Stew

Cooking With Beer

March 18, 2020

Beer isn’t just for drinking. It’s also the secret ingredient in some of Tiny New York Kitchen’s favorite recipes, from stews to pasta sauce.

Depending on which brew you choose, you can add richness to stews and braises, a bright zing to sauces, and make baked goods extra tender and tasty. It’s great with chocolate. You can also pair it with your meals, just like wine, to make your dishes taste even better.

LAGER
Lager is the most popular beer for drinking. Smooth, light-bodied, and slightly floral, it goes with just about any dish, especially cheese. It’s also great to bake with. The bubbles in this beer add extra lightness and tenderness to all sorts of baked goods.

PILSNER
Clean, crisp, and slightly citrusy, this beer is refreshing on its own. Serve it with seafood or a simple tomato and basil pizza. Use it for quickly simmering shrimp because it won’t overwhelm the delicate, sweet flavor of the seafood.

STOUT
This rich dark beer has notes of coffee and caramel, great for sipping in colder weather. Pair it with heartier dishes like chili or steak and potatoes. In baking and cooking, stout makes chocolate cupcakes taste even more chocolaty and slow-cooked meats even richer.

AMBER ALE
You will know this beer by its reddish-brown color. It has a smooth, malty flavor that makes it a crowd-pleasing choice for your next party. Try this beer with grilled or roasted meats and barbecue. For cooking, it’s great in a glaze for pork or in a cheese sauce.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Saffron

October 29, 2016

Saffron

Highly prized as a dye, medication and culinary spice since Greek and Roman times, saffron is the stigma of a type of crocus, Crocus sativus, which was once grown all over Europe, including in England. It has a distinctive and lasting aroma, and a pleasant pungency if used sparingly. Because of its striking color, as well as its distinctive flavor, saffron is frequently added to celebration dishes; for example, pilaus from India, Spanish paella and Italian risotto Milanese. Bouillabaisse, the famous French fish and shellfish soup-stew, is flavored with saffron. The spice is also widely used in sweet recipes, including milky rice and sweet custard-like desserts. Baked goods flavored with saffron include breads and cakes.

Saffron threads can be infused (steeped) in a little warm water or milk until the color of the liquid is even. Add the liquid and the threads to the dish, usually towards the end of the cooking process. Saffron powder can be added to food without soaking, but not to hot oil.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved

Pantry & Freezer Staples

February 3, 2016

Pantry & Freezer Staples

How long do pantry and freezer staples last? Staple items are known for their long shelf life, but they don’t stay fresh forever! Use this handy list to determine how long you should keep them on hand.

Freezer

Hamburger & Stew Meats: Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 3 to 4 Months

Ground Turkey, Veal, Pork, Lamb: Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 3 to 4 Months

Bacon: Shelf Life: 7 Days Storage: 1 Month

Sausage (Raw From Pork, Beef, Chicken or Turkey): Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 1 to 2 Months

Fresh Steaks: Shelf Life: 3 to 5 Days Storage: 6 to 12 Months

Fresh Roasts: Shelf Life: 3 to 5 Days Storage: 4 to 12 Months

Chicken or Turkey (Whole): Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 1 Year

Chicken or Turkey (Cut Up): Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 9 Months

Lean Fish: Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 6 Months

Fatty Fish: Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage: 2 to 3 Months

Fresh Shrimp, Scallops, Crawfish, Squid: Shelf Life: 1 to 2 Days Storage 3 to 6 Months

Pantry

Baking Powder: Shelf Life: 18 Months Storage: Keep In Dry Place In Airtight Container

Beans (Dried & Uncooked): Shelf Life: 1 Year Storage: Store In Cool & Dry Place

Chocolate (Semisweet & Unsweetened): Shelf Life: 18 Months Storage: Keep In Cool Place

Cocoa: Shelf Life: 1 Year Storage: Keep In Cool Place

Cornstarch: Shelf Life: 18 Months Storage: Store In Airtight Container

Flour (White or Whole Wheat): Shelf Life: 6 to 8 Months Storage: Store In Airtight Container or Freeze To Extend Shelf Life

Nuts (In Shell & Unopened): Shelf Life: 4 Months Storage: Freeze to Extend Shelf Life

Spices & Herbs (Ground): Shelf Life: 6 Months Storage: Store in Airtight Containers In Dry Areas Away From Sunlight & Heat. Before Using, Check Aroma – If Faint Replace.

