For this post I want to address a question received by one of our readers regarding the proper seasoning and care of cast iron cooking equipment. But before I provide my answer I must take the time to reference the cookbook that really got me into cast iron cooking in the first place, Seven Fires, Grilling the Argentine Way, written by Argentina’s most famous chef Francis Mallmann.  Throughout this book full of wonderful recipes there are many side notes, quotes, and chef tips related to all things having to do with wood-fire cooking.  One of these particular side notes is Chef Mallmann’s perspective on proper care and seasoning of cast iron pans and it is so perfect that I want to share it for this post.

While reading this quotation keep in mind that Chef Mallmann has multiple restaurants and cooks more in cast iron than anyone you know or ever will know.  However, the general idea and romance of cast iron cooking is absolutely there, so check it out, and then read my more practical approach.  In the end do whatever you feel is best for your personal style of cooking.

“I depend on cast iron, and I respect it, but I don’t go through the elaborate steps that some aficionados do when cleaning it. I know that many people never wash their cast-iron pans with soap and water, scouring them instead with coarse salt, then oiling the pans to develop a nonstick patina that’s equal to Teflon. I’m not one of them. I find that a pan that is oil-seasoned often smokes while it’s heating up; I prefer to oil my ingredients just before putting them on to cook. As far as cleaning off the sticky bits, pouring boiling water into a pan or dousing a very hot pan or skillet with a ladleful of warm water shocks them so you can easily scrape them off with a big spoon, spatula, or-my favorite chapa tool- a wide putty knife (the kind used by housepainters and plasterers).

I confess that my pans often show rust and some even crack from time to time but I just chalk that up to paying my dues.”

My personal philosophy regarding proper care and seasoning of cast iron boils down to one basic philosophy: don’t wash it, instead wipe it down thoroughly with a clean dry towel while the pan is still hot after each use.  The resulting temperature of cooking with a cast iron pan on medium/high heat will sanitize it thoroughly and the same heat will loosen any of those aforementioned “sticky bits” so that they can be easily removed with your spatula prior to wipe down.

When you purchase a new cast iron skillet or pan what I recommend you do is apply a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil (not olive oil as it can not stand up to the same level of heat that vegetable oil can) to your pan and with a clean paper towel rub it into the entire surface area of the pan (both sides). Really take your time and massage the oil into the cast iron until the whole thing is evenly saturated.  Now what you need to do is add some heat.  This is a great time to see how your pan heats up.  Start at medium heat for about 10 minutes, notice if your pan smokes, how hot it feels, how a drop of water sizzles on it, etc.  Next increase the heat to medium/high and let sit for another 10 minutes.  What you have now essentially done is fired on your new pan’s nonstickiness!  Let the pan cool somewhat, but while still warm, carefully wipe the entire pan thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.  You have now successfully seasoned your cast iron and will not need to do it again.

While I do oil season my pans unlike Chef Mallmann, I do agree that the initial best way to keep food from sticking (even in a seasoned pan) is to oil your ingredients prior to adding them to a hot pan, and it is something that I do every time I cook.

To summarize what you must do to keep your cast iron pan performing to its utmost potential thoroughly scrape down and then while still warm, wipe your pan clean after each use.  Personally, I do not feel that water is needed to clean these pans at all, but it can be helpful if you have an extreme case of “sticky bits”.  Regular practicing of these few steps will help your cast iron maintain its wonderful non-stick properties for as long as you own it!

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Photo Credit: cinnachick

This cooking medium/method has really changed the way I think about food: and is best explained in two short words: cast iron. I purchased a flat surfaced cast iron griddle last Fall and since doing so, I have tried cooking just about every food imaginable on it. With this post I hope to spark some cast iron interest in you and help you key in on points that will help you when experimenting with your griddle techniques.

I think most of us have stashed away somewhere in our house, a dusty old heavy cast iron skillet which we may not have used in ages (or ever). But this should truly not be the case. Cast iron should be a regularly utilized part of all our cooking routines. Cast iron heats up evenly, retains its temperature for a really long time, and when seasoned properly is nearly stick proof. This last characteristic is what has been so crucial to me lately. When you can get food to cook evenly at high heat without sticking to the cooking medium, you allow yourself an amazing range of browning/searing/charring that would simply not be possible with other conventional cooking surfaces.

