A few days ago, I posted a challenge to my social media followers. Instead of sharing a recipe with you guys, I wanted you to give me something you would like to see me make. Whether that was a something you were fearful of making, wanted to see my twist or just wanted to challenge my home cooking skills.
Here we go…..I will now announce what recipe I will be putting my twist on.
Risotto
That’s right. Risotto. It will be my own unique take on this Italian classic comfort dish. In fairness and with total transparency, I’ve never attempted to make risotto before. This will be a completely new challenge that I have never attempted before.
Oh, if that wasn’t interesting enough, I have added a new wrinkle to this challenge. Not only am I going to attempt risotto for the first time, but I am going to attempt two or three variations that suit my culinary point of view!
Two or three versions….do you think I can do it?? Stay tuned because this should be fun!!
As usual, send me an email, comment or let me know what you think!
Special thanks to Erin @312food and LRB @chifoodpaparazzi on Instagram for the amazing feedback! On a side note, you should be following them if you aren’t doing so already!
Mastering the art of cooking a steak is something that is talked about everywhere you look in the culinary universe. What kind of meat, how to season and how much, what kind of pan, proper finishing temperature, and how to treat that piece of meat with the utmost respect. I, too, have wrestled with all those questions and have had a few failures when it comes to presenting and cooking the perfect steak.
Today…..that is all about to change. With change comes new insight, new discoveries, and sometimes a little bit of faith. I will say right up front that this method of cooking will break a lot of the standard steak cooking conventions. However this method, if done correctly, will produce an unbelievably delicious steak. I discovered this method from what is becoming my new favorite cookbook, The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez Alt. I am not receiving any kind of financial endorsement from recommending this book. However, I strongly suggest checking it out because it is changing the way I am thinking about food. You can find it on your favorite online book store and you might even be able to find a sample as well. If you want Kenji’s online bible of steak cookery from his website Serious Eats then click here. If you are ready to get your steak on then let’s do this!
Pan Roasted Steak with Herbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ribeye or strip steak, thick cut, preferably bone-in (1-1/4 to 2 inches)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 half stick of butter
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Butter, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme.
First up, you have to season your steak. The seasoning doesn’t change in that you want to season aggressively. As I have mentioned before, a lot of the salt you apply won’t adhere or will fall off the steak as you flip it over. So, don’t be shy with the salt.
Seasoned ribeye
Okay, here is the first change we are going to talk about. You want to make sure that you season the steak at least 40 minutes prior to cooking. It turns out the steak goes through three steps in the seasoning process. First, the salt is absorbed into the steak, the liquid is drawn to the surface by the salt, and then it is reabsorbed, which pulls the seasoned liquid back into the steak producing a better flavor.
But wait, why aren’t you talking about that this allows the meat to come to room temperature? Because of how we are going to apply heat in this cooking method we will allow the steak to cook more evenly internally. Therefore, letting the steak coming to room temp is less of a problem. Let’s get into that right now.
First application of heat.
Take a deep breath! I know I have broken the big rule of steak cooking, which is not allowing the steak to form a crust before I flipped it. This is were you are just going to have to stay with me on this. This was my first turn after about 30 seconds of the steak in a cold pan, which is set on medium heat. Make sure you have enough fat in the pan so your steak doesn’t stick when you turn it over. This will make more sense as we go along, I promise.
After another turn or two.
So, I have been turning the steak every 30 seconds at this point. Notice that we are starting to a little color and carmelization on our steak. This is exactly what we should be seeing at this point in the cook.
Make sure to put some heat to the edges of your steak. Don’t want to neglect this beauty in any way!
The caption pretty well covers it, but we want to make sure that we render the fat cap. We are going to put that fat to work later!
Beautiful progress on our steak!
I have continued to flip the steak about every 30 seconds. Except this might have been where I took a little longer because I was refreshing my drink. What?? I was thirsty and had to make sure my supply of whiskey was still good!
Okay, now we are going to take this steak to a whole new level. We are going super cheffy style! Yes, that is a technical term.
