Steak Tonight!

Through some good luck and a great friend with a well stocked freezer, slave scored a beautiful steak for dinner. It has been several months so it seemed like it was time for another steak dinner! You don't have to be a fancy chef to do a steak correctly. Just follow some simple rules and you mouth will be watering.

This is a simple meal with a meat, some roasted broccoli and a fantastic pan sauce that will have them beating your door down!

Ingredients:

10.6oz Strip Steak (2 inches thick) (In the store this goes for $10 @ lbs.)

2 medium yellow onions

1 ½ cups fresh mushrooms

Kosher Salt

¾ C Vegetable broth

2 tsp corn starch

½ half & half

2 Tbs butter

4 Tbs oil divided

1 head of fresh broccoli

½ C vinegar

½ C Seagram's 7

Directions:

Rinse the steak and dry with a paper towel. Rub with a layer of kosher salt. Put it in a zipper bag in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This will immensely improve the meat!

When time is up, rinse it again and pat it dry with more paper towels. The secret to a nice crusty-charred steak is a dry outside. Meat can be a bit slimy right out of the package and that steams the meat, not very tasty.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 1 - 1½ hours. Don't skip this!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

While that is warming do your cutting. Slice up the onions, wash and slice the mushrooms. Cut the broccoli into florets and let soak in a vinegar water bath for 5 minutes.

Prepare two sheet pans. Line them with foil and place a cooling rack in one. Spray both well. Place the one with a rack into the heating oven to also get warm.

Over a medium low heat, warm 2 Tbs oil & 2 Tbs of butter in a large skillet.

Add the sliced onions and mushrooms. If it sizzles, it is too hot. Stir in 2 tsp of white sugar.. Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.

By now the oven should be heated.

Rinse the broccoli and toss with 1 Tbs of oil. Spread on the baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place in oven.

Raise the heat on the onions to medium and stir well as they are turning a light brown.

Now to the other skillet: heat on high 2 Tbs oil. When HOT sear the steak until a dark crust starts to form. About 3 minutes per side.

Using tongs, place the steak onto the heated rack in the oven.

Back to the onion mixture, now a nice brown. Dissolve the cornstarch into the vegetable broth. Be sure to stir well. Set aside while you add the scotch. Stir it well. That will quickly reduce as the alcohol cooks off. Now stir in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir as this thickens. Add the half & half to make creamy.

By now the 20 minutes should be up on the oven. Remove the broccoli and dish up. Remove the steak: at this point an instant read thermometer should read 140 degrees, the heat will continue to rise, if you wrap it in foil. Let that sit for 15 minutes! Dish up the pan sauce.

Slave served the steak still wrapped in foil. This allows the meat to rest and the juices to flow back into the steak. Always let your meat rest.

Remember this great recording?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObG9bBJFcIM&index=8&list=PLUtcRA24LzRTz9qKbB04XFDwOtAS1iAZz

This pan sauce turns out so very good that slave has been known to cry real tears when he could not share it with others. Hope you enjoy.

Serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Poulet Festif

Well yesterday was Bastille Day! Slave had intended on fixing a french recipe of chicken. However the best laid plans... So here a day late is a French take on the old baked chicken recipe.

It is an easy dish to fix and will impress your guests with a French flair.

Chicken in the oven may well be one of the oldest recipes around. That means it is a good recipe to know and fall back on when in a bind. 

 

Ingredients:

2 1/3 lbs Bone in chicken

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 Tbs Herbs De Provence

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs chopped garlic

½ tsp salt

1 ½ Cup mushrooms

½ cup shredded carrots

1 Cup uncooked white rice

1 Cup chicken stock + 1 cup water both boiling.

1lbs smoked sausage

Directions:

Do your cutting. Chop the garlic, Drain the tomatoes, Wash + drain the mushrooms then slice, and shred the carrots.

Mix well and marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or best over night.

This package had 4 thighs, so one thigh in a zipper bag, half of the marinate, then the 2^nd piece and close the bag. Repeat with the 2^nd bag.

