Meat – Fervent Foodie

Restaurant Roundup: George’s Brasserie, TRUE Crafted Pizza, & Chima Brazilian Steakhouse {Charlotte, NC}

July 30, 2013 6 Comments

GEORGE’S BRASSERIE

I don’t believe I’ve ever fantasized about mussels like I have George’s. They’ve been on my mind and in my dreams, succulent and meaty and begging to be eaten, for weeks. Of course we’re talking mussels here, not muscles, of which George’s Brasserie offers five different varieties. The fiery style, with a delicate spicy cream sauce, was so good, I’m not sure I’ll ever find the courage to order any of the others. It was love at first dunk of their fresh French bread into that spicy sauce. This overwhelming delight was a somewhat unexpected reaction, given that French food has never really excited me (a distaste I blame on a few bad experiences I had on a trip to Paris back in college, and an overall dislike of game and heavy sauces). In contrast, Executive Chef Andrew “Drew” Dodd puts a contemporary spin on the cuisine, while still offering many signature French dishes, including bouillabaisse, cassoulet, beef bourguignon, and charcuterie. A handful of the entrees are sourced locally, including the North Carolina trout armandine, the Spring Mountain Farms chicken served with black garlic beurre blanc, and a few varieties of their large oyster selection.

Like the food, the restaurant itself is upscale yet inviting. There are cozy round booths bordering smaller bistro style tables complete with Parisian-style rattan chairs. Small touches, like the aluminum bread pails brought to each table, keep the restaurant grounded and the atmosphere friendly.

One of my favorite hors d’oeuvres is the 48-hour pork belly, which is cooked sous-vide and served with jalapeno infused water melon. Unlike other pork belly I’ve tried, George’s has a crispy skin and no jiggly bits; you can literally sink your teeth into it. Other standout dishes are the supple pan-seared scallops, served with sweet corn and saffron puree, fava beans, smoked tomato, and thyme beurre blanc and the NY Strip Au Poivre with brandy peppercorn sauce, served with a petite ceramic pot of truffle pommes frites. I’ve also heard great things about the goat cheese and caramelized onion tart, but I’ve yet to try it (next time!).

George’s is a place where Francophiles and Francophobes alike will be satisfied, not only with the exceptional food but also the extensive wine list and the attentive and impressively knowledgeable servers. And for those fiery mussels, of course.

Features, Food Articles

Sous-vide, say what?

June 3, 2013 10 Comments

Cooking meat is hard. At least it is for me, the girl with a perpetual fear of eating and/or serving meat that’s slimy and pink in the middle. When cooking meat on the stove top or grill, I stand over it like a micromanaging boss, constantly assessing the doneness. Once the meat appears that it might, just maybe, be cooked through, I’ll give it a few gentle thwacks with my spatula to test for meat solidity. If it’s not too jiggly, I cut one of the pieces in half to check for pinkness. More often than not, this process continues until all pieces of protein have been cut down into quarters and the exterior of the meat is slightly overdone. This is not an exact science, and as an anal Type A, I hate that. Long ago, I declared the oven as my preferred method for cooking whole pieces of protein. It’s not perfect, but with a meat thermometer and a steady oven temperature I can get the meat done to my liking most of the time.

The problem with the oven, as with other traditional cooking methods, is that the heat source blasts the food from the exterior. Even when executed well, these cooking methods leave a small window of time to reach your desired doneness, and by the time the center of the meat comes to temperature, the exterior is often overcooked. Sous-vide (pronounced soo-veed) is an innovative cooking method that eliminates all of this guesswork by utilizing a low-temperature water bath. French for “under vacuum,” the much buzzed about sous-vide cooking process starts with sealing fresh meats or produce in air-tight single-use food-grade plastic bags, which are then immersed in a water bath and cooked low and slow.

This process enables the heat to move evenly around the food, slowly cooking, as it brings the entire food item, outside and in, to a consistent temperature. Since the food is vacuum sealed in its bag, no juices, flavors, or nutrients are lost during the cooking process; the food is infused with its own natural juices and sugars as it cooks, resulting in a final product that’s juicy, tender, and evenly cooked throughout.

Restaurants

Block & Grinder {Charlotte, NC–restaurant review}

March 19, 2013 7 Comments

Block & Grinder just opened in Charlotte, and its concept is unique: think full bar, wine shop, butcher counter, and restaurant all mashed into one location. The focus is on fresh ingredients, what the owners call a “back to basics” approach. Block & Grinder specializes in premium, all-natural meats and wild game. The meats are fresh and cut and ground in-house daily, giving patrons a “butcher block to grinder” experience. Even the corned beef and pastrami is brined, steamed, smoked, trimmed, and cut in-house.

Most seats in the restaurant offer a full view of the open kitchen, which is headed by executive chef Kent Graham (who previously served as chef for the Atlanta Braves). At any given time, you can see half a dozen cooks methodically knocking out orders as the line man calls them out.

Recipes

Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin

November 16, 2011 9 Comments

When I think of pork, the first word that comes to mind is “BLAH.”

What are we having for dinner?

Pork.

BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Perhaps I was subjected to too many dried out pinky-thin chops as a child. Or perhaps I was too enveloped in my love affair with the other two other-white-meats. Given that my one true love in life is FOOD, it hurts my heart to dislike something. I actually force myself to occasionally eat the hated food(s) in question in hopes of maturing my palate and someday rising above these childish dislikes.

