Chili: The final (and complete) recipe

If you ask 10 people, “What is the best chili?”, you are likely to get 1o different answers. As with so many things in life, personal preference reigns supreme when it comes to chili. My own preferences have changed, better, evolved over the years, and this recipe is the result. You may close to make modifications to the ingredients according to your preferences, but try to give this recipe at least one try. I welcome any comments or suggestion regarding it, BUT, I’m not likely to change the recipe any time soon!

Ingredients

For the chili powder:

(Note: For this recipe, you will need about 2 cups of chili powder)

• 4 parts ground ancho pepper
• 2 parts oregano (preferably, Mexican oregano)
• 1 part ground cumin
• 1 part smoked paprika
• 1 part ground chipotle pepper
• 1/2 part Goya Sazon seasoning
• 1/2 part fine ground dark roast coffee
• 1/2 part sumac

For the chili :

• 5 lbs. beef brisket
• 2 lbs smoked sausage
• 3 lbs yellow onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 cups tomato paste
• 2 cups chili powder (see above)
• 1 cup bourbon whiskey
• 12 oz. dark bitter beer
• 3 squares (70% or better cocoa) chocolate
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup spicy V8 vegetable juice
• 1/2 stick butter
• 3 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 tbsp. masa flour

Directions

Prep time: About 2 hours. Cooking time: At least 3 hours.

Mix together the ingredients for the chili powder, and set aside.

Combine the cup of beef broth and cup of V8. This is what I call ‘balancing liquid’, and it will be used to adjust the final consistency of your chili. Set this aside.

Now, break out your largest skillet (a wok works well too). In a little butter or olive oil, cook the onion and garlic until the moisture has been removed, and the onion is beginning to brown. Drain any excess liquid, and set aside.

Take 1 pound of the sausage and 2 pounds of the brisket, and using the coarsest die on your meat grinder, grind these meats together. Sauté the ground meat until browned, drain any excess liquid, and set aside.

With the 3 pounds of brisket and 1 pound of sausage remaining, cut this meat into a 1/4 inch dice. This will take a little while. Separately, brown the beef and sausage, again,  draining any excess liquid, and set aside.

Now let’s make chili. In a large pot (at least 8 quarts) add all the ingredients EXCEPT 1 cup of the chili powder, the masa flour and the balancing liquid (beef broth/V8). Mix throughly, and then bring the chili up to heat. Simmer the chili for one hour, covered. Stir every 15 minutes.

Remove the cover, and stir in the masa flour. This will thicken the chili somewhat. Add the balancing liquid as necessary to achieve the consistency you prefer in your chili. I like mine very thick, almost like a condensed stew. Also add more of the reserved chili powder, to taste, to enrich the flavor of the chili. Continue to simmer for at least 2 more hours, uncovered, and throughly stirring every 15 minutes or so. The chili is done when the brisket has had time to become tender.

Notes

I nearly always serve chili with some kind of corn bread.

I prefer to male chili in large batches. It freezes well, and why go through all the bother for just a couple of bowls?

Of course, canning is an option as well!

Chili Part Two: Meat and Stuff

The “stuff” in chili is pretty easy to explain; the meat, much less so. It is a long, complex story.

So, I’ll start with the ‘stuff’. It really is this simple: Onions and garlic. No other vegetables, and NO beans. OK, if you want fresh chilis in the chili, no problem with that, but of late, I just add dried, ground chili to the mix at the end to adjust the heat based on who is eating the chili. And, of course, you can add beans, if you must. But talk to any serious Texan chili cook about beans, and expect to be laughed at.

The onions and garlic should be sautéed down to remove excess moisture. I cook mine till the onion is just beginning to brown. I will give the amounts in the final chili-related post, where the entire recipe is revealed.

The meat I use in chili is simple as well: beef and smoked sausage. But how I got to those is not simple.

When I was young, I thought chili was taking a pound of hamburger, browning it, cooking down diced yellow onion, adding a can of tomato sauce, a can of beans, and a spice jar of chili powder, and cooking it for an hour. That was it. Fortunately, I began to travel the country, and I learned what chili could, and should, be. I knew it must have small chunks of whole meat. So I began experimenting.