In Argentine cuisine next to the wood burning grill (Parrillia) the cast iron griddle (Chapa) is perhaps the most important cooking surface in the kitchen. This is what prompted me to really start getting comfortable with my cast iron griddle and after much practice I can honestly say that I am able to sear just about any food on my chapa and create the perfect amount of char. The advice I would offer to any new cast iron cookers is to practice cooking at medium/high heat and really get comfortable working at this temperature. Get to know the speed at which different foods cook and note the resulting amount of char produced. You will need to keep a mental record of how everything chars but as a general rule of thumb, remember that the higher the sugar content/the quicker and darker the resulting char will be.

My personal recommendation for a cast iron griddle is something flat with a good amount of surface area such as one from Lodge Cast Iron which has two surface styles and fits securely on most modern stovetops. But by all means if you already have a cast iron pan hiding in your house, use it before you buy anything new. Practice getting your sear down in small batches and then if you still need to upgrade, you will have a good idea of exactly the griddle size and style you are looking for.

In my restaurant I use my griddle the gaucho way: directly on top of my wood fire. However you can replicate this traditional method using your gas or electric stovetop and often with more consistent results as stovetops heat more evenly than a wood fire. Cast iron will take a while to heat up, so at med/high give it a good 5 minutes pre-heating time if using a gas stove and 10 minutes if using electric. Before adding any food to your griddle, place a drop of water on the griddle. The water should spatter and evaporate almost instantly and your griddle should be just about smoking. When this ideal temp is reached carefully apply a thin layer of vegetable oil to the griddle (watch out for flare ups) and begin searing away, while always being careful not to over crowd the cooking surface.

As for getting the food off of the griddle, my personal suggestion is to invest in a new metal putty knife or paint scraper with a flat flexible scraping surface. You want a tool that will make even contact with the cast iron surface and then cleanly get under the food and enable you to best flip and remove items from your griddle without disrupting the charred surface you have worked so diligently to create. Practice and experimentation will be your biggest allies when cooking with cast iron. But remember that any food that can be pan seared, fried, or grilled can just as easily be griddle/seared, and what a difference in both appearance and flavor it makes!

Coming up in my next post, my two favorite griddled foods: Provoleta a.k.a. charred-aged provolone with oregano and tomatoes and smashed griddled red potatoes with olive oil and sea salt!

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Photo Credit: buchman

When I mention Cold Brewed coffee many people think I’m speaking of iced coffee but when I further explain that cold brewed coffee is something far greater than merely iced coffee their eyebrows peak with intrigue and their taste buds tingle with anticipation. If you’ve never experienced cold brewed coffee and the joy it can bring then you are clearly missing wonderful things. Let me explain what cold brew coffee is before I continue to blather on about its euphoria.

Cold brewed coffee is made with the same ingredients and roughly the same procedures as hot brewed coffee. Instead of using hot water to extract the beautiful, delicious taste of coffee you use cold water and let the coffee steep for twelve to twenty-four hours. The steeping process is very similar to making hot tea but only longer and with cold water. The principles of good cold brew coffee are the same with hot brewed; filtered water and great beans.

While explaining to many people about cold brewed coffee they often ask what are the benefits over hot brewed as the time needed is obviously much longer. With cold brewed coffee you’ll experience a mildly different taste to the same coffee using a hot brewing method. Now this isn’t due to some magic but very basic science, there is a chemical reaction when you steep coffee and when you hot brewed coffee. This is not to say that you’ll experience two wildly different flavors, aromas, bodies, and acidity (brightness). It is more subtle.

With hot brew you might experience a more earthy, smoky flavor but with cold brew you might experience those earthy, smoky flavors but now with floral hints. With cold brew you’ll also encounter a more sweet flavor, often those who put sugar in their hot coffee decide to forego it with cold brew as it is more naturally sweet. (My personal tests have found that sweetness is affected by the amount of time steeped, although I found it subtle.) One noticeable difference you’ll find with cold brewed coffee is what is described as “thin coffee,” some people mistake this for weak coffee as well. This difference is from the absence of oils that are extracted during a hot brewing method; there is nothing wrong with the coffee. Now for those who love drinking coffee but experience acid problems or stomach issues, cold brewed coffee has been hailed as the answer to drinking and enjoying coffee without the aforementioned problems. I’ve heard numbers like 65%-70% less acid problems with cold brewed coffee. Although I have not confirmed those exact numbers I have many friends who drink cold brew coffee and have reported less to no problems with acid or their stomachs.

