A Not So Ordinary Dinner...

Carl has been SLACKING... who knew this blog thing could take so much effort to maintain? The good news is I'm 4 meals behind, so there is a surplus of work for me to do before. The bad news is I do not plan to stop cooking anytime soon, therefore almost assuring that this surplus will last for quite a while.

For the record, this meal was prepared on June 16th, 2011 as a pillar in the plot to seek Kate's hand in marriage. Nothing says your friends are becoming domesticated like a food blog, so don't act like you didn't see this coming.



A Not So Ordinary Dinner: Seared Rack of Lamb with Garlic Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes


The Lamb:

This shit's not cheap, so be ready to spare no expense. When we speak of the "rack", we're looking for juicy, plump lollipops that have ample amounts of fat to be trimmed. It's well worth spending $18 plus on a frenched 8 rib rack, especially if its only for 2 people. All being said, this is not a reasonable meal to try and provide for more than 8 people due to its price point and the amount of care you must put into your meat.

Before you marinate your lamb, you must cut it into desired pops. Assuming you bought a frenched rack (most fat cut away and cleaner appearance) this should be cake. I suggest sticking with single chops for this go around, though double's are an option as well. For cut details, check here. http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatLambRibs.html

Lamb Marinade:

1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 red wine
A couple small rosemary branches
A few sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Peppercorns

Demolish the herbs and garlic with your awesome knife skills and toss them in a Ziploc seal bag with the EVOO and S&P. Toss in your Lamb Lollipops and let them kick it in the fridge for a bit. (2 hours is fine)




Garlic Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

8 fingerling potatoes (red, white, whatever... color contrast is good)
3 cloves of garlic
A few small branches of rosemary
Half of a red onion
EVOO
Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Peppercorns

This couldn't get any easier, and it shares all of the same ingredients of the lamb, so its an easy shopping trip. Preheat the oven to 400f. Cut your potatoes (skin on) lengthwise in quarters so you have long "fries" cut... roughly 32 pieces in all. Throw them in a 2 inch walled baking man and drizzle EVOO all over them add some S&P for love and mix them all up. Toss them into the oven.

Run your knife through the garlic and rosemary a few times (course chucks work well here)and cut the onion into "pedals" or 3/4 in squares. After the potatoes have been in for 20 minutes, add these ingredients to the pan with some more EVOO and S&P. Toss them around so the taters have a chance to cook on another side and all of the flavors mingle with joy and anticipation of being demolished by a hungry bride to be. 25 more minutes in here and you're ready to serve!

Finally, heat a frying pan to medium high heat and add a splash of EVOO. Take the first half (4) of your lamb pops and lay them in the pan. Season the side that isnt cooking with some extra S&P and flip them after 3-4 minutes (for medium). Repeat this process with your last 4 pops, 3-4 in per side and set them aside to rest.

Deglase the pan with the red wine and scrape the little lamb bits that stuck to the pan with a wood spoon. Add a little of the left over marinade and let it stew for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. This will make for a nice galce to serve over the lamb.

Set table with a dozen super steroid roses, a bottle of nice Cabernet, and an engagement ring and hope for the best!

Cheers!

Off to a Good Start: Sangria Flank and S.S.R Salad

I took today off because I spent my past two weekends pushing 90 bands comprised of 7-16 year y/o's through the doors and onto the stage of the legendary 9:30 Club of Washington D.C. for my company's 8th Battle of the Bands. All work and no play makes Carl a cranky boy, so today is for me.

Yesterday, my love Kate bought be a red bike (I think its a Schwinn) off of the local teachers message board (like craigslist) which sparked me to acquire an awesome helmet for 20 bucks off of "actual" craigslist. Saftey first.

As I dorked out listening to Rush while wearing my new helmet in my car, I saw the ROOTS Market and decided its time I finally check this place out. Can't say I terribly impressed with anything they offered with the exception of their produce and bakery. Let's face it, I'll be the last guy that ever goes gluten-free or vegan. However, inspiration sometimes comes unplanned. I spotted a small meat section on my way out and found a  beautiful Rosdea All Natural Aged Flank Steak that I had to have. 20 minutes and 17 dollars later I left ROOTS with all I needed for this beauty.

Carl's Sangria Aged Flank and S.S.R Salad: 

A dish inspired by Spanish flavors, especially saffron and sangria! 

Before we get started, this is a GRILL inspired dish. If you lack a grill (or the skill set to properly use one) you can make it as a skillet steak. Alright, let's rock.

Flank:

If you don't know about the power of flank steak, yo' best ax somebody! Flank is like a friggn' sponge if you give it enough time to do it's job. Find a nice flank at your local shop - I used a 1 lb cut for this one (serves 2 comfortably). Remember this steak will need AT LEAST 4 hours of time to marinate (unless you prefer tough and flavorless meat).

Steak Marinade:

1/2 cup red wine (malbec is best)
1/4 cup veggie oil
1 lime
1/2 of a ripe mango
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Toss your steak in a zip-seal bag and add the ingredients above. for the mango and lime, I leave chunks of the flesh and rind in the bag with the meat for an all out flavor orgy. Shake the bag and lay flat in your fridge for 4-24 hours. Walk away.



S.S.R Salad aka Spanish Saffron Rice Salad


This can be served at any temperature. I serve it cold with this dish to provide a subtle salt and savory balance to our bright and sweet steak. Marinate your steak before your make this!


4 tbs olive oil
1 cup of short grain white rice (or whatever is in your pantry)
Half of a sweet onion, chopped small
A clove or two of garlic (to your taste), diced
2 sprigs of green onion, chopped
1/2 cup of small Spanish olives (the green ones)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
A pinch of saffron
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper

In a quart sized sauce pan, add oil and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add your rice and coat in this mixture for about a minute. Stir in salt ( about a tsp) and pepper (10 cranks on your grinder) and your saffron. Add the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. When a rapid boil hits, drop the temp to low and cover for 10 minutes.



Quarter your olives with the little pimento pepper inside. This will add great color and little sparks of sweet/sour play throughout the dish. Add chopped green onion and cilantro to the olives and set aside.

Check your rice; make sure there is still a little liquid in the bottom of the pan. If there is not, add a few tbs of water to keep it steaming. Stir in Olives/Cilantro/Green Onions and kill the heat. Leave it covered for 5-10 minutes. "Fluff" the rice when there is no more liquid in the bottom and set aside for service or in the fridge for a cold salad.



Get your grill up to 400 degrees f and spray/oil the grates. You want a nice sear on this meat, so the high heat is necessary. If you are a grilling noobie or just need a few pointers, check out this link for some great grilling tips on flank (his marinate isn't bad, either) http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_marinated_flank_steak/

Don't forget to let your steak rest for 10 mins before cutting and enjoy!!

The Debut

What started as a way to avoid doing laundry or writing curriculum has now become my passion project; to mix flavor and fun by means of searing, boiling, freezing, poaching, sauteing and on a (really) good day... baking.

I'll keep my introduction brief and let the food do most of the talking on this blog. But before I enlighten your palate, a few quick things. 

1. I am not a trained chef. I've taken 3 food related classes in my life, so don't take my words as the law by any means.
2. If you don't like Alcohol, Butter, Bacon, Trans-fats, or Onion you may want to reconsider using my recipes. I'm sure your local Trader Joe's has a thing or two to offer for your kind...  
3. If you have any questions about anything related to this blog (cook times, measurements, add on's, allergic substitutions ect...) don't hesitate to email me. It would make my day to  know folks are actually using these ideas. 

I hope all of you enjoy eating and experimenting as much as I do. If you have any requests, shoot me an email!


Love,

Carl