Tag: pepper

Beef Short Ribs "Sauerbraten" – Oh, Snap!

I had heard that some sauerbratens were finished by
thickening the sauce with ground gingersnaps, but had
never tried it since it just sounds so wrong. It certainly doesn’t seem very
German. Cookies in a sauce? What’s next, laughing in public?

Anyway, I’ve had a lot of “do something German!” food wishes
lately, and since I’ve wanted to post another short ribs recipe, this seemed
like the perfect opportunity to go full cookie. The results shocked and amazed
me. This was comfort food at it’s finest.

The 24-hour marinade ensured the succulent rib meat had that
signature tanginess, and those little cookies not only gave the sauce a
beautiful texture, but also added a great spicy sweetness. I am now officially
in favor of using cookies to finish savory sauces.

With cooler weather on the way, it’s time to rediscover the
simple joy of slowly stewed meat, and what better way than with this delicious
take on a German classic? I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the marinade

3 lbs short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups water, plus 1 cup cold water at end to cool
marinade down

2 bay leaves

9 whole cloves

12 juniper berries

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

*Marinate at least 24 hours

Then stew with:

1 chopped large onion

1 chopped carrot

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

1 cup chicken or beef broth

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

salt and pepper to taste

Incoming search terms:

Lambage Rolls! Lamb & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Almonds and Currants

My love of cabbage rolls is deep and unconditional. I almost
always make the same version, based on my Aunt Angela’s famous recipe, but once
in a while, just for the hell of it, I’ll use lamb instead of beef.

I love lamb
burgers and lamb meatballs, so it’s no surprise that I love lamb-stuffed
cabbage rolls, and I’m happy to report that these particular “lambage” rolls
were the best non-beef version yet!

I remembered a middle-eastern restaurant Michele and I used
to frequent, which served a lamb meatball stewed with tomatoes and spices, and
served over a rice pilaf studded with almonds and currants. I really loved that
dish and tried to incorporate those elements into these cabbage rolls.

I loved the results. Big, bold flavors, yet not too heavy,
and like all cabbage rolls, these were very, very comforting. I used a pretty
lean grind for the lamb, but ideally the butcher will give you something close
to a 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.

As far as the rest of the stuff, you’re on your own, and as
usual I’ll ignore most of the “can I leave out the [insert delicious, totally
necessary ingredient here]” questions. You are the boss of your cabbage rolls,
so act like it. Anyway, I hope you share my love of cabbage rolls, and if you
do, I really hope you give this version a try. Enjoy!

Makes 8 Lambage Rolls

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup rice

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne

pinch dried oregano

1/4 cup packed Italian parsley

1 tbsp dried currants

2 tbsp sliced almonds

1 cup tomato puree

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 onion sliced

1 head cabbage

salt and pepper to taste

feta and parsley to garnish, optional

Incoming search terms:

Gordon Ramsay’s Potatoes Boulangère Recipe from The F Word

Gordon Ramsay made these potatoes to go along with his Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb^[1] on The F Word^[2], Series One, Episode One.

His commies used a Mandoline Slicer^[3] to get uniformly thin slices of potatoes, but used a knife for the onion. You can use a knife or a slicer for both, but try to get the slices as even as possible.

Ingredients:

1 liter chicken stock (roughly 4 1/4 cups, or just over a quart)
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 crushed cloves of garlic
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
4 large Desiree potatoes peeled and finely sliced (on a mandolin if possible)
salt & pepper
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (392 degrees if you have a digital oven)
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add thyme, rosemary, and crushed garlic cloves. Simmer a few minutes and strain (remember, retain the chicken stock, not the herbs). Set aside.

Add olive oil to a hot heavy pan and saute the onions and finely chopped garlic until softened and lightly colored.

Coat the inside of a casserole dish or oven safe pan and layer the onions followed by the potatoes. Continue alternating potatoes and onions until finished. Don’t forget to season each layer with salt & pepper as you go.

Pour the chicken stock from earlier over the potato mixture until it’s about 2/3rds full. Press down on the mixture to help the potatoes absorb as much stock as possible. Drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until soft and golden on top.

References

^{^} Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb (gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} F Word (www.amazon.com)
^{^} Mandoline Slicer (www.amazon.com)