Sunday Dinner: Garlicky Leg of Lamb with Polenta

As you’ve probably noticed, we’re major lamb lovers. So it's no coincidence that one of our all-time favorite stands at the Union Square Greenmarket is Catskill Merino. If you've never had the opportunity to stop by this lamb and wool haven, you absolutely should make the effort. The wide stall is lined with hundreds of skeins of beautifully hand-dyed wool in the most amazing natural colors, with luscious lamb skins piled high in the center. And of course, the front is jam-packed with cooler after cooler of delicious lamb cuts, sausages and jerky!

This weekend while walking past the stand, we peered into the coolers and were struck by a leg of lamb. While that cut is a little fancy for us – and even though it was boneless, which we don’t usually go for - it seemed to be just sitting there, waiting for us. And who were we to resist?? We quickly grabbed the leg, along with 5 heads of garlic (another Catskill Merino specialty) and happily marched home.

As is often our philosophy, with such a beautiful piece of meat it’s nice to keep it simple. And as we often do, we went the Tuscan route for inspiration. Garlic, rosemary and olive oil on the lamb, along with a hearty scoop of creamy polenta from Cayuga Pure Organics and a simple arugula salad made for a fantastic Sunday dinner!

Garlicky Leg of Lamb

+ 1 4-lbs leg of lamb

+ 2 small heads of garlic minced (about 3-4 tbsp)

+ 3 tbsp of diced rosemary

+ 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

+ 2 tbsp coarse sea salt

1. Let lamb come to room temperature and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the garlic, salt, olive oil, and rosemary together to make a coarse paste.

3. Pat the lamb dry and cover with paste.

4. Place a heavy skillet over high-heat. When skillet is hot, sear the lamb on all sides - about two minutes a side.

5. Place the skillet oven and cook for about one hour, or until lamb is 120º at it's center.

6. Let rest for about 7 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4 people

Sunday Dinner: Tuscan Ribs, Herbed Potatoes & Buttermilk Panna Cotta

When we last visited Silka’s family in Wellsville, her mother Tina suggested we invite some friends over for a rib party. After an affirmative squeal of excitement from the two of us, she pulled out six racks of spare ribs from a local farmer and we quickly hit the books looking for the perfect recipe. Rather than do the usual Southern-style barbecue, we wanted to try something a little different. Looking at Amanda Hesser’s New York Times cookbook - a now indispensable resource for us - we found a beautiful recipe for Tuscan-style pork ribs.

On Saturday morning we gathered in the kitchen to mince Tina's home-grown garlic and chop rosemary sprigs from the plant which healthily grows, absurdly large, in the living room. We coated the ribs with a basic rub and let them marinate overnight. When Sunday afternoon rolled around, Tina made a simple tomato sauce using ingredients almost exclusively from her garden and popped the ribs into the oven for a long and slow cook. Then we cut up some potatoes to roast, and toasted the amazing smells wafting out of the kitchen while waiting for our guests to arrive.

Needless to say, the ribs came out perfectly. The falling-off-the-bone meat was infused with the piney taste of the rosemary and the sharp bite of garlic, while the tomato sauce was a beautifully sweet counterpoint. In addition to the herb-roasted potatoes, Tina laid out some locally-made sauerkraut which helped to cut the heaviness of the meal. And then as we tried to recover from the meal, Tina surprised us with her new favorite dessert: buttermilk Panna cotta topped with Diane’s homemade strawberry sauce. What a meal!

Tuscan-Style Pork Spare Ribs
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser

+ 3 tablespoons minced garlic, plus 2 cloves garlic, sliced
+ 3 tablespoons finely chopped sage
+ 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
+ 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
+ 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
+ 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
+ 7 pounds pork spareribs
+ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
+ Two 28-ounce cans tomatoes, with their juice
+ 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
+ 1 1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
+ 2 1/2 cups water
+ 1 cup dry white wine

