Andrew Mark Veety

Assorted Minutia: 4/22-4/29/2011

I've started to keep a tumblr diary for all the little things that I find, read or eat during the week. With any luck the quick thoughts, dishes I ate and pictures I accumulated along the way will make for a a disjointed yet interesting weekly post. I'd be interested in knowing what readers think of this new idea.

The Beast in a Box from Salume Beddu.

This sandwich was so good, I may have cried half way though eating it. Simply, it is the best sandwich I've had this year. Interestingly enough I enjoyed it at the best lunch I've had this year. You need to get to know this dish, sooner rather than later.

Salami Pizza at The Good Pie.

I was lured (again) into the ongoing conversation about the Good Pie in the STLBites forum. The quick and dirty of the issue is that many in our fair city believe that the Good Pie is actually a Bad Pie. I happen to believe it's an excellent example of the pizza style. This argument has gone on for over 21 pages and 300 replies. I continue to be on the right side of this argument. A good chunk of St. Louis continues to be on the wrong side. I anticipate this weeks conversation changed the minds of exactly zero people. Oh well. Here is to the next 21 pages of this argument.

Beef kabob and falafel from Cafe Natasha.

Cafe Natasha may have the best beef shish kabob in St. Louis. Even when temped rare to medium rare, the outside is crisp while  the inside remains moist, tender and flavorful. Simple advice for those getting their kabob to go, savor every last drop of the juice  thrown off on the trip from Natasha's kitchen to your table.

Natasha's falafel is usually a favorite of mine. Spice, sauce and fried balls of chick peas make for a sandwich that I consume so fast that several bites include bits of the paper that each falafel is wrapped in. Not so much this time, the sauce was lacking and falafel was dry, for me, the texture was decidedly off this week.

Yellow Tree Farm Quail Eggs

Rain has dominated the weather forecast for the last week and a half, but I made the best of it by heading out to the Maplewood Farmers Market to pick up my Yellow Tree Farm CSA. Besides bamboo shoots, quails and chicken eggs, I ended up with 37 quail eggs. The plan is to pickle them. It promises to be an adventure.

Pasta with asparagus, onions and roasted tomato.

For dinner this week I made this simple pasta dish of sautéed onions, asparagus and roasted tomatoes over linguine. Reserved liquid from the roasted tomatoes, a few ladle-fulls of pasta water and good olive oil make a sauce that does not overshadow spring asparagus, which should be showing up at the market soon, if it has not already. 

Farmers' Larder kielbasa

I am part Polish. My wife is part Polish. We have a ritual in our home called Polish night were we eat the foods that our families introduced us to when we were my son's age. Roasted potatoes, broccoli (most likely not Polish, but good for you) and sauerkraut are the supporting cast for kielbasa from the Farmers' Larder, a local charcuterie vendor at the Maplewood Farmer's Market. This is the kielbasa I remember from growing up. The snap of a natural casing, outstanding local beef and pork, just a hint of marjoram and a finish that is all garlic. A steal at $9.00 a package.

First Taste of Kool-aid

Kool-aid is not a big part of our lives and until this week, it was unknown to my son. However, some neighborhood kids were selling grape Kool-aid as a fund raiser for the victims of the recent weeks tornadoes here in Missouri. Who can say no to that?

Son, meet high fructose corn syrup. It tastes good, right? Don't get used to it.

May Burger Of The Month - Michael's Bar & Grill

For the fifth time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger, this time on the first real steamy Sunday of the year. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and first timers Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis) and Evan Benn (St. Louis Post Dispatch / Lager Heads).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the May Burger of the Month from Michael's Bar & Grill.

The Setup:

Michael's Bar & Grill resides inside a nondescript brick building in the St. Louis suburb of Maplewood. If it was not for the green awning running along the front of the restaurant, it would be all to easy to pass Michael's by -- it's largely indistinguishable from the other store fronts running along Manchester Avenue.

Passing through a small patio area and into the front door, Michael's opens up into a bar and several dining areas. An open kitchen runs along the wall, providing views of the grill and a tall spit turning a healthy slab of gyro meat. Once you move past the bar section, which doubles as the smoking section, a heady scent of grill takes over -- a mixture of smoke, char and spice that speaks to the Greek lineage of Michael's. It is in many ways a classic diner, albeit it is dressed up a bit.

Our group assembled in the bar area before moving to the first of several table arrangements for our party of eight, eventually ending up towards the back of the restaurant where tall piles of used plates waited for washing in large plastic bins. The amount of cleanup hiding just out of sight of most customers was a bit surprising to me as we had arrived and were seated a few minutes after the advertised opening time.

Our inauspicious dining location aside, we quickly dug into the menu to assess our burger options. Around the table almost everyone ordered up the house specialty -- The Michael Burger -- topped with scoops of soft cheddar, thick cuts of feta and grilled mushrooms. Burgers were ordered rare to medium rare. As usual I ordered the Michael Burger as is came, medium rare and paired with lettuce, a while slice of onion and several pickle strips.

In true diner fashion glasses were refilled long before they were fully drained. It seemed that there was a never ending stream of pitchers moving around the room, which was nice at first but quickly became an annoyance. The smell of burgers arrived a few seconds before the actual plates, as if to announce to all that these massive 10 oz monsters (after cooking) had arrived.

Behold the Michael's Burger from Michael's Bar & Grill:

   

The Patty:

The Michael Burger is advertised as 10 ounces of hand formed chopped sirloin, which upon inspection is more than accurate. Its a really big burger. What is not advertised is that 3 ounces of the Michael Burger are most likely fat, which makes for an incredibly juicy / greasy burger. The patty was seasoned well enough, but I could have used more salt to match all the fat in the burger. The patty was cooked a perfect medium rare. Its honestly one of the better looking beef patties that we've seen so far this year.

Tasters commented:

"At 10oz, this is one of the biggest burgers in St. Louis. It's right at the line where going any bigger edges into a comedic territory where going bigger means Eating Contest. And really, who the fuck needs even a 10oz burger?"

"Unfortunately, my medium rare request was fulfilled medium well. Again. Will no one serve me a mid-rare burger in this town?"

"This is my favorite "meat" burger so far.  It's not the kind of burger I would normally want to eat, because it's insanely fatty, but it's the kind of thing I'll definitely be indulging in again."

"I appreciated the option of a 5 oz. Junior Deluxe burger. The Junior burger is nice when you only want to take a small nap after lunch rather than being in a meat coma for the remainder of the day."

"This is the first burger I've had on the quest that was temped exactly as I ordered it and, looking around the table, it appeared that everyone's burger was accurately cooked."

"The patty seemed to be hand-formed. As I grasped that 10oz burger in my hand, the juices dripped down and covered the plate below...the temperature is spot-on: rare, as ordered."

"It's the kind of food you wish you could get till 2:00AM because it would go down smooth with a heavy dose of intoxication.  It reminded me of the type of burger you'd get at any number of college hangouts only at Michael's, it was cooked right."

"I like just a bit more "snap" when biting into the patty - it seemed a bit mushy. Seasoning was fine, maybe could have used a touch more salt &pepper. I think I'm still sweating the grease."

"I ordered my burger medium and there was no pink at all."

"This is a burger to eat at 3 am, after consuming vast amounts of beer and Jack."

"The 10-oz monster was too beefy for its bun, leaving about a 2-inch protrusion poking out of the bread. The menu claims the meat is chopped sirloin, but I couldn't really tell a difference in consistency or flavor from ground beef. That said, it was definitely a flavorful, satisfying burger -- cooked an as-ordered medium-rare with the juices running wild and attractive grill marks on the exterior."

"The patty - was heeeYUGE and shiny. Mine was cooked perfectly, medium-rare. So juicy. I noticed several of the church-goers using forks towards the end of theirs. I never resorted to that, but it sure was a messy meal, which I like. I napped hard for nearly 3 hours after eating it...and I hadn't even eaten the whole thing!"

"The only flavor present in this patty is beef; I don't detect salt, pepper, garlic, or the Greek seasoning that my mind somehow misappropriated to Michael's burger."

