Proper Josephs with Ale & Brown Sugar

We are adults.  It's a new year, a clean slate, and we should try to resist eating popcorn and cereal for dinner for at least a couple more weeks.  With a whole year in front of us, there is no better time to begin arming ourselves with solid, dependable, realistic weeknight dinners. 

I know it looks like all I do is take pictures of cookies and drink tea beside the Christmas tree.  But sadly and probably thankfully, we do not eat Lobster Macaroni & Cheese for dinner every night. Sometimes, I just need to use up my leftover ground beef. 

That whole "necessity is the mother of invention" thing ain't no lie.

I heated some oil in the frying pan, tossed in some garlic, and browned the beef.  

My grievance with sloppy joes has always been related to the sweetness factor.  In my mind, this humble, homey classic requires some degree of brown-sugary sweetness, but at times it goes a bit too far.  

I still like my dinner to maintain its savory integrity.  Oh, and do not even get me started on the whole bell pepper thing.  No, just no.

I wanted these sloppy joes to strike the perfect balance between sweet and savory, and It turns out that a leftover bottle of ale was just the ticket.  

The ale brings a welcome depth of flavor and unmistakable yeasty tang to this sloppy joe filling.

After the first bite I knew the remnants of my refrigerator had inspired something truly special. Something that had far too much sophistication of flavor to be called "sloppy." 

While these are not exactly the most elegant of sandwiches, Mr. Pedantic & I both agreed that in the world of sloppy joes, these were the Hapsburgs.  Hence the updated, and more deserving title - Proper Josephs.  

The ingredients are far from fussy, save the indulgent brioche buns, but the final reward is a true delight. 

Go ahead, put a little faux-fancy in your week. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Proper Josephs

serves 2 (or 4 smaller sandwiches) 

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 large clove garlic 

- 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 80/20)

- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1 bay leaf 

- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

- 8 ounces tomato sauce

- 1/4 cup amber ale 

- 2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 

- 2 brioche buns 

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a medium, nonstick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until it just begins to brown.  

Add your ground beef and use a spatula to break up the meat, then add the salt and bay leaf and cook until the meat is evenly browned.   

Once the meat has browned, add ale and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Reduce heat slightly and add Worcestershire and tomato sauces.  

Allow the mixture to simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.  Stir in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, then taste and add an additional tablespoon if needed.  Whether or not this is necessary will greatly depend on the sweetness of your tomatoes. 

Remove the pan from the heat source and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the buns. 

Set your oven to the broiler setting and slice buns lengthwise.  Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter on each side of each bun and place on a set pan, cut-side up.  Place in the oven and toast until golden. 

Serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

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Winter Shrimp & Grits

We are but days away from Christmas.  

At this point, every young heart is fluttering and tiny hands are itching to begin tearing, untying, and discarding all of that lovely gilded paper we adults have so carefully secured. 

If I may, I would like to commandeer your Christmas Eve and insist that you make these shrimp and grits for you and your family this year.  Throw tradition to the winter wind for a moment and embrace the pinnacle of neoclassic southern flavor.

While shrimp and grits are not the most conventional of holiday foods, the flavors here are full of festive charm.  

Creamy grits, thick with gruyere and heavy cream are the bed for tender, garlic-kissed shrimp.

In my mind, this is the ideal pre-Christmas dinner.  Preparation time is at a minimum, and the flavors are rich and comforting - the perfect prefix to your long winter’s nap. 

My mama always made us the most wonderful Christmas breakfasts.  One in particular reigns in my mind, because that was the first year that she brought home a strange and unusual fruit.  She called it a pomegranate, and explained that we were only to eat the “seeds” of this exotic treasure trove.  

From the pink, leathery skin, flowed out hundreds of gem-like arils that we ate with vigor and enthusiasm.

Ever since that moment, that early, Christmas-morning moment, I have been a faithful lover of the otherworldly fruit and its singular texture and flavor.  It tops my morning yogurt, studs my salads, and this year, it is bringing an acidic punch and welcome crunch to shrimp and grits. 

I sometimes wonder if I would still love pistachios as much if not for their bright, chartreuse hue. 

These near-neon nuts combine with the sharp pomegranate arils to make a veritable Christmas wreath atop our shrimp and grits. 

