✪ Welcome, Citizen! ✪

✮ The Food Dictator ✮

The Food Revolution Begins Now!

Home » Beef

The Hirshon Swedish Lindström Beef Patties

by 4 Comments

The Hirshon Swedish Lindström Beef Patties

Lindström Beef Patties Image Used Under Creative Commons License From taste.com.au

Citizens, few things in life are as immensely satisfying as a good hamburger – but did you know there are international variants to this perceived “American” classic (FYI, hamburgers are in fact originally a German recipe)?

This one from Sweden via Russia is one of my all-time favorites and it bears a noble pedigree indeed!

Biff à la Lindström is a Swedish dish made from onion, pickled red beets, capers, and ground beef, which is made into patties and fried. It is almost always served with a fried egg on top and a pan gravy is frequently served as well.

Although the name Lindström sounds Swedish, the inclusion of beets and capers makes it likely that the dish originates in Russia. A common story is that the dish was invented by Henrik Lindström (1831–1910), who was born and raised in Saint Petersburg.

He supposedly visited Hotel Witt in Kalmar on May 4, 1862, where he wanted to treat his friends to a meal he used to eat in Russia. He ordered the ingredients needed from the kitchen, and the guests were instructed by Lindström on how to make the patties. The patties were then brought back to the kitchen, where they were fried, and then served. The dish was promptly added to the dinner menu and the dish remains to this on the hotel’s bill of fare.

Another story attributes the dish to Adolf Henrik Lindstrøm, the chef that accompanied both Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen on their missions to the poles and through the Northwest Passage.

My version of this classic recipe adds cornichon pickles, uses ghee for frying and a touch of anchovy – I am quite confident you will love this dish, my Citizens! :)

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
The Hirshon Swedish Lindström Beef Patties

Ingredients

  • 1 Ib (450g) of ground 80/20 beef
  • ¼ Ib (115g) of ground pork
  • 1 Anchovy fillet, finely chopped - TFD uses Ortiz brand only
  • 4 Free range egg yolks
  • 1 goodly pinch of white pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons capers, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon cornichon pickles, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons pickled beetroot, finely diced
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon of Swedish mustard (preferred) or use Dijon
  • Salt & pepper
  • Organic ghee for frying
  • ***
  • To serve:
  • 8 Potatoes
  • 4 Free range eggs
  • Organic ghee for frying, and butter for thickening the sauce
  • ½ Cup (1.25dl) of good beef stock
  • Splash of the cornichon liquid
  • Splash of the pickled beetroot liquid
  • Salt & black pepper
  • Chives for garnish

Instructions

  1. Blend all the ingredients for the beef patties in a large mixing bowl until they are all very well mixed.
  2. With your hands, form 4 large beef patties and fry them over medium heat in butter for about 5 minutes on each side. When done, deglaze the pan with the beef stock and cornichon/beetroot liquids, and let reduce to half.
  3. Thicken the sauce with a knob of butter and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Peel and dice the potatoes and fry them in a little ghee and vegetable oil on low heat until golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside – about 15 minutes.
  5. Fry the eggs in ghee and serve on top of the beef patties. Place the fried potatoes and drizzle the pan sauce around the beef and garnish with chives.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-swedish-lindstrom-beef-patties/

The Hirshon Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge – Rømmegrøt

by 4 Comments

The Hirshon Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge – Rømmegrøt

Rømmegrøt Image Used Under Creative Commons License From arcticgrub.wordpress.com

Citizens, today is my last day in the mighty country of Norway, a place where my heart and soul truly feel most at home!

In asking my Norwegian colleagues about a good recipe to share with TFD Nation, my friends Anne-Signe and Simen suggested this incredibly rich, yet elegantly simple porridge that is one of the national dishes of this most beautiful of the Nordic countries.

Rømmegrøt (sometimes rømmegraut in Nynorsk) is a simple but delicious Norwegian porridge made with sour cream, whole milk, wheat flour, butter, and salt.

