Being that it has been such a great day, I made a point of enjoying a nice glass of the Laphroaig with a recently purchased cigar.
Look, we just came back from Canada. You do the math.
Stupid embargo...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Cuba, eh? Take 'er down Smithers!
Being that it has been such a great day, I made a point of enjoying a nice glass of the Laphroaig with a recently purchased cigar.
Look, we just came back from Canada. You do the math.
Stupid embargo...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
You tell me it's the institution...
You know what I know love about Steaks au Poivre? Absolutely every fricken' thing possible.
There is something about fork tender beef, f**kloads of fresh cracked peppercorns, a healthy dollop of butter and cognac.
The first time I ever tried a Steaks au Poivre was at SamB's in BG, and it was the only dish I ever ordered until those pricks took it off the menu. Actually I recall going there less after that too...
Anyways, I was immediately captivated by this dish. Outside of the Brown Jug at Trotters, there is no better way to serve a steak. Yeah, that is a bold claim. But I stand by it. Whenever I go to a restaurant which prepares steaks, I always look for an au poivre option. Most places, however, don't. The Grand Finale in Glendale is the only place I know of around here but Kerrie and I only make it out there once, maybe twice, a year.
So you can imagine my excitement, my pure bliss, in scoring a few filets of beef - perfect for steaks au poivre and a nice bottle of burgundy.
To make a good au poivre, only a few essential items are necessary. A heavy pan, some beef filets, heavy cream and cognac. Butter, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, and Peppercorns should be part of your on-hand inventory.
Peppercorns, are the key ingredient in this dish. They form an amazing crust, not entirely spicy. On top of that, they balance with the creamy cognac sauce.
The other dirty secret about steaks au poivre is that is stupid-easy to make. If you know the rules, and have your prep ready, this dish comes together in mere minutes.
Steaks au Poivre
1 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter
2 Beef Filets
Sea Salt
Crushed peppercorns (enough to coat both sides of the beef generously)
1/3 cup Cognac
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 T Butter
Start by bringing your beef to room temp, about 1 hour.
Lightly rub the beef with a small amount of Sea Salt on both sides.
Press the peppercorns into the filets on both sides. Don't be stingy.
Over medium heat, melt 1 T of butter into the olive oil in a pan big enough to hold both filets.
Sear the filets for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare.
Set steaks aside and remove pan from heat.
Quickly, but carefully, pour the cognac into the pan and scrape up all the fond that is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Return pan to heat and add the cream.
Reduce the sauce, stirring constantly, until thickened - about 5 minutes.
Finish the sauce with 1 T butter and divide between the two filets.
---
The French serve this dish with fries. I'm partial to garlic mashed potatoes and field greens. Either way, you really can't go wrong with a dish like this. You just can't...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Who says that's not the way it should be?
Every year I get together with a former co-worker and we work a festival at St. Joe's Parish in Kentucky. I can finally say "every year" seeing as this was number 3 and we're already confirmed to come back next year.
Erik, or BigE as he is sometimes called, and I always meet up at the University around 9:00am on whatever Sunday we're needed and trek down to Crescent Springs. It's weird, because Erik and I only see each other this one Sunday out of the year (despite the numerous phone calls between us) yet it instinctively all comes together.
Immediately we start on our prep. There will be hundreds of people stretching for what seems like miles waiting for Fried Chicken and Roast Beef in a just a few hours. Erik's first task is to slice 30 pounds of beef and get it rolled, placed in hotel pans and covered with au ju. Right away I start knocking out the green beans and getting the endless stock pots of water up to a boil for potatoes.
We both make pan after pan of gravy, adding bits of fried chicken breading, and do a constant rotation on dishes so they (and WE) don't get behind. Our only goal is to have EVERYTHING ready at all times. I think we congratulated ourselves a few too many times yesterday, but I also realize that we knocked that sumbitch out of the park. Seriously, most of our day was standing at attention waiting for what was needed next. And the second we took out one pan we were refilling a backup.
For some reason, BigE and I share a minor celebrity status when it comes to doing this. People go out of their way to greet us and make it clear how high up on the chain they are and how happy they are that we came back. It's strange to take this all in, but we manage.
The day, admittedly, is a long one. Or at least it feels long. 9:00am till 9:00pm. It's not like a regular job with breaks and all that OSHA bullshit. It's a do-or-die, get IT done, no-fail scenario. Make food, be praised for it, get paid.
By the end of the day, my back and legs are stiff and I'm grimy. I'm covered in a thick film of mashed potatoes and dirty dishwater. I'm way too sober and I'm singing Kung Fu Fighting while I'm scrubbing my work table. And yes, I did the white-guy Karate moves... Everything feels good.
Finally, we say goodbye to Jane and she makes it clear she'll be calling in April for NEXT years festival. We thank her and she thanks us. It becomes a battle of who's more grateful, but we let her win. We WANT to come back. Despite being tired, hot, and dirty, we love this gig. As I drive back home to meet up with Kerrie for dinner at Steak-n-Shake (our yearly tradition) I contemplate how much I love doing this. I crank up the AC and put on some Massive Attack, and while heading up the highway I realize that THIS is why I got into this messed up life-consuming career in the first place. And I loved every minute of it...
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
