Cheap Meats

Let’s talk about cheap beef. No, not the kind that’s on clearance at the local supermarket because it’s a day or two expired. That’s yuck. Is there anything that sounds less appetizing?

What I’m talking about are the less expensive, underappreciated cuts. You know, chuck steak and cuts from the round (rump). For some reason, these cuts get a bad reputation: too tough or too fatty. Personally, I find these cuts to be wonderfully beefy, particularly the chuck, which I think is the best cut to use for stir-frying. Fat can be trimmed away and if properly prepared, these cuts are not at all tough.

Roast beef seasoned with garlic, smoked paprika and thyme. 

Let's start with roast beef.  Who says it has to be made with the tenderloin? My first choice for roast beef has always been a round roast. It’s a lean cut from the rump of the cow. It has a nice flavor, little fat and is very reasonably priced ($4.99/lb for grass-fed beef). If it’s a special occasion, I’ll spring for a tenderloin or standing rib roast, but no need for everyday roast beef. We are trying to stick to a budget, after all.

If you’ve never made a roast beef, I will tell you it’s one of the easiest things to prepare. The key to success is a meat thermometer (at least for me). I recommend something that can actually go into the oven with your roast. Even better if it’s attached to a digital display that will alarm when the target temperature is reached. I know they sell them at William Sonoma, but I got mine at Ikea for $6, which makes it one of my best kitchen buys.

One of the things I like to do is season my roast overnight before cooking it. Not everyone does this. I do it because I like the salt to penetrate the beef. Seasoning it right before cooking just salts the surface. And contrary to popular belief, seasoning meat in advance does not dry it out. People should have paid more attention to their chemistry teacher discuss osmosis and equilibria. Anyhow, feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations. I kept it simple this time and only used garlic, salt and sugar. Yes, I said sugar. No it doesn’t make the meat sweet. You’ll see.

Hubby bought me a food slicer for Christmas! Roast beef with sauteed kale, mushrooms and blue cheese on toast. An nice appetizer for a dinner party, no?

Garlicky Roast Beef
3 lb round (aka rump) roast (get a larger roast if you have more people to feed)
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs brown sugar
1 whole head of garlic, minced or crushed to a paste
salt and pepper to taste

Make the seasoning rub by combining the salt, sugar and garlic. Rub it all over the beef and put the roast in a Ziploc bag (push out all the air) and refrigerate overnight up to 24 hours. Turn the bag occasionally to promote even salting.

About an hour before you are ready to roast, take it out of the fridge to take the chill off. Rinse the seasonings off otherwise the garlic and sugar will burn when you sear the meat. Pat the meat dry and apply a small sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper. Sear the meat in a hot pan (like cast iron), stick your thermometer in and throw the roast into a preheated 275°F oven. (Alternatively, sear it in a very hot oven, say 450°F, for about 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 275°). For the best results, put it on a rimmed sheet pan or even better if you have a grate or rack that will lift it slightly. You want good air convection to get even browning. For roast beef, I like to cook it until the internal temperature reaches about 125 to 130°F. When you take it out of the oven, let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. During that time, don’t pull the meat thermometer out, otherwise all the wonderful beefy juices will just run out.  Slice and enjoy!

I wanna know.  Who makes roast beef and how do you like to eat it?

Have a happy Christmas and eat some prime rib!

Did I ever mention I love my neighbors? Yesterday our neighbor across the street hosted a neighborhood (+ family friends) holiday potluck party. As always, it was all good times. It was too much of a good time for Hubby and he paid for it today…at work. HEHE!

Originally I was going to bring some kind of appetizer/finger food, but when I found out my local grocery store was having a sale (to the tune of $4/pound!!) on prime rib roast, I couldn’t resist. I’ve always wanted to try fixing one, but was nervous to pay $50+ to experiment on a beautiful cut of meat. Well, it turned out to be super easy thanks to my $6 meat thermometer.

I've started new tradition this year--rib roast for Christmas dinner!

If you do a little research on how to make a standing rib roast, there are a few different ways. I like searing the meat at high heat, then going low until it’s done. This requires a little more roasting time, but I think that allows for better browning of the exterior without the threat of burning.

About the seasonings...I think you can choose just about any seasoning combination you like and the roast will still taste fantastic. All that’s required is plenty of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Everything else is a bonus. I used garlic and since I had some thyme, I threw that in too. Get creative. Try toasted and roughly ground cumin and coriander seeds for a Caribbean flavor or dry mustard for a more traditional English taste.

Ain't it a beaut?

Standing Rib Roast

• 8 to 10 pound rib eye roast, with bones
• 1 head garlic
• 1 to 2 tbs chopped herbs, such as thyme or rosemary
• 1 tbs oil
• kosher salt (at least 2 to 3 tbs)
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 portion Gorgonzola sauce (recipe follows)

special equipment: reliable meat thermometer and kitchen twine

Peel the garlic and mash it in a mortar with the chopped herbs. Add the oil to the paste and rub the seasonings over the meat. Push the spices into any little crannies and crevices. Using the kitchen twine, tie the roast at regular intervals. This will prevent any of the crusty parts from peeling off during cooking. Leave the roast on the counter for a couple of hours to bring to room temperature. I know some people may be freaked out by the thought of leaving meat out for so long. Trust me, it won’t get warm. It won’t even really come to room temperature. You just want to be sure to take the chill off so it will sear more efficiently and reduce the total cooking time.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Put the roast in a shallow roasting pan, rib side down, and rub the roast with plenty of salt and pepper (don't be shy!). Roast for 20 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven no matter what you hear or smell (unless it’s an oven fire, of course). Turn down the heat to 300° and continue roasting for about 1 hour.

