Dominican Beef - Family Table Cookbook

From Family Table Cookbook

Dominican Beef

Once in a while, a favorite family meal dish makes the jump it’s beloved by a bunch of restaurant professionals, why not share it with the customers? Victor Estrella, a porter at Union Square Cafe, has been serving up this traditional Dominican beef stew at family meal since he came to the Cafe in the early 1990s, and over time it’s become part of restaurant lore, an informal entry on the list of standard employee benefits. Now it’s part of the weekend brunch menu so that patrons can enjoy it as well.

Serve over rice.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

3 pounds hanger or skirt steak, excess fat trimmed (we did 2.5 lbs, I think 2 would even be enough)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced (we did large)
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide slices (we did large)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste (we did around 2 tbs.)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups Chicken Stock
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, cut into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Slice the hanger steak into thin strips about 3 inches long and ¹⁄8 inch thick, or slice the skirt steak against the grain into strips about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato paste, beef, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until the beef is very tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours; if the dish gets too dry, add up to ½ cup water at a time, but no more—you don’t want it to be soupy. (The beef can be cooked to this point up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated; you may need to add water when reheating.)

Add the cilantro and scallions and cook for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for 5 minutes longer, then serve.

Mujadara - lentils, rice & leeks make magic

From Melissa Clark and NYT
INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown or green lentils
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots trimmed
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, more as needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick (used 1/8 teaspoon ground)
4 cups trimmed and chopped spring greens (chard leaves, spinach, kale, mustard or a combination)

PREPARATION
1. Place lentils in a large bowl and add warm tap water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak.
2. Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; run under warm water to release any grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer half the leeks to a bowl to use for garnish and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Stir garlic into the pot with the remaining leeks and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant. Stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, allspice and cayenne; sauté 30 seconds.
5. Drain lentils and stir into pot. Add 4 1/4 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Rinse greens in a colander and spread damp leaves over lentil mixture. Cover and cook 5 minutes more, until rice and lentils are tender and greens are wilted. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with reserved crispy leeks.

Chicken Stew With Sweet Potatoes, Almonds and Apricots

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Recipes for Health NY Times

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 to 8 chicken thighs (we do boneless, skinless)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and cut in thick slices
Generous pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
2 cups chicken stock
3 ounces dried apricots, cut in half
1/3 cup (45 grams) untoasted almonds, blanched and skinned (see below)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy casserole or deep lidded frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown for 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a bowl.

2. Add the remaining oil to the pot, turn the heat to medium and add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pot, for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the cinnamon, turmeric and ginger and stir together. Return the chicken to the pot, along with any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. Add the sweet potatoes, saffron, chicken stock and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the almonds and apricots and continue to simmer until the chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone and the sweet potatoes are falling apart, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice or another grain, like bulgur.

Farfalle in a Broth of Wild Mushrooms & Browned Shallots

by Tony Rosenfeld (Fine Cooking)

Serves 4

We decided the next time we make this to put in broccoli rabe as well!

Ingredients:

6 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 lb. white or cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. dried farfalle
4 shallots (about 3 oz. total), sliced crosswise into 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick rings
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 cups low-salt canned chicken broth
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce; more to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Stem the shiitake and oyster mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Put the pasta in the water. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the shallots to the skillet. Season with salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the shallots brown and soften, 2 to 4 minutes (don’t let them burn). Raise the heat to high, add the sherry, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the sherry is almost completely boiled off, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth. After 2 minutes, return the mushrooms to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the broth another 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the thyme and Tabasco and taste for salt and pepper.

Finish cooking the farfalle until it’s just tender, about 11 minutes total. Drain and put back in the pasta pot. Pour the broth and mushrooms over the pasta and stir well. Serve immediately in bowls with a generous amount of the Parmigiano.

Soy and Ginger Shrimp en Papillotes

from Fine Cooking

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbs. soy sauce
1-1/2 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. hot chili sesame oil
1 tsp. honey
1-1/2 lb. extra jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per lb.), peeled and deveined
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 small cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. bok choy (preferably baby bok choy), washed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (3 cups)
Peanut or vegetable oil for brushing the packets
2 scallions (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Preprare the parchment packets. Cut four 15x24-inch sheets of parchment. Fold each sheet in half, forming a 15x12-inch rectangle. With a pencil, draw a half-heart on each, centering it on the folded edge. Cut out the hearts. (This shape is easier to seal than a rectangle.)

In a small bowl, stir the soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, lime juice, hot chili oil, and honey. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, ginger, and garlic. Pour about half of the soy mixture over the shrimp and toss to coat. In another medium bowl, combine the bok choy, scallions, and cilantro. Add the remaining soy mixture to the bowl and toss to coat.

Unfold the parchment sheets and arrange on a work surface. Brush the inside of each with oil, leaving a 3-inch border. Distribute the bok choy among the sheets, arranging it on one side. Pour over any liquid remaining in the bowl. Arrange the shrimp on the bok choy, using a rubber spatula to scrape any seasoning on top. Fold the other side of the parchment over the shrimp and line up the edges.

Starting at the top of the heart, fold over about 1/2 inch of the edge, pressing down to make a crisp crease.

Continue working your way around the edge of the packet, making overlapping folds (like pleats), always pressing firmly and creasing the edge so the folds hold. Twist the tip of the heart to finish. If necessary, make a second fold anyplace that doesn’t appear tightly sealed.

Transfer the packets to two large, rimmed baking sheets and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate and swap the baking sheets’ positions and continue to bake until the packets are puffed and fragrant, about 7 minutes more. Serve immediately.

serving suggestions

Serve with soba noodles or steamed rice.

Southwest Potatoes

By Mark Bittman

5 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed

2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño, or to taste

1 to 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

Salt and black pepper

2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1 14-ounce can black beans, well drained

3/4 to 1 cup grated Cheddar or jack cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish.

1. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add jalapeño and corn, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; let sit for a moment. When corn begins to brown, shake pan to distribute for even browning. Remove corn.

2. Add remaining oil to pan. When hot, add potatoes. Cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown around edges and release from pan, about 10 minutes. Continue, at least 15 more minutes, turning potatoes to brown all sides without stirring too often. Add oil if needed to prevent sticking, and lower heat if needed to prevent scorching. When potatoes are tender and golden, add chili powder, corn and beans.

3. Turn on broiler. Place rack about 4 inches below. Transfer potatoes to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and run under broiler until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Roasted White Fish

With Leeks and Bacon
By Mark Bittman

Heat oven to 475. Toss 4 sliced leeks and 2 ounces chopped bacon (optional) with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon thyme leaves and ½ cup white wine. Roast 20 minutes, then top with fish and 2 tablespoons oil and roast until fish is done. Garnish: More thyme.