Bún Chả for Two

 

Much to my wife's chagrin, I could have steak for dinner every night. Oh the variety! Monday would be flank steak, Tuesday would be Santa Maria tri-tip, Wednesday a porterhouse, Thursday some picanha, Friday a rib eye, Saturday a New York strip and then on Sunday, I would serve her favorite, filet mignon.

That dream only exists in my mind, so I have to keep dinner interesting by swapping out various cuisines. Fortunately, we both happen to love Italian, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Today I'm going to share a Cook's Illustrated recipe from Vietnam. I made this last Tuesday and we absolutely loved it. It's an incredible mix of fresh veggies, noodles and pork patties crowned with a sauce that lights up your tongue with flashes of heat, sweet, sour, salty and umami. The sauce is known in Vietnam as Nước chấm....and I would shoot it intravenously if I could. 

Do not be intimidated by the ingredient list. As is typical of Vietnamese cuisine, the ingredients appear to be overwhelming but because of minimal prep, this salad comes together very quickly. With prep and cooking it took me just a hair over 30 minutes...so it makes for a great weeknight dinner....and a nice break from steak for Becky.

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

4 ounces rice vermicelli

1/2 head Boston lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

1/2 of an English cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin on the bias

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems

1/2 cup mint leaves, torn

For the Sauce

1/2 Thai chile, stemmed and minced

1-1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup hot tap water

2-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons of lime juice

For the Patties

1 small shallot, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8-ounces ground pork

DIRECTIONS

1. FOR THE NOODLES AND SALAD: Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in noodles and cook until tender but not mushy, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain noodles very well, spread on large plate, and let stand at room temperature to dry. 
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Using mortar and pestle (or on cutting board using flat side of chef's knife), mash Thai chile, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and garlic to fine paste. Transfer to medium bowl and add hot water and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Set aside.
3. FOR THE PORK PATTIES: Combine shallot, fish sauce, sugar, baking soda, and pepper in medium bowl. Add pork and mix until well combined. Shape pork mixture into 6 patties, each about 2½ inches wide and ½ inch thick.
4. Prepare your grill for direct cooking over high heat.
5. When grill is hot cook patties, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes per side until well charred. Transfer grilled patties to a bowl with a small amount of the sauce and gently toss to coat. Let patties rest in bowl for 5 minutes.
6. Divide salad ingredients into two bowls (see above photo). Top each bowl with 3 pork patties and serve with the sauce on the side. Note: The sauce is very flavorful, so use sparingly.

Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

Mezzi Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage Ragu

 

The Red Hen in Washington D.C. is a favorite restaurant of the Bidens. The first couple eats there often and they both always order the exact same thing....Mezzi Rigatoni with Fennel Sausage Ragu. Today I am going to share The Red Hen recipe with you.

Now there are 3 ingredients in the recipe that will likely not be in your pantry. The first is fennel pollen. It is a signature flavor in this dish. but you are not going to find it at your local grocery store. I buy mine at Amazon. If you don't want to buy it, you can substitute with more fennel seeds, but grind them up as fine as possible.

The second uncommon ingredient is tomato passata. This is actually an uncooked tomato puree. I buy mine from Amazon again....but you can substitute regular tomato puree if push comes to shove. Just be advised that passata has a brighter, bolder taste.

The third ingredient surely missing from your pantry is the pasta. Mezzi rigatoni is regular rigatoni's shorter, fatter brother. Again, I get mine from Amazon....but regular rigatoni will still fill the bill.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1, 24-ounce jar tomato passata

2 teaspoons fennel pollen

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

12-ounces dried mezzi rigatoni

2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small skillet over low heat, toast the fennel seeds until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate to cool, then finely grind in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a cold large saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the garlic. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly toasted around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the passata, followed by the ground fennel, fennel pollen, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat thickened and darker, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching or splattering, 20 to 25 minutes. When you drag a spatula through the sauce, it should briefly hold a line where you can see the pan underneath.
4. While the sauce is simmering, line a large plate with paper towels and keep it nearby. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining olive oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the prepared plate to drain the fat.
5. Add the sausage to the tomato sauce and continue to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Once the water is boiling,  add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
7. Reduce the heat under the sauce to low, and stir in the butter until it is incorporated and the mixture is glossy. Add the pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir to incorporate and create a smooth sauce. Add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce. Gradually add the pasta water, stirring until the sauce coats the pasta. If it seems a bit runny, continue to cook and stir over low heat until the sauce adheres to the rigatoni.
8. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and serve warm, topped generously with more grated pecorino Romano.

Wine pairing: Chianti Classico

Grilled New York Strips with Ancho Chili-Lime Sauce

 

It's been nearly 6 months since the thermometer last hit 60º in Minneapolis. So today is the day. Time to haul out my bag of Fogo lump charcoal and light a fire. Time for grilling some New York Strips with a little oak and mesquite thrown in for good measure. Oh PK Grill, how I have missed thee.

The recipe has a decidedly Argentine bent. So there is no doubt you need a good Malbec to wash it down. If you want a potato on the side, I'd choose some hearty steak fries. But I think rice as a side dish would be a better choice. You could choose Spanish/Yellow rice as a nice contrast to the heat of the sauce...but I know my wife likes absolute spice bombs. So I'll serve her this tonight with some Mexican Dirty Rice.

INGREDIENTS

For the Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, divided

1 shallot minced

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon all-purpose flower

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons lime juicec

For the Steaks

4 New York Strip Steaks, 12 to 16 ounces each and 1-1/2" thick

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, chili powder, garlic, flour, cumin, salt, and cayenne and cook until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time, until emulsified. Keep warm.
2. Prepare your grill for 2 cooking zones. One zone for direct cooking over high heat and the other indirect. Season steaks with salt and pepper.
3. When your grill is hot, place steaks in direct zone over high heat. Cover grill and cook for 4 minutes. Then flip steaks, keeping them in the direct zone for another 4 minutes with your grill covered.
4. Move steaks to the indirect zone, cover grill and cook for another 4 minutes. Then move steaks to a platter, tent them in foil and let them rest for at least 5 minutes.
5. While the steaks are resting, heat sauce over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Then remove sauce from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice. Plate the steaks and pour the sauce over them. 

Wine pairing: Malbec

Easter Ham (oh so simple)

 

It's Easter next weekend. Time for another family meal. You better have a Costco membership card in your wallet...otherwise you will miss out on one of the greatest epicurean delights known to modern man. Kirkland Ham. Bone-in and spiral sliced. Pre-cooked. Hickory smoked. I'm here to tell you it is the greatest ham you will ever taste.

Not only is the taste of this ham astounding, the price will absolutely blow you away. It's just $3.49 a pound. Cheaper than ground beef. Cheaper than wieners. Cheaper than that 47-week supply of Kirkland toilet paper. You've gotta be plum crazy not to take advantage of this. The world's greatest ham at the world's greatest price.

The ham also comes with a package of glaze. My advice.....throw the glaze away the minute you get home. The pit master has put the absolutely perfect amount of hickory smoke in this ham. The glaze is over-the-top sweet and detracts from hickory greatness. Plain ham and Potato Kugel for my Easter dinner, please.

So let's tick off the boxes. World's best tasting ham. World's cheapest ham. And now for the trifecta...world's easiest recipe! 

Ingredients
One Kirkland spiral sliced ham (7-10 pounds)
Aluminum foil
1 cup water


Directions

1. Remove ham from store packaging and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
2. Add water to bottom of slow cooker, then add ham and cover.
3. Turn slow cooker to high for 1 hour, then low for 8 hours.
4. When done, remove foil and serve.

Wine pairing: Zinfandel