Posts Tagged ‘The Spotted Pig’

Build a Better Burger

Filed Under: Food Styling, Recipeson November 2nd, 2011

If you don’t know, my mother loves burgers … probably more than she loves me. That was a kinda-sorta statement, sometimes I wonder. Especially when she’s hungry.

I admit, I’ve hopped around New York eating my fair share of ground beef, even if for no other reason than it’s the only red meat I can afford. Some of my favorites include Ruby’s, Bar Farnelli, and The Spotted Pig.

Last year I had the opportunity to cook and style for a Better TV shoot with Chef Jeff Starr, the Executive Chef of Sutter Homes Winery and their “Build a Better Burger” Contest.

The contest winner this year, Jennifer Beckman of Falls Church, Virginia came up north to share with Gayle King (I’m saying that in the “Oprah voice” right now … ) on The Gayle King Show. Jennifer’s Screen Porch Burgers pair with Sutter Homes Sauvignon Blanc.

I had the chance to meet Jennifer and tackle some unusual cooking conditions … frozen pickles, smoke alarms, gas stove-top temperature control, etc. but Gayle ate every bite … well, almost every bite. A success, none the less. Below I’ve shared the recipe and comments from Jennifer herself. To see full coverage check out the official Build a Better Burger site.

Screen Porch Burgers

by: Jennifer Beckman, Falls Church, Virginia

Ingredients

Sweet Corn-Basil Cheese

* 6 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese

* 1 cup sweet corn kernels, from about 3 ears

* 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

* 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Bread and Butter Frickles

* 1 cup vegetable oil

* 12 long sandwich-cut (stacker) bread and butter pickles

* 1 cup all-purpose flour

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 cup milk

* 1/2 cup cornmeal

* 1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)

* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Patties

* 2 pounds ground chuck

* 1/2 cup finely sliced green onions

* 2 teaspoons kosher salt

* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

* 6 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Sandwich Rolls

* 6 slices (1/4 inch-thick) heirloom tomato

* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

* 6 leaves red-leaf lettuce

Directions

To make the cheese spread, shred the Cheddar on a box grater. Combine the cheese, corn, basil, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Set aside until ready to serve.

Heat a gas grill to high.

To make the frickles, heat a large cast-iron skillet on the grill for at least 5 minutes. Carefully add the oil to the hot pan and heat to 350 degrees F. While the pan is heating, lay out the pickle slices in a single layer on a kitchen towel. Blot with a second kitchen towel. Arrange 3 small bowls into a breading station: place the flour in the first, beat the eggs and milk together in the second, and mix the cornmeal and panko in the third.
Season the contents of each bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix to combine. Bread the dried-off pickle slices by turning in the flour, then dipping in the egg mixture, and finally coating with the panko-cornmeal mixture. Fry the breaded pickles in batches, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 90 seconds per side. Drain on a rack set over a paper-towel-lined sheet pan.

Reduce the heat to medium-high.

To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently. Divide into 6 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties to fit the rolls.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. After turning the patties, arrange the rolls, cut side down, around the edges of the grill to toast.

To assemble the burgers, place a patty on each of the roll bottoms. Top each patty with 2 crisscrossed frickles, a tomato slice, and a lettuce leaf. Spread the top half of each roll with a scant 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and close the burgers.

Enjoy on the screen porch, listening to the soothing sounds of a summer evening, accompanied by a crisp, cold glass of Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc.

Makes 6 burgers
Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

Contestant’s Comments:

“My parents have retired to a small farm in Maine in the foothills of the White Mountains. Summers are short but hot, perfect for growing the armloads of sweet, crisp summer vegetables that my family and I devour when we visit. Happiness, for me, is sitting on the huge screen porch, listening to the tree peepers chirp, sipping a cool glass of Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc, and noshing on burgers filled with the farm’s bounty: sweet corn, basil, scallions, heirloom tomatoes, and Mom’s bread and butter pickles from just-picked cukes.”

