BEEF, VEAL, LAMB, AND PORK
| —1870s— | • All manner of beef is cooked, from shin to tail to intestine. Pepperpot, tripe à la mode de Caen, and beef à la mode thrive. |
| —1877— | • Delmonico Hash—hashed lamb spooned over cream-soaked bread (here). |
| —1880— | • Early sighting of gulyas (goulash) in the Times. |
| —1882— | • Stuffed breast of veal (see here for a modern version). |
| —1940s— | • Broiled Steak with Oysters (here) and Eisenhower’s Steak in the Fire (here) revive old-timey concepts. |
| —1940— | • Iraqi Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb, Mint, and Cinnamon (here). |
| —1950s— | • Chinese barbecued spareribs (see here) are in vogue. |
| —1959— | • International dishes rule: Carbonnades à la Flamande (here). |
| —1960s— | • Bring on the choucroute and bratwurst! |
| —1960— | • Craig Claiborne publishes not one but two boeuf bourguignon recipes (here). |
| —1961— | • Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking is published. More boeuf bourguignon. |
| —1970s— | • Roast leg of lamb or butterflied leg of lamb is the centerpiece of many a suburban dinner party. • In flat rejection of European braises and stews, Americans latch onto meat loaf. |
| —1980s— | • We eat too much pot roast and way too much filet mignon. |
| —1985— | • Osso Buco alla Milanese (here). |
| —1987— | • The ‘21’ Club Hamburger (here) marks the birth of the rarefied hamburger. |
| —1990s— | • Grilled steaks with Asian slaw (see here). • People become fanatical about cassoulet (here) and braised lamb shanks (here). |
| —1999— | • Fergus Henderson writes Nose to Tail Eating and rouses cooks’ interest in trotters, kidney, and even spleen. • José Bové, a French farmer, destroys a McDonald’s in France as a protest against the company’s use of hormone-treated beef. |
| —2001— | • DB Bistro Moderne causes a stir with the DB Burger, a behemoth that packs in truffles, foie gras, and short ribs. |
| —2002— | • Michael Pollan buys a steer. Things don’t end well for the steer, or us. |
| —2003— | • Mario Batali popularizes beef cheeks, but the cut doesn’t make it into the home kitchen. • Mad cow scare, well, scares us. |
| —2005— | • Readily available short ribs replace beef cheeks. Short Ribs with Coffee and Chiles (here). |
| —2006— | • Restaurants revive the art of charcuterie. Artisan producers like Fatted Calf in Napa and Fra’Mani in Berkeley (California) lead the way. |
| —2007— | • Americans treat bacon as if it were a new culinary beacon. Bacon Band-Aids and T-shirts are produced. |
| —2008— | • Consider the lamb belly (see here). |
BEEF, VEAL, LAMB, AND PORK
One of the many wonderful aspects of the Times archive is that it contains the occasional accounting of daily life—the foods sold in the public markets, the menu from a men’s-club lunch, and the following, a record of one family’s meals and food costs over the course of a week in 1878.
How a Family of Four Persons with One Servant Lived for a Week, and What It Cost.
SUNDAY.—Breakfast—Waffles (made from the rice left from Saturday as per receipt in last Sunday’s Times), fresh boiled eggs. French bread, butter, and café au lait. Dinner, 6 o’clock—Roast leg of mutton, currant jelly (home made), mashed potatoes, white turnips, boiled rice (see last Sunday’s Times to cook it), pickles. Dessert—Custard, with preserved strawberries (home made), celery, Roquefort cheese, apples, café noir.
As coffee, bread, and butter form part of each breakfast, and celery, cheese, and coffee of the dinner, they will not be repeated; when we have salad, celery is left out.
MONDAY.—Breakfast—Hominy (fine), bacon cut very thin and fried crisp, &c. Dinner—Cold mutton from yesterday, have your chafing dish on the table, slice nicely sufficient mutton, put in the chafing dish with a lump of butter, a wine-glass or two of water, half wine-glass of sherry, a little salt, a dash of cayenne pepper, and currant jelly, light your spirit lamp and cook for a few moments; baked potatoes (in skin); maccaroni [sic] plain. Dessert—Sliced oranges, sugared, pour over half wine-glass of sherry, &c.
TUESDAY.—Breakfast—Pork tenderloins, fried potatoes from yesterday, &c. Dinner—Baked ham (see receipt in last Sunday’s Times), mashed potatoes, rice, and tomatoes, boiled onions. Dessert—Baked apples with tapioca, &c.
WEDNESDAY.—Breakfast—Buckwheat cakes, sausage, &c. Dinner—Remains of cold mutton from Sunday, if sufficient; if not, buy one-half pound beef, cut in pieces about the size of a small marble; the beef should be cut up and stewed for three hours before required; add six white potatoes boiled; four sweet potatoes; two turnips; two small carrots, parsley, and six boiled onions, all cut up; curry powder to suit the taste—a delicious stew; cold sliced ham and lettuce. Dessert—Apples, oranges, &c.
THURSDAY.—Breakfast—Rice griddle-cakes, fried smelts, &c. Dinner—Roast turkey, cranberries (one pound of sugar to a quart, pour hot into a mold), roast white potatoes, sweet potatoes (boiled, cut in slices and fried in butter, and sprinkled thick with brown sugar), maccaroni au gratin. Dessert—Stewed peaches with custard, &c.
FRIDAY.—Breakfast—Hot biscuit, scrambled eggs, &c. Dinner—Boiled cod with oyster sauce, mashed potatoes, boiled onions. Dessert—Apple dumplings, &c.
SATURDAY.—Breakfast—Hominy, smelts, &c. Dinner—Remains of Thursday’s cold turkey, sweet potatoes (cooked as above), rice and tomatoes, maccaroni. Dessert—Rice pudding with quince jelly (home made), &c.
| Cost of above: | |
| Fourteen loaves bread per week at 8c. | $1.12 |
| Eight quarts milk at 10c. | $.80 |
| One-half bushel white potatoes 50c., sweet do. 20c. | $.70 |
| Turnips 15c., onions 20c., 2 cans tomatoes 25c. | $.60 |
| Maccaroni 18c., eggs 60c., sausage 1½ pounds 18c. | $.96 |
| 3½ pounds table butter at 40c., $1 40, 3 pounds cooking at 25c., 75c. | $2.15 |
| Leg mutton, 13 pounds, at 12½c. | $1.63 |
| Turkey, 14 pounds, at 13c. | $1.82 |
| Ham, 8 pounds, at 13c. | $1.04 |
| Pork tenderloins, 2 pounds, at 14c. | $.28 |
| For the week 3½ pounds coffee at 35c., $1 23 4 pounds sugar at 10½c., 42c. | $1.63 |
| One-half pound Roquefort cheese at 28c., 4 pounds Neufchâtel at 25c. | $.53 |
| Oranges 25c., lemons 10c., lettuce 10c. | $.45 |
| Smelts, 3 pounds for 25c., cod 3 pounds 30c. | $.55 |
| Oysters 25c., apples 40c., celery 30c. | $.95 |
| Milk crackers and gingersnaps. | $.44 |
| Seven days’ lunch including small items. | $3.50 |
Twenty-one meals for $19.15, 91c. each; for 5 persons, 18c. each.
The above is the exact cost of a week’s living. Lunch does not cost 50 cents. It generally consists of tea, with a slice of lemon in lieu of milk, preserves, apple-butter, orange marmalade, &c., and anything left from other meals. I have said nothing about soups; if the cook or the lady of the house understands her business, she will require no advice on this subject. If possible, do your marketing at Washington Market. If you reside below Fiftieth-Street it will be sent home free. I have paid during the past month 12½ cents per pound for turkeys, ducks, and chickens, and 12½ cents for a leg of mutton or saddle—the best in the market. By always going to the same parties, you will be well served. This is plain living, but if well cooked, the table-cloths and napkins clean, the knives and glasses bright, and the table nicely set, and the whole seasoned with cheerful conversation, it will be enjoyable. Eat slowly.—SOUTH CAROLINA.
FEBRUARY 24, 1878: “THE HOUSEHOLD; RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.”
Salads
Cold Beef with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad
Spring Lamb Salad with Pea Shoots and Sugar Snap Peas
Steaks and Chops
Pork Chops with Rye Bread Stuffing
Lamb Shoulder Chops with Anchovy and Mint Butter
Seared Loin Lamb Chops with Olives and Soft Polenta
Broiled Lamb Leg Chops on Eggplant Planks with Mint-Yogurt Sauce
Filet de Boeuf Rôti (Roast Fillet of Beef) with Sauce Bordelaise
T-Bone Steak with 6666 Soppin’ Sauce
Eisenhower’s Steak in the Fire
Marinated Flank Steak with Asian Slaw
Rib-Eye Steaks with Peppered Cranberry Marmalade and Swiss Chard
New York Strip Steak with Horseradish-Mint Glaze
Center-Ring Strip Steak Marinated in Scotch Whiskey
Cutlets
Ribs and Barbecue
Apple City World-Champion Baby Back Ribs
North Carolina–Style Pulled Pork
Nueces Canyon Cabrito (Goat Tacos)
Stews
Carbonnades à la Flamande (Flemish Beef and Onion Stew)
Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary
Spanish Fricco (Beef, Potato, and Onion Stew)
Pork and Squash in Coconut Milk
Malaysian-Inspired Pork Stew with Traditional Garnishes
Coloradito (Red Mole with Pork)
Cocido (Chickpea, Sparerib, and Chorizo Stew)
White Veal Stew with Mushrooms, Corn, and Sherry
Choresh Qormeh Sabzi (Green Herb Stew)
Border Town Hunter’s Stew with Antelope (or Venison) Poblanos, Pumpkin and Hominy
Stir-Fries
Pork Arrosto with Prunes and Grappa
Ann Seranne’s Rib Roast of Beef
Gigot à la Provençal et Gratin de Pommes de Terre (Leg of Lamb with Potato Gratin)
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Mustard Seeds
Pot Roasts and Braises
Stewed Lamb Shanks with White Beans and Rosemary
Braised Lamb Shoulder with Sheep’s-Milk Cavatelli
Lamb in Mustard-Mascarpone Sauce
Brisket in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
Matt’s Whole Brisket with Tomato Gravy
Orange-Braised Short Ribs with Fennel and Oregano
Short Ribs with Coffee and Chiles
Coda alla Vaccinara (Oxtail Braised with Tomato and Celery)
Veal Shanks with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Braised Stuffed Breast of Veal
Himmelreich (Roasted Pork with Apricots, Apples, and Prunes)
Pork Braised in Milk and Cream
Meat Loaf, Meatballs, and Mince
Crispy Chickpeas with Ground Meat
Polpette alla Romana (Roman-Style Meatballs)
Königsberger Klopse (Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce)
Shepherd’s Pie with Curried Meat
Iraqi Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lamb, Mint, and Cinnamon
Miscellaneous
Fried Sweetbreads with Maître d’Hôtel Sauce
Nueces Canyon Cabrito (Goat Tacos)
Winter Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork
Spanish Fricco (Beef, Potato, and Onion Stew)
Pork Braised in Milk and Cream
Malaysian-Inspired Pork Stew with Traditional Garnishes
White Veal Stew with Mushrooms, Corn, and Sherry
Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary
Carbonnades à la Flamande (Flemish Beef and Onion Stew)
Short Ribs with Coffee and Chiles
Oxtail Braised with Tomato and Celery
Spring Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork
Seared Loin Lamb Chops with Olives and Soft Polenta
Spring Lamb Salad with Pea Shoots and Sugar Snap Peas
Summer Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork
Apple City World-Champion Baby Back Ribs
Cold Beef with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Fall Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork
Pork Arrosto with Prunes and Grappa
Himmelreich (Roasted Pork with Apricots, Apples, and Prunes)
North Carolina–Style Pulled Pork
Pork Chops with Rye Bread Stuffing
Lamb Shoulder Chops with Anchovy and Mint Butter
Seared Loin Lamb Chops with Olives and Soft Polenta
Broiled Lamb Leg Chops on Eggplant Planks with Mint-Yogurt Sauce
Filet de Boeuf Rôti (Roast Fillet of Beef) with Sauce Bordelaise
T-Bone Steak with 6666 Soppin’ Sauce
Marinated Flank Steak with Asian Slaw
Rib-Eye Steaks with Peppered Cranberry Marmalade and Swiss Chard
New York Strip Steak with Horseradish-Mint Glaze
Center-Ring Strip Steak Marinated in Scotch Whiskey
SPANISH FRICCO (BEEF, POTATO, AND ONION STEW)
Every cook needs a few esoteric recipes in her collection: make this stew one of yours. The layering of beef and vegetables is similar to that in the Boeuf Bourguignon I here, except that here there’s almost no added liquid, just a few spoonfuls of cream. The beef, potatoes, and onions cook in their own juices, insulated by a water bath surrounding the pot. By the time the stew is finished, the cooking broth looks like a wreck with rivulets of cream streaming through the beef juices. Don’t be discouraged, you’ve succeeded: you will soak up every last drop with bread.
In fact, the best way to serve the stew is to spoon it over toasted country bread that’s been rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil. Follow it with a salad of bitter greens, like Puntarelle with Anchovies here.
———
2 pounds boneless beef shoulder
4 large white potatoes
1½ large yellow onions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 bay leaves
¼ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the beef into ½-inch-thick slices. Using a meat mallet, flatten each slice between sheets of wax paper to ¼ inch thick.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Cut the onions into ⅛-inch-thick slices.
