Recipe adapted from chef Amy Brandt. Published in A South You Never Ate by Bernie Herman. Photograph by Jay Fleming.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia is in fact, for all intents and purposes, clam country. In fact, the Old Dominion State has the largest clam fishery in the United States, hauling in hundreds of millions of both farm-raised and wild varieties, from little necks, cherrystones, and razors along the coastal peninsula’s Chesapeake Bay shorelines to quahogs off the banks of the Atlantic Ocean.
If you’re not eating them raw or roasted, there are few ways better to indulge than the local delicacy of pan-fried fritters. “Simplicity and perfection,” as Bernard Herman described them in A South You Never Ate. And in his neck of the woods, everyone has their own iteration, often steeped in age-old tradition. They’re the stuff of family restaurants, church fundraisers, country fair fare, and community gatherings of all sorts.
This recipe is a seafood-rich adaption, written by chef Amy Brandt of Amy B Catering in Cheriton, located less than three miles from water to the east or west. “Amy reminds me that cooks on the Eastern Shore use only clams,” writes Herman. “The blend of clams, shrimp, and rockfish are for folks ‘from away’ who might think of an all-clam fritter as a bit too clammy.” We’ll eat them any way we can get ’em.
Makes 6 servings of 3 fritters apiece.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil and condiments. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Heat your pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom by ¾ inch. When the oil shimmers carefully drop the fritter mixture by tablespoonful into the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until well browned on the first side. Tipping the pan away from you so the oi is in the curve of the pan hip the fritters. Cook until the second side is well browned. Serve immediately with horseradish, yellow mustard, or super spicy cocktail sauce, If not serving immediately, transfer to a cooling rack set on top of a sheet pan and keep warm in a 200-degree oven for up to 1 hour.
Note: If you’re using fresh clams, be sure to check each clam for any bits of shell left from shucking, then chop the clams fine and drain well. If you are going to chop fresh clams, buy chowder clams, freeze them, then shuck and chop them frozen.
]]>A round of oysters is always cause for celebration, and this time of year on the Chesapeake Bay, that shows up in the form of oyster stuffing. Whether stuffed into a bird or cooked in a cast-iron pan, it’s a time-honored tradition during the holiday season. Or, as Kara Mae Harris’s Festive Maryland Recipes reports The Baltimore Sun putting it in 1914, “Inside the oyster belt at Thanksgiving time, it is nothing short of heresy to fail to serve turkey with good old-fashioned oyster stuffing.” Throw it into a Joan and consider it tradition.
Recipe by Rachel Rappaport.
Yields 8 servings.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter your cast-iron pan and set aside. In another large pan, such as a Joan or Joe, melt butter and sauté the celery and onions until the celery is tender and the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. While the celery and onions are cooking, place the bread, eggs, ham, and spices in a large bowl and stir to evenly distribute all the ingredients, and set aside. Once the celery and onions are cooked, add the oysters and their liquor to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the oyster mixed to the bread mixture and stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Spoon into the prepared cast-iron pan. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an addition 5 to 10 minutes, or until the stuffing is cooked through but slightly creamy-custardy in the middle and the top is lightly crispy. Serve immediately.
Illustration by Ben Claassen. Design by Sara Tomko. Courtesy of Kara Mae Harris of Old Line Plate.
]]>There was a time not that long ago when you’d walk into certain butcher shops, ask for a hanger steak, and get a quizzical look. Perhaps that’s because, for some time, the secondary cut was also known as a “Hanging Tender,” hailing from inside the ribcage (in fact, it’s part of the diaphragm), as well as “the Butcher’s Steak,” with those cunning meatmongers often keeping this deeply flavorful, textured specimen for themselves. “But the gig is up,” says Pryles, who shares her pan-cooked version with us, featuring wagyu, no less, and a bright salsa to boot.
]]>There was a time not that long ago when you’d walk into certain butcher shops, ask for a hanger steak, and get a quizzical look. Perhaps that’s because, for some time, the secondary cut was also known as a “Hanging Tender,” hailing from inside the ribcage (in fact, it’s part of the diaphragm), as well as “the Butcher’s Steak,” with those cunning meatmongers often keeping this deeply flavorful, textured specimen for themselves. “But the gig is up,” says Texas chef Jess Pryles, who shares her pan-seared version with us, featuring wagyu, no less, and a bright salsa to boot.
Serves two.
Place a cast-iron skillet on your stovetop over high heat. Pat the hanger steak dry with a paper towel, cutting into more manageable sections if necessary. Season the pieces well on both sides with kosher salt. Place the steaks into the pan and cook, flipping every minute for about 5-7 minutes total, or until the internal temperature reads 135 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer. Remove steaks from the pan, then rest under foil. Lay the scallions into the pan with the rendered wagyu fat, and char for a minute or two on each side until they soften and blister. Remove the scallions from the pan, roughly chop, then place in a bowl. Add the peanuts, olive oil, mint, agave, lime juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Slice hanger steak against the grain, then place the pieces onto the serving plate. Drizzle with the charred scallion salsa and serve.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Jess Pryles.
]]>To the unknowing stomach, a West Virginia hot dog is pretty simple. Hot dog, steamed bun, diced onion, yellow mustard, a creamy slaw, and a slathering of chili. But the secret is often enough in the sauce, and Mike Costello and Amy Dawson of Lost Creek Farm in Harrison County were kind enough to share one their recipes with us. “In West Virginia, you’ll find a lot of variety,” says Mike, who grew up outside of Charleston. “Some recipes call for cumin, but many don’t. Some are very spicy, just loaded with cayenne or preserved hot peppers, while others aren’t spicy at all—they’re rich and tomatoey and perfect in their own way. Some places call it ‘chili,’ some call it ‘sauce.’ This is a chili recipe, as we call it, that we like a lot. For a well-balanced West Virginia dog, you gotta pair the slightly spicy chili with a slightly sweet slaw, plus yellow mustard and diced onions. That’s what I grew up with, but remember––once you’re above the slaw line, you must be cautious when asking for slaw!” And, he says, when making your own, any hot dog will do and steamed buns are the way to go.