"A huge fatty burger is like a special occasion wine. The once-a-year bottle as apposed to the Tuesday bottle." The Michael's burger is the finest special occasion burger I've had outside of the Kuma Burger at Kuma's Corner in Chicago."

"The burger had no flavor. It not only wasn't seasoned, as far as I could tell, but the meat itself didn't seem to have flavor. The predominant flavor was grease. Grease to me is different than juice. Burger juice is full of flavor and comes out when you take a bite. Grease hovers on the outside of the burger like lube and leaves me feeling like I should do penance by eating nothing but vegetables for the next three days."

 

Caramelization:

Without a doubt the fat contained within this burger leads to the impressive char on the patty. I would have liked to see one cooked as it must throw off an amazing show of flames when the fat drips out of the patty and meets the fire of the grill. The clean and well defined hashmark pattern on the patty suggests an experienced grill person is at the helm and they understand how to cook such a fatty piece of meat without scorching it.

Diners observed:

"Good char on this burger"

"I am not a huge fan of the heavily grilled burger, typically, but this one had a ton of grill flavor that went well with all that fat.  It reminded me of a huge Steak 'n Shake burger, cooked to temp, which makes sense in that they said it was "ground sirloin" on the menu."

"My burger didn't have much caramelization that I could tell... it was well cooked and tasted good, It just didn't have any crunchy or charred edges. Not surprising for such a thick, fatty burger."

"A tablemate said he would have liked to see more charring on the outside of the burger, and another one replied that he thought his was perfectly charred. Personal preference, but I can make sense of both arguments. On one hand, the burger did have visible grill marks that imparted a smoky, open-flame flavor to the meat; but on the other, the big, juicy patty was fall-apart messy -- an issue that may have been avoided if seared on a flattop griddle instead of a grill. I didn't mind eating a few pieces of meat with a knife and fork once they fell off the mainland patty, so I guess the caramelization from the grill was adequate for me."

The Toppings:

As ordered the Michael Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, a hearty whole slice of raw onion and several strips of crinkle cut pickles. The kick of onion and pickle, present in almost every bite is a great complement to the massive beef patty. The lettuce was crisp, hand torn from the head and largely unremarkable. The tomato -- well its May here in St. Louis and while in season tomatoes are starting to show up in the farmers markets, they are nowhere to be found in most restaurants and on most burgers.So very depressing. I would gladly trade what kingdom I have for a decent slice of tomato on my burger. 

Diners offered up the following thoughts on their burger toppings:

"I got Feta cheese on mine, as a nod to the restaurant's Greek-ness. The tangy fresh cheese complimented the rich meaty burger well. My tomato wasn't as mealy and pink as my neighbors, but it was still a yucky out-of-season flop. Claussen pickles sliced length-wise were a nice, salty touch. "

"Topped with that scoop of cheese a picture of the Michael's burger, with it's piece of lettuce so small it might as well be garnish, is the very definition of 'this is why you're fat'."

"A scoop of soft cheddar. And by "scoop," I mean a wallop (not dollop) of the orange-colored, tangy, spreadable cheese. I'm a cheddar guy in most any form, so I enjoyed this, although probably not as much as I would have with a regular slice of cheddar or -- like my table neighbor -- a square of feta. Obligatory-but-shouldn't be tomato (out of season), lettuce (limp), onion (raw) and pickle sandwich strips (score!) came on the plate."

"I wish I wouldn't have ordered the soft cheddar- there was just too damn much of it, so that was almost all you could taste."

"I like the option of feta cheese at Michael's.  The salt from my cheese added some semblance of taste to the lump of cow."

"I think getting that scoop of cheddar was cheating.  It was yet more fat and it oozed everywhere as you ate it.  For me that was the biggest reason the burger worked and I think that's because of the two things that make food taste good: salt and fat.  It needed more pepper, but the salt and fat were there--especially with that heap of cheese -- and it made for a success."

The Bun:

In many ways it seems like the Michael Burger bun is designed for obsolesce. The kaiser roll is a classic and welcome addition to backyard burger cookouts, but for a burger this large and fatty, it is ill equipped to last from the first bite to the last. The bun is quickly overwhelmed by juice, turning from soft bread to an amorphous mess. Halfway though the burger it became unclear where the bottom bun ended and the patty began. With a quarter of the burger left I abandoned the bun as any sort of handle or transport vessel and opted to knife and fork the remaining burger.

Tasters commented:

"The bottom bun was so soggy that I could barely lift it.  The bun was unable to support the weight of the burger."

"The top of the bun held up okay. Nothing special... fit the burger. The bottom bun...it didn't as much fall apart as it was just completely absorbed by the extremely fatty, juicy patty. Almost as if it had never existed!"

"The bun was fine- would have been nice if toasted.  The burger didn't fit onto it, but the top one was big enough to soak up most of the grease."

"The bun was a disaster. It was damn near a Wendy bun and it didn't remotely hold up to the burger that I'd guess was, at minimum, 30% fat. It disintegrated halfway through and I took to the fork and knife for the last quarter."

"The bun is the same one we've all seen on Wendy's sandwiches -- a kaiser roll with a dusting of something (fine-grind cornmeal?) on top. Kaiser is my favorite carb vessel for homemade, backyard-BBQ burgers because its doughiness gets even more flavorful as the bun absorbs all of the meat juices. The Michael Burger was a runaway juice train, with even more liquid than the bun's underbelly could handle (the soft cheddar provided a protective layer for the top of the bun). I still think it held up better than any bun could have, I'm proud to love kaiser bread, so this was a highlight of the burger for me."

"As I continue to take bite after bite, I notice that I also can't feel the bottom half of my bun. It obviously could not hold up to the patty and surrendered to its juices, becoming a sloppy mess in the process. By the time I was done, I was finishing this burger with a fork and knife, and I needed a stack of napkins to aid in the cleanup effort."

The Verdict:

Readers not only voted the Michael Burger the eighth best burger in St. Louis, it is also one of the burgers that I'm asked about most often by folks who did not participate in the voting. It is clearly a crowd favorite and for good reason -- its a greasy mess of a burger -- and who does not like that?

As I sum up my experience with the Michael Burger, I'm keep coming back to a comment from a member of our group who offered, "Uhhhhhhhhhhh…It was juicy, salty, and plenty fatty. So fatty, in fact, I had to put my head down mid-meal, even after fasting all day, and I left two bites untouched. It may have bested me." While I managed to finish my burger, I would tend to agree with this sentiment.

The Michael Burger is a challenge to eat, both during the dining experience and for hours afterward. If this burger were a girl, she sure would be fun to hang out with, but you might think twice before bringing her home to meet Mom -- unless your Mom happens to be a fan of big greasy burgers. In many ways the Michael Burger might be the best "Sometimes Burger" in St. Louis. While I might not be back for some time, I'm looking forward to tackling it again, perhaps after consulting with and being cleared by a cardiologist.

For Immediate Release - Attention Piggies And Cows - You Are On Notice

First annual BBQ Competition and Tweetup. (perhaps someone can come up with a catchy name that reflects St. Louis, Twitter, and BBQ)
 
What is it? - A group of people (the "competitors") will cook Ribs (pork), Pork Butt (pulled pork), and Brisket (beef) through the night and early morning hours of the event.  The competitors can cook any or all of those items.  Given that the competitors will be individuals and not competition teams it's unlikely many will attempt to do all due to space restrictions.  So if you're only good at one of those things then by all means sign up.  Competitors will necessarily consume large amounts of alcohol in the process and have been given advance reprieves for any untoward behavior they may exhibit.  Another group of people (the 'consumers'..get it) will then arrive without having done any work whatsoever and partake in all of the goodness that is BBQ.  We'll follow KCBS rules for the most part.

When is it? - We are currently looking at the "spring break" period (generally in mid March).  As weather is always a factor in the St. Louis area at that time of the year (short sleeves, Down jacket, or rain slicker?) we'll firm this date up as it approaches and ideally have a backup date.

Where is it? - The event will be in the St. Louis area, but you're welcome to come from as far away as you like.  In fact, maybe we'll do something special for whoever travels the furthest. I have a couple of possibilities that we can definitely use (football field sized), and there's always the option of renting an area from a local park, but if you've got a great option by all means suggest it.

