Pastourma Takes Patience (παστουρμά)

On many occasions I've referred to the Greek eating experience as being centered around many sample plates of foods that are shared over drinks, conversation among family and friends. Greek cuisine has alot of appetizers, usually simply prepared but the array is great and the diversity even more so.

One facet of Greek appetizers or "the meze" is the use of delicatessen meats. I remember when I was young and my mom would prepare for an entire week to prepare mezedes for the onslaught of family and friends who would drop by our house on the occasion of my father's nameday, St. Nicholas.

It's very common to see salami and other cold cuts on offer at a buffet table or as part of an array of appetizers like cheeses, bread, toursi (pickled vegetables) and the usual dips (like Tzatziki).

I've always liked deli meats be it Greek or non-Greek but today and in the future, I'm going to showcase some of Greece's deli and cured meats.

There's Kavourma from northern Greece, the Cretan delicacy of Apaki, Louza from the Cycladic Islands, Siglino from down south Mani way and today's feature, Pastourma.

From my readings, Pastourma comes from Armenian cuisine but it's widely enjoyed by Turks, some Arab countries and of course, Greece.

Pastourma made it's way to Greece through the migration of Greeks who once resided in Constantinople and Asia Minor. Some of the best Pastourma I had was when I visited Istanbul (Constantinople) a couple of years ago.

The Greeks of Asia Minor have left a permanent stamp on Greek cuisine and as many would agree, our cuisine is richer for it.

What's Pastourma? It's the grand-daddy of Pastrami. It used to be cured by frontier horsemen who would carry a type of Pastourma in their saddles during their long treks away from home. In essence, it's a beef jerky but now will get into the nitty-gritty.

Pastourma, it is said was once made of camel meat but that could be either urban legend or a fact of days of yore. Today's Pastourma is mostly made from different cuts of beef. For this recipe, I used an inside round cut of beef...lean, no silverskin and ideal size for some who wants to enjoy it with family and friends.

Pastourma takes about a month to salt cure and dry age to perfection. From my research, there are some quick-cure recipes out there but it appears the slow method garners the best results.

Pastourma is not for everybody. The crust is known as "tsimeni" or "trigonela" and it's a paste that contains garlic and spices, the predominant one being fenugreek.

Personally, I love the aroma, the taste of Pastourma. For those not in the know, fenugreek is a spice used heavily in the Orient it's from Methi leaves, which my Indian friends will attest to using in their dishes quite often.

Pastourma is best when it's sliced thinly, it has that texture of prosciutto or bresaola, very tender and buttery kind of experience. In it's rawest presentation, it's served thinly sliced on a plate with some bread and cheese and washed back with an Ouzo or Tsipouro aperitif. I've also found dry Greek reds to pair well with Pastourma.

Pastourma also makes for a wonderful omelet, which often is served as a dinner option for those late night Greek meals.

The most famous use of Pastourma has to be Caesaria Pie, which contains a filling of pastourma slices, Kasseri chese and often tomato.

Pastourma can be found at Middle Eastern markets, some Greek food marts sell it, Armenian and Turkish patronized stores will also certainly carry it. If you're in a city or town that is nowhere near any of these stores, no worries....the home version is here.

Once again, my core belief in food is sharing and I've held no recipe back and nor will I ever. I present to you Pastourma, the home-cured version...enjoy!

Pastourma (παστουρμά)
(recipe adapted from Mark Marcarian)
33 days preparation

1 piece of inside round beef (about 2 lbs)
approx. 1/4 cup sea salt (granulated)

Tsimeni
3 Tbsp. of ground fenugreek
1/2 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
approx. 1 cup of water
cheesecloth

1. Ask your butcher for an inside round cut of beef, lean and no silverskin. Rinse and pat-dry your meat and place in a container that will fit in your fridge. Using an upholstery needle, thread some butcher's twine through one end of the meat and tie a knot so that you may later hang the meat for curing.
2. Cover the the entire area of meat with sea salt and place in your vessel. Cover with plastic wrap and use either a brick or 2-3 cans of tomatoes to weigh/press down on the meat. Place in the fridge for 3 days and turn once each day.
3. Upon completion of day 3, rinse the meat of the salt in cold water and allow it to then soak in cold water for an hour. Allow the water to drain off the meat (30 minutes) and press between some cloth towels to remove any remaining moisture.
4. Wrap the meat with one layer of cheesecloth and hang in a cool, airy place to dry for 2 weeks. My Pastourma was hung to dry in a cool, dry cellar that was 15-18C and humidity of about 60-65%. Check on your Pastourma from time to time, you might get a slight foul smell but that's okay...change the cheesecloth ( I did 3 times).
   
