Tag: bacon

Rigatoni with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Fennel

Posted on by elltee

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped fine

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 x 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 pound rigatoni (or other pasta)

1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for serving (can also substitute Parmesan)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Fish Sauce

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate; set aside for serving.  Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pot (or leave it all in – I did).
  2. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, fish sauce (anchovies), fennel seeds, and peper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. (might need to open the windows due to ‘fragrant’ fish sauce…)
  3. Stir in tomatoes and cook until dry and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes (took much longer for me, probably because I didn’t drain the juices from the canned tomatoes well enough.
  4. Stir in broth, water, and reserved tomato juice, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta, returning to vigorous simmer, and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 15 to 20 minutes (again took a little longer to thicken properly.
  5. Off heat, stir in Pecorino (or Parmesan) and parsley and adjust sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, sprinkling individual portions with reserved bacon and extra cheese (or just gently mix bacon into the whole thing last, right before serving).

Note: The recipe originally called for 2 minced anchovy fillets for that savory taste.  I substituted a few dashes of fish sauce instead.  It also wanted the fennel seeds “lightly cracked”, but I just added them straight out of the spice bottle.

 

Modified from “Cook it in your Dutch oven”, page 57, by America’s Test Kitchen

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Posted on by elltee

Serves 6

  •         Hands-On Time 60 min
  •         Total Time 48+ hours

Ingredients

4 pounds corned beef (I use the pre-brined store brisket with the spice packet)
6 slices of bacon, cut into ½ inch strips
1 head of cabbage, cut into 1-inch strips
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup champagne vinegar

Directions

  1. Remove the corned beef from the store bag.  Pour out the liquids and place the beef in a cooking pouch.  Add the spices from the spice pack to the cooking pouch and vacuum seal.
  2. Cook the beef sous vide for 48+ hours at 134 degrees.  
  3. About 45 minutes before you are ready to serve the meal, prepare the cabbage.
  4. In a skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until they are crisp and the fat is rendered. Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
  5. Add the cabbage strips to the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken stock and the vinegar to the pan and continue to cook the cabbage in the liquid until tender.
  7. When the cabbage is almost tender, remove the corned beef from the water bath and the cooking pouch.
  8. To serve, slice the corned beef into 1/2″ – 3/4″ slices and serve atop the cabbage.

Note: 140 degrees is more “medium” and still good.  I’ve also done 137 degrees and 72 hours.

 

Stolen from : blog.sousvidesupreme.com/2011/03/sousvide-corned-beef-and-cabbage