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madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe is a two-fer... Fer Science.
Dinner: Beer-Braised Beef and Swiss Melt.
3 Tbsp veg oil
2 lbs stew beef, in 1" cubes
1 cup stout beer
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
no garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
2 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 medium bell peppers, cored and sliced
no garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
8 crusty rolls (I used Pretzel Buns)
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear for 30-60 seconds per side, in batches so that the skillet is not overloaded. Chill the beef to room temperature.
In a medium saucepan, heat the beer, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and garlic and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer at a low rolling boil for 5-7 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Fill a water bath with water and heat to 145 F. Vac-seal the beef and beer mixture (We double-seal when it is going in for a long time). Make sure the beef is lined up side-by-side, using multiple bags if necessary. (It was.) Place the beef in the water bath and cook sous vide for 18-24 hours.
Just before the beef is ready, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and peppers and cook until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the beef, open the bags, and pour them into a large bowl.
Cut the buns in half lengthwise, but do not slice all the way through. Place them on their side on a baking sheet and open them up. Place some beef cubes in the buns and then top with the onion mix. Spoon some of the beer broth over the top. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and broil for a few minutes until the cheese melts and is starting to bubble. Serve hot.
What worked: It was okay. The pretzel buns were the best part. The beef was tender.
What didn't: It wasn't remarkable, and it feels a bit like a technique in search of a recipe. Because we didn't grow up with Philly cheesesteaks, we don't have emotional ties to that dish that this would trigger. The beef would have been better if it had fallen apart like carnitas, but it stayed in lumps. Reasonably tasty lumps, but. The leftovers for lunch the next day were better without the leftover sauce.
Will I make it again? Probably not. I may well do pretzel buns with meat and cheese, broiled - but it would be carne asada or carnitas or tri-tip, not meat I sous vide for 24 hours.
Dessert: Cherry Compote Cheesecake.
8 graham cracker sheets
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (I used half standard brick and half goat cream cheese, because we like the extra tang)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cream
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggses and 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream I used creme fraiche, because ditto tang)
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1-lb bag frozen pitted cherries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Line the base of a 7" springform pan with an 8" round of parchment paper. Secure the collar on the pan, closing it onto the base so the parchment round is clamped in. Lightly grease the sides of the pan. In a fud processor, process the graham crackers to fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar and melted butter. Using 1-second pulses, process until the mixture resembles fine sand. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom and 1/2" up the sides. Place in the freezer to firm up while you make the filling. Wipe out the fud processor.
In the fud processor, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cream, flour, and vanilla. Process in about 5 1-second pulses, just until smooth. One at a time, add the eggses and yolk, processsing for two 1-second pulses after each addition. Do not overprocess the filling or the batter may overflow the pan and you will end up with an overly fluffy cheesecake. (Quelle horreur!) Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in any large streaks of egg yolk, but it's fine if a few small streaks remain.
Pour the filling into the crust. Tap the pan firmly against the countertop a few times to remove any air bubbles in the filling. Place the pan on a long-handled silicone steam rack. Fill the Instant PotTM with 1 1/2 cups water and lower the pan into the pot. Seal and set to pressure cook for 32 minutes at high pressure.
While the cheesecake is cooking, whisk together the sour cream and powdered sugar. When the program ends, let release naturally for 20 minutes and then vent any remaining steam. Open the pot, trying to not drip condensation on the cheesecake. Lift the pan out and set on a cooling rack. Use a paper towel to dab up any moisture that may have settled on the surface. The cake will be puffed up and jiggle a bit in the center, but it will settle and set up as it cools.
When the cheesecake has deflated about 1/2", spread the sour cream mixture on top in a smooth, even layer. Cool on the rack for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Make the compote: cook cherries, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Unclasp the collar on the pan and lift it off, then use the parchment border to tug the cheesecake off the base of the pan and onto a plate. Top with the compote, then slice and serve.
What worked: I quite like cheesecake, but I never make it. Partly because it's pretty fussy and requires finicky assembly (not generally one of my strengths) and partly because we don't eat graham crackers. And you get far more in a package than you need... this made good NY-style cheesecake without as much of the fuss. It was not the #1 cheesecake I've ever had, but it was enjoyable and pretty easy.
I used a metal measuring cup to press the crumbs in, which worked much better than my hand.
What didn't: the crumb stuck to the side of the tin (it wasn't tamped as firmly) and the cherries were still quite liquidy so when I poured them over, the sauce all ran off rather than sticking to the top in a glaze. I should have cooked them down to a syrup, but the recipe didn't point that out.
You have to wait a day after baking it! That requires some self-control. So far I have managed it, but.
Will I make it again? Yes. We like cheesecake. Although I am more likely to vary the topping - the second time I made this (the following week) I used a layer of house-made apricot jam topped with slivered almonds. It was really good and we liked it better than the cherry compote. I was also more careful tamping down the crumbs on the side with the metal measuring cup and they stuck less.
