Creamy Chicken Soup with Caramelized Onions

 

I'm a big fan of soup as a meal. What more do you need than a big bowl of delicious soup and a warm loaf of crusty bread? And so that was what Becky and I had for dinner last Thursday night. I grabbed a rotisserie chicken for easy prep and a ciabatta loaf to enjoy with this wonderful recipe.... a quasi-marriage of chicken and French onion soups.

By dicing the onion instead of slicing, the caramelization timing is cut to just 10 minutes from the usual 60 minutes. Then add the potatoes and when cooked, an immersion blender is used to liquefy the potatoes and onions to give the soup a thickened texture. And unlike beef soups, which tend to be big and hearty, this recipe is definitely more on the delicate side. The flavors are subtle and nuanced...the perfect complement to the crusty ciabatta bread.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/3 cup dry white wine, divided

4 cups chicken broth

1 large potato, peeled and diced

10 ounces of cooked, shredded chicken

1/4 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of the wine and stir up any brown bits. Continue cooking until the onions turn dark brown, about 4 minutes more. Add the remaining wine and, again, stir up any browned bits. Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are cooked, remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup on high speed until mostly smooth. (Or, using a standing blender, puree the soup in batches. Don’t overblend or it may become gluey.) Stir in the shredded chicken and cream. Taste, and season with salt and/or pepper, bearing in mind that the cheese will also add saltiness. Just before serving, stir in the cheese.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the chives. Serve.

Wine pairing: Petite Syrah

Poached Chicken Breasts in White Wine Sauce

 

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are always a challenge. The simple truth is they dry out when you cook them.  Doesn't matter if you grill or sauté them, they are going to dry out. With one exception. If you poach them, they will be incredibly moist. Every single time.

So poaching has become my main way of cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And here's my secret...it's absolutely foolproof. Bring a pot of plain water to a boil (do not add salt to the water). Drop the breasts in the pot, cover the pot and remove the pot from the heat. In just 20 minutes you will have perfectly poached chicken breasts...ready to adorn with one of the greatest white wine sauces that has ever passed my lips.

INGREDIENTS

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 ounces shiitake mushrooms

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon capers 

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop breasts into the water, cover pot and remove from heat. Let pot rest for 20 minutes.
2. Place a pan on the stovetop at medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Add mushrooms and shallot and sauté for 5 minutes (until softened). Then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds
4. Add white wine and lemon juice. Adjust heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes.
5. Add butter, cream and capers. Stir until butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove chicken breasts from pot and divide between two plates. Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve. 

Wine pairing: Merlot

Thanksgiving: Make-Ahead Adult Cranberry Sauce

 

If you're a fan of adult beverages, you will be a fan of this adult cranberry sauce. This recipe packs a bit of a punch, for we are not boiling out the alcohol. We are leaving all of the alcohol in the mix for your eating and imbibing enjoyment. So make sure this gets placed only at the adult table. The kids can get their sauce straight from the can. This can be made and refrigerated up to 5 days in advance.

INGREDIENTS

1, 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vodka

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, combine cranberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to approximately 3 cups (about 15 minutes).
2. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool, stirring often, until tepid (about 30 minutes). Stir in vodka and Grand Marnier. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and and refrigerate until chilled and set (at least 2 hours). Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Thanksgiving: Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The frenetic pace and challenge of getting turkey and side dishes to be served together at precisely 6:00pm on Thanksgiving day is exhausting. So over the years, I've been working on "make-ahead" recipes that makes serving the meal a whole lot easier. Make-ahead gravy. Make-ahead stuffing.

Back in 2018, I added make-ahead, garlic mashed potatoes. And I'm here to tell you they were the best mashed potatoes ever. First off, I avoided all of the chemistry class theatrics required of boiling potatoes from scratch with cold water. And that method requires great precision in order to serve piping hot potatoes with piping hot turkey at the same time.

And this method is foolproof. You cannot screw it up. Anyone who can read can make perfect mashed potatoes. While the recipe calls for peeled potatoes, I really like the skins, so I don't peel mine. As a bonus, the skin is the tastiest and most nutrient-rich part of the potato. This recipe makes 20 servings. My experience is that the majority of folks come back for seconds....and a few for thirds.

