Gentlemen's Essentials - Official B&B Cookbook

[eto]

Recipe provided by Chef Paul Bertolli ( Executive Chef of Oliveto Restaurant ) from his cook book (Cooking By Hand.)
Execution by etoknife.

Salt
3 russet potatoes or other starchy variety
1 egg whisked
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg (about 12 downward strokes on the grater) or a generous pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.
2 cups (9 ounces all-purpose flour)
4 ounces ( 1 Stick ) unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
Basil is not part of his recipe but had to add my own touch.
Few leaves of fresh basil lightly fried in oil ( few seconds should do it) Drain on paper towel.

SCRUB the potatoes and place them, unpeeled, in a large pot of boiling water. Steam until tender all the way through but not falling apart (a kitchen knife passes all the way through with some resistance).
IT'S important that the potatoes not be overcooked. (Overdone, they will absorb too much water and take up so much flour that the gnocchi will sink like heavy little stones to the bottom of the stomach.)

AS soon as the potatoes are tender enough to push through a vegetable mill, remove them from the the pot, but while they're still hot, peel them and pass them through the vegetable mill into a large bowl. (Don't be tempted to try a food processor for this; it will turn them to glue.)

ADD a healthy pinch of salt and the nutmeg to all the flour to the potatoes, working in the flour with a your hands; then knead the dough gently for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured board or wooden work surface.

TASTE and knead in more salt if you wish, but be careful not to overwork the dough - it should be soft and supple.

DIVIDE the dough into 4 equal pieces.

ROLL each piece into a rope about 3/4 inch in diameter and 8 to 10 inches long. Cut each snake into regular pieces about 3/4 inch long. Continue until all the dough has been rolled and cut.

IF you wish, roll each gnocco over the large holes of a cheese grater or along the tines of a fork to impress the soft dough with a pattern.

BRING a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the gnocchi. (Do this in two batches if it's easier.)

BOIL the gnocchi until they rise to the top, then remove them with a slotted skimmer and transfer them to the warm saute pan that has butter warm and melted.
Saute the gnocchi with butter for a few minutes. Add the fried basil at the end.
Plate and add the grated cheese.

 

[watchhillian]

Lemon Pepper Mayonnaise

I'm a mayonnaise snob. Well, I'm a snob anyway, so mayonnaise is a subcatagory, I guess. I've done taste tests against store bought products and the research to come up with what, for me, is the answer.

In your mind, taste what good mayonnaise is if you are in France or Switzerland, buttery with subtle undertones. Thinks Oeufs Remoulade. The difference between what Europeans are accustomed to and what we eat in America is their mayonnaise is home made every day. All ingredients are fresh and there are no preservatives (chemicals.)

And it's easy to make your own. Here's a recipe for about two cups, enough to last a day or two, but not too much so it will separate before you finish. I like hot food, so this has a little kick while retaining that subtle blend I crave.

2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tblsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tblsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cup olive oil (yellow in color NOT EXTRA VIRGIN (which is green))
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

1. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Spin for a minute or so to get things to room temperature.
2. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream through the feed tube until all the oil is absorbed and the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise.
3. Add pepper and mix for 10 seconds.
4. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

IMPORTANT: What comes right out of the food processor isn't edible...all the flavors are still separate and must be given time to infuse. Go ahead and taste the brand new mixture and note. Then let it cool under refridgeration for 4-6 hours (or overnight) and taste again. You will see what I'm talking about.

You aren't done yet. Do a smell test against what comes out of a jar, say Hellman's or (gasp!) Miracle Whip, which can only call itself "salad dressing.) Then taste the difference. It will blow your mind.

 

[Sterling Cooper]

Gentlemen, here is my standard pan sauce for a steak. You can use a nicely marbled ribeye or new york, but go with choice. Save the dry aged prime for by itself. Also "flatiron" or "hanger" steaks work great. These are your classic French bistro cuts. Tonight, I went with a moderately marbled USDA choice ribeye.

Seasoning is simply some wet, grey Breton sea salt and my personal blend of 50-50 black-green peppercorns, freshly ground. All purchased at Chicago's Spice House, which has a great mail order business.

