Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Great Steak

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E.

How To Cook It

The Great Steak
How to Cook It

Now the time has come to grill this beauty. There is a lot of controversy on seasoning or not seasoning a steak. Just remember this: scientifically speaking, salt only penetrates a piece of meat one inch, and that will take three days. So, whoever thinks that seasoning a steak before cooking it will dry it out doesn’t know what’s going on.

First of all, season the steak on both sides with either kosher or sea salt. Add pepper if you like.  Never use powdered garlic (I will explain later how to use this). Rub a little oil on each side of the steak. Forget about using expensive olive oil because the high heat will burn it off. Butter is the way to go and I will explain that in a minute.  Place the steaks in the refrigerator for 2 hours prior to grilling (although they can sit there longer if need be).  Just before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and leave them on the counter for 30-40 minutes to temp up. This way, people who like rare or medium rare beef will have a warm center, not a cold one.

The grill is ready! Try this: use high heat on one side and no heat on the other side of the grill. This is called direct and indirect heat cooking, also known as dry heat cooking. Place your open hand over the grill about four inches from the heat. If you can’t hold it there for more than a second, then you’re ready to go.

On this next step you have to be fast. Remember the powdered garlic? Purchase one from one of those wholesale clubs because the little containers are expensive and don’t really last long. Now get about ¼ cup of garlic powder ready. Place the steaks on the hot side of the grill. Carefully pour the garlic powder directly on the hot coals. Be careful. Don’t let it get on the steak. Then, quickly cover the grill for about 3-4 minutes. The aroma is unreal! The neighbors will tear through the fence trying to get to whatever you are grilling! Actually, I use granulated rather than powdered garlic. I use if for almost everything I grill. That will infuse a nice gentle garlic smoke flavor into a steak.

Never poke the steak with a fork; always use tongs. As professionals, we can tell by what is called “time-weight ratio” how long it takes a steak to cook. Once the steak is well browned on both sides, move it to the non-heat side. Close the grill cover (this is used for those who like the 1-1/2 pound size steaks or anything over ¾” thick). Cook until it’s finished, depending on your guest’s preference of rare to well-done.  To test actual doneness I tell people to use a meat thermometer. Using your finger works but this is a hot piece of food. Be careful! When using a thermometer, place it in the side not the top of the steak, and only do it once to minimize juice loss. Usually it will take about twenty minutes to cook a steak which is about one inch thick, so this is a good starting place.

Once it’s finally done, as soon as it comes from the grill cut one inch chunks of butter and rub it all over the top of the steak. This serves two purposes:  because the steak is super hot it will absorb the butter, plus it will cause the juices to mix as the steak is being eaten.  Grab a crusty baguette and those juices can be absorbed and eaten. You will also need one great chilled salad, corn on the cob and if needed, a grilled baked potato. Don’t forget the bold red wine. On a nice day with good friends, this is the way to go.  Add some fun conversation, and you will never leave the table! So, forget a stuffy steak restaurant. The best can be achieved at home for less than half the price and you won’t be pressed to pay any outrageous bill for the same or even better dinner. As always, “That’s Cooking With Class”.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Best of the Best Steak Cut’s

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E.

Part 2

The Best of the Best Steak Cuts

Part 2

As we get ready to use our grills more, for a fun summer, make sure everything is ready. First of all find a good butcher shop; there only used to be few, but there are more and more if them. They do handle Prime and Choice beef. Restaurants are wonderful but there isn’t anything more satisfying than a grilled home cooked steak. So to take some of the mystery out of purchasing one, here is a simple description. Each of these steaks has their own unique texture and flavor; they also vary in size, price and tenderness.

The Classic Rib Steak:

Thanks to abundant marbling, the rib steak is the juiciest and most flavorful of all steaks. It is exceptionally tender. If it is available, order them with the bone on. Steaks from the large end of the rib are the highest in marbling and it’s the top prize for the steak lover.

Tenderloin or Filet Mignon:

The beefs most tender cut. At only about 8 pounds per steer, it is also the most expensive. Its shape is slender, irregularly shaped, completely encased in gristle and fat, and requires special care in butchering. Filets are often wrapped in bacon to make up for their lower fat levels.

Strip Steaks:

These are boneless, medium to well-marbled, and easy to carve; they are juicy, flavorful and tender. Strips steaks are one of beefs most popular cuts.

T-bone Steaks:

One side of the T-bone is the tenderloin, and on the other side is the strip steak. With the bone in, it weights about 1 ½ pounds. This is tender, juicy and flavorful. The T-bone is a first class steak. So you get the best of both worlds:  the tenderloin and the strip steak.

