Chili is a funny thing. Everybody’s got a recipe and no two are alike. Some focus on the chilies. Some on the meat. Some have beans. Some don’t. Some are closer to Mex. Some are definitely Tex. Some taste like spaghetti sauce with a bit of grocery store pre-fab mystery chili powder thrown in. Some I get. Some I don’t. This black bean chili is one I get. I hope you get it too.
meat
steak with mushroom cream sauce
Beef, mushrooms, white wine, cream and a bit of dijon mustard. Steak with mushroom cream sauce is a classic restaurant dish. Shallots lend a hint of sweetness countered by the bite of dijon. Nicely balanced against the earthiness of the mushrooms and steak.
neapolitan lasagna with fresh mozzarella
Neapolitan lasagna is a delicious baked pasta dish made with a rich rag and fresh mozzarella. It is a lasagna for when your regular lasagna just won’t do.
braised lamb shanks
Braised lamb shanks. Meltingly tender, rich, delicious. And hard to mess up. Browned meat, aromatics and stock. Simmer gently for a couple hours and you have a meal worthy of a special occasion. Slow food is good food.
hachis parmentier – grown up shepherds pie
The French make a version of shepherds pie they call it hachis parmentier. Leftover stew topped with whipped potatoes loaded with egg yolk and gruyere. Stew, potatoes and cheese. Genius.
the secret to perfect bbq back ribs
There’s a secret to perfect BBQ back ribs. One that will get you awesome ribs every time. Every time. It’s not hard. Internal temperature. That’s it.
pan fried pork chops with chipotle gravy
Pan fried pork chops. The right chop, a hot pan, a few minutes in the oven and a quick pan gravy put a weeknight staple on the the table in 20 minutes or less.
roasted pork with tomatillo sauce
If you have the tomatillo salsa on hand, roasted pork with tomatillo sauce is a quick and easy meal. The salsa darkens as it cooks in the rendered pork fat. The sauce picks up the flavours of the meat to really come together nicely. I used pork tenderloin because I was jammed for time but you could do it with a small pork loin as well. Just up the amount of tomatillo salsa you use to line up with the amount of meat you are preparing.