Indoor Entrés

The character of my cooking changes with the seasons. In warmer weather, it's hard not to be out in front of my grill each evening, charring an appropriately tastey bit of meat to perfection. While it never really gets that cold here, I have a number of indoor dishes I love such as Jambalaya that keeps me away from the grill. This page covers hearty dinners that are cooked indoors, rather than on the grill.

Texas Spiced Pork Roast with Baked Apple Pear Chutney

Pork Roast Ingredients

1 boneless loin pork roast, 5 to 6 pounds
1 12-ounce can or bottle of bock beer (Shiner Bock if you want real authenticity, Texas style)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil for searing

Don't trim the fat from the pork, it keeps the pork moist!

Take a large resealable plastic bag and combine the beer, olive oil, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Submerge the pork in this marinade, put the bag in a large bowl in case of leaks, and stick it in your fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the roast and save the marinade. Combine the chili powder, salt, and pepper to make a rub, and rub it evenly all over the pork.

Preheat your oven to 350F. While it's heating, sear the meat in a frying pan with the canola oil until it is evenly browned. This will probably take a minute or two on each side. Transfer the roast to a roasting pan, poour half the reserved marinade into the pan (but not over the roast lest it wash away your rub), and place it in the overn for 45 minutes. Add the rest of the marinade to the pan (again not by pouring over the roast), and bake another 45 minutes. The roast is done when an thermometer inserted in the center reads 140 to 145 derees F.

When done, remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Apple Pear Chutney Ingredients

1/2 cup whole pecans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger (Love the ginger!)
1 minced clove of garlic
2 pounds unpeeled pears, cored and coarsely chopped
4 to 6 small apples, any color
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup of good white wine vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspon Kosher salt
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or craizins
1 tablespoon Gran Marnier

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Put the pecans on a rimmed backing sheet and toast for 7 to 9 minutes until they release their aroma and turn slightly darker. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then chop coarsely.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium to medium low heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Don't brown!

Sitr in the pears, lime juice, vinegar, sugars, salt, cherries, and Gran Marnier. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered for about 1 hour. The chutney should be thickened and most of the vinegar absorbed. It will have a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans.

Now, core your apples (easy with a melon baller), put them each in a muffin pan slot with some cooking spray, and put a spoonful of chutney in each apple. Bake until they're soft, but not too mushy--about 30 to 45 minutes. You can time them with the last 45 minutes of the roast. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Winter Steaks #2: Kentucky Bourbon & Pepper Steaks

This is my own variation on the classic French Steak Au Poivre dish. I wanted to try making the French version, but we had no Cognac in the house, so I thought about it a bit and realized the flavor of bourbon complements beef very nicely. The end result has been wonderful and is very easy to make. It even incorporates a nice showy finish where you flame the bourbon off, making it ideal for entertaining guests.

Flaming Bourbon reduces the peppercorn sauce...

Ingredients

4 filet mignon steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick. We like to use Omaha steaks.
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup Kentucky Bourbon, plus 1 teaspoon. I'm a Jack Daniels man, but my brother prefers Jim Beam
1 cup heavy cream

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator, sprinkle all sides with salt, and let rest for 30 minutes and to 1 hour prior to cooking.

While the steaks are resting coarsely crush the peppercorns. I use a mortar and pestle, but the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or a lot of other items in the kitchen would work. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats their surface. Set aside. I usually get this done in the first 10 minutes the steaks are resting, so they're coated with the mixture for a little while.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 5 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, and tent with foil.

Now comes the exciting part! Take the skillet off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Bourbon to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake the pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the teaspoon of Bourbon and season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

We like to serve these as part of a simple meal with baked potatoes and a green salad. The whole thing probably takes an hour and a half to make. Put some of the cream sauce on the table--it's wonderful on the baked potatoes!

Filets are sauteed in butter and olive oil after having been rolled in peppercorns...

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This spicy dish is wonderful, and you can keep it for several meals, if desired. It really warms the bones!

Those with more delicate constitutions may find it a tad on the spicy side. It's easy to get by on less Cayenne pepper, but it seems a shame to do so. Serve it with a nice green salad, a heavy-duty Zinfandel, and maybe some ice cream for dessert and you'll have a happy table at dinner!