Yields 16 single servings.
For hot dog chili:
Brown the ground beef in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the beef is roughly half-cooked, add the onions. Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic, salt, sugar, and spices. Stir in the tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Place chili in a food processor and pulse four or five times, each for about 3 seconds. Return to skillet and add 3 tablespoons of water (or slightly more, if necessary––just enough to make the chili saucy, but not runny). Simmer over low heat for about five more minutes. Set aside or serve immediately.
For slaw:
Process the chopped cabbage in a food processor on high speed for about 10 seconds, until cabbage is shredded into very small bits. In a medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together, then add cabbage to the mixture. Stir together until evenly combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to serving.
For hot dogs:
To assemble, place a cooked hot dog—whether you boiled it or browned it in a pan—in a steamed bun, add diced onion and yellow mustard to your liking, top with a heaving spoonful of chili, then a heaping spoonful of slaw. Enjoy.
Photo taken at Toni’s Ice Cream. Recipe courtesy of Mike Castello and Amy Dawson.
]]>It’s grilling season, and meat master Tuffy Stone has a foolproof recipe for summer cooking that can satisfy a crowd. A memory from the man himself: “The first time I made this recipe, I was competing in the Kingsford Invitational barbecue competition in New York City, as part of the One Bite Challenge, with a winner-take-all $5,000 prize. I had to present and explain my dish to the judges while they tasted it in front of me. I could tell they liked it. When my team won, one of the judges, Ed Mitchell, a pitmaster from North Carolina, told me, ‘Tuffy, you’re one tough dude.’ I took it as a compliment. The balsamic drizzle added to the steaks just before serving adds a brightness that cuts through the fat in the brown butter bacon sauce.”
Serves 4.
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) salted butter, divided
½ c. bacon, finely diced
½ c. balsamic vinegar
4 New York strip steaks (8 to 10 oz. each)
Combine the salt and pepper and season the steaks evenly on both sides. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
Meanwhile, to make the brown butter sauce, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small cast-iron skillet, like the Heather, over medium-low heat. Add the diced bacon and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the fat is three-fourths rendered, and the bacon is not yet crispy. Add the remaining butter and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the butter smells nutty and turns brown. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof container, cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil, and set aside until ready to use.
Clean the cast-iron skillet and return it to medium-low heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vinegar is reduced by half, but be careful not to over-reduce the vinegar, as this will make it bitter. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof container, cover loosely, and set aside until ready to use. (Note: You can also swap the order of these sauces and then cook everything in the Lili for a one-pan version, cooking the steaks in the remnants of the bacon sauce.)
When you are ready to cook, either heat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, using the direct-heat grilling method, or cook in a large cast-iron skillet on stove or over coals by browning the steaks on both sides, flipping occasionally and cooking to your preferred doneness.
When grilling, place the steaks directly over the heat and cook 4 minutes, then rotate them 90 degrees and cook another 4 minutes. Flip the steaks, and cook 4 minutes, then rotate them 90 degrees and cook an additional 4 minutes, or until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the steak reads an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit (aka medium rare). Remove from the heat and let the steaks rest 5 minutes before serving.
To plate, top each steak with 1½ to 2 Tbsp. of warm bacon-brown butter mixture, and drizzle each with 1½ tsps. of the balsamic reduction. Pass any additional sauces around the table.
Recipe courtesy of Tuffy Stone. Photo by Ken Goodman.
]]>As Mike Bertelsen of the Cowboy Cauldron Company puts it, making your own pizza is “bonehead easy,” especially over one of his epic firepits and using one of our cast-iron pans as a de facto pizza stone. Settle in for summer grilling and let the flame do the rest.
For the crust:
Whisk water, yeast, and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor until combined. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Using dough hook or blade attachment, add flour and mix until the dough mostly comes together (it should be a little shaggy). Add the salt. Continue to mix until the ball of dough is cohesive. It should be a little tacky, but not wet or sticky. If it’s a little sticky, mix slowly and add another tablespoon of flour until the texture is achieved. Note: this can be mixed ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 3 days prior to use.
Meanwhile, get your coals going in a chimney or via your preferred method using a fire-starting device. Once ready, pour into bottom of your cauldron or grill. Place the cast-iron skillet directly over the coals to pre-heat. You can also place the skillet on the grill grate for less intense heat.
Prepare your pizza dough by rolling it out on a well-floured surface. Use a rolling pin, wine bottle, or just your hands. If you don’t have a peel, you can prepare the dough on the backside of a well-floured sheet pan. Once your dough is the shape you like, add sauce and toppings of your choice.
Carefully slide the pizza into the pan on the cauldron. Pro tip: turn the pan upside-down, cooking the pizza on the bottom, like a pizza stone, for easier removal.
Once your pizza dough is getting crispy on the bottom, pop that sheet pan on top of the cast-iron pan and, using heat-protective gloves, remove the pan from the cauldron. The pan combo creates an oven-like effect, and the residual heat will melt your cheese. If you want extra crispy cheese, pop the pizza in the oven under the broiler for a minute or two.
Remove from pan, cut into your desired slice sizes, and enjoy.
Recipe courtesy of Mike Bertelsen of the Cowboy Cauldron Company.
]]>Bluepoint Hospitality chef Harley Peet used to live on this seasonal tart’s namesake farm, where his restaurants still source their eggs and this dish’s fleeting rite of spring: asparagus.
Yields 6 servings.
