The Butcher Babe Cookbook: Comfort Food Hacked by a Classically Trained Chef
224
The Butcher Babe Cookbook: Comfort Food Hacked by a Classically Trained Chef
224eBook
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Overview
Take Your Recipes Up a Notch, Y’all!
Loreal Gavin, a.k.a. The Butcher Babe, shows you the delicious collision of down home dishes and classic French cooking in this incredible collection of new comfort food recipes. This Southern belle’s specialty of baking, butchery and bourbon will have you showing your kitchen some lovin’ with fun, flavorful and soulful recipes.
From her culinary beginnings of cooking with her grandma and imbued with stories of her journey as a chef, Loreal’s unique point of view gives her knowledge that spans from traditional French cuisine to butchery and pastry. There’s plenty of meat, dessert and, of course, bourbon to go around as you delight in the mix of traditional and nostalgic favorites like Corndog Casserole and Crustacean Crab Cakes, and in mouthwatering new recipes like Root Beer Bites, Bourbon-ana Bread Pudding and Affogato Where My Keys Are. Learn the culinary rules, and Loreal will show you how to break them.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781624143434 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Page Street Publishing |
| Publication date: | 04/25/2017 |
| Sold by: | Macmillan |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| File size: | 19 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Butcher Babe Cookbook
Comfort Food Hacked by a Classically Trained Chef
By Loreal Gavin
Page Street Publishing Co.
Copyright © 2017 Loreal GavinAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62414-343-4
CHAPTER 1
HAVE YOUR STEAK AND EAT IT TOO: Beef
Back in the day, I used to try to cook all my barbecue on the grill, only to realize after several burnt pieces of pre-sauced meat that they were just burning to death. If you're going to sauce your meat, do it after it's done cooking and then finish it on the grill. That's the key to success there, guys. Also, start off with a nice and clean grill. I like to use an old rolled-up towel that's been doused in oil. I'll take a pair of tongs and quickly run it over the grates of the grill after a good brushing.
Shop the clearance section for great beef finds. If it's got some darkened exterior, I want it! The age just adds to the flavor. What do you think dry aging is? Dry aging is basically just a steak hanging in a refrigerator for around 30 days or more. The effect of constant refrigeration adds to the overall flavor profile of the beef, resulting in a more tender, flavorful steak. Beef is the only raw meat I'll buy from the clearance section. So think again next time you see that lonely browned pack of ribeyes at the grocery store. With all the savings, you can go buy some bourbon.
One-Pot Wonders
Buttermilk Beef Stroganoff and Buttermilk Biscuits
Pork Bolognese with Grit Cake and Gremolata
Sunday Chuck Roast with Grandma's Secret Sauce
Liver and Onions and Celery Root Mash with Bacon Gravy
Drunken Shanks with Root Puree
Barbecue
Barbecue Brisket and Collards with Peach Barbecue Sauce
East-Meets-South Short Ribs with Fig Glaze and Cilantro Pesto
Whole Roasts
Lunch Box Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream
Thyme-Crusted Ribeye Roast with Apricot Mustard
Whole Beef Tenderloin with Green and Pink Peppercorn Rub
Steaks
Filet with Bourbon Blue Cheese Sauce
Hoosier Ribeye with Vidalia Onion Chutney
Porterhouse with Pan Sauce
Southern-Fried Steak with Pecan Butter
Beef Tongue Tacos
Grinds
Pimento Burger
Meat Loaf with Tomato Jam
Steak Tartare in Avocado Bowls
One-Pot Wonders
BUTTERMILK BEEF STROGANOFF and BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
When I hear the word "buttermilk," my mouth waters. Buttermilk has a flavor that is slightly tangy, very similar to sour cream. Beef Stroganoff is usually paired with pasta, but in this recipe I found an excuse to make biscuits instead! With the addition of fresh dill, seared mushrooms and caramelized beef, before you know it you've made a quick meal that will "stick to your ribs," as grandma would say. I think if buttermilk biscuits and pasta got in a fight, I'm pretty sure that buttermilk biscuits would win. To be completely honest, if I'm filling up on any carbs it better be some flaky biscuits. You can't eat jelly on some pasta! One time I ate 8 buttermilk biscuits with an entire jar of honey, but that's another story.
