Alright. Back at it. First post since my Boston trip... long time, no see. I've still been eating well. I just haven't had the gumption to post. That ends now. I still have restaurant review that I've promised, plus a new one that I really have to write. I think that I may have stumbled into the best restaurant in Champaign-Urbana. And I don't think that anyone under the age of 50 knows about it. That'll be next time.
So one of the dishes that has been pretty established among the restaurant circles is beef short ribs. A typical dish would be braised beef short ribs in some sort of a red wine sauce (which is even on the menu at Olive Garden, for heaven's sake!) or a Korean-style, marinated in a sweet soy/garlic type sauce and grilled. The braised short ribs are a nice, meaty chunk of beef, and typically have been trimmed of the fat that goes right above, and is generally boneless. However, with the Korean-style short ribs, you get a very thin (maybe 1/4") slice of short rib, and it includes the bone, as well as the fatty layers above the meat. So, naturally, I'm curious. First of all, you have different ways of cooking, different types of flavors going on, and even different cuts of the same cut.
The first thing that I realized is that braising isn't as slow with this cut as it is with something like Osso Bucco, where you have it cook all afternoon. There isn't hardly any connective tissue to break down, this is just some really nice meat that's marbled very nicely. So, my first attempt at this wasn't good at all. I mean, it tasted okay, but the meat wasn't anything special - just like stew meat. Nice, but not what everyone's raving about. I actually just browned the meat and cooked it in this spicy, tomato/corn/bean soup (almost Mexican style). But where I went wrong was in cooking it too long. The meat ended up drying out as I slow cooked it. It just got sort of stringy. I think that if I would have kept it short, it would have worked.
So, back to the drawing board. The cuts that I was able to get at the store were just the trimmed chunks, not the Korean style, large flat pieces. But I decided to try the Korean way, and trimmed the meat into about 1/4" think strips. Went with the classic marinade of soy, honey, garlic, ginger, lime, and I added some siracha, sambal, and Bull's Head (see my Hot Pot posting) into the mix. Frenched some onions, added the short ribs, and let it marinate for a while. This time, cooking it over high heat, I was able to get a nice little caramelization and char on the meat, but the meat just wasn't doing it for me. Tasty, but a little too tough to get excited about. Really, on par with the Korean restaurants, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
So, I decided in a moment of serendipity to combine the styles - Korean marinade, leave the chunks whole, and grill it outside. Now, what happened was that I didn't get a chance to grill for a while, so the meat marinated for about 48 hours. Which actually was the best thing. The flavors just permeated throughout the meat, and also kept it incredibly tender. So, fired up the coals, and put on the meat. It wasn't the hottest grill in the world, I'd say about medium-hot, really (you could leave your hand above the grill for about 5 seconds before it got uncomfortable, instead of the 2 seconds that BBQ U would have you go for, but that's just a function of my little grill). But by cooking for longer over the grill, you got more of the smoky flavor of the grill into the meat. So, I tried a variety of doneness for the beef ribs. I personally preferred it at medium-rare, though for the masses, I would guess that medium would be perfect. Incredibly tender. Still had some texture there, so you knew that you were eating meat. Awesome flavors. Now I understood what the restaurants were seeing in this cut. Easy to prepare. Flavorful meat. Very spicy or rich sauces wouldn't overpower the meat (like it can do in chicken, pork, or even something like a sirloin).
It took me a few shots at it (which is strange - normally, I can churn stuff out pretty well on the first try, but this cut was brand new to me) but we came out with something pretty darned awesome. What came out was easily 1 star quality food (though admittedly, I wasn't worried about plating or even using anything other than my hands to eat), but with a just a tiny amount of effort could be made into a 3-star type dish. This cut of meat can be that darned good. If you get a chance, give it a shot.
-foodgeek
Friday, May 19, 2006
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Food on the Road: Bad Puns and Good Clams
So I'm off to the Northeast for the week, hanging out in Worcester. So, I figure that since I'm out east, I need to eat seafood. Lots of it. It's just not the same in the Midwest. You can get some decent stuff away from the coasts. Particular if you're in a larger metro area. But it's not quite the same. And despite the cost of living being much higher in this area, the price for some good seafood isn't outrageous.
