Cooking with LMNO

[Suu]

I just went from being hungry to STARVING.

[East Coast Hustle]

Admittedly, I have only ever deep-fried my empanadas, but that looks delicious and I suspect that baking probably works better with the size of those (I have always made mine more finger-food sized).

Most kitchen supply stores will have an empanada press for a few bucks that will save alot of the time spent crimping the edges with fork tines.

[LMNO]

Admittedly, I have only ever deep-fried my empanadas, but that looks delicious and I suspect that baking probably works better with the size of those (I have always made mine more finger-food sized).

Most kitchen supply stores will have an empanada press for a few bucks that will save alot of the time spent crimping the edges with fork tines.

The chef said it looked good!  It feels like... victory.


And yeah, I should probably get a press, since we liked them a lot.  Also, I realized my pasta roller would have made the sheets faster, and more consistent.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

I have a press similar to this one
http://www.amazon.com/HIC-Large-capacity-Pocket-Empanada-Press/dp/B002D3DSY2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1324226275&sr=8-4

Only it's red and cuter. It makes life so easy (cause I'm lazy) You use the hollow round side to cut your dough and then press it with the obvious side. Pretty spiffy. Those empanadas look pretty darned tasty. There's a little spanish lady in my office who sells them sometimes, but she isn't on my shift anymore so I don't get them.
OOH! Try adding green olives to your meat some time. Yummy.

[LMNO]

Ok, it's been a while.

Skirt Steaks with Romesco

Quarter a tomato, season with salt and pepper, and lay a few sprigs of thyme across the top.  Roast at 400 for half an hour, or until soft.


Toast hazelnuts and almonds until slightly browned and fragrant.


When tomatoes are soft, toss some cubed bread on top and stick back into oven until bread is browned.



Char a bell pepper, then throw it in a covered container to loosen the char.  Peel and dice, removing the seeds.



Toss the bread/tomato mixture into a food processor with the nuts, the bell pepper, and a few cloves of garlic.


Pulse and then puree, adding a few splashes of Nam Pla and a good amount of olive oil until smooth.



Create a spice blend for the steaks using ground toasted fennel seed, cayenne pepper, salt, sugar, and black pepper.


Season the steaks with the rub, and the grill.  It was raining, I used a grill pan, shut up.



Serve topped with the romesco.  Shown here with charred asparagus (which also goes great with romesco).

[Eater of Clowns]

I have never heard of Romesco before.  It looks awesome.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That looks fucking TASTY.

[LMNO]

It also freezes well, apparently.  I put the extra in quarter-cup containers, and it thawed without a problem.

[LMNO]

Overly Large Thanksgiving Update

I took it upon myself to cook thanksgiving dinner for family and friends this year.  Which is kind of a silly thing, because they all are pretty sharp, from a culinary point of view.  

Undaunted, I decided to go non-traditional, despite every available media outlet (including, of all things, NPR) telling me that I was a Bad American who kisses terrorists on the beard if I don't make TURKEYTURKEYTURKEY.

But screw them.  I'm making brisket.  I mean, just look at that thing.  Salt the hell out of it and let it sit at room temperature for an hour.  Don't worry, it will be safe.


It's a bit large, so cut it in half against the grain, dredge it in flour, and brown it.


Holy crap, look at that color.  This is gonna be good.


Ok, time to make a sauce. Take a dried Ancho chile, and re-hydrate it in warm water for about 30 minutes.  Then seed and mince it.



You'll also need plenty of garlic, coffee, tomato juice, red wine, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.  Sautee garlic, and add the liquids and powders.  Strain the ancho steeping liquid, and add that, too.








Bring to a boil, and then add the brisket back into this bubbling pot of awesome.  Cover and braise in 300 degree oven for about 3 hours. Remove from oven, let cool, and then let it chill overnight in the fridge.



While we're doing that, let's make some snacks.  Spread oil and melted butter over a baking sheet.  Add pecans, and toss with rosemary, paprika and salt.  Bake for 20 minutes, and then drain on paper towels.






Remove brisket from liquid, skim off as much fat as you can without killing yourself over it, and slice the brisket thinly against the grain.  Then put it back into the liquid, and pop it back in the oven to warm up.



Transfer slices to a platter, top with lemon zest and parsley, and pour the braising liquid into a bowl for a sauce.


Ok, we're not done.  We need some sides.  How about a kale and Brussels sprout salad?  Shred the sprouts, and stem and chiffonade the kale.  



Mix Dijon mustard, lemon juice, shallots, and minced garlic together.  Drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify.  Season with salt and pepper.



Roughly chop almonds, and then fry up in some oil until brown.


Grate some pecorino cheese into the greens, toss with dressing, top with almonds.



Finally, we need some squash up here.  But first, we need to make some compound butter.  I know, right?  Toast up coriander, cumin, and cardamom.  When lightly browned, throw it in the grinder.


Add dried rose petals(!) lime zest, lime juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper.  Mix to form a paste.





Add a stick of room-temperature butter, and mix to combine.  Then dump it out on some parchment, and roll it into a log.  Return to fridge to firm up.





Split, seed, and slice squash (I used acorn and kabocha) into half-rings.



Bring a half-inch of water to a boil, add squash, cover, and steam for about 20 minutes until tender.  Remove squash, reduce water, add butter in chunks to make the sauce.








Pour over squash, top with pomegranate seeds.


And that's how you make a Thanksgiving dinner!




And then this happened: One of the guests brought homemade sage ice cream with a pumpkin cake that came from her garden.  I have no idea how she did it—you'll have to ask her.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That looks incredible!

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

Looks amazing, LMNO. Wow.

[East Coast Hustle]

Nice knife!

And the brisket looks dope as hell.

One snarky question though, if I may...

Who the hell taught you how to chiffonade parsley? Find them and slap them.

[LMNO]

Could we just consider that a "rough chop?"   

[Suu]

Going back to the meal before Thanksgiving: Do you like that grill pan?

I don't have a grill, and unless I want to put it out on my fire escape (lol bad idea?) I don't want to deal with going up and down stairs to a little hibachi out back, and I love grilling. Is it work getting one? I've heard mixed reviews.

[LMNO]

To be honest, no. But if you're trying to make a pretty sear, you could do worse.