My Russian sister-in-law tells me the dish is remarkably similar to a tasty Russian dish known as "Plov".

Ingredients

African Groundnut Stew

Whoa! What the heck is this?

Calm down, I just wanted to try something a little more exotic. Imagine a stew made from something akin to a Thai Sate peanut sauce and chicken with okra in it. You're getting warm, but you'll have to make it to know for sure!

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 3/4 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 10-ounce package frozen sliced okra

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper. Cook until browned, turning, about 8 minutes in all. Remove. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.

Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and then the tomatoes and cayenne. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

Whisk together the peanut butter and the remaining 3/4 cup water until smooth. Add this mixture to the stew along with the okra and the remaining 11/2 tablesppons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, partially covered, until the okra is just done, about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.

This recipe turned out to be very flavorful and easy to make. It's a tad spicy--just about right if you like spicy food. If not, halve the Cayenne pepper measure! Like other stews, this dish freezes and keeps well, too. Save some for a rainy day.

Winter Steak Dinner #1: Spicey Coffee Rubbed Steaks with Pomme Frites and Green Salad

Because we must have great red meat even when we can't grill and because French Bistro dining has a way of making the ordinary seem extraordinary. How else do you explain why a steak simply fried in a pan with some french fries on the side always tastes so good? This recipe is my way of mixing a little Texan into the French Bistro experience. While I refer to the steaks as "Spicey", that's more marketing than anything. Their flavor is mellow and well-rounded. You'll love this dish!

Spicey Coffee Rubbed Steaks

Vegetable Ingredients

4 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup 1/2-inch pieces drained roasted red peppers from the jar

Steaks

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons whole espresso beans

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon

6 8-ounce beef tenderloin (filets) steaks

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

START WITH THE VEGETABLES:

Heat the skillet over high heat. Add bacon, sauteing until just crisp, stirring frequently. Should be about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. In another skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently--probably about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic. Saute another 15 minutes until the onions are soft and brown. Mix in the peppers and let stand up to 2 hours.

STEAKS:

Pressed in spices and ready to be seared...

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Stir fennel and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute, until they release their fragrance. Let cool. Finely grind the espresso beans and toasted spices in a spice mill. Transfer to a large plate, and add salt, pepper, cinammon, and chile powder. Press both sides of spice mixture into steaks to coat. Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes on a side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook to desired doneness. 8 minutes is about right for medium rare.

Seared to perfection...

Mix the bacon into the onion-pepper mixture and saute until heated through, stirring occasionally. Should be about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the steaks to plates, and top with the vegetable mixture.

Boeuf Bourguignonne

While we are in a French cooking mode, we have to visit Boeuf Bourguignonne wherein they do for beef stew what the above recipe does for pan fried steaks. There are simpler renditions of this classic French dish, but I suspect something is lost in the translation. It's a fair amount of effort to prepare this version, but I think you'll find the result is extra special in the richness of its flavors. The extra work isn't really very hard, it just takes a little planning ahead. Since this dish is a meal-in-a-pot, you won't have to make much in the way of side dishes anyway. As an added bonus, the whole house is infused with the aroma of wine and just-like-mom-used-to-make beef stew.

3 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup brandy
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
12 parsley stems
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
4 allspice berries
1 bay leaf
3 founds fatty beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 pound bacon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter ( plus 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound pearl onions, peeled
pinch of sugar
1 pound small white mushrooms, cleaned
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley leaves, no stems

In a large bowl, combine the red wine, beef stock, brandy, onion, carrots, garlic, parsley stems, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, and bay leaf. Stir well to blend. Add the beef, stir. Refrigerate covered, overnight. We have a Tupperware container that is perfect for this use.

The next day drain the beef, reserving the marinade and vegetables. Pat the beef dry with towels, and season it well with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch long slices. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the bacon, reserving the broth.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the bacon to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel.

In the same Dutch oven, over high heat, brown the drained and dried off beef in the remaining bacon fat. Do it in batches so the meat browns evenly. When done, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Return the browned beef to the pot.

