Sautéed Split Fillet

Makes 4-6 servings.

In the past I avoided pan searing meat or poultry because I was concerned about calories and keeping the cooktop splatter free.  Instead, I would broil it. Then I purchased a splatter cover for my skillet, which partially solved the problem.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ pounds split fillet (London broil)

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

PREPARATION:

1. In a small bowl combine the MARINADE ingredients.

2. Place the meat in a non-reactive dish such as Pyrex and coat the meat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for as long as convenient.

3. Bring the meat to room temperature.

4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat with the marinade, cover the skillet with the splatter cover and sauté for 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Turn off the burner, cover the pan with foil and let the meat rest for 2 minutes.  

6. This timing is for medium-rare meat.

7. Slice on a diagonal into ½ inch slices.

Stir Fried Chopped Meat and Rice

Makes 4 servings. 

This is a quick, wholesome, convenient family dish for all seasons. The lettuce scattered over the meat gives it a nice crunchy taste.

INGREDIENTS:

THE RICE

• I cup brown rice

• 1 ¼ cups water

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

THE MEAT 

• 1 ¼ pounds ground meat, blend of half beef and half veal

• 4 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped   

• 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped 

• 4 scallions, including the green parts, sliced into thin rounds

• 2 tablespoons dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

• 1 cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper.

THE TOPPING

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small iceberg lettuce cut into wide strips

PREPARATION:

1. Place the rice in a small saucepan, add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. The rice should be soft and all the water absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

2. Place the meat in a dish and mash with a fork.  

3. Heat a wok, add 2 tablespoons oil and heat the oil.  Add the garlic, ginger and scallions. Sauté for a minute and transfer to a small dish.  

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the wok.  Heat the oil, add the meat and stir fry over high heat until meat begins to change color. Add the wine, ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce. and parsley. Stir in the rice and season to taste with soy sauce, salt and pepper. 

5. Place in a serving dish with a cover to keep warm.

6. Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the lettuce over high heat until they are JUST BEGINNING TO WILT. Scatter over the meat.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 main course servings.

This dish is well seasoned with a distinct tomato flavor. I serve it with rice, pasta or other grains. The sauce as well as the meat balls can be prepared ahead of time and freeze well.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped,

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 0ne 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 4 sun dried tomato halves packed in oil, cut into thin strips

• ½ cup dry red wine

• 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves, torn into small pieces.

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEAT BALLS:

• 1 pound chopped meat; a blend of ½ pound veal and ½ pound beef

• ¼ cup panko

• 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.

2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

TO MAKE THE MEAT BALLS:

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.

2. Place the meat in a bowl along with the panko, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix very well with your hands, take your time.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Roll the meat into walnut size balls, or you can use the smallest ice cream scooper to form the balls.

4. Place on the cookie sheet.

5. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet and sauté the balls briefly turning them with a spoon. They will be lightly seared. When brown, drop them into the simmering sauce and cook for 20 minutes, covered. 

6. Season to taste.

Braised Duck

Makes 3-4 servings.

This is a well-seasoned versatile winter dish. Marinating the meat and then slowly braising it at a very low temperature brings out its robust flavor. As a salad, I serve it with dressed baby spinach. As a main course, with brown rice, steamed sugar snaps or steamed snow peas. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boned duck legs and attached thighs
• Baby Spinach

MARINADE

• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons five -spice powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 7 star anise

DRESSING FOR BABY SPINACH

• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1½ teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Rinse the duck and dry with paper towels.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Coat each piece of duck well with the marinade and place in a zip lock bag.
3. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.  
4. Preheat the oven to 275F.
5. Place the duck in a roasting pan, in a single layer skin side up with any leftover marinade.    
6. Roast for 3 hours, the meat should be tender. 
7. Discard the cinnamon stick and the star anise. Pour off the accumulated fat.
8. Remove the skin and discard.
9. Cut the duck into small pieces.   

French Lentils and Beef Salad

Makes 4 servings.

This herb accented, healthy salad can be a meal by itself.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup French green lentils
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
• 12 medium size Brussels sprouts
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, approx
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, approx 
• 10 tarragon sprigs, petals pulled off, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound rib eye steak (Delmonico)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salad greens, such as hearts of Romaine lettuce, or to your liking.

PREPARATION:

1. In a heavy small saucepan with a cover bring to a boil over high heat the water, salt and lentils. Lower the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.  If the lentils are not ready and all the water is absorbed add 1-2 tablespoons hot water and continue cooking. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Trim the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and discard outer damaged leaves.
4. Cut into halves. Place on the baking sheet, mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Cool and add to the lentils. 
6. Season the lentils and the Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt. Add tarragon and parsley and combine. Set aside.
7. Pat dry the meat with paper towels and cut into 1-2 inch strips.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in wok or heavy skillet and stir fry the meat quickly over high heat until the meat is just seared. Season with salt and pepper. 

TO SERVE:

Place the greens on the bottom of a bowl, sprinkle lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add lentils with Brussels sprouts and top with the meat. 

