July 31 — Existential Autotrip

Ever roast and sear simultaneously?
I do it all the time.
Bad thing if you’re clumsy and forgetful, like me?
Hot! Hot! Hot!

In all my cooking, I have gotten more burns from this style (using it 1 out of ten meals) than all my other cooking combined.
Why? I use a fry pan under the broiler which heats the handle so I could brand cattle with it.
Problem is that an ass, used to the handle of the fry pan being user friendly, may grab for it.
Did I say hot?

Great thing?
It halves the cooking time, reducing the time juices pour out of the animal or fish.
And it gives great sear.

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So what, you ask?
Today’s post is on a recipe that produces great grilled food.
So easy.
So delicious.
So potentially painful.

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Today is Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Good morning, my friends.
This is my 112th consecutive daily posting.

It is 6.05am and the weather? Another glorious day. What a great summer.

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SHORT TAKES

Thumbnail Memorial:
Six firefighters died more than 120 years ago in a relentless blaze at a mattress factory in the West End. There is no memorial to the men, but the tragedy is still remembered by Boston firefighters.

The fire started on the fourth floor of George W. Bent & Co. on Merrimac Street on Feb. 5, 1898, according to a Boston Globe article the next day. Ten firefighters were inside the building battling the fire when the roof suddenly collapsed on them, causing them to fall from the fourth floor to the basement, where they were buried under feathers and other cushioning materials.

Four escaped with burns and other injuries, but the others died. Four of them were found dead in the basement – Patrick Disken, John Mulhern, George Gottwald, and William Welch. District Fire Chief John Egan was pulled from the wreckage and died en route to the hospital, and Captain James Victory died at Massachusetts General Hospital shortly after the fire.

The factory was the site of three previous fires in the two decades before. Repairs after those fires left the building with improper support beams that failed in the 1898 fire, the Globe reported.

“It must have been terrible,” Noonan said. “If you’re killed outright, it’s one thing, but if you’re trapped and you can’t get out – it must be like quicksand.”

An event like the Merrimac Street fire isn’t as likely to happen today, due to the availability of heavy machinery like cranes, Noonan said. He also noted improvements in the city building department’s ability to monitor renovations and ensure safety.

Noonan said the historical society has tried to work with the city to create memorials for firemen who have died in the line of duty, but nothing has come to fruition yet.

“Most people don’t seem to care or pay attention to it, but I think it should be remembered every year,” he said. “It was 120 years ago, but all those guys were married and had children.”

Taken from Wikipedia and the Boston Globe.

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Quiz
Name some of the powers whose claims to land now integral to America were defeated?
And for a touch more complexity, can you name what means were employed to defeat such claims?

The answer to the first question is just before the post.
I didn’t supply the answer to the second, but think on it anyway.

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From Jim Pasto:

Hi Dom,

Today’s post was really interesting; quite varied but all holding together nicely. I did not know that about Margaret Fuller. I had also not known about those early Italians to Boston, the Marquese, Biscaccianti, and Ostinelli and Alessandro. I knew there were Italians here but not the details. Very interesting.

I notice the changes. I think others will too. I think the categories help because they give the variety and also the unity. I like the quiz category too. I think it is all great the way it is evolving.

Jim

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And another one from Marc O who loves movies and books; after a lifetime in theatre now writing up a storm.

Hi Dom,

I love the quizzes, by the way. So far I’m 0 for 2.

And you’re right about the Godfather being a better movie than the book. I was in high school when the book came out and read it during a summer when I worked in a summer stock. I remember having to squint and strain my eyes to read it under a blue running light backstage right, or arching my back sideways to catch some of the spill from the stage lights coming from the box boom house right, neither of which helped me get truly engaged in the story. The movie was better. Can’t say anything about Harry Potter, having neither read the books or seen the films.

Here’s a little note about North by Northwest: During the confrontation in the cafeteria scene at the Mt. Rushmore museum, look for a small, chubby boy center in the background. He’ll use both hands to cover his ears a beat or two before the gun goes off. It’s really cute, which is why Hitchcock probably left it in the final cut.

And the Web Meister responds:
Totally love the anecdotal info you send.
Makes the blog much more interesting.
Why the readership keeps growing.

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Movie Review
“Backdraft” is a 1991 American drama thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen.
The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, Robert De Niro, Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh.
It is about Chicago firefighters on the trail of a serial arsonist.

The film grossed $77.9 million domestically and $74.5 million in foreign markets, for a total gross of $152.4 million, making it the highest-grossing film about firefighters until “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” in 2007.
The film received three Academy Award nominations.

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Answer to Quiz:
Native Americans, (not really ‘natives’ but America’s earliest immigrants,) France, Spain, Mexico, Great Britain, Russia, the Hawaiian people.

Today's Post
LONDON BROIL: SLOW ROAST and SIMULTANEOUS BROIL-SEAR

For the London Broil, specify a piece of Top Round.
Always better to call your order in the day before pickup. Meat markets do not always have every cut of meat.
Move one of the oven racks very close to the broiler flame.

Either the night before we cook it or just before slow-roasting the meat, sit the steak on a rack and brush on a slurry of one or two tablespoons of baking powder mixed with one or two tablespoons of water to make the baking powder easy to apply.
If we have the time, we’ll let the meat dry overnight, on the rack, in the refrigerator.
The marinade will darken the color when the meat is broiled and will help give the meat a seared exterior.

Ready to slow roast?
Set the steak and the rack in a skillet and set it on the lowest oven shelf.
Slow roast the meat for ten minutes a pound.

When the meat is roasted, brush it with Asian Oil (see ‘Recipe Page) or, if you don’t have it, just plain Sesame Oil.
Letting it marinate in the flavors of the Asian Oil for an hour is a good thing.

I do this part first thing in the morning before I make my coffee.
It takes five minutes, and, with little effort, the flavored steak is ready for the simple, although hot, finish whenever we want to cook it.
It’s all very easy if we plan it out.

When ready to Broil/Sear the meat turn on the broiler.

Remove the steak and rack and put a tablespoon of the Asian Oil or substitute in the skillet.
Brush the oil to cover the skillet but do not add more oil.
There is danger of a broiler fire if you add too much oil.

Put the skillet on the shelf next to the flames and let it broil/sear for 3 minutes.

!!Careful handling from now on: hot handle!!

Open the oven and set the London Broil into the skillet (hear it sear) and slide the steak under the flames.

Broil for 4 minutes and check for color.
The steak should be very brown, or it might need another minute or two.

Prepare a Spice mix: 1Tb each of powdered garlic, onion, cumin, curry, ginger, nutmeg and coarse black pepper.
Set aside the extra for another recipe.

We will be VERY CAREFUL removing the skillet from the oven.
It’s hot.

Set the oven to 500*

Remove the steak to the rack.
Spoon 2TB of the fat in the skillet to a small bowl and spoon 2TB of the spice powder into the fat.
Brush both sides of the steak with it.
The rack and steak go back to the skillet.
The skillet goes back to the oven where we’ll cook the steak for ten minutes.

It’ll likely be perfect, especially with ten minutes to settle the juices.
A thermometer should register from 125* to 135*.

For a sauce, I chop parsley and/or basil into softened butter, with salt, coarsely ground pepper, and lemon juice.
Slather this over the steak as it settles on the carving board.

For service, slice the piece at a severe angle.

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Post Scripts
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