Beef Stew from America's Test Kitchen

The fourth installment in this month's experimental recipe project, Operation: Expand Horizons, was a creation from the venerable America's Test Kitchen for beef stew.  I already have a good recipe for beef stew in the repertoire, but when we watched the episode of this version being made, we got quite curious (and hungry).  So here it goes.

This recipe turned out just okay, especially disappointing considering the expense of the meat and the time it took.  It's not going to replace my regular stew, especially since it's terribly time-consuming.  Granted, much of the time is non-active oven-cooking time, but still.  My regular old stew is better, in our opinions, and takes less than a third of the time.  Plus, it cooks on the stove.

The cooking process for this recipe was rife with substitutions and omissions, some less advised than others.  Use your best judgment in your own kitchen.

I wound up using sardines instead of anchovies despite the advice of foodies on various websites, since the amount was so small as to not matter, and I didn't want to go back to the store for one damn can of anchovies when I already had Spanish sardines in olive oil (the good kind, not mustard packed cheapies). 

I couldn't find chuck eye roast and used arm roast instead, which yielded tender meat overall, but with some dryness. My husband doesn't like pearl onions, so I left those out.  There are sliced onions already in the stew, but the cooking process renders them into the base of the sauce, which was just fine.  I added a palmful of minced fresh chives before serving for a punch of oniony flavor. 

He's also not a huge fan of peas, so I only used half a cup instead of a whole cup.  I also left out the addition of softened gelatin, which is instructed to be added at the end to thicken the liquid.  The stew was more than thick enough already.

Overall, the stew was not really impressive.  My husband said he definitely likes my old version better, which has a thinner tastier broth, pearl barley, and cabbage.

Best Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

Use a good-quality, medium-bodied wine, such as Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir, for this stew. Try to find beef that is well marbled with white veins of fat. Meat that is too lean will come out slightly dry. Four pounds of blade steaks, trimmed of gristle and silver skin, can be substituted for the chuck-eye roast. While the blade steak will yield slightly thinner pieces after trimming, it should still be cut into 11/2-inch pieces. Look for salt pork that is roughly 75 percent lean. The stew can be cooled, covered tightly, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently before serving.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
4 anchovy fillets , finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1
1/2-inch pieces (see note and step by step below)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion , halved and cut from pole to pole into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2
cups)
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine (see note)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 ounces salt pork , rinsed of excess salt (see note)
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions , thawed
2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 packet)
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen peas , thawed
Table salt and ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine garlic and anchovies in small bowl; press with back of fork to form paste. Stir in tomato paste and set mixture aside.

2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Do not season. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn. Transfer beef to large plate. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, leaving second batch of meat in pot after browning.

3. Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion and carrots to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and salt pork. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

5. Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves and salt pork. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

6. Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in pearl onions; cook over medium heat until potatoes and onions are cooked through and meat offers little resistance when poked with fork (meat should not be falling apart), about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl and allow to soften for 5 minutes.

7. Increase heat to high, stir in softened gelatin mixture and peas; simmer until gelatin is fully dissolved and stew is thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

Marinara Sauce

The third installment for Operation: Expand Horizons was a recipe for classic Marinara sauce from America's Test Kitchen.  I must admit that I've been gleefully consuming jars of Prego traditional style pasta sauce for years, having tried several recipes for homemade spaghetti sauce but never finding one that really hit the spot.  This one comes darn close.  It will be tweaked on future incarnations.

Like most of the recipes provided by the lovely folks at the Test Kitchen, this one may seem a little intimidating at first, but don't fret.  All of the instructions, while thorough, are intended to help you do a better job.  Read carefully beforehand, purchase good quality ingredients, take your time, make sure you do your mise en place, and cook away.

As I said, this recipe comes *thisclose* to being my go-to for spaghetti night.  My husband said it needed some spice, and I agreed.   A little red pepper flake would do some good on that point, as would a bit more oregano.  The depth of flavor could be improved if I'd had a drier, more robust red wine.  Instead of the Chianti or Merlot called for, I used Pinot Noir that I already had, and although I'm no connoisseur of wine, I'm pretty sure Pinot is milder.  So blame that part on me.

The only change I made in the recipe was in technique, not ingredients: I did not do any blending or pureeing of the sauce.  We like a little chunkiness to our pasta sauce, so I just tore up the peeled tomatoes by hand before cooking.

I served this sauce atop a pile of spaghetti and homemade meatballs from a recipe by Alton Brown that I've made dozens of times.

 

Marinara Sauce

Makes 4 cups

This recipe makes enough to sauce more than a pound of pasta; leftovers can be
refrigerated or frozen. Because canned tomatoes vary in acidity and saltiness, it's best to add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste just before serving. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, give it just three or four pulses in the food processor in step 4.