SERVES 8
2 lb (900 g) top sirloin, flank, skirt, round, strip, ribeye or filet
1 ½ tbsp (23 g) freshly cracked black pepper
1 ½ tbsp (23 g) salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp (8 g) garlic powder
1 tbsp (8 g) smoked paprika
½ cup (76 g) cornstarch
½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 lb (455 g) baby portabella, shiitake or white button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp (28 g) butter
8 cups (1.9 L) cold beef stock, divided
¼ cup (60 ml) brandy
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
3 tsp (11 g) baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
4 tbsp (56 g) butter or shortening
Ice cubes, as needed
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
Cut the meat against the grain into bite-size pieces. Combine the pepper, salt, sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cornstarch in a bowl and toss the meat in the spice mixture.
To make the biscuits, sift together the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour and set the mixture aside in the freezer if possible. For this recipe, I like to use butter rather than shortening. I put the butter in the freezer until it is frozen solid. The trick in getting a buttery, flaky crust is maintaining those pretty little flecks of butter during the mixing process.
Using a potato peeler, you will essentially peel the butter. I peel mine right over the dry ingredients. Lightly toss the flecks of butter in the flour mixture and let it set in the freezer or fridge for about 10 minutes. At this point, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
While the flour mixture is chilling, drop a couple ice cubes in the buttermilk. You can use a fork to keep them out of your forming dough. The purpose of the cubes isn't to dilute the buttermilk but to chill it.
Slowly pour the buttermilk into the chilled flour mixture. I like to use the same fork to gently incorporate the two. Don't forget to scrape the sides of the bowl while also not overmixing. Roll out dough and use a glass to cut round biscuit shapes. Place on a baking sheet and bake the biscuits for about 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden brown.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, add the vegetable oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Before I sear the meat in the pan, I like to sprinkle a bit of flour into the vegetable oil once it's coming up to temperature in order to tell how hot it is. If the flour starts to sizzle a little bit, that's a sign that you're good to go. If the oil is smoking, that's a sign it's way too hot.
I use vegetable oil for this because it has a higher smoke point compared to olive oil. If an oil becomes too hot, it will burn and develop an unwanted flavor. If this happens to you, just toss the oil and start over. I've burned a million things in my lifetime.
Once the pan and oil are at a perfect searing temperature, evenly distribute the coated meat pieces in the pan. You should hear a nice searing noise as this occurs. The next trick involves not trying to loosen the meat from the bottom of the pan.
Let the meat hang out for a few minutes and let a nice crust form before you try to give it a toss. The Maillard reaction is taking place as it caramelizes the natural carbohydrates found in the meat. The Maillard reaction also occurs in breads as amino acids give browned foods a desired flavor.
After you remove the meat morsels from the bottom of the pan, place them to the side to add back to the sauce later. (You don't want them to overcook and become dry or tough.) Next, add the mushrooms and butter to the pan. Give them a nice stir with the meat drippings and let them caramelize for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
After 10 minutes of browning, turn off the heat and, with a wooden spoon, start to slowly incorporate the cold beef stock, adding 1 cup (240 ml) at a time and gently stirring after each addition. Add the brandy and stir until incorporated. Bring the stroganoff to a simmer, but do not boil. Add the meat back to the pan to cover in the sauce.
Serve beef stroganoff over buttermilk biscuits.
PORK BOLOGNESE with GRIT CAKE AND GREMOLATA
Bolognese is one of those dishes you just can't be mad at. It's like the best tomato soup you've ever had bought a one-way ticket to Italy and made a beeline for the butcher shop once it got there. Speaking of making a trip to the butcher shop, this recipe walks you through the simple steps of making your own Italian-flavored sausage in your own home. You'll discover how easy it is to infuse custom grinds at home with the types of flavors you love, like crushed red pepper, sage and oregano.