The Next day:

Remove the chicken but reserve the marinade. Pre heat the oven to 375.

Spray the baking dish. Put the water + chicken stock on to boil. Pour the uncooked rice in the bottom of the baking dish.

Cut up the sausage.

When boiling, pour the liquid over and stir. Place the chicken pieces in the dish and arrange the sausage pieces around them.

Be sure to place a large sheet pan on the rack below to catch any spills.

Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees.

Something like this meal can be a fun surprise for you special Master.

So lets have some fun with the music too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tZWLRh3xmU

Happily serving my Master Indy!

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Rate This Rib Rivalry!

The Fourth of July in Saint Louis was stormy to say the least. As a result many stores had grilling meat left unsold. That means a sale and some great prices. Now what to do with so much boneless ribs? How about two different takes, two different tastes. One recipe done in the oven and one in the crock pot. Who cares if it is raining?

Our first entree is a creamy country bake with potatoes, the other a spicy sweet slow cooking delight served with vegetables on the side. Both marinaded and both slow cooked with a low heat
 

Ingredients:

pork ribs

1 small onion

4 medium carrots, thick sliced (2 cups)

2 tablespoons oil

8 small new potatoes, peeled (1 lb.)

10 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

10½ oz. can Golden mushroom soup

½ can of ½ & ½

1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinade:

½ cup soy sauce

4 Tbs kosher salt

2 Tbs mustard

2 Tbs maple syrup

==========
The night before: mix up the marinade. Divide half of the boneless ribs among into zipper bags and wrap up the other half for refrigerator.
Pour equal amounts of marinade into the bags and let them sit overnight in the cold.

Directions for Creamy Country style:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F 
   
   
   
    Do your cutting. Slice the onion, peel and slice the potatoes, then the carrots, set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the onion stirring often.

3. Spray a 3 quart baking dish.

4. When onions are starting to turn brown, spread them on the bottom of the baking dish.

5. Raise the heat. Pull the ribs out of the bags and let drain but save the marinate. Brown the ribs – about 3 minutes per side only. Arrange them in the dish.

6. Distribute the carrots and potatoes around the ribs.

7. In a bowl, combine condensed mushroom soup, 1/2 & 1/2, onion soup mix and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until smooth, and pour over steaks. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours. (While that cooks, why not put the rest of the ribs in the same bags with the marinade for tomorrow?)
   

This is such a different and delicious way to cook ribs. Just remember to put a baking sheet on the rack below this dish as you could get a boil-over and a big mess to clean out of the bottom of the oven.

No Fun at ALL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XDB7GMnbUQ&index=31&list=RDOMIcTor3S9Q Here is some music for your country side!

Enjoy!

Now for the sweet and spicy ribs

You can control how sweet and how spicy by adding more brown sugar or adding more shrimp cocktail sauce.

Ingredients:

4 boneless ribs

2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs Yellow Mustard

zest and juice from one orange

½ C reduced-sodium soy sauce

½ C brown sugar

1½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup seafood cocktail sauce

¼ C ketchup

1 Tbs cornstarch

In the morning of the meal:

1. Wipe out the crock pot and spray it well. Set it on low and cover.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic, cocktail sauce and ketchup. Whisk this together. Zest the orange and ad that, then cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into the sauce. Slave likes to add a couple of tablespoons of Triple Sec Orange just for the kick.

Again whisk this until all is incorporated well.

Brown steaks lightly in a skillet coated with vegetable oil.

No more than 3 minutes per side.

Place in the cooker as they come out of the skillet.

Pour the sauce on top. Save back the cornstarch until all is cooked.

(about 6 hours on low)

You will have plenty of time to steam the vegetables when dinner time comes.

Using a ladle, put about 1 and ½ cups of cooker liquid into a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Stir in the corn starch. Continue to stir until sauce is thick.

Yum!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLJUEH8HuGo Different style of music for a different style of ribs!

Which ever style you find the best for your kitchen will please, guaranteed.

