There seems to be quite a bit of confusion when it comes to steak etymology. What is Sirloin? What is a New York Strip Steak? What is a Club Steak? I hear these questions all the time. Sometimes from people who have been cooking professionally for years. Part of the problem comes from regional variations, but mostly it seems to be several persistent misconceptions get repeated so often that they take on a life of their own.
A New York strip steak is NOT sirloin. This steak is cut from the short loin which is next to the sirloin, but not sirloin. The short loin is the lower rib section of the back. It includes the tenderloin which lies inside the ribs and the strip loin which is on top of the ribs. Porterhouse steaks, T-Bones and Delmonico steaks are cut from the short loin. If you remove the tenderloin then you call it a shell steak, and if you remove the bones it is called a strip steak. The short loin offers the best compromise between flavor and tenderness. Muscles that work a lot are generally flavorful but tougher. The muscles that make up the short loin do some work but not too much. Muscles that really work generally require long slow cooking.
To further add to the confusion, rib-eye steaks are also called Delmonico steaks, or club steaks. There is some discrepancy about what a real Delmonico steak is. The name comes from a 19th century dining club called the Delmonico Club. I believe that a real Delmonico steak is a steak cut from the rib end of the short loin, basically a porterhouse steak without the attached piece of filet mignon.
Going from head to tail on the animal, the next section of meat is the sirloin. While not as tender as the short loin, the sirloin is probably the tastiest steak. Bone-in sirloin steaks are cut from the top sirloin and are considered superior to boneless sirloin steaks. They are named after the shape of the bone that is attached to the adjacent muscle. The pin bone sirloin is right next to the short loin. It is the king of sirloin steaks. Sirloin tip steak or steaks labeled "boneless sirloin" come from the bottom sirloin. The bottom sirloin does a bit more work than the top sirloin, so they are a bit tougher, though very tasty.
Next, at the rear of the animal is the round. This is where top round and inside round come from, the steaks most commonly labeled "London Broil". If you plan to marinate your London broil this is the steak to use. It is quite lean and will be tender enough as long as you slice it thin and against the grain. Flank steak and skirt steak though more expensive are both much more flavorful. They still benefit from a marinade to flavor and tenderize the meat.
This chart should help with understanding the different cuts that I have mentioned.
The next time you want to grill steak for a crowd, try a bone-in sirloin, grilled rare to medium-rare on a hot charcoal fire. Let it rest for 5 minutes and slice it against the grain. Spoon some of the juices that have collected on the cutting board over the steak and really enjoy the beef flavor with nothing more than salt and pepper.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Burritos
A great way to make burritos is to cook them on the grill. Flour tortillas stuffed with the filling of your choice taste great when they get a little charred on the grill. Roll up the tortilla and brush a little oil on it and grill seam-side down first. Turn it a few times to get some nice black parts with an overall golden brown color.
I like to use cous cous instead of rice to make a lighter filling. Combined with refried black beans, goat cheese and some roasted vegetables a delicious meatless meal is fairly easy to put together. Some chicken, shrimp or crabmeat can be added as well.
Serve your burritos with guacamole and pico de gallo or salsa and drink a Corona to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
I like to use cous cous instead of rice to make a lighter filling. Combined with refried black beans, goat cheese and some roasted vegetables a delicious meatless meal is fairly easy to put together. Some chicken, shrimp or crabmeat can be added as well.
Serve your burritos with guacamole and pico de gallo or salsa and drink a Corona to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Pesto
Yesterday was the midpoint of Spring known as the cross quarter. This time of year everyone seems to be gardening. If you have decent soil and plenty of sun you can grow basil.
Here in Lambertville there is quite a bit of alluvial soil that has been deposited by the Delaware river over the millennia. It is light and full of minerals and makes growing many things a snap. I wish my yard got more sun because I really miss growing tomatoes and basil.
If you grow basil or have a friend who grows basil, you'll probably want to make pesto. Nothing maintains the fresh taste and aroma of basil better than pesto. It's really easy to make and will keep in the refrigerator for weeks with a slick of olive oil over the top.
