Showing posts with label Prosciutto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prosciutto. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Bison Roast with the Most - Backwards Bison "Saltimbocca" (Kind of)
It has been awhile since I have been fortunate enough to come into contact with a truly delicious cut of meat. Enter the Bison Roast that I found at the Fred Meyer in Wood Village. AWESOME! Usually I am stuck with ground bison. Not that I am complaining, because it is delicious as well, but it kind of leaves you limited on preparation. I mean there is only so much you can do with ground meat. The funniest part about the whole thing was that the Bison roast was cheaper per pound than the Beef was. Oh yeah!!
This roast was the perfect size, only about 1 1/2 lbs. The only issue with Bison is that it is extremely lean. Lean meat tends to be a little on the tough side unless you cook it to death in liquid. I really wasn't in the mood for a Bison Pot roast. Thus it was going to need some extra fat to keep it moist and tender. That was when I decided on covering the whole thing in Prosciutto. Of course, Prosciutto goes awesome with Sage.
This led me to the whole idea of Saltimbocca in reverse. (Meat wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto instead of Sage and Prosciutto rolled up in meat) Since I have already made Saltimbocca with Bison before, I knew the flavors would play well together. Now, I just need to find another roast, cause I NEED to make this again!
1 Bison Roast (I had a Bison Sirloin Roast of about 1.6 lb)
Olive Oil
Sage Leaves
Several sliced of Prosciutto
Cracked Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then grab the Bison roast (ain't it pretty?)
Cut off any twine.
On a washable cutting board, lay out 3-4 sliced of Prosciutto, overlapping slightly, then top that with a few Sage Leaves.
Place the Bison Roast on the Prosciutto "mat" and lay sage leaves over the whole roast and season with Pepper. (The prosciutto is plenty "salty" so no extra salt is needed)
Begin wrapping the mat up the sides of the roast.
Lay more prosciutto slices over the top and (since it's a little sticky) press the seams together to completely encase the meat.
Secure the whole thing (to be on the safe side) with new twine.
Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with Olive Oil (just "Light" or "Pure", not Extra Virgin or it will smoke too much) and cover with foil.
Roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and insert a probe; continue toasting until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (medium-rare-ish)
Remove the roast from the oven, re-cover with the foil and let rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes at which point the roast should be between 155 and 160 (medium)
Remove the foil and slice.......
Enjoy the taste of America!!!
Mangia!!
~~
This roast was the perfect size, only about 1 1/2 lbs. The only issue with Bison is that it is extremely lean. Lean meat tends to be a little on the tough side unless you cook it to death in liquid. I really wasn't in the mood for a Bison Pot roast. Thus it was going to need some extra fat to keep it moist and tender. That was when I decided on covering the whole thing in Prosciutto. Of course, Prosciutto goes awesome with Sage.
This led me to the whole idea of Saltimbocca in reverse. (Meat wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto instead of Sage and Prosciutto rolled up in meat) Since I have already made Saltimbocca with Bison before, I knew the flavors would play well together. Now, I just need to find another roast, cause I NEED to make this again!
Backwards Bison "Saltimbocca"
Olive Oil
Sage Leaves
Several sliced of Prosciutto
Cracked Black Pepper
Remove the roast from the oven, re-cover with the foil and let rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes at which point the roast should be between 155 and 160 (medium)
Remove the foil and slice.......
Mangia!!
~~
Thursday, September 10, 2009
BakeSpace Coast to Coast Saltimbocca "Jumps" the Pond
Awesome news!!! The Coast to Coast Cook-Off has jumped "the Pond" and gone global. In honor of this event, the Coast to Coast cook off has henceforth been renamed as the "International Taste Tour". YAY!!!!!! After all food is the international language. How many cultures around the world consider "breaking bread" to be a significant "ritual"?
The chosen dish for this BakeSpace International Taste Tour was Saltimbocca (Jumps in the mouth). I LOVE Saltimbocca alla Romana, but I tend to follow a very traditional recipe when making it. Since the purpose of the coast to coast cook off is to personalize the dishes we are preparing, I had to really work on this one... Let's face it, I usually put an "Italian" or "Mediterranean" spin on dishes, that is kind of my signature. It was going to be a little difficult to put my normal spin on something that was already Italian.
To make matters worse, I am an avid user of Browned Butter, which is standard to the dish, so I was even denied my "ace in the hole"; my "tour de force" as it were. Yes, this was going to require some massive mental rumination. I was beginning to feel like Winnie the Pooh, sitting here just tapping my head and repeating over and over... "Think, Think, Think, Think, Think". What could I possibly do to place my signature on a classic dish such as this?
