Roast beef ローストビーフ

This is a totally "out-of-bounds" post for an Izakaya blog but I have a special reason.

Some time ago my niece asked me how to make roast beef. Since we rarely eat roast beef and when we do, we usually barbecue it using a Weber kettle, I could only give her general instructions gleaned from other sources such as the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. I decided to make roast beef with gravy and post the process, so that my niece can refer to it. Here, we served the slices of roast beef with gravy and oven fried potatoes. (For her, I added Japanese text à la Hiroyuki's blog).

私の姪にローストビーフのレセピーを教えてほしいと言われたのですが、私たち自身ローストビーフをほとんど作る事がないし、ごく稀に作るときは、ウエバーケトルグリルでバーベキュウするので、料理の本からのレセピーを伝える事ぐらいしかできませんでした。そこで、私の姪の為に、オーブンローストビーフとグレイビィを作って, その経過を記録してみることにしました。下の写真は、出来上がったローストビーフとグレイビー、そしてオーブンで作ったフライドポテトです。

In terms of equipment, you need a good quick reading meat thermometer. In the absence of the thermometer, you could estimate the cooking time by the weight of the roast but you have to use the internal temperature of the roast to most accurately judge the doneness. You also need a roasting pan with a metal grate or rack so that the meat will sit above the juices that accumulate on the bottom of the pan. This serves two purposes; the hot air circulates under the meat and cooks it evenly and the meat is not sitting in its own drippings during the cooking process which would tend to braise rather than roast the meat.

必要な道具は、温度がすぐ読めるミートサモメターと金属のラックのついたロースト用のパン。肉の重さからオーブンの時間は推定できますが、最終的には、ローストの内部の温度を計る事が焼き加減を知る一番の方法です。ラックは、肉の下側までオーブンの熱がよく伝わるためと、出てくる肉汁とロスートが直接接触しないようにするためです。

The cut of the meat I bought was a 3 lb top round (upper portion of the hind leg muscle) but it was not well cut and had a somewhat odd shape. So, this may not have been the best example of a good cut for roast beef (image below left, before trussing). It is important to truss it properly so that, it will cook evenly (Image below right).

私の買ったロースト用の肉は、トップラウンドと言うカットですが（後ろ足の上部の肉）あまり上質の肉ではないようで、ちょっと変な形をしています。重さは３ポンド（1.36kg). もうちょっと良い肉を買えばよっかたと反省しています（下の写真左側、紐で縛る前）。紐で形を整えながら縛る事 (トラシング) は、肉が均一に焼ける為に大切です（下の写真右側）。

For seasonings, I use fresh rosemary from our herb garden, garlic, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. First, I thinly slice peeled garlic cloves (I use 4 cloves). I then make multiple deep slits in the meat and insert the garlic slices. It is important that the garlic slices are completely hidden below the surface so that the garlic will not burn during roasting. I remove the rosemary from the stems and finely chop (4 small sprigs) and mix with 2-3 tbs of olive oil and generously smear the mixture on the surface of the meat. I make a mixture of freshly cracked back pepper and kosher salt (half and half, about 2 tbs) and rub the mixture on the surface of the meat. (image below, left). Ideally, the meat should be at a room temperature before putting it in the oven. Actually my wife did the roasting part. Preheat the oven to 425 F and roast for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350F and roast for about 20minutes more/pound. So, a 3 pound roast will take about 60 minutes more. I start taking the temperature at the center of the roast after 45 minutes and for medium rare, I am looking for an internal temperature of 140F (Image below right).

私の庭で採れたローズマリー、ニンニク、挽きたての黒こしょう、塩で、肉の味付けをします。まずニンニクの皮を取ってから、薄切りにします（３−４個）。幅の狭い包丁（ボーニングナイフ）で肉に深い切り込みを幾つも入れ、ニンニクの薄切りを差し入れます。ニンニクが肉の外に出ていないように確かめてください。ニンニクが外に出ているとこげて苦い味になります。ローズマリーの葉だけとって細切り（４本もしくは大さじ２）、それをオリーブオイル（大さじ３）とまぜて、肉の表面によく塗り付けます。挽きたての黒こしょうと塩を混ぜ（それぞれ大さじ２）それも肉の表面にしっかりとなすり付けます。（下の写真左側）オーブンに入れる前に、肉が室温まで戻っているのが理想的です。ローストラックの上に肉をおいて、予熱した 220Cのオーブンの15分入れた後、温度を175Cにさげて、１ポンドあたり２０分（２０分／４５０グラム）。３ポンド（１.３６Kg) の肉だと、もう一時間焼きます。４５分位から肉の温度を計ります。メデァムには内部温度が、肉の真ん中の一番厚いところで、60Cになるまで焼きます。（下の写真右側）