You can make pesto in a blender, food processor or with a mortar and pestle. One thing to be careful about is not to over-process extra virgin olive oil as it can become bitter. Start with clean basil leaves, garlic and toasted pine nuts. Crush it all together into a paste, then add a little extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix to combine and that's it. The quantities are really up to you. It is easy to add a little more cheese, a little more garlic or a little more oil, so just experiment.
Variations include toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, a mixture of parsley and basil, or vegan pesto without the cheese. Substitute roasted garlic or sun dried tomatoes for some richness if omitting the cheese. Avoid adding acidic things like lemon juice or corrosives like salt. They will cook the pesto and really shorten its life span. You can add salt or lemon to the finished dish as you use the pesto, but never to the pesto itself if you intend to store it.
Here in Lambertville there is quite a bit of alluvial soil that has been deposited by the Delaware river over the millennia. It is light and full of minerals and makes growing many things a snap. I wish my yard got more sun because I really miss growing tomatoes and basil.
If you grow basil or have a friend who grows basil, you'll probably want to make pesto. Nothing maintains the fresh taste and aroma of basil better than pesto. It's really easy to make and will keep in the refrigerator for weeks with a slick of olive oil over the top.
You can make pesto in a blender, food processor or with a mortar and pestle. One thing to be careful about is not to over-process extra virgin olive oil as it can become bitter. Start with clean basil leaves, garlic and toasted pine nuts. Crush it all together into a paste, then add a little extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix to combine and that's it. The quantities are really up to you. It is easy to add a little more cheese, a little more garlic or a little more oil, so just experiment.
Variations include toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, a mixture of parsley and basil, or vegan pesto without the cheese. Substitute roasted garlic or sun dried tomatoes for some richness if omitting the cheese. Avoid adding acidic things like lemon juice or corrosives like salt. They will cook the pesto and really shorten its life span. You can add salt or lemon to the finished dish as you use the pesto, but never to the pesto itself if you intend to store it.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Lasagna My Way
I think lasagna is a great dish to make for a dinner party. It can be made ahead of time and it stays warm for a long time so there is some built-in flexibility. It is really easy to make and most people like it.
Start with a simple marinara sauce: Canned plum tomatoes; garlic; olive oil; salt and pepper. You can add a few anchovies if keeping it vegetarian isn't a concern. The filling is a mixture of 3 pounds Ricotta cheese, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1-1/2 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Just mix it all up in a bowl and set aside. Then shred about a pound of mozzarella and 3/4 pound of provolone.
To assemble the lasagna, use a deep pan and start with sauce on the bottom. Then a layer of lasagna noodles, then ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of the shredded cheeses. There is no need to cook the noodles, if the sauce is wet and loose they will cook perfectly in the oven. Repeat layers until the pan is almost full. Be sure to end with sauce and cheese, not noodles.
Cover the pan with 2 layers of Saran wrap and 1 layer of foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours, then let it sit, covered for at least 30-40 minutes or up to 1 hour. If you make it ahead of time, refrigerate before cooking and allow an extra half hour cooking time.
That's it. This is an easy dish. All of the work can be done anywhere from 2 hours to a few days before you want to serve it and it will taste just as good either way.
Start with a simple marinara sauce: Canned plum tomatoes; garlic; olive oil; salt and pepper. You can add a few anchovies if keeping it vegetarian isn't a concern. The filling is a mixture of 3 pounds Ricotta cheese, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1-1/2 Tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Just mix it all up in a bowl and set aside. Then shred about a pound of mozzarella and 3/4 pound of provolone.
To assemble the lasagna, use a deep pan and start with sauce on the bottom. Then a layer of lasagna noodles, then ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of the shredded cheeses. There is no need to cook the noodles, if the sauce is wet and loose they will cook perfectly in the oven. Repeat layers until the pan is almost full. Be sure to end with sauce and cheese, not noodles.
