Steak for Gary

If you, like Gary, can't tell the difference between a terrine and a tajine, then this is the type of recipe for you. As well, if you, like Gary, are a man like The Cash himself, then you will love this one. Not only is it dead and bloody, but it goes great with a late vintage Pinot Noir, or beer, beer's good too.

Before you start: get the oven heated up to 400ºF and find yourself a cast-iron frying pan. Hopefully you observe proper kitchen safety rules about the order in which you do that. If you need to go buy a cast-iron pan, don't turn the oven on first.

Step One: Meat

Now, the most important thing here is that you aren't a cheap bastard about buying your steak. Sure, you can get filet for $12.99 a pound from Sobey's if you like. But if you're a real man, like The Cash is a real man, then you're not a cheap bastard. So go get a nice tenderloin like these puppies from the organic butcher downstairs. Yes they are about three-times the price, but they're aged well and aren't filled with all sorts of shit that will prevent you from living to be 71, like The Cash.

Sprinkle some expensive salt on the steak and brush with some olive oil all around. If you don't have a brush, smear the oil around with your thumb.

Step Two: Sear the Meat

High heat, Gary. High heat. That's right, the camp chef is right about the best way to cook meat.

Get that pan nice and hot, like smoking hot, and then toss the steak in there. Wiggle it around a bit at first to keep it from sticking. After about a minute, or once it gets some good brown on it, flip it over and continue to punish the other side.

Step Three: The Oven

Once you've seared the steak. Toss it in your pre-heated oven, pan and all. It would help if you didn't cheap out and buy one with a wooden handle.

Keep them in the oven for about 9-10 minutes so they come out cooked but still bloody; the way men like them. If you ARE cheap, and you buy a steak that's less than an inch thick, then cook it for about 7 minutes instead.

While you wait, you might want to prepare a salad if you've got a lady over. Otherwise, have a beer.

After you're finished your beer, or after nine minutes have passed, whichever comes last, (if it takes you longer than ten minutes to finish a beer, you deserve a dry-ass steak) take the steak out and put it on a plate to rest.

Turn on some Jimmy Buffet.

Before you put that pan in the sink and douse it with water-and I know you were about to do it-don't. There's all sorts of great burnt-up steaky goodness in there to eat. So pour the excess fat into your empty beer can and put the pan back on the stove.

Step Four: Sauce it Up

If you do have a lady over, then this next bit is sure to impress. It's called deglazing. Make sure you tell her that. Just say, "I'm just gonna deglaze the pan here and make a nice sauce." You'll get laid for sure.

First thing to do is pour some wine in the pan. While it bubbles away, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty brown bits. These are called, "fond." Chicks dig it when you talk about "fond."

Pour in some beef stock too, if you have some.

The total combined volume should be about 1/4 cup for one steak or about twice that for two. That's 1/2 cup if you're not mathermatically inclined.

Pour some of the juices from the plate in there while you're at it. Yes, it's blood, but call it, "juices" in the presence of a lady.

Keep stirring until it's reduced by about half, or it's getting so that you can see the bottom of the pan between stirs.

Step Five: Herbs

If you want to be fancy. And you do want to be fancy, Gary. You do. Throw some herbs in there too. About a tablespoon of FRESH thyme and rosemary is good. But you could just go for one of them if you like. You could also use a bay leaf, peppercorns (the kind that come in a jar, not the dried ones... make sure you drain them) or some parsley.

Turn off the heat.

Add about a tablespoon of butter. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out a bit. Not too much at a time.

Remove the strings from your expensive steaks.

Sprinkle some more expensive salt on them. This time, use Salish smoked salt. Not too much, just a sprinkle.

Pour on the sauce.

Step Six: Enjoy!

There you have it. Delicious steak!

This one's got some vegetables on the plate too, 'cause I'm healthy like that.

Hope you liked it!

~Brendan

New Year's Goal

I never make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have made it a goal to be a better blogger. In my last post I chastised Brendan for not updating the blog, but since then I haven't exactly been blogging up a storm myself. In order to blog more though we need to have more dinner parties and unfortunately due to apartment renovations another second saturday has come and gone without a dinner party. Soon though my friends, soon I promise.

So instead I offer a recap of some food highs and lows from the last year:

1. Camp food (low)

Deep fried all the time

2. Camp Bread (high)

Mickael is a french god when it comes to baguettes and croissants.

3. Argentinian beef (high)

Better than any other beef I have ever had. We ate a lot of it.

4. The Argentinian "mixed grill" (low)

Beware of this unless you really like intestines

5. Argentinian wine (high)

We drank a lot of it.

6. Canning (high)

Being unemployed means you have a lot of time on your hands. I filled it by making and

canning preserves. To date I have made vanilla pear jam, spiced apple butter, and lemon curd.

7. Julia Child baguettes (high)

When I said I had lots of time, I meant it. These took me all day to make, but they were worth it!

8. Second Saturday weekend at Cam and Rita's farm (high)

Beef heart, oxtail, carpaccio, beet salad, squash and tomatillo soup, and homemade chocolate brownies made for a delicious meal. Great friends, feeding the pigs, wandering and eating our way through Stratford made for a great weekend.

9. French Macaroons (high)

Due to the never-ending renovations of our new apartment I didn't have the time to do the christmas baking I usually do, but I did get to help my sister make these amazing little pastel cookies. Yummy!

10. Discovering all the great new food options in our new hood (high)

We live above dufflet's and next to an organic butcher. Also nearby: Caribbean Bistro (goat roti!), C'est Bon Authentic Chinese, Alex's Cheese, David's Tea, Sorn Thai, Say Tea, Classico Pizza, Pastissima, North 44 and Centro (if we ever get rich), and the Cupcake Shoppe. There's also a gym close by.

