zxcvbob said:Bob (this one) said:Andy said:Daisy <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:
> Sprinkle the steaks with garlic salt and
> place salt-side down in the pan when the steaks make a sizzle. The
> oil will spatter all over the place, so wear an all-cover apron of
> some sort. After about 3 minutes, turn the steaks over and sprinkle
> with salt or garlic salt.
You're sprinkling the same side twice?
I'd try using a covered saute pan instead of letting grease fly
everywhere.
Or just use less oil. Covering it will steam the meat.
Pastorio
I cover it with a screen if it starts to pop; that lets most of the
steam out but traps most of the flying grease.
I don't use olive oil. I trim off a little fat and cook that first. If
the meat is too lean to trim anything, I've been known to use a
tablespoon of lard to cook the steaks in.
This past week, I did my annual 4-H Creative Chefs extravaganza where we
cook together - me and a couple dozen kids. It's always a blast and the
kids get to cook and eat stuff.
This year we did a version of Navajo Fry Bread and piadine, an Italian
flat bread. Both call for lard. Most of the kids had never had any.
Several parents wanted to "discuss" it with me. I said, "The recipe
calls for lard. We'll use lard." The discussions died.
The kids got flour all over themselves and bits of dough stuck to their
clothes and hair. And all had a swell time and took home lots of cool
stuff. Lard everywhere...
Here's what we did:
NAVAJO FRY BREAD
Makes about a dozen and a half rounds.
This one is popular all over the Southwest. Sometimes it's served
sugared, other times as bread to accompany a meal.
2 cups oil for frying
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 cups warm milk
In a large heavy bottomed frying pan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil or
lard to 365ÌŠF. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt
and milk; mix well. When the dough has pulled together, form it into
small balls and press and pat them flat; about 1/4-inch thick. Put 3 or
4 at a time into the hot oil. When the rounds become golden on the
bottom, flip them over and cook the second side until golden. Drain on
paper towels and serve hot, either plain as part of dinner or as a
dessert with honey and butter.
PIADINE (PYAH-DEE-NEH)
Makes 8 to 10, depending on how big you want them
This Italian flat bread is usually made with flour, salt, water and
lard and dry-fried on a griddle or cast iron pan. It is wonderful as a
sandwich base for cured meats and cheeses. It can also be made into a
dessert item by filling before cooking as described below.
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons of lard or shortening
1/2 cup warm water
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and add
the lard and the water. Mix well and knead on a lightly floured surface
until smooth and elastic, between 5 and 10 minutes. Cover with a floured
towel for about 20 minutes. Knead again and divide into 8 to 10 equal
pieces. Sprinkle with flour and roll out into a 6- to 8-inch wide
circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Dock (pierce) with a fork and cook on a
dry griddle or cast iron frying pan for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Test the pan with a few drops of cold water. It’s ready when the water
skips and skitters across its surface. If the water just sits and boils,
the pan is not hot enough to use. When it’s ready, drop a disk of dough
onto the griddle. When cooked, little charred bubbles form on the dough.
They need to be checked fairly regularly as the process goes quickly.
When cooked, stack the piadine under a towel or tuck them into a paper
bag so they stay warm.
Piadine can be used as a base on which other foods are piled. In that
case, serve warm with cured meats and fresh cheeses. A salad piled on it
goes well with the chewy, dense texture. Or, brush lightly with olive
oil, sprinkle with fresh chopped rosemary and salt like a foccacia.
Alternatively, spread filling on one half of the piadina, fold over the
other half and cut into two wedges, or sandwich the filling between two
piadine and cut into quarters. Fillings can be chopped or ground
cheeses, meats like mortadella, grilled and thinly sliced sausages or
anything else that lends itself to being spread
Or you can spread a thin layer of Nutella or something like it on half
the uncooked piadina. Fold the other half over and crimp the edges. Cook
as usual. Careful eating it, the filling will be hot.
To reheat, brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh chopped
rosemary and salt and return to the oven for a few minutes. Serve warm.
YEAST BREAD VARIANT OF PIADINE
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (110?F)
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
olive oil to finish
In a bowl, combine yeast, water and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Let
proof about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of flour, the oil, and salt, and stir
with a heavy spoon to make a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and
knead until smooth, adding more flour if needed to make a soft but still
slightly moist dough. Shape into a ball, dust with flour and cover with
a floured towel to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch it down,
knead, and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece to a circle about
1/4-inch thick, 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Dock the dough and cook on
the griddle as above until golden with some dark spots. Remove, brush
lightly with the olive oil and repeat with the remaining dough. Roll the
bread around the toppings of choice and serve warm
In a processor, I put the yeast, water and a bit of flour in the bowl
and let them work for 10 minutes or so. Then dump everything in and run
it for about 45 seconds. It forms a ball. The dough should be soft and
slightly sticky. I put it into sprayed bowl to rise. Cover with plastic
wrap. Finish as above.
