Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Editors Of Cook's Illustrated Magazine [40]
Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
Gigot de Sept Heures
Roasting a leg of lamb for a full seven hours in wine with garlic and herbs leaves the meat ultratender; white beans stewed with thyme, cloves, and onion and finished with crème fraîche are a luxurious accompaniment. This recipe was given to us by Parisian home cook Camille Labro (pictured at center of top left photograph), who learned it from her Provençale mother.
FOR THE LAMB:
1 4-lb. shank end leg of lamb or 4-lb. piece of shoulder, trimmed
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
20 cloves garlic, unpeeled
10 sprigs each fresh thyme, rosemary, and savory
5 fresh or dried bay leaves
FOR THE BEANS:
2 cups dried white beans, preferably cannellini or white coco, soaked overnight
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme and parsley and a bay leaf tied together with kitchen twine
10 whole cloves
1 large onion, halved Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. crème fraîche
Serves 6-8
1. Cook the lamb: Heat the oven to 300°F. Rub lamb with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate. Add wine and 2 cups water to the Dutch oven; scrape up browned bits from bottom of pot. Nestle garlic and herbs into a large oval casserole and place lamb on top of herbs. Carefully pour in pan juices and wine from Dutch oven and cover lamb with foil. Transfer to oven and roast, basting frequently, for 3 ½ hours.
Uncover, flip lamb, and continue to cook, basting frequently, until lamb is very tender, 3-3 ½ more hours. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the beans: About 1½ hours before the lamb is done, drain beans and transfer to a 4-qt. saucepan along with 4 cloves garlic, the herb bundle, and 6 cups water. Pierce the onion with the cloves and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove pot from heat and season with salt and pepper. Discard herbs and strain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer 2 cups beans, ¼ cup cooking liquid, oil, crème fraîche, and remaining garlic clove to a blender and purée. Stir puréed bean mixture and about 1 cup of the cooking liquid back into pot and cover to keep warm until lamb is cooked. Serve the lamb sliced or torn into chunks, alongside the beans.
Marinated Flank Steak
Flank steak, also known as London broil, isn’t the most tender cut of beef, but it is one of the most flavorful. The key to getting a tender flank steak is to let the meat marinate for a good, long time—in this case, in a mixture of red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, various spices, and fresh rosemary—and then carve it across the grain into thin slices before serving.
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 dried chiles de árbol, broken
2 bay leaves
½ cup red wine
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 2-lb. flank steak Kosher salt, to taste
Serves 4
1. Toast the peppercorns, coriander, fennel, chiles de árbol, and bay leaves in a small skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the aromatics to a hard surface, lightly crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet, then transfer them to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Add the wine, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil to the baking dish and whisk