I live in Columbus, Ohio. At the turn of the last century, a large number of immigrants from what is now modern Germany settled here. They brought food, and sausage, and beer, and a strange preference for waiting for crosswalks instead of just crossing wherever you need to. I live in a neighborhood called German Village, the origins of which unsurprisingly was that it was once a neighborhood almost entirely populated by recent arrivals from Germany. It’s a cute place, with tree-lined brick streets and tiny brick cottages and townhouses interspersed with turn-of-the-century Burgermeisters’ brick mansions. It’s also held strong to its German identity. The street names read like a Bavarian telephone book. German, along with American, and Pride flags hang from many buildings. And, all sorts of places from wine stores to restaurants are decked out like the Teutonic corner of a theme park. I love it.
This time of year, living in this neighborhood normally means … you guessed it, Oktoberfest. Everything is Oktoberfest. Despite the name, the long ago change in calendars means that Octoberfest happens at the end of September. That’s, well, now (even if it does feel like 204th of March). So, this week’s menu is a slightly German, and very autumnal meal that would go as well with a warm cup of old fashioned American hot cider as it would with a liter mug of Märzen.
I love hot cider, but I’ll be opting for Ein Bier, Danke. Or more.
Enjoy this second edition of The Weekly Menu, and please … share with your friends.
Pretzeled Everything Parker House Rolls
I am a sucker for dinner rolls, the soft pillow, just slightly sweet rolls (nee marshmallows) that you used to get at places that had prime rib Sundays. Every time I think they’ve disappeared or, fallen out of favor, I find them as a component of the bread service, or a “bread ’n spread” at the kind of twee little place that serves them in a miniscule casserole dish or tiny cast iron skillet. For $9.
These Parker House rolls have a few modifications on the traditional. First of all, they’re pretzeled – a coating of baking soda and water enables a chemical interaction called the Maillard reaction, which gives them that distinctive pretzel flavor and color. Second, they’re coated with Everything seasoning – because, well, everything seasoning is delicious. I make my own because I have a dehydrator and I’m almost a parody of myself, but Trader Joes, your local bagel shop (shout out to CBUS’s own Blocks Bagels), and other provisioners have off the shelf versions that are great. Finally, shiro (white) miso adds salt, but also a depth of flavor that makes them richer and tastier than expected. You can bake these in a sheet pan, a casserole, or – as I usually do – in a cast iron skillet, which really just makes them look cool.
I use a digital scale for most baking measures. It improves accuracy and reduces the amount of dishwashing. Ok, mostly the accuracy thing.
200 g whole milk
350 g AP flour + extra for bench flour
20 g corn starch
7 g instant yeast
30 g unsalted butter + extra to grease pan
10 g granulated sugar
15 g shiro miso
2 tbsp Everything Bagel Topping
1 egg
½ cup water
2 tsp baking soda
Warm the milk to room temperature.
Add to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the yeast and allow to bloom for 10 minutes.
Melt the butter and add to the milk/yeast mixture.
Add sugar, flour, corn starch, and miso.
Knead in the mixer until a smooth dough has formed – about five minutes.
Transfer to a greased bowl and cover. Place in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 400°F
Shape the dough into a ball, and portion into 16 evenly sized triangles.
Roll each triangle into a roll – Start with the small end and roll towards the center
Using a circular motion on an unfloored portion of your workspace, gently shape each piece into a ball.
Place the balls in a well buttered/greased pan and allow to rise, covered with a towel, until almost doubled in size.
While rising, boil ½ cup of water.
Add 2 tsp of baking soda to the boiled water and stir well to dissolve.
Whisk 1 egg until beaten smooth in a separate bowl and set aside.
Once the dough doubles, gently brush the rolls with the baking soda mixture and allow to dry slightly.
Brush the rolls again with the beaten egg and allow to dry until just tacky.
Generously sprinkle with everything bagel topping.
Bake at 400°F until well browned on top.
Allow to cool. Gently reheat in a warm oven or microwave right before serving.
Beet Salad with Whole Grain Mustard, Sour Cream, and Dill
I like beets. I know some people hate them. Those people are wrong. Beets are sweet. It both rhymes, and as a kid, it was a thing that made me eat what might otherwise be an intolerably vegetal vegetable. But as an adult, I love the myriad textures and levels of sweetness, layers of flavors, and of course the colors. Oh man, the colors. There are red, white, yellow, pink, every color imaginable as long as it’s a little white, pink, red, or yellow. Raw Chioggia beet slices look like the peppermints your grandmother probably gave you. For this salad, I normally just use plain old find-em-in-the-grocery-store red beets. Adding dill, mustard, and a touch of vinegar just heightens the beet’s natural flavors, and sour cream balances it all – plus makes things pink, which is sort of fun and messy.
6 medium beets, greens and roots removed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
5 tsp whole grain mustard
1 clove garlic, microplaned
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 tsp sour cream, crème fraiche, or full fat Greek yogurt
Steam or roast the beets until tender. Roasted beets will have a slightly more intense flavor and firmer texture, but generally takes longer. If you’re steaming the beets, adding some peppercorns and a bay leaf to the water will add some additional flavor to the vegetable.
Once cooked, allow the beets to cool, then peel and slice into ¼ inch slices.
Add 1 tsp red wine vinegar to a non-reactive bowl.
Add microplaned garlic, 1 tsp whole grain mustard, ½ tsp ground pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp roughly fresh chopped dill. Stir to combine well.
Add the sliced beets and allow to marinate 30 minutes or more.
To serve, divide the beets between 4 ring molds, pressing down to form a disk.
Top each with finishing salt, additional black pepper, a scattering of dill leaves, a 1 tsp dollop of sour cream, and a 1 tsp dollop of whole grain mustard.
Pork Shoulder Steaks with Apples, Onions, and Sauerkraut
Pork and sauerkraut. Yup. It’s almost a tired-out combination … except that it’s so darned good. I cut thick slices out of a boneless shoulder roast, tie them up into medallions, and slowly braise them in kraut, apples, and onions to yield a fork-tender, sweet, sour, and rich dish that just screams “HEY, IT’S FALL OR SOMETHING.” A good browning and open braise gives the pork some deep flavors, and the sourness of the kraut balances the richness of the pork. Apples and onions add sweetness, and bacon adds bacon – but also a smokey depth that makes the pork even more delicious.
4 thick pork shoulder steaks or boneless country style ribs tied into medallion
1 16 oz container of sauerkraut
2 cups chicken, pork or beef stock
1 large granny smith apple
2 pieces medium to thick cut bacon
1 medium onion
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 oz apple brandy or apple jack (opt)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Peel, trim, and radially slice the onion (slice end to end, not across the rings).
Peel, core, and dice the apple.
Cut the bacon into ½ pieces.
Add the bacon to an oven proof pan, and gently heat over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered, but the bacon is not yet crisp.
Remove and reserve the bacon pieces.
Carefully dry and season the pork steaks with kosher salt and pepper.
Increase the heat in the same pan you cooked bacon, and brown the steaks on both sides in the rendered bacon fat.
Remove the steaks and set aside.
Add the onions and apples to the rendered fat and cook until the onions are translucent and just beginning to brown.
Deglaze the pan with 1 oz apple brandy or apple jack (opt)
Add the sauerkraut (and caraway if using), stirring well to combine.
Add 2 cups stock.
Return the steaks to the pan, nestling each into the kraut mixture so just the tops are exposed.
Scatter thyme across the pan.
Bring the pan to a simmer, then transfer uncovered to the oven.
Cook 2-3 hours or until the pork is fall apart tender.
Allow to cool slightly, and carefully remove any string used to tie the steaks.
Serve over a disk of mashed or forked potatoes and a pile of the sauerkraut mixture.
For a more sophisticated service, you can carefully remove the steaks from the cooking medium and allow to completely cool uncovered before removing the strings. Then, gently re-warm in the kraut mixture in a low oven until service. This will give you a firmer textured meat that holds its shape better on the plate – and is convenient for plating.
Extremely Very Good Horseradish Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are good. Even kind of sort of bad mashed potatoes are good. I even have a weird soft spot for KFC mashed potatoes and gravy even though I’m not entire sure that those are either of those things. These are not those potatoes. These are delicious. These are simple to make but packed with flavor. If you don’t like horseradish, you can omit it. It’s not really integral to the dish other than that it’s delicious, and it goes well with the pork dish above. We push the flavor of these potatoes over the top by infusing the dairy with herbs and pepper before straining it and using it to whip the potatoes. It makes them more than just potatoes. It makes them extremely, very good.
4 Yukon gold or Kennebec potatoes
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
½ cup Half & Half or whole milk
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp black peppercorns
Kosher salt to taste
Peel, and cut your potatoes into 1 inch pieces.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the potatoes.
As soon as the pot returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a bare simmer.
Cook until the pieces until they are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, add the Half & Half (you can sub whole milk), thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns to a small pan. Bring to a simmer, then turn off (do not allow to boil). Allow the herbs and spices to infuse the milk or cream. Do not add the horseradish at this step because it can curdle the warm milk or cream.
When the potatoes are tender, strain them well and return them to their cooking pan.
Over very low heat, crush the potatoes well, and whisk in the butter. Beat until well combined and the potatoes are smooth.
Strain the herbs and pepper from the milk or cream and whisk into the potatoes until your desired texture is achieved.
Whisk in the horseradish.
Taste and season with salt.
Microwave Black Forest Cake
I’m not a big fan of chocolate. Call me a heretic, but I’ve always fallen more on the vanilla and or caramel side of the flavor wars. I do, however, love cherries, and cherries and chocolate work pretty well together. All the more so when you add whipped cream (vanilla for the win!) and make it a Black Forest Cake. Oh, and take away a lot of the fuss of making a cake. Yeah, see, it really does say “Microwave Cake” up there. I make microwave cake a lot. It’s fast, it doesn’t require turning on the oven, and oh, did I mention that it’s fast.
I said fast twice. I know. But that’s the best thing about these cakes. Maybe second best, because cherries.
1 cup AP flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup extra dark cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ cup neutral oil
½ cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
½ cup whipping cream
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1 cup frozen black cherries, thawed
1 bar good semi-sweet chocolate bar
Whisk the egg and sugar together until frothy and light.
Add the oil, and whisk until combined.
Add the milk, almond extract, and salt.
Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the wet mixture to form a smooth batter.
Spray a large microwave proof container with cooking spray, pour in the batter, and microwave on high until fully cooked though – 3-6 minutes depending on your microwave and the depth of the container you use.
Turn out of the container and allow to cool.
Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the cream to create a sweetened whipped cream.
Tear pieces of cake and combine with the whipped cream, and pack into a ring mold lined with baking acetate.
Top with crushed, thawed black cherries.
Freeze the cakes slightly to firm up the cream and remove from the rings.
Remove the acetate.
Garnish with grated chocolate.
If you want to go all out, gently heat some cherry brandy, and flambe at service! I take no responsibility for anyone who sets anything (other than a cake) on fire doing this. If you need the cakes to be more room temp stable, you can make a gelatin stabilized whipped cream by melting half a packet of unflavored gelatin in 1 tbsp of boiling water, and slowly adding this to the whipped cream while whisking. Gelatin stabilized whipped cream is “stronger” and won’t weep.
Since you’ve read all the way to the end, I suggest checking out my other food project: The Chicken Thigh Guy.