The feature this weekend is Beef & Broccoli. It includes umami braised beef cheeks, charred romanesco, crispy forbidden rice and togarashi Asian pear salsa.
So why are we doing a typical, and usually not exciting, Chinese-American dish as a special? It's because Chef John's favorite thing to do is take a dish he commonly had in his childhood and up level it. In this case, he's taking it up multiple levels.
Let's look at what is going into this dish.. First off is the beef cheeks. While not a common cut of meat you see, cheeks are Chef John's favorite cut of meat on an animal. The combination of flavor and texture make it perfect for this dish. This specific beef is coming from Masami Ranch, a free range American wagyu ranch in Klamath Falls, and has been braising over the last couple of days.
The broccoli in the dish is using Romanesco (also known as Roman Broccoli). Romanesco is part of the broccoli family, but is slightly different in appearance and taste. It grows similar to a crystal does by having the layers continue to grow on top of each other and it is really just a gorgeous vegetable (as you can see in the picture). Chef is going to blanch and char it before it goes into the dish.
The crispy rice is the starch component of the dish and Chef is using black forbidden rice. It is much higher in nutritional value and the taste will compliment this dish. It it will served crispy to add a crunch to the dish.
The sauce that brings everything together is going to have a special component, huckleberries from the Oregon Coast. This was actually a surprise from one of our amazing local suppliers and it fit perfectly into the dish. These will be integrated into the sauce to sweeten and provide texture.
And to top it off, an Asian pear salsa will be used. Asian pairs are still in season and we have access to an abundance of them. Its a crisp and delicious way to add additional character to an already rockin' dish.
Bon Appétit,
The Lindsay Team