Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage

Ingredients

4 lb boneless pork shoulder
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons fennel seed
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

Method
(since I don't currently have a meat grinder, these instructions are only for the food processor)

Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubes out on a cutting board or baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until the edges are stiff but the middles are still pliable. This will help the food processor blade to cut the meat cleanly, rather than tearing or smearing it.

Place about 1 lb of meat in the bowl of your food processor and grind it in 12 to 15 one-second pulses, until it looks coarsely ground. Empty the meat into a large bowl and repeat with the remaining meat, grinding in one-pound batches. If you still see any large pieces, put them all back in the food processor for one more round of pulses.

Put the garlic cloves, salt, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a mortar and pestle and smash, grind, work it together until it forms a paste in which there are no large pieces of garlic remaining.

Add the spice paste to the ground pork and, using your hands, mix until well combined.

Use immediately or freeze in portions.

NOTES

I've been making my own Italian sausage for quite some time now, but never thought to blog about it until I put the garlic and spices in a mortar and pestle. I just cannot stress enough how much difference this made in the taste of the cooked product. Ab-so-lute BLISS for someone who loves Italian sausage as much as I do.

As for the seasoning amounts, I do recommend 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt per pound (salt level is very important for sausage, mind you), but otherwise, you can adjust to your own liking.

Beef Stew

Beef Stew

Ingredients

3 pounds chuck, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 large ribs celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped into large pieces
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds baby yellow potatoes, quartered
12 ounces beer
1 quart homemade chicken stock (or beef stock)
Parsley, about 10 stalks, bundled with cooking twine
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 1/4 cup water

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high until very hot. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then brown the meat in two batches, removing the meat to a bowl as it finishes. Take the time to really brown the pieces for maximum flavor!

Add the carrots, celery, onion and 1 tablespoon salt to the fat in the pan. Cook over medium high, stirring occasionally, until barely soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and potatoes and stir to incorporate. Finally, add the beef and any accumulated juices back to the pot and combine. Top with the parsley bundle. Pour in the beer and chicken stock. If it doesn’t quite cover the meat, add 1 more cup of stock or water.

Cover the pot with a tight lid and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove parsley bundle and fish out the bay leaves. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour cornstarch slurry into pot. Stir until stew is thickened. If you want it thicker, add another tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water; continue adding by the tablespoon, as needed.

Serve in bowls with fresh bread for dipping.

NOTES

Steve says this is the best beef stew he has ever had (and he's had a LOT). Be still my heart. That was all the endorsement I needed to save it for the books.

I will say, too, that I have never in my life liked beef stew until I made this. It was an absolute revelation; I even ate it multiple meals in a row and never tired of it. The fact that it was 100 percent my own recipe was icing on the cake!

Side note: For those that saw my picture on Facebook of beef stew... that was my first attempt and this one was the week after. That first one was made with sirloin. WRONG. Use chuck. I will never again forget to leave simple, cheap food as it is. No fancying it up with meat that costs twice as much and comes out half as beefy-tasting and tender after cooking. No.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle (slice and reserve all the tops for garnish)
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced, divided*
1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated or minced, divided*
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 tablespoon + 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons xiaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
About 1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
5 to 6 cups broccoli, chopped, separated into florets and stems
1 teaspoon crushed chile flakes (optional**)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

*I used grated for the half that went in the chicken marinade and minced for the half that went in the pan with the broccoli, but that was just a personal choice; it's not absolutely necessary.

**By crushed chile flakes, I mean something more along the lines of what you'd buy in a bag at the Asian market (if you can find 'em!), not the ones you use for Italian dishes, etc.

Method

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, half the garlic and ginger, soy sauce, sugar, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt, xiaoxing wine, and sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and crushed chile flakes, if using. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. You may need to add a tablespoon more water (or two or three) to make sure it stir fries without sticking or searing too much. Transfer to a plate.

Pour another 2 tablespoons oil in the pan and add the chicken mixture. Stir-fry (stir, stir, stir at this point!) until the chicken is brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, stir, then return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken (add a couple, few more tablespoons of water to make a bit more sauce, if desired - I did).

Serve over Jasmine rice, with the reserved scallion greens and extra chile flakes on the side.

NOTES

I've remarked before that stir fries, as much as I love them, don't make it into my repertoire that often. This one firmly planted itself there tonight because ohhhhh myyyyy. I suppose I expected this to be a nice weeknight dish and all, but it just wowed me so far beyond that. Gingery, garlicky and spicy, with just a bit of tangy sweetness to cut through all the savory. It was perfect.

I must say, too, that this would be fantastic with chile garlic sauce on top, but I wanted to eat my dinner portion as it was, with the flakes. I'll bust out the Huy Fong sauce for lunch tomorrow, though. I could also see cooking the dish *with* the sauce instead of flakes. May try that next time.