How is it judged? - We will select members from the local St. Louis twitter community that we feel have some appreciation and in-depth knowledge for the BBQ'ing arts.  It will be a blind judging, but those who are willing to judge *and* take bribes for preferential treatment will be prioritized.

How much is it? - Unknown at this time since it is dependent upon the shape and size of the final event.  In addition we need to decide if we want to try and make a "profit" that could go to a charity, or to simply try and offset out of pocket expenses.  Thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Who is doing this? - Matt Ridings and Andrew Veety are organizing this event, however we could use all the help we can get.  Lots of skills and access to resources would be great that have nothing to do with BBQ, such as:

• Graphic Design - For things like email invitations, website, t-shirt designs, etc.
• T-shirts
• Infrastructure Organization - Tables, chairs, trash, tents, etc.  And no, I don't mean I want you to bring trash, I mean we need a way to collect and dispose of it in a green friendly way.
• Music - This would be great, and there are certainly a lot of us out there with access to some great musicians/bands.  From a location perspective however I would have to insure access to a decent amount of electricity close by (or an Unplugged acoustic set will be the order of the day)
• Marketing - This is a tweetup, so we need you to get the word out via your friend network.  However, you may want to think twice before inviting that "friend" who wants you to constantly look at the link with her pics
• Other - We'll need hands, brains, and muscles. Feel free to bring one or more of those to the table, but I'd recommend a minimum of at least your hands because let's face it, you'd just look weird without your hands.

Want to participate? Please leave a comment below with what you might be able to help with, if you want to compete, or if you simply have a question.  Or drop us a line at techguerilla or amveats on twitter.  We literally came up with this idea 30 minutes ago so we're evolving in real time.

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Project Planning - Trisket 2009 - A Turkey Stuffed Inside A Brisket

Scared? You should be.

Every year my friend (and sometimes contributer) Jeff and his wife Leslie have a meal called "Fakesgiving" for all of their friends here in St. Louis who are far from home for the holiday. Essentially a Thanksgiving themed pot luck dinner, Fakesgiving is largely a vegetarian event, but every year there is a small turkey breast for the carnivores, until last year when Jeff asked me to make something special for the event.

What to make, what to make? I decided to borrow the idea of the "turducken", but put a Thanksgiving spin on it and stuff turkey inside of a beef brisket. I ran my idea past my friend, Chef David Koon, and we worked out a stuffing that would hopefully hold up to the extended cooking time a brisket needs. While he was more than a bit suspect of the concept, I know he was sad that he missed out on this project after seeing the pictures and was really excited to hear about it after it was cooked and served.

You can read more about it and see a movie of the process here.

While I have claimed over the last 11 months that the Trisket was a one time only event, as summer has turned to fall I've really been thinking about giving it a go once again. Over the coming weeks, I'll be revisiting the contents of the original stuffing; ground turkey, heads of roasted garlic, leeks, shallots, red bell peppers, bacon and dried cranberries. I'm also re-tooling the vinegar-based cranberry, peach and habanero barbecue sauce that I served on the side.

For the stuffing, I'm thinking about switching things to a traditional southern corn bread stuffing or perhaps a sausage and oyster stuffing - although I'm worried about oyster meat making it though the 20 + hour cooking schedule. I'm still pondering how to leverage the classic tastes of the season with the fact that I'm basically creating a turkey meatloaf that rides inside of a smoked brisket. I think if I embrace the idea of meatloaf a bit more, I can come up with something special to blow peoples minds - a core of andouille sausage, inside a meatloaf, inside a brisket perhaps?

For the sauce, I''m leaning towards removing the cranberry altogether, or at least the addition of whole cranberries. Perhaps the addition of canned cranberry sauce might work, but the jury is still out here.

In any event, I know I said "never again" for this holiday cooking adventure, but the concept is just to tasty to walk away from. More to come. Thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Gobble gobble.

Matt vs. Food

I was lucky to have my brother Matt and my future brother in law Chris in town for a visit recently. 

We pretty much ate and drank from the moment they got off the plane from North Carolina until they left three days later, starting off with some outstanding sushi at Tani Sushi Bistro in Clayton. For the midwest, Tani somehow manages to get fish that is of a better quality than I can normally find around town. 

Standouts at Tani include the sashimi, the dragon ball, a collection of inventive rolls (sadly many include cream cheese which continues to confuse me) and a real treat - the hot rock - served in a thick bowl and accompanied with thinly sliced raw beef in a soy, garlic, ginger and yuzu. The beef cooks directly on the stone in seconds and is a perfect foil to the sushi.

I took the guys to the City Diner for breakfast the next day and to discuss what we would end up doing during their visit. After a half hour of fruitless discussion, my brother suggested that a eating tour of St. Louis might be in order. 

I was into the idea of a tour of my favorite places here in town, however I had no desire to actually complete such a task myself. I let him know that if he felt up to it, he would be eating alone for the most part and that when in doubt, I would be ordering for him.

Lucky for everyone my brother is hungry, brave and willing to entertain his big brother - and what follows is a minute to minute and bite to bite recap of Matt vs. Food - St. Louis Edition.

09:43:46 AM - City Diner - St. Louis Missouri

The plot is hatched and the day is full of possibilities. I kick Matt's day off with a slinger - two eggs with sausage and hash browns, topped with chili and cheese. Friends recommended that the City Diner slinger should be topped with mustard as well. From the way Matt devoured the dish - I can only assume it was a good addition.

The mere mortals amongst us enjoyed BLT's and The Southsider - eggs, biscuits and gravy with hash browns.

Fortified on sturdy carbs from breakfast we headed out to get Matt the St. Louis eating adventure that he demanded, nay deserved, for flying in to spend the weekend with me.

11:37:56 AM - Woofie's - St. Louis Missouri

I last visited Woofie's in November and I reviewed and contrasted Chicago style and New York style dogs. I suggested the Chili Pie for Matt - a Vienna dog served on a bed of chili, Fritos, onions, pickles and cheese. 

Matt knife and sporking it at Woofies, enjoying each bite a bit to much.

01:22:51 PM - Carl's Drive-In - St. Louis Missouri

I wrote up a long time favorite of mine, Carl's Drive-In, last fall. I can't think of an out of town visitor that I have not tried to bring to Carl's because the burgers are executed so well. Pressed flat on a griddle, the burgers become completely caramelized and for some diners take on a sweet flavor that plays along with the toppings. Matt enjoyed a double cheeseburger with all the fixings and a mug of home made root beer the size of his head.

A few hours and stops in, Matt was motoring along and devouring everything I could put in front of him.

01:48:12 PM - Kolache Factory - St. Louis Missouri

A kolache is a small dough treat filled with any number of meat, vegetable or fruit fillings. The Kolache Factory is a small chain with a shop in St. Louis and serve several dozen varieties of this eastern European treat. 

Matt opted for a Philly Cheesesteak while Chris took a chance with the bbq pork. In hindsight, this seems to be the first time I captured gastronomic distress in my brother.

02:14:53 PM - Ted Drewes Frozen Custard - St. Louis Missouri

Ted Drewes has been serving frozen custard in St. Louis since the 1920's and its likely that no other local location has received as much attention by the national media than it has - the place is known far and wide for its frozen treats. Because of this, "that custard place" is always on the lips of visitors as someplace they would like to stop while they are in town. 

It could be that the massive quantity of cream, eggs and sugar are leading to the serious nature of this picture, however it could be that a concrete from Ted Drewes is nothing to joke about and he's just getting down to spooning that sweet treat into his already filled food hole. 

02:39:47 PM - CC's Depot Dog - Home Depot - St. Louis Missouri

A hot dog from Home Depot? You bet your ass. CC's Depot Dogs can be found nestled by the exit doors of the Kingshighway Home Depot, and they serve up some tasty hot dogs for a price you can't beat for quick lunch - a loaded Chicago style or custom dog will run you about two bucks after tossing a quarter into the tip jar.

Matt "enjoying" a CC's dog in the parking lot, not to mention his third or fourth soft drink of the day. All that sugar - rookie eating tour mistake for sure.