3. Have ready 2 Dutch ovens or heavy pots, one that’s large enough to hold all the ingredients and a larger one that will hold it comfortably. Cover the bottom of the smaller pot with one-quarter of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Add a bay leaf, and cover with one-third of the beef and one-third of the onions. Season again. Repeat this 2 more times. Cover with the remaining potatoes, season once more, and add the remaining bay leaf. Using your palms, press down on the ingredients to compress the mixture. Pour in the cream.
4. Cover the pot, set it inside the larger pot, and fill the larger pot with enough boiling water to come halfway up the smaller pot. Transfer to the oven and bake until a knife inserted in the layers slips right through, 1½ to 2 hours. Lift the smaller pot from the larger pot, to make serving easier.
SERVES 6
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
See the headnote. For dessert: Ofenschlupfer (Almond Bread Pudding; here) or Chocolate Mousse (here).
APRIL 1, 1877: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.” RECIPE SIGNED EMILIA.
—1877
FRIED SWEETBREADS WITH MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL SAUCE
If you’re looking for a good, tart salad to accompany the sweetbreads, the Raw Spinach Salad here is ideal.
———
2 large eggs
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
1 pound sweetbreads, cleaned and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 lemon wedges
1. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Spread the bread crumbs in another bowl. Lightly season the sweetbreads with salt. Dip them in the egg, then the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the sweetbreads and cook until the edges are nicely browned, then turn and brown the other side, 6 to 8 minutes total.
3. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. When it begins to foam, add the parsley and lemon juice.
4. Divide the sweetbreads among 4 plates. Spoon the sauce over them and accompany each with a lemon wedge.
SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MAIN COURSE, WITH SALAD, AS A FIRST COURSE
COOKING NOTE
It’s important to use coarse bread crumbs; fine, uniform crumbs won’t provide enough crunch.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
See headnote. Also: French Potato Salad (here), Watercress Salad (here), Apple Tarte Tatin (here), Winter Fruit Salad (here).
JUNE 10, 1877: “THE HOUSEHOLD: RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.”
—1877
DELMONICO HASH
This is lamb hash on toasts that have been buttered and toasted, then dipped in cream. Need I say more? Yes, I will: whatever you do, don’t skip the cream. The toasts are ridiculously indulgent and so, so good.
This is a great way to use up leftovers from other lamb recipes in this chapter. You can double or triple the recipe.
———
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for the toasts
¾ cup finely diced cooked lamb
¼ cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two ½-inch-thick slices country bread
¼ cup heavy cream
1. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the lamb, water, salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, and simmer to warm the lamb and emulsify the water, butter, and lamb juices. Add more water if needed; the liquid should act like a liaison, not a soup. Cover and keep warm.
2. Toast the bread, then butter both sides. Pour the cream into a wide shallow bowl. Dip the toasts in the cream, lightly coating both sides.
3. Place a toast in each of 2 bowls. Spoon the lamb and cooking juices on top, and enjoy.
SERVES 2
VARIATION
Although there’s really no need to vary this dish in any way, no one would complain if you topped it with a sprinkling of fresh herbs like chives, thyme, and tarragon.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Salade à la Romaine (here), Plum Fritters (here); if serving for brunch, pair it with Omelet with Asparagus (here) or Eggs with Mushrooms and Caraway (here).
JUNE 24, 1877: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.” RECIPE SIGNED STICKWELL.
—1877
COLLARED PORK
The herbs and spices in the stuffing, dominated by mace and sage, are so hardy they’re almost medicinal. I served this to my family over the Christmas holidays one year, and after the first bite, we all shot skeptical looks at one another. But soon everyone was having seconds.
———
One 6-pound pork shoulder, boned (by the butcher)
½ pound day-old country bread, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground mace
3 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1. Remove the pork from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grind the bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor (you should have about 4 cups).
2. Combine the bread crumbs, dried sage, marjoram, nutmeg, cloves, mace, chopped sage, thyme, salt, pepper to taste, and butter in a large bowl. Rub together to spread the butter through the mixture. Fold in the egg and blend well.
3. Open out the pork on a work surface and season well inside and out. Spread the stuffing over the inside. Roll up the meat and tie with kitchen twine.
4. Lay the pork fat side up on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Add enough water to the pan to just cover the bottom and place in the oven. Roast, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, 1½ to 2 hours. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTES
Make sure the butcher leaves a thick layer of fat on the shoulder when he bones and trims it. This insulates the meat, naturally bastes the pork as it cooks, and produces a beautiful crust on the roast.
If you’d like to make gravy, add some red wine to the roasting pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up the drippings, until reduced to a glaze. Then pour in 2 cups of chicken broth and reduce by half. You can also add a handful of golden raisins if you’d like a little sweetness.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Florida Beets (here), Madame Laracine’s Gratin Dauphinois (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Stewed Fennel (here), De Luxe Cheesecake (here), Teddie’s Apple Cake (here), Apple Galette (here), Almond Granita (here)
JANUARY 20, 1878: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.” RECIPE SIGNED COUSIN JERUSHA.
—1878
BLANQUETTE OF VEAL
The nineteenth century was definitely a substance-over-style period when it came to meat dishes. Blanquette de veau, a dish whose beauty has never matched its flavor, is particularly homely here. Although you can serve it to your spouse, for anyone else, you’ll need to chop a thick covering of parsley–or dim the lights. But this version makes up for its unprepossessing looks with excellent flavor; it is more like a silky soup containing veal than a stew.
———
2 pounds veal stew meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
1 onion, stuck with 10 whole cloves
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and sliced
4 to 5 sprigs dill
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped and washed well
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Chicken broth if needed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large egg yolks
1 pound boiled small potatoes for serving
1. Place the veal in a large pot, cover with water, and add the salt. Bring to a simmer, adding the onion, celery, parsnip, turnip, dill, and leek as it heats. Simmer, skimming occasionally, until the veal is just tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Remove the meat to a plate and strain the cooking broth. You’ll need 4 cups; if necessary, supplement with chicken broth; skim off excess fat. (At this point, you can stop and finish the dish the following day. Pour the broth over the meat before refrigerating.)
3. Clean out the pot and return it to the stove. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute—add a little of the veal broth if needed. Whisk in the (remaining) veal broth and bring to a simmer, whisking. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Ladle out about 1 cup broth and gradually whisk it into the egg yolks to temper them, then whisk this mixture back into the pot; cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens—do not let it boil. Stir the meat into the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Serve over the boiled potatoes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Improved Holland Gin Cocktail (here), Green Pea Fritters (here, with crème fraîche and chives), Fresh Morel, Asparagus, and Sweet Pea Risotto (here), Butter-Braised Asparagus and Oyster Mushrooms with Peas and Tarragon (here), A Perfect Batch of Rice (here), Fennel, Orange, Watercress, and Walnut Salad (here), Rosh Hashanah Plum Pie (here), Snow Pudding (here), Straight-Up Rhubarb Pie (here)
AUGUST 8, 1878: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.” RECIPE SIGNED TWENTY-FIVE CENT DINNERS.
—1878
EPIGRAM OF LAMB
Every once in a while, a dish becomes famous as much for its name as for its flavor. Take, for instance, Thomas Keller’s “Oysters and Pearls,” made with oysters, tapioca, and caviar. Another such dish was veal hocks à l’epigramme, or braised veal, which appeared in La Varenne’s seventeenth-century cookbook Le Cuisinier François.
Over the years, cooks swapped lamb for the veal and changed the way it was prepared. Epigram of lamb came to mean a dish that overturned your expectation of a dense, fatty cut of lamb by transforming it into thin, breaded cutlets. “Epigram” may refer to the preparation or to the small cuts of meat, but the playful word has inevitably managed to irk some literal-minded chefs. One of La Varenne’s contemporaries claimed the dish was emblematic of all that was wrong in cooking. And Ken Albala, a food historian at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, pointed me to Apicius Redivivus, or the Cook’s Oracle, a nineteenth-century cookbook in which one critic is quoted as saying, “What can any person suppose to be the meaning of a shoulder of lamb in epigram, unless it were a poor dish, for a Penniless Poet?” Meow!
The epigram that ran in the Times in 1879 came from a publication called Young Ladies’ Magazine. Although it takes two days to make, the actual work involved is brief. You braise lamb breast with some vegetables until its bones can be easily removed, then press it between two plates. The next day, you slice the meat on the bias to create cutlets, bread them, and fry them in butter. The braising makes for tender, fragrant cutlets, and the second cooking makes the fat in the lamb crisp and extra succulent.
For a modern take on this concept, see the lamb belly here.
———
One 2-pound boneless lamb breast, trimmed of excess fat
½ Spanish onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 whole cloves
8 black peppercorns
3 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs thyme, or sage, or rosemary (or all 3)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 to 2 cups coarse dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Cooked fresh peas
1. Lay the lamb in a large heavy braising pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and salt to taste. Add just enough water to cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is falling off the bone, 1¼ to 2 hours. Let the meat cool in the liquid.
2. Lay the meat on a large plate or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Set with another plate or baking sheet on top, place a weight on top, and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, slice the lamb against the grain; the slices should be about ⅓ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and spread bread crumbs in another bowl. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Dip the lamb cutlets first in the egg, then the bread crumbs, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side; do this in batches, adding more butter and olive oil if needed.
4. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh green peas.
SERVES 4
Substitute pork shoulder for the lamb, and rub some chopped fresh thyme into the bread crumbs before coating the cutlets. For a slightly different texture, replace the bread crumbs with panko, sharp and crisp Japanese bread crumbs (available at Asian grocery stores and some supermarkets).
COOKING NOTES
The original recipe called for sautéing the lamb cutlets in lard. I changed this to butter and olive oil. If you want to be authentic and do it in lard, go for it.
I included lemon wedges for squeezing over the cutlets at the table, an Italian touch.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Rhubarb Bellini (here), Spring Lamb Salad with Pea Shoots and Sugar Snap Peas (here, the salad part), Asparagus and Bulgur with Preserved-Lemon Dressing (here), Butter-Braised Asparagus and Oyster Mushrooms with Peas and Tarragon (here), Puree of Peas and Watercress (here), Pea Puree (from Scallops with Pea Puree, here), Straight-Up Rhubarb Pie (here), Fontainebleau (here)
MAY 11, 1879: “RECEIPTS FOR THE TABLE.” RECIPE ADAPTED FROM YOUNG LADIES’ MAGAZINE.
—1879
SAUCE FOR VENISON STEAK
This sauce is a great cheat—a little boiling and stirring, and you have a compact jus that seems as if it must have taken hours to prepare. It comes out best if you start with a concentrated, viscous veal stock. If you can’t get any, begin with 2 cups regular veal stock and reduce it by half. (You can do the same using chicken or beef stock as a substitute.) Then all you have to do is sauté a few venison steaks, and in less than 20 minutes, dinner is made.
The sauce would also be delicious with duck.
———
1 cup veal stock
Salt (if stock isn’t seasoned)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 whole cloves
3 allspice berries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon currant or blueberry jelly, plus more to taste
½ cup dry red wine
1½ tablespoons canola oil
Two ½-inch-thick venison steaks (4 if they’re small)
1. Combine the veal stock, salt, if needed, black pepper, cayenne to taste, cloves, and allspice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce by half.
2. Meanwhile, blend the butter and flour. Whisk into the stock. Add the jelly and wine and boil, whisking, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste, adding more jelly, salt, and/or cayenne as desired.
3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steaks, with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Brown well on both sides, and cook to desired doneness (I like it to be a little pink inside). Serve, passing the sauce at the table.
SERVES 2
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Roasted Cauliflower (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Red Wine Risotto (here), Cream Dressing for Salad (here), Reuben’s Apple Pancake (here), Apple Snow (here)
NOVEMBER 7, 1880: “RECEIPTS.” RECIPE FROM “HINTS TO HOUSEWIVES.”
—1880
IRAQI GRAPE LEAVES STUFFED WITH LAMB, MINT, AND CINNAMON
“American housekeepers are generous in serving leg of lamb, lamb chops, shoulders, and stews,” Kiley Taylor, a Times food columnist, wrote, “but beyond these few ideas, the imagination does not seem to extend.” To remedy this situation, Taylor whipped out a few cookbooks for inspiration, and although she never named the source for this recipe, she chose well. The cinnamon-and-mint-scented filling and the tangy grape leaves make a fine pair.
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20 jarred or canned grape leaves
1 pound ground lamb
½ cup cooked jasmine rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons chopped mint
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Soak the grape leaves in a bowl of water for at least 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and dry them.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently mix the lamb, rice, 1 tablespoon butter, the mint, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Lay 1½ tablespoons of this mixture at the stem end of a grape leaf. Form mixture into a log shape. Fold the sides of the leaf over the mixture, then roll up toward the tip of the leaf. Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing. Some of the leaves may tear; you should end up with about 18 rolls.
3. Arrange the rolls in an 8-inch square baking dish. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water. Lay a piece of foil over the dish, then lay another casserole or plate on top of the foil to weigh down the rolls. Press the foil against the edges to seal the dish.
4. Bake until the lamb is just cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Hummus bi Tahini (here), Beet Tzatziki (here), Arnaki Araka (Lamb with Peas; here), Cumin-Mustard Carrots (here), Spicy Orange Salad Morrocan-Style (here), Saffron Panna Cotta (here)
SEPTEMBER 1, 1940: “VICTUALS AND VITAMINS,” BY KILEY TAYLOR.
—1940
ARUNDEL (SAUSAGES IN ALE)
German sausages such as weisswurst, bratwurst, or krainerwurst paired with a hefty ale work best. Serve the sausages with a variety of sharp, peppery, sweet, and grainy mustards.
