Our Best Recipes This Year

RECIPES

Babish and The Bear

Babish is creating a cola-braised short rib dish from the show “The Bear”.

1. The focus is on making cola-braised short ribs, starting with preparing a veal stock using roasted veal bones, aromatics, wine, and water, cooked at a simmer for 12 hours to maximize flavor.

2. The veal stock is then used as the braising liquid for English cut short ribs, which are browned along with onions and carrots, deglazed with white wine, and combined with cola, herbs, and the veal stock before being oven-braised until tender.

3. After refrigeration, the accumulated fat is removed, and the cooking liquid is reduced to a syrupy demi-glace, enhancing the ribs' flavor.

4. Accompanying the short ribs is a classic risotto made with the remaining veal stock, finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter, and parsley, seasoned to taste.

5. The final dish is served with the glazed short rib atop the creamy risotto, garnished with parsley and drizzled with the reduced beef-cola sauce, delivering a blend of tender meat and rich flavors.

6. The episode emphasizes the meticulous process and the rewarding outcome of creating a complex dish with depth and character, showcasing the host's culinary skills and dedication to quality.

RECIPES

Secrets are being revealed…🤫 

Pitmaster Reveals All Briskets Secrets: Bradley Robinson aka Chuds BBQ shares his extensive experience in Texas barbecue to create the ultimate Central Texas style craft brisket. He uses an American Wagyu brisket and applies various techniques he learned from renowned pitmasters and barbecue joints.

Futurama’s Popplers: In the "Binging with Babish" episode about "Futurama's" popplers, the host explores recreating these fictional snacks.

Grand Marnier Souffle: This classic French soufflé recipe, It features crème pâtissière, orange zest, and Grand Marnier for a citrusy flavor.

Skillet Lemon Pepper Salmon: Uses simple yet flavorful ingredients like lemon, cracked black pepper, and paprika to create a salmon dish that is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

RECIPES

We’ve grown up from Lunchables to cheese plates

For a romantic night in, cheese lovers can elevate their night with three viral recipes that promise a cozy and indulgent experience.

1. The Mac and Cheese: This French-inspired version of the classic mac and cheese is a gourmet twist on the comfort food staple. It incorporates a rich blend of European cheeses, including Comté, Mimolette, and Beaufort, creating a flavor-packed cheese sauce that is mixed with cooked macaroni. The dish is finished with a crunchy topping and baked to perfection, offering an easy yet special meal suitable for any night in.

2. The Brie Toastie: Elevating the humble sandwich, this recipe features the luxurious Brie de Meaux paired with salty bacon and a touch of sweet and spicy sauce, all sandwiched between crunchy bread. The bacon is fried first, allowing the bread to soak up its flavorful juices before assembling the ultimate cheese toastie. It's a simple one-pan dish that delivers a satisfying crunch with every bite.

3. The Comté Cheese Fondue: Ideal for sharing, a cheese fondue made with mature Comté, white wine, garlic, and a bit of cornflour is not only romantic but also surprisingly easy to prepare. The wine helps maintain the cheese's smooth texture, preventing it from becoming stringy or gloopy. Paired with a variety of dipping options, it's a fun and interactive way to enjoy a meal together.

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RECIPES

Smothered oxtails like Mama

Smothered Oxtails: The article on I Heart Recipes shares a Southern slow cooker smothered oxtails recipe. The oxtails are cooked until tender in a homemade onion and garlic gravy. The recipe keeps the seasonings simple and uses a slow cooker for convenience.

Old Fashioned Whiskey Cake: The Whiskey Cake recipe is a rich and flavorful dessert that combines the warmth of whiskey with the sweetness of cake. It involves creating a tender and moist cake infused with whiskey, which is then topped with a unique whiskey sugar glaze for an extra kick of flavor. This cake is perfect for those who appreciate the deep, complex flavors of whiskey in a sweet treat. The recipe provides detailed instructions on ingredients and steps, making it accessible for bakers of various skill levels to recreate this indulgent dessert.

Tabasco: Tabasco sauce, originating from Avery Island, Louisiana, over 150 years ago, is a testament to tradition and quality in the food industry. Created by Edmund McIlhenny, the recipe and process have remained largely unchanged, passed down through generations of the McIlhenny family. Despite modern challenges, Tabasco maintains its distinct flavor through traditional methods like handpicking peppers and a unique three-year barrel aging process. This dedication to craftsmanship and consistency has made Tabasco not just a condiment, but a cultural icon, symbolizing the enduring value of heritage and commitment to quality in an ever-evolving culinary landscape.

RECIPES

How It’s Made

Batch Cocktail: Batching cocktails involves preparing large quantities in advance, which is perfect for hosting events without the stress of making individual drinks. Essential tools include a pitcher or jar for mixing and storage, a funnel for narrow-necked vessels, measuring cups and spoons, and ice trays. Crucially, water must be added to mimic the dilution that occurs when shaking or stirring with ice. The process includes chilling ingredients beforehand, avoiding pre-squeezing of citrus juices, and careful measuring. For larger batches, scaling up the ingredients from a single cocktail recipe is key, keeping in mind the necessary water addition for proper dilution.

Black Eyed Pea Hummus: "Food Heaven Made Easy" shares a recipe for Black Eyed Pea Hummus. This unique hummus variation uses black eyed peas, a legume rich in plant-based protein, fiber, thiamin, folate, iron, and phosphorus. The recipe is simple to prepare, requiring black eyed peas, garlic, tahini, berbere (a spicy Ethiopian seasoning), lemon juice, salt, and ice cubes for a smooth texture. It's suggested to be served with pita chips or as a spread on toast. The recipe emphasizes the versatility and nutritional value of black eyed peas in a creative, flavorful dish.

Jacobsen Salt: Uniquely situated in the highly saline Netarts Bay, produces high-quality salt from seawater. The process involves reverse osmosis to concentrate salt, careful heating to increase salinity and remove impurities, and delicate crystallization in pans. The harvested salt is then rinsed, drained, and dehydrated, with a final sifting to separate different grades. This meticulous two-week process results in pure flake salt, including a rare "pure flake" variety, celebrated for its purity and natural formation.

RECIPES

Same but different

Hot water cornbread: Hot water cornbread is known for its quick preparation and cooking time, and its roots can be traced back to Native American cuisine. Hot water cornbread is a Southern United States staple, particularly prevalent in cuisines of the Southern and Soul Food tradition. It's a simple type of bread made from cornmeal, hot water, and salt, which is mixed into a thick batter. This batter is then formed into small, flat cakes and fried in a skillet.

Sopes: Sopes originated with the indigenous peoples of central and southern Mexico, long before the Spanish conquest. The base of a sope is made from a circle of fried masa. A sope starts with a small, thick round of masa that's usually hand-formed. The edges of the masa are pinched to create a small rim, giving sopes their characteristic boat-like shape. This shape is crucial as it holds the toppings. Once formed, the sopes are typically fried or toasted on a comal (a flat griddle).

Polenta Frita: Traditionally, it's made by boiling cornmeal into a porridge-like consistency. Once cooled, it solidifies and can be cut into slices and fried. This creates a dish with a crispy exterior and a soft interior, often served as a side dish or with toppings like cheese, sauces, or meats. Brazilian polenta frita is typically made from cooked, cooled, and solidified polenta, cut into sticks or cubes and then deep-fried until they are golden and crispy.