playing with fire and water

pulled beef bbq grits

Grits are not something that I normally go to as a side dish. I have my New England upbringing to blame, but a recent trip through the Carolinas may have changed that. 

I have long wanted to visit the city of Charleston SC for various reasons. The food, the flora, the antebellum architecture, the colorful history-- all compelling draws. Underlying these was a romanticized curiosity about a city that had spawned and/or inspired many of my favorite authors-- and sustained me through the 850 mile drive.

We arrived in Charleston late on a Sunday night. My husband, who had driven the entire way, opted to hang back in the hotel while I went out, hungry and restless, in search of local flavor. I found an old, established restaurant not far from the hotel and ordered a Dark 'n Stormy and Shrimp and Grits. The cocktail was an antidote to my road-weariness. The Shrimp and Grits, though lacking finesse in presentation and execution, was soothing and comforting.

Strolling back to the hotel, I was hyper-aware of my surroundings. Flickering gas lanterns lit the cobbled sidewalk. Soft breezes carried the mingled scents of decay, gardenias and salt marsh and the sound of soulful blues drifting from a distant nightclub.  Was it my overactive imagination or the rum that caused me to believe that I could feel the stirrings of the ghosts, angels and demons that haunt the city? The whole time, I was thinking about the Shrimp and Grits-- not about it's flaws-- but about how eating the dish was like riding a bullet shot straight into the heart of a place.

I ordered cheese grits for breakfast the next day and noted how comfortable they were with eggs. I ordered them again, two days later in Asheville NC, with some excellent BBQ and marveled at how perfectly they foiled the tangy/sweet/smoky sauce and succulent meat.

The trip continued with stops in Virginia and Pennsylvania, where I picked up more memories of places, people, and food. I indulged in extraordinary tasting menus that were masterful, poetic, and delicious. I returned home weary from travel, yet revitalized, and-- strangely-- craving grits with BBQ sauce. 

beer-braised pulled short ribs

bbq grits

purple snow pea salad

rau ram 

To make bbq grits:  Bring 1 cup of beer to a boil. Stir in 1/4 cup corn grits, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beer is absorbed and grits are creamy. Stir in 1/4 cup bbq sauce and 2 Tablespoons smoked butter.

umami burger

Wait, wait, don't go...you're at the right place. Really, you are.

I know...I'm giving you a burger. But it's a special burger. Let me tell you why.

First, this is no fast food burger. It's about as slow as it gets. The hangar steak for the burger was marinated for 12 hours, then dry-aged for 3 days. The shittake buns needed to rise (twice) before being baked into soft pillows. The tomatoes were slowly roasted in a low oven to concentrate their flavor, then reduced to a paste on top of the stove. The onions were slowly caramelized, then dried until crisp in a slow oven. Even the cheese was transformed.

But the whole point of this burger is flavor. The kind of synergistic deliciousness that comes from the layering of glutamate-rich foods that produce the taste of umami. 

Umami--the fifth taste--is a chemical reaction that takes place on our taste receptors to produce a pleasant savory taste. As far back as 1825, Brillat-Savarin described the taste of meat as "toothsome" which is similar to the Japanese interpretation of "deliciousness". Brillat-Savarin also sagely foretold that the "future of gastronomy belongs to chemistry". As it turns out, it was chemistry that led to our understanding of glutamates, a type of amino acid, and the discovery of the synergy that occurs when foods containing glutamates are combined, the resulting taste is increased and magnified exponentially. [Does that make umami a fractal taste?].

Recently, scientists have uncovered the way that glutamates activates the nerves on our tongues. Referred to as the "Venus flytrap" mechanism, "Glutamate lands on your tongue and nestles into a glutamate-shaped depression on an umami receptor. Upon contact, the receptor--an enormous, folded protein--changes shape and grasps the glutamate. That shape change also activates the neuron that tells your brain you are tasting umami. Inosinate(compound found in meat) and guanylate(compound found in mushrooms) can bind to a seperate part of the umami receptor. Once bound, they tighten the receptors grip on glutamate, increasing its ability to taste up to 15-fold before the receptor relaxes its grip."