Ingredients
5 pounds of russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, each potato peeled (optional) and quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1-1/2 cups whole milk

8 tablespoons butter
2 cups of half & half
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish


Directions

1. Peel (or not) and quarter potatoes and place in slow cooker with garlic and 1-1/2 cups of milk. Set slow cooker to high and cover. Cook for 5 hours.
2. After 5 hours, turn slow cooker to warm. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes right in the slow cooker.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. When melted, add half & half to the pan and heat to warm (do not boil). When warm, add mixture to slow cooker. Using masher, blend potatoes with butter/half & half mixture.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste....a half of a teaspoon at a time for the uninitiated.
5. Cover potatoes in slow cooker (still set to warm) and serve whenever you want.

Thanksgiving: Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

 

Being obsessive-compulsive is actually an admirable quality if you are a cook. I find that it comes in especially handy at Thanksgiving, where micro-managing the production of an enormous feast is no small feat.

In order to handle the complexity of the Thanksgiving meal preparation, I create a very comprehensive list of every task that must be accomplished and at precisely what time to perform that task. It starts at 12:35pm with the roasting of the turkey. Then the schedule is set to make sure that everything gets done so that we can eat precisely and exactly at 6:00pm. Not 6:01pm, but 6:00pm in strict accordance to the atomic clock in my kitchen.

But regardless of the schedule, there are three items that always need my attention at the very last, frenetic second: the carving of the turkey; the mashing of the potatoes; and the making of the gravy. I cannot do all three at once by myself.

I'm really good at quickly carving a 25-pound turkey, so I take on that duty. The potatoes need to be mashed at the last second so that they are good and warm. I always manage to dole that assignment out.

Which leaves us with the gravy. I'm really anal about making turkey gravy from scratch. Use butter and flour to make a roux, then add turkey drippings and turkey stock. The problem here is that the drippings come at the end....after you've removed the turkey for carving.

But alas, Mark Bittman (former food writer for the New York Times) solved my problem by creating this make-ahead gravy recipe. It can be made up to five days in advance, then re-heated just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. And the gravy still gets the flavor boost from the pan drippings...you just add them in at the last second to your already "at serving temperature" gravy.

A small note here about the stock. Most grocery stores have an abundance of turkey stock on their shelves at this time of year. But if you couldn't find any or simply forgot to pick some up, chicken stock is a really good second choice.


Ingredients 
1 stick of butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 to 5 cups warm turkey stock
Turkey drippings


Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the onions, stirring constantly, and cook until flour is golden to brown. Adjust heat so mixture does not burn.
2. Gradually whisk in 4 cups stock until mixture thickens and is smooth. If it is too thick, add more stock. Cool, cover and chill.
3. When ready to serve, reheat mixture over low heat, stirring. Scrape bottom of turkey pan and add drippings or to gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.

Grogs and Grandma Goldie, 1955

Thanksgiving: Hot Italian Sausage Stuffing

  

If you are smoking your turkey on a pellet grill, you'll want to bake your stuffing in the oven. If you are deep frying your turkey, you'll want to bake your stuffing in the oven. If you are roasting a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, you'll want to bake your stuffing separately in the oven. You don't ever want to bake your stuffing in the turkey's body cavity. Let me explain why.

If your turkey is cooked to perfection, the stuffing in the cavity is going to be undercooked. That sort of error leads to salmonella, in which case your guests will suffer horrific gastrointestinal pain followed by death. If your stuffing in the cavity is cooked to 165º perfection, the meat on your turkey will be overcooked and your guests will chew on it as if it were part of the sidewall of a worn Pirelli Formula One tire.