Sugar (Brown): Shelf Life: 4 Months Storage: Store in Airtight Container

Sugar (Confectioners’): Shelf Life: 18 Months Storage: Store in Airtight Container

Sugar (Granulated): Shelf Life: 2 Years Storage: Store in Airtight Container

Vinegar (Unopened): Shelf Life: 2 Years

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved

English Stew (1860)

January 21, 2016

English Stew (1860)

English stew is the name given to the following excellent preparation of cold meat. Cut the meat in slices, pepper, salt, and flour them, and lay them in a dish. Take a few pickles of any kind, or a small quantity of pickled cabbage, and sprinkle over the meat. Then take a tea-cup half full of water; add to it a small quantity of the vinegar belonging to the pickles, a small quantity of catsup, if approved of, and any gravy that may be set for use. Stir all together and pour it over the meat. Set the meat before the fire with a tin behind it, or put it in a Dutch oven, or in the oven of the kitchen range, as may be most convenient, for about half an hour before dinner-time. This is a cheap, simple way of dressing cold meat.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved

Lamb Cooked 3 Ways

September 30, 2013

Lamb 5

Lamb Cooked 3 Ways

Cooked low and slow, lamb shanks become rich with complex flavors.  Lamb shoulder is also a great choice for slow cooking.  Good value cuts are: Shoulder Chops, Stew Meat, Ground Lamb, and Leg Steak.

The USDA recommends cooking all whole muscle cuts of lamb to at least these temperatures to ensure that potentially harmful bacteria are destroyed.  Some people may choose to cook their meat to lower temperatures, depending on preference.  Ground lamb should be cooked to 160 degrees. 

Desired Doneness:

Medium – Target Temperature 145 Degrees, Texture Warm/Firm, Center Color Pink

Medium Well – Target Temperature 155 Degrees, Texture Very Warm/Firm, Center Color Gray – Tinged With Pink

Well Done – Target Temperature 165 Degrees, Texture Hot/Dense/Hard, Center Color Gray

Best Cooking Methods For Lamb

Shoulder Blade Chops (Shoulder): Braise, Broil, Grill, Roast, Pan-Fry, And Stew

Rib Chops (Loin): Broil, Grill, Roast, Pan-Fry, And Sauté

Loin Chops (Loin): Broil, Grill, Roast, Pan-Fry, And Sauté

Whole Leg (Leg): Braise

Leg – Boned, Rolled, Tied (Leg): Grill, And Roast

Rack of Lamb (Loin): Broil, Grill, And Roast

Crown Roast (Loin): Roast

Top Round Roast (Leg): Braise, Roast, And Stew

Stew Meat (Various): Braise, And Stew

Sausages (Various): Braise, Grill, Roast, Pan-Fry, And Sauté

Shanks (Leg): Braise, And Stew

Lamb Chops 2 Ways

Classic Broiled: Preheat broiler. Arrange chops on broiler pan and season with kosher salt and pepper. Broil 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until target temperature. Remove pan from broiler, cover with foil and allow chops to rest 10 minutes before serving. 

Rosemary Garlic: Puree 6 garlic cloves with 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Marinate chops 30 minutes or overnight. Grill over medium-high heat, or broil according to above directions.

