Monthly Archives: April 2017

Broiled Oysters with Spinach and Brown Butter Hollandaise, Salad with Bay Shrimp

Posted on by

Saw this recipe in a recent copy of Saveur magazine and decided to give it a shot. I paired with a simple salad with bay shrimp and made my mother’s “Papa dressing”.

• • • • • • • • • •

I recently picked up the perfect beer for this meal: La Moule De L’Amour – a red Belgian ale brewed with oyster shells – which was a collaboration with Gilgamesh Brewing and Aaron Barnett of La Moule.

Smoked Pork Shoulder Bo Ssäm, Shigumchi Namool, Gamja Jorim

Posted on by

I wanted to try the Smoked Pork Shoulder Bo Ssäm again, but simplify it a bit. I decided not to make the Kimchi from scratch and I skipped the Deulkkae Chimichurri. This time, I wanted to try using a smoke box on the grill versus the kettle smoker. And instead of the Japgok and Pajeori, I made Shigumchi Namool – a spinach dish similar to the Japanese dish Spinach Gomaae – and Gamja Jorim – but using the cooking method of the Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes.

• • • • • • • • • •

I pullout two bottles of the Plum Bretta – a farmhouse ale aged in red wine barrels with Italian Plums – from The Commons.

Harissa-Rubbed Grilled Skirt Steak with Orange-Fennel Relish

Posted on by

Decided to cook this again… Looks like the recipe has been removed from the website I found it at, so I have posted it below. I usually just use some pre-made harissa paste instead of making it from scratch. Slo, this time I used a mix of navel and blood oranges as well as a Sumo mandarine orange.

Ingredients:
2½ lb trimmed skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

The Relish:
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and finely sliced
1 large orange
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

The Harissa:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red pepper flakes (or crushed dried red chilies of your choice)
2 tablespoons freshly cracked coriander seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons cumin seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Directions:
Build a multilevel fire in your grill (see Multilevel charcoal fire). When the coals are all ignited, the fire has died down, and the temperature is medium (see Gauging the temperature), you’re ready to cook.

Make the Relish: On the stove top, bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the fennel and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well, and allow it to cool. Peel the orange with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the section membranes and remove each orange section whole, discarding the seeds. Put the orange segments in another bowl. Measure 2 tablespoons of the juice, and add it to the orange segments, along with the blanched fennel, vinegar, mint, and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Make the Harissa: Mash the oil, pepper flakes or chiles, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, and garlic into a paste. Dry the steaks well with paper towels, season them generously with salt and pepper, then rub the paste on both sides.

When the fire is ready, put the steaks on the grill over the hottest coals and sear them well on one side (about 4 minutes). Turn the steaks and continue to cook until done to your liking (4-5 minutes more for medium-rare). To check for doneness, poke each steak with your finger to test its firmness (see The “hand method”). If you’re unsure, make a cut in the thickest part of one steak; it should be slightly less done than you like. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

Thinly slice the steaks on the bias across the grain and serve, with the relish on the side.

• • • • • • • • • •

I decided to go with my last bottle of the [BANISHED] Wild Sour Golden Ale, a collaboration between Crooked Stave and Crux Fermentation Project, aged in red wine barrels.