Last Night’s Grub

So to go with the Latour, as I said, I decided to splurgeulate a bit and cook a rib roast. I’d never made one before, but by following Sis’ Bingley-proof recipe it turned out trés yum:

For the side dish I decided to try out a recipe from a book that I’ve gotten a great bunch of steak side dish recipes from (written, oddly enough, by a fellow Virginia grad). The recipe is for Tuscan beans and potatos.

You take about a pound of new potatos, cut them into 1/2″ cubes, and get them cooking with 2 tbs each olive oil and butter, and some minced garlic in a large pan (I say ‘some’ because I love garlic, and use tons. The recipe calls for 2 cloves worth, but I use a lot more. Your mileage may vary). Let ’em cook for 20 minutes or so over medium heat, stirring often until the spuds are brown on all sides
While they’re cooking cut 2 oz or so of pancetta into smallish bits. Also chop about 3/4 a cup of red onion and about the same amount of shallots, and put that on the side for the moment.
Oh, and make sure you’ve got a bottle of wine going.

When the spuds are done transfer them to a cookie sheet that you’ve covered with a few layers of paper towels to sop up the excess oil. Refill your wine glass if you haven’t already (a few times, I trust).

Wipe out the pan with some more paper towels (hey, they’re cheap at Costco!) and put 3 tbs olive oil in and crank the heat up to medium high. Plop in the pancetta and cook it until crisp, stirring constantly. Once it gets really going you can turn down the heat a bit.

Don’t forget about the wine! Cooking is hard work; you need to keep your strength up.

Once the Pancetta is crisp turn the heat back to medium, or a touch less, and add the onions and shallots. Sauté them until the onions are clear but not yet browned.

Then add back the potatos, 2 cans (rinsed) of canelli beans, 1/2 cup or so of beef broth, and 6 fresh sage leaves that you’ve ripped into little chunks. Cook for, oh, another 10 minutes or so until it is nicely heated up and mixed. Serve it hot.

With wine, naturally.

3 Responses to “Last Night’s Grub”

1. Dave J says:

   January 15, 2006 at 5:20 pm

   [drooooooool]

2. WunderKraut says:

   January 15, 2006 at 6:03 pm

   I must travel North to dine with Bingley and then travel South to dine with THS….Man…your family rocks.

3. Cullen says:

   January 16, 2006 at 7:30 pm

   The rib roast looks divine. I could take or leave the Tuscan beans and potatoes.