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Steve wasn’t short-changing his guests when it came to the meat.
“These suckers aren’t small. You have 12 of them, and they’re big,”
he said of the ribs. “I took these bad boys and brined them in beef
stock, wine and tomato juice. I gave them a good vegetarian prime rib
rub that I made myself. I dried them off, put on more rub and seared
them at 450 degrees.”
The ribs would need to share the stage — or in this case, a massive
pan loaded with other ingredients.
Steve combined four cups of beef stock, two cups each of red wine
and white wine, and a tomato sauce made at a Hutterite colony. He
added tomato paste and the trinity of carrots, celery and onions.
“For this dish, I’m substituting Swiss chard as my celery because it
has the same look and taste,” he said. “I’m also a fan of kale, because it
has more flavor to me. You can do different things with it, like grilling
kale and adding bacon. Dude, you’ve got a whole different deal.
“I like spinach, but you can also put kale instead of spinach with
eggs, a soufflé and frittatas. And for salads, if it comes down to spinach,
iceberg lettuce and kale, I’ll take kale.”
For the osso buco, he added bacon for flavoring and fat.
What is it about bacon that draws raves?
“There’s a deep love of bacon. It matches with almost anything,”
he said. “You take Brussel sprouts. That may be something that most
people might not eat. But you put bacon with it, and people want to try
it. The bacon makes vegetables something to behold.”
While loaded with meat, osso buco is also appreciated for the
vegetables and stock, Steve said.
“There’s no better meal on earth,” he said. “Tracy doesn’t like it as
much as I do, because it’s a meat-oriented dish. But she does like it as a
side with all the vegetables and the meat juice on it.”
A Second Selection
Not satisfied with one meat dish, Steve added brisket to the menu.
“I’m doing the brisket low and slow, 150-180 degrees until I get the
color I want,” he said. “It’s been on since 11 a.m., and I can see it’s been
cooked through.”
When it comes to the best meat, Steve differs from the opinion of
others.
4vHISVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
“Here in the Midwest, people consider the prime cuts to be filet
mignon, ribs and top sirloin,” he said. “I consider it to be the brisket,
flat irons and skirt steak. Those cuts are less expensive, leaner and I
think taste better.”
Steve advised that some fat is good, as it provides meat with flavor
and marbling.
“People need some fat, unless they have health concerns such
as a heart attack or stroke,” he said. “Most people can take fat in
moderation. Those with health issues won’t eat an entire side of bacon,
but they can eat the ends. If you have any kind of beef, just cut off the
fat. You can cook with some fat. It keeps things moist and not dry as a
hockey puck.”
Steve considers himself a fan of Tex-Mex and Southwestern food.
He also enjoys barbecue, which can mean different things to different
people.
“Barbecues are a national phenomenon,” he said. “But there is
a difference in barbecue when you’re talking Texas, Memphis and
Kansas City.”
Steve also likes Greek food, dating back to his childhood in
Sioux City. He noted the ethnic stores that still operate in Sioux City,
including Hispanic, Asian, Greek and Jewish.
But back to the task at hand in preparing for the Dakota Theater
group.
A Spicy Kick
To open the evening with a spicy kick, the Huffs made their own
salsa verde to go with chips. The decision added a little uncertainty.
“We’re deciding how this will work out because we made it fresh,”
Steve said. “But as far as produce, this is coming from the Garden
of Eden. This is a very healthy dip, and there’s a lot going on in your
mouth.”
Steve believes in grilling and smoking vegetables, which he did for
the homemade dip.
“We have the green tomatillos that we pulled the husks off and
threw on the smoker, the pablano peppers painted with oil and throw
on the smoker; and the jalapeno peppers thrown on the smoker. We
also have the red fresno peppers,” he said. “I didn’t even wash them
because I’m going to peel the skins anyway.”
He also likes ancho and pasilla, which are milder chili peppers.