———
1½ pounds German sausages
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup ale
Mustard for serving (sweet, spicy, grainy, whatever you like)
1. Prick the sausages with a fork. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until foamy. Add the sausages and brown on all sides. Pour off the fat.
2. Pour in the ale and bring to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Beer! Also, Peach Bowl (here), Craig Claiborne’s Swiss Fondue (here), Raw Spinach Salad (here), Light Potato Salad (here), Lattich Salat, Warme (Warm Lettuce Salad; here), Toasts with Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt (here), Black Forest Cake (here), Springerle Cookies (here)
MAY 11, 1941: “FOR THE PICNIC SEASON,” BY KILEY TAYLOR. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM THE BROWNS’ WINE COOK BOOK, BY THE BROWNS.
—1941
BROILED STEAK WITH OYSTERS
This steak-and-oysters combination (also known as a carpetbagger steak) appeared as part of a “brush-up course” on cooking meat, which had become available again after the war. There’s not much to the dish, but don’t knock it—steak and oysters will change your mind about surf ’n’ turf. Oysters are brinier than lobster. Poised atop the steak, their liquor, the wash of lemon-parsley butter, and the meat juices, create an irresistable sauce.
———
1 porterhouse steak, 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 shucked oysters, drained
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Heat the broiler. Place the steak in a sturdy flameproof pan and place under the broiler so the top of the meat is 2 to 3 inches from the tip of the flame. Cook, turning once, sprinkling each side with salt and pepper after browning. The total broiling time will be about 10 minutes for rare, 12 for medium. Remove the pan from the broiler.
2. Toss the oysters in about half the fat that has accumulated in the pan and then distribute over the steak. Place under the broiler flame and cook until the oyster edges curl. Transfer the steak and oysters to a platter.
3. Skim off any excess fat from the pan, and mix the pan juices with the butter, parsley, and lemon juice. Pour over the oysters and steak.
SERVES 4 TO 5
COOKING NOTE
The original recipe called for “fortified margarine,” which I changed to butter.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Tomatoes Vinaigrette (here), Spinach with Sour Cream (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Mrs. Hovis’s Hot Upside-Down Apple Pie (here), Junior’s Cheesecake (here), Banana Cream Pie (here)
DECEMBER 2, 1945: “FOOD; REFRESHER COURSE ON COOKING MEAT,” BY JANE NICKERSON.
—1945
EISENHOWER’S STEAK IN THE FIRE
General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s steak recipe, which he picked up on fishing trips in Wisconsin, first appeared in a letter to Ethel Wyman, the wife of the chief of staff of the First Army, who was stationed on Governors Island, New York. It later showed up in a cookbook, What’s Cooking on Governors Island.
———
Here is the recipe in Eisenhower’s words:
“(a) Get a sirloin tip four inches thick (as thick as it is wide).
(b) Make a dry mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Put it in a flat wide bowl.
(c) Roll and rub the steak in the mixture until it will take up no more.
(d) Two hours before ready to start cooking, build, on the ground, a bonfire, on which dump a good-sized basketful of charcoal. Keep fire going well until charcoal has formed a good thick body of glowing coals.
(e) Forty minutes before time to eat, throw the steak into the fire (use no grates, grills, or anything of the kind).
(f) Nudge it over once or twice but let it lie in the fire about thirty-five minutes.
(g) Take out, slice slant-wise (about three-eighths-inch thick). Serve hot.
“If a sauce is desired: In a skillet (while steak is cooking), heat some beef juice and drippings with butter. Add some Worcester [sic] sauce and lemon juice to taste. (One steak will serve three persons generously.)”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Chiffonade Salad (here), Saratoga Potatoes (here), Cucumbers in Cream (here), Lora Brody’s Bête Noire (Intense Chocolate Cake; here), Salted Caramel Ice Cream (here)
DECEMBER 3, 1949: “NEWS OF FOOD: EISENHOWER GIVES RECIPE: GET 4-INCH STEAK, COOK IT RIGHT ON THE COALS FOR 35 MINUTES” BY JANE NICKERSON. RECIPE FROM WHAT’S COOKING ON GOVERNORS ISLAND.
—1949
Choucroute, or sauerkraut with cured meats, sounds so darn intimidating, but as long as you can get your hands on good sauerkraut and sausages, you’re in for the easiest dinner party dish in the world. All you do is pile the kraut and meats into a pot—this is the moment for that Le Creuset Dutch oven you got for your wedding—and let them slowly stew in the oven for a few hours while you make dessert and go to yoga. The recipe came from food writer James Beard, a friend of Craig Claiborne’s.
———
8 cups sauerkraut (canned or in bulk)
Pork rind, salt pork, or sliced bacon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Coarsely ground black pepper
About 4 cups dry white Alsatian wine
1 onion, stuck with whole cloves
Frankfurters, other meats (see Cooking Note)
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Wash the sauerkraut, then drain and squeeze dry.
2. Line a heavy pot with the pork rind, salt pork, or bacon. Add the sauerkraut, garlic, pepper, and wine to cover. Add the onion stuck with cloves. Cover tightly and cook in the oven (or simmer gently on top of the stove) for 3½ hours (see Cooking Note). Add additional wine as necessary.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTE
Claiborne, author of the piece in which this recipe appeared, wrote, “Many combinations of meats may be used in the preparation of this dish. Mr. Beard recommends the following:
Pig’s knuckles; cook on sauerkraut for 4 hours.
Polish sausages or Italian cotechino; add for last 35 minutes of cooking.
Bauernwurst or knockwurst; add for last 15 or 20 minutes of cooking.
Salt pork cut in serving pieces; parboil, cook with sauerkraut for 1 hour.
Smoked pork loin; cook in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Serve sliced.
Cooked ham slices; heat through in a little white wine.
Frankfurters; cook on sauerkraut for 5 minutes.”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Cream of Carrot Soup (here), Tarte Flambée (here), Apple Tarte Tatin (here), Apple Snow (here), Pruneaux du Pichet (Prunes in a Pitcher; here)
JANUARY 12, 1958: “SAUERKRAUT IN FANCY DRESS,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1958
CROWN ROAST OF LAMB
———
Crown roast of lamb (prepared by your butcher), at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stuffing (see Puree of Peas and Watercress, here)
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover the tips of the roast’s bones with aluminum foil to prevent them from charring when the roast cooks.
2. Salt and pepper the roast. Cook it until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops reads 130 degrees (for rare), about 1 to 1¼ hours.
3. Remove the aluminum foil and replace with paper frills. Fill the center of the roast with the stuffing and serve.
SERVES 6
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Artichauts Vinaigrette (here), Vichyssoise à la Ritz (here), Billi-Bi au Safran (Mussels in Saffron Cream; here), Al Forno’s Roasted Asparagus (here), Rhubarb-Strawberry Mousse (here)
MARCH 16, 1958: “WELCOME TO SPRING LAMB,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1958
BROILED LAMB CHOPS
———
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter
Chopped dill (or other herbs)
Fresh lemon juice (optional)
1. Marinate the lamb chops in a little olive oil with the garlic for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Heat the broiler. Set the chops on a rack about 2 inches from the source of heat and brown on both sides, cooking for a total of 8 minutes for rare.
3. Transfer the chops to a warm platter; season with salt and pepper, and place a pat of butter on each. Sprinkle with chopped dill. Sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired.
SERVES 6
VARIATION
Herb-Stuffed Lamb Chops: Before cooking, slit the chops in the thickest part. Cream a little butter with parsley, tarragon, or rosemary. Stuff the chops with the mixture and seal the openings with toothpicks. Broil, following the directions above.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Craig Claiborne said to serve the chops with “fried julienne potatoes and watercress,” so how about trying the Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here) or Saratoga Potatoes (here) and the Watercress Salad (here)? And an unassuming red wine.
MARCH 16, 1958: “WELCOME TO SPRING LAMB,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1958
PORK CHOPS WITH RYE BREAD STUFFING
Thrift is often the catalyst for culinary invention. Penny-pinching dishes such as panzanella, poule au pot, and beef ragu were all devised in hard times. Likewise, the recipe for these pork chops with rye bread stuffing, which the Times published in 1959, was billed as a dinner on the cheap. Pork chops were inexpensive (they were then 85 cents a pound), and bread stuffing was used, as it has been for hundreds of years, to stretch the portions.
When seasoned with sautéed onion, garlic, parsley, and caraway, the rye bread, with its strong grain flavor, gives the stuffing unexpected distinction. The technique is pure 1950s: the chops are browned in the oven, and a sauce is made with the brown but succulent drippings. The result is very . . . brown. But it’s toothsome: like a better-dressed cousin of pastrami on rye. A similar recipe for stuffed and baked pork chops showed up in America Cooks (1940) by Cora, Rose, and Bob Brown. The chops were called “Little Turkeys” and came from Oklahoma. This version clearly comes from New York City.
I reworked the recipe a bit, cooking the meat covered in the oven to keep it moist, then finishing it under the broiler. Even so, if you use supermarket pork chops—which are invariably thin and industrially produced—the resulting dish will have the texture of particleboard. It’s worth the effort to find a butcher who carries good fat-marbled chops and who can cut them thick—an inch is best. If you have the time, brine the chops first; a great recipe for brining pork chops is here.
———
Six 1-inch-thick pork loin chops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
3½ cups soft rye-bread crumbs (without caraway seeds, a mix of large and small pieces)
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken broth
1. If the butcher didn’t do this for you, cut a generous pocket in each chop.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl and add the bread crumbs, caraway seeds, parsley, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the beaten egg and mix with a fork until blended.
3. Fill the chops with the stuffing, then seal the pockets with toothpicks. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Arrange in a braising pan or other shallow flameproof baking dish with a lid. Bake, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, not the stuffing, reaches 155 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler just until the chops are browned and the temperature in the thickest part of the meat is 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
5. Set the braising pan on the stove over medium heat and reduce the pan juices to a thick glaze. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer, scraping up the pan drippings, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; strain. Season to taste.
6. Serve the sauce with the pork chops.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTES
If you want to maximize the flavor of the stuffing, toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan over low heat, then lightly bruise them with a mortar and pestle.
Don’t grind the bread crumbs too fine—large, coarse pieces give the stuffing a devil-may-care insouciance.
Have the butcher cut a generous pocket in each chop—or do it yourself!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Egg and Olive Canapés (here), Turkish Split-Pea Soup with Mint and Paprika (here), Paul Steindler’s Cabbage Soup (here), Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts (here), Anton Mosimann’s Braised Brussels Sprouts in Cream (here), Black Forest Cake (here), Madeleine Kamman’s Apple Mousse (here)
MAY 7, 1959: “LESS COSTLY MEAT CUTS CAN BE DELECTABLE,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1959
CARBONNADES À LA FLAMANDE (FLEMISH BEEF AND ONION STEW)
This is an old Flemish stew that calls for beer rather than broth. Use a heavy beer, such as ale or stout. The 1950s seasonings are timid, so you may want to add another garlic clove, some fresh thyme, and more parsley.
———
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 medium onions, sliced
One 12-ounce bottle or can of beer
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until tender but not brown. Remove the onions. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
3. Return the onions to the pan. Add the beer, garlic, and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is tender, about 1¼ hours. Remove the garlic clove.
SERVES 4 TO 6
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (here), Cauliflower Soup with Cremini Mushrooms and Walnut Oil (here), Watercress and Basil Soup (here), Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here), Sautéed Asparagus with Fleur de Sel (here), Chocolate Eclairs (here)
JUNE 11, 1959: “BEER CONTRIBUTES AN INTERESTING FLAVOR TO MANY DISHES,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1959
Following the lead of Mapie de Toulouse-Lautrec, a well-known food writer for Elle in the 1960s, Craig Claiborne claimed that there were two accepted methods for making boeuf bourguignon, and he included both versions in his weekly column. The most popular method (Boeuf Bourguignon II, which can be found below) involves browning the meat before adding the vegetables and wine. The other version, which Toulouse-Lautrec called the “true” recipe—this one—is prepared by simply layering the meat and vegetables, pouring over the wine, and simmering it all on the stovetop. This housewife method is the same as that used in the daube de boeuf in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
An unusual detail about this stew is that although its liquid is almost entirely red wine, once it’s cooked, the wine turns pale, bleached of all its color.
After making both recipes, I favored this one, but when I served the Boeuf Bourguignon II to a crowd of guests, they lobbied me to include that version too. In addition to being easier to make, this one produces a brothier, boozier sauce. The other contains flour and acquires a thick, robust consistency. Both should be spooned onto a bed of buttered egg noodles.
One way to decide which to make: this easy one serves 6, the more complex one serves 12, better for a large party. Both should be made a day before serving—the first rule in stew making—because the meat relaxes and the flavors coalesce.
———
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large slices salt pork or 6 slices bacon
1½ cups diced carrots
One 2-pound boneless chuck or beef rump roast, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
½ bottle (750-ml bottle) Burgundy or pinot noir
⅓ cup Cognac
1. Pour the oil into a large casserole and add 1 slice salt pork (or 3 slices bacon). Add the diced carrots and cover them with one-third of the sliced beef in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the meat with half the onions, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Cover with a layer of half the remaining beef and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Add the remaining onions, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms and cover with a final layer of the remaining beef. Top with the second slice of salt pork (or remaining 3 slices of bacon). Pour the Burgundy and Cognac over all. Season with additional salt and pepper.
2. Place the casserole over high heat, and when it begins to simmer, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the meat is tender when tested with a fork.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTES
If you make the stew a day ahead and put it in the fridge, the chilled fat will rise to the surface and solidify, so you can peel it off with a spoon before reheating the stew.
Beef must be more tender than it was fifty years ago, because both times I made this it took just over 2 hours. The original recipe said to cook it for 3 to 3½ hours.