The ingredients for the sauce are pretty simple: shallots, flour, chopped flat leaf parsley, good quality unsalted butter, veal stock (low sodium chicken broth can be substituted) and red wine. Keep the latter simple; you want something with high acidity, low alcohol and little to no oak. I went with an inexpensive young ("joven") Rioja that was good enough to drink while cooking the steak and eating the steak.

I love my Lodge cast iron that I've had since college with the seasoning to prove it. I use it for Prime beef. For making a sauce, you don't want cast iron--it reacts with the acid in the wine and gives the sauce a metallic taste. I'm searing the steak in a 12" All Clad LTD saute pan with a nothing more than salt, pepper and a little grapeseed oil (high smoke point/no added flavor).

Cook the steak to a little less than how you want to eat it. Loosely tent it with aluminum foil on a plate while you make the sauce.

Step One: Drain most (but not all) of the rendered beef fat. Lower the heat, put the shallots in and lightly drizzle some grapeseed oil over them. Sprinkle lightly with flour and saute until lightly browned and softened.

Step Two: Pour in roughly 1 cup of the wine and turn the heat up. Use a wooden spoon to scrape all the beefy bits of goodness that stuck to the pan while searing the steak. This is really important (called "deglazing" in cook talk) and will add incredible depth and flavor to the finished sauce.

Step Three: Lightly simmer the wine until reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume, then add the veal stock.

Step Four: stir to combine the stock and then let simmer until the total volume is about 1/4 what you started with. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for about 30 seconds. Add the first pat of butter and whisk in until just about dissolved, then add the second pat and do the same. Sauce should be cool enough at this point that the butter does not boil or it will separate.

Step Five: When the second pat of butter has dissolved, stir in the chopped parsley.

Eat. For a side, I went with some simple steamed asparagus drizzled with virgin olive oil and a little balsamic. Some locally baked artisan bread and creamery butter from an artisan dairy farmer about an hour outside of Chicago.

And for tonight's movie.

 

[Kouros]

The secret is do not use flour:

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2.In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

[Luc]

Gents, I created a wiki page for the cookbook, it should be easier to enter recipes and keep them in order. Anyone can add their own recipes!

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Recipes

 

[Alacrity59]

Gents, I created a wiki page for the cookbook, it should be easier to enter recipes and keep them in order. Anyone can add their own recipes!

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Recipes

Great idea Luc. I just added a recipe for Swiss Chalet dipping sauce. This tastes quite a bit different from the recipe that has been making the rounds on the Internet for the past few year and in my opinion is far closer to the real thing.

This is my first time editing a wikki and it was fairly easy.

Just a couple of things that were not obvious
===type recipe name===

* ahead of each ingredient for a bulleted list.

The controls for adding a horizontal rule and bolding and italicizing are at the top of the editor.

 

[Luc]

Great idea Luc. I just added a recipe for Swiss Chalet dipping sauce. This tastes quite a bit different from the recipe that has been making the rounds on the Internet for the past few year and in my opinion is far closer to the real thing.

This is my first time editing a wikki and it was fairly easy.

Just a couple of things that were not obvious
===type recipe name===

* ahead of each ingredient for a bulleted list.

The controls for adding a horizontal rule and bolding and italicizing are at the top of the editor.

Good work!

 

[BobS]

Here you go- Shrimp burgers

I got this originally from SSN686 on the Big Green Egg Forum.

I have shown the original and then my modified version. It was an accident to add egg yolks instead of an egg (did not read carefully, but I noted that the finished mix was dry enough that it was easy to form into patties. I formed the patties on pieces of parchment.

Also, I did not follow the Wasabi Mayo recipe, because I had some that was already cut down to a sauce and I just ended up throwing together something in a bowl. It wasn't bad, but I am going to play with the real thing, next time.

Original
1 pound raw shrimp (cleaned, shelled & deveined)
1 egg
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup Panko Crumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Wasabi Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

Modified
1 1/2 pound raw shrimp (cleaned, shelled & deveined)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
3/4 cup Panko Crumbs
1 Tbsp Tsunami Spin Rub (Dizzy Pig)

Wasabi Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

Preparation:
In a food processor, process half the shrimp with the egg. Coarsely chop the remaining shrimp and put it into a bowl. Add the processed shrimp & parsley/cilantro, panko crumbs, salt & pepper to taste (Original Comment: I usually use about 2 tablespoons of DP Shakin' the Tree rub instead of S&P). Form the mixture into patties (we have found that a 1.5 inch square cookie cutter works real well for this. Put the cookie cutter on freezer or waxed paper and fill with the shrimp mixture, then gently pull off the cookie cutter). After the burgers are formed, put them in the refrigerator for at least one hour to help firm them up.

