Tag Archives: Chicken broth

March 13, 2012 · 7:00 pm

Not quite sukiyaki

I love anything that can be slurped from a deep bowl with chopsticks and a spoon (I like the idea of tackling a dish with two utensils–it feels very industrious). I often riff off the general idea of browning some kind of meat and vegetables with different seasonings/herbs and dumping them into a big pot with noodles and broth.

Sukiyaki is a Japanese variation on this simple concept. Instead of browning the meat, it is thinly sliced and simmered, along with vegetables and noodles, in a broth made with soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The meat in this version is thinly sliced lean beef from the tenderloin.

Slurping happily

Resources used: I borrowed a lot from a recipe for beef and onion sukiyaki in Ming Tsai’s Simply Ming: One Pot Meals cookbook. I highly recommend this book if you love fool-proof one-pot dishes. And even the most basic sounding recipes contain something slightly unexpected.

I added rice wine vinegar for a little punch of acidity and swapped out the rice stick noodles for Chinese wheat-based noodles. Cilantro leaves added a splash of color and a fresh, grassy note. You can certainly add vegetables or change the protein if you prefer–it’s a wonderfully versatile dish. I especially love the idea of floating the beef on the surface of the liquid to cook it–it makes for a spectacular presentation when you place the pot in the middle of the table.

Beef, onion and ginger “sukiyaki”

    1 8-oz. package Chinese noodles (could also use rice stick or soba noodles)
    2 tablespoons canola oil
    1 large onion, sliced into half moons
    2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
    3 tablespoons mirin
    2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1/3 cup soy sauce
    6 cups chicken broth
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    1/2 pound beef tenderloin or filet mignon, sliced paper thin (you can have your butcher do this or stick the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then go at it yourself with a super sharp knife and a good deal of patience)
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
    Sriracha, to pass at the table

    Method: Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside until ready to serve.

    Heat the canola oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers when you move the pan. Add the onion and ginger and sauté until tender and slightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes.

    Add the mirin and vinegar (head back or sinuses will be cleared instantly), and cook until it’s reduced by about half. Then add the sugar, soy sauce and chicken broth. Let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt, pepper and additional soy.

    Dump in the noodles and stir for a minute to heat them through. Carefully float the beef pieces on the surface of the broth, turning after 30 seconds or so to cook both sides.

    Sprinkle with cilantro and freshly cracked pepper. To serve, pile some noodles and beef into deep bowls. Ladle in enough broth to go about halfway up the noodles. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves.

    Serves 3-4 good friends, as there will be no talking for awhile, just slurping.

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February 26, 2012 · 9:59 am

Portuguese-style stewed pork

It’s winter in Chicago. Although we’re having a really mild one, I’m growing tired of bundling myself in the same calf-length, sleeping bag-esque Chicagoan’s winter coat every time I leave the house. I think it’s all this bundling and unbundling in preparation for braving the outdoors that makes me crave more meat than usual. And not just a little piece of chicken breast–I’m talking satisfying, fatty, cheap cuts slow cooked in broth and wine or roasted with sturdy root vegetables.

Katie and Marge trudge through the West Loop for cocktails, photo by Caroline Connelly

Those of you who have spent any time with me at all know that pork is one of my most favorite things. In any form–steak, chops (rib or loin), belly, jowls, ribs, shoulder or ham–it is fatty, luxurious and satisfying. Pork shoulder is wonderful to cook with because it’s really cheap and stands up to long, slow cook times.

Resources used: This recipe is based on one that came in a little box with my tagine, which I got for Christmas a few years ago. The sleeper hit of this stew for me was the lemon. Cooking thinly sliced lemon creates a gorgeous, softened acidity. The skin gives off some essential oils, perfuming the savory pork with a light hint of citrus.

I like serving this with my oven-baked fries, which I’ll toss with some of the toasted cumin seed, salt and pepper.

Portuguese stewed pork

    2 tablespoons cumin seed, toasted and ground
    2 teaspoons sweet paprika
    Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped and divided
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-in. cubes
    Olive oil, as needed
    1 medium onion, roughly chopped
    3 large cloves garlic, chopped
    1 cup dry white wine
    1 cup chicken broth
    1/2 lemon, cut in paper-thin slices and quartered

Method: Combine the cumin, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, half the cilantro and lemon juice in a bowl. Rub this paste into the pork and marinate for two hours at room temperature (you could also marinate it up to 8 hours in the refrigerator–just be sure to bring it to room temp before cooking).

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over high heat, and sauté until golden brown on all sides. Do this in batches until all the pork is browned so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove the pork, and cover it with foil to keep warm.

Add a bit more olive oil to the pan; add the onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Slide the pork back into the pot and add just enough stock to cover the meat about halfway. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, until the pork is falling apart.

Add the lemon slices to the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Check the seasoning, and adjust as needed. Sprinkle the pork with the remaining cilantro, and serve.

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October 30, 2011 · 8:56 am

A satisfying vegetarian soup

It’s funny. From reading my blog, you might get the sense that I’m not much of a soup person, since I haven’t posted many (if any?) soup recipes. But the truth is, it is one of my most favorite things. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the idea of slurping up broth teeming with various kinds of meat, seafood, vegetables or starch. My dad always got a kick out of this, and whenever he took me out to eat, he’d ask the server what the soup of the day was. He’d then look at me with raised eyebrows. “Sound good?” he’d ask. I’d nod eagerly, and almost always order a bowl, not always sure what I was getting into. I have no doubt in my mind that this contributed considerably to my lifelong love affair with soup. It’s amazing how much of an effect your dad can have.

One thing that is so great about soup is it can play the part of appetizer, side or entrée, depending on the time of day and your level of peckishness. And vegetarian soups can be quite satisfying–though you can’t be afraid to add a little fat. In this case, the culprits are butter, a little sour cream and cheese. But you’ll find the end product to be quite light, yet hearty enough to fill you up when served with crusty bread for sopping. I often forget what a lovely surprise dill can be in tomato-based dishes–it’s far too often limited to applications like cucumber, salmon and lemon.

Resources used: Epicurious.com. Epicurious posted this recipe from a 1997 issue of Bon Appetit.

Leek, tomato and dill soup with shaved white cheddar

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 tablespoon butter
    3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 2 large leeks)
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    28 ounces tomato purée
    3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    6 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/2 cup light sour cream
    4 ounces chilled sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
    Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish

Method: Heat oil and butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the purée, broth, chopped dill and cayenne and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, about 20 minutes.

It’s during this time, when the thickened liquid is bubbling away and the aroma of simmering herbs and vegetables is filling the house, that a certain Penny the Peanut will take particular interest and place herself directly underfoot. Can you spot the Peanut?

Using an immersion blender or in batches in the food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Bring the soup back to a simmer over medium-low heat. Taste the soup for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Gradually whisk in the sour cream.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Arrange the shards of cheddar on top, and garnish with additional chopped fresh dill.

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