To understand this principle, we have only to examine the intuitive use of umami in world cuisine and how it has led to the foods that we crave. In Italy there is the popular trio of bread, tomatoes and cheese that takes on many forms. In the US, we have the burger and fries--an umami symphony of beef, bread, cheese, tomato, and potato. Mexico has its tacos and wide use of cornmeal and black beans. England loves its fish & chips and Australia knows the secret of Vegemite. Every culture has its versions of charcuterie and fermented beverages. But it is perhaps Asia that has the most extensive and refined applications of umami with their use of fermented soy products, seaweed, cured fish, and mushrooms--all sources of highly-concentrated glutamates.

Interestingly, we have glutamate receptors in our stomachs as well as our mouths. When the receptors in the stomach are stimulated, they send a message to the brain, which then sends an order back to the stomach to start digesting. Latest studies show that glutamates may play an important role in our digestion of protein. Wouldn't it be nice if, for once, something that tastes good turned out to be not only good for us, but essential to our health?

.......................................................................

Umami Burger

The beef:

Beef is a glutamate goldmine, particularly when cured or aged. To that end, hangar steak was marinated in soy, fish sauce and dashi, then dry-aged and combined with fresh chuck eye steak.

Dashi--a simple broth of kombu and bonito--is loaded with umami. It contains 3700mg of glutamates per 100g.

Recipe: Umami burgers

The bread:

Breads are a good source of glutamates because of fermentation, a process that unbinds protein molecules and allows the release of bound-up glutamate.

Dried shittakes (used here) contain 1060mg of glutamate(guanylate) per 100g as opposed to fresh, which contain 71mg/100g. The dough also contains soy sauce and fermented black beans to produce an incredibly savory and fragrant bread with a soft texture attributed to the addition of milk and eggs.

recipe: Shittake hamburger rolls

The tomato:

Ripe tomatoes have 10 times more glutamates than unripe. Roasting tomatoes also concentrates the glutamates and deepens the flavor. Kecap manis (sweetened soy sauce) is added in the reduction stage to increase the umami and mimic the ripening.

Most of the umami in tomatoes is concentrated in the seeds and inner membranes, so be sure to leave them in when cooking and strain out later.

Recipe: Tomato kecap

The cheese:

Parmesan has the highest concentration of glutamates among cheese with 1680mg per 100g. As a general rule: the older and drier the cheese, the more umami. Because Parmesan is very dry, it doesn't make a good "melty" cheese--a requirement for a good burger--yet there had to be a way to make it work. Digging through online science journals, I hit on the secret to making processed cheese. It's as simple as using sodium citrate as an emulsifying salt. With just two ingredients--sake (for umami) and sodium citrate-- it became possible to turn dry and crumbly Parmesan into a soft and supple sheet.

Recipe:  Pliable parmesan

 

The potatoes:

Pre-cooking potatoes with dry heat is the best way to achieve a crackling-crisp crust with soft, fluffy innards and the microwave is much quicker than an oven.

Scoff if you want, but I make my fries at home in the microwave. On second thought, don't scoff until you try it.  The process is so simple and the results so satisfying that you'll wonder why you never did it this way before:

Recipe: Microwave fries

  

oxtail almond malt

Today was probably not the best day for this dish. 

Earlier in the week when I purchased the oxtails, there was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and I was craving a rich, hearty braise. There was still a chill in the air when I put them in a low oven and braised them late into the night, falling asleep to the comforting smell of malt and meat. 

But today, as the snow quickly melted on this unseasonably warm day, my appetite wavered to peas and radishes and young, fresh food. So I wrapped it up and put it away for tomorrow, when the cold will return along with a craving for slow-cooked meat.

oxtail braised in malt

almond risotto

oxalis

Oxtails are full of connective tissue that contain collagen proteins. When cooked at temperatures above 65C, the collagen breaks down into gelatin. The shredded meat can be shaped and compressed and the gelatin will help it hold its shape. This technique can be applied to any hard-working cut of meat that is cooked long and slow such as pulled pork or lamb shanks.

Almonds and nuts can be treated like grains if they are first cooked until tender. This can take a long time by conventional methods. A pressure cooker will tenderize nuts in under an hour, depending on the variety and age.

To make almond risotto, chopped slivered almonds are toasted until golden and fragrant, then cooked in stock until tender. The stock is reduced at the end of the cooking until syrupy. Drained yogurt or labne is stirred in at the end to round out the flavor with a bit of tartness.

heart beet

I didn't decide to pair beef heart with beetroot because it made a catchy title. That was just a bonus. 

The inspiration was a salad that featured thin slices of grilled heart with chopped beets and spinach. It was a fine salad but it was lacking something to cut through the sameness of it. That something, I decided, was a kick of horseradish.

A mayonnaise seemed an appropriate vehicle for the horseradish and I was intrigued by the one that Chad made from a fluid gel. The concept was sound: the fluid gel provided texture within a flavor base of horseradish-infused milk, and the addition of oil gave it a creamy roundness.

beef heart

beets

heart of palm

spinach

sango sprouts

horseradish mayo

walnut oil

The beef with a heart of beet was an opportunity to try out Activa GS. The GS differs from RM in that it contains gelatin which is synergistic with transglutaminase. A thick slurry (3 parts water, 1 part GS, salt, pepper) was brushed onto thin slices of raw beef heart, then wrapped around a cylinder of pre-cooked beet. It was left to activate overnight, then sous vide at 60C (140F) for 35 minutes.

      

     

        Recipe: horseradish mayo (fluid gel base)

ginger dog

Enough with the globetrotting and history lessons.  Let's eat!

ginger dog

sweet pickle powder

whipped chili

mustard creme

ginger mustard crisp

Hot dogs have been on my to-do list for a long time. Every now and then I would spot the bookmark signaling to me from between the pages of Michael Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" but for one reason or another, I've never gotten around to them. I think that they were waiting for ginger bread and ginger beer to draw them out. Some things are worth the wait.

ginger dogs

beef hot dog nuggets

Traditional hot dogs can be made by forcing the paste into sheep casings, which are then smoked,  grilled, or roasted. Here, they are formed into bite-sized nuggets.

2 1/2 lbs meat and fat from about 5 lbs of beef short ribs

1 Tblsp salt

1 tsp pink curing salt

1 cup cold water

1 Tblsp dry mustard

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp black pepper

1 Tblsp finely minced garlic

2 Tblsp light corn syrup

Cut meat into 1" cubes and grind through the small holes of a meat grinder. Add salt, pink salt, and water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and chill for at least 24 and up to 48 hours to cure. 

After curing, add the remaining ingredients and toss. Regrind the meat through the small holes of a meat grinder. In 3 batches, process the meat in a food processor until it is reduced to a fine paste. To make nuggets, place a heaping Tablespoon of paste in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Gather up the ends and twist to form a ball. Tie with twine. Sous-vide at 65C for 30 minutes.

ginger batter

Finely ground (in a spice grinder) and toasted (300F oven for 8-10 minutes) ginger bread stands in for traditional cornmeal, lending the batter an alluring aroma. The yeast in the ginger beer, along with the baking powder transforms the thick batter into a light and crisp crust.

1/2 cup toasted ginger bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 Tblsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tblsp melted butter

1/2 cup ginger beer

Stir together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, butter, and ginger beer and add to dry ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.

