Which wiche is which?

What a great day today. We stayed at home all day and just chilled. I wanted to clear out my DVR so I watched episode after episode of Americas Test Kitchen and Everyday food finishing my day off with the Move The Taking of Pelham 123. Undoubtably I was a slug all day. Eventually hunger sets in and with notthing but left overs in the fridge I decided today's dinner was going to be a left over meal. I had the roast beef from the previous night which would make a great whiche but I have no bread. Thankfully the cable gods answered my calling and one of the episodes I watched of Americas Test kitchen had a bread recipe.

Looks like Beast Sandhiches are whats served up for tonight. Here goes:

Bread Recipe:
Bread Softare:
16 1/2 oz AP Flour
1 oz wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
2 Teaspoons Honey
12 1/2 oz Water
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

Bread Hardware:
KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, White
Oxo Good Grips 5-Quart White Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
Saran Wrap
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware 9-Inch Round Cake Pan
Old Stone Oven 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone
Amco Food Service Half Sheet Pan
OXO Good Grips Pastry Scraper


To make the bread mix the wet ingrediants first until every component is well homogenized then mix in the yeast. Next, mix in flour and place in your stand mixer with the dough hook attachement on low for 3 mins. Stop and mix in salt and mix for another 3 mins. Saran wrap the bowl and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and pull one side of the dough over and onto itself. Do this for all sides. Rest another 30 minutes and do it again. After another 30 Minutes since the last pull over. The dough should have almost doubled in size in room temperature. Carefully transfer the dough onto a flat surface and seperate into two batches with a scraper. Shape as you need them I made one batch into rolls and one into heroes. The dough should be butt up against each other to support themselves and they rise. Preheat the oven for 500 Degrees with your baking stone if you have it and a sheet pan with water. After 30 minutes spray the dough with water and stick into the oven after 10 minutes drop the temperature down to 400 and seperate the rolls and put them back in to bake for another 20 nminutes until golden brown. They should cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Roast Beast Sandwiche Software:
Thinly sliced beef
Sauteed onions
Toasted Hoagie Bread
Beef Jus
SnP

Hardware:
Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press
Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife with Fibrox Handle
Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 10-Inch Serrated Bread/Slicing Knife
Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge Slicing Knife with Fibrox Handle

To assemble the sandwiche I sliced my hoagie roll in half lengwise with a serrated knife.
Spread a layer of Beef Jus, Beef, onions, and cheese. I then greased the top and botom side with melted butter and pressed until everything inside is nice and warm and comingled. Slice and serve! Its the perfect sandwiche and be sure to reserve some of the jus for dipping =).

Stop "Eyeing" my "Loin"

Guess what's on sale today at my local Pathmark. "Beef Eye," what the heck is that? It certainly doesn't look like an eye? In fact it sorta looks like a pork loin. After googling it on my blackberry I discover its the round cut from a cow's hind quarter. I'm guess its close to it's butt. What does that mean? Well faster twitching muscle parts of an animal tend to be leaner and less marbled with that said this imeans that this cut of meat is likely not as tasty and quick to get tough if I over cook it.

Guess we're gonna try to cook it and to add a bit of challenge to it let's do it on the "Q" =)

Main Software:

Beef Round: Trussed in cooking twine ( have your butcher do it unless your comfortable)

SnP

Your favorite Steak seasoning I used Mccormicks

1 tablespoon of Vegetable or canola oil

Side Software:

3 Skinned yams diced

2 tablespoons of Oil

SnP

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

4 Tablespoons Butter

Hardware:

Grill

Tongs
Thermometer

Iron Skillet

Knife *electric if possible

To start preheat your grill to the highest setting with the closed for 15 minutes. Take your trussed beef eye and roll it in your favorite steak seasoning and SnP. Coat with a thin layer of oil and let it sit until the grill is nice and hot.

Sear the meat on all side until dark brown. Approximately 4 mins per side.

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Kill the middle heat element and drop the side burners down half way. Poke the thermometer into your meat and wire it outside of the grill. Leave your meat in the middle with the lid closed. If you have a shelf in your grill then put it on top with a drip pan underneath filled with water or wine.

In about 40 minutes or when your thermometer reads 160 you have a nice medium rare. Take it off the grill and tent it for 20 minutes. You can now make your jus or gravy. Take the drip pan and set it over a medium low flame. Add a pat of butter and some liquid mixed with a teaspoon of corn starch. Salt and Pepper until its tasty and thicker than water. Set aside.

Fire up your diced yams into a hot skillet with butter, sugar and oils heat until tender and turn up the heat to high until it caramelizes.

Now for the fun part, take out your electric knife that you havent used since Thanksgiving dinner at grandmas house slice thin and server with your side drizzled with your jus. You're a rockstar but your meal didn't cost you a fortune, rock on!

Chillin' and Grillin

Its warm out yeeeeah! woo hoooo! Nothing beats a nice warm summer night and the smell of the grill sizzling and billowing with the delicious smoke that surround your meal. Let's get grilling...

Tonight I was driven by the usual inspiration for dinner, the ingredients were on sale =) not to mention the side dish was instant as Jen was craving Rice-A Roni.

Hardware:
Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18.5-Inch Smoker
Oxo Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Mixing Bowl, Clear
Microplane Fine Grater

Pork Chops:
Marinate:
1 Cup Orange Juice
2 Cloves of garlic minces or grated
1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar
1/2 of Cilantro minced
1 small onion minced or grated
Pork Chops Salt and Peppered

Mix all of the ingrediants for the marinate if youre lazy throw it all in a blender or food processor and blitze. Pour over the pork chops and let it marinate as you get the rest going.

