BELCAMPO MEAT COMPANY

 We received several messages about the opening of a new meat market in Larkspur California. Belcampo Meat Company is our destination for today’s meat adventure. Belcampo is located across from the Golden Gate ferry terminal right next to ‘Marin Brewing Company”. Now that is what I am talking about, we can have our craft brewed micro beer, buy a steak for dinner and then take the ferry home. We could even dine at Belcampo because they have a sit down restaurant or take-out deli. I am liking this place before we have even stepped through the door.

 Belcampo calls their-selves a “‘Boutique Business’ that maintains a traditional butcher shop for consumers that are looking for exceptional taste and are responsible land and animal stewards.” Grass fed, pasture raised, safe, healthy, humane meat, delicious, organic, grass finished are selling points that are emphasized about Belcampo meats. We just want a steak.

The new modern sit down restaurant and market occupy the front of building while the take-out counter and butcher counter occupies the back. We met Chris Arentz; the head butcher that is culinary trained and has a passion for ’all things butchery’. He guided us through the meat case and answered our numerous meat specific questions. The selection of meats is still a work in process. I was disappointed that they did not have bacon, specific cuts of pork or house charcuterie to offer. Chris promised in the future bacon will be available. There was some good looking beef available, especially the bone-in New York strip.  A New York steak painted  deep dark red with exceptional fat marbling  called to us.

 After peppering Chris with questions and flashing him a Mad Meat Genius card he gifted us a tub of ‘Lardo Butter”. This was no ordinary butter. It was cured pork fat from the back loin that had been whipped and mixed with rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt & pepper. Lardo is Decadence with a capital D. This creamy, rich spread was sampled on some French bread. I have died and gone to pork fat heaven.

 As some of you know I am not the biggest fan of anything grass fed. I approached dinner with great reserve. This steak would have to be cooked to perfection. A dusting of salt & pepper and a hot grill will transform this pedigreed protein to our dinner plate. When this steak hit 120 degrees it was immediately taken off the grill and put to a covered plate to rest. WOW!!!!!! Tender with a  rich deep beefy flavor was something I did not expect. . The 27 day dry aging process, the minimal seasoning and precise cooking made this a memorable steak experience.

 Belcampo Meats is an establishment that needs further investigation. We were very happy with our New York steak. We are looking forward to trying the restaurant. We defiantly will return to sample the bacon. If you want to visit Belcampo’s meat counter be prepared to spend premium prices for some great beef. Give us a call before you go and we will take the ferry and meet you at the micro-brewery.

Belcampo Meat Company

2406 Larkspur Landing Circle, Bldg 4

Larkspur, Ca. 94939

415 448-5810

BARBEQUED PICKLES

Our friend Chris from ‘Nibble Me This’ continues to be an inspiration to us at the grill. One of his latest projects was barbequed pickles. Grilling cucumbers and onions brings out the natural sugars and imparts a smoky flavor. Throw in some pepper flakes and pickling liquid and you will have one tasty snack or accompaniment. We picked up some fresh cucumbers and dill at the Richmond Farmers market. The fuel to kiss our future pickles with smoky love will be mesquite charcoal. The rest of our ingredients will be found in the Chilebrown pantry.

• Cucumbers slice in half or quarter
• Onion, slice in wedges and secure with toothpick
• Fresh dill
• Garlic cloves
• Cauliflower, Carrots, Jalapenos (Optional)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• Pepper flakes to taste

Grill cucumbers and onions over hot fire until grill marks appear. You are only charring these vegetables. Do not overcook. Place your vegetables in jars with pepper flakes and dill sprigs.
  Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pan and heat until solids are dissolved. Cool slightly and pour over vegetables. Place lid on jar and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

You can eat the pickles as soon as they have cooled in the refrigerator. They will have more flavor after several days. This recipe and procedure is simple and fun. The results are pickles that are smoky, sweet and spicy. This will be a new Chilebrown staple.

DOGGIE BACON BISCOTTI

Do you ever have leftover bacon and wonder what do you do with it? This is a very rare occurrence at the Mad Meat Genius household. Strange as it sounds we actually have some bacon to spare today. We have found a fun recipe by the food writer and blogger Julia Van Rosendaal ' After reading the ingredients, I am not sure the dogs will even get a chance to sample this bacon studded cookie.

Doggie Bacon Biscotti
Ingredients:
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• canola or olive oil (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 tsp. baking  powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup bacon drippings or canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. honey
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving the drippings. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup; if you need to, add canola or olive oil until you have 1/4 cup. (If you like, discard the bacon drippings entirely and just use oil.)
3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats and baking powder. In a small bowl, stir together the water, eggs, bacon drippings and/or oil, and honey; add to the dry ingredients along with the cooked and crumbled bacon and stir until blended.
4. Shape the dough into a log that is about 12” long, place on an ungreased baking sheet and flatten until it’s about 6” wide. If you like, brush the top with a little beaten egg to give it a shiny finish. Bake for about 30 minutes, until firm.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 250° F. Cool the log and cut it on a slight diagonal into 1/2” -1” thick slices using a sharp, serrated knife. Place the biscotti upright on the baking sheet, keeping them spaced about 1/2” apart, and put them back into the oven for another half an hour. If you want them hard, turn the oven off but leave them inside to harden as the oven cools.
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen biscotti. Store in a tightly covered container in the fridge, or freeze.

Of course I had to try these cookies for quality control purposes. Oscar & Lucy are some lucky Golden Retriever Lap Dogs because they are going to get some tasty treats. We did use whole wheat flour from Community Grains. This ingredient may qualify this treat as being healthy for the pups. They do not seem to care, because just like me, they love BACON.
  Thankyou Julia Van Rosendaal, for allowing me to share your fun recipe.

