Cheeseburgers on Pretzel Rolls

I need to start this post with an apology.  I went to Mars for a second, but I'm back now and I brought t-shirts for everybody.  Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration,  but my unprecedented lack of posting did cause me to skip right over a rather monumental event; our 1 year anniversary.  That's right, on January 17, 2012 I began the Feast.  60 posts and over a year later I am still dishing it out.

Here are a few goals that I have for this upcoming year of Ferocious Feasting...
- Upload at least 4 posts each month.
- Raise our viewership.  If you have a foodie friend who's always looking for recipes, let them know about us.
- Incorporate a few simple "How To" videos, explaining techniques on things like the best way to chop an onion, getting a perfect sear on a piece of meat, or why I love my Dutch oven.
- Release the cookbook that I have been working on for the last two years as an eBook.

Now... onto the feasting!

The perfect cheeseburger is an elusive beast.  Most lack flavor, are overcooked, served on crappy buns, or turn into a ball instead of a patty.  I don't think I'm quite there yet, but I'm pretty damn close.  Other than the solid burger seasoning and cooking techniques, the big winner of this is the homemade pretzel roll.  This pretzel roll recipe is my most requested recipe to date.  They require a little forethought, but very little work.  Once you try it, you will never, ever, ever go back.

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Here's what you'll need for the pretzel rolls...
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2/3 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
7 2/3 cup water divided
cooking spray
4 tablespoons baking soda
course sea salt

Combine the milk and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan and put over low heat until a thermometer reads between 100˙-110˙F.  Remove it from the heat and add the yeast.  Set it aside for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of flour and 2/3 teaspoon of kosher salt.  Once the yeast has rested, add it to the flour along with the canola oil.  Kneed the mixture until a dough has formed and been worked smooth.  Add more flour ONLY if it is too sticky to work with.  Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size; about 1 hour.

Once it has risen, gently punch the dough down, then kneed for another couple of minutes.  Cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces.  Form balls out of each piece by pulling the sides down under the ball.  Let them continue to rise for an additional 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400˙F.  In a large saucepan over high heat, add the remaining 7 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and the baking soda.  Stir until the salt and baking soda has dissolved.  Once the water comes to a rapid boil, place two to three dough balls into the boiling water at a time.  Let them poach for 30 seconds, then flip them over and let them poach for an additional 30 seconds.  Remove them from the water, sprinkle them with the coarse sea salt, and make a shallow cut across the top of the roll with a sharp knife.  Repeat the process until all of the rolls are done.  Place them on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake the rolls until they are a beautiful, deep brown; about 18-25 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, prep and cook the burgers.

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Here's what you'll need for the burgers...
2 pounds ground sirloin (about 90/10)*
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8 slices good cheese (I like sharp cheddar or mozzarella, or... both!)

*It is especially important to use leaner beef if you are cooking indoors on the stove top.  When using fattier grinds in a skillet, the fat renders out it will start to turn into a greasy fat bath.  If you are grilling, the fat can drip down allowing you to use an 80/20 grind.

Combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix it together with your hands until the mixture is well combined.  Divide the mixture into 8 equal sized balls.  Press and shape the balls into thin patties.  When the burger cooks, the middle will balloon up a bit so try to get the middles of each patty thinner than the edges.  They will also shrink in circumference, so don't be afraid to make the patties wider than the buns.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add 3-4 patties (depending on the size of your skillet... don't over crowd them).  Don't press them down with your spatula!  It will push all of the juice and flavor out.  Cook the burgers until the brown cooked edge comes all the way up to the top; about 3 minutes.  Flip each patty as it becomes ready.  After you flip the patty, add a slice of cheese.  Once all the patties are flipped and cheesed, cover the skillet with a large lid if available.  This will help melt the cheese.  Continue cooking the burgers until they have reached medium doneness; about another 3 minutes.

Slice the pretzel rolls open.  If you like, you can toast the rolls by setting your oven to broil, add a pat of butter to each open roll half, then put the baking sheet of rolls, cut side up, under the broiler until the golden; about 30-60 seconds.

