Many of us are more history-minded these days than usual with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, and there has been a lot of talk of who the greatest presidents of the U.S. might have been. A number of published lists of the greatest U.S. presidents represent the opinions of historians, scholars, and everyday people. Two of the presidents who routinely appear at the top of any of those lists are Washington and Lincoln, and kids will be happy to have some time off of school this month for Presidents’ Day weekend, the celebration of their birthdays.
I am not a historian or scholar, but I can say that it seems to take a really special person to serve as the American President. More than being the first president of the country or issuing a proclamation that emancipated millions of people, Washington and Lincoln, despite their human faults, were very principled men. They stood up for the rights of others, even if it was to their own detriment. This is a very rare trait indeed. So many people stand up only for themselves to the exclusion of their fellow man, that other gentler souls are forced to respond in kind lest they be trampled. But, every once in a great while you see someone stand up for the rights of someone else, and it is indeed a shock.
As an example, we’ve all been in the circumstance of standing for 20 minutes in a long line at the bank or at the grocery store. When another teller or cashier opens his or her station or register, the people who have been waiting only 2 minutes at the back of the line rush to the front leaving those who have previously arrived “in their dust.” But, on a very rare occasion that newly-arrived person will defer to those who were there first, saying something akin to, “You go next, you were here before I was.” What a pity that this behavior is unusual when it should be the norm! All the more often we see people rationalizing their self-serving conduct, taking advantage of others simply because they can. I propose that in honor of their birthdays we follow the example of Washington and Lincoln and do something for the rights of another. Even if that something goes unrecognized, we can rest in the assurance that to do so would be to rise above our baser selves and achieve a small measure of personal greatness.
Speaking of George Washington, consider trying one of the meals he may have eaten back in the day. When we cooked for the episode in Colonial Williamsburg, we prepared meals using 18th century ingredients, techniques and equipment and served it to a panel of experts in old-ways. This is one of those dishes we made, tailored for use in your home kitchen, of course. Enjoy.
Rump Steaks Braised with Mushrooms and Onions in Porter Sauce
Copyright 2009 Robert Irvine, All rights reserved
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
6 eight-ounce rump steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 cup flour
2 large onions, sliced
3 cups mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (your choice of type of mushrooms)
1 quart chicken broth or beef broth
8 ounces porter (dark beer)
2 teaspoons dark molasses
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
3 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, cut into cubes
5 ounces crème fraiche or sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Method:
Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat ⅛ cup of the canola oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan, reserving the rest of the oil. Dredge the steaks in flour, and allow any excess flour to fall away. Sear the steaks, leaving each side undisturbed for about 2 minutes before flipping to allow the seasonings and flour to integrate into the surface of the meat so they don’t “crust off.” Remove the steaks from the pan and set aside on a utility platter. Add the other ⅛ cup of canola oil to the same pan, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté the onions until they become translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Then, add the mushrooms and sauté them until they begin to give up their juices, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken or beef broth, porter beer, molasses, thyme, Tabasco sauce and bay leaves to the onion/mushroom mixture. Reduce the heat to low and return the steaks to the pan. Simmer covered for at least 2 hours, adding enough water (only if needed) to keep the steaks immersed in a liquid throughout the cooking process. Rump steaks are a tough meat and will require slow cooking (braising). You may wish to transfer the ingredients to a crock-pot for this process. When the steaks are fork tender, remove them to a platter, cover and keep in a warm place. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon scoop out the mushrooms and whatever onions remain intact and reserve them in a small bowl, covering them to keep warm. Strain the rest of the liquid temporarily into a bowl, wipe out the pan, and return the juices to the pan. The juices in the pan may have evaporated somewhat, and this is what you want in order to intensify the flavor. Over medium high heat reduce the pan juices to 1 ½ cups with the intent of thickening the juices into a sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the butter, allowing each addition to melt before whisking in the next. Return the mushrooms and onions to the sauce. Stir in the crème fraiche (or sour cream) to finish the sauce. Place the steaks on a serving dish and spoon the sauce over the steaks. Garnish with the fresh chopped chives.
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