This roast took a bit longer to cook than we expected (the center may still have been cold after it was taken out of the refrigerator). Transfer the roast to a plate and loosely cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Our roast was a bit more done that we wanted (Image below) but still rosy in the middle.

重さから推測したよりも少し時間がかかりました。肉を他のお皿に移してアルミのフォイルをゆるくかけで肉を切る前、１５−２０分休ませます。私たちの好みより少し焼け過ぎになりましたが（下の写真）まだ真ん中はピンクです。

Now making gravy; I remove the metal grate of the roasting pan which collected some dripping in the bottom and the edges are nicely browned (below left). I place the roasting pan across two burners on the stove on medium low flame and add port wine and chicken broth (1/4 cup each) (since we did not have beef broth) and deglaze all the nice brown bits using a silicon spatula (below right).

肉が休んでいる間にグレィビーを作ります。金属製のラックを取り除いた後に、肉汁が沢山落ちています。端の方はちょっとこげかけています。（下の写真左側）ローストパンを二つのコンロのバーナーにまたいでかけ（弱中火）ポートワインまたは赤ワイン（６０ml）をいれ、へらなどで焦げた肉汁をこそげながら溶かします。（ポートワインは甘みが有ります。) ビーフブロスまたはチキンブロス（６０ml、ブイヨンキューブを水に溶かして代用の場合は塩気に注意)をさらに入れます。（下の写真右側）

I could finish the gravy in the roasting pan but it is a bit unwieldy, so I transfer the contents to a frying pan on medium heat. Add any juice from the plate on which the roast was resting, and reduce it a little (few minutes). The traditional American way is to finish this with flour (There is a special finely milled flour called "Wondra" for making gravy). I used a corn starch slurry to thicken the gravy, which results in a slightly different mouth feel (more viscous texture). Taste and adjust the seasoning.

このまま最後までやっても良いのですが、わたしは、これをフライパンに移し、ローストビーフが休んでいるお皿にたまった肉汁も加えて中火で少し煮詰めます（１−２分）(下の写真左側)。伝統的なアメリカのやり方ででは、特にソースやグレイビー用に作られた、”ワンドラ”　という小麦粉を使いますが、ここでは水溶きしたコーンスターチを入れてグレイビーを仕上げました（下の写真右側）出来上がったグレイビーは小麦粉を使った場合と比べて、すこしヌルヌルした（なめらかな）口当たりになります。ここで味見をして、塩、胡椒を必要なら足してください。

You could add vegetables to the bottom of the roasting pan during roasting but we prefer to roast the vegetables (onion, garlic-skin on, potato,sweet potato, carrot etc) in a  separate pan by just coating them with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. This way, you have better control of the doneness of the meat and vegetables.

根菜類をローストパンに肉と一緒に入れる事も出来ますが、私たちは、根菜類は、オリーブオイルを絡めて、塩、胡椒で味付けをして、別な容器に入れて、オーブンに入れます。この方が、肉と根菜が丁度良く出来上がる時間をそれぞれ調節できます。

This roast beef was OK with lots of garlic and rosemary flavors and the meat was reasonably tender if slightly more done than we would have liked (we prefer our beef on the rare side). The cut of the meat was not really the best. Hope this post helps my niece with her roasted beef and gravy dinner.