But not for long. At this time I married my first wife, who, though a lovely woman, was practically a vegetarian. So my experiments with meat were curtailed somewhat, as I had to begin using tofu, TVP, and tempeh to make chili. Now, don’t get me wrong. Each of these ‘non-meats’ has it’s time and place. But that place is not chili. I am thankful I learned to use these ingredients, and that knowledge has served me well over the years. But as soon as my divorce was final, I went right back to meat.

My proving grounds were annual ‘football fests’ – New Year’s Day gatherings of many long-time friends, spent watching college football bowl games. After all, who better to judge my efforts than beer-addled buddies? I used chunks of beef, pork, chicken and sausage in various combinations over the years, finally settling on just using beef and smoked sausage. These meats were prepared by cutting into 1/4 diced pieces, browning the meat, draining excess fat and juice, and adding to the chili pot.

The final discovery I made was using some portion of the meats in a back-to-the-future manner of grinding them up. Why? A chili cook-off to benefit my current wife’s election campaign. You have no idea how long it takes to cut 40 pounds of brisket and 16 pounds of sausage into 1/4 inch dice. And neither do I ! After spending hours doing about half the meat this way, I broke out the meat grinder, and using the coarsest die possible, ground the rest of it up. I delivered that the combination of the whole meat and ground meat yielded a consistency that was, well, awesome. I have since adjusted the proportion of chunked meat to ground meat of 2:1 .

Like most things in life, chili is a matter of personal preference. These are mine, and enough others are pleased with the result, so I’m sticking with it.

Well, I am back (maybe)! And this time, we are talking Chili !

Since I have again become more active in social media, and since a number of my posts are food related, I am thinking about re-activating this blog. I am sure that I will NOT be posting as often, but what I want to do is this: For any week that I make a Facebook post regarding food, the post which receives the most ‘likes’ I will post a recipe for it here on the blog.

For this first set of posts, I am going to disclose my recipe for chili. This has been a family secret for years, and in fact was developed over the years (about 25 of them). But I was able to use this recipe for a second place in a local chili festival. So, some people think it’s good. At least I am told. Sometimes, people are just ‘being nice’! Regardless, this is the first part of the formula.

At my real job in Waltham, MA recently, I overheard a conversation regarding chili, and specifically, chili powder. For years now, I have been making my own, as the commercial products are neither consistent, nor particularly flavorful. Here is my version:

Ingredients

• 4 parts ground ancho pepper
• 2 parts oregano (preferably, Mexican oregano)
• 1 part ground cumin
• 1 part smoked paprika
• 1 part ground chipotle pepper
• 1/2 part Goya Sazon seasoning
• 1/2 part fine ground dark roast coffee
• 1/2 part sumac

Directions

The recipe is expressed in parts, giving you the proportions to make any amount that you wish. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix throughly. Store in an airtight container. The stuff is good for about 6 months, which is about the length of the ‘Chili Season’, Fall and Winter.

Notes

It would appear at first glance that there is a LOT of actual chili pepper in this chili powder. This is as it should be. First both of the peppers are smoked peppers (the ancho is a smoked pablano pepper, and the chipotle is a smoked jalapeño). Smoking tempers the heat of the chili, and neither of these are particularly hot anyway. When it is time to ‘bring the heat’, add additional hot peppers during cooking of the chili. I use a combination of Habanero and Ghost peppers.

Mexican Oregano is not at all related to regular oregano, but they are similar in flavor. The Mexican herb is deeper and earthier, two things that work well in chili. Any decent hispanic grocery store will have it.

Use smoked paprika, again, to enhance the depth of the flavor. I really have never seen a commercial chili powder that uses smoked paprika, but one must exist. If you make it yourself, your’s will.

I do not frequently use a prepared product in any recipe, but this is one of the exceptions: Goya Sazón seasoning. It adds a bit of salty flavor, which is good, if you use the chili powder for things other than making chili (think French Fry seasoning!).

The powder contains 2 ‘bittering’ agents : Coffee and Sumac. Sumac is a seasoning common to Persian food, and is normally found in a Middle Eastern market. And yes, bitter flavors are VERY good in chili. There will be more when we actually make the chili itself.

