ATK The Best Meatballs

 

I actually agree with America's Test Kitchen's title for this recipe; these are seriously the best meatballs I have ever eaten. There was so much flavor from the bread and the parmesan and then the texture! What a delightful crunch and moist, tender centers. Wow.

The book says this texture comes from the bread paste, which is called "panada" in Italian cooking. "It helps bind together the meat and flavorings. We found that fresh bread did a better job...The buttermilk also has a subtle, tangy flavor, making these meatballs the absolute best we've ever tasted."

2 slices white sandwich bread (I used sliced sourdough)
1/3 C buttermilk
3/4 pound ground beef (I skipped the pork and did 1 pound of beef)
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil

Remove and discard the crusts from the bread, then tear the bread into small pieces. Mash the bread pieces and buttermilk to a smooth paste in a large bowl, using a fork. (I eventually got in there with my fingers because the sourdough was pretty resilient.)

Add the meat, Parmesan, parsley, yolk, garlic, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper to the mashed bread. Stir the mixture gently until combined and uniform. Gently form the mixture into 1 1/2" round meatballs. You'll get about 12.

Oil a skillet (I used a cast iron). Heat over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate and discard the oil left in the pan.

Place the skillet with any browned bits over medium heat and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to low and add the meatballs. Continue to simmer, turning the meatballs occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

While the meatballs are simmering, it's a good time to boil your spaghetti.

Makes 12 meatballs, serves 4, from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

ATK Pan-Seared Steaks

 

You can prepare a sauce with the browned bits in the pan but this recipe is amazing in all its glorious simplicity.

In general, you can facilitate a well-caramelized exterior and crust by doing the following:

1. Pat the steaks dry

2. Get the pan really hot (you can tell it is hot by the smoking oil)

3. Use a pan that is big enough so the steaks have enough room to sear

Boneless beef steak (8 ounces) 1 to 1 1/4" thick, trimmed--I used a rib eye steak

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Pat and dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the steaks on the first side, about 4 minutes.

Flip the steaks over and continue to cook to desired doneness, 4-6 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a clean plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serves 1, from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Playing with food

Rachel's Beefy Tatertot Casserole

A college favorite of Vicky's...although she doesn't remember eating it. Great the next day for breakfast served with eggs and toast. OR When everyone's eaten the tatertots off of it, you can pan fry the meat and toss in some cooked rice (day old is best too) and then crack an egg over it. Garnish with some green onions or cilantro and voila! You've got fried rice.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1-2 C of frozen peas
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1 bag of frozen tater-tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onions until soft, add garlic. Brown beef in the same pan and then add the mushrooms. Add Worcestershire sauce, and mushroom soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a 13x9 pan.

Heat the peas in the pan and then mix into the meat mixture. Top with tatertots and bake uncovered for about 40 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Moroccan Lamb Stew

"Many people assume that wrinkled, sticky dates are a dried fruit, much like prunes or dried apricots. In fact, regular dates are fresh fruits that acquire many of the same characteristics as dried fruit (thin skin, extreme sweetness) because they are grown in the desert. This recipe calls for dried dates. You will find this specialty food sold chopped and often covered with flour to prevent sticking. They act as a perfect sweet foil to highly spiced lamb stews."

This lamb stew was so good--sweet and spiced just right. It must have been Christina's secret touch (i.e. her tossing everything she sees into the pot, including sweet chili sauce). Pure magic.

4 Tbs. olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 lb. cubed lamb for stewing, we used beef which worked out beautifully too
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. saffron threads
1 Tbs. peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup chopped dried dates
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat an oven to 350°F. 

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 



Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. Place the flour in a large bowl or sealable plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb in batches and stir or shake to coat thoroughly with the seasoned flour. 

Warm the remaining 3 Tbs. oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the lamb and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes for each batch. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.



Return the onion mixture and the lamb along with any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the garlic, cumin, saffron and ginger and stir to coat the meat and vegetables. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.

Add the tomatoes, dates, and orange zest and juice and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake until the meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If the sauce seems too thin, using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables to a bowl and boil the sauce on the stovetop until thickened. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot.

Taste and adjust the seasonings. 

Transfer the stew to a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately with couscous or bread.

Serves 6, adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Soup & Stew

Sliced Beef with Broccoli

Basic, sweet, savory tasty beef. Susanne made it once. Now for brother Ron Kangas’ dinner at our house!