That’s dedication people.

Watch out kidney beans, olives, eggplant, and every species of fish known to man. I’m coming for ya.

In an effort to branch out, I decided to try and cook up some pork tenderloins. I’d never cooked pork tenderloins before, and the ONLY other time I’ve attempted a pork dish was this pork chop flop, which clearly no words can describe.

This Allrecipes.com recipe for Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin was my inspiration, subject to a few mweaks. The result was, well, it definitely ain’t yo’ grandma’s pork.. or your step-mother’s pork as the case may be. Sorry to put you on blast, Sally. Angel

This pork was JUICY and super flavorful with equally balanced sweet and heat. I never thought I’d use “flavor” and “pork” in the same sentence. Just did. Take THAT pork chop flop. TAKE THAT.

These tenderloins were SUPER simple. All you do is mix the following in a large ziploc baggie or large bowl with lid:

2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tbsp chili powder (depending on your heat tolerance)
2 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)

Plop 2 pork tenderloins (approx 1.25-1.5lbs each) into the bag/bowl and shake the crap out of it to evenly coat the loins with the seasonings. Lay the tenderloins out on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray, then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil across the top:

Cook in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning half way through.

Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a cutting board to slice:

Crazy blurry photo courtesy of my iPhone!

Dare I say I LOVED this pork???

The BF declared “this was the best meat he ever had.” To which I responded with a perfectly timed and completely appropriate “that’s what she said.”

Speaking of appropriate, I cannot type or say the word “loin” without giggling. Apparently, my palate isn’t the only thing I need to work on maturing.

To round out the meal, I made Rachael Ray’s Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes:

This was just OK—a bit on the bland side, so I doubt I will make it again.

Thank god for potatoes. They totally made up for the orzo. Halved baby red potatoes, coated with some EVOO, garlic salt, black pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper roasted at 500 degrees for 20 minutes:

I can honestly say I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like.

Feel free to leave inappropriate meat jokes for the BF in the comments. I’ll be sure to pass them along 😉

Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin (serves 6)

2 pork tenderloins (1.25 – 1.5 lbs each)
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tbsp chili powder (depending on your heat tolerance)
2 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
Extra virgin olive oil

Step one: combine all of the ingredients other than the pork in a large Ziploc baggie or large bowl with lid. Place the 2 pork tenderloins (approx 1.25-1.5lbs each) into the bag/bowl, seal, then shake to evenly coat the loins with the seasonings.

Step two: spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, lay the tenderloins on top, then and drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil. Cook in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning flipping way through.

Step three: Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a cutting board to slice.

Recipes

Lazy girl’s guide to stir fry

June 21, 2011 6 Comments

Lately I’ve had very little motivation to cook anything. Not sure what the deal is—the heat, the sleep deprivation, the lack of time, or perhaps a missing muse—whatever the case my meals sure have been lacking.

A month or so ago (while still in this cooking rut), I made stir fry for the first time. I’m talking FOR REAL stir fry. Wok and all. (courtesy of five well spent dollars at Ikea)

I wasn’t really sure where to start with the stir fry. So I kinda just went with what felt right. Lucky for me what felt right was a super fast, super easy, super tasty lazy girl stir fry Surprised smile

Here’s what you’ll need:

Minced garlic and or green onion (obviously I prefer both)
Pre-packaged stir-fry veggies (I like FRESH not frozen)
Some sort of meat (shrimp, chopped chicken, beef, etc)
Some sort of sauce (something low sugar/low sodium.. teriyaki, Szechuan, or whatever your heart desires)
S&P
Minute Brown Rice

Ok, so first up, you get the water boiling for the rice. I usually go with 1/3 cup of rice and then overdo it on the veggies – but it’s really your call, lazy girl.. Your call.

Cook the rice according to the package instructions (aka, dump rice in boiling water, simmer 5 min, remove from heat 5 min, FLUFF!).

Meanwhile, heat up a wok (or sauté pan) on medium high heat. Get that baby HOT! Coat with nonstick cooking spray, toss in your garlic and/or onions, and then cook up your meat. I like to season the meat with some pepper and garlic salt. When the meat is cooked through, remove it from the wok, and toss in your veggies, and season with S&P. I use half a bag (6 ounces) of the Eat Smart vegetable Stir Fry mix for one serving.

I use a little spatula to toss the veggies about and get them slightly crisp. I’m still working on my wok-toss, so the spatula will have to do for now.

Occasionally add 1 tsp of water to the wok to help the veg get their groove on while simultaneously making you feel like a wok-BAMF. The pan should SIZZLE when you do this. I know you’ve got it in you!

When the rice is just about done, add the meat back to the wok, and add in about 2 tbsp of your sauce of choice. Give it a nice stir (or a few tosses if you’ll feeling crazy), then pour into a bowl along with the rice.

Then eat your face off.

Schezuan Shrimp:

Teriyaki Chicken:

Good wok, lazy girl. Good wok. Smile

Stats on 1 serving (1/3 cup rice, 6 ounces veggie mix, 4 ounces shrimp, 2 tbsp Szechuan sauce): 300 calories, 40g carbs, 5g fat, 27g protein, 5g fiber

1 2 3 Next »