Irish Foods Week: Beef and Guinness Edition

Or, to be exact, Diva's Crock-pot Beef and Guinness!

Beef and Guinness is a classic Irish stew that usually contains chunks of beef stewed together with onions and carrots, sometimes mushrooms, and bottle of Guinness Stout. The Guinness acts as tenderizing agent, helping to break down the meat and lends a wonderful, malty flavor to the sauce.

In many recipes, the stewing liquid contains Guinness and Guinness alone. It will come as no surprise, I'm sure, that I've gilded the lily a bit here. I'm 1/4 Italian, so I'm culturally obligated to use some tomato paste. I combined it with some beef broth to bump up the flavor and I've switched up the meat a bit too. Translated literally, Diva's Beef and Guinness means: I'm too lazy to season and brown a bunch of stew meat ... so I've used a roast instead. Ok, so this is really a pot roast of sorts - but an Irish one at heart!

Diva's Crock-pot Beef and Guinness:

• one 3 to 3 1/2 pound bottom round or rump roast, tied
• scant 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Essence of Emeril seasoning blend
• olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into rough chop
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 2 inch sticks
• 1 medium white turnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• bouquet garni made from: 1 stalk of celery (leaves included), 5 sprigs of fresh thyme, 4 sprigs fresh parsley. Mash together and tied securely with some kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf (I used dried)
• one 12 ounce bottle of Guinness Stout
• 3/4 cup of beef broth
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 2 two inch pieces of orange peel from a fresh orange

1. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and Emeril's Essence on a large plate. Mix together with a fork. Roll the bottom round roast around in the flour to coat, patting so the mixture will adhere, and shake off the excess.

2. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat and slick the bottom of it with some olive oil to coat. When it is hot, but not smoking, add the roast and brown quickly on all sides. Remove from pan.

3. Place the chopped leeks in the bottom of a large oval crock-pot and place the roast atop the leeks. Scatter the sliced onions, chopped carrots, parsnips and turnips around the meat in alternating layers. Scatter the garlic over the vegetables and nestle the bouquet garni into the veggies. Add the bay leaf and pour the entire bottle of Guinness Stout over the meat and vegetables.

4. Mix 3/4 of a cup of beef broth or stock with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, whisking well to combine, and pour over the meat and vegetables. Tuck the strips of orange peel into the mix somewhere, cover and cook on low until the meat is fork tender, about 8 to 9 hours.

5. Remove the roasts and slice for serving. Remove the bouquet garni, orange peel and bay leaf from the crock-pot and discard. Serve the sliced meat along with the veggies, topped off with the luscious sauce. If desired, you may garnish with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprig of thyme. Enjoy!

As written, this recipe will serve 6.

Please don't be put off by the long list of ingredients here. A few minutes of chopping and browning and your crock-pot will do the rest. Its ridiculously easy and ridiculously delicious. The broth is so flavorful, the carrots a revelation - in fact, they might be my favorite part - and the meat is so tender it will literally fall apart.

So much so that it was hard to get a picture of it. I had visions of thick, even slices ... what I got instead was shreds. Richly flavored shreds to be sure, and you can't beat the flavor of the veggies that have been simmering in that beer based broth all day.

Lastly, please note that because this is cooked in a crock-pot, it yields a thin, brothy sauce. Its so yummy you could drink it with a spoon - but if you're looking for a thicker, gravy-like consistency, you'll need to thicken it with a roux. Do as you see fit. I hope you'll try it!

Come back tomorrow for another Irish classic.

Bon appetite!

Beef Tenderloin with Anise and Crushed Peppercorns

It sounds strange for me to say this, but in my 25 years of cooking, I've never made a roast beef dish. Pot roast, stews and beefy soups are always on the menu, Chez Diva - but an actual roast beef? Nope. Never. Not even once. Weird, huh?

Or maybe not. While the husband is a red meat guy through and through ... The Diva, not so much. I'll take poultry any, make that every, day. Not to mention, we couldn't be more dissimilar in terms of our desired doneness. Him: "I'll take mine raw." Me: "Burn it!"

