tacos

it's getting to be that time of year when preparing slow roasted meats or dishes in the slow cooker sound wonderful. this recipe was inspired by a dish we saw on diners, drive-ins & dives from a fantastic looking mexican place in cleveland - slow cooked brisket, shredded and served as yummy tacos! and it's the perfect dish to smother with this roasted tomatillo salsa.

excited to go apple picking with a friend from out of town this week and to check out this farm stand. also had an amazing day wandering among sculptures and beautiful fall colors in the hudson valley here - definitely worth the drive out of the city!

happy weekend!

Braised Beef Tacos

serves 4 to 6

for beef:

3 1/2 lb beef brisket

3 tbs ground coffee

2 tbs kosher salt

1 tsp jalapeno powder

1 tsp ground chipolte chile

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 large onion, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves

3 sticks mexican cinnamon

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 lime, juiced

for tacos:

1 tbs olive oil

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbs heavy cream

1 tbs dried oregano

corn tortillas

tomatillo salsa

cotija cheese

avocado

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. in a small bowl, combine coffee, salt, jalapeno powder and chile powder and mix. rub all over brisket to coat well.

heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil. sear meat on each side until nicely browned. add remaining ingredients plus 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. cover and transfer pot to oven and cook for 3 hours or until tender. remove meat from broth and set aside until cool enough to shred. strain liquid and return to pot. simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. stir shredded meat into broth and keep warm.

heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. add peppers, onion and garlic and saute 10 minutes or until softened. stir in heavy cream and oregano.

for each taco, top a warm corn tortilla with about 1/4 cup meat, a few tablespoons of stewed peppers and onions, salsa, cheese and avocado. enjoy!

steak

sometimes there's nothing better than a simply marinated & grilled piece of beef - you can put it in a composed salad, make it into a sandwich or just serve it with a drizzle of good olive and some crisp vegetables. we're not grilling outdoors since we moved - maybe cause it's snowing and we don't have a patio anymore - but if you can stand the smoke for a bit, a cast iron grill pan is a great investment. pancakes for breakfast and steak for dinner! this is an easy marinade made special by the addition of two homemade condiments: worcestershire sauce and spicy mustard. by the way, it's our first restaurant week in nyc and although we waited too long to score a coveted reservation anywhere fancy, we did have a wonderful three course lunch here yesterday - we love mario.

Grilled Skirt Steak

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 tbs chili garlic sauce

3 green onions, sliced

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs spicy mustard

1 tbs chili flakes

1 lb skirt or flank steak

in a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. place steak in a large ziploc bag and cover with marinade. refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. grill over medium high heat for 8-12 minutes per side, depending on preferred doneness and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. enjoy!

all american

happy memorial day everyone!!!  since it looks as though the entire editorial world is burger happy these days, we decided to do a little burger week here at pictures & pancakes.  today is a great day to kick it off with all the grilling going on, and we thought it fitting to have our all-american burger be the first.  a simple, juicy burger to satisfy your bbq needs.  we are also experimenting for the first time in a long time with a friend's 4x5 camera - thanks megan.  it couldn't be more fun, i think i just fell in love with photography all over again.  so this week will feature 4x5 images of different burgers.  we hope this inspires you to eat and fall in love with something of your own!

The All-American Burger

sesame seed bun

thousand island dressing

thick sliced beefsteak tomato

ground sirloin patty, seasoned with salt & pepper

sharp cheddar cheese

applewood smoked niman ranch bacon

caramelized onions

frikadellers

i grew up in a house that holds many different food traditions and some of them happen to be danish. frikadellers are danish meatballs and common in most scandinavian countries - if you've ever been to ikea, i'm sure you've seen the swedish meatballs in the frozen foods near the lingonberry jam, creamed herring and that awesome soft serve ice cream! we make frikadellers every christmas eve but i was recently reminded of them in gourmet's may review of this cookbook which sounds great. has anyone gotten it yet? i think everyone probably makes their frikadellers a little differently but this is my favorite way - enjoy them with some boiled red potatoes and chopped dill!

Danish Meatballs

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1 egg, beaten

1 small red onion, diced

1 tbs ground cardamom

4 tbs unsalted butter

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

lingonberry jam for garnish

in a large bowl, combine beef, pork, egg, onion and cardamom and season with salt and pepper. form into small balls about the size of walnuts, rolling them between your hands. heat 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs oil in a skillet and fry the meatballs in batches, turning to brown on all sides. transfer the cooked meatballs to a small sheet pan and set aside. continue to fry, adding remaining 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs oil, until all meatballs are cooked. add remaining 2 tbs butter and melt. whisk in flour and cook for a few minutes until golden brown. remove from heat and very carefully add 1 cup water (pan will bubble and splatter). return to the heat and whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. add meatballs and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked completely. serve frikadellers with sauce, lingonberry jam and boiled potatoes. enjoy!

beef, it's what's for dinner

looking back on recent posts, we realized that we haven't shared many beef recipes. with weather warming up, bbq season fast approaching and cinco de mayo just around the corner, we thought this simple marinade for easy & fresh carne asada tacos sounded perfect. you are welcome to throw in some sour cream, pico de gallo or any of your favorite taco garnishes but we wanted to keep this recipe basic and fresh, just like the delicious tacos we get at our local taqueria or taco truck. enjoy these tasty tacos on a warm afternoon with good friends and a great margarita!

