Braising results in an unbelievably tender roast and the gravy just screams for mashed potatoes.
INGREDIENTS:
5 veal shanks(Osso buco)
1 large onion, small diced
1 carrot, small diced
1 celery stalk, small diced
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves finely sliced
7 peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes (canned), small diced (1 cup)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour for dredging
4 tablespoons of corn starch
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Dredge veal in flour and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a large oven proof sauteuse, over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add veal and sear for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
In the same sauteuse, heat the last tablespoon of olive oil and lower heat to medium. Saute onions, celery and carrots for 5 minutes. Salt the vegetables (mire poix) while they are sauteeing in order to draw out the liquid. This will help to deglaze the pan from the veal shanks. If necessary, add a splash of wine to better deglaze the pan.
Once mire poix has cooked for 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and rosemary. Gently return the veal (Osso Buco) to the pan. Lastly add the red wine and beef stock. The liquid should not cover the meat entirely. It should only come half way up. Adjust, if necessary. As this will depend on the size of your pan and thickness of the veal shanks. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and place in oven. Cook for approximately 2.5 hours, until meat is fork tender.
Once the veal shanks (Osso Buco) are cooked, remove to a serving platter and keep warm.
To make the gravy, place sauteuse on a burner over medium heat, remove rosemary sprig and whisk in 3 tablespoons of corn starch. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve spooned over the Osso Buco and mashed potatoes.
TIPS:
1. Size of pan should fit the amount of meat. You do not want too much extra space.
2. The liquid should only come half way up the sides of the meat. Do not cover the meat with the liquid.
3. Braising is the combination of first searing meat on high temperature and then simmering over low heat with some liquid in a covered pot. It is easiest to do the second part in an oven.
This
sauce is delicious served with grilled steak, lamb, pork tenderloin,
chicken, fish and even grilled vegetables or as a sandwich spread.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups parsley
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves
half or a whole jalapeno
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Put all ingredients in a food processor and puree.
OTHER:
Sauce will keep in fridge for a couple of days or freeze for up to 1 month.
TIPS:
When washing herbs such as cilantro or parsley, always gently lift from the bowl of water, being careful not to disturb the bottom where the sand has settled .
I make this stew with lots of vegetables and forego the traditional addition of potatoes because I like to serve it over mashed roasted purple yams and sweet potatoes. I tend to make a bigger batch then the recipe below because it never lasts long in my house.
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg of cubed stewing beef. (I used pasture raised from Whole Foods)
2 cups of diced cooking onions
3 garlic gloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1/2 bottle of red wine or a little more
1/4 cup of broth or water
1 1/2 teaspoons of WHOLE black peppercorns
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of diced carrots
2 cups of diced zucchini (diced slightly larger than the carrots)
1 cup of green peas
kosher salt to taste
flour to dredge beef cubes
3 purple yams
3 sweet potatoes
METHOD:
Over medium high heat, melt butter and olive oil in a large sauteuse with a tight fitting lid. Dredge the beef cubes with a bit of flour. Add to the sizzling hot pan in 2 batches. Salt the meat to your taste at this point. Do not over crowd while searing. (See Tip section below). Sear for a couple of minutes per side until meat is browned on the outside. As you remove the browned beef (with a slotted spoon) from the pan to a bowl, keep it covered and warm. And proceed with the next step.
In the same pan, after you have removed all the browned beef, add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and translucent. Then add and saute garlic until it is fragrant. About 1 minute. At this point you will need to deglaze the pan with red wine.
Turn up the heat pour in just a splash of wine and using a wooden spoon scrape all the tasty goodness that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. You may need to do this twice.
Lower heat again to medium high. Then add the tomato paste, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt and the reserved beef cubes. Pour in half a bottle of red wine, bring to a low boil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Occasionally check on it and give it a good stir.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 F and roast the yams and sweet potatoes. The yams and potatoes will need approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours of roasting time. Place them on a cookie sheet and roast until they are tender when pierced with a fork. To serve just peel and scrape out from the skins.
After the stew has simmered for 1 1/2 hours, add in the zucchini and carrots. Simmer for an additional 25 minutes and then add the peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Adjust salt if needed.