03:12:14 PM - Gus' Pretzels - St. Louis Missouri

Gus' rests in the shadow of the Budweiser brewery and has been making pretzels since the 1920's. With dinner reservations at Modesto for later that evening, I figured that this doughy and salty treat would be perfect for soaking up all the grease and chili Matt had taken down.

Matt Veety - eating machine - he will break you.

10:59:46 AM - Chris' Pancake & Dining - St. Louis Missouri

The next morning we began again, this time at Chris' Pancake & Dining for some much needed breakfast. To my amazement Matt dove right back into the challenge after a nights sleep and healthy constitutional, this time opting for steak and eggs with hash browns. The only issue with his order resulted from his relative unfamiliarity with the menu. When you are offered a side of toast or pancakes at a pancake house, you always, always say pancake. After a quick discussion he indeed have the pancakes.

I joined Matt for the carb load by taking down a stack of pancakes with bacon, eggs, hash browns and a bloody mary. However, to be fair, I didn't eat much the day before and I had just finished running up all 42 floors of the Metropolitan Building for the American Lung Association.

04:41:01 PM - Tin Can Tavern and Grille - St. Louis Missouri

As part of my plans for the weekend, I pulled together a bar crawl around Tower Grove Park with stops at The Royale, Three Monkey's, The Tin Can Tavern and Grille, The Amsterdam Tavern, Tower Pub, Stella Blues, Friendly's and The Blackthorne Pub. 

Matt waited all day to try out the mini corn dogs at The Tin Can and compared their doughy goodness to the classic appetizer called pigs in a blanket - an observation I can't bring myself to argue with.

Keeping up the impressive consumption, Matt didn't hesitate to enjoy a cold PBR with his mini corn dogs, while I enjoyed the opportunity to share my neighborhood and friends with my family.

07:59:49 PM - Stella Blues - St. Louis Missouri

While others faded, Matt saddled up the bar at Stella Blues and took down a basket of onion rings.

Moving into his 48th hour of eating, Matt kept taking his best shot at menu's all over St. Louis. It was an epic showing that left me proud yet concerned about his body's ability to process all that grilled, fried and steamed food. 

10:17:35 PM - The Blackthorne Pub - St. Louis Missouri

Regular readers might remember my post on the Blackthorne Pub, where they serve up Chicago and pan style pizzas in the land of the inedible thin crust pizza topped with provel - St. Louis. The Blackthorne turned out to be the end of Matt's eating tour as well as the bar crawl, which is probably a good thing for all of us.

A group of us destroyed several pizzas in a matter of minutes before retiring for the evening. While we all had a great time, I find myself wishing great piles of vegetables on my brother to help him recover from this eating challenge - because as I was creating this post - I noticed his meals were totally devoid of them. 

Good times - great meals.

Let's never do this again.

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 3

The Super Bowl came and went, as did the brisket that I put together for the party. As you can see above, twelve hours of hickory and apple smoke left its mark on this brisket, penetrating over a quarter inch in some places. 

The ends of the meat were caramelized and perfectly toothsome and tender, however I estimate it would have taken another two to three hours in the smoker to turn the middle from a chewy and pink center to something that I would be completely proud of. In the end I just ran out of time before the game started to finish this long cooking cut of beef.

Regardless, I had a great day tending to the smoke and slowly mopping this brisket with the sweet and spicy sauce that was a hit at the party. I really enjoyed the fact that my friends dug into this six pound slab of meat, leaving an empty cutting board by the time the Steelers came from behind to win the game. My only regret is that I didn't shave myself off a few slices to keep for a midnight sandwich after the game. 

Beef brisket is a treat that is a serious investment of time and resources, but is so very worth it in the end. I hope you enjoyed walking though the process, and I hope you give it a try soon.

Additional Information:

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 1 - Know thy butcher, what to buy, dry rub

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 2 - Mop sauce and Barbeque Sauce

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 2

It's a around 4 hours into the smoking process for this years Super Bowl brisket and I've just applied the first mopping of the jalapeno and peach barbeque sauce I finished up last night. 

The sauce started with a base of beef stock, white wine, vinegar, honey, peaches, jalapeno peppers with most of the ribs and seeds removed, shallots, garlic, apricot preserves, sea salt, cracked pepper and chili powder. After brining the ingredients to a boil, I used an emersion blender to combine the mixture and then lowered the temperature to a slow rolling boil. 

After reducing the liquid by a third, I reserved part of the sauce to use as a mop for the next days smoking, allowing the mixture to cool and the flavors combine in the fridge overnight. Then I continued to reduce the remaining liquid until it was a sweet and spicy sauce to use as a side for the game.

After the first few hours, its a good idea of mop a brisket every hour or so. The vinegar in the mop will help keep the brisket moist, and will also help tenderize the meat. Because of the sugar content of this mop, its a good idea to apply it in thin coats, allowing it to build a nice caramelized layer over the course of the day.

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 1

Its the afternoon before the Super Bowl, and while I don't have a dog in this fight, I am gearing up for the eating. For me, the menu for tomorrow's game has to include some barbeque, and for the game I'm making a smoked beef brisket with a jalapeno and peach barbeque sauce on the side for folks who would like to add it on their plate.

Preparation for this project began a full two days before the game with a visit to Legrand's in St. Louis. I've been really happy with the selection and the staff at Legrand's, but they really came though on my last visit. 

When I arrived I was sad to find only a few small briskets in the case which had been trimmed of all the fat needed to protect a brisket over a twelve to fourteen hour ride in a smoker. After some persistent questioning and arm twisting the butcher disappeared into the cooler and eventually emerged with a six pound choice cut brisket with a creamy fat cap about a quarter inch thick after initially telling me that the trimmed cuts were all he had.

I'm in no way upset with my recent experience at Legrand's, because I've come to expect an adventure with each visit to their shop. Conversations with the staff have an interview feel to them, almost like the butchers are trying to match a cut with a shopper, steering a person to the product that will give them the greatest chance of success. In my case I'd like to think that I earned this brisket that I can only assume was being held in reserve for their own smoker. 

As always - know thy butcher.

For this brisket, I created a rub of brown sugar, kosher salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chili powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, powdered mustard and powdered ginger following a basic 8-3-1-1 ratio. 

I liberally covered each side of the brisket with the rub and planned on a thirty six hour rest in the fridge. This extended period of time allows the meat to absorb the salt and seasoning, brining it into the meat much like a brine. 

The term rub has a hint of personal interpretation to it, I know cooks who simply cover the meat with rub and then wrap and others who don gloves and rub the spices right into the meat. My method rests someplace in between, covering and then patting with a hand to prevent cross contamination of my prep surfaces.

After a rubdown, the brisket is wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil to keep as much air away from the meat as possible. I also reserve the package of rubbed brisket to a cookie sheet, an additional precaution to prevent raw meat juices from contaminating my fridge.

With a 5:30 PM central kick off time, my plan is to get this brisket in the smoker around 3 AM on Sunday morning for a long day of low and slow heat provided by hickory and apple woods.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this Super Bowl brisket, I've got a mop and barbeque sauce to make before grabbing a few hours sleep.

Caldo de Res

On new year's day a friend brought over Caldo de Res, a delicious soup filled with a rich beef broth, vegetables and fork tender cuts of beef short ribs. Paired with fresh lime juice on corn tortillas, Caldo de Res is a perfect pairing for both the hangover of the previous nights festivities and for the cold weather outside.

To make Caldo de Res, take beef shank or ribs with the bone in, cut into large chunks and season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef along with some onions, then add beef stock and tomato. Bring to a boil, then back off the heat and simmer for an hour or until the beef is fork tender.

Next quarter potatoes and ears of corn and add to the soup along with carrots and chhayote or zucchini. Add fresh cilantro to taste, water to cover the ingredients and bring the soup back to a boil.

Once a boil is reached, back off the heat again and simmer for 20 minutes, then add a head of cabbage which has been halved and then halved again. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve with corn tortillas which have been rubbed with the juice of a lime. Not knowing exactly how to approach this soup I added some beef and vegetables to the tortilla, wrapped up it like a taco and then dunked the whole thing into the broth to soak up the juice before eating. While it might not have been the "correct way", it was an amazing combo, especially the combination of lime juice and tortilla.