Get ready to fill your house with notes of garlic and red wine simmering with one another. Its comforting flavors make you feel right at home. I like it even better on day two or three, when all the flavors have had a chance to really marry with one another.
SERVES 8
1 ½ lb (683 g) ground pork
1 ½ lb (683) ground beef (preferably 80/20; the fattier, the better)
2 tbsp (30 g) sea salt
1 tbsp (15 g) freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp (7 g) red chili flakes
1 tbsp (8 g) caraway seeds
2 tsp (4 g) dried sage
2 tbsp (2 g) dried oregano
1 tbsp (1 g) dried thyme
1 tbsp (14 g) packed brown sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
2 cups (360 g) peeled medium dice sweet potatoes
2 cups (300 g) medium dice white onion
2 cups (300 g) medium dice celery
2 cups (300 g) medium dice carrots
4 cups (640 g) medium dice fresh tomatoes (skin and seeds are OK)
3 cups (720 ml) red wine
3 cups (720 ml) cold water
1 cup (240 ml) red wine vinegar
GRIT CAKE
8 cups (1.9 L) water
2 cups (340 g) stone-ground grits (not instant)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp (28 g) butter
1 ½ lb (683 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano (or any other sharp, melting cheese)
GREMOLATA
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, cleaned and stems removed
1 whole head garlic, minced
4 lemons, zested
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
In a large bowl, mix the pork and beef with the salt, pepper, red chili flakes, caraway seeds, sage, oregano, thyme and brown sugar to create your Bolognese meat base. The more you make these sort of grinds, the more comfortable you will become infusing them with your personality and flavor profiles. You can always make the sausage and sear off a small bite to see if you're in the right neighborhood. If not, you can always add more seasoning.
Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe 8-quart (7.5-L) pot over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, red wine, cold water and red wine vinegar and cook until a little bit of color starts to develop. You may even notice a nice golden-brown color starting to develop on the bottom of the pan.
Add the Bolognese meat mixture and brown it as well. As the meat cooks, you'll notice some golden-brown pieces sticking to the bottom of the pot. This is called fond (pronounced like "fawn"). The best way to remove fond is by deglazing the pot with an acid of some sort. The acid in this case is the wine and tomatoes.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Pour in the grits. Cook the grits for about 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat. Once the grits become nice and soft, season them with salt and pepper. Pour the grits into a medium casserole pan that has been smeared with butter. Let the grits chill in the refrigerator until set, which takes about 45 minutes. I let mine set while I cook the Bolognese. You can skip this step entirely and serve right out of the pan if you're in a pinch for time.
After the grits are set in the pan, I like to use a round circle cutter to remove the portions for my guests. I will transfer them to a baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes or until hot.
Once the parsley is cleaned and the stems are removed, get ready to chop your heart out. This is a good time to make a lot of noise on your cutting board and start talking with your best Italian accent. We are looking for a pretty fine chop here.
Next, let's undress the garlic. Nothing tastes better than fresh garlic and lemon. However, there are some pretty handy garlic peelers out there. So get to peeling and mincing! It's not the most fun job in the world, but it's worth it.
Last but not least, the lemon zest! I love to do this last because the lemon will aid you in removing that garlic smell from your hands. The best tool to use is a rasp grater or a microplane. I went a long time without buying one. I used to use hand graters and potato peelers. I was basically living in a cave.
When you zest citrus fruit (a lemon in this case), take care not to get down to the white pith of the fruit. It is bitter. Really bitter. Save your lemons for cocktails. Duh.
Mix the parsley, garlic and lemon zest together in a small bowl. If stored in an airtight container, this mixture will last 2 days under refrigeration.
Right before I serve the grit cakes, I top them with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and broil them until the cheese becomes golden brown. If you are more into a rustic look, you can also serve the grits hot right out of the pan they were cooked in. I would remind you not to forget the cheese, but you won't. Serve with Pork Bolognese and garnish with gremolata.