Egg Setup & Cooking:
Stabilize Egg at 350 with a raised grid. Place the burgers on a perforated pan such as a pizza pan with holes or disposable fine mesh screen. Place pan on raised grid and grill until cooked through, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the burgers to a "bun" that has been spread with the Wasabi Mayo(Hawaiian rolls are what we have used most often as their sweetness contrasts nicely with Wasabi Mayo. These can be split to serve as open face or as a "normal" burger). Add more Wasabi Mayo on top of the shrimp burgers. Leave as whole or cut in half or quarters depending on how many you are trying to serve. We typically do 3 pounds of shrimp at a time which should yield about 24 burgers 1.5" square.

I made my burgers considerably bigger (6 from 1 1/2 pounds) and had to adjust cooking time accordingly.

Wasabi Mayonnaise:
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared Wasabi (available in the Asian section of the supermarket)
1 tsp. freshly grated Ginger
2 Tbls. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. sugar
pinch salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

 

[mook]

Ok chaps this is a great basic recipe for a knockout fishpie please feel free to add any fish / shellfish you deem fit. I usually throw some king scallops in and cuttlefish/squid. I cant claim this as my own much as i would like too but its never let me down!

Ingredients
2 fillets of any firm white fish, such as pollack, cod or haddock (about 600g/1lb 5oz in total)

1 small fillet of undyed smoked haddock (about 175g/6oz)

750ml/1¼ pints milk

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

bunch fresh parsley
a few peppercorns

1kg/2lb 4oz floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or Desirée

125g/4½oz butter, plus extra to grease the dish and dot on top of the pie

75g/2½oz plain flour

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 handfuls cooked peeled prawns

buttered minted peas, to serve
crusty bread, to serve




Method
1. Place the fillets of fish in a medium saucepan. Add the milk, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, a couple of stalks of parsley and the peppercorns.
2. Place the pan on a low heat and let the milk heat up gently. As soon as it comes to a simmer, switch off the heat and cover the pan. The fish will continue cooking in the hot milk.
3. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into even, bite-sized chunks and put them in a large pan. Add just enough water to cover and put the pan on the hob over a high heat. Add a teaspoon of salt and let the water come to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are just tender.
4. Carefully drain the potatoes and allow them to cool in a colander for a minute or two. Return them to the pan and mash them, adding 50g/2oz of the butter, cut into cubes.
5. Stand a sieve over a large jug and tip in the fish and milk mixture. Wash the pan in which the fish was cooked and dry it well.
6. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the fishy milk to the mash and stir it in well. Add some freshly ground black pepper, taste the mash, and add some salt if you think it needs it. Put the mash to one side.
7. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
8. To make the béchamel sauce, put the remaining 75g/2½oz butter in the clean pan and melt it over a low to medium heat. Add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Cook for two minutes, stirring every few seconds. Then gently whisk in one third of the hot fishy milk. The paste will quickly turn into a very thick sauce. Add another third of the milk, whisking all the time, and then the final third, so you end up with a creamy sauce. Season the béchamel with salt and freshly ground black pepper, turn the heat down to very low, and let the sauce bubble gently for five minutes while you prepare the fish.
9. Remove the vegetables, herbs and peppercorns from the fish and discard. Carefully pick up a chunk of fish. Peel off any skin and discard, then gently feel the flesh between your fingers for bones, being careful not to over-shred the fish. Put the boneless fish on a clean plate.
10. Turn off the heat under the béchamel and add the fish to the sauce. Add the prawns, then chop the remaining parsley and stir this in too. Taste the sauce once more and add more seasoning, to taste.
11. Generously butter a pie dish and pour in the fishy béchamel. Spoon over the mash and spread it carefully across the surface of the fish sauce. Dot a little extra butter over the top of the pie.
12. Wearing oven gloves, put the pie in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is starting to brown and the fishy sauce is bubbling up the sides of the mash.
13. Serve with buttered minted peas and crusty bread to mop up the sauce

 

[SaintClarence27]

I posted it on the wiki page, but here goes:

Homemade Sourdough Bread

It's not actually THAT hard or time-consuming (it takes a couple days, but only a few minutes a day).

