BEEF STOCK

In culinary school I had a class in soups and stocks. I really enjoyed this class, I learned about making my stocks much stronger and deeper in color. We would go to the meat cutting class and grab up a hundred pounds of beef bones (or veal) and bring them back to our kitchen.

Once there we would fire up the oven to 400 degrees. In a huge roasting pan place the bones. Allow them to roast until they are brown. Take them out and brush tomato paste on all sides and return to oven. Once the paste is dried on and somewhat darkened, you are done roasting.
Take the bones out and put into a large stock pot. Back in the roaster drain off most of the grease and saving it aside. Add cold water to the bones to cover them by a few inches. Put the roaster on the stove top and add what is called a mirepoix which consists of a fine dice of carrots, celery, onions, and leeks. The veggies will instantly start cooking in the very hot pan and grease.

Once the stock is boiling, skim off anything floating on surface.
Add the browned mirepoix to the stock. If you like, you can make what is called a bouquet garni. This is a cheesecloth sack filled with parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves and tie it off to the pot handle and drop sack into stock. The cheesecloth keep everything from getting loose and makes it easier to fish out later.
I would boil this all day and check it occasionally.

When the color and flavor is right for you, ladle the stock into a strainer.
Once cooled, you will find an orange layer of hard fat. If the stock is cold enough, you can actually lift the fat off. This is a quick way to clarify your stock. If you want a gravy, retreive the solid fat and simmer it with flour until a peanut butter like look and consistency is acheived. Spoon this into the hot stock to thicken it up. This stock makes a great soup, stew, or gravy.

This may seem like a daunting task, but if you make it in volume, you can freeze it in portions and have it on hand at all times. Once or twice a year will keep you well stocked.

SOPRASSATA

Sopressata or as the local Italians here call it, soupy.
It's a dried, cured sausage, sort of like pepperoni but with a stronger taste. It is pork with mainly paprika and whole pepper corns. It's recipe is usually a guarded secret and handed down through family only. When I was first introduced to it I thought it was smelly and greasy, but it was so coveted that I had to try it.

I am sure glad that I did. It was an experience that transformed me. My source only made it once a year and convincing him to part with some was not an easy task. He refused to give me the recipe for fear of his family getting mad at him.

Ultimately I was able to find a company in my state that sells it and I was able to locate it at my market in the cheese section. Since making it is probably not going to happen, I can point you to where to buy it online. Daniele inc. is the place to start. They have a tremendous variety of cured meats and they are outstanding in quality. My shameless plug is for the benefit of all who crave good food.

HOME MADE RICOTTA CHEESE

When someone really enjoys cooking there is usually a list of things that they some day want to try to make. One pretty high on my list is making cheese. Now I really want to try cheese making. Early one evening I was reading online about different ways of making cheese and I stumbled upon ricotta. I was blown away by how easy it was. Why the heck do we pay so much for it when it can be made at home?


When I say easy, I mean like three ingredients easy. Making a sandwich takes more effort. I use a gallon of whole milk, salt, and lemon juice. In a stainless steel pot (aluminum is a bad idea) I bring the milk up to about 175 degrees or until little bubbles start forming on top. Stir in the salt to taste. Kill the flame and add lemon juice. Allow time for the curds to to form, stir gently occasionally to free curds from the bottom of pot. When the milk looks very watery it is time to start ladling the curds into a colander lined with cheese cloth. Allow 15 minutes to drain most of the liquid out. Wrap the cloth up into a ball and slowly tighten it to squeeze out remaining liquid. Tie off the ball and suspend it across a bowl with a wooden spoon. Place it into the refrigerator. If you want to use it for pasta, you can add grated Pecorino Romano cheese and some more salt and pepper to taste.

I used it one night to make home made ravioli. Let me tell you that was the finest ravioli I've ever tasted. I am very happy that I decided to try this.

