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Sausage

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A hearty stew is the ultimate cold weather meal. METRO photo

By Barbara Beltrami

The way things look, it’s going to be a long, isolated winter indoors. So, determined to extend our outdoor life even as the weather gets chilly and the garden goes brown, we’ve treated ourselves to a fire pit for the patio and are hoping we can bundle up, hunker down and keep warm long into the season as we fortify ourselves with lots of hearty stews and soups. Here are three unusual and delicious stews to try.

Chicken and Chickpea Stew

YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 celery ribs, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 medium onion, diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

One 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes w/ juice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

4 chicken breast halves, bone in

One 15 ounce can chick peas, rinsed/drained

DIRECTIONS:

In an approximately 6-quart saucepan or pot, warm oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is opaque, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add tomatoes, broth, parsley, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and chicken breasts; be sure the chicken is submerged in the liquid. Bring liquid to a simmer, stir occasionally, and turn breasts once until they are almost cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. With tongs, remove chicken and set on work surface till cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes; discard bay leaf. Meanwhile add chick peas to mixture and simmer until liquid is reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove skin and bones from chicken, cut meat into bite-size pieces and return to pot; bring stew to a simmer, then serve piping hot with crusty bread and a Caesar salad.

Pork and Sweet Potato Stew with Prunes

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

2 large onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup dry white wine

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup chopped pitted prunes, soaked in hot water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Season pork with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven or large enameled cast iron pot, heat half the oil over medium-high heat, add the pork and stirring occasionally, brown it on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. remove and set aside to keep warm. Meanwhile in small saucepan, over high heat, boil chicken broth until reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add remaining oil to Dutch oven, then onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are opaque, about 5 minutes; stir in garlic, cumin, pepper and bay leaf and cook over medium heat about one minute, until ingredients release their aroma; add wine and boil until reduced by half, then stir in tomatoes, broth and pork; bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to oven; cook for one hour. Return pot to stove top, add sweet potatoes; cook over medium heat until they are tender, about 20 minutes; drain prunes and add to pot; cook 5 more minutes; discard bay leaf. Serve hot with a side of cauliflower.

Sausage, Cannellini Bean and Broccoli Rabe Stew

YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Three 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained,

1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems removed, then washed drained and sliced into 1” pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add broth, bay leaf, beans, broccoli rabe, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then cook, covered, over medium-low heat about 10 to 15 minutes, until broccoli rabe is tender. Discard bay leaf. Place in soup tureen and drizzle with oil and grated cheese. Serve hot with orzo.

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Acorn Squash. Metro photo

By Barbara Beltrami

The minute I see mums and pumpkins and squash piled in pyramids I start to think autumn.  The sunflowers and geraniums are still prolific, there’s a little basil and a few tomatoes left in the garden, but I’ve gone fickle, have lost interest in them and am now focused on things autumnal. In come those earthy veggies, out come the recipes. Acorn squash is my favorite because it’s delicious baked with just butter, salt and pepper or stuffed with a variety of concoctions. Preparation is simple: Wash it, halve it stem to end, and scoop out the seeds.

Sausage, Apple and Fennel- Stuffed Acorn Squash

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash, washed, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian fennel sausage

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped fennel

2 Granny Smith apples, pared, cored and diced

1 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 large egg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place squash halves, cut side up, in shallow baking pan, brush with butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until tender but not mushy. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides; remove and set aside; place onion, fennel, apple and sage in skillet and, stirring frequently, sauté until tender. Remove sausage from casing and crumble; in medium bowl, combine with sautéed veggies; stir in bread crumbs and egg. Scoop filling into baked squash halves, return to oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and a little bit crisp on top. Serve hot with poultry or pork.

Curried Quinoa and Raisin- Stuffed Acorn Squash

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash, washed halved, and seeded

Scant 1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Scant 1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 large shallot, chopped

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup raisins, soaked in warm water and drained

1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts

1 cup finely chopped Italian flat parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place squash halves, cut side up, in a shallow baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, brown sugar and two tablespoons of the oil; brush squash with mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until flesh is tender, about 50 to 60 minutes.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat; add shallot and, stirring occasionally, cook about 5 minutes, until browned. Add quinoa, spices, and salt and stir until they are browned and release their aroma, just a minute or so. Add 2 cups hot water, bring to simmer, cover skillet and continue simmering until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in raisins, pistachios and half of parsley. Scoop into squash halves and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve hot with lamb, beef or poultry.

Wild Rice, Mushroom and Spinach- Stuffed Acorn Squash

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup wild rice, cooked according to package directions

4 acorn squash, wash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

One 1-pound package fresh spinach, washed and chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush cut sides of squash with half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on baking sheet and roast 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.

In large skillet heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and celery and sauté, stirring frequently until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté another 3 to 5 minutes; add garlic, thyme and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, just a minute or two.

Stir in cooked rice and lemon juice, adjust seasonings and scoop mixture into squash halves. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot with poultry, meat or fish.