First stop - Legal Seafood. It's been suggested that this place is the best seafood restaurant in the country. Their clam chowder has been served at presidential inaugurations since 1981. And there's no doubt, that it's good. It's not transcendent. But it's good. Honestly, I think that there's a lack of expectation when it comes to soup, which is why solid attempts are considered to be transcendent. Honestly? The stuff that comes out of my kitchen is just as good, if not better. But the rest of what Legal served? I just didn't have access to that quality seafood to even compete. We opened up with some soup - clam chowder and lobster bisque. I'm always disappointed at bisque. Just not as much flavor as I would like. I know that it's supposed to be subtle, but the cream (and sherry, I think) get in the way of the lobster, crab, or shrimp. And really, same with most clam chowders that I taste. So, I always try, and I'm always disappointed.
After the soup, we went with an appetizer sampler. A few slices of sashimi-style seared tuna. Excellent. It's all in the tuna, really. And they got the good stuff. Not the flash frozen stuff that I'm used to seeing in the Midwest that's sort of pinkish. This was a deep, crimson, and just tasted wonderful. There were a couple shrimp wontons - mediocre. For someone who grew up with dim sum, this was a poor attempt. A better attempt was the shrimp cocktail - two decent sized, well cooked shrimp, though the cocktail sauce tasted like it could have come out of a jar. But the best part was the two mini-crabcakes that came - jumbo lump crab, a minimum of breading. Just what it should be. But all in all, this was just overpriced.
The entrees were better. We went with the seafood casserole and the fried seafood sampler. The casserole was generous amounts of scrod, scallops, shrimp, and lobster all baked together in a cream and cheese sauce, and topped with a cracker topping. The first attempt was off, as it came out undercooked. But after it got sent back, the second time, they got it right, and the dish was great. The fried seafood platter was also excellent, with clams (the good ones, not the cheap clam strips that you get from the store), calamari, scallops, shrimp, and haddock. The quality of the seafood just makes a huge difference. But they did a great job with the breading and the frying - the seafood came out just right, the breading tasted good, and none of it was too greasy. The sides were pretty standard, except for the cheddar-jalapeno polenta, which was served grilled slightly crispy on the edges. This was a very pleasant surprise, and a big plus for the meal.
All in all, I'm not sure that it's the best seafood restaurant in the country, but the quality of the seafood was solid, and the delivery was of high quality. What shook me was the spotty service. Waiters took forever to come around, and drink refills had to be acquired at gunpoint. This was probably enough to knock Legal down from 2 stars to only 1 star in my book.
Another dinner adventure took me to the Sole Proprietor in Worcester. This place was also supposed to be good for seafood, though not like Legal. But you know what? I thought that you got a better value for your money, and that the food was of equal quality. First was the bowl of chowder. You got a slightly bigger bowl for only $4 (rather than $6 over at Legal), and it was just as good, in my book. The flavor still could have been augmented with better stock, but it wasn't the thick, white gravy-ish chowder that Legal had. That was my opener, along with a sushi roll (crab, tuna, crunchy fried sweet potato, mango, papaya) that was solid, though not spectacular.
Where things took a turn for the better was with the generously portioned cold seafood platter. Five large cocktail shrimp, which were definitely tasty, and a half-dozen each of smoked mussels, raw cherrystone clams, and raw oysters. I'm not a huge fan of the smoked mussels, but these were done well, and were still slightly warm from the smoker, so it was actually pretty pleasant. The oysters were also very good - fresh, tasted like the ocean, really. Thought they were a little sandy. But what can you do? What really put it over the top for me was the raw clams. I had never had clams before. They're not nearly as rugged as oysters, so don't survive transportation as well, and don't seem to be as popular. Which is too bad. Because they were great. Similar idea to the oysters, but meatier, and lighter in flavor. I am definitely enamored with these guys. Unfortunately, I'll have look a little harder when I'm back in the heartland.
