Author: Robert Andrews

Grandpa’s Beef Jerky

• 2 LBS of lean, long grain meat, flank steak
• Marinate as described in Step 4

1. Put the meat into the freezer for 30 minutes – this will help you slice it thinly
2. Meanwhile combine 1/3 C salted soy and 2/3 C Worcestershire, and 2 TBL brown sugar, 1 tsp each black pepper and citric acid, garlic powder, celery salt, onion powder, liquid smoke, and GTP.
3. Remove and slice immediately following (not against) the grain of the meat about the thickness of thick cut bacon
4. Let marinate overnight
5. Lay pieces flat on parchment paper and pat dry
6. Lay strips out flat on a large oven rack.
7. Place on oven rack to allow time and space to dry.
   • Gas oven: have on pilot and oven light only.
   • Electric: set at 100 to 125 degrees.
   • Toaster oven:  Press TOAST about once every hour until it is the texture you like it. (8-12 times)
8. Dry for 10 to 18 hours. Prop oven door open with knife.

Alternately put strips on clean cellulose air filters and put on top of a box fan.  Turn on and run for about 8-12 hours.  Should be dry, but still slightly pliable

 

Taken from “The Kitchen Project“

Why do they call it “Corned” Beef? The term “Corned” comes from putting meat in a large crock and covering it with large rock-salt kernels of salt that were referred to as “corns of salt” This preserved the meat. The term Corned has been in the Oxford English Dictionary as early as 888 AD. Irish Were the First Exporters of Corned Beef Irish were the biggest exporters of Corned Beef till 1825. The English were serving corned beef but also the Irish. In this day and age corned beef and cabbage is not very Irish, but corned beef is. The area of Cork, Ireland was a great producer of Corned Beef in the 1600s until 1825. It was their chief export and sent all over the world, mostly in cans. The British army sustained on cans of Cork’s corned beef during the Napoleonic wars.

Before Corned Beef there was Salted Beef The practice of salting meat goes back probably to ancient times in cold areas when they found that meat didn’t spoil if it made contact with enough salt. What a convenience for nomads or soldiers, who were constantly traveling on horse or foot.

Origin of the Word “Corned”
The term Corned is modified from an Old Germanic (P.Gmc) Word Kurnam which meant small seed of anything. Since a kernel of rock salt look like a wheat or oat kernel size it became known as a corn of salt.
Even the word Kernel comes from this word Kurnam. or Kurnilo which meant the root of the seed.

The First Mention of “Corned Beef” goes back to an English Book by Richard Burton in 1621, Anatomy of Melancholy…Beef ..corned young of an ox. Corned Beef and Cabbage is basically an American tradition or Irish? Some Irish people feel that corned beef and cabbage is about as Irish as spaghetti and meatballs while others say it has been a festive dish tradition for centuries.

The First Argument… Brid Mahon’s Land of Milk and Honey: The Story of Traditional Irish Food and Drink contains these notes about corned beef: “[in the 19th century] Corned beef was a festive dish.” (p. 8)
“While Irish beef has always been noted for its flavor, corned beef was equally relished. Boiled and served with green cabbage and floury potatoes, it was considered an epicurean dish, to be eaten at Hallowe’en, at Christmas, on St. Patrick’s Day, at weddings and at wakes, a tradition that was carried to the New World by the emigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries. To this day, corned beef and cabbage are served on St. Patrick’s Day and at Thanksgiving in parts of North America. Bacon, corned beef, sausages, and pudding are all mentioned in The Vision of Mac Conlinne, the 12th-century tale that also describes the condiments served with meats.” (p. 57)	Brid Mahon’s Land of Milk and Honey:
There is some controversy about whether “Corned Beef & Cabbage, ” often eaten in America on St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional Irish meal. According to Malachi McCormick’s Irish County Cooking and “The Troubles That Irish Food Has Seen,” New York Times, March 14, 1990 (page C8) corned beef & cabbage is a purely American tradition. Colcannon (boiled new potatoes mixed with boiled white cabbage, boiled leeks or boiled onions to which is added butter, milk and wild garlic) is more likely to be considered Ireland’s national dish.	Malachi McCormick’s Irish Country Cooking
Stephen McFarland, author of “Just Desserts” who works with Celeb chef in Ireland Neven McGuire says that Corned Beef and Cabbage is a popular dish in modern times in Ireland and often served with Champ

