FFwD: My Go-To Beef Daube

I actually found some time last Sunday to make something other than grilled cheese.  Around our house lately, that is nothing short of a miracle!  I planned ahead.  I shopped.  I prepped.  I cooked.  It was awesome.

As much as I loved eating this recipe for Dorie's 'Go-To Beef Daube,' I think I may have enjoyed getting back to cooking the way I love even more.  I really don't get to do it very often any more.  While this recipe - which is basically like a really good, thoughtful, beef stew, isn't really anything fancy, it is just the kind of dinner I like to make.  Especially in the cold months.

I bought a nice sized (just over 3lb) beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut it into large chunks, just like Dorie suggests, then browned those in my Dutch oven.  I followed all the directions, adding the shallots, onion, carrots, etc.  The only change I made to the recipe was to just substitute good beef broth in place of the wine.  The recipe was definitely more time consuming than when I usually throw a roast into the slow cooker and walk away, but I tend to think that is partly the point of a book like this.  It is thoughtful food - not just food for the sake of eating.  I guess that is when something actually becomes nourishment.

Here's the thing though.  Remember above when I said that the recipe was thoughtful?  I felt like I took the time to slow down, enjoy what I was doing and get in touch with the process.  Choosing the ingredients, prepping them and taking the time to get them ready with some actual thought and care - not just hurry, hurry, hurry.  Now, the fact was that often the hurry, hurry, hurry happens when the hubs isn't here and I feel like I have to run in a million different directions all at once.  Last Sunday, he was home.  He helped with the kids while I made dinner.

I even made some crusty French rolls (recipe at the bottom) to go with the beef daube, as well as some really good mashed potatoes.  I started the roll dough right after I slid the daube into the oven and they all ended up being done around the same time.  I just let the daube rest in the covered Dutch oven on the stove top while the rolls baked.  The rolls were also great for making little sandwiches with leftover beef the next day.

When we finally sat down to eat dinner it was more relaxed and I felt more in touch with what I was eating than I have in a while.

The point of the story.  I need to find a way to slow things down again more often.  I seem to have forgotten that this is my therapy.  Taking time to take a deep breath is good for you.  Turns out breathing onion fumes can be good for you too. Who knew?

For more reviews of this month's recipes from my fellow French Fridays with Dorie participants, head on over to the site and click on the LYL post for today (or any Friday).  As always, this recipe can be found in Around My French Table (which incidentally would be the perfect gift for any food / cooking lover you know - or anyone who wants to learn for that matter).

Crusty French Rolls (aka Pistolets or Split Rolls)
Makes 8 large rolls

2 1/2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 1/4 cups water + up to 1/3 cup more, as needed
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put the 1 1/4 cup water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top.  Set aside and let dissolve for 5 minutes, then stir.  Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center.  Pour in the dissolved yeast, then stir enough of the flour in from the sides to make a thick paste.  Cover the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Mix the remaining flour into the wet mixture and add a little of the extra water at a time to make a soft, sticky dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it is soft, smooth and slightly elastic.  Try not to add too much extra flour to the dough while kneading.  This process will take about 10 minutes of kneading.  You can do all this part with a kneading attachment on a mixer, and it will only take about 6 minutes.

Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover it again.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled, then deflate the dough (punch down), cover it again and rise for 45 minutes more, then punch the dough down again, cover and rise 45 minutes again.  This process seems drawn out, but it lets the dough develop a really nice flavor and helps get that crust.

Deflate the dough gently one last time and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (you could do smaller rolls if you want and easily get 12 - these rolls were fairly large, about 1 per person).  Roll the dough pieces into a tight ball and place them on a lined baking sheet, or sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the baking sheet.  The rolls shouldn't be touching, so leave a couple of inches between the dough.

Use the handle of a clean wooden spoon to push a 'split' down the middle of each dough ball, going all the way to the bottom, but not hard enough to cut the dough in half, just to leave a huge indentation - it will spring up some anyway on this last rise.  Sprinkle a little flour over the indented rolls then cover them and let them rise 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F and bake the rolls 20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

1 Bowl 1 Hour Perfect Dinner Rolls

While I posted a link to the original recipe I got from My Kitchen Cafe quite a while ago, I didn't realize until recently when I was looking at the recipe on Melanie's blog again that other than the ingredients list, I really don't make these rolls the same way. I thought, that being the case, and since I have so many friends and family that ask for this recipe so often, that I should share what I'm actually doing.

The original way to make these rolls works just fine, don't get me wrong, but I have added in a few shortcuts that work really well for me - including changing the type of yeast I use - which makes these really pretty quick to make. I can start and finish the recipe and have hot rolls to eat in about 1 hour. It may take some time to get that fast due to shaping all the rolls, but once you get the hang of it, you'll get faster and faster too. Even then, it will probably only take you about an 1 1/2 hours at the very most. This recipe makes perfect, soft, light dinner rolls every time. What I really love about the recipe is that the ingredients list is short and lean, with stellar results.

