Mixed Grill with Chimichurri (FM)

• 1 or 2 eggplants, cut into thick slices
• 2 cups fresh parsley (mostly leave, but thin stems are okay)
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for grilling
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or lemon juice [Again, I'm using sherry vinegar. I have it on hand.  Why not?]
• 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 2 portobellol mushrooms
• 2 summer squash, cut lengthwise into thick slices
• 4 ripe tomatoes, cored but left whole
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or pork tenderloin, cut in half crosswise and pounded to 1/2 inch thick [latter]
• 1 bunch scallions [nope]

Yeah, I tried to make chimichurri sauce in my low-end blender.  It didn't work.

Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley (an alternative version uses coriander), minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat. Chimichurri is available bottled or dehydrated for preparation by mixing with oil and water. Somewhat similar sauces are pistou and pesto.

Salt, pepper, oil, garlic, and a crazy amount of parsley.  Drizzle in more oil as the machine is running as well as sherry vinegar.

When it comes to grilling the actual food, it's pretty basically.  Olive, salt, and pepper.

Tenderloin and tomato.

Running up and down the stairs like mad while "hosting" a cookout party in my back yard was pretty exhausting, but I ate bits and pieces when I got the chance and was frankly well on my way to being full once all the cooking was done.
There's a splash of the romesco sauce as well.  My friends thoroughly enjoyed both sauces.  Chimichurri sauce is also a big winner though twice as much a headache because it has twice as much picked parsley in it.

Soy-Braised Lamb Shanks

from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

• Grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 4 whole (2-pound) lamb shanks, trimmed and patted dry
• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
• 2 medium shallots, sliced
• 13 garlic cloves, sliced
• Kosher salt
• 2 Asian pears, cored and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 bunch scallions, green parts only
• 2 lemongrass stalks, smashed and thinly sliced
• 5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 fresh long red (finger) chile, stemmed, seeds, and sliced [Neglected to remember this one]
• 4 whole star anise
• 1 1/4 cups semidry Gewurztraminer or Riesling [I used a random white wine I had already opened rather than going out to buy the right kind of 2 servings]
• 1 cup champagne vinegar [They only had normal white wine vinegar at Stop & Shop]
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey

Cut the portions of lamb shank in half since I was only cooking for 2.  I would have had to brown them in batches clearly if I had purchased more.  They barely fit.

Mise en place.

Cooking the onions, garlic, and shallots until golden brown and tender.

Dump the braising liquid in, bring to a boil, and then throw in the oven for about 3 1/2 hours.

Reducing the resulting liquid.

Resulting dish alongside parmesan encrusted summer squash from the same cookbook.  The squash is not really complicated enough to warrant the usual blog treatment but it was tasty.  The suggested side for the dish was a Jalapeno and Green Apple Duo but I'm not going to approach a side dish for 8 while cooking for two.
The braised meat was nice enough for braised meat, but I wish the flavors had been a bit more in my face.  The chile probably would have helped.

Ori said he liked watching me cook with such determination.

Chicken Braised in Vinegar (BRW)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped pancetta or bacon
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
• 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup good-quality red wine or balsamic vinegar
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
  

Mise en place. Except for, notably, the chicken.


Browning the pancetta, herbs, and garlic in olive oil. An awful lot of olive oil.


Adding the rendered fat from the pancetta and browning the chicken, I was left with a crazy amount of oil left in the pan. After I reduced the sauce, it looked like all fat and I was right.
But one couldn't exactly pour out excess grease with all the aromatics.


The chicken was well cooked, but the sauce was quite useless. I accompanied it with some salted (to draw out moisture) and charred summer squash (at its peak in my repertoire, it's basically all I had for dinner).
If I was looking for a vinegar-y, Italian chicken dish, I'd probably just go back to the first dish I ever blogged about: Sweet and Sour Chicken, also from Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World. Though it was really really heavy.