出来あっがたローストビーフはニンニクとローズマリーの味がして、肉も比較的柔らかく結構いいのですが、私たちの好みとしてはチョット焼き過ぎたのと、もともと肉の質が良く無かったのが、悔やまれます。このポストを参考にして、私の姪が彼女独自の完璧なローストビーフを料理する事を祈っています。

Ricotta cheese tart リコッタチーズのタルト

I know I keep deviating from my theme. Some Izakayas serve non-transitional small dishes such as German potatoes (now this has become a classic Izakaya "teiban" dish), Poutine-like French fries and cheese dish, taco, and even variations of pizza. We saw pizza in the menu at one of the rather inexpensive chain Izakayas last time when we were in Japan. We refuse to order pizza at an Izakaya, though.  Although there are many "excellent" pizza places in our neck-of-the-woods, we are partial to my home-made pizza. (Certainly, my pizza is much better than any chain Pizzaria pizzas and we usually make pizzas without much sauce and without meat unlike American Pizzas which usually have too much cheese, too much meat and too much tomato sauce). I promise I will post some of my pizzas which are not bad at all for a home-made pizza (this is called "Jiman" 自慢 which literally means "boast" or "self-praise" but it is with some sense of "pride" such as in the name of sake "Isojiman" 磯自慢 which means both "Pride of shore" and "Beach boast".)

I was somehow coerced (which is not a right word but can't think of an alternative) into making this dish "Ricotta Cheese tart" using my pizza crust. We found this to be very good and can be reheated very nicely in a toaster oven. We recently served this as a starter with champagne when we had friends over and it went very well.

Pizza dough: There is nothing unusual about my pizza dough. For 4 pizzas (about 8 inch), I add bread flour* (3 1/2 cups) and salt (1 tsp) in a food processor with a dough blade. While the food processor in running at a low speed, I stream in olive oil (2 tbs) and stop after few seconds. I proof one package of active yeast in a small amount of tepid water (1/5 cup) with just a pinch of sugar dissolved. Once proofed, I add cold water to make it one cup. Stream the yeast mixture into the tube of the food processor with the blade running at a low speed until a ball is formed above the blade. You probably will need a few more tbs of water. Open the food processor and touch the dough. It should be rather soft and slightly tacky. I let the dough sit in the processor for 5 minutes so that the moisture will distribute more evenly and then, run the blade for 30 more seconds. The dough should be soft, elastic and somewhat tacky. Take it out on a floured kneading board and hand knead for 2-3 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. For raising the dough, instead of using a bowl, I use one gallon Ziploc bag which is sprayed with PAM or a similar non-stick spray and wrap it with towels in a warm non-drafty place (on the center island counter top in my case) for 2 hours or more until the volume doubles.

(*Sometimes, I use King Arthur brand double zero ("00") Italian flour. This flour has much less gluten and makes a delicate dough which can not be tossed into the air. The resulting crust is thin, crisp and cracker-like probably similar to this one.)

After the volume doubles, I deflate and fold the dough several times I then cut the dough into 4 equal portions and make them into 4 nice smooth disks by pinching the cut surface together and stretching the surface to make a round ball. I, then, press lightly to make a disk. The portions I'm do not going to use immediately, I put it into a Ziploc sandwich bag and place in the refrigerator (will last at least overnight or more, which even adds more favor but, after that, you need to freeze the dough. The dough freezes well but the characteristic of the resulting crusts change a bit--the previously frozen dough will yield less bready and crunchier pizza crusts). Let the dough ball rest for 10-15 minutes by covering with a floured tea towel (otherwise the dough will be too elastic and resist stretching).  I never use a rolling pin to form pizza dough but use the traditional way of stretching the dough using the back of the knuckle of the hands (I will even toss the dough into the air if our guests request it.) For a regular pizza, I do not crimp the edge but, for this tart, I did crimp the edge as seen below since the filling is rather runny. You need to have corn meal on the pizza peel before placing the formed dough on the peel. Then give the peel several sharp tugs to make sure the dough slides nicely before filling the dough.

Filling: I mixed Ricotta cheese (1 cup), large eggs (2), chive (fine chopped, 1/2 cup), shallot (one finely chopped), dill (1/2 tsp dried since I did not have fresh one), salt (1/2 tsp) and black pepper (1/4 tsp). This filling made two 8 inch tarts (see below).

Baking: I had my convection oven set at 450F with a Pizza stone* in and preheated for, at least,  30 minutes before sliding the filled tart directly onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the surface of the filling becomes slightly brown.