* Dish type: Bread/Side
* by: --SaintClarence27 16:15, April 23, 2010 (PDT)
* Serves 1

Ingredients

* 1 C Starter - See starter section below
* 2 C Lukewarm Water
* 3 T Olive Oil - Feel free to experiment with different oils
* 6+ C Bread Flour - MUST be unbleached bread flour
* 1 T Honey
* 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
* Butter (optional) - To grease casserole dish

Starter First, you have to create a starter. Because of the wild yeast differences, the taste will be different depending on where you are. All it is:

3/8 C Stone ground organic whole grain flour 1/4 C lukewarm water

Mix in a jar of some sort (I use a mason jar with cheesecloth for a lid so you don't suffocate the yeast). Store in a warm, dark dry place. Check in 12 hours. If it's bubbling, feed it (same recipe added). If not, wait another 12 and check again. If it takes more than 48 hours, start over.

After 3 feedings, feed every 24 hours. After a couple of days, you have a fully developed starter. At this point I use UNBLEACHED all purpose flour for the feeding (you'll need to dump some of the starter before feeding at this point, so you don't end up with a 50 gallon drum of it). There's your starter. You can also refrigerate (put it in the door - you don't want to freeze it) and feed it once a week).

Bread

12 hours after a feeding, mix 1 C starter, 2 C lukewarm water, and 2 C BREAD flour in a mixing bowl. Cover with a towel for 12 hours.

Mix in 4 C bread flour 3 T olive oil (or other oil), 1T honey, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. If this is too sticky, add a little more flour. Pound it out, knead a little, and form into a big ball by folding over the corners, rolling, and tightening the outside of the dough. I put it in a greased casserole dish. Slash the top a couple times with a knife, and let rise in a warm, dark place covered until doubled in size (can take up to 10 hours). Bake for 1 hour at 350 or until internal temp is 180 degrees. You won't want to, but let cool until warm before slicing in and loading up with butter and homemade raspberry preserves.

 

[guitar2mw]

These are a customer favorite. I use them as samples to showcase our marinades at the shop (I'm a butcher). They're easy to fix and relatively cheap. You can choose to grill the chicken or use a skillet and fry it up. Recipe makes 4 large quesadillas.

Lime and Chili Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbs. chili powder
- 3 Tbs. lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 jar queso blanco (white mexican cheese)
- 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles (optional - add to taste)
- 1 12 oz. bag grated mexican cheese (usually a blend of asadero, monterey jack, mild cheddar, and queso blanco)
- 1 pack large soft flour tortillas

Mix chili powder, lime juice, and sugar together. Place raw chicken breasts in a tupperware container and add marinade. Shake vigorously, covering chicken in the marinade. Add 1/4 cup water. Allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator. If this is not possible, massage the mixture into the chicken breasts for 10 to 15 minutes vigorously.

Mix queso blanco and green chiles. Spread mixture on 4 tortillas.

Grill or fry chicken until well done. Cut into thin 1 inch strips. Place the chicken on one side of the tortilla and add grated mexican cheese on top. Fold over and toast on both sides until tortilla is slightly browned and crunchy.

Goes excellent with black beans, mexican rice, and a margarita.

 

[Jim]

Always a crowd favorite!

Enjoy!​

Thanks TJ!​

 

[DeusVult]

Since it is autumn, thoughts turn to a good bowl of chili. Here's my recipe for an adapted Chili Colorado. I am also including a separate basic pinto bean recipe, for those who like to do everything from scratch (like I do). One of the ingredients in this recipe is beer. Any beer will likely do, but I happened to use Newcastle Brown Ale. Also, beef stock is an ingredient. I recommend making your own or buying a good brand. The better the ingredients, the better the final product. This is not a quick recipe. Beans from scratch should be soaked overnight. Cooking time on the beans and chili is about three hours. I won a chili cook-off with this recipe last year. Here's the recipe:

Chili Colorado​

Ingredients

6 ancho, mulato or other large dried red chiles
5 pounds beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bacon fat
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
¼ cup chile powder
8 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp crushed red pepper, more or less to taste
1 tsp salt
12 oz beer, more if necessary
1 cup beef stock, more if necessary
2 Tbsp molasses
2 fresh Anaheim or other mild green chiles, coarsely chopped

Directions

Soak dried chiles in boiling water for 1 hour.