Pork over Beef In Ireland

Since cows were used for milk rather than meat in poor times in Ireland, beef was a delicacy that was fed to kings. It was more common to celebrate a holiday meal with what they call a ham (Gammon) or bacon joint. ( a cured but unsmoked piece of pork) with their cabbage and potatoes. When many Irish Immigrants came over in the mid-1800’s they couldn’t find a bacon joint like they had in Ireland, so they found that Jewish corned beef was very similar in texture, and they used that for their holiday celebrations.

For an Irish Celebration use a Bacon Joint

An Irish Bacon Joint, available here    Irish Grub Corned Beef, A Rite of Spring Some say that Corned beef was a great Spring celebration meal because often this cured beef sat in crocks all winter and was brought out in the Spring to celebrate.

 

Guess who really loves Canned Corned Beef?

Some Islanders like Guam.  They love their corned beef hash. My guess is because soldiers stationed their use to get it as rations. The natives took a liking to it and to this day they use it in recipes like this with fried corned beef over rice with fina’denne’  to stuffing a whole pig with canned
corned beef for a pig roast.

 

 

 

 

 

• Store in veggie drawer wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag or wrapped in bubble wrap, which will allow air to flow.

Carrot Salad

1. Cut long strips (or noodles) from carrot
   • 1/4 C Miracle whip
   • 5 TBL sugar
   • 1/4 C crushed pineapple – drained
   • 1/4 C raisins
   • 1/2 tsp cumin
   • scant salt
   • pinch of celery seed or caraway seed
   • 1 cloves minced garlic
2. Toss above mixture with carrots

See also Carrot Cake

For any type of dumplings

3″ round Gyoza potsticker wrappers are the same as 3″ square wonton wrappers.

For smaller eggroll type of filling

Spring Roll Wrappers are slightly larger, and square.

For mu shu and other Asian fillings

Mu Shu pancakes are about 6 inches and are round.
 – These are also good for small burritos
 – Look in the grocery for Mu-Shu Shells

Egg Rolls

Eggroll Wrappers are even larger, and are usually square.

Spring Rolls

Rice paper is usually round and must be soaked in hot water before using.  Good for steaming.

• 150 gm AP flour
• 200 gm cake flour
• 300 gm whole milk
• 200 gm salted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 4 additional egg yolks (save whites for another day)
• 300 gm granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

NOTE: 
AP flour has 12-14 gm protein per cup
Cake flour has about 8 gm protein per cup

1. Cream together butter, sugar and egg
2. Add 3/4 your wet ingredients
3. Add 1/2 your dry ingredients
4. Add the rest of your wet ingredients
5. Add the rest of your dry ingredients
6. Mix just to combine – do not overmix
7. Grease the bottom of your baking pan
8. Put in 2 TBL AP flour and shake to spread
9. Dump out the remainder
10. Cut parchment paper to cover the bottom of two pans
11. Bake at 350º until internal temperature is about 210º
12. Rest for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack
13. Cool cakes for one hour before frosting

FROSTING

1. Microwave 2 TBL water for 10 seconds
2. Pour in 1 tsp gelatin
3. Mix and set aside
4. In a mixing bowl combine 2 C heavy cream with 1/2 C prepared  cocoa mix
5. Add 1 tsp vanilla to the gelatin and drizzle into the cream mixture while continually stirring

 

• 2 C AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
  SIFT ABOVE TOGETHER
  In large mixing bowl, combine
• 2 C sugar
• 1 C veg oil
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1 tp vanilla
• zest and juice from 2 lemons, plus 1/4 C lemon juice
  1. Add 1 egg and mix
  2. Add 1 egg and mix
  3. Add 1 egg and mix
  4. Add 1 egg and mix
  5. Fold in 1/2 of dry ingredients,
  6. then 1/4, then the last 1/4
  7. Mix only to combine
  8. Pour into a baking pan
  9. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes
• Create glaze with 1 C powdered sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp milk – thin with 1 tsp milk if necessary, but you want it the consistency of a thick syrup