½ lb beef tenderloin, sliced (maybe flank steak next time since the cut we used was a bit stringy and muscle-y)

Marinade
2t sugar
½ T soy sauce
½ t baking soda
2 t cornstarch
1 T cold water
1 T oil

1lb Broccoli
15 pcs scallion cut 1/2” long
1” ginger, sliced
½ white onion, sliced

Seasoning sauce
2 T oyster sauce
1 T wine
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced

Marinate beef in marinade for at least one hour.

Boil broccoli 30 seconds, remove and plunge in cold water.

Heat onions and garlic in pan. Add beef in pan.
Stir fry all in sauce.

Paprika Sirloin Steak Wrap

Does not travel well. Sorry, Miriam!

4 to 6 oz. sirloin steak
Olive oil (didn't have so used flax seed oil to toss the arugula in)
1 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika + ground cayenne pepper works too)
Salt and pepper
A handful of arugula
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
red onion, thinly sliced
1 T lemon juice
Tortillas (TJ's handmade sundried tomato ones are excellent)
2 Tbsp hummus (TJ's eggplant hummus)
1 Tbsp sour cream (or greek yogurt)

Heat a griddle or frying pan until very hot. While heating, score each side of the steak and rub with olive oil. Season with the paprika, cayenne if using, and salt and pepper. Sear in the hot pan for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on how you want the steak cooked and how thick it is.

While steak is cooking, mix the arugula with the tomatoes and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

Remove the steak from the pan and wipe the pan with paper towels. Briefly heat the tortillas in the hot pan.

To serve, slice the steak into thin slices and serve atop tortillas with the arugula salad, hummus, and sour cream.

Serves 1-2, adapted from Jamie's Dinners

Jamie Oliver's Burgers and Chips

It was really fun to grind my own meat! It turned out just like real ground beef but now I know what's in it and that little piece of peace just makes the burgers so much better. Next time, I'll add a little bit more of the spices and not so much breadcrumbs. Maybe the breadcrumbs were not dry enough. Anyway, they are normal burgers, but still one of the best I've made.

I didn't do the fancy rosemary salt, but it did sound tasty. Something to try the next time.

1kg/2lb 3oz chuck steak, or good minced steak
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
a pinch of cumin seeds (dash of ground cumin)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (a little less than a Tbsp of ground coriander)
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 heaped tablespoon English mustard
1 large free-range egg
115g/4oz breadcrumbs (I used 3 stale slices of bread and food processed them)
8 burger buns

for the chips
2kg/4½lb large potatoes, skins left on, cut into chips 1cm/½ inch thick
olive oil, enough to coat the potatoes. I needed more than 1/4 cup
1 whole bulb of garlic
freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
zest of 1 lemon
85g/3oz sea salt

If you're using chuck steak to make your burgers, slice it up and pulse it in a food processor. Transfer the meat to a bowl. In a big frying pan, slowly cook the onion in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the onion to the meat - it will give sweetness to the burger. Using a pestle and mortar, bash up the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper until fine and add to the meat. Then add the Parmesan, mustard, egg and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. If the mixture is too sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs.

Lay some greaseproof paper on a tray or large plate and sprinkle over some of the remaining breadcrumbs. Shape the meat into 8 fat burgers and place these on top of the crumbs on the tray. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and press down gently. The burgers are better if they are chilled before cooking, so put them in the fridge for an hour or so.

Half an hour before you want to cook the burgers, put a large flat baking tray in the oven and turn the heat to 230°C/450°F/gas 8 (it could have used more time, or put to hi broil). Parboil your chips (still with their skins on) for about 10 minutes in salted boiling water and drain in a colander.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, smash the garlic bulb up and chuck in the cloves, then add the chips. Toss in the oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the contents of the pan to the preheated tray and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Now make your rosemary salt. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and put them in a pestle and mortar with the lemon zest and salt. Bash up to make a green paste, adding more salt if the mixture is too wet. Push this paste through a sieve, and keep to one side until you're ready to serve.

Take your burgers out of the fridge and fry them in a little oil on a medium to high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the burgers and how you like them, turning occasionally. Serve them on toasted burger buns, with tomato ketchup, and your fat chips sprinkled with the rosemary salt. Other great things to top your burger with are layers of sliced beef tomatoes, thinly sliced cheese, raw onion rings, lettuce, a grating of fresh horseradish - even a fried egg!

Makes approx. 8 burgers, from Jamie's Dinners

Tender Flank Steak with Green Onions & Mushrooms

Soak 3-4 black mushrooms in water for 10 minutes. Slice thin. With flank steak, slice and rub with a little bit, maybe 1/2 tsp of corn starch and let it sit. Then heat the oil, add the mushrooms, soy sauce, corn syrup/sugar, black beans then the meat. Near the end, add the green onions and season with salt. If you want an extra kick of flavor, you can add a little bit of rice vinegar too.