Generously season beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a couple tablespoons of bacon fat in a large Dutch oven. Brown beef in batches and remove to platter. Add additional bacon fat as needed. After beef is browned, add the onions to the pot and sauté until tender and just golden. Return beef to the Dutch oven along with any accumulated juices.

Drain chiles and reserve soaking liquid. Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Put chiles in a food processer along with the chile powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, crushed red pepper, and salt. Process to a thick paste. If mixture is too thick, add some reserved soaking liquid. Transfer mixture to the Dutch oven.

Add beer and beef stock to Dutch oven. At this point, mixture can be stored overnight in the refrigerator. Otherwise, add enough liquid to almost cover the meat. Bring to a boil. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place lid on Dutch oven and place in oven. Allow chili to braise for 2 hours. Check chili to make sure all the liquid does not evaporate, adding additional liquid if needed. Check beef to see if it is fork-tender. If not, continue to cook until done.

Remove chili from oven and stir in molasses and chopped mild green chiles. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and crushed red pepper as desired. If adding beans (recipe below), stir them in now. Add additional beer or beef stock as needed to achieve desired consistency. Simmer chili until green chiles are tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Basic Pinto Beans​

Ingredients

1 pound dry pinto beans (about 2 cups)
water
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 slices raw bacon, chopped
3 quarts water
2 tsp salt

Directions

Place dry beans in a colander and pick over to remove any dirt or small stones. Rinse well under cold water. Place rinsed beans in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Place in refrigerator overnight. The beans will triple in size.

Drain beans. Place beans in a large cooking pot. Add garlic, bay leaves, bacon and 3 quarts of cold water. Do not add salt! Salt will prevent beans from softening properly. Bring beans to a boil and then reduce heat. Allow beans to simmer for 2 hours or until tender. Add salt and cook for another 15 minutes. Drain and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 

[haagiboy]

Dont know if anyone here have posted a Spaghetti recipe, so here it goes:

Students Spaghetti:
1 Onion
1 can of boxed tomatoes, already cut
400g Minced meat
1 carrot (fine sliced)
2 cloves of garlic
Seasalt and pepper
Fresh basil leaves and Oregano.

So easy, and tastes MMMM good!

 

[Luc]

Dont know if anyone here have posted a Spaghetti recipe, so here it goes:

Students Spaghetti:
1 Onion
1 can of boxed tomatoes, already cut
400g Minced meat
1 carrot (fine sliced)
2 cloves of garlic
Seasalt and pepper
Fresh basil leaves and Oregano.

So easy, and tastes MMMM good!

That's a basic Spaghetti Bolognaise sauce... I sometimes substitute the carrot for a red bell pepper (red capsicum) to give the sauce a different taste. And in my case, you got to have chili!

Love it!

 

[icedoverfire]

Poha is beaten, flattened rice, found in specialist Indian shops. This recipe works great as a weekend brunch item.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups poha (flattened rice)
* 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* 1 tsp mustard seeds
* 5-6 curry leaves
* 2 green chillies slit lengthwise (optional)
* 1 medium onion chopped fine
* 1 large/2medium potatoes quartered and sliced very thin
* Handful of unsalted peanuts (skins removed)
* Pinch of turmeric powder
* Juice of 1/2 a lime
* Salt to taste
* Chopped coriander to garnish

Preparation:

* Put the poha in a sieve and wash under running water for 2 minutes. Keep aside to drain.
* Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the spluttering stops and then add the onion. Fry till soft and translucent.
* Add the peanuts and potatoes and stirring frequently, cook for 2-3 minutes.
* Drain the poha completely to remove all water and add it to the above mix. Add the turmeric powder and stir well to blend all ingredients.
* Cook for another minute. Turn off the fire. Pour lime juice over the poha and mix well.
* Garnish with chopped coriander and serve while hot. Poha tastes great with Mint-Coriander Chutney!

