Barbecue is a kind of food that people can get real fussy about. Read user reviews for any barbecue place and half of them are complaints that things aren’t being done “the real way.” People get that way about Mexican food, too. And, embarrassed as I am to admit it, I’ve been that fussy person. [Read more…]
braised country-style ribs with cippolini
At the butcher, I felt a little embarrassed that I’d never heard of country-style ribs, given that I come from what is arguably “the country.” And even if you’re not willing to concede my particular home-census-tract is rural enough, it is, at a minimum, part of a country. Also, I really like ribs. So how had I not heard of country-style ribs? [Read more…]
braised pork with cranberries
About the time of the first frost (or in our case first huge snowfall in October where the snow is just casually falling out of the sky without any kind of explanation like it’s no big deal), the little man who lives in my belly turns his thoughts from tomatoes and scallops and peaches and rosés to pork braises and roasted brussels sprouts and sausages and red wine. It works out nicely that way. [Read more…]
lamb ragù over polenta
There’s something undeniably wonderful about having a fragrant, slow-simmered ragù on the stovetop for an entire Sunday. The richness permeates the air and gives the entire day a slow and luxurious feel. Languorous weekends have been in short supply for us lately, so smelling this ragù all day almost felt decadent.
Lamb is a favorite in this apartment, doubly so for stews and slow sauces. The heartiness of lamb shoulder and neck (the cuts we used here) is just unsurpassable. To keep the richness and fattiness of the lamb from being overwhelming, we use red wine and red wine vinegar to give the dish a little bracing edge, which is tempered by the sweetness of tomato paste. The trio of carrots, onion, and celery give it a classic feel, while the garlic and bay leaves keep it from being a staid dish even if it doesn’t have any unusual ingredients.
rabbit stew with olives and apricots
Elmer Fudd knew a thing or two about good eating. Rabbit makes an excellent meal. It’s also the cutest of the animals we eat for meat (although lambs and suckling pigs might beg to differ), so eating rabbit proves you’re not a lookist when it comes to your suppers.
Rabbit stew meets a lot of the criteria we have for an excellent meal here at Brooklyn Supper. First and foremost, rabbit is delicious. It has a wonderful subtle gamy taste and when it’s stewed it’s fantastically tender. Second, rabbit is cheap. You could easily feed four adults with enough left over for two lunches with one rabbit and the whole stew cost us less than two burritos and chips and guac from our favorite Mexican takeout. Third, rabbit stew is pretty easy to make and is a fantastic make-ahead dish that really gets better if you let it mellow in the fridge for a day or two before reheating and serving. Our weeknights have been jam-packed lately, so that makes a big difference for us.