INGREDIENTS

2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes , packed in juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup dry red wine , such as Chianti or Merlot
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons sugar , as needed (see note above)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour tomatoes and juice into strainer set over large bowl. Open tomatoes with hands and remove and discard fibrous cores; let tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes.  Remove 3/4 cup tomatoes from strainer and set aside. Reserve 2 1/2 cups tomato juice and discard remainder.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add tomatoes from strainer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute, until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pan and brown fond forms around pan edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add reserved tomato juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening browned bits, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Transfer sauce to food processor (or transfer to saucepan and insert immersion
blender) and add reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky, about eight 2-second pulses. Return sauce to skillet and add basil and extra-virgin olive oil and salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

The first recipe for week one of Operation: Expand Horizons was stovetop macaroni and cheese from America's Test Kitchen.  I've tried several different mac and cheese recipes and never really found one that we all liked.  This one is a step in the right direction- simple and fast- but just needs different cheese next time. 

The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar as one option, which is my husband's favorite, but the Vermont white cheddar I used was too sharp.  I will probably use a mixture of sharp cheddar and a milder cheese like Colby next time.  My husband thought it was too cheesy, so I might adjust the amount down too, but maybe milder cheese would take care of that issue.

I made a couple of minor adjustments when I prepared this dish.  First, I cut the recipe in half to serve it as a side dish for 2 adults and a 4 year old.  We had some left over.  Thankfully, our child is a mac-o-phile and devoured hers, so I'm trusting she'll eat the leftovers as well.  Secondly, I skipped the bread crumb treatment, since it's not usually our thing.  I might try it next time though.  Cody thought the macaroni could use a little punch of garlic, and garlic bread crumbs would be a good way to do that.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe by America's Test Kitchen
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 to 8 as a side dish

If you’re in a hurry or prefer to sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers
(saltines aren’t bad either), you can skip the bread crumb step.

TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs from French or Italian bread
Pinch table salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard , dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , American cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bread crumb ingredients together in small baking pan.  Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and mustard mixture in small bowl; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter; toss to melt.

4. Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately topped with toasted bread crumbs.

Chicken Saltimbocca with roasted red potatoes and cucumber-tomato salad

Oh yeah. This is what I'm talkin' about...an easy-peasy dinner that looks awesome but is super simple to make and tastes delicious.

I had never tried Chicken Saltimbocca before seeing it featured on an episode of America's Test Kitchen. I snagged the recipe and have made it twice now. It's perfect for impressing company while not spending all night in the kitchen.

"Saltimbocca" apparently means "jumps in the mouth" in Italian, which is what the flavors of this dish are supposed to do. It's a simple combination of sage and prosciutto that I really like.


Chicken Saltimbocca
serves 4

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into cutlets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned generously with fresh black pepper
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 thin slices prosciutto (not shaved, just thinly sliced)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle on just a bit of kosher salt. Dredge the chicken in the peppered flour and shake off the excess. Lay the cutlets flat, divide the chopped sage between them (one side only), and press gently to adhere. Press a slice of prosciutto on top of each cutlet, over the sage.

Heat about 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place each cutlet in the pan gently, prosciutto-side down, and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook through. Serve. (I wound up flipping a second time to get the cutlets cooked thoroughly and nicely browned.)


I served the chicken with some roasted red potatoes and an easy salad of summer's favorite veggies. I drizzled sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkled salt and pepper over them, and crumbled some feta cheese on top. So good!


The roasted red potatoes were super simple, too. I just scrubbed some small ones, cubed them (skins on, of course!), and tossed them in a roasting pan with a sliced shallot, olive oil, and garlic salt and pepper. I roasted them in my oven on the convection setting at 400º for about 20 minutes, give or take, until they were fragrant and starting to brown.

Delish!

Day Twenty-One: Multigrain Bread

Day 21 of Operation: Expand Horizons was a baking day. Multigrain Bread from America's Test Kitchen (sign-up required, but the recipe is free for now) was, as promised, easy and pretty good. It toasts nicely and has a good hearty texture and flavor.

My one complaint about this bread is that it was a bit crumbly. Half-inch slices for a sandwich did not hold up well. A bit of internet research indicates that maybe I somehow used too much flour. Perhaps I need more practice with breadmaking!

I used Bob's Red Mill 7-grain hot cereal mix, as indicated in the recipe. I bought salted sunflower nuts instead of unsalted as the recipe calls for. If they were unsalted, I would wind up with a whole bag that none of us would eat, so I reduced the recipe's salt by about half. It seems a worthwhile compromise.

