Luci's Tasty Adventures

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

For this challenge I drew inspiration from  Esther, Audax and from this video.  I went whole hog in and found suet from a butcher shop in Los Gatos, Ca.  I had to render the fat down and turn it into a lard type substance, I did not post any of those photos because I don't think people really want to see that part.  If I make this again I will just use vegetable shorting or butter.  I am glad I had a chance to cook with suet; however, it is just not healthy, or a practical ingredient for me to use again.  I also chose to do a savory pudding instead of a sweet pudding.

I made a gravy using Audax's instructions with the left over scraps of meat and kidney.  I tell you the winner was the gravy.. I could of eaten that with toast.  The pudding was good don't get me wrong, it's just not my cup of tea.  I would like to give cheers to everyone who did this challenge.  For me it was a learning experience, and I am really glad I participated in it, thank you Esther.

Pastry Ingredients:

• 12 ounces self rising flour- wtb Andy's biscuit recipe for my left over flour!
• 6 ounces shredded suit or substitute like Crisco, Lard, or Butter
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper
• ½ cup milk, 2% worked fine
• ½ cup water

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 lb of stewing beef, cubed
• 2-3 lamb kidney's, chopped-make sure to toss out the white portion
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly grated black pepper
• 4 Tbsp chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp Oyster sauce

Oyster sauce and Chicken stock to shy to be photoed 
 
Assembly:

• 1 1/2 quart bowl oven safe bowl, like Pyrex.
• Large pot with a steamer and lid
• rubber-band
• kitchen twine
• heavy duty foil

Gravy: (optional, sorry no photos)

• left over steak and kidney scraps
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp flour

Method:
First make the pastry by blending the flour and suet together with a pastry blender.  Add the salt and pepper to the flour and suet mixture.  Slowly add the water and milk, 1 Tbsp at a time.  The dough should form a nice ball and none of it should be stuck to the bowl.  Take the dough and place it on a floured work surface.











Cut ¼ of the dough out and reserve it for the pudding lid.  Use a measuring tape and roll the dough out to fit your pudding bowl.












Coat the pudding bowl with some butter or fat before placing the dough inside.  Roll out the lid, use a measuring tape to get the size right.  Set the lid aside.

Place water in your steamer and bring water to a boil.

In a small bowl mix the ½ cup flour, ground mustard, salt and pepper together.  Take one of the piece of beef and try to wrap it around a small piece of kidney, and then coat it the flour mixture.












 
Place the piece in the pudding bowl.  Make one row of steak and kidney rolls and then cover them with a handful of sliced onions and chopped parsley.



























Create another row of meat and cover it again with the onions and parsley.  Continue this process till you run out of meat or your pudding bowl is filled up.  I had under a pound of beef and that is why my pudding bowl is not filled all the way.  If you use a full pound you will get one more layer in.













Add the chicken stock and oyster sauce over the top of the last layer and then seal the pudding with the pastry lid.














Make sure you get a good seal on it, you don't want any of it leaking out. 














Then cover your pudding with heavy duty foil.  Secure the foil with a rubber-band and some kitchen twin.  Cut away any excess foil as it might get in the way later.
  














Remove the lid from the steamer and carefully place the pudding inside. 

















The water should not touch the metal part of the steamer, fill it so it is just below that part.  Cover and turn heat to medium.  Steam for 3-5 hours.  I did mine for about 4.

If you want the make the gravy take a medium size sauce pot and turn it to medium heat.  Add one of the chopped shallots, beef and kidney scraps, wine, oyster sauce, and chicken stock.  Bring to a simmer, let it simmer for about a hour, or until it has reduced by half.  Strain the gravy and remove all the shallot, beef and kidney pieces.  In the same sauce pan saute the other chopped shallot and after it is soft add the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Mix together and cook for a minute and then return the strained gravy to the sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat till it thickens.

After the pudding has steamed for atleast 3 hours you can remove it.















Let it sit on your counter for about 15 minutes before attempting to flip it over.  If you made the gravy you can poke a small whole in the top of the pudding and fill it up with gravy.












Place a plate over the bowl and use pot holders to shimmieslide flip the pudding over.  The pudding should just plop out.












Cut the pudding like you would a pie and drizzle more gravy if you fancy.  Enjoy! 

For my Birthday Aaron took me on a surprise weekend trip to Napa, Ca.  I will blog about the trip later.   One of the stops was Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery.  On Sunday morning before we left, we made one more stop back at this truly magical dreamland bakery.  I picked up a 12 pack of Brioche Rolls and a few more Macaroons for the trip home.  We also hit up a local market in Napa on our way out, and picked up some Salami, Black Forest Ham, Aged Smoked Gouda, and Cheddar.    So, after are long drive home our Easter dinner was yummy.  Brioche Roll Sandwiches with Meats and Cheese.

I had more than a few rolls left over so I decided to store them in the refrigerator and make Mini Burgers with them for Monday nights dinner.  I really like using Brioche for Burgers and for French toast.  Trader Joe's sells a larger Brioche Roll that can also work for larger size Burgers.

