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What Are You Simmering Right Now? A Place for Mid-Stew Musings


jparrott

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Simmered some marinara sauce while watching the Superbowl last night. Turned out really tasty. The not-so-secret ingredients? Fennel seeds and balsamic vinegar.

+1 and I discovered fennel seeds as a key ingredient in sauce/pasta when making this recipe a few weeks ago: Laura's Best Recipes Meat and Mushroom Lasagna. Then, we made Ina Garten's billiard-ball meatballs and spaghetti recipe over this past snow weekend and threw in the fennel instead of nutmeg. Spectacular.

Not sure why we had a fear of fennel, since we like the actual vegetable, but we're now over it.

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+1 and I discovered fennel seeds as a key ingredient in sauce/pasta when making this recipe a few weeks ago: Laura's Best Recipes Meat and Mushroom Lasagna. Then, we made Ina Garten's billiard-ball meatballs and spaghetti recipe over this past snow weekend and threw in the fennel instead of nutmeg. Spectacular.

Not sure why we had a fear of fennel, since we like the actual vegetable, but we're now over it.

Fennel seed is the signature flavor of Italian sausage, so it really gives an Italian flavor to meatballs and pasta sauces, even if they contain no pork sausage.
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Well, it's nice to know no one has contributed to this topic recently. It's a hard time of year to begin with since the freezer's full of soup and all the new foods of spring haven't hit the farmers market yet. The current heat wave makes it even more difficult to figure out what to do with one's groceries.

In any respect, despite the 80-degree weather, I said "Sure!" when someone asked if I wanted some cubes of bison-stew meat that thawed and needed to be cooked right away. Given what was in the fridge, I ended up making a version of Boeuf Bourguignon that I'll call bufalo pugliese con funghi. Started out with lardons of tesa/pancetta.

Thing is, the meat was pull-apart after two hours, but not what I'd call tender. It's very lean as you know.

I really like ground bison and the rib-eye steak I made recently was amazing. Yet I wonder if another hour or so of cooking is going to change the texture of the stew meat significantly, or should I just accept that it is going to be chewy no matter what?

Any one else have experience w braising bison bits?

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Well, it's nice to know no one has contributed to this topic recently. It's a hard time of year to begin with since the freezer's full of soup and all the new foods of spring haven't hit the farmers market yet. The current heat wave makes it even more difficult to figure out what to do with one's groceries.

In any respect, despite the 80-degree weather, I said "Sure!" when someone asked if I wanted some cubes of bison-stew meat that thawed and needed to be cooked right away. Given what was in the fridge, I ended up making a version of Boeuf Bourguignon that I'll call bufalo pugliese con funghi. Started out with lardons of tesa/pancetta.

Thing is, the meat was pull-apart after two hours, but not what I'd call tender. It's very lean as you know.

I really like ground bison and the rib-eye steak I made recently was amazing. Yet I wonder if another hour or so of cooking is going to change the texture of the stew meat significantly, or should I just accept that it is going to be chewy no matter what?

Any one else have experience w braising bison bits?

done in the oven? what temp did they cook at for 2 hours? stovetop? how vigorously was it simmering?

to my mind, pull apart is not what I'm looking for--I want fall apart. with very lean meat, there is the risk that it will end up being dry, however.

IMO your choices are: 1) cook it longer and risk dryness. 2) take the meat cubes out of the sauce, mince the meat in a food processor, return it to the sauce and eat with pasta or polenta. (reduce the sauce before adding the meat back to it.)

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done in the oven? what temp did they cook at for 2 hours? stovetop? how vigorously was it simmering?

to my mind, pull apart is not what I'm looking for--I want fall apart. with very lean meat, there is the risk that it will end up being dry, however.

IMO your choices are: 1) cook it longer and risk dryness. 2) take the meat cubes out of the sauce, mince the meat in a food processor, return it to the sauce and eat with pasta or polenta. (reduce the sauce before adding the meat back to it.)

Zora: The question pertained more to bison than to braising a stew. I spent a minimal amount of time after the fact searching for bison recipes and found scarce evidence for long braises. My two hours (very low, bubble now and then) was longer than norm. I plan to stick to rib eye steaks, ground, or maybe even jerky unless I grind my own bison for burgers. Just too lean. (Cf. Iron-stomach in topic devoted to Italian sausage, today.)

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Watermelon Chipotle BBQ sauce. I bought a watermelon on sale and heaven knows we 2 can't eat it all. I've got enough sorbets and ice cream in the freezer, so no dessert product. I cut up, blended and strained about 3/4 of it. Added a bit of OJ, lime and agave. Let it sit overnight in the fridge and added the about 4 quarts worth of juice to a laundry list of ingredients.

So far it's promising. We'll see in an hour or so after it reduces.

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Raspberry jam and slow-cooker apple butter, recipes courtesy of Ad Hoc at Home. I've been making baked goods and jellies/jams as a fundraiser (I'm training for the Chicago Marathon with Team In Training, the fundraising arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), and people really seem to be responding. The raspberry jam is my best seller so far - very simple, but VERY raspberry-y. My husband is the only one who has tasted the apple butter so far, but he gave it a thumbs up. It certainly makes the house smell nice!

