OK…you’ve heard of “dry aged” steak…how do you get the most out of your steak at home?

PORTERHOUSE

This is a great looking porterhouse.  Well-marbled…slightly aged…darker color…perfect.

First, if you purchase your favorite cut at your favorite butcher, and it looks bright red when you purchase it, it’s probably too fresh to eat.  Try letting it age in your refrigerator for one week.

If you purchase  a great value in steak and need to cook it later in the day, try unwrapping it, salting and seasoning it to your liking, covering with some plastic wrap, and letting it sit out on your counter for a few hours before cooking (up to 5 hours).

If you follow these instructions, your steak will be aged or tenderized like none you’ve had before.  A perfectly aged steak is not bright red…it’s more of a mid-gray…

So…use your favorite seasoning, follow the above, and enjoy the  best steak you’ve had.

Extra tip…I like steak simple…salt and pepper…barbecued…then a dash of extra virgin olive oil and even a drizzle of lemon…that’s steak florentine…regardless…mangia…please let our followers know your cooking secrets.

Thanks.

Vinnie Rua

P.S.  Stay tuned for more fashion tips!

My very knowledgeable mother-in-law (and a great cook…) has said for years that a lot of veal parmiggiane is more often than not pork.  I, of course, said “no way…I’d know the difference!” (the more knowledgeable son-in-law!)

Well…my beautiful and talented wife made something parmiggiane tonight…she purchased some thinly chopped pork.  The resulting “parmiggiane” was not only delicious but there is no way I could tell it wasn’t veal…and the pound of thinly sliced pork cost less than $3.75!   No way the comparable veal would have been so inexpensive.

Something Parmiggiane!!!

So…try some pork for a great parmiggiane.  Here’s the recipe of tonight’s main course:

One pound thinly sliced PORK! (You can substitute chicken and it’s delicious…but the consistency is a little different.)

Mix two eggs in one bowl.  Put some Italian-seasoned bread crumbs in another.  Add other seasonings to taste…we like some crushed red pepper, for example.  Pound each pork slice out a little…use your mallet, an antique cast iron iron, etc….coat each slice in the egg mix, then the bread crumbs. and set aside.

In your skillet, brown the pork and set aside.

In the same pan, saute some onion chopped finely first…let’s say three slices of onion diced, once this is translucent, add a clove of garlic either diced or thinly sliced, once the garlic is soft, add one slice of either prosciutto or one slice of salami diced and one small can of chopped tomatoes.   My wife used a 14.5 oz can of Hunt ‘s Petite Diced 100% natural tomatoes.  (I don’t think this dish is about the tomatoes…there are lots of other flavors.)

Little trick…if the pork left too much in your skillet, you can always de-glaze the pan with a small amount of leftover wine…1/4 cup at the most…but be careful…the wine may impart a small additional flavor…for this dish, I’d use a leftover Pinor Grigio…something with little flavor…but I’d not hesitate to use a little leftover Chianti, etc.  The wine should be room temperature or you might experience some nasty splattering…I suggest you drink a little of the wine beforehand, while cooking, and use what’s warmed up.  This is efficient use of your wine as it serves several purposes.

Set your oven at 325 and pre-heat.  When your oven is ready and the pork is browned, place the slices in a shallow baking dish, top with a thin slice of provolone, cover with the sauce, and cook for 15 minutes.

The result should be delicious.  Let me know if you’d know if it was not veal.  For those of you who don’t eat veal…like my youngest daughter…this is a great alternative!  Serve separately with a salad and your favorite bread or over your favorite pasta.  Let your appetite be the judge on how to serve.

Mangia!

Please comment on this blog or offer your suggestions.  There are so many neat ways to eat inexpensively…let’s share our ideas.

Thanks.

Vinnie Rua

I love to barbecue and used to enjoy mixing new and exciting barbecue sauces.  Then, someone recommended Montreal Steak…which if you haven’t tried it, is simply a seasoning one rubs onto a steak or other meat…and voila…great tasting steaks…but that’s not all.

I actually prefer Montreal Steak as a rub on grilled chicken.

Grilled Chicken with Santa Maria Seasoning Rub

My favorite rub, however,  is Renaissance Rub from Nantucket Off-Shore.  This is an all natural, no salt seasoning…try it on shrimp, chicken, pork, steak…experiment and share the experience!  Check out their offerings at www.nantucketoffshore.com.

Grilled Shrimp with Renaissance Rub

Other great rubs are offered by www.scottsfoodproducts.com.  Santa Maria Style Seasoning is great on chicken.  Another rub from these guys is Steakhouse Rotisserie and Grill.  I like to season a steak or pork chop with Santa Maria on one side; Steakhouse Rotisserie on the other.  When using Santa Maria, go sparingly…it’s pretty heavy on the salt.

In the winter, if it’s just too nasty to grill outside, I like to use a heavy skillet-type pan with raised ridges.  These are available at any store offering cooking utensils.  You are basically grilling on top of your stove.  These rubs work great in this manner on steak and pork chops.  Chicken, on the other hand,  may be baked in your oven with these rubs and come out great.

Let me know if you have a rub that you prefer.  Happy Cooking!