5. After 2 weeks, remove the cheesecloth and rinse and pat dry. Now mix all the ingredients (except the water) for the Tsimeni in a large bowl. Slowly add the water a bit at a time while you mix the ingredients until a thick, gloopy paste has formed. You'll use anywhere between 1/2 to almost 1 cup of water (the Tsimeni should be thick so that it adheres to the meat).
   
6. Put on some gloves and slather the meat with your Tsimeni mixture. Take your Tsimeni-coated meat back to where you hung the meat and allow to cure for another 2 weeks.
7. After a total of approx. 33 days, your Pastourma is ready to be eaten. Cut the Pastourma in half and slice thinly against the grain from the inside towards the outer, tapering end of the meat. You may also refrigerate or freeze your Pastourma for future use. Wrap well in plastic wrap and that for 5 minutes to soften and go on and slice what you need before placing back in the freezer.
8. Serve thin slices at room temperature as part of an appetizer plate with some cheese, some bread and an aperitif like Ouzo or a dry Greek red wine.
   

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

If I Owned a Steakhouse in Greece

I would serve up something like this.

Steaks aren't really part of the traditional Greek diet. There isn't much by way of aged steaks like we know here North America. Beef and veal are most used for braising, stews and mince.

There are some butchers who have know-how to butcher cows with an eye towards steak cuts and they even have their own aging and hanging rooms for the beef. These butchers cater to the steak houses in Athens, Thessaloniki and some of the jet-set Greek islands.


Having spoken to butchers about how they butcher cattle differently from their North American colleagues, the consistent reply I get is that although they (Greek butchers) know how to butcher for steak cuts, there is little demand for it in the Greek market.

Another thing one should know is that many (perhaps most) Greeks like their meats well-done. There's a generational gap between myself, cousins and our parents as us younger folks like our meat medium to rare and our parents like their beef well-done. It's a cultural thing, no right or wrong - that's just how it is.

On to the dinner. The flavours and ingredients used for this dish are used in Greek cooking but none of the dish can be really characterized as "Greek food". Greek-inspired, yes. Greek recipe - NO. I can't say that anything here is derived from recipes of our forefathers or even from a Greek cookbook per se.

The steak is inspired by my dad's treatment of a steak....coarse salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried Greek oregano.

The mashed potatoes utilize Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, scallions and crumbled Feta.

The beans are simple...a quick saute of sliced mushrooms with some roasted garlic and olive oil and blanched green beans get tossed in at the end to warm through. This pairing was inspired by a recent beans and mushrooms recipe posted over at my dear friend's Kalyn's Kitchen.

Put the steak, mashed potatoes and green beans with 'shrooms and you have a wonderful steak dinner with "an eye towards Greece".

Pull up a chair, let me fetch a bottle (or two) and please do, have a seat. You're having steak at my place tonight. Let's sip some wine, talk food, think about summer vacation plans and enjoy a wonderful steak dinner!

Pan-seared Steak With Roasted Garlic and Oregano
(for 4)

4 New York Strip steaks, 3/4 - 1 in. thick
olive oil
unsalted butter
coarse sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
garlic powder
dried Greek oregano

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta
4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 bulb of garlic
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
the green tops of 2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
approx. 1 cup of milk
crumbled Feta cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mushrooms and green beans
4 handfuls of green beans, trimmed
1 cup of Cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves of roasted garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Peel and cut your potatoes into quarters. Place inside a pot and cover with water and reserve. Preheat your oven to 375F. Cut the top off your head of garlic and place in some tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap up, place in a oven-proof vessel and roast for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool. You may also use this time to boil your beans in salted water (until al dente) and then shock by placing in a icy water bath. Drain and reserve.
   