(* I have a square pizza stone almost the size of the inside of my oven. I keep it (almost) permanently in the lowest rack. It is essential to have a pizza stone to make a nice crust.)

I took it out on to the cooling rack and graded Riggiano-Parmigiano cheese. I cut the tart into 4 wedges and served. The filling is nicely eggybready crust, this is a very good dish. This can be breakfast as well.

Macaroni salad マカロニサラダ

This is the last post of three salad which are disguised as an "Otoshi". Who knows, next time we visit an Izakaya in Japan, these salad may become very popular items.  This is another popular salad with many variations. This is our version and we use my honey Dijon mustard dressing instead of (more commonly used) mayonnaise. This time instead of scallion or onion, we used chives. Served as seen below, this is a perfect Izakaya food as Otoshi お通し, although may not be as popular as potato salad in an Izakaya.

We use regular small elbow macaroni (this one has a groove on the surface). While it is hot, I dressed the cooked macaroni with a rice vinegar (the amount is arbitrary, enough to add flavor while still being absorbed completely by the pasta), and salt. When it is cooling down, I add a small amount of good olive oil and toss to prevent the macaroni from sticking. Once it is cooled, I mixed in several stalks of celery (both ends trimmed, veins removed and finely cut up), three different kinds of olives (oil cured black olives, Calamata olives, and large green olives stuffed with pimento, all sliced) and chopped chive. I dress the salad with Honey Dijon mustard dressing (I use the dressing sparingly).

Honey Dijon mustard Dressing: I minced shallot (one small), Jalapeno pepper, seeded, veined and minced (1/2, optional), crushed garlic (one small clove, optional. I did not use garlic this time), salt and pepper. I added 1 tbs of honey, 2 tbs of Dijon mustard (I used the smooth kind) and 3-4 tbs of a rice vinegar and mixed. I stream in a EVOO (extravirgin olive oil) and whisk (I do not measure but about 1/2 cup). Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning.

This is our favorite version of macaroni salad. Since we served this together with our potato salad for Memorial day barbecue, we intentionally did not use mayonnaise. The occasional burst of salty olive flavor is well matched with slightly sweet and tangy dressing. The celery gives a nice crunch. The rice vinegar is much gentler than wine or cider vinegars.

Fresh corn and black bean salad コーンとブラックビーンのサラダ

We made this for Memorial day barbecue but, probably it could be served in an Izakaya and people may even like it (it is a stretch, I admit). I have seen similar types of bean salads in many Japanese recipe sites, so it must be getting popular even in Japan. Then I found a similar dish being served in an Izakaya in Dave P's restaurant review, so it was not too much of a stretch after all.

Black turtle beans or black beans are a popular item in Latin American and U.S. South Western cuisines. Since we had fresh corn on the cob, my wife made this salad (I did the final seasoning). The amount of beans and corn is arbitrary but we used 6 white ears of corn and one 16 oz can of black beans. (We like GOYA brand). The beans are rinsed and drained. My wife microwaved the corn, covered with a paper towel, for 4-6 minutes or until done. Then she cut the kernels off the cob with a knife and mixed them with the black beans. I added lemon juice (we did not have any limes but lime juice is better) from one large lemon (probably 3 tbs), olive oil (3 tbs), ground cumin (2 tsp), salt and pepper to taste. For some heat, I added two small Jalapeno peppers, seeded and veined, finely chopped and also added finely chopped cilantro (2 tsp). You could add chopped red pepper for color if you like. The white corn was so sweet and made a wonderful salad. Some people love cumin and some hate it but, for this salad, cumin is a must.

Potato salad ポテトサラダ

Believe it or not, potato salad definitely is a very popular Izakaya food. I am sure that versions of potato salad are all over the (world) map. (Some may think Germany is where it started). Japanese made it's contribution to potato salad variations by adding Tarako 鱈子 or cod roe  to it, which I posted before. My wife grew up with American style potato salad and I did with Japanese style potato salad as my mother made it. We now make potato salad which is a hybrid between the two. Deviations from the America version are the use of rice vinegar and the addition of sliced and blanched onions rather than raw onions. I occasionally add Japanese curry powder to make a curry-favored version potato salad.  I made the hybrid style salad for Memorial day barbecue but I also served it in a small bowl like Otoshi お通し in an Izakaya.

This time I used white potatoes (5 large). Yukon gold and Russet potatoes also work. I cooked the potatoes whole in salted water (about 30 minutes or until you could insert a bamboo skewer to the center easily). I removed the skin while the potatoes were hot and cut them into bite sized pieces (We like potatoes well cooked). This way, the potatoes do not become watery and appear to keep their flavor better. The most important thing is to season the potatoes while they are hot. I add 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of black pepper and several tablespoons of Japanese rice vinegar and gently toss the potatoes. I taste and add more seasoning to my liking. You want to put on as much vinegar as you like but it has to be absorbed completely. If you are making a curry flavored salad, you add curry powders here (To be authentic, use the Japanese kind of powder such as the SB brand). I cut up carrots (5 long skinny ones which I had) and blanched them until they were soft but still crunchy. I halved and sliced onion into thin strips (one large or two small) and blanched the strips for 1-2 minutes. (I used the same pot in which the carrot was cooking. Put the onions in just 1 or 2 minutes before the carrot is done). The amount of onion is up to you but, by blanching the onion, the pungent onion flavor becomes much less strong and sweeter. The longer you cook, the less pungent the onion will become. So you could adjust the amount of the onion and the length of blanching to your liking. Drain them in a colander. I add a rice vinegar and salt to the carrots and onions in a colander and mix and drain at the same time. Mix all the ingredients together in a metal bowl (so that it will cool faster) and let it cool down to a room temperature. The potatoes should taste pretty good and well-seasoned at this point with vinegar, salt and pepper (it is like a southern Germany "Kartoffelsalat".  Most of Japanese recipes will add thinly sliced fresh cucumbers but I added cornichon pickles (cut up) instead. After the potatoes have cooled down to room temperature, I add Dijon mustard (1 tbs) and mayonnaise (3 tbs) and gently fold and mix. Because the mushed and well seasoned potato from the surface of the individual pieces gets mixed into the dressing it adds creaminess and you do not need too much mayo. I adjusted the seasoning (salt and pepper). Potatoes can take quite a bit of salt and vinegar but pre-seasoning them while they are hot is the key. We think our potato salad is much better than any of the store bought kind.

Salted (pickled) vegetable 浅漬け

Although I have posted this before, I decided to post it again with more details and a better picture. I make this regularly with whatever vegetables are available but cucumber, daikon, nappa cabbage, and celery are the best. I always use thinly sliced and Julienned ginger, red pepper flakes. From time to time, I add different seasonings such as jalapeno pepper, sliced lime or lemon. This time I had thinly cut dried kelp "Kizami konbu" 刻み昆布 (came in a bag) and I used this as well.

It is not really a recipe; just wash and cut any vegetable into an appropriate size and add salt. I slice "hard vegetables" such as daikon, carrot, and radish into rather thin slices. But I slice cucumber (American mini-cucumber) much thicker. If I use regular cabbage, I make the pieces a bit smaller than for nappa cabbage. The amount of salt is important. By weight, about 2% of salt against the total weight of the vegetables is the standard but I tend to use a bit less. After sometime, you can sort of tell the appropriate amount of salt. So I usually do not even measure. I added the vegetables and salt to a bowl with hydrated thinly cut kelp "Kizami konbu"  (after 5 minutes of hydration), and added ginger (finely julienned), red pepper flakes (just enough) and kneaded the mixture with my hand.

Then I transferred the vegetables to the contraption on the left called a Japanese pickling pot. I put on the lid and screwed down the inner plate so that the vegetables were under some pressure. I placed the pickling pot in the refrigerator. After several hours, you will see water developing above the vegetables. Then, it is ready. If you do not add enough salt, the water may never appear. (This is called "Mizu ga agaru" or "Water has risen"). After this, I transfer the vegetables in a sealable container with its liquid. I drain and squeeze out excess liquid just before serving.

Depending on the saltiness, you could use soy sauce when serving "asazuke". You could try many variations. Depending on the amount of the salt, it will keep at least a week in the refrigerator. We really like this dish. This dish can be served as a small dish which goes well with a sake. You could also serve this as an accompaniment to the rice dish you may serve as a "shime" 締め dish.

Memorial Day Barbecue メモリアルデイバベキュー

This is definitely not an Izakaya item but I have to "pad" my blog sometimes. Since it was Memorial day and the official beginning of the summer, it is customary to do barbecue in the U.S.  I often barbecue whole chickens in a Weber kettle. Once you set it up, you can just relax for 90 minutes or so while enjoying the sublime aroma of the chicken cooking. The result is quite good especially the crispy skin.

While the chicken is resting, portions of crispy skin get eaten by somebody. I caught the crime scene.

1. Preparing the chicken: I first make a mixture of freshly cracked black pepper and Kosher salt (half and half, about 3-4 tbs for two birds).  After washing the birds well and drying with paper towels, I remove the wish bones (or "clavicle" if you get technical) using a small paring knife. It will make a big difference later when you are carving the breast meat. I first squeeze lemon wedges (2 per bird) inside the cavity and outside. I then liberally sprinkle the pepper/salt mixture inside the cavity and stuff the cavity with aromatic vegetables, including the lemon wedges used for the juice, just for added flavor. I use coarsely chopped onion and celery (especially the core portion with leaves) and garlic cloves (5-6 crushed cloves per bird) and sprigs of fresh rosemary (slightly bruised to release the nice essential oil). I truss the birds without using a trussing needle. I start by wrapping butcher's twine around the "Pope's nose" in the mid portion of the string, then make a figure 8 around both legs, and go across to the back and tie it securely at the back just above the wings and then put the wings akimbo. Then, I smear olive oil all over the skin and generously coat the surface with the black pepper/salt mixture.

2. Setting up Weber Kettle Grill: We need to use the indirect heat set up. For this, we set up two charcoal baskets which sit on both sides of the inside of the Weber. We use lump charcoal and start it in a chimney-style charcoal starter with crumpled news papers (WSJ seems to work best for some reason) in the bottom. Recently we started using the hollow cardboard core from paper towel rolls and pack the coal around the roll to create a smoke stack. This makes the charcoal ready more quickly and reliably with less smoke. After the charcoal is ready (about 10 minutes), pour the hot charcoal into the baskets. Place a disposable aluminum tray in the middle to catch the drippings. Place the metal grate (which can be opened on both sides over the charcoal baskets to allow the addition of wood chips).

3. Wood chips: I use hot smoking for added flavors. I soak Apple wood chips (two fistfuls) for, at least, 30 minutes. After placing the chickens (this Weber can take two full size chickens) in the middle on the grate over the drip pan, I open both sides of the grate and place the drained and moist wood chips over the charcoal and place the lid with the air vents fully open. You immediately smell nice sweet apple wood smoke.

3. Judging the doneness: Depending on the wind, ambient temperature (We are known to barbecue in winter. In that  case, it will take little longer), and the size of the birds, it will take between 1 hours 15 minutes to 1 and a half hour. I do not have to add any coals during the cooking. After 1 hour and 10 minutes, I insert a temperature probe of a remote meat thermometer with an alarm (it has a beeper you can wear on your belt and it shows the internal temperature and beeps when the set temperature is reached. Shown here is the base unit.) The probe has to be inserted into the deepest part of thigh but not touching the bone. Please note that I had set the alarm at "Beef, Medium" which is 160F. If you choose "Chicken" it will set to 175F. I want 165F, so I let it cook 5 more minutes after 160F is reached and let the birds rest for 15-30 minutes, the truss removed but uncovered. This will produce a perfect doneness without over cooking. The reason I do not insert the probe (which is supposedly to be used in a grill) from the beginning is that  I had quite a few probes go bad on me when used this way. So I reduce the time the probe and the wire stay in the grill and also make sure the wire goes through the center area of the grill without hot  charcoals underneath. 

The skin is without a doubt the best part. My wife likes the wings and I like the dark meat of the thigh. We do not need any gravy or sauce for this. We had the chicken with a trio of home made salads; potato, macaroni and corn with black beans.

A nice start of the summer.