Philly Cheese Steak

I have never met anyone who did not like a Philly Cheese Steak; steak, cheese, onions, peppers and a toasted bun. Who would not like that All American combination!

The foundation of great Philly Cheese Steak is the meat. Ribeye is the best, Flank Steak can serve as an adequate substitute. Placed the fresh or thawed meat in the freezer for about 20 minutes to make it easier to slice. While the meat is in the freezer slice the sweet onion and red pepper and set aside. It is best to first start vegetables and add the meat, but you can cook them separately if not everyone wants the whole combination. Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice.

Heat a skillet to medium, preferably cast iron if cooking outdoors and add the peppers and onions. Season with garlic salt ,pepper, oregano, and add half the butter. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and add the sliced steak. Add steak seasoning and most of the remaining butter and continue to toss over medium to high heat until the onions are translucent and meat is browned well. Separate each sandwich portion in the pan and top with provolone cheese over low heat. Lightly butter the buns and place face down in  separate pan until the toasted to your preference. Place each portion in a bun and serve immediately.

Ingredients

3 Ribeye Steaks or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of Flank Steak

1 Sweet Onion

1 Red Pepper

1/2 Stick of Butter

2 Teaspoons of Garlic Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Oregano

1 Teaspoon Steak Seasoning

6 Slices of Provolone Cheese

6 Buns

Serves 6

 

 

Paella

The perfect food for a crowd and so many variations! You can choose between chicken, sausage, and seafood in any combination to fit the palate or the occasion. You can also prep ahead to save time. The skillet works perfectly over a grill or outdoor stove.

This key to success with this dish is the pan. I prefer to use the Lodge carbon steel 15″ skillet. It creates a perfect cooking surface to brown or sear the chicken, sausage, or seafood. There are several variations. The steps below are for two of our favorites.

Chicken and Chorizo Sausage
Cut the boneless skinless chicken thighs into small cubes. Add the olive oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat for about 1/2 to 1 minute.Reduce to medium heat. Add the cubed chicken thighs. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Using metal tongs toss the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chorizo sausage(cut each tube end and squeeze out the sausage). Add the vegetables. Toss until the onions are clear and chicken is browned. Add the paprika and seasoned salt. Toss and then add one can of chicken broth. Add the parboiled rice and stir. Simmer and stir occasionally until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Seafood
Add the olive oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat for about 1/2 to 1 minute. Reduce to medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic salt and pepper. Toss for 2 to 3 minutes then add the shrimp and scallops.  Add the paprika, seasoned salt, and oregano. Toss and then add one can of chicken broth. Add the parboiled rice and stir. Simmer and stir occasionally until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Ingredients

1 Sweet Onion Chopped
1 Red Pepper Chopped
1 Pablano Pepper Chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Garlic Salt
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Teaspoons Oregano(Seafood Version)
1 Can Chicken Broth
2 Cups Cooked Saffron Rice(Parboil to 90% doneness)
4 Cups Cooked Jasmine Rice(Parboil to 90% doneness)

Meats and Seafood(Various Combinations)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs   6 to 7
Chorizo Sausage 3 links
Large Shrimp  1 to 2 pounds
Scallops 1 pound
Smoked Sausage 1 to 2 pounds

Serves 5

 

Beef Stew

A staple of comfort food, beef stew. Warm, inviting, tasty, and filling. A meal itself or pair with a hot grilled cheese sandwich. Definitely a family favorite for our crew. A good beef stew can take a few hours to complete, but it also can be started the day before with the finishing steps an hour before meal time.

The beef selection makes the stew. Choose a nice chuck roast in lieu of stew beef or sirloin. There are many recipes using sirloin or “stew beef” but I have found it varies greatly as to the ability to achieve a tender beef for the stew regardless of cook time. A nicely marbled chuck roast trimmed and cubed works perfectly every time.

Start with a 5 to 7 quart pot. If you are cooking outdoors a cast iron Dutch oven works the best. Over medium to high heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the cubed chuck roast turning frequently until browned with a slight crust. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and garlic salt and reduce to medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add back the beef along with one  can of beef broth. Add in the salt, seasoned salt, pepper, steak seasoning, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the flour with one cup cold water and then add to the pot and stir. Add the remaining beef broth and water, stir and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

If you are making the dish ahead of time you may stop here and refrigerate. Warm the dish back to a simmer for the next step.

Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for 1 hour and then serve.

Prep Time: 30 to 45 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Serves: 5

3 pounds trimmed and cubed chuck roast
1 medium sweet onion diced
1 16oz package baby carrots
2 pounds small yukon gold or dutch yellow potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon of your favorite steak seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water

 

 

 

Cooking with Fire

There is nothing like it. It is in the root of our psyche. It is the origin of the “cook”. Without it the transformation of wild game and crops into delectable creations would not have been possible.

It then follows in logic that despite the modern advances of the kitchen, including the ability with ventilation engineering to use wood burning cooking indoors, that man still yearns to be outside and fire up that flame. There is the ongoing debate on comparing and contrasting features and benefits of gas vs. charcoal, but for this post I will limit  to the general concept of an outdoor grill with a flame.

 

I was the youngest of six children and this may have been the beginning of my climb to the status of the The Family Man Cook. There was a twelve year gap between me and the next oldest sibling and I think by the time I came along the parental desires to cook for a crowd were waning. At a pretty young age I recall being taught the basics of preparing the food groups necessary for survival. I worked a job in high school so I also had some concept of the relationship of the need for money to obtain food, but it wasn’t really until college that I experienced the shock of revelation that the refrigerator did not stock itself and that my mother was not there to cook and plate up my food. This was also the time period that I purchased my first grill; a Kmart blue light special charcoal grill . I still remember the feeling of lighting that flame and the smell of lighter fluid and Kingsford charcoal in the fall air. As best I can recall my first meal was the classic frozen burger pucks which I probably overcooked into a circular mass of charred beef. It was not until later in my grill life that I learned the essential techniques of cooking with fire.

The main considerations in successful cooks with fire are:

1. Allowing adequate time for the grill to come to temperature(gas) or the fire to burn to an ideal state for cooking(charcoal)
2. Understanding when to use high temps, low temps, direct, and indirect cooking.
3. Ensuring the food is at a safe internal temperature without overcooking.

In future posts I will address the relevance of each factor in achieving the best results.

 

Steak!

I will start with the most straightforward but most controversial for cooking methods. Wait; I know you are thinking how can cooking a steak be that difficult? You simply cook it to the desired level of doneness and eat right? Well yes and no. There are several methods and they are all good, so choose the one that works best for you and produces the most consistent desired outcome.

 

There are three key elements in creating the perfect steak. The cut of meat, the thickness of the meat, and heat. The New York Strip and the Filet are my favorite cuts, followed by the Flat Iron and the Ribeye. There are a few other cuts worth grilling, but these four will suit most anyone’s palate. I prefer steaks that are close to the one to one and a half inch range give or take. Going thicker than that and getting consistent results is an art, and going significantly thinner makes it difficult to both get a crust and not have a well done steak. The exception seems to be the Flat Iron which can produce both a recognizable sear and a medium rare temperature with a thinner cut. Lastly high heat; you must have a high heat source either at the beginning or end of the cook to create that mouthwatering perfect steak.

Once you have sourced and acquired that steak, you have to prepare it. My philosophy is that less is better, no need to over season that steak. I rub a very small amount of oil on both sides, and I generally only use salt and pepper. I have added a few variations at the end of the recipe. You also want to let the steak come close to room temperature before it hits the cooking surface. You can do this while you are preparing any side dishes or other parts of the meal.

Now it is time to cook that steak! You can cook this meal inside or outside. Most of my meat recipes are based on an outdoor grill cook, but I will also add the variation to bring it indoors when possible if an outdoor grill is not an option. I have also added cooking surface variations, and cooking method variations at the end of the recipe.

Last key element is internal temperature of the meat. Use a meat thermometer for most consistent outcomes.

• Rare                      125
• Medium Rare  130
• Medium              140
• Medium Well  150

And don’t forget to let that steak rest before serving

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients:

5 steaks approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Rub each steak lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper taste

Bring Grill up to or near 500 degrees

Cook steak on both sides 1 to 2 minutes to allow a charred crust to form.

Turn frequently and move to cooler part of the grill as needed until desired internal temperature is reached.

Remove from Grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving

Enjoy!

Cooking Variations:

Stove Top
Heat Skillet and follow directions above, remove from heat as needed until internal temperature is reached.

Reverse Sear
Cook on 300 to 350 degree Grill until within 10 to 15 degrees of desired internal temperature. Remove from Grill and raise temperature on Grill to around 500 degrees. Sear steak on both sides.

One Turn Method
Cook steak on one side until within 10 to 15 degrees of desired internal temperature. Turn steak and cook and until desired internal temperature is reached.

Cast Iron Method(Outdoor Only)
Place Cast Iron Pan on Grill and use as cooking surface
I prefer the Lodge brand

Recipe Variations:

Seasoning
Add any of the following:
Garlic
Onion Powder
Tumeric

Toppings
Sauteed Mushrooms and/or Onions
A pat of butter

Marinade
Soak in coffee 8 to 24 hours