Roast Beef Po' Boys - almost - for the slow cooker

I say these are "almost" Roast Beef Po' Boys for a few reasons. First, I made our hoagie rolls in our standard 5-6 inches-ish length, rather than making something 8-10 inches like they do in New Orleans. My debris gravy is definitely not authentic. And, while we got them "almost" dressed, there's no such thing as a good tomato in Ohio in February, so they were missing a shirt.

But, yes, that IS gravy dripping down the side!

What is a Po' Boy? A sandwich filled with goodies by another other name is still a sandwich filled with goodies. Your area of the country might call them hoagies or submarine sandwiches or grinders. In New Orleans, Po' Boy is the local lingo. Of course, the most famous versions are usually filled with breaded and fried seafood - shrimp, catfish, crawfish, or oysters. To me, a Roast Beef Po' Boy (poor boy for those who prefer to spell the whole word) is like an open-faced roast beef sandwich all wrapped up in a bun.

Technically speaking, the debris floating in the gravy are bits and pieces of meat that have naturally fallen off the roast while it is braising. I didn't technically braise (slow cooking in liquid) my roast, but it's close enough for rock 'n roll when you're using a slow cooker. When I'm cooking with chuck roast, I prefer to use my slow cooker - turn it on in the morning and around supper time the meat is fall-apart tender. But, when I trimmed the fat, there were a few pieces of meat left in the rind plus a 3-ish ounce piece of roast. I pulled these little bits and pieces out of the fat and added them to my gravy.

Finally, a lesson in dressing your sandwiches in New Orleans. You don't have to say you want "lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise" on your sandwich, whether it's a po' boy, burger or muffuletta. All you have to do is say "dressed" and your sandwich miraculously comes laden with that specific quartet of goodies. Be warned: if you are in NOLA and you ask for your muffuletta to be dressed, they'll look at you funny.

The voice inside Harry's head told me to trim the biggest part of the fat off of the chuck roast before cooking it. I wasn't about to let that flavor go to waste, so there it sits waiting on its happy purpose. My knife also needed some love and I'm not as skilled in the meat-trimming department as Harry. I made a simple rub of Kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, granulated garlic and ground oregano and slapped it on both sides of the meat.

Then, something very strange happened. Harry was at work and the voice in his head told me to sear the meat. Usually, when I'm making a pot roast I just throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it. I have a strange fear of cooking things at too high of a temperature but this worked very well. Just a few minutes and the flavor at the end was well worth it.

I don't think it's possible to eat beef without onion as flavor. I had a half of a huge sweet onion in the fridge and just sliced it real quick and covered the chuck roast with it. You can't see it but on the very bottom of the crock is the fat I trimmed from the roast - I just used it to make a nice bed for the seared chuck. After the onions, I poured in a half-bottle of Great Lakes Brewing Company's Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (again, I think Harry's voice was speaking to me) and drank the rest. My cooker has settings ranging from 4 hours - high to 10-hours slow. I used 6 hours - high and it was about 7 hours (automatically turns to warm) before I started the gravy.

After pulling out all of the bits and pieces of meat from the fat and setting them aside, I strained the cooking liquid into my saucepan. I added about a half-cup of water and brought it all to a boil, including the bits and pieces of meat. Then, I made an easy flour-water slurry and added enough to thicken the gravy. I also added about a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and even though Harry was sitting there, his lips didn't move when some strange voice told me to add some butter to finish the gravy.

Now, a secret I read yesterday from New Orleans Magazine that the locals won't share with us Yankees is this: they all add a few splashes of hot pepper sauce to their Roast Beef Po' Boys. I have to agree with the logic - the Frank's didn't really add any heat but the vinegar cut through the richness of the gravy for a nice contrast. (The mayonnaise is buried under the shredded iceberg lettuce and yes, I sliced those pickles myself.)