Assemble and top your burger as you like.  Don't be afraid to get creative with your toppings.  Avocado, grilled onions, pineapple, shredded pork, mashed potatoes... a lot of unique condiments are being used in upscale joints to create really interesting burgers.  Or, as I did the other day, you can just add some ketchup and mustard (homemade Crotchety Miser Mustard I crafted with some home-brewed IPA).

Burger season isn't far away.  If, like me, you can't wait, then making them indoors can help you weather the weather until the grill can once again return.

Gambe!

Apple and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

I have had all manner of mushy goo and tasteless crumbs that bear the name 'stuffing'.  Like so many of the recipes I have developed, I started crafting this one after being fed up with feeding on sub-par stuffing.  Not only does this recipe make for a great Thanksgiving side dish, but also works well stuffed into butterflied pork chops.

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Here's what you'll need...

1 medium yellow onion

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

1 pound ground pork sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1 Granny Smith apple

1 cup walnuts

small bunch fresh sage

4 stems fresh thyme

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

14 ounces dry cornbread stuffing

Rinse and chop the celery stalks.  Peel and chop the onion.  Smash, peel, and mince the garlic.  Peel the apple and chop into 1" pieces.  Then roughly chop the walnuts.

Preheat the oven to 350˙F.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown and break up the pork sausage until it is no longer pink.  Remove the pork and set aside.  Add the butter to the rendered pork fat and reduce the heat to medium.

Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic to the butter and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent; about 5 minutes.  Add the apple and walnuts to the skillet and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.

In a 9"x13" baking dish, combine the stuffing, chicken broth, sausage, and cooked vegetables and mix well.  Remove the leaves from the stems of thyme and chop them with the sage leaves.  Add them to the stuffing mixture and mix to combine.

Put the stuffing in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Gambe!

Cider Brined Roast Turkey

Growing up, Thanksgiving was nothing more than a transitional holiday.  It was merely a halfway point between the good holidays, Halloween and Christmas.  And while having a daughter is reinvigorating my love of Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving is now defiantly holding its own now that I am approaching middle-aged.  When did an orgy of coma-inducing food become better than presents?

Unfortunately, more often than not Thanksgiving turkeys are dry and flavorless.  The secret to a truly amazing turkey is brining.  I know that it is tempting to want to skip the 1-2 day prep work if you don't recognize the difference that it makes, but if you are willing to try brining once I promise that you will never skip it again.

This turkey recipe is moist and oozing with deliciousness.  It is so good that in our house turkey is no longer reserved for one meal a year.

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Here's what you'll need...

2 quarts apple cider (or apple juice)

1 cup table salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon crystallized ginger

cold water

1 red delicious apple

1 yellow onion

1 large bunch fresh sage

1 large stem fresh rosemary

1 - 10 to 14 pound fresh turkey

olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

 

In a large saucepan, combine the apple cider, 1 cup table salt, brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns, and crystallized ginger.  Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until all of the salt and sugar has dissolved; about 15 minutes.  Place the liquid in the freezer to cool quickly.

 

Place the thawed turkey, free of giblets, breast side down in a VERY large bowl or a clean 5-gallon bucket if necessary.  Add the cooled apple cider mixture to the bowl.  Then add up to 1 gallon of cold water to the bowl until the turkey is covered (or you fill the bowl).  The goal is to submerge as much of the turkey as possible.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 500˙F.  Remove the turkey and discard the brine.  Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water.  Pat dry with paper towel and place breast side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.  Bend the wing tips back behind the rest of the wing.

Bring two cups of water to a boil in a teapot.  Cut the apple and onion into 8 even chunks (there is no need to remove stems, peel, or core).  Place the apple and onion chunks into a medium bowl.  Add the boiling water and let it steep for 3-5 minutes.  Drain the water and stuff the turkey cavity with the apple, onion, bunch of sage leaves, and whole rosemary stem, bent in half if necessary.