For the vinegar reduction:
For the Hollandaise custard:
For the tart:
For the crust:
In a medium bowl, chop cold butter into flour, using a pastry fork or food processor. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and salt. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and incorporate, working the mixture as little as possible. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
For the vinegar reduction:
Add all ingredients in a small sauce pan over high heat and reduce to a final 50 milliliter, about eight minutes. Strain into a small bowl and place off to the side.
For the Hollandaise custard:
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, then set aside. In a medium bowl, add yolks, whole egg, and vinegar reduction. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until doubled in volume (aka “ribbon stage”). Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in warm cream. Check seasoning. Set aside.
Final assembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For best results, let the dough come to room temperature before final assembly. Using a small amount of flour on your countertop, roll out dough to a 3.5-millimeter thickness, then a 2.5-millimeter thickness. Lightly spray or rub cast-iron pan with butter or oil. Gently lay the dough over the pan and lightly press into the edges, leaving at least 2 inches of overhanging dough at the top. Prick dough a few times with a fork and weigh down with baking weights or dried beans or rice. Bake the empty crust in over for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking weights, and reduce oven temperature to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue to bake crust until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, immediately use rolling pin across the lip of the cast-iron pan to remove excess crust. Now, fill the empty crust with veggies. Pour custard over top. Garnish with additional veggies on top. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 35 minutes, or until custard is set. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. Slice and serve.
Recipe + photo courtesy of Harley Peet and Bluepoint Hospitality.
]]>Finally! Spring brings strawberry season, and we’d be lying if we said we haven’t been waiting all winter to pluck a few pieces of fruit from the garden and, eventually, bake the excess into turnovers, cobblers, and pies. This recipe from Milk Glass Pie’s Keia Mastrianni has all the charm of her Southern home in North Carolina, and best of all, captures that sweet, so-needed feeling of warmer days ahead.
Keia Mastrianni served this cobbler at the second-annual Fish Pickin’ that she and her husband host on their Old North Farm in Shelby, North Carolina. “People loved it,” says the owner of Milk Glass Pie, noting the biscuit’s riff on a recipe from Claire Saffitz’s What’s For Dessert cookbook.
For home cooks, a few pointers: “Try to use medium-coarse pepper instead of finely ground pepper—it will bring out the black pepper flavor and appearance in the biscuit,” says Mastrianni, who suggests throwing whole peppercorns in a coffee grinder to achieve a coarse grind. “Also, don’t skip the freezing of the biscuits before baking—it will ensure a golden top.” Aka one of the best parts.
For the filing:
For the egg wash:
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, lemon zest, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Grate frozen butter into bowl and toss to coat. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour half the heavy cream into the center. Mix gently with a fork, pulling the flour from the sides into the center well until it becomes shaggy and starts to clump together. Add remaining cream and use your hands to distribute the cream evenly. “I like to hold my fingers like a wide-tooth comb and mix with a lifting and let-fall motion, pulling from the bottom of the bowl and gently piling on top of the dough mass until there are no dry spots,” says Mastrianni.
Portion the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet using a 1½-inch (or #30) scoop. Place baking sheet in the freezer while you make the filling.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place strawberries in a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla bean. Use your fingers to rub the zest and vanilla bean into the sugar. This will help release the citrus oils and distribute the vanilla bean. Add the salt and tapioca flour and mix well. “I my hands to break up any clumps, making the mixture more homogenous,” she says.
Combine the sugar mixture with the strawberries and toss thoroughly. Immediately add the filling to the pan. Remove portioned biscuits from freezer and arrange on top of strawberries. Whisk egg and cream to make the egg wash. Brush the biscuit tops with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Place the pan onto the parchment-lined baking sheet emptied of portioned biscuits and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-45 minutes, until the biscuit tops are golden, and the filling actively bubbles on the sides of the pan. Once baked, allow cobbler to cool at least 2 hours for best results. This will allow the juices to set. You can also dig into it warm, but it will be slightly juicier.
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of heavy cream.
Recipe courtesy of Keia Mastrianni. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wehmueller.
]]>The shoulder season has us craving both spring chicken and lingering winter comforts, from slow-cooked foods to sweatpants. Nashville chef Sean Brock’s “last meal,” which he claims this dish would be, serves up both. The one-pot Southern classic features a recipe that has been in the Brock family for generations, made by both his mother and grandmother, and now featured on the menu at Audrey.
Yields 6-8 servings.
Turn your oven on as high as it goes with the fan on if you have one.
Wash, dry, and season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature.
Heat up a half-gallon or so of delicious broth (dashi, blond chicken broth, chicken foot jelly, or even mushroom broth). Next, add some vegetables (we use onion, garlic, parsnip, celeriac, turnip). You can chop them up if you want to serve them, or leave them in large pieces to pull out later, if you don’t.
Taste the broth and then season it with some soy sauce and black pepper. Carefully lower the chicken into a large enough pot to cover the chicken, placing it so that the legs are touching the bottom. They will cook faster there and help keep the breast moist. Throw in some whole herbs if you want (we use thyme, parsley, and rosemary).
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and place a well-fitting lid on top. Turn the heat down to achieve a pleasant bubble every once in a while. After about 20 minutes, start trying to pull out the drumstick. When it comes out clean, you are good to go. Remove the chicken from the pot, and when cool enough, remove and discard the bones. Try not to break up the dark meat too much and gently pull each breast into 6-8 pieces. Place the picked meat in a bowl and splash some broth on it to keep moist. Taste the chicken (sometimes it needs more salt). Allow this to hang out while you make your dumplings.
Season about two cups of self-rising flour with salt and black pepper. Finely chop a teaspoon of whole butter and work it into the flour mixture until incorporated. Next, you’ll add the real-deal, full-fat, old-fashioned-style buttermilk. Stir until a little batter comes together.
Place the chicken back into the broth and bring the pot to a simmer. Now it’s time to mix the dumplings.