I've actually only had one Roast Beef Po' Boy in Louisiana and it wasn't even in NOLA. We stopped at Abita Brewing in Abita Springs, LA to have a beer and decided we needed to eat. No, I don't think mine is as good as that one was but this sandwich is killer. Harry thanked me for not making them 10 inches long because he still would have felt the need to eat two. This size is just right!

Roast Beef Po' Boys for the Slow Cooker - serves 6
2 1/2 to 3 pound beef chuck roast, trimmed of large fat and rind
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces amber beer or porter (yes, you can use wine or water or beef broth)
1 cup sliced onions

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

6 hoagie rolls or submarine sandwich buns, toasted
shredded iceberg lettuce
dill pickle slices
mayonnaise
tomato slices (if available)
hot pepper sauce (if desired)
lots of napkins

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, granulated garlic, paprika and ground oregano. After trimming the chuck roast, rub both sides of the meat with the rub ingredients.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When heated add the olive oil and swirl around, then place the roast, flat-side down, in the skillet. Allow to sear until a nice crust forms on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes. Turn the roast over and sear the other side. Remove from heat and set aside for a moment.

Layer the fat trimmings in the bottom of your slow cooker, then place the seared chuck roast on top of the trimmings. Cover the roast with the onion slices then add the 6 ounces of beer. Cover the cooker and let roast for 6 to 8 hours or until very tender.

Remove roast to a plate and cover with foil to keep it warm. Remove any small pieces of meat that might remain in the slow cooker or the fat and set aside in a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and the bits and pieces of meat, then bring to a strong simmer.

In a cup or bowl, mix 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with one cup of cold water until smooth. Slowly add the slurry to the simmering liquid, whisking to prevent lumps, until the gravy is thickened. Add the red wine vinegar and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the flour taste is gone. Whisk in the tablespoon of butter and the gravy is finished.

To assemble the Roast Beef Po' Boys:

Thinly slice the reserved roast beef. On each toasted hoagie roll, spread mayonnaise on the top half. Pile several slices of roast beef on the bottom half of the bun and then ladle on some gravy. Top with tomato, pickle, hot pepper sauce and shredded lettuce and serve with several napkins.

Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken and Andouille Sausage

In our continuing celebration of Mardi Gras here in an area of the world that really doesn't care about it, we decided to make Jambalaya. Well, I gave Harry a choice - we could have Jambalaya or Shrimp Etouffee, one of his absolute favorites. When we were in NOLA, he ordered it every single night!

He really wanted his favorite, but settled with 'we've never made Jambalaya before.' Well, I have but it might have been right before we met.

I had to make do with what ingredients I could find here in Ohio, but found some awesome Key West Shrimp and an Andouille-flavored smoked sausage. No, it's not the *real* stuff, but it does provide a great flavor and some heat. Feel free to use regular smoked sausage.

There's no such thing as a one perfect recipe for Jambalaya - it's doing to be different in every single kitchen. In French cooking, the basic building block of most stews is a combination of diced onions, carrots and celery. Cajun and Creole cooks leave out the carrots and use bell peppers. I chose a yellow bell pepper because of the intense sweet flavor. Try to keep your diced veggies about the same size - celery should be a bit smaller because of the density. Sweat them in a stock pot just until they start to give off their aroma - they'll be cooking for awhile and you don't want them to turn to mush. Add the garlic and stir around for a few seconds until you can smell it.

Add the chicken and smoked sausage. We debated later that maybe I should have seared the meat first before I added the vegetables. Yeah, I might have gotten a little bit of caramelization on the meat but in the end, we didn't miss it. Saute and stir around occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink.

Now I've added all the liquid, canned tomatoes and seasonings. Once this comes to a simmer, it's time to add the rice. Reduce the heat to low, put a lid on it and don't peek for at least 15 minutes. Taste test the rice for doneness, then add the shrimp, stirring gently just to submerge the shrimp. Cover the pot again and it's done in 5 minutes.

And time to eat. I made some quick garlic bread and we nibbled on raw veggies while I was cooking - because Harry was out of peanut-butter filled pretzel nuggets.

