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Another Feast - Christmas 2016
9 years ago
Dragonwuff Musings
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'Tis the season to be Feasting! *grins*
Wuffy has been putting together bits of the upcoming Christmas Feast already. The "Star Attraction" has been gently cooking in a Sous Vide water bath at 131 degrees, for about the last 60 hours.
As some may recall from years past ( http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18678745/ ), Vrghr does Beef for the Christmas feast, because wuffy discovered that Turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas meals was a bit too repetitive.
This year, instead of wuff's traditional roast as seen in the link above, Vrghr has decided to to individual "ersatz" Beef Wellingtons. The "ersatz" is because a traditional Wellington is made with Fillet Mignon (loin). Wuff is using the unexpected selection of Chuck Steak instead.
Now, Chuck is known for being a bit tough unless it is slow cooked, stewed, etc. It certainly isn't on par with Fillet if prepared in the same fashion. However, it also brings a lovely wealth of hearty, deep beef flavors. So, how do you gain that luscious flavor while avoiding a tough to chew steak?
Sous Vide! Preparing the meat in the controlled water bath of a sous vide allows you to bring it to a perfect medium rare, and keep it there until the proteins and fibers begin to break down, rending the tough chains into tender, juicy most "un-chuck" like morsels. But the flavors remain sealed in! Of course, this also means you've got to plan ahead, as it takes a minimum of two days of slow heating to begin to accomplish this.
So, wuff took two each 3-pound chuck roasts. Seared them in a smoking hot cast iron pan. Seasoned the result and bagged them with some butter, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon. And into the water they went.
That was late Tuesday evening, and they just came out this afternoon. They're currently chilling, still in the sealed bags. Later, they'll be portioned out into individual segments, slathered with a mushroom duxelles wrapped with prosciutto, and wrapped in turn in puff pastry. These will return to the fridge, to be baked for the Feast on Christmas and served with a red wine, shallot, garlic, mushroom, and beef juice reduction sauce.
These will be sided with creamy scalloped potatoes with a hint of bleu cheese, and oven roasted Brussels sprouts with a balsamic reduction.
Vrghr will also be preparing some caramelized onion and cheddar crescent rolls to go with the meal.
Dessert will be poached pears in a bed of Mascarpone cheese & cardamom cream. Because wuff's guests are nearly all non-drinkers, Vrghr prepared a poaching liquid from a combination of raspberries, blackberris, a bit of Port wine, some cider vinegar, and apple juice, to take the place of the red wine commonly used for poaching.
The poaching liquid will be reduced to a syrup for drizzling over the pears, along with some crushed ginger cookies for garnish.
The nice thing is, 90% of this can all be baked at the same time (just putting the dishes into the over at different intervals) on Christmas day: the Beef, Scalloped potato casserole, sprouts, and rolls. The pears are poaching right now in the sous vide. And the cream base is already in the Siphon.
Wuff just needs to heat the various sauces to drizzle over the selections as the rest bakes, and WOOT! Feast in a flash! Leaving plenty of time to socialize and open presents!
May you all have a most Merry holiday season, no matter what you celebrate! And may your New Year be abundantly full of Joy, Health, and Wealth! *floofy wuffy hugs to all*
Vrghr will leave you with this little gem wuffy found in a lovely novel by Ilona Andrews, "One Fell Sweep" (Innkeeper Chronicles Book 3). This if from "Orro", a 7 foot hedgehog, and Red Cleaver master of the culinary arts:
The Kitchen Code:
- Rise early to be at your station early.
- Keep your knives sharp. Never touch other chef’s knives.
- Keep yourself, your station, and your food clean.
- Never let a dish out of your kitchen without tasting it.
- Know your ingredients. Respect the creatures on your prep table; honor their lives.
- Know your diners. Cook to the tastes of those who dine, not your own.
- Never serve a dish that harms your diners’ health or soul.
- Never settle for second best.
- Never stop learning.
Sounds like pretty good advice to this wuffy, even if you aren't a giant hedgehog! *grins*
VRGHR
Wuffy has been putting together bits of the upcoming Christmas Feast already. The "Star Attraction" has been gently cooking in a Sous Vide water bath at 131 degrees, for about the last 60 hours.
As some may recall from years past ( http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18678745/ ), Vrghr does Beef for the Christmas feast, because wuffy discovered that Turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas meals was a bit too repetitive.