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

Most of us know that this dish is reserved for St. Patrick's day, but I love it so much that it is a part of our expanded weekend dinner choice. Today I was at the market looking for something for our weekend dinner. My plan was steaks and potato, but once I got a look at the produce section I spotted cabbage. Dinner was definitely going to be corned beef and cabbage. I get a idea in my head and all others get pushed out. I boiled it for 3 hours, added potatoes and carrots, then at 10 minutes before dinner I added cabbage and onion.

When dinner was ready, I pulled out the corned beef and got ready to slice it up.
I was amazed at how lean it was. This could very well have been the BEST corned beef I've ever had. All it needed was some Italian bread and some mustard, oddly enough I had both on hand.
I ate until I was ready to bust. I figure I am good for at least another month or two. Ask yourself when was the last time you sat down to a boil dinner, then go make one.

RIBS

Ok, who does not love ribs? With black beans and rice and some greens on the side, you have the perfect meal. There are two schools of thought when it comes to cooking ribs. One is sticky with barbecue sauce and the other is dry with spice rubs. I enjoy both and think there are merits to cooking them either way.

Sticky ribs consist of sweet, acid, and heat. This triangle will guarantee success no matter what the ingredients are. The sweet can be fruit juice, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or anything that can reduce to a thick consistency. The acid will break down the meat and tenderize it. You can use lemon juice, vinegar, even tomato paste. Once again you really cannot go wrong with what your preference is. Now heat, well here is where you develop the intensity. The layers of taste will start with sweet, progressing to tanginess of acid, then on the tail end comes the heat. The heat can be as subtle as a lingering warmth or as commanding as a four alarm attack. Here you can experiment with your dry rub mixes. I generally like garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and paprika. The heat can be anywhere from red pepper flakes to habenero powder. The thickness of the sauce carries the heat and releases it while you eat.

By mixing up the combinations, you can find some really cool sauces. The hard part is reproducing them. If you are like me you probably cook on the fly and don't bother to write down what you are doing. I can approximate the taste and many times I find a new creation.

Cook down the sauce until it can coat the back of a spoon. Brush it onto the ribs and add more after each flip of the meat. If you have a meat smoker you probably already know to cook it on low heat for long periods of time. The longer you cook it the more tender it will be. Most of the time I do not have the time to cook it this way so I tend to grill it over medium to high heat and hope for the best. I have been told that you can boil the ribs before grilling, but that just sounds wrong to me. What I do is cut them into individual ribs and cook them this way. You will find out what works for you.



Dry ribs or Memphis style are ribs that are coated in what is called a dry rub. This is a combination of sugar, salt, spices, and heat. When the fat from the ribs is rendered it interacts with the dry rub and the seasonings get into the meat. Also when the fat drips onto the heat, it vaporizes and the smoke permeates the meat. The cooking method is usually in a smoker. the spice and the smoke make a great taste. The spices that I use in the barbeque sauce are very similar to those used here. The sugar caramelizes and traps the flavor inside. I like these because the ribs are drier and less messy, although being sticky isn't so bad either. If you are accustomed to the sticky ribs, these may be a bit of a surprise to you.

PROSCIUTTO

I have a love affair with cured meats. Prosciutto is my favorite. We buy it sliced paper thin and enjoy it all year round. The way we eat it is primarily with provolone and pickled jalapenos on French baguettes.

As a holiday treat I like to buy a whole leg and slice my way through it. We never have a shortage of help to eat it. I wanted an electric slicer, but found that a 24 inch serrated blade does a better job. With a little practice you can make as thin as the deli does. The hardest part keeping up with the snackers as I slice. It is so tasty that I have to cut twice as much as I plan to use when family is present.

You may be wondering how the heck does one store such a treat? Some old timers tell me to keep it in a cool, dry dark room. To appease my wife, I keep it in the refrigerator.

I save the fat/rinds and the bone for soup.

If you get the opportunity, I would definitely recommend buying one for yourself.