 

Rub the entire surface of the turkey with a generous amount of olive oil.  Then season liberally with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.  If not already bound, tie the ends of the drumsticks tightly together with kitchen twine.  Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, set the thermometer alarm for 161˙F, and place in the preheated oven.  Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350˙F and roast until the internal temperature reads 161˙F.

Remove the turkey from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.  This will give the juices inside time to settle back into the meat and ensure that the turkey stays moist.

I hope you enjoy this turkey as much as I do.  And I hope that it makes your Thanksgiving dinners just that much more special.

Gambe!

Cranberry Sauce Flambé

Cranberry sauce is one of those "once-a-year, every year" dishes.  And it is so easy to get a can of jelly and cut down on one more Thanksgiving project.  And I know that some of you love the cylindrical shape and will never convert to homemade cranberry sauce.  That being said, there is something so wonderfully satisfying about crafting a Thanksgiving dinner entirely from scratch.  When your guests compliment the food you aren't just happy that you didn't ruin the meal.  You get a gleaming sense of accomplishment that you took bare bones ingredients and transformed them into culinary art.  And with this dish in particular, there is nothing that you can do in the kitchen that makes you feel more like a pro than to pull off a flambé without burning your kitchen down.

That being said, if you are trying this flambé for the first time, know that it is very simple.  But make sure that you read through all of the instructions first and have a fire extinguisher nearby just in case.  Thanksgiving is no fun if you spend all day filling out insurance forms with second degree burns.

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Here's what you'll need...

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 orange

1 lemon

1/2 cup brandy

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Rinse the cranberries in a colander under cold water.

Stir together the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Once it begins to boil, add the cranberries.  Lower the heat so that the liquid simmers; around medium.

Zest the lemon and orange.  Add the zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the juice of the lemon and orange to the simmering cranberries.

Temporarily turn off all of the burners on the stove.  With a stick lighter and the measured brandy ready, dump in the brandy.  Then light the cranberries with the stick lighter.  Let it burn for about 30 seconds.  If the flame has not burned out, blow it out.  Once the flame is out, turn on the burners back to where they were.

 

Let the cranberries continue to simmer until the berries are soft and the mixture reduces slightly; about 15 minutes.  Remove from the flame and let it cool.  For thicker sauce, allow it to refrigerate for several hours before serving.

I hope that this recipe is tasty enough to convert you from the tin can jelly that tries to pass itself off as cranberry sauce.

If there is any brandy left in the bottle, pour yourself a snifter, raise your glass, and congratulate yourself on successfully executing a flambé while still having a roof over your head.

Gambe!

Thanksgiving

 

You know what I am thankful for?  My loved ones; My wonderful family and all of the friends that I have had the privilege of knowing over the last 30 years.

This post comes a bit late as I am recovering from NaNoWriMo, an organization that promotes novel writing.  NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and the basic concept involves writing an entire novel of at least 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30.  I did accomplish the goal and am just now reintegrating myself into the real world.

Last year, for the first time, we spent Thanksgiving by ourselves.  We had just moved far away from our families and didn't yet have the money or the time off to fly back.  It was a bit lonely but it also made me all the more thankful for our newly forming immediate family.  This year we were joined by my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  They made the enormous car trip out from Indiana just to spend Thanksgiving with us.  It was a perfect visit, complete with marathon shopping binges for the girls and lots of coma-inducing, carb-loaded leftovers for the boys.

I think I outdid myself on the food.  Everything was bombastic.  The flavors were punch-you-in-the-face intense.  And with the exception of some philosophical differences about stuffing ingredients, the meal was doted on by all.

We had...

Cider Brined Roast Turkey

White Wine Pan Gravy

Apple and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Tangy Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce Flambé

Roasted Acorn Squash

Rice and Broccoli Cheese Bake

Ellen's Creamy Fruit Salad

Yeast Rolls

Cinnamon Apple Pie

I am going to do my best to get a good handful of these recipes up for you to make at home.  As I do I will update the links in the menu list above.  I originally intended on putting them up during the month of November so that you would have them ahead of time, but NaNoWriMo is a wicked mistress.  I guess there is always next year.