After that first hour, rotate the roasting pan to promote even browning. I have a convection oven, but I still find it’s helpful to rotate if I’m doing a lengthy roast. This is also a good time to check the temperature. Don’t expect the roast to be close to done, but it’s still good to get an idea. Insert your thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat. Be sure to push far enough into the roast to get an accurate reading. If you only go an inch in, the reading will be deceptively high. Go in a little farther and the temperature will drop. My magic number is 130, but anywhere from 125° to 130° will give you a nice medium-rare roast. For an 8 pounder, expect it to take at least 2 hours, so shut the oven and don’t open it again until the next hour. After the second hour, you’ll probably be close, so you’ll want to check every 15 minutes (or less if it makes you feel better).

Once the roast is done, move it to a platter immediately. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. It will release juices, which can be used as a simple sauce. You can also make a simple Gorgonzola sauce, which tastes fantastic with beef.

For the perfect roast, cook until the internal temperature reaches between 125° and 130°, but not one degree more.

Easy Gorgonzola Sauce

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 4 oz crumbly Gorgonzola
• 2-3 tbs mayonnaise

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the Gorgonzola with the heavy cream. Stir occasionally to promote even melting. When the cheese has melted, continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before adding in enough of the mayonnaise to thicken the sauce a little. Pour the sauce into a container and chill it in the fridge. Take it out about a half hour to an hour before serving. Using a fork or whisk, quickly whip the sauce to homogenize. It will have the consistency of sour cream.

Hope everyone has a happy Christmas!!! It's just the three of us this year. We are having some friends over for brunch, but otherwise it will be a quiet holiday. I wanna know, how are you celebrating??

This picture was taken at Hubby's company party earlier this month. Note to self: take family photo before face painting.

Friends and Food

The thing I love about living in Portland, and especially my neighborhood, is the sense of community. We have great neighbors, and during holidays someone is usually hosting some kind of gathering. Today it was an Easter potluck across the street. The host made an awesome roasted lamb with garlic and rosemary with a nice mint sauce. Another neighbor brought potato salad with peas and dill. There was also asparagus with a soy based sauce and toasted sesame seeds. I brought ham and sweet potatoes roasted with fresh ginger. I wish I could have taken pictures of the spread, but with helping to set up and chasing kids around, it just didn’t happen.


In the May addition of Fine Cooking magazine, there was a piece written by Bruce Aidells about how to buy and prepare the perfect ham. I found this article particularly helpful because I’ve never been able to make a decent pan sauce from a baked ham. Normally I don’t even use liquid when I bake ham, and I just serve some kind of mustard on the side. But Bruce's method seemed so easy, I decided to try his Maple, Tea and Cardamom Glaze and Sauce recipe. I ended up making a variation of his recipe (because I forgot to buy one of the main ingredients), but it still turned out good in the end.

This picture was taken on Thanksgiving 2008. The ham turned out as good as I remembered and the sauce was even better with the addition of Dijon mustard.

Ham with Thai Jasmine Tea, Cardamom and Cloves

• 1 bone-in ham (not spiral cut)
• whole cloves (about 1 tbs worth)
• 2 cups strong Thai Jasmine Tea
• 1 cup limeade
• ¼ cup + 1 tbs maple syrup
• 5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 3 tbs light brown sugar
• 2-3 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs cold Thai Jasmine Tea (or cold water is fine)

I really don't recommend spiral cut hams because they tend to dry out. I like to use cardamom pods rather than pre-ground cardamom. I find they have a stronger flavor than the ground stuff, and they are way cheaper because I get them at an Indian market. If you don’t have Thai Jasmine tea, you could easily substitute with almost any other tea.

Start by scoring the fat on the ham. Dot the ham with the cloves, especially in the fatty areas. The cloves should push easily into the meat. Place the ham, flat side down, in a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. Don't forget to remove the plastic thingy they put over the bone.

Combine 1 cup of the tea, limeade and ¼ cup of maple syrup in a bowl. Pour this mixture into a roasting pan so that it comes ¼ inch up the side of the ham. Place the ham into a preheated 325º oven. Cooking time is about 15 minutes per pound for a regular oven and 12 minutes per pound in a convection oven. Add more tea as needed to keep the level of the liquid to ¼ inch.

To make the glaze, combine 1 tbs maple syrup, the crushed cardamom pods, brown sugar and 1 tbs hot water (I made this in advance to let the cardamom flavor develop in the glaze). When the ham is done, brush the glaze on the ham and raise the temperature of the oven to 425º. Allow the glaze to caramelize (watch it because it could happen in 5 minutes). Remove the ham from the oven and transfer it to a large platter. Cover the ham with foil and a few dish towels (I used a folded table cloth), and allow the ham to rest for at least 30 minutes.

To make the sauce, pour the liquid from the pan into a saucepan. Allow the liquid to settle for 5 or 10 minutes so the fat will rise to the top. Skim off the fat and bring the remaining liquid to a boil. Add the mustard and give it a whisk. Taste the sauce. If it tastes diluted or weak, allow it to reduce a bit to concentrate the flavors. It should have a hint of tanginess from the limeade and mustard, yet be sweet. The taste of the tea will be subtle. When you’re happy with the flavors, add about half the cornstarch mixture. The sauce should thicken quickly. Add more cornstarch mixture for a thicker sauce.