HARD RED WINTER WHEAT

Community Grains grows and mills a very special whole grain flour. This flour contains all the natural nutrients that are in the original grain that are lost with conventional milling. One hundred percent of the germ, bran and endosperm are included in this flour. With conventional milling the three components are separated and if whole wheat flour is desired these parts are reconstituted. This grain is local, grown in the Woodland California area. The health benefits of whole wheat flour are superior to your standard white flour. Whole wheat flour performs differently than all purpose flour so adjustments to recipes will be necessary. Today we are making Ciabatta bread. We are using the recipe from the Community Grain website. Here is the recipe we used.

The process of baking bread is a special experience. The proofing of the yeast, the kneading of the dough, the rising, the wonderful smells of baking and ultimately eating your creation cannot be experienced by words alone. This recipe uses a lot of water and can be challenging. This dough is sticky and a little difficult to manage. The end results are worth the effort.

Our bread was delicious. It had a nutty flavor that made this bread special. Our bread did not have the large round air pockets inside the crust like the videos results. I believe that I did not mix the initial dough long enough in the mixer to form gluten. I am not the best example of following instructions. Still this bread was a success. Creating and experiencing fresh bread is what it is all about.

Community Grains

OLIVE BRANCH

   

 We are extending an olive branch to the Mad Meat Genius readers. This branch is laden with cured olives. Yes, you read correctly, cured olives. ‘Branch & Brine’ has taken Manzanillo olives that are still on the branch and brined them with a salty solution. The leaves remain fresh and the olives are a tasty treat. This fun and novel approach to cured olives would make a great presentation to your plate. I just love eating these little salty green orbs. The olives come in a double wrapped resealable Ziploc bag for easy storage. They can be found at the Santa Rosa farmers market or you can order directly from ‘Branch & Brine’.

Branch and Brine

MACHACA DON PEDRO

We are going to revisit and once again try the dish Carne Machaca. Machaca is a dried beef product that has been marinated, cooked, dried and shredded. Our last experience with Machaca the results were less than stellar. Salty, with a funky off putting odor was a little too much. Andres Jaramillo, President of ‘Don Pedro’s Meat’ offered us a sample of Machaca that he produced. He claims that his popular Machaca was made with lean beef, salt & pepper, slow cooked and dried. We took him up on his offer and will try this beloved Mexican dish again. I am bringing out a secret weapon this endeavor. Ray, my friend and accomplished Chef will be making us breakfast with our Machaca. He used to own the very popular Mexican restaurant ‘Margaritas’ in Martinez California. This should be a very tasty experiment.

When I walked into Ray’s kitchen the aromas were intoxicating. The smell of fresh tortillas on the grill and onions and peppers cooking made me swoon with anticipation. We were going to cook the Machaca with sautéed onions, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and eggs. We cut open the package of Machaca and took a whiff. It was very pleasant smelling. It smelled of dried beef. It was chopped very finely almost to a powder consistency. We took a little pinch and gave it a try. It was tasty with a beefy flavor. It was on the salty side straight out of the package.

Ray sautéed the onions/tomato mixture until it was soft and fragrant. We then added the whole package of Machaca. We later found out that we only needed to use several tablespoons. The mixture was cooked for several minutes before we added beaten eggs. No additional salt was added. Several more minutes of cooking and our breakfast was ready. Home made fresh tortillas, salsa, a cheese & pasilla chile dish, refried beans and our star ‘Huevos con Macha’ lined our breakfast table. A tortilla was our canvas. The painting consisted of a scoop of our Machaca and egg mixture with a little dab of salsa.

This was dish was an outstanding success. It smelled heavenly. A deep rich beef flavor permeated our egg mixture. The level of salt was perfect and accented the other ingredients. Because this beef was chopped so finely it practically melted and became one with the eggs. The peppers and salsa was warming. This was a comforting breakfast. The fresh tortillas with Machaca eggs have made me a convert. Ray is one hell of a cook. Is it okay to take a siesta right after eating breakfast?

Don Pedro’s Meats is located in Southern California. They not only make Machaca but other Jerky’s, dried meats, chorizo and salsas. Thanks to Andres Jaramillo for introducing us to some great tasting Machaca.  Thanks to Chef Ray for being a great friend and cook.

Don Pedro’s Meat
725 E. Edna Place
Covina, Ca. 91723

BARBEQUED ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER

Romanesco cauliflower, broccoli, Monsanto experiment gone awry or delicious Italian heirloom vegetable will be on the barbeque today. This vegetable is referred to as a cauliflower and or broccoli at the same time. It is apple green and looks like a moon rock or craggily corral from under the sea. This vegetable is an eye catcher which grabbed us at the Santa Rosa farmers market. We talked to the farmer and asked his advice on cooking this spiraling, whirling, crater, nub studded vegetable. He said he would take a whole head and roast it in the oven. This was a no brainer. My oven will be a custom barbeque fueled by smoking hot mesquite charcoal. We only bought ½ head which weighed out to 1 ½ pound.

The preparation was simple. A slight mist of olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt covered our Romanesco. A small cast iron pan cradled this creature to protect it from direct fire. Our barbeque acts like an oven. We can control the temperature with accuracy by the position of the vents. If you were to use a home oven, I would suggest a temperature of 400 degrees. We roasted our cauliflower for 30 minutes. When we removed the broccoli the nubs had crisped and browned to a crispy texture. We took some scissors and trimmed the stalks from the stems.

We cooked our Romanesco cauliflower so it still had a crunch and still a little chewy to the bite. The browned nubs were sweet and crunchy. The stalks had a pleasant nutty flavor. This was a vegetable packed full of flavor. It did have the flavors and textures of both a cauliflower and broccoli. What a fun and scary looking vegetable. This is produce that I definitely will purchase again.