper fishing with a few friends around Mystic, CT waters  We had a little luck with a few bass,joseph-gionfriddo-fishing more than a few large fluke, and summer flounder caught.  We fished from around seven in the morning until one in the afternoon, and after the fishing was over we weren’t ready to go home and call it a day.  So, we decided that the best thing to do was get a few simple supplies for a barbecue with the fresh fish we just caught, get a few beers, and then find a beach with a grill, go for a swim and cook up our catch.   And that’s exactly what we did.

What follows is the recipe for the cookout we had that day which, in my opinion, is the best beach food I have had in years.

The supplies for the beach barbecue:

12 small flounder filets (caught earlier and cleaned on the boat by the mate)
Recycled Aluminum foil
Lemons
Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
Salt
6 ears of corn

The cookout on the beach:

For beach cookouts in general I suggest not using utensils at all but rather eating with your hands.  When you feel the need to, just rinse them off in the ocean water.  However, in this situation it is preferable to have a medium sized knife around for prep.

Get your grill hot and clean while you prepare the fish for grilling.  Start by getting 6 large squares of foil separated.  In the center of each one put a small pat of butter and lay on top two of the fish filets.  Top the fish with hand crushed cracker pieces, another pat of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and pinch of salt.   Bring the edges of foil together and fold to create a loosely sealed packet.  Next, prepare your corn by simply removing any loose pieces of husk, and then cut off the top inch of the ear along with the majority of the silk.  Use your hands to remove any more loose strands you find.

Get your grill heat to medium to medium/hot and begin by placing the prepared corn, husk and all, directly on the hot parts of the grill.  Several things are now going to happen to the corn…As the heat builds up on the corn as a whole it will begin to steam itself in its husk.  As some moisture is lost from the steaming liquid the sugar and sweetness begins to concentrate.  Char will also start to develop, the husk will become black and begin to break apart.  Some of this char on the actual kernels themselves is desirable, as carmelization, but too much is a bad thing.  You want to try to get an even blackening of the whole husk without too much of it breaking apart.  Once evenly blackened remove the corn from the grill and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before peeling.  Be sure to remember to use a dry kitchen towel for peeling since you just steamed the corn on a very hot grill.

While the corn is resting, place the flounder packets on the grill but off of the direct heat and lower to medium to medium/low heat.  Cover the grill and let cook for 5 minutes.  At this time you want to check on one of the packets by carefully opening it and checking to see if the top of the fish has whitened with cooking at all.  If so, and it is beginning to firm up, open all the packets an inch or so, to let moisture out, re cover the grill and cook another 5 minutes.   This will allow a bit of time for the crackers to dry out and become crispy, and the fish will not cook as quickly, is it is no longer being steam grilled. Remove the fish from the grill, and let rest for 5 minutes.

While your fish is resting peel the charred corn husks off the corn and wipe clean, season with butter and salt, and enjoy while still hot.  By the time you have eaten an ear of corn the fish will be at just the right temperature to eat with your hands and should flake apart easily, being tender and crisp at the same time.

Try it for yourself the next time you have a little luck fishing and there is a beach with a grill near by.  For me there has always been something about the proximity of water that makes food just taste good.  Whether eating a hot, freshly cooked breakfast while pike fishing on the ice in January or beach dining on freshly caught fluke in July, the best food is simple, fresh, eaten outdoors, with few amenities, and a few friends, period.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.


Jul 3 2009

Coffee-Rubbed Turkey Patties

Justin Levy

img_0498

Today Justin Rasmussen provides a recipe he created from experimenting with some turkey patties, coffee, and a grill…some of his favorite things.  Justin is co-founder of CoffeeHouse Ideas, a creative design firmYou can find Justin hanging out over on Twitter often.

It’s officially summer and that means if you haven’t been grilling already, you should be pulling your barbecue out and firing it up. Everyone knows that putting a rub or marinade on your meat before grilling always brings out great flavor, but what do you do if you’re bored of the same old rubs and need a way to feed your coffee addiction at the same time. We have just the fix for you!