Cheffy style!
After a few more turns, now comes the flavor. To the pan, add about a half stick of butter. Yes, I am channeling my inner Paula Deen for a few minutes. Butter makes this better! Keep in mind, I am using a two inch thick bone-in ribeye for this recipe. Next, add two to three sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme. Now. let the butter get hot, brown and foamy. You should also notice an aroma of the thyme and rosemary in the air and that is a good thing. Now, spoon that butter all over the steak. We are accomplishing two things here. First, the hot butter carmelizes the exterior of the steak and helps develop an amazing crust. Secondly, the essential oils of those herbs that have cooked in that butter will now flavor the exterior of the steak. In the worlds of Alton Brown, “This a good thing.”
Bubbling butter working away.
Now, you have reached the point the where it is time to take the steak off and let it rest. Yes, don’t forget to let the steak rest. But there is one more thing you want to do….Make sure your sound is on! 🙂
You don’t want to waste any of that beautiful butter infused with those herbs. So, make sure you pour it all over the steak just before you let it rest. If nothing else it is impressive if you are making this for guests.
Once rested, you should have a perfectly cooked mid rare steak. I think I let this rest for a full ten minutes before I sliced it to serve.
Rested mid rare ribeye
Remember at the top of the post, I said you needed to trust the cooking method? Let me remind you why I made that statement. If you look carefully you will notice that mid rare part of the steak pretty well makes up the entire inside of the steak. Think back to when you hard sear a steak and you get that gray band right underneath the surface before the meat becomes mid rare? Might look something like this.
Flank steak with grey band transitioning to mid rare
You can see the grey band on the meat here. Now look back at the ribeye in the photo just above this one. You can see the distinct difference between the two cooking applications here. I am aware that the flank is a thinner cut and doesn’t have the bone to help protect a bit from overcooking. I just wanted you to see what I saw when I read all this in Kenji’s book. Also, I would happily shove both of those pieces of meat in my face at a rapid rate despite the slight difference in cooking method. In fact, since I cooked and ate them both, I can say there is no wrong way to cook a nice hefty steak or piece of meat. I was stunned, however, with the difference and that the practice of hard searing a steak wasn’t the only way to skin this cat.
Here are a few of my final takeaways about this cooking method:
First, this isn’t something you will make every night. It is pricey to buy a nice hefty steak and everything in moderation is key as I have noted before. Hence the reason I don’t channel my inner Paula Deen very often. It is a little more time consuming to cook a steak this way since you have to be attending the steak most of the way through the cooking process. I would guess this will take about a half an hour in order finish this properly. Let’s face it, sometimes that just isn’t practical.
This cooking method has produced the most flavorful steak I’ve ever had at home. This method is very cheffy, inventive, and can be impressive for friends and family watching you cook. You will astonish your foodie friends when you tell them that this application works! There is nothing better than a waterfall of hot butter all over a big steak. I will let you hold that image in your mind for a few minutes.
Finally, check out Kenji’s online article about pan seared steaks or check out the Food Lab. This is quickly becoming my go to cookbook for all things food. It is totally worth checking out!
Let me know what you think by sending me an email, leaving a comment or sharing your experience trying out this recipe.
This dish came into my life while I was eating in Chicago at the The Purple Pig almost a year ago to the day. I have always loved cauliflower and usually order it anytime I see it on a menu. If you have spent anytime checking out the blog then you know I love to cook with it and eat it as well. It is well documented that you can use cauliflower in a million different ways. It can be used as rice, pizza crust, a veggie steak, buffalo wings, mash potatoes, purees, and the list goes on and on. As I was saying, I had this dish while I was in Chicago. If you want to hear the story and relive that moment with me then click here. Do you see what I am talking about?