So do the right thing. Bake your stuffing by itself in the oven. It will taste fantastic with no chance of flatlining your guests. This recipe is incredibly easy. It uses simple, store-bought ingredients and comes together very quickly. 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds hot Italian sausage

2 yellow onions, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped

16 ounces mushrooms, chopped

10 tablespoons butter

4 cups chicken broth

2, 12-ounce bags Pepperidge Farm Sage & Onion Cubed Stuffing

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil until it is shimmering. Then add sausage, onions, celery and mushrooms. Cook until there is no pink in the sausage and all of the vegetables have softened (about 8 minutes).
2. In a large saucepan, heat butter and chicken broth over medium heat until all of the butter has melted into the broth.
3. Preheat oven to 350º.
4. In a large casserole, add the two bags of cubed stuffing. Add sausage, onions, celery and mushrooms then stir thoroughly to mix. Then add broth/butter mixture and stir again to thoroughly mix.
5. Cover casserole and bake for 60 minutes. Serve.

Wild Rice with Mushrooms, Onions and Celery

 

Wild rice is poorly named as it is not rice, but, in fact, an aquatic grass. Wild rice is chock full of minerals and proteins, which actually makes it a superfood. Yes, 40% of each serving are carbs, but all 40% are actually dietary fiber, so this makes the dish, with or without the veggies, 100% Paleo.

However, all wild rice is not equal. There is true "wild" rice and then there is "cultivated" wild rice....and they taste completely different. True, long-grain "wild" rice grows only in the Great Lakes region. The plants grow wild in protected wetlands which are harvested by native Americans in late fall. This wild rice has a deep, robust, nutty flavor. Cultivated wild rice has smaller grains, are much more mild in taste and are grown year-round.

To make this dish exceptional, I use a secret seasoning sold only at Lund's and Byerly's in the Twin Cities (and online by them). Their Wild Rice Seasoning is a true gift from the gods and adds the most incredible flavor to any wild rice dish. I would never consider making a wild rice dish without having this seasoning in my pantry. This recipe, which makes 4 servings, originally appeared in The New York Times as just a wild rice and mushroom side dish. I embellished it by adding onion, celery and, of course, L&B Wild Rice Seasoning.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup long-grain naturally harvested wild rice (from MN or WI recommended)

6 tablespoons butter (or more to taste)

5-ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 teaspoon L&B Wild Rice Seasoning, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 5 cups of water to boil. Sir in rice and bring to a boil again. Then reduce heat so liquid is just simmering. Cover and cook for 60 minutes. Drain all liquid from rice and set aside.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and are softened, about 6 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. When melted, add wild rice and keep stirring until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of L&B Wild Rice Seasoning, or more to taste. Serve.

Spicy Crab Bisque

Friendships that span decades are special and should be cherished. I have quite a few such friendships. One of them traces it's roots back to Wooddale Elementary School (Edina) in the early 1960's.  As prepubescents, Jeff Pinkham and I bonded over a mutual love of music and playing the guitar. Now, as septuagenarians, our common bond is cooking.

We text often, sharing food questions, ideas and recipes. We are both obsessed with The New York Times for their food writing and spectacular recipes. We often modify those recipes to meet the flavors and tastes preferred by the two of us and our wives. A few weeks ago Jeff found a crab bisque recipe by Tanya Holland in Food and Wine magazine. He tried it....shared it with me....and I am here to tell you it is an all-time f*cking  great recipe. An absolute keeper. We will both be making this part of our regular dinner rotation.

Tanya's recipe was created to serve twelve people in small cups to be enjoyed between the appetizer and  main courses. Jeff did a brilliant job of modifying the recipe to work as an entree soup for two. He and his wife Kathy like strong flavor profiles, so he left the spice level at what was called for twelve soup  servings, but halved everything else to make two entree servings.

A couple of notes. For heat, the recipe called for Tabasco. If you are a heat fan, use that or Sriracha. I like mine not quite as spicy, so I used Cholula. Any of those three will taste great while still preserving the smokiness gifted from the paprika, cayenne pepper, cloves, mace and nutmeg. For the crab, I had some smaller Alaskan King crab legs leftover in my freezer...so I used that to save a trip to Costco. For Jeff's soup. he used Costco's Fresh Lump Crab....sold in a 1-pound container back in the refrigerated section (near the meat department).

