In the Kitchen With Tony
October 26, 2010
Hello, and welcome to In the Kitchen With Tony. Today we are going to discuss the perfect pan; What is it? Who makes the best one? And why?
Let us come right out and say that obviously, one will need more than a single pan for use in the kitchen, but I am going to contend that every kitchen needs this workhorse, I can barely get through a single day in the kitchen without using mine. Just how much work can we get out of a single pan you might ask? Plenty.
Since it is nonsense to advocate for a pan if it can only do multiple things with mediocrity, I can assure you that not only have I used this pan in all these different ways, but it performs incredibly well on all fronts. It can fry, saute’, reduce, roast, braise and sear; it can be used to make rouxs, sauces, rissotos (and various rice dishes), greens and jambalaya; and of course all the many dishes that these uses entail.
The magic pan is the All-Clad, MC2, 4qt saute pan. I imagine that either the 3qt or the 6qt would put limits on its multi-tasking abilities, though for larger occasions sometimes I do wish I had the 6qt as a backup, but the 4qt ends up being neither too small nor too large. 
Why All-clad and why specifically the MC2? Well All-clad because in my years as a professional cook I’ve yet to run across a more trustworthy company, whose products are always top notch. Why the MC2? There are several reasons why:
Price – As fas as I’m aware, the MC2 line is the most affordable of their many series
Material/Control – The ability to change the temperature of the pan at a fair speed needs to be balanced with the ability of the cookware to hold at least enough heat that you aren’t babysitting the pan all the time. Copper cookware is easily the most responsive, especially when lined with Tin, but it’s also the most expensive. Also, tin linings are very tempermental and need a lot of attention and maintenance. Stainless steel, while the least responsive of the common metals, makes the most durable and consistant cooking surface. Aluminum on the other hand, conducts heat quite well compared to stainless and the MC2 not only has a pure aluminum middle layer, but the external layer is a matte brushed aluminum, which is superior to a polished or anodized aluminum for heat conduction. This brushed exterior also collects a very nice patina: DON’T WASH THE PATINA! You want the inside clean and shiny to avoid sticking, but you want that outside coated in ‘gunk.’
With these three layers, the pan responds quickly to temperature adjustments and is able to maintain a consistently distributed heat.
Distribution of heat is also important. You don’t actually want those pans with thick bottoms but thin sides because it causes very uneven cooking (and the responsiveness issue comes in again). These three layers are even from the bottom and up the slightly rounded sides; a big plus.
The pan I got came with a lid and the lid is a must for many different cooking applications from steaming to braising. I do wish it was a bit more domed and that the inside of the lid had little knobs to drip the liquid back onto what I’m cooking, but the standard lid is just fine.
There you have it folks, the perfect pan of greatness.
Cooking with Beer: The More Perfect Way (of cooking)
February 6, 2010
This is part of a loose series of mine entitled: Toward a Theology of Food
Proof of Beer’s Overall Culinary & Nutritional Superiority above all other Food & Beverage
Brewing Up a Civilization – Spiegel Online
General Guidelines for Cooking with Beer
1. Good beer makes good food. Conversely, bad beer makes bad food.
2. Never use all your beer for cooking. Save some for more traditional purposes.
3. Ne Quid Nemis. Balance and Counterpoint is key (see the note about prunes in the recipe below).
4. The darker the malt the fuller the flavor imparted to the dish (this is a general rule of thumb, sure to have exceptions).
Guinness Beef Stew
I can’t take full credit for this recipe, it is merely my adaptation of about seven of the dozens of recipes for this delectable dish that you can find on the internet.
2 lb. lean stew beef (I’ll bet lamb or mutton would be good as well, but they would make the whole thing a lot greasier and fattier).
1/2 cup (or so) flour
3 tablespoons (give or take) of olive oil. The use of canola oil will doom the whole project to failure, so don’t.
1 bullion cube- chicken or beef (I actually like chicken bullion in this recipe. Go figure.) Alternatively, you can make your own broth or stock.
4 carrots
1 white onion
2 1/2 cups water
1 12 oz. bottle of Guinness Extra Stout- do not use the draft cans or bottles.
1/2 cup of pitted prunes. This is seriously the key to the whole thing. The first time I made this stew I was like, “Prunes are for old people! That’s stupid!” And I didn’t put them in. The resulting stew was nasty. It tasted like pieces of meat floating in three day old stale beer. You couldn’t eat it. This is a part of the recipe that one should definitely experiment with, however; less prunes will give you more bitterness, more prunes make it sweeter. I feel like 1/2 cup or so provides a balance: the flavors of the beer, including its bitterness, can be fully tasted and enjoyed, but are not overpowering. You could also try raisins or dried apricots, or dried cranberries. Just don’t forget to add some sort of dried fruit.
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary (maybe wrapped in cheesecloth)
1/2 cup of chopped parsley (for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste (don’t be too stingy with it)
1.Mix the flour in with the little cubes of beef. If the beef is really fatty, you may want to cut some of the fat off before you do this. In a fry-pan, brown the beef on all sides using about two tablespoons of oil or so. In your big stew pot, boil the water and add the bullion cube. My feeling is that a copper pot would be ideal for this stew, but if you haven’t robbed a Williams & Sonoma lately, or if you’re not rich, you’ll probably have to use stainless steel like me.
2. Chop carrots and onions. When the beef is done throw the beef and carrots in with the water. Add the beer, slowly, reverently pouring it down the side of the pot. As it flows out of the bottle, sing the Gloria in your best angelic voice. This is essential for continued success. May I suggest you use the setting arranged by William Byrd? Of course, my dream kitchen would be outfitted with a choir loft and a full-time, three voice choir, but, believe it or not, that hasn’t happened for me…yet. Alternatively, one may want to always have among one’s dinner guests someone with a fine voice.
3. In the same pan that the beef was in, put some more oil, and fry the chopped onions for a few minutes (not too long), making sure to shake them around plenty. Then throw them in your pot as well. Go ahead and throw your bay leaf and rosemary in there, too. Salt and pepper. Bring it all back to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
4. Pit your prunes and cut them up into little pieces. Add these last, once everything else is comfortably simmering and you’ve turned the heat down.
5. Simmer covered for an hour or so, until the meat is tender; also, you shouldn’t have any little bits of prunes left, they should have all melted.
5 1/2. I almost forgot: Before serving, take out the bay leaf and rosemary. If you don’t, I’m not liable if someone chokes and dies.
6. Serve it up on top of potato pancakes or mashed potatoes, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. With the meal, either finish off the six-pack of Extra Stout (if you haven’t already) or have the draft cans available, according to your preference. Make sure you pour them into the appropriate glassware, if you don’t the food will taste awful. Don’t touch the draft bottles, either, they will ruin everything.
Serves 4-8 depending on a) how hungry you are; b) how many potatoes you eat with it; c) how many Guinnesses you drank while cooking.
Let me know what you think.
Tony Hunt
jstambaugh
Shawn Wamsley
