Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf

What is "comfort food"? the answers are innumerable. For this posting I have chosen a dish that is almost universally liked, simple to do and Oh-so-DELICIOUS!. Why do I cook? part of the reason (and I am embarrassed to confess it) is because I love to be able to eat things that I really like, and if I cook I have more control on the choice of menu...However, I often ask for requests from my family or friends and this contradicts what I just said...I  just love to do it. 

When thinking about this post I realized that although I chose a simple dishes of meat , it is also about choices; choices of meat, of glaze, etc. The technique to do meat loaf is the same, regardless of our choice of content, and herein is the culture at home playing a role in the flavors we want to call "ours", "comfort food", etc.

      “Meat Loaf”: Meat loaf combines meat and some vegetables in this recipe, however the types and proportions are a  matter of taste, not of technique. I like to have 50% of Buffalo ground beef, 25% of Chuck ground beef, and 25% Pork ground beef. The Buffalo meat is lean and has a deep flavor that adds depth to the dish, and the Chuck has about 15% fat content which helps the loaf; and finally Pork, which again gives a great taste to the combination. If you do not have access to ground buffalo or bison beef, or you do not feel adventurous regarding that choice, a good combination is 50% Chuck and 50% Pork. If you feel the need for something lighter you can mix 50% of ground pork, and 50% of chicken sausage (ask your butcher to remove the casings from them).

a.      Tools: a  skillet or sauté pan, a box grater, a large bowl to mix the ingredients, and a pyrex or  non-stick baking pan.

b.      Ingredients: 1 lb of the desired combination of meats,  1 medium-large yellow onion, 1 large or 2 medium carrots, 3 Tbsp of unsalted butter (you can substitute with extra virgin olive oil), 1 large egg, 1/4 cup of whole milk (you can substitute this for yoghourt for a slightly less sweet flavor), 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, 2 Tbsp of finely chopped fresh italian (flat) parsley, 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, 1/2 a cup of tomato catsup sauce, 1 /2 cup o plain bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs (Japanese Style), 1/2 Tbsp of red or white wine vinegar. Optional:  1/4 tsp of sweet paprika, cayenne or red pepper.

c.       Procedure: Preheat the oven at Grate the carrots with the box grater, and finely chop the onion. Heat the skillet in medium to high heat and add the butter (or olive oil if using). Add the onions and cook for 7~8 minutes until soft. Add the carrots and cook mixing together with the onions for another 8 minutes until soft. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix well the two types of bread crumbs. The combination is a matter of taste, the Panko gives a nice “crunchiness” texture to the loaf. In a separate small bowl mix the tomato catsup, sugar, and vinegar and mix well together with a fork or small whisk. In a wide soup dish or similar, mix the egg, parsley, salt, pepper, milk (or yoghourt), Worcestershire sauce, and if you are using it, the paprika, cayenne, or red pepper.  Whisk it vigorously until everything is well blended. Add the meat combination and mix well with your hand as if you were preparing a loaf of bread. Add the onions and carrots and continue mixing.  When everything is blended together, add part of the bread crumbs and continue to mix and adding the bread crumbs until the consistent is relatively "wet" but not sticky. Prepare the baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil (this will make cleaning much easier afterwards). transfer the mix to the baking pan and form the loaf with your hands making sure to leave a little space on the sides so the loaf does not touch the sides of the pan (this allows for a more uniform cooking and crust). pour the catsup mix and spread it over the entire surface of the loaf. Bake the loaf in the oven until it is about 160 F of internal temperature, about 50 minutes. take it out of the oven and let it rest about 20 minutes before serving it. It is delicious with mashed potatoes.

Papi Chicken”, “Mejillones con Chorizo”, and “Haloumi Salad”

When we are trying to create culture at home we ask often, explicitly or implicitly, what are the flavors that make us feel at home? Is the answer different in the intimacy of family than it is when we entertain? Is it possible to cook something that fits both a Friday evening with a movie at home and a Saturday evening with friends? I propose these two recipes as a possible answer to these questions. The first one, “Papi Chicken” is a recipe I developed long time ago, and it is one of those that I do not longer remember if I copied entirely or modified to suit my (and our) taste. I make it so often that it was granted the nick name of “Papi Chicken” by my daughters. For accompaniment I often serve it with either mashed potatoes or “Papi rice”, however it also goes beautifully with couscous cooked with butter and pine nuts; or with angel hair pasta with butter and parmesan cheese.

The second one, “mussels’ cazuela with chorizo” is a variant of a recipe originally from Anya von Brenzen. I developed this recipe for one of my best friends who asked me if I could combine a couple of things he likes very much, mussels and Spanish chorizo. This is a dish full of flavor that is at the same time simple, filling, festive, and spectacularly delicious.

The third is an incredible salad that can be a main course for a lunch or as an accompaniment for a wide variety of dishes. In my case, I like to serve it as a first course before “Mejillones with Chorizo”.