If you are looking for an easy, fairly quick soft dinner roll recipe that delivers wonderful results - look no further!

Perfect Dinner Rolls

Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour - on low speed with the paddle attachment incorporate the flour to create a wet, sticky mixture. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour. On low speed, mix the dough to incorporate the final addition of flour until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to medium and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl - turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 -30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate into a rectangle. Cut it in half vertically, then each half vertically again into thirds so you have 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip of dough into fourths by cutting horizontally to make 24 little squares of dough. Take each piece of dough and cup it lightly under the palm of your hand on a clean surface. Press lightly and start rotating and rolling the dough ball quickly so that it forms a nice little ball of dough. Once you get some practice, you can do this with both hands at the same time and really speed up the process.

Place each rolled piece of dough into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan in rows of 4 about 1/2-inch apart. Cover the rolls in the pan with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise to double while your oven is preheating to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) - about 20 minutes. If you want an even more golden color to the rolls, brush them with a little melted butter before baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

A Taste of Terroir 2008 - "World Famous Lion House Rolls"

I wasn't blogging this time last year to be part of the first "Taste of Terroir" hosted by Anna's Cool Finds but I am excited to join in this time. For my entry, there were quite a few things I thought of that are local favorites here in Utah. One of them stood out for several reasons for me though, since it is pretty much a Utah institution in itself.

The "World Famous Lion House" Rolls. Here's the thing. I had never actually made these rolls from their mix until last night. I have always used the recipe that the cafeteria style restaurant in the historic old Lion House downtown in Salt Lake City has published. Actually, I think they have published several cookbooks. All of them have great recipes. Some with a more international flair, but most of them are quintessentially Utah. Perhaps the most prominent being these rolls.

I had the rolls before, but until I moved to Utah myself I didn't realize what a big deal they were. People order these rolls from the restaurant by droves to have them at all types of celebrations. Baby showers, wedding showers, funerals, wedding receptions, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. The collective response when people get there and see them (and yes, they just look at them and know where they came from) is always the same. "Oh, Those Rolls!" Funny enough, don't believe me. They even put it on the back of the mix box. Hilarious!

So, they must be pretty spectacular, right? Well, they are. Here's the thing. If you like a soft, all around white roll with great flavor that can go with anything and is even usually big enough for a sandwich, then this is your roll.



So, for this event, and because I had the mix, I thought I would give it a try. Before we get to that though, here is a bit more on the "Terroir" history of these rolls. The information comes straight from the source and is printed on the back of the box. "In the pioneer days, bread was as much a staple as it is now. Numerous loaves of bread, dinner rolls and other pastries were created in that pantry...It is believed that this was the forbearer of the famous Lion House Roll, which is universally enjoyed today."


The Lion House itself, finished in 1856, was once a personal residence of Brigham Young. It is now a restaurant and banquet facility.


In one more little aside, the roll mix is actually packaged with products from the Lehi Roller Mills in Lehi, Utah. If you have seen the movie Footloose then you have seen the mill with Kevin Bacon dancing his way around it.


It should also be noted here that my rolls above are pictured with the Lion House's honey butter recipe. I'll provide that below as well. The Lion House cookbooks provide several variations you can make with this roll recipe, but since this post would never end you'll either have to order the cookbook (which does have tons of great home cooking recipes in it) or wait until I can break those ones out another day.


LION HOUSE DINNER ROLLS


Makes 1 to 1 1/2 Dozen Rolls


2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2/3 cup non-fat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening or margarine (butter is best for flavor)
1 egg
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour
oil for bowl


In bowl of stand mixer with flat attachment combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 more cups of flour; mix on low speed until incorporated, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiffer so switch to kneading attachment at this point). Work in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is soft, not overly sticky, but workable and not stiff. (You probably won't use all the flour).


Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour about a tablespoon of vegetable oil down the sides. Rotate the dough ball so that all sides are covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise til double in size (about 45 minutes). Flour a surface for rolling out the dough and turn the dough out. Roll and cut as desired and place in a greased pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again til double in size, about 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Brush tops with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven. Serve warm with honey butter.


NOTE: The Lion House cookbook suggests rolling the dough into a rectangle that is 8 inches by 12 inches then cutting that once down the middle the long way, then cutting that into two inch wide strips (to make 12 2 inch by 4 inch strips). Then just roll the strips up from their short end and place into the pan seam side down. It will look like you rolled individual cinnamon rolls and placed them in the pan on their sides.


LION HOUSE HONEY BUTTER

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup honey

Whip softened butter. Add vanilla and honey gradually. Beat for 20 minutes. Makes 1 cup.


Now you can have the rolls that Utahns eat with, well, everything! Enjoy!