…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? At Lawry’s California Center (near downtown Los Angeles) they served some of the best Barbacoa this side of the border. Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat) that turns tough cuts of meat into tender and juicy shards of protein. Traditionally steam-cooked in an underground pit, today’s modern barbacoa can be prepared over a barbecue, on the stove top, in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. Barbacoa is cooked in a flavorful marinade and, when tender, it is shredded before it's served in tacos, burritos, enchiladas or other plated entrées. Barbacoa and carnitas look similar, but don’t get them confused. Spicy barbacoa can be made with lamb, goat, beef, or pork. Carnitas is made only with pork. Many food historians believe barbacoa originated in the Caribbean and that the style of cooking eventually made its way to Mexico. Mexican barbacoa is traditionally prepared in an underground brick-lined oven and is cooked with herbs, spices and chiles for hours, but you can make barbacoa in your trusty Instant Pot . Barbacoa is heavily seasoned. My recipe calls for a marinade made with beef broth, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Do not skimp on the quantities. I use beef chuck roast (or beef cheeks if available) for the meat because they are flavorful and perfect for shredding. Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes Yield: 12 servings Ingredients 5 dried chipotle chile peppers 1 cup roughly chopped yellow onions 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 cup tomato paste 1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 6 tablespoons garlic 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed 3/4 cup beef broth 3 bay leaves 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes Directions
ChefSecret: Use fewer peppers (and remove more seeds) for a milder flavor. Quip of the Day: “I never thought the comment I wouldn’t touch them with a six-foot pole would become a national policy… just another one of Covid-19’s gifts!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #Beef #BeefBarbacoa #InstantPot #Lawrys #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023
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…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? I first discovered Fajitas at On The Border in Dallas, Texas. At the time it was a typical Tex-Mex dish not often seen in California. My assistant Annie and a blind date and I gave it a try. It became a once a week must (without the blind date) putting fajitas on the top of my list for easy, buffet-style recipes. They’re quick and easy to make with ingredients you almost always have on hand. This a guide only and not a hard and fast recipe—they can be as flexible as the ingredients you have at hand. If you’re missing a pepper, substitute a zucchini or some corn. Kids (of all ages) love them. In fact, everybody does—they are fun and have that kind of deeply satisfying and comforting Tex-Mex vibe that satisfies everyone’s cravings. You’ll open a whole can of chipotle peppers to make this recipe. If you don’t have an immediate use for the leftovers, you can tuck them in the freezer until you do. Prep time: 15 minutes Marinade time: 30 minutes (or overnight) Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 teaspoons lime zest (1 lime) 1/4 cup lime juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo) 1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced 1/3 cup olive oil, divided 4 tablespoons minced garlic, divided 1-1/2 pounds sliced steak (or boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh meat) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick 2 bell peppers (any mix of red, orange, or yellow), seeded and sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 jalapeño, minced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves 8 grilled flour tortillas Salsa fresca and queso fresco, for serving Directions
ChefSecret: My secret to this recipe is a marinade made with cumin, adobo sauce, garlic, and loads of lime. The meat spends a half an hour in it—or a whole night, if you’re planning ahead—before it goes on the grill. This is a dish that is best served fresh, off the grill. That said, if there are leftovers, you can toss them on a rice bowl with black beans, guacamole and cheese. They’re also terrific chopped up in a salad—think romaine, queso fresco and a creamy chipotle dressing with chips crumbled over top, of course! Quip of the Day: “What do tortillas sing at birthday parties? Fajita jolly good fellow!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. Check out the search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entree #Dinner #Fajitas #SteakFajitas #OnTheBorder #Adobo #Tortillas #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the California Kitchen![]() ow you doin’? To all of our Parrot Head friends—we had the pleasure of designing the menu for the opening of Margaritaville, Las Vegas. Perspectives had done a lot of work in Sin City over the years and never did we see a Las Vegas strip hotel and casino remove slot machines to put in a restaurant… Margaritaville was a first. The restaurant occupied 3 floors of valuable gambling space for, what became, the highest grossing restaurant in the United States. When Chef Spencer and I started designing the menus, Jimmy told us it was to be fun, affordable, on brand and it must include his mother’s meatloaf--just like mom’s. This is what we call a dream client—few restrictions. James William Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on Christmas Day in 1946. While Jimmy is known for his easy-going, barefoot life-style and music, he is also an author, actor and successful businessman. He is one of the hardest working perfectionists we’ve ever worked with. I used to love to go to his concerts and watch from backstage as he, seemingly effortlessly, put on a great show. Unlike too many celebrities of our day, Jimmy is also a very good man. With all that’s going on around our world today a lot of us are a lot about classic, comforting meals—and it doesn’t get more comforting or more classic than Jimmy’s Mom’s meatloaf. It’s humble, homey, and comforting. Jimmy’s Mom’s meatloaf is really nothing new. Meatloaf has been around since Ancient Rome, the version we’re familiar with saw a resurgence during the Great Depression and again during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Now with war in Europe and inflation rates soaring at home, meatloaf is still warm, nourishing, and inexpensive—allowing families to stretch their food budget. The Margaritaville meatloaf is made with ground beef, eggs, milk, onion and breadcrumbs seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, fragrant garlic, fresh parsley and thyme, and of course, plenty of ketchup. Nothing flashy, just simple, well-balanced flavor. And don’t forget the glaze—just ketchup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and molasses. The top of the meatloaf glaze caramelizes in the oven, giving it a sweet and tangy depth of flavor. The loaf remains tender and juicy; never dry or too well done. At Margaritaville we served two slices of Mom’s meatloaf atop a mountain of mashed potatoes, with glazed carrots and steamed green beans along side. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 65 to 70 minutes Cool time: 5 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients For the meatloaf 2 pounds 85/15 ground beef (or 1-pound ground beef and a half pound each of ground pork and veal) 1 large yellow onion, minced 4 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 large eggs, whisked 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup milk (or half & half) 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme) 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder For the glaze 1/3 cup ketchup 1 teaspoon molasses 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt Directions To make the meatloaf