The premise for this dish is really simple. Take thin cut florets carmelized and nutty, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, cornichons, and lemon juice. Now put these together in a way where the flavors sing and are perfectly balanced. There was only one thing to do, which was make the dish. The nice thing is you can find all of these ingredients at your local market or grocery store. As usual, you can customize it any way that suits the needs of your family. Of course as I write this I have discovered that I have broken one of my own rules, which is that I cannot get one ingredient locally. Most of you are aware that I live in a smaller town so finding certain ingredients can be tough. For me, in this case, cornichons aren’t available at any local store nearby. That means that I either have to drive an hour to find it or I can order it online. Realistically this isn’t a big deal, but for purposes of recipe testing it sucks! So, I am going to give you the run down for the recipe and I will come back to it when I have the last ingredient and I can test it more.
The finished product.
Charred Cauliflower Planks with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Parsley
***Note: This dish is from The Purple Pig in Chicago, IL. This recipe was created Jimmy Bannos Sr. and Jimmy Bannos Jr. who are owners/executive chefs of The Purple Pig. This is my version of their dish and is not intented to claim ownership or inception of the original dish.
1 medium head of cauliflower, sliced into planks about 1/8′ inch thick
2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped parsley for garnish
3 cornichons sliced into rounds
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoon of olive oil
Core Ingredients
To a large heavy bottomed skillet add olive oil over medium high heat.When pan is hot, lay planks of cauliflower down. Season with salt and pepper. When planks have begun to brown and carmelize, flip over and repeat process. Make sure to season both sides. You may need to flip a few times to achieve the desired color. The cauliflower should be cooked through and al dente. If you use a fork the fork should pierce the cauliflower but have a little resistance. You don’t want to the planks to be too soft since it is an important textural component.
Carmelized planks
Meanwhile, toast your favorite breadcrumbs until you have achieved your desired level of doneness. If desired, use gluten free breadcrumbs as a substitute. For my purposes, this was tested with gluten free breadcrumbs.
Remove planks, slice into bite sized pieces and place in dish. Add lemon juice, cornichons, and combine. Top with bread crumbs and garnish with parsley. Dish can be served warm or at room temperature. This makes a great appetizer or can be used a side dish as well.
Pretty simple, right? Absolutely agree! The key to this dish is the balance for textures and flavors to really make it shine. Because this dish has only a couple of ingredients, it can be tricky to manage. Make sure to be patient with yourself. In fact, I tested this recipe three times before I was too full on cauliflower to continue. Plus, my palate had a taken a little beating drinking the amazing little dressing that formed at the bottom with the lemon juice, parsley, and little bits of breadcrumb.
It became clear that although it tasted good and I was happy with the outcome that the dish lacked something. Cornichons. The vinegar, the burst of spice, and a little more texture were needed. I am excited to test this when I have my hands on all the ingredients.
As usual, let me know what you think of this recipe! Email me, leave a comment, send me a message on Instagram, and share your thoughts!
Special thanks to The Purple Pig and Executive Chef, Jimmy Bannos Jr.!!
During my time in the Windy City, my Chicago blogger and foodie crew thought that I needed to check out Longman and Eagle while exploring the city. Not only is it an institution they said, but this is quintessential Chicago. It was outside of downtown in a neighborhood called Logan Square so the feeling was very different right off the bat. There were houses, business, and apartments through this neighborhood without the hustle and bustle of city central. However, Longman and Eagle wasn’t short on either of those things. The light was low, the place was packed, the old school pub vibe was front and center, and it was perfect!
While reading the menu with a beverage in hand, two things caught my attention, root beer and pork. That was all I needed and I was sold. This dish truly had everything! The pork was tender and perfectly cooked. You could taste the root beer, but it was subtle and not overpowering. The braised red cabbage had some acidity and bite to help offset the sweetness of the root beer and the sweet potato puree. If you go, and you should, I totally recommend this!!! You can’t go wrong!