When the casserole is cooking, the liquid should barely bubble.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Madame Laracine’s Gratin Dauphinois (here), Haricots Verts with Balsamic Vinaigrette (here), Chocolate Mousse (here), Apple Tarte Tatin (here)
SEPTEMBER 11, 1960: “WHEN BEEF BECOMES BOEUF,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1960
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON II
I love almost any kitchen task, but there are a few things for which I believe life is too short: peeling tomatoes, chopping parsley for a garnish, and peeling small white onions with their flinty, infuriating skins. This recipe called for peeling thirty-six of the evil little orbs. Since you can’t really get away with unpeeled onions, I used frozen ones.
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5 pounds boneless chuck beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
Flour
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Cognac, warmed
½ pound bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped and washed well
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus additional for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (750-ml) bottle Burgundy or pinot noir
36 small onions (you can use frozen small white onions)
Sugar
36 mushroom caps
Juice of ½ lemon
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the beef cubes in flour. Heat 4 tablespoons each butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and brown the beef, in batches, on all sides.
2. Return all the meat to the skillet. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, pour the Cognac over it, and carefully ignite. When the flame dies, put the meat in a casserole.
3. Add the bacon, garlic, carrots, leeks, onions, and parsley to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables are lightly browned.
4. Transfer the bacon and vegetables to the casserole with the meat and add the bay leaf, thyme, Burgundy, and enough water barely to cover the meat. Cover and bake for 1½ hours.
5. Prepare a beurre manié by blending 1 tablespoon each butter and flour. Stir into the casserole bit by bit. Return the casserole to the oven and continue cooking until the meat is very tender, 30 to 60 minutes longer.
6. Meanwhile, brown the small onions in 2 tablespoons butter with a dash of sugar in a large skillet. Add a little water, cover, and cook until the onions are almost tender. (If using frozen onions, follow the cooking directions on the package, then brown them in butter with a little sugar.) Set aside.
7. Sauté the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons each butter and oil in a large skillet until lightly browned on one side. Sprinkle them with lemon juice and turn to brown the other side.
8. To serve, add the onions to the casserole and garnish with the mushrooms and parsley.
SERVES 12
COOKING NOTES
Before making this recipe, read the headnote for Boeuf Bourguignon I on the previous page.
If you can’t get your Cognac to ignite, don’t fret. Just simmer the alcohol for a minute and move on.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Salade à la Romaine (here), Cream Dressing for Salad (here), Madame Laracine’s Gratin Dauphinois (here), Chocolate Mousse (here), Apple Tarte Tatin (here)
SEPTEMBER 11, 1960: “WHEN BEEF BECOMES BOEUF,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1960
CHINESE BARBECUED SPARERIBS
Back in the 1960s, when Chinese food meant chop suey and chicken chow mein and no one knew that the Chinese would have scoffed at maraschino cherries in sweet-and-sour pork, there was a brief passion for Chinese barbecued spareribs.
Compared with many “Chinese” imports, the spareribs, for which the Times printed at least four recipes during the ’50s and ’60s, were only mildly inauthentic. The marinades usually contained soy sauce and garlic, ingredients actually available in China (or, more specifically, Canton; most of the early Chinese cooking in America was based on Cantonese cuisine). The dishes also harbored a few dubious items such as ketchup, honey, and red wine. All the recipes aimed for a similar result: a sweet and salty, lightly lacquered pork rib—one that at least looked as if it might be found in Shanghai or Canton (now Guangzhou).
Nina Simonds, an authority on Chinese cooking, says these efforts amounted to “basically someone trying to duplicate Ah-So sauce.” The Chinese condiment, which comes in a jar, contains corn syrup, fermented soybeans, and garlic.
In The Pleasures of Chinese Cooking (1962), a groundbreaking introduction to the cuisine, Grace Zia Chu defended such adaptation. She wrote, “A dish with ingredients that are not typically Chinese may still be a Chinese dish—if it is prepared in the Chinese way.”
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½ cup honey
½ cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup water
4 pounds spareribs, cut into serving pieces
1. Combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, and water in a pan large enough to hold the ribs. Marinate the spareribs in this mixture in the refrigerator for several hours, turning a few times.
2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to low. Drain the spareribs, reserving the marinade, and arrange in a hinged grill basket (or place directly on the grill). Grill, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade, for 1½ hours, or until the ribs are shiny brown and fork-tender. As the meat cooks, turn the basket (or ribs) frequently so that neither side gets charred.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
In an earlier version of this recipe, June Owen, who also wrote the piece about this one, recommended first roasting the ribs for 55 minutes in an oven set at 350 degrees. That way, when you finish them on the grill, they will be less likely to char and spoil the lacquered look. The choice is yours.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Shrimp Toast (here), Oriental Watercress Soup (here), Clams in Black Bean Sauce (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (here), Lemon Lotus Ice Cream (here)
JUNE 30, 1961: “NEWS OF FOOD: A BARBEQUE FAVORITE,” BY JUNE OWEN.
—1961
MOUSSAKA
Moussaka is a little bit like Shepherd’s Pie with Curried Meat (here) and also a little like Lasagna (here), with layers of eggplant and lamb topped not with potatoes but with a fluffy custard. In this splendid version, the lamb is scented with coffee and cinnamon and the custard is enriched with ricotta.
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4 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
Salt
2 pounds ground lamb
3 onions, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ cup extra-strong coffee
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
Vegetable oil
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot whole milk
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese
1. Cut the eggplants into ¼-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brown the lamb and cook the onions in 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet (you may need to do this in 2 pans—better than crowding one pan). Add the tomato paste, wine, coffee, parsley, 2 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and cinnamon. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Let cool.
3. Stir the eggs, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup bread crumbs into the lamb mixture. Set aside.
4. Wipe off the excess salt from the eggplant and brown on both sides in oil in a large skillet. Drain on paper towels.
5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Create 2 layers each of the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs and ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, the eggplant, lamb mixture, and tomato slices, in a greased 4-quart casserole or lasagna pan, reserving enough eggplant to end with a layer of it.
6. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When bubbling, add the flour and cook, while whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to boil, stirring. Add the nutmeg. Pour a little of the hot mixture onto the beaten egg yolks, mixing well, then return all to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
7. Stir the ricotta into the cream soup and pour over the top of the casserole. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbling hot and browned on top. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTES
Sautéing the eggplant takes forever. You can either do it in advance (it will hold for up to a day in the fridge) or change the method: Brush the eggplant with oil and roast on baking sheets in a 400-degree oven, turning once.
If you need to use 2 pans for Step 2, use one for the lamb and one for the onions.
You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Reheat in a 300-degree oven for 30 minutes to serve.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Roasted Feta with Thyme Honey (here), Shrimp Baked with Feta Cheese, Greek-Style (here), Salade à la Grecque (here), Couscous Salad (here), Hazelnut Baklava (here)
JANUARY 3, 1966: “SIMPLE DISH TO SERVE 12,” BY JEAN HEWITT.
—1966
ANN SERANNE’S RIB ROAST OF BEEF
Cooking beef—especially an expensive cut like rib roast—to the right doneness while also tending to guests is not what I call fun. But back in the 1960s, Ann Seranne, a food consultant and author of more than a dozen cookbooks, solved the problem. Craig Claiborne wrote that her technique “is so basic, so easily applied, and so eminently satisfactory in its results, the astonishing thing is it is not universally known.” As it still isn’t, I include it here once more.
The technique is as follows: you bring the meat to room temperature; pat it with a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper; put it in a 500-degree oven for an amount of time determined by the weight of the beef; and then turn off the heat and leave the meat in the oven for 2 hours—“. . . long enough,” Seranne told Claiborne, “for a game of golf or an appointment at the hairdresser.”
What I also loved about this recipe is the excellent crust that develops from the flour cooking into the layer of fat rimming the beef.
A similar technique for lamb can be found here.
———
One 2- to 4-bone beef rib roast (4½ to 12 pounds)
Flour for dusting
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Remove the roast from the refrigerator 2½ to 4 hours before cooking, depending on its size.
2. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Sprinkle with a little flour and rub the flour lightly into the fat. Season all over with salt and pepper.
3. Put the roast in the preheated oven and roast according to the roasting chart on the next page, timing the minutes exactly.
4. When the cooking time is finished, turn off the oven. Do not open the door at any time. Allow the roast to remain in the oven until the oven is lukewarm, about 2 hours. The roast will still have a crunchy brown outside, and an internal heat suitable for serving even after 4 hours.
| Number of ribs | Weight (without short ribs) | Roasting Time at 500 degrees |
| 2 | 4½ to 5 pounds | 25 to 30 minutes |
| 3 | 8 to 9 pounds | 40 to 45 minutes |
| 4 | 11 to 12 pounds | 55 to 60 minutes |
MAKES ABOUT 2 SERVINGS PER RIB
COOKING NOTE
Make sure your oven temperature is accurate before consulting the time chart.
VARIATION
If you have leftovers, which I doubt you will, thinly slice the meat and serve it cold with a sauce of mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish (4:1:1).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Martini (here), Fried Olives (here), Toasts with Walnut Sauce (here), Maida Heatter’s Preheated-Oven Popovers (here), Shallot Pudding (here), Spinach Roman-Style (here), Apple Tarte Tatin (here), Coffee Caramel Custard (here) Pruneaux du Pichet (Prunes in a Pitcher; here)
JULY 28, 1966: “ANN SERANNE’S RECIPE FOR A PERFECT ROAST: PUT IT IN THE OVEN AND RELAX,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ANN SERANNE.
—1966
VEAL CHOPS BEAU SÉJOUR
Make sure you brown the veal well on every surface, even the edges, because that pays off in the end with a good crust on the chops and a rich, dense sauce. The garlic is the showman, the vinegar its sidekick.
———
6 veal chops, preferably cut from the rack, 1½ inches thick, Frenched (ask the butcher to do this)
Flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic
2 medium bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup water
1. Dredge the chops lightly on all sides in flour. Heat the oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet large enough to hold all 6 chops. Brown the chops.
2. Scatter the garlic cloves around the chops. Cut the bay leaves into 3 pieces each and place 1 piece on each chop. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the chops, tightly covered, over medium to low heat for about 20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the natural sauce in the skillet is syrupy.
3. Transfer the chops to a hot serving dish, leaving the garlic and bay leaves in the skillet, and keep warm. Add the vinegar to the skillet and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated. Add the broth and water and cook, stirring until the sauce has reduced and concentrated to your liking, about 5 minutes. Check the seasoning. Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
4. Pour the sauce over the chops and garnish each chop with a garlic clove.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTE
Don’t use a cast-iron skillet, or the vinegar will make your sauce muddy.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ratatouille Niçoise (here), Yette’s Garden Platter (here), Mushrooms with Manzanilla Sherry (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Pots de Crème (here)
READERS
“I’m still using the original copy from the paper, now deep yellow with age, fragile, held together with Scotch tape. We were married 13 years when I first found it and tried it. It’s been 50 years now, and this favorite dinner, I think, has contributed to the longevity of our marriage. It’s so easy, so quick. I couldn’t do without it.”
Lotti Morris, Bennington, VT, letter
NOVEMBER 19, 1967: “BEAU REPAST,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1967
I’m assuming that most people already have a good chili recipe, so I’m introducing an esoteric one for chili fanatics (a “dry” chili, which means it’s intensely spiced and not brothy). The recipe comes from Rosa de la Garza, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, who cooked for a wealthy Texas family. (Craig Claiborne often stumbled upon great recipes by writing about the upper crust and the cooks who fed them.)
De la Garza’s recipe reappeared in the Times in 1977, when, in response to another story about chili, John C. Schenck, then the publisher of Sports Illustrated, reminded Claiborne of de la Garza’s recipe, noting, “It remains to this day the single most ambrosial substance which is possible for a human being to digest, and any discussion of chili, food in general, the quality of life, immortality, Democratic administrations, or the choral movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is incomplete without including it.” (I learned of the recipe from Schenck, a friend, who invited me to his annual chili party.)
It’s a very simple recipe with cumin, garlic, bay leaf, and chili powder the only seasonings, but the shopping is a killer. You must track down beef suet (look at ethnic or specialty butchers), and you must find a patient butcher or family member who is willing to cut 5 pounds of beef into ¼-inch cubes. Don’t do it yourself, or you’ll end up firebombing my house.
———
1 pound beef suet, cut into chunks (see headnote)
5 pounds boneless lean beef, cut into very small (¼-inch) cubes—do not grind
1½ tablespoons very finely chopped bay leaf
1½ tablespoons chopped garlic
5 tablespoons ground toasted cumin seeds
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
Water to reconstitute, or as needed
1. Place the suet in a large deep casserole and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until rendered of its fat and lightly browned. Remove any solid bits.
2. Add the beef and cook, stirring, over relatively high heat until the liquid that accumulates evaporates. Take care to stir well.
3. Add the remaining ingredients plus 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Be sure to stir the bottom to scrape up any browned bits; do not let it burn.
4. If you wish to serve the chili without freezing, add water to cover the meat plus an extra 4 cups and simmer until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Or, to prepare the dry chili for freezing, line 3 small baking pans with a generous length of plastic wrap. Spoon one-third (about 1 pound) of the hot chili into each pan, filling it full. Fold over the plastic wrap to seal well. Let cool. Unmold, if desired, and freeze.
5. To reconstitute the chili, add 6 to 8 cups water to each pound of dry chili, and slowly bring to a simmer.
MAKES ABOUT 3 POUNDS OF DRY CHILI; SERVES 10 TO 12
COOKING NOTES
I used beef chuck.
