The Minimalist Cooks Dinner (28 page)
Read The Minimalist Cooks Dinner Online
Authors: Mark Bittman
Anchovy-Red Wine Sauce
TIME:
30 to 40 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
Another great, simple sauce based on anchovies (there are two in the pasta chapter). You get acidity, astringency, and fruitiness from the wine, piquancy from the garlic and anchovy, complexity from the thyme, and a smooth finish from the butter—all in about the time it takes to prepare a grill for the steaks.
2 cups fruity but sturdy red wine, such as Côtes du Rhone, Zinfandel, or California Cabernet
½ teaspoon minced garlic
6 anchovy fillets, with some of their oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 rib-eye steaks, each about 6 ounces (or 2 larger steaks)
Pour the wine into a small saucepan and turn the heat to high. Reduce, stirring occasionally, to about ½ cup. Meanwhile, start a hot charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill to the maximum with the grill rack set 2 to 4 inches above the heat source.
When the wine is reduced, lower the heat so the reduction simmers and stir in the garlic, anchovies, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally until the anchovies dissolve. When the grill is ready cook the steaks for about 3 minutes per side for medium rare, or a little longer or shorter according to your preference.
Beat the butter into the sauce until it is smooth, then season to taste. Slice the steaks, drizzle with the sauce, and serve.
| WINE | The same as, or similar to, the wine you use in the sauce |
| SERVE WITH | 60-Minute Bread or good store-bought bread; Tomato Salad with Basil or Simple Green Salad ; Mashed Potatoes or Crisp Potatoes ; Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms |
FOR MORE INFORMATION
about anchovies.
YOU DON’T NEED
great red wine for this sauce, but it should be one with a fair amount of fruit and at least a little structure—which rules out inexpensive Merlot or Pinot Noir
|
Sauté the garlic and anchovies in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (and anchovy oil) before adding to the wine for a somewhat more subtle flavor.
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Garnish the steaks with chopped parsley, basil, or a few thyme leaves.
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Substitute ¼ cup chopped shallots for the garlic.
of Beef
TIME:
50 to 60 minutes
MAKES:
4 to 6 servings
Few meats are as tender, juicy, and flavorful as roast beef, yet none is easier to prepare, given the appropriate cut and proper technique. Two of the best cuts for roasting, filet (or tenderloin) and standing rib are not always ideal. The first is supremely tender, but expensive and nearly tasteless; the second tends to be sold in large cuts that are too unwieldy for most week-nights. But the sirloin strip, also called New York strip—the same cut that makes for some of the best steaks—cut in a single large piece, is perfect. Ask your butcher for a 2- or 3-pound piece of sirloin strip—essentially a steak cut as a roast—and you should have it within minutes.
One 2½- to 3-pound piece sirloin strip
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 500°F with a skillet large enough to hold the roast in the oven so it preheats as well. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper.
When the oven and pan are hot, add the roast to the pan, top (fatty) side down and roast for 10 minutes. Turn and roast fatty side up for 10 more minutes. Turn and roast for 5 minutes, then turn again and roast for 5 minutes. Total cooking time is 30 minutes.
At this point the roast will be nicely browned all over. When a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat, about 1 inch from one of the ends, registers 120°F, the meat will be rare to medium-rare. Cook longer if you like, but beware that from this point on it will increase a stage of doneness every 3 to 5 minutes.
Let the roast rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then carve and serve, with its juices.
| WINE | Good Bordeaux or Burgundy, or decent Rioja |
| SERVE WITH | 60-Minute Bread or good store-bought bread; Tomato Salad with Basil ; or Simple Green Salad ; Mashed Potatoes or Crisp Potatoes ; Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms or Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable) |
SOME BUTCHERS
may insist on tucking the “tail” of the meat under the larger section and tying the whole thing as a roast, and although you can let them, it’s far from essential.
A MEAT
thermometer can help you judge doneness, and it pays to undercook the meat slightly and let it sit for a few minutes before carving; this not only makes carving easier, but it also prevents overcooking.
YOU CAN
serve thick, steaklike slices, or carve the meat more thinly, as you would a traditional roast beef. Either way, you can serve the slices as they are, or make a quick sauce for them (see With Minimal Effort).
