Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (17 page)

8
Stir the mushroom and pearl onion mixture and the brandy into the stew and bring the stew to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, partially covered, until just heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as necessary. Ladle the stew over buttered egg noodles in individual bowls. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve with crusty French bread.

Serves 6

For most of us in the U.S.A. a chile pepper is a chile pepper and we don’t make many distinctions. But in Mexico, where the use of this amazing family of ingredients has reached its highest expression, many people can distinguish taste differences in twenty, even thirty, chiles. This recipe takes advantage of some of the pronounced differences that even the most Anglo of us can detect. It starts with ancho chiles (dried poblanos), which are mild chiles with a fruity accent. To that we add a smoky chipotle (a wood-roasted jalapeño), which bears the same relation to a fresh jalapeño as bacon does to fresh pork. Finally, for some more serious heat, we add a fresh jalapeño. The star ingredient is brisket that cooks long and slow until the meat fibers soften and pick up flavor and succulence from the other ingredients. Be advised, this chili takes a while to make—but it’s the long cooking that makes it worthwhile. Our advice: Don’t watch the pot the whole time. But, then, that’s good advice for any slow-cooked dish.

For the chili

3 large dried ancho chiles, stems removed

About 1½ cups boiling water

1 flat-cut, also called first-cut, beef brisket (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into ¾- to 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 packed teaspoons dark brown sugar

5 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

Vegetable oil, if necessary

6 large cloves garlic, chopped

2½ teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 cans (14½ ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with their juices

1 bottle (12 ounces) Mexican beer

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can (15½ ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For serving (optional)

Sour cream

Grated cheddar, the best you can find

Warm Corn Bread with Bacon Drippings (see
page 243
), flour tortillas, or boiled white rice

1
Place the ancho chiles in a heatproof medium-size bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the ancho chiles to just cover them and let the chiles soak until they soften, at least 30 minutes.

2
While the ancho chiles soak, pat the brisket cubes with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and facilitate browning. Season the brisket cubes with kosher salt and black pepper to taste and set them aside.

3
Remove the ancho chiles from the soaking liquid and set the soaking liquid aside. Remove and discard any seeds and remaining stem fibers from the chiles. Coarsely chop the ancho chiles and place them in a blender or mini food processor. Strain the chile-soaking liquid, discarding any seeds. Add the chipotle pepper, cumin seeds, brown sugar, and ½ cup of the strained chile soaking liquid to the blender or mini processor with the chiles. Process the chiles until pureed, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F.

5
Cook the bacon in a large ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and, working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the pot, add the meat cubes to the bacon fat and brown on all sides. Using tongs, transfer the browned meat to a large bowl.

6
Add the onions and jalapeño pepper to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. (There should be enough fat in the pan to brown the onions and jalapeño, but if necessary add up to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.) Add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often.

7
Add the chili powder, oregano, and coriander to the onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring to combine. Add the browned meat cubes, drained bacon, ancho chile mixture, the tomatoes with their juices, beer, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Stir well to coat the meat evenly with the sauce and spices. Cover the pot and let the chili come to a simmer.

8
Place the pot in the oven and bake the chili until the meat is close to fork-tender, about 2 hours, stirring once. Stir in the kidney beans and the remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. If too much of the liquid has evaporated, add ¼ to ½ cup of water, as necessary. Cover the pot and bake the chili until the meat is fork-tender, 10 to 20 minutes longer.

9
Taste for seasoning, adding more kosher salt and black pepper as necessary. Spoon the chili into individual serving bowls and sprinkle some cilantro over each. Serve the chili with your choice of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, warm corn bread, tortillas, or rice.

Serves 6

To our way of thinking, veal shank is an overlooked treasure. No meat gets more tender. Our bacon-boosted version uses a long braise to add some pizzazz to the gentle flavor of veal. Bacon plus tomatoes pump up the deliciousness. Then there is the bone-sucking treat at the end—the marrow. No matter how full you feel, there’s always room for this creamy finishing touch.

The robust and rustic flavors of osso buco want something to focus and brighten their intense meatiness. As in much Italian cookery, this finishing touch is a combination of flavorfully powerful raw ingredients that freshen up and focus each taste. You may be surprised to see a touch of cinnamon in the gremolata here along with the parsley, garlic, and lemon and orange zest. But, when used sparingly, cinnamon flies under the radar, barely registering on your palate, yet it does something magical to tie the dish together. Thanks to Marie’s grandma Maria Briccetti, who always insisted on it.

For the osso buco

6 slices bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces

About ¼ cup vegetable oil

Unbleached all-purpose flour, for lightly dredging the veal shanks

6 veal shanks (about 1½ inches thick and 10 ounces each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups finely chopped onions (about 2 medium-size onions)

1 cup diced carrots (about 2 large carrots)

1 cup diced fennel

⅔ cup diced red bell pepper

4 medium-size cloves garlic, finely chopped

4½ teaspoons tomato paste

1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes, with their juices

1½ to 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

For the gremolata

¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 medium-size cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Risotto, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)

1
Prepare the osso buco: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325˚F.

2
Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary (don’t let the bacon brown too darkly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot. If necessary, pour off any extra fat or add enough vegetable oil to the Dutch oven to measure 2 tablespoons.

3
Place flour in a shallow bowl. (A pie plate works well for this.) Season 3 of the veal shanks with salt and black pepper to taste. Dredge the seasoned veal shanks in the flour until lightly coated on all sides. Shake off any excess flour. Tie each shank tightly around the middle with butcher’s string.

4
Heat the 2 tablespoons of fat in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the 3 floured veal shanks in a single layer. Cook the veal shanks until deeply browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning them once with tongs. Transfer the browned veal shanks to a large bowl and set them and the bowl of flour aside.

5
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and add ½ cup of the white wine, scraping the bottom to loosen any brown bits. Pour the liquid from the Dutch oven over the veal shanks in the bowl.

6
Season the remaining 3 veal shanks with salt and black pepper to taste, dredge them in the flour, and tie them tightly with butcher’s string (see
page 116
). Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the veal shanks in a single layer and repeat the browning process. Transfer the shanks to the bowl.

7
After removing the shanks, if you have less than 2 tablespoons of fat in the bottom of the Dutch oven, add more oil to make up the difference. Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and ½ cup of the white wine and cook until the tomato paste is blended into the mixture, about 1 minute, stirring to mix well.

8
Increase the heat to high, add the drained bacon, tomatoes with their juices, 1½ cups of the chicken stock, the remaining 1 cup of wine, and the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary to the Dutch oven and stir to mix. Return the veal shanks to the Dutch oven along with all of the juices in the bowl. The liquid should nearly cover the shanks. If necessary, add a little more stock. Cover the Dutch oven and let the liquid come to a full simmer.

9
Adjust the lid of the Dutch oven so that it sits slightly ajar; this allows a little steam to escape as the osso buco braises in the oven. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and cook the veal shanks until the meat feels very tender but not falling off the bone when pierced with a fork, 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.

10
While the osso buco cooks, prepare the gremolata: Combine the parsley, minced garlic, lemon and orange zest, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

11
After the osso buco is cooked, stir half of the gremolata into the Dutch oven. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and black pepper as necessary. Let the osso buco stand for about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the veal shanks to a serving platter. Carefully cut off the butcher’s string without separating the meat from the bone. Remove and discard the bay leaves from the Dutch oven. Ladle the sauce over the veal shanks and sprinkle the remaining gremolata over the osso buco. Serve immediately with risotto, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes, if desired.