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Raspberry jam and slow-cooker apple butter, recipes courtesy of Ad Hoc at Home. I've been making baked goods and jellies/jams as a fundraiser (I'm training for the Chicago Marathon with Team In Training, the fundraising arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), and people really seem to be responding. The raspberry jam is my best seller so far - very simple, but VERY raspberry-y. My husband is the only one who has tasted the apple butter so far, but he gave it a thumbs up. It certainly makes the house smell nice!

Sounds great! Do you de-seed the raspberry? I never do, but I guess it is as simple as running it through a fine strainer or food mill.

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Sounds great! Do you de-seed the raspberry? I never do, but I guess it is as simple as running it through a fine strainer or food mill.

Raspberry seeds are surprisingly tenacious, although if you have a tamis and are willing to put them through a couple of times you'll end up with seedless jam. We used to do this for my grandfather after his diverticulitis meant he couldn't eat seeds anymore (and his favorite summer foods were raspberries and raw tomatoes. Oof).

However, the seedless jam never set up quite as well as the seeded -- it wasn't far off, but it was definitely off. Is there natural pectin in raspberry seeds?

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I don't de-seed the raspberries - it's more rustic that way. :) Plus, ya know, less work for me.

Not sure about the pectin in the seeds - my recipe calls for additional pectin to be added, so I'm imagining if the raspberries have any naturally, it ain't much.

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I've got an eggplant-less ratatouille going right now. I already had a lot of fresh produce and a neighbor gave me some tomatoes, vegetables and basil he bought back from a farm he has in the country. There's no way I can possibly eat everything in the time available, so I'm cooking some of it up to freeze. If I reduce it down enough, I have just enough room in the freezer.

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Sweet and sour chicken. I had marinated chicken in sesame-soy-ginger marinade yesterday, thinking it would go on the grill after the fajitas last night, but the fire had died down too much. I didn't think it should stay in the marinade longer than 48 hours (no time to cook it tomorrow night), so I chopped up the chicken and made something else. It should be good, though it's going into the fridge for a future meal. There are other plans for tonight's meal, which I've got to start on. I've already made about three dinners so far today. At least that's less to do this week :(.

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Chili. I love how the house smells when I step out with the dog and come back in. Beefy, peppery, beery..

Makes me smile! I think the same thing when I'm making golabki (stuffed cabbage).

Dipping into the clearance meats at Safeway led to a lot of simmering last weekend. I purchased chicken wings and beef short ribs. The wings combined with a leftover carcass and giblets were simmered with vegetables, fresh dill and parsely for hours, then strained about 3 days later and run through a chinoise. I packed half of the chicken stock plain, and half with chopped carrots, celery and fresh dill for soup.

The short ribs were seared and simmered in marinara (homemade from farmers market bulk tomatoes) with bay leaves, fennel seeds and Pecorino. I shredded the meat and added it back to the pot. I made 2 quarts of ragu and can't wait to serve it over fat rigatoni.

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Makes me smile! I think the same thing when I'm making golabki (stuffed cabbage).

:( I'm not sure if that brings good or bad memories me [cabbage = good; overcooked cabbage = eeyuck], but my mother and (Lithuanian) grandmother would smile to read that.

With what do you stuff the cabbage?

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:( I'm not sure if that brings good or bad memories me [cabbage = good; overcooked cabbage = eeyuck], but my mother and (Lithuanian) grandmother would smile to read that.

With what do you stuff the cabbage?

Traditionally, it's a Polish dish that I've tweaked quite a bit from what it was when my mom made it.

For my golabki, I use meatloaf mix, cooked rice, sauteed onions, garlic and green peppers and s+p to stuff par-boiled, softened cabbage leaves (recently, I've switched to Savoy, which I like a lot).

The cabbage rolls braise in a tomato sauce that has evolved from tomato soup and bacon (and ketchup) to crushed tomatoes, with a sweet and sour component (vinegar, sugar, raisins).

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cannellini beans with a pestata of carrot, leek, onion, celery and garlic, bouquet of bay leaves, thyme and parsley. first I've been up for cooking anything in a couple of weeks. I watched Lidia Bastianich make a mixture of cooked white beans and braised black kale served over polenta that inspired me. I think it will make a great accompaniment to a grilled ribeye.

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simmered earlier: hard boiled a dozen eggs. Did it the "right" way, brought a pot of eggs in cold water to a boil, turned the burner off, and let them sit. Still had a bit of grey around the yolk. <huh?>

not a big deal, since they are for devilled eggs for a block party later today, and the grey disappeared in the yolk mash with scallions, mustard, cornichons, capers, roasted red pepper, herbs, mayo. lemon zest and juice.

kind of a trip--I made them with Alderfer brand organic free-range eggs, found at Rodman's. About a month ago, I bought Alderfer canadian bacon at Balducci's. Both products from PA, naturally, and the name Alderfer isn't too unusual in Penn Dutch country outside Philly, but I hadn't ever seen it in DC. Other than on mail addressed to me, my husband or my daughter.