PS.. you can see my new fancy Global Knife in one of the photos... Love it!  TY Aaron!

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet white onion, sliced
• 2-3 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 gloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Kosher Salt
• freshly grated black pepper
• 1 pound of ground chuck, divided into six pieces (80-20 or 85-15 fat content is best for burgers)
• 6 slices of cheese ( I used Smoked Gouda for three, and Cheddar for the other three)
• 6 small Brioche Rolls
• 1-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp Mayonnaise, optional for the bread

Method:

In a small sauce pan over low heat add 1 tsp of the olive oil, onions, garlic and brown sugar.  Sprinkle them with Kosher salt and let them caramelize.  Keep them on low to maybe medium heat for about 25 minutes.  When they are done remove them from the pan and add the remaining olive oil and the mushrooms.  Sprinkle the mushrooms with kosher salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.  When they are done scoot them to one side of the pan and return the onions to the other side.  Keep over very low heat till you are ready to serve the burgers.















While the onions and mushrooms are cooking prepare the patties.  Take one piece of the beef and lightly form it into a patty shape.  The less you work with this the better the burgers will be.



























Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot sprinkle the burgers with Kosher salt and black pepper.  Place them in the hot pan and sprinkle the other side of the burgers with Kosher salt and pepper.  I did not put all my burgers in the pan at once because I did not want to over crowd the pan.  After flipping the first 4 I added the last two because I was confidant that they would not get crowded.













I cooked mine for about 4 minutes a side for medium to medium rare.  After you flip them add the cheese to the tops and wait out the last 4 minutes and serve.












To plate, cut the Brioche Rolls in half and spreed them with Dijon Mustard.

















Add the patty to the bun and top the burger with the caramelized onions and mushrooms.












Serve with a nice green salad and some Cornichons (french pickles).  Serves 3 for dinner, 6 for appetizer.

This was my first prime rib, and I have to say it came out pretty good.  When I got the prime rib home from the store I realized how big it was, and I got a little scared.  Worried that I would over cook it, under cook it.  In the end I put my faith into my probe thermometer, and like always it delivered.  The flavor of the meat with horseradish was just mouth watering.  It was a special treat to prepare this fine piece of meat for my family.

• 10-12 lb prime rib bone attached roast
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly grated black pepper
• granulated garlic
• 4 cloves of garlic, slivered
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Method:

Ask your butcher to cut bones away from roast and to tie them back onto the roast with butchers twine.  Remove your roast from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking, it must come to room temperature before you place it in the oven. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place prime rib in a roasting pan with 3 inch high sides.  The roast should be placed bone side down.  Pat the roast dry and liberally coat the roast with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.  Rub olive oil the the two sides of exposed meat, not on the fat portion on the top of roast.  Cut small holes all over the top of the roast with a paring knife; insert pieces of the slivered garlic and rosemary.












Insert probe thermometer.  Seer prime rib for 15 minutes at 450 degrees; then turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Your prime rib will be done when your meat thermometer tells you, it takes about 20 minutes per pound.  125-130 degrees for a medium rare roast.  Once your roast reaches 125 pull it out of the oven and cover it with foil.  Let it sit for a good 30 minutes before carving.

One of the not so nice things about living in an apartment is you can't use a barbeque on your balcony.  About a year ago I invested in a cast iron grill, and I find that you can grill up just about anything on it. I cook so many dishes on this grill, from salmon to chicken, and steak.  I highly recommend every pick one up.

• 2 Boneless Ribeye Steaks
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Black Pepper
• Granulated Garlic
• Olive oil
• Cast iron grill

Method

Heat your cast iron grill on high heat for 10 minutes, this step is most important.  Once grill is heated take steaks and drizzle olive oil over them, sprinkle garlic both sides along with salt and pepper.  Place steaks on grill and let cook 3-4 minutes a side.  The time depends on how think your steaks are and how you want them done.  Let steaks rest for 3 minutes before serving.  Enjoy

 






Pastry Ingredients

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ tsp kosher salt
3 cups white flour

1 beaten egg for pastry egg wash

Filling

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
¼ pork chorizo sausage
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground beef
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes, I used fresh
¼ cup Spanish brine-cured green olives, pitted and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped

Method

Pastry

Beat cream cheese, butter, and ½ tsp salt until well blended.  Slowly add in the flour.  Mix till incorporated and form dough into two balls.  Place balls in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

Filling

Warm olive oil in a large fry pan over medium heat.  Add onions, bell peppers and garlic, cook till tender about 10 minutes.  Add the chorizo, pork, and beef and cook till no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, olives and cumin.  Cover and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and cook till all moisture is gone, about 5 minutes.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Put aside to cool.

Assemble
















Heat oven to 375.  On a floured work area roll one dough disk out to 1/8th thickness.  Use a cup or a jar with a 3 inch diameter to cut pastry disks.  Fill each disk with a nice teaspoon size ball of filling, top with a few pieces of hard boil egg.  Roll dough over and crimp edges with fork to seal.  Rinse and repeat till your cooking sheet is packed, brush with egg was and bake for about 15 minutes.