A coffee-based rub can change the way you grill.  It’s no wonder that many fine dining restaurants use coffee-based rubs on their most prime and exclusive cuts. They know coffee helps bring out and intensify the natural flavors of your meat that other spices don’t. When you explore with different blends, origins, and roasts you’ll find those subtleties that are so reclusive in your morning brew become abundantly pronounced.

Looking to capitalize on the opportunity to recreate the fine dining experience in our own kitchen, we decided to mix it up a little bit and make a childhood favorite but a little healthier. Coffee-rubbed turkey patties topped with melted mozzarella cheese and grilled onions with homemade coffee infused barbecue sauce, served next to boxed organic macaroni and cheese.
At first we were somewhat skeptical about putting coffee on meat, let alone turkey. Ground turkey is so hit and miss if you don’t cook it right or not long enough it is still raw, and if you cook it too long, it’s tough and dry. So, we initially tested one turkey patty to see what our results would yield, and to our surprise the coffee added amazing flavor and didn’t dry out the meat.  After our trial run, we finished making all of the patties, sprinkled on the rub and let them rest in the fridge for a bit before grilling to ensure better grilling and flavor.

As with any rub or almost anything culinary, we try to use the freshest ingredients possible in order to bring out the best flavor. Choosing the coffee was a big decision for us, how do we properly pair the right coffee with the rest of the ingredients in our rub? Since we were using freshly ground coriander which gives a warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavor we decided to go with a more earthy Ethiopian bean. Usually, Ethiopian beans will present a hint of lemon and a great floral aroma when brewed, but when mixed with our other spices and ground turkey, the citrus flavor shoulders its way to the front of your palate demanding attention then yields to the robust roast and garlic for a well rounded finish.

Once the turkey patties rested in the fridge for about an half hour we pulled them out and placed them on our pre-heated grill.  As the turkey cooked, the coffee began to create a crust on the meat, providing a slight crunch on the outside without affecting the moist, delicious meat on the inside. Generous slices of mozzarella cheese awaited our almost perfect turkey patties as we tended to the grilled onions. When the moment was just right, the cheese was added, melted, and the patties removed and plated with grilled onions as the crowning glory; it was perfect.img_0494

Because of the citrus flavors, darker roast, and garlic tones we decided to go middle of the road with our barbecue sauce, we made it a little sweet to balance the earthy, smoky flavor the coffee gives. As we began to eat, everyone was pleased and surprised by the taste. This was a complete one-eighty from when we told them that there was coffee on the turkey patties and in the barbecue sauce.

By the end of the meal, hungers were satisfied, childhood memories were recollected. Overall, the coffee rub was a big hit and we are looking forward to experimenting with different coffee flavors and meat combination in summer cookouts to come.

Coffee Rub Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee (fine)
• 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Note: I chose to use Newhall Coffee (client) but any freshly fine grounded coffee will work well.

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Make sure you do this ahead of time as it can be made 1 week ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.  Follow the instructions above with whatever either turkey patties or hamburger patties.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photos by: Justin and Eric Rasmussen


Apr 18 2009

Rosemary Scented Lamb Chops with Four Bean Succotash

Joseph Gionfriddo

As we continue rolling through Spring and into Summer, I always tend to think of lamb during this time of the year.  Lamb in general tends to lend itself to a few classic preparations andlambchops flavor combinations.  For the recipe I want to use those flavor combinations a little differently and in a way that the average griller can do at home and almost entirely on the backyard grill.

Joe’s Rosemary Scented Lamb Chops, with Four Bean Succotash

Ingredients

8, 4- 6 oz lamb sirloin chops at least 1″ thick (the ones that look like little porterhouses)
2 stalks rosemary
1 cup canned fava beans
1 cup french green beans, trimmed to 1″ pieces
1 cup yellow wax beans, trimmed to 1″ pieces
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans
1/2 cup canned corn niblets
1/4 stick butter
1/8 cup chopped crispy bacon bits (homemade preferably)
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and black pepper
vegetable oil
water

Preparation

This is the type of recipe that, with the exception of some indoor prep by way of blanching the beans in advance, can be done entirely on the grill.  You will need a  grill large enough to fit all the lamb chops on half of the cooking surface.  You will also need an old can (from the niblets or beans), rinsed and paper label removed as well as a metal 9X9″ cake pan.

