Filed under Beef, Lamb + Veal, Pork, Food + Drink Reviews · Print This Post
It felt like Christmas morning when I received a Styrofoam box in the mail that was filled with two racks of lamb, four pork chops, four rib steaks and a container of fleur de sel. The Rack Pack grill kit from DeBragga.com was the only thing I was waiting for before I could begin my long weekend. When it arrived and I saw how beautiful the choice cuts were inside their vacuum-sealed plastics, I couldn’t wait to start cooking and grilling them for myself and my friends.
You know when they say you pay a price for something premium? This rack of lamb is it. In Austin, we bought the same size of rack for about $50; it would be a little more than that in New York City. If you think about the grill kit’s price, you already know you have a good deal if two racks will cost you at least $100 at your supermarket. But this is not your supermarket’s lamb–they had a good amount of fat and we only needed some salt and pepper to make a meal out of each rack.
For the beef steaks, we used the oil it rendered after roasting it in the oven and cooked it with some garlic, shallots, thyme and a splash of red wine to make an accompanying sauce. The steaks were delicious with the sauce, but I also found that they were rich and succulent on their own. I know you’re not supposed to say never, but after these DeBragga meats, I think I can comfortably say that I will never become a vegetarian.
I spent a little more time being creative with the pork chops. Stay tuned for the recipe using Guinness beer!
This week’s promo: Until June 6, 2008, anyone in the continental United States can cast a vote for American’s Favorite Steak. Browse through the selection of steaks at DeBragga.com, all hand-cut and aged on premises–the New York Strip, T-bone, ribeye steak (the bone-in cowboy rib or the boneless Delmonico), and filet mignon (also known as tenderloin). Voters should decide on their favorite steak and then send an email with the selection to debragga@gmail.com. Each voter will receive a reply offer of 10% off the next purchase. Five winners will be chosen during a drawing at DeBragga.com, located in New York’s famed meat market, on Friday, June 6. Winners will receive a family four-pack of America’s Favorite Steaks, in time for Father’s Day!
Related post/s:
Feast your eyes on more photos from DeBragga.com
$240 for a grill kit is an awesome deal at DeBragga.com
Filed under Shellfish · Print This Post
Seriously, what did people do before Google? When I bought several squid from Chinatown, I wasn’t exactly sure if they were squid or cuttlefish. They looked bigger than the squid I’m used to and if you’ve been to any of the stores in Chinatown, you know it’s hard to get a straight answer from any of the clerks. The squid were already cleaned off the plastic-y spine inside and that was my only way to tell one from the other: the cuttlefish “skeleton” is wider than that of a squid’s.
So I Googled and found several indistinguishable photos of squid and cuttlefish-looking things but then finally discovered this short paragraph from EnchantedLearning.com: The body of the cuttlefish (the cuttle) is flattened and has fins that extend along the entire length of the mantle. There you go; mine didn’t and that settled the dilemma of naming this recipe.
They were also butterflied open which required some butcher’s twine to close them up again after being stuffed. If you can get your squid cleaned but intact, you can easily stuff them through the head opening where the tentacles used to be.
Ingredients:
5 squid, cleaned, kept whole if possible, tentacles separated and finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
5 pieces of string beans, chopped
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 medium can of crushed tomatoes
2 stalks of parsley, finely chopped
2 stalks of scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile, crushed
oil, salt, pepper
1. Preheat an oven to 375º.
2. Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saué garlic until brown and then the scallions until translucent. Add the chopped squid tentacles, the carrots and beans and cook for about 5 minutes by frequently tossing. Season with salt and chile. Add the bread crumbs and the parsley and mix to toast. You should now have a somewhat sticky mixture for your stuffing. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. On a large chopping block, lay the butterflied squid open. Spoon some of the tentacle mixture and spread all along the cavity. Grab one end of the squid and roll over the other. Wrap and tie to close with butcher’s twine. Gently move stuffed squid to a baking dish. Pour crushed tomato sauce over them.
4. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. To serve, carefully slice each squid into 3. The twine should easily come off so you can discard.
Related post/s:
Save some of the squid ink and make a stew
If you’d rather not play with squid, get some shrimps
Part of my Mother Hen project: omakase bento #8
