Japanese Beef Carpaccio (Gyu no Tataki)

Due to slight changes in my work schedule, I now find myself in the position of having to prepare a dinner-box rather than the usual lunchbox. Naturally I try to find something easy to cook that is rich in protein and vegetables. The Japanese version of beef carpaccio, aka gyu no tataki, is my easy go-to protein recipe. Tender slices of beef, seared on the outside, doused with ponzu sauce requires very minimal work. Ponzu, described as somewhat of a citrus based soy sauce, isn't quite soy sauce. But because of its lower salt content (compared to soy sauce) and tangy flavor, I frequently use it it as a salad dressing.

I usually keep a few grassfed beef steaks in the freezer that vary from dry aged t-bone to sliced chunks of london broil. For the ever-so-easy Gyu no Tataki recipe, I tend to go for a leaner cut of beef since it isn't very pleasant to bite into a chunk of cold beef fat. Or better yet, pull out that leftover steak you ate over the weekend and use it for this recipe!

Japanese Beef Carpaccio (Gyu no Tataki)
(Time: 2hr, Serves: 2~3 people)

12~16oz steak (lean)

1 green onion

1 piece of ginger (1.5in x 1in, or smaller/larger if you please)

Ajipon or any Ponzu sauce

Salt

1. Trim off any excess fat from the steak, and salt both sides. Place on hot grill or frying pan, cooking each side for 4 minutes on medium high heat. Adjust the cooking time depending on how rare you like your steak. Although it is beef carpaccio after all!

2. Let the steak cool down to room temperature before putting it in the freezer for 1.5hrs, or until fairly firm/solid. Be careful not to over-freeze the steak, as you will have to saw through it with your knife!

3. In the mean time, thinly slice the green onion and grate the ginger.

4. Take the steak out of the freezer and slice thinly. Garnish with the green onion and grated ginger, and liberally drown the sliced steak with Ponzu. Serve with a bowl of brown rice.

Philly Cheesesteaks

I had not seen my sister since last December, so I decided to spend Thanksgiving with her in Philadelphia. Although I've visited Philly on previous occasions, being here during the winter was a first. The city's historic brick buildings, re-established as cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops, provided the quintessential backdrop for the holidays. Philadelphia's old city charm is indeed a stark contrast to the Bay Area's lifeless and dull "winter." My apologies, what winter? While squinting at the cars at the arrival area of the Philly airport, I finally spotted my sister waving somewhat frantically to catch my attention. I tossed my luggage in the trunk of the car and off we went to Geno's & Pat's for cheesesteaks.

1. Geno's Steaks VS Pat's King of Steaks

VS

At first glance Geno's exuberant neon signs seem awfully more festive compared to Pat's. Nonetheless, we decided to remain objective until we had tried their cheesesteaks. We had parked adjacent to Pat's so we ordered there first in appropriate cheesesteak ordering-lingo: onions, whiz with. My sister, grasping the Pat's cheesteak, looked me in the eyes long enough to whisper "PUT THIS IN YOUR PURSE. I don't want them to see it!" I obliged and put the cheesteak in my handbag before we walked across the road to Geno's to order another with onions and provolone. My sister tucked it under her coat and we shuffled back to the car to head to her apartment for a taste test. 

Pat's cheesesteak seemed more moist, perhaps due to the copious slathering of cheese whiz. Geno's was a bit dry, and the bread a bit more crunchy. We were surprised that they were both not very salty, making them easy to devour without reaching for some water. However I was hoping for a bit more meaty flavor from either of the cheesesteaks. My sister and I polished off both of them rather quickly. It's difficult to determine which is the better of the two - I think we may need to try a few more combinations before we can reach a conclusion :)

Serbian Sataraš (Sataras)

For some reason the local grocery store always seem to have bell peppers on sale, and I just cannot resist not buying them. I sauté sliced bell peppers along with a sunny side egg for breakfast, or toss them into fajitas for dinner. Yes, very typical. However ever since my first bite of sataraš (sataras), I always make sure I have pile of bell peppers on hand. The beauty of the recipe is that it is very simple: peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes. There is still a bit of a secret involved in preparing silky smooth sataraš. Although I wouldn't usually use those terms to describe a vegetable dish, you will understand once you make it.

Serbian Sataraš
(Time: 1hr, Serves: 4 people)

3 bell peppers

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Dice the onions and tomatoes, and mince the garlic and put them aside. The secret is to peel the bell peppers. It may seem like a daunting task, but if you have what I consider as the best peeler in the world, it really doesn't take too long. Anyhow, slice the peeled bell peppers.

2. Drizzle some oil into a sauté pan (make sure you have a lid) on medium heat. Toss the onion and garlic into the pan until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.

3. Pile on the sliced peppers into the pan and add salt and peper. Stir with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes on medium heat. Cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low.

4. Stirring occasionally, keep the pan covered for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and keep covered for an additional 15 minutes on low heat.

5. The peppers will release moisture and become silky smooth. Serve with bread or as is as a side. It keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days and still yummy after reheating!

Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wraps

One of the benefits of subscribing to Marin Sun Farms Meat Club CSA is that it encourages one to browse for suitable recipes to use for that unfamiliar cut of meat. I've done a variety of roasted pork in the oven, but found that I should probably find something more interesting to cook. Luckily I came upon David Lebovitz's carnitas recipe, which was simple and easy to reproduce. To pair with the carnitas, I prepared a quick pico de gallo with onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and lemon juice. It was a fantastic lunch.

Afternoon Tea & Matcha Cookies

In general, I love matcha. It has a mellow flavor with a slight bitter undertone which makes it a suitable ingredient for beverages and desserts. Although I'm not much of a baker, I decided to try making these matcha shortbread cookies courtesy of Clotilde's recipe at Chocolate&Zucchini. Her dessert recipes are fantastic since she tends to dial down the amount of sugar she uses. I've made them twice already, in fact.

I paired a few cookies with some sweetened Thai tea for a lazy saturday afternoon...

Serbian Sarma

I learned the recipe from Mirko's mom when I went to visit his family. This was one of the many traditional Serbian dishes prepared during Slava, the annual celebration of the family's patron saint. What I like about sarma is that it's a very well balanced meal as it is - plus leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day (the above photo).

The meat mixture used in the sarma is equally versatile. Since I'm only cooking for two (to cover dinner + lunch the next day), I use half of the meat mixture for the sarma and toss the rest in the freezer. I whip it out later for a stuffed pepper recipe.

Serbian Sarma
(Time: 2.5~3hrs, Serves: 6~8 people)

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 cup uncooked rice

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 jar of pickled cabbage leaves (leaves are tightly rolled in a jar)

1 can of tomato sauce (I like Trader Joe's)

32oz container of chicken stock

Note: The vinegar-y sarma lends itself from using pickled cabbage. Don't have pickled cabbage? No worries. Steam/boil a head of cabbage to make the rolls, and you can add vinegar to the tomato sauce (step 5).

1. Mix the ground beef, pork, onion, garlic, rice, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Yes, use your hands!

2. Remove and discard the hard stems from the cabbage leaves. If that makes the leaves too small, just gently slice/trim the stems.

3. Place a small portion of the meat mixture on a cabbage leaf, near the stem. Fold either the left or right side of the leaf over the meat mixture, then roll. It will resemble a tiny burrito with one open end. Tuck the open end into the side of the cabbage roll.

4. Arrange the sarma in a dutch oven, or other nonstick pot.

5. Pour the entire can of tomato sauce and enough chicken stock to cover all the sarma. Add salt and pepper (and vinegar if you were unable to get your hands on pickled cabbage) to taste.

6. Put the pot onto the stove on high heat until it boils. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2hrs until the rice in the sarma is fully cooked.

Bug Bug Bug

It just so happened that we saw this yellow bug with a "For Sale" sign near home. Of course the man spent no time skipping down the street "just to check it out." Fast forward, we became proud owners of a 1973 Type I Bug. We both fancy the older bug models for their classic iconic look, and the simplicity of the air cooled engine appealed to us. Although he made a thorough inspection of the car before we remotely considered the purchase, both the engine and interior definitely needed some work done. At least it was running. Sort of.

1973 Type I VW Bug/Beetle

The engine needed a complete rebuild. At first glance of the block, it was covered in a thick layer of grease, grime, and peppered with fur. I can only imagine that at one point an innocent squirrel was frolicking in the engine bay. After taking apart the engine, we painstakingly de-grimed the parts and scrubbed them clean. We fitted the block with a new set of Mahle cylinders and gave it a nice coat of glossy black paint. Next, we popped in the rocker arms, adjusted the valves, then tossed on the chrome shroud. After the clutch was replaced, we installed the engine. Here are the before and in-progress photos:

Before & In-progress

There's still a few things left to do...reassembling & installing the carburetor, putting in the oil filter, etc etc. Hopefully we'll get those done in the next few days.