Well, I like to use Panko in place of regular bread crumbs... but I don't think it would react well to the braising. (sigh)
Saltimbocca, in the classic sense is veal, so I suppose I could use chicken, but that's really not very "me". Then it hit me... I was raised on alternate forms of red meat. There wasn't a whole lot of cow cooking going on in my household growing up... Lamb, Cheven, Elk, Venison, & Rabbit for sure, but not really a lot of Beef and especially not Veal... OK, NOW I was getting somewhere, but it was not without it's issues.
Goat is impossible to find in San Diego; Lamb I could have probably done, although the cost of non-ground Lamb here is ridiculous at best. Elk? Yeah right, in this town? Let's get real. LOL Not happ'nin any more than Venison or Rabbit... ;) I would be better off combing Balboa park for a Opossum.
BUT, what I DID find was a Bison steak... I know, shock of shocks. I have only seen it ground up until this point. But the shocks keep right on coming, cause what really floored me, is that is was cheaper than Lamb... So YAY and Hooray!! Bison is good... Sweeter than domesticated bovine, more mellow in flavor, and as a bonus, it's actually low in cholesterol, which kind of compensates for all the Browned Butter, right? AWESOME!
And so it was ... Bison was the meat I used... a decidedly American spin on an Italian classic... Now THERE is some irony for ya... LOL Oh, I decided to do a rolatini configuration instead of layering or folding.... For all my BakeSpace buddies out there, this recipe is located Here In My Kitchen.
1 lb Bison Sirloin
6 oz dry White Wine; I used Orvieto this time (A dry blended wine with trebbiano grapes similar to Sauvignon Blanc, or at least this one was)
Black Pepper to taste
(optional) 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream
Using a Super-Sharp knife (I used my American Angler filleting knife instead of my Shun Gokujo, cause the blade is a little longer)
Fillet the sirloin to reduce the thickness and create cutlets.
Place one cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper or in a zip lock baggy and pound in lightly with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness, making Scaloppine (singular).
Be gentle.
Lay down Prosciutto and 2 - 3 Sage leaves;
Roll the scaloppini (pl), (this is rolatini) and place on a plate and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour covered with plastic wrap. (this will help the rolatini hold their shape when searing)
While your waiting, go ahead and make Browned Butter. (You need about 8 TB of unsalted butter to make 6 TB of Browned Butter)
Heat 3 TB Browned Butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Dredge the rolatini (pl) in flour to coat,
Shaking off any excess.
Grab a clean plate and warm it slightly in the microwave, set it on an empty burner.
Sear the rolatini on all sides until lightly browned.
Transfer to the warm plate.
Pour the spent Browned Butter from pan (But don’t wipe the pan!)
Place back over medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 TB Browned Butter.
When butter is hot, deglaze with Wine and scrape fond from the bottom of the pan,
Then add the veal stock and salt and pepper to taste. (Be stingy with the salt, cause the prosciutto is REALLY salty already)
Place the rolatini back in pan and simmer until sauce is reduced by half and the rolatini are heated through; about 10 minutes (I occasionally spoon some of the pan liquid over the rolatini)
Transfer the rolatini to a clean plate,
Add the 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream, if using, to the sauce and cook 1 minute more.
Strained the sauce if you like. (This is optional)
Spoon sauce over top and serve with Sage to garnish.
All in all, I was extremely pleased. I was worried at first, about rolling the bison, but I ended up with the perfect touch of pink all the way through. Yes, so pleased that I ate 2 pieces... ;) Who needs a vegetable, isn't that what the sage is for?
And what Taste Tour would be complete without all of my talented "beeps" (BakeSpace peeps) and their inspired interpretations of this Classic Italian Dish. Even better is that, thanks to DD who totally rocks by the way, we now have a visual representation of where everyone is located.
Simply click on the map above for a full sized rendition, providing pictures, recipes and locations of all my beeps' creations.
For those who have subscribed via email... Here is a quick rundown.... of all the other inspired renditions of Saltimbocca from across the globe.
Dajana from Baker's Corner... Somewhere in my Kitchen, in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)
Sheryle from Cookiebaker's Corner in Ohio
Pamela from Pamela's Place 2 in Indiana
Matt from Outlaw Gourmand in California
Cathy from The Dutch Baker's Daughter in Minnesota
Spryte from Spryte's Place in Pennsylvania
Danielle from Cooking for my Peace of Mind in California
Moni From Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch in Alaska
DD from DDPie's Slice in Indiana
Michele from My Italian Grandmother in New Jersey
They are all so wonderfully inventive and diverse, I am sure there is a Saltimbocca here to suite everyone's taste!!