I served it over jasmine rice with sliced limes, chopped cilantro, salted chopped onions, and chopped tomatoes as condiments.
If possible, use fresh bay leaves, and chop them in a spice/coffee grinder. And use the very best chili powder and cumin you can buy—poor-quality spices have a tendency to smell musty, and the spices are so prominent in this dish that they could easily ruin it.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
La Paloma (here), Guacamole Tostadas (here), Raw Spinach Salad (here), Bacon Potato Puffs (here), Maida Heatter’s Cuban Black Beans and Rice (here), Tangerine Sherbet (here), Strawberry Soup (here), Caramel Custard (here), Mango Ice Cream (here)
DECEMBER 4, 1969: “TAMALE COOK PAR EXCELLENCE,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. ALSO, JANUARY 17, 1977: “DEGUSTIBUS: SOME GOOD NEWS FOR SOUTHPAW CHEFS,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1969
ITALIAN BEEF STEW WITH ROSEMARY
I would happily make this recipe once a week. It’s smartly conceived, with everything done in a single pot. You trim the meat first and let it come to room temperature while the vegetables cook. After simmering the vegetables, you run them through a food mill, which gives the resulting tomato sauce an appealing pebbly texture. Next you brown the meat, deglaze the pan with white wine, and add the tomato sauce. The tomatoes help break down the meat while it stews, and because the sauce is prepared in advance, there’s no transferring of the meat and reducing the sauce before serving. You spoon the stew right from the pot onto rafts of garlic-rubbed toast. The sauce soaks into the bread, and by the time you reach it with your fork, the toast will have attained a fluffy succulence.
The recipe says it serves 4, and it does, as long as there are other courses. In this sense it is a true Mediterranean recipe: a small amount of meat stretched with a sauce and a slab of bread.
———
1½ pounds boneless lean beef, such as top or bottom round or chuck
3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes or canned tomatoes with basil
¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus softened butter for the bread
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, plus 1 clove garlic
½ cup dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 thin slices French or Italian bread
1. Trim the meat if necessary, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
2. Combine the tomatoes, celery, parsley, oregano, thyme, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a wide casserole, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Put the sauce through a food mill and set aside; clean the casserole.
3. Melt butter in the casserole over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until the meat browns. Lower the heat to medium, add the chopped garlic, and stir. Transfer the meat to dish.
4. Add the wine to the casserole and cook over high heat until it is reduced by half. Add the meat, rosemary, tomato sauce, and, if necessary, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer until the meat is very tender, 1½ to 2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Spread the bread with butter, and toast on both sides under the broiler. Rub on both sides with the garlic clove and place 2 slices in each of 4 hot soup bowls.
6. Spoon the meat and sauce over the toasts.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
If your food mill has various sizes of plates, use the one with largest holes. If you don’t have a food mill, a potato masher or a food processor (pulse just a few times) will do the trick.
The recipe called for oregano and thyme, and I used dried herbs, which were more common at the time than fresh. If you’d like to use fresh herbs, double the amounts and measure the chopped leaves.
Almost any white wine will work for the cooking liquid—actually, I used fino sherry, which leant the stew a nutty scent.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ricotta Crostini with Fresh Thyme and Dried Oregano (here), Parmesan Crackers (here), Puntarelle with Anchovies (here), Panna Cotta (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
I thought this might be the first instance of a recipe calling for “freshly ground black pepper” (as opposed to simply “pepper”), an instruction I associate with Marcella Hazan, but in fact, it debuted in an article on cold dishes for Thanksgiving in 1907.
AUGUST 15, 1971: “ROSEMARY STEW.”
—1971
I wouldn’t call this spicy—the horseradish mellows—but it’s certainly flush with candid warming flavors like bacon, cinnamon, and cranberries.
———
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 4-pound boned and tied beef arm, blade, or bottom round roast
3 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
½ cup freshly grated horseradish or drained prepared horseradish (4-ounce jar)
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
4 whole cloves
1 cup beef broth
16 small white onions
1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
1. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the flour, rubbing the mixture into all the surfaces.
2. Heat the drippings in a Dutch oven or other heavy casserole and brown the meat very well on all sides over high heat. Pour off the drippings into a skillet and reserve.
3. Mix together the horseradish, cranberry sauce, cinnamon, cloves, and broth and add to the meat. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover tightly, and simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the meat is barely tender.
4. Meanwhile, brown the onions in the reserved drippings in the skillet. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
5. When the meat is barely tender, using a slotted spoon, add the onions and carrots. Cover cook for about 15 minutes longer, or until the vegetables and meat are tender.
SERVES 8
COOKING NOTE
Why not use one of the cranberry sauces here and here?
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Butternut Squash and Cider Soup (here), Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Mustard Bread Crumbs (here), Ismail Merchant’s Spinach Puree (here), Frozen Lemon Soufflé (here), Madeleine Kamman’s Apple Mousse (here)
SEPTEMBER 3, 1972: “POT ROAST WILL NEVER BE THE SAME,” BY JEAN HEWITT.
—1972
BREADED VEAL MILAN-STYLE
Scaloppine, the butcher’s go-to cut of the 1970s.
———
½ pound veal scaloppini
Flour for dredging
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon peanut, vegetable, or olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1½ cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 4 lemon slices
1. Unless the scaloppine are very small, cut them into pieces measuring about 3 inches by 3 inches or slightly larger. Place the scaloppine between sheets of wax paper and pound lightly to flatten, using the bottom of a heavy skillet or a flat mallet.
2. Generously season the flour with salt and pepper. Beat the egg with the water, ½ teaspoon oil, and the nutmeg in a shallow bowl. Blend the bread crumbs with the Parmesan.
3. Dip the scaloppine on both sides first in the flour, then in egg, and finally in the bread crumb mixture. As the scaloppine are breaded, place them on a flat surface and tap lightly to help the bread crumbs adhere.
4. Heat half the butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the scaloppine and cook until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Cook until golden brown on the other side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil, and scaloppini. Serve with sliced lemon.
SERVES 2
COOKING NOTE
It’s important to use homemade bread crumbs, which tend to be coarser—in a good way!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Diane Forley’s Arugula Salad with Artichoke, Ricotta Salata, and Pumpkin Seeds (here), Spinach Roman-Style (here), Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here), Balducci’s Tiramisù (here), Ricotta Kisses (here)
JULY 28, 1974: “FOOD: THREE WAYS WITH VEAL SCALOPPINE: WHEN IT’S DINNER FOR TWO,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE.
—1974
MEAT AND SPINACH LOAF
I learned about this recipe from my Times colleague Nathan Lump, who wears pocket squares, permits not a scrap of paper on his desk, and is the last person you’d expect to like meat loaf. Indeed, he told me, “It’s the only meat loaf I would serve to guests.”
By then I’d already tested at least six other recipes, and was loathe to make another. I’m glad I sucked it up, because this awfully named “meat and spinach” loaf did not disappoint. It’s finely textured, carefully spiced, as tailored as you will find. Which, come to think of it, may explain Nathan’s enthusiasm.
———
1 pound loose fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package spinach
1¼ pounds ground veal, pork, or beef or a combination of all three
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 slices bacon
Tomato sauce for serving (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pick over the spinach to remove any tough stems or slimy leaves. Rinse the spinach well in cold water, drain, place in a saucepan, and cover. It is not necessary to add liquid; the spinach will cook in the water clinging to the leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted.
2. Transfer the spinach to a colander and douse with cold water to chill. Drain and press with your hands to extract most of the moisture. Chop the spinach.
3. Put the meat in a bowl and add the chopped spinach, bread crumbs, salt to taste, the pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Put the celery, parsley, and milk in a blender. Blend well, and add to the meat mixture. Add the garlic.
5. Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the onion and cook until wilted. Add to the meat mixture. Add the eggs and blend well with your hands. Shape and fit into an oval or round baking dish, or place in a loaf pan. Cover with the bacon.
6. Bake until just cooked through, 1 to 1¼ hours, turning the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Pour off the fat and let the loaf stand for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve, if desired, with tomato sauce.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
Use a combination of meats and make sure they’re not lean.
Nathan tweaked the recipe slightly: he makes a homemade tomato jam (tomatoes, red onion, and a little sugar) and spreads it on top of the loaf with the bacon. If you want try this with tomato preserves, there’s a recipe here.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Hot Cheese Olives (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), String Beans with Ginger and Garlic (here), Reuben’s Apple Pancake (here), Banana Cream Pie (here), Lemon Mousse for a Crowd (here)
SEPTEMBER 29, 1974: “SUBLIME . . . MEAT LOAVES,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1974
Meat cooked with onions and spices has been around forever in Hungary. Infusing the stews with paprika is a relatively new idea that originated in the nineteenth century.
———
3 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or unsalted butter
4 pounds boneless veal or pork, cut into 2-inch cubes
4 cups halved and sliced onions (about 1 pound)
1 to 3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups green bell peppers cut into 1-inch-wide strips
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature (optional)
Spaetzle (optional; recipe follows)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat half the lard in a Dutch oven or other heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add half the veal and cook until browned, then remove from the pot. Add the remaining veal. Once it’s browned, remove the veal, and add the onions. Cook until lightly browned.
2. Return the veal to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium, sprinkle in the paprika, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir briefly, and sprinkle with the flour, stirring to coat the pieces of meat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover with a round of wax paper and put the lid on.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 1½ to 2 hours. Cooking time will depend on the quality of the meat; best-quality veal cooks more rapidly than that of a lesser quality. Pork cooks more quickly.
4. About 30 minutes before the stew is cooked, sprinkle with the pepper strips. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
5. Lightly beat the sour cream. Whisk a ladleful of broth into the sour cream, then slowly stir this into the goulash. Serve the stew with the spaetzle, if desired.
SERVES 8
SPAETZLE
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1⅓ cups whole milk
Salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the flour in a bowl. Beat the eggs and add them to the flour, stirring with a wire whisk or beating with a hand mixer. Gradually add the milk, beating or stirring constantly. Add salt to taste and the nutmeg.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Pour the spaetzle mixture into a colander set over the boiling water and press the mixture through the holes of the colander with a rubber spatula or large spoon. The spaetzle are done when they float. Drain and spoon them onto a clean towel or paper towels to dry briefly.
3. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet. When it is hot, add the spaetzle and cook, tossing and stirring until it’s golden brown and crisp on the edges for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
SERVES 8 TO 10
COOKING NOTES
Splitting the difference, I used 2 tablespoons paprika, but I wouldn’t have minded more. To ramp up the flavor of the dish, use 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón) and 1 tablespoon regular paprika
Use shoulder cuts of pork and veal, if possible.
If you don’t feel like making the spaetzle, serve the goulash over buttered noodles.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Cucumbers in Cream (here), Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts (here), Sautéed Potatoes with Parsley (here), Caramelized Chocolate Bread Pudding (here), Dick Taeuber’s Cordial Pie (here), Baumkuchentorte (Crepe-Like Layer Cake; here)
MAY 25, 1975: “FOOD: ALL GOULASH,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM THE CUISINE OF HUNGARY,” BY GEORGE LANG.
—1975
This technique was developed by a reader, Dorothy Moore, as an homage to Ann Seranne’s Rib Roast of Beef here. The lamb is brought to room temperature, roasted at 500 degrees for a short period, and then left in the oven for a few hours to finish cooking. What’s so great about this method—aside from the convenience of being able to roast the lamb far in advance—is that the meat rests while it finishes cooking, so that when you take it out of the oven, the meat is settled, ready for slicing and incredibly moist.
In Step 3, you are told to reheat the pan drippings and serve them as the sauce, which isn’t a bad idea, but you can also make any kind of reduction sauce you’d like. I added wine to the drippings and reduced the mixture by half.
———
1 small leg of lamb (about 6 pounds)
2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf, broken
3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the lamb fat side up in a shallow roasting pan. Make several gashes in the fat and near the bone. Insert the slivers of garlic in the gashes. Rub the lamb all over with salt, pepper, the bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary. Add the oil and vermouth to the pan. (The lamb can be covered closely and refrigerated for several hours or overnight. However, it is best to let the lamb return to room temperature before putting it in the oven.)
2. Place the lamb in the oven. If you wish the lamb to be rare, bake for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the lamb stand in the oven for 3 hours. Do not open the door at any time until the lamb is ready to be carved and served. If you wish the lamb to be medium-well, bake for 20 minutes before turning off the oven. Then, again without opening the door, let stand for 3½ hours. If you wish the lamb to be well-done, bake for 25 minutes and let stand in the oven for 3½ hours.
3. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Strain the pan liquid. Strain off most of the surface fat from the drippings. Reheat the drippings and serve with the lamb when carved.
SERVES 8 OR MORE
COOKING NOTE
Have the butcher remove and set aside the hipbone of the lamb: this is the upper bone that is attached to the main (straight) leg bone. This can also be done at home with a sharp knife: Cut away a layer of the top fat. Do not cut away all the fat, however—that’s the good stuff, so leave a thin coating!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Chilled English Pea–Mint Soup (here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Pea Puree (here; without the scallops), Butter-Braised Asparagus and Oyster Mushrooms with Peas and Tarragon (here), Al Forno’s Roasted Asparagus (here), Rhubarb-Strawberry Mousse (here), Rhubarb Orange (here)
NOVEMBER 26, 1978: “THE EASIEST ROAST LAMB EVER,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM DOROTHY MOORE OF QUOGUE, NEW YORK.
—1978
KÖNIGSBERGER KLOPSE (MEATBALLS IN CREAMY CAPER SAUCE)
———
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground veal
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¾ cup fine fresh bread crumbs
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 anchovy fillets, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup dry white wine, preferably a Rhine wine
1 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup drained capers
Chopped dill
1. Put the meats into a bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until wilted. Cool briefly, and add to the meats.
