1. Start with a top quality filet mignon
2. Season with Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
3. Preheat oven to 375º F
4. Heat a large cast iron skillet to 450º on the stove top.
5. Add 2 TBL butter and 2 TBL oil to the pan.  The oil will help prevent the butter from burning.
6. When the butter stops foaming, turn the heat down to medium.
7. Sear the meat on all sides.  If the meat sticks to the pan, leave it for another few seconds until it releases on its own.
8. Put the pan into the oven until the meat has reached an internal temperature of 125º F. Use an external probe thermometer so you don’t have to keep opening the oven.  This will take 10-12 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven.
10. Put the meat on a warmed platter to rest for 15 minutes.
11. While the meat is resting, prepare the sauce.
12. Using the residual juices in the pan, place the pan over medium heat.
13. Add the minced shallot and saute until translucent, but not browned.
14. Add the red wine.
15. Turn the heat up to medium high and reduce by half.
16. Taste for seasonings.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.
17. Stir in the minced tarragon and remove from the heat.
18. Stir in the softened butter right before serving. This will help to further thicken the sauce and give it a lovely sheen.
19. For a classic presentation, slice your Chateaubriand in half diagonally and serve on warmed plates with the sauce spooned over.
20. Garnish with some fresh tarragon leaves.

Technically, Chateaubriand is a dish and not a cut of meat; however, sometimes cuts from beef tenderloin are sold as Chateaubriand steaks. These cuts and filet mignon are two very similar pieces of steak. They both originate from the same place on the cow and are very tender when cooked with the correct methods.

From TheDailyMeal.com

It’s not as common a dish as it used to be, but one of the fanciest — and most expensive — dishes you might ever encounter on a menu is a chateaubriand, usually served “for two.” The fact that it’s generally listed alongside steaks gives away the fact that it’s also a steak, but what is it, exactly, and why is it called “chateaubriand”?

Like Delmonico steak, the chateaubriand is one of those cuts of steak that isn’t named for a specific cut of meat, and its definition has also changed over the years. As legend has it, the chateaubriand was named after a French aristocrat named François-René de Chateaubriand, whose chef invented a method of cooking a large, boneless cut of beef by wrapping it in poor-quality steaks (sometimes recounted as the smaller end pieces from the filet), tying it up, grilling it until charred, and tossing the outer steaks. The perfectly-cooked inner roast was deemed the chateaubriand. (Perhaps appropriately for someone whose name has been attached to such an opulent dish, Chateaubriand was exiled during the French Revolution.”.)

Today, a chateaubriand is generally agreed-upon to be a large center cut filet mignon, roasted and served alongside potatoes and a sauce (appropriately named chateaubriand sauce) usually made with shallots, beef or veal stock, white wine, tarragon, and butter. The legendary French chef Pierre Franey, in his recipe for The New York Times, suggests wrapping a 7-inch filet in cheesecloth, standing it on its end, and pounding it down until it’s 1 1/2 inches thick, 6 inches in diameter, and round, then cooking it like a steak, but you don’t see too many people doing that any more.

While the techniques may vary, any menu that includes a chateaubriand will take pains to prepare the dish well, and the results are typically delicious. So if you see chateaubriand on a menu and you can spring for it, we suggest you order it, because you’ll receive a beautifully roasted filet mignon alongside a tasty French sauce and potatoes. Some places will even carve it tableside for you.

Ponzu or Dashi – a Japanese dipping sauce made from soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and bonito fish flakes.  Sometimes chicken broth is substituted.

Traditionally pork sliced into paper-thin nearly transparent slices.  Cooked in boiling hot ponzu, then dipped in dashi

Paired with thin vegetables or rocket lettuce also dipped into the hot ponzu

Just a thought:  I wounder if marinated meat could be cooked on hot rocks – perhaps on a hot plate.