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Chicken stock made with old chickens (as in done laying eggs) from Great Wall, they come whole, had I known I would not have put an entire tray of duck feet in with them - but the stock is wonderful. Also made mushroom stock which I plan on turning into cream of mushroom soup amongst other things.

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Smoked a turkey for a potluck yesterday, used the carcass to make stock (drove the puppies crazy!), only the drumsticks came back from the potluck, so I guess it'll be lentil soup w/ just a touch of turkey meat. Turkey was great, I haven't smoked one in a while. I used to be able to get 7-9 lb. breasts, now the only breasts at the commissary are 3-4 lbs., they look more like a Cornish hen! I ended up w/ a 10 lb. whole turkey, smoked w/ hickory & mesquite (I prefer fruitwood for turkey, but went with what I had).

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Yellow split-pea soup with fresh thyme, dried marjoram, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf and ham steak. I cut the ham steak in half and am simmering the soup. When it's done, I'll shred the ham. I got this tip from the recent Cook's Illustrated. They also called for bacon in the soup, but I passed.

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Red Lentil Soup

Lentils cooked with water, butter and turmeric, then pureed; juice of 3 limes added

Onions sauteed in butter with cumin and mustard seeds, cilantro added at end, then added to soup

Soup served over cooked brown rice and spinach sauteed in a little butter

Nice lunch for this dreary day.

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right now, turkey stock is simmering, with the fortuitous addition of a package of chicken necks we found when we re-organized the freezer this morning. I bought a couple of turkey legs from Bev Eggleston at the Arlington Courthouse Market yesterday--didn't realize how much I was missing the traditional post-Thanksgiving mushroom barley soup until I saw them. (That's what happens when you go to the relatives' place for Thanksgiving...)

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Beginnings of minestrone: last fresh shelling beans of the season, Octobers from Garners.

Soffritto: diced and/or minced red onion; celery root; carrot; sunchoke, celery and ultimately, garlic; soaked, dried porcini and tomato paste in pan where very meaty slabs of smoked ham hock (Eco-Friendly) were first seared in olive oil.

Just added beef stock, chicken stock, water, drained soaking liquid from porcini, hock, Parmesan rind, bay leaf and a few stalks of parsley. Eventually, to use up what's in fridge, kohlrabi along with more carrots, onion, celery root, canned tomatoes and most likely, Red Russian kale.

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I'm roasting the bones from the rib roast in preparation for making beef stock in a little while. I really should turn the exhaust fan on, but it smells so good in the kitchen I don't want to lose any of that...or to let any cold air in :) .

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I'm roasting the bones from the rib roast in preparation for making beef stock in a little while. I really should turn the exhaust fan on, but it smells so good in the kitchen I don't want to lose any of that...or to let any cold air in :) .

I'll be doing the same thing tomorrow - it DOES make the kitchen smell amazing! Care to share the secrets of YOUR beef stock? And what are you going to make with it when it's done?

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I'll be doing the same thing tomorrow - it DOES make the kitchen smell amazing! Care to share the secrets of YOUR beef stock? And what are you going to make with it when it's done?

I didn't use the recipe I usually use (from The Rittenhouse Cookbook) and just winged it, so there's not really much in the way of a secret. I'm not sure what my plans are but I'm thinking of a beef pot pie.

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This is post-simmer, but last night I made Mulligatawny with some lovely cubed lamb from EcoFriendly. Based on tasting during the hour-long simmer, I wasn't sure I was going to be happy with it. To my surprise (and delight), the half lime's worth of juice squirted in each bowl just before serving really brought all the flavors into sharp focus/contrast.

Now, if I could just remember that mise en place is my friend and actually do it BEFORE I start cooking....

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Right now I am simmering Chicken Stock and Vegetable Stock, to be followed by Beef Stock and Veal Stock (my veal bones should arrive anytime now). I plan on a lot of braises this winter! So glad we invested in that chest freezer 18 months ago -- it is worth its weight in gold.

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Right now I am simmering Chicken Stock and Vegetable Stock, to be followed by Beef Stock and Veal Stock (my veal bones should arrive anytime now). I plan on a lot of braises this winter! So glad we invested in that chest freezer 18 months ago -- it is worth its weight in gold.

The veal bones have arrived! I had real trouble finding them locally, so ordered online yesterday: MarxFoods: 30 lbs of veal bones for $114, which includes overnight shipping via FedEx. That works out to $3.80 per pound, which I think is a good price. Especially considering that these are from humanely-raised veal calves.

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Right now I am simmering Chicken Stock and Vegetable Stock, to be followed by Beef Stock and Veal Stock (my veal bones should arrive anytime now). I plan on a lot of braises this winter! So glad we invested in that chest freezer 18 months ago -- it is worth its weight in gold.

The veal bones have arrived! I had real trouble finding them locally, so ordered online yesterday: MarxFoods: 30 lbs of veal bones for $114, which includes overnight shipping via FedEx. That works out to $3.80 per pound, which I think is a good price. Especially considering that these are from humanely-raised veal calves.

That's going to be a lot of stock in your freezer! My new year's wish for you is no multiple-day power outages!

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