ChefSecret: Be sure to tap the pan to fill in the corners. If you don't do the pan-tapping, the meatloaf will not hold together. Quip of the Day: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” –Jimmy Buffett ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entrees #Dinner #Meatloaf #JimmyBuffett #Margaritaville #LasVegas #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 …from the California Kitchen ![]() How you doin’? Last week I was sitting in a booth at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants when the server walked by our table with a piled-high plate of nachos. There’s something lovely about the unapologetic lustiness of a big pile of nachos. I ordered a far less decadent dish consisting of a pair of beef tacos. I came home and kept thinking about those darn nachos. I looked around the kitchen and had everything but the tortilla chips. What’s a person to do? I decided to dial it up a bunch with my recipe for Carne Asada Fries. This recipe was created to fill the hole in your hearts left by all those missed happy hours not shared with friends and family during the pandemic. These make the ideal appetizer or even a dinner. The center of this recipe is the highly-flavored carne asada. It is a tender, juicy steak marinated in a sauce made with roasted chiles, cumin, citrus and cilantro. The carne asada (steak) contributes a hearty, smoky flavor while the fresh jalapeño, tomato and onion add a zesty bite of heat and acid. The crema takes down the spiciness. The crunchy fries add a decadent counterpoint to the tender carne asada. I only had frozen fries on hand, which was just fine because time was of the essence, but if you have the time and the equipment you can make your own light and crispy homemade air fryer French fries. Finally, the hearty protein of the steak will be a steadying influence alongside the cocktail of your choice. I enjoyed mine with a top-drawer margarita, or it could work with an ice-cold beer. The perfect choice for celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Prep time: 45 minutes Marinate time: 3 hours or overnight Cook time: 15 minutes Assembly time: 5 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients For the carne asada 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1 cup water 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce 4 tablespoons minced garlic 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems; reserve some for garnish 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed, toasted and ground 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1-1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 2 equal-size pieces For the air fryer French fries 2 15-oz packages frozen French fries Spray oil (I prefer Pam) 1 seeded and diced tomato 1/2 cup diced white onion 1 thinly sliced jalapeño pepper 1/4 cup crema 6 lime wedges, for garnish Directions To make the carne asada
ChefSecret: Consider making a double batch of carne asada to use in tacos, enchiladas, tortas and rice bowls. Quip of the Day: “Why are eggs packaged in flimsy Styrofoam packaging and batteries come in a package that takes a chainsaw to open?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Appetizers #CarneAsadaFries #CarneAsada #FrenchFries #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 …from the California Kitchen![]() How you doin’? What’s your favorite cut of steak—Sirloin, Filet, New York or Ribeye? For the last 35 years our test kitchen has been churning and turning out a wide variety of foods. We don’t usually have a hard time getting people to sample our efforts. The two most popular categories are steak and chocolate (not together, of course, except for one recipe for prime rib that is peppered with cacao nibs). Ribeye steaks are a particular favorite of mine because of the marbling of the fat. Ribeye Steaks can be prepared in a variety of ways. Here’s a simple one. Close your eyes and imagine a big, juicy Ribeye Steak and potatoes—the perfect combination of familiar, comforting and still a bit fancy. We cooked this steak recipe in a hot cast-iron skillet, starting with the potatoes. The process is quite simple—get the oil hot and start the potato wedges, salting them generously. Let the potatoes cook for ten minutes before you flip them. This creates golden-brown potatoes with a light, crispy crust on the outside and a perfectly creamy interior. For the steak, we like a couple of USDA Prime Ribeye steaks. As they’re cooking, we melt some butter in the pan, throw in some garlic and baste the steaks with the buttery goodness. Basting gives the steak a fantastic sear, especially in a cast iron skillet. With the combination of the cast iron skillet and the butter the steaks develop deep, golden brown crust and crispy edges. Of course, during the cooking process, the steak’s juices mingle with the garlic butter. Add a little lemon and some parsley, and you’ve got a wonderful buttery pan sauce. Potatoes love fat, too! So, of course they taste amazing drenched in the bright, buttery sauce. The Ribeye Steaks, infused with the aromatic butter, slice up tender, miraculously juicy and super flavorful every time. This is a perfect dinner for two. It’s easy and fast enough for an ordinary weeknight and special enough for a romantic celebration. Add a shaved baby kale and artichoke salad, a bottle of robust red wine and grilled fruit for dessert. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 2 to 4 servings Ingredients For the potatoes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into ¾” wedges—think steak fries 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt For the steak and garlic butter 2 12-oz 1”-thick ribeye or New York strip steaks 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste Directions To make the potatoes
ChefSecret: Allow both the potatoes and steaks to sear to a crust before trying to move them around the skillet. This will allow a crisp crust to develop on both. Quip of the Day: “When you’re talking, you’re only repeating what you already know. But when you’re listening, you may learn something new.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entrees #Dinner #Beef #RibeyeSteak #WedgePotatoes #Filet #NewYorkSteak #YukonGold #RedPotatoes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 |
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