Roast Leg of Lamb With Mint Jelly: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 2 Tablespoons kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1/3 cup olive oil. Rub mixture all over roast. Make a few dozen small slits in lamb and insert garlic slivers. Place lamb in roasting pan and roast 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 325 degrees and roast until target temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes. Serve with mint jelly.  

Lamb 4

 

Basics of Meat & Poultry

September 8, 2013

 

Basics of Meat & PoultryMeat Basics

Many people ask me how long they can keep fresh meat and poultry. You can refrigerate whole meat cuts for 2 to 3 days and raw ground meats for 1 to 2 days.  Raw poultry for 1 to 2 days.  If you’re not cooking your meat or poultry within these time frames, freeze it.  We never want to risk getting food poisoning. 

How do you know when your particular meat is done cooking?  The safest way is to use a meat thermometer, inserting into the thickest part of the meat, but never touching bone. 

Meat Cooking Terms

Braise: Moist cooking in a pot with a lid and a small amount of liquid. This method works well either on the stove top or in the oven, rendering tougher cuts moist and extremely tender by melting the tough collagen between fibers, but allowing the fibers themselves to retain moisture.  Examples: Pot Roast, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cacciatore, Most Curries. 

Brine: Similar to marinating, meat or poultry is soaked in a salt-water mixture prior to cooking to enhance flavor, moisture and tenderness.  Examples: Brined Turkey, Chicken or Pork.

Broil: Dry cooking under intense direct heat, sort of like grilling from the top down.  Great for tender steaks and chops, boneless chicken, kabobs. Example: London Broil.

Deep Fry:  Cooking pieces of meat, often coated with batter or crumbs, submerged in very hot oil.  Example: Southern Fried Chicken.

Grill:  Cooking over direct heat, usually outdoors.  Grill pans and electric grills don’t require much additional oil, and create nice looking char marks, but lack the crust and smoky flavor of outdoor grilling.  Grilling can be fast or slow.  Examples: Grilled Steaks, Barbecued Chicken, You Name It!

Pan-Roast or Pan-Fry: A technique that begins on the stove top and often ends under the broiler or in the oven.  Combination cooking creates a flavorful browned exterior and allows for finer control of doneness.  Great for thick chops and steaks or larger pieces of poultry.  Examples: Filet Mignon, Pork Tenderloin, Pan-Roasted Veal Chops.

Poach: Simmer at a point less than boiling to produce just a slight movement in the liquid.  Examples: Poached Chicken Breasts.

Roast: Dry cooking in ambient oven heat.  Creates a flavorful, browned outside and a tender, juicy interior. Ideal for larger tender roasts, whole poultry, most stuffed roasts.  Examples: Roast Beef, Thanksgiving Turkey, Crown Roast.

Sauté: Quick stove-top cooking in a skim of oil in a heavy, low-sided skillet, frying pan or sauté pan.  Great for tender steakhouse cuts and chops, chicken or duck breast, boneless cutlets.  Examples: Sandwich Steaks, Wiener Schnitzel, Chicken Cutlets.

Smoke: Food is cooked or flavored before cooking by exposure to smoldering wood, herbs or tea.  Examples: Tea-Smoked Chicken, Mesquite-Smoked Pork Chops.

Stir Fry: An Asian technique of cooking small pieces of food over very high heat, usually with oil, using constant stirring and tossing motion to prevent burning.  Examples: A Profusion of Meat, Seafood and Poultry Dishes From China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Simmer: See Braise & Also See Stew

Stew: Slow cooking, Submerged in flavorful liquid, usually after browning on the surface.  Stewing is similar to braising except that stews usually have more liquid, which is an important part of the finished dish. Best for cubes coming from tougher cuts.  Examples: Beef Stew, Chili, Gumbo.

Sous-vide: A method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times (72 hours in some cases). The temperature is regulated and much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55° F to 60° F for meats.  The intention is to cook the item evenly, and not to overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same doneness, keeping the food juicier.  Examples: Beef Brisket and Short Ribs.

 

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