To make ginger dogs, impale each pre-cooked hot dog nugget onto the tip of a skewer. Dip in the batter, twirling to form an even coat. Deep-fry in 375F vegetable oil.

steak mushroom corn tahoon

chicken beef steak

                  

 

I am a carnivore. I make no apologies, I eat meat proudly.

There was a period of time that I could not eat meat. A few months into my first pregnancy, the act of  walking into a grocery store turned me into a hound, complete with a vast network of keen olfactory nerves, all of them finely tuned to one scent; that of blood. Where a hound would have salivated, it turned me wretched from nausea. It was months before I could walk into a store unscathed.

When my appetite for meat returned, it was with a vengeance. I craved bloody rare steak with such ardor that it sent me on a quest for the perfect cut of beef to grill or sear. My search ended when I discovered flat iron steak; a remarkable cut of meat whose tenderness is rivaled only by tenderloin, yet possesses the full-on beefy flavor of sirloin. I ate so much steak at that time that I was sure that my next craving would have been for grass.

Instead, I began reveling in the pleasures of a perfectly roasted chicken: crispy skin, juicy meat, and the liquid gold in the form of chicken caramel that sticks to the bottom of the pan.

There were times when the cravings for chicken and steak were simultaneous and urgent. In those instances, I could only wish that they could be fused together.

Sometimes, wishes do come true.

                           

                        

                   

                                                                          

                     chicken breast and flat iron steak
                     beech mushrooms
                     ciopollini onion
                     potato and toasted almond sand
                     miso chicken caramel
                     spring onion sprouts

Cravings aside, chicken and beef that is Maillard cooked form a synergism where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They share many flavor compounds and are both full of umami. When combined, individual umami compounds have a magnifying effect on each other and can increase flavor eightfold. Add to that equation potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, all rich in umami, and you can see why these are classic pairings that have stood the test of time.

McDonalds certainly understands the synergism of potatoes and beef. They have built an empire on their french fries which until 1990 were fried in a mixture of about 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef tallow. They eventually switched to pure vegetable oil after insurmountable criticism about the amount of cholesterol in their fries. But they weren't about to give up their money maker--now, they add "natural beef flavor" to their oil.

For this dish, fried potatoes are a given, but I've presented them in the form of a sand. Micro cubes of potatoes are double fried--the first time at a 275 degrees F. to cook them through and form a skin, then they are cooled and re-fried at 375 degrees F. until golden and crisp. The addition of crushed, toasted almonds accentuates the texture and flavor.

          

corned beef tongue

If I were not such a procrastinator, this is what I could've served for dinner last Monday night:

corned beef tongue
sous vide homegrown assorted carrots
potato-stuffed brussels sprouts
braised leeks
colcannon puree
whole-grain mustard crisps
pickled mustard seeds
malt reduction

corned beef tongue
2-3 beef tongues
2 qts cold water
12 oz kosher salt
4 oz brown sugar
1/4 oz sodium nitrate (optional, but will give the tongue its pink color)
3 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 tsps black peppercorns
2 tsps mustard seeds
1 tsp whole allspice berries
1 tsp dried thyme

corning: Lay tongues in a single layer in a non-reactive container. Bring water, salt, sugar and sodium nitrate to boil in a stainless steel saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour brine over tongues, it should cover them by a few inches. Add remaining ingredients and place a heavy plate on top of tongues to keep them submerged. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 days. Remove tongues from brine. Discard brine and wash container. Return tongues to container, cover with fresh, cold water and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator to remove excess salt.
cooking: Remove tongues from water and place them in a large pot. Add 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery and enough cold water to cover the tongues by a few inches. Simmer tongues for 3-4 hours or until very tender. (The tongues can also be cooked in a pressure cooker for 1 hour.)  Remove the skin while still warm. Wrap tongues tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Slice thinly to serve.

Umami

    laurel ridge grass-fed beef
    beefsteak tomato and shallot
    black truffle
    edamame and wasabi
    parmesan powder
    micro peppercress
    balinese sea salt