3. Add the lemon zest. Blend the bread crumbs and cream in a small bowl, and add to the meats. Add the lightly beaten whole egg, anchovies, chopped parsley, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. (Do not add much salt, the anchovies are salty.) Blend the ingredients well. Shape into about 36 meatballs, each about 1 inch in diameter.
4. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the broth, whisking rapidly, until thickened and smooth. Add the wine and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
5. Arrange the meatballs in one layer in a large casserole. Pour the sauce over them. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs to a dish and keep warm. Strain the sauce if desired.
6. Blend the sour cream, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir this into the sauce and add the capers and salt and pepper to taste. Return the meatballs to the sauce and heat through.
7. Garnish with chopped dill and serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.
SERVES 6
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Carrot and Fennel Soup (here), Janson’s Temptation (here), Florida Beets (here), Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pine Nuts (here), Noodles Romanoff (here), Haricots Verts with Balsamic Vinaigrette (here), Swedish Nut Balls (here)
NOVEMBER 11, 1979: “FOOD: NATIONALIZING THE MEATBALL,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1979
POLPETTE ALLA ROMANA (ROMAN-STYLE MEATBALLS)
Prosciutto really amplifies the flavors of these meatballs, and lots of liquid—milk and eggs—in the mixture keeps them light. (As long as you don’t mush the balls together when shaping—and you won’t do that, right? Because I’ll lose sleep if you do. So don’t!)
———
For the Meatballs
1¼ pounds ground beef
¼ pound slices prosciutto, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Sauce
¼ cup olive oil, finely diced pancetta, diced bacon, salt pork, or ham fat
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely diced zucchini
1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled (see Cooking Note, here) and cored, or 3 cups canned tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1. To make the meatballs, put the beef into a bowl, add the prosciutto, and blend.
2. Combine the bread crumbs and milk in another bowl and blend well. Let stand for a minute or so, and add to the beef. Add the garlic, grated cheese, eggs, nutmeg, and parsley. Add a little salt (the prosciutto is already salty) and pepper to taste. Blend the mixture well. Shape into about 36 meatballs, each about 1½ inches in diameter.
3. To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until the onion starts to brown.
4. Put the tomatoes into a food processor or blender and blend. Add to the vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and the basil. Set aside.
5. To cook the meatballs, heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs a few at a time; do not crowd them. Brown them all over, turning often so that they cook evenly. When each batch is cooked, remove it and cook another, until all the balls are browned.
6. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes, turning the balls in the sauce occasionally.
SERVES 4 TO 6
COOKING NOTE
I find an icing spatula comes in handy when turning meatballs, because you can maneuver it into small spaces.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Raw Artichoke Salad with Cucumber (here), Mezzaluna Salad (here), Italian Roast Potatoes (here), Soft Polenta (here), Hazelnut Cheesecake (here), Almond Granita (here), Campton Place Buttermilk Chocolate Cake (here)
NOVEMBER 11, 1979: “NATIONALIZING THE MEATBALL,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1979
FILET DE BOEUF RÔTI (ROAST FILLET OF BEEF) WITH SAUCE BORDELAISE
———
One 3¾-pound center-cut beef fillet
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cups Sauce Bordelaise (recipe follows)
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Tie the fillet crosswise in several places with kitchen string.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a shallow roasting pan in which the fillet will fit comfortably. Turn the fillet in the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Turn the heat to high and cook until the butter starts to sizzle slightly. Put the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the fillet and continue roasting for 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the oven heat to 415 degrees. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the thickest part, reads 125 degrees (for rare), 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the beef from the oven and let stand on a carving board, covered, for 20 minutes before carving.
5. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the pan. Place the pan on the stove and add the red wine vinegar. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the brown particles clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the bordelaise sauce and stir. Put the sauce through a fine sieve, preferably one of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois.
6. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, heat briefly, and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve with the beef.
SERVES 12
SAUCE BORDELAISE (A RED WINE SAUCE)
3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
1 cup dry red wine, preferably a Bordeaux
2 cups Demi-Glace (recipe follows)
Combine the shallots and wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until all the wine is evaporated. Add the demi-glace and simmer for about 2 minutes.
MAKES 2 CUPS
DEMI-GLACE (A BASIC MEAT GLAZE)
4 pounds veal bones, cracked
1½ cups coarsely chopped carrots
1½ cups coarsely chopped celery
1½ cups coarsely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
Salt
6 black peppercorns, crushed
3 quarts water
1. Heat the broiler. Put the veal bones in a roasting pan in one layer. Place them under the broiler and broil until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the pieces and continue broiling for about 5 minutes.
2. Scatter the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and tomato over the bones. Continue broiling for about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the ingredients to a stockpot and add the parsley sprigs, bay leaves, thyme, salt to taste, the peppercorns, and water. Bring to a boil, skimming, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming often, for 7 hours.
4. Strain the stock and discard the solids. There should be about 4½ to 5 cups. Put the stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil and continue cooking down for about 2 hours, or until reduced to 2 cups.
MAKES 2 CUPS
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Rillettes de Canard (Duck Rillettes; here), Chiffonade Salad (here), Cheese Pudding Soufflés (here), Saratoga Potatoes (here), Apple Galette (here)
MARCH 30, 1980: “FOOD: ANATOMY OF A BEEF FILLET,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1980
CLEO’S DADDY’S BARBECUED RIBS
Cleo Johns was the owner of Cleo’s La Cuisine Catering in Maplewood, New Jersey, a woman who described cooking as like “turning on a faucet.” Cleo did not write down her recipes, but Betty Fussell, a Times contributor, did so for her after watching her make these ribs. Whether or not the ribs are just like Cleo’s version, they’re remarkable—not saucy, but crisp and chewy, as ribs should be. The barbecue sauce will be good and spicy, as long as you have the guts to add enough cayenne or Tabasco; it thickens and smooths after you add the pan drippings.
———
½ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup good wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup grated onion
2 racks lean spareribs
For the Barbecue Sauce
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons marinade
¼ to ½ cup pan drippings (from ribs)
1. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and onion. Rub each slab of ribs with the marinade, and let sit for at least 30 minutes, turning once or twice.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the ribs from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and lay them meaty side up in a roasting pan. Bake the ribs for 1 hour, then turn the ribs and bake for 30 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, mix together the vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and mustard, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons marinade in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until thick. Add the pan drippings and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with cayenne.
4. Cut between every 2 or 3 ribs to serve as an entrée, or between every rib to serve as an hors d’oeuvre. Serve with the barbecue sauce on the side.
SERVES 8 AS A MAIN COURSE, 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Patsy’s Bourbon Slush (here), Fresh Succotash (here), Docks Coleslaw (here), Spoonbread’s Potato Salad (here), Hoppin’ John (here), Old South Buttermilk Biscuits (here), Jellied Strawberry Pie (here), Buttermilk Pie (here), Mississippi Pecan Pie (here)
FEBRUARY 11, 1981: “CATERING, DOWN-HOME AND NATURAL,” BY B. H. FUSSELL. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM CLEO’S LA CUISINE CATERING IN MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.
—1981
Madame Mouriere, a terrific home cook in Quercy, France, also created the Tourtière (Apple, Prune, and Armagnac tart) here.
———
1 Confit de Canard (recipe follows)
2 pounds dried white beans (Great Northern or navy are excellent), rinsed and picked over
1 pound fresh pork rind or bacon, cubed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup goose fat or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, or as needed
2½ pounds fresh all-pork garlic sausage (Polish or German sausage is fine)
1 pound medium onions (about 4), thinly sliced
Two 28-ounce cans imported plum tomatoes, with their juices
2 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, blended with 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1. Prepare the confit: this can be done weeks in advance or the same day if desired. To reduce the amount of time the dish takes, though, it is best to make it at least a day ahead.
2. The day before serving the cassoulet, prepare the beans. Put them in a Dutch oven or large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cover the fresh pork rind (or bacon) with cold water in another large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for several minutes, then drain, rinse, and set aside. (This is done to remove the salt, which would have a toughening effect on the beans.)
4. By this time the beans should have swollen. Discard the liquid (to help make the beans more digestible), rinse the beans, and just cover them again with cold water. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and pork rind and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil vigorously for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans are quite well cooked but still a bit firm.
5. Add the carrots and additional boiling water if necessary and cook for 15 minutes, or just until the carrots are cooked. The mixture should be loose and not too dry. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt, and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. To prepare the cassoulet, melt 3 tablespoons goose fat (or butter) in a very large skillet. Add the sausages, all in a single coil, if you can, and cook them over medium heat for about 6 minutes on one side, about 3 minutes on the other side. (Remember which side was cooked for the shorter time: when the cassoulet is assembled, you want to place the sausage with the less cooked side down so the remaining fat will soak into the bean mixture.) You need not prick the sausage. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
7. Add an additional 3 tablespoons goose fat if necessary to the pan to cook the confit. If you made the confit ahead, let it come to room temperature to soften the fat, and remove all of the confit pieces, wiping off the fat as you remove them. Sauté the pieces of confit over medium-high heat until the skin is very crisp and turns a rich, deep brown; skim off the fat as necessary. The duck should cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan, drain, and set aside; set the pan, with the fat, aside.
8. Remove the beans from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
9. Add 2 tablespoons goose fat if necessary to the skillet and cook the onions over high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with the liquid, and a garlic clove and cook until the mixture is fairly dry, about 40 minutes. The onions should be a rich, deep red. Add to the bean and carrot mixture.
10. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the bones from the duck confit and cut or pull the duck into large chunks, without removing the skin.
11. Assemble the cassoulet in a large earthenware casserole: an oval casserole measuring 12 by 17 by 3 inches deep is a perfect size. Rub the inside of the casserole with the remaining garlic clove and discard the garlic. Layer in this order: Add a single layer of the bean mixture, using about a third of it. Cover this with the cut-up pieces of duck. Add a second layer of the bean mixture. Add the sausages in one layer, with the less-cooked side down. Add the last layer of beans. Finally, add the bread crumb mixture. Be sure there is at least half an inch of growing space between the bread crumbs and the rim of the casserole.
12. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the crust is golden and firm. Serve immediately.
SERVES 10 TO 12
CONFIT DE CANARD (PRESERVED DUCK)
1 duck (4 to 5 pound)
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic
3 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups rendered duck fat (see instructions below) or goose fat, or as needed
1. Cut the duck into serving pieces: 2 legs with thighs, 2 breast halves, 2 wings, and neck. Trim away any excess fat from the duck and from the cavity of the carcass, reserving it for rendering. Layer the duck pieces, in a large shallow bowl, sprinkling them with the salt and pepper. Add the garlic, cloves, bay leaves, and thyme, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.
2. Rinse the pieces to remove the salt and wipe dry with paper towels. Heat the duck fat in a very large pot just enough to melt it, and add the duck pieces, garlic, and herbs. (Preferably, the pot should be large enough to hold the pieces in one layer; use a copper pot if you have one—it will allow the duck to cook slowly and evenly.) Bring the fat almost to the boil, then quickly lower the heat to a gentle simmer and simmer slowly, uncovered, for 1½ hours. Do not allow the fat to boil, or the meat will be fried, not gently cooked. After 1½ hours, pierce the duck meat with a metal skewer. If the juice flows clear, the duck is cooked; if it flows red, continue cooking until it flows clear. The meat should be soft and not offer the least bit of resistance.
3. Remove the duck pieces and arrange them in a large round earthenware terrine, a large wide-mouth canning jar, or several jars. (If you will be using the confit right away or the next day, just cover and refrigerate.) To store the confit, strain the fat through a very fine strainer over the duck pieces. There should be enough fat to fully cover them. If not, add additional fat. Cover the terrine or jar(s) with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate (or store in a very cool cellar) for several weeks before using. The confit should keep for several months as long as it is well covered with fat.
4. When ready to serve, allow the confit to stand at room temperature for an hour, then lift as many pieces as you need out of the fat.
5. To serve hot, broil the pieces or cook them in a very hot oven in a little of their own fat, or panfry them in a little of their own fat, until the skin is crisp and deep brown and the meat is heated through. Drain and serve. To serve at room temperature, brown as described, drain, and allow to cool. Cold duck confit is excellent with a green salad with a garlicky dressing.
MAKES 1 PRESERVED DUCK
HOW TO RENDER DUCK FAT
Combine any of the extra skin from the cut-up duck and all of the excess fat, including the fat in the cavity of the carcass and the visible and readily accessible fat just under the skin. You may not have enough fat from a single duck to preserve it; if necessary, add goose fat or a good-quality fresh lard.
To render the fat, combine it with ½ cup water in a heavy casserole and cook on top of the stove until all the fat is rendered. Stir frequently to prevent burning. When rendered, strain through a sieve and use; or freeze it for future use, like frying potatoes in the dead of winter when anything fried in duck fat sounds good.
Note: Goose fat can be rendered in the same way as duck fat. When roasting a duck or a goose, the fat can always be saved, after straining through cheesecloth, for use in cooking or in preparing a confit.
COOKING NOTES
You can skip preserving a duck and just buy duck confit, although that makes for a more expensive recipe. And while the method of preserving described here is classic, there is an exceptional recipe for duck confit in Bouchon by Thomas Keller with Jeffrey Cerciello.
I used—and recommend—navy beans.
I’ve included the recipe for rendering duck fat because it’s always good to know how to do it, but rendering it isn’t really necessary for this recipe, which uses so little of the fat. Buy the fat if you can, or just use butter. Plenty of duck and pork fat (from the duck confit and pork rind) end up in the cassoulet anyway.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Apple Tarte Tatin (here) or Tartelettes aux Pommes Lionel Poilâne (here), and a shot of Fernet Branca, then bed.
