What I Just Cooked: Short Rib Sandwiches

I was watching some show on TV (I think it was Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) and I see this incredible short rib sandwich being featured. It had red onions and gruyere cheese dripping all over it. Now, I love short ribs and I love short rib sandwiches. I particularly loved the sound of the red onions and gruyere, so I couldn't wait to make my own version of it.

First, I stewed the short ribs with the only things left in the refrigerator: celery, half an onion, a clove of garlic and an old bottle of Paulaner beer. To add flavor, I first browned the ribs until they were pretty crusty. To add even more flavor, I sauteed all the vegetables in olive oil until I could smell the sugar in the air. At the very end, I added about a tablespoon of tomato paste and let it toast a bit. I then put all the ingredients together in my trusty Creuset stewing pot and let the lot simmer for about four hours. With some salt and pepper, of course.

As it turned out, Paulaner made a fantastic braising liquid. Better than beef broth or consumme. I could have used the Paulaner broth as is, but I wanted a really rich, thick gravy so I strained the broth, degreased it, boiled it down by a third and added beurre blanc. The end result was restaurant perfect. Tasted like I'd used glace de veau, without the heavy, MSG salty flavor you often get at restaurants.

So, to assemble the sandwich! On toasted hamburger buns I put down a layer of thinly sliced red onions, a layer of shredded short ribs, a layer of gravy and a layer of cheese. BTW, I wasn't in the mood to buy a big chunk of gruyere at $9 a pop, so I just mixed together leftover Monterey Jack (for the melting factor), leftover Parmesan and leftover Pecorino.

How did it turn out? A+ But then, how can you go wrong with short rib sandwiches?

Kumquats

I've decided kumquats are the S&M specialists of the fruit world. You take a bite and the tiny little devils are so sour you think you're going to scream. And then just as you're about to spit it all out, the incredible, delicious sweetness of the rind kicks in and it's heaven and you immediately want another...

So what exactly are kumquats? They're little, tiny citrus fruits that look like toy oranges. They even come with wee seeds. The inside is SOUR and the rind is so sweet that it almost tastes like the kumquats come naturally sugar coated. There's also that flavor orange rinds have, that complicated perfume which is so concentrated in the peel's oil. You can eat kumquats whole, peel and all, or just eat the peel. Kumquats also come candied.

I'd tried kumquats before, but having bought them at supermarkets, had been very disappointed. This time, I tried some organic ones at the local farmer's market — I just could not believe the difference. Like biting bits of sunshine.

Here's a recipe suggestion: slice some and put them in chicken salads. Or sandwiches. For lunch today, I made a sandwich of leftover chicken, kumquats, celery, and lettuce. I gave it a Middle Eastern twist by making a dressing of yogurt, tahini, garlic, salt, soy sauce (just a drop or two), pickled chili peppers, and chopped parsley. Or course, I wrapped a pita around the entire concoction. Filling and healthy and cheap and oh, so good... I think Julia would have approved!

What I Just Cooked: Apple Empanadas

Last night I made mandu and had about half a dozen wrappers left over. Not really enough to save but too much to throw away. So today, I decided to make dessert with the leftover wrappers. Actually, the whole dish was a leftover treat. I had apples and cream cheese, so I shredded one apple, sugared it, threw some pumpkin spice in and added a big spoonful of cream cheese. After a good mix, I stuffed the mixture into the leftover wrappers and deep fried the parcels. The result was a kind of dessert empanada.

How did it turn out? I'd give the apple empanadas a solid A.