Roasted Chicken, playing with temperature

Posted on July 8, 2012 by SlowDownAndCook with Meals not So Fast

I tried a twist with my standard garlic rosemary roasted chicken (with a small lemon inside the bird) – I did the prep all the same, but put the chicken in a 425ºf oven for thirty-five minutes, uncovered; I then reduced the temp to 350ºf and loosely covered the chicken with foil, and put a cube of chicken stock under the rack on which the bird sat (the cube is chicken stock poured into an ice-cube tray and frozen; it is great to work with) and cooked for another thirty-five minutes. The temp was perfect (160º- 170º, where need be, and then a five degree rise after removal), and the chicken was moist. Fantastic.

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Panini Lunch

Posted on July 2, 2012 by SlowDownAndCook with Meals not So Fast

We picked up a cast iron panini press from craigslist (all clad, brand new; it is two independent pieces, a base and a lid), and it has become one of our favorite toys. Panini are simple, infinitely variable, and easy to prepare. We have a basic set, and vary the meat.

Basic:

  •  Chiabatta Rolls from a decent bakery/store (we have Bianchini’s; they have excellent breads); first, lightly brown the chiabatta rolls in the panini press, then rub the bread with a clove of garlic;
  • Assemble the sandwiches with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, tomato, mozzarella, avocado, and anything else you want (i.e. purple onion, basil);
  • For meat: good prosciutto is fantastic; I like prosciutto and Black Forrest ham; also good is rare roast beef (with a touch of horse-radish) and ham; strong meats seem to lend themselves to panini;
  • Place back in the panini press and cook until golden brown, and the mozzarella is melted.

Fantastic.

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Update

Posted on July 1, 2012 by SlowDownAndCook with Meals not So Fast

We have been distracted from the food blog for a while, but back now.

The garden is producing plums, more than we can process, and the tomatoes are cruising. We have been harvesting basil, cilantro, and parsley. I am working on some plum preserves, and will tackle various plum recipes in the next few weeks; we will post them all, failures included.

Thanks, Dan

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Grilled Marinated Hanger Steak

Posted on June 4, 2012 by SlowDownAndCook with Meals not So Fast

This is a simple, almost fool-proof recipe.

Marinate a hanger steak overnight in a strong marinade; a good fall-back is the Soy Vay family of marinades. We have a store near-by that does an Italian marinated hanger steak that works very well.

Prepare the barbecue with a hot and cold side. Wrap the steak, with all of its marinade, in heavy foil; place the wrapped meat on the cold side of the barbecue, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, reserving some of the marinade, and place over the hot coals for thirteen minutes per side, turning once. After the turn, pour some of the reserved marinade on the meat. During this period, I like to have the lid partially covering the grill (I put the lid down low, and prop it up a few inches, to reflect the heat).

Allow the meat to rest for at least ten minutes, loosely covered. Slice across the grain, and serve.

For starch, a baked potato, done in foil on the grill, is excellent; for green, grilled broccoli holds up to the powerful flavor of the marinated meat.

Posted in Barbecue, Beef | Leave a comment