What separated Sole Proprietor and Legal Seafood was the service. I was sitting at the bar, and was called by name by two different bartenders. I always had my drink refilled once it hit halfway, and they were always there to check on me. The food was brought out quickly, and it was very good. And best of all? The price was probably about 2/3 of what Legal Seafood charged. This place is good at what it does. Further inspection of their menu may even get them into refined territory, but for the time being, they get 2 solid stars.
-foodgeek
No contact info - you'll have to Google it yourself. Besides, this isn't my town. But if I'm ever back, I'll keep in mind:
Legal Seafood (multiple locations) - 1 stars
Sole Proprietor (Worcester, MA) - 2 stars
First stop - Legal Seafood. It's been suggested that this place is the best seafood restaurant in the country. Their clam chowder has been served at presidential inaugurations since 1981. And there's no doubt, that it's good. It's not transcendent. But it's good. Honestly, I think that there's a lack of expectation when it comes to soup, which is why solid attempts are considered to be transcendent. Honestly? The stuff that comes out of my kitchen is just as good, if not better. But the rest of what Legal served? I just didn't have access to that quality seafood to even compete. We opened up with some soup - clam chowder and lobster bisque. I'm always disappointed at bisque. Just not as much flavor as I would like. I know that it's supposed to be subtle, but the cream (and sherry, I think) get in the way of the lobster, crab, or shrimp. And really, same with most clam chowders that I taste. So, I always try, and I'm always disappointed.
After the soup, we went with an appetizer sampler. A few slices of sashimi-style seared tuna. Excellent. It's all in the tuna, really. And they got the good stuff. Not the flash frozen stuff that I'm used to seeing in the Midwest that's sort of pinkish. This was a deep, crimson, and just tasted wonderful. There were a couple shrimp wontons - mediocre. For someone who grew up with dim sum, this was a poor attempt. A better attempt was the shrimp cocktail - two decent sized, well cooked shrimp, though the cocktail sauce tasted like it could have come out of a jar. But the best part was the two mini-crabcakes that came - jumbo lump crab, a minimum of breading. Just what it should be. But all in all, this was just overpriced.
The entrees were better. We went with the seafood casserole and the fried seafood sampler. The casserole was generous amounts of scrod, scallops, shrimp, and lobster all baked together in a cream and cheese sauce, and topped with a cracker topping. The first attempt was off, as it came out undercooked. But after it got sent back, the second time, they got it right, and the dish was great. The fried seafood platter was also excellent, with clams (the good ones, not the cheap clam strips that you get from the store), calamari, scallops, shrimp, and haddock. The quality of the seafood just makes a huge difference. But they did a great job with the breading and the frying - the seafood came out just right, the breading tasted good, and none of it was too greasy. The sides were pretty standard, except for the cheddar-jalapeno polenta, which was served grilled slightly crispy on the edges. This was a very pleasant surprise, and a big plus for the meal.
All in all, I'm not sure that it's the best seafood restaurant in the country, but the quality of the seafood was solid, and the delivery was of high quality. What shook me was the spotty service. Waiters took forever to come around, and drink refills had to be acquired at gunpoint. This was probably enough to knock Legal down from 2 stars to only 1 star in my book.
Another dinner adventure took me to the Sole Proprietor in Worcester. This place was also supposed to be good for seafood, though not like Legal. But you know what? I thought that you got a better value for your money, and that the food was of equal quality. First was the bowl of chowder. You got a slightly bigger bowl for only $4 (rather than $6 over at Legal), and it was just as good, in my book. The flavor still could have been augmented with better stock, but it wasn't the thick, white gravy-ish chowder that Legal had. That was my opener, along with a sushi roll (crab, tuna, crunchy fried sweet potato, mango, papaya) that was solid, though not spectacular.
