Category Archives: Main Courses

OXTAIL RAGU

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OXTAIL RAGU

Ingredients: 4- 5 pounds of oxtail; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; Salt and pepper; 1 large yellow onion; 6 cloves of garlic; 2 large carrots;  2 ribs of celery; 1/4 cup of flour; 1/4 cup of sherry vinegar; 4 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes; 2 cups of chicken or beef broth; 2 teaspoons of Rosemary; 2 teaspoons of Thyme; Salt; 1 cup of red wine; 1/2 cup of chopped parsley; 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa unsweetened.

Preparations:

1. Mix 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper;

2. Shake oxtail in flour mix, then browned in 2 tablespoons of oil for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a platter and let sit while doing next step.

3. Sauté the carrots, onion, garlic in remaining oil. Add one more tablespoon of oil if necessary. When onion is translucent add sherry vinegar, tomato sauce, broth, Rosemary, Thyme and red wine. Place oxtails back into sauce and simmer for 4 hours. Remove the oxtail and remove the meat. Add meat back into sauce.

4. Add parsley, nutmeg and cocoa before serving.

RIBEYE ROAST

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Ingredients:

  •  1 cup of butter, softened
  • 7 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of pepper
  • 5 – 7 pounds of boneless ribeye roast, trimmed

 Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 500°F

Mixed together the butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.

Rub the herb butter all over the rib roast, and place on a roasting tray with a rack.

Bake for 5 minutes per pound of meat, so a 5-pound roast with bake for 25 minutes and a 7-pound roast would bake for 35 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rib roast sit in the oven for two hours making sure you do not open oven door.

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce

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Ingredients:

8 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs similar in size (2 1/4 pounds);

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Good olive oil;

2 cups of halved and thinly sliced yellow onions, about 2 onions;

2 tablespoons of dry white wine;

8 ounces of crème fraiche;

1 tablespoon of good Dijon mustard; 

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard; and 

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. 

Directions:

 Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board, skin side up, and pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with 11/2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 of a teaspoon of pepper. Turn them over and sprinkle them with one more teaspoon of salt.

 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large (11 to 12 inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and one layer, skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without moving, until the skin is golden brown. If the skin gets too dark, turn the heat to medium low. Turned the chicken pieces with tongs, add the onions to the pan, including under the chicken, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring the onions occasionally, until the thighs are cooked to 150 to 160° and the onions are browned. Transfer the chicken but not the onions to a plate and allow to rest uncovered while you make the sauce. If the onions aren’t browned, cook them for another minute.

 Add the wine, crème fraiche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the skillet and stir over medium heat for one minute. Return to chicken, skin side up and the juices to the skillet, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

 

Penne al Sugo di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce)

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Ingredients:

  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 28-ounce can of peeled plum tomatoes, puréed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4-5 basil leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sugar – optional. (See notes below)
  • 1-pound penne – or any pasta
  • Grated Parmigiano for serving

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it’s golden. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add the basil, and a little sugar as desired. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced, 20 – 30 minutes.

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain, add to the sauce, and mix together over medium heat. Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano. Total Time: 45 minutes. Serves 4-6

 

Provencal White Wine Beef Daube

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Ingredients:

  •  4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil;
  •  2 tablespoons of brandy, eau-de-vie or Cognac
  •  6 pounds of boneless stewing beef, such as round, shin, blade or chuck, cut into 3-ounce chunks;
  •  Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
  •  2 thinly sliced large onions;
  •  4 peeled and thickly sliced carrots;
  •  4 ounces of trimmed and thickly sliced mushrooms;
  •  1 head of separated garlic cloves smashed and peeled;
  •  Grated zest of 1 orange;
  •  2 ripe tomatoes chopped or cup canned tomato purée;
  •  2 bottles of white wine;
  •  1 bouquet garni (1 small bunch of fresh parsley, 6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves, tied to gather or bundled and cheese cloth);
  •  1/2 to 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns;
  •  1/4 of chopped fresh parsley for garnish; and,
  •  Small pasta, such as orzo, mezze, penne or conchiglie for serving.

Preparations:

 In a large bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cognac, the beef and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for two hours.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325°.

 In a wide, heavy casserole with a tight-fitting lid, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium – high heat until it simmers. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, orange zest and 2 big pinches of salt; stir well to coat and heat through. Reduce heat to low, cover and sweat (cook without browning) for 8 to 10 minutes until onions and garlic are softened. Add beef and its marmalade, tomatoes, wine, bouquet garni and peppercorns. Stir to combine.

 Cover and bake in the center of the oven until meat is ultra-tender, about 3 to 4 hours. There is no need to start a baste but check from time to time to make sure the liquid is at a very gentle simmer; boiling will make the meat tough.

 When the stew is ready, adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Or, refrigerate overnight or longer, skim any harden fat from the top, and reheat before serving.

Easy Meatloaf (Holy Name)

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Mix the following in a bowl:

one envelope of onion soup;

 2 pounds of ground beef;

1 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs;

2 eggs

 3/4 of a cup of milk;

 1/3 of a cup of catchup;

 salt and pepper to taste; and,

 Placed the mixture in a 9-inch loaf pan and bake at 350° for one hour.

 

Green Bell Peppers Stuffed with Ground Beef and Cheese

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Ingredients:

6 large green peppers;

 1 pound of ground beef;

 1/2 cup of chopped onions;

1 (16 ounce) can of diced tomatoes;

 ½ cup of long grain rice (any available rice is fine, but it may affect the cooking time);

 1 cup of water;

 1 teaspoon of salt;

 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; and,

 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, (about 4 ounces).

Directions:

 Cut off the tops of the green peppers and discard the seeds and membranes;

 Chop enough of the pepper tops to make 1/4 cup and set aside. Cook the whole green peppers, uncovered in boiling water for about five minutes, invert to drain well.

 Sprinkle insides of the peppers lightly with salt;

 In a skillet cook ground beef, onion and a 1/4 cup of chopped pepper (from step 2) till meat is brown and the vegetables are tender; Drain off excess fat. Add drained tomatoes, salt, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of pepper;

 In a separate pot filled with the cup of water; bring to a boil, add rice and cook until rice is soft, if needed add more water;

 Add the rice to the beef mixture; stir in cheese and stuff the peppers with the meat mixture, Place in a 10 x 6 x 2 baking dish;

 Bake, covered in a 350° oven for 30 minutes and in the last five minutes add any remaining cheese to the top of the peppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portuguese Stew Recipe by Pars

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  • Few Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder, trimmed and cut into 11/2 inch cubes
  • 11/4 Pound Sweet Potato peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 11/2 Cups Dry White Wine
  • 11/2 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 11/2 Cups Chopped Onions
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Italian Leaf Parsley
  •  6 Large Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 3 Tablespoons Capers
  • 1/2 Teaspoons Cumin
  • 2 Cups Cooked Black beans
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch Combined with 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
  • Preheat oven to 350*

 Coat a large skillet with olive oil and brown the pork in small batches. Drain and put in a large ovenproof casserole.  Add sweet potatoes, wine, Chicken stock, vinegar, onions, parsley, garlic, capers and cumin. Mix well and heat over medium heat until hot (just starting to boil); Cover pot with aluminum foil and seal well with lid. Place in hot oven for 11/4 hours.

Remove from oven and add black beans, butter, pepper and cornstarch mixture. Stir well and cover. Bake for 15 minutes more.

Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Serve with a platter of watercress, sliced oranges, chopped tomatoes and good black olives. encourage everyone to use all the condiments for the proper taste. Particularly squeezing the orange.

Cornbread made with chopped jalapeno and corn kernels also pairs nicely with this dish!

English–cut beef short ribs and sauce

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra – virgin olive oil
3 pounds of bone–in, English–cut beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces (See Note below)
Kosher salt and pepper
2 medium onions, finally chopped
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
3 garlic clothes, minced
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2  28 ounce cans of whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 medium carrot, peeled
2 pounds of spaghetti

Instructions: Active: 50 minutes; Total time five hours. Serves 8 to 10

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until simmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole in a single layer. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer the short ribs to a plate.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the casserole. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring until fragrant, about two minutes. Add crushed tomatoes with their juices and the carrot and bring to a boil.

3. Return the short ribs and their juices to the casserole, cover partially and simmer over low heat, turning the short ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick, about four hours.

4. Transfer the short ribs to a plate; discard the carrot. Discard the bones and cut the meat into 1½  inch chunks. Return the meat to the sauce and season with salt and pepper; keep warm over low heat.

5. In a large sauce pan with salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a 1/2  cup of the cooking water. Transfer the spaghetti to the pot with the sauce, toss well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash of the cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Serve the pasta immediately.

Note: Ask the butcher to cut the short ribs as specified.

Serve with a spicy red wine.

 

Spaghetti With Black Truffles and Sausage

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pound spaghetti chitarra (or linguine)
  • 2 black truffles
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ anchovy filet
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 Italian sausages
  • 8 ounces vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano, grated

Instructions:

Total Time: 1 hour. Serves: 4

 Clean the truffles with a brush to remove any excess dirt. Finely chop the truffles (reserve a small piece for shaving on top).

Add ½ cup of olive oil and the anchovy to a small pot. Simmer on low heat and break up the anchovy with a small whisk. Add the chopped garlic and thyme and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chopped truffles and promptly remove from heat. Set off to the side and let cool.

Finely chop the shallot.

Remove sausage from casing. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in medium skillet and add the sausage, and then break it up into small pieces. Sauté until golden brown. Add shallots and continue to sauté. Deglaze with vegetable stock and reduce slightly. Add the cooked truffles and season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Strain the spaghetti and add to the sauce. Add butter and the toss spaghetti over medium heat until it is a creamy consistency. Remove from heat and toss with grated Parmigiano. Finish with freshly grated black truffle.

Serve Immediately.