1. Combine the minced garlic, sage, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Put the spareribs on a baking sheet and rub well with the spice mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the ribs in a 12 x 16-inch roasting pan (use 2 pans if necessary) and roast uncovered for 1 hour, or until browned.
3. Turn the ribs over and roast for another hour. If drippings in the bottom of the pan begin to burn, add a small amount of water or olive oil.
4. Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large saucepan, add the sliced garlic and remaining tablespoon of crushed red pepper, and sauté over medium heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and 1 1/2 cups water; season with salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. As the tomatoes soften, break them up with a whisk and stir. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, and remove from the heat.
5. When the ribs have browned on both sides, pour the wine, remaining 1 cup water, and the tomato sauce over them. (If you’ve used 2 pans to roast the ribs, combine them all in one pan now.) Cover the pan with foil and roast for 40 minutes.
6. Remove the foil, skim off the excess fat, and roast uncovered for 20 minutes more. Cut into 4-rib sections and serve.

Serves 6.

Sunday Dinner: Creamy Mushroom & Parsnip Soup with Roast Chicken

This past Saturday, Silka went to the market to pick up some ingredients for the coming week. Without a real sense of direction, but knowing we would find a way to integrate pretty much anything into our meal plan, she grabbed a few staples including some gorgeous parsnips and a pound of bright, healthy mushrooms.

At home, while unpacking the market's bounty, Jake was inspired to make a parsnip and mushroom soup. We couldn't remember ever tasting that particular flavor combo, but it made sense to us! And it didn't take us long to find out that it also made sense to David Tanis, who had just written a recipe for Creamy Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Soup in the New York Times. It was almost exactly what we were looking for, but being the extreme fungus lovers that we are we decided to pump up the mushroomy-ness of the dish.

The rest of meal fell into place fairly easily. We had a couple of tasty-looking Belle Rouge chicken breasts from Violet Hill in the freezer, and we thought they'd go perfectly with the soup. And because we have recently become addicted to the micro radish greens at Two Guys, we served a handful on the side. So there we had it - a simple, tasty, and surprisingly light Sunday dinner. 

Creamy Mushroom & Parsnip Soup

Adapted from David Tanis' Creamy Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Soup

+ 4 tablespoons butter

+ 1 lb of white, crimini, or porcini mushrooms, cut into 1/8-inch slices

+ 2 med onions, sliced

+ 3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped

+ 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

+ 2 garlic cloves

+ 1 thyme sprig

+ 1 rosemary sprig

+ 1 bay leaf

+ Salt and pepper

+ 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

+ 3 tbsp chopped dried forest mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes then drained

+ 4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus more for garnish

+ 4 oz of bacon ends diced into small cubes and fried (optional garnish)

1. Melt the butter in a deep heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, parsnips, carrot, sliced mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are fragrant and the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

2. Add the broth and the soaked dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to a gentle simmer.

3. Discard the bay leaf and thyme branch and add the crème fraîche. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor to your desired texture.

4. Garnish with parsley, and a drizzle of crème fraîche. Add some bacon bits on top if you'd like.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Sunday Dinner: Braised Pheasant in White Wine over Polenta

This weekend we had our hearts set on Rabbit Ragu. So early Saturday afternoon we strolled over to the bustling Union Square Greenmarket to buy a rabbit from Quattro’s. Well, lesson learned - if you want rabbit with all your heart, you better pounce early. There we stood, rabbit-less, in the sunny-weather craze of the Saturday market. We felt too flustered to come up with another solid game plan then and there, so we just picked the next thing we laid eyes on - a pheasant! Now, neither of us were at all familiar with pheasant - Silka had never tasted it and Jake had never cooked it. But we knew we'd be watching Downton Abbey on Sunday night (duh!), and it seemed in keeping with a theme, so we thought we may as well. Luckily Quattro’s handed us a recipe sheet, and we went home to study up.

After looking at our pantry's contents, we decided to do a take on Quattro’s recipe for Braised Pheasant Marsala. Since we didn't have any Marsala - mostly because we don't really like it - we used Dr. Frank’s Semi-Dry Riesling. With some nice white "Special" mushrooms from Bulich, we were all set. As a base, we went with some lightly cheesy polenta, thinking it would go perfectly with a nice drizzle of braising juices. And of course, we made a simple green salad to round out the meal. 

