Skillet Burgers with Sautéed Onions and Horseradish Sauce

Skillet Burgers with Sautéed Onions and Horseradish Sauce

From Cook's Country | December/January 2012

Why this recipe works:

Ground beef seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper makes for flavorful burgers, and a quick sear in a hot skillet brings them to a perfect medium-rare in minutes. To finish, a garnish of horseradish sauce and charred onions dresses up these simple indoor burgers.

Serves 4

Horseradish sauce and charred onions dress up these simple indoor burgers.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
• 4 hamburger buns

Instructions

1. 1. Combine sour cream, horseradish, chives, and lemon juice in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Gently knead beef, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl until well combined. Shape into four ¾-inch-thick patties and press shallow divot in center of each.
   
   2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add patties and cook until well browned and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
   
   3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Cook onion over medium-high heat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Place burgers on bun bottoms and top with onions and horseradish sauce. Serve.
   

New England Fish Chowder

New England Fish Chowder

Published January 1, 2012. From Cook's Illustrated

Why this recipe works:

Most modern fish chowders are so rich with cream that you can hardly taste the fish. We wanted a chowder with a delicate, clean-tasting broth. We started by gently poaching flaky cod in water flavored with salt pork, onions, and herbs, which created a quick fish stock. To this stock we… read more

Serves 6 to 8

Haddock, or other flaky white fish, may be substituted for cod. Garnish the chowder with minced fresh chives, crisp bacon bits, or oyster crackers.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 ounces salt pork, rind removed, rinsed, and cut into 2 pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups water
• 2 pounds skinless cod fillets, sliced crosswise into 6 equal pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, salt pork, thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and bring to simmer. Remove pot from heat, gently place cod fillets in water, cover, and let fish stand until opaque and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cod to bowl.

2. Return pot to medium-high heat, add potatoes, and bring to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender and beginning to break apart, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk milk, cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Stir milk mixture into chowder and return to simmer. Return fish and any accumulated juices to pot. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork and bay leaf. Stir gently with wooden spoon to break fish into large pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Herbed Roast Beef

Herbed Roast Beef

From Cook's Country | December/January 2010

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Why this recipe works:

A luxurious, crunchy bread-crumb crust is great for a tenderloin, but it fell apart when we tried to slice our Herbed Roast Beef thin. Instead of a crust, we developed an herb mustard spread and discovered a way to incorporate it directly into the roast. As the herb butter lay on the resting… read more

Serves 6 to 8

For even deeper seasoning, refrigerate the roast overnight after filling it with the herb mixture in step 2.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (4-pound) top sirloin roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper

Instructions

1. 1. PREP HERBS Combine parsley, thyme, and shallot in bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb mixture to another bowl and stir in mustard and 1 tablespoon oil until combined. Add butter to remaining herb mixture and mash with fork until combined.
   
   2. PREP BEEF Butterfly roast and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread herb-mustard mixture over interior of meat and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
   
   3. BROWN AND ROAST Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast all over, 8 to 12 minutes, then arrange on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Transfer to oven and roast until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
   
   4. BUTTER AND REST Transfer roast to carving board, spread with herb-butter mixture, tent with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Remove kitchen twine. Slice roast crosswise against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve.
   

Herbs Galore

Fresh parsley and thyme flavor both the interior and exterior of our roast.

1. Butterfly the roast by slicing horizontally through the middle of the meat. Leave about 1/2 inch of meat intact, then open it like a book.

2. After seasoning the meat, spread the herb-mustard mixture over the interior of the meat.

3. Fold the meat back to its original position, then tie securely at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine.

4. For a second hit of herb flavor after the roast is cooked, spread it with herb butter.

Fast Sear, Slow Roast for Beef

To promote browning when roasting beef, you want the oven to be very hot. Unfortunately, even if you remove the roast when the center is pink, you'll find a thick, unsightly band of gray, overcooked meat at its edge; a low temperature does a better job of cooking the meat evenly. So we brown most beef roasts on the stovetop to build a flavorful crust, then roast them gently for a uniformly rosy, juicy interior.

1. Searing the roast assures a flavorful, deep brown crust.

2. Roasting at a low temperature (275 degrees) keeps the meat moist and succulent.

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Ginger Snaps ATK

Makes 80 1½-inch cookies

For the best results, use fresh spices. For efficiency, form the second batch of cookies while the first batch bakes. And no, the 2 teaspoons of baking soda is not a mistake; it’s essential to getting the right texture.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• pinch cayenne
• 1 1/4 cups packed (8 3/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

Instructions

1. 1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until melted. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook, swirling pan frequently, until foaming subsides and butter is just beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer butter to large bowl and whisk in ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and cayenne. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger to butter mixture and whisk to combine. Add egg and yolk and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
   
   2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Divide dough into heaping teaspoon portions; roll dough into 1-inch balls. Working in batches of 10, roll balls in sugar to coat. Evenly space dough balls on prepared baking sheets, 20 dough balls per sheet.
   