Many thanks to Rowdy Zamora for introducing me to this outstanding dish, I can't wait to try it again.

Best of 2008

This has been a great year of travel and eating, discovering new tools and techniques for cooking, experiencing great slices of Americana and time spent with friends and family. I thought it would be a good idea to capture a few of my favorites for the past year.

A New Perspective Via A New Grill:

Well constructed and sporting thick cast iron grates, this Brinkman grill creates enough smoke and grill marks to turn my back yard into a decent smokehouse. In short order I adjusted to this new tool and turned out top notch whole chickens, ribs, briskets, massive steaks, pizzas and deserts. 

I really like the front loading door which allows you to feed the fire without lifting the lid and losing heat. Maintaining a steady 220 degrees with minor heat management is priceless, but at around $200.00 this grill is a steal. It takes a bit more work than my old gas grill to prep and clean, but you can't beat it as a cooking tool.

Texas Potatoes:

Potato, onion, butter and bacon in a cast iron skillet. From my post "Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes".

Sony DSC-T500 Camera:

In a year of great new toys the Sony DSC-T500 camera has been my favorite. Small enough to fit into my pocket with 10.1 megapixels, a 3.5" wide touch screen, HD video recording with stereo mics and a 5X Optical Zoom. I also really like the macro lens which allows me to get great close ups of food for the site. I'm also loving not having to pull out my Nikon D70 in greasy diners. 

The large screen is really bright and eats though the battery in short order. After a month or so of use, I'm thinking a back up battery for this camera might be one of my "Best of 2009".

Float Trip Chicken:

There are few things better in the world than floating down a river with friends, beers and cold picnic chicken. From my post "Float Trip Picnic Chicken".

Tortas In The Park:

From my first "interview" for the site - I exchanged emails with my friend and regular Friday lunch companion Bob Baker as we made Tortas for 50 people on his birthday. He went to great lengths to get all the right ingredients and I was happy to help put together this great sandwich. From my post "Tower Grove Park Tortas".

Crab Boil:

I was so happy when my wife completed her LEED certification in September. We filled the back yard with people and I prepared the crabs the only way I know how - with lots of Old Bay and steamed in Guinness. From my post "Seafood Boil In The Heart of St. Louis". 

The New York Times Columnists:

Many thanks to Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman and Paul Krugman for the insight, information and entertainment this year.

Llywelyn's Pub Burger:

 

One of my favorite burgers of the past year. From my post "Llywelyn's Pub".

Nunez de Prado Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Happen chance introduced me to this great olive oil as I wandered around Whole Foods this year. It's got a perfect balance for cooking or for dipping bread in. Voted one of the best olive oils in America by Cooks Illustrated, Whole Foods stocks 25 oz. bottles for around 15 dollars. Next to bacon fat, this oil has quickly become my choice fat in the kitchen.

The Salt Lick:

Sure it is for show, but the open pit at The Salt Lick was a treat to see, and the folks were super nice and let me ram around in their kitchen. From my post "The Salt Lick Barbeque".

"My Life in France" by Julia Child

Probably the best book I read this year. In it Julia tells the story of learning to live, eat and cook in France. Julia lived an incredible life and her love of slow-food makes me excited to get into the kitchen.

Carl's Drive-In:

Old school burgers smashed on a flat top griddle. From my post "Carl's Drive-In".

Rear Window Defrosters and Heated Seats:

I said goodbye to my 1997 Mazda Miata M-Edition this fall. While this car was always fun to drive, it was never a great every day automobile. Instead I opted for some features the Miata never had - rear window defrosters and heated seats - attached to an Acura RL. Unceremoniously named an "old man's car" by my wife, it has made the commute into work one of the best parts of my day. Why - because I can see out the back window in the winter without risking a broken convertible top.

Woofies New York vs Chicago Showdown:

This past fall was all about hot dogs, Chicago style. From my post "New York vs Chicago Style Hot Dogs".

Fakesgiving Trisket:

I'm still not sure why I wanted to stuff a turkey into a perfectly cooked brisket, but I did it. From my post "Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket".

Charlie The Butcher:

After a particularly good edition of "Meet The Press", I would send an email to Tim Russert of NBC News to congratulate him on that weeks content. To try to elicit a reply from the busy newsman, I would suggest that he reward his staff with beef on weck from Charlie The Butcher in Buffalo, New York. Tim never replied to my emails, but I got a chance to think again about how much his show meant to my Sunday mornings as I enjoyed a sandwich in Buffalo this fall. From my post "Charlie The Butcher's Kitchen".

The Penguin Drive In:

Punk rock music, burgers named after engines and a sweet soda called Cheerwine. From my post "The Penguin Drive-In".

Fatherhood:

Sara and I recently announced that we are pregnant to friends and family, and I launched another blog to document all the events leading up to the arrival of our first child in June of 2009. I think its a given that updates on homemade baby food will require equal billing with burgers and dogs next year.

Charlie the Butcher's Kitchen

A kummelweck is a salty roll popular in Western New York, brought to the United States in the 1880's by Germans working and living in the cities and towns lining the Erie Canal. Kummelweck is similar to a Kaiser roll, but topped with chunky kosher salt that reminds me of the kind found on pretzels and a sparse addition of caraway seeds. 

Kummelweck is commonly shortened to “weck" (pronounced "wick"). When a weck is combined with hand carved slow-roasted rare roast beef, fresh horseradish and a healthy drenching of au jus it forms a sandwich known to the citizens of Buffalo and the surrounding area as "beef on weck".

Like most regional foods, the history of the beef on weck is long, storied and argued over. However, the general consensus is that in the early 1900's a local pub owner was looking for a way to feed his customers and seized on the roll, figuring the salt would make his patrons even thirstier for his beer. Variations weave Standard Oil, a fire, the 1901 Pan American Exposition and a long lost recipe from the Black Forest into the story. Like any good regional food, the tale can often be as good as the food.

 

Much like pizzas in New York City, loyalties to the local purveyors of this fine sandwich run deep. For my family this means we made a stop at Charlie the Butcher's over the Thanksgiving holiday to enjoy a sandwich and loganberry pop, another local staple and a perfect companion to a beef on weck.

The roast beef at Charlie the Butcher's is sliced on the thick side but is tender and easy to bite though. For me, horseradish plays an important role in this sandwich and I really enjoy how it complements the saltiness of the bun and the flavor of the beef.

As most great sandwiches have a element of messiness to them, the top half of the weck is dipped quickly into au jus and absorbed into the bread. The end result is a sandwich that at times requires the cheese-steak eating stance of the Philadelphia Lean so one may stay clean of juice and drippings.

A beef of weck is a pleasure to eat and worth each and every one of the 750 miles traveled between St. Louis and Buffalo to have one. Because I only get to enjoy this sandwich once a year, it seems to be a candidate for a cooking project here at home. Perhaps I'll ponder this a bit further as we hunker down into the cold of the Mid West winter and need a hearty meal that also warms the soul. 

In the meantime kudos are due to Charlie the Butcher and his delicious beef on weck.

Opinion: Highly Recommended

446 Cayuga Rd

Cheektowaga, NY 14225

(716) 626-9722

Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket

Trisket is an idea I thought up for a friends annual Thanksgiving celebration, Fakesgiving, where we all gather and bring a dish to pass, pot luck style.

In honor of this yearly event, I took a beef brisket and stuffed it with ground turkey thighs, bread crumbs, bacon, roasted garlic, peppers, cranberries, leeks, mushrooms, shallot and flat leaf parsley. 

Turkey inside of a brisket = trisket.

I started with a 6lb grass fed organic beef brisket from Whole Foods with a pocket cut in it to hold the stuffing. The brisket held up well using this method, as it is essentially a large muscle and up to the task of having a turkey stuffing crammed into it. All told, the stuffing added another 4-5 lb to the overall cooking weight. In hindsight I'm sure I could have gotten some more stuffing in there if I really wanted to. 