This dish ate so well. I seriously could have had this plate again and again. Not only that, but if you pair it with a drink of your choice you can’t go wrong! Here is a little story while I was there at L & E. I had spent most of my time snapping pictures like a crazy mad man. I think in the five days I was in Chicago, I took about six hundred photos!!! So, here I am, the light is low and the vibe is chill. I had originally tried to take the photo without any additional lighting hoping to capture the raw beauty of this dish. No surprise, I didn’t get any decent photos out of the deal. Next to me were two guys having a beverage, but they seemed to think I was some kind of an alien because I was taking photos of my drink, the menu, and finally the food. Every time that the flash went off, I received a very unpleasant dirty stare. They even went so far as to mumble under their breath about how “weird” it was that I was taking photos of this gorgeous plate. Honestly, I felt a bit put off by the whole thing. One thing about me, I hate feeling like others don’t think I am doing the right thing or somehow I am bothering them by doing something that I imagine happens there all the time! Truth is, this was the only time that me taking photos was ever a problem while I was dining in Chicago. I enjoyed the rest of my dinner quietly and headed out.
After that, I needed to decompress and I ended up landing a few blocks away at Billy Sunday. This is a super unique bar, old school, and another Chicago treasure. Although you can get your everyday mixed beverage, Billy Sunday is about specialty drinks. They have a very unique drink menu that changes often and offers a variety of flavorful profiles. The best part is that you can taste some of the spirits on the shelves. I was fortunate enough to taste a really good whiskey that once I got back I home I had to find some myself. Oh, did I mention that I like whiskey? It is my personal beverage of choice whether it is neat, on the rocks, mixed, shaken or stirred.
The point is that you need to go to Longman and Eagle, then go get a drink at Billy Sunday. You won’t be disappointed!
In honor of being back, I am returning to my last post topic. Gluten free pasta. You may recall that I have been in a year long battle to find a proper gluten free pasta recipe. I finally landed on recipe that I was sure couldn’t possibly work, but it turned out it worked on the very first try. Even better news, it worked the second time and I was able to replenish my pasta stash. If you want to know more click here for a refresher on this recipe and my the story that goes with it.
The recipe has been a total success!! But there are some have issues I have noticed while making this pasta. So, I thought I would bring those to light as I know they have affected the process for me. Here we go!
First up, gluten free pasta can be finicky, so give yourself time and a little of patience when you make this recipe. Or maybe include a glass of wine or your favorite adult beverage to help take the edge off. Trust me, it helps!
The beginnings of our pasta dough.
Since this pasta needs a truck load of moisture to give the dough the proper structure, it can be a real pain to work in enough flour. It really does take a fair bit of patience and time to get the dough fairly dry and smooth. Even on my second attempt, which I just made, I didn’t add quite enough flour. I did add quite a bit more than the first try, but it still needed more. So, be prepared for that as you work your dough. Remember, the dough should be smooth and dry. If it feels tacky as you are working the dough then keep adding flour. If you don’t get enough flour in the dough when you run it through the pasta maker it will be too wet and will break apart in your pasta machine. What I found most interesting is the amount of dough that gets wasted in this recipe. I am talking about bits and pieces that fall off or crumble as you are rolling the dough or running it through your pasta maker.
Dough Scraps
I am convinced is that because you need so much flour, and any gluten free dough can be really fussy, that no matter what you do you lose some of the product. It isn’t a total loss though as I did manage to salvage some scraps and get some more noodles out of the remnants. But there is dough that is lost and can’t be revived no matter what you do. This is particularly evident in the edges of the pasta sheets.
Pasta sheet with brittle edges
Those pieces get brittle or just break off I end up having to shape the sheets with my dough cutter to get the most usable bits of dough processed. Or you have the dough all the way across the sheet. The most effective fix I found was to just run the pasta back through until you could form a more complete sheet. Sometimes I had to run it through three or four times. I don’t think I can say it enough, but be patient and remember your beverage!
Having said all that, you can’t go wrong with the recipe. Why, you ask? I think this picture says it all and this was my second attempt!
The finished product
I know a few of you are hoping to try this recipe. I can’t wait to see what you guys think! This is a really cool recipe and I am so glad that I have been able to find a way to make this work.
Let’s face it, I have been very absent from the blogging scene as of late. Although I continue to eat, create food in my kitchen, and explore all culinary delights I have been left feeling a little lost.