Mangia!!
~~
The chosen dish for this BakeSpace International Taste Tour was Saltimbocca (Jumps in the mouth). I LOVE Saltimbocca alla Romana, but I tend to follow a very traditional recipe when making it. Since the purpose of the coast to coast cook off is to personalize the dishes we are preparing, I had to really work on this one... Let's face it, I usually put an "Italian" or "Mediterranean" spin on dishes, that is kind of my signature. It was going to be a little difficult to put my normal spin on something that was already Italian.
To make matters worse, I am an avid user of Browned Butter, which is standard to the dish, so I was even denied my "ace in the hole"; my "tour de force" as it were. Yes, this was going to require some massive mental rumination. I was beginning to feel like Winnie the Pooh, sitting here just tapping my head and repeating over and over... "Think, Think, Think, Think, Think". What could I possibly do to place my signature on a classic dish such as this?
Well, I like to use Panko in place of regular bread crumbs... but I don't think it would react well to the braising. (sigh)
Saltimbocca, in the classic sense is veal, so I suppose I could use chicken, but that's really not very "me". Then it hit me... I was raised on alternate forms of red meat. There wasn't a whole lot of cow cooking going on in my household growing up... Lamb, Cheven, Elk, Venison, & Rabbit for sure, but not really a lot of Beef and especially not Veal... OK, NOW I was getting somewhere, but it was not without it's issues.
Goat is impossible to find in San Diego; Lamb I could have probably done, although the cost of non-ground Lamb here is ridiculous at best. Elk? Yeah right, in this town? Let's get real. LOL Not happ'nin any more than Venison or Rabbit... ;) I would be better off combing Balboa park for a Opossum.
BUT, what I DID find was a Bison steak... I know, shock of shocks. I have only seen it ground up until this point. But the shocks keep right on coming, cause what really floored me, is that is was cheaper than Lamb... So YAY and Hooray!! Bison is good... Sweeter than domesticated bovine, more mellow in flavor, and as a bonus, it's actually low in cholesterol, which kind of compensates for all the Browned Butter, right? AWESOME!
And so it was ... Bison was the meat I used... a decidedly American spin on an Italian classic... Now THERE is some irony for ya... LOL Oh, I decided to do a rolatini configuration instead of layering or folding.... For all my BakeSpace buddies out there, this recipe is located Here In My Kitchen.
Saltimbocca ala Bisonte
1 lb Bison Sirloin8 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
10 - 12 Fresh Sage Leaves; depending on size
2 oz AP Flour; for dredging
6 TB Browned Butter; Divided10 - 12 Fresh Sage Leaves; depending on size
2 oz AP Flour; for dredging
6 oz dry White Wine; I used Orvieto this time (A dry blended wine with trebbiano grapes similar to Sauvignon Blanc, or at least this one was)
3 oz Veal Stock (when using veal scaloppini I will sometimes use Chicken stock, but this really needs veal stock)
Kosher Salt to tasteBlack Pepper to taste
(optional) 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream
Using a Super-Sharp knife (I used my American Angler filleting knife instead of my Shun Gokujo, cause the blade is a little longer)
Fillet the sirloin to reduce the thickness and create cutlets.
Place one cutlet between two sheets of waxed paper or in a zip lock baggy and pound in lightly with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness, making Scaloppine (singular).
Be gentle.
Lay down Prosciutto and 2 - 3 Sage leaves;
Roll the scaloppini (pl), (this is rolatini) and place on a plate and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour covered with plastic wrap. (this will help the rolatini hold their shape when searing)
While your waiting, go ahead and make Browned Butter. (You need about 8 TB of unsalted butter to make 6 TB of Browned Butter)
Heat 3 TB Browned Butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Dredge the rolatini (pl) in flour to coat,
Shaking off any excess.
Grab a clean plate and warm it slightly in the microwave, set it on an empty burner.
Sear the rolatini on all sides until lightly browned.
Transfer to the warm plate.
Pour the spent Browned Butter from pan (But don’t wipe the pan!)
Place back over medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 TB Browned Butter.