SUNDAY CHUCK ROAST with GRANDMA'S SECRET SAUCE
I've always believed that love is a flavor. My grandmother, Susie Gavin, first introduced that timeless taste to me. I have memories of entering her perfectly tailored home and being comforted by the smell of her magical slow cooker. Every Sunday afternoon, she set her table like it was a national holiday and she'd cook a spread of food that made you swear it was one! I'd be homesick for her company and food, so I'd always try to re-create the dish with no luck! It took me until a few years after culinary school to discover the secrets of this old-school roast. The only reason I know her trick now is because one Christmas, while admiring her cooking, I saw her use it — a packet of Italian dressing seasoning.
SERVES 6
4 whole heads garlic
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
Dash salt
1 (3- to 4-lb [1.4- to 1.8-kg]) bone-in or boneless chuck roast (or bone-in or boneless short ribs)
3 tbsp (45 g) kosher salt
3 tbsp (45 g) freshly cracked black pepper
Olive oil, as needed
3 large white onions, large dice
1 lb (455 g) baby carrots
1 bunch celery, roughly chopped (reserve the celery leaves for garnish)
1 lb (455 g) white button mushrooms
2 large tomatoes, large dice (with seeds, skin and juice) or 1 (16-oz [475-ml]) can crushed tomatoes
½ cup (120 ml) red wine
2 cups (480 ml) red wine vinegar
8 cups (1.9 L) beef stock
2 (.07-oz [2-g]) packages Italian dressing seasoning
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
Place the heads of garlic in an aluminum foil pouch, add the olive oil and salt and roast the garlic in the oven for 30 minutes. I place the little foil pouch on a pan in case there's any leakage during the roasting process. These garlic heads can be done in a larger quantity if you wish. I usually buy a few pounds of garlic at a time and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It's so nice having heads of garlic that you can just squeeze into whatever you like. The best way to do that is to just barely remove the top of the head with a sharp knife and squeeze from the root to the tip.
Season the chuck roast or short ribs with the salt and pepper, and, in a large Dutch oven, sear the meat in olive oil until it is golden brown on both sides. Remove the seared meat from the Dutch oven for a few moments.
On the stovetop over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and sweat them for 10 minutes. Next, deglaze the Dutch oven with the tomatoes, wine and red wine vinegar, removing all the golden goodness from the bottom of the pan. A wooden spoon works great for this.
Add the meat back to the Dutch oven, letting it rest on top of the bed of sweating veggies.
Create a braising liquid by combining the beef stock with the Italian dressing seasoning, stirring well to avoid lumps of seasoning. Add the braising liquid to the Dutch oven. The meat should be covered completely with liquid. This ensures that it will not dry out.
Bake the roast in the oven for a few hours. The meat will let you know it's done once it's fork-tender.
I like to serve my roast in a bowl with fresh celery leaves and a few cloves of roasted garlic. This dish makes great leftovers and is easy to reheat for several days. I'd venture to say it would also freeze well, but there's never any extra Sunday roast lying around for that.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Butcher Babe Cookbook by Loreal Gavin. Copyright © 2017 Loreal Gavin. Excerpted by permission of Page Street Publishing Co..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Notice,
Dedication,
Foreword,
Nice to Meat You: A Meat Manifesto by the Butcher Babe,
Chapter 1 HAVE YOUR STEAK AND EAT IT TOO: BEEF,
Chapter 2 THE LAND OF BACON AND OTHER PINK DELICACIES: PORK,
Chapter 3 DON'T BE A CHICKEN, BUY THE WHOLE BIRD: FOWL,
Chapter 4 BUTTER AND BONES, A CLASSICAL APPROACH: SAUCES,
Chapter 5 ON THE GRIND: CULINARY CONCEPTS IN FRUGALITY,
Chapter 6 LET THE SEASONS MAKE THE SIDES: ACCOMPANIMENTS THAT REFLECT YEARLY CHANGES,
Chapter 7 BOURBON AND BAKING: DESSERTS,
Chapter 8 BE STILL AND GLOW, THERE'S BOURBON: DRINKS,
Acknowledgments,
Index,
About the Author,
Copyright,