Cover the pan with 2 layers of Saran wrap and 1 layer of foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours, then let it sit, covered for at least 30-40 minutes or up to 1 hour. If you make it ahead of time, refrigerate before cooking and allow an extra half hour cooking time.
That's it. This is an easy dish. All of the work can be done anywhere from 2 hours to a few days before you want to serve it and it will taste just as good either way.
In defense of Parsley
Parsley seems to be universally accepted as a garnish, but almost ignored as a flavorful herb. I think part of the fault lies with curly parsley which doesn't lend itself to cooking so well. It really must be chopped to be used as an ingredient and its flavor leaves much to be desired.
Flat leaf or Italian parsley however is very flavorful and can be simply picked into small pieces, sliced with scissors or cut into a chiffonade. Any one of these techniques will yield much more flavor than pulverizing the poor parsley to death in a food processor.
Parsley has a clean flavor that complements many different dishes. It brightens up the earthy qualities of roasted vegetables or meats. It softens the sharpness of vinegar or lemon juice and it can of course add visual appeal to a dull looking dish of just about any kind. It is one of those ingredients, like salt and pepper, that doesn't really seem to clash with anything savory.
Parsley is a great herb to grow yourself. It is really low maintenance and growing your own means that you can pick just a few sprigs without having to buy a whole bunch to wilt in the bottom of your produce drawer. While it will grow just fine in a sunny window, the flavor will be much better if grown outside.
Flat leaf or Italian parsley however is very flavorful and can be simply picked into small pieces, sliced with scissors or cut into a chiffonade. Any one of these techniques will yield much more flavor than pulverizing the poor parsley to death in a food processor.
Parsley has a clean flavor that complements many different dishes. It brightens up the earthy qualities of roasted vegetables or meats. It softens the sharpness of vinegar or lemon juice and it can of course add visual appeal to a dull looking dish of just about any kind. It is one of those ingredients, like salt and pepper, that doesn't really seem to clash with anything savory.
Parsley is a great herb to grow yourself. It is really low maintenance and growing your own means that you can pick just a few sprigs without having to buy a whole bunch to wilt in the bottom of your produce drawer. While it will grow just fine in a sunny window, the flavor will be much better if grown outside.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Attention Cheese Lovers
I just discovered that my favorite cheese shop has a blog that I think is very informative. Check it out.
And if you are in Philadelphia, don't miss their store in the Italian market. It is a family owned customer friendly place with the best selection of cheese and Italian specialties you'll find in the area.
And if you are in Philadelphia, don't miss their store in the Italian market. It is a family owned customer friendly place with the best selection of cheese and Italian specialties you'll find in the area.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Campfire Cooking
Tonight I'll be heading for the Catskills to do some tent camping. One of the best parts of a camping trip is cooking on a hardwood campfire. The flavor imparted from real wood can't be beat. It has a purity that even natural lump charcoal, my preferred charcoal of choice, can't match. I think being outdoors in the fresh air of the Catskills definitely gets the appetite going. Hiking, wood cutting and swimming help too. But a thick sirloin steak cooked on a hot hardwood fire is probably the tastiest steak that there is.
In the Summer I like to grill corn right in the husks. One Summer while camping on North Hero Island we grilled local butter and sugar corn on driftwood collected from Lake Champlain. It was THE best corn I've ever had in my life and I live in a state renowned for its sweet corn.
Besides my boys favorite campfire foods, hot dogs on a stick and s'mores, I like to grill chicken parts, fish and chops too. In short, anything that can be grilled seems better grilled on a campfire.
In the Summer I like to grill corn right in the husks. One Summer while camping on North Hero Island we grilled local butter and sugar corn on driftwood collected from Lake Champlain. It was THE best corn I've ever had in my life and I live in a state renowned for its sweet corn.
Besides my boys favorite campfire foods, hot dogs on a stick and s'mores, I like to grill chicken parts, fish and chops too. In short, anything that can be grilled seems better grilled on a campfire.
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