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Sausage, Peppers, Onion and Tomato Hero

By Barbara Beltrami

Ever since one of my favorite readers suggested I do recipes on sausages, I’ve been combing my files for my favorite and most successful ones. Surely pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage is a staple in my repertoire of easy hearty meals, and kielbasa with potatoes, sauerkraut and apples is another. And for an ever popular sandwich, especially when I’ve got the grill going, there’s the sausage, pepper, onion and tomato hero. None of these recipes is particularly exotic, delicate or light, but each one is a delicious interruption to a string of ho-hum meals.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound orecchiette pasta

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

2 bunches broccoli rabe, washed and stems removed

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon or more, or more, if desired, crushed red pepper flakes

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin

Coarse salt to taste

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions; reserve cooking water in pot. Set pasta aside to keep warm. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook sausages until brown on all sides; remove from skillet and when cool enough to handle cut into half-inch slices. Set aside to keep warm. Drain all but one tablespoon sausage fat.  In reserved pasta water cook broccoli rabe until bright green and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to skillet, add olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and sliced sausage; stir and cook over medium heat 5 minutes until garlic is cooked through but not brown. Place pasta in a large bowl, add sausage and broccoli rabe mixture, toss, then sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve with a tomato and mozzarella salad and warm, crusty bread and extra virgin olive oil for dipping.

Kielbasa with Sauerkraut, Potatoes and Apples

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound sauerkraut, drained

3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks and boiled in salted water 5 minutes

2 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

½ cup flat beer

¼ teaspoon caraway seeds

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1-inch slices

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a two-quart casserole. In a large bowl, toss together the sauerkraut, potatoes, apples, beer, caraway seeds and black pepper. Top with kielbasa slices; cover and bake for 10 minutes; uncover and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until kielbasa is brown and other ingredients are heated through and tender. Serve hot with pumpernickel bread and butter, pickled beets and beer.

Sausage, Peppers, Onion and Tomato Hero

Sausage, Peppers, Onion and Tomato Hero

YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

8 sweet or hot Italian sausages, cut into 4 pieces each 

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, mashed and minced

5 red or yellow bell peppers, washed, cleaned and seeded, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips

3 green bell peppers, washed, cleaned and seeded, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips

1 pound fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 large onions, peeled and sliced

1 handful parsley, washed and chopped

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage pieces on all sides; leave in pan. In same skillet heat the oil and garlic; remove garlic as soon as it starts to brown. Add peppers, cover pan and cook over low heat until they are slightly limp, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, onions, parsley and salt. Toss all ingredients together. Return cover to pan, but leave it slightly askew. Cook 30 minutes, until all veggies are soft. Serve hot on crusty Italian bread accompanied by marinated artichokes, olives, eggplant caponata and provolone cheese.

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Ribs are all fired up. Photo from Jonathan Levine/Smoke Shack Blues

By Steve Mosco

Thousands of years ago, mankind crawled out of its primordial origins, stood upright and decided to quit choking down chunks of raw flesh. These prehistoric freethinkers put meat to heat, creating a ritual that continues to compel the carnivore spirit in an endless quest for the slow-smoked supernatural.

The ritual is barbecue and it goes well beyond hot dogs and hamburgers hastily seared on a dirty backyard grill. It is a culinary style reserved for the meticulously obsessive chef, as cooking times can range from several hours to more than half a day and doneness is measured in burnt ends and smoke rings.

“Smoking is such 
an important 
cooking technique. 
In barbecue, it might be the most important.” — Eric Rifkin, Bobbique in Patchogue

Meat, time, heat and smoke; there are no secrets in barbecue, just obsession.

And the obsession is heating up on Long Island. A decade or so in the past, the number of barbecue joints on the Island could be counted on one sauce-stained hand. Now, slabs of brisket, piles of pork, racks of ribs and links of sausage are readily available in napkin-destroying glory in a growing number of eateries.

To travel the Island seeking out these restaurants is to explore the diverse nature of barbecue itself.

Barbecue is a fundamental element in America’s cooking culture; it is the only truly American cuisine, and like everything else purely American, its form is contingent on its regional influences.

There’s Memphis-style pit barbecue, which is high on the hog in rib and pulled form, served in a tangy, thin tomato-based sauce. The Carolinas offer two distinct forms of ‘cue, with North giving us spice and vinegar basted pork and the South opting a sauce that is more mustard based. Kansas City style cooks its meats super slow and super low over hickory wood, served with a thick and sweet molasses sauce. In Texas, meat is king, as dinosaur-sized beef ribs are served alongside a heaping portion of brisket and sauce is usually an afterthought.

St. Louis Spare Ribs
Ingredients: 4-5 pounds pork back “spare” ribs; Your favorite dry rub; Mustard; Your favorite barbecue sauce; Wood chunks or chips for added smoke (optional)
Directions: To start, choose some fresh pork spare ribs. Preheat your grill to 225-250 F. Wash and dry ribs, then trim and remove the membrane. Now rub in mustard on all sides. Lightly apply dry rub seasoning to both sides of the slab. Let stand for 15-30 minutes. Allow ribs to come to room temperature just before placing on the grill. Place a water or basting pan on the grill or within the coals for added moisture (optional). Barbecue at 225-250 F opposite coals with closed grill lid for 3-4 hours. Mop the ribs several times. To keep from overcooking, remove the racks when they pull apart easily, with meat still attached to the bone. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Barbecue on Long Island is trending toward an amalgamation of styles, with professionally trained chefs taming fire to give the public what it wants.