NB: Recipe obtained from here - http://indianfood.about.com/od/sidesandsalads/r/poha.htm

- ice

 

[mtsgsd]

This recipe came from Cooks Illustrated, and I'll include their ingredient list, but you'll see my notes as to what I do. This made the best meatballs I've ever had, and the sauce was surprisingly good too! I make meatball sandwiches with this.

Note:
1.One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk.
2.Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4.

Meatballs:
2 1/4 cups (about 6 ounces) panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , chopped fine
3 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (I used 2tbs parsley paste in a tube)
3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin , dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
Table salt and ground black pepper

Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups grated onion from 1 to 2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups tomato juice (bottled) (Rubbish. Even 3 cups was way too much. maybe a can of sauce instead? I like very thick sauce.)
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine (I don't bother with this)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves (used 2tbs basil paste in a tube)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (used 1 tbs parsley paste in a tube)
Granulated sugar
Parmesan cheese , grated, for serving

1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Place wire racks in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

2. Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 11/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bread-crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball (about 2 ounces); repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs.

3. Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

4. FOR THE SAUCE: While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.

6. TO SERVE: Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss pasta with 1½ cups sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce, and grated Parmesan separately.

 

[mtsgsd]

From an Internet show (now gone) called Food Mob. This stuff is really, really good! I use garlic mashed potatoes instead of the original plain, and added mushrooms and peas to the meat. I'd suggest starting the potatoes while you're cooking the meat.

2 Lb ground 93% lean (Ordinarily wouldn't use super lean, but do it here so you don't have to drain it.)
2 Onions
8oz. Sliced Baby Portabellas, coarsely chopped.
4 Cloves Garlic
approx. 3 lb. Potatoes
1 Tin Chopped tomatoes
2 Carrots
1 Cup Peas
2 Cups grated cheddar cheese
1 Sprig Thyme
2 Tsp Tomato puree
1 stick butter
Half and Half
Garlic Powder & Garlic Salt (about 2 tbsp ea.)
6 Tsp Gravy mix

Instructions:
1.Sweat the Mushrooms, over a medium heat until most of the water is gone, then add the onions, garlic and carrots. Cook till veggies begin to soften.

2.Add the hamburger to the onions and brown off.

3.Add the chopped tomatoes, gravy mix, Thyme, and the puree to the meat and cook out until the right consistency (about 20 minutes) Stir in the Peas.

4.Add the the meat mixture to an oven proof casserole dish. (I use a dutch oven, with double the meat, and more potatoes so there's plenty of left overs!)

5.Boil the potatoes in water with a pinch of salt until soft.

6.Once the potatoes are soft drain and mash with the butter and half&half. Add liquid in batches after the butter to see what you need. Add Garlic Salt and Garlic Powder to taste.

7.Add the potatoes and grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. 350 degrees

 

[mtsgsd]

By: --mtsgsd
Type: Mexican

From Alton Brown. He calls it "Taco Potion #19"

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper​

• Put all of the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
• Yield: 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

Method:

1. Sautee a med. chopped onion until clear
2. Add 2 cloves of pressed garlic
3. Add 1lb. Ground Beef and brown
4. Add 2/3 cup beef stock, and let it thicken as disired.

Use this in tacos or burritos or whatever!

 

[Leche]

Simple Flour Tortillas

Wisk
4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

With fingers stir in

4 Tbs Vegetable Shortening/Butter/Lard
Lard tastes the best, but any of the three are fine.
The mixture will take on a slight crumbly texture.

Slowly mix in (by hand) 1 1/2 c warm water until it is doughy and loses most of it's stickiness. Move to floured surface and kneed until smooth. Divide into 24 (approx) small dough balls. Roll out with dowel and cook on heated surface. These will be about 6 inch diameter and I prefer an electric skillet at 325 with a little bit of oil on the surface.

Chorizo Burgers

1/2 pound Chorizo
1 1/2 pound Ground Beef or Turkey
1/2 White Onion - Diced
1 Egg
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 Oatmeal or Dry Bread Crumbs

Combine above ingredients and separate into equal size paties. BBQ until well done. I say this only because of the chorizo. Top with Ortega Chili, Jalapeno, or Sereno, or whatever pepper you desire and melt cheese over the top, I prefer Pepper Jack. Serve however you desire, try sauteed sweet onions with lettuce and tomato, chipotle mayo, and Hawaiian style buns.