Chili Con Carne

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large dried guajillo chiles
• 6 dried chiles de arbol
• 2 tbsp. rendered bacon fat
• 1 lb. beef shoulder, cut into ¼" cubes
• 1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into ¼" cubes
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place both chiles in a bowl and cover with 4 cups boiling water; let sit until softened, about 30 minutes. Remove chiles from water; discard stems and seeds. Transfer chiles to a blender along with soaking liquid, and purée until smooth, at least 30 seconds. Set chile purée aside.

2. Heat bacon fat in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef and pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned all over, about 12 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, push meat to the perimeter of the pan, and add garlic and onion to the center of the pan; cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes.

Add oregano, cumin, and flour, stir ingredients together, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add reserved chile purée and stock, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered partially and stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender and sauce is reduced slightly, about 1 hour.

Season with salt and pepper and serve ladled into bowls.

by Tim Dineen

Beef Stroganoff with Straw Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 cup beef stock
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1½ lb. beef tenderloin, cut into 3″ x 1″ x ⅛″ slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Canola oil, for frying
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ⅛″ matchsticks
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and dry mustard, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil; cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream, remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Heat remaining butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add meat, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add reserved sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, pour oil to a depth of 1½″ in a 4-qt. saucepan, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 365°. Working in batches, fry potatoes until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; season to taste with salt while still warm.

4. Spoon stroganoff onto a serving platter, and cover with a mound of jumbled straw potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

by Tim Dineen

Puerto Rican Pot Roast

• 1 pound smoked ham, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• ½ cup Spanish olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Recaito [see Staple Recipes]
• One 3 to 3 ½ pound rump roast
• Fine sea or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons Achtiote Oil [See Staple Recipes]
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into ½ -inch strips
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 6 cups water or 3 cans (14 ½ ounces) chicken broth
• One 8-ounce can Spanish-style tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 large Idaho potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds)

1. Grind the ham in a food processor until it’s coarsely chopped—some larger pieces are ok. Set aside 1 cup of the ground ham and stir the olives and recaito into the remaining 2 cups. Take a look at the rump roast. You will be able to see the “grain” of the meat—fibers that run in one direction. You will slice the finished pot roast against the grain, so you want to make pockets of stuffing more or less diagonal to the grain, so some of the stuffing shows in each slice. Make deep cuts about 1 inch apart and diagonally against the grain with a boning knife. To make the holes large enough to fill easily, wiggle a finger around in each cut. Fill each hole to about ½ inch from the opening. Don’t overstuff or when the meat shrinks it will squeeze out all the stuffing. If a little stuffing does get squeezed out during cooking that’s fine; it flavors the sauce. Season the outside of the roast generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the achiote oil in a Dutch oven large enough to hold the meat and potatoes comfortably—a 5-quart Dutch oven works well—over medium heat. Add the roast and cook, turning it occasionally, until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. (A sturdy pair of tongs comes in handy here.) The achiote oil will make the meat brown quickly—so keep an eye on it, lowering the heat if the oil begins to discolor. Lift the beef out to a plate and carefully pour or spoon off all but about a tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Add the red peppers and the remaining ham and stir until the little bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot are loosened and the peppers start to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring so it doesn’t stick and burn, for a minute or two. Stir in the vinegar, bring it to a boil and cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 4 minutes.

3. Return the meat to the Dutch oven, stir in the liquid of your choice, the tomato sauce, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, skimming the foam and fat from the surface. Adjust the heat so the liquid is at a happy simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.

4. Remove the meat to a carving board and cover it loosely with aluminum foil to keep it warm while cooking the potatoes.

5. Bring the sauce to a boil. Let it boil while you peel and cut the potatoes into ½-inch slices. Add the potatoes and cook over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes.

6. Carve the meat against the grain into slices about ¼-inch thick—thick enough so the filling stays in place. Transfer the potatoes to a platter with a slotted spoon. Lay the slices of beef over the potatoes and spoon enough of the sauce over the meat to moisten it. Spoon the remaining sauce into a boat and pass it separately. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top.

by Tim Dineen

Meatloaf

ingredients

• 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 pound bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Garnish: cooked bacon

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

by Tim Dineen

Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. ground beef chuck
• ½ cup grated onion
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1 ½ tsp. ground allspice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup flour
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 bouquet garni (6 sprigs thyme, 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, and 1 bay leaf tied with kitchen twine)
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• Chopped parsley, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine beef, onion, Worcestershire, hot sauce, allspice, and salt and pepper in a bowl, and mix until thoroughly combined. Form mixture into four 5" oval patties, about 1" thick, and transfer to a plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Add bacon to skillet, and cook, stirring, until its fat renders, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and set aside. Add patties to skillet, and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for medium. Transfer to a serving platter.

3. Drain and discard all but 3 tbsp. fat from skillet, and add 3 tbsp. butter; add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and bouquet garni, and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add dried mushrooms and wine, and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add 1½ cups water, bring to a boil, and cook until gravy is thickened, about 8 minutes. Pour gravy through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids in strainer; discard solids. Stir in remaining butter and sherry vinegar, and season with salt and pepper; stir in reserved cooked mushrooms.

4. To serve, spoon gravy over steak patties and garnish with reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

by Tim Dineen

Brisket

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (4-lb.) beef brisket, trimmed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup, divided

How to Make It

Step 1
Stir together brown sugar, chile powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub all over brisket, and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Step 2
Stir together broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 cup of the ketchup in a bowl. Place brisket in a 5-quart slow cooker; pour broth mixture over brisket. Cover and cook on LOW until very tender, about 8 hours.

Step 3
Remove brisket to a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes. Skim fat from liquid in slow cooker, and discard. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup ketchup. Slice brisket against the grain; serve with sauce.

by Tim Dineen