sounds great; have never heard of 'sugo' before.
what did you eat this weekend?
- Thread starter narlus
- Start date
I am pretty sure sugo basically means sauce. 
I roughly follow a recipe for pork sugo from Delfina, a great italian place here in SF. It uses pork shoulder instead of the more common ground meat; I usually add a little lamb too. It's a pretty basic stew/sauce process - brown the meat, remove, soften a bunch of veg (carrots, celery, onion, leek, garlic), add some wine and reduce, put the meat back in, add some stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, herbs, then cook in a low oven for many hours. If you have the time, let it sit for a day. Then remove the meat, blend the sauce/veg, shred the meat and add it back in with some fresh herbs and you are good to go. Sometimes need to add a little stock to thin it out after blending; a touch of cream gets that yummy bolognese thing going. Then if you are going all out, mix it into cooked pasta, cover with cheese and bake to get a good crust going.
This is going to be a nosh-style party, not a sit-down, so I will be firing pans of the stuff now and then during the night and people can grab a bowl whenever they want. So Narlus, be there around 8 and bring some wine...
I roughly follow a recipe for pork sugo from Delfina, a great italian place here in SF. It uses pork shoulder instead of the more common ground meat; I usually add a little lamb too. It's a pretty basic stew/sauce process - brown the meat, remove, soften a bunch of veg (carrots, celery, onion, leek, garlic), add some wine and reduce, put the meat back in, add some stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, herbs, then cook in a low oven for many hours. If you have the time, let it sit for a day. Then remove the meat, blend the sauce/veg, shred the meat and add it back in with some fresh herbs and you are good to go. Sometimes need to add a little stock to thin it out after blending; a touch of cream gets that yummy bolognese thing going. Then if you are going all out, mix it into cooked pasta, cover with cheese and bake to get a good crust going.This is going to be a nosh-style party, not a sit-down, so I will be firing pans of the stuff now and then during the night and people can grab a bowl whenever they want. So Narlus, be there around 8 and bring some wine...
OGRipper said:So Narlus, be there around 8 and bring some wine...
in the BA lounge @ heathrow, they were serving this ('96 vintage):
it was damn good.
I imagine that would work nicely...I haven't been drinking much eye-talian vino lately but I did enjoy a Cornacchia (sp?) Montelpuciano D'Abruzzo a couple weeks back, good stuff. I bought a mixed case of Anderson Valley Vineyards wines with this party in mind, we will be drinking 2002 Syrah and 2004 Sin Zin. Eventually. After champagne, cocktails, and/or a few whites. Along with whatever the guests bring...
<shakes dust off>
ok, the thread has been resurrected.
sat i made coriander chicken.
toast some 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and a couple cloves. let cool, and then grind. add in cayenne pepper, turmeric, and maybe something else i can't recall right now. this is yr garam masala.
thinly slice two onions
chop 3 garlic cloves
cut boneless chicken (i used breasts, but thighs would rock too) into 1 inch cubes.
in a large flame-proof casserole, heat 4 tbsp of veggie oil on med-high heat, and then cook the onions till brown. add in the garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. add masala, and stir well. after a half minute or so, add the chicken and cook until it turns opaque on all sides. stir constantly. add in 1.5 tsp of salt, and 1/4 c of coconut milk and 1/4 c of water. bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for ~10-15 minutes. add another 1/4 c of coconut milk, add a bunch of chopped cilantro, stir and spoon over rice.
ok, the thread has been resurrected.
sat i made coriander chicken.
toast some 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and a couple cloves. let cool, and then grind. add in cayenne pepper, turmeric, and maybe something else i can't recall right now. this is yr garam masala.
thinly slice two onions
chop 3 garlic cloves
cut boneless chicken (i used breasts, but thighs would rock too) into 1 inch cubes.
in a large flame-proof casserole, heat 4 tbsp of veggie oil on med-high heat, and then cook the onions till brown. add in the garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. add masala, and stir well. after a half minute or so, add the chicken and cook until it turns opaque on all sides. stir constantly. add in 1.5 tsp of salt, and 1/4 c of coconut milk and 1/4 c of water. bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for ~10-15 minutes. add another 1/4 c of coconut milk, add a bunch of chopped cilantro, stir and spoon over rice.
Friday night, chicken with garlic confit with sauteed mustard greens & acorn squash bread pudding. we had a Hahn Estates Pinot Noir with this that was almost literally the cherry on top.
is garlic confit different from roasted garlic?
garlic simmered in olive oil then strained.
got it.
i usually roast my garlic in some oil, foil-covered in a small ramekin.
i usually roast my garlic in some oil, foil-covered in a small ramekin.
