Myung Dong 1st Ave

This past Saturday I finally checked out Myung Dong 1st Ave, a Korean restaurant that opened last year in Allston. The BF was in town (he is in NYC now for work) and we made plans to meet up with a dear friend of mine, Tali, and her boyfriend Brian.

Walking into Myung Dong, we were treated to a blast of what I assume to be Korean pop music. We were seated next to a large flat screen showing pop videos filled with adorable (or nausea-inducing) young singers dressed as cheerleaders, schoolgirls and the like. It is one of the odd-yet-completely-at-home touch you find in Asian restaurants in the area. It was filled mainly Asians, with a few other tables of young people (although as I get older, anyone younger than me suddenly qualifies as a "young person").

We ordered a pitcher of pear soju. It tastes like a fusing of pear nectar and a liquor, and was sweet and easy to sip, although technically one is supposed to drink the entire shot at once. For those unfamiliar with soju, wikipedia has a great summary of the etiquette required to drink soju in a group gathering (although according to the rules, it would be impossible to drink alone as one cannot fill their own glass).

The waiter brought out a variety of small complimentary dishes, including sauteed greens, fish cakes, kimchi and radishes.

We ordered a basket of mini dumplings to start. I had read some rave reviews about these little morsels, but found myself unimpressed with the fried pork and vegetable filled morsels. Great in idea, so-so in execution.


photo from: http://muze.exblog.jp/

I ordered bimbimbap for my main dish. To call it stir-fry would probably anger some, but the set up reminded me of that. Julienned vegetables were placed in a sizzling hot stone dish, surrounding a large scoop of white rice. Thinly sliced beef was placed atop the rice and an egg was broke over the top of the dish. I love, love when food is interactive. The egg came out sunny-side up but I was able to neatly flip it over to cook it to a little more than over easy. I used some chili-garlic sauce to give it a bit of a kick. The dish was simple, elegant, tasty but not too filling. Bimbimbap. Try saying it a few times; fun, isn't it?

Carne Mechada

Carne Mechada is a kinder, more easygoing relative of Ropa Vieja. Less ingredients equate less chopping and less active cooking time. I love this dish. Tender, shredded beef, sauteed red bell pepper and smoky paprika make my mouth water before sinking my teeth into the dish. I had some as stew last night with avocado, limes and Cuban black beans with rice but today, it's all about the empanadas. What is it about food that you can pick up that is so appealing?

To Make Carne Mechada:
1 lb flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
3 Vidalia diced onions
Enough beef broth to cover meat pieces
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 diced tomatoes
Paprika, to taste
Salt
Pepper

In large stew pot, add meat, beef broth and 1 diced onion (making sure broth covers meat). Bring to a simmer and let cook 2 hours at this heat.

Remove pieces of meat from the broth (reserve for use later) and let them cool on a plate. When cool enough to handle, shred the chunks into thin strips using your fingers or a fork (I like doing it with my hands, easier to remove fat, etc).

Heat up olive oil in a clean stew pot. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic. Let cook 5-7 minutes until translucent. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Add tomato sauce and 1 cup reserved broth, let simmer about 15 minutes.

Add shredded beef and enough reserved broth to ensure the mixture is covered. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and stir every 10 minutes or so to prevent the stew from sticking. The covered pot should just barely be boiling (to avoid drying out the meat). Cook an additional hour at this temperature.

Serve with rice, black beans, and a fried sweet plantain for pabellon criollo, Venezuela's national dish, by itself as a hearty stew, or in empanadas! You will love it any of these ways-it's just that delicious.

Guiso de Ternera a la Asturiana: Asturian Beef Stew

I LOVE my cookbook The New Spanish Table. It groups recipes by category as well as region (i.e. tapas versus paella, Catalan versus Basque) and includes history, photos, cultural information and recipes by some of the most amazing contemporary chefs as well as little hole-in-the-wall bodegas. While tapas remain my favorite Spanish food to cook (be still, my heart), I aim to work my way through most of the cookbook's recipes. Spanish cuisine is still relatively "new" to most of the United States, and The New Spanish Table has many crowd pleasers (tortilla espanyola, patatas bravas, etc) but also offers the home cook opportunities to try more exotic dishes (bunny , rabbit, anyone?).

I purchased grass fed beef (in the form of stew meat) at the Coolidge Corner Farmer's Market and am excited to put it to good use. Asturian Beef Stew is the perfect recipe for a crisp autumn dinner: tender, white wine-braised beef, hearty white beans, turnips and rich collard greens. The following recipe is more or less from my cookbook. I had to alter some ingredients due to availability and not wanting to purchase 3 pounds of expensive (albeit delicious) beef. I'll update this post with photos and a detailed review this weekend!

