Aromatic Beef Soup with Mushrooms and Chard

We are by no means on the full primal plan but we are working to incorporate more of it into our daily routines. Recipes like this from Marks Daily Apple make it pretty easy. This soup is delicious hearty and rich. I diverted from the recipe significantly, mostly due to my lack of short ribs on hand.

From Marks Daily Apple

I did have some beef stock and a stock made with beef pork and lamb that I used to add some extra flavors. I also was not able to find fresh ginger, which was really odd, however I did find some fresh ginger paste in a tube that I used in copious amounts.

I charred the onions as directed and after the onion was nicely charred and added about 4 Tbsp of ginger to the pan to pick up on the char flavor. I added those to my simmering stock, then browned the chuck roast on all sides before adding it to the pot.

Then I added the spices, a cinnamon stick, some toasted fennel, cardamom and mustard seeds to a T-sac , unless they are too small, I use these instead of cheesecloth in any recipe that calls for it. They are incredibly handy.
I let all of that simmer for about 3 hours,removed the spice sack,  then cooled it overnight in the fridge. The next day I skimmed the fat from the top, removed the meat and shredded it before adding it back to the pot and bringing to a boil.
I chopped a bunch of swiss chard and added it to the soup, then added in a small container of sliced mushrooms and a small flat of wild mushrooms. I let it simmer until the chard was wilted and served with a bit of Parmesan cheese. The smell is incredible and the taste is reminiscent of Vietnamese Pho.
Enjoy

Pressure Cooker Spare Ribs

I got a couple of pounds of spare ribs from the pig we bought from our CSA. Ribs are usually a summertime thing but I could not bear to make these wait in the freezer that long. I pulled them out to thaw earlier in the week without a clear plan beyond, "I'll grill them up this weekend." However, winter finally showed up and the idea of grilling ribs slow and low in the freezing cold was not going to be a good idea. I started to do some research for recipes and stumbled upon this one. I followed the method pretty closely with a few variations.

I also made my own BBQ sauce right along with the ribs but you could certainly add a bottled sauce like the linked recipe.

For the Ribs

2 Lb Spare ribs, cut into 3 rib sections

kosher salt

black pepper

olive oil

For the Sauce: from my favorite BBQ cookbook  BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America 

3 cups Ketchup

2/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 yellow mustard

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 very thin slices of lemon seeded and finely diced

1 small onion, minced

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne

Salt and pepper both sides of the ribs and let them come to room temperature while you prepare the ingredients for the sauce. 

Heat some olive oil in a pan large enough to fit all of the ribs. Once the oil is hot sear the ribs on both sides. 3-4 minutes per side or so.

While the ribs are searing, heat some olive oil in the bottom of your pressure cooker. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for a couple of minutes. Once the onions are soft and starting to brown add the rest of the ingredients.

By this time the ribs should be nicely browned, add them to the pressure cooker and bring the sauce up to a simmer. 

Clamp on the pressure cooker lid and bring it up to full steam. Reduce the heat as low as you can, while still keeping the pressure up,  so it doesn't scorch. The recipe calls for cooking it for 15 minutes at pressure and then letting them sit until you can open the lid. I actually found that they were a little overcooked following that time. Not bad by any measure but a bit overcooked. I would recommend either cooking for 10 minutes and sitting until the lid is ready to come off or cook for the full 15, let it sit for 5 minutes or so and run the pot under cold water to open the lid. The sauce is now fully incorporated and flavored and the ribs should be fully cooked and very tender

Remove the ribs from the sauce and set on a baking sheet, bring the heat back up on the sauce and let it continue simmering while you get the broiler started. Brush the ribs with the sauce on one side, and broil them for 5 minutes until the sauce caramelizes and you have a nice brown color. Keep the sauce simmering as you broil the ribs so it continues to reduce. Pull the ribs out from the broiler, flip and brush sauce on the other side. Kill the heat on  the sauce it should be thickened by now. Broil on the other side for another 5 minutes.

I somehow screwed up the last picture of the nicely browned ribs from the broiler, you will have to trust me, they were delicious looking. Serve with more of the sauce if desired.

While they lacked some of the delicious crust you get with slow grilled ribs, they were exceptionally tender and the sauce was very rich and flavorful. If you have a pressure cooker I would recommend you give these a try.

Brussel Sprouts with cranberries and pumpkin seeds

Have I mentioned I love brussel sprouts. I'm sure I have. They are still fresh crisp and local this time of year so I want to enjoy them as much as possible. Tonight they came in to play alongside some tasty meatloaf. While bacon and brussel sprouts may be a common pairing, they just work together well so why mess with what works. I didn't actually have any bacon on hand but I always have a jar of bacon fat in the fridge. This was kind of an ad hoc dish so all amounts are approximated.

2 Tbsp bacon fat
1 lb brussel sprouts
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
2 Tbsp salted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp maple syrup
kosher salt

Cut the stems from the brussel sprouts and cut them all in half. Discard any of the outer leaves that fall off easily.
Heat the bacon fat in a large, heavy bottom skillet. Once the fat is melted and hot add the sprouts cut side down and begin browning over medium - medium high heat. Once they start to brown add the frozen cranberries to the pan, they should start to thaw and add some much needed liquid to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and continue to saute and stir until the sprouts are browned and the cranberries start to soften. Sprinkle with a tsp or 2 of salt and continue stirring. Once the sprouts are cooked through and the cranberries have burst, deglaze the pan with the wine and maple syrup. Once the liquid has been mostly absorbed and reduced stir in the pumpkin seeds for the last couple minutes to toast them up. Serve as a side to any dish.

The color was really great and the wine and maple cut the tartness of the cranberries perfectly. The pumpkin seeds added a much needed crunch.

Sage and Garlic Brined Pork Chops

I'm a big proponent of brining poultry. It just works. Ever since I brined my first turkey a few years back I have been sold.  So when I saw this recipe for brined pork chops I had to give it a whirl. The linked recipe is just for the brine, what you do with them from there is up to you.
Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces kosher salt, in 30 ounces of water

1 large shallot, sliced

10 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of the knife

1 lemon, halved

1 packed tablespoon sage leaves, fresh

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar with pestle, or on a cutting board with the bottom of a heavy pan

4 pork chops, bone-in, about 8 ounces each

Directions: 

To make the brine:

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the salt water, shallot, garlic, lemon, sage, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and bring to a simmer.
2. Remove from the heat and allow the brine to come to room temperature.
3. Refrigerate the brine uncovered until cold.
4. Submerge the pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Remove the chops from the brine, discarding the brine. Rinse the chops and pat dry with paper towels.

Let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before you cook them. 

I pan fried mine and made a shallot, butter and white wine sauce to serve over them.

Heat up a frying pan large enough to comfortably fit all of the pork chops

Ingredients
3 Tbsp Butter
Olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp shallots chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)


Add about a Tbsp of butter and once it melts add enough oil to the pan to have a thin layer covering the bottom of the pan.
Add your chops to the pan and cook 4-5 minutes on the first side. Once the chops are nice and brown flip and cook another 4 minutes or so, to an internal temperature of 145. Pull the chops form the pan and let them rest while you make the sauce. Add the remaining butter to the pan  and once it is melted add the shallots, saute for a minute or 2 then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes

Taste the sauce after 2-3 minutes and add the lemon juice if desired. I thought the butter was a bit too rich so I added the lemon to cut it a bit.

The Welcome Inn

I have not really done much in the way of restaurant reviews previously, but I'm in a bit of a cooking rut. I tend to limit myself to blogging only new things that I make and sometimes I don't do a whole lot of new stuff.  I did make a very quick chicken "curry" in the crockpot by using a jar of salsa, some chicken stock and curry powder as a way to turn some chicken thighs into a tasty dinner.

However that is not what I am here to talk about tonight. Tonight I want to talk about a recent trip to the Welcome Inn here in Syracuse. This review gives you some great insight into the history of the chef and the building.

A friend and I went with the kids for lunch and had a wide variety of offerings, and all of them were good. The adults each got the Ukranian platter, which gives you 2-3 different pierogies, kielbasa, kraut, holubchi and a cup of borscht. The Kraut pierogies in particular were just delicious. The kids got fish, a corned beef sandwich, kielbasa and a grilled cheese.

 I grew up in a household that never had any form of stuffed cabbage. My dad would serve my brother and I kraut when we had a boys night but stuffed cabbage was never an option. With a mom who cooked like my mother I never wanted for much, but she had a co-worker who made holubchi that I adored. Anytime there was an office party I either wanted to be there or have some brought home to me. (Thanks Frannie)
The version at the welcome inn was delicious; rich and hearty with just enough tomato sauce to keep it moist but not so much that it was drowning.

The unsung hero of the menu that we tried was the house made corned beef. The seasonings of were much more forward than your traditional store bought corned beef. The pastrami is also supposed to be incredible but we didn't try it.

They have very limited seating and hours of operation, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday, so plan accordingly. They also don't take credit cards.