When butter is hot, deglaze with Wine and scrape fond from the bottom of the pan,
Then add the veal stock and salt and pepper to taste. (Be stingy with the salt, cause the prosciutto is REALLY salty already)
Place the rolatini back in pan and simmer until sauce is reduced by half and the rolatini are heated through; about 10 minutes (I occasionally spoon some of the pan liquid over the rolatini)
Transfer the rolatini to a clean plate,
Add the 1 1/2 TB of Heavy Cream, if using, to the sauce and cook 1 minute more.
Strained the sauce if you like. (This is optional)
Spoon sauce over top and serve with Sage to garnish.
All in all, I was extremely pleased. I was worried at first, about rolling the bison, but I ended up with the perfect touch of pink all the way through. Yes, so pleased that I ate 2 pieces... ;) Who needs a vegetable, isn't that what the sage is for?
And what Taste Tour would be complete without all of my talented "beeps" (BakeSpace peeps) and their inspired interpretations of this Classic Italian Dish. Even better is that, thanks to DD who totally rocks by the way, we now have a visual representation of where everyone is located.
Simply click on the map above for a full sized rendition, providing pictures, recipes and locations of all my beeps' creations.For those who have subscribed via email... Here is a quick rundown.... of all the other inspired renditions of Saltimbocca from across the globe.
Dajana from Baker's Corner... Somewhere in my Kitchen, in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)
Sheryle from Cookiebaker's Corner in OhioPamela from Pamela's Place 2 in IndianaMatt from Outlaw Gourmand in CaliforniaCathy from The Dutch Baker's Daughter in MinnesotaSpryte from Spryte's Place in PennsylvaniaDanielle from Cooking for my Peace of Mind in CaliforniaMoni From Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch in AlaskaDD from DDPie's Slice in IndianaMichele from My Italian Grandmother in New JerseyThey are all so wonderfully inventive and diverse, I am sure there is a Saltimbocca here to suite everyone's taste!!Mangia!!
~~
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Jammin Ham-n-Yams - Salty Sweet Potatoes
I have never been a fan of the Sweet Potato or what we mistakenly call a Yam here in the U.S. Real yams, genus Dioscorea, are rarely available in the US and grow up the 2.5 meters long and can weight 150 lbs. What we call a "Yam" in the US is actually a soft Sweet Potato, as opposed to firm varieties which are referred to as, well, "Sweet Potatoes", both of which are of the same genus (Ipomoea) as your garden variety Morning Glories.
I'll admit it, I have sugar "issues". It’s more or less true, I guess. I don't really care for sweet stuff, (no I am not an alien from another planet) opting more overtly for all things sour, bitter, umami (savory) and salty. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a nice bite of Devil’s Food cake, a tiny sliver of Pecan Pie, or a couple bites of Crème Brûlée. Even though I joke about sitting in a corner with a jar of Nutella and a spoon, the truth of the matter is... Well, yes, it tastes delicious but I actually overload on sweet, for lack of a better term, after 1 or 2 bites even though I would LOVE to eat more... I just can't...
Therein lays my distaste for all things of the sweet potato persuasion. ESPECIALLY that Thanksgiving train wreck called “Candied Yams”, as if the things aren't sweet enough already, let’s just add Brown Sugar… And worse... MARSHMALLOWS. (shudder) Yes, that is what every T-Day tuber needs, sugar flavored whipped gelatin melted over the top... (Sorry, I really do hate them - I can't help it)
BUT <--- Please note that this is a big “but” ;) I do love things that balance Sweetness and Saltiness… I seem to have a higher tolerance for “the sweet stuff” when it has the ability to double as “the salty stuff”. Case in point --- Salt caramels, can’t get enough of them… Pay Day candy bars – AWESOME! Chocolate Covered Bacon, Apples and Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Parmegiano-Reggiano drizzled with Honey, Potato Chip Cookies, Screamin’ Yellow Zonkers, Prosciutto Wrapped Almond Stuffed Dates, Musk melon wrapped in Prosciutto… WAIT!!! Hold up! Those last two items… Hmmmmmmm Yep, that was the answer, and I would not have thought about it if it hadn’t been for Matt74 on BakeSpace and his awesome Prosciutto wrapped Fingerling Potatoes. Which I did make, as a side dish for Cambazola Stuffed Pork Loin, and I absolutely loved them. Well Heck, If you can wrap a Fingerling Potato, then why not wrap a Sweet Potato? So I hunted down some baby sweet potatoes. Trader Joe’s delivered yet again. Most Excellent!!