Fair warning, I am going to get personal and share about who I am, so if that isn’t your cup of tea then feel free to not read any further.
My sense of loss is bigger than blogging at this point in my life. I suppose you could say I am going through a bit of retooling. I have moved back to the small town where I grew up, bought a house, bought a truck, and refocused on those little things that are important to me. Like most of us, I am prone to the foils of society and being a human. For a long time I have struggled with myself confience, value, fit in the world, finding my direction in life, and understanding who I am. Unfortunately that gets in my way sometimes and my progress is slowed or even stymied. Truthfully, I am not always the best about pushing through and the effects seem to take me backwards rather than forward. I have been devoid of my usual humor, energy, and joy. It has impacted a lot of my life and I have lost touch with those things that bring me joy.
In fact, my desire to cook and spend time in the kitchen has been reduced to almost nothing. I have only had a handful of moments where I feel like I am connected to the idea of cooking and the joy it can bring. Instead, there has been a lot of reflection both good and bad, work to identify those things that I want to change, and how to make those things happen. It is a slow process and isn’t happening overnight by any account. Once again I was confronted by the thought that maybe this blog wasn’t really what I hoped it would be or what kind of an impact I hoped it would have. Maybe my passion and vision of what I was sharing was totally missing or misguided. You might be wondering what changed, right? A few days ago, I decided to check my blog stats and delete the seemingly endless number of messages that were spam. At that moment, something caught my eye. I hadn’t posted any new content in a few months, but my blog was still being viewed. It was only two views, but those two views felt like they were sending me an important message. A message that said, despite what you think you may be making an impact and not even know it. I was suddenly aware that I wasn’t going to ever give up on blogging. In fact, my goal is to have Patrick’s Table be marketable enough that perhaps I inspire others to follow their passion. When I started this journey I had people both in my circle and those I could only connect with electronically that inspired me and gave me hope that maybe I could do this. We all deserve a chance and the opportunity to have what we want in life.
Am I back in full force? No. Am I giving up? No way! You guys are getting rid of me that easily. I have done the most important thing. I have taken the first step to help me find my way back. I am writing, honoring the goal of this blog, and staying true to that vision. I knew from the beginning that I would always be me and I would share my successes and failures just the same. I would share both the good and bad about who I am and that would never change. I would potentially share my feelings with complete strangers or people that I have grown to become friends with and love. And despite all that being relatively public, I would be okay with that. Because at the end of the day, I would be representing me.
in this moment I am taking a step in the right direction. One step at a time. I look forward to sharing more cooking and food adventures for a long time to come. I also look forward to finding my way on my own personal journey, whatever that may be.
A few months ago, I posted how excited I was that I cracked the code to the mythical gluten free pasta that could be made at home. However, the pasta gods had other ideas, the recipe would only be a one time success. No matter how many times I tried the recipe, it was a complete bust. With the failure came the conclusion that it wasn’t possible. I even reached out to a professionally trained chef that I was acquainted with who told me that making fresh homemade gluten free pasta was pretty unlikely. It wasn’t a surprise because it was all about structure and even I knew that’s why it wasn’t working.
I spent a lot of time with flour and chunks of failed pasta dough littered across my kitchen as though I had lost the war. I was beside myself. Maybe it is the pasta maker, I thought. Maybe because I am not a professionally trained chef I can’t do this. Perhaps my understanding of pasta making wasn’t anything more than a fantasy. Every day I wondered about it, recreated the process in my mind, and agonized over every step. Yet, I never could figure out what the hell went wrong.
Months went by without any real resolution and only that feeling that I hadn’t conquered the gluten free pasta mountain so to speak. Suddenly I felt inspired to make pasta, but I didn’t want regular pasta. I wanted to know that I could make and execute gluten free pasta. With that, back to the internet I went. My search began to turn up all the recipes that didn’t work, recipes I had seen already, and some that seemed to good to be true. Ironically, I was drawn to a recipe that said perfect gluten free pasta with two ingredients…..I had to try it for myself.
