Jul 21, 2008 2:47 pm US/Pacific
Flavors of Italy and Vietnam - 7/22/08
Join Liam as he uncovers Bay Area restaurants and recipes of Italy and Vietnam.
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Flavors Italy and Vietnam
CBS
Bong Su
311 3rd Street San Francisco , CA 94107 (415) 536-5800
www.bongsu.com
Baguette Express
668 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 345-8999
Duck Mustard Wraps
Recipe Courtesy Bong Su
Serves 8
For Confit
4 ea. Duck legs
12 oz. Rendered Duck fat
2 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. Chinese five spice
For Roll
1 ea. Ripe mango julienned
16 ea. Cilantro sprigs picked
2 ea. Green onions julienned
2 oz. Hoisin sauce (bottled)
1 ea. English cucumber julienned
16 ea. Mustard leaves (large)
16 ea. Chives blanched
For Sauce
4 oz. Hoisin Sauce
1 oz. Peanut butter
1 oz. rice wine vinegar
1 oz. water
Method:
1. Season the duck legs with the salt, pepper, and Chinese five spice and allow to sit for 2-3 hours.
2. In a small baking pan place the seasoned duck legs and the rendered duck fat making sure the legs are submerged. Place the legs in a preheated 300 degree oven for 3 hours or until the legs are "fall off the bone" tender. Take legs out of fat and allow them to cool. This step can be done up to 3 days in advance.
3. The day the wraps are to be made, pick the meat from the bone and shred it with a fork. Wash the mustard leaves and dry them with a salad spinner.
4. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients for the sauce and bring to a simmer. Turn off and allow to cool.
5. Cut mustard leaves in 4"x 4" squares and lay flat. In each leaf put in approximately half and ounce of picked meat, followed by the hoisin, green onions cilantro, mango, and the cucumber. Roll each one so all ingredients are enclosed and tie around with the wilted chive.
6. Use the sauce to dip and enjoy.
Perbacco
230 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 955-0663
www.perbaccosf.com
"Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen," by Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman.
http://twomeatballs.wordpress.com
Excerpted from Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen
Copyright © 2007 Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman
Meatballs With Spaghetti Coco Pazzo
Polpettine Con Spaghetti
Mark
: Spaghetti and meatballs may seem like an odd dish for a fancy restaurant like Coco Pazzo, but my customers are always looking for the tastes they remember from childhood. I don't fry my meatballs, as Pino does. I simmer them in the tomato sauce until they're cooked through. Pino may turn up his nose at this classic Italian-American shortcut, but a lot of fine chefs simmer ground meat this way so that it retains its moisture. When I trained with a chef in Germany, I watched him simmer his sausages before he grilled them. They never shrank or dried out. I thought of those plump sausages when I was working on my meatball recipe in the kitchen of Coco Pazzo and decided to just drop the uncooked meatballs into the tomato sauce, with no breading or sautiing. The result was plump, juicy meatballs. What's more, the sauce was deliciously flavored by the meat.
A lot of home cooks use bland commercial white bread in their meatballs, but it's worth it to seek out bread with some flavor. I like sourdough bread for the slight acidity it lends to the meatballs; it adds another flavor dimension. If you are like Pino and can't bear the idea of meatballs on top of spaghetti (I'd like to know how many of you there are out there!), you can prepare this dish without the spaghetti and simply serve the meatballs in the sauce with lots of crusty artisan bread. Makes 16 to 18 meatballs with sauce, serving 4 to 6.
For the Meatballs:
1 cup (about 50 grams) day-old sourdough bread cubes (crust removed)
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
8 ounces (228 grams) ground veal
8 ounces (228 grams) ground chuck
8 ounces (228 grams) lean ground pork
8 ounces (228 grams) sweet Italian sausage (about 2), removed from casings and crumbled
3 tablespoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
1/2 cup (2 ounces/56 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces/56 grams) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (10 grams) chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
Two 28-ounce (794-gram) cans Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with the juice, pureed in a food processor or food mill
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
11/2 pounds (680 grams) spaghetti or linguine
To Make the Meatballs:
Place the bread and milk in a medium bowl and let soak for 5 minutes.