Hence the problem.

My solution? A tenderloin. Sure, its pricey cut, but for us, its the perfect answer to the doneness dilemma. Slice off the thick (rare) end for him, save the skinny (well done) portion for me ... joy and happiness abound!

Roast Beef Tenderloin with Anise and Crushed Peppercorns:

• 2 lb. beef tenderloin, tied at 2 -3 inch intervals
• 2 whole star anise seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed peppercorns (black, green, white and red)
• pinch of Kosher salt
• olive oil

Allow the beef to stand at room temperature for 45 minutes prior to continuing with this recipe.

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Grind the whole star anise and peppercorns together using a spice grinder, small food processor, or mortar and pestle, until they are crushed and powdery. Its ok if the peppercorns remain chunky, but you want the anise to be fully crushed. Remove to a small bowl and add a pinch of Kosher salt. Rub the entire surface of the tenderloin with the spice mixture to coat and allow the seasoned meat to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat a large, heavy, cast iron skillet over high heat and to it add some oil (I used olive oil) to coat. Sear the tenderloin on all sides until nicely browned, then immediately transfer the skillet to the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree oven. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin reads 125 degrees, for a nice medium rare. Adjust your cooking time as needed for your desired degree of doneness and according to the size of your roast - adding more time for a more well-done roast, etc. Use your judgement.

Remove from oven and allow the meat to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

If desired, you may serve with a simple and flavorful pan sauce. I adapted this sauce from a recipe that appeared in the December 2007 issue of Bon Appetit.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• two 3 inch sprigs of fresh rosemary, left whole
• 2 tablespoons of Cognac
• 2/3 cup Port wine (I used ruby port)
• 1 1/2 cups of beef broth or stock
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of cold butter, cut into quarters

Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed, skillet and to it add the shallots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, over medium-high heat. Add the rosemary sprigs and saute for 1 minute. Add the Cognac, raise the heat to high, allow the mixture to come to the boil, and once the Cognac has evaporated. Add the Port and the beef broth, stirring well to combine. Allow the mixture to boil and cook until reduced by half. Strain into a small sauce pan and return to heat, and season to taste with some freshly ground pepper. As the mixture simmers, add 1 tablespoon of cold butter, one small piece at a time, whisking well to combine after each addition. The sauce will thicken as you whisk in the butter. The finished sauce may be kept warm, covered, over low heat until you are ready to plate. Whisk well before serving.

As written, this recipe will serve approximately 4 - 5, depending on portion size. May be doubled as desired.

Honestly, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The roast was tender and juicy and the anise/peppercorn combination is simply exquisite. Judging by the moans of pleasure coming from the husband's side of the table, I'd say he was in heaven. Color us both happy and well-fed, indeed.

I'll be submitting this to Dinner at Christina's new Friday Firsts feature ... pop on over and share your culinary firsts with Christina and her readers each and every Friday. Its bound to be a delicious romp.

Bon appetite!

Recipe for a Leaner Meatloaf

Greetings, poor neglected bloglet! Its been a very busy week in Divaland, hence I'm woefully behind in posting, reading, commenting and email. Le sigh.

I expect things will finally ease up towards the end of the week - though I will be out of pocket for most of today and tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've made you some meatloaf! And not just any meatloaf either - a leaner, meaner, thoroughly delicious version that I know you'll return to again and again. With its combination of ground turkey breast and lean ground beef, you'll have all the satisfaction of a traditional loaf - minus some of the saturated fat. Bonus!

Basic Meatloaf Recipe:

• 1 pound of ground turkey breast
• 1/2 pound of lean ground sirloin beef
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1/2 cup of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of seasoned dry breadcrumbs

• an additional 1/4 cup of ketchup and some chopped fresh parsley for coating the loaf

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey and ground beef. Mix with a fork, or clean hands, until the meats are incorporated. Add the onions, parsley, thyme, ketchup, Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, Kosher salt and black pepper, and mix thoroughly with a fork, wooden spoon, or clean hands, until fully incorporated. Add the beaten egg and 1/4 cup of seasoned dried bread crumbs and mix to combine. If desired you may add up to another 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to bind the mixture, but don't over-do it! You want the mixture to just hold together, it should not be dry to the touch.