While we're not sure Downton Abbey would have gone the polenta route, the nature of the warming and earthy pheasant dish seemed fitting for an English manor house. Their pheasant would have been hunted wild and had a much gamier flavor, but our 21st-century feast stood up just fine. Wild or not, our bird was gamier than chicken but not nearly as gamy as duck ... and super moist! We're looking forward to exploring this bird more - and in a couple more years, who knows, we might be out there just like Hank Shaw or the Crawley's, hunting our own game birds.

Braised Pheasant in White Wine

+ 1 2.5 lb Pheasant, cut into 6 pieces

+ 5 shallots, finally chopped

+ 1 lb of White Mushrooms, sliced

+ 2 cloves of garlic

+ 1 tsp fresh herbs - we used rosemary and thyme, but tarragon or sage would work well

+ ½ cup chicken or pheasant stock - we boiled some chicken stock with the giblets and the backbone of the pheasant

+ ¼ cup semi-dry or dry Riesling

+ 1 tbsp flour

+ salt and pepper

+ olive oil or lard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a heavy frying pan or cast iron skillet heat up 2 tablespoons of lard or olive oil over high heat. Pat the pheasant pieces dry and salt and brown in batches. Place the browned pheasant in a deep baking dish.

3. In the same pan, saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, adding more lard or olive oil if needed. Pour the mushrooms over the pheasant.

4. Saute the shallots and garlic in the same pan, adding more fat if needed, for another five minutes.

5. Slowly whisk in flour until fully integrated, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add wine, stock, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes.

6. Pour mixture over pheasant and mushrooms, and put in oven for about 2 hours - or until the meat easily falls off the bone.

Serves 2 people with leftovers

Sunday Dinner: Roast Pork Loin with Garlic & Rosemary

This past summer, Jake’s brother Will (working with Community Cooperative Farms) took the first steps toward converting their family's New Marlborough land back into a working farm. He started with a small herd; seven hens, a rooster, and three pigs. After a full season we were lucky enough to see one of those pigs slaughtered at the North Plain Farm Pig to Pork demo and since then, the pig has been further broken down and waiting for us in an enormous freezer in the Berkshires.

This weekend, after a month or so of salivating, we finally got to taste the fruits of Will’s labor. And man-o-man, was it awesome! We're really starting to realize that there's nothing like cooking and eating a product you've seen grow from start to finish. It's a new and inspiring feeling for us - and a kind of satisfaction we hope to enjoy meal after meal in the upcoming years.

In general, pork loin roasts are tricky. They are easy to dry out, and because of that, they are often covered in a protective layer of jam, preserves or bacon. But we wanted to really taste the pork in all it's porkiness so we risked keeping it simple. With just a little salt, pepper, garlic, and some rosemary we seared the roast and threw it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. It came out moist and flavorful, the perfect centerpiece for a January meal! 

Thanks so much to Will for a meal we won't quickly forget. Here's to next year's pig! 

Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary

+ 4 pound pork loin, bone-in

+ 5 cloves of garlic, sliced in slivers

+ 1 sprig of rosemary

+ 1 large onion, quartered

+ coarse grain sea salt

+ freshly ground pepper

1. Let roast come to room temperature, meanwhile preheat oven to 400.

2. Pat pork dry with paper towel. Using a small knife, cut small nicks into the pork, stuffing them with the garlic and rosemary. Rub the pork all over with salt.

3. In a heavy cast iron pan on a high heat, sear the pork on all sides - 2 minutes per side.

4. Lay the roast in the pan, bone side down. Arrange the onion around the roast and place in oven. It will take about 25 minutes per pound, or about 1 ¾ hrs. When the center of the pork has reached 140 degrees, it's finished. Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes.

Serves 6

Sunday Dinner: The Perfect Steak

It was a busy weekend for both of us - Jake spent most of his time at the Museum of the Moving Image attending a David Cronenberg retrospective while Silka worked on various freelance projects - so for Sunday's dinner we planned to keep it classic and simple. What's more classic, simple or just plain better than a French Bistro-style steak? Let us answer that for you...nothing! This particular steak dinner was also an excuse to vet yet another new beef stand at the Market - Sun Fed Beef.

