Steak tips with mushroom-onion gravy

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4 to 6. Published September 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

Steak tips, also known as flap meat, are sold as whole steak, cubes, and strips. To ensure evenly sized chunks, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips and cut them ourselves. If you can only find cubes or strips, reduce the cooking time slightly to avoid overcooking any smaller or thinner pieces. Cremini mushrooms can be used in place of the white mushrooms. Our preferred brand of beef broth is Pacific. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Ingredients

1	tablespoon soy sauce
1	teaspoon sugar
1 1/2	pounds sirloin steak tips , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (see note)
1/4	ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1 3/4	cups low-sodium beef broth (see note)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	pound white mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into 1/4-inch slices (see note)
1	large onion , halved and sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
1	medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
4	teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. 1. Combine soy sauce and sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, tossing once.

2. 2. Meanwhile, cover porcini mushrooms with ¼ cup broth in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and mince (you should have about 1½ tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.

3. 3. Sprinkle meat with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add meat and cook until well browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate and set aside.

4. 4. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon oil, white mushrooms, minced porcinis, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and mushrooms start to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Scrape pan to loosen fond. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt; continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Add garlic, thyme, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are coated with flour, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1½ cups beef broth and porcini soaking liquid, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and bring to boil.

5. 5. Nestle steak pieces into mushroom and onion mixture and add any accumulated juices to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until steak registers 130 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes, turning beef over several times. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

The Right Steak Tips
Steak tips (also called “flap meat” or “sirloin tips”) have a big beefy flavor and tender texture (when sliced properly against the grain) that make this cut one of our favorite inexpensive steaks. But since “steak tips” is a catch-all phrase for almost any type of beef cut into strips, it can be tricky to identify. The easiest way is to look at the grain: Flap meat has a large-grained texture that is distinct from other beef cuts, which tend to have a finer, tighter grain. And be sure to buy a whole steak, not strips or cubes.

Creamy mushroom soup

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes 8 cups, serving 6 to 8. Published March 1, 2001.

To make sure that the soup has a fine, velvety texture, puree it hot off the stove, but do not fill the blender jar more than halfway, as the hot liquid may cause the lid to pop off the jar.

Ingredients

6	tablespoons unsalted butter
6	large shallots , minced (about 3/4 cup)
2	small cloves garlic , minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg , freshly grated
2	pounds white button mushrooms , wiped clean and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 1/2	cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
4	cups hot water
1/2	ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1/3	cup dry sherry or Madeira
1	cup heavy cream
2	teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
	Table salt and ground black pepper
Sauteed Wild Mushroom Garnish (optional)
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
8	ounces shiitake mushrooms or chanterelle, oyster, or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and discarded, mushrooms wiped clean and sliced thin
	Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat; when foaming subsides, add shallots and saute, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and nutmeg; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium; add sliced mushrooms and stir to coat with butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release liquid, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and mushrooms have released all liquid, about 20 minutes. Add chicken stock, water, and porcini mushrooms; cover and bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer until mushrooms are fully tender, about 20 minutes longer.

2. 2. Pour soup into a large bowl. Rinse and dry Dutch oven. Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth, filling blender jar only halfway for each batch. Return soup to Dutch oven; stir in Madeira and cream and bring to simmer over low heat. Add lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with sauteed mushroom garnish, if desired. (Can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated up to 4 days.) If making ahead, add cream at serving time.

3. 3. For the Sauteed Wild Mushroom Garnish (optional):
   Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat; when foam subsides, add mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release their liquid, about 10 minutes for shiitakes and chanterelles, about 5 minutes for oysters, and about 9 minutes for cremini. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid released by mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, about 2 minutes for shiitakes, about 3 minutes for chanterelles, and about 2 minutes for oysters and cremini. Sprinkle a portion of mushrooms over individual bowls of soup and serve.

The Japanese burger

From Washingtonian.com

How To Build a Better Burger, part 8

The Japanese Burger

By Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro

1/4 pound tofu
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 egg 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 iceberg-lettuce leaves
1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
4 teaspoons grated horseradish
4 sesame buns

In a shallow pan, set the tofu between 2 paper towels. Weight it down with a can or bottle for 30 minutes. Let the water drain, chop the tofu, and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the beef, pork, tofu, shiitakes, scallions, miso, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 patties.

In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

Set a pan over medium-high heat and pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook each burger for 1 to 2 minutes, until brown on each side, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with foil and cook 4 minutes more. Puncture patty to test if it’s done; its juices should be clear. Remove the burgers from the pan and drain the oil. Return the patties to the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the soy-sauce mixture. Keep the pan moving to prevent the sauce from burning and flip the burgers while the sauce thickens. The burgers are done when they have a thick, shiny coating of sauce. Serve on a toasted bun with lettuce, mayonnaise, and horseradish.

Jook or congee

From David Lebovitz

Six to eight servings

Jook also goes by the name congee, a word which doesn't sounds appealing to me. (Kinda like, "Would you like some gruel?"...um, no thanks...) A Chinese cook I worked with told me that jook means "arrow." I don't know if that's true, but whenever I drink a bowl, I feel like it hits the bulls-eye.

Don't try to stick too close to the recipe; use it as a springboard for what's available. Like the dried mushrooms, for example, could be swapped out with some fresh, sautéed ones. I've given some suggestions, but like most soup recipes, this lends itself to plenty of customization.

1. Take 1 cup unrinsed short grain rice, and put it in a big pot with 8 cups of water and 2 cups chicken stock(or use all water, if you don't have stock). Let it simmer for about an hour or so, over low heat, until the rice is completely soft and swollen.

2. Meanwhile, soak a large handful of dried Chinese mushrooms in boiling water or shaoxing, and let them sit until soft. Firmly squeeze out the liquid, trim off any hard stems and thinly slice the mushrooms. Then dd them to the pot along with a 2-inch (5cm) piece of fresh ginger that you've peeled and minced.

3. At this point, you can add...

-frozen or fresh peas
-diced chicken or turkey breast, cooked or uncooked
-cubes of lap chong (Chinese sausage) or slab bacon, cooked or uncooked
-finely-diced carrots
-raw peeled shrimp
-a big dash of fish sauce (see Note)

4. Then I simmer the soup for about thirty minutes more, to meld all the flavors. So much depends on the rice that it's hard to note exact cooking times. But this is rustic fare, so just use your judgment and cook it until the grains of rice are very plump and tender and the ingredients look happy together. When done, the jook should be soupy and runny, not thick enough to hold a spoon. But there's no standard for jook-consistency, so it's right when it's as you like it.

5. Possible garnishes are sliced scallions and/or cilantro. I am a big fan of frying cubes of bacon until crisp them and adding them to each bowl of soup. Smoked tofu, cut into cubes, would work for a vegetarian bowl. Scatter a few roasted peanuts on top, or finish with deep-fried shallots.

(Jennifer brought me some amazing deep-fried onions from the south of France, which are the 'local' version of French fried onions.)

Note: To me, the dash of fish sauce is pretty much obligatory to add to the jook, in my opinion, and adds an elusive background flavor. If you don't have any, add a sprinkle of salt. If you want to be more egalitarian, bottles of soy sauce, chile paste, and sesame oil can go on the table so folks can help themselves. I don't like soy sauce, though, since too much of it quickly overwhelms everything else in the soup.

Jook will thicken if refrigerated, so just thin it with more water or stock if you store leftovers in there. Although this makes a great lunch or dinner, it's popular with some folks for breakfast, too.