Bobbique in Patchogue (70 W. Main St.) specializes in Memphis-style pit barbecue. For chef Eric Rifkin, it all started with an inspirational trip to Memphis, Tennessee. With a menu that includes such staples as St. Louis-style ribs, brisket and pulled pork, as well as barbecued salmon and shrimp, Rifkin’s slow-cooking technique utilizes an authentic, soulful southern charm that acts as a great equalizer at mealtime.

“Barbecue is a communal experience,” says Rifkin. “People come together, roll up their sleeves, feel, touch the meat. It’s become a comfort thing. It’s a ‘talk to the table next to you’ kind of meal.”

Rifkin is a classically trained chef with an impressive resume. In transferring his refined talents to the decidedly less polished cooking style of the pit, Rifkin developed his own art of smoke, one of barbecue’s essential elements.

“Smoking is such an important cooking technique. In barbecue, it might be the most important,” he says. “The smoke imparts flavor into cuts of meat that were at one time less desirable. The right kind of smoke used the correct way changes everything.”

Another chef blurring the lines between barbecue boundaries is Jonathan Levine, whose restaurant Smoke Shack Blues opens in Port Jefferson this September. A chef with an origin story that includes fancy cuisine of the French-Italian lineage, Levine’s career trajectory was altered by traveling through the Carolinas and Texas during a family vacation.

It was during that trip he experienced the powerful effects of low-temp cooking combined with smoke. The science of low and slow with smoke melts the fat within, and that translucent succulence bastes the meat from the inside while the outer bark encases the juices until it’s ready for the cutting board.

“Everything is kept inside the meat,” says Levine. “The same cut of meat that is unremarkable cooked one way is made incredible when cooked in true barbecue style. All of those juices rendering inside for 14 hours or so makes for a completely different eating experience.”

Levine recently gave locals a taste of what to expect from his forthcoming restaurant at multiple events at Benner’s Farm in East Setauket. He offered pork shoulder for Western Carolina style pulled pork, smoked barbecue chicken, pork ribs and even tins of his own barbecue dry rub.

“It’s so easy for a chef to toss his meat in a sauce,” he says. “But with a dry rub, there is really nowhere to hide. It is all about the meat.”

Molasses BBQ Chicken
Ingredients for glaze: Cider vinegar — 1⁄4 cup (4 tablespoons); Brown mustard — 1⁄2 cup (8 tablespoons); Molasses — 1 cup (16 tablespoons); Salt — 4 teaspoons; Fresh black pepper — 2 teaspoons
Other Ingredients: Chicken — 6 pounds; Salt — to taste; Pepper — to taste
Directions: Preheat grill. In a pan pour in cider vinegar, add mustard and mix. Add in the molasses, mix well, season with salt and pepper. Place the pan on hot coals and allow to simmer. Place the chicken pieces over indirect heat on grill and season with salt and pepper. Cover and grill at 350 F and cook for about 1 hour. After 20 minutes of cooking, brush the chicken with the glaze after every 15 minutes. When about to be done, sear over direct heat for few minutes.

The nature of Long Island’s cross-cultural barbecue style has even influenced a man who didn’t require an illuminating trip to America’s smoked-meat meccas. Lloyd Adams is a Texan through and through. A marriage brought him to Long Island in 1995 and by 2003 he started Laura’s BBQ Shack, a traveling Texas-style barbecue smoker that rolls into events like a traveling carnival of meat.

After a few years of struggling to find a foothold in the Island’s barbecue scene, Adams’ big break came at an event hosted by the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce. Long before many of the Island’s barbecue restaurants were even a gleam in a chef’s eye, Adams was schooling locals on true barbecue.

“I spent a lot of time explaining it as a cooking method,” says Adams. “I had to explain that the meat might be pink, but it is not raw. That pink you see is from the authentic smoke and the low-temperature cooking.”

But as barbecue continues to marinate and mature on the Island, people are becoming savvier; they are learning to embrace those pink smoke rings and burnt ends, according to Adams.

“People are much more educated about barbecue these days,” he says. “People aren’t going for it multiple times a week like they might Chinese or Italian, but it is growing.”

The ever-evolving Long Island barbecue scene will likely continue to expand to new flavor territories as each new generation cuts through the smoke and slides up to flames. Even in Adams’ own enterprise, the Texas-strong style has morphed to include much more pork than is usually found on slabs in the Lone Star state.

That’s merely one example of the ever-changing story of barbecue culture. And on Long Island, this quintessentially American style of making meat better will continue to raise its flavor profile.

“Whether you are cooking beef or pork or using one style or another, it is important to take pride in your barbecue and always be your own worst critic,” says Adams. “People here are willing to listen and to learn and I suppose that’s a good sign.”

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