Sirloin:

This one lacks the marbling and tenderness of the above steaks, but it’s a quality cut. Its fine flavor and lower price make this one a good value. The Sirloin is larger in size (from 1-2 pounds) and is usually purchased boneless.

So, as the warmer weather approaches (hopefully) search out butcher shops; eating a juicy tender steak is wonderful, although it can be a bit pricy. It’s one of those dinners that is for a special occasion. Make sure you also purchase a BIG BOLD RED WINE.
Stay tuned for part 3 about how we cook these delicious steaks. And as always,
“That’s Cooking with Class”.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Tips on Making A Great Steak

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E.

Part 1

Tips On Making a Great Steak

Part 1 of a 3 part series

There is nothing like a truly great beef steak. Tender, flavorful, excitingly satisfying:  it’s the ultimate American meal. Grilling a great steak is quite simple, and purchasing and grilling your own is the best way to go. Many steak houses serve a wonderful steak, but do you always want to get dressed up and then pay a ridiculous price, sometimes to the tune of $40-$50 dollars? By visiting your butcher shop the same steak is, in most cases, 1/3 the price.

So, what makes a great steak tender, what makes a great steak juicy and what makes a great steak flavorful? There are no secrets or tricks: great beef is the result of good genetics, excellent animal husbandry, high quality feed, and long term aging. The USDA grading test measures beef’s potential quality, assigning each carcass a USDA Grade. USDA Prime is the highest quality grade, followed by Premium choice (a sub category of of USDA Choice). The middle grade is Standard choice, and the lowest grade is Select.

The key factor to a high USDA grade is the internal marbling, which are those thin lines of fat that streak the center of steaks. It’s the internal marbling that makes a steak flavorful and juicy, and the more marbling the better. Unfortunately, record demand for beef has created a real shortage of high-grade beef in today’s market.

A butcher can further enhance tenderness and flavor of quality beef by extended aging. This is done by hanging sides of primal cuts in a cooler for three to four weeks before cutting. During aging, natural enzymes work to tenderize as they enhance and mature flavor. Due to the extra cost, the extended aging of beef is rare these days and often misrepresented.

Stay tuned for the second of three parts when we get into the select beef cuts.

As always, that’s Cooking with Class!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

We are Rhode Islanders So How Famous are We

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E

We are Rhode Islanders;
So, How Famous Are We?

First of all, our little state flag is an anchor and the state motto is “Hope”. But did you know that our state’s foods are in the state constitution? Check this out. Did you know that the official state rock is Cumberlandite? It contains such a large amount of iron in the stone that it was used to make cannon balls during the Revolutionary War. The state mineral is Bowenite; of course, neither of these can be eaten!

So let’s go after the big stuff. The state shell is the quahog clam named by the native Indians who used it as trading wampum. Go figure.  So that’s where Rhode Island clam chowder came from or the famous clam cake’ fritter, depending where in R.I you lived. Never the less, very tasty little things. Now for the big guy. The state fish is the striped bass. And I do have to say these guys fight like heck! I can attest to a 30 pounder I caught last summer, and they even run bigger than that.

The state animal is the R.I Red; yes, a chicken. Really not an animal in the true sense of the word, but they do taste pretty good. But what makes them great is they lay brown eggs. Yes, white chickens lay white eggs, and brown or reddish-colored chickens lay brown eggs.

The state fruit is the apple; to be exact it’s the R.I. Greening. This is a very famous apple and it’s best for making apple pies. It is also widely used by commercial bakeries, even outside R.I.

The official R.I. drinks: maybe beer?  Hmmm, nope, you are going to have to settle for coffee milk. It was adopted as the official drink in 1993 and the big controversy is that some believed that Del’s should become the state drink. However, it’s a frozen confection (and very good, by the way). To go with the coffee milk is the famous R.I. hotdog, better known as the hot weiner.  That is my all-time favorite food.

How about some other famous foods? Well, we do have some great maple syrup. What should we use it for?  What makes it special is the Johnnycake meal, still produced by stone grinding corn. We do have some really wonderful foods in out little state.  Leave behind all the negative publicity caused by some irresponsible people. Our state foods are the best. So here is a really nice tribute menu of R.I. foods. How about:

For breakfast:

2 R.I. Red Eggs over light
4 Johnnycakes with Maple Syrup

For lunch:

Bowl of R.I. Clam Chowder
Clam cakes
6 Hot Wieners with Coffee Milk

For a snack:

Del’s Lemonade

For dinner:

Baked Striped Bass

For dessert:

Apple Pie

Say what you want:  there isn’t another state that can produce that kind of menu.

