CookingRehoboth.Com

 The book can be purchased as an eBook with more than 90 color photographs. There are also two print editions: a black and white paperback edition and a color paperback edition.  All can be purchased online at Amazon.com.  For more information you visit my website: www.cookingrehoboth.com.

 When the grill is ready. Place the chicken thighs on the plank, skin side down.  Place the plank over the charcoal and depending on your fire, cook 8-12 minutes until the thighs are cooked.  For the last minute of cooking remove the thighs from the plank and cook them directly over the charcoals to give them some color from the caramelization of the pomegranate and honey marinade.

Chuck roast, to me a noble cut, but to others a scary tough piece of meat. Now let’s move on. Veal stew meat.   I will admit that veal is not what usually jumps to mind in the category of cheap meat.  But veal stew meat sells for about the same price as top-quality hamburger. And let’s face it, veal certainly sounds much classier than hamburger.  And while you might not serve hamburger for Christmas dinner, veal stew is another story. My Christmas guests were, unwittingly, apart of my cheap meat series, because veal stew is what I served for Christmas dinner.  If you turn the veal stew into a pot pie, as I did for Christmas, well you go from peasant food to razzle- dazzle and luxury in the time it takes to put the puff pastry over the pie! And the real fun was instead of spending a fortune on standing rib roast, I saved a fortune that I can put toward my truffle budget!  We will need those truffles in a future cheap meats article: veal breast stuffed with truffles. Veal stew meat is a collection of scraps. Yes scraps.  Pieces of unknown origin.  But the point of the cheap meat series is so show how one can eat (just as well) with these lesser known and lesser used budget cuts as one can with premium cuts. The richness of the stew comes from being made with a top-quality veal stock and a top quality heavy cream. Preferably one that was not ultra-pasteurized.  Email me if you’d like the recipe.  [email protected] The ingredients are: 2 pounds veal stew meat. ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 2 tablespoons olive oil. 4 ounces salt pork cut into lardons (pieces about the size if the first two joints of your little finger). 2 medium onions, about 8 ounces in Julien strips. 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms cut in half. 3 ounces of fresh young carrots cut into the thinnest rounds. 2 tablespoons flour. Bouquet garni of 2 sage leaves, a spring of rosemary as long as your finger, 3 sprigs of thyme also as long as your finger, a parsley sprig tie with butcher twine. ½ cup white wine. 1 cup veal stock. 1 cup water. 1 pint heavy cream 2 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of butter to make a roux. Optional: a cup or two off cooked peas.

chuck roast

Coming up next on our tour of the lesser cuts of meats... Veal Stew Meat and Pork Shank (hock).  Look for the veal recipe next week.  The pork a few weeks after that. 

The results were a mild heat, despite the use of 3 serrano chilis.  Apparently, the long cooking mellowed the chili’s heat.  The meat was moist, rich, “melting in your mouth” tender.  I would call this the best chili I every ate.   I am going to continue to explore the lesser cuts, so far it has been a delicious journey.

  Makes 1 ½ pint ravioli filling.  This is ample amount to make 2 dozen 3-inch round ravioli.  Suppose you only make a dozen ravioli?  Any pumpkin stuffing that is not needed for the ravioli can be thinned, with chicken or vegetable stock, to make a nice soup. Why this recipe.  Eat your vegetables.  This is a great way to get some healthy vegetables into your diet that is fun and tastes great.  And pumpkin! Your kids will love to help. What you will need: A 2-pound pie pumpkin. 1 large shallot (about 2- 2 ½ ounces). 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage. 1 teaspoon kosher salt. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. 2 tablespoons crème fraiche, or just good heavy cream.   1 package of wonton wrappers, these tend to be about 3 ½ to 3 ¾ inch square. Sage butter (recipe follows) Preparation: Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Them cut each half into manageable sizes, maybe 4-6 slices per half.  Peel these pieces of pumpkin and cut them into 1-inch square pieces.  You will end up with 20—22 ounces of pumpkin cubes. Place the pumpkin cubes in a sauce pan and cover with water, Simmer the pumpkin until it is soft enough to mash.  When it is that soft, drain it and mash it.   Set this aside. Finely chopped the shallot and sauté it in the butter until it is just about to brown.  At that point, turn off the heat.  Add the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.  Return to the heat for a minute and stir all the ingredients.  Now add the mashed pumpkin and crème fraiche.  Heat over a moderate heat for 3 minutes stirring the whole time.  This is to remove excess moisture form the pumpkin.   Place the pumpkin in a bowl and set this in the refrigerator to cool. When the pumpkin is cool, it’s time to make the ravioli. Layer a sheet pan with clean kitchen towel. On a cutting board place a wonton wrapper, brush it with water with a pastry brush.   Place 1 tablespoon of pumpkin stuffing in the center of the wonton wrapper. Take a second wonton wrapper, brush one side with water using the pastry brush.  Place the wetted side down over the first wonton and press down around the filling to seal the two wontons.  Then place a 3-inch round cookie cutter over the wonton.  Press down firmly on the cutter.  Remove the wonton wrapper on the outside of the cutter. Remove the cutter and “voila” -- a perfect round ravioli.  Place this on the towel lined sheet pan.  When you have made the amount you want, cover the raviolis with a clean kitchen towel and place the sheet pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the ravioli. When the time comes to cook the ravioli.  Fill a 3-quart sauté pan, that is a pan that is wide with tall straight sides of 3-4 inches, with water.  Bring the water to the boil and slide in 6 raviolis to cook for 4 minutes. When done, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a warm bowl with butter.  Proceed to cook another batch up till all the ravioli is cooked. Sage Butter Serve the ravioli with warm sage butter.  Sauté 2 ounces of butter (per person) with 2 chopped sage leaves (per person).  You want the butter to brown just a bit.  Taste and adjust for salt.  Toss the ravioli in this butter.     Or if butter is not your thing, use olive oil.