I am also thankful to you, my readers.  We are nearing Ferocious Feasts' one year anniversary.  And while we've been slow to grow, I am very proud of the quality of both the food that we share and the blog itself.  I am confident that the word will spread and The Feast will continue to grow.

So if you will, raise your glass of mulled wine and toast to you...

Gambe!

Cream of Crab Soup

I have been in Maryland now for over a year.  As my regular readers know, I just wrote a piece on the Waterfowl Festival here in Easton where I raved about the local cream of crab soup.  But after a few days passed, I wanted more.  So I finally decided to try my own hand at a batch of this local delicassy.

As an outsider, it was important that I do my research.  I needed to know going into the kitchen what it was that made Maryland cream of crab different from that of other areas.  I think I was able to do the MD justice.  But try it for yourself and let me know.

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Here's what you'll need...
1 medium yellow onion
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pint crab stock (you can substitute with clam juice if you can't find/make crab stock)
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (you cannot substitute this with anything!)
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup cream sherry
1 pint heavy cream
1 pound lump crab meat

If your crab stock is frozen, defrost it in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Mince the onion.  Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat until melted and hot.  Add the onion to the butter and sauté until the onion just starts to caramelize, when they start to turn golden and smell sweet; about 7-8 minutes.  Add the flour and stir until it is completely combined and a rue forms.

Whisk in the crab stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until it is completely combined.  Add the Old Bay, sherry, and heavy cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let the soup come to a simmer, then adjust the temperature to maintain the simmer.  Don't let the cream boil.  Let it simmer until the soup thickens; about 15 minutes.

While the soup simmers, pick through the crab meat and pull out the small pieces of shell and cartilage.

Once the soup has thickened slightly, gently fold in the crab and continue to simmer until the crab meat is warm; about 2-3 minutes.

Garish with a few dashes of Old Bay and a drizzle of sherry.

This soup is EXTREMELY rich and decadent.  So you'll want to cut it with some cold beer.  Lift a bottle to me and, until next time...

Gambe!

Pesto Cavatappi with Sautéed Mushrooms

It took many, many years for me to realize that pasta didn't always have to be accompanied by a tomato based sauce.  It was a world-rocking epiphany.  Suddenly I could enjoy noodles with Alfredo, clam, and pesto sauces.  It was a brave new world that I was stepping into.

Since then I have found and developed several fab recipes that fit my new, broader rules of pasta.  Here is one of my favorites.

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Here's what you'll need...
3 big handfuls fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or similar hard cheese), divided
1/2 pound dry Cavatappi noodles
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cups dry white wine, divided (I used a Pinot Grigio, but any dry white will work)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Fill a large saucepan half full of water.  Place over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add two teaspoons of salt and the noodles.  Boil until al dente; about 8-10 minutes.  Then drain the noodles and set them aside.

While the noodles cook, smash and peel the garlic cloves.  Add them to a food processor with the basil leaves, pine nuts, and 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.  Pulse until chopped.  Add the olive oil while pulsing until the pesto is smooth and fully mixed.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is hot, add the mushrooms.  Let them sauté for about a minute, then add one cup of the white wine.  Continue to sauté until the liquid reduces by half; about 10-12 minutes.

While the mushrooms sauté, cut the tomatoes into roughly 1" pieces.  Once the liquid has reduced, add the tomatoes, cooked pasta, and the remaining cup of white wine.  Continue to sauté until the liquid has again reduced by half; about 6-8 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and cook until the liquid has reduced a bit more; about 3-4 minutes.  Add the pesto, the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese, and salt & pepper to taste.

Stir together and cook until warm and well combined; another 3-4 minutes.

Garnish with more cheese.  You can never have too much cheese (said no cardiologist ever).

Gambe!