Parsnips rule!!!mtbtom said:
Narlus-the remaining oil was used in the roasting pan with bird in quarters, the garlic was rubbed on the bird. mighty tastee.
i dig the 'nips. as opposed to the 'neeps (turnips).
you ever do a parsnip and carrot mash? good stuff.
here's the coriander chicken:
you ever do a parsnip and carrot mash? good stuff.
here's the coriander chicken:
for the Stupor Bowl, i grilled some ribs. my ever-evolving spice rub contained:
chile powder
onion powder
garlic powder
coriander
cumin
turmeric
paprika
salt
fennel seeds
two cloves
black peppercorns (this, the fennel and cloves were crushed in a mortar)
cayenne pepper
and one other i can't recall (it wasn't dry mustard; i usually use that but decided against it this time).
rub the ribs all over, then put in a ziploc baggie w/ just enough white vinegar to moisten the ribs.
store in fridge for 16-24 hr, turning the bag once.
grill on lowest heat for ~45 min, bone-side down. turn to meat-side for ~5 min, then take off and let cool before cutting.
this batch turned out awesome.
chile powder
onion powder
garlic powder
coriander
cumin
turmeric
paprika
salt
fennel seeds
two cloves
black peppercorns (this, the fennel and cloves were crushed in a mortar)
cayenne pepper
and one other i can't recall (it wasn't dry mustard; i usually use that but decided against it this time).
rub the ribs all over, then put in a ziploc baggie w/ just enough white vinegar to moisten the ribs.
store in fridge for 16-24 hr, turning the bag once.
grill on lowest heat for ~45 min, bone-side down. turn to meat-side for ~5 min, then take off and let cool before cutting.
this batch turned out awesome.
ok...yesterday i made some Balsamic Chicken w/ Swiss Chard, from a recipe i used from Cooks Illustrated.
3-4# of bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs
2 c of chicken stock
1/4 c dry red wine
bunch of swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (stems separated from leaves)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c balsamic vinegar (cheap supermarket brand preferred)
1 lg onion, halved and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy fillet, minced
1.5 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 can (14oz) diced tomato
1 tbsp tomato paste
S&P the chicken. preheat oven to 350 and put rack to lower third of oven. in a large flame-proof casserole, heat a few tbsp of olive oil on med-high heat. put chicken in skin-side down and don't move for 12 minutes. do this in batches if you need to; don't crowd the pan. flip and cook for 5 min.
set aside and let cool; when cool, remove and discard skin. discard all but one tbsp of oil and fat from the pan. lower heat to med. put in onion and tomato paste, stirring, for ~4 minutes. add garlic and anchovy, stir for 1 min. add stock and wine, deglazing and scraping brown bits, and add thyme and red pepper. add tomatoes, bring to a high simmer, then put the thighs back in, bone-side up, and submerged. cover and put in oven. cook for 40-50 min.
in a saucepan, reduce the balsamic by half.
when the timer expires, remove chicken and cover w/ foil. add in stems and cook on low heat for 8 min. add in leaves and cook for 2 min. take a 1/3 cup of braising liquid and add to balsamic reduction, to loosen if needed. add back to pot, stir, add S&P as needed, and add chicken back in. mix and ensure everything is heated evenly.
remove chicken, and using a slotted spoon, remove chard. plate the chard and place two chicken thighs on top, and cover w/ sauce. serve.
we used mash taters as the foundation under the chard.
3-4# of bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs
2 c of chicken stock
1/4 c dry red wine
bunch of swiss chard, trimmed and chopped (stems separated from leaves)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c balsamic vinegar (cheap supermarket brand preferred)
1 lg onion, halved and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy fillet, minced
1.5 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 can (14oz) diced tomato
1 tbsp tomato paste
S&P the chicken. preheat oven to 350 and put rack to lower third of oven. in a large flame-proof casserole, heat a few tbsp of olive oil on med-high heat. put chicken in skin-side down and don't move for 12 minutes. do this in batches if you need to; don't crowd the pan. flip and cook for 5 min.
set aside and let cool; when cool, remove and discard skin. discard all but one tbsp of oil and fat from the pan. lower heat to med. put in onion and tomato paste, stirring, for ~4 minutes. add garlic and anchovy, stir for 1 min. add stock and wine, deglazing and scraping brown bits, and add thyme and red pepper. add tomatoes, bring to a high simmer, then put the thighs back in, bone-side up, and submerged. cover and put in oven. cook for 40-50 min.
in a saucepan, reduce the balsamic by half.
when the timer expires, remove chicken and cover w/ foil. add in stems and cook on low heat for 8 min. add in leaves and cook for 2 min. take a 1/3 cup of braising liquid and add to balsamic reduction, to loosen if needed. add back to pot, stir, add S&P as needed, and add chicken back in. mix and ensure everything is heated evenly.
remove chicken, and using a slotted spoon, remove chard. plate the chard and place two chicken thighs on top, and cover w/ sauce. serve.
we used mash taters as the foundation under the chard.