1)      “Papi Chicken”: As they like to say in Britain; if you like breaded chicken, “this is how we take the dish to a new level”.

a.      Tools: large non-stick skillet or sauté pan.

b.      Ingredients: 1 lb of your favorite cut of organic, boneless, skinless chicken, that is to say, breast strips or filets, or thighs cleaned and patted dry. 2 fresh eggs, 3 Tbsp. of whole milk, ½ tsp. of kosher salt, a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. of very finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce, 4 Tbsps. of unsalted butter, 4 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil, 2 cups of plain bread crumbs, 1 cup of panko style (Japanese) bread crumbs. Optionally, you can use ¼   tsp. of piment d’espelette (red pepper from the Basque country)  or substitute with ¼  or tsp. of sweet paprika or red pepper.

c.       Procedure: in a wide soup dish or similar, mix the eggs, salt, pepper, milk, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and if you are using it, the piment. Whisk it vigorously until everything is well blended. In a second wide soup dish mix well the two types of bread crumbs. The combination is a matter of taste, the panko gives a nice “crunchiness” to the chicken, however, it absorbs more of the butter and oil. Prepare a flat dish and put it on the side of the other two, this will be your working station. Take the chicken, one piece at a time, let it rest on top of the bred in both sides to pick a bit of the bread and then submerge it on the egg mix, before bring it back to the bread crumbs, and make sure that it the crumbs cover the entire piece. Pass it on to the third dish. Once all the pieces have been prepared this way let it rest for about a half hour in the refrigerator so the flavors mix well and get absorbed by the chicken. When ready to cook, melt 2 Tbsps. of the butter and mix it with 2 Tbsps. of the oil at medium heat. And when it is hot but before smoking carefully put half of the pieces to fry and monitor until golden in the bottom before turning them over and finishing cooking them. It should take about 4 minutes per side, but use the color of the outside to judge whe it is ready, it should be golden brown. When they are ready bring them to a fresh dish covered with a paper towel to absorb the excess of oil and keep warm (for example in your oven at about ~170 degrees Fahrenheit if your oven goes that low) until you are ready to serve. 



2)      “Mejillones with Chorizo”. The mussels in this recipe are combined with Spanish style chorizo (very different than the one used in Mexico or Central America) for an unusual mix of flavors that it is as appealing as it is difficult to forget. If you like mussels, I am certain you will love this dish.

a.      Tools: 5 Qt. heavy stew pan or Dutch oven.

b.      Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs. of mussels, cleaned. 2 Tbsps. of extra virgin oil, 5~6 ounces of Spanish style chorizo (I like to use Burgos or Rioja style chorizo if you can find it) cut in half lengthwise and then in medium to small slices, 1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves (optional), 1 cup of chopped canned tomatoes, ¼ tsp. of piment d’espelette (red pepper from the Basque country) or substitute with ¼ or tsp. of sweet paprika or red pepper, 2 cups of fish stock (you can substitute with clam juice). 1 pinch of saffron mashed in a mortar and steeped with 2 Tbsps. of very hot water, 1 ½ tsp. of red wine vinegar, a pinch of brown sugar, kosher or sea salt to taste, ¼ cup of fresh minced parsley.

c.       Procedure: heat the oil in the Dutch oven with medium heat and add the chorizo and cook until light brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Scoop the chorizo and set aside. Add the garlic to the oil if using and fry for about 2 minutes and set aside. Add the tomatoes and cooked for about 10 minutes. Add the fish stock and bring to a boil. Add the saffron, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes, then add the vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste. Add the mussels, increase the heat to medium high and cook covered for about 5 ~ 7 minutes, shaking the put a few times to help the mussels open. Remove the mussels that are did not open and stir in the chorizo and garlic. Mix well heating for 1 or 2 minutes more and serve after sprinkling the parsley on top. It is best with your favorite bread (mine for this dish is sweet French loaf).





3)      “Haloumi Salad”. Once you try this recipe you will become a fan of this incredible Greek style salad. Haloumi chees is a Greek cheese that can be fried or grilled without melting. My favorite Haloumi chees is made with a mix of sheep and goat milk.

a.      Tools: a salad bowl, and a medium non-stick skillet.

b.      Ingredients: A butter lettuce head, 6~8 ounces of Haloumi cut in ¼ inch slices, a dozen green grapes washed and dried, ½ a lemon, a pinch of salt, extra virgin olive oil to taste.

c.       Procedure: wash and dry the lettuce and distribute in the two dishes. Add half of the grapes to each dish, sprinkle a pinch of salt and drizzle some of the juice of the lemon over the lettuce and grapes.  Add about 2 Tbsp. of extra olive oil to the skillet at medium heat and before smokes add the cheese, and fry for about 1 ½ minutes per side until light golden brown. Serve the slices on top of the lettuce and grapes and spoon the oil from the skillet on top of the lettuce, grapes and cheese. Serve immediately. Ab-so-lu-tely de-licious .



Enjoy