Braised Lamb Shanks

This hearty treatment also works well with lamb London broil or stew chunks.
Serve over polenta.

Serves 4

4 lamb shanks (or 3 pounds other lamb cuts)
1 small onion, chopped to ½-inch dice
Handful Italian parsley
3 gloves garlic
1 stalk celery
1 medium carrot
½ cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 28-ounce can tomatoes (We prefer San Marzanos)

Chop onion into ½-inch dice. To make a sofrito, separately chop together the parsley, garlic, carrot, and celery.

Place lamb pieces in a sauté pan and brown over medium heat without oil. Turn to brown on all sides and render most of the fat. Remove lamb to a plate and pour off all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat.

Reheat fat in pan and add onion. Saute 2 minutes, or until soft. Add sofrito and sauté 2 more minutes, without burning the garlic. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. When the wine has reduced by half, add the beef stock and tomatoes. Stir to combine, add reserved lamb. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer 90 minutes, check for doneness. If necessary, continue cooking until lamb is tender. Before serving, skim fat from sauce.

After 70 minutes, make polenta. We suggest using coarse polenta. Serve lamb and sauce over the polenta.

Easy Veal Stew 

This simple stew is easy to prepare and cooks in an hour. It also adapts to
many variations, which you'll find below.

Serves 4

11/2 lb. veal stew
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 or 3 tablespoons onion or shallots, chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper

Heat oil and butter in sauté pan, add onions or shallots and brown lightly over medium heat.

Wipe veal dry, dredge in flour, shake off excess, and add to pan. Brown on all sides.
Pour in white wine, scrape browned bits off bottom of pan. Raise heat to simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook one hour, stirring occasionally.

Variations

Add before covering and cooking:

12 to 15 whole sage leaves OR 1 or 2 sprigs rosemary

I cup frozen peas and 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (reconstituted 30 minutes in hot water, then chopped)

1 cup green beans, in 2-inch pieces

1 cup or more chopped whole tomatoes 

1 cup or more chopped whole tomatoes and one package frozen peas

Filet of Beef with Balsamic Reduction

An excellent Friday dinner: Fast, satisfying, great with red wine, and you deserve it!

1 10-ounce filet mignon per person
1 large red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
¼ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar

Season filets with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add olive oil and then onion slices. Cook 2 minutes or less, until onion is soft but not burned. Push onion to the side and add filet(s). Cook filets 2 minutes, then turn. Add red wine and scrape up brown bits with a wooden spoon. When about half the wine has evaporated, add the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking about 5 minutes, until filet is medium rare and the sauce is slightly reduced.

See our Broiled Portobello Mushrooms recipe for a quick and easy side dish.

Flat Iron or Top Sirloin Steak 

Here’s a family favorite you can prepare in less than 30 minutes. With a simple vegetable and a salad it’s a terrific weeknight dinner.

2 (1-pound) flat iron steaks  or top sirloin steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish 
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 
1 onion, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1/4 cup tomato paste 
2 1/2 cups dry red wine

Prepare the grill or barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the wine. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to a slow simmer. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small 1/2-inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. 

Thinly slice the steaks across the grain. Divide the steak slices among 6 plates. Drizzle the sauce over the steak, drizzle a little more extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

Marinade for Leg of Lamb

This is our all-time, most-reliable marinade for grilling or broiling leg of lamb. Be sure to ask us to bone the leg - and tell us how you're planning to cook it.

For 4 lb. leg - increase quantities for larger legs

2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
Big sprig of rosemary leaves, chopped
1 cup red wine
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Liberal salt and ground pepper

Mix ingredients together. Rub into boned lamb leg. Marinade overnight. 

Here's an excellent side dish:

Orzo with Greek Flavors

1 lb. orzo pasta 1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts (pignoli) 1/4 to 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, quartered 1/4 cup olive oil

Quantities are flexible, depending on your taste.

Boil water for orzo. Meanwhile, Toast pignoli in oven, watching so they don't burn. Roughly chop rosemary leaves. Pit and quarter Kalamatas. 

Drain orzo when done. Toss with other ingredients. Serve immediately.

Osso Bucco with Anchovies 

Serves 4

2 lb. osso bucco
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 large or 6 medium anchovy filets, rinsed
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups beef broth

Preheat oven to 350. In a heavy roasting/braising pan with a lid, warm oil and butter. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned.

Add garlic, osso bucci, and wine, season with salt and liberal grindings of pepper. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, turning osso bucci. And anchovies and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook 2 hours, turning osso bucci every 20 to 30 minutes.

Osso Bucco with Brandy and Orange 

Serves 4

2 to 2 1/2 lb. osso bucco
flour for dredging
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine
1/4 cup brandy
Zest from half a big orange
2 cups chicken stock
1 lb. pappardelle

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide skillet. Pat osso bucci dry with paper towel. Dredge in flour, shake off excess, and immediately brown in pan. Turn after 3 minutes or so. Add onion, garlic, celery, and parsley to pan and sauté until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove browned osso bucci to a plate. (You may need to brown meat in 2 batches. If so, add vegetables to second batch.)

Warm the brandy, pour into pan, and light with a match. Stand back - it will flare up! When brandy has evaporated, add chicken stock and orange zest to the pan. Stir, then add osso bucci. Bring pan to boil, turn osso bucci in wine, cover, and reduce heat to low. Braise two hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, boil water and cook pappardelle per package instructions. Drain. To serve, divide pappardelle among 4 plates, pour sauce over all, and top with osso bucci.