This is a good side for any protein, and also helps accent any sandwiches or burgers.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large sweet onion – sliced thin
• 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBL sugar
• 1/2 C water

STEP BY STEP

1. Sweat onions in 1 TBL butter over low heat
2. Add balsamic and reduce
3. Add sugar after they are quite wilted
4. Add water and let them simmer for 30 minutes
5. Cool and refrigerate
6. Serve as a side

See also Caramelized Onion Focaccia

• Pork butt
  FOR MARINADE
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C dry rice wine or sake
• 6 TBL Hoisin sauce
• 2 TBL Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• 1/2 C regular soy
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 TBL ginger
• 1 TBL sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• 1/4 tsp white ground pepper

1. Cut pork butt into 1 x 2 inch “French Fries”
2. Poke holes with a fork all along the length
3. Put pork and (all but 1/2 C) marinade in a plastic bag
4. Let rest in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours
5. Mix marinade, putting 1/2 C into a pot for a glaze to be used later
6. Add 1/3 C honey to the pot
7. 1/4 C ketchup
8. Bring up to a simmer and cook 5 minutes
9. Spray drying rack with Pam and set it on a foil sheet
10. Put strips of pork on the rack, add 1/4 C water to the bottom, and wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil
11. Roast at 300º for an hour
12. Remove foil and bake for another 40 minutes
13. Put into broiler for 7 minutes to dry out
14. Put on glaze and broil 5 minutes
15. Flip, dry out 7 minutes, glaze, and broil 5 more minutes
16. Rest 10 minutes before slicing into medallions
17. Serve over top of sticky white rice

Whole Grain Wafer Crackers

• 1 1/4 C warm water
• 1 TBL yeast
  MIX IN YOUR KITCHEN AID, AND ALLOW 5 MINUTES TO PROOVE
• 2 C AP flour
• 3/4 C rye flour
• 1/2 whole wheat flour or buckwheat flour
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/3 C flax seeds
• 1/3 C sesame seeds
• 1/3 C nigella seeds
• 1 TBL cumin seeds
  WHISK DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER

1. Add dry ingredients into your stand mixer – use a dough hook
2. 1 large spoonful at a time – Mix for 6-9 minutes, just until mixed
3. Cover and let rise 1 hour – it will double in bulk
4. Dust work surface lightly lightly with cornmeal
5. Divide dough into 16 pieces
6. Cover with plastic wrap while you process each piece
7. Roll into sheet as flat as possible
8. Brush off any extra cornmeal
9. Bake at 425º
10. Serve with brie, goat cheese, honey, figs, hummus, etc
11. Dock the sheets liberally
12. Bake 10 minutes per side
13. Flip halfway through baking

UNTESTED

1. Score fat cap every 1/2 inch – cross hatch
2. Salt and pepper both sides
3. Sear on high heat 4-5 minutes per side
4. Heat 1 C vinegar, 1 1/2 C  soy, 3 TBL C rice vinegar, 1/2 C brown sugar, 6 garlic cloves minced, bay leaves, 1 TBL black pepper – over medium heat only until the sugar melts
5. Add 1 C chicken stock to the mixture
6. Braise 3 hours at 275º or until internal temperature is 165º
7. Remove from oven and wrap in foil.  Keep wrapped until internal temperature reaches 200º
8. Slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve with fried rice and Thai Cucumber Salad.  Also good with just biscuits and jam.

Fish Batter

• • 1/2 C AP flour
  • 1/2 C corn starch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
  • 1 C lager beer
  • 1/2 C butter milk

1. Pat cod, halibut or haddock dry before dipping into batter
2. Fry at 365-375º about 4 minutes per side
3. Season immediately after putting on towel to drain

Chips

1. Cut Yukon Gold potatoes into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces
2. Fry in 8 C peanut oil at 375º about 12-15 minutes each
3. Agitate, then 3-5 more minutes
4. Set aside to drain
5. When ready to serve fish, put chips into oven at 450º for 5 minutes

Grandpa’s Recipe

For the dough

Ingredients

• 2 cups (255 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (128 grams) bread flour
• 1 large (or two medium) russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup (35 grams) nonfat dry milk
• 2 TBL honey or light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBL instant yeast
• 2 TB butter, melted

Step by Step

1. Cut one large russet potato into medium sized pieces.
2. Boil for 8 minutes in two inches of water.  Reserve water for later use.
   
