Brisket in the slow cooker

Ingredients

3 lbs beef brisket
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 large onions, halved and sliced thin
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots or parsnips, chopped
6 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
½ cup dry red wine
1 ¾ cups beef broth
1 cup chicken broth
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp tomato paste
4 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup flour
2 T cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Dry the brisket with paper towels, then salt and pepper. Brown the brisket thoroughly on both sides, in 2 tsp of oil, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke heavily, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer it to a slow cooker.

2. Saute the onions, celery, and carrots in 2 tsp oil until lightly browned. Add garlic, then the wine and cook about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, the chicken broth, brown sugar, tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme; bring to a boil. Transfer to the slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook (low for 8-9hrs, or high for 5-6hrs

4. Transfer the brisket to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour with the remaining ¾ cup of beef broth until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker. Continue to cook on high until the sauce has thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the brisket thin across the grain. Serve with sauce and vegetables.

Serves 4+

Based on a Cook's Illustrated recipe.

Braised Greens

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch greens, ribs removed, leaves chopped into 2-inch squares
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Table salt
2t lemon juice

Note: for thicker greens like collards or kale, increase cooking time by up to 10 minutes, add 1 cup water

Heat 1 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven or non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add half of greens and stir until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
Add remaining greens, broth, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; quickly cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender:
    25 to 35 minutes for kale
    35 to 45 minutes for collards.
    10 to 20 minutes for cabbage collards, or dino kale, or other thin greens


Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated (bottom of pot will be almost dry and greens will begin to sizzle), 8 to 12 minutes.
Remove pot from heat; stir in half lemon juice and remaining olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper, and remaining teaspoon lemon juice.

Strip Steaks, desiccated and seared

Ingredients:
    Boneless room-temperature strip steaks, 1.5 to 1.75 inches thick, cut in half to create 8oz steaks
    Kosher salt
    Ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Notes about meat:
    Rib-eye or filet mignon of similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks with the following modifications

    If using filet mignon:

• buying a center-cut tenderloin roast and portioning it into 8oz steaks yourself will produce more consistent results. 
• increase the oven time by about 5 minutes.
• add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan to account for leanness. 

    If using very lean steaks (without an external fat cap):

• add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan. 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Leave steaks out on counter until they are room temperature.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. 

Pat steaks dry with paper towel.

Season entire surface of steaks liberally with Kosher salt and pepper. 

Gently press sides of steaks until uniform 1.5 inches thick.

Place steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven.

Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of steak registers

• 90 to 95 degrees for rare to medium-rare: 18 to 23 minutes
• 100 to 105 degrees for medium: 25 to 30 minutes

NOTE: Our intent is for both flat sides to be well-browned and crusty and for the fond not to be burnt. The flat sides of the steaks shall cook for no more than 4.5 minutes total, TOPS. The last time I used this recipe, the each side was well browned in around 45 seconds. Perhaps my pan was too hot?

Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking: place steaks in pan. 

For each side, lift meat once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath.

Reduce heat if fond begins to burn. I also tilt the pan around during cooking if the oil is starting to stick.
Transfer all steaks to wire cooling rack and reduce heat under pan to medium.

Use tongs to stand 2 steaks at a time on their sides, producing a "steak cube."

Holding steaks together in cube form, return to skillet and sear on remaining sides until browned, about 1.5 minutes total.

Transfer steaks back to wire cooling rack set over a plate or cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil.

Serve with low-sodium pan sauce. 

Smoking Bishop

Alcohol:
    750ml sweet red wine
    750ml ruby port

Sweet Citrus:
    4 oranges (no wax)

Bitter Citrus: (choose one)
    1 grapefruit? (no wax)
    2 lemons? (no wax)

Spices:
    1/2C (brown?) sugar
    Whole cloves
    Fresh ginger
    Allspice
    Nutmeg
    Black pepper corns?


Heat oven to 350
Wash and stud each citrus with ~5 cloves. Place on baking sheet and roast for 60 to 90 minutes, or until citruses begin to lose their color.
Add all remaining ingredients to a saucepan and simmer.
Slice citruses in half and add juice to mixture.

Serve warm.

MAYBE:
Fry spices in 2T butter?

Vegetarian Black Beans

Soup: 
    2T vegetable oil
    3 medium onions, minced
    3 celery ribs, chopped medium (bean-sized)
    2 medium carrots, chopped medium (bean-sized)
    6 medium garlic cloves (2T), minced
    5t ground cumin
    1/2t red pepper flakes
    6 cups vegetable broth (5 cups if using pressure cooker)
    1lb dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
    2 bay leaves
    2T minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

Garnish suggestions: 
    cilantro, minced 
    red onion, minced
    sour cream
    avocado
    

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. 

2. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, cumin, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Transfer the vegetables to the cooker insert and stir in the broth, black beans, chipotle chiles, and bay leaves until evenly combined. 

4a. In the slow cooker: Cover and cook on low until the soup has thickened and the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.)

4b. In the pressure cooker: Cook on high pressure for 47min and release pressure naturally.

5. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Meanwhile, puree 2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then stir back into the pot. 

6. Stir in the cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Spinach artichoke dip

INGREDIENTS

• • Topping:
  • 2 slices white bread, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • Dip
  • 1(14-ounce) can artichoke quarters
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 tsp pressed garlic
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Pinch cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE TOPPING: Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs. Toss the bread crumbs with the Parmesan and butter.
   2. FOR THE DIP: Chop the artichokes coarsely and squeeze or pat dry. Squeeze dry the spinach.
   3. Cook onion until softened in skillet over medium-high heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chopped spinach and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
   4. Stir the mayo, cream cheese, Parmesan, lemon juice, thyme, and cayenne in a large bowl and then stir in the onion mixture and artichokes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top.
   5. TO STORE (optional): Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
   6. TO SERVE: Bake on middle rack at 400 degrees, uncovered, until hot throughout and the bread crumbs are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. 

Ribollita (Vegetable Stew)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (4-6 cloves)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (including juice)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 pound chopped kale, collards, chard, or spinach (about 2 bags or 1 large farmer's market bag)
4-6 large, thick slices of toasted whole-grain bread (The denser and heartier the better to avoid it getting soggy)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano (omit to make vegan)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, rosemary and thyme to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes.

3. Stir in the greens. Toast bread and lay slices on top of the stew so they cover the top. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.

4. Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman in the NY Times