1. Blanch the green and yellow beans in boiling water quickly for just one and a half minutes, remove to a strainer, and rinse quickly with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep beans crisp.  Transfer beans to a bowl, some water will accumulate as the beans further drain and release moisture…this is a good thing, save the bean juice!

2. Get your grill going at a medium heat, nice and steady.  These chops are best served thick cut so it will take approx 10-20 minutes for medium rare.  Allow yourself enough coals to accomplish this if using wood or charcoal.  Rub the chops with vegetable oil and season thoroughly with salt and pepper.  Place on grill to begin cooking.

3. This is the rosemary scented part.  Fill the reserved can with water and break the rosemary stalks into sizes so that they will all fit in the can completely submerged.  Place the can of rosemary water on a good hot spot on the grill and close the grill cover.  As the water begins to boil it will release rosemary flavored steam which will penetrate the food very lightly.  I prefer this method of bringing the classic flavor of lamb and rosemary together, as personally I do not enjoy the texture of rosemary when simply chopped and added to food.

4. As you are grilling your lamb chops, notice when they are approximately half way done and place a 9 X 9 metal cake pan on the grill and add the butter (this is going to be your saute pan a la grill). When the butter has begun to melt, add the minced garlic, and stir for just a minute to awaken the flavor, add all the bean components, corn niblets, bacon bits, and reserved bean juice, and toss thoroughly, season with salt and pepper.  Cook this succotash approx 6-8 minutes, or until tender.  The guideline I use when preparing vegetables in this way is when the water (in this case bean juice) has almost all evaporated and a glaze of vegetable sugars, butter, bacon, and garlic has been left on all your nicely sauteed veggies, they are done, and if at this point they are not done to your liking, add some more water and continue cooking until they are.  You can even go so far as to add the rosemary water from the grill can for increased flavor enhancement.

5. At this point the lamb should be about done.  Remove it from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  This type of food is best served family style on platters.  Add some simple roasted red potatoes to the mix and you have got yourselves a great first grill of the year meal…sure to get you feeling like spring is finally here!

Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: pieterjanviaene


Apr 7 2009

Waking Your Grill Up from Its Winter Slumber

Joseph Gionfriddo

coalsSo, now that we’re a couple weeks into Spring, it is really starting to feel that way for us at Caminito.  What are some of the signs that Spring is here for Justin and I?

  • Another icefishing season has drawn to a close,
  • The tarps have come off the tables on the patio,
  • Thoughts of spring produce and the coming changes to the menu have been wafting through my brain, and
  • Little signs of green plant life have started to make themselves noticed

Thinking of all these things has made me think of how the signs of Spring affect the home chef… and those who know me from reading my blogs know that when I think of food I inevitably think of the grill.  I of course have the luxury and privilege of having a 12 month a year wood fire grill in my restaurant kitchen,  but for those home grillers, I think if you have not yet this year, it is time to resurrect the backyard barbecue from its winter slumber.

In doing this I want to just give a few bits of advice along to get everyone thinking spring…

When you take out the grill for the first time of the year, whether gas, charcoal, or converted wood burning grill, follow these easy steps to wake your grill up from its winter slumber:

  1. Uncover it carefully.  The little creatures of nature often like to make their over winter homes in the nooks and crannies of a grill and its cover.  I usually find evidence of a small mammal and a spider nest or two (my grill spends the winters in an old barn behind the house).
  2. Shake the cover out carefully and give the grill a good once over to wipe down the cobwebs, and dust.
  3. This is a good time to empty any ash and accumulated grease, also a good time to check the gas tank and connecting hoses (if using gas).
  4. Give the grill grate a good thorough scraping, preferably after the heat has been applied to loosen any carbonized material.
  5. Then, before using the first time, carefully put a few splashes of vegetable oil on an old kitchen towel and thoroughly wipe down the grill grates while warm or on low heat (be extra careful not to light the towel or yourself on fire).

Now you have a properly lubricated and ready to go grill for the season the season, provided regular scraping and brush downs after uses.  You, my friend, are now ready to start grilling….

