Delmonico Steak with Faux Bordelaise Sauce

This is a fantastic recipe from Deborah Krasner’s cookbook Good Meat. The meat was so tender and full of flavor after I wet aged it for about 17 days, then dry aged them for 24 hours. I didn’t realize you are only supposed to one or the other, not both.

There’s some controversy about what cut of meat a Delmonico steak really is–a top sirloin, bone-in top loin (from the short loin), or rib eye. Although some say it can only be rib eye, in my experience, steaks labeled “Delmonico” can be boneless or bone-in and come from different parts of the cow. Wherever the steak comes from, it is always tender and rich, and it’s made even more so by its nearly traditional accompaniment–my version of Bordelaise sauce. (If you want to go all out, add mashed potatoes topped with grated cheese and bread crumbs).

I call my sauce faux because classic Bordelaise uses bone marrow and demi-glace, which are not always found in the average home pantry. I substitute butter for the marrow (although if you have marrow, do use it!). If you don’t have homemade beef stock, be wary of using beef bouillon for two reasons: First, it’s not from grass-fed beef, and second, it tends to be salty. If you save the drippings from roasting beef, you may have a supply of the dark jelly that separates from the fat–if so, use this culinary gold here instead of stock.

For the steak:
1 1/2 pounds grass-fed Delmonico steak
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt such as a gray Atlantic or Celtic (for pan-searing only)

For the sauce:
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or bone marrow diced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup red wine
Leaves from 1 small sprig fresh thyme
1 cup of homemade beef stock, greatly reduced, or 1/2 cup of the jelly layer formed by saved beef drippings

Be sure you have a really nice quality cast iron frying pan. Bring the meat to room temperature, rinse it, and blot it well. Heat a dry, seasoned cast-iron frying pan large enough to hold the steak flat. When the pan is hot, add the salt so it is scattered all over the pan. When the salt begins to pop, add the steak.

Cook until the meat no longer sticks to the pan, about 3 minutes. Turn it and cook the other side the same way, removing the meat promptly to rest on a plate while making the sauce. Make sure not to repeatedly flip the steak or pierce it which will allow all the juices to escape and you want to keep those juices in the steak.

Coarsely crack the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or in a plastic bag using the underside of a cast-iron frying pan. Set aside.

Heat a shallow pan such as a frying pan over medium low heat, and then add half the butter (or marrow) until gently melted. Over medium heat, cook the shallots in the fat until translucent and wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half, 3 minutes or so. Lower the heat and add the thyme and peppercorns and cook until there is very little liquid left, being careful not to burn the contents of the pan.

Add the reduced beef stock or beef jelly and the remaining half of the butter, and cook, whisking as needed, for about 5 minutes or until further reduced and silky. Pour the sauce over the steak and serve.

To accompany these steaks, I made celery root mashed potatoes topped with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese a recipe from Nourishing Traditions Cookbook by Sally Fallon.

Potato and Celery Root Purée
6 baked potatoes, wash, cut a bit of the ends off and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours on 350
3 celery roots, peeled and cut up
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
pinch of nutmeg
Celtic sea salt, pepper
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 to 1 cup piima cream or creme fraiche

Cover the celery root pieces with cold water, bring to a boil and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. Cut up the butter and place in the bottom of a large bowl. Scoop out potato flesh into the bowl. Add celery root and garlic, and mash all together. Add the cream to obtain desired consistency. If you want your purée really smooth, you may now mix with handheld beater. Season to taste. I grated some fresh cheese and sprinkled on top of the potatoes. Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven.

Check out all  pictures here

Beef and Olive Stew with Scented Red Wine

Another great recipe from Deborah Krasner’s cookbook Good Meat! I let the beef stew meat wet-dry (thaw) in fridge for about 7 to 10 days before making this stew. The meat was incredibly tender. I cook with salted, whole milk, raw butter from my farmer and I used my homemade beef stock and I used pasture raised bacon.