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small white onion (or 1/2 medium onion), finely chopped 

3 celery ribs, finely chopped

3 scallions, finely sliced

2 bay leaves

2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 head of garlic, roasted, peeled and cloves mashed*

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon dry sherry or vermouth

1/2 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground mace

1 pinch grated nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon of Tabasco, Sriracha or Cholula

1 pound lump crab meat

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Oyster crackers for serving

*(Cut garlic head in half along the equator. Drizzle exposed cloves with olive oil. Wrap with foil and cook in a 400º oven for 40 minutes. Take out of oven and remove foil and let cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze cloves onto a plate and mash with a fork.)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, scallions and bay leaves and cook over moderate heat until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thickened and the vegetables are very tender, 15 minutes.

2. Add the roasted garlic and milk; bring to a simmer. Stir in the sherry, ketchup, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cream and Tabasco and bring to a simmer. Then add the crab; simmer until hot. Discard the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the bisque with oyster crackers.

Wine pairing: A big, oaky Chardonnay

Kathy and Jeff Pinkham

Slow Cooker Artichokes

 

The artichoke is my very favorite vegetable. A member of the thistle family, they first became popular in Italy...but over time they have become an American mainstay. The artichoke has two peak seasons...March through June and then September through October. That's when you'll find the great big meaty ones in your grocery store. Their popularity actually has them on the shelves year round, but the off-peak artichokes tend to be a lot smaller. 

The two edible parts of an artichoke are the leaves and the heart. For the leaves, you simply pull one off, dip it in butter and then scrape the flesh off between clenched teeth. They have a delicate, slightly nutty flavor...which is greatly enhanced by the lemon juice, butter and garlic added just as you slip them into your slow cooker. The heart gets eaten after all of the leaves are gone. It's the grand reward for  getting through all of the leaves. 

I've tried cooking my favorite vegetable a million different ways: steaming, roasting, baking, grilling, microwaving, etc. They all work to a degree, but still leave the meaty part a little on the tough side.This slow cooker method is, by far, the best method I have tried for rendering the meaty part of the leaf absolutely, melt-in-your-mouth tender.

INGREDIENTS

2 large artichokes

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 lemon, juiced

4 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat slow cooker on high setting.
2. Trim the artichokes: Cut the stems off so they lay flat. Cut off the very tops of the artichokes (see top photo).
3. Add the artichokes to the slow cooker. Season the tops with salt and pepper and pour half of the lemon juice over each artichoke. Cut the butter into slices and place on top of the artichokes, then sprinkle minced garlic over the tops.
4. Add water to bottom of slow cooker. Cover slow cooker and cook for 3-1/2 hours. Do not lift lid during this time.
5. Serve with melted butter.

Chicken Piccata

 

I am writing this on Monday, the 3rd day of October. And Becky and I are coming off of this weekend after 3 glorious meals. Friday was mesquite grilled tri-tip with hash browns. Saturday was pizza. And Sunday was bucatini with a San Marzano red sauce with beef and hot Italian sausage. So today is a perfect day to select some lighter fare.

Fortunately, I always have skinless, boneless chicken breasts on hand. Costco sells a 6.5 pound bag of them for less than $30. They are individually frozen and always identical in size, so it's easy to pop 2 out, thaw them and cook them up for dinner. So that is precisely what I will do tonight....thanks to this modified New York Times recipe and a box of rice pilaf from our pantry.

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally

Kosher salt and black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 lemon, halved (one half thinly sliced and seeds removed, the other half juiced)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons drained capers

DIRECTIONS

1. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Remove chicken, place on a plate and cover with foil. Add shallot and lemon slices to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix stock and mustard and add to skillet. Simmer, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low, then stir in 2 more tablespoons butter, capers and lemon juice, Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over the top.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel

Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi

 

Here's another quick-prep meal to work into your weeknight meal rotation. Even with marinating the meat, we're talking about 20 minutes max. It's as healthy can be....just a nice combination of protein and veggies. And having just made this recipe for Becky and I this week, I'm here to tell you that this is big flavor for very little prep time!