Serves 2. Why this recipe:  It is unctuous, delicious, winter food which you will undoubtedly enjoy.  If lamb breast where a high school senior, he or she would not be invited to the prom. It is a homely cut.  It is over looked.  You will probably only see at grocery stores that cater to lower income shoppers, because it is an inexpensive cut that is not highly thought of.  And because it is so unchic, so low brow, I am sure that it will be taking Brooklyn by storm any day.  So find a source and enjoy it before the hipsters make it impossibly expensive to enjoy.   Time requirement.  About 30 minutes to prepare, 2 hours in the oven, and 15 minutes to serve it once it has come out of the oven. What you will need: 2 ½ pounds of lamb breast, cut into two pieces. ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ teaspoon herbs de Provence. 3 ounces celery, washed, dried and sliced into ½ inch pieces. (That is about two 8 inch celery stalks.) 4 ounces carrot, washed, dried, peeled, and sliced into ½ inch pieces. (That’s about 1 ½ carrots.) 4 ounces onion, sliced. (That’s about half a medium onion) 8 garlic cloves split in half vertically (top to bottom). Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Preparation: Pat dry the lamb breast with paper towels. Then coat the lamb with the salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the herbs de Provence.  Set aside.  If time permits let the seasoned lamb rest at room temperature 30 minutes. Prepare the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic: place them in an oven proof pan, which you can cover, and which is large enough to accommodate the lamb breast to come.  Sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining ½ teaspoon of herbs de Provence.  Place the lamb on top the vegetables, place the cover on the pan, and place the pan in the preheated oven.   Cook undistributed for 2 hours. After 2 hours remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a metal tray and place the lamb under the broiler to brown. This will take about 5-8 minutes, depending on your broiler and how close you set the lamb below the broiler.  I suggest 5-6 inches below the broiler is best. In the meantime strain the cooking juices and set them aside in the refrigerator.  The vegetables will still be crisp and flavorful.  Serve them with the lamb, after it comes out from the broiler. The garlic will be very mellow and be a delicious accompaniment to the lamb. About the strained cooking juices.  Place them in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will harden.  Discard the fat and use the lamb juices in a soup.  You can freeze it for future use. AWBQMAAAAAA��q��y^

Kale and Beet Ravioli Makes enough for 3-4 dozen raviolis. Why this recipe.  It’s an easy way to eat your healthy vegetables.  Seriously.  You could just cook some kale and some beets.  But these raviolis are far more satisfying.  They look good on a plate which makes them a good opener for a dinner party.  But I usually just make them for myself and have them ready in the refrigerator for breakfast or lunch. What you will need: 1-pound kale, washed and chopped. The leaves of 3 beets 1 fresh chili pepper, such as Capsicum baccatum or Serrano pepper, or what is available.  Less or none if you do not like heat. 12 fennel seeds. 12 coriander seeds. 1 large beet. 16 ounces of part skim milk ricotta cheese. ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Preparation of Ravioli Stuffing: A variety of herbs from the garden: thyme, basil, rosemary, etc. Place the kale and beet greens in a large pot of boiling water.  Chop the chili and add it to the greens.  Crush the fennel and coriander seeds and add these to the greens.  Cook the kale and beet greens for 30 minutes at a good simmer. You want to cook them to nearly mush. Strain and placed the greens in a bowl and refrigerator until cold.  Discard the cooking liquid.  (If you like heat, you can save the cooking liquid as vegetable stock.  But I warn you it will hold the chili’s heat.) In the meantime, wrap on large beet in foil, place it on a cookie sheet, and roast in a 350-degree F oven until tender. If you are not using your oven for another purpose, be all means, save the energy, and boil the beet in a small sauce pan.  When cooked, refrigerate until cold.  You know the beet is done the same way you know a potato is done:  a knife easily slips into the center.  (Another side note, as long as you are cooking one beet, you might as well cook 3-4. While you only need one beet for this recipe, you can use the other beets in a salad.  Serve them sliced with some crumbed goat cheese, chopped walnuts, and drizzle with a nice vinaigrette.) When cold, place 1 cup of the greens in the bowl of a food processor, along with one beet  which your first cut into 6-8 pieces: process into a smooth paste.  You will need to wipe down the sides of the food processor bowl a few times to assure a complete mix of all the ingredients.  Then add the ricotta cheese along with ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.   Place the kale and beet stuffing in a bowl and set this in the refrigerator to cool. Preparation of Ravioli: When the kale and beet stuffing is cool, it’s time to make the ravioli. Layer a sheet pan with clean kitchen towel. On a cutting board place a wonton wrapper, brush it with water with a pastry brush.   Place 2 teaspoons of beet stuffing in the center of the wonton wrapper.  (You can individualize each ravioli by adding a tiny amount of herb to flavor each ravioli: 2-3 thyme leaves, a small rosemary leaf, a scant piece of basil leaf, a scant piece of sage, etc.  Each ravioli will have its own little flavor surprise.) Take a second wonton wrapper, brush one side with water using the pastry brush.  Place the wetted side down over the first wonton and press down around the filling to seal the two wontons.  Then place a 3-inch round cookie cutter over the wonton.  Press down firmly on the cutter.  Remove the wonton wrapper on the outside of the cutter. Remove the cutter and “voila” -- a perfect round ravioli.  Place this on the towel paper lined sheet pan.  When you have made the amount you want, cover the raviolis with a clean kitchen towel and place the sheet pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the ravioli. When the time comes to cook the ravioli. Fill a 3-quart sauté pan, that is a pan that is wide with tall straight sides of 3-4 inches, with water.  Bring the water to the boil and slide in 6 raviolis to cook for 4 minutes. When done, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a warm bowl with butter.  Proceed to cook another batch up till all the ravioli is cooked. These raviolis are striking to look at, pink and white.  Let their appearance star.  Serve them in wide bowls with just olive oil, or melted butter, and grated parmesan cheese.