Tags: Bar Farnelli, Build a Better Burger Contest, food styling, Jennifer Heckman, Ruby's, Sauvignon Blanc, Screen Porch Burger, Sutter Home Winery, The Gayle King Show, The Spotted Pig
Posted in Food Styling, Recipes | Comments Off

I’ve Been Bad!

Filed Under: New York City, Restauranton May 19th, 2010

I have to apologize to everyone about not posting all week! Thank you for all continuing to follow, I PROMISE I will uphold my end of the bargain.

After endlessly saying, “We’re going to go, we’re going to go,” my friend and I finally ventured to The Breslin last Thursday evening. It only opened last fall, I mean, what took us so long? All the hype definitely deterred me, as did the mass amount of people waiting in The Ace Hotel on any given night waiting to try April Bloomfield’s new gastro-pub, but we finally got there!

We went in knowing two things would occur on our tongues for sure, pork fat and salt. Neither lacked presence in the meal.

Working close to the pub itself, I arrived at the bar, beer in hand, at about 5 o’clock. I don’t even know if it’s right to call The Breslin, a “pub.” Anthony Bourdain I know agrees with this; there is a big difference between a “pub” and a “gastro-pub.” Almost as if the word gastro-pub is an oxymoron. What happen to Irish hole-in-the-walls with bad food, cranky bartenders, and an endless supply of good (cheap) beer?

It doesn’t bother me so much as long as the food’s worth the hype and the beer doesn’t soar above $8 a pint.

It had been an overwhelming week and a drink was in order. The Breslin Aberdeen from Redhook, The Breslin’s signature beer is (in my opinion) less tasty that The Spotted Pig’s Bitter (which is also served at the bar). Served on the warmer side, with a more bitter without the flavor taste, the beer itself even tastes like it’s infused with pork fat.

I generally order almost everything on the menu when I go out to eat. When I’m splitting a meal with someone and trying a new spot, I mean why not, right? If I like it, I’ll go back and order the one thing that I loved, but if you’re anything like me, I can usually figure out how to recreate something similar and much less expensive at home after I’ve tasted the original.

Although, you can’t beat the atmosphere. Hey, it’s half the reason for dining out! Actually I’d say dining out is ALL about atmosphere, company, and let’s face it, booze. Normal people don’t polish off two bottles of wine at dinner at home (unless you’re my parents), but in a restaurant two bottles is just the start. People feel free in restaurants, free to be people they desire to be. I love it!

It’s like when in “When Harry met Sally” on the double date where the couple argues that “Restaurants are to the 90′s what theater was in the 80′s.” In 2010, restaurants are the theaters, dining rooms, and parties. No wonder everyone is a “foodie!?”

When I said that salt and pork fat were not subtle, I meant it. The salt overpowered our dishes. Granted we were eating on the earlier side and our meals were probably some of the first prepared by fresh chefs in the kitchen, but the salt was too heavy and unappreciated. The pork fat though was welcome and tasty.

I was reading an article in “Speciality Foods” that said that questions, “Is Bacon the Olive Oil of North America?” It’s an incredibly fascinating article, that despite our best efforts to curb obesity, is very true (and admirably) delicious. The Breslin uses the chance to prove this theory right, hitting a high note with it’s “thrice cooked chips.” Again, good, but salty.

Southerners will go CRAZY for the pork boiled peanuts which are served cold (as traditional in the South), and ramp lovers of the already-too-trendy spring ramp phase will love the mashed ramps, but the winner in my mind is the lamb burger.

Smaller than The Spotted Pig’s Burger with Roquefort, this less overwhelming burger packs the same juiciness with less … well … less beef. Or, “kick” I should say. But having “less” is actually more sometimes. You don’t feel like you need a crane to lift you from your bar stool to your taxi, it works. The use of feta (again with the salt!) and red onions allows for a fresher finish.

All in all, yes, atmosphere is cool, the people there (think they) are cool. And hell, I felt cool being there! Wait until the hype subsides, the chef reaches the bottom of the salt shaker, and go back and get yourself a little lamb.