For the Marinade:
2/3 cup red wine
Zest of 1 orange removed with a vegetable peeler in big strips
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Other Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds grass-fed stew beef
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped bacon or pancetta (or all olive oil, if preferred)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup water or homemade beef stock
1 cup of olives, mixed green and black or all one type
Kosher salt

Optional Topping:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Creme Fraiche

Mix the marinade ingredients together and add the beef. Refrigerate all day or overnight. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Bring the beef to room temperature and blot it dry. Heat the pot you will cook the stew in, and add the olive oil. Brown the meat on all sides and remove it to a plate.

Add the bacon or pancetta to the pot and cook it over medium-low heat to render the fat (or use 1/4 cup olive oil); add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally,  until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, along with the marinade. Add as much water or stock as necessary to just cover the meat. Add the olives and salt to taste. Bring just to a boil and immediately remove from the heat.

Put the pot in the middle of the oven and slow-bake for about 2 hours, or until the meat is soft and fragrant. If you plan to use the topping, mix all the chopped ingredients together. To serve, discard the stems left from the thyme, as well as the orange peel. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls on top of noodles, polenta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with a little of the topping and a dollop of Creme Fraiche.

Lamb Meatballs

Whether you enjoy lamb or not, you are sure to love this recipe by Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions.

2 pounds of grass-fed/finished pasture raised ground lamb
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary or thyme
2 eggs
2 cups whole grain bread crumbs
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
about 1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
2-3 cups of beef or lamb stock
2-4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or 1 can tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups spinach, chard, kale or beet greens, chopped

Saute onion and rosemary in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft. Meanwhile, soak bread crumbs in cream. Mix onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs, sea salt and pepper with ground lamb. Form into 1-inch balls. Dredge in flour and saute a few at a time in olive oil. Pour out browning oil and add red wine to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up coagulated juices in the pan with a wooden spoon. Add stock and tomatoes and reduce by boiling until sauce thickens, skimming occasionally. Add meatballs and chopped greens to sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with basic brown rice or buckwheat or brown rice noodles.

Brown rice or Jasmine rice should be soaked and fermented in a mixture of water and whey for 7 to 24 hours before cooking in butter and sea salt. 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of cold filtered water and 4 tablespoons of whey. After soaking add butter and Celtic salt, bring to a boil, skim, reduce heat and let cook for 45 minutes or until done. Season to taste. This process neutralizes a large portion of phytic acid in grains and will vastly improve nutritional benefits and digestibility. Along with cooking the rice in butter, an necessary digestive aid when consuming grains and vegetables. Believe me this process really makes incredibly delicious rice.

I paired a 2007 Carpe Diem Pinto Noir with this dish.

See all photos here.

Man has been eating meat and fat for thousands of years, but hardening of the arteries is a new disease. My father, practicing medicine in Georgia fifty years ago, rarely saw a heart attack. Heart attacks have only become common since the advent of homogenized pasteurized milk, oleo-margarine, and the increased consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. William Campbell Douglass, MD The Milk Book

Cream of Vegetable Soup

Another fantastic soup from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions cookbook. This is a meal in and of itself and takes less than an hour to make. However, you will need to plan in advance to make sure you have 2 quarts of homemade chicken stock on hand. Additionally, I highly recommend investing in a handheld blender to make pureeing simple with whole lot less mess.

2 medium onions or leeks, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons butter
3 medium backing potatoes or 6 red potatoes, washed and cut up
2 quarts homemade chicken stock (click link for recipe)
several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together
1/2 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed
4 zucchini, ends removed and sliced
sea salt or fish sauce
pepper
piima cream or creme fraiche

Melt butter in a large, stainless steel post and add onions or leeks and carrots. Cover and cook over lowest possible heat for at least 1/2 hour. The vegetables should soften but not burn. Add potatoes and stock, bring to a rapid boil and skim. Reduce heath and add thyme sprigs and crushed peppercorns. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft. Add zucchini and cook until they are just tender–about 5 to 10 min. Remove the thyme sprigs. Puree the soup with a handheld blender. If soup is to thick, think with filtered water. Season to taste. Ladle into heated bowls and garnish with cultured cream.