For a Friend: Root Vegetable Kielbasa Soup

A friend of mine, Lex Poppens, has been trying some of the recipes from the blog, and has made my White Bean and Ham Soup a number of times. So for him, I have created this variation of a soup that I have made for a number of years.

I think this is pretty much the ultimate vegetable soup (Ok, yes, it does have some meat in it !). Instead of using above ground vegetables, we are going to focus instead on below ground vegetables – root vegetables. The bite of the the parsnips, daikon radish and turnip root, the sweetness of the carrots, and the earthy flavors of the rutabaga and celery root all combine to form the perfect meal for what is left of the Winter season. The mild Polish kielbasa sausage enhances, rather than overpowers, the vegetable flavors.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 1/2 pounds Polish kielbasa sausage
• 1 cup turnip root, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 cup rutabaga, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 cup celery root, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 cup carrots, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 cup parsnips, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 cup daikon radish, diced (1/4 inch)
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
• olive oil

Start with the kielbasa, by cutting it into a 1/4 inch dice. In a large skillet, brown the kielbasa over medium heat, allowing much of the fat to cook out. Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Take 1/4 cup of each of the root vegetables (celery root, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, daikon radish & turnip root) and coat generously with the olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet, and roast them in a 350 degree oven, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool, place the roasted vegetables in a food processor, add the 3 tablespoons of flour, and a couple of ounces of the chicken stock. Purée the vegetables until a smooth paste is formed. This is called a panada – it is used to thicken and flavor the soup.

In a large soup pot, add the diced sweet onion, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and the minced garlic, and sauté the mix until the onion just begins to brown. Immediately add the pre-cooked kielbasa, the remaining diced root vegetables, and enough of the chicken stock to cover it all, plus an extra 1/2 inch. Cover the pot, and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

When done simmering, uncover the pot, and skim the surface to remove any vegetable residue that might have formed. This will be minimal if your diced vegetables were properly peeled and washed prior to dicing them. Now we must ‘balance’ the soup. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of better and allow it to melt, stirring it in. Take the panada you made from the roasted vegetables, and stir it into the soup as well. This will thicken the soup and make the broth more flavorful. Add more chicken stock as necessary to achive a consistency to your liking – remember, this is a soup, not a stew, so do not make it too thick.

Add the copped parsley, and after about 10 more minutes of simmering, the soup is ready to be served.

Shrimp Hot Brown

The Hot Brown is a traditional southern dish that originated in Louisville, Kentucky. It has migrated, in various fashions, all over the country – I once had a version in Fairbanks, Alaska, which tells you how good the basic idea of a hot, open faced sandwich really is.

I confess that a friend of mine, Kevin Atkins, put the idea of this version into my head. It was his discussion of a shrimp-on-toast dish that moved me in this direction, using the shrimp to boost up the Hot Brown, and the Hot Brown to add substance to the shrimp. I took care to use only the best ingredients for the dish, these adding a depth and richness to something that can sometimes be a little bland.

This is a perfect winter meal, and is especially good with that familiar sandwich partner – a bowl of soup !

Ingredients

• One loaf of fine textured white bread, with a cheese component
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 8 strips applewood thick cut smoked bacon
• 1/2 pound deli sliced roast turkey
• 1/2 pound medium gulf pink shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup white sweet cooking sherry
• 5 ounces gruyere cheese
• 5 ounces smoked gouda cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• parsley for garnish

The great thing about making this is that all the components can pretty much be prepared separately and ahead of time, leaving only the final assembly and cooking to be done, prior to being served.

Start by making the toast. Slice your bread about 1/2 inch thick. I used an asiago cheese bread. If the crusts are too hard, cut them off. The idea is to have a nice soft bread underbelly to the dish. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small dish with the clove of minced garlic. Brush the top side of the bread with the garlic butter and toast in a 400 degree oven until the bread is only lightly toasted. Do not overdo it – you want the bread to remain mostly soft.

Cook the shrimp next. Place the stick of butter in a sauce pan, and melt it over medium heat. When melted, add the smoked paprika and the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to poach in the butter for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook the shrimp – the final assembly and cooking of the Hot Brown will finish the job of fully cooking the shrimp.

