CANTADOU CHEESE BALL [REVISED]

YIELD: 3 CHEESEBALLS  [Best made a day ahead]

INGREDIENTS:

3 – 8 oz.      Philly Original Cream Cheese – room temp

2 sticks        unsalted butter - room temp

4-5 cloves    garlic – finely minced (NOT garlic powder )

1 tsp.           Kosher salt

1 tsp.           dried thyme

1/2 tsp.       white pepper

3 tsp.           dried basil 

1 tsp.           marjoram

3 TBSP        chopped chives

2 tsp.              dried dill weed          

1 tsp            lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

Blend cream cheese and butter in a mixer until fluffy.  

Add remaining ingredients and blend on LOW, scraping sides of the bowl often. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture can be shaped.

Shape into three (or four smaller) balls and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill overnight but let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.

Can be frozen for a couple of weeks - thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.

Serve with a mild cracker like Ritz (not one that will overwhelm the cheese flavor); also really good on celery sticks.

SHRIMP MOLD

SERVES: 8-12 as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS:

1 can         Cream of Tomato soup – undiluted

1 C            mayonnaise

3 oz.         Philly cream cheese

1 pkg.       unflavored gelatin dissolved in 1/4 C warm water

1 C            minced celery

1/2 C         minced onion

16-20 oz.   frozen shrimp - small, peeled, deveined

       

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the soup in a saucepan – remove from heat and all mayonnaise, cream cheese and gelatin.  Beat on low until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and pour into a well-oiled mold.  Refrigerate until firm.

Serve with crackers

BACON WRAPPED DATES

This is sooooo easy and your guests will be asking for the recipe!

YIELD: 30+/- PCS.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boxes     dried PITTED dates

6 oz. bag   slivered almonds (freeze any leftovers in an airtight container)

                Bacon strips     

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425°

Separate dates and lay on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed very lightly with PAM

Count dates – you will need a strip of bacon that can be wrapped around the date and secured with a toothpick, so based on bacon length, cut into 3 or 4 pieces (err on the long side with the bacon so that it overlaps just a bit)

Stuff each date with 2-3 pieces of almond.  Wrap in length of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Bake until bacon is crispy – 7-10 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to remove excess bacon grease.  Serve warm.

Note:  dates are an excellent source of potassium

DRY-AGING BEEF....

If you’ve had the good fortune of tasting dry-aged beef, then you know that it has a remarkable depth of flavor.  Unfortunately for those of us who don’t have a high-end butcher or serious steakhouse nearby, dry-aged beef can be hard to come by without involving FedEx and a big credit card charge.  But the good news is that if you have a refrigerator, you can dry-age beef at home.

WHY DRY-AGED BEEF TASTE BETTER

All fresh beef is aged for at least few days and up to several weeks to allow enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue, resulting in improved texture and flavor.  These days, most beef is aged in plastic shrink-wrap—a process known as wet-aging.  Dry-aged beef, on the other hand, is exposed to air so dehydration can further concentrate the meat’s flavor.  It’s a more expensive process than wet-aging, however, because the meat loses weight from dehydration, and it also must be trimmed of its completely dried exterior.   

Dry-aging should be done for a minimum of 3 days but up to 7 days for the most intense flavor.  Despite the loss of 20% of its original weight, dry-aged beef is worth the time and expense.

HOW TO DRY-AGE BEEF AT HOME

Tip: Home refrigerators aren't as consistent or as cold as commercial meat lockers. Before aging meat at home, get a refrigerator thermometer and be sure your fridge is set below 40°F.  Cook or freeze the meat within seven days of beginning the dry-aging process.

FIRST:  Buy a prime or choice boneless beef rib or loin roast from the best meat source in your area. (Ask your butcher if it’s been dry-aged, as you don’t want to age it twice)  If it HAS been dry-aged, move down to the cooking process.

SECOND:  Unwrap the beef, rinse it well, and pat it dry with paper towels.  Do not trim.  Wrap the roast loosely in a triple layer of cheesecloth and set it on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet or other tray.

THIRD:  Refrigerate for three to seven days; the longer the beef ages, the tastier it gets.  After the first day, carefully unwrap and then rewrap with the same cheesecloth to keep the cloth fibers from sticking to the meat.

FOURTH:  When ready to roast, unwrap the meat and, with a sharp knife, shave off and discard the hard, dried outer layer of the meat.  Shave away any dried areas of fat, too, but leave behind as much of the good fat as possible.  Roast whole or cut into steaks.

DRY-AGED BEEF RIB ROAST WITH A MUSTARD, GARLIC AND THYME CRUST

Select a 6-1/2 – 7 lb CHOICE grade boneless rib roast if you are going to dry-age it at home – proceed as directed above.  (4-1/2 – 5 lb roast if you don’t have the time for the dry-aging  process)

INGREDIENTS:

2 large cloves garlic

2 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. whole grain Dijon mustard

1 Tbs. lightly chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive  oil

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish-Chive Crème Fraîche for serving (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS:

Mince the garlic cloves with a chef’s knife and sprinkle with the salt.  Using the side of the knife, scrape and mash the garlic and salt together until they turn into a paste.  In a small bowl, combine the garlic paste with the mustard, thyme, olive oil, and pepper.  Rub the garlic mixture over all sides of the beef.  Put the roast, fat side up, on a rack set in a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet or small roasting pan.  Let the roast sit at room temperature for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Roast the beef for 15 minutes.  Without opening the door, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.   Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 130°F for medium rare, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Let the beef rest for 20 minutes.  (When meat is cooked, the juices tend to concentrate in the center – by letting the meat ‘rest’ the juices have time to redistribute and spread the moisture and flavor evenly)

Meanwhile, transfer the crème fraîche to a small serving dish.  Carve the beef into thin or thick slices and pass the crème fraîche on the side.