Cholent

Makes 4-6 servings as a main course.

6-8 servings as a side dish.

The origin of the word cholent may come from the old French word chald or the modern meaning chaud “warm.”

This Eastern European casserole is a Sabbath luncheon dish. It is cooked overnight.

There are many variations of this dish. Mine is a combination of barley, a variety of beans and meat. You can use any bean combination. Some people also add potatoes.

Those who serve this dish at every Sabbath meal have an electric slow cooker that they set for the appropriate cooking time. If you have a stove top friendly slow cooker you can make the whole dish in the same pot. I do not and therefore I prepare all the ingredients in a pot and transfer it to a slow cooker. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• ½ cup medium pearl barley

• ½ cup dried chickpeas

• ¾ cup dried large lima beans

• ¾ cup dried red kidney beans

• 2 pounds, boned, flanken, trimmed of fat, cubed

• 5 cups cold water, approx

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan add onion and garlic. Sautee over low heat for a minute. Pat the meat dry, add to the saucepan and sauté for a minute. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

2. Rinse the barley and legumes in a sieve and add to the meat. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the froth as it rises to the surface.

3. Boil for a few minutes then transfer to a slow cooker.

4. Set the temperature of the cooker to low and set the timer for 15 hours.

5. The legumes will be soft and there will be a light crust on top. You may have to skim off some of the fat as well.

6. Before serving, check if the cholent is seasoned to your taste and if it is moist enough. If it is too dry add some boiling water.

Pot Roast

Makes 12 servings.

Pot roast is a method of cooking and brisket is a cut of meat, and yet the words have become interchangeable and incorrectly used.

Pot roast is a comfort dish, which is convenient to make for large crowds. It freezes very well and leftovers are good reheated.

I braise the meat flat, as it is. Midway, I stop the braising, I cool the meat and slice it (this method allows me to better control slicing the meat). Then I continue cooking the meat until it is fork tender.

If you use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, you will be able to refrigerate the meat in the same pan in which it cooks.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ ounce imported dried Italian mushrooms
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 5 pounds boned first cut brisket of beef, bottom part, trimmed of all fat (See Note)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• One 14.5 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 bunch thyme, tied with a string.
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Place mushrooms in a small dish and pour over boiling water. Cover and let stand for ½ an hour.
2. Strain mushroom liquid through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing mushrooms over strainer to extract all liquid; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325F.
4. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven until hot. Sear meat on both sides over high heat. Transfer the meat to a platter and season with salt and pepper.
5. Sauté the onions and garlic in the pan drippings. Return the meat to the pan with the reserved mushroom liquid, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine and thyme.  Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a sheet of heavy foil and then the lid. This method retains the heat better.  Braise the meat for 1hour, turn over and braise for another hour (the meat shrinks quite a bit).
6. Cool.  Slice the meat across the grain into thin slices, I like mine 1/8 to ¼ inches thick.
7. You may have to rotate the meat in order not to lose the grain.
8. Return the slices to the pan and bring to a boil. Return to the oven to braise for about 3 more hours. The meat should be fork tender.
9. Discard the thyme.
10. To degrease the sauce. You can either skim off the fat, or I prefer to pour the cooled sauce into a dish and leave it in the freezer for a short while. The fat will rise to the top, making it easy to discard. 
11. Season the sauce to taste.  If you like a thick gravy you may want to boil the sauce over high heat, uncovered.  You decide the consistency that you like. 

NOTE:

It is difficult for me to recommend the right cut of meat because everyone has a preference. By that I mean, some people like the top part and others like the bottom part.  I cook it with the bottom part.

If you chop the onions and the garlic in a food processor be sure to quarter the vegetables first.

 I prefer to defrost the frozen meat in the refrigerator. 

If you do not have a fine mesh sieve to strain the mushroom liquid, line the sieve with a paper towel and then strain it. 

Split Fillet (London Broil)

Makes 4-6 servings.

For steak lovers this cut of meat is one of the leanest. It does shrink a bit after broiling or grilling, but it cooks quickly and is easy to slice as well as to serve.

This marinade also goes well with other cuts of meat.  

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ pounds split fillet (London broil)

MARINADE

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Coarsely chop the garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle with sugar and salt. With a knife, crush into a paste. Combine the paste with the other ingredients. Coat the steak with the marinade on both sides and place in a non-reactive dish, such as Pyrex. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
2. Preheat the broiler or grill. If broiling cover the whole broiling pan, which comes with most ovens, with heavy foil.  Then make a large “shallow basket” with a piece of heavy foil, crimping it at the corners so that the juices do not spill out. Set the basket on the broiler pan.
3. Place the meat in the basket and broil close to the heat source for 5 minutes on each side for rare meat.
4. Remove from the oven and cover the meat with the existing foil for 2 minutes, so that the juices can flow back to the tissue (that’s if you like your meat rare).
5. I like to cut the fillets into ½ inch slices.