After you cold brewed your coffee you will essentially have a coffee extract, you can simply put it into the refrigerator and enjoy straight, mixed, or even hot. I’ve found that making the right cold brew like any other method you use is a process and should be repeated until perfected for your taste. One problem that I’ve discovered with cold brew coffee is that many people have a hard time straining their coffee once the steeping process is complete. Unless you have a cold brew canister/product it can be difficult.  We have found the easiest way is to use a french press poured into a filtered drip cone. This method provides a double filtration for you, not only removing grinds but any additional silt that may slip through the french press filter. However, there are many devices you can purchase to make this process much easier but it’s all about preference. If you’re like me, you have an auto drip machine, espresso machine, grinder, french press, vacuum pot, drip cone, an array of coffee bean containers, and coffee making accessories. So for me it was just easier to use what we have than to pick up another type of machine/product.

At the end of the day cold brewed coffee is so versatile that it is most definitely worth the time spent to make it. It is the perfect choice for busy mornings and once brewed takes no time to make new mixed drinks. Cold brewing is close to my heart and I hope it will find a place in yours. Hot or cold brewed, enjoy your coffee and enjoy life!

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Joe’s List of 10 Mandatory Kitchen Tools

Many of these are common items that most people will already have, but I want to offer my opinion on the best type, for durability, performance, and functionality. I suggest that when shopping for these items you browse the web for restaurant supply sources and order from there. Home cook supply shops tend to be stocked with overpriced and over complicated versions of what chefs have been using professionally for years.

1. KNIVES -  You really don’t need many, but the few you own, or better yet, use on a day to day basis, should be durable, sharp, and suited to your hand/body size. Avoid buying all purpose knifes that are completely serrated; you will never be able to make precision cuts, or sharpen them. The only serrated knife you really need is a long thin bread knife. Other than that, you should have an all purpose chefs (butcher knife), filet knife, boning knife, and paring knife. Buy quality and you will most likely never have to buy them again.

2. CUTTING BOARD, SHARPENING STONE, AND STEEL -  I include these as one category because they are essentially secondary requirements for using knives, it doesn’t make sense to have knives without them. The best cutting boards are the simplest ones, the white, synthetic, plain board type. They are dishwasher safe, will never warp, can be bleached clean of any stain, and are ruggedly durable. For the sharpening stone and steel, you need not spend a fortune, but buy a stone that has at least two coarseness, and steel that feels smooth but not slippery, and learn how to use them well.

3. TONGS – Simply put, buy yourself some basic metal, restaurant style tongs in both short and long lengths. The tongs that come in home grill sets, are clumsy and weak, and they make you want to reach for the turning fork, which you should never, ever use.

4. VEGETABLE PEELER – A strong wide peeler with a good grippy handle, and replaceable blade, is very important. You will thank yourself when you are doing the thanksgiving mashed potatoes, or worse yet, trying to work your way into a butternut squash.

5. MIXING BOWLS – A good set of three, large, different sized, metal mixing bowls, is a huge personal favor. From breading stations, to salads, to multi phased dessert prep, if you want the ability to make impressive restaurant quality food at home, you will need more than your soup and cereal bowls.

6. BOX GRATER – You may have a grater, but do you have a real box grater? It should a four sided mechanism with four different shredder types, at least two of which are the standard grater style, just varying in size. The other two shredder types are less important, but it should also have a strong sturdy, and comfortable handle, and good strong welds holding it together.

7. RUBBER SPATULA – These are at times the only things to truly fit into oddly shaped surfaces. Many rubber spatulas are also heat proof and perfectly suited to working right in a hot pan loosening a sticky omelet, or scraping the last bit of melted chocolate out of the bowl and onto your brownies.

8. WISK – The wisk is like the box grater, you probably have one, but is it a good one? Strong and sturdy with a large handle, the wisk is the ultimate mixing tool. For making fresh whipped crème, mixing a simple batter, or marinade, anything that needs to be mixed can be done better with a wisk, so why not have a good one.

9. STRAINER – There is most likely a colander in the house for making spaghetti, but this is not the same as a good strainer. Your strainer should be metal and moderately sized, with a long handle, and a clasp, or bend opposite the handle side for resting on the edge of a pot or bowl. In the restaurant there are countless sauces, stocks, and purees that are finished or made better by passing through a specifically sized strainer, at home you can probably get away with just having one.

10. BRUSHES – You should have two types of brushes, one for meats, and one for everything else. Basting your ribs with barbeque sauce is best done with a synthetic, dishwasher safe brush with heavy large bristles, while glazing the tops of your sticky buns requires a brush that is much more delicate, with shorter, softer bristles.

