Pepperoni Beans

I was musing about what to do with two partial meat sticks--sopressata and salami--left over from Thanksgiving and decided I could cut them up and simmer the bits in a sauce. And then I remembered the pepperoni sauce that former DC restaurant emperor Mike Isabella created on Top Chef All Stars back in 2012. I tried it then, and like Isabella, I served it with chicken. This time, I didn't have any chicken on hand. What I did have was a plethora of beans from Rancho Gordo, including some big-ass Royal Coronas. The website describes these beans as "enormous, thick-skinned runner beans with a surprisingly creamy interior. One of our all-time best sellers, it's a versatile giant that works in all kinds of cuisines. A true pantry staple." 

I figured they'd be a fine meat substitute in a brothy tomato sauce studded with cured sausage.

Royal coronas partway through soaking. They are at least twice as large as limas.

I made some changes to the original recipe. I used crushed tomatoes rather than whole, omitted the bay leaf and olive oil, and didn't puree the sauce. I also used half salami, half sweet sopressata, and rather than slice the meats thinly, I cut them into 1/4 inch slices, stacked several of them, then cut them into strips and then dices. The first time I made the sauce, I used pepperoni, which I added after cooking the onions in olive oil. The result was an oily mess that needed a lot of skimming. This time, I cooked the onion and the meat together. The fat that oozed from the sausage was the perfect amount in which to cook the onion, and there was no oil slick on top. I guess pepperoni is greasier? 

I wanted a thicker and more homogenized sauce, but before I added it to the beans, it was more of a tomato liquid with bits of tomato and meat. A spoonful of tomato paste and a cup of starchy bean broth was just the thing to bring it all together. The sauce also needed a touch more acid, so I chopped up some grape tomatoes and stirred them in at the last minute. 

Some arugula gave the dish color and a little extra pep. I also couldn't resist adding a spoonful of The Flavor Society pizza chili crisp, though Mr Minx didn't think the dish needed anything else.

I was pretty happy with the beans. They are very meaty, and though the skins are a tad firm even after several hours of soaking and cooking, the insides are lovely and creamy. Will definitely be purchasing them again in the future.

Pepperoni Beans

For the beans:

1 lb Rancho Gordo royal corona beans

2 stalks celery (leave whole)

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 teaspoons salt 

For the sauce:

2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 pound Italian hard salami-type sausage, like pepperoni or sopressata, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 medium or 1/2 large onion, diced

5 medium cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 15-oz ounce can imported crushed Italian plum tomatoes

1 15-oz can of water

To finish the dish:

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup reserved bean liquid

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup raw grape tomatoes, cut in half (optional)

Parmesan cheese

Something green, like baby arugula or spinach

To make the beans:

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. Place in a large pot and fill with water to cover by about 2 inches. Let soak at least 2 and up to 8 hours. Drain the beans and either refrigerate, covered, until the next day, or proceed with recipe.

Put fresh water in the bean pot to about 2 inches above the level of the soaked beans. Add the celery, carrots, and salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for two hours, or until the beans are tender. The skins will remain somewhat firm and will not look cooked, so you should cut a bean in half and taste it to check the texture.

Once done to your liking, remove the beans from the heat. Fish out and discard (or eat) the carrot and celery debris. Strain the bean broth into a lidded container and set aside. Leave the beans in their pot.

To make the sauce:

Put the fennel seeds in a skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Shaking the pan and/or stirring the seeds frequently, cook until seeds smell toasty and start to brown, 2-3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour seeds into a small bowl.

In a 12" skillet, cook the meat and onion together over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onion starts to get brown and the meat begins to render its fat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so. Stir in the toasted fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute, stirring. Then dump in the can of crushed tomatoes and another can of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is gently simmering. Cook for 1 hour. If an excessive amount of oil pools on top, skim it off and discard (or use it to make a vinaigrette for a salad).

To finish:

Pour the sauce over the drained beans. Stir the tomato paste into the cup of reserved bean broth and add that to the pot of beans. Stir to combine, then turn the heat on to about medium. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the raw grape tomatoes. 

Place some arugula in the bottom of a bowl, spoon over some beans and sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

Makes about 2 quarts.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

The 7th Annual National Harbor Wine & Food Festival

A great summer tradition will return to the National Harbor Waterfront on the Potomac with the much anticipated 7th Annual National Harbor Wine & Food Festival on Saturday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 4th from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day.

The event is totally tent-covered in a beautiful outdoor setting on the banks of the Potomac River and surrounded by the National Harbor hotels, restaurants and shops, and continues to be a true destination event. More than just a tasting, the Festival brings together award winning celebrity chefs, artisanal craftsmen, culinary pioneers, smooth jazz, family fun as well as wine and spirits from around the world.

This year’s festival will include over 150 International wines, spirits and beers featured along with local and regional favorites. Guests will be able to sample all of the varieties as well as purchase them by the glass and the bottle, on-site at special event only low prices. Beyond the drink tastings there are many other highlights which include: a Cinco De Mayo Pavilion, Special craft beer tasting Bier Garten experience, Whiskey and Bourbon Tasting Experience, three stages of live music and smooth jazz, and so much more. It is the largest award winning wine festival of its kind in the Metro DC market.

