Tried And True

There is something to be said about the cookware of yesterday.  I'm not sure if they just made things better back then, or manufacturers are cutting corners and not making a lasting product anymore.  Whichever the case, I have decided that when it comes to getting new cookware for my home, I'm going to either check antique stores or turn to one of my older family members.

Just yesterday I was making dinner for my family in a dutch oven, I was making my fancy shepherd's pie (recipe follows), and I decided to use the new one from Pampered Chief that my mother gave me a few years back.  I was browning the meat when all of a sudden... POP! It had cracked along the entire bottom.  My yummy brown bits... you know, the ones that form on the bottom of the pan when you are browning meat... were escaping into the flame of the burner.  Quickly I reached for the dutch oven that my grandmother had given me, which she had used for years.  I finished browning the meat, sweating the vegetables and even had it in the oven for 2 hours without a single pop.  This makes me wonder what's the difference between the new one and the old?



The same goes for rolling pins.  Now a days you can get rolling pins in anything from wood to granite.  With the many choices, why do they still not work as well as the old ones our mothers and grandmothers used?

I had bought a rolling pin thinking that it was just as good as the one my grandmother gave me which was her mothers.  I was wrong!! My new one I had just bought cracked!  How in the world did it crack?  I didn't even put it in the dishwasher (it was wood), but just washed it with soap and hot water. So now I'm back to using the rolling pin from my grandmother and have never had a problem with it.

So this has me thinking about what has changed in the last 20 years to make things less likely to last the next 10? Or in my case till the next week.  I believe it is for the reason that companies want things to fail so you keep coming back to purchase another one when the old one breaks.

I believe we should say NAY to these companies and demand that they produce a product that we can pass down to our daughters and they to their daughters.  We need products to last till the end of time. These are the companies I will keep coming back to time and time again.

Nicole's Fancy Shepherd's Pie- 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbls. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground cayenne
1 tbl. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1-in pieces
2 tbls. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
5 medium carrots, cut into 1-in pieces
5 celery ribs, cut into 1-in pieces
6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbls. tomato paste
1 tbl. minced fresh thyme leaves
1 medium bay leaf
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1-in pieces
2 c. beef broth

For biscuits:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. finely ground cornmeal
1 tbl. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/3 c. heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cayenne, and the salt and pepper until evenly combined. Sprinkle the meat with the flour mixture and toss to coat.

Heat 1 tbl. of the oil in a 4-quart dutch oven (preferably an older one) over medium-high heat.  When the oil shimmers, add half of the meat and sear until brown on all sides, about 5-6 min.  Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.

Add the remaining 1 tbl. of the oil and reduce the heat to medium.  Add the onions, carrots, and celery.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are brown; about 5 min.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to coat.  Stir in the wine and scrape up the yummy goodness that is the browned bits that are stuck to the bottom.  Add the potatoes and stir to coat.

Add the mean and any accumulated juices, and the beef broth.  Cover the stew with a lid and transfer to oven.  Cook until the beef is knife tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

When the beef is almost ready, make the biscuits.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, thyme, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.  Stir in the cream until a loose dough forms.  Lightly flour a clean work surface, turn the dough out onto the surface, and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 sec.  Pat into a 1-in thick circle and cut into 8 wedges.

Increase the oven to 400 degrees F.  Remove the stew from the oven and uncover.  Top the stew with the biscuits and brush with a little cream.  Return the pot to the oven bake until the tips are crispy and golden brown, 33 min. worked out great for me!   Remove from the oven and serve immediately.



Have a great day :)