READERS
“The cassoulet is the best I have ever had. I make it at least once a winter and guests love it. I follow the recipe (using the pork rind) except that I use duck confit from the store—about 6 legs. Also, I use French garlic sausage that comes in a roll—I remove the casing, cut it into half-moons, and brown it in goose fat.”
Stephen F. Patterson, Delray Beach, FL, letter
NOVEMBER 4, 1981: “HEARTY FARE OF FRANCE’S SOUTHWEST,” BY PATRICIA WELLS. ADAPTED FROM JEANNE-MARIE MOURIERE.
—1981
BOBOTIE
Joseph Lelyveld, the Johannesburg bureau chief at the time this piece ran and later the executive editor of the Times, wrote that South African bobotie, a baked lamb dish hidden beneath a savory custard, is often compared with Greek moussaka (see here for a great version of that dish). However, he noted, “bobotie is usually less creamy and always spicier than its Hellenic analogue. Any reasonable palate, I think, would find it an altogether more interesting dish.”
Lelyveld added that, “Most South African recipes now call for commercial curry powder in addition to onions, garlic, black pepper, raisins, and lemon leaves—bay leaves are regarded as a poor but acceptable substitute—to flavor the chopped lamb or beef, which was traditionally taken from leftover roasts. In the old days, the Malay cooks poured a light custard over the top and returned it to the oven until it was burnished to the appropriate color.”
———
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon hot curry powder
1 slice day-old white or brown bread
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
Juice of 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons chopped bottled mango chutney
12 blanched whole almonds, chopped
½ cup raisins
4 strips of lemon zest
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
Hot cooked rice for serving
Stewed apricots for serving (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and garlic and lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook gently for about 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, soak the bread in the milk, then firmly squeeze dry, saving the milk, and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the onion mixture to the bread, plus all the remaining ingredients except 1 egg. Mix well.
4. Spoon the mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish that has been rubbed with butter. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Beat the remaining egg with the saved milk and pour over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until the custard is set and the top a golden brown. Serve with rice and, if desired, stewed apricots.
SERVES 8
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Lemon Syrup (here), Salade à la Romaine (here), Spicy Orange Salad Moroccan-Style (here), Confit of Carrot and Cumin (here), Sally Darr’s Golden Delicious Apple Tart (here), Pine Nut Cookies (here), Moroccan Rice Pudding (here)
DECEMBER 20, 1981: “BOBOTIE: SOUTH AFRICA’S INDIGENOUS CUISINE,” BY JOSEPH LELYVELD. ADAPTED FROM BOSCHENDAL RESTAURANT IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA.
—1981
CHORESH QORMEH SABZI (GREEN HERB STEW)
A Persian Passover dish, this beef stew uses an unusual technique: you simmer onions and beef in a heavy pot without any additional liquid until the beef is tender. Separately, you cook down a mountain of chopped leeks, spinach, parsley, cilantro, and dill. Then, just before serving, you combine the two and fuse them with a shower of lemon juice.
———
¾ cup corn oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2½ to 3 pounds beef chuck or sirloin tips, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 to 1½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste
1 medium leek
3 cups chopped flat-leaf spinach (about two 1-pound bunches)
2 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 2 large bunches)
½ cup chopped cilantro (about 1 large bunch)
¾ cup chopped dill (about 1 large bunch)
Lemon juice to taste (from about 1 lemon)
Steamed white rice for serving
1. Heat half of the oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or other stew pot. Add the onions and sauté over very low heat until just slightly brown. Add the beef and stir with the onions. Add the salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer gently but steadily over low heat for about 2 hours. Stir at intervals to prevent scorching and check to be sure there is enough liquid, adding water only if necessary.
2. While the beef is cooking, prepare the greens: wash the leek thoroughly and chop the white and green portions separately.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or wide saucepan. Add the white portion of the leek and sauté gently over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the green portion of the leek and sauté for another 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften; the leeks should not take on color. Add the chopped spinach and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the parsley and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and sauté for 5 minutes, and then add the dill and sauté for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. By this time, the mixture should be reduced to a near sauce but still be bright green. Set aside.
4. When the meat is thoroughly cooked, turn off the heat and let it settle. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Stir in the green sauce and reheat together for a minute or so before serving. Adjust the seasonings, adding lemon juice to taste.
5. Serve the stew spooned over steamed rice.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
The original recipe called for beef chuck, which wasn’t available the day I went shopping, so I went with sirloin tips, and they worked out beautifully.
Stew meats cook at varying speeds—start checking the meat after 1 hour. My sirloin tips took the entire 2 hours.
I treated the spinach as if it were an herb and finely chopped it. When cooking the greens, you will need to adjust the heat to accommodate the moisture in the leaves. Spinach, for instance, throws off more water, so I cooked it at a slightly higher heat.
I added one step: skimming the fat from the stewed beef before combining it with the greens. If you make the stew over the course of 2 days, prepare the meat the first day and chill it in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and harden, and the next day you can lift it off with a spoon. Then prepare the greens and combine with the gently reheated beef.
Mimi Sheraton wrote about this dish: “If not prepared for Passover, this stew can be seasoned with cumin, turmeric, powdered mustard, and other curry spices. At other times of year, Mrs. Amini also adds ½ cup large dried lima beans to the beef as it starts to cook.” Sheraton also noted that the stew can be made with stewing lamb or veal.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Turkish Split-Pea Soup with Mint and Paprika (here), A Perfect Batch of Rice (here), Yogurt Rice (here), Fresh Ginger Cake (here), Sugared Puffs (here), Pots de Crème (here)
MARCH 31, 1982: “TWO PASSOVER FEASTS IN UNUSUAL STYLES,” BY MIMI SHERATON. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ILANA AMINI, A HOME COOK IN QUEENS, NEW YORK.
—1982
COLD BEEF WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE
East and West agree that cold sliced beef is a revelation if you dress it with herbs and an acid (citrus or vinegar). For the East’s version, Thai Beef Salad, see here.
———
1½ pounds thinly sliced rare beef
For the Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic
Coarse salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
About 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar (more or less to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch watercress, trimmed and washed
1 cup cornichons
1. Cut the beef into thin strips and place in a large bowl.
2. To make the vinaigrette, using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic into a puree with a little salt. Gradually add the oil and vinegar. Season to taste with pepper, and stir in the tarragon leaves.
3. Add the onion to the beef and pour on the dressing. Mix thoroughly.
4. Arrange the watercress around the edges of a serving dish. Mound the beef in the middle and decorate with the cornichons. Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTES
For the beef, I broiled a T-bone steak (usually 1½ to 2 pounds) in a cast-iron skillet, 3 inches from the broiler flame, for 3 minutes per side.
Adjust the amount of vinegar to your liking. I thought the salad benefited from more vinegar.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Beet and Ginger Soup with Cucumber (here), Ice-Cold Tomatoes with Basil (here), Leeks Vinaigrette (here), Sugar Snap Peas with Horseradish (served cold, here), Couscous Salad (here), Lemon Bars (here), Fresh Raspberry (or Blackberry or Blueberry) Flummery (here)
PERIOD DETAIL
In 1899, the Times published this recipe for “A Very Pretty Way to Eat Cold Boiled Beef” (from a 1734 cookbook by Mrs. Mary Kettilby):
“Slice it as thin as possible, slice also an onion or a shallot, and squeeze on it the juice of a lemon or two, then beat it between two plates, as you do cucumbers; when it is very well beaten and tastes sharp of the lemon, put it into a deep China dish—pick out the onion and pour on oil, shake in also some shred parsley, and garnish with sliced lemon; it is very savory and delicious.”
AUGUST 12, 1984: “PUTTING TOGETHER SALADS FROM LEFTOVERS,” BY MOIRA HODGSON.
—1984
SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH CURRIED MEAT
6 white potatoes (about 1½ pounds)
Salt
1 tablespoon peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
¾ cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1½ tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup crushed canned imported tomatoes
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked fresh or frozen green peas
½ cup hot whole milk, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Put the potatoes into a pot and add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender to the core when pierced with a fork.
2. While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Add the curry powder, cumin, and coriander and cook briefly, stirring. Add the meat and cook, stirring down with the side of a heavy kitchen spoon to break up the lumps, until it’s lost its raw color. Add the tomatoes, broth, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Heat the broiler. Drain the potatoes and put them through a food mill or a potato ricer back into the hot pot. Stir in the peas and heat briefly. Add the hot milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and pepper, preferably white, beating with a wooden spoon. If the mixture is too thick, add more hot milk.
4. Spoon the piping-hot curried meat into a 2½-quart baking dish (a soufflé-dish works well). Top with the hot mashed potatoes. Smooth over the top. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
5. Run the mixture under the broiler until the top is golden brown.
SERVES 4 TO 6
COOKING NOTE
You can prepare this dish through Step 2 in advance, then reheat the potatoes and meat before filling the baking dish.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Green Pepper Salad (here), salad with Cream Dressing (here), Fennel and Apple Salad with Juniper (here), Chocolate Caramel Tart (here), Brown Sugar Shortbread (here), Frozen Meringue Velvet (here)
AUGUST 19, 1984: “FOOD: BOTH TASTE AND PRICE ARE RIGHT,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY.
—1984
OSSO BUCO ALLA MILANESE
You could eat very well by learning how to broil steak and fish and to make three condiments: gremolata—a composite of lemon, parsley, and garlic (recipe follows), pesto (here), and salsa verde (here). Here, in osso buco, the gremolata reinvigorates your palate after each bite of the succulent veal.
———
¼ cup olive oil, plus more if needed
6 portions veal shank (about 6 pounds total)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped celery
1 large clove garlic, minced
1½ cups dry white wine
1½ cups peeled (see Cooking Note, here), seeded, and chopped ripe tomatoes (canned Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped, can be substituted)
1¼ cups veal, beef, or chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gremolata (recipe follows)
1. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole large enough to hold the veal in a single layer. Dust the shank pieces with the flour and lightly brown on all sides over medium heat. (You may find the browning easier if you do not put all the shanks in the pot at once; add more oil as necessary if browning in batches.) Do not allow them to become dark or blackened. Remove the shanks from the casserole and lower the heat.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the casserole and sauté, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute longer. Add the wine and cook over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot, until all the brown bits clinging to it have dissolved. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, and thyme.
3. Return the shanks to the casserole, basting them with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and bake for about 1½ hours, until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Baste the shanks several times during cooking.
4. Remove the shanks to a serving dish and keep warm. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if necessary. If the sauce is too thin (it should be about the consistency of cream), place the pot on top of the stove and boil down the sauce for several minutes.
5. Pour the sauce over the shanks and sprinkle with a little of the gremolata. Pass the rest on the side.
SERVES 6
1 large clove garlic, very finely minced
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley
Mix together all the ingredients.
MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
COOKING NOTE
Florence Fabricant advised, “For osso buco, have the butcher saw the veal into 2½- to 3-inch lengths so they average about a pound apiece. They should have a thin, transparent ‘skin’ wrapping the meat. Do not remove this membrane, because it holds the shanks together. If it has been removed, the meat should be tied with a string.”
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Potato Gnocchi (here), Soft Polenta (here), Steamed Spinach with Balsamic Butter (here), Stewed Fennel (here), Almond Custard Cake (here), Cornmeal Biscotti (here), Marcella’s Pear Cake (here), Bolzano Apple Cake (here)
OCTOBER 27, 1985: “OSSO BUCO, THE CLASSIC ITALIAN ‘STEW,’ IS ON THE SCENE AGAIN,” BY FLORENCE FABRICANT.
—1985
CENTER-RING STRIP STEAK MARINATED IN SCOTCH WHISKEY
If New York strip steak isn’t your favorite cut, try a porterhouse or T-bone.
———
For the Marinade
⅓ cup Scotch
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
For the Steak
4 New York strip sirloin steaks (approximately 12 ounces each)
1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a container large enough to hold the steaks. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the steaks in the marinade and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
2. Heat the broiler. Remove the steaks from the marinade. Broil to desired doneness.
SERVES 4
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Curried Zucchini Soup (here), Baked Mushrooms (here), Mashed Potatoes Anna (here), Smoked Mashed Potatoes (here), Fried Corn (here), Chocolate Guinness Cake (here), Chocolate Silk Pie (here), Cherry and Coconut Brown Betty (here)
APRIL 8, 1987: “AND NOW, IN THE CENTER RING, SPOTLIGHT’S ON CIRCUS COOKING” BY GLENN COLLINS. ADAPTED FROM GUNTHER GEBEL-WILLIAMS, A WILD ANIMAL TRAINER FOR THE RINGLING BROTHERS AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS.
—1987
‘21’ CLUB HAMBURGER
It’s probably not a coincidence that the last two economic booms were each marked by a burger made famous by ravenous, well-heeled diners. Because what, really, is more lavish than an outrageous burger? The ‘21’ Club burger, the invention of Anne Rosenzweig, is gargantuan, 12 ounces of ground chuck, and is seasoned from the inside out, with a button of frozen herb butter tucked into the center that melts and trickles through the meat as it broils. The butter serves a secondary purpose, as well—because it starts out cold, it helps prevent the center of the burger from overcooking while the outside gets seared on a grill. Rosenzweig also paid close attention to the bread, which she rubbed with olive oil before toasting, and to the tomato and onion, which she soaked in olive oil, lemon juice, and basil before piling them atop the burger. (Her recipe also sternly commands, “serve tomato ketchup only on request”—so you can have your fancy burger, as long as you do it our way.)