Tags: Anthony Bourdain, April Bloomfield, dining out, lamb burger, pork fat, ramps, salt, The Breslin, The Spotted Pig
Posted in New York City, Restaurant | 1 Comment »

Back to the Grind

Filed Under: Food, French Culinary Institute, Life, New York City, Restauranton February 15th, 2010

I’ve been bad. And by bad, I mean, not posting as often as I should or could.

Last week I had SO MUCH to write about, but considering I was in a “live it” not “write it” mode, I was a little sub-par, so apologies.

Let’s say as a wrap up, I went a little crazy – all out.

lambmeatballs

Spotted Pig burger on Tuesday night, snow day trip to Locanda Verde on Wednesday night for lamb meatballs, herbed ricotta cheese, and toffee date cake, Friday trip to Bar Farnelli with more Brooklyn Lagers than I care to admit, Saturday afternoon a trip to the

Blind Tiger and pit-stop at Murray’s Cheese for a like ‘njua, Saturday night at Colicchio and Sons and Sunday brunch at Bubby’s. bubbys

You’d be surprised that I had time to do anything else but eat, huh? But I did, don’t worry. Although eating was a HUGE part of last week, and every minute of it was fabulous. Can’t say there was a sour note!

In terms of finishing up plated desserts from last week, we chocolate sprayed out Mint Domes and plated a white chocolate citrus parfait, a tiramisu, an exotic fruit soup, and a goat’s yogurt panna cotta.

The panna cotta and tiramisu were vomit-worthy. DISGUSTING. So much so, that if I actually ordered either of these at a restaurant I would have sent them back. And I don’t think soup should be next to the word “dessert” but that’s just my opinion …

Be wary of the pictures though, these were “unpretty” desserts of our large batch.

The unattractive pieces are used to practice plating while the immaculately clean looking ones we have to save for either the restaurant, school functions, or our “Afternoon of Desserts” where our friends and family come for a tasting.

And since ours is tomorrow afternoon, we had to be very particular to leave all the “good” ones for them.

Hope everyone else had a fabulous weekend!

Oh and like a true nerd of food, on my day off what am I doing, cooking? You named it. Greatest find of the city thus far? Israeli grocery store downtown where a butcher hand grinds lamb for $3 a lb. Um, hello! Give me all of it and let’s see what I can do with it! Isn’t it great how the small things in life make your day?

Maybe I really am back to the grind, now that I have my meat …

Tags: Bar Farnelli, Brooklyn Brewery, Bubby's, Colicchio and Sons, Locanda Verde, Murray's Cheese, nyc finds, plated desserts, The Blind Tiger, The Spotted Pig
Posted in Food, French Culinary Institute, Life, New York City, Restaurant | 2 Comments »

My Mother vs. Ground Beef

Filed Under: Food, Life, Restauranton November 8th, 2009

There’s a “throw down” in the kitchen, and it doesn’t involve Bobby Flay. What it does involve though, is my mother, a grill, and an unlimited source of ground beef. I don’t think there’s a person in this world who loves burgers more than my mother. She’d eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner … everyday.

In my honest opinion, burgers are very “in” in the food world. It’s like what cupcakes are to the fad baking world. Vomit. Move on, on both accounts. Overdone, overemphasized, and reaching its fad peak super fast. If Rachael Ray makes one more burger book or another artisanal burger joint opens up on 7th Ave, I’m going to scream. What’s so great about a piece of ground beef?

The thing is, and I believe it to be true about 99% of the time, a burger is just a piece of ground beef … unless its fabulous. And there’s one burger I find to be exceptionally fabulous as I’ve toured the city and dabbled in my mother’s interest. And let me preface this, I do NOT like eating burgers, getting burgers at restaurants, or even making them. It’s not my thing …

But damn girl, April Bloomfield’s got it going on. And so does her gastro-pug burger at The Spotted Pig. And yes, its so trendy it makes me nauseous, but its legit.

I’ve heard it so many times its almost deafening, “The Spotted Pig has the best burger in New York City,” It almost raised the bar too high. It’s like the hype of New Years Eve, all the talk, the planning, and then a sub-par night. Was this going to be a sub-par burger, like all the others I’d tasted in the city?

