Steak over beans, Stir-fry shrimp

Dinner for Denise

Ground spices, corn kernels

Pineapple potato salad

Jibarito

A Jibarito consists of steak, onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a fried plantain bread.

My first visit to Chicago led to my first taste of Puerto Rican food.  At a restaurant called Papa's Cache, I discovered the jibarito. I'm making some tonight, for the locals and foodies interested.  I'll be at the spot--between Spring Bar and The Falls.

Chicago restaurateur Juan "Peter" Figueroa introduced the jibarito at Borinquen Restaurant, a Puerto Rican restaurant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, in 1996, after reading about a Puerto Rican sandwich substituting plantains for bread.

The sandwich's popularity soon spread to other Latin-American restaurants around Chicago, including Mexican, Cuban and Argentinian establishments.

Skirt Steak

With split-pea puree and sauteed vegetables

Prime Rib and Potatoes

So I really want to talk about this beautiful piece of meat.  It has to be by far my favorite cut. I love the marbling this meat has. Its always tender and has great taste.  One of Americas favorite comfort foods.  Its as American as baseball and cowboys.  When I decided to make this very simple but yet elegant dish I felt that my family needed to try something that comes to me like second nature.  That is cooking meat.  To really get the hang of cooking meat is practice, a working thermometer, and heat.  Here is a lil bit of education on cooking meat like the pros.

Protein, Water, Fat, Sugar, and Collagen

• When meat is cooked, protein molecules, which are tightly wound and connected to other molecules, first unwind. This is called 'denaturing', and all it means is that the proteins are relaxing and separating. Because proteins are attracted to each other, they almost immediately pair up with other proteins, forming bundles. This is called 'coagulating' or cooking. As more heat is applied, the bundles of protein shrink. Up to 120 degrees F, the bundles shrink in width. After 120 degrees F, the bundles begin to shrink in length as well.
• Water is also present in the muscles. Some of it is bound up with the proteins, fats, and sugars, and some is 'free water'. The amount of liquid left after the beef is cooked is directly related to the juiciness of the finished dish. As the protein bundles shrink and fat melts in the muscle, water molecules are squeezed out. Not too much water is squeezed out as the protein shrinks in width. But as the temperature increases over 120 degrees F and the bundles become shorter, more and more water is squeezed out and evaporated. That's why a well done piece of beef is so dry. Cooking times and temperatures must be controlled when cooking beef.
• Fat is flavor! A good cut of meat will have specks of white fat evenly distributed through the meat. Leaner cuts of beef, such as flank and round, have less fat and can benefit from marinades and dry rubs.
• Sugar plays an important role in beef, its finished color and flavor. Sugar and protein, when heated in an acid-free environment, combine to form complex molecules in a process called the Maillard Reaction. The wonderful crisp crust with its rich caramel flavors that form on a seared piece of beef are all from the Maillard Reaction. High heat is required for this reaction to occur; grilling and broiling are the best methods. You can also brown meats before cooking to start the Maillard Reaction, and you can broil roasts at the end of cooking time to achieve the same result.
• Other substances in meat include collagen and elastin. These are present in the hard working muscles of the animal. Collagen will melt as it is heated, turning into gelatin and becoming soft and melty. Elastin can only be broken down physically, as when you pound a cube steak before cooking or grind meat for hamburger. These compounds are found in the brisket, shank, chuck, and round primal cuts; in other words, the beef we cook as pot roasts and stews and hamburger.

Camomile Prime Rib

Ground Beef over Rice

Ok. So this dish here is a creation that i concocted one day when we had nothing to eat. I found a bad of ground beef in the refrigerator. the dish is made by stewing the ground beef with seasonings and tomatoes.  Similar to the way one would make a sloppy joe mix.. Be creative with what you have and you will never go hungry.

 Ground beef with burdock, mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, green onion, beet leaves, and green beans over brown rice

Happy New Year!

Rose Bowl Parade--beautiful steer

No, it's not the same steer.  Steak, bacon, and egg breakfast.

Braised Ox-Tail

Over a bed of risotto brown rice

Surf n' Turf

Some freshly-caught fish from Redondo a friend brought over

Hand-rolled corn tortilla on the griddle

Fresh Lime and Cilantro on the side

Surf N' Turf - Grilled catch of the day on left, cilantro, Skirt Steak on right

Red-Wine Braised Beef Stew

I had some beef chuck, and I thought what should I make?  A red-wine braised beef stew!  I cooked the beef slowly for 3 hours with the vegetables and fresh thyme I got from the CSA.  I poured it over some orzo pasta I made, and topped it off with peeled cherry tomatoes.  You can really taste the freshness in the ingredients.  And the red wine--always gives amazing flavor to the dish.

Braising in a stew...with my herbs tied whole together on a string

The finished product.  Delicious.

Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

Tri-tip and Salsa Roja

Grilled porterhouse with melting hotel butter and grilled Bok choy