This was clearly the rootstock for the more recent boom burger—the DB burger at DB Bistro Moderne in Midtown—a conglomeration of ground beef stuffed with shortribs, foie gras, and truffles.
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8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¾ pound freshly ground Choice chuck, preferably with a 22% fat content
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 slices Italian peasant bread, about ½ inch thick and 5 inches in diameter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 4 thin slices ripe tomatoes
2 thin slices red onion
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1. Combine the butter, 1 tablespoon basil, the thyme, and parsley and blend well. Place the mixture on a rectangle of wax paper or aluminum foil and roll it into a sausage shape about 1 inch in diameter. Place in the freezer for an hour or longer, until it is frozen solid. (The butter can be used a portion at a time and refrozen.)
2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high. Shape the meat into a ball, without kneading. With your finger, make a partial indentation through the center of the ball. Shove 1 frozen tablespoon of butter into the center of the ball and press to close the opening. Flatten the meat into a patty about ¾ inch thick. Sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Place the meat on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is well seared on one side. Turn the meat and cook for about 3 minutes longer, or to the desired degree of doneness.
4. Meanwhile, brush the bread slices on one side with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place oiled side down on the grill and cook briefly, until lightly toasted. Turn and cook briefly on the second side.
5. Place the tomato and onion slices in a small bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and the remaining tablespoon basil. Toss briefly.
6. Place 1 slice of the warm grilled bread oiled side down on a dinner plate, place the hamburger in the center, and cover with the second slice of bread (oiled side up). Serve the tomato and onion slices on the side to be added to the hamburger as desired.
SERVES 1
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Vermouth Cup (here), French Fries (here), Saratoga Potatoes (here), Docks Coleslaw (here), Kosher Pickles the Right Way (here), Ice Cream Pie (here)
JUNE 21, 1987: “FOOD; THE PERFECT HAMBURGER,” BY CRAIG CLAIBORNE WITH PIERRE FRANEY. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ANNE ROSENZWEIG THE CHEF AT THE ‘21’ CLUB.
—1987
GIGOT À LA PROVENÇAL ET GRATIN DE POMMES DE TERRE (LEG OF LAMB WITH POTATO GRATIN)
This is the lamb analog to Mark Bittman’s Fish Steamed over Vegetables and Fresh Herbs here. Here potatoes are partially cooked, sliced, and combined with milk, as you would for a gratin, but instead of roasting the leg of lamb in another pan, you simply plunk it on top of the gratin and put them both into the oven. The lamb juices seep into the gratin, and when you spread a bread crumb crust atop the lamb halfway through cooking it echoes the crisp top layer of the gratin beneath. Just don’t try carving the lamb while it’s still nestled in the gratin.
———
For the Gratin
4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely minced
6 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 leg of lamb (about 6 to 7 pounds), at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced thyme
2 tablespoons finely minced rosemary
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup very fine fresh bread crumbs
1. To make the gratin, bring the potatoes, salt, and milk to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the parsley and garlic and sprinkle half into a large oval gratin dish, measuring about 16 by 10 by 2 inches. Spoon the potato-and-milk mixture into the dish and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and garlic.
3. Carefully trim the fat from the lamb. Season with salt and pepper and place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Roast, uncovered, for about 1 hour (or 8 to 10 minutes per pound). Do not turn the lamb.
4. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the herb crust. After the lamb has roasted for about 45 minutes, sprinkle with the herb mixture. When the internal temperature, tested with an instant-read thermometer, reaches 130 degrees (for medium-rare), remove from the oven. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.
5. To serve, carve the lamb into thin slices and arrange on warmed dinner plates or on a serving platter, with the potatoes alongside.
SERVES 8 TO 10
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Sautéed Asparagus with Fleur de Sel (here), Escarole with Pan-Roasted Garlic and Lemon (here), Ratatouille Niçoise (here), Licorice Ice Cream (here), Chocolate Cake with Bay Leaf Syrup (here), Fontainebleau (here), Pruneaux du Pichet (Prunes in a Pitcher; here)
SEPTEMBER 13, 1987: “FOOD: WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT,” BY PATRICIA WELLS.
—1987
SAUSAGE, BEAN, AND CORN STEW
The ingredients make this the perfect bridge between summer and fall cooking.
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1 pound small white navy (pea) beans, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon salt
6 coarse sweet Italian sausages (about 1½ pounds)
6 hot Italian sausages (about 1 pound)
2 onions (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice (2 cups)
2 carrots (about 6 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1½ cups sliced celery
3 cloves garlic, sliced (about 1½ tablespoons)
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (1 teaspoon; optional)
5 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (3 cups)
1. The beans do not need to be presoaked, provided they are started in cold water. Place them in a large saucepan, cover with 7 cups of cold water, and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and boil gently for 50 to 60 minutes. The beans should be just tender but still a bit firm.
2. Meanwhile, prick the sausages. Place a large saucepan over medium heat, add the sausages, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and jalapeño, if using, to the saucepan and cook until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Return the sausages to the pan; set aside.
4. When the beans are cooked, drain and add them, along with the tomatoes and thyme, to the sausage mixture. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. By then, the beans should be tender and the mixture just slightly soupy. Set aside, ready to be reheated when needed. (The dish can be prepared to this point up to a day ahead.)
5. At serving time, slice the sausages, return them to the stew, and bring to a boil on top of the stove or, if at the beach, on the grill. When it is boiling, add the corn kernels, return to a boil, and serve.
SERVES 6
COOKING NOTE
Jacques Pépin assured us that the sausages can be cut into chunks before or after cooking.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Pan con Tomate (here), Green Pepper Salad (here), Stuffed Tomatoes (here), Fried Green Tomatoes (here), Peach Salad (here), Peach Balls (here), Apple Galette (here), Purple Plum Torte (here)
SEPTEMBER 4, 1988: “FOOD: THE LAST PICNIC SHOW,” BY JACQUES PÉPIN.
—1988
T-BONE STEAK WITH 6666 SOPPIN’ SAUCE
———
For the Sauce
One 16-ounce can tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more to taste
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ cup ketchup
½ teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
⅓ cup white vinegar
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
⅓ cup (5⅓ tablespoons) unsalted butter or margarine
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
For the Steaks
4 T-bone steaks, 1 inch thick
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir until blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat. Set aside half the sauce for basting the steaks, reserve the rest for another use.
2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill, or heat the broiler. Season the steaks with the garlic salt and pepper. Place them on the grill or under the broiler. For medium-rare, cook the steaks for 10 minutes, brushing them occasionally with the barbecue sauce, then turn the steaks and cook for another 6 to 7 minutes.
SERVES 4
COOKING NOTE
The sauce recipe makes a very large amount. You can halve the recipe, but keep in mind that it will take less time to cook.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Docks Coleslaw (here), Smoked Mashed Potatoes (here), Red Velvet Cake (here)
AUGUST 6, 1989: “FOOD; COME ’N’ GET IT,” BY RENA COYLE. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM PITCHFORK RANCH, GUTHRIE, TEXAS.
—1989
HIMMELREICH (ROASTED PORK WITH APRICOTS, APPLES, AND PRUNES)
This is one of the strangest recipes in the book. In the 1990s, German food hadn’t been in style for at least two decades, meat cooked with dried fruits wasn’t on many menus, and roasting meat in a plastic cooking bag certainly wasn’t an everyday technique. For an outlier recipe, though, it’s excellent. The juices from the fruit and pork meld inside that weird cooking bag (which is made of nylon, and so doesn’t melt), and the pork steams as much as it roasts, yielding tender, lovely meat. Himmelreich means “kingdom of Heaven.” I never pictured lavish pork dinners in paradise, but perhaps.
———
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
One 2-pound boneless pork butt roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup dry white wine
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Dust the inside of an oven-cooking bag with the flour. Generously season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Place the pork and the dried fruits in the bag. Place the bag in a large shallow roasting pan. (The edges of the bag should not spill over the sides of the pan.) Sprinkle the brown sugar into the bag and pour in the wine. Tie the bag securely.
2. Using a fork, puncture 4 evenly spaced holes across the top of the bag. Roast for 1½ hours, or until the pork is cooked to a temperature of 170 degrees, measured on an instant-read thermometer.
3. Slit the bag open, being careful not to get burned by the escaping steam. Place the meat on a serving platter. Scatter the fruit around the roast. Season the cooking glaze with salt if needed, and spoon it over the meat and fruit.
SERVES 4 TO 6
COOKING NOTES
The original recipe called for rolled pork, which I took to mean loin, but most pork loin doesn’t have enough fat to work well in a recipe like this. So I call for pork butt, a cut that comes from the shoulder and that’s often used for barbecue.
Oven-cooking bags for roasting meat can be bought at most supermarkets.
VARIATION
Why not throw some thyme and sage into the bag along with the fruit?
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Ralph Vetter’s Sweet Potatoes with Lemon (here), French Potato Salad (here), Salade à la Romaine (here), Anton Mosimann’s Braised Brussels Sprouts in Cream (here), Caramelized Endive (here), Marcella’s Pear Cake (here), Chocolate Caramel Tart (here), Dorie Greenspan’s Sablés (here)
READERS
“When I misplace [the recipe], I start to panic, so having it in book form would be neat.”
Peter B. D’Esopo, Ramsey, NJ, letter
SEPTEMBER 30, 1990: “FOOD: WUNDERBAR!” BY DULCIE LEIMBACH. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM THE HEIDELBERG RESTAURANT IN STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.
—1990
VEAL SHANKS WITH GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
Emeril’s cooking, pre-“Bam!” These shanks are everything you want from a braise—the meat slackened and silky, the flavors concentrated. The recipe is a little more complicated than the kind of food he later made on television. If you miss the showmanship of the later-period Emeril, you can always toss a few sausages to your dinner guests.
———
For the Shanks
½ cup Creole Seasoning (recipe follows)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 veal shanks, 1¼ inches thick (about 12 ounces each)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup peeled (see Cooking Note, here), cored, seeded, and diced tomatoes
¾ cup dried navy beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked in water overnight
¾ cup dried red beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked in water overnight
Two 12-ounce bottles beer, preferably Dixie longnecks
3 cups veal broth
1 cup diced meat from smoked ham hocks
1 bouquet garni—4 sprigs parsley, 5 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs oregano, 6 bay leaves, and 4 black peppercorns, tied in cheesecloth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
For the Potatoes
12 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, and quartered
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons roasted garlic (see Cooking Note)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1. To prepare the shanks, combine 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning with the flour. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of the remaining seasoning on both sides of the veal shanks (reserve the remaining seasoning for another use). Dust the shanks with the flour mixture.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 3-inch-deep 14-inch skillet or a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the shanks and brown well, about 3 minutes per side. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beer, 2 cups broth, the ham hock meat, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add the remaining cup of broth, the hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until the meat is very tender, about 20 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and season the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain, and return to the pot.
4. About 15 minutes before the shanks are done, place the pot of potatoes over medium-high heat, add the cream, and bring to a simmer. Add the butter, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes over the heat until they are mashed but still lumpy and all of the cream is absorbed. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5. Place 1 shank on each of 4 plates, cover with sauce, and spoon the potatoes beside the shanks.
SERVES 4
CREOLE SEASONING
2½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all the ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container.
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
COOKING NOTE
To make roasted garlic, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap 2 heads of garlic, sprinkled with olive oil, in foil. Lay the foil packet on a baking sheet and roast until the garlic is very soft, 35 to 45 minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Cauliflower Soup with Cremini Mushrooms and Walnut Oil (here), Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pine Nuts (here), Steamed Lemon Pudding (here), Gooey Chocolate Stack (here)
FEBRUARY 21, 1993: “FOOD: THE ENGAGIN’ CAJUN,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL. RECIPE ADAPTED FROM EMERIL LAGASSE, THE CHEF AND OWNER OF EMERIL’S IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.
—1993
STEWED LAMB SHANKS WITH WHITE BEANS AND ROSEMARY
A wonderful dish that had its moment in the Provence period of the 1990s and deserves an encore.
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8 meaty lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced (¼-inch)
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced (¼-inch)
3 stalks celery, peeled and diced (¼-inch)
1 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes in tomato puree
1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over
8 cups chicken broth
3 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
1. Season the shanks with the salt and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add as many shanks as will fit without crowding and brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set the browned shanks aside and repeat with the remaining shanks, pouring off the fat between batches.
2. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
3. Transfer the vegetable and wine mixture to a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes and use the back of a spoon to break them up into bite-sized chunks. Add the remaining ingredients, including the shanks, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming as necessary, until the lamb and beans are very tender, 1½ to 2 hours. If the lamb is done before the beans, transfer the shanks to a platter and cover them with foil to keep them warm until the beans are done. (The dish can be prepared up to this point a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator at least half an hour before reheating and serving.)
4. Skim off as much fat from the top of the liquid as possible. If you removed the shanks, return them to the pot and simmer over low heat until they are heated through. Use tongs to remove the shanks from the liquid, placing 1 shank on each of 8 plates. Season the bean mixture with additional salt if needed.
5. Using a slotted spoon, arrange some of the beans and vegetables around each shank. Spoon some of the liquid over and around the shanks.
SERVES 8
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter (here), Escarole with Pan-Roasted Garlic and Lemon (here), Red Wine Ice Cream (here), Lucas Schoormans’s Lemon Tart (here), Wine-Stewed Prunes and Mascarpone (here)
OCTOBER 10, 1993: “ENTERTAINING: DINNER’S IN THE KITCHEN,” BY MOLLY O’NEILL.
—1993