Rømme is a Norwegian word meaning a heavy sour cream made from cream or blend of whole milk and cream which is acidified; ‘grøt’ translates as porridge. Traditionally, rømmegrøt is a delicacy prepared for special occasions, including holidays. It is considered to be a traditional Norwegian dish. Recipes differ depending on the region of the country.

Rømmegrøt is thick and sweet and is generally drizzled in butter and sprinkled with sugar and ground cinnamon. Because this is so rich, it is often served in small cups with a small amount of butter topped with brown sugar, cinnamon and cream. Traditionally it is eaten with cured meat.

As noted on the fantastic blog northwildkitchen.com:

Rømmegrøt is thought to have been around during Viking times. Sour cream occurred in limited quantities, therefore, rømmegrøt was a luxury item and party food. This may be why the tradition of serving porridge at weddings – including the so-called “bride porridge” consisting of porridge with raisins – and during Christmas, Confirmation, the birth of a baby and Sankthans began.  Olaug Loken, who released a cookbook in 1897, described rømmegrøt as Norway’s national dish and the highlight of Sankthans.

Rømmegrøt is traditionally a summer dish. There are three traditional summer holidays, Sankthans (23 & 24 June), Olsok (29 July) and Barsok (24 August), which are associated with the serving of rømmegrøt. When friends and family once gathered for these summer feasts, rømmegrøt became the highlight of the menu, for it is possible that during this time the milk was at its best as the cows grazed in the abundance of summer’s grass.

Also, the summer weather would most certainly cause fresh milk to curdle, making it convenient to make porridge for large groups when they had plenty. Rømmegrøt is also associated with other celebrations and is traditionally served at weddings, confirmations, a birth of a baby and during Christmas.

This is an incredibly rich dish, Citizens – serve it in small cups, revel in its flavors and mouthfeel and know that you partake of a dish with Viking DNA!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
The Hirshon Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge – Rømmegrøt

Ingredients

  • Homemade Rømme / Sour Cream:
  • Raw milk
  • Clean, glass jar
  • Rømmegrøt:
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups full-fat sour cream, preferably homemade as described above or use Daisy brand ONLY
  • ½ cup (100g) all purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk, preferably from a Jersey cow
  • ½ cup semolina
  • 1-1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 2 tsp salt
  • For garnish:
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg (optional and not traditional, but TFD enjoys it)
  • Light brown sugar (traditionally, white sugar would be used)
  • Cream and/or the butter you churned from the earlier part of the recipe
  • Raisins (optional)
  • Various cured meats (again optional, but you will risk the full-on Viking wrath of the assembled Norwegian people if you don’t offer it on the side)

Instructions

  1. To make the homemade sour cream:
  2. In order to get proper sour cream, you will need to use raw milk. You cannot use pasteurized milk of any kind or it will turn rancid, not sour, and can make you very ill. I suggest contacting local farmers to find out how you can access raw milk.
  3. That being said, homemade sour cream is quite simple. Taking your raw milk, you will see the cream separates naturally from the milk (there will be a slight color change and two layers). The cream rises to the surface, while the milk sits on the bottom.
  4. With a spoon, take the cream off the milk and place it in a clean jar. Don’t worry if you get some milk with the cream, it will naturally separate during the process. Place a lid on top, slightly ajar.
  5. Leave to sit out at room temperature for about 24-48 hours. The time it takes to sour depends on the temperature, since cream will sour faster on warmer days. Check the sour cream to make sure it has soured and thickened up a bit – it will not be as thick as store bought sour cream because they add in gelatin and thickeners.
  6. When it has soured, place it in the refrigerator and consume within 4-5 days.
  7. Once you have made sour cream from raw milk, you can always take about ½ cup of sour cream from your previous batch with 1 quart of raw cream and mix them (shake them) together in a glass jar with a lid on top. Leave the jar to sit out, with the lid on, for 12-24 hours or until the desired sourness is achieved. Then refrigerate.
  8. To Make The Rømmegrøt:
  9. Bring the heavy cream and sour cream to a simmer in a pot covered with a lid, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour and let the mixture cook, stirring constantly until butter generates on top. Skim off the butter.
  10. In a separate pot, bring milk, buttermilk and semolina to a simmer and cook until a porridge is formed. Whisk in the sour cream mixture and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste. Serve the porridge topped with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar, alternatively you can also add some raisins.
  11. Serve warm and top with cinnamon, sugar and the reserved butter. You can also top with cured meats, such as fenelår. Speck, salami or ham would also work.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-norwegian-sour-cream-porridge-rommegrot/

