When Good Things Happen to Beef

Mr. Prime Rib, meet Mr. Red Onion Port Marmalade!

I decided for this Easter I'd make Prime Rib.  I hadn't made it in many years, and for some reason the carnivore in me came alive this week.  My inner chef took over trying to think of a way to serve Prime Rib in a different way, something added to it to make it sing with a nice glass of red wine.  Don't get me wrong, a good cut of beef is fine on its own, but there is a "je ne sais quoi" about adding something complementary to meat that makes it come alive and turns ordinary into extraordinary.

I love reduced port wine sauces.  They turn out elegant and can make a good steak just heavenly with a glass of wine.  So I thought, what I can I do with a port reduction but add some heft to it?  I usually have used just shallots, but that just ends up being mostly sauce and no heft.  I wanted substance.

My next thought was red onions...  I love caramelizing red onions as the base for French Onion soup, so why not caramelize red onions and reduce a port wine in it.  This would be good, but will definitely end up on the sweet side.  Caramelized red onions become very sweet as the natural sugars get intensified.  The port wine doubly so.  To balance that then, my thoughts turned to balsamic vinegar.  If you've never reduced balsamic vinegar down to a thick syrup, you really owe it to yourself to try it.  It is good on roasted asparagus, roasted peppers, grilled meats, hell, you could spread it on your lover and just lick it off.  It is really that good!

So here's what I did to make a sumptuous Prime Rib with Red Onion Port Wine Marmalade.

You can make the marmalade a couple of hours before dinner.  Just give it a quick reheat in the microwave before plating the meal.  This would work awesome on just about any cut of beef.

Red Onion Port Wine Marmalade

Enough for 4-ish servings.

Good quality olive oil
1 red onion, sliced very thinly
1 clove of garlic, pounded then minced
~cup of Ruby Port
~cup of dry red wine
couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
couple of grinds of fresh ground pepper
orange zest (around 1/2-1 tsp)

In a nonstick pan heat olive oil, then add the onion and garlic.  Stir frequently and get the onion to start carmelizing, it will begin turning brown.  Don't burn it, it will just taste nasty.  This requires attention and constant stirring and turning for about 5-8 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients.  My measurements are approximate.  Zest the orange peel straight into the sauce.

Cook this down under low-medium heat to reduce the wine and turn the entire mixture into the consistency of marmalade.  You will have to spoon it not pour it.

Remove from the pan and let cool.

Prime Rib

This is how I make prime rib, I learned it from a chef at Lawry's Restaurant.

Pull your prime rib out of the fridge around 90 minutes before putting into the oven.  Let the meat come up to room temperature.  You won't die, really.  You want to get the meat up to room temperature to reduce the temperature gradient from the inside to the outside when this bad boy goes in the oven.  It will cook faster and more evenly.

Insert an oven safe meat (leave in) thermometer into the middle of the roast.  If you don't have an oven safe thermometer, invest it one.  It is the only way to get perfectly finished meat.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Pour 1-2 pounds of kosher or ice cream rock salt into a deep roasting pan.  This will lock up all the fat that renders out of the beef making clean-up a snap.
Put a piece of foil down on the rock salt -- cut smaller than the pan.  You want the fat to run off into the rock salt.
Rub the entire roast with Lawry's Seasoned Salt.
Place ribs side down

Put the roast into the 450 degree oven, let it roast for approximately 10 minutes under this intense heat.  The object here is to super heat the outside of the meat.

After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees.

Roast the prime rib until the thermometer reads 125 degrees.  The middle will be rare, the ends will be medium.  If you have  a 4-5 pound roast, everyone will be happy.  How long will this be?  I don't know, a couple of hours probably.  I started my around 4:15 and it finished at 6:30.  It was 5 pounds.

When the thermometer reads 125 degrees, remove from the oven and cover with foil then a towel.  Let the prime rib rest for 10-15 minutes like this before slicing.  It will continue to cook on its own, but more importantly the juices will redistribute through the meat.

Now, right before plating, reheat the marmalade then scoop a nice dollop on every piece of prime rib.

Bon appetit!

Scott's Magnifique Beef Stew

This is a recipe that I've gleaned from several sources, combined them, and refined them over years to the point I can do it in my sleep. It requires some forethought and willingness to start dinner at breakfast time, but you will be rewarded with a house that smells delicious for about 3 hours before dinner. Everyone in the house will be asking when will dinner be ready?

I don't measure anything more. My cooking is NOT scientific it is exploration and artistry like making music. I'M SO sorry if you are expecting a teaspoon of this and a cup of that. Learn to cook with your senses, it is liberating!

You don't need an exquisite cut of beef for this because it is going to braise in wine for 6-8 hours. It will be tender and melt in your mouth, trust me.

