Brine, Cure and Bunnies!

Today was a particularly fun day on the line. My prep guy had a touch of the beer flu so he went home. I quickly rearranged my day and made the most of the little time I had. This kind of pressure is where I thrive! Last week we brought in corned beef to try for Sunday hot sandwiches. I thought they were pretty good but were way too commercial. I have made fresh corned beef from scratch many times in the past with outstanding results. Accuracy with your measurements and unlimited patience make for great corned beef! It's pretty easy too!! First I had to make my pickling spice. The store bought variety is ok, but a little too bitter. Who knows how old that stuff really is. We don't have the equipment to do any carbon dating so making your own spice mix is the only way to be sure of freshness.

Pickling Spice

-2 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns

-2 Tablespoons Mustard Seeds

-2 Tablespoons Coriander Seeds

-2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes

-2 Tablespoons Allspice Berries

-1 Tablespoon Mace

-2 Cinnamon Sticks, Crushed

-24 Bay Leaves, Crumbled

-2 Tablespoons Whole Cloves

-1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger

When you have the spice mix complete, pour it into a large saute pan and toast over high heat. Be sure to keep the spice moving. There is nothing worse than watching your ingredients go up in smoke! Put it in a sealed container and that's it! Easy!

This next step can be skipped if you have a problem with sodium nitrate. At home I never use this. In a restaurant setting like this you almost have to. This will turn the beef brisket that bright pink color that people associate with corned beef. Without this, the meat is brown but still very flavorful.

Next time you are at the store pick up some fresh brisket. It is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that is way too under-appreciated. If you can, pick up enough to equal five pounds. Making the brine is very easy and a lot of fun.

Corned Beef Brine

-1 Gallon of Water

-2 Cups Kosher Salt

-1/2 Cup Sugar

-5 Teaspoons Sodium Nitrate

-3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed

-2 Tablespoons Pickling Spice

-1 5 lb. Beef Brisket

Mix everything together in a large stockpot. Bring everything to a boil. As soon as this happens remove it from the heat. Let the brine sit until it is room temperature. Take your brisket and put it in a container large enough to hold it and the brine. Pour the brine over the meat, cover tightly and refrigerate for five days.

After five days have gone by, take the meat out of the brine and rinse with cold water. Put the brisket in a large pot and cover with water. Add two tablespoons of pickling spice to the water. Bring everything to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 3 1/2 hours. If the water gets low and exposes the meat just fill it back up. You will be very happy with the results!

Cooking Corned Beef

-1 Large Pot

- Enough Water to Cover the Meat

-2 Tablespoons Pickling Spice

-3.5 Hours

-Hungry People!

Always remember to slice the corned beef against the grain. You can also refrigerate the meat overnight, cut it into cubes, and mix it with home fries and tarragon. Top it with a poached egg. Trust me, you will definitely melt faces with this one!

Everyday in our kitchen I like to give the staff something special. I appreciate their hard work and like to surprise them any chance I get. Today I found a whole fresh rabbit! Oh, the possibilities!

Adjusting my time to have everything ready for service, I quickly went to work! I removed both legs and split the body in two. I carefully removed the ribcage, liver, heart and kidneys.

I needed to fill the split body with something! But what? I remember seeing a pile of fresh rainier cherries in the walk-in! It happened to be sitting right next to five cases if crimini mushrooms! Our pastry chef thought it was a great match so I had to do it!

I quartered 30 mushrooms and sliced one shallot and put it in a small stockpot with a teaspoon of Kosher salt. The mushrooms began to release their liquid and mix with the shallot. After a few minutes I gave the mixture .25 cup splash of Marsala. I let the liquor cook down and added the cherries and currants.

Since this was a stuffing, I needed to bind it with some Panko. I removed the stuffing from the heat and adjusted the seasonings. I spooned the stuffing into the deboned sections of the rabbit, and tied it with butchers twine. I grabbed another pot and brought it up to temperature to sear all sides of the rabbit sections, and deglazed with white wine. When the wine reduced enough, I added two cups of chicken stock.

I covered the rabbit tightly and braised for 40 minutes. While the rabbit was braising, I cooked off some wild rice and haricot verts. The rabbit was finally done! I strained the cooking liquid and brought it back to a boil until reduced by half. Next, I swirled in three tablespoons of butter to deepen the flavors. The dish came out great!

Everyone was happy! Sometimes it's fun being the lone gunman on the line! Well, that's enough for today. Fresh sausages are on the agenda for tomorrow!

Cheers!