Stir like crazy for about 30 seconds or so with a wooden spoon. Check the gluten structure—you need to have a tiny bit. Stir like crazy again for another 30 seconds or so. You should start to see some air incorporated into the mixture and the dough has just started to form a little gluten.
Take two big spoons and start dropping some nice big dumplings of batter into the pot. Shoot for the hottest part of the pot to help set the shape. We like them round but you can make them any shape you want.
Place the lid back on the pot and place the whole thing in the preheated oven. If your oven gets really, really hot, then they should be ready in about 15 minutes or so. We let the whole thing rest for 2-3 minutes before we take the lid off. Take a spoon and glaze the dumplings with the broth so they are nice and shiny.
We serve with fresh herbs, truffles, and lemon juice over the top.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Sean Brock.
]]>Admittedly, this is a complex recipe. But Texas-by-way-of-New York chef John Tesar doesn’t take shortcuts. His restaurants pride themselves on prized pieces of protein, as showcased in this Vietnamese-inspired celebration of local seafood. Save it for next year’s Feast of the Seven Fishes—or consider it the courageous start of a new year. (You could also save the kitchen cleanup and head to Knife and Spoon in Orlando to try it from the chef himself.)
Serves 12.
Nuoc Cham:
Herb Oil:
Butter Emulsion:
Nuoc Cham:
Combine all vegetables into large container and macerate by hand until well combined. Add fish sauce, water, palm sugar, and lime juice. Mix well. Steep for 24 hours.
Herb Oil:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Once the water is boiling, add the herbs and cook for about 15 seconds, until bright green. Quickly transfer to ice bath and let sit for 5 minutes until completely cool. Transfer herbs to a towel and dry. Transfer to a high-speed blender and add the oil. Puree untilsmooth. If the mixture feels too thick, add a bit more oil. Line a sieve with three layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a small bowl. Pour the oil into the sieve and let sit for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Do not press the oil through. Once done, transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Butter Emulsion:
Heat Nuoc Cham in a nonreactive sauce pan to a light simmer. Remove from heat, pour into large blender, and blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Add xantham gum and Ultra-Tex 3. Blend until emulsified into butter. Set aside.
To Finish:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and cook until it comes to a slight smoke. Add the whole fish, and sear on one side for 1 minute. Carefully flip the fish and add 2 Tbsp. emulsified butter. Once melted, carefully tilt the pan and baste the fish with the melted butter for 15 to 30 seconds. Place the pan into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven. Arrange on platter, generously garnish with more nuoc cham sauce, plus 2 Tbsp. herb oil and lime juice, then serve.
Recipe and photograph courtesy of chef John Tesar.
]]>November means waterfowl season on both the Chesapeake Bay and the Louisiana Bayou of New Orleans area native and Duck Camp Dinners chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois. This hearty one-pot pastalaya is a traditional Cajun riff on jambalaya, using pasta instead of rice, and made even more decadent with duck meat.
Serves 10.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, add cooking oil and sausage over medium-low heat. Once the sausage starts to render its fat, add the mushrooms. Cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add bay leaves, bell peppers, and celery, cooking for an additional 15-20 minutes. At this point, the mixture should look brown and deeply roasted. This is what helps give pastalaya its iconic color and rich flavor. Add your stock and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add your picked duck meat and pasta to the liquid. Bring pot back to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Remove the lid and add green onions, parsley, and hot sauce. Fold into mixture and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Jean-Paul Bourgeois and photo courtesy of Denny Culbert.
]]>
Come fall, the peppers reach their peak before the first frost and the squash finally arrives, savory and sweet. Get the best of both with this Sichuan-inspired stir-fry from Woodberry Tavern's Spike Gjerde.
]]>From chef Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Tavern in Baltimore, Maryland: “Over the past few years, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from Sichuan techniques and flavors. This dish, a seasonal version of which will be on the Tavern menu, applies those flavors to the Mid-Atlantic’s best fall produce. Jim Crebs at Tomatoes, etc. in Westminster grew the squash, and the apples came from Dave Hochheimer at Black Rock Orchard in Lineboro. I stock up on garlic (and everything else) from One Straw Farm in White Hall whenever they have it. Even the ginger was grown in Severn, at Knopp’s Farm. Note: as much as I love salt, this recipe doesn’t include it because the black beans add enough on their own; be sure to taste to make sure.”
Serves two, generously.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the starch and 200g of water to a small jar and shake until thoroughly mixed. Set aside. Add one tablespoon (20g) of sesame oil and the tofu to Estee Butter Pat. Place in oven.
Add one tablespoon (20g) of sunflower oil to Butter Pat Heather. Add the squash over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until lightly browned and the texture is al dente. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add celery to pan and cook for 2–3 min, stirring occasionally. Add ginger and garlic to pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add scallions and apple to pan and cook for another minute.
Push vegetables to the edges of the pan, and add the black bean paste to the middle. Fry briefly before mixing it into the vegetables until coated. Add the Sichuan peppercorn and stir to coat.
Let everything cook together for another minute and then add the starch-water mixture to the pain. Stir to coat. Turn the heat to medium and let simmer for a minute. Add a splash of water if mixture seems too thick.
Remove warmed tofu from the oven and layer squash over, covering completely. Garnish with reserved sliced scallion tops. Transfer from Heather to a pre-warmed Estee. When serving, be sure to spoon down into the tofu. Serve with rice.
Photo and recipe courtesy of Spike Gjerde.
]]>With the arrival of the autumn equinox, this comfort-food classic gets elevated to a new level thanks to chef Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney in Washington, D.C. When a Virginia son tells you to add country ham to your gravy, you do it, and thank him later.
]]>With the arrival of the autumn equinox, this comfort-food classic gets elevated to a new level thanks to chef Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney in Washington, D.C. When a Virginia son tells you to add country ham to your gravy, you do it, and thank him later.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Jeremiah Langhorne and The Dabney.