^^^Sounds good! Was that birthday dinner or what?
On saturday I did some pan-fried mahi mahi with a cilantro/mint/lime pesto-style herb thing over wild rice with curried cauliflower and a green salad. Drank Giesen sauv blanc (Marlborough).
It was so healthy that yesterday I went and had the crappiest deep-fried lunch ever in San Jose, after the hand-made bike show. Sucked big-time, never eat at the Tied House. Ugh.
On saturday I did some pan-fried mahi mahi with a cilantro/mint/lime pesto-style herb thing over wild rice with curried cauliflower and a green salad. Drank Giesen sauv blanc (Marlborough).
It was so healthy that yesterday I went and had the crappiest deep-fried lunch ever in San Jose, after the hand-made bike show. Sucked big-time, never eat at the Tied House. Ugh.
narlus said:
What's S&P the chicken mean?
Salt & Pepper
narlus said:
gottcha
Had some good ol' fashioned crazy meatballs. Sauce consists of sauerkraut, whole craberry cocktail, chile sauce, brown sugar, and a few other things I can't remember. Served over egg noodles.
Good, simple food.
Good, simple food.
Grilled Salmon with Butternut Squash Bread Pudding & steamed broccoli. There was nothing but S & WP (white pepper 
) & whole grain Dijon Mustard on the Salmon. We had a Rodney Strong Pinot Noir that was good but not great, we prolly wont get it again.
) & whole grain Dijon Mustard on the Salmon. We had a Rodney Strong Pinot Noir that was good but not great, we prolly wont get it again.
Went to a locally touted restaurant this weekend called Rioja: http://www.riojadenver.com/
Food was excellent. Wife & I shared an app portion of the duck ravioli, she got the fennel soup, tried the friends' tuna sashimi/tartare. For main I got the muscovy duck two ways and the wife got pancetta wrapped monkfish.
The only thing that fell flat was the duck confit - it was waaaaaay to salty.
Accompanied by several bottles of Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Tempranillo Limited Edition Rioja.
Dessert was hazelnut tiramisu for me. Holy $HIT was that good.
Not a cheap place, but I'd still recommend it - wait staff was excellent, food was excellent, prices were pretty decent for a fancy-schmancy place.
Food was excellent. Wife & I shared an app portion of the duck ravioli, she got the fennel soup, tried the friends' tuna sashimi/tartare. For main I got the muscovy duck two ways and the wife got pancetta wrapped monkfish.
The only thing that fell flat was the duck confit - it was waaaaaay to salty.
Accompanied by several bottles of Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Tempranillo Limited Edition Rioja.
Dessert was hazelnut tiramisu for me. Holy $HIT was that good.
Not a cheap place, but I'd still recommend it - wait staff was excellent, food was excellent, prices were pretty decent for a fancy-schmancy place.
didn't do much in the way of cooking this weekend...friday night went to redbones w/ some guys who were in from Ireland...sat night we grilled some teriyaki chicken, made a white bean salad w/ scallions and parsley, and grilled some asparagus...yesterday went to a friends' house for some nice indian.
I had some excellent, solid food this weekend but was lazy and didn't cook much. On Friday I had martinis and oysters followed by a great new york steak and bogle petite sirah at a local bar/restaurant. Then went to a little bistro on Saturday and had more oysters, a frisee salad with bacon and poached egg, and duck breast with pomegranate/balsamic reduction with braised greens and mushroon risotto. The duck was perfectly cooked - crispy skin and rosy - so good. Yesterday we hit up a well-worn place in Japantown for a few pieces of nigiri followed by unagi don and tempura soba in hot broth. Yum!
I so love duck. My wife had a bite of mine on Saturday and commented on the flavorful crispy skin.OGRipper said:
Greatest entree I've ever eaten bar none was breast of duck at a little place in Italy.
The usual "wife is out of town" meal: NY strip rubbed with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic, grilled medium, and a pile of mushrooms, onions, and red pepper sauteed in butter and red wine. Washed done with a '99 Star Hill Pinot Noir.
WTF? My wife won't let me eat a meal like that without her.BikeGeek said:The usual "wife is out of town" meal: NY strip rubbed with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic, grilled medium, and a pile of mushrooms, onions, and red pepper sauteed in butter and red wine. Washed done with an '99 Star Hill Pinot Noir.