Heat a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
Place the veal, beef, pork, and sausage in a large bowl and, using your hands, mix well. Add the oregano, cheeses, eggs, parsley, and bread one at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined after each addition. Add the onion and mix until very well combined. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.
To Make the Sauce:
Heat a 10-quart casserole over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until wilted. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste if necessary.
While the tomato sauce is cooking, form the meatballs.
Take a piece of meat the size of a golf ball and roll it between the palms into a ball. Add it to the sauce, and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Return the sauce to a simmer and simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to cook the meatballs at a very gentle simmer; if the sauce boils, the fat will separate from the meat and they will dry out. When you think they are done, remove one from the pot and cut into it with a paring knife. If it is still pink in the middle, continue to cook until done, another 10 to 15 minutes.
Just prior to serving, fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts (6.5 liters) of water and bring to a boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, add to the pan with the meatballs and sauce, and carefully toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Tips: To see if you've added enough salt and pepper to the meatball mixture, before shaping the meatballs, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Pinch off a grape-sized piece of meatball mixture, roll it into a ball, and drop it in the pot. When it is cooked through, in about 2 minutes, taste it and adjust the seasoning before rolling all of your meatballs.
To roll nice round meatballs without having the meat stick to your hands, moisten your hands with cold water before you start, and then again as necessary.
Wine: This calls for a solid but not murderously expensive Chianti. No need to buy a Riserva; just don't buy anything in a straw-covered bottle. If an American wine is in order, try a good Zinfandel from Ridge Vineyards.
Fresh Pasta With Meatballs and Mushrooms
Pasta Alla Chitarra Con Polpettine Ai Funghi
Pino:
Here is my answer to American spaghetti and meatballs, a delicate dish of fresh pasta with small rounds of veal flavored with mushrooms, sweet peas, and mint-and no tomato sauce in sight. Pasta alla chitarra is my first choice here, because the short strands are easiest to eat with the meatballs. But fresh tagliolini will also be delicious.
Serves 6 as a main course.
For the Meatballs:
8 ounces (228 grams) ground veal
1/4 cup (1 ounce/28 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (30 grams) bread crumbs or store-bought unseasoned bread crumbs
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh
Italian parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
12 ounces (342 grams) white button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed, and sliced 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) fresh sweet peas or thawed tiny frozen peas
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable stock or vegetable broth made with Knorr powdered bouillon
6 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) pasta alla chitarra or tagliolini made from
Fresh Egg Pasta or Store bought pasta
4 tablespoons (112 grams) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (1 ounce/28 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
To Make the Meatballs:
Place the meat in a large bowl, add the Parmigiano, egg yolk, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but delicately so as not to compress the meat, which would toughen it.
Place the meat in a large bowl, add the Parmigiano, egg yolk, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but delicately so as not to compress the meat, which would toughen it.
Take a piece of the meat mixture about the size of a small grape and roll the mixture between the palms of your hands into a small ball. Place on a plate, and repeat with the remaining meat mixture.
Line a large shallow plate with paper towels. Set aside.
Heat 1 cup of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Place only as many meatballs in the pan as you can without crowding them and panfry until browned and crisp on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes more. Remove the meatballs from the pan with a spatula and place on the prepared plate to drain.
Repeat with any remaining meatballs.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the peas, toss, and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and mint and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning. Add the meatballs, toss well, and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
Fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts (6.6 liters) of water. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce. Add the butter, the Parmigiano, and a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, and heat over very low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then toss thoroughly, drizzling with more olive oil if desired.
Wine:
A young sparkling Prosecco from the Veneto may seem an unusual selection for meatballs, but because these are made with veal, it's the perfect choice here.
Boccalone
1924 International Blvd
Oakland, CA 94606
(510) 261-8700
www.boccalone.com
Incanto
1550 Church Street
(At the southwest corner of the intersection of Church and Duncan Streets)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 641-4500
www.incanto.biz
Incontro Ristorante
2065 San Ramon Valley Blvd
San Ramon, CA
(925) 820-6969
www.incontrosanramon.com
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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