Serving my Master Indy in as many different ways as possible, yet always with His wishes as the goal.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Food for the Fossegrimen

When Master was leaving for a trip to Oslo, He charged slave with another challenge:
How about researching a Norwegian dish and doing it with an American twist? Do your easy twist on it and present that!

My research turned up “Svinekoteletter”: Pork chops cooked with apple cider & onions. Well here in the Midwest the most popular meat to grill on the Forth of July happens to be pork steaks. Now that the holiday is over, this cut of meat is on sale! This meat tends to be tough.

Cooking it slowly on a low temperature allows the collagen in the tissues to melt away, leaving the pork tender and juicy.

Cooking pork steaks in a mixture of apples, onion, apple sauce and Jack Daniels creates a succulent dish with a bold flavor profile.

Ingredients:

two 1 lbs. pork steaks

1½ cups apple juice (save back 1 cup of the juice for later)

¾ cup Jack Daniels Bourbon divided

1/3 c. of kosher salt

1/3 c. real maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter
2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced

Night before:

Mix 1/3 c. of kosher salt in a mug with ½ c of the apple juice. Heat in microwave for about 1½ to 2 minutes. This is just so the salt will dissolve into the juice. Stir well then pour into a large bowl. Add 1 cups more of the juice along with a ½ cup of Jack Daniels and the maple syrup. Mix this up until it is well blended. Make sure it is not hot for the next step.

Brining is the technique of building up the taste, texture and moisture level of pork through soaking in salted liquid. This does NOT make it taste salty! It is easy, and you’ve probably already got everything you need on hand.

Pour the brine over the meat, place a heavy plate or bowl atop the meat to keep it submerged, and place in the refrigerator or a cooler below 40°F.

Day of:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Slice up the onion.

Peel, core and slice the apples.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and lay down 1 cup of applesauce in the bottom, stir in ½ cup of Jack Daniels.

 Brown onion over medium heat in 2 tbs oil, About 4 – 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and arrange on the applesauce bed.

Add pork steaks to the still hot skillet and brown for 3 minutes per side. You want a light golden touch, this is NOT cooking them. If you were to fry these pork steaks, they would be tough.

Arrange the browned pork steaks on that bed. Cover with apple slices, pour any left over Jack Daniels on top and seal with foil.

Bake for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and flakes apart with a fork.

====================

Where did slave get this name?

Research into Norwegian mythology turned up fascinating creatures called “Fossegrimen”. (Foss a gr-eye men)

The Fossegrimen are friendly but moody spirits that live in waterfalls. He is so skillful at playing the violin that he has the power to enchant people with it. His youthful good looks and his playing are irresistible. It can make either a woman or a man fall madly in love with them. But the relationship never lasts because he becomes gloomy and depressed away from his beloved waterfall.
It is said if you treat them with respect and offer a good piece of meat, the Fossegrimen will teach you how to play so beautifully that the music will make the trees dance.
But if you try to trick him with a less than good piece of meat, he will teach you how to tune the violin, then disappear leaving you without the knowledge to ever make the enchanting music.
Slave found this bit of folklore very beautiful. So it offers here a truly great meat dish that would surly honor any Fossegriman. Even if you don't happen upon one, maybe your Master will teach you some beautiful music – if you know what slave means. (wink)

Just imagine a softly flowing waterfall in the background:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YpXLdCm8LQ

See what I mean about having a wonderful Master? One who challenges me to learn and create?

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon

Scarlet's Georgia Drumsticks

On this years holiday, there is so much to celebrate. My first week back to work. It has been so very long. But it is not only the paycheck, it is work at the Care Services that help thousands in crisis every year. What a fulfillment of this ones needs and desires. To be able to be of service, to prove there is still more here to offer. To nourish, support, comfort others, can there be anything more important in life?

Think peaches and you think of Georgia, yet the peach tree was originally native to China. In 1663 William Penn reported in his journal that peaches were being grown on American plantations.