   3. Place 1 sheet on upper rack and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, transfer partially baked top sheet to lower rack, rotating 180 degrees, and place second sheet of dough balls on upper rack. Continue to bake until cookies on lower tray just begin to darken around edges, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove lower sheet of cookies and shift upper sheet to lower rack and continue to bake until cookies begin to darken around edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Slide baked cookies, still on parchment, to wire rack and cool completely before serving. Cool baking sheets slightly and repeat step 2 with remaining dough balls.
   
   TO MAKE AHEAD: Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Let dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. Let frozen dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with recipe. Cooled cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in airtight container.
   

Technique

Loading Up On Leavening

Using a full 2 teaspoons of baking soda in our cookie dough instead of the more typical ½ to 1 teaspoon not only helped create desirable fissures in the final cookie but also helped it dry out. Baking soda is an alkaline substance that weakens the gluten (the network of proteins that gives most baked goods their structure) in a dough or batter. Weaker gluten means a more porous structure from which air bubbles and moisture can burn off. It also means that the dough will collapse after its initial rise in the oven, leading to cracks that also allow more moisture to escape.

Technique

Putting the Snap in Gingersnaps

The hallmark of gingersnap cookie texture—big crunch—came down to one key factor: drying out the dough.

BROWN THE BUTTER Butter is 16 percent water. Browning it before whisking it with the sugar, eggs, and flour eliminates moisture.

CUT BACK ON SUGAR The brown sugar in our recipe holds on to water, even after baking. Our solution? Use just 1 1/4 cups.

TURN DOWN THE OVEN Baking the cookies in a low (300-degree) oven gives the dough ample time to gradually—but thoroughly—dry out.

STAGGER THE BAKING Baking each tray on the top rack before moving it to the cooler bottom rack creates fissures that allow moisture to escape.

Hermit Cookies

Why this recipe works:

Most recipes for Hermit Cookies we tested involved creaming the butter, but this produced dry, biscuitlike cookies. Melting the butter delivered a chewier, moister cookie. We took melting one step further by cooking the butter in a saucepan until light brown and fragrant, which added a nutty flavor to the hermits. Tasters settled on the simple, yet potent, combination of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Adding these spices to the browned butter bloomed their natural flavor, which allowed us to use less. This avoided a dusty texture from too much ground spice. We steeped the raisins in melted butter to soften them, and pureed them with crystallized ginger into a rough paste. This helped distribute raisin flavor into every bite, while the pureed ginger lent pungent sweetness and chew. When it came to shaping them, we found that hermits baked in logs and then sliced were much chewier and moister. (less)

Makes about 18 cookies

For this recipe, we prefer using mild (or light) molasses instead of the robust or blackstrap varieties.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Process raisins and ginger in food processor until mixture sticks together and only small pieces remain, about 10 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
2. 2. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nutty brown in color, about 10 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir butter mixture into raisin mixture until well combined; let cool to room temperature.
3. 3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Stir brown sugar, molasses, and eggs into cooled butter-raisin mixture until incorporated. Fold in flour mixture (dough will be very sticky) and refrigerate, covered, until firm, at least 1 1/2 hours or up to 24 hours.
4. 4. Divide dough into quarters. Transfer 1 piece of dough to lightly floured surface and roll into 10-inch log. Transfer to prepared sheet and use ruler to neatly square off sides. (Each sheet will contain 2 logs.) Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until only shallow indentation remains on edges when touched (center will appear slightly soft), 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let logs cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; transfer parchment to wire racks and let cool completely.
5. 5. Whisk orange juice and confectioners’ sugar in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze onto cooled logs and let sit until glaze hardens, about 15 minutes. Cut logs into 2-inch bars and serve.

Really Good Brownies

Really Good Brownies
America’s Test Kitchen
Makes twenty-four 2-inch brownies
For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the pan (otherwise, the superior heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking). While any high-quality chocolate can be used in this recipe, our preferred brands of bittersweet chocolate are Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV and Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Our preferred brand of unsweetened chocolate is Scharffen Berger. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
1/3 (1 ounce) cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (see note)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (17½ ounces) sugar
1 3/4 cups (8¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces (see note)
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a foil sling using the following steps: Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.
4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling

Published January 1, 2005.  

Serves 12 to 16.  

Why this recipe works:

We wanted a streamlined German chocolate cake recipe that would be less sweet and more chocolaty than the original. After testing, we discovered that the texture of the cake actually improved when we used whole eggs instead of laboriously separating the eggs, beating the whites, and folding them into the batter. We enhanced the chocolate flavor with a combination of cocoa powder and high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. Finally, we adjusted the level and proportions of the sugar (both brown and white) and butter in the cake and filling, and toasted the pecans, for a German chocolate cake that was easier to make and had better texture and flavor than the original.

When you assemble the cake, the filling should be cool or cold (or room temperature, at the very warmest). To be time-efficient, first make the filling, then use the refrigeration time to prepare, bake, and cool the cakes. The toasted pecans are stirred into the filling just before assembly to keep them from becoming soft and soggy.