IT’S WORTH
noting that this technique will work for larger roasts of sirloin as well, and because the meat is of more-or-less uniform thickness, cooking time will not be appreciably longer for a roast of 4 or 5 pounds than it is for one of 2 or 3 pounds.
Roast Beef with Gravy:
To make pan gravy, discard all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the pan. Put the pan over high heat and add 1 cup red wine, chicken or beef stock, or water and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is reduced to about ½ cup. Stir in a tablespoon or more of butter, a few drops of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the beef.
Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce:
Combine 2 cups red wine with ¼ cup minced shallots or 1 tablespoon slivered garlic and reduce over high heat until only about ½ cup of syrupy liquid remains. Stir in a tablespoon of butter and some salt and pepper. Serve with the beef.
with Turnips
TIME:
3 to 4 hours, largely unattended
MAKES:
4 servings
Pot roast is a true no-brainer—since it is always cooked well-done, timing is pretty flexible, and since it is cooked in a covered pot with liquid, neither source nor level of heat matters much. You can cook it on top of the stove or in the oven, at a very low heat, something more moderate, or even quite high. You can even cook it in advance and reheat it, or cut the meat up before cooking and call it beef stew.
The best part is that flavoring pot roast is no more than a matter of taste; you can hardly go wrong. And when you combine Asian seasonings with this classic European technique, the results are unusually wonderful.
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
3- to 4-pound brisket or boneless chuck
⅓ cup dark soy sauce, or ½ cup light soy sauce
5 nickel-sized slices of ginger (don’t bother to peel)
4 pieces star anise
2 to 3 cups peeled and cubed white turnips or rutabaga
½ cup trimmed and minced scallions
Pour the oil into a large skillet, turn the heat to high, and heat for a minute. Add the roast (you can cover the pot loosely to reduce spattering) and sear for about 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. While the meat is browning, combine the soy sauce, ginger, anise, and 2 cups of water in a casserole just big enough to hold the meat snugly. Bring this mixture to a boil, then adjust the heat so that it simmers.
When the meat is browned, add it to the simmering liquid and cover the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, turning the meat once or twice an hour and adding more water if necessary, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is just about tender (poke it with a thin-bladed knife; when the meat is done, the knife will meet little resistance). Fish out and discard the star anise and add the turnips, stirring to make sure it is coated with liquid (again, add more water if necessary). Replace the cover and cook until the turnips are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the meat and carve it, then return it to the pot (or place it on a platter with the sauce and the turnips). Garnish with the scallions and serve.
| WINE | Syrah or a sturdy Cabernet Sauvignon |
| SERVE WITH | Easy Rice (or, for the European version, buttered noodles) or Crisp Pan-Fried Noodle Cake; Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable) |
TENDER CUTS
of beef, like sirloin and even tenderloin, will markedly reduce the cooking time, but will not produce the same rich, silky sauce created by the tougher cuts. Thus inexpensive cuts like chuck or brisket are best—and you can use either one. Chuck becomes tender a little faster, but it is fattier; brisket becomes a little more dry, but the sauce takes care of that, and it slices beautifully.
YOU CAN SKIP
browning the meat to save time (and mess) if necessary. Yes, browning creates complexity, but there is so much flavor in this dish you won’t miss it.
MAKE SURE
the liquid in the pot doesn’t evaporate. This is the best reason to keep the heat fairly low, as high heat will quickly boil out the liquid. Add liquid if necessary.
WHEN YOU’RE
making a pot roast, the vegetables you add at the beginning contribute to the development of the sauce, but those at the end draw on the sauce for flavor, often making them the best part.
European Pot Roast with Carrots:
Use olive oil for searing. Omit the soy, water, ginger, and anise mixture, using instead a mixture of 2 cups red wine, 20 peeled pearl onions (the frozen ones aren’t bad), 5 lightly smashed garlic cloves, and 1 cup trimmed and chopped mushrooms. Add more wine (or water) if necessary to the simmering meat as it cooks. Substitute carrots for the turnips in step 3 and garnish with chopped parsley in place of the scallions.
Cranberries
TIME:
1½ hours, or more
MAKES:
4 to 6 servings
Unlike their cousin, the blueberry—which is sometimes used in savory cooking, although almost never successfully—cranberries are not at all sweet, and so make a much more natural companion for meat. This is a gutsy, appealing, and unusual pot roast, and one you can make quickly or slowly, depending on your time, taste, and budget.