Add the vegetable-and-herb mixture from the marinade (but not the liquid), and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 5 minutes

Add the reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, and bacon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Taste it for seasoning. Cook in the oven, covered, for 3 hours.

Make a vegetable garnish. Place the pearl onions in a skillet, covering with water. Careful not to use too much water! Add 1 tablespoon of butter, the sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-high heat until they are almost tender. Raise the heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook the onions, shaking the pan, until the onions are golden brown and glazed.

In another skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter, add the mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare a beurre manie: Cream together the tablespoon of softened butter with the tablespoon of flour. Roll the mixture into pieces the size of peas.

Add the cooked onions and mushrooms to the stew. Bring the liquid to a simmer, and add enough beurre manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to slightly thicken the sauce.

Serve!

Milk Braised Pork Loin

Braising is a fantastic way to cook up complex flavors with a minimum of trouble. This dish comes out great for pork loin, and is very simple to prepare. Couple it with some Tarteflette and you have some real winter comfort food. The dish hails originally from Italy.

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 pound boness pork loin roast
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 lemon for juicing

Season the Pork (Can be done up to 12 hours ahead of time): Cut 3 garlic cloves into slivers and smash the fourth, setting it aside. Put the garlic slivers in a bowl and add the sage, fennel, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss.

With a small knife, poke 1-inch deep slots in the pork loin all over, maybe 1 1/2 inches apart. Stuff each slot with seasoned garlic sliver. When all the slots are full rub the remaining spice mix over the outside of the loin.

Brown the Pork: Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Add the oil and butter to your dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the pork and brown it, using tongs to brown all sides and the ends. This will take 12 to 14 minutes in total. If the butter starts to burn (i.e. black specs appear), just turn down the heat a notch.

Braising: Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat left from the browning process. Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the smashed garlic clove. Stir and heat until the garlic begins to brown, which will take less than a minute. Gradually add the milk, making sure it doesn't foam up and boil over. Bring to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, stirring it once or twice with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Return the pork to the pot, along with any juices it may have left behind. Cover the pot with the lid and slide into the oven. Check it after ten or fifteen minutes to be sure the braising liquid isn't boiling too furiously and lower temperature as necessary.

After 45 minutes, turn the pork with tongs. The milk will have seperated and will be taken on an ivory color. Set the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape so the braising sauce will begin to reduce. Keep things going at a gentle simmer for another 35 to 45 minutes or until your cooking thermometer shows 150 degrees in the pork center. Transfer the pork to a carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.

Finishing the Sauce: Tilt the pot and spoon out the better part of the clear fat. Don't take it all--it makes for good flavor. Turn the heat to high and boil the sauce to reduce it and concentrate the flavors. Scrape with a wooden spoon to keep the browned bits circulating. You may boil for up to 10 or 12 minutes to reduce. If it gets too dry, stir in some cold water (not too much!). Season with salt and pepper--it should taste a bit salty at this stage. Finish with fresh squeezed lemon to taste. Spoon the sauce over the pork loin and serve.

Andalusian Chicken

This Spanish dish is a great dinner I like to fix when I'm just in the mood for something a little richer than basic BBQ. The flavors are rich and elegant, yet the dish is very easy to make. Try it with Rosemary Potato Crisps because they taste so good with the garlic-infused cream sauce!

Andalusian Chicken

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 head garlic, broken into cloves
1 1/2 cups amontillado sherry
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh tarragon leaves for garnish

Melt the butter with the oil in a flameproof casserole.

Add the chicken and garlic, and sauté over moderate heat for 10 minutes.

Add the sherry and vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Strain the cooking liquid, pressing the garlic flesh through the strainer.

Return the liquid to the pan, add the cream, and bring to a boil, stirring.

Boil for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to a coating consistency.

Return the chicken to the casserole with the juices that have collected on the place. Heat through for a few minutes.

Serve hot, garnished with tarragon leaves.

Mother Warfield's Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 ground beef
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (or Cream of Chicken)
1 to 1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream
Salt & Pepper
Pasta or Rice

Saute the onions and the garlic until golden brown in butter.

Add ground beef and cook until browned.

Add the soup and let it warm a couple minutes.

Add sour cream and stir until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice or pasta.

Quick, easy, and very tasty!

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