Serves 6-10.
Biscuits
Yields about 6-8 large or 18-22 small.
Gravy
Yields about 6-8 cups.
Biscuits
Dice butter and freeze. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper, then chill. Cut the butter into flour using your hands or a tool. Once the flour will clump when squeezed, but still falls apart when you poke it, it’s ready. Using your hand like a whisk, mix the buttermilk into the flour, just until it comes together in a dough ball. Fold the dough back on itself a couple of times but be careful not to overwork it. Lay out on a flat floured surface and pat it down into a flat shape, about 2 inches thick. Using a ring mold of desired size, punch out biscuits. Grease the inside of a cast-iron pan with a small amount of butter. Place biscuits in pan and chill for 10 minutes in fridge. Mix egg wash by combining whole egg plus one yolk and water. Mix well with a whisk. Using a pastry brush (or back of spoon), apply to top of biscuits. Bake for 5 minutes at 450 degrees, then drop the oven temperature down to 375 and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes. Check to make sure they are fully baked by lifting one of the tops of the biscuits in the center and looking inside. It should look fluffy and cooked. If its gooey, it needs more time.
Gravy
In a cast-iron pan on medium heat, fry half of your ham slices, especially the fattier ones, flipping them occasionally until all of the fat has rendered out. Remove the ham slices from the pan, place them on a towel to drain, and reserve for later. In the same pan that you rendered the ham in, add the butter and melt on medium heat until foamy. Whisk in the flour little by little until a roux is formed. Continue to cook roux for another 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Begin to add the milk one cup at a time, fully incorporating each time. At first, it will get really thick but continue to add the milk and you will see it return to a nice consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The remaining ham should be chopped into small pieces and added to the gravy. If the gravy is too thick for your liking, simply add a little more milk but make sure to adjust the seasoning as well.
]]>At the height of summer, nothing hits the spot quite like a hamburger. Especially one with beef from a local farmer like Texas cattle rancher Evan Tate and a slather of homemade mayo.
Serves two.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Evan and Melissa Tate.
Burger
Mayo
Mayo
In a blender, combine egg, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder. While blending, slowly pour in avocado oil and mix on high until desired consistency. Set aside.
Burger
Heat cast-iron pan over stove or fire at medium-high heat. Half the ground beef into two ½ pound portions. Form each portion into a patty. Salt and pepper both sides and place in hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, repeating until internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove patties from heat and set aside. Place one slice of cheese on each patty immediately. Spread mayo on each side of fresh bun. Add patty to bottom bun. Top with a few pieces of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Add with top bun. Enjoy.
When he and his brother were little, Evan Tate’s mother, Nancy, would cater events for the Dallas Cowboys, where famous footballers like running back Emmitt Smith would make special requests for this signature dessert.
Serves 16-20.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Evan and Melissa Tate.
Pudding
Bourbon Sauce
Recipe and photo courtesy of Ivan Guillen of Ranchlands.
10 Roma tomato, chopped
2 Spanish onion, chopped
15 garlic clove
10 dried chile de Arbol
3+ Tbsp. oil (75% canola, 25% extra virgin olive)
Salt to taste
Build wood fire proportionate to your cast-iron pan. Burn down until bed of coals is bright red and at least 1.5 inches deep. Spread a portion of coals into a thinner section off to side. Place cast iron directly on main coal bed until smoking hot. Add oil to cast iron. Add tomatoes, onion, and whole garlic, cooking until evenly charred. Add whole chiles to pan, frying for two minutes. Cover all with water, bring to a boil, and move pan off to side coals. Simmer for 20 minutes. Salt to taste. Cool. Blend until silky. Serve.
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Serves 4
Kosher Salt
4 tablespoons blended oil, divided
3 ounces country ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
8 large sea scallops, patted dry, tough muscles removed
1 large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves, plus tiny sprigs for garnish
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound frozen peas, thawed
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until just tender, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the wine, bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half. Add the peas and browned ham and simmer just until the peas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, then keep warm over low heat.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until very hot. Season the scallops with salt and add to the hot oil. Cook, turning once, until deeply browned and seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to serving plates.
Fold the mint into the warm peas and divide among the plates. Garnish with the mint sprigs and zest the lemon directly on top. Serve immediately.
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Recipe courtesy of Opie Crooks.
METHOD
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Throw your Heather into the oven and begin to gather all other ingredients, including the lid to your Heather. When ready, remove pan from oven and place over high heat. Add oils to pan. They should smoke immediately. Add the bok choy, water, soy sauce, sorghum. Cover pan with lid. Turn off heat and let stand 4 to 5 minutes. Toss to coat in the pan sauce, sprinkle with benne, season with salt and pepper, serve in the skillet.
]]>“Few cooks take the time to bake a stack cake anymore, assuming they’ve even heard of one. Those who do usually bake all the layers at once, or in large batches, in cake pans or by stamping out rounds of rolled dough as though they were oversize cookies. But culinary historians remind us that the original stack cake layers were made one by one in a cast-iron skillet nestled in the hearth embers—a layer cake that didn’t require an oven, only ingenuity, skill, and a lot of time. The cook would add each freshly cooked layer to the growing stack, alternating with a thick layer of stewed apple filling made from dried apples. Some cooks didn’t use any spices, while those who had them usually did. A stack cake doesn’t taste sweet on our modern tongues that are used to the copious amounts of sugar used in contemporary frosted cakes, but it isn’t bland either, especially if we pay attention to the subtleties. Stack cake was a treat for people who enjoyed sweets only in times of celebration.