For the turkey, I used ground thigh meat which had the best chance of making it though the 13 hours of cooking without drying out. To add some Thanksgiving flavor, I mixed the ground turkey with heads of roasted garlic, leeks, shallots and dried cranberries.

The key to this stuffing is to maintain moisture throughout the long cooking time. The ample fat marbling of a beef brisket did a great job keeping the meat moist, however I also added thick cut bacon to the mix to help baste the stuffing as well. I used a mixture of bread crumbs and cremini mushrooms as a binder and to absorb moisture. 

The brisket was stuffed the day before cooking and rubbed with a mixture of sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and onion and garlic powders. After rubbing, the brisket was wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, placed onto a cookie sheet and stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator for an overnight rest. 

At about 4am the next morning, I took the brisket out to warm up while I made coffee and started a fire for the smoker. While the idea of letting meat rise to room temperature before placing on the grill works great with steaks, 30 minutes was not enough time to do much for a 10 lb roast and the meat was still refrigerator cold when it was placed in the smoker.

This brisket was smoked over apple and hickory wood at 200 - 215 degrees for 10 hours, refilling the smoker every 45 - 60 minutes to maintain this low temperature. I used a spray bottle filled with beef stock and apple cider to baste the meat when the grill was open. 

After smoking all day, the brisket was then placed in a roasting pan with some of the basting liquid, covered tightly with foil, and placed into a 190 degree oven for another 3 hours to finish cooking.

The end result was a great beef brisket on the outside and a turkey meatloaf on the inside. The brisket turned out perfect with a great looking 1/4 inch smoke ring. The turkey was moist and had all the smells of a Thanksgiving meal.

The Trisket was served with a vinegar-based cranberry, peach and habanero barbeque sauce on the side. The use of fresh cranberry and peach added a tartness and sweetness to play against the heat of the habanero chili. While I can't see myself making a Trisket again anytime soon (it really was a two day process) I do think this barbeque sauce would match nicely with slow smoked ribs or chicken.

Thanks to Chef David Koon for his help taking this idea from idea to application.

The Salt Lick Barbeque

Since 1967, the Robert's family have owned and operated The Salt Lick Barbeque on their family ranch in Driftwood, Texas, using a recipe handed down from generation to generation since the Civil War. I recently got a chance to enjoy a family style dinner at The Salt Lick as we celebrated the rehearsal dinner for friends getting married in Austin. 

Very good barbeque is both an art and science; skill in the application of heat and smoke, showmanship in how your wares are displayed to waiting guests. After all, we do eat with our eyes as much as anything else. From buildings built of limestone quarried from the family ranch, long wooden tables and benches to accommodate family style meals and the stone holding pit within eyeshot of a framed picture of the owners daughters and Bobby Flay, the atmosphere of the restaurant is well executed and welcoming. 

The staff was very friendly and allowed me to check out the holding pit, which is the centerpiece of the restaurant, and the smokers which are hidden from view and the dining areas. Both were impressive in their design and evidence of day in and day out usage, but it was the holding pit that captured my attention. The limestone theme is continued with the pits construction, which is laid out in a horseshoe shape. The pit was a source of great pride folks tending to its fire, and they welcomed all my questions with a smile. Flanked by stacks of seasoned hickory wood, the fire in the pit is fed slowly all day, adding a last dose of flavor to the beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage hung from above. 

Where the pit is the art and showmanship, the science and skill is evident in the outstanding meats The Salt Lick prepares. Slow cooked to perfection with ample evidence of smoke ring, the Salt Lick is a perfect example of what is commonly thought of as Texas barbeque - dry rubbed and slow cooked. This is not to do a disservice to the different barbeque styles found across Texas, which actually consist of at least four main regional styles, all with different flavors, cooking methods, ingredients, and cultural origins. It is only to say that when people discuss the barbeque of the United States, The Salt Lick is what people are referencing when they compare Texas to Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City or North Carolina. 

Whole chickens, racks of ribs and beef brisket are rubbed with house seasoning and cooked slow and low to perfection, leaving the aforementioned smoke ring and interiors that are among the most moist I've ever had the chance to sample. Meats are mopped with a version of The Salt Lick's barbeque sauce as they smoke, but for the most part are left to reflect the unadulterated balance of spice and smoke that can only come after hours and hours over slow and low heat. 

The family style dinner at The Salt Lick includes cornbread, a platter or smoked beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage, baked beans, potatoes, cole slaw, sweet tea, and a cobbler for desert. All the sides were tasty, but did not steal the spotlight from the barbeque. A sauce that has a hint of Hawaiian flare in the background is provided on the table for those wishing to smother their barbeque. While the house barbeque sauce complements everything well, I found it unnecessary. 

The Salt Lick does not serve alcohol, but our hosts provided coolers filled to the brim with ice and Shiner Bock, which is available here in St. Louis, but for me has never tasted as good as it did that night, with its intended pairing - Texas barbeque.

Opinion: Recommended

18001 FM 1826

Driftwood, Texas 78619

512-858-4959

Blumenhof Winery - Fall 2008

A little known fact about Missouri is that we used to be the wine production capital of the United States, circa 1880. Truth be told, Missouri used to be the capital of many things, but was unable to stop the manifest destiny leading people from the east to the west coast of America in the last half of the 1800's. That is why St. Louis is called the "Gateway to the West", and I often remark that we are the only city in the world that constructed a monument (The Gateway Arch) to people leaving.

Getting back to our wines, Missouri's climate, with its long, hot summers, good sun exposure, and thin rocky soil, is excellent for growing grapes. This combination led European immigrants, Germans and later Italians, to this part of the country where they started a wine making tradition that lives on to this day. 

While Missouri may no longer lay claim to the volume of wines produced, there are still many family vineyards across the countryside creating fine wines using the Cynthiana/Norton, Vignoles, Seyval, and Chambourcin grapes.

With the understanding that fall in Missouri is short and wonderful, we took what might be our last chance at enjoying the sun and fruits of our local producers labors. Loaded down with breads, cheeses, olives, artichoke hearts and San Marzano tomato's that I roasted and covered with Spanish olive oil, we shared food and bottle after bottle of the wines from the Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery.

Of the dozen or so wines they have right now, we really enjoyed the Devil's Den Red and the Vignoles. Both were perfect for an afternoon surrounded by the changing leaves, warm sun and good friends.

While there was more than enough food to go around, I managed to pull together a foraging party to scope out a small barbecue shack positioned near the tasting rooms. With a full stomach and a healthy attitude I ordered a rib eye sandwich, cut thin, grilled and served on a sesame seed hamburger roll.

A quick visit to the fixings bar resulted in an addition of onions, sauerkraut and a spicy German mustard. Upon returning to our table I topped what I will forever call a "travesty on bread" (a recycled line from a sandwich I used to order when I worked in White Plains, New York, and a story for another time) with my aforementioned roasted tomatoes. Delicious indeed, but owing more to the day than a sandwich I would go out of my way to create again.

Know Thy Butcher

From time to time I mention that I prefer to shop for meat at traditional butcher shops instead of local chain supermarkets and warehouse clubs. Most recently I discussed this idea in a post about cooking great steaks at home. 

I've found that having first name relationship with a knowledgeable professional who is willing to discuss ideas and cooking processes with you leads to better results in the kitchen and your back yard barbecue. Finding a local resource for quality meat and customer service takes some work, but it does pay off with your finished product.

Since I posted that article on steaks, a few friends have asked me to explore this idea a bit further. I thought it would be a good idea to not only dig into what to buy at your local meat counter, but how to find one in the first place. 

Here is a brief checklist that you can use to get started in your search:

• Cleanliness - a good butcher shop will not be spotless, but will be clean, well lit and have thermometers positioned for your viewing within the case. Being a butcher is a professional job, and a good butcher and his place of business will look the part.
• Foot Traffic - not only will a crowded counter indicate you are in the right place, it will also ensure that the case is being changed over on a regular basis. 
• Engagement and Conversation - even in the busiest of meat counters, it is appropriate for the butcher to take an interest in your order. Conversation can lead to a discussion on process and cut, and you might find that your butcher has thoughts or experience that you do not.  
• Custom Service / Cuts - the butcher should willingly cut a fresh steak or remove the silver skin from a rack of ribs for you if you ask. 
• Locally Raised Products - the production of meat for consumption places stress on both the livestock and our environment. Whenever possible I search out local free range products including pork, chicken, beef and bison.  