Cook the bacon slices in a hot pan, until the bacon is browned, and most of the fat is rendered out of it. Again, do not overcook it, as the final cooking of the Hot Brown will do that. Nevertheless, make sure most of the fat is cooked out of the bacon. I used a very high quality, lean applewood smoked bacon for mine, which made this easier.

Prepare the mornay sauce. This is the cheese cause that gives the Hot Brown its earthy goodness. Shred the gruyere and smoked gouda into a bowl. Coat with the two table spoons of flour, the white pepper and the nutmeg. Toss the cheese sufficiently well to throughly mix the ingredients. In a sauce pan, add the heavy cream and the white sherry, heat over medium heat, but do not let it boil. When the cream/sheery is hot, begin slowly adding the shredded cheese mixture, a little at a time, giving it time to melt before adding more. Keep doing this until you have a thick, rich and smooth cheese sauce.

Now assemble the Hot Brown. On a well buttered baking sheet, lay out your prepared toast. Dabble a small amount of the cheese sauce onto the toast. Layer some of the sliced roast turkey on top of the toast, folding the turkey to give it a little more volume. Arrange a layer of your poached shrimp on top of the turkey. Then top with a generous amount of the cheese sauce. Finally top the sandwich with the sliced bacon, and finish with more of the cheese sauce. Place the baking sheet in a 400 degree oven and bake it until the sauce begins to bubble and brown. Remove from the oven, and using a large spatula, transfer the sandwich to a warm plate for serving. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve piping hot, as these are, after all, Hot Browns !

Asian Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Healthy, colorful and flavorful, root vegetables can be used many different ways. In this case, I decide to roast, then cool them to be used in an Asian-themed salad. The earthy flavors of the root vegetables, contrasted with the tart vinaigrette, and the salty masago really were a wonderful opening for an Asian-themed meal I was preparing. Frankly though, this salad can be used as an eye-popping beginning to a great number of meals.

Ingredients

• 1 package enoki mushrooms
• 1 package radish sprouts
• 2 links Chinese sweet sausage
• 1 medium beet
• 1 large carrot
• 1 yellow yam
• 1 daikon radish
• 4 tablespoons masago (flying fish roe)
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger

Start by making the vinaigrette. in a small container, like a squeeze bottle, combine 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil, the rice vinegar, the ponzu, and the minced ginger. Shake to mix ingredients, and allow to sit for at least an hour to allow the ginger flavor to become infused. Of course, you will need to shake again when ready to serve !

Cut the yam, carrot, beet and daikon into 1/4 inch dice. Coat them lightly in sesame oil and a little salt, and place on a well oiled baking sheet. Keep the vegetables separate from one another on the sheet, especially the beets, unless you want all your vegetables to look beet red ! Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Slice the Chinese sweet sausage into 1/4 inch slices. If your sausage was uncooked, cook it by boiling it for about 10 minutes, and let it cool, prior to slicing.

Plate a thin layer of enoki mushrooms, topped by another thin layer of radish sprouts. Arrange equal amounts of the roasted carrots, yams, daikon radish, beets and Chinese sausage on top of the mushroom/radish layers. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of the well shaken sesame-ginger vinaigrette, then top with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of the masago. I used red masago in this presentation, by any color will do. Serve cold.

Shellfish with Saffron Fettuccini

If ever there were a seafood that Julia and I could chow down on at any time, it would be mussels. Readily available, easily prepared, low in cost and high in flavor, these little creatures have been just the thing for us on many occasions. In fact, during one vacation in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, we had completely missed lobster season, but felt amply rewarded for being there when mussels were plentiful and cheap.

This version is similar to many you would find at an Italian restaurant as it is done in a tomato based sauce. But, as you know by now, I am not afraid of pork, so the recipe is dressed up with some andouille sausage. The saffron fettuccini goes a long way in enhancing the ‘seafood’ flavors of the dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh mussels
• 1 pound fresh steamer clams
• 1 pound smoked spicy andouille sausage
• 2 12 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounce package crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 400 grams (9/10ths pound) white flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

Start by making the pasta. This is very easy with a pasta machine – much less so if done by hand. Soak the saffron threads in 1/2 ounce of water, until they are soft and the water is a brilliant yellow. Place the flour and eggs in a food processor, and then add the water containing the saffron. Process the dough until the ingredients are well incorporated, and the dough looks like bread crumbs. Empty the dough into a bowl, and knead it with your hands until it is a smooth dough ball. The dough should not stick to your hands, nor should it be ‘flaky’ after kneading. It it is sticky, work a little more flour into it; If it is too dry, add a little water and work it in.