Where things took a turn for the better was with the generously portioned cold seafood platter. Five large cocktail shrimp, which were definitely tasty, and a half-dozen each of smoked mussels, raw cherrystone clams, and raw oysters. I'm not a huge fan of the smoked mussels, but these were done well, and were still slightly warm from the smoker, so it was actually pretty pleasant. The oysters were also very good - fresh, tasted like the ocean, really. Thought they were a little sandy. But what can you do? What really put it over the top for me was the raw clams. I had never had clams before. They're not nearly as rugged as oysters, so don't survive transportation as well, and don't seem to be as popular. Which is too bad. Because they were great. Similar idea to the oysters, but meatier, and lighter in flavor. I am definitely enamored with these guys. Unfortunately, I'll have look a little harder when I'm back in the heartland.
What separated Sole Proprietor and Legal Seafood was the service. I was sitting at the bar, and was called by name by two different bartenders. I always had my drink refilled once it hit halfway, and they were always there to check on me. The food was brought out quickly, and it was very good. And best of all? The price was probably about 2/3 of what Legal Seafood charged. This place is good at what it does. Further inspection of their menu may even get them into refined territory, but for the time being, they get 2 solid stars.
-foodgeek
No contact info - you'll have to Google it yourself. Besides, this isn't my town. But if I'm ever back, I'll keep in mind:
Legal Seafood (multiple locations) - 1 stars
Sole Proprietor (Worcester, MA) - 2 stars
Monday, January 02, 2006
Kitchen Happenings: Where's the Beef?
A happy New Year to my reader(s?).
Over the last couple weeks, beef has been front and center in the Chairman's Kitchen. Beef, done three ways has made for some fine dining in the ol' apartment. The first, braised beef shanks, sort of leads to the second, beef-vegetable stew. The last is an awesome rib-roast that became Christmas dinner this year.
The braised beef shanks, or osso bucco, is my take of the traditional Italian dish that's generally made with veal. Beef is more affordable for those of us on a budget, but still makes for a tasty dish. Here's the rundown - season it aggressively with salt and pepper. Brown the shanks in olive oil, and place in a roasting pan. I like to sautee a traditional miropoix (celery, carrots, onion) in the leftover drippings to pick up some additional flavor for the dish. This gets seasoned with salt, pepper, a couple cloves of chopped garlic, onion powder, dried sage, rosemary, and some italian seasoning. After some of the liquid has been cooked, the veggies get dusted with maybe a teaspoon or 2 of flour, which needs to be cooked for a little bit. After the flour gets cooked, the addition of some red wine follows. Then, add a can of diced tomatoes. Let this cook a bit, and then pour the liquid into the roasting pan, and taste the liquid, and adjust seasoning as needed. Slightly salty is OK, and you want to make sure that you just cover the top of the meat. Cover in foil, and bake in the oven at 250F for a few hours, and you're good to go. You can serve this over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or just about any starch that you want.
So what'll typically happen is that you'll end up with a lot of the braising liquid left. This gives you a great start to an incredible beef-vegetable stew. But set that aside for now. When you want to make the beef stew, go with a chuck roast, and cut it into about 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks. Season these, and brown the pieces in some olive oil. Pull out the beef, and add the traditional miropoix, as before. Season, cook in the drippings, and add a little flour again. At this point, you've done something very similar to what you had before with the beef shanks. I think that here is where you should diverge. Remember that you're using the left-over braising liquid. If you added more red wine, you end up win an almost too elegant flavor for what you'd want from beef stew. But, you can change it up a little bit and instead add a bottle of beer. This gives you a nice flavor that just seems right for beef stew. Now, add a can of diced tomatoes, and then bring the pot up to a simmer. Then, you can add the beef back in, and let the whole pot simmer for a couple hours. As always, taste as you go, and season as needed. When the stew is just about ready, you can add in some more veggies that don't cook long (corn, peas, green beans is my preferred mix). Let it go for a little longer, and bingo, you've got a nice beef stew.