Serve the hearty stew over fork-mashed oven roasted purple yams and roasted sweet potatoes.
For each serving, ladle the stew on top of half a yam and half a sweet potato.
TIPS:
When browning the beef it is important not to overcrowd the pan. Otherwise the beef will steam and or boil, not brown. This browning step is what gives the stew its great colour and hearty flavour.
This pulled pork is so tender and flavourful. And it is even better the next day.
INGREDIENTS:
1 kilogram of boneless rib end roast pork
1large thinly sliced onion
3 whole peeled garlic cloves or 2 tablespoons of ground garlic powder
2 cups of white wine
1/2 cup of water
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of Portuguese hot or sweet pimenta paste(see tip section below)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add onions to bottom of a heavy Dutch oven such as Le Creuset.
Salt and pepper the roast pork to taste and place on top of the bed of onions and whole garlic cloves if using. Otherwise add the garlic powder to the following paste.
In a bowl make a paste by mixing the pimenta paste, olive oil, paprika, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder and a bit of salt and black pepper.
Spread over the top of the pork and sides, letting it drip down. Add 2 bay leaves to bottom of pot. Pour the wine and water around the pork roast. (Not over the top of the roast).
Cover with a tight fitting lid and roast at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and continue to roast for 2.5hours. Check halfway to see if you need to add a bit more water. I have never had to, but it will depend on how tight fitting your lid is.
Once it is cooked, using two large forks shred "pull part" the roast pork. Serve with the extra sauce topped with the yummy onions.
TIPS:
1. Portuguese pimenta paste is available in most grocery stores. It is a traditional hot or sweet pepper paste. It is delicious added to many dishes or even just as a side dipping sauce.
2. How to save leftover tomato paste:
Place a small freezer bag in a glass. Fold open the top of the bag over the rim of the glass. Fill up the bag with the leftover tomato paste. Close it and flatten the contents. Place in the freezer and break off pieces as you need for future recipes.
This was a non traditional Christmas dinner for us. My oven broke and Zach, owner of THE MEAT DEPARTMENT, came to the rescue. He gave me this amazing recipe (that I slightly modified) for barbecued Rib-eye steaks with a luscious velvety smooth Madeira sauce. Soo yummy, it may just have become the new favourite in our house!
INGREDIENTS:
8 Rib-eye steaks
Barberian's Steak House Seasoning (definitely my new favourite!)
SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups Madeira wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
METHOD:
Take out steaks and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Just before you put them on the grill season lightly with the Barberian's steak seasoning. Do not season too early or the juices will run out of the meat.
SAUCE DIRECTIONS:
Prepare sauce before you put steaks on the grill and keep warm until it is served.
Whisk the Madeira, lemon juice, shallots, peppercorns, garlic, tomato paste, and bay leaf in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and then lower heat to medium-low and cook until only 1/4 cup of liquid is left in the pan. Approximately 10 -12 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. And then whisk in the cold butter a tablespoon at a time. Lastly taste for seasoning and add salt. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm until steaks are ready. You may need to give the sauce a quick whisk before you serve.
Serve along the side of each steak as a dipping sauce or drizzle over.
TIPS:
1. Always let steaks sit at room temperature for at least an hour before you grill. This will help keep them tender and juicy.
2. Cook steaks to your liking but remember to sear first and only turn once.
3. Do not substitute the Madeira wine with regular wine or Port.
4. This sauce can be served with any type of beef roast or any other cut of steak.
It is barbeque season! This recipe is easy and delicious. Pork tenderloin grills up quickly. You can never have too many pork tenderloin recipes.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pork tenderloins, 1 pound each
MARINADE:
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons soya sauce
a knob of fresh ginger equaling about 2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
pinch of cayenne
JALAPENO-ONION MARMALADE:
4 cups of chopped onions, about 4 medium sized onions
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (if you like the heat, do not seed)
2 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of red wine vinager
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
In a mini food processor, add all the marinade ingredients. Process to a smooth paste. Pour over the pork tenderloin and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Best if you marinade for 24 hours.
TO GRILL:
Let the meat sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile warm up the grill to a medium heat. Remove pork from marinade, letting excess drip off. Salt to taste. Grill on oiled rack until meat thermometer registers 160 F. This will take about 25 minutes. While grilling rotate the loins on all 4 sides.