11. Eating breakfast lunch and dinner at all the new places in our new hood (low)

When you're spending 10 hours a day painting your new apartment, but aren't living there yet you eat out a lot. It's enjoyable for the first few days. It gets old really fast.

12. Lentil Soup and shrimp rings (high)

Both of these are Christmas Eve Traditions. Even the slightly burnt soup couldn't ruin it.

There you have it, 12 food highs and lows from the last year and a promise for more blog updates to come. You can hold me to it.

Up next: Recipes for Gary

Recipes!

So it turns out that Brendan is not particularly adept at this whole blogging thing. He has been trying to post recipes from our first dinner for the last 4 weeks now, but he's even more easily distracted than I am, hence no recipes so far. But with another second saturday under our belt I am finally getting around to posting the recipes (or at least some of them) myself.

Apple Chestnut Soup

• 1 Tbsp Butter
• ½ Cup chopped onion
• ½ Cup chopped celery
• 1 Fuji Apple, chopped
• ¾ lb chestnuts
• 3 tbsp cognac
• Bouquet Garni of:1 bay leaf 2-3 sprigs parsley, sprig of thyme
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• Water to cover
• 2 tbsp whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Score the chestnuts on their flat side and place scored side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle chestnuts with water and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping them over half way through.

While the chestnuts are roasting, melt butter in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the onions, celery and apple and sweat for 2 minutes. Add in the cognac and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock and the bouquet garni and simmer for 20 minutes.

Once the chestnuts are done roasting, remove them from the oven and peel them while they are still warm. Add the peeled chestnuts to the pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni. Blend and pass through a sieve using a wooden spoon to push it through. Add cream and season to taste.

7 Year War Poutine

This is a ridiculously time consuming way to make poutine, but it is well worth the time and the effort.

• 3 large Russet Potatoes
• Vegetable oil, enough for deep-frying
• 2 lbs Beef short ribs
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion
• 1 Carrot, chopped
• 1 Celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cups of Beef Stock
• 350 ml of White Beer
• 3 sprigs of Parsley
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1tbsp Butter
• 1tbsp Flour
• Smoked Salt
• Lemon stilton cheese

For the Fries:

Place pot of water on stove and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wash potatoes and cut into ½ inch thick batons. Place in bowl and run cold water over them over 2-3minutes. Once water is boiling add Potatoes and bring back to a boil. Parboil for 3-4 minutes or until edges become rough and potatoes just become tender. Remove fries with a slotted spoon and place on a tea towel. Blot them dry then place them on a cooling rack and place them in the fridge until dry and chilled, approximately 1 hour.

In a deep pot heat oil until it reaches 325 degrees Farenheit. Blanch them in the oil, in batches, until they just start to colour. Remove fries with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel. Blot off excess oil and transfer to cooling rack and place in freezer until completely frozen, approximately 1 hour.

Once fries are frozen, heat oil until it reaches 375 degrees Farenheit. Fry, in batches, until they are crispy and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

For Braised Short Ribs:

Heat oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven or other thick bottomed pot. Brown ribs, in batches, on all sides in oil. Remove and reserve.

Deglaze pot with a few good splashes of white beer making sure to scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom. Reduce heat, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sautee for 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the beer and stock. Bring to the boil and add bay leaf and parsley. Reduce heat and simmer on low uncovered for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove ribs and shred making sure to discard all bones.

Reduce remaining liquid in pot by half and then strain. Return to low heat. Make a buerre manie by rubbing four and butter together until it forms a paste. Add to liquid and allow to thicken.

Return meat to pot and add a healthy pinch of smoked salt.

To Assemble:

Place fries in a bowl, sprinkle with some cheese, add the braised short ribs, and top with more cheese.

Eat and enjoy!

Dinner #1 - Oh Canada! (part 2)

Our first Second Saturday was themed Oh Canada! and just happened to fall on Thanksgiving weekend which I felt was somehow appropriate. Despite our mismatched tables (one round, one square), our mismatched tableware, and mismatched chairs, the evening was a great success.

Some Photos:

Poutine!!

Our mismatched tables and settings

Rabbit Ravioli

Up Next: ???

Dinner #1 - Oh Canada! (part 1)

The Date:

October 10, 2009

The Theme:

Oh Canada! an interpretation in six courses

The Guest List:

Elizabeth Smith, World-saver, CWPer, all-round lovely lady

Josh Levitt, Graphic Designer, CWPer

Andrew Craig, Teacher, Photographer, and lover of Helvetica

Lisa Morgan, Radio DJ, and Andrew's lovely lady

The Menu:

Fresh Malpeque Oysters

Served on the half shell with lemon

Apple Chestnut Soup

Served with a dollop of creme fraiche and canadian bacon bits

Seven Year War Poutine

Thrice cooked french fries with braised short ribs and lemon stilton

Ontario fruit and cheese plate

Pears with goat's cheese, walnuts, and honey

Braised Rabbit Ravioli

Served in a rabbit and morel jus

Blueberry Maple Creme Brulee

Fresh blueberries, vanilla custard, maple sugar topping

Here we go..

Well after much discussion over the summer, we have finally started the Every Second Saturday project. Less ambitious than the Julie/Julia project, but ambitious none the less, Every Second Saturday is series of themed dinner parties held on the second Saturday of every month. The themes are meant to tie the meal together, inspire contributions from the guests, and instigate conversations. The end result: great food, great friends, and great conversations. And hopefully a book of recipes, thoughts, and images. A movie deal, however, is unlikely.

g.