At this time, if you are using a pasta roller, process the dough as recommended to flatten it out, then process with the fettuccini cutter. If you are doing this without a pasta machine , well, get ready! On a well floured surface, roll out your pasta dough, a bit at a time into flat sheets, about 1/16 inch thick. Slice the sheet carefully into fettuccini noodles, about 3/16 inch wide. Don’t worry about being perfect, as a rustic look is just fine, but try to make the noodles the same thickness, so that they cook evenly.

Regardless of how you end up with the pasta (and yes, sometimes you can find saffron fettuccini in your market), hang it to dry, at least one hour.

Cut the andouille sausage into a 1/4 inch dice, and brown it a large skillet,over medium heat, until most of fat is rendered out. When done, drain the sausage on paper towels and reserve.

In the same large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms and diced onions, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. While still hot, add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and the 10 garlic cloves, whole. Do not worry about an over-garlicy flavor, since the cloves are whole.

Add the salt and sugar and stir into the tomatoes. Lay the sage and thyme sprigs on top of the mix, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Uncover, remove the sage and thyme sprigs, add the reserved sausage back in,  add the last 2 tablespoons of butter, and simmer on medium-low heat to reduce the liquid in the pan by about 1/4. When that has happened, reduce heat back to very low, cover and let it rest.

In a large pot with boiling salted water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cook your pasta. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Do not over cook it. With about 5 minutes to go on the pasta, add the mussels and clams to the skillet, and turn the heat up to medium. Cover the pan, and allow the shellfish to cook.

Drain the pasta and place in large bowls. When the shellfish are opened, and done to your taste (I like mine medium), spoon the shellfish/sausage/tomato mix over the pasta, and serve hot. Crusty bread in almost a necessity when serving this dish !

Charcuterie 101: Dry Aging Beef

OK, so maybe this is not exactly the definition of charcuterie, but is is all about the preparation of meats. Since charcuterie is about preserving meats, you may question a process that is really the controlled ‘spoiling’ of meat ! But trust me, if you have the patience to ‘spoil’ your meat in this fashion, you will be amply rewarded.

It occurred to me, that to enjoy a dry-aged steak at a restaurant normally required spending about $40 on the steak alone ! Even buying dry-aged beef at Whole Foods was a $25 a pound proposition. So I asked the question, “How do you do it”? The answer, which should have been obvious, was simply to let the meat ‘rot’. OK, maybe not rot, at least not all the way, but to allow it to spoil in a controlled fashion. Here is the painfully simple method. I have done this 4 time now, with zero ill effects. So as risky as it may seem, this is pretty much the exact same way fancy restaurants make the dry-aged steak you pay so much for !

Ingredients (and tools)

• One giant chunk of meat (I use a whole ribeye)
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• Large dish rack
• 1 box Baking Soda
• 1 container of Damp Rid moisture control product
• 1 extra refrigerator

Take the whole ribeye, and using a very, very clean towel, dry the outside of the meat. Take the two tablespoons of salt, and light coat the outside of the meat, all around. Do not use any more salt than this – we are not trying to ‘cure’ the meat !

Set the whole ribeye on a large dish rack, or any other kind of rack, making sure the the meat is elevated and air can circulate all around the meat.

Take the whole rack and place it in a spare refrigerator. This CANNOT be a refrigerator you use all the time ! It must be one that is a ‘spare’ and is opened infrequently. This limits exposure to ‘bad stuff’. In the refrigerator place the box of baking soda, opened, and the open container of Damp Rid. The Damp Rid will keep the moisture level down, inside the refrigerator, and facilitate the drying process.

Shut the door, and leave the meat in the refrigerator for at least 21 days, or wait for 28 days for even stronger flavor.