3. Put through potato ricer if you have one.  If not, mash it.
4. Add 2 TBL  honey and 2 TBL butter
5. Crack in one egg and 2 tsp kosher salt
6. Add 1 TBL yeast and nonfat dry milk
   
7. Add 1 C warm potato water and mix well
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all the ingredients.
9. Stir until combined – start on slow
   
10. If too dry, add a bit of potato water.  If too wet or too sticky, add a bit more flour
11. Turn the mixer on medium low speed and knead until a soft yet tacky dough forms, about 5 minutes.
12. Dust counter with flour, and finish knead on the counter and form into a ball
13. Drizzle oil into a glass bowl and cover surface so that dough will not stick
    
14. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until it’s almost doubled.
15. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface, and roll a thick rope (about 2 inch diameter)
16. Roll each piece into a ball.    Roll so that any seams are on the bottom
17. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 to 3 inches between them and flatten gently.
18. Cover and let rise until the buns have doubled in size 45 to 60 minutes minutes.
19. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
20. Put onto a sheet tray, spray the top lightly with PAM, cover and let rise 60 more minutes
21. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds just before putting into oven
    
22. Bake in oven at 400º for about 20 minutes – or until golden brown.
23. Bake the buns for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re light golden brown.
24. Remove them from the oven, and brush them with melted butter, if desired.
25. Transfer the buns to a rack to cool.
26. Store buns, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days or in the freeze for up to 2 months.
27. To use frozen buns:  Defrost to room temperature then reheat in a 300°F oven or toasted.

Ingredients

• 4 large lemons or 8 key limes – clean
• 1 stick unsalted butter – softened
• 1 3/4 C AP flour
• 1 2/3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1 C whole milk ricotta cheese

Step by Step

1. Grate and juice citrus of choice
2. Butter 9x5x3 loaf pan
3. Preheat oven to 350º
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
5. Drop butter into bowl of stand mixer and beat until fluffy
6. Beat in ricotta, zest and juice
7. Add flour 1/3 at a time and mix to incorporate
8. Scrape batter into prepared pan
9. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out nearly clean (50-60 minutes)
10. While cake cools, make the glaze
11. Pour 1/2 C sugar into sauce pan and ad 1/4 C juice
12. Simmer until sugar dissolves and sauce thickens (3-5 minutes)
13. Remove cake from pan and brush with glaze while loaf is still warm

Make pizza same as any other, but use these as your toppings:

• Alfredo Sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Provalone cheese
• Feta cheese
• Tomato slices
• Green onion
• EVOO

• One chicken leg with thigh – double the recipe if you wish
• 1/2 Onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 stalk celery, 1 tsp fresh ginger – chop
• 1 Serrano pepper without the seeds
• 2 TBL canola oil or ghee
• 1.4 tsp each:  Salt, powdered ginger, turmeric, chili powder, clove
• 1/2 tsp each:  Cinnamon, sugar,  cumin, coriander, cardamom
• 1/4 C yogurt
• 1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 C chicken stock
• 2 TBL butter
• 1/4 C half and half
• Cilantro, naan and cooked Pulao Rice

1. Cut the chicken into pieces and set aside
2. Put canola into a skillet and turn on medium low heat
3. Heat the onion, garlic, celery and ginger for 5 minute
4. Put the onion mixture, Serrano, and half the spice into a blender and puree.  Strain through a colander, discarding the solids.
5. Toss the chicken pieces in with the other half of the spice mixture
6. Add the coated chicken to the skillet and cook until browning just barely begins
7. Dump everything into a large mixing bowl
8. Add 1/4 C yogurt and toss together
9. Refrigerate and marinate 2-4 hours
10. In about three hours, heat one can of crushed tomatoes and 2 C chicken stock in a large oven-safe stock pot
11. Toss the chicken mixture in with the tomatoes
12. Bake uncovered in the oven at 350º for 12-15 minutes
13. Put onto stovetop over medium-high heat and add 2 TBL of butter and 1/4 C cream
14. Stir for 5-10 minutes to reduce
15. Serve garnished with cilantro, and with hot naan rubbed with butter and then put under the broiler briefly
16. Rice works well as a side for this dish also