Bell Pepper Steak with Black Beans

It's funny, my dad doesn't cut his bell peppers, he tears them with his hands. And he uses the inner ribbing of it, which turns out to be tender and delicious. You basically heat the pan with oil, cook the garlic with the sliced flank steak until almost done, then remove from the heat onto a separate plate. Cook the bell pepper until tender and add the black beans (which, according to Chinese medicine is good for your emotional welfare. "Add more! More!") Add the beef and season with soy sauce.

Short Ribs Braised in Chile-Coffee Sauce

If you plan to make this, note that it’ll be about 4 hours before you eat. Best to make this one to two days before to develop a richer, sweeter flavor. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill, ribs covered directly with parchment or wax paper and roasting pan covered with foil. Remove any solidified fat before reheating. I didn't for Vicky's birthday dinner and I had to add more maple syrup.

Also, for Vicky's Birthday dinner, I only served these ribs with a baby greens salad (with poached pears in white wine sauce, candied walnuts, tomatoes, and red onions) and crusty bread.

This recipe is good even doubled. I used probably 10 pounds and just doubled the sauce part which could serve at least 9 people. The recipe below serves about 6.

Sauce
2 T Chile Ancho powder
1 large onion, quartered
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 T canned chipotle chiles in adobo (2 t sauce)
4 T pure maple syrup
1 1/2 T fresh lime juice
1 t salt

Ribs
6 lb short ribs
black pepper
2 t salt
1/2 c dark brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Liquify ancho chile powder, onion, garlic, chipotles, maple syrup, lime juice, 1 t salt in a blender.

Cut ribs so there’s only one piece of bone in each (portion size pieces) and dry them with a paper towel. Generously sprinkle them with pepper and 2 t salt.

Heat 1 T vegetable oil in a heavy skillet and brown ribs on all sides in batches. Place ribs in a single layer in whatever size casserole/baking dish you have– 13x9 and 8x8.

Add chile puree to the fat in the skillet, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 1/2 C water, and coffee; and bring to a boil. Stir sauce and ladle over meat, making sure the thick stuff in the sauce is evenly distributed in the pans you’re using.

Cover pans tightly with foil and braise ribs for about 3 1/2 hours at 350. I would place the pieces on their side (rather than with the bone down) and flip them over half way through cooking, for maximum flavor absorption into the meat.

Skim fat from pan juices using a baster or a spoon. Serve with the juice/sauce from the pan.

Short Ribs Recipe on Susanne's Blog

Green Chili Meat Mix for Tacos

Susanne first made it for a home meeting and I had the honor of eating the leftovers, it was that good. This makes a lot, but it says it's perfect to freeze. Make sure to leave 1/2" space at top of container before freezing.

We don't have a dutch oven, so I experimented a little bit cooking the onions in a large sauce pan until brown and softened and then adding the rest of the sauce ingredients and cooking until thickened. Then I threw this into my slow cooker. In a cast iron skillet, I seared the outside of the meat, cut into 4 large slabs in a pan and then added it to the slow cooker and cooked for at least 6 hours on high.

I think I prefer it cooked the way the recipe calls, in the dutch oven. Mine turned out more watery than if you roast it because slow cookers retain a lot of moisture. And I had to cut the meat instead of shredding it with 2 forks because I only cooked it for 4-5 hours. But apparently it turned out good at the New and Returning Students Dinner! Leanna appreciated it so much she asked for this recipe and Priscilla said: "OH! i REALLY liked your slow cooked beef yesterday. was totally awesome and delish~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

So this blog entry is dedicated to Priscilla and Leanna. *in a Barry Whitesque voice* This one is for you, baby...ohhhh yeah.

5 lb. beef roast (or combo of pork and beef roasts)
3 onions, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
14 oz. green-chili salsa (only $1.69/bottle of salsa at Trader Joe's; you'll need 2)
1-4 t garlic powder
4 T flour
4 t salt
1 t ground cumin

Preheat oven 275 degrees
Place roasts in roasting pan or dutch oven and cover with a tight lid (we cut into 4 large pieces, stuck it in our cast iron and tightly covered it with foil).

Roast for 5-6 hours until well done.
OR according to the recipe, you can cook with 1 C water in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes but our pressure cooker didn't quite do the trick. Reserve meat juices.

Shred meat with two forks and set aside.

Cook the rest of the ingredients in a skillet and add meat juices. Cook for 5 minutes until thickened. Cool.