You will not find any cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, or thyme here, but this dish is every kind of comforting.  

I made this dish last week, and as the shrimp were sizzling away on my stove I stood over the pot of grits with a very large spoon and ate them straight from the pot.  Gruyere has a way of making everything irresistible. Heavy cream doesn’t hurt one bit either. 

Come on, let’s get on this cheese-fueled bandwagon together. 

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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Winter Shrimp & Grits

serves 4

for the shrimp

• 1 lb fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined) 
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/3 cup white wine

In a large, nonstick frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes; until fragrant and just slightly browned. 

Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, until their color has started to develop, then add the wine.

Simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes, until their color is full and they are just firm to the touch. The edges of the shrimp should not wrinkle up - that is a sign of over-cooking!

Remove from heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the grits. 

for the grits

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1 cup yellow corn grits or polenta 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 1/4 cups grated gruyere 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup roasted, salted pistachios 
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils 

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and chicken broth and place over medium high heat.  Bring the mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium and add grits.  

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a porridge consistency; about 2 minutes. 

Remove the grits from the heat and stir in butter and heavy whipping cream.  Fold in gruyere, salt, and pepper. 

Place a heavy spoonful of the hot grits into four bowls and top with the prepared shrimp.  Ladle any cooking liquid left from the shrimp over the bowl.  Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and pistachios.  Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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Brie & Thomcord Grape Grilled Cheese

I just put a handful of grapes on your sandwich... Don't be mad. 

I made this sandwich about forty minutes before rushing out the door to a dress appointment. After making and photographing the sandwich, I was left with exactly enough time for 1.5 bites before I had to leave.  It was not a happy parting, but I came home and finished it cold because it was just that good.   

This sandwich...oh, this sandwich, it is really and truly wonderful.  I want to eat it every day. 

When my family first moved into the house that they have lived in for the past eleven years and counting, we had a grapevine.  It was rather pathetic, truth be told, but it produced several pounds of nearly-black baubles each summer, until it finally gave up its efforts and shriveled away.

My siblings and I could not get enough of those deep, dusty grapes.  We would squeeze each fruit between our dirty fingers and pop the soft insides out of their skins and into our mouths. The skins were too tough to be enjoyable, and they provided a wrapper of protection from the grime of summer days that lay upon our hands.  With a mouthful of small, brown seeds, we would engage in a seed-spitting competition.  You see, we were all very sophisticated. 

The flavor of those sun-warmed grapes has never escaped my memory, and when I discovered Thomcord grapes last year, the nostalgia rushed through my mind, flooding my senses with sweet familiarity.

I love red grapes with cheese and charcuterie, but there is something about those gem-like, black Concords that captures my heart.  Thomcord grapes are a cross between Concord and Thompson grapes, and they possess all the charm of Concords without the pesky seeds and tough skins.

Through some very tedious experimentation (read: eating and more eating), I found that they pair really, really well with brie.

It's okay, you can roll your eyes, I know I'm obsessed with brie - but this really is SO GOOD!

So let's run through this again.  Homemade bread + caramelized onions + melty, creamy brie + sweet and crunchy grapes = happiness.  That's math.  You can't argue with math. 

The best part about this sandwich is the contrast between the crispy, buttered bread, the rich brie, and then the sharpness of the still-cool, crunchy grapes.  

Lunch is served.

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Grape & Brie Grilled Cheese

makes 2 sandwiches

for the caramelized onions

- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

- 1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced

- 3/4 teaspoon salt 

- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

- 1/2 tablespoon honey

In a small, nonstick frying pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and salt, and cook until the onions are translucent and have begun to brown on the edges.  About 5-8 minutes. 

Add balsamic vinegar and cook until the onions are deep in color and caramelized.  Just before removing the onions from heat, add the honey.  

for the sandwiches

- 4 thick slices multigrain bread

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 

- 1 cup Thomcord grapes

- 6-8 ounces double cream brie

Place a medium, nonstick frying pan over medium heat. 

Spread a layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Cover two slices of bread with caramelized onions and the remaining two slices with sliced brie.  Press the grapes into the brie and place the sandwich halves together.

Cook the sandwiches in the skillet for about 4 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

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