=> Under construction! <=
What follows is a method for preparing a quick, easy, and tasty meal. The choice of ingredients is up to you, as is the cooking method; the possibilities are limited only by your imagination and creativity.
To keep things simple, I will stick to three main ingredients (beef, chicken, or lamb) and two cooking methods (open flame or in a pan).
I usually make this dish with chicken; my freezer always has a supply of boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, which means I don't have to go shopping in order to prepare supper. However, beef or lamb work just as well. For chicken, either cut the breasts into small chunks or just cut them in half; beef and lamb should be cut into chunks.
You'll also need onions, “flavorings,” and wine or stock. Fresh mushrooms are nice, but for me this usually means a trip to the store. If you like bell peppers (I don't), go right ahead; prepare them the same way as the onions.
For an open flame, I prefer a gas grill, but a charcoal grill or the broiler in your stove will work just as well. Start by marinating the meat, then make up skewers. If you like, simmer the marinade and serve it as a sauce. Do not serve the marinade without cooking it first; there's uncooked meat juice in it, which increases the risk of food-induced illness.
If you're cooking in a pan, the basic idea is to saute the ingredients, then make a sauce. This preparation lends itself to being served over white rice with a green vegetable on the side.
Use 1 - 1½ pounds of meat and one large onion.
“Flavorings” can include garlic, ginger, fresh or dried herbs or spices, soy sauce, hot sauce, chile paste, nam pla, citrus juice, or anything else that strikes your fancy. I suggest limiting yourself to 3 or 4 flavorings – certainly no more than 6.
You'll need 2 - 3 cups of wine, stock, or a combination of the two. The wine can be red or white, or you can use sake. You can use brown stock or white, meat or vegetable; the only combination I suggest avoiding is brown beef or pork stock with chicken. (Yes, you can make brown chicken stock, or use brown vegetable stock.) If you're going to marinate the meat, you must use wine or sake.
I suggest that you try each of the following combinations of ingredients at least once:
Cut meat into chunks. Mix flavorings (mincing items such as garlic and ginger) and wine in a glass bowl, add the meat, cover, and refigerate for 1 - 4 hours. If there's not enough marinate to completely cover the meat, stir every 20 minutes.
The onions (and peppers) won't be on the grill long enough to cook completely. Red onions will cook faster than yellow onions, and will have a sweeter taste if they're not fully cooked; on the other hand, if you like the taste of onions (as I do), go ahead and use yellow onions. In either case, you could saute the onions for a minute or two before putting them on the skewers, but that's more trouble than I care for. In any case, cut up the onions (and, if you're using them, the bell peppers).
Wash the mushrooms and either cut off the stems or trim just the ends then cut the mushrooms in half.
Remove the meat from the bowl (make sure you get all the pieces). If you plan to make a sauce from the marinade, pour it into a pan and start it simmering now; if not, reserve it and brush over the skewers while you cook them. Make up skewers, leaving space between each slice of onion or bell pepper. Grill over a medium-to-high flame until the meat is cooked, basting with the marinade if desired.
Cut up a yellow onion and a bell pepper (if desired). Wash and trim the mushrooms; cut to the desired size (or leave them whole). Mince any fresh garlic or ginger.
Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Saute the onions; when they start to soften, add the garlic and/or ginger; cook until soft (and brown, if desired). In the last minute, add any herbs and spices. Remove the mixture from the pan and reserve.
Saute the mushrooms; remove and reserve.
Heat a bit more oil in the pan. In small batches, sear the meat until brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
Deglaze the pan with some of the wine or stock. Add the rest of the liquid and bring to a simmer; return the meat and the onion mixture to the pan and cook until the meat is done.
Make a sauce. The slow method is to simply pour the liquid into a smaller pan and cook at a high simmer until reduced. Keep the rest of the ingredients in a warm bowl in a 200F oven. Pour the sauce into the bowl and serve.
A faster method is to pour the liquid into a bowl or measuring cup, thicken it with a roux of flour and butter or oil, then return it to the pan. Make the roux in a clean 2 quart sauce pan; using anywhere from ½ Tblsp each fat and flour for each cup of liquid (to just give the sauce some body) to 1½ Tblsp each per cup (for more of a “gravy”).
| [Up to the recipe index] | [Abbreviations] | [Back to AdamM's home page] |