Turn the mixture out into an oven-safe 9 x 13 inch baking dish and shape into a loaf, compacting the mixture with your hands. Place the formed loaf in the middle of the baking dish (as seen above) and slather the top with some additional ketchup. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley or thyme and bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from pan, slice, serve and enjoy!

As written this recipe will serve 6 to 8 depending on appetite.

While you could certainly choose to bake the mixture in a loaf pan, I prefer this method. Baking the loaf in a larger dish allows the fat to drain away from the meatloaf, and when its finished you can simply lift it out and leave all that nasty fat behind.

It goes without saying that any leftovers should be sliced and turned into sandwiches ... isn't that the whole reason we make meatloaf in the first place? It is in here in Divaland, just ask the husband!

Eaten fresh out of the oven, or cold on a sandwich, this hearty, healthier version is sure to please. I hope you'll try it!

We'll return to my culinary tour of Germany later in the week ... stay tuned.

Bon appetit!

Wurst Fest '09

Papa Diva is the best, so, naturally, I treated him to the worst ... er, I mean wurst! There was a belated Father's Day cookout, chez Mama and Papa Diva, this weekend and a selection of German meats were the stars of the show.

The succulent sausages were procured at Noack's in Meriden, Connecticut and they were spectacular. If you're anywhere near that part of the state, I highly recommend a trip to Noack's. Their products are as fresh and delicious as can be and, trust me, once you're inside you're going to want to by *everything* ... which we very nearly did.

We walked away with an obscene amount of meat: knockwurst, bratwurst, frankfurters and "half and halfs", a special kind of weisswurst made with finely ground veal and pork. Each sausage was more delicious than the next. Noack's products are handmade, home-smoked and nitrate-free. This is an old-school German butcher shop that specializes in a wide, wide variety of quality meats ... and the shop itself is charming to boot.

Pictured above left is their amazing "half and half" and two of their stellar knockwursts. Prior to grilling, I like to give the sausage a quick simmer in a spicy bath of beer. Here's how to do it:

Beer Bath:

• 2 bottles of beer, either lager or brown beer*
• 1 small to medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp. pickling spices (I use McCormick's)
• 1 tsp. of mustard seeds
  

Pour the beer into a large sauce pan, add the onion, pickling spices and mustard seeds. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, but do not let the mixture boil over. Once it boils, add the sausages, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the sausages and cook them on the grill over high heat until thoroughly cooked, and well browned. Serve immediately with a selection of German mustards and enjoy!

A brief word about the beer ... on Saturday I used two bottles of Rolling Rock, because that's what was in Papa Diva's fridge. Here at home, I've used Brooklyn Brown Ale with equally great success. I'm not sure that the style of the beer matters, but the taste most certainly does. Use something you'd want to drink, something delicious, and the results will surely satisfy.


I ask you, is that sausage not a thing of beauty? The quick beer braise lends a bit of flavor and helps to ensure that the meats will be thoroughly cooked and ridiculously juicy. We like to round out the meal with some cooked red cabbage, baked beans, some really nice rye bread and, for purists, some quality sauerkraut. I'm not a purist, so I opted for the red cabbage and some steamed fresh broccoli from bro's garden. It was magnificent!

The cabbage and the kraut came from Noack's as well. Even if you're not in CT, you can sample Noack's delights ... they ship anywhere in the US. Hit up that link to place an order or find directions to their market.

For those in NYC, you can obtain some spectacular sausages of your own from any one of these fine purveyors: Schaller & Weber on Second Avenue @ 86th Street, Koglin German Hams in Grand Central Terminal Market @ Grand Central Station, and Marlow and Daughters Butcher Shop @ 95 Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I've given you the know-how and the sources ... now go on and have a Wurst Fest of your own. You can thank me later.

Bon appetit!