Ingredients

• Filling
• 4 egg yolks
• 1can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
• 1cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
• 1/4cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
• 6tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces
• 1/8teaspoon table salt
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/3cups sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces)
• 1 1/2cups finely chopped pecans (6 1/2 ounces), toasted on baking sheet in 350-degree oven until fragrant and browned, about 8 minutes
• Cake
• 4ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
• 1/4cup Dutch-processed cocoa , sifted
• 1/2cup boiling water
• 2cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for dusting cake pans
• 3/4teaspoon baking soda
• 12tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
• 1cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
• 2/3cup packed light brown sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
• 3/4teaspoon table salt
• 4 large eggs , room temperature
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4cup sour cream , room temperature

Instructions

1. 1. FOR THE FILLING: Whisk yolks in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Add sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, whisk in vanilla, then stir in coconut. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool or cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (Pecans are stirred in just before cake assembly.)
2. 2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chocolate and cocoa in small bowl; pour boiling water over and let stand to melt chocolate, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth; set aside until cooled to room temperature.
3. 3. Meanwhile, spray two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high straight-sided cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess. Sift flour and baking soda into medium bowl or onto sheet of parchment or waxed paper.
4. 4. In bowl of standing mixer, beat butter, sugars, and salt at medium-low speed until sugar is moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula halfway through. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl halfway through. Beat in vanilla; increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer running at low speed, add chocolate, then increase speed to medium and beat until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl once (batter may appear broken). With mixer running at low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream (in 2 additions), beginning and ending with dry ingredients, and beating in each addition until barely combined. After final flour addition, beat on low until just combined, then stir batter by hand with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to ensure that batter is homogenous (batter will be thick). Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; spread batter to edges of pans with rubber spatula and smooth surfaces.
5. 5. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard paper rounds. Cool cakes to room temperature before filling, about 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
6. 6. TO ASSEMBLE: Stir toasted pecans into chilled filling. Set one cake on serving platter or cardboard round cut slightly smaller than cake, and second cake on work surface (or leave on wire rack). With serrated knife held so that blade is parallel with work surface, use sawing motion to cut each cake into two even layers. Starting with first cake, carefully lift off top layer and set aside. Using icing spatula, distribute about 1 cup filling evenly on cake, spreading filling to very edge of cake and leveling surface. Carefully place upper cake layer on top of filling; repeat using remaining filling and cake layers. If necessary, dust crumbs off platter; serve or refrigerate cake, covered loosely with foil, up to 4 hours (if refrigerated longer than 2 hours, let cake stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving).

Step-by-Step

Assembling the German Chocolate Cake

1. With serrated knife, halve each cake evenly through equator.

2. Carefully lift off upper cake layer and set aside.

3. Evenly distribute about 1 cup filling on bottom cake layer.

4. Place next cake layer on top and repeat process.

Salami artichoke stromboli

1 recipe pizza dough
1 Oz salami (chopped into 3/4 inch pieces)
1/4 cup pecorino Romano
1/2 cup mozzarella
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
5 olives
Salt
Pepper
1 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 can quartered artichoke hearts


Preheat oven to 400

Pulse tomatoes, olives, olive oil, and oregano until crushed and thoroughly mixed.

Roll pizza into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread sauce In the middle third of the dough. Layer with Artichokes, cheeses, and salami. Cut the remaining dough into strips diagonally, so that you may fold them over the filling, crimping the sides together to contain the filling. Brush with olive oil.

Bake at 400 for 20 min. Let cool. Slice and serve.

Nana's Cheesecake

1 pkg graham crackers (16 squares or 8 rectangles)
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
Sprinkle of cinnamon

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 t vanilla

1 lb sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

Crush graham crackers up in a food processor until fine. Add sugar and cinnamon. Pour in melted butter while mixing.

Pat into a nine or 10 inch spring form pan using a cup measure to press up the side and even the crust out.
Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Beat room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Do not over mix. Slowly stream in one cup of sugar until incorporated. Scrape down sides, then add room temperature eggs one at a time. Scraping down sides as needed. Add vanilla. Mix until incorporated.

Cover the bottom and sides of your spring form pan with tinfoil to create a water tight seal. Place pan in a large baking pan or roasting pan. Pour batter over cooled crust, and place in oven. Bring enough water to boil to reach halfway up the sides of the pan. Pour water into large baking pan while it is in the oven to prevent burns and splashing.

Bake for 65 minutes checking on the cheesecake at 50 minutes every five minutes for doneness. Cheesecake is done when you wiggle it, and it's still a little jiggly in the center. Open door for a few seconds to release some heat and close door leaving cheesecake in the oven for 20 min.

Pull cheesecake out, and top with sour cream mixture. Spreading it evenly. Place back in the oven, close the door and leave for 40 minutes.

Remove cheesecake and let cool on a cooling rack and cover with an inverted plate. This prevents cracking. Once it is room temp, let set for six hrs in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!