Braising the Night Away

You can have your prime cut steaks—juicy rib eye, thick porterhouse, tender filet mignon—grilled to medium-rare perfection. I'll take a tough cut of meat braised to soft, buttery goodness over those premium pieces any day. When handled with patience and care, they are as rich and rewarding as any marbled beef.

Last weekend, I stayed in one evening to cook a large pot of oxtail for my eating pleasure. Slow cooking transforms this "scrap", releasing its full flavor and lush gelatinous texture. The next day I had it over a bed of rice.




SPANISH-STYLE OXTAILS BRAISED WITH CHORIZO

6 lb (2- to 3-inch-pieces) meaty oxtails
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb mild Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sweet or hot Spanish smoked paprika
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée, coarsely chopped (including purée) in a food processor
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
Special equipment: an 8- to 9-quart heavy pot

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pat oxtails dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown oxtails in batches without crowding, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer as browned to a bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

Remove and discard casing from chorizo, then finely chop sausage in food processor.
Cook chorizo, onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf in fat in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Add oxtails with any juices accumulated in bowl and chopped tomatoes (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.

Cover pot and braise oxtails in lower third of oven, turning once or twice, until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Skim fat from sauce, then stir in parsley, cilantro, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cooks' notes:
• Oxtails improve in flavor if braised 2 days ahead (add parsley, cilantro, and vinegar just before serving). Cool, uncovered, then chill, surface covered with parchment paper or wax paper and pot covered with lid. Remove any solidified fat before reheating.
• You can also braise oxtails in a roasting pan. First brown oxtails in a 12-inch heavy skillet, then transfer them to a roasting pan just large enough to hold oxtails in 1 layer.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Gourmet, January 2003

Tuna Goes Casserole

In an effort to keep my new year resolution of bring more lunches to work than I buy, I've begun looking at recipes with an eye towards quantity as well as quality. Hence casseroles have popped onto my cooking radar, and more specifically Tuna Noodle Casserole, which I made for the first time this week.

Let me say that I don't do casseroles—or never did 'til now. The baking that I do is associated with cookies, cakes, and pies. But there's a first time for everything; and for my introduction to tuna casserole, I used a recipe from Gourmet.

I followed the directions fairly closely in preparation, although I did mix my mushrooms, using crimini and white button, and substituted Marsala wine for Sherry because I didn't have the later. Furthermore I lacked white bread, so my breadcrumbs came from wheat bread that in my disregard of detail I cubed instead of truly crumbed. I also tossed in a palm full of dried herbs in the sauce and seasoned it with white pepper, but neither of those additions seem to affect the end taste of the dish which was unfailingly mild and creamy.

Yet when all was baked and done, I had enough casserole for lunch, dinner, and the freezer.




TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick (4 cups)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Sherry
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6-oz) can tuna in olive oil, drained
6 oz dried curly egg noodles (preferably Pennsylvania Dutch style; about 3 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from 3 slices firm white sandwich bread)
4 oz coarsely grated Cheddar (1 cup)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Cook onion in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with a pinch of salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Increase heat to moderately high and add mushrooms, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to give off liquid, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and continue to sauté mushrooms, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Sherry and boil, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Remove from heat.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and whisk in flour, then cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add broth in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Whisk in milk and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in mushroom mixture, lemon juice, and salt. Flake tuna into sauce and stir gently. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Cook noodles in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain noodles in a colander and return to pot. Add sauce and stir gently to combine. Transfer mixture to baking dish, spreading evenly.

Toss together bread crumbs and cheese in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss again, then sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Gourmet, May 2004

A Return to Persian Dining

I’ve been around the block with all kinds of rice: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian; but I must say that Persian rice is some kind of wonderful with its fluffy long grains seasoned with saffron and occasionally mixed with dried fruits. It’s a combination that makes my tongue swoon and my taste buds go weak at the knees.



I had that reaction all over again during dinner this week at Shamshiri Grill in Westwood when I ordered the Zereshk Polo, which came with Basmati rice with barberries and saffron. Zereshk is Persian for barberries, although I got the dish with braised lamb shanks instead of chicken.



Barberries are sour tasting, red-colored berries. Their addition to the saffron rice brighten its buttery flavor with a tartness that was music to my mouth, and eating it in spoonfuls with the lush braised lamb made every bite a symphony of tastes and textures—rich and tender lamb, delicate rice, and tangy berries. It was comfort food that filled my empty stomach and smoothed away the rough edges of an extra long workday. And isn't that why we eat, to feed ourselves body and soul.


Shamshiri Grill
1712 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 474-1410
www.shamshiri.com


For more about the barberry, check-out Botanical.com and Wikipedia for starters.

Do You New Year Resolution?

There are differing opinions on New Year resolutions. Some people don't believe in them, so they don't make them. Others make them in hope that the new year will bring change and betterment, but sadly they falter and fail to keep them. Still more say they will think about making a few resolutions, but in the end never even get that far. Then there are the few, the lucky few, who make resolutions and realize they've kept them when the next year rolls around.

I make New Year resolutions, although some years I've had more success then others in keeping them. Last year was a bust, but 2004 was a banner year and I batted a thousand with my resolutions

This year I have one food resolution, a part from the vague promise I make to myself every year to eat healthier, and that is to bring more lunches to work than I buy at work, at least 3 lunches per week and hopefully more.

I will periodically document my lunches during any given week with pictures under the "Brown Bag Lunch Project". You'll see what I'm eating, although I won't always explain what I'm eating, which is sometimes better since I make my share of food disasters in the kitchen. This way I will hopefully keep one of my resolutions for the year.

Happy 2007!
May it be a better, brighter, and blessed year!

BROWN BAG LUNCH PROJECT, vol. 1, Jan. 1-5.

January 1 was a holiday and my boss bought me lunch one day, hence 3 lunches for the week.