Sunday, February 19, 2012

Flying visit with bar & meal

Reid & Connie blew through ahead of a winter storm, down to take a look at Aussie pups which he will doubtless blog on. An early evening in the bar, an excellent elk "Brasato" courtesy of reader Roberto, (recipe below), talk til eyes closing of everything from science fiction to Doc Holliday to folk and country music, rare books, and, always, archaeology; sleep, brunch, photos and off. Amazing how many subjects good talkers can bounce through in a short time...

Lib & Connie at the Spur (grannies didn't look like that when we were kids); my good friend of many years and possible cousin Bobby Winston, demolition expert and long- time proprietor of Winston's Chevron, by Connie, trying to scare the camera (Bob is a descendant of Italian- Swiss miners, the Papas and the Strozzis, first into this country before 1860). He loves to give his baleful Jenghiz frown-- "Be careful, I might break the camera!- but I can testify he is the kindest and most loyal of friends. Finally, Reid and me outside Casa Q; photo by Connie.




Brasato by Roberto Buonfante:

"Soak the meat in chunks or cubes in a large bowl totally covered with red wine and add the following: onion, celery, carrots, cloves, bay leaves and very important cracked juniper berries.This mix stays in the refrigerator at least 24 hrs, stir everything at least once.

"Cooking in a pan, I use copper for best results but any would be fine, extra v. olive oil sautee the meat keeping the wine and everything except cloves that are removed with a strain or placed in advance inside a half onion like nails . Add everything and cook with a lid until meat is tender and fully cooked, maybe 1 hour.

"When cooked add one glass of milk with a spoon of flour well dissolved in the milk. Pour into the brasato and cook until the flour is done, let say 15 more min. At the end I add a teaspoon of ground unsweetened cocoa, strange but amazing the result.

"I serve over polenta."

I used elk rather than boar, added a single dry ancho chile for flavor more than heat, and considering altitude among other things cooked it all afternoon in a closed Dutch oven but in an oven set at only 200 degrees. it was at least as good as he predicted.

2 comments:

Reid Farmer said...

What a fun visit! Thanks for your hospitality and see you next month

Cat Urbigkit said...

Looks like a fun time with great people.