Over the last few years, I've preferred to make rib roasts, in lieu of the traditional turkey or ham for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. I think that I've finally gotten it down. The first step is a marinade. Coarse salt, pepper, finely chopped rosemary, finely chopped garlic, and olive oil. You want a nice, thick mixture that you slather on to the roast (that you've already patted dry, of course). Where I think that you can get a nice, flavorful, tender roast is by letting it marinade for 24 hours (or a little more, if you like). When you're ready to go, let the roast come to room temperature (or just don't pre-heat the oven). Roast, covered at 350F until the internal temperature reaches about 100F, and then finish it off uncovered, until the roast hits about 115F. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes, and the internal temperature will get up to 120F or so. Perfect rare rib roast. Slice that baby up, and you've got some great eats going. Leftovers make incredible sandwiches, as well.
Anyway, that's the latest in my kitchen. I think that the next entry will be a review of The Great Impasta, which should have been done quite a while ago.
-foodgeek
Over the last couple weeks, beef has been front and center in the Chairman's Kitchen. Beef, done three ways has made for some fine dining in the ol' apartment. The first, braised beef shanks, sort of leads to the second, beef-vegetable stew. The last is an awesome rib-roast that became Christmas dinner this year.
The braised beef shanks, or osso bucco, is my take of the traditional Italian dish that's generally made with veal. Beef is more affordable for those of us on a budget, but still makes for a tasty dish. Here's the rundown - season it aggressively with salt and pepper. Brown the shanks in olive oil, and place in a roasting pan. I like to sautee a traditional miropoix (celery, carrots, onion) in the leftover drippings to pick up some additional flavor for the dish. This gets seasoned with salt, pepper, a couple cloves of chopped garlic, onion powder, dried sage, rosemary, and some italian seasoning. After some of the liquid has been cooked, the veggies get dusted with maybe a teaspoon or 2 of flour, which needs to be cooked for a little bit. After the flour gets cooked, the addition of some red wine follows. Then, add a can of diced tomatoes. Let this cook a bit, and then pour the liquid into the roasting pan, and taste the liquid, and adjust seasoning as needed. Slightly salty is OK, and you want to make sure that you just cover the top of the meat. Cover in foil, and bake in the oven at 250F for a few hours, and you're good to go. You can serve this over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or just about any starch that you want.
So what'll typically happen is that you'll end up with a lot of the braising liquid left. This gives you a great start to an incredible beef-vegetable stew. But set that aside for now. When you want to make the beef stew, go with a chuck roast, and cut it into about 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks. Season these, and brown the pieces in some olive oil. Pull out the beef, and add the traditional miropoix, as before. Season, cook in the drippings, and add a little flour again. At this point, you've done something very similar to what you had before with the beef shanks. I think that here is where you should diverge. Remember that you're using the left-over braising liquid. If you added more red wine, you end up win an almost too elegant flavor for what you'd want from beef stew. But, you can change it up a little bit and instead add a bottle of beer. This gives you a nice flavor that just seems right for beef stew. Now, add a can of diced tomatoes, and then bring the pot up to a simmer. Then, you can add the beef back in, and let the whole pot simmer for a couple hours. As always, taste as you go, and season as needed. When the stew is just about ready, you can add in some more veggies that don't cook long (corn, peas, green beans is my preferred mix). Let it go for a little longer, and bingo, you've got a nice beef stew.
Over the last few years, I've preferred to make rib roasts, in lieu of the traditional turkey or ham for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. I think that I've finally gotten it down. The first step is a marinade. Coarse salt, pepper, finely chopped rosemary, finely chopped garlic, and olive oil. You want a nice, thick mixture that you slather on to the roast (that you've already patted dry, of course). Where I think that you can get a nice, flavorful, tender roast is by letting it marinade for 24 hours (or a little more, if you like). When you're ready to go, let the roast come to room temperature (or just don't pre-heat the oven). Roast, covered at 350F until the internal temperature reaches about 100F, and then finish it off uncovered, until the roast hits about 115F. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes, and the internal temperature will get up to 120F or so. Perfect rare rib roast. Slice that baby up, and you've got some great eats going. Leftovers make incredible sandwiches, as well.
Anyway, that's the latest in my kitchen. I think that the next entry will be a review of The Great Impasta, which should have been done quite a while ago.
-foodgeek
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