Serve on corn tortillas with cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, and whatever topping you like!

Asian-style Beef with Chilies and Shallots

We usually have 1-2.5 channels on our rabbit-eared TV, but when the rain comes, we miraculously get tons more! Usually Spanish channels airing telenovelas, but a couple days ago, I discovered that we have KPBS! YAY! And that night, America's Test Kitchen was on! Double YAY!

Anna and I watched them make this dish and we had a "Mom" moment--if we were to make this we would throw in more way more chilies because this dish was created by white people and therefore it wouldn't be spicy enough for us.
...
Ooooookay....WE WERE SO WRONG!!! This dish was so spicy! Even while I was cooking it, I kept coughing and then afterwards, I had to adjust the veggies to make it bearable to eat! I adjusted the sauces and made it less spicy in the recipe below, but of course, I think this dish is tasty enough to stand on its own without any spiciness (although it is more fun with the heat).

I like the flavor of the beef marinade, sweet and savory. If using chuck, they said you could cook it well done and still have it be tender. You just need to remove all that white tough stuff around the meat.

Beef and Marinade
3/4 t ground coriander
1/8 t ground white pepper
1 t brown sugar
1 t fish sauce
1 lb blade steak, trimmed and cut 1/4" thick

Stir-Fry
1 T fish sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1T water
1/2 T brown sugar
1/2 T Asian chili-garlic paste (if using this, you may omit the jalapeño, or use only a 1/4 of the jalapeño)
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1/2 jalapeno chile, halved, seeded and ribs removed, cut crosswise 1/8" thick
1-2 shallots medium sized
2 bell peppers (green or red or both), sliced

Garnish
1/4 C mint leaves, torn into bite sized pieces (or basil leaves, or omit is ok)
1/4 C cilantro leaves
2 stalks of green onions, sliced
1/3 C unsalted, roasted peanuts
lime wedges for serving

Combine coriander, sugar, fish sauce in bowl add beef and toss to combine; marinate 15 minutes.

Stir in a separate bowl: fish sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar, garlic chili paste until sugar dissolves. At this point, you can chop/prepare all the veggies and slice while the meat is marinating.

Heat 2 t oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat until smoking, add 1/3 of the beef in an even layer and cook, without stirring for 2 minutes. Then stir and continue cooking until beef is browned around the edges and is no longer pink on the inside. Transfer beef into a medium bowl and repeat with additional oil and remaining meat in 2 more batches.

After finishing the meat, reduce heat to medium and add 2 t of oil to now empty skillet to coat. Add chilies and shallots and cook, stirring frequently until beginning to soften. Push chili-shallot mixture to the side and add the garlic to the center. Stir to combine the mixtures and then add the bell pepper and stir.

Add fish sauce and cook until reduced and thickened and bell pepper is cooked, but not soggy. Add meat and peanuts and toss well.

Take off heat and sprinkle remaining garnish on top. Tasty with rice or rice noodles!

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Episode: Not Your Average Stir-Fry.
Serves up to 6 people

Moussaka

The first moussaka I had was in some hole in the wall hotel/restaurant in Greece (was it Samos? Or Naxos?) and it was so creamy and delicious. I like the spices in this recipe. And the potatoes apparently aren't authentic, but I like potatoes...so eh. It's hearty and perfect for a cold night.

Eggplant
2 large eggplants (about 2 3/4 pounds), unpeeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices (don't cut too thin or they'll burn during baking)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meat Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half (or 1 t gr. cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 can 28 oz. cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes (with puree), roughly chopped
1 bay leaf

Custard Sauce
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole (but non fat milk good) room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano

sliced potatoes optional (if you do, you can use 3 red potatoes or 1 russet potato)

Bake the eggplant
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and lay on 2 small or 1 large foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the eggplant is soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside covered.

opt: Bake the potatoes
Slice the potatoes and line on the bottom of the pan. Bake 20 minutes until tender.

Make the meat sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Break the meat up into small pieces and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until just cooked but still slightly pink inside, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the sauce is thickened and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.

Make the custard sauce
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and while whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir to cool. Add 1/4 C of the sauce and whisk briskly in the egg and yolks. Then whisk the eggs into the sauce.

Assemble the moussaka:
Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish with the oil. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the pan. Lay half of the eggplant in the pan, overlapping the slices if needed. Cover with half of the meat sauce and smooth with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and meat sauce. Pour the custard sauce over the layered mixture and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano and bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and the custard is set, about 1 hour.

Remove the moussaka from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to serve.