Dinner: Beer-Braised Beef and Swiss Melt.
3 Tbsp veg oil
2 lbs stew beef, in 1" cubes
1 cup stout beer
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
no garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
2 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 medium bell peppers, cored and sliced
no garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
8 crusty rolls (I used Pretzel Buns)
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear for 30-60 seconds per side, in batches so that the skillet is not overloaded. Chill the beef to room temperature.
In a medium saucepan, heat the beer, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and garlic and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer at a low rolling boil for 5-7 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Fill a water bath with water and heat to 145 F. Vac-seal the beef and beer mixture (We double-seal when it is going in for a long time). Make sure the beef is lined up side-by-side, using multiple bags if necessary. (It was.) Place the beef in the water bath and cook sous vide for 18-24 hours.
Just before the beef is ready, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and peppers and cook until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the beef, open the bags, and pour them into a large bowl.
Cut the buns in half lengthwise, but do not slice all the way through. Place them on their side on a baking sheet and open them up. Place some beef cubes in the buns and then top with the onion mix. Spoon some of the beer broth over the top. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and broil for a few minutes until the cheese melts and is starting to bubble. Serve hot.
What worked: It was okay. The pretzel buns were the best part. The beef was tender.
What didn't: It wasn't remarkable, and it feels a bit like a technique in search of a recipe. Because we didn't grow up with Philly cheesesteaks, we don't have emotional ties to that dish that this would trigger. The beef would have been better if it had fallen apart like carnitas, but it stayed in lumps. Reasonably tasty lumps, but. The leftovers for lunch the next day were better without the leftover sauce.
Will I make it again? Probably not. I may well do pretzel buns with meat and cheese, broiled - but it would be carne asada or carnitas or tri-tip, not meat I sous vide for 24 hours.
Dessert: Cherry Compote Cheesecake.
8 graham cracker sheets
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (I used half standard brick and half goat cream cheese, because we like the extra tang)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cream
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggses and 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream I used creme fraiche, because ditto tang)
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1-lb bag frozen pitted cherries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Line the base of a 7" springform pan with an 8" round of parchment paper. Secure the collar on the pan, closing it onto the base so the parchment round is clamped in. Lightly grease the sides of the pan. In a fud processor, process the graham crackers to fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar and melted butter. Using 1-second pulses, process until the mixture resembles fine sand. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom and 1/2" up the sides. Place in the freezer to firm up while you make the filling. Wipe out the fud processor.
In the fud processor, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cream, flour, and vanilla. Process in about 5 1-second pulses, just until smooth. One at a time, add the eggses and yolk, processsing for two 1-second pulses after each addition. Do not overprocess the filling or the batter may overflow the pan and you will end up with an overly fluffy cheesecake. (Quelle horreur!) Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in any large streaks of egg yolk, but it's fine if a few small streaks remain.
Pour the filling into the crust. Tap the pan firmly against the countertop a few times to remove any air bubbles in the filling. Place the pan on a long-handled silicone steam rack. Fill the Instant PotTM with 1 1/2 cups water and lower the pan into the pot. Seal and set to pressure cook for 32 minutes at high pressure.
While the cheesecake is cooking, whisk together the sour cream and powdered sugar. When the program ends, let release naturally for 20 minutes and then vent any remaining steam. Open the pot, trying to not drip condensation on the cheesecake. Lift the pan out and set on a cooling rack. Use a paper towel to dab up any moisture that may have settled on the surface. The cake will be puffed up and jiggle a bit in the center, but it will settle and set up as it cools.
When the cheesecake has deflated about 1/2", spread the sour cream mixture on top in a smooth, even layer. Cool on the rack for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Make the compote: cook cherries, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Unclasp the collar on the pan and lift it off, then use the parchment border to tug the cheesecake off the base of the pan and onto a plate. Top with the compote, then slice and serve.
What worked: I quite like cheesecake, but I never make it. Partly because it's pretty fussy and requires finicky assembly (not generally one of my strengths) and partly because we don't eat graham crackers. And you get far more in a package than you need... this made good NY-style cheesecake without as much of the fuss. It was not the #1 cheesecake I've ever had, but it was enjoyable and pretty easy.
I used a metal measuring cup to press the crumbs in, which worked much better than my hand.
What didn't: the crumb stuck to the side of the tin (it wasn't tamped as firmly) and the cherries were still quite liquidy so when I poured them over, the sauce all ran off rather than sticking to the top in a glaze. I should have cooked them down to a syrup, but the recipe didn't point that out.
You have to wait a day after baking it! That requires some self-control. So far I have managed it, but.
Will I make it again? Yes. We like cheesecake. Although I am more likely to vary the topping - the second time I made this (the following week) I used a layer of house-made apricot jam topped with slivered almonds. It was really good and we liked it better than the cherry compote. I was also more careful tamping down the crumbs on the side with the metal measuring cup and they stuck less.