When getting to know a new beef farm, we'll try out one of our three most commonly cooked steaks -  sirloin, hanger, or London broil. Sun Fed's hanger looked really beautiful so we went for it. Now, it's no secret that we like a strong taste of iron in our beef, which is really to say that we like the taste of blood. And no steak has a stronger, beefier, bloodier taste than the hanger. It's actually known as the "Butchers' Steak" because there is only one per animal and traditionally butchers would take it home for themselves. 

Well, Sun Fed's steak did not disappoint! It was beefy, tender and beautifully cut.  We paired it with some perfectly roasted fingerlings, mixed greens and a stiff drink and settled into a cozy Sunday evening.

A Perfect Bistro Steak

Even though steak is incredibly easy to cook, many people seem to be intimidated by it. The directions below are a sure-fire way to make the most of your steak. We use a meat thermometer, but you'll be fine without one.

+ 1 hanger steak

+ 2 tablespoons of butter

+ course sea salt

+ freshly ground black pepper

1. An hour before cooking, remove steak from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. 30 minutes before, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pat steak dry with paper towel and salt heavily.

3. Place a dry oven-safe skilled on high-heat. When smoke starts to come off the pan, add steak. Sear on one side for about 90 seconds - the steak is ready to flip when it releases itself from the bottom of the pan. Flip onto other side for another 90 seconds.

4. Place a tablespoon of butter on top of the steak. Remove pan from stove top and put in oven. Roast for about 7 minutes for rare. If you are using a digital thermometer, cook to 120. We use the kind that you can keep in the meat while it's cooking.

5. Remove steak from pan immediately and place on cutting board. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter on top, top with freshly ground pepper and let rest for another 7 minutes before serving.

Serves 2

Sunday Dinner: Rabbit in Mustard Sauce, Spinach & Boiled Potaotes

We're heading into the longest, coldest part of winter and desperately seeking some culinary inspiration. The Union Square Green Market has shrunk to just a few stands during the week -  there are cheeses, meats, jams, syrups, potatoes, apples, and some greens but that's about it. In past years we might have just hunkered down on beef stew all day, everyday. But this year, for the sake of this blog and our palates, we've got to keep things a little more interesting.  So here we are, facing the challenge that local, seasonal eaters butt up against each winter: What the hell are we supposed to eat?

This weekend, we realized that one answer to that question is at the market - right in front of us. With such little variety and so few vendors, we started to notice all those other things we often look over. While colorful vegetables are dwindling, and Irene took many of the root crops, the breadth of meat options remains wider than anything you'd find in a grocery store or most butcher shops. And so we came to another age-old question: Duck season or Wabbit season?

This Sunday, in the Levin-Glanzman household, it was Wabbit season. We don't have a ton of experience cooking game so before trying anything unconventional, we wanted to perfect the classic: Rabbit in Mustard Sauce- a common French countryside dish, and a perfect end to a bone-chilling day. The great thing about rabbit is that while it has a mild and delicate flavor like chicken, the texture of the meat is... well, meatier. And like chicken, it's always available at the market on Fridays (John Fazio) and Saturdays (Quattro's). 

For a dish this ubiquitous we went to our favorite game cook Hank Shaw for the perfect recipe. The rest of the meal was kept simple, with some beautifully bright spinach and boiled butterball potatoes. After this weekend's successful trial, we're excited to tackle the next few months with more rabbit and game experiments. And stay tuned for a rabbit break-down demo!

