Pappardelle To Put Batali On Watch

This one goes out to all those cheap pieces of meat who never thought they'd amount to anything. If you work hard enough, for long enough, you'll be just as tender and delicious than any first rate cut of meat around. And don't let anybody ever tell you otherwise.

I found you at Citarella. A Prime Beef Shin, pink, moist and promising, only $4.99 a pound. I ditched my thoughts of veal shank and told the butcher to wrap you up. Two pounds of you. Good move on my part.

The plan was to slow cook you on Monday, tossing you in the Cuisinart as soon as I woke up. But at about 8:30 on Sunday night, I thought, "Why wait? Why not cook you overnight and let you sit and grow more flavorful and delicious and complex for longer?" No brainer. In you went.

And oh, mama, you came out more incredible than I could have ever even dreamed.

Here's how to do it.

Sprinkle 2 pounds of Beef Shin with salt, pepper and South African Smoke (available at Trader Joe's) + crushed red pepper.

Set the slow cooker on low and throw in:

2 lbs seasoned Beef Shins

4 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 a chopped onion
1 diced orange pepper
2 handfuls of baby carrots
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
4 bay leaves
3 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tbsp. chicken bouillon paste
2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Frank's
1 1/2 cups red wine

Cook on low overnight (about 12 hours).

The meat will have literally fallen off the bone by the time you wake up.

To reduce the extra fat, cool in the refrigerator all day, so you can remove the congealed fat that rises to the top.

Boil salted water and cook half a pound of papardelle.

Heat the sauce in a separate pan. When the pasta is ready, add it to the sauce pan. Sprinkle with grated cheese and be happy to be alive.

Enjoy with sauteed kale and garlic, and a nice Regusci Merlot. Be triple happy to be alive.

And now a word from Joseph Leonard's

Fresh From the Fulton Fish Market

OMG Indeed

Tipsy Honey

That Bear Is Gonna Have a Wicked Hangover

To be honest, I really didn't think putting honey on cheese could be any more delicious than it already was, but ALAS, as I have recently discovered, I was wrong.

The epiphany came during one of my now traditional "Meat for Dessert" sessions, at the crowded Crudo bar at Eataly this past Saturday night.  We ordered the Grande Piatto Misto di Salumi & Formaggi, which came with (obviously) an assortment of cured meats like proscuitto, speck, parma cotto, mortadella and salami, plus a gamut of cheese from ricotta to blue cheese and many hunks of cheesy goodness in between. 

But the most attention-getting part of the entire platter was dead smack in the middle of the accoutrement.  It was an almond-flavored honey that almost made me slip off my stool.  And Salvatore, the gregarious server, told us that Amaretto had a little something to do with it.

Why had I never thought of this before?  Oh well, it's never to late to learn how to spike something.  And spike it I did, the moment I got home.  

The best part about this "Tipsy Honey," as I like to call it, is that is complements everything from the savory, like cheese and meats, to the sweet, like pound cake, yogurt, or even fruit, like bananas.  I imagine it can't be too horrible poured over some vanilla ice cream either.

Enjoy!

Tipsy Honey

1/2 a Honey Bear

1/3 cup of Amaretto

Combine, shake it up and drizzle on whatever you think needs to be more delicious.

The Best Valentine’s Day Meal Ever

Men, if you’re reading this, good.  The recipes that follow are easy to make and guaranteed to get you in good with the ladies.  As Bela Karolyi told Kerri Strug, and Rob Schneider told Adam Sandler, YOU CAN DO IT!  

Women, if you’re reading this, I’ll warn you now--the thought of your man preparing the following meal might make your uterus melt, so please proceed with caution.  Or print it out and stuff it in his gym bag.

It starts with a delectable tuna ceviche that you don't actually "cook" (the citrus cooks the fish as it marinates), and to follow, there's more fish and veggies that are simple, but could not be more delightful.

Plus, eating such light courses up front make up for a cheesy, chocolately dessert.  Nom nom.

Hot & Sweet Tuna Ceviche

1/2 pound of sushi-grade ahi tuna

1/2 ripe avocado (squeeze it at the store--it should give a little)

1/2 ripe mango (same directions as the avocado)

1/5 of a red onion, diced

1/2 jalepeno pepper, diced very small

Handful of cilantro, chopped

Smoked sea salt

Pepper

Juice of 2 limes

Slice the tuna into bite sized chunks, about 3/4” by 3/4” cubes.  

Place tuna in a bowl and squeeze with lime juice.  Toss to evenly coat.  Chop the avocado, mango, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro and add to the tuna.  Grind pepper and smoked sea salt to taste.

Toss again and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before devouring ecstatically.

Pan-Seared Skate with Capers

Skate is inexpensive, easy to prepare and incredibly tasty.  Not to mention it’s a pretty shape, so makes for a nice presentation when plated.

2 skate wings

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Capers

Lemon

Heat olive oil in a pan.  While it’s heating, salt and pepper the skate.

Squeeze some lemon juice into the pan, and add skate.  Cook 4 minutes on one side, flip and add capers plus another squeeze of lemon.  

Cook another three minutes, or until it flakes off with a fork.

Sauteed Kale and Oyster Mushrooms 

1 package Oyster Mushrooms

1 Large Head of Kale, chopped

Crushed Red Pepper

Salt

Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Honey

Juice of 1 lemon

Heat olive oil in a pan until it’s very hot.  Add oyster mushrooms and cook until brown.  Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add the kale, crushed red pepper, lemon juice and salt.  Cook until wilted, and add honey at the end.

Combine kale and oyster mushrooms and have a party on your plate.  

Why Not Desert?

2 cheeses, one hard, like a Parmesan, 1 soft, like a Brie

Fruit salad (like strawberries, red and green grapes, blueberries)

Melted chocolate 

Put a few pieces of dark chocolate in a small bowl and nuke it for about 30 seconds.  

Drizzle the fruit and cheese with melted chocolate and stuff your face.  Wash it down with some red wine and be happy.

The Best Panini In Manhattan?

I would venture to say yes, Momo Cafe has the best panini in Manhattan.  Or the West Village at the very least.

Momo Cafe is fairly new to the corner of Waverly and West 10th, taking the place of an old children's shoe store.  Their crispy, toasty, melty treats are a VERY welcome addition to the neighborhood, and needless to say much tastier than kids' Keds and Buster Browns. (Do they even still make those anymore?  I am old.)

So far, I've tried the Prosciutto with Mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and mayo (pictured), as well as the Speck and Fontina (long since digested), however, in the name of investigatory journalism, I will be happy to return to sample the rest.  

Every panini comes accompanied by a white bean salad with red onion, tomatoes and a delightful balsamic drizzle.  Nice touch.

The rest of the menu looks promising as well, with pastas and salads, Italian wines and beers, and incredible coffees, teas and pastries (the ginormous cookies are completely worth the calories).  

The owner is Italian, and it shows, in not just the food, but the warm, laid-back atmosphere--there's no one breathing down your neck and rushing you out.  

So if you're ever in the neighborhood (or even if you're not), and you've been a good boy or girl, you should probably reward yourself the best panino in town.  But don't stay too long, because I'll probably want your table.