The short answer is, I made perfect gluten free pasta that had the proper texture. The long answer is, I was so skeptical that I didn’t take a single photo until I created something that resembled pasta. Even then, I kept thinking to myself that I caught lighting in a bottle. This was different, this was it.
The recipe and video are courtesy of EZ Gluten Fee and can be found here. I will admit, I wish I had come up with this recipe, but I am so happy to share this recipe that anyone can use.
Gluten Free Pasta
240 ML 1 for 1 Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour **(You can order this on Amazon.com if you don’t have any in your pantry or can’t find it at your local grocer.)
3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Combine flour, eggs, and olive oil into food processor or large bowl. Mix ingredients with fork or pulse in food processor until dough begins to form. Transfer dough to a floured surface and begin to gently knead the dough together. Add a dusting of flour until the dough is no longer sticky, but is smooth and mostly dry. This may take a few minutes so stick with it. Process half the dough through your favorite pasta maker. I went to number 3 of the thinning wheels with my hand crank pasta roller. You can use a rolling pin to roll out and cut your dough as well.
Cook your pasta in heavily salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes and serve with your favorite sauce or condiment.
If you aren’t going to cook your pasta right away, place the pasta on a pasta drying rack or on a lightly floured baking sheet to dry before storing. Make sure your pasta is completely dry before you store it for later use.
I added the olive oil for a little extra flavor and moisture to the dough. This isn’t a requirement, but I think it is a nice touch.
Do not add any salt to the original dough. It turns out, according to the blog post, the salt pulls moisture and can affect the structure of the pasta dough. Therefore, just make sure you salt your pasta water accordingly so the pasta will be properly seasoned.
That is it. Fresh gluten free pasta with that proper texture and can be made in 15 minutes or less.
Stay tuned for a follow up post that will include photos at each stage of the process! Enjoy!
I have been very, very absent in the blogging scene lately and I wanted to share why that has come to be. I have had many moments where I thought I had the inspiration or the energy to write an amazing post, but it has been for not. Not for lack of interest, but timing more than anything. So, I am going to break down what has been happening as of late. Feel free to share your own stories, thoughts and feedback. Fair warning, this is an honest and raw look into me.
For the last four years I have been living in Portland, Oregon. I grew up in Southern Oregon closer to the California border. It is rural, in the mountains, and has its own charm. It lacks a lot of things like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Costco, Red Robin, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and the list goes on. Not having those things is a pain, but doesn’t preclude the chance to still enjoy life. What I discovered in that time, although I love being in the big city, is it doesn’t fit the lifestyle I want at this point in my life. So, for that reason, I relocated back to Southern Oregon where I have grown up.
In addition, I have had numerous family members with rather significant health scares so it makes sense to be near those who are important to you. It has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately. Before I go on, appreciate the little things, hug the people you care about, and don’t ever pass up the opportunity to say, “I love you.” I also discovered that I needed community, family, and those people who mattered most to me while in Portland. I had been hemming and hawing about the decision to move, but I decided it was time for action. Up until about 2 weeks ago I was driving 600 miles a week to secure my new home and try to hit the ground running in my new but old hometown
Speaking of running, as if all the stress of a move in all parts wasn’t enough, I decided to jump start my path to happiness by getting a part in a musical. Theater, singing, and performance have been a passion of mine for most of my life. In fact, I went on to earn my degree in Theatre Arts because that was what spoke to me. Trying to manage a move, driving 600 miles a week, and rehearsal for musical is a daunting task to put it mildly. I had a few people describe my life with some color phrases that I won’t share here. I will let your imagination do the work.
I think a big part of this has been trying to figure out who I am, what I want out of life, how to get it, and what I think that journey looks like. I admit that I am heavy thinker and do my fair share of chewing things over. It is most certainly a gift and a curse, but one that has served me well for the most part. That spurred on some anxiety and depression that I am working through now and continue to do to have the life I want.