So lets celebrate our good fortune with fireworks and some Peachy BBQ'ed Chicken! This stuff would do Scarlet O' Hara proud.

For this dish, we will once again do the cooking in the slow cooker and char it under the broiler for that fresh from the fire pit taste! The sweetness comes mostly from fruit, the tang from garlic, balsamic vinegar and mustard. The work is done by the counter top cooker and finished in the broiler, You get the credit.

Ingredients

• 9 – 12 Chicken drum sticks
• 1 18oz bottle BBQ sauce (or approx 2 cups)
• 1 C peach preserves
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 TBS garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
  
• ½ teaspoon powdered mustard
• 1 29oz. can peach slices in juice

Marinade:

1/3 cup peach preserves

3 green onions, chopped

¼ cup white wine Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (low sodium)

2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Juice from can of peaches (juice - not syrup)

=======================

Night before:

Instructions

Cut up the green onions. Put in a large bowl. Chop the yellow onion and if using fresh, the garlic: put these in covered bowl for refrigerator.

Open the can of peaches, draining into the large bowl w/ green onions. Store the peach slices covered in refrigerator.

Add 1/3 c peach preserves, vinegar, oil, soy and Worcestershire sauces to the mixture in bowl. Mix well.

Divide the drumsticks into 3 or 4 zipper bags, then pour equal amounts of the marinade into each. Seal and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning:

Wipe out the slow cooker and spray.

In a large bowl, dump the chopped onion, garlic, with the rest of the peach preserves, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, powdered mustard and stir well to mix, fold in the peaches. 

 

Drain the drumsticks and arrange in the pot with meaty ends to the outside.

Pour the BBQ mixture over all, cover and let cook on low for 6 hours. (or high for 3-4 hours)

Again we will give these the same treatment we gave the wings. Set oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil, place a cooling rack on top and lightly spray. Make sure the rack is 10 inches below the broiler! Please do this BEFORE it heats up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Put drumsticks on the rack and brush with some of the sauce from the pot.

Broil for approximately 6 - 7 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, flip drumsticks over and brush with more sauce.

Return to oven and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes, until sauce starts to caramelize.

Remove from oven and plate up. 

 

Why not try a different kind of potato salad for this years picnic! This has a South American flavor taking the place of the everyday mayonnaise  

Grilled Potato Salad with Peanut-Basil Chimichurri and hard cooked eggs.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds baby red potatoes, halved
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 4 green onions
  Chimichurri:
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 2-3oz. fresh basil, chopped
• 1-2oz. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives, copped
• pinch of crushed red pepper

• 4 eggs
• ½ cup toasted peanuts, chopped
  

Instructions

Wash the potatoes and cut in half, or quarters if large.
Preheat the grill to medium high heat.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the potatoes by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, continue boiling about 4 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked but not soft.

Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a large saucepan of boiling water until whites are set and yolks are still slightly soft, 7 minutes. Drain the eggs and then run under cold water to cool. Set aside.

Pulse basil and cilantro, in food processor to chop. Add remaining chimichurri ingredients and blend. Pour into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl pour oil and salt & pepper. Toss the asparagus into that bowl to coat and grill until light grill marks appear.

Cut into 3 inch pieces.

When potatoes are done and still slightly firm, remove with a slotted spoon, and toss in the oil bowl. 

 

 
Using tongs, place the potato pieces on the hot grill, and cook on all sides, long enough to make grill marks, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Handle gently so they don't fall apart.
Wipe out the large bowl and scrape in the chimichurri. Add the hot potatoes and asparagus to the green mixture as they come off the grill. Once all the potatoes have been grilled, toss well with the chimichurri.
Peel the eggs and slice in half.
Add the salad into a serving bowl or plate. Top with toasted peanuts and the 7-minute eggs. Garnish with chopped chives. Enjoy!

Chimichurri is a green sauce used for grilled meat, in Argentina It is made of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white vinegar.

Lets make a parade!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsvCIOZTfV0

Serving my Master Indy with joy!

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White 

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon