chewingfat

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With Mardi Gras coming to a close I thought I’d pay tribute with one of my all time favorite dishes. I first experienced this dish in Vegas a few years ago with a colleague. The restaurant was Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM. We had our doubts about the experience – with Emeril being a Food TV celebrity chef and all. The restaurant was located in what is best described as an indoor mall of shops and restaurants – most of the restaurants in Vegas hotels are architected this way. The actual restaurant itself was rustic and cozy. It juxtaposed nearly everything else around it as most of the places embrace a clean, sleek and modern decor (interestingly, it’s been remodeled to be just that). The meal was so good I remember precisely what I had. To start, Creole BBQ Shrimp with a Rosemary Biscuit. The main, Baked Lobster Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and Tomatoes accompanied by Tempura Asparagus. It was crazy good. The Lobster was great but the appetizer was one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever eaten. I must also mention that the waiter we had matched our meals with one of the best white wines I’ve ever had. It’s a shame I can’t remember the wine, nor his name, but this combination easily made this one of the best meals I’ve had in Vegas. We make a yearly trip there for CES and Emeril’s is one of the first things I book.

I pretty much nicked this recipe from an Emeril recipe at Food TV. I should also note that I’ve made this before at home and I went through the laborious process of making the BBQ sauce base. In this particular example I’m using a frozen batch – so no photos for that part.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 pounds large Gulf shrimp, in their shells
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, recipe here
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, in all
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 lemons, peeled and sectioned
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Few slices of a baguette
• Sprig of rosemary

  Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached [photo 1]. Reserve the shells and set aside. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper. Use you hands to coat the shrimp with the seasonings [photo 2]. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base.

  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining Creole seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

  Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan. There should be about 1½ cups. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, and dark brown, for about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons of barbecue sauce base.

  This sauce base kept very well in the freezer for me. I simply thawed it out and started the recipe from here so it was quick and easy.

  Drizzle some olive oil on the sliced baguette and add a little chopped rosemary and some crushed black pepper. Toast until lightly golden [photo 3].

  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp and saute them [video 4], occasionally shaking the skillet, for 2 minutes. Add the cream and the barbecue base, I didn’t use the whole batch as this was a smaller shared appetizer [video 5]. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a warm platter with tongs and whisk the butter into the sauce [video 6+7]. Remove from the heat. Mound the shrimp in the center of a platter. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and around the plate. Arrange the rosemary toasts around the shrimp [photo 8].

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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I really don’t think I can get enough red meat. Whether it’s a steak or a roast I love how simple the prep and cooking of it is – In my opinion the value far exceeds the effort.

I hesitate to even call this a recipe because it involves so few ingredients, such little technique and so little prep. It’s basically a seared steak that’s finished in the oven. However, the cut of beef and the temperatures at which it is cooked make or break the end result.

I found an absolutely amazing strip-loin [photo1 ] at Witteveen Meats in the St Lawrence Market [photo 2]. Though I didn’t measure it, it was well over an inch thick, likely closer to two. The final weight of this beauty was a shade over 20oz. It was well trimmed, well marbled and aged 21 days.

Without further ado…

Here’s what you’ll need [photo 3]

• 20oz Striploin, well aged and marbled trimmed of excessive fat (a little is okay)
• Vegetable oil – don’t substitute oil that has a low smoke point like olive oil
• Kosher salt – in this case I cracked out the Camargue (Fleur de Sel)
• Ground pepper

  Other stuff you’ll need

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Tin foil

  Preheat your oven to 550˚F (500˚F if that’s its max). Crank your burner to high and get the skillet really hot. Don’t put oil in the skillet.

  Put a liberal amount of salt and a moderate amount of pepper, too much pepper at this high a heat and it will burn. Do this to both sides of the meat [photo 4]. Oil the meat on both sides [photo 5] and begin to sear it [video 6+7]. This is healthy size steak so you can leave it for a couple of minutes on each side – careful not to disturb it.

  After the meat has been seared on both sides transfer the skillet to the oven. The time it takes will depend on you oven’s settings and how thick the steak is. An instant read digital thermometer will work or just push on the meat with your finger. the firmness will tell you how done it is, more on this below.

  Once it’s “done” place it on a warm plate and tent it with foil [photo 8]. This will allow the pressures trapped inside the steak to distribute the juices evenly. If you’ve cut into it or excessively poked the steak you’ll be left with a fairly dry piece of meat sitting in a pool of juice. You don’t want that until you start to eat this [photo 9+10].

  I must admit this turned out tasty but it was overcooked for my liking. I’ve never used this method on a steak this thick so hopefully I’ll learn from my mistakes. Namely, thinking it was done before it was, which meant taking it oven of the over, testing it, then placing it back in. I think this was giving me false readings on my thermometer as the meat had time to cool slightly.

  Here is an excerpt from Culinary Institute of Smoke-Cooking book by Charlie & Ruthie Knote

  bq. You use both of your hands. The muscle between your left hand’s thumb and first finger becomes the “meat” (this is for right-handed people). Hold the left hand very relaxed with its first finger and thumb drooped and parallel to each other. Use the first finger of your right hand for your “doneness tester.” Push against the “loose” muscle (not the loose skin) between your thumb and finger on your left hand. This soft feel compares to the center of your meat if it is raw up to rare. Next, straighten your thumb and finger out straight, push against the same muscle. This springy feel equals meat cooked medium. Next, make a tight fist; test the same muscle area. This firmness equals meat cooked well-done.

  As for temperatures here is what you can look for:

• 120 to 130˚F for rare
• 130 to 145˚F for medium rare
• 145 to 155˚F for medium

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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