Finally, what is the future of Patrick’s Table? Well, the short is answer is that the blog isn’t going away. However, I do need time to refocus and be able to put forth the energy I want to produce quality posts. I am trying to post on IG and will continue to do so, but Patrick’s Table will be quiet for a little while longer.
I wish to think each of you that has read my blog, looked at or tried a recipe, taken the time to share your own stories with me. It can’t be overstated enough how much that means to me. Thanks for sticking with me. Here’s to many more food adventures!
Guys! Let’s face it, I’m not exactly known for my home decor lifestyle posts. However, this is too good to pass up and worth sharing. I am currently getting ready to move. There will be more to come on this later. I’ve started cleaning some of the usual suspects in the house and I decided to start with the most used item in my house, the oven. Now, cleaning the oven ain’t no thing, but I have always, always struggled with cleaning the oven racks. You can’t fit them in the sink, I don’t own a pressure washer, and trying to find replacements isn’t easy- I’ve tried. So, to Google I went to find my answer. Now, I have seen some crazy solutions for how to clean various parts of my house. My favorite was someone suggested a rain dance to wash my problem away. Remember the interweb is full of cooky stuff so be mindful, but I digress. Here I am looking for rack cleaning suggestions when I see something amazing. Ready for this?
1. Place your oven racks in your bathtub.
2. Fill tub with warm water until racks are covered.
3. Add a splash of your favorite dish soap
4. **Okay, this is where it gets weird, but you have to trust me. Add 5 or 6 dryer sheets to the tub. Yes, dryer sheets. I didn’t believe it either, but it is the best!! The short answer is the anti static properties in the dryer sheets pull the hardened caked grime from the racks with ease.
5. Let the racks soak at least 5 hrs, but you can go as long as you like.
6. Use the dryer sheets to scrubs the racks and watch the grime come off. You might notice that some of it won’t scrub off with the dryer sheets. If that happens, just grab your favorite scrubby pad to remove the rest. You can always do a second treatment to help loosen more of it.
7. Rinse the racks off and wipe down to make sure all the loose grime is gone. TA-DA!! Good as new!
Here is the original link for this awesome hack.
I did make the classic mistake, which is I didn’t take a before or after photo because I was pretty skeptical. Well, let me say, I won’t make that mistake again!
I promise that is a game changer!! Let me know what you think of this by commenting on my post or sending me an email. I can’t wait to hear what you all think!
The bone-in ribeye is one of my favorite cuts of steak. This cut of meat has the most flavor, it is pretty forgiving when cooking, and relatively economical. I recommend, if you can, finding a good butcher that will cut you the size you want. You only need 4 to 6 oz per person for a proper portion.
Alright, so before you cook a large piece of steak or pork, you want to set it on the counter for a little while to let it come to room temperature. Before you throw me into the fire, I can assure that you leaving a piece of pork or steak out for a up to a couple of hours won’t cause you to take a trip to the ER or leave you on your death bed. If you left it out for a few days and moved it between hot and cold climates, more or less humidity, and exposed it to other contaminants, then yes, you would be asking for trouble!
Next, like our short ribs recipe, you want to salt the rib-eye pretty heavily, as shown in the photo (above). Again, this heavy dose of salt isn’t a sure fire sign of bad cholesterol or anything like that. If you have to add salt to your coffee, cereal, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and dessert, then yes, you might have a bit of problem. Seriously, we are going to lose some of this during cooking and the meat is going to absorb this salt — which equals flavor.
Season well with fresh ground pepper as well.
Look Ma, no salt! The steak has taken all that in and created a glossy finish that will help develop color when cooking the steak.
The steak is done! Cook it for about 4 to 5 minutes a side for medium rare. Make sure the grill is hot, as medium high heat is the target. When the steak hits the grill, don’t move it! You won’t get the color you want if you keep moving it. You should only turn the steak a total of 4 times in the entire cook process. When you take the steak off the grill, let it rest. This will help the juices redistribute throughout the meat. I usually tent my steak with foil for another 10 minutes once it is taken off the heat.