This year, instead of wuff's traditional roast as seen in the link above, Vrghr has decided to to individual "ersatz" Beef Wellingtons. The "ersatz" is because a traditional Wellington is made with Fillet Mignon (loin). Wuff is using the unexpected selection of Chuck Steak instead.
Now, Chuck is known for being a bit tough unless it is slow cooked, stewed, etc. It certainly isn't on par with Fillet if prepared in the same fashion. However, it also brings a lovely wealth of hearty, deep beef flavors. So, how do you gain that luscious flavor while avoiding a tough to chew steak?
Sous Vide! Preparing the meat in the controlled water bath of a sous vide allows you to bring it to a perfect medium rare, and keep it there until the proteins and fibers begin to break down, rending the tough chains into tender, juicy most "un-chuck" like morsels. But the flavors remain sealed in! Of course, this also means you've got to plan ahead, as it takes a minimum of two days of slow heating to begin to accomplish this.
So, wuff took two each 3-pound chuck roasts. Seared them in a smoking hot cast iron pan. Seasoned the result and bagged them with some butter, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon. And into the water they went.
That was late Tuesday evening, and they just came out this afternoon. They're currently chilling, still in the sealed bags. Later, they'll be portioned out into individual segments, slathered with a mushroom duxelles wrapped with prosciutto, and wrapped in turn in puff pastry. These will return to the fridge, to be baked for the Feast on Christmas and served with a red wine, shallot, garlic, mushroom, and beef juice reduction sauce.
These will be sided with creamy scalloped potatoes with a hint of bleu cheese, and oven roasted Brussels sprouts with a balsamic reduction.
Vrghr will also be preparing some caramelized onion and cheddar crescent rolls to go with the meal.
Dessert will be poached pears in a bed of Mascarpone cheese & cardamom cream. Because wuff's guests are nearly all non-drinkers, Vrghr prepared a poaching liquid from a combination of raspberries, blackberris, a bit of Port wine, some cider vinegar, and apple juice, to take the place of the red wine commonly used for poaching.
The poaching liquid will be reduced to a syrup for drizzling over the pears, along with some crushed ginger cookies for garnish.
The nice thing is, 90% of this can all be baked at the same time (just putting the dishes into the over at different intervals) on Christmas day: the Beef, Scalloped potato casserole, sprouts, and rolls. The pears are poaching right now in the sous vide. And the cream base is already in the Siphon.
Wuff just needs to heat the various sauces to drizzle over the selections as the rest bakes, and WOOT! Feast in a flash! Leaving plenty of time to socialize and open presents!
May you all have a most Merry holiday season, no matter what you celebrate! And may your New Year be abundantly full of Joy, Health, and Wealth! *floofy wuffy hugs to all*
Vrghr will leave you with this little gem wuffy found in a lovely novel by Ilona Andrews, "One Fell Sweep" (Innkeeper Chronicles Book 3). This if from "Orro", a 7 foot hedgehog, and Red Cleaver master of the culinary arts:
The Kitchen Code:
- Rise early to be at your station early.
- Keep your knives sharp. Never touch other chef’s knives.
- Keep yourself, your station, and your food clean.
- Never let a dish out of your kitchen without tasting it.
- Know your ingredients. Respect the creatures on your prep table; honor their lives.
- Know your diners. Cook to the tastes of those who dine, not your own.
- Never serve a dish that harms your diners’ health or soul.
- Never settle for second best.
- Never stop learning.
Sounds like pretty good advice to this wuffy, even if you aren't a giant hedgehog! *grins*
VRGHR
Sadly, wuffy doesn't get to travel as much as he used to. Makes it much harder to end up in the same neck of the woods with his furry friends, and to surprise them with a meal!
Merry Christmas!
V.
And Pierogs are YUM too! Really sounds delish!
Any chance you might post the recipe for that bacon roll? Pierogs too if you want. But this wuff is really interested in the first one, and Vrghr bets
the Pierog is the Latvian name for the bacon roll... they are cooking now in the oven and smell so heavenly...
V.
Is what you're making something akin to this: http://www.mrstspierogies.com/Asset.....ogies_List.jpg ?
V.
Bon Appetite and Merry Christmas!
Take care wuff. My sister already has a few scars from culinary school and her recent job as a prep cook this year.
Yah, wuff has heard of the effort and dedication needed to make it through culinary school and actual line work. Your sister should be commended for sticking with that! Wuffy here is just a "home hobbiest" type, and self taught. Vrghr looks up to those who have taken the time and effort to go the professional route!