Ingredients:
2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
Coast salt
Finely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces smoky bacon or pancetta, diced into small squares
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 fat carrots (I used about 15 baby carrots and sliced them in half length-wise)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
2 14 oz cans white Fava beans
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium-sized turnips, peels and cut into 1 inch chunks (substitute potatoes if you don't like turnips)
4 cups chopped, VERY well rinsed and dried collard greens

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef to the pot and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove beef and set in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pot. Brown remaining half meat, and then transfer it to the bowl too.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot and add bacon. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring until bacon begins to render fat, about 2-3 minutes. Remove most of fat to use later. Add onion, garlic and carrots and turn heat back to medium-high and cook about 8 minutes so that vegetables soften and begin to brown. Add flour and stir for a few seconds. Add white wine and stir so that it combines with flour and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to bottom of pot.

Add beef and tomatoes to stew pot. Bring back to boil and turn down to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook at this temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that nothing sticks to bottom of pot. Add beans, turnips and 1 cup water and cook until turnips are tender, about 35-50 minutes.

Heat up reserved bacon fat in saute pan over medium-high and add collard greens. Saute about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and add to stew pot. Taste stew, and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Remove stew from heat and let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef Stew)

Like many of my favorite foods, I first tried ropa vieja during my semester in Havana, Cuba. Meat is scarce on the island, both due to its economic situation and more so (this is a less known fact) because the government saves meat and fish to be sold at hotels/tourist restaurants). Originally this dish was prepared using whatever leftover meat Cubans had on hand, then vegetables and seasoning were added to give the dish flavor. Using leftovers (of anything) is 100% Cuban. See my post on making Batidos for a cartoon that explains the innovative Cuban spirit.

Ingredients:
3 lbs skirt or flank steak (you can substitute chuck steak, not traditional but saves $$$) .
8 cups water
2 large carrots, chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 head garlic, cloves cut into 1/4ths
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

2 green bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 large Vidalia onion, cut into long thin strips
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups leftover braising liquid
a 14 oz can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 head garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 red bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 yellow bell peppers, cut into long thin strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped Spanish olives stuffed with pimento
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine water, steak, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, spices, bay leaf and freshly ground black pepper in large stew pot. Bring to simmer and cook about 2 hours, or until meat falls apart easily using a fork. Remove meat from liquid and cool. Strain liquid from pot into another large stew pot, discard vegetables, etc than remain in strainer.

Clean & dry original stew pot. Heat up olive oil over medium-high heat Add green pepper, onion strips and garlic and turn to medium. Saute 7-10 minutes, until soft. While peppers and onion are cooking, shred cooled meat. Add tomatoes to stew pot. Simmer 10 minutes. Add meat, cumin, paprika and oregano. Add braising liquid. Bring to a simmer and let cook 1 hour. Add red, orange and yellow bell pepper strips and cook 30 minutes. Add thawed peas and chopped olives. Cook another 30 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread or over saffron rice. Stew is even better next day and can be kept refrigerated 3-5 days or frozen.

The photograph, sadly, is not mine...I have to find time to make a Cuban meal sometime soon, but having a Dominican boyfriend...that cuisine has taken precedence as of late. This great photo is on Flickr and is by graphics.jsonline.com>

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef chuck
Optional 1/2 cup brandy
Optional 2 strips bacon, diced
1/2 cup flour
1 bottle full-bodied dry red wine (Bordeaux, Cabernet, Zinfandel)
2 celery ribs
2 large carrots, or about 12 baby carrots
2 onions
1 head garlic
12 oz baby bella (crimini) mushrooms
1 pound pearl (boiling) onions
1 tablespoon tomato paste, or 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 cups beef stock, optional
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
Thyme
Parsley
2 pounds baby potatoes

Before you begin cooking, wash the onions, carrots and celery. Cut celery and carrots into 1/4 inch thick pieces, dice the 2 regular onions and mince the garlic. Set aside.

Mix flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in Ziploc bag.

Cut chuck into 1/2 inch thick square chunks and coat with flour mixture.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan over medium-high heat, being careful not to burn the butter. Add meat pieces in 2 batches and brown well on all sides. (If you cannot brown every side, it is not the end of the world, it'll do). Remove meat and put in bowl.

Add brandy to and let simmer about 5 minutes to deglaze the pan, scraping up any beef or bacon fat left in pan. Pour over beef chunks.

In large stew pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prepared vegetables to the pan and saute about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one more minute. If using canned diced tomatoes, add to pan after vegetables have been cooking for 5 minutes and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add meat and juices to pan. Add 1 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1 teaspoon thyme. Liberally add freshly ground pepper. Pour bottle of wine over everything. Turn heat to medium until stew begins to simmer. When first bubbles appear, turn heat down to medium low to maintain a simmer but avoid boiling. This level of heat will dissolve tough collagenous tissue but reserve natural meat juices. Cook at a simmer for about 3 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. If stew looks dry, add beef stock as needed.

Cut ends off of pearl onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes in boiling water. Strain and run cold water over onions. Let cook, then peel. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in saute pan and cook onions over medium-high heat until onions are golden. Add to stew.

Wash mushrooms, cut off stems and slice thinly. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat and saute mushrooms about 8 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Add mushrooms to stew.

Cook stew additional 30 minutes at simmer.

While stew is simmering, boil large pot of salted water and cook potatoes until tender or a knife can easily pierce them. Rinse with cold water and remove peel and cut potatoes in half.

Place potatoes on large plate and top with beef stew.