Don't waste an expensive bottle of wine on this recipe, and DO NOT USE "2-buck Chuck". Look for a Zinfandel (not White Zin) or Syrah in the $7-$9 range from Ravenswood or Fetzer. Something you'd drink if someone else bought it.

There are a few important points when handling the beef in this dish. First when you cube up the beef, it is very important to use paper towels to dry the beef to remove excess moisture. Second, the beef in this dish is coated with flour at the start. The floured beef will be browned which adds a significant complexity to the dish's flavor and makes for a silky smooth thick liquid. Don't skip or fudge this step in a hurry. Don't crowd the beef when browning in the olive oil, do it in batches.

You'll also need a good quality braising pot or "french oven". It needs to have a very heavy lid so that the braising liquid doesn't fully escape. I'm a huge proponent of Le Creuset. It is an investment that will last many lifetimes! See this

Le Creuset Cast Iron French Oven

What you need.

3-4# chuck roast, sirloin roast, or some type of roast.
Flour, coarse sea salt, fresh ground black pepper
Good quality Olive oil
750ml bottle of red wine (see above)
3 rashers of bacon, cut in thin strips
1 large onion rough chopped
3 large carrots, peeled rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, pounded and chopped
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
Minor's Concentrated Chicken and Beef Stock (paste, available at Costco or good market) Do NOT use the cubes, they're awful (Better Than Bouillon is a good alternative too)
1 cinnamon stick
Rind from half orange (remove the white pithey part, you want the orange part of the rind)
Fresh basil that has been rolled then cut in thin strips.

Start this 6-8 hours from your planned meal time. I usually start at 10AM, and eat around 6PM. The prep stage takes 1 hour, so it is usually in the oven by 11AM.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Cube the roast into pieces roughly 1" on a side. Use paper towels to pat dry the beef cubes, again this is very important. If there is too much moisture, the beef will not brown properly.

In a bowl mix flour, sea salt and ground pepper. I'm guessing 3/4 cup of flour is sufficient.

Heat a very large heavy pot or french oven, pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour/salt/pepper to coat, then add them to the pot. Add enough to cover the bottom, you'll probably have to work two batches. Don't overcrowd the pot or you'll never get the beef to brown.

You need to brown all sides of the beef. The object here is to get sides brown (not burned and definitely not grey.) You'll know brown when you see it, it won't be grey! When the sides are brown, the natural sugars from the meat and flour are carmelized adding significant flavor to the stew. Skip this step and your stew will just not be good. Sorry. Learn to brown!

As the beef is browned on all sides, remove and put in a bowl. Repeat with any remaining beef, adding more olive oil if necessary.

Remove the last of the beef. The bottom of the pan should have a healthy coating of browned bits of flour stuck to it. Good! The French call this fond. We are now going to de glaze the fond which is going to make for a rich thick liquid for the stew. Add enough wine to the pot to just cover the bottom. Using a wooden spatula, work to remove all the bits of flour adding a little more wine at a time as it vaporizes. Once the pot has been liberated of the fond, pour this thick liquid off into the bowl with the beef.

Add the bacon and a bit more olive oil to the pot. Fry the bacon until it starts to brown then add the onions and carrots to saute until the onion begins to look translucent. Now add the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Don't let the garlic brown or burn.

Now pour the beef and de glazed fond back into the pot with the vegetables.

Add the remainder of the bottle of wine. Yes, the whole bottle!

Add the can of diced tomatoes and a couple of healthy spoons of the tomato paste.

In a microwave, heat in a pyrex measuring vessel, 1 cup water with a heaping tablespoon each of the concentrated chicken stock paste and beef stock paste. Again don't use bouillon cubes, they are just cubes of salt that have very little flavor.

Pour this into the stew.

Add the cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Stir well to mix, then bring to a boil on the stove. Remove from the stove.

Cover the braising pot with a heavy lid. It must be very heavy. Again, I can't say enough good things about a Le Creuset "French Oven".

Put into the 350 degree oven, but reduce the temperature to 275 degrees if it will braise for 6 hours, or 250 if it will braise for 8 hours.

Your heavy work is done! Enjoy the day, the house will smell incredible in a few hours.

Remove from the oven and stir in the fresh basil, cover and let everything rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions and variations.

On occasion I like to add porcini mushrooms to this. I like using the dried ones and rehydrating them in boiling wine or water about 1 hour from finish, and adding them to the stew about 30 minutes before finished. The porcini is a wonderful mushroom in this dish. Any other mushroom gets overpowered.

One of my favorite things to serve with this is polenta. I make mine with a bit of chopped shallot, chicken stock, basil and fresh grated parmesan cheese (don't use the saw dust in a can, it is shite). Put a large plop of polenta in the bowl, then ladle the stew over the polenta. Makes for a wonderful surprise for guests to dig into.