Rabbit in Musatard Sauce 

Adapted from Hank Shaw

+ 1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces

+ salt

+ 6 tablespoons butter

+ 2 large shallots, chopped - we used onions and it worked just fine

+ 1/2 cup white wine - if possible we like to use local wines, but in a pinch we'll go for something from small producers at our favorite wine store, Moore Brothers

+ 1/2 cup chicken stock

+ 1/2 cup grainy Dijon mustard

+ 1 tablespoons fresh thyme

1. Salt the rabbit pieces well and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. 

2. Heat the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large oven-safe sauté or cast iron pan. Pat the rabbit pieces dry with paper towel, and then brown them in the butter in batches. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. As the rabbit is browned, set aside in a bowl. Add shallots to the pan and brown well. This will take 3-4 minutes. Pour in the white wine and turn the heat to high. Scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme and stock and bring to a rolling boil.

 4. Add the rabbit pieces back into the pan and coat them with sauce. Put in oven until meat is nearly falling off the bone - about 1 hour.

 5. Remove the meat from the pan and place on a serving dish, reserving suace. Turn the heat to high and boil the sauce down by half. Turn off the heat and whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and the mustard. Pour sauce over rabbit and serve.

Serves 3-4

Sunday Brunch: Pappa Al Pomodoro

We've got lots of plans for The Butcher & The Baker in 2012, but perhaps closest to our hearts is  a growing focus on collaboration. Not only are three, four or five heads better than two, but we stand to learn so much from our friends' tastes, voices and skills. This Sunday, in a first attempt, our good friend Mark Silver spent the afternoon in our kitchen, cooking us a beautiful and hearty brunch. Like us, Mark is a seriously dedicated home cook, who loves clean, bright flavors and does most of his shopping at green markets. And unlike us, Mark is a vegetarian. But as carnivorous (and cynical) as we are, Mark has proven time and time again that a meal doesn't need meat to be colorful, filling, and flavorful. 

After a Saturday morning stroll though the Union Square Green Market, Mark came over Sunday afternoon with his boyfriend Jeffery and a bottle of Prosecco. He proceeded to take us through a classic and insanely simple rustic Italian dish - Pappa al Pomodoro, or stale bread and tomato stew. The stew highlights one of our favorite secret weapons for getting through the winter - canned tomatoes. After making a thick tomato stew from our can of choice (we just love the local Jersey Farms Crushed Tomatoes) we threw in big chunks of perfectly golden, just-toasted stale bread and let the magic happen. For an added kick, we topped the stew with a single raw Flying Pigs egg yolk - a yummy addition, but certainly optional for hard-core vegetarians. To fill out the meal, Mark slowly cooked some Cayuga Pure Organics Polenta with homemade vegetable stock, topped with Cowgirl Crème fraîche, Two Guys micro-scallions, and roasted mushrooms and, to cut the heaviness, a light green salad with celery and Parmesan. 

Huge thanks to Mark for cooking such a perfect winter meal. We can't wait to have you and Jeffery back!

Pappa al Pomodoro

+ 1 loaf rustic white bread (fresh or day-old)

+ 1 28-oz. can crushed tomato

+ 1 small red onion, finally diced

+ garlic (8-10 cloves)

+ 1/2 tsp pepperoncino (red pepper flakes)

+ very good olive oil

+ a bay leaf

+ a saucepan of hot stock

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

2. Slice the loaf into approximately 1-in./2-cm cubes. Discard any pieces that are too crusty. (You should have about 5-6 cups of cubes.)

3. Toss the bread with lots of peeled and halved garlic cloves in olive oil on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake until golden brown, but before garlic scorches.

4. In a large saucepan or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, add the diced red onion and pepperoncino to a couple tablespoons of olive oil, cover, and poach the onions over very low heat.

5. When the onions are soft and just beginning to color, add the entire can of tomatoes with a few ladlefuls of stock and a bay leaf. Season with salt to taste. Stir frequently, simmering the sauce over medium low heat.

6. Add the croutons to the tomato mixture, stirring frequently. Add stock as the bread absorbs it to maintain the stew's consistency.

7. Keep stirring and adding stock as necessary until the croutons soften and break apart - about 15 minutes.

8. You may leave the stew as is, or remove the bay leaf and purée it totally or part way with a foodmill or immersion blender.

9. To plate, ladle a generous portion into a shallow bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. You may top it with shaved cheese, chiffonade of basil, or an egg yolk, e.g.