Now that’s Cooking with Class.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Can I Have Some Rice with my Raw Fish

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E

Can I have some Rice with my Raw Fish?
Sushi 101

When most people hear the word sushi they immediately think of raw fish. The truth is that dishes made with raw fish are really called sashimi. What defines sushi is any dish made with vinegar rice which may or may not include raw fish. Most often, sushi will consist of various types of shellfish such as crab, lobster, or cooked fish along with fresh ingredients wrapped inside the sticky vinegar rice.
Although today you will find sushi served most often in a Japanese restaurant, it actually dates back to 7th century China. As a way of preserving fish, the Chinese people started making sushi but without modern-day refrigerators. They used the natural process of fermentation. To complete the sushi making process, only the rice and salt were needed. The result was delicious, causing sushi to grow in popularity.
In the 1800’s sushi was made using a process that involved pressing fish in between layers of salt and leaving it for months to ferment. This process was known as narezushi or edomaezushi which is still used today in some restaurants in Japan. The name narezushi was originally called edomae and the shortened to Edo. This name translates to “in front of Edo” which is in reference to fish caught in front of Edo City and used for the making of sushi. Unlike the sushi eaten today, Edo was formed in a ball of rice with a slice of the fish. When it came time to eat narezushi, the rice ball was thrown out and only the fish was eaten. Today, narezushi is very difficult to find outside of Japan in that it has a unique taste not usually appreciated by Westerners.
As time passed and many of the Japanese and Chinese cultures crossed, sushi became a popular food choice in both countries. Throughout the cities, you would find food stands where various types of sushi were sold. In fact, during intermission at the various theaters, sushi was sold as a snack much like popcorn is sold in American theaters. Since sushi was easy and quick to make, it became a staple for most households in the 19th century to accommodate the busy lifestyles of the Japanese people.
Eventually, a food shortage in Japan changed the way in which sushi was made. Rather than continuing to throw out the rice, it was now eaten along with the fish. Additionally, the fermentation process was shortened so the fish, although still safe to eat, was a little on the raw side. People began experimenting and discovered a little vinegar and sugar added to the rice produced the same taste, and as time went on sushi became as popular as ever.

Interestingly enough though, I don’t eat raw sushi. A couple of rolls with cucumber, cooked crab, or a spider roll of fried soft shell crab is all about I can handle. Fish was meant to be cooked. The only way sushi should be consumed in the raw is if the fish has been frozen at 4 degrees and kept there frozen for 72 hours. Most home freezers usually cannot freeze to that low of a temperature. If you eat it, it’s best done at home, but make sure you ask if the fish has been frozen. I will take mine cooked, please, with a little fresh wasabi on the side.
Now that’s Cooking with Class.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Healthy cuisine vs Spa Cuisine [is there a difference]

Frank Terranova M.C.F.E.

Healthy Cuisine vs. Spa Cuisine

Contrary to what it is called, healthy cuisine vs. spa cuisine, there is not much difference between the two. Think of it as a marketing tactic; which of these sounds more catchy? “We serve healthy cuisine” or “check out our new spa cuisine”? Okay, let’s get down to the facts, especially since we are entering the spring/summer season. Forget all the Fritos and dips, all the ice cream and the junk food. Can we fit into that swim suit or those shorts? I didn’t think so. There is no better time to start to figure out the simple difference between healthy cuisine and spa cuisine.

Let’s start with health. It simply means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, make you feel good, and give you energy. These nutrients include protein, carbs, fat, and water. Simply put, as a person who eats a healthy diet, you must understand the food groups, balance your diet, and know what a normal portion is (guess they haven’t eaten in any RI restaurants!).

Spa food is highly misunderstood. It has a bad reputation of being flavorless, unfulfilling, and boring. The reality is that spa cuisine can be quite delicious. There are a few reasons not to dismiss the facts from reality. Spa cuisine uses no processed or refined food products; they use all natural and fresh ingredients that are good for you. Most importantly, this type of cuisine uses produce grown locally, and that insures that the products are as fresh as possible. All recipes consist of colorful foods. Remember:  the more color on a plate, the more nutrients and vitamins to be consumed.

As far as taste and flavor, spas often create recipes that use spices and ingredients that are a bit nontraditional. When it comes to desserts, they usually come up with a creative array of sweets to satisfy that urge without causing major impact to your waistline or sacrificing taste.

So, enjoy eating a healthy/spa lifestyle. Instead of telling your partner, “We are having a healthy breast of chicken”, how about using your new terminology:  “We are having a wonderful spa breast of chicken with salsa fresca and EVOO drizzle.”

What’s in a name anyway? 

Now that’s Cooking with Class!

Friday, March 06, 2009

Finally Back

Frank erranova M.C.F.E.

We will be back next week with the start of our Spa / Healthy eating discussions whats the difference in Spa vs Healthy eating. Sorry I have not been on here in a week but I had to escape all the snow and go to Fl.

Stay Tuned