Additionally, the following items are visual cues that I look for, even if they are for ascetics only. 

• Butcher Coats - while not required, they are appreciated.
• Primal Cut Charts and Posters. Do you know when a shoulder is a butt? Where is the chain from? Visual aids are always helpful.
• Butcher Paper - even better if secured with tape baring the shops name. 
• Ironic Tee Shirts - well crafted innuendo and declarative statements regarding meats dominance over vegetables are acceptable. 

Examples:

 
Legrand's Market and Catering

Manzo's Kitchen

Tower Grove Park Totras

As August rolled to a close, we got together in Tower Grove Park to have a mass celebration for all of our August born friends. With over 50 people expected around dinner time, the event host, Bob Baker decided to feed the throngs tortas, a Mexican sandwich that is both fresh and filling. I offered to help Bob with the prep work and assembly in exchange for an interview on his experience recreating this classic, and what it was like to share it with folks who have never had the chance to enjoy one of the hidden treasures of tacqueria cuisine. 

I hope the following discussion peeks your interest and you head out to try this unique sandwich for yourself.

Q. As you worked the grill, I heard several people walk past me discussing how you believe the torta is the "king of sandwiches". For you, what makes the torta superior to other sandwiches?

 

A. I like the torta because it's never caught on with mainstream America - - it looks too much like a sandwich, I think.  But really it's the best of both worlds:  the best starch (bread) with the best cuisine (Mexican).   Also, the layering of ingredients on a torta makes each one stand out more than when they are crammed together in a burrito.

 

Q. I can appreciate that viewpoint. The totra reminds me of the Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, which is a personal favorite of mine. Both sandwiches have an almost perfect balance, where each ingredient complements the other. For your taste, is there one ingredient that you feel makes this sandwich, or do you feel its a team effort with all the ingredients playing off each other?

 

A. I think it's the combination of so many good ingredients that gives the torta its appeal.  It's the Mexican version of a dagwood sandwich.

Q. I like that you took the time to shop for authentic ingredients, like the correct breads and meats. Did you learn anything new as part of your research and prep? Any skills or techniques you would like to use more in your daily cooking?

 

A. The bakery I went to on Cherokee St calls the torta roll a telera.  Crunchy on the outside, and airy on the inside.  And the butcher recommended the arrachera cut of beef for the carne asada (flap meat, i believe).  After I ordered the meat, the butcher took the already thin steaks, and butterflied them ever thinner, to about 1/8" i suppose.  I marinated the meat for 8 hours in an olive oil, lime and spice mix.  Despite the thinness of the beef and the time spent in lime juice, when cooked medium, the meat was tough and the marinade sat on top like too much Italian dressing. I found it was better to cook the meat to well done, well-browned on both sides, to make the meat tastier and easier to chew.  Any moisture lost from over-cooking was easily replaced by the guacamole, pico do gallo, cheese, lettuce, and refried beans.

 

Q. We spoke after you made these sandwiches and mentioned that you took some of the beef and continued to marinade it for several days. Any lessons learned there?

A. After 8 hours of marinating, the meat was more tender, but still a bit too chewy.  A day later, the meat was easy to cut and chew through.  And two days later, it was even better.  I would have continued this experiment for the next week, but my wife (a vegetarian) got digested looking at this experiment progress in the fridge, and removed it from sight.  Bottom line - - I guess the arrachera cut of meat needs a lot of time (or maybe more acid) to truly soften up.

Q. I had a discussion with someone who insisted on comparing the torta to a muffaletta? Do you think this is a fair comparison?

 

A. Not for me.  I adore the contrasting fresh ingredients of tortas, and can do without the fatty, densely stacked meat, cheese, and olive mix of a muffaletta.  I suppose the muffaletta roll is pretty similar to a telera.  After that, they go their own ways.

Q. You seemed to focus on using a flat top to complete the cheese component of this sandwich, where did you pick up this technique?

 

A. At my favorite St Louis tacqueria (La Vallesana) they throw shredded cheese on the griddle, lay a toasted telera on top, and sweep everything up a few seconds later.  I tried this using a cast iron griddle.  At first I noticed the cheese stuck to the grill as much as the roll - - but found that a quick slide underneath with a metal spatula could get under the browned cheese - - and leave the cheesy topped roll looking like it had just come from the broiler.

 

As a side note, I am not a fan of the mayo/mustard approach some take on these sandwiches.  Fresh salsa and guacamole make more sense to me with spicy grilled Mexican meat, even when served on a bread roll.

 

Q. The crowd also was really into your guacamole, do you have any recommendations that you would like to share?

 

A. I've always felt avocado can stand on its own.   A little salt, pepper and garlic salt isn't too obtrusive.  And if it's going to sit for a while, some lime juice can keep it green.  I prefer it without the lime, but that's the price you pay when serving at a leisurely party.

           

Q. Here in St. Louis, where would you send someone to have their first torta, and what would you tell them to order?

 

A. For anyone's first torta in Saint Louis, the standard bearer is La Vallesana on Cherokee Street.  It's not quite as good as ones I've had Southwest from here, but it's certainly enough to find out whether tortas speak to you.

Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes

I helped throw a bachelor party recently, and for me, bachelor parties mean steaks and steakhouses. In this case, we decided to bring the steakhouse into the home, with a dinner before we ventured out for the evening. In thinking about the menu, I took some time to reflect on one of the two bachelor parties I had last year, and the meal we took in at the Strip House in Manhattan. I used the ultra thick strip steaks simply accompanied by a whole head of roasted garlic from that dinner as the inspiration for these roasted garlic strip steaks cooked over a fire of natural lump charcoal and large chunks of mesquite.

While I have never been able duplicate the amazing steaks that I’ve had at my favorite steakhouses, I’ve been able to come close at home. Keys to success include knowing your butcher and planning for heat management.

The first step may be the hardest, knowing your butcher. I have several that I visit here in St. Louis depending on what I am cooking, and I keep coming back because each take the time to talk with you about the product you are buying and how you would like to prepare it. They will also cut and trim to your specifications. For this meal, I made my way over to the meat counter at Whole Foods, who carry beef that is free range and grass fed while remaining free of hormones and antibiotics. They also do custom cuts, so in quick order I was out the door with four two inch thick New York Strip Steaks, weighing a total of 89 ounces.

I prepared these steaks very simply. First I roasted off two heads of garlic in the oven with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. After about an hour in the oven at 350 degrees, I let the garlic rest and cool before running it through a garlic press and into the olive oil I used for roasting. I added some more olive oil, covered and reserved for later that night. A few minutes before grilling, I spread the roasted garlic and oil mixture over the steaks along with kosher salt and fresh pepper.

The next key to grilling great steaks is heat management. In this case, I built a 2 zone fire using natural lump charcoal and a bed of mesquite wood. The first zone should be hot and large enough to put a good sear on the steaks, while the second should allow the steaks to finish with even, low heat.

As the grill was heating, I put my cast iron skillet over the hot zone and used that heat to start the universal steak house side, potatoes. As the bachelor was from Texas, I imagined what I would make if I was a cowboy, cooking out over fire on the range. The result was what I called Texas Potatoes.

In the skillet I combined six good sized Yukon gold potatoes with the skins on and sliced into disks, four thick slices of bacon, cut into half inch sections, red onion, kosher salt, pepper, and a stick of unsalted butter cut into eight pads. For the thirty minutes it took for my coals to come to temperature I kept the skillet over the hot zone, folding the potatoes over occasionally and letting them fry in the bacon fat and butter.

Is it healthy? Probably not. Is it tasty? You bet your ass.

After thirty minutes, I moved the skillet to the cooler zone of the grill and individually grilled slices of potatoes over the hot zone to get some marks on them. I did these about 10 at a time, and then added them back to the skillet.