3

Hermetically Seal Rillettes The easiest is to have ready eight 1/2-pint canning jars that you have washed and sterilized in the dishwasher. Or wash and sterilize by boiling a few minutes in a pan of boiling water. You will also need another pound of lard that you have melted in a sauce pan on the stove. Fill each jar 2/3 way with rillettes then cover them with melted lard.  Then apply the flat jar lid.  Then apply the round ring to tightly to keep the flat lid in place.  The lard will hermetically seal the rillettes and they will keep for months if kept in the refrigerator.   When you want to serve the rillettes, remove them from the jar, but do not serve the fat cap that has set atop the rillettes.  Use that fat to fry some potatoes or some other purpose. Alternatively, you may can the rillettes. Canning Rillettes Again, you will need ½ pint canning jars, about 6 of them.  Sterilized them by washing in the sterilize cycle of your dishwasher.  Or wash them and then boil them (for several minutes) in a pan of boiling water. In the meantime, you have made the rillettes, and you are keeping them warm over a very low heat on the stove top. In a small sauce pan, place the flat canning jar lids in hot water, just below the simmer. Have a large pot of water near the boil on the stove, one that can accommodate the canning jars to come.  You will put the ½ pint jars, filled with rillettes, in this pot of water.  Therefore, make sure it is tall enough to accommodate the rise in water level when you add the jars of rillettes to the pan. Remove the sterilized jars from the dishwasher (or pan of boiling water).  Fill each jar (to ½ inch below the top) with rillettes.   (There is no need to add extra lard, the caning process, not the fat, is going to seal the rillettes in the jar).  Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth.  Remove a flat lid from its water bath.  Dry it with a clean cloth and put it on the jar.  Now tighten it down with the round ring.  Working quickly repeat this with each jar until all the rillettes are in the jars. There can be no half or ¾ filled jars.  Any left that will not fill a jar, place that jar in the refrigerator for immediate use. Place the full jars in the pan of boil water. The water must cover the jars. “Process” the jars (leave them in the boiling water) for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes remove from the water and set the jars on a towel laid out on the counter.  In a few minutes you will hear each jar make a “ping” sound, that is the vacuum seal occurring.   Whether or not you hear the “ping,” you can tell if the jars have sealed by touch.  After the jars are out of the water bath 15 minutes, touch the lid on the jar.  There should be no give in the lid: it should be a flat hard surface.  If there is any give in the lid, the jar is not sealed: the canning process failed.  But that’s ok -- the rillettes in the jar are still fine.  Just refrigerate that jar and consume it first. Although by caning the rillettes they are self-steady (like a can of tomatoes) and can be kept in the cabinet, I store mine in the refrigerator.  I remove them from the refrigerator a few hours before I want to serve them.

Duck with cherries. A classic. 

 Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the meat at the table. For veal chop:  Excluding the lime zest.  Also, do not cook the veal chop longer than 10 minutes for medium rare, and cook for just 8 minutes, for rare.  

Grilled lobster, with drawn butter and fresh mayo made with the lobster’s roe.  This lobster was about 4 hours out of the water until it was in my kitchen.

Pretty nice  roast chicken, done over a charcoal fire on a  Weber (r) kettle grill.

When the garden fig tree gives me figs, I give my guests a fig, olive oil, and honey tart.