With these tools you should be able to accomplish more than 90% of all home cooks ever will, and you will be able to do it well! You will not have to spend a ton to get them, but, buy simple, durable equipment and maintain it well. You should have it forever because most chefs’ tools are meant for a lifetime of abuse!

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Photo by: fah-lo-sue

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!

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Photo by: TheBittenWord.com

Enjoy!

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[viddler id=910ef354&w=437&h=370]

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Ingredients

10 eggs
4oz white sugar
½ lb unsalted butter, roughly chopped
1 lb semi sweet chocolate chips
1 qt heavy cream

Tools Required

1 large mixing bowl
1 small heat proof mixing bowl
Stand mixer with bowl and whisk attachment (or separate bowl and whisk if you don’t have one)
1 large whisk
1 large rubber spatula
Slotted metal spoon

Procedure

• Carefully separate the yolks from the whites of the ten eggs.The best way to approach this task is to do so one egg at a time so you can be absolutely sure not to get any yolk in with the whites.Ultimately the yolks should be in the large mixing bowl, and the whites should be in the bowl of the stand mixer.
• Use the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, on medium/high speed, to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, and set aside.

• Add the 4oz sugar to the egg yolks in the large bowl and, use the large whisk to whip until the yolks double in volume and turn very pale, set aside.

• Place the chocolate chips and the butter in the small heat proof bowl. Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a pot that is of a slightly smaller diameter than that of the heat proof bowl, place the bowl on top of the simmering pot, making sure the bottom of the pot does not touch the water. Use the slotted spoon to stir the chocolate and butter mixture until it is completely melted and free of lumps, make sure not to get any water in the chocolate during the mixing process or it will seize up. Set aside and let cool slightly.

• Use the stand mixer and whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, set aside.

• Carefully fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, in ¼ increments.

• In approximately 10 installments, fold the melted chocolate into the egg mix. The reason for the many installments is to raise the temperature of the eggs as little as possible, in order to avoid curdling. The easiest way to lightly distribute the melted chocolate into the eggs is to let it flow through the slots of the spoon, in thin strands. Make sure to scrape the chocolate off the bottom when folding as it tends to sink through the eggs, and you want to get all of it mixed in.

• Finally, fold the whipped cream into the egg and chocolate mixture in ¼ increments, for this final step it is important to mix as little as possible, just enough to incorporate the whipped cream into the egg mixture, in fact it is better to leave a few streaks of whipped cream unincorporated, than to over mix.

• Place the finished mousse into serving vessels, or a larger container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Mousse will keep for up to a week.

NOTE: This recipe can be cut in ½ or ¼ but depending on the size of you mixer, the small quantities of eggs that result from the recipe reduction may not whip evenly.

Once the chocolate mousse is completed you can serve it with a couple strawberries, some whipped cream and a piece of mint.  Other uses would include chocolate mousse pie or just eating straight from the bowl

Enjoy!

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All tests will be done with the palm of your hand.  It is important that your hand is relaxed and not tense or else the pressures you will be checking for will be off.  Each test will involve you using the index finger of your other hand and pressing on the meaty area between your thumb and base of your palm.  You will be comparing the feeling in this area of your palm with that of the center of the steak you’re cooking.

Raw
Your hand is open.

Rare
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger.  The meaty area between your thumb and the base of your palm should give and not be firm.

Medium-Rare
Press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb.  This will feel more firm and less giving but still spongy.

Medium
Touch the tip of your ring finger to the tip of your thumb.  It should still give a little but getting more firm.

Well-Done
Touch the tip of your pinkie to the tip of your thumb.  This should feel hard yet springy kind of like a tennis ball.

Before you ask about medium-well, it will be the slight difference between medium and well-done.  If you are trying to achieve medium-well as the level of doneness for your steak, you should pull the steak off when it is about medium and let it rest for approximately 5-10 minutes.  As the steak rests it will continue to cook to medium-well.

Now, run out to the grocery store, buy some steaks and start testing!

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There is a lot to take into consideration when trying to cook to various temperatures and we’ll go over that in a future post but today we wanted to share with you the definitions that we use at our steakhouse and are generally accepted specifications.  We have tried to simplify the definitions so that they’re easily understandable for the common customer.

• Rare - Cool red center

• Medium-Rare – Warm red center

• Medium -Pink throughout

• Medium-Well – Pink only in center

• Well – No pink

Note: Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood or eggs, may increase the risk of food borne illness.

What is your preference when your order a steak or hamburger?

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Photo by: VirtualErn