Absolutely not. In fact, I had to test it three times to make sure it wasn’t bad … Or that’s the excuse I used.

The sensation of eating is this: burger arrives, the rosemary and garlic infused fries overwhelm the plate, you sample one, amazing, just enough salt. Slice the burger in half, the juices flow, but not too much, no soggy bun here. In fact the bun is beautifully round and egg-washed, toasted lightly and not too bready. The burger itself entrances you to nirvana. It’s so warm and fresh you can’t help but eat incredibly fast to preserve the intensity of that first bite. Simply blissful. And the blue cheese – the perfect soul mate to red meat (medium rare, ideally), adds the kick. The pow. The cheese’s tang remains while the juiciness of the meat slides away.

Since that experience … tripled … I have tried burgers elsewhere in attempt to prove the hype wrong. I can’t. And quite honestly I’m done trying. There is no worse feeling than going to a hyped-burger place (high or low end) and realizing that you just spent $18 (and probably 600 or so calories) on a burger that doesn’t hold a flame to The Spotted Pig.

So there it is in a nut shell. After this profound discovery I took my mother, the lover all of things ground beef understood. It won’t stop her from eating or making other burgers, but it is a memory of hers that I hope stays with her. That I hope sets a new standard for what constitutes the best burger, not only of the city, but for the moment.
the-spotted-pig1

Tags: burgers, The Spotted Pig
Posted in Food, Life, Restaurant | 3 Comments »

Neighborhood Hopping (and Spotting)

Filed Under: Food, Lifeon October 18th, 2009

One thing that’s characteristic of almost all native New Yorkers is their inability to recognize “the celebrity.” In fact, they pride themselves on NOT being star-struck, preferring to be aloof rather than impressed.

I’m no where near being considered a native New Yorker, did I mention I was from Jersey?? And yes, I have been known to steal a glance at the local celebrities in my ‘hood. Last summer is was Padama Lakshmi hailing a cab in Murray Hill, last week is was Neil Patrick Harris at The Spotted Pig circa 2 AM indulging in a burger, and today it was Claire Danes at my gym. I was taken by all of the above.

Another thing that I’ve been doing slowly but surely (akin to writing this blog), is exploring the wonderful food spots in Soho. So far, so good. I realize I am spoiled and lucky.

One place in particular sparked my interest because it involved both sweets AND environmentally sustainable food. Yes, my conservative parents are balking at my semi-liberal attitude on all things “green,” but hey, I have my opinions.

I’m not really a huge doughnut fan. I wouldn’t scarf down a krispy kreme if you paid me and the idea of eating a processed Entenmann’s chocolate glazed doughnut remind me of my youth.

But there are THREE occasions when I will under no circumstance turn down a hot fresh doughnut. One, is when it’s home-made. Home-made as in fresh dough, where the doughnuts are made in front of you (either at home, or on the boardwalk my fellow Jersey girls). This includes farmer’s market doughnuts, zeppoles, and Cafe Du Monde.

The second, is when it’s the night, actually early morning, of the Fourth of July (my favorite holiday). I’ve been known to barge into my shore bakery at 4 AM on the walk home from the bar with friends to grab the first powdered sugar cruellers of the holiday. Going to bed covered in powdered sugar isn’t glamorous when you wake up … trust me. But it’s been done, successfully.

And the third is when I stumbled across Doughnut Planet on Grand St. It sounds corny, I know, but trust me there is nothing corny about this. In fact, every ingredient is of the highest quality. No preservatives, artificial flavors trans-fat or eggs. The glazes are made with fresh fruits and roasted nuts. It’s fabulous.

They have both yheast doughnuts and cake doughnuts. The former resembling bread-like doughnuts, and the latter more cake-like. I can’t wait to try and recreate these at home but I don’t think it’ll come close.

Specials change with the seasons, so check it out often!
doughnut

Tags: celebrity sighting, Doughnut Planet, doughnuts, The Spotted Pig
Posted in Food, Life | 3 Comments »