After the 21 days are up, remove the meat from the refrigerator, and place it on a very clean surface. The surface of the meat will be quite dry and hard – basically rotten. This is what you will be getting rid of. Slice the end of the meat to begin with, usually about 1/4 of an inch. This meat is all rotten. The slice the remaining meat into steaks, each about 1/2 to one inch think, based on your preference. Wash the knife you use to do this after cutting each slice, to prevent contamination.

For each slice, use your knife (again, cleaning the knife in between trimmings) to trim away the hard, discolored meat around the edge of each steak. It will be very easy to tell the difference between the ‘good’ meat and the ‘bad’ meat ! In the above photo, you see the result of the harvest. Your exact yield will vary based on the size of the piece of meat you start with and how long you let it age. I usually end up with about 12 8 ounce ribeyes. Most of them are then vacuum sealed for later use, but of course, some are eaten right away ! My average cost for dry-aged ribeye prepared this way is about $8 a pound, a third of the cost of buying it at a grocery and about 1/5th the cost of getting it at a restaurant.

The intense beef flavor you get from doing steak this way is unbelievable. I use just a little salt and pepper before grilling. Not one thing else is needed.

Roasted Marrow Bones

Also keeping with a theme of simplicity is a dish that few ever eat, but proabaly more would, if they gave it a first try – beef marrow bones. Julia, who has long liked bone marrow, described these as “rich, decadent and sensous” and suggested I post the recipe as a Valentine’s Day special. I decided “why wait?”, as I belive they can be enjoyed at any time, without the need of a special occasion.

Indeed, the only thing ‘special’ about this dish, is that, depending on your access to a butcher, the bones may be hard to come by. Most gorcery stores do not display or carry them, but if you ask, they may be found in the back area, or available as a special order. Try to get evenly sized bones, and, if they are of the longer variety, try to have the butcher cut them in half lengthwise. Either way, be prepared for the amost ‘butter-like’ goodness the bone marrow will offer.

Ingredients

• Beef Marrow Bones (6-10 pieces per person)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• salt
• black pepper
• olive oil

Start by making an herb paste. Finely mince the garlic cloves, thyme, and rosemary. Pleace them in a samll bowl, and add a little olive oil to form a paste.

Place the bones on a wire baking rack with a drip pan. For the short bones, as in the picture above, place them on the rack with a flat side down. For long bones sliced lengthwise, set the bones with the cut side up.

Drizzle the bones with a little olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and then top with a bit of the herb paste.

Place the bones in an oven which has been heated to 450 degrees, and let the bones roast for about 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, but leave the bones in, to finish the cooking process. After about 10 minutes remove a bone, and test for doneness. The marrow should be easy to remove from the bone, and should be medium rare to medium in doneness. If not quite to your liking, leave the bones in the oven for a bit longer, but at a lower temerature of 350 degrees, checking occasionally for doneness. Be careful not to overcook the marrow – it could melt right out into the drip pan, destroying your efforts !

Serve with a simple salad and potatoes, but make sure you have some toast points available – the marrow is wonderful spread on toast, like butter.

Patatas Bravas

In keeping with my last post, I decide to continue with the ‘simple is best’ philosophy and go with a classic Spanish tapas dish – Patatas Bravas. Ok, so big French Fries don’t sound that creative, but, if you have ever had these, you know they really are a treat. An even better treat is just how simple they are to prepare. Especially when you use whole canned white potatoes. There really are only a few canned vegetables I ever use for anything – normally they are just awful. But in this case, they work perfectly, and in this case, there is no loss of quality at all. By themselves, or a a part of a meal, Patatas Bravas hit the spot. I served mine with a quick chipotle mayo.

Ingredients

• 2 cans whole white potatoes
• salt
• paprika
• oil for frying
• 4 tablespoons mayonaise
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

Open the canned potatoes and drain them. Take the  larger potatoes and cut them in half, so that you end up with uniform sized pieces, around 3/4 of an inch chunks. In oil heated to about 350 degrees, deep fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until the outsides are very crisp and golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle on salt and paprika to taste. Serve as hot as possible. The crispy outside will contract well with the soft inside of the potatoes !

For the chipotle mayo, simply combine the mayo, tomato paste and chipotle pepper, and mix well. Serve in a small bowl with the potatoes.