Speaking of that, the oft-repeated story of stack cakes being what poor mountain brides had to use for a wedding cake (with various guests bringing a gift of a single layer so that a cake could be stacked and served on the spot, with a large number of layers being a sign of regard for the bride and her family) is poppycock. It’s a sweet story that we wish were true, but it isn’t. Anyone who knows anything about stack cake understands that an assembled cake needs to sit for at least a couple of days before it’s served, to give the cookie-like layers time to absorb moisture and flavor from the filling. A hastily assembled stack of dry, random, mismatched layers would be no gift at all.”—SC
Makes 12 to 16 servings
Dried Apple Filling
Cake Layers
Sheri Castle is an award-winning food writer, cook, recipe developer, cooking teacher, public speaker and raconteur, with an expertise in Southern cuisine. She has written several books and now hosts the popular PBS program, The Key Ingredient.
]]>And we think there is no better way than how we learned to make them from New Orleans-born chef David Guas: Charbroiled!
]]>For the Chicken Bog Stock:
1 whole chicken, about 1 ½ pounds
½ cup whole black peppercorns
½ head celery, chopped
1½ pounds carrots, chopped
½ bunch fresh thyme
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ cup smoked hog fat or ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
9 cups water
For the Chicken Bog:
8 cups chicken bog stock
Chicken meat from the stock recipe above
4 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 pound smoked pork sausage (like kielbasa), sliced
1/4 cup black pepper
2 cups frozen peas
Salt to taste
For the Stock:
Place the chicken, peppercorns, celery, carrots, thyme, crushed pepper, and fat in a large stock pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or container. Don’t skim or otherwise remove the fat from the stock though—it will help flavor the bog. Let the chicken cool and then pick the meat, setting it aside for the bog recipe that follows. The broth will store for up to a week in the fridge, but as you’re using the meat for the bog, I’d recommend making the bog within 1 to 2 days.
For the Chicken Bog:
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the chicken you set aside when making the stock, rice, sausage, and black pepper. Bring back to a boil and taste for seasoning. You might want to add a bit of salt at this point. Reduce to a simmer, cover with the lid, and cook on low for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice in the first 5 minutes and then leaving the lid on. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peas, and stir up everything. Serve immediately. I like garnishing with Texas Pete hot sauce.
Recipe and method inspired by Wade Truong's Peking duck
Yields 1-2 Servings
A roasted goose is a Christmas classic. But damn if they’re a pain (even just to find one). Luckily this recipe works for duck, too, which we roasted in our 12-inch Joan skillet.
1 whole 3- to 5-lb. bird (goose or duck)
½ cup hoisin sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 hot peppers (Such as chile or jalapeño)
2 tbsp. dried pepper flakes
2 tbsp. grated ginger
1 tbsp. salt
½ cup corn syrup
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Canola oil, for basting
Make sure the bird is cleaned properly, remove innards, and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels. With your fingers, work your way under the skin - between the flesh of the bird. Gently create separation across the breasts. This creates the lovely, crispy skin we all love!
Place the bird on a wire rack over a sink. With a measuring cup tea kettle, pour a small amount of boiling water over the entirety of the bird. This contracts the skin allowing for proper browning and crispiness.
Mix the corn syrup and soy sauce together in a pan and warm gently. With a pastry brush or grill brush, base the entire bird.
Place the bird in the refrigerator for 24 hours or up to 5 days.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Transfer bird to a 12" cast iron skillet and loosely tent with foil to prevent overbrowning. Roast for 20–30 minutes or until fat begins to render. Remove from oven, and prop the bird over a sheet pan to allow fat and juice to drain. Lightly, and carefully, wipe out the skillet, place bird back into skillet, uncovered, once the fat has drained. Baste skin with warm canola oil 2-3 times for the remaining roasting time. Continue to roast until internal temperature of 130ºF-140ºF has been reached.
Carve breast, thigh, and leg meat and serve with scallion pancakes, ginger scallion sauce, and cucumbers.
Pastry
Parboil potatoes, celery and carrot until fork-tender. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Layer vegetables and oysters in baking pan. Dot top with butter; pour heated milk over. Cover with pastry. Paint with egg wash. Make a few small slashes in the pastry for the steam to escape. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Pastry
Combine flour and butter with a pastry cutter, in a food processor, or by rubbing together with your fingers. Add shortening, and salt. Continue to combine adding 1/4 cup cold water. Gather into a ball and flatten into an 8-inch disc. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
1 large bone-in T-bone or ribeye steak (see note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
Pat your steak dry — be very thorough. Season liberally with salt and pepper on all surfaces of the steak. Allow to rest on a cooling rack in a sheet pan for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours (uncovered) in your fridge.
In a 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat oil on high until just your start to see a small amount of smoke. Add your steak and cook until a beautiful crust begins to form — about 5 minutes. Note: Flipping your steak is ok! This will ensure more even cooking.
Add butter to the skillet and, using a large spoon, begin basting the steak on all sides. Continue to flip your steak and repeat basting. With a towel or pan holder, tilt your skillet from the handle to pool the butter. This will help prevent the butter from getting too dark and avoid burning.
Continue flipping and basting. With a thermometer, insert into the thickest portion of your steak. You'll want to cook until you see 130ºF maximum for medium-rare. The whole cooking and basting process should only take 10 minutes total.
Transfer your steak to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 additional minutes. Carve against the grain of the meat and serve. Enjoy!
A Butter Pat Test Kitchen Recipe.
Serves 2-3
3-5lb Chicken
Kosher Salt
1 tsp Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 375ºF
Prepare the bird by removing it from any packaging, drying thoroughly and allow to sit in a pan, uncovered in your fridge for up to 24hrs. Minimum 4hrs.
Once rested and dried, with a pair of kitchen shears or sharp scissors, remove the backbone of the bird. This is known as "spatchcock." This will allow your bird to cook more evenly and have a crispier exterior.
Place the bird breast side up and apply the olive oil on the entire bird. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt.