I wish I knew before I married her, but she really doesn't care for steak.SkaredShtles said:WTF? My wife won't let me eat a meal like that without her.
Although, I'm starting to get the feeling that she's never had a well cooked steak. For example: we were invited over to a friend's for dinner and found steaks ready to go on the grill when we arrived. She gave me an "oh ****" look, but said nothing. On the way home she said it "wasn't bad." Baby steps.
What's funny is that my girl has drawn an arbitrary line at duck (mainly because they are cute to her). We eat pretty much anything else and I get a lot of slack in other ways so I don't eat it around her. It's one of those things about picking your battles but my friends wonder why I always order duck when she's not around.BikeGeek said:I wish I knew before I married her, but she really doesn't care for steak.
Work on it. My wife insists on her own 16 oz. NY when we're grilling steak. She loves her red meat.BikeGeek said:I wish I knew before I married her, but she really doesn't care for steak.
sat night we made carbonara...it was very tasty.
narlus said:
My kids each get to pick a dinner per week, and as of late the oldest has been choosing carbonara. :love:My middle has been choosing pesto. :love:
Saturday we had breaded pork chops on a bed of herbed balsamic potatos roasted in the oven. Holy $hit were they good. Accompanied by a nice pinot noir.
I am nominating carbonara as the official favorite food of the food forum regulars.narlus said:
Once again I was lazy food-wise this weekend and didn't do much cooking. But last night some friends and I went to a really good new Asian restaurant called 415 (the SF area code). Had killer poke-style tuna, korean beef potstickers, coconut rice balls, satay, miso glazed cod, short ribs, flank steak, wok-tossed rice noodles, fried rice, etc., all washed down with Chilean sauvignon blanc and Reisling. MMMMMM.
I could be talked into seconding the nomination.........OGRipper said:
i had a rare tuna steak on a bun last night, w/ some pineapple/asian glaze. it was ok.
Filet with Bordelaise sauce, blue cheese mashed potatoes & asparagus.
With this...
2004 Hahn Meritage. What a great wine for $12...*drool* I highly recommend it with a nice chunk of bloody red meat...or on its own.
And we grilled some fresh wild Sockeye salmon on one of these covered in a maple glaze.
With some parsnip bisque.
This wine was a fantastic match to our soup. It was frikkin' huge for a OR Pinot...hence why we had it with the soup. The flavors clash with the Maple Glaze & cedar from the salmon. 2004 Siduri Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.
With the salmon we had some Barefoot Merlot.
With this...
2004 Hahn Meritage. What a great wine for $12...*drool* I highly recommend it with a nice chunk of bloody red meat...or on its own.
And we grilled some fresh wild Sockeye salmon on one of these covered in a maple glaze.
With some parsnip bisque.
This wine was a fantastic match to our soup. It was frikkin' huge for a OR Pinot...hence why we had it with the soup. The flavors clash with the Maple Glaze & cedar from the salmon. 2004 Siduri Pinot Noir Willamette Valley.
With the salmon we had some Barefoot Merlot.
That there is some tasty grape juice, had some over the weekend myself. Not sure about the year but I agree, great body and depth.TN said:
We had this Saturday.....
BBQ'ed pork shoulder. Recipe in my sig.
BBQ'ed pork shoulder. Recipe in my sig.
saturday, did two pan-seared pork tenderloins finished in the oven. made a spice rub consisting of:
about 10 black peppercorns
two cloves
fennel seeds (all of the above ground in the mortar)
allspice
cumin
coriander
some 'northern spice blend' a friend gave (gave some heat)
also dusted the pork w/ S&P and more fennel seeds.
pan-seared on all sides, finished in the oven, deglazed w/ some chicken stock for pan juices. also made asparagus w/ bacon, braised in a touch of stock. and rice.
about 10 black peppercorns
two cloves
fennel seeds (all of the above ground in the mortar)
allspice
cumin
coriander
some 'northern spice blend' a friend gave (gave some heat)
also dusted the pork w/ S&P and more fennel seeds.
pan-seared on all sides, finished in the oven, deglazed w/ some chicken stock for pan juices. also made asparagus w/ bacon, braised in a touch of stock. and rice.
On Friday I had oysters, salad, BBQ ribs, and beers at the local spot. On Saturday we made lamb racks with honey/garlic/mint pan sauce over brown rice with greens, drank Freemark Abbey Zin and Dutch Henry Argos (Bourdeaux-style blend, mostly cab sauv.) in my friend's little cabin in Occidental. Then yesterday my girl made pasta with sausage/marinara and more greens. We drank 6th Sense Syrah and Gnarleyhead Zinfandel and reflected on how life is good...
We had pasta with a tomato gorgonzola butter sauce that was most excellent.