Asparagus:
Asparagus
4 Tablespoons of Good aged Balsamic Vinegar
1 table spoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic grated or minced
SnP

Mix the marinade and let the asparagus sit in it after you chop the bottom ends off.

Rice-A Roni:
Follow the instructions on the box

As everything marinates start your grill with the lid closed. Gas is good, charcoal even better.

Once the grill is hot (hold your hand 5 inches from the grill if you can hold it for 1 -2 secs the grill is hot, if you can hold it for 3-4 secs its medium high, 4-5 secs medium)

Throw your pork chops on 10 O'Clock then 2 O'Clock then flip and repeat for perfect grill marks. It should be something like 2 minutes per side per angle depending the thickness of your cut.

Once thats done set aside off of the grill to rest and toss your asparagus on the grill.

Grill to taste and serve it up with your chops and favorite side dish.

Enjoy the flavor the smoke imparts on your chops, enjoy the night, and enjoy not having to clean up your kitchen or smell your dinner for 3 days at home =)

The tale of two grills

So what's the deal with the different types of grills?? Basically there are two major categories of grills. You have the propane version which uses a clean burning gas to cook its food and the other is charcoal. Each has it's own distinct advantages let's get into it a little further.

Gas Grills

• Quick and easy start up by a push of the pilot button
• Nice advance perks like smoke box, infrared cooking, side burner
• Easy control of heat with the turn of a dial
• Walk away flame monitoring, no need to feed the fire
• Instant shut off
• Weber 3751001 Genesis E-320 Propane Gas Grill, Black

Charcoal Grills

• Smoky natural flavor use of wood charcoal or briquet coals
• Inexpensive
• Rustic campfire smell you can only get from something burning

If you can't decide get both. My brother got me a nice commercial Propane Gas Grill and I still can't part with my trusty charcoal grill. This allows me to experiment and cook with each or both simulataneously if I want to.

Some other versions of BBQ grills you'll find are smoker that have an offset heat source. They are great for smoking food at a low and slow heat imparting distinctly unique flavors using the wood you choose. You'll also find ceramic grill using a terracota earthenware to retain consistant even cooking throughout the cooking process.

You'll also find two types of charcoal out there:

Charcoal Briquets:
Inexpensive
Easily available
Burns longer

Wood Charcoal:
Charcoal Companion Smoking Wood Chips, Beef and Lamb
Burns hotter
Imparts more flavor
You can control and experiment the flavor based on the wood you choose

Either one you choose you're always a winner when grilling a weiner. So get out there and get primal!


Great must haves:
Weber 7416 Rapidfire Chimney Starter
Ozark Oak Hardwood Lump Charcoal 10 Lbs.
 Outset QS77 Stainless Steel Wood Chip Smoker Box
Charcoal Companion Non-Stick Corn Grilling Basket with Rosewood handle
Fulcrum Clip-On Work Light/BBQ Light
Weber Style 6445 Professional-Grade Stainless-Steel 3-Piece Barbeque Tool Set
Drymate GMC3058 Extra-Large 30-by-58-Inch Gas-Grill Mat

Dont be Clammy

Hey everybody, it's a beautiful day in NYC and as a reward for putting in a ton of hours lately at work me and my team we were rewarded with leaving from work a little early today. Finally! I can cook something for dinner. Well tonight I wanted something that reminds me of warmer weather and seafood usually does the trick. It also happens to be good friday tomorrow so my wife advised me that good Catholics don't eat meat this week. Well I'll be damn. Guess it worked out for both of us.

Here's what you'll need for "Changer Clammer Fettuccine."

Software:

2 Doz little neck or smaller clams

4 Tablespoons of good Olive oil Zoe Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 25.5-Ounce Tins (Pack of 2)

4-6 Cloves of Garlic as you like it

2 tablespoons of Sherry or white wine good enough to drink

Shaved Parm or Pecorino

1 tablespoon of Dried oregano or parsley (if you like it milder stick to parsley)

SnP

Pasta Box or Fresh even better.

 

Hardware:

 Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 3-1/2-Quart Buffet Casserole, Dune

Oxo Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs

Pot of boiling water All-Clad Stainless 6-Quart Saute Pot with Lid

Microplane Grater/Zester(beat mincing garlic)

KitchenAid KPRA Pasta Roller Attachment for Stand Mixers Pasta rollers if youre making it fresh.

 

Start by heat a sautee pan low with the microplaned garlic. It should bubble a bit but not snap crack nor pop. You want to infuse the oil think of it as if your poaching the garlic in oil. 

Now start a pot of boiling water for the pasta of preference. Heavily oil and salt the water like the ocean in a valdez oil slick. The oil should start to become fragrant in about 5-8 minutes. Toss in the dried herbs and poach it some more for about 2-3 minutes. Nows a good time to put in the sherry or cooking wine. It will reallly open up the bouquet of herbs. Continue to cook off the alcohol for another 2 minutes.

Toss your pasta into the boiling water and cook it to just under al dente. Take the pasta out with tongs and toss it into your garlicky oil skillet and about 1/4 cup of the starchy water.

Turn up the heat and toss the clams in there and cover. Wait about 6 minutes open the lid to see the clams open up. Toss the sealed ones and toss the pasta with SnP and shaved Pecorino or parm. Serve it up and you wont have any vampire attacks tonight. Enjoy.