Place skillet in the middle rack of your oven uncovered for at least 1.5hrs. The internal temperature of your chicken should read 160-165ºF.
Remove skillet from oven and allow to cool for at least 15min. Carve and plate up or pull apart -- it's time to eat! Serve with hot Dinner Rolls and Roasted Veggies.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Marian Getz.
Serves 4 people.
2C Banana purée
2 Large Eggs
1/2C Unsalted Butter
3T Buttermilk
2C Flour (AP)
1C Sugar
1t Baking Soda
1/2t Baking Powder
1/2t Kosher Salt
*Preheat oven to 375 Degrees*
Freeze 3-4 VERY ripe medium or large bananas until the skins are dark. When ready to prepare banana bread recipe, remove from freezer and allow to fully thaw. This step is crucial. You want bananas that so ripe that they are basically purée.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the peeled bananas, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter (warm, not hot), and sugar. Mix on medium with whisk until smooth and light in color.
Add all remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Pour batter into a greased (butter or cooking spray) 10" Cast Iron Skillet (Heather, if you're baking in a Butter Pat)
Place in pre-heated oven for 30-35min or until a toothpick comes out clean from the very middle *You're looking for a very dark brown top to the banana bread.
Eat with copious amounts of salted butter!
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Day Before Baking your Sourdough:
In the Morning, Make your Levain:
60g Sourdough Starter (fed the day prior, room temperature)
60g Unbleached White Bread Flour
60g Filtered Water, Room Temp
Mix ingredients together, cover and place in a warm place. It should at least double, if not triple in amount. This can take around 6 hours. You can test if your levain is ready by placing a small spoonful in a glass of water. If it floats, it is ready.
Mise en Place your Dough Ingredients:
910g Unbleached White Bread Flour
680g Filtered Water, Room Temp
180g Levain (already prepared above, wait until ready)
30g Reserved Filtered Water, Room Temp
18g Salt
Other Needs:
Rice Flour, Parchment Paper, Proofing Baskets or Metal Bowls, Kitchen Towels, Dutch Ovens, Semolina Flour (Optional), Baking Stone (Optional)
2 Hour Autolyse:
About two hours before you are ready to use your levain, mix together flour and 680g of water in a large metal bowl until it is fully incorporated. Use your hands to do this. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the mixture rest. At the end of the two hours you should see that your dough is elastic when you try to stretch it. You want your dough to be at 75F if you stuck a thermometer inside it so keep that in mind when it comes to your water and flour temperature, as well as the temperature of your house.
Mixing the Rest of your Dough:
With your hands, fold in the 180g of the levain to your mixture. Add the remaining reserved 30g of water and the salt and squeeze and pinch it through as much as possible.Your dough will at first loosen, separate and then come back together. At this time take your dough out of the bowl and place it on a clean counter. This is where you start the slap fold method. You will pick up your dough and slam it back on the counter and then take the top of the dough and fold it over the bottom. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and do the same thing over. Keep repeating this for several minutes until the dough starts to get stronger. Gluten is forming and your dough will come together more and more from this motion. If you don’t feel comfortable with this method, then you can achieve the same thing by folding it over and over in the bowl until the dough gets stronger. For the remaining fold, fold it four times pulling from each side over the opposite end, like an envelope, before lifting it up from the bowl and pressing it in from the sides back into the bowl to create a more structured circle. Cover with a towel for resting.
Warm Bulk Fermentation:
Your dough is now covered and needs to rest for 30 minutes before you implement your next folding. You will need to fold it four times pulling from each side over the opposite end, like an envelope, before lifting it up from the bowl and pressing it in from the sides back into the bowl to create a more structured circle every 30 minutes. It could take as little as 3 fold, but as many as 10- what you are looking for is that your dough is holding together more structure since it is a wet dough. It is important to remember to be gentle with your dough, but not too gentle that you can't get the dough to take shape. It can depend on the temperature of your house. When you finish your folds, let the dough rest for another hour or hour and a half- this will depend on how many folds you did. The last time I made this recipe it took me almost 6 hours total. You should see a couple bubbles. At this point you have two options.
1) You can place it in the fridge in the same bowl for cold bulk fermentation covered with plastic wrap and a towel. The next day take your dough out of the fridge and out on the counter with flour underneath. Divide the dough in half and gently shape. Shape your dough into the shape you would like for your proofing basket by folding the dough, turning over and shaping. You will need to cover your basket in rice flour before placing it inside this and you will need to make sure the crease side of the folds is up, essentially turning the dough back over after shaping. Cover the dough with a towel until ready to bake. Could take about an hour while your oven is preheating. You will know that they are proofed when you poke your finger in the dough and it doesn't spring back quickly, but does come back slowly- yet still leaving a slight indent in the dough.This option is best if you are tired because you starter this process later in the day, you are limited on proofing baskets/ bowls, you have time the next day to bake and take your time, or you want to save the baking for more than 24 hours (you could bake this bread the day after instead).
2) You can divide your dough in half and shape the doughs with the folds necessary for your proofing basket. You will need to cover your basket in rice flour before placing it inside this and you will need to make sure the crease side of the folds is up. Place it covered with a towel and a plastic bag in the fridge overnight. Don't take the dough out until just before you are ready to bake and the oven is preheated. This option is better if you are baking immediately the next morning and have less time since you will only need to wait an hour before baking for the oven to preheat.