Pork Chops Ferrari 

Use this basic recipe for as many chops as you're cooking. It's quick and good.

Pork chops, 1 to 1 1/4" thick 1 egg, beaten Bread crumbs, spread on a plate I tablespoon olive oil Brandy 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in sauté pan until hot but not smoking.
Dip chop in beaten egg, the coat with bread crumbs.
Saute chop 3 minutes, turn and sauté 2 minutes more.
Remove chop to plate. Deglaze pans with a splash of brandy. Squeeze ½ lemon into pan. Return chop to pan, turn to coast with sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, over and cook 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, serve immediately.

Pork Chops with Ginger Apple Sauce

Serves 4

4 pork chops (boneless or bone-in)
8 creamer potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon
1 bottle applesauce
1-inch piece fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 350. Wash potatoes and chop into ½-inch pieces. Roast in oven 20 minutes. Or fry potatoes in 2 tablespoons oil. Season cooked potatoes with salt and pepper.

Raise oven heat to broil (or pre-heat if you fried he potatoes.) Put chops on broiler pan and broil 6 minutes, then turn and broil 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze lemon juice over. Broil 1 minute more.

While chops broil, peel ginger and grate fine with a box grater. Put applesauce in a saucepan, add grated ginger, and stir. Heat gently without boiling. 

Serve chops with potatoes and applesauce.

Quick “Barbequed” Pork Back Ribs

A nice change of pace for a winter dinner. Kids love it!!

1 rack pork baby back ribs — size depends on your family
1 bottle Guerra’s barbeque sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400. Season ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. 

Roast ribs 30 minutes. Liberally brush on Guerra’s Barbeque Sauce. Return ribs to oven and roast 10 minutes more.

Serve with roasted potatoes. Or choose your favorite side dishes from our deli counter

Roasted Lamb with Olives 

2 lb boneless lamb leg
30 - 40 unpitted black olives
1 - 2 lemons - juice
Bunch fresh oregano OR 1 T dry
1 c. beef stock
1 died chili pepper 
1 T flour
6 T olive oil
2 - 3 T whipping cream (optional)

Dust meat with flour. In a Dutch oven, heat oil and brown meat on all sides.

Season meat with salt & pepper; moisten with juice of 1 lemon and ½ C stock. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove pits from 20-30 olives, chop; seed the pepper. After 30 minutes, sprinkle these and half the oregano over the lamb. Moisten with remaining 1/2 C stock. Cover and finish cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Add remaining whole olives.

Thinly slice meat, hold on heated platter. Season gravy with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Gravy will be thin. If it's too thin, whisk in whipping cream to thicken. Pour gravy over sliced meat, sprinkle with remaining oregano. 

Variation: Add fresh wild mushrooms to gravy 30 hour before it's done.

Roasted Pork Loin

This also works well with pork tenderloin, which needs less cooking time.

2 – 3 pound pork loin roast from the rib end (or tenderloin)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon rosemary (1 tablespoon if fresh)
2 teaspoons sage (1+ tablespoon if fresh)
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1 cup dry white wine

Pre-heat oven to 400. 

Make an herb paste by chopping together the garlic, rosemary, sage, and anise. OR grind the anise seeds in a mini spice grinder, and then add the other ingredients. When spices are ground, mix with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Dry pork loin with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Then rub spice paste over entire surface. Put loin on a roasting rack and roast about 70 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140. Pour wine over the loin and roast 10 minutes more.

Salsa Verde from Torino

The classic condiment for boiled beef, this tangy sauce is equally good with with roasted or broiled beef, veal, or chicken.

Serves four for one meal. Best if prepared 1 hour or more in advance.

3 to 5 filets anchovies, rinsed
1 bunch Italian parsley
¼ to 3/8 cup olive oil

Finely chop anchovies and parsley together. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with olive oil. Let flavors meld before using.

Sausage and Veal Skewers

For 4 skewers
(For more skewers, increase meat quantities and use more white wine.)

4 Guerra's Italian sausages, sliced in 3 pieces
1/3 lb veal stew
1 3/8" slice Pancetta, cut into chunks about 1" by 1"
12 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup white wine 
1/8 cup oil
12 whole fresh sage leaves, halved
4 bamboo or metal skewers 

To assemble skewers:
Thread 3 sausage pieces, 2 or 3 veal stew pieces, and 2 chunks pancetta onto skewer, putting half of a sage leaf between each piece of meat. Repeat until you have enough skewers.

To cook skewers:
Heat olive oil in a broad sauté pan. Add skewers and sauté 5 to 6 minutes, total, turning to brown on all sides. When browned, add ½ cup white wine and deglaze pan. Raise heat to boil wine, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Do not add salt. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes, but no longer. Transfer skewers to plates, pour sauce over.

White Beans with Sausage
and Sage

(Faggioli al uccelletto)

Here’s a short cut to a Tuscan classic that’s perfect for a cold evening when everyone is hungry. Stock up on the ingredients, so you’re always prepared.

This recipe expands easily. The following ingredients are for one person. Just multiply for more people.

1 Guerra’s Italian sausage, in one-inch chunks 1 clove garlic, quartered
1 can Strianesi brand canellini beans
¼ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste or puree
2 fresh sage leaves 
Splash white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oil in a skillet. Add sausage chunks and brown on all sides. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Deglaze pans with white wine, scraping up browned bits.

Drain beans and add to pan with chicken stock, tomato paste, and sage leaves. Bring to a steady, low simmer.

For two servings, simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. For more servings, simmer 10 to 12 minutes.