2. Bring your steaks to room temperature for cooking. Drizzle some olive oil on both sides of the steaks and season with coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and dried Greek oregano. Start your pot of potatoes by boiling them in salted water and cook until fork tender.
3. Place your skillet on the stove-top over high heat and add a couple of pads of butter and some olive oil. sear your steaks in batches until both sides are a deep brown colour and reserve on a baking tray (reduce heat to medium-high).
4. When the steaks are all seared-off, place the baking tray in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes (for medium), remove from the oven, place on a plate and tent with foil. Allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.
5. In the meantime, your potatoes should be ready to make your mashed potatoes. Strain the water from the potatoes, add butter and all but 2-3 cloves of the roasted garlic (for the beans and mushrooms). Add the milk, sun-dried tomatoes, and mash up some more. Now using a wooden spoon, mix in the crumbled Feta and scallions and then taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Reserve & keep warm.
6. In a skillet, add a few turns of love oil and add your sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat. Stir to coat the mushrooms with oil and season with some salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook off for another 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add the beans and the remaining 2-3 roasted cloves of garlic. Toss to mix and and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and keep warm.
7. Divide the mashed potatoes by spooning a big scoop onto the middle of each plate, place a steak on top of half the steak and place a mound of beans and mushrooms on the side.
   

PLEASE NOTE: You may certainly grill the steaks on your outdoor if it's warm enough in your part of the world.


If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis

Slow Prime Rib

Another Christmas has come and gone. I hope all of you had a restful day, nothing too stressed, few family arguments, much laughter and memorable moments.

I spent my day with my immediate family and we enjoyed a classic Prime Rib Roast with the usual fixins' and some Greek touches.

For as long as I can remember, I've been doing Prime Rib as instructed by my father and his years of wisdom working in the restaurant industry.

My Pops & I have these "debates" about how to approach a dish or while watching a cooking show "if this dish goes with that ingredient".

Can you say generation gap?

Pops usual line is, "when I was working in the restaurant we NEVER did that, we would do it.....blah-blah-blah".

Yesterday, I had to keep him far away from the stove as the Prime Rib was roasting. You see, my dad likes to sneak into the kitchen and peak at what's being cooked and sometimes he make "adjustments" to a meal.

It could be anywhere from turning up or lowering heat, uncovering a simmering pot or opening an oven to check on a cake (Shreek)!

Prime Rib is one of those dishes whereby one always seeks to improve or perfect this wonderful, satisfying Sunday (or holiday) meal.

My inspiration for my Quantum Leap in Prime Rib came from recently watching an episode of Foodies, as shown here in Canada.

The hostess Lesia recently did her own Prime Rib and she too joined the chorus of those who prefer low & slow cooking.

I've read a myriad of methods or roasting Prime Rib, most divided into two camps: low and slow or fast & high heat. Oh there are cooks who combine a bit of both methods and I'd say I fall in the middle too.

You see, I'm still not convinced that roasting a Prime Rib entirely at 280F will give me a deep-brown Prime Rib that's juicy and cooked to perfection in the middle. During my Prime Rib experimentations, I've ended up with a Roast that ends up "Mcdonald's grey"...not a turn-on.

So, until I see or taste a better Prime Rib, I'm now going to go with this approach: a blast of high heat and then lower your oven for a slow gentle roast of your Prime Rib.

In my opinion, part of being a good cook (and offering delicious food) is to be pragmatic, not to be a 'know it all' and keep an open mind about improving upon family favourites. Pride has no room in the foodie's kitchen.

It's all about the "pursuit of delicious food", right?

Prime Rib Roast au Jus With Yorkshire Pudding

1 Prime Rib Roast, cap on - bone in
sea salt
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 tsp. of chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. of fresh thyme

Yorkshire Pudding
(makes 12)
4 eggs
2 cups of milk
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt
beef drippings
1 muffin tray

1. Ensure that the Prime Rib has been brough to room temperature before roasting. Season the cap only (not sides) of your beef with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and rosemary and thyme. Pre-heat your oven to 500F and set the rack in the middle position (ensure an evenly cooked roast).
2. Insert a meat thermometer into the top of the roast, right in the center. Place your roast in the oven and turn the oven light on. Keep the oven closed (some smoking will occur) and watch for the moment when your roast turns a deep brown colour (20-30 minutes).
   
3. Once your roast has achieved that deep-brown colour, reduce the oven's temperature to 260F. About an hour into roasting, add enough hot water to just cover the rib bones at the base (this will create your roast beef jus).
   
4. Allow the roast to cook until the thermometer has reached an internal temperature of 130F for rare, 150F for medium-rare and 170F for medium-well.
5. Carefully take your roast out of the pan and place on a large plate/platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 50-60 minutes (don't worry, the meat will still be warm at service).
6. Use this time to make your jus and Yorkishire Puddings. Pour the beef drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator and reserve the separated beef jus and fat (separately).
7. Drop 1 Tbsp. of beef drippings into each muffin cup and pre-heat your oven to 400F. Add your flour and salt in one bowl and your eggs & milk in another bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients to blend and then whisk dry ingredients into wet and set aside.
8. When your oven has reached 400F, place your muffin tray on the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the muffin tin and pour equal amounts of Yorkshire batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 30 minutes or until the Puddings have puffed up to a lovely golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve in a basket at your dinner table.
9. Pour the beef jus into a pot and add 2-3 bay leaves anf bring to a boil. Taste for to adjust seasoning (add water if too salty or add some beef base or boullion to enhance) and reduce by a third. Keep warm until dinner service and remove bay leaves.
   
10. To carve your Prime Rib, cut off the butcher's twine and place the roast upright on it's side to expose the rib bones vertically. Secure the roast with a fork and cut off the rib bones and reserve for making beef stock and a Beef Barley Soup.
11. Now flip the roast back to it's natural sitting position and remove the fatty cap. Carve your slices of beef and arrange on a platter. Serve with Yorkshire Pudding and the gravy boats full of jus.
    

Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives

Homebase for me when in Greece is the fishing and tourist town of Nea Kallikratia in Halkidiki. It's situated about 30 minutes south of Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki.

It's home away from home and I'm welcomed by family and friends. The people who have summer homes here are mostly from Thessaloniki and the rest are tourists and Greeks from the Diaspora who have bought summer homes (like our family).

Thessaloniki has "dopia" Greeks from Macedonia (my family), Pontions, Vlachs and Greeks who fled Asia Minor from Constantinople (Istanbul) and Smyrni (now Izmir).

If one ever gets into the middle of a Greek chat on food, references to the rich cooking legacy brought back from Constantinople and Smyrni arise almost every time.

"This lady from Constantinople works magic in the kitchen" or "that lady from Smyrni turns the simplest foods into gold". Ya get my drift?

Our family is lucky to have "Effie from Smyrni" amongst our close family friends. My mom swims out to sea with her gal pals and the ladies will discuss the days issues...kids, grandchildren, Greece's rising costs, the weather and...food. These ladies wade in the warm blue waters and discuss recipes, exchange ideas.

I often do the same with my walks along the beach. I get restless just sitting on my beach chair but do still want a tan and I do enjoy socializing.

I do my walkabout, pace the beach, greet family & friends, ask what's going for the evening, extend or accept invites for "kafe" and I ask the ladies "what's cookin'"?

Effie from Smyrni brings leftovers to the beach and feeds her grandchildren (sometimes me). On one such day she brought Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives.

This is a departure on the classic Soutzoukakia Smyrneika which are a sausage-like meatball simmered in an aromatic sauce - a favourite for many Greeks.

This version is slightly different but surprisingly refreshing and wonderful in taste and aroma. When the meatballs were simmering in the sauce, I was thinking, "this dish screams Greece meets East"!

The olives used here are green olives from Halkidiki and they provide the unique flavour and aroma to this dish.

When making the meatball mixture, avoid the temptation to overseason the meat. The flavour will balance out when the olives simmer in the aromatic sauce.

I loved this dish for it's simplicity, the aroma made me wait in anticipation and the flavours of the meal rewarded my patience when I finally plated the meal.

Soutzoukakia Smyrneika With Olives
(serves 6)

1lb. lean ground beef
1/lb. lean ground lamb
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 Tbsp. red wine
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Sauce
2 large, ripe tomatoes, passed through a grater
1 large onion passed through a grater
1 tsp. tomato paste, diluted in 1 cup of water
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of green olives
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients of the meatballs and knead with your hands until mixed. Fry off a small meatball and taste-test. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
2. Shape the meat mixture into sausage shaped meatballs and reserve on a plate.
3. Place a large skillet on medium heat and add your olive oil and grated onion and simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Now add your tomatoes and tomato paste mixture and bring to a bowl. reduce to a simmer and cook down for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
4. Now gently lay the meatballs into the simmering sauce along with the olives and simmer slightly covered for another 10 minutes. If the sauce is too runny, carefully remove the meatballs and simmer the sauce until you've achieved the desired thickness. Place the meatballs back in the sauce to heat through.
5. Serve hot with rice pilaf or fried potatoes.

The Burger

The hamburger has to be one of the most popular and enjoyable sandwiches on the planet. Throw away your fast food chain coupons, don't tempt getting sick after eating a Big Mac and you don't have to buy those frozen shit-patties they sell at the market as hamburgers.

Make your own burger. It's easy, you tailor the flavour to your liking and the superior taste comes through.

Alot of you will invite friends and family over for a BBQ. Quite often the kids are tagging along so it's probably easier to just serve burgers & dogs.

However, do you have to serve hot dogs and frozen shit-patties? If you're going to invite friends and family over, have the decency to offer up home-made burgers and grill some quality sausages. Leave the hot dog for the baseball park.

I've got nothing fancy here. Upon closer inspection of my hamburger I have a homemade bun topped with sesame seeds, ripe Canadian (Salmonella-free) red tomatoes, Vlasic pickles, Bick's relish, slices of red onions, grilled bacon and old cheddar cheese.

Let's not forget the beef...a wonderful hamburger made with Pete's own hands and my perverted food imagination.

Please note: I use regular ground beef for burgers. The lean stuff leaves me with a dry burger. Not cool.

The Kalofagas Homeburger
(make 4 good burgers)

1 lb. of regular ground beef
1 medium onion, grated
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 stale hamburger bun, moistened in water, squeezed the crumbled
1 Tbs. of dried oregano
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. of liquid beef boullion concentrate
1 egg
1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all of the above ingredients with your hands until incorporated. Fry off a small meatball to taste test seasoning. Adjust accordingly.
2. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allows the flavours to marry.
3. Form into burgers and return to room temperature before grilling.
4. Pre-heat your grill to hot. Brush off any residue from prior grilling and then wipe the grill with a towel that's been doused in vegetable oil.
5. Grill your burgers for about 3-4 minutes a side.
6. Toast your buns and serve immediately with fries and your preferred burger condiments.
   

Solomillo With Cabrales Sauce

Today was a glorious day. I had nothing to do but relax all day, enjoy the hot weather and reward my week's hard work with a nice BBQ. WRONG.

Just as I lit my grill did it start to get really dark and overcast...rain. SHIT!

Onto to Plan B.

My craving for steak would not be denied. I employed the use of my trusty indoor grill pan and I seared some rib-eyes to near perfection.

To spruce up my steaks and keep up with ever fleeting appetite, I tried out the combo of beef with blue cheese.

Today's particular blue cheese is called Cabrales. It's a cheese from Spain's northern mountains in the Asturias region. Cabrales is aged from two to six months in the limestone mountains of the area. The relative humidity is 90% and a cool 7-13 C - ideal for the development of a mouldy cheese.

For the record, I was iffy on the combo of blue cheese with beef but this sauce has changed my opinion on the matter...the pairing is as natural as Sid Vicious with Nancy Spungen (yes I was listening to the Sex Pistols today).

If you're a fan of blue cheeses, next time ask for Cabrales. It's a sharp blue but wonderful in flavour and it made for a complex sauce that was blended and mellowed with the magic of Spanish sherry.


Solomillo With Cabrales Sauce
(for 4)

2 Tbsp. butter
1 swirl of olive oil
4 Rib-eye or
fillets of beef
coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup Spanish sherry
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 oz. of Cabrales (blue cheese), crumbled
chopped fresh chives for garnish

1. Heat the butter and oil together in a heavy frying pan over high heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and fry them for 3-4 minutes a side, for rare to medium-rare. Remove steaks and keep warm in a pre-heated oven.
2. In the same fry pan, reduce the heat and add the sherry and stir with a wooden spoon to pick up the brown bits.
   
3. Add the crumbled Cabrales and mash it into the sauce with your spoon and then add your cream and simmer to heat through and thicken. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
   
4. Serve steak with some sauce and a garnish of chives and with a side of some grilled or roasted potatoes and a seasonal salad.
   

Remember This Photo?

Well...thank God those days are gone. It was a long winter and any Canadian will tell that we do not take our warms months for granted. I enjoy every opportunity to be outdoors. You would be too if your first snowfall was in late November and the last bit of snow melted in mid-March.

The warm months means hanging outside and more importantly, being with friends. One such new friend is Sam from Greek Food, Recipes & Reflections. Sam also shares my passion for Greek Food and I invited him over for a coffee and to try out my Cinnamon Rolls.

We chatted, warmed to each other immediately and he also got a peak at the master cook herself, my mom making a Greek almond cookie (to be posted soon).

I encourage you to also pay a visit to Sam's blog. Sam "get's Greek food", knows it, loves it and writes most eloquently about it.

Unfortunately for Sam, he couldn't stay for dinner. Look at what he missed! I was in a grilling mood and I had some sirloin.

Sirloin beef is a full-flavoured beef cut. Legend has it that King Henry VIII of England prized this cut so much that he dubbed it Sir Loin. Others say that this cut got it's name from the French word surlonge, meaning "above the loin".

For those not familiar with cooking sirloin, it's great for stewing, braises and in this instance, grilling. I treat sirloin much like a flank steak. It's a lean meat that should be cooked to no more than medium.

Much like a flank steak, sirloin also benefits from a marinade. In this instance, I combined some Soy Sauce, red wine, black pepper, sesame oil, garlic and Worcestershire sauce and marinated the sirloin for about 90 minutes, room temperature.

To accompany this grilled sirloin, I made a fabulous Chimichurri Sauce that I had bookmarked long ago from the Zen Chef at Chefs Gone Wild. I made some alterations but I stayed true to the spirit of Zen's sauce.

Finally, when grilling steak, remember to get the grill as hot as possible before grilling, brush off any residue from your previous grilling session, allow 5-6 minutes for the meat to rest before cutting and when marinating a meat, always pat-dry the meat of the marinade.

Grilled Sirloin with Zen Chef's Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce

Marinade
1/4 Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup red wine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
black pepper

Zen Chef's Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce 1 large handful of fresh parsley, washed, stemmed & dried
6 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped 1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 small carrot, grated
splash of white wine vinegar
a few splashes of water
1 tsp. of sea salt
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
1 whole chilli
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Add all the Chimichurri ingredients (except the olive oil) and pulse a few times to puree your ingredients. Now set the processor to a medium speed and when the ingredients become a coarse paste, start adding your slow but steady stream of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on top of your grilled steak, store the remaining sauce in your fridge for up to a week.
   
2. Add all of the marinade ingredients into a large zip-lock bag and mix well. Taste-test and adjust seasoning accordingly. Marinate for 90 minutes (room temp.) or up to 4 hours in the fridge. Bring back to room temp. before grilling.
   

Manestra With Keftedes and Kofta Makaronia

This Greek meatball dish has to be one of my dad's favourites and now that I'm adult, it's one of mine.

Keftedes are a Greek meatball/burger and although the spices and herbs may vary from home to home, it's basically of ground mince, grated onion, soaked bread and spices.

This dish falls in the Manestra category of Greek dishes. It's culinary cousin is a Giouvestsi (which is done in the oven) but here, everything's done on the stovetop. Some folks like a thick sauce, others a little soupier. Some folks like orzo, here we use Kofta Makaronia (Ditalini). The dish is often made with braised poultry, lamb or veal.

I've always been a big fan of dishes that are "so simple yet taste so great". This is another such dish.

Manestra With Keftedes and Kofta Makaronia

Keftedes recipe
2 lbs. of lean ground beef
1 onion, grated
2 slices of white bread (soaked in water or milk, then squeezed of liquid)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 egg, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil
flour for dusting
3 cups of chicken or beef boullion
1 medium onion, diced
1 sweet banana pepper, fine dice
1 cup of strained tomato passata
1 package of kofta makaronia (ditalini)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Kefalotyri cheese

1. In a bowl, mix all of your Keftedes ingredients with your hands. Your mixture should stick and easily form meatballs. Adjust with some oil if too dry, add some more soaked bread if too wet. Fry-off or microwave a small meatball to taste-test. Adjust seasoning according to taste. Form into palm-sized meatballs and then flatten into patties. Dust in flour and reserve.
2. In a large pot, add your olive oil to medium-high heat and brown your keftedes in batches, reserve.
3. In the same pot, add some stock and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add your onions and peppers and saute for 5-7 minutes to soften.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce, your remaining stock, keftedes and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until you've reached your sauce's desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with grated Kefalotyri cheese (Romano).
   

Keftedes Stuffed With Cheese (Κεφτέδες Γεμιστές )

I'd like to thank you all for your well wishes for my mom. She's doing very well and let's not over do it. Knee surgery is pretty standard these days (no real complications) and although she's in some pain, she's also a woman and she's milking this opportunity to squeeze out as much pampering as she can get.

A few examples of this is:

"I don't like this pillow, go back upstairs and get me the other pillow. NO, not that one, the other one!"

Another "request" I often hear is , (BAM - BAM - BAM...sound of her cane thumping on the floor), "May I have my LUNCH now".

Or...."Peter, go put the wash in the dryer". Ten minutes later...."Peter, go check if it's dried yet". Five minutes later....."PETER....check the dryer...the clothes might be dried now".

Anyone want to adopt a mother? She has 2 bum knees, an overbearing Greek ego and, she's a fabulous cook. Two out of three ain't bad, right?

On to the food. One of my favourite summer time/BBQ-ing meats is to grill Keftedes. There are many variations of Keftedes but this is how our family makes them, friends and relatives ask for the recipe, we kindly comply.

In Greece, at a taverna, you will often see a stuffed keftedes offering on the menu. When ordering, this is for the hungry-man who wants to be fed, not just given a pretty presentation.

Greeks will place a piece of feta, Roquefort, Gouda or in my instance, Vlahotyri inside stuffed keftedes. Vlahotyri is a sheep's milk, aged, mildly sharp white cheese, reminiscent of a Grano Padano. If Vlahotyri isn't handy, a Greek Kasseri cheese will do just fine.

You can simply follow the ingredients listing for my Keftedes but because you're smacking two beef patties together to seal the cheese, the meat takes longer to cook.

Ground beef meat MUST be well done and if one uses lean ground beef, you will end up with a dry keftede. The solution is to use a medium(fat) ground beef. This method seems to solve the drying out issue with stuffed keftedes.

Finally, when forming the larger pattie to seal the cheese in the middle, it's important to pinch around the sides of the two patties. Do this well. Failure or neglect will leave you to watch your cheese ooze out of your keftedes and fade into the abyss of your grill.


