Bring in the Fall....

My friends are on the ‘LA diet’ which means no pork, red meat, low on carbs, pretty much just veggies, chicken, and occasional fish, even my cooking has been influenced from this. I must admit, I now eat like this except when dining out. But after a summer of traveling and eating almost anything, I have decided to start this Fall season with vengeance! On the first fall weekend of the year, I cook what I want to eat, darn it! Okay, so Friday, I relent for the LA crowd, and cook Braised Tofu with Mixed Vegetables and Jasmine Brown Rice. BUT, Saturday, I I venture to the new local Italian store, Porta Via, and taste Smoked Proscuitto (Speck) and Bresola which is $48.00 per lb! I stick with Speck and add on green olives, Castelvetrano! DE-LI-SI-O-SO!

I couldn’t decide on which meat, so I purchase Oxtail, Beef shanks, and a piece of Beef top round for good measure and no fat. The meal, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants: Speck with truffled mustard on toast sticks and ‘Mélange of Beef’ Ragout with Swiss Chard over Gnocchi shaped shells. Perfect meal for an ex East Coaster who loves to eat, cousin Caroline. She travels to one of our favorite Wine shops, Silver Lake Wine and brings over a fantastic bottle of Pinot from McManis Vineyards and cookies based in Hermosa Beach, Isabella's cookies. Afterwards, we celebrate the survival of the Harvest moon week and DANCE.

Sunday, I find some leftover veggies and such and use all to make another dish. I call it Lazy Sunday Pasta. Here are the recipes of both.

“Melange of Beef” Ragout with Swiss Chard over Pasta

1 lb Oxtail
1 lb Beef Shank
1 lb Beef top round or other preferably not too fatty, cubed 1”
½ Onion, diced
1 Leek, ½” diced
3 Celery stalks, ½” diced
1 can of diced Tomatoes, 16 oz
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced ½”
A Few Sprigs of Parsley
A Few sprigs of Basil or pinches of Dried
One sprig of Oregano or pinches of Dried
8 – 10 cups of Water or Beef/Chicken/Vegetable broth for enhanced flavor
Bunch of Swiss Chard, cleaned, 1” torn/cut pieces
Pasta, a kind that will absorb ragout, not a big fan of any long noodles for this dish

1. Trim off as much fat as you want on the meat. Remember, Oxtail has lot of natural fat on the bones that will provide you with copious fat! Salt meat as needed.
2. On extremely high heat, with oil, sear meats on both side, about 30 seconds on each side, (used Le Creuset pot, if you like to make dishes like this, buy one!), nice caramelization!!!
3. Take beef out, add onions, leeks and sweat or until they are translucent, then add celery, use your sense of smell, whiff aromatics, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste, cook for 1 minute, then add water, tomatoes, herbs, pepper, and salt.
5. As the pot is coming up to a boil, add back beef, then simmer on medium low for up to 2 hours, ragout should be ready when reduced half way.
6. Check pot every half an hour, giving it a stir, in the last half hour, add swiss chard and season more if needed.
7. Over pasta*, serve beef ragout** immediately or within 2-3 hours, if you decide to serve the next day, gelatin from the bones will form and it will need adjusting with more water/stock.

*As the ragout is cooking prepare you pasta, al dente, please
**Beef should be very tender, serve guests whole bones with meat or shred the meat off bones.


Lazy Sunday Pasta

2 stalks of Celery, leaves too, 1/2” dice (leftover from ragout)
½ Onion, sliced (leftover from ragout)
1 cup Snap peas, halved lengthwise (leftover from my weekly snacks)
¼ cup Olives, ¼” diced (leftover from my snacks)
1 cup Beef Ragout
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pecorino Romano cheese or aged cheese
Pasta

1. Caramelize onions or cook slow on low heat for 15 minutes until even browning not burning!
2. Adjust to medium high heat and add celery and sweat for 3 minutes.
3. Add snap peas, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, cook 2 minutes.
4. Add all vegetables to al dente pasta along with beef ragout.
5. Grate cheese, YUM.