Baking your Bread:
If you have a baking stone, place it on the bottom rack of your oven. On the middle lower rack place your dutch oven(s) with their covers on. Preheat your oven to 500F, wait at least an hour to make sure your oven is at temperature. When you are ready, place parchment paper town on the counter and sprinkle with semolina flour (or rice flour). Turn your proofing basket over on top of the semolina (or rice flour) parchment paper. Use a lame or a sharp box cutter to score your dough. It is important to get at least a larger deep score on a batard and the rest can be more about design, or deep scores on a boule- even if with a design. Take out your dutch ovens and place dough on parchment paper inside and place the cover back on. If you have two dutch ovens, bake at the same time. If not, score one at a time and bake one at a time. Place the dutch oven(s) inside the oven and turn the temperature down to 475F and set the timer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes remove the lid(s) and turn down the temperature to 450F. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until a nice crust has formed and you reach an internal temperature of 210 F. Remove from the oven and dutch oven(s) when ready and place on the rack to cool. Wait at least a couple hours for the bread to cool before slicing. Store as you wish on the counter, but for the long term I recommend slicing and placing in Ziploc in the freezer to toast as needed.
Johanna Hellrigl is Executive Chef of Mercy Me a sorta South American cafe, restaurant and bar located in the Yours Truly Hotel in Washington D.C. During the pandemic, Chef Hellrigl gave away more than 800 sourdough starters to perfect strangers in exchange for their support of local restaurants and small food businesses.
If you can’t stop in at Mercy Me for Johanna’s Medialuna, an Argentinian croissant, then you can certainly find her, and all her great advice, on Instagram @chefjohannahellrigl
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Recipe courtesy of Chris Bianco
Chef Tandy Wilson, of City House in Nashville, recommends using the dough recipe from Chris Bianco, famed Chef/Owner of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix Arizona. The recipe below is from his cookbook -- Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, And Other Food I Like.
Extra virgin olive oil, for greasing the bowl
Combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl. Give the yeast a stir to help dissolve it, and let it do its thing for 5 minutes. You’re giving it a little bit of a kick- start, giving it some room to activate, to breathe.
When the yeast has dissolved, stir in 3 cups of the flour, mixing gently until smooth. You’re letting the flour marry the yeast. Slowly add 2 cups more flour, working it in gently. You should be able to smell the yeast working— that happy yeast- y smell. Add the salt. (If you add the salt earlier, it could inhibit the yeast’s growth.) If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until the dough comes away from the bowl but is still sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and get to work. Slap the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand while pushing it away with the other, stretching it and folding it back on itself. Repeat the process until the dough is noticeably easier to handle, 10 to 15 times, then knead until it’s smooth and stretchy, soft, and still a little tacky. This should take about 10 minutes, but here, feel is everything. (One of the most invaluable tools I have in my kitchen is a plastic dough scraper. It costs next to nothing, and it allows me to make sure that no piece of dough is left behind.)
Shape the dough into a ball and put it in a lightly greased big bowl. Roll the dough around to coat it with oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place until it doubles in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When you press the fully proofed dough with your finger, the indentation should remain.
Turn the proofed dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 4 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and dust them with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rest for another hour, or until they have doubled in size.
The dough is ready to be shaped, topped, and baked. If you don’t want to make 4 pizzas at a time, the dough balls can be wrapped well and refrigerated for up 8 hours or frozen for up to 3 weeks; thaw in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before proceeding.
(Recipe fits in 10” Cast Iron Skillet)
Two 8-ounce cans sliced or crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Butter
3/4cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising cake flour)
1-1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4cup butter-flavored shortening
1/2 cup half and half
1 large egg room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pre heat oven to 350°.
Drain pineapple, save pineapple juice.
In 10” Cast Iron Skillet, melt butter enough to cover bottom of pan (approx 3 Tablespoons).
Add brown sugar to cover bottom of pan. Add drained pineapple to cover brown sugar.
Sift together flour, baking powder. and salt.
Mix shortening, 3/4 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons of pineapple juice, half and half, 1 egg, vanilla .
Beat in the flour mixture, pour over pineapple.
Bake approx 35-40 min .
Allow to cool.
With a plate on top of skillet, flip cake onto plate for serving.
I don't know when cooking a steak became so complicated.
“When I was growing up -- and this is probably true for you, too -- we didn't need to have charcoal or wood chunks or lighter fluid or a hibachi or a Big Green Egg to cook a steak, much less a sous vide machine and a water circulator. You didn't have to own a backyard or blacken your hands or dispose of dusty ashes. All you needed was a big steel pan, some oil, salt, and a piece of good meat. Some of the best steaks I ever ate were cooked this way -- where the beefiest flavor and the deepest crust depended mainly on a good pan, a strong burner, and an honest piece of meat. I like to call this method Back to the Pan because it encourages people to not get too fussy about steak.”
— John Tesar
And that’s the recipe!
Never one to shy away from controversy or the limelight, renown Chef John Tesar’s life choices are just as daring and bold as his cuisine. The four-time James Beard “Best Southwest Chef” semifinalist and “Top Chef” contestant specializes in modern American cuisine prepared with authentic European techniques, served up to his legion of fans who flock to his Dallas-based steakhouse – Knife. Tesar’s no-nonsense personality and sharp culinary perspective have garnered high-profile acclaim throughout his 20+ year career including national nods from Esquire (named to “Best New Restaurants” for two consecutive years), Food & Wine, New York Magazine, The New York Times, appearances on “The Today Show,” “The Early Show” and winning the inaugural season of the Food Network’s “Extreme Chef.” Tesar opened Knife, located at the Highland Dallas hotel, to critical acclaim in May 2014. A reinvention of the steakhouse experience, the chef-driven restaurant features all-natural born and raised Texas beef, pork and lamb in dry-aged prime cuts and specialty cuts such as chuck flap, beef tongue and Akaushi beef. Named one of Eater National’s “Most Anticipated Openings,” Esquire magazine’s “Best New Restaurants,” Zagat’s “Hottest New Restaurants,” Maxim’s “America’s Best Steakhouse Specialties,” D Magazine’s “Best Steakhouse in Dallas” 2015 and 2016 and featured on Esquire Network’s “Restaurant Revolution,” Knife is Tesar’s revolutionary steakhouse vision realized.