Baby Sweet Potatoes
Prosciutto Slices
Olive oil
Cracked Black Pepper
Ground Cinnamon (Oh yeah baby!)
I only did a few cause, like bacon, once prosciutto has been “cooked” it doesn’t reheat well.
Preheat the oven to 375
Simply peel the Sweet Potatoes and rub then with olive oil, then sprinkle with cracked Black Pepper and Cinnamon.
Wrap each Sweet Potato in 1 slice of Prosciutto and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the ends are easily pierced with a fork. (I cooked mine for 25 minutes, which was a little too long)
Serve warm, and enjoy… I sure did, I ate all 5 of them… They were delicious, and the cinnamon really highlighted the flavor, I don’t think I had ever noticed that sweet potatoes have an almost cinnamon quality to their flavor. It’s amazing what you discover about something once the overwhelming sweetness of sugar & marshmallows is removed.
I actually LIKE Sweet Potatoes… Who’d a thunk it? Certainly not me!! Now I am wondering how mouthwateringly delectable they might be is simply sliced and sautéed in butter or olive oil with just a little salt and pepper? OK, maybe more than just a little salt… :) AWESOME!!!
Mangia!!
~~
I'll admit it, I have sugar "issues". It’s more or less true, I guess. I don't really care for sweet stuff, (no I am not an alien from another planet) opting more overtly for all things sour, bitter, umami (savory) and salty. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a nice bite of Devil’s Food cake, a tiny sliver of Pecan Pie, or a couple bites of Crème Brûlée. Even though I joke about sitting in a corner with a jar of Nutella and a spoon, the truth of the matter is... Well, yes, it tastes delicious but I actually overload on sweet, for lack of a better term, after 1 or 2 bites even though I would LOVE to eat more... I just can't...
Therein lays my distaste for all things of the sweet potato persuasion. ESPECIALLY that Thanksgiving train wreck called “Candied Yams”, as if the things aren't sweet enough already, let’s just add Brown Sugar… And worse... MARSHMALLOWS. (shudder) Yes, that is what every T-Day tuber needs, sugar flavored whipped gelatin melted over the top... (Sorry, I really do hate them - I can't help it)
BUT <--- Please note that this is a big “but” ;) I do love things that balance Sweetness and Saltiness… I seem to have a higher tolerance for “the sweet stuff” when it has the ability to double as “the salty stuff”. Case in point --- Salt caramels, can’t get enough of them… Pay Day candy bars – AWESOME! Chocolate Covered Bacon, Apples and Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Parmegiano-Reggiano drizzled with Honey, Potato Chip Cookies, Screamin’ Yellow Zonkers, Prosciutto Wrapped Almond Stuffed Dates, Musk melon wrapped in Prosciutto… WAIT!!! Hold up! Those last two items… Hmmmmmmm Yep, that was the answer, and I would not have thought about it if it hadn’t been for Matt74 on BakeSpace and his awesome Prosciutto wrapped Fingerling Potatoes. Which I did make, as a side dish for Cambazola Stuffed Pork Loin, and I absolutely loved them. Well Heck, If you can wrap a Fingerling Potato, then why not wrap a Sweet Potato? So I hunted down some baby sweet potatoes. Trader Joe’s delivered yet again. Most Excellent!!
Prosciutto Wrapped Baby Sweet Potatoes
Baby Sweet PotatoesProsciutto Slices
Olive oil
Cracked Black Pepper
Ground Cinnamon (Oh yeah baby!)
I only did a few cause, like bacon, once prosciutto has been “cooked” it doesn’t reheat well.
Preheat the oven to 375Simply peel the Sweet Potatoes and rub then with olive oil, then sprinkle with cracked Black Pepper and Cinnamon.Wrap each Sweet Potato in 1 slice of Prosciutto and place them on a parchment lined baking sheetBake for about 15-20 minutes or until the ends are easily pierced with a fork. (I cooked mine for 25 minutes, which was a little too long)Serve warm, and enjoy… I sure did, I ate all 5 of them… They were delicious, and the cinnamon really highlighted the flavor, I don’t think I had ever noticed that sweet potatoes have an almost cinnamon quality to their flavor. It’s amazing what you discover about something once the overwhelming sweetness of sugar & marshmallows is removed.I actually LIKE Sweet Potatoes… Who’d a thunk it? Certainly not me!! Now I am wondering how mouthwateringly delectable they might be is simply sliced and sautéed in butter or olive oil with just a little salt and pepper? OK, maybe more than just a little salt… :) AWESOME!!!
Mangia!!
~~
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