Costco Connection - November 2006

BON APPÉTIT ANNE DESJARDINS

By Anne Desjardins

In the heart of winter, below-zero temperatures make us crave comforting meals. This is the season when stews are always welcome and the house is filled with mouth-watering aromas. Why not make enough for leftovers and save yourself time some other day? Especially as some of these meals are even better warmed up.

JEAN-FRANÇOIS BÉRUBÉ

The first thing you should do when you decide to prepare a stew is to choose the meat: veal, pork, beef, lamb or even venison. Be sure to use only the lower-end sections ( shoulder, hock, flank, etc.), which are not as tender, but, once stewed in their own juices, become tenderized melt-in-your-mouth delicacies.

Then you need a stewing pot; cast-iron pots are ideal for cooking with uniformly diffused heat.

Now for the choice of a recipe!

Traditional cooking in most countries includes hundreds of choices, some of which

are truly exceptional. Braised beef à la mode, pot-au-feu, stockpot, beef Burgundy, pork hock stew, lamb navarin, osso

bucco, Flemish beer stew and goulash are but a few of the delicious dishes found in classic Western cooking. These names bring back happy and comforting memories of time spent with family. The authors of most recipe books featuring these dishes, however, do not explain or describe in sufficient detail the cooking process required to obtain the desired level of flavour and tenderness. They do not

Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Dried Mushrooms and Root Vegetables

750mL(3cups)carrots,parsnips,turnips Preheatovento120°C(250°F). andceleryroot,peeledandcutintosmall Inthebottomofanenamelledcast-ironpot, uniform piecesplace 250 mL ( 1 cup) root vegetables, onions, garlic

2mediumonions,peeledandquartered anddriedmushrooms.Addmeat,wine,vinegar,

₅ _garlic _cloves, _peeledthyme, juniper berries, Tabasco and salt.

Cover the pot and place in the oven. Simmer for
125g ( 4 oz.) dried boletus, porcini or shiitake _about ₄ _hours.mushrooms(noneedtosoakthembeforehand, _{Removemeatandvegetables(theyshouldbe}asthecookingmethodusedwillrehydratethem) _{verywellcooked)andkeepwarm.} 2.5to3kg(approx.5to6lb.)wholeshoulder Tomakethesauce,passcookingjuicesthrough
^of ^lamb ^(bone ⁱⁿ⁾a Chinese strainer over a small pot. Bring juices to a
375 mL (11/2cups) white wine boil and reduce by half, taste and season. Sauce is
30mL(2Tbsp.)balsamicvinegar ^{ready.Keepwarm.}In a pan, cook remaining root vegetables in lightly
3sprigsfreshthymeor30mL(2Tbsp.)driedthyme _{saltedwateroverhighheat.Oncecooked,drainand}5juniperberries(orafewclovesorlaurelleaves) placedecorativelyaroundmeat.
SaltIn a non-stick pan, stir-fry fresh minced mush-
₆ _drops _Tabasco _saucerooms in olive oil over high heat, with salt to taste. Place
around meat as garnish. Pour sauce over all and serve.

²⁵⁰ ^mL ^{( 1} ^cup) ^fresh ^portobello ^or Serves 4, with leftovers for a second meal. other mushrooms, minced

Olive oil (to coat pan)(Note: Pork may be substituted for lamb.)

PHOTODISC

stress the importance of slow and gentle cooking, probably because this method used to be an integral part of the cooking process.

The secret to stewed dishes is that the cooking temperature must never exceed 120ºC (250ºF). The dish must never come to a boil, but rather should gently simmer to avoid hardening of the meat fibres.

This is explained by the chemical process of cooking. Meat is primarily composed of water and protein, whose integrity is maintained by a sheath called collagen. When you cook meat, you are gently dissolving the surrounding collagen and melting the fat (lipids) within.

The size and fat and collagen content of a selected cut will determine the time required to obtain the desired degree of tenderness. The more collagen meat contains, the more slowly it needs to be cooked. A fillet, for example, by virtue of its low collagen content, requires a shorter cooking time. It can therefore be quickly pan-fried or broiled. Shoulder and shank cuts have a high collagen content and must be cooked slowly at very low temperatures.

Let’s allow these basic chemistry concepts to simmer and move on to the topic at hand: preparing delicious meals.

All you need is a good cut of meat, ingredients that will complement its flavour and slow cooking at low temperatures. It’s almost like magic! Why not try your hand at playing sorcerer’s apprentice? C