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: Mr. Usaji


Jan 5 2009

Prime Cuts TV – How to Make Fire-Roasted Sweet Onions

Justin Levy

On today’s episode of Prime Cuts TV we show you how to make rustic-style fire-roasted sweet onions.  Instead of using the grill surface, we actually show you how to make the sweet onions by placing them inside of the fire to roast.  These are a great addition to a cheeseburger, steak sandwhich, pork chops, and many many other dishes.

Note: There is a lot of background noise due to working near our hood fans and we had several tables in the steakhouse at the time of filming.  We’re also working on improving the lighting in the kitchen for episode shoots.  But, hey, we’re a working kitchen, not some TV set :)

[viddler id=f01eddaa&w=437&h=370]

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.


Nov 25 2008

What Goes into Cooking a Steak to Temperature

Joseph Gionfriddo

Everyone has their personal concept of how a steak should look, feel, and taste when cooked to the doneness of their liking.  These concepts can and do vary from consumer to consumer and from chef to chef. It is one of those inherently simple yet complicated subjects.  This particular post is intended to get people thinking about what exactly goes into cooking a steak to temperature and how you should think about ordering/cooking yours to best enjoy it.

There are several variables to the final doneness of cooked steaks including: thickness of the cut, type of cut, temperature of the cooking medium, resting period, and for restaurants-their base temperature guidelines.

Thickness
The thickness of the cut of steak can influence the level of doneness greatly.  Think of the way rare would look and feel for a very thin steak vs a very thick steak (i.e. thinly cut top sirloin vs. a thick center cut filet mignon).  The thin rare will have much less red center simply because it has much less center and vice verse.

Type of Cut
The type of cut of steak can also affect how the finished product will look and feel.  Some types of steak are naturally very tender or tough, and densities of the different types of steaks vary greatly too.  For this reason, if you are unsure how to order steak of any given type, ask how your chef or butcher to suggest a recommended temperature for the most tender possible preparation, and you will definitely see great variation for one cut to another.

Temperature
The temperature of the cooking medium, lets say the grill, will change how the finished steak will look and taste at any given doneness.  Think of a medium rare steak that has been cooked quickly at a very high heat-it will be very well cooked on the seared outer edges and will fade with little transition from gray to red as you cut into the center.  A steak cooked on a lower temperature will have the same doneness on the contact edges but will fade from well to medium-well to medium to medium-rare in the center with a much more gradual fade.

Resting Period
The resting period for both uncooked and cooked steaks will also allow for well transitioned temperatures vs. little transition.  A cold steak will maintain a red center longer than a room temperature one.  So if you like a black and blue seared on the outside, rare in the middle steak, cook with a cold steak and don’t let it sit long once off the grill.  If you prefer a more gradually transitioned doneness, let your steak sit at room temp for 20 min before grilling it, and then let it rest for 5 minutes before consuming.

Restaurant Guidelines
Finally are the specific restaurant guidelines to doneness.  Some restaurant’s rare is a lot more or a lot less rare than the competitions.  For the most part these guidelines will be displayed on the menu.  The best thing to do however is tell your server how you like your steak cooked and what it looks like when done your way.  That way they can tell you to which temperature that will relate to at their particular restaurant.

Finally, we just want to note that steaks are cooked to temperature and doneness which does not always translate directly to color.  If you think about it, the difference in color of the meat from cow to cow can vary greatly based on their diet.   If you look at the meat of a sirloin from a traditional corn fed American steer and then look at the color of a sirloin from a pasture grazed, grass-fed Argentine steer you will see that the grass fed sirloin is a much darker almost burgundy red color, while the corn-fed sirloin is a much paler light brick red color.  These reds will react to temperature change differently and if you cook both to the exact same temperature for meduim rare (or any temp) you will be looking at two different colors but the same level of doneness.   This is why we chefs use temperature as a difinitive guideline, and serious steak eaters should know what to expect based on the type of beef they are ordering because temperature cooked steaks are not always the same exact color.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Contributing Writer: Joseph M. Gionfriddo
Photo by: Another Pint Please

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]