Day Seventeen: Burgers and Fries

Day seventeen of Operation: Expand Horizons is a new interpretation on a family fave, burger night. Everyday Food offers up an Emeril Lagasse recipe for Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayo. I also tried a new method of makinghomemade fries with a technique offered up by America's Test Kitchen.

Keep in mind that the fry recipe is available now for free from ATK, but you must have a login for their website and it won't be free forever!

While the pork and chorizo burgers weren't all that great, the green chile mayo was fantastic. It's a simple combination of roasted poblano pepper, mayonnaise, garlic, and lime juice, thrown together in the blender. I'll definitely make it again. In fact, it would be a good base for a chicken salad sandwich!

The fries were awesome as well. I think I cut them a little bit big, but they still turned out crispy and cooked all the way through without being overly greasy. Another thing to remember: the fry recipe is for Yukon Gold potatoes, not Russet! Yukon Golds have a firmer texture than Russets, and hold their shape better.

There are 3 cutting steps for evenly sized fries: squaring off the potato sides, cutting them into 1/4" planks, cutting the planks into 1/4" batons.

Finished fries. A wire spider is the key to fishing hot fries out of hot oil with a minimum of clinging oil. It's also a useful tool for cooking tempura in a wok.

Day Fourteen: German Chocolate Cake

Day fourteen of Operation: Expand Horizons was a bit of a cheat. We had dinner plans at a restaurant to celebrate my brother's Master's degree completion, so I wasn't going to be cooking. Additionally, I was tapped to provide a cake. When my bro requested German chocolate, I decided to try a version from America's Test Kitchen that I had not used yet.

ATK hasn't failed me yet with their über-tested recipes, and this cake was no exception. It was delicious! The recipe says it serves 12-16, but I cut thin slices of this 4-layer monster for about 15 people and had cake left to spare.

Normally, German chocolate cake only has frosting between the layers. The outside chocolate frosting is my addition to pretty it up for a party. The "Perfectly Chocolate" frosting on the side of a box of Hershey's cocoa is a great basic recipe, and it's what I used. I added additional powdered sugar to make it stiff enough for piping.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 12-16

FILLING:

1 ½ cups pecan halves, toasted in a 350º oven and cooled

4 egg yolks

1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. table salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Whisk egg yolks and evaporated milk together in a medium saucepan. Add butter, sugars, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling and foaming. Pour into a bowl and add vanilla and coconut. Let cool to room temperature, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool and thickened. When ready to fill the cake, chop the toasted pecan halves and fold into cooled filling.

CAKE:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ cup boiling water

4 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

¾ tsp. table salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray two 8” round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Coat the bottoms and sides of pans with flour, tapping out excess.

Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over the mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk together flour and baking soda.

In a stand mixer, beat butter, sugars, and salt for about 4 minutes until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down mixer bowl and blade in between. Add vanilla. Whisk chocolate mixture and add to creamed mixture. Blend well.

With mixer on medium-low, alternately add flour mixture and sour cream. Don’t overbeat. Finish incorporating by hand. The batter will be very thick. Divide evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.

Bake in 350º oven on the center rack for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool cakes in pans for about 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks that have been sprayed with nonstick spray, peel off parchment paper, and allow to cool about 1 hour.

Split layers in half horizontally and spread about 1 cup of filling between each layer and on top.

Operation: Expand Horizons - Recipe list

I've compiled a list of 31 days' worth of new recipes for Operation: Expand Horizons. Here it is, in no particular order.

Pork and poblano tamale pie

Falafel with hummus

Chicken cutlets with asparagus, capers, and shallots

Vegetable pad Thai

Pork chops with peppers and green beans

Spring vegetable couscous

Quick lemon mousse

Fettuccine with peas, asparagus, and pancetta

Spring vegetable and quinoa pilaf

Mushroom and leek soup with parsley dumplings

Pork stew with hard cider, onions, and potatoes

Three cheese beer bread

Arroz con pollo

Chicken and sausage cacciatore

Pasta Trapanese - pasta with tomato and almond pesto

Skirt steak with crispy garlic potatoes

Meat sauce with spaghetti

Lemon zucchini cornmeal cookies

Spinach and Brie chicken with tomato orzo

Breaded pork chops; wild rice with mushrooms and parsley

Pound cake tiramisu

Red beans with andouille sausage; buttermilk cornbread

Honey-soy grilled pork chops with bok choy and rice

Pineapple-stuffed jerk chicken

Coconut pineapple loaf cake

Creamy lemon squares

Pork and chive potstickers

Pork and chorizo burgers with green chile mayo

Best blueberry muffins

Bratwurst bites with beer-horseradish mustard; German-style fried potatoes

Multi-grain bread

Most of these recipes come from America's Test Kitchen, Everyday Food, and Bon Appétit. I'll post links and recipes as each one is tried.