Carne Asada Tacos

for the carne asada:

1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1 red onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 orange, juiced

1 chipolte chili in adobo, chopped

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs ground cumin

1 tbs olive oil

place flank steak and all remaining marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag and massage to evenly distribute flavors over meat. refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour and up to 6 hours. preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. grill steak approximately 3 minutes per side, or until center reaches 145 degrees F, for medium doneness. let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

for the tacos:

1 1/2 lbs grilled & sliced carne asada

8 corn tortillas, warmed

1/2 onion, diced

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, pitted, peeled & sliced

1-2 limes, cut into wedges

to assemble taco, place a few slices of steak in warmed tortilla and top with avocado, onions and cilantro. squeeze generously with juice from lime wedges.

homemade

i've always wished i was italian. the language, the landscape, the food, the fashion - there are just so many things to love. making fresh pasta is something i've only recently started to do and it makes me feel a little more italian than i actually am. i got a pasta machine about a year ago and it's so much fun to make the dough, let it rest and crank it through to make beautiful little noodles. you can make noodles in the morning, throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer and then plop them in salted boiling water for dinner. this ragu is tasty over fresh fettuccine or some cheesy polenta and makes a hearty meal for a cold winter evening.

Beef Short Rib Ragu

4 oz pancetta, diced

2 tbs olive oil

2 lbs beef short ribs

2 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped

1 onion, peeled & roughly chopped

1/2 cup parsley

4 cloves garlic

1 lb 12 oz can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 cup red wine

1 cup water

in a large heavy pot, brown pancetta in olive oil until crisp. remove with a slotted spoon and add short ribs. season well with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. meanwhile, in a food processor pulse carrots, onion, parsley and garlic until coarsely chopped. add to short ribs and cook 1 minute until fragrant. add reserved pancetta, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, wine and water and bring to a boil. reduce and simmer for 2 hours covered. remove short ribs and shred the meat, discarding the bones. return meat to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Egg Pasta Dough

1 lb 6 oz flour

6 eggs

place flour on a board or in a bowl. make a well in the center and crack the eggs into it. beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. mix the flour and eggs together a little at a time, taking flour from the center without breaking the well. with well floured hands, knead the dough until it's nice and smooth. wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out.

double dipped

for those of you who are lucky enough to have been to philippe's french dipped sandwiches in l.a., you know exactly what this post is all about.  and for those who have yet to venture over, you need to run, not walk to this famous landmark.  I remember the first time my dad took me there, i'd say i was about 10, and i didn't really understand the lure of the wait in a long line, carry food on your own tray and ruin your mouth with the devils own table side mustard.  it wasn't until many years and many trips later that it all started to make sense.  it's the beauty of the process, the simplicity of the keeping things the same for decades and how that mustard is now the very thing that makes the dip what it really is.  there are hundreds of ways to get a meal, from french dips with any of 5 different meats, to fresh daily pies, to unreal potato and macaroni salad.  when we went last week, my plate had a beef dip, twice dipped, with swiss cheese, potato salad and a side of pickles...and of course a whole lot of that famous mustard.

mom's famous (well sort of...)

i know we've already given you multiple meals in a bowl but i couldn't resist sharing another one. drum roll please - this is my mom's famous chili recipe. i guess it's really only famous in our family but it should be famous because it's that good! it's always better the next day if you can stand not eating the whole pot the night you make it and i never really measure the spices exactly so it tastes a little different each time. the recipe is slightly different from my mom's original and it changes depending on who i'm making it for - some people like more meat, some people like more beans, some people like ground turkey, some people like corn, etc. but whatever you add or take away, it always tastes fantastic. thanks mom!

Mom's Famous Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

15 oz can chopped tomatoes

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed

15 oz can black beans, rinsed

15 oz can corn, rinsed, or 2 cups frozen (optional)

2 tbs tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

3 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs cocoa powder

1-3 tsp hot sauce (tabasco or tapatio)

In a large pot, cook beef until browned. Add onion and pepper and saute until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 1 hour. Serve with optional sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

guinness is good for you

in need of a winter stew that takes just about as much effort as drinking a guinness itself?  step right up.  a cure for all those busy winter days is a trusty crock pot.  we probably only bust it out 4-5 times a winter, but when we do we always enjoy the ease and wonderful result.  and when any dish has the words guinness, beef and puff pastry in the ingredients, you know your in for a good one.  enjoy this irish inspired winter treat.

Beef & Guinness Pie

2 lbs boneless beef chuck, fat trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tbs flour

olive oil (for browning beef)

2 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs dijon mustard

4 cloves garlic, smashed

3 carrots, peeled & chopped

2 onions, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

3 parsnips, peeled & chopped

8 fingerling potatoes, chopped

1 beef bullion cube

3 sprigs fresh thyme

6 leaves sage, chopped

20 oz stout, 2 bottles or 1 1/2 cans Guinness

1-2 tbs cornstarch (optional)

2 sheets puff pastry

1 large egg + 1 tbs water

Combine beef and flour in a large ziploc bag and shake to coat. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Shake excess flour from meat and cook beef until nicely browned on all edges. Add tomato paste, mustard and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes and set aside. Combine all vegetables, beef bullion, herbs and reserved meat in a crock pot. Cover with beer and a little water if needed. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If broth has not reached desired thickness, take about 1/2 cup broth and whisk with 1 tbs cornstarch. Stir into crock pot and let thicken, repeat if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spoon stew into ovenproof bowls and top with squares of puff pastry, pressing down to seal. Brush with egg wash and bake 14-18 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden.