Tag-Archive for » Beef Stock «

Creole Onion Soup

Whenever I mention Creole Onion Soup in circles outside of New Orleans, I’m often asked how it differs from French Onion Soup. Well, like many New Orleans recipes, that depends on whose Creole Onion Soup you’re eating.  If you’re savoring a bowl prepared by an old-school Creole or anyone carrying those traditions forward, the soup will likely contain some form of dairy and may even be puréed to a thick, velvety consistency.  Several references to this style of onion soup can be found in various New Orleans cookbooks. The earliest references I discovered were in my mother-in-law’s 1901 edition of [ ... ]

Pan-Seared Ribeye Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter

Happy Valentine’s Day! Because you all know how much I dread baking, I’m steering clear of the sweet stuff today and sharing instead my special holiday meal inspired by sumptuous steak dinners at Ruth’s Chris. The first half of the meal, creamed spinach, was posted yesterday. Here’s part deux! Pan-seared ribeyes. Pan-searing is the best way I know how to duplicate those sizzling steakhouse flavors at home. Over the past year, I’ve done a lot of pan-searing in an effort to perfect my skills. Along the way, I’ve tried different tips and tricks for coaxing the most flavor out of the [ ... ]

Roast Beef

When I prepare roast beef, I start with the largest chuck roast I can find. I look for a six or seven pounder. If I can’t get my hands on one that size, I buy two smaller roasts that total about the same. Why so much you ask for my family of five? Well, in this house, roast beef is a cook once, eat thrice proposition! No ifs, ands or buts! That first meal is always a traditional roast dinner complete with Baked Mashed Potatoes and something green. The leftovers are then repurposed–in [ ... ]

Mid-City Meatloaf

Remember last week when I was talking about brown gravy and how I used to resort to the store-bought stuff when I didn’t have any pan drippings to work with and before I discovered beef base? Well, I also used to pair that store-bought gravy with, among other things, meatloaf made with a store-bought seasoning packet. Then I finally set aside the time to make a few different versions from scratch and have never looked back. Best part is, this scratch version takes only a few extra minutes to make. It all starts with equal parts ground beef, veal and [ ... ]

Brown Gravy

Hey guys!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We had a jam-packed week back home in New Orleans.  We spent the first half with my parents and my sister’s family on the Northshore and Turkey Day and the remainder of the week with the hubby’s family and some of my additional relatives on the Southshore.  We brought the kids to play laser tag and to feed the animals–very large animals–at the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom (great family outing by the way), snuck in a date night at Chef Susan Spicer’s Mondo restaurant in Lakeview, spent an afternoon frolicking [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Deli Pistolettes

Have you all missed me?  I’ve certainly missed you.  The pass few weeks have been challenging.  First there were all those renovations which, by the way, are not completely done but far enough along to bring some level of normalcy back to the Hogan residence. From there, I found myself ushering repairmen and furniture deliverers out and weekend company in for a 50th Anniversary party I was hosting for my wonderful in-laws.  Then my dearest grandmother, my last living grandparent and the matriarch of our family passed away.  So I dropped everything and abandoned my house guests to fly [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Corned Beef and Cabbage Mini Melts

I recently read on NOLA.com that New Orleans ranks second in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.  This was according to Fodor’s, who sums up our week (that’s week, not day) of frolicking as “a mad mix of Mardi Gras and Irish-inspired brouhaha.”  Well, I couldn’t have described it better myself!  It really is a fun time to be in the City, even if you’re not Irish.  And from my perspective, there are two main ways to partake in the festivities.  If you’re looking to celebrate the occasion with “big people,” a block party is the way to go.  Parasol’s and Tracey’s, [ ... ]

Finger Food Friday: Abita Root Beer Soaked Beef Roll-Ups

Are you all as thankful as I am today’s Friday? We’re all so busy this time of year. Yesterday for instance, I spent the entire evening preparing food for each of my kids’ holiday celebrations. These beef roll-ups are the result of leftovers from one of them. You see, my son was asked to bring a deli tray to his class party. Me and my Type A personality had a big problem with that. The thought of a bunch of fifth grade fingers reaching for a deli tray? Not good. So [ ... ]

Homemade Stock

If you’ve ever wondered what sets New Orleans food apart from the rest of the world, it’s the layers of flavor that go into each dish.  Two of the most important layers are the roux and the stock.  I’ve already posted a bunch about the roux which you can read here: What’s a Roux? How to Make a Roux Top Ten Tips For Mastering a Roux Now for the stock.  This is yet another back-to-basics cooking skill worth the effort. Making stock from scratch is easy, it just takes a little time.  It’s best to plan ahead so you’ll always have a stash of seafood, [ ... ]