By Carrie Havranek
Time and time again we’ve heard from other Edible Communities publications that readers love recipes! It’s so true and these are some local favorites that we couldn’t help but share here with you. We’re including two timely recipes that we hope you’ll make during the fall, or any time at all, really. (The pretzels are a great weekend project). They’re reprinted with permission from Tasting Pennsylvania (Farcountry Press, 2019; farcountrypress.com), which happens to be my cookbook. It includes 100 recipes, some original (like this one), but most have been adapted from various restaurants, cafés, and food businesses across the Commonwealth. The excellent photographer Alison Conklin photographed all of these recipes in my home kitchen. Let us know what you think!
Amish-Style Soft Pretzels
I have such fond memories of eating buttery soft pretzels, with just the right balance of sweet and salty tastes, at the Amish markets in Philly and South Jersey while growing up. This one comes pretty close, and is a worthy accompaniment to your Oktoberfest celebrations, or for any reason whatsoever.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- Scant 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup baking soda
- Kosher or coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt, brown sugar, yeast, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or by machine, until it’s smooth and soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Flour the dough a little, place on a floured surface, and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 475°. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment or cooking spray.
- Uncover the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Let them rest uncovered for another 5 minutes.
- Using the palms of your hands, roll each piece into a thin rope about 25 to 30 inches long. Twist each rope into a pretzel shape by lifting the ends of the rope, crossing them to make a twist, and then folding them back down on the bottom loop. Gently press the ends so they stay in place.
- Boil 6 to 8 cups of water in a large stockpot and add the baking soda, stirring until it’s dissolved. Reduce to a simmer. Working quickly and carefully, dip each pretzel into the water and simmer for 30 seconds on each side, flipping them with a slotted spoon. They will puff up slightly in the water.
- Transfer to a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher or coarse sea salt. Bake pretzels until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter until the butter is gone. These pretzels are best consumed while warm. They can be reheated in the oven, or frozen and defrosted later in a low oven. Top with your favorite mustard, if desired.
Braised Short Rib Poutine
Recipe from Executive Chef Jeremy Bialker, Two Rivers Brewing Company, EastonHearty and filling, poutine is comforting enough on its own, but short ribs make the dish savory. This recipe serves two generously, but you could easily double it and braise it in a larger pot. Serve this with homemade french fries or good-quality frozen ones.
Ingredients
For the short ribs
- ¾ to 1 pound bone-in short ribs
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 medium white onion roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ bunch fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- ¼ cup tomato purée
- ¾ cup beef stock
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cups brown ale porter, or lager
For the poutine
- 1 pound french fried potatoes tossed in sea salt and finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons canola or other oil
- 1 small white onion sliced into half moons
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese curds or mozzarella
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green parts of scallions
Instructions
For the short ribs
- Preheat the oven to 300°. Pat the beef dry and coat it with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil over high heat in a large skillet. Brown the ribs on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns. Cook the vegetables until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the beef stock and cornstarch until combined. Add the beef back to the pan along with the beef stock and beer, and simmer until reduced by one-third. Cover the pan with foil or lid, and braise in the oven until fork tender, about 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove the beef. Strain the sauce, return it to the pan, and reduce by one-quarter. After the meat has cooled enough to handle, pull it apart, removing the large chunks of fat, but leaving a few for flavor and texture.
For the poutine
- Cook the french fries in the oven according to package directions or make them from scratch on your own.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet in a 350° oven until hot. Remove carefully from the oven and add the fries. Place the short ribs, cheese curds, caramelized onions, and drippings from the onion pan into the skillet. Return it to the oven for about 5 minutes—you want the cheese to melt but not brown. Remove from the oven and top with a little more pan drippings, along with freshly cracked black pepper and the chives or scallions. Serve hot.
Notes
Recipe originally published in Tasting Pennsylvania by Carrie Havranek (photos by Alison Conklin) and reprinted with permission from Farcountry Press.