Another variation is to add a nice spoon full of gremolata on the top of the stew when plated. Makes for a great presentation and tastes incredible. Gremolata is easy to make, it is a mixture of grated lemon peel, minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley and olive oil. Your goal is to make a paste that has a pesto consistency.

Serve this up with a thick crusty Italian bread like a chiabatta or go soft with a Focaccia.

My recommendation for wines would be a Syrah, Petite Syrah, a hearty Zinfandel (not White Zin!), Barolo, or even a Chianti. A cabernet would be wasted on this dish, there is too much going on with the cinnamon, orange, tomato flavors.

Bon Appetit!

Let me know if you have any questions or how it turned out for you!

Review of Eltjo Haselhoff's Fingerstyle Guitar Solos

It has been quite a while since I've posted to my blog, life keeps getting in the way.  However I felt compelled to write a review, actually recycle a review, that I wrote on iTunes for Dutch fingerstylist Eltjo Haselhoff's Fingerstyle Guitar Solos.  The reason I felt the urge to do this is that in visiting his website, I stumbled on a snippet of my review on his site.  How cool is that?

So here's what I wrote on iTunes about 2 years ago...

"As a student of guitar, I'm always looking for guitar solo CD's that speak to me in terms of style and technique. Eltjo's album does this and much more through strong melodies. My first listen through I was at work and had to stop working as I was reduced to tears listening to Snow in London. What a beautiful tune.

I highly recommend this album if you are into solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar."

I stand by my original assessment of this CD.  It has become one of the albums in my rotation of guitar music to listen to.  Snow In London is such a beautiful moving tune that I recently purchased a copy of the music from Eltjo so that I can learn the tune.  It is written in Orkney turning (CDGGCD), one of my main tunings to play in.  Hopefully I can tackle this piece and add it to my repertoire.

Musical Luv...

Right Hand Therapy -- (Sueño) Spanish Dream

I spent the better part of today mixing up batch after batch of thin-set mortar for an outdoor firepit. My right hand was a cement mixer. By dinner time it hurt like hell and I needed to do something. Ah-ha, play guitar. For some reason I've found that playing guitar is therapeutic for hurting hands. Don't know why, but it works for me.

I sat down and recorded 8:00 minutes of a piece that I've been working on for a couple of months now. It is an original piece inspired by one chord from a song called Dred by French guitarist Jean Charles Guichen.

I've played this for friends out at Sea Ranch, then at my house for our St. Paddy's Day party. When I played it out at Sea Ranch, the song had no name, it was more of a practice piece for me, but it has grown and evolved. A dinner guest at a party out at the Sea Ranch commented it reminded him of Rodrigo's Concierto de Arunjuez. So, the piece is now called Sueño, dream in Spanish. It has a common thread throughout the song (A-A#-C-D scale) and has 4 movements. The piece is meditative. Not something you can rock down the highway listening to, but more like something to close your eyes and day dream to.

Click on Spanish Dream to listen!

Musical luv,

-Scott

Going Solar

Our Decision to Go Solar

I currently serve on an Advisory Task Force for a Homeowner's Association in coastal California (The Sea Ranch) that is looking at the viability of implementing photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity generation systems. We’ve narrowed down two possibilities for our community; a large solar system that will provide solar generation to offset the Association’s usage across recreational facilities and water company needs, and discounted residential systems for member’s homes. After reviewing the possibilities and hearing a presentation from Solar City, I personally have made the decision to lease a system for our residence in Sonoma County (Santa Rosa).

I’ve considered a PV system for our residence in a very pragmatic and cost conscious manner. If you are a “green” advocate and have the financial wherewithal then your option is fairly clear. Build a solar system that will completely offset your entire electricity usage over an entire year and enjoy the fruits. By law you will pay the minimum Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) bill of $4 per month and you will be reducing your home’s carbon footprint to a minimum.

I wouldn’t consider myself an outspoken “green” individual. I’m conservative with my money and sought to simultaneously minimize capital outlay and maximize return on investment (ROI).

Where are the savings?

PG&E’s E-1 residential rates for electricity are built on a tiered structure with increasing cost per kilo Watt hour (kWh). The rate structure as it exists provides incentives for large consumers of electricity to either conserve or to look at PV systems to augment their electricity costs.

Here is the current tiered rate structure as of April 2009

Total Energy Rates ($ per kWh) (from PG&E)

Baseline Usage          $0.11531 (R)
101% - 130% of Baseline $0.13109 (R)
131% - 200% of Baseline $0.25974 (I)
201% - 300% of Baseline $0.37866 (I)
Over 300% of Baseline   $0.44098 (I)

The “cost” of generating a kWh of solar electricity is roughly $0.165. So you can see that if your average use falls below 130% of the baseline, your electricity costs with a PV system will be higher initially. However, if you consume more that 130% of the baseline, the cost of a PV system starts to become attractive. When your usage approaches or exceeds 300% of baseline, then it is pretty clear that a PV system will save you money over time.