This year’s organizers have turned up the heat on the Cooking Stage and brought in some award winning super star chef talent. Special appearances on the Cooking Stage include, Saturday: Chef Mike Isabella of Graffiato, Chef Rahman “Rock” Harper winner of Fox Reality television series Hell’s Kitchen, Chef Bryan Voltaggio of Volt/Range Restaurant, and Sunday with Chef Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Chef Mike Schlow and Chef Victor Albisu of Del Campo and Taco Bambo. All of these local, regional and nationally recognized chefs will offer meet and greets and cooking demonstrations.

Additional events include a live taping Saturday, May 1 at 1:00 p.m. of radio show Foodie and Beast with hosts Nycci and David Nellis. During the taping, guests will be included in a blind wine tasting with several of the area’s best wine experts. The show will air on Sunday, May 2 at 11:00 a.m. on Federal News Network.

The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center will hold its annual Wine Dinner at the resort’s signature restaurant, Old Hickory Steakhouse, on Friday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy a five-course meal paired with local Virginia wines from Barboursville Vineyards. The dinner costs $125 per person.

The resort also will be offering a Wine and Cheese by Sunset event at Pose Rooftop Lounge on Saturday, May 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy New World wines paired with gourmet cheeses, while enjoying views of the Potomac River and surrounding region from the resort’s 18th floor. The event costs $25 per person.

Gaylord National Resort will be one of the many featured culinary participants within the Food and Wine Festival, as well as offer two overnight packages for Saturday, May 3 that include one or two day access to the event.

The VIP Pier will offer wonderful food tastings for foodies to indulge their inner passions such as: Eleven Courses Private Chefs, International Cheeses, Fresh Pasta & Italian Specialties, The All American Slider and Brooklyn Hot Dog, Vegetable Crudités, Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Wings, Olives, and Nuts, specialties from the District Restaurant Group, and more.

Tickets are on sale now and range from a Grand Cru Two-Day All Access Pass at $199 per person, VIP Saturday $99 or Sunday $79 a General Admission One Day Pass for $39 in advance/$49 onsite. $30 designated driver ticket in advance.

To purchase tickets and view schedule, visit www.wineandfoodnh.com or call (800) 830-3976.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Flashback Friday - October 5, 2012

This post was originally posted on AllTopChef.com on January 4, 2010.
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What's New at the Bravo Store?

Bravo has been adding tons of new Top Chef-related items to their online store. Currently available are Terlato's Top Chef Quickfire Wines, and bouquets by Teleflora. And let's not forget Top Chef meals by Schwan's Home Service! But there are more interesting items available...let's take a look.

Click images to see larger versions

Wow - who doesn't want to look like the lovely Gail Simmons?

Or head judge and favorite of bears everywhere, Tom Colicchio?

But my favorite items in the Bravo store are these fab bobbleheads!

What would you like to see in the Bravo store?

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Cook Like a Top Chef - Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce

During the Top Chef All-Stars finale, chef Mike Isabella produced a sauce that had judge Gail Simmons swooning. "Pepperoni sauce" was all she murmured for the last 20 minutes of the episode. With such a glowing endorsement, how could I not give it a try (despite the fact that Isabella lost the challenge and the competition)?

He served it with chicken, as did I: Top Chef Masters cheftestant Suvir Saran's lemon chicken, without the lemon (and with very little salt). Plain boring chicken breast, cooked sous vide, poached, or pounded thin and sautéed quickly, would benefit from a couple of tablespoons of Isabella's concoction, as would pork tenderloin or a bowl of pasta. The sauce is spicy, salty, and tangy--a little goes a long way.

Isabella's original recipe calls for six tablespoons of olive oil. It seems that most prominent Italian chefs like to drown their food in olive oil (I'm pretty sure Mario Batali even cooks bacon in it), but since pepperoni is such a fatty product, I figured one tablespoon to cook the onions would be more than enough. And it was--I skimmed off about 2/3 cup of liquid fat before I dumped the cooked sauce into the food processor. (That luscious dark red grease did not get wasted...it made a very nice vinaigrette when whisked with a bit of balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard.)

Mike Isabella's Pepperoni Sauce (adapted slightly from the recipe in the Washington Post)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into small dice
5 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 pound pepperoni, cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 15-oz ounces can imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Toast the fennel seed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the seeds from burning. They will become fragrant and slightly darker in color. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden and fragrant. Stir in the pepperoni; cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and evenly coated, then add the toasted fennel seed and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the broth, and the bay leaf; stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so the mixture is simmering. Cook for 45 minutes until the pepperoni softens. Remove from heat.

Skim sauce with a tablespoon. Discard fat, or save for other use. (Make vinaigrette!)

Working in batches as needed, transfer to a food processor or a high-powered blender (including the bay leaf). Puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, to remove additional fat. When ready to use sauce, remove fat and reheat sauce.

After skimming, I had a quart of sauce. If you don't skim, you'll have more.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

You Say Tomaytos, I Say Tomahtos...

...and New Joiseyites say...

...courtesy of Top Chef All-Star Michael Isabella.