Debbie & Harry's Jambalaya - generously serves 6
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced sweet onion
3 celery ribs, cleaned and diced
1 medium bell pepper, cleaned and diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces smoked sausage or Andouille sausage, cut into medallions
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 15-ish ounce can vegetable broth
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 can roasted diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or to taste - we used our Cajun Kick)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Frank's Red Hot Sauce to taste (or use your favorite hot sauce)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice (we love Basmati or Jasmine)
1 pound medium to large raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned
Chopped scallion for garnish

In a large stock pot with a heavy bottom over medium-high heat, saute the onion, celery and bell pepper until the aroma fills your kitchen, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds. Then, add the sausage and chicken, stirring well. Continue to saute over medium heat until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the vegetable and chicken broths, the water, the canned tomatoes and the seasonings. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a simmer. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Do not open the lid until at least 15 minutes have elapsed. If you stir while the rice is cooking, it will clump together and get gooey.

After 15 minutes, taste the rice for doneness and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Gently stir in the shrimp and cover the pot for another five minutes. Garnish the jambalaya with diced scallions and serve with a crusty bread.

Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning Made at Home

I fell in love with Cajun and Creole flavors during a long-term work assignment in Louisiana. This Midwest girl learned that Cajun didn't have to mean "light my face on fire" heat or that everything was blackened. Harry spent some time with a bayou family when I was about 6 or 7 years old - I'm sure it had nothing to do with the hottie in the short-shorts. I'd love to meet her - she and her family taught him about so many wonderful foods and she even gave him some recipes that we use today.

I made a trip to a few grocery stores just before my work assignment ended, stocking up on seasonings, crawfish and Community Coffee. Those items are long gone and I had to learn to make the seasonings myself. I don't criticize anyone for using the major label stuff that is available on the grocery shelves in central Ohio. My biggest problem with the commercial seasonings is that the first ingredient on the label is salt. While salt has its place in almost any cooking as a flavor enhancer, I want to taste the flavors, not the salt.

When we were starting The Wright Taste, we wanted to include a line of seasonings. We scoured the Internet, looking for recipes. We had the same problem as I had in the stores - every recipe had tons of salt. I tried making the recipe and just eliminating the salt but there was no balance of flavors, just some heat.

We had all these spices but couldn't find a good combination on the web. So, we started playing and the strangest thing happened. No salt and equal quantities of six spices gave us the balanced blend of flavors we loved in Cajun food. We labeled this as Cajun Kick and loved that we could tell our customers it contained no salt and they controlled the heat - from a little sprinkle for flavor to a light-you-up heat.

We sprinkle this salt-free Cajun seasoning on pork chops or boneless chicken breasts before cooking. I also use it in any recipe that calls for Cajun seasoning. You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry!

Measure equal amounts - I suggest starting with 1 teaspoon of each - of these six spices: granulated garlic, granulated onion, ground white pepper, ground cayenne pepper, ground paprika, and ground black pepper. Mix together a store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. If you decide to go big and make a huge batch, store the bulk of it in the freezer, refilling your pantry container as needed.

Twelfth Night and Muffuletta

So maybe it isn't the best picture but it's the best one I had. A darn-close-to-New-Orleans-authentic Muffuletta with a side salad. The onions in the middle are definitely a Debbie & Harry thing and we just kind of prefer to warm it in the oven. This is honestly one of Harry's favorite meals and while the olive salad needs to be prepped at least one day before for the best flavor, putting the sandwich together takes no time at all.

So what's all this Twelfth Night stuff? Well, January 6 is an important date in religious customs, marking the Feast of the Epiphany. Christians celebrate the pronouncement that the baby Jesus is the savior from the Three Wise Men. It is written that the kings had traveled for 12 days before reaching Bethlehem, so with the establishment of December 25 as the "official" birthday, 12 days brings us to January 6.

In older times, Twelfth Night kicked off "the season" - weeks of parties and balls leading up to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I think you can guess where I'm leading with this.

January 6 also marks the official beginning to the Carnival season that will end with Mardi Gras. In 2012, the season will be a little shorter than last year as Ash Wednesday falls on February 22 this year. So, there will be less time to celebrate the season with Muffuletta and King Cake (coming soon) and Po'boys and...

My preferred way to buy most of the ingredients for my Muffuletta olive salad is at the olive bar at the store. This recipe will make enough olive salad for two muffulettas and I've kept it in the fridge for up to a month. My friend Angie has a recipe for homemade Italian Giardiniera for home canning and it really is quite easy and quite good.

You don't have to chop the olives and all of the other ingredients super-small. It might look as though I've filled 12-cup food processor, but our model has a mini-bowl that sits on the top of the big bowl. For me, it works perfectly. This is one of the rare times that Harry will let me use "his" food processor.

All mushed up! I pulse 4 or 5 times and use my spatula to scrape it down a bit after the third time.

Parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. I use about a quarter teaspoon and it adds a nice spice without adding a lot of heat. Of course, if you're allergic to red pepper leave it out.

Here's that funky color again! I've mixed together the minced olives, vegetables, spices and red wine vinegar, then added enough extra virgin olive oil to cover it - about one cup.

Yep - smear the olive salad all over the sliced Muffuletta bread as thick as you like. These are vegetables that Harry will willingly eat because they don't taste green.

Now it's time to play Picasso - alternate layers of the meats and cheeses. We put the sliced onion rings in the middle - it adds a nice crispness and sweetness in the middle of all that meat!

Unwrapped after 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The cheese is melted at the edge, the bread is nice and warm and it's OH SO GOOD! Yes, we made the bread - same recipe as the Hoagie Rolls we made on Bread Day but I cut it in half. Traditional NOLA-style dictates sesame seeds on top but we just sort of leave them off. Also - you don't have to bake your own bread. I will admit to a substitute a few times and if you aren't in NOLA, most local bakeries don't sell the traditional bread. Go to the store and buy a round Italian loaf - it's usually sold in the paper bags in the bakery. We cut the top inch or so off before we slice it in half, just to reduce the thickness.

Harry has had an insanely killer week at work - strange considering he had Monday off for the holiday. I think I'll have Dad run me to the store this afternoon so I can get the Muffuletta ingredients. I can make the olive salad tonight while I'm fixing something fast for dinner. Then, Harry can have his favorite meal after working all day on Saturday!

What a way to kick off Carnival!

Olive Salad for Muffuletta

5 cloves garlic, quartered
1 cup green olives, pitted (pimiento-stuffed are fine)
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted
1 cup Giardiniera, drained and gently chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained (I prefer the small capers)
1/4 cup cocktail onions, drained
1 whole roasted red pepper, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (approximately)

Combine the garlic, olives, Giardiniera, capers, cocktail onions and roasted red pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel chopping blade. Pulse 4-6 times, stopping to scrape a couple of times, until the ingredients are well minced but not a paste. (Alternatively, you can mince everything on a cutting board with a very sharp knife and mix together - it tastes just as good!)
Add the spices and red wine vinegar and stir well to combine.
Add enough olive oil to cover the salad and stir well.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. I've kept this olive salad in the refrigerator for up to a month and trust me, it taste much better later than sooner.

Debbie & Harry's Almost-NOLA-style Muffuletta

1 loaf Muffuletta Bread or round Italian bread, sliced across the middle
One-half recipe of Olive Salad
4 ounces Genoa salami or sandwich pepperoni
4 ounces Capicola ham (spicy)
4 ounces regular ham (OK, for truly authentic you need Mortadella but we don't care for what's available here)
4 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
1 sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the two bread halves on a large piece of foil and smear them liberally with the olive salad. Layer the meat and cheese, alternating at each level. We use the onion rings as the middle layer.
Carefully turn the top half of bread over onto the Muffuletta. Wrap it in foil and heat in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. The traditional sandwich in New Orleans is served cold and one-fourth of the sandwich is a HUGE serving.