Birthdays come once a year, and as such, I think they should
be special. It is a tradition in my family that for your birthday, you can have
whatever you want for dinner. This included going out. By the time I was 12, I
was already asking for hibachi shows and steak dinners. I carry on this
tradition with my girlfriend, who had a birthday this past weekend. Part and parcel
to the festivities, she got to dictate the meal and chose to employ our own
kitchen for her meal.
The dinner started with a trip to Whole Foods. We headed for
the meat department and selected two different animals, bison and lamb. The
bison was a lean, long, top sirloin cut. The meat was a ruby red with just a
hint of brown. The lamb was a bone-in shoulder cut. It had a little more
connective tissue and intravenous fat than I usually prefer, but the “lolichops”
that you usually get have so much bone compared to the meat, I was in the mood
for something else.
Next stop, cheese department. I have been keeping up with my
journal and only have furthered my relationship with the cheese monger there.
After telling him of the special occasion and our meat selection, he walked us
through a variety of options. In general a cheese plate should only have about
three different cheeses, as the palate can be exhausted after they are paired
with a variety of accouterments. After sampling an assortment of Spanish
cheeses, manchegos ranging in age from three to nine months, a mild mahon
(another sheep milk cheese) and a cordobes, with a slightly gamy flavor, we
chose the six month manchego. We stayed in Europe but switched animals as we sought
a softer cheese. The French Bucherondin is an aged goat cheese, the outer layer
slightly gray, the rind tangy, and the inside a crumbly snow white. I suggest
getting it cut fresh from the log, as goat cheese loses some of its character
the longer it’s oxidized. Finally, we went to a third animal for a cow’s milk
blue cheese. Soft, not crumbly, it was well molded but only lightly funky, we didn’t
want to overpower our other selections.
The meal began as many good meals have, chopping vegetables.
Mushrooms, onions, whole cloves of garlic, carrot, cauliflower, and peppers
were all tossed in kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary and olive oil,
then roasted at 450˚ until they just started browning on the outer edges.
While the vegetation was roasting, I tried my hand at
risotto. Arborio rice, a short grain, Italian variety, is typically used in the
dish. When cooked, the rice becomes firm, creamy, and chewy. After sautéing some
wild mushrooms (another find from Whole Foods) and onion, I added the rice to
the vegetables and hit it with a little dry white wine. As the rice soaked up
the liquid, I continued to add chicken stock, one ladle at a time, never
ceasing stirring. After the sixth ladle, I tasted the rice for consistency and
once satisfied, added parmesan cheese and a finish of truffle oil.
The meats were seasoned simply with smoked salt, fresh
ground pepper, garlic and onion powder. Seared on a 500˚ grill until they
reached an internal temperature of 160˚, then rested under foil for five minutes.
I believe that if you are going to spend the money on quality meat, let it
speak for itself, don’t cover it with spices and sauces. The meal was paired
with a 2010 California Zinfandel. Dark, juicy flavors of cherry and plum were
deepened with notes of espresso and smoke. It played well with the char of the
steak and the uname in the risotto.
Birthday cake was forgone for the above mentioned cheeses. Allowed
to come to room temperature and plated with green apple, toasted nuts, honey,
quince paste, fig/orange jam, and whole grain crackers. We tarried across
flavors and textures, sampling things both combined and individually. For those
wondering, we did not eat the entire board pictured (though we might have been
able to).
Happy birthday my dear. I hope I was able to make it
special.
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