When the coals were ready in the hot zone, I grilled each steak for three minutes on each side, turning 90 degrees once for crosshatched grill marks. After six minutes I moved each steak into the cooler zone to finish, about ten to twelve minutes for medium rare. When they were done, I removed them from the grill, covered with foil and rested for about ten minutes, reserving the juices to top the steaks when I plated.

I served these steaks and Texas potatoes with sautéed spinach, a fresh horseradish and chive cream dipping sauce, and a bottle of 2002 Chateau la Grande Roche Cabernet Sauvignon that I have been cellaring for just such a meal. We finished things off with glasses of 15 year old Balvenie single barrel single malt whisky – the perfect ending to a steakhouse meal at home.

Best of luck to the bachelor and to you in your summer grilling adventures.

A list of my favorite Steakhouses, in no specific order:

Andria’s – O Fallon, Illinois
Angelo & Maxies – Manhattan, New York
Capital Grill – Multiple Locations
Citizen Kane’s – Kirkwood, Missouri
Gallagher's – Manhattan, New York
Gene & Georgetti – Chicago, Illinios
Peter Lugar – Brooklyn, New York
Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille – Morristown, New Jersey
Smith & Wollensky – Multiple Locations
Sparks – Manhattan, New York
The Strip House – Manhattan, New York

Chicago 2008

My wife and I recently visited Chicago for our 1st anniversary and to tour the Smart Home at the Museum of Science and Industry.  From an environmental perspective, I’m sure the greenest thing to do would have been to stay home and read about the Smart House online. However, we wanted a chance to see the technology and materials up close so we decided that we would try to travel in the most environmentally friendly way we could - the train.

For the round trip of 602 miles, how did the train stack up against taking a plane or our car:

Airline = .458 Tons or 916 LBS of CO2
Automobile (Avg 25mpg) = .234 Tons or 468 LBS of CO2
Train = .12 Tons or 240 LBS of CO2

Via calculator at Native Energy.

Given that we are Americans and are creatures of speed and convenience, we would have loved to take the hour long flight between St. Louis and Chicago. Taking our car would have been quicker as well given the track work that delayed us on both legs of our trip. However, we saved hundreds of dollars by not flying, as well as avoiding the hassles and delays that come with trips to the airport. With gas and parking in downtown Chicago for the long weekend it’s realistic that we would have spent around $200 for transportation. Instead on the train we traveled business class to Chicago and home in a private sleeper room with a meal for the same $200. We also had time to talk and relax, watch a movie, read several magazines and enjoy the rolling Illinois countryside.

Chicago is a great city and my list of places to see and more importantly eat at was as long as our weekend was short. We walked where we could and utilized the train system to cover our adventures from Lincoln Square to Hyde Park. Highlights included the Smart House, an architectural river tour, an outstanding meal and bottle of 1999 Marques de Riscal Baron de Chirel Reserva at Café Iberico, and the morning coffee at the W Chicago City Center. A major disappointment was our brunch at Kitsch’n which can be summed up as pretty food that tastes pretty bad and the W Chicago City Center in general. Missed and saved for another day were Superdawg Drive-in, The Frontera Grill, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria and Gene & Georgetti.

Summer 2008 Chicago Trip: A Photo Essay

Inspired by tales of many friends who have traveled around Europe by train, Sara and I packed a light picnic of grapes, crackers and cheese and wine for our trip to Chicago.

Sara and I at the Navy Pier celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary. Interestingly enough, our wedding was recently included in the Missouri/Kansas print edition of The Knot Wedding Magazine.

A thunderstorm rolls across Illinois farmland.

Our return trip included accommodations in a sleeper room as the train was on its way to LA. As part of our ticket, we were invited to a meal in the dining car, which was a pleasant surprise. Sara and I each had a Flat Iron Steak and enjoyed our meal with a nice German man by way of Toronto who travels the rails around the world as a way to enjoy his retirement.

Things Discovered and More Information:

• Birds of Paradise, Price’s Chicken Coop, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Robbs Run House
• NatureMill Automatic Indoor Composter
• Michelle Kaufmann
• Smart Home Exhibit Resource Guide
• Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Formula One Racing World

Habanero and Strawberry Bison Filet Mignon

Ingredients List: Grass Fed Free Range Bison Filets (Bowood Farms, Clarksville, MO), (Marinade) Organic Habanero Chili, Organic Strawberry Jam, Organic Shallot, Organic Cranberry Juice, White Vinegar, Organic Canola Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper (Salad) Organic Yellow Brandywine Tomato, Organic Cucumber, Organic Bi-Color Corn, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Kosher Salt, Pepper (Topping) Organic Purple Beauty Bell Pepper, Organic White Onion

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Here in Missouri, we are lucky to have access to grass fed bison at our local grocery and farmers markets. While using bison as a replacement for beef is becoming a bit more common, I still relish plating up thick cuts like New York Strip and Filet Mignon for friends and watching them enjoy this healthy and low fat dish for the first time.

Cooking bison is not as easy or forgiving as beef, and the home cook should plan ahead to ensure success. The biggest issue is bison’s low fat content. Unlike feed lot raised beef and its superior fat marbling, bison is quite lean and prone to drying out if over cooked.

For my habanero and strawberry filet mignon recipe I begin about 8 hours before starting my grill with a marinade of habanero chili, strawberry jam, shallot, white vinegar, canola oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and cranberry juice. The goal is to infuse a balance of the scorching habanero with the natural sugary sweetness of strawberries and cranberry while adding a bit of moisture to the meat before cooking.

Grilling and heat management play a big part in how your bison will finish. Personally, I prefer my steaks rare to medium rare, so how you approach your bison steaks is of the utmost importance. I use a two zone cooking method, leaving one side of my grill rocket hot to sear each steak, then move to a second zone of very gentle heat to finish the cooking. For bison I’m not looking for the great diamond pattern that I would get on a beef steak, instead, I want to get the best sear I can the first time around then get it off the flame.

I have read that some cooks will leave a bison steak slightly frozen in the center before grilling. While I am sure this will buy you some extra insurance against overcooking your steak, I have not attempted this cooking method. For me, a little planning is all the insurance I feel I need to turn out a perfectly grilled steak.

Total cooking time should be about half to two-thirds that of a beef steak of equal size. On my grill, that’s about a sear on each side for a minute, then about 6 to 7 minutes on indirect heat. You’ll have to give it a try with your equipment as not two flames cook quite the same.

Pre-work:

Before getting to the marinade, a word of caution on the use of habanero, one of the hottest chili peppers available to the home chef. At 200,000 to 300,000 Scoville units, this is a food that should be handled with extreme care and respect. A run in with a jalapeno that I grew several years ago and my contact lenses has made me a firm believer in the use of latex gloves when handling most members of the Capsicum genus. Save for the stem, the entire chili is edible, but the real heat lives in the seeds and rib walls inside the fruit and I usually trim and discard these parts before use - especially if I intend to serve habanero to guests. 

The habanero in this marinade is used to impart heat, but it is nicely complemented by the use of strawberry and cranberry to create a spicy, sweet liquid for the filets to sit in. You can also substitute fruits like peaches or nectarine if they are local and in season. The goal is balance and your options are many.

1. I begin by placing one seeded and de-ribbed habanero, two shallots and three tablespoons of strawberry jam in a food processor or blender. 

2. Add two or three tablespoons of white vinegar, one fourth cup of cranberry juice and two to three tablespoons of canola oil.

3. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Blend for ten seconds, then check to make ensure all the ingredients have been incorporated into a viscous liquid. Makes enough marinade for two filets.

5. Place filets into a plastic bag, cover with marinade and seal. To ensure the best liquid to meat contact possible, try to remove as much air from the bag before closing. Place the bag in a plastic or glass container and place in your refrigerator. I recommend eight hours, but an overnight rest would be totally acceptable.

Bringing It All Together:

1. Preheat two zone grill as written above.

2. Oil down grill grate to prevent sticking, grill filets to rare/medium rare, per your grilling equipment

3. Remove from heat and rest under tented foil for several minutes before serving.

After Thoughts:

I like to caramelize some onion and bell pepper as a side to complement this steak, perhaps mixed with some roasted habanero for the culinary adventurous. Serve with a side of heirloom tomato and cucumber salad, dressed simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy.