Day: April 18, 2019

for 12 cookies

100g granulated sugar
165g brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
115g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
155g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
110g milk chocolate chunks
110g dark chocolate chunk

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste forms with no lumps.

Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk and remain for a short while before falling back into the mixture.

Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula (Be careful not to overmix, which would cause the gluten in the flour to toughen resulting in cakier cookies).

Fold in the chocolate chunks, then chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. For a more intense toffee-like flavor and deeper color, chill the dough overnight. The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor will be.

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (10 cm) of space between cookies and 2 inches (5 cm) of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown.

Cool completely before serving.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
150g tomato paste
2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the meat
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the meat
250ml beef stock
250ml apple cider vinegar
100g light brown sugar
1.5kg beef brisket (preferably flat cut)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown and char in some spots, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, paprika, oregano, onion powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Deglaze the pan with stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the brisket in the slow cooker fat-side down.

Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours. The brisket is done when it easily shreds when pulled, but it shouldn’t be falling apart.

Transfer the brisket to a clean cutting board. If desired, use a spoon to scrape the fat cap off. Now you can slice and serve the brisket immediately with the sauce.

8 slices bacon, diced
1.5 kg beef chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp flour
375 ml full-bodied red wine, like a pinot noir or a gamaret
300 g pearl onions
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 L beef stock or broth
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
500 g small mushrooms, halved
500 g red or yellow baby potatoes, halved or quartered
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour

In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned and crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Dredge beef cubes in flour. Brown beef in bacon fat, cooking about 1-2 minutes per side, until browned. Remove to bottom of slow cooker. Top with most of the bacon pieces. Deglaze pan with red wine and add to slow cooker.

Add all other ingredients (onions through black pepper) and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. The last 30 minutes before serving, mix 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour, then add to slow cooker. Stir, cover and continue cooking 30 minutes or up to an hour, until gravy has thickened to your liking.

Remove bay leaf and thyme stems and serve hot.

500g ground beef
500g ground pork
3x500ml tinned chopped tomatoes
500ml chicken stock
50g tomato paste
1 white onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
4 dried guajillo chiles
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the stems (and seeds if you want it milder in heat), from the anchos, pasillas, and guajillos. Cover chiles with 500ml boiling chicken stock and let them steam for about 30 minutes until they are tender. Put the chiles, chicken stock, onion, cumin and oregano into a blender and purée until smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef and ground chuck until cooked through. Drain and add to slow cooker.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, chili paste, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

750g tinned whole fire-roasted tomatoes
100g mild chopped green chiles
1 red onion, finely diced
freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 lime)
1/2 small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
1kg flank steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup uncooked rice
1 red bell pepper, chopped
For serving: tortilla chips, lime wedges, diced avocado, chopped lettuce, hot sauce

Drain the tomatoes into a slow cooker, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.

In a food processor, chop the drained tomatoes, green chiles, onion, lime juice, coriander and 1 tsp of salt. Transfer 2/3 this salsa into the slow cooker. Refrigerate the remaining salsa until ready to serve.

Add the steak to the slow cooker and 250ml water. Sprinkle with the 1 tsp salt, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir, then cover and cook on the LOW setting for 3 hours.

Uncover; add the rice and bell pepper; and stir to combine, making sure that the rice is completely submerged. Cover and continue cooking on the LOW setting for 3 to 4 more hours.

Start checking the rice in the last hour of cooking, stirring occasionally to ensure the rice cooks evenly. Cooking is done when the rice is tender. If there is still liquid left in the slow cooker, uncover and cook on the HIGH setting for 5 to 10 minutes to let the liquid evaporate.

Serve burrito bowls with reserved salsa and desired toppings.