Smile, *clink* and accept kudos for a divinely flavored beef dinner!

HORSERADISH-CHIVE CRÈME FRAICHE

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

1-1/2 Tbs. thinly sliced chives

8 oz. crème fraîche (OR 2/3 C sour cream plus 1/3 C good mayonnaise)

Kosher salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Stir the horseradish and chives into the crème fraîche. Season to taste with salt, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until needed.  (Best made a day ahead)

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/dry-aging-beef-pays-off-big-flavor.aspx

GRILLING TIPS FROM A REDNECK WOMAN

My kinda GRILL!

SAFETY FIRST

Always keep the grill at least two feet from any combustible material or structure, such as your house, garage or deck/rails.  NEVER use a grill indoors (they suck up oxygen and charcoal emits carbon MONOXIDE) or under a covered patio.

Never add lighter fluid to lit fire/coals.

Never use a grill that wobbles, leans or is otherwise unstable.

Never spray or brush cooking oil on a hot cooking grate – oil the food instead.

Don’t wear loose or highly flammable clothing when grilling – always use heat-resistant barbeque mitts and long-handled tools when tending to the fire or the food on the fire.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy – and never pour water on a grease fire.  Instead, cover the grill with the lid and cut off the source of fuel, such as the gas.

Never allow children or pets near a hot grill. (duh)

MASTERING FIRE (a/k/a/ - cranking up that caveman gene)

Managing the heat inside a gas grill is fairly straightforward – just lift the lid, open the valve on the top of the tank, turn the knob a time or two, and push a button.  The temperature is easily adjusted from there.

When it comes to charcoal, you need to be a bit more savvy.  The opportunity to show off your mastery of fire is one of the advantages of cooking with charcoal.

What is charcoal?  If you burn hardwood in a kiln with very little air, charcoal is that lump of black stuff left in the bottom.  What you find in bags in stores are ‘briquettes’ and contain fillers – not true charcoal.  Solid hardwood charcoal briquettes are your best bet but I defy you to find them!  Briquettes don’t burn as long as lump charcoal but they are cheaper.  AVOID BRIQUETTES MADE WITH LIGHTER FLUID (Matchlight) – you will get the flavor of the chemicals in whatever you cook.

The easiest way to get your charcoal ready is to have a Weber Performer Grill – I have one and I love it!  You put the briquettes in a pair of ‘D’ shaped baskets, push a button to ignite a gas flame, and *clink* until the coals are lit.  Then turn off the gas and cook! 

The second best way is to use a chimney type lighter – newspaper in the bottom – coals on top – strike a match, and when they are lit, pour them in to the grill.  Remove the cooking grate from your grill and set the chimney on the charcoal grate below.  Takes about 20 minutes for the coals to be glowing red.  Be sure to wear your mitts when dumping the coals (and set the chimney on something like concrete to cool – again, away from kids and pets).

One other way, which isn’t my fav at all – is to light a few paraffin cubes in the bottom of the grill and build a pyramid of coals over them – when the coals glow red, they’re ready.

Use the bottom vents to adjust the heat – the more oxygen the hotter the fire. 

Test the temperature of the grill to make sure it is at the right temperature for your meat. The grill is at low heat (225 to 250° F) if you notice a thick ash covering and light orange coals.  If you hold your hand 4 inches over the coals, you should only be able to stand the heat for 11 to 14 seconds.  For medium heat (325 to 350° F), the coals will be a glowing orange, and you should only be able to hold your hand 4 inches above the coals for 6 to 8 seconds.  At high heat (450 to 650° F), the coals will be bright orange and you will only be able to stand the heat for 2 to 3 seconds.

A really NICE grilling accessory is a LARGE instant read thermometer for cooking to the perfect temperature.  This one has a 4" probe and is about $10.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQNSTS4?aaxitk=e51Jc2BgL-sXpg7yA8m38Q

Things that cook fast (burgers, steaks, etc.) are cooked over direct heat, meaning the meat is directly above the coals.  INDIRECT cooking is for larger cuts of meat, such as turkeys or chickens (see my earlier recipe for grilling turkeys – it’s to die for!)

Create different grilling zones in your BBQ by raking the coals around.  One thin layer of coals over the entire grate will create only one overall grilling temperature.  You can create three different zones by raking a double layer of coals over one-third of the grill, covering one-third with a single layer and leaving the last third bare.  This is ideal for meat that needs to be cooked at different temperatures throughout the cooking process.  (Or if you are cooking steaks for folks who all want them cooked to THEIR liking.)

Before turning in for the night, place your hand on the bottom of the grill – it should be cold to the touch.

And I'm sure most rural grill cooks know this.... but if your grill has a little bucket thingy that catches grease as stuff cooks, don't leave THAT outside overnight.  Local animals like dogs will get into it and it will make them.... sick as a dog.  Raccoons are even worse - they will eat the grease, track greasy footprints all over everything - and poop on whatever is around!

Happy and safe grilling!