Braised Flanken, Just Like Grandma Used to Make

We got over a foot of snow this week. That’s flanken weather. And I’m in the mood for plain old. No frills, no riffs.

This recipe is tried (many times) and true. No fuss, no bother. Good old fashioned eats. For cold weather. For comfort.

If you don’t have flanken, you can make the same recipe using “English cut” short ribs, large chunks of chuck or really any “stew” type beef.

Braised Flanken

• all-purpose flour

• salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic salt and paprika

• 6 pieces flanken

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 medium onions, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 large carrots, cut into chunks

• 2 large all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• 2 cups red wine

• 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs

Mix the flour with some salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Coat the meat with the flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook on both sides for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the meat and set it aside on a plate. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Mix the tomato paste into the ingredients. Return the meat to the pan. Add the carrots and potatoes. Pour in the wine. Place the thyme sprigs on top. Turn the heat to low. Cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is soft and tender.

Makes 4-6 servings

Baked Beans. Real American Food for the 4th.

I was thinking about which "real American" foods to serve on July 4th. Not just the usual icons: burgers, apple pie, lemonade. I wanted something that represented the "mongrels" that we are: Americans may be tribal in some ways, but we are also an odd mix-and-blend of a zillion cultures.

And so is American food.

For example, some say that Baked Beans are originally from France -- some sort of easy version of cassoulet. But the countries where they eat baked beans the most are English speaking: England, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

And yet ... baked beans are also a favorite in Holland and Hong Kong.

And of course beans themselves are native to South America, so who knows?

The original Puritan colonists in New England made baked beans often and for the same reason as observant Jews make cholent -- the dish cooks slowly in a pot so there's no work to be done during the Sabbath. Baked beans have been popular ever since, and particularly so after the canned versions first came along at the turn of the 20th century. 

Green labelled Heinz Vegetarian baked beans were a standard item at my house when I was a kid.

So, baked beans it is.

I like making my own because when they're homemade I can season the beans the way I like, make them spicy or not, use more or less sugar (or sugar substitutes such as honey or maple syrup), make them vegetarian or with meat.

I recently had a couple of slices of flanken left over, so I decided to use them in a new recipe.

My husband usually likes my cooking and there are some dishes he thinks are so good he brags to people about them. Like my recipe for Carrot Soup with Harissa and Coconut.

These beans? He told me several times that they are among the best foods he has ever tasted. In fact, one night he only had baked beans (and a few of the chunks of flanken in them) for dinner. 

So, this recipe is a yes for July 4th.

Baked beans take time. But you can make them several days ahead. They last for a week in the fridge. If you don't have flanken you can use chuck, smoked turkey or some kind of sausage.

Baked Beans for the Fourth of July

• 1 pound dried navy or great northern beans
• water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6-8 ounces beef chuck or flanken , cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon powdered mustard

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beans soak for one hour. Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Cover the beans again with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, cover the beans with water and let them soak for at least 8 hours.) Drain the beans and place them in an oven-proof casserole. While the beans are cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the meat and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until they are browned. Remove the meat from the pan and add to the beans. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add to the drained beans and meat. Place the brown sugar, honey, ketchup, salt and mustard in a bowl and mix thoroughly to blend the ingredients. Stir in 2-1/2 cups water. Pour the mixture over the beans and meat. Cover the casserole and put it in the oven. Set the temperature at 300 degrees and cook the beans at least 5 hours, or until they are tender.

Makes 8 servings

Bulgogi

Bulgogi

This is not your grandmother’s flanken. But it is flanken, aka shortribs. And this meat can be tough and chewy, which is why grandma poached it in soup or in a slow-cooker with some good brown gravy or sweet and sour sauce.

I loved grandma’s flanken.

But, maybe because I don’t eat meat that often and yet think of myself as a devoted carnivore, I decided to put flanken and summer together using a grill.

So I made Bulgogi, a Korean dish in which the shortribs marinate in a soy-sesame oil based sauce before being grilled.

Yes, the meat is not as tender as other cuts, like rib. But much cheaper and, for meat lovers, gives quite a satisfying resilience. I served the Bulgogi with sauteed bok choy and steamed rice.

YUM.

Bulgogi

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake (or rice wine or sherry)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 scallions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, finely crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds flanken or boneless short rib
toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Place the soy sauce, sugar, sake, vegetable oil, sesame oil, scallion, garlic, sesame seeds and crushed red pepper in a bowl and stir, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Place the beef in a non-reactive dish and turn the pieces to coat all sides. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat the oven broiler or outdoor grill (or use a grill pan), skewer the meat and grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy and done to your liking. Garnish with a small amount of toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings