Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [48]
Now that’s killer!
The thing about seconds, or main courses, is that often by the time I get around to eating them, I’ve had too many appetizers and too much wine and I’m just not that hungry anymore. I guess sometimes I should just start with seconds because I do love them—after all, they’re the main event!
As a chef, I find that seconds challenge me creatively in a way that piccolini or firsts don’t. Because they feature a larger portion of protein, I’m always trying to think of unique and interesting ways to make a steak or a piece of chicken exciting. Getting creative with a bigger hunk of protein requires skill and thoughtfulness; you have to use your imagination and a variety of different cooking techniques to make the main event new, enticing, and seductive over and over again.
In my experience, knowing how to add flavor while maintaining the integrity of the protein is essential for a great main course. I’m not much of a sauce girl, so for me, adding flavor means relying on marinating, dry rubbing, and beautiful brining! I’m always thinking: How can I use the skills I have as a chef to take what’s freshest and make it taste fabulous and new at the same time?
That’s why, in addition to cooking skills (which I’ll share with you), seasonality is the key to making special main courses. Using the best ingredients available—what’s in season—to showcase a piece of meat or fish can take a good main course and turn it into a showstopper.
For me, every season is like an old friend coming back to visit. What I do with a pork chop in the wintertime is not the same as what I do with it in the spring. Not only do my techniques change, but my ingredients change too. In the summer I’m more inclined to grill or sauté and serve the main course with produce fresh out of the garden, ingredients at their peak of perfection. When it’s hot out I want to enjoy the weather! I want to get outside, put some Prosecco or beer on ice, throw some lovely fish and glorious veggies on the fire, and just let Mother Nature’s bounty shine as simply as possible.
Fall is totally different. It’s one of my favorite seasons because everyone is back from being scattered during summer vacation. It’s a time to reconnect with friends, to enjoy festivals and community activities, to go apple picking or hit the pumpkin patch. Fall is sweater weather—when the air just starts to get cool and crisp. The tomato season is over, but the big harvest is in, the market is super-bountiful, and there’s tons of produce to play with. It’s exciting for me to make the most of what’s fresh and available before we all hunker down for the cold weather.
When winter arrives, my approach changes again. I want to stay home and curl up on the couch with a big glass of red wine. I want to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the beautiful smell of short ribs or lamb shanks braising or root vegetables roasting in the oven. Winter is when I crave hearty meals and turn my attention to stews and big meaty main courses.
Then, after hibernating for a few months, I’m always excited for spring—it’s like the world is waking up, rubbing its eyes and saying, “Good morning!” I crave fresh, lovely produce after months of root vegetables and am always totally psyched for the first fresh peas and asparagus. But no matter what the season, I look for the ingredients that scream, “Cook me now!” and I let them tell me what recipes will make the most out of dinner’s main event.
Grilled Chicken with Lemons & Dijon
Rosemary & Lemon Roasted Chicken with Gravy
Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms & Almond Purée
Duck Breast with Dried Fruit & Vin Santo
Chef Anne’s Cheater’s Duck Confit & Bitter Greens
Dry Rubbed Bone-In Rib Eye (Just Good Stuff)
Big Brown Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish
Pork Milanese & Escarole Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Hazelnuts & Pecorino
Polpetti Burgers
Rockin’ Porchetta with Fall Veggies
Braised Cabbage Stuffed with Sausage & Fennel
Brined Pork Chops with Fennel Pollen