 

• 2 C grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 C White Cheddar – grated
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ C Miracle Whip
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper
• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Blacken your red bell under the broiler until charred
2. Put into a plastic bag to sweat for 5 minutes
3. Remove from the bag and use a paper towel to clean most of the blackened skin off.  DO NOT RINSE.
4. Let red bell cool while you mix the other ingredients
5. Combine all except the bell pepper
6. Cut the top and bottom off the bell, slice the skin and lay the pepper flat on a cutting board
7. Cut thin strips, then cut again creating very small squares
8. Fold in the cooled bell pepper trying not to break apart the pieces

Gravlox and lox are slightly different.  Smoke salmon is even more different, so I am not even going to go there.

To make your own lox and bagels here is what you will need:
Ingredients

1. 1. • 1/2 LB salmon fillet, pin bones removed
      • 1/2 C kosher salt
      • 1/2 C white sugar
      • 1/2 C brown sugar

Step by Step

1. 1. • FIRST CURE
   1. Rinse salmon with water; pat dry with paper towels.
   2. Mix salt and sugars together in a bowl.
   3. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap.
   4. Pour 1/2 of the salt mixture onto the plastic wrap; lay salmon on top (skin side up)
   5. Cover salmon with 1/4 of the remaining salt mixture – make sure you get edges and sides – KEEP 1/4 of the mixture for tomorrow
   6. Fold plastic wrap around salmon until secure; lay a second layer of plastic wrap on top of the salmon.
   7. Transfer to a 9×9-inch baking pan; cover with an 8×8-inch baking pan – as a weight – or even a wrapped brick
   8. Place a heavy object onto the smaller baking pan to weigh salmon down.
   9. Cure in the refrigerator until salmon’s surface becomes silky and firm, about 24 hours.
      • SECOND CURE
   10. Mix 1/2 C tequila and 1/2 C fresh lime juice
   11. Add zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
   12. 2 tsp cracked coriander
   13. Dill, mint and basil – roughly chop and into the liquid
   14. Put in most of the reserved cure into a sheet pan lined with a fresh sheet of plastic in a pan with sides 
   15. Remove the salmon from the fridge and put onto mixture – skin side up
   16. Cover edges with any cure remaining
   17. Wrap with the plastic and weight again
   18. Refrigerate another 24 hours
       
       PREPARE TO RINSE YOUR LOX WHEN READY TO SERVE
       
   19. Submerge into ice bath and let rest for 30 minutes.
   20. Repeat rinsing and submerging 2 more times
   21. Dry salmon with paper towels.
   22. Place on paper towel and a plate UNCOVERED in the refrigerator
   23. Cut a red onion into slices as thin as possible and place the slices in a glass bowl.
   24. Pour 1/2 C hot white vinegar over the top and let cool.
   25. Meanwhile drain 2 TBL capers and put on a table with cream cheese placed on the table to soften
   26. Toast your bagel
   27. Cut the lox with a sharp knife starting from fat end of the salmon and cutting toward the thinner edge.  Cut as thinly as possible.

 

These chocolate chip cookies rely on the crystalization of your sugar and butter to keep the cookie formed.

• 1 C almond butter
• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt or Maldon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Mix butter, choc chips, sugar, eggs and salt
   A ball kind of like dough will form
3. Place 1 TBL mounds on a parchment lined baking sheet
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling
6. Store for up to a week

• 1/2 LB ground beef (80/20)
• 1/4 LB ground pork
• 1/4 LB chopped Italian sausage
• 1 TBL minced onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 TBL Worchestershire
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 C cheddar cheese – shredded
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBL AP flour
• salt, pepper, oregano, cumin to taste