Another benefit of going solar is that you will move to "Net Metering" through PG&E which means that your "net" consumption and production are compared and you receive only one electricity bill per year.  If your house is empty during the day on weekdays you could gain further savings by moving to time-of-use (TOU) metering.

Our house in the Santa Rosa area is 2,700 square feet with completely open southern and western facing roof angles. We have a 5 ton central air conditioner, electric radiant heat in one room, and a four person outdoor spa. Our electricity usage during summer and winter months routinely exceeds 300% of baseline. The decision to implement a PV system was pretty easy for me to make.  TOU wasn't an option for us because the house is occupied during the day most week days.

Vendor Selection

I selected Solar City based on the San Francisco peninsula as our vendor to design and install the solar system for our home. Our proposal from them is for a 2.4 kW DC system that will eliminate all of our usage over 100% of baseline. I chose this route as I believe that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and PG&E will continue to keep baseline electricity affordable and penalize large consumers like myself. This fact seems to be supported over time with PG&E rate increases. By doing this, I am in effect locking in the purchase of electricity above the baseline at $0.165 per kWh and shielding myself from rate increases in those higher tiers over the next 15 years.

Lease versus Buy

Our next decision was whether to lease or buy the system. This is a decision that each individual must make for themselves based on whether you want to own the system and put your capital to work, or whether you’d like the benefits of solar electricity but would like to retain your capital and pay over time.

I selected Solar City because they offered a lease vs. buy option where most solar installers can’t offer this. The lease option is spread over 15 years providing complete warranty on all parts during the lease, plus constant monitoring via the internet. Furthermore, in the 15 year lease you are purchasing the equivalent of a service level agreement (SLA), a guaranteed level of electricity output over the term of the lease. If the system falls short of the schedule in the lease agreement you get a rebate, if it exceeds the SLA you get the benefit.

After all tax credits and rebates an outright system purchase would be $12,000 but factoring in an inverter purchase at year 10 brings the purchase price to $13,000. The lease cost over 15 years is $14,500.

For me the decision was pretty clear to go the lease route. For a initial payment of $1,000, I will get a turn key system with a 15 year warranty and an SLA. When the $1,000 DC/AC inverter burns up in 10 years (it will), it gets replaced for free. Doing the numerical analysis, the lease costs me $1,500 more in today’s dollars which lowers my return on investment (ROI). However, I don’t have to tie up $21,000 of capital (of which I would get a $6,000 federal tax credit next year and ~$3,000 PG&E rebate).

The Details for our System

Initial Payment (at installation): $1,000
System size: 2.4 kW DC

First Year:

• Current Average Electricity Bill: $170
  
• Average Electricity Bill with PV: $90
  
• Lease Payment: $63
  
• Monthly Savings: $17
  

Financial Benefits Over 15 years

Assuming 6.0% historic average increase in electricity and 3.9% escalator in lease payment

Breakeven: 50th month
After-tax ROI: 30.4%
Savings over 15 years (2009 dollars): $9,600

Environmental Benefits Over 15 Years

• 54,000 pound offset of CO2 production (green house gas)
  
• 37 pound offset of NOx (smog)
  
• 11 pound offset of particulate matter
  
• 9 pound offset of SO2 (acid rain)
  

So the deal is done, we’ve signed the paperwork and have gotten in queue for our system which we expect will be installed by late summer.   Yes there is a waiting list.   The PG&E incentives are being phased out as more PV systems come on line.   At this point waiting to move on a PV system in California will increase the cost of the sytem because of lower rebates.

This is a turn key proposal in that Solar City will take care of everything; from design, permitting, installation, inspection, to turn-on.  As this unfolds I will post more blog entries.

Pole Dancing

A friend sent me this video from the USGS.

Yes it is safe to view at work or with the kids present. Very safe.

PoleDancing.wmv

Free Music - Michael Gulezian - Mood Rub a Dub

I stumbled upon Michael Gulezian's website by accident one day looking for guitar sheet music. His guitar playing is extraordinary and reminds me a lot of the late Michael Hedges. No coincidence, they were friends.

Michael sounds like a neat guy and I'd love to have him come to Sonoma County for a house concert in MY HOUSE.

He offer's free music on his website and encourages people to share it. So I will, with you!

Here's a link to the MP3 you can put on your iPod, MP3 player, or computer.

Mood Rub a Dub.mp3

If you like it, go to Michael Gulezian's website store and buy a CD to two and support a true artist without the pre-packaged glitz.

Musical Love,

-S