Side Note: Make sure that the soup has cooled down and you can taste it without burning your tongue before you add the cultured cream. If you put the cream in while the soup is to hot, you will kill all the enzymes and lacto-bacteria that aids in digestion. According to Sally Fallon, “Cultured dairy products provide beneficial bacteria and lactic acid to the digestive tract. These friendly creatures and their by-products keep pathogens at bay, guard against infectious illness and aid in the fullest possible digestion of all food we consume.” It basically turns into a dead food.

Raw foods enthusiasts point to scientific evidence which shows that when cooked foods are consumed, the white blood cell count immediately rises, while no such increase occurs when eating raw fruit or vegetables. The white blood cells function as immune system scavengers, removing foreign organisms and any chemical compounds the body considers invasive. The conclusion is drawn that, therefore, cooked foods are bad because the body considers them invasive and toxic, and raw foods are good because they evoke no immune system response. However, one can look at the same results and conclude that the cooked food is stimulating the immune function and causing the increase in white blood cells not because the food itself is toxic, but because a function of cooked food is to “exercise” the immune system in producing white blood cells for real emergencies, somewhat akin to a biological fire drill. Indeed, it is quite natural for the body to use the invasion of low doses of microorganisms or chemical poisons to immunize itself against greater danger. And on one level food is a foreign substance that the body must “overcome” through the process of digestion and assimilation. In this sense cooked food can be seen to strengthen the system while raw foods simply do not have the same white-blood-cell-stimulating effect. – Marc David Nourishing Wisdom

Chicken Liver Pâté

I love liverwurst and Pâté but never thought I would make it. However, I found a recipe in Nourishing Traditions and wanted to try it. Not only was it super easy to make, but it was very yummy as well. It was just as good, if not better, than purchasing from a gourmet store.

Almost all traditional cultures prize organ meats for their ability to build reserves of strength and vitality. Organ meats are extremely rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D, as well as essential fatty acids, important very-long-chain superunsaturated fatty acids and the whole gamut of macro and trace minerals. Wild animals eat the organs of their kill first, thus showing a wisdom superior to our own.

While you can buy Pâté, Mousse, and Liverwurst at the grocery store, I like to make my own because like most grocery store meat, it is made from animals that are raised in industrial farms and feedlots under a toxic and horrible farming model. Why does it even matter? Well, it is especially important to eat organ meats from really healthy animals that are healthy, free of hormones, antibiotics, synthetic products and have been raised and fed properly. Otherwise you ingesting all those toxins into your own body. You are what you eat is really ringing true in this day and age. – Sally Fallon Nourishing Traditions Cookbook

This recipe serves 12 – 18

3 tablespoon butter
1 pound chicken or duck livers, or a combination
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 clove of garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 stick butter, softened
sea salt

Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add livers, onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until livers are browned. Add wine, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and herbs. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is gone. Allow to cool. Process in a food processor with softened butter. Season to taste. Place in a crock or mold and chill well. Serve with homemade whole grain bread or homemade triangle croutons. Top with black caviar.

If you don’t want to make your own liver Pâté, have no fear, you can purchase organic Pâté, mousse, liverwurst from sustainably raised animals from Les Trois Petits Cochons (The Three Little Pigs) or D’Artagnan Gourmet Meat.

Bon Appetit!

Partially hydrogenated margarine and shortenings are even worse for you than the highly refined vegetable oils from which they are made because of chemical changes that occur during the hydrogenation process. Under high temperatures, the nickel catalyst causes the hydrogen atoms to change position on the fatty acid chain. Before hydrogenation, pairs of hydrogen atoms occur together on the chain, causing the chain to bend slightly and creating a concentration of electrons at the site of the double bond. This is called the cis formation, the configuration most commonly found in nature. With hydrogenation, one hydrogen atom of the pair is moved to the other side so that the molecule straightens. This is called the trans formation, rarely found in nature. Most of these man-made trans fats are toxins to the body, but unfortunately your digestive system does not recognize them as such. Instead of eliminating them, your body incorporates trans fats into the cell membranes as though they were cis fats–your cells actually become partially hydrogenated! Once in place, trans fatty acids wreak havoc with cell metabolism because chemical reactions can take place only when electrons in the cell membranes are in certain arrangements or patterns, which they hydrogenation process has distributed. -Sally Fallon Nourishing Traditions Cookbook

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