1. Brown ground meats in a skillet
2. Add onion, sausage and garlic
3. Toss with flour
4. Add Worchestershire and Dijon
5. Add other seasonings
6. Remove and let cool completely
7. Stir in shredded cheese and egg
8. Preheat oven to 425º
9. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface
10. Cut into four 7 inch squares
11. Place 1/4 of mixture in the center of each square
12. Brush edges with egg, fold over and press edges to seal
13. Place pies on parchment paper lined baking sheet
14. Brush tops with more eggs
15. Poke 2 vent holes in top of each
16. Bake until golden brown – about 20 minutes

1. Roll pizza dough flat
2. Drizzle with pizza sauce, salt and EVOO
   SAUCE:  1/2 C wine, garlic tomato, onion, salt, pepper, sugar – SIMMER
3. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses
4. Add pepperoni, black olives, etc – – – based on your preferences
5. Add basil and oregano
6. Roll up lengthwise starting with string cheese in the middle
7. Pinch closed
8. Slice into rolls
9. Pour 4 TBL melted butter into a cast iron skillet
10. Put rolls into the skillet and let rise for 30 minutes
11. Bake in preheated oven at 400º for 15 minutes
12. Serve with a side of marinara

• Soy
• Hoisin or Oyster Sauce
• Rice Vinegar
• Ground (browned) meat
  Base
• Cole Slaw / shredded cabbage

1. Brown the meat in a bit of sesame oil
2. Once browned, add soy, hoisin and vinegar
3. Heat to simmering, then add cabbage
4. Cover and steam 3-5 minutes
5. Taste and season
6. Serve with rice or with Bib Lettuce as wraps

 

• 2/3 C Karo syrup
• 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• Assorted fresh fruit and pound cake

1. Heat corn syrup to about 190º
2. Pour in cream
3. Add chocolate and stir until melted
4. Serve warm as a dip for fruit, pound cake or ice cream

• 1 can drained tuna (6 oz)
• 1/3 C Miracle Whip
• 4 English Muffins (I like Thomas)
• 4 slices cheese (sharp cheddar or Swiss)
• Spices as desired

1. Mix tuna and other dressing items
2. Divide into four amounts and place on English muffin
3. Top with cheese
4. Broil 4-6 inches from broiler only until cheese is melted and starts to color

 

• 4 large carrots – peeled and chopped into 1″ pieces
• 1 medium potato – peeled and chopped
• 1/4 onion – chopped
• 1 clove garlic – chopped
• ginger, cumin and corriander
• (opt)  1 squirt of Sriracha
• a few sprigs of cilantro

1. Boil the onions and potatoes in just enough water to cover them
   Alternately, toss in 1 TBL melted butter and roast them at 400º for 10 minutes
2. Sautee the onion.  When softened, add the garlic
3. Stir 30 seconds, then add the ginger, cumin and corriander.
4. Blend in an upright blender
5. Finish with 1 TBL each lemon and butter and a few sprigs of cilantro
6. Blend 10 more seconds
7. Serve with just a bit of black pepper on top

 

TIPS:

• Buy bacon from the full-service deli counter, not the plastic-wrapped stuff.  Ideally, have them slice it for you.
• Brown is better than red.  Red has probably been treated with nitrates.
• If buying plastic-wrapped get center cut and thick-cut.  They position the label to cut the fatty icky looking part of the bacon
• The bottom rack is usually the cheap stuff that is full of chemicals.  The top shelf is more expensive, and not necessarily a lot better.  Stick to the middle shelf.  Generally, just stick with the middle-priced product.
• Should be only slightly smokey, not overwhelming
• Artisanal products are generally better than National Conglomerates
• Lots of different flavors are available, so get what you like

This is a way to cook a pound of bacon on the weekend so that you have it available throughout the week quickly and easily.

1. Preheat your oven to 400º
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Spread a pound of bacon out on the baking sheet
4. Cook the bacon for 15 minutes
5. Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel to cool drain

After cooled, you can roll it up in waxed paper and store in a ziplock back in the freezer for use throughout the week.  Just heat up the bacon slice for 20 seconds in the microwave or 1-2 minutes in your skillet.