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar plus 1 tablespoon

12 oz. flank steak, cut with grain into 2-inch wide strips, then sliced across grain into thin slices

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon ginger, minced 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup kimchi, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz. mung bean sprouts (about 2 cups)

5 scallions, white and green pieces, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining tablespoon sugar, chicken broth, sesame oil and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in a small bowl.
2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef to wok/skillet in single layer, breaking up any clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook until beef is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in wok/skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse wok/skillet clean and dry with paper towels.
3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty wok/skillet and heat until just smoking. Add kimchi and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables. Return beef, any accumulated juices, and scallions to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter and serve.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel

Weeknight Spaghetti Bolognese

 

Bolognese with pappardelle is one of my very favorite meals. But to do it right, you've got to sign up for a bone-crushing 5 hours of prep and cooking. Great for weekends, but not so much for the middle of the week. So it's Dawn Perry's recipe to the rescue with a Monday through Friday version that comes together in just 20 minutes.

The key here is the Worcestershire sauce. The vinegar, molasses and anchovies in the sauce season the beef with salt, acid, sweetness and umami in a single shot. Toss the cooked spaghetti in your pan, give it a few swirls and in a flash, weeknight Bolognese will be gleefully dancing across your tongue. OK...it's not the real deal...but still one heckuva delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound ground beef  (20% fat recommended)

12 ounces spaghetti

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Grated parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften (about 3 minutes). Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink (about 3 minutes).
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring until darkened (about 1 minute). Add 1 cup of water, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon each of pepper and salt and simmer until slightly reduced (about 5 minutes).
4. Using tongs, transfer pasta to the skillet and add reserved pasta water. Increase heat to high and simmer vigorously, tossing, until sauce reduces and coats the pasta (about 2 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with parmesan.

Wine pairing: Chianti

Sweet Grilled Tri-Tip

 

I think I would like to call this the "Summer of the Tri-Tip". It's been my "go-to" cut for grilling in 2022. First, because it has extraordinary BIG BEEF flavor. Second, because it is so easy to grill. And, last but not least, it is an absolute bargain compared to the cost of ribeye in these inflationary times.

The "sweet" part of the recipe comes from using a rub that is comprised of both sugar and salt. When grilled, the sugar caramelizes and produces the ultimate charred crust (see photo above). The salt does it's job of seasoning the meat.

To get this to work, you actually have to season the meat twice. First before a two-hour rest at room temperature. The second time is right before the steak hits the grill. The moisture that is drawn out in the first round will let the second round of seasoning cling voraciously to the meat.

Tri-Tip is a breeze to grill with a two-zone fire. Usually it's 5 minutes on each side over high heat and then 15 minutes on the indirect side. But because sugar burns, you'll have to move the steak around just a little bit more. So on the direct side over high heat, you'll have to move the steak every 2-1/2 minutes. The upside is that you will get perfect grill marks on your steak.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 Tri-Tip steak, about 2 pounds

DIRECTIONS

1. Two hours before you grill, set steak on foil on your countertop. Combine sugar and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Season both sides of the steak with the rub and let steak rest for 2 hours.
2. Prepare your grill for a two zone fire. Direct cooking over high heat on one side and indirect cooking on the other side (no heat source on the indirect side).
3. Immediately prior to cooking, season steak with rub again on both sides.
4. Place steak on direct side and cover grill. Grill for 2-1/2 minutes. Open grill and rotate steak 180º and cover grill. Cook for another 2-1/2 minutes.
5. Flip steak over on the direct side. Cover grill and cook for 2-1/2 minutes. Open grill and rotate steak 180º and cover grill. Cook for another 2-1/2 minutes.
6. Move steak to indirect side. Cover grill and cook for 15 minutes (for medium rare).
7. Remove steak from grill, tent with foil and let meat rest for 10 minutes. Then slice and serve.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

 

This recipe makes for a perfect weeknight dinner. Prep and cooking time will clock in at less than 30 minutes. Use the meatballs as a crowning touch on top of a bowl of sticky rice...with some lime slices...and you are good to go for a culinary trip to Saigon.

Using Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs is an elegant touch. Just toss your 12 crackers in a zip lock bag and crush them up. If you want a dipping sauce you can toss together some nuoc cham. Or, as recipe author Kay Chun recommends, just combine 1/4 cup of mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. This recipe yields 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 finely crushed Ritz crackers

1 pound ground pork

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well by hand.
3. Shape meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds and arrange on a sheet pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel