Two recipes from Chef CJ
Crispy Ale Braised Beef Cheek with Celery Root Yam Puree and Pickled Raisins
This is a great play on the classic winter meat and potatoes. The only thing that makes it more awesome is the addition of beer. In this case, Stone Brewery’s Arrogant Bastard Ale.
(feeds 4)
4 5 ounce portions of beef cheek - trimmed
1 Bottle Arrogant Bastard Ale
1 Onion – diced
2 Cloves garlic – sliced
1 Cup beef or veal broth
1 T Fennel seed
2 T Paprika
1 T Star anise
1 t Coriander
1 Sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 Yam – peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Heavy cream
1 Cup golden raisins
2 T Fennel seed
1 Cup red wine vinegar
2 T brown sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Unsalted Butter
Salt and pepper
Begin by pickling the raisins. Place all the ingredients in the third grouping in a sauce pot and bring to a simmer. Once the vinegar has slightly reduced, add some olive oil to lubricate, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
For the Celery Root Yam Puree, place the celery root and yam in a pot and cover with water. Gently simmer until both ingredients are soft. Drain into a colander and allow steam to dissipate. Place the two in a blender, along with the cream and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the ale braised beef cheek, set the oven at 275 F. Meanwhile, toast the spices until fragrant and lightly smoking. Remove from the pan and wrap tightly in cheese cloth. Tie as to not allow spillage.
In a heavy bottomed soup pot add a tablespoon of olive oil and bring to high heat. Season the beef and then lightly brown it in the pot. It’s important not to get any black while browning as bitterness will prevail. Once lightly browned, add the onions and lightly brown as well. Then add the garlic. Once fragrant add the ale. Return the cheeks to the pot, add the spice sachet and the rest of the stock. Cover the cheeks with a piece of wax paper and the lid to the pot. Place in the oven and cook for four hours.
After the cheeks are tender, remove from the braising liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and place in a smaller fitting pot. Gently simmer the braising jus until it will lightly cover the back of a spoon. Keep warm.
To finish, heat a sauté pan on medium to high heat. Add a 2 tablespoon of butter. When the butter foams, add the cheeks and begin basting with a large spoon. Once crispy, flip over and repeat until the entire cheek is nice and crispy. This is fun.
Place the puree in a small pan and gently warm.
To plate, spoon some puree a bit off center to form a shallow circle. Place the cheeks on top. Heat the sauce and add a squeeze of lemon and a nib of butter. Swirl until incorporated. Spoon some sauce around the side, not to disrupt the beautiful yam color. Take a large spoonful of pickled raisins and place it next to the presentation. Garnish with celery leaves and consume.
Stay hungry my friends.
Pan Seared Diver Scallops – Artichoke Puree, Ginger Date Vinaigrette, Mandarin
(serves 2)
4 U-10 Diver scallops – dry
2 Large artichokes
1 Baby artichoke
1 Cup chicken stock
2 T Cream
1 Mandarin cleaned and sectioned
1 t Minced ginger
1 t pickled ginger
2 Heirloom carrots
1 Clove garlic
1 Lime – juiced and zested
1 Orange – juiced and zested
1 Lemon – juiced and zested
1 t red wine vinegar
8 Dates – pitted
3 T Extra virgin olive oil
Oil for frying
Salt & pepper
Artichoke puree
Clean the artichokes by removing the course outer leaves leaving the heart. Make sure to spoon out all the fibrous “hairs” from the core of the choke. While cleaning the other choke, hold the cleaned choke in acidulated water to prevent oxidation. Once cleaned, place the chokes in a sauce pot with the chicken stock. Simmer the chokes until tender, and the stock is reduced by half. Add the cream and reduce again by half. Blend the ingredients, season and reserve.
Ginger Date Vinaigrette
Place the gingers, garlic, citrus juice, vinegar, dates and zests in a blender and puree. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to form an emulsion. Season and refrigerate.
Roast the carrots in a heavy bottomed pan in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. They should still be firm to the touch.
Artichoke garnish
Clean off the fibrous outer layers of the baby choke. Slice the artichoke lengthwise 1/16 of an inch thick. Fry in 360 degree canola oil until light brown and crispy. Season and reserve.
Plating:
Place a heavy bottomed sauté pan on high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and when smoking, add the scallops. Once the scallops are browned, add a nub of butter to the pan and baste the scallops. Add the carrots to the pan and finish the scallops in a 400 degree oven. Gently heat the puree in a pan. To plate, place a dollop of puree down on the plate. Arrange the scallops and mandarin around the puree. Garnish the plate with the vinaigrette and artichoke chips.
Consume!
The Yard
Santa Monica, CA