Keftedes Stuffed With Cheese (Κεφτέδες Γεμιστές )
(for 6)

1 kg. of medium ground beef
2 medium onions, box grated
4 slices of bread, soaked in water (or milk), hand squeezed and then crumbled
1 tsp of garlic powder/1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
2 eggs (for binding)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chopped parsley
pinch of cumin
salt & pepper to taste
1 inch flat squares of cheese (Vlahotyri or Kasseri)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well using your hands.
2. Form palm-sized patties with your hands, then squish them into flat patties and reserve in a platter. Cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. Before grilling, allow the keftedes to come back to room temperature. Take your piece of cheese and place it in the middle of one pattie. Now place another pattie on top and press the two patties together to form one larger keftede. Now using your fingers, pinch the entire perimeter of your pattie so that when you grill, the Keftede will hold together and your cheese will not leak.
4. Grill on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes a side.
5. Serve with some mustard/Mayo, Boukovo(red chilli flakes), a salad and some bread. Kali Orexi!
   

Hünkar Beğendi (The Sultan Enjoyed It)

Are you enjoying our little ride around the Mediterranean? Yesterday we were in France, the day before in Greece and today, we visit Turkey.

Last year when I visited Greece, I took a side-trip to Istanbul (Constantinople). The city to this day is the center of Greek-Orthodoxy and the Patriarchate is situated there.

One of the most interesting experiences during my trip there was to try out many of the dishes being offered up by the Turks. Many dishes were similar to Greek dishes and some were not.

Hünkar Beğendi was one particular dish that I had not tried before nor do I know of a Greek facsimile to this dish. It literally translates to "the Sultan enjoyed it". One taste of this roasted eggplant sauce will quickly confirm for you why it's call this.

In Turkey, Hünkar Beğendi is usually served up with veal, beef or chicken...in a kebab form. It's never served with pork as the country is predominantly Muslim, that's a no-go.

I'm in love with Hünkar Beğendi. I've tried it, loved it and now I'm improving it. Think of this as a Turkish dish as told to you through the palate of a Greek.

Turks and Greeks have our differences but food seems to be a common ground to bring these neighboring countries closer.

Allow me to explain my approach to this dish. The inspiration for the presentation and the use of beef came from my old friend Byron Ayanoglu and Aristedes Pasparakis' book New Greek Cuisine.

On the plate, the main is a strip loin steak which I cut in two, tied both with butcher's twine to form round fillets. The creamy sauce you see as a bedding and layered between the beef is the Hünkar Beğendi.

If there's one step you should not skip when making Hünkar Beğendi or a Greek Melitzanosalata (eggplant salad), it's to roast the eggplant on your grill or over hot coals. Roasted eggplant in the oven lacks that essential mellow smoky flavour one gets from a real grilled & roasted eggplant.

For sides, I parboiled a potato then sliced it, tossed in olive oil and seasoned with coarse sea salt, black pepper and fresh thyme, then roasted them in high heat until crisp and golden brown.

The other side and proverbial "cherry on top" are some onions simmered on low heat in a little bit of oil, clove and all spice and balsamic vinegar - sweet heaven.

I'm extremely proud of this dish and I'm pleased to report that I served Greeks this dish and everyone raved about Hünkar Beğendi. Yeah, that's right...Greeks liking a Turkish dish.

The Sultan enjoyed it indeed!

Hünkar Beğendi

1 eggplant
1/4 cup grated Kefalotyri or Romano cheese
1 heaping Tbsp. of cream cheese
1 Tbsp. of butter
2 Tbsp. of flour
1 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of chopped fresh chives

1. Pierce the eggplant around a few times all around and roast over high heat in your gas or charcoal grill. Turn the eggplant every 10-25 minutes until all sides of the skin are charred.
   
2. When the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut the eggplant open with a knife and spoon out the meat of the eggplant. Discard the skin. Pound the eggplant using a mortar and pestle until it's creamy yet chunky. Reserve.
3. In a medium saucepan, add your butter over medium heat and when it's melted add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the colour turns to a light brown. Now slowly add your milk while stirring until the mixture starts to thicken (like the consistency of cream).
4. Add your roasted eggplant puree, the cream cheese and grated cheese and stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add and stir in your chopped chives. Reserve and keep warm.
5. Serve your Hünkar Beğendi as a bed or a side with a grilled steak or kebab of your liking.