Let meat rest, loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with the jalapeno-onion marmalade and any juices.
TO PREPARE JALAPENO-ONION MARMALADE:
In a skillet, on medium heat, warm up oil, then add onions and salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 10 minutes. Add jalapenos and cook for an additional minute. Add honey and cook again for another minute.
Lastly add the water and vinager and let mixture simmer on low heat until all the liquid has evaporated and onions are very tender. This will take about 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve this marmalade warm.
TIPS:
1. Always let meat come to room temperature before grilling. This ensures a more tender and juicy meat and shortens the cooking time.
2. I always use an instant meat thermometer when grilling to ensure that I consistently cook meat to my liking.
3. The heat in the jalapeno is in the ribbing and seeds.
4. Adding salt to the onions at the same time that you add them to the pan, helps to draw out the liquid from the onions, allowing you to cook them longer without burning.
I like to serve this with roasted sweet potatoes and gingered stir-fry vegetables [your choice of vegetables]. This tenderloin is so tender and tasty with sticky goodness!
INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1 1/2 pound centre-cut pork tenderloin
4 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon of chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
Make marinade by mixing honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili and black pepper. Pour over entire tenderloin and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refridgerator.
Roast in a preheated 375F oven for approximately 40 minutes. Baste half-way through. If the sauce begins to dry up too much, just add a splash of water.
Roast until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let rest for 10 minutes covered loosely with foil. Scoop up and slather all of the gooey sauce over the tenderloin. Slice and serve.
TIPS:
1. If you are hoping for leftovers, I would double, even triple the above recipe.
2. The longer that you marinate the meat, the more tasty it will be.
3. Always pat dry the meat before slathering on the marinade so that it sticks and does not run off.
4. Let meat stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before placing in hot oven. It will cook quicker and will be more moist.
5. Cook pork until internal temperature registers 160 F.
6. I prefer to mince the ginger and garlic together in a mini food chopper. Approximately one inch-long knob of fresh ginger equals a tablespoon minced.
Another family favourite. A great dish for entertaining.
INGREDIENTS:
4 lb boneless leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of Dijon or Pommery mustard
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large carrot diced
1 large onion diced
1 celery stalk diced
2 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of a full bodied red wine
1/2 cup of your favourite stock or water
METHOD:
Score leg of lamb on the fatty side.
In a mini-chopper, add 2 garlic cloves, 3 stemmed rosemary sprigs, 1 stemmed thyme sprig, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Process to a loose paste.
Using your hands spread paste over entire surface of the lamb (both sides). Season with a bit more salt and pepper.
Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
After about half an hour, preheat oven to 500F.
In a roasting pan, add the mire poix (onions, celery, carrots), remaining 2 cloves of garlic, bay leaves, 1 more sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of thyme, tomato paste, red wine and stock. Salt and pepper the vegetables. Set lamb over the mire poix, which serves as a rack. Roast for 20 minutes at 500F. Then lower the oven temperature to 350F. Cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours (approximately). It takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes per pound for medium. Otherwise, use a meat thermometer to cook to your own preference.
Once the lamb is cooked, remove from oven and cover loosely with foil. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the gravy.
Using a skimmer, remove all the vegetables and herbs from the roasting pan. Place roasting pan on a stove top burner and bring to a boil. Skim off the fat. Reduce heat, whisk in 1 teaspoon of corn starch and simmer the jus for 5 minutes to a silky consistency. Adjust seasoning (if necessary). Serve the jus drizzled over the sliced lamb.
TIPS:
1. Be sure to let the meat stand at room temperature for the required time before cooking. Never put cold meat into the oven, or barbeque. Bringing meat to room temperature before cooking prevents the meat from becoming tough and chewy.
2. Pat dry meat well, before spreading on the paste.
3. Always score the fatty side of the lamb so that the marinade penetrates to the roast.
4. Try to skim off as much of the fat from the jus as possible.
5. Roasting the meat at 500F for the first 20 minutes sears in the juices. I do this for all my oven roasts, including turkey.
6. Taking the time to let a roast "rest" (covered loosely with aluminum foil) after cooking will ensure that it is moist, tender and juicy.
