Charcoal Grilled Pizza with Goat Cheese and Shallots

We have fun experimenting with different pizza combinations at home.  We’ve done the pizza stone in the oven which produces really good results, but the closest to authentic east coast, brick oven style, in my opinion, is pizza from the grill. This works really well and is pretty easy.

Your best bet is to work on a large charcoal grill. Move all the coals to one side so you’re flaming hot for direct grilling and you’re also set up for indirect baking on the other side. See Steve Rachlan’s “How To Grill” for more detailed instructions. Our copy has a broken spine and pages falling out we’ve used it so often.

You can make your own dough if so inclined or frozen pizza dough works just fine. Roll it out thin and at the last minute brush some olive oil over your grates. Lay the pizza dough on the grates and stay put. This won’t take long and its easy to burn (a little char is good for the New Haven pizza quality). Watch for bubbles and then flip.

Once your crust is grilled on both sides add your toppings and bake on the other side of the grill. If you’re grill is not large enough, we’ve done this step under the broiler. You’re really just trying to melt cheese and warm toppings.

We’ve had a lot of fun with seasonal toppings and we’ve had success with everything from cheddar cheese to apples to grilled corn.

We topped this pizza with a little mozzarella, goat cheese, sautéed shallots and garlic and then fresh thyme at the end. The standout ingredient among all these bold flavors was the thyme. This was delicious and definitely a keeper.

Meatballs with Fresh Pasta and Grilled Herb Garlic Bread

I never really appreciated the meatball as a culinary delicacy until a few years ago when Kara saw Regis on TV talking about Rao’s. It wasn’t long before we had the Rao’s Cookbook in our kitchen and we were experimenting with some of their classic recipes. The meatballs are a fantastic.

This recipe is our own combination of the Rao’s classic and one from Maroni’s, which is another New York City restaurant, featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. We also worked in some techniques from the Italian American Cookbook by John and Galina Mariani.

A couple notes from a lot of experimentation:

· The bread crumbs make a big difference. Rao’s insists that you must make your own from good Italian bread and I would agree with them.

· You have to use romano cheese. I far prefer a good parmesan to romano in most instances but for meatballs the romano provides the right amount of saltiness. They don’t taste right using parmesan.

· The Rao’s marina sauce is the best I’ve ever had and really easy to make at home. Look for imported san marzano tomatoes. You’ll never buy jarred sauce again. We have a hard time finding san marzano around here but we have a case of Rao’s sauce on hand courtesy of Tom and Donna.

I’m certain we’ll never get a chance to eat at Rao’s in New York unless Regis invites us. A couple years ago in Las Vegas we did take the opportunity to eat at the second location at Caesar’s Palace. It’s an exact replica of the Harlem location down to every picture on the wall. Kara ordered the meatballs which were the cheapest item on the menu at $13.00. I was quite please about that until the charming waiter from Italy tricked her into ordering a $19.00 side of pasta!

Anyway they were delicious. Here is our version that we served with fresh homemade pasta and herb garlic bread from the grill

1 pound ground lean beef
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 ½ tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 ½ tablespoons of chopped basil
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 or 5 slices of Italian bread soaked in milk
Salt (preferably Kosher or Sea Salt) and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups of homemade breadcrumbs
1 cup olive oil

1. Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add 3 eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend soaked bread into meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into balls (2 ½- to 3-inch balls).
2. Dip meatballs into egg wash and then coat in breadcrumbs
3. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom half of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top half. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
4. Finish the meatballs in simmering marinara sauce

Beef Stew

This beef stew recipe from Williams Sonoma was absolutely delicious. The recipe calls for the use of a pressure cooker, which we do not have. I used a dutch oven and it simmered for most of the afternoon, which worked perfectly. Don't skimp on the red wine, it adds a wonderful flavor.

Beef chuck is a good choice for stew meat. From the muscular shoulder section, this tough cut becomes tender and succulent when stewed. Here, we speed the process by using a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. boneless stewing beef, cut into 1-inch
  cubes
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 cups red wine
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 1⁄2 lb. new potatoes, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 1⁄2 cups beef stock
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs

Directions:

In a large bowl, toss the beef with the flour, salt and pepper to coat evenly. Set an electric pressure cooker to "brown" according to the manufacturer's instructions and warm the olive oil. Add half the beef and brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef and transfer to the bowl.

Add the wine to the pressure cooker and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomato paste, stock and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and cook on "high" for 20 minutes according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the liquid is too thin, transfer the beef and vegetables to a serving bowl, set the pressure cooker to "brown" and cook until the liquid is reduced to the desired consistency. Pour the liquid over the beef and vegetables and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Ale-Braised Sausage with Peppers

The season of autumn brings such wonderful flavors to the table. When I think about fall, pumpkin, apples, squash, and of course Oktoberfest come to mind. Oktoberfest would not be complete without a sausage and pepper meal. This recipe from Williams Sonoma captured the essence of Oktoberfest through the Oktoberfest ale I used, the cider, sausage, and the mashed potatoes. The flavors melded beautifully. Here is the recipe for the sausage and peppers and the mashed potatoes:

You can vary this recipe depending on the type of sausage and ale you choose. Mashed potatoes are the perfect foil for the hearty sauce and big flavors. Kielbasa is a garlicky, fully cooked Polish sausage that is available made with pork or beef, but a combination of the two is the tastiest.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 lb. cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, sliced

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 cup ale

1/2 cup apple cider

3 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mashed potatoes for serving (see related recipe at right)

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausages and cook, stirring and turning often, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the ale and cider until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add the thyme and broth, whisking to blend, and bring to a simmer.

Return the sausages to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors are blended, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the sausages and sauce among warmed plates and serve immediately with mashed potatoes alongside. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking, by Melanie Barnard, Charles Pierce & Dennis Kelly (Oxmoor House, 2008).

Ingredients:

5 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch
pieces

2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small
pieces

1 1/4 cups half-and-half, heated

Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put the potatoes and the 2 tsp. salt in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 3 inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Set a potato ricer over the pot and pass the potatoes through in batches. Alternatively, return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Add the butter and gradually add the half-and-half, beating constantly with a large spoon, until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.