Hubert’s Cold Korean Noodles With Bulgogi – 비빔면

by 1 Comment

Hubert's Cold Korean Noodles With Bulgogi - 비빔면

Bibim Myeon Image Used Under Creative Commons License From mulpix.com

Citizens, a rare guest chef is in the house! :)

My friend Hubert is one of the most talented home chefs I know, and a technical guru to boot – a potent combination indeed here in Silicon Valley!

I’ll let his recipe for this classic Korean dish amply illustrate his kitchen ninja skills! :)

Koreans have a whole range of spicy noodle dishes, in this case a cold dish made with very thin noodles called somyeon with added flavorings, is one of the most popular traditional noodle dishes in Korean cuisine which is especially popular during summer.

There are many kinds of cold noodle dishes in Korea, including one made with cold beef broth; however, spicy cold noodles have historically been appreciated by spice-loving people in Korea and recognized internationally. What makes this dish so distinct from other cold noodle dishes from different cultures is the strong spicy flavor. Most spicy cold noodles are prepared with a slight touch of sesame oil to enhance the richness of its flavor.

Typically the dish contains beef, julienned cucumbers, and other garnishes which are mixed together with the cooked noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and sugar. Garnishes placed on top and around the spicy noodles include hard-boiled eggs, pickled mu, dried gim strips, sliced cucumbers, and sometimes sliced Korean pear or tomato.

Citizens – I have every confidence you will enjoy Hubert’s recipe to beat the Summer heat! :D

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
Hubert’s Cold Korean Noodles With Bulgogi – 비빔면

Ingredients

  • Bulgogi (불고기):
  • 1 lb of thinly sliced beef sirloin – partially freeze the meat to make it easier to cut very thin
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp of rice syrup (preferred) or sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions or chives
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic.
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds (grilled, preferably)
  • ½ tbsp black pepper
  • Garnishes:
  • Cucumber
  • Korean pear-apple (preferred) or pear
  • Egg
  • Sauce:
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp of gochujang (Korean pepper paste)
  • 2 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • Korean buckwheat (somyeon) noodles

Instructions

  1. Prep marinade, mix, add meat, leave for 30mn minimum, and grill - because the meat is very thin, grilling is a short process. It’s better to brown both sides, and move on. This should be quick. One doesn’t need one of the Korean grilling device, I’ve done it on a flat iron plan. Don’t mind if the syrup and sauce will burn+stick a bit.
  2. Don’t put all the meat and sauce at once. We don’t want things to be “soupy”, or you won’t have the BBQ taste.
  3. Once done, put some aluminum foil on top, and we’ll use the meat later.
  4. Cut cumcumber and korean pear into “matchsticks” about 1mm thick and 10cm long. Wrap to prevent oxydation, we’ll use later.
  5. Make a soft-boiled egg: Boil water. Once water is boiling, put the egg in for 7.5mn EXACTLY. When the time has passes, leave the egg for 1-2 mn in cold water. Make sure there’s enough water to keep things cool. Ice cold is good. Peel, slice and use it later for plating
  6. Cook the noodles following the directions on the package. Duration will vary from seconds to minutes depending on the noodle’s thickness and type. Mine had to be boiled and stirred only for 40 seconds (no more, or they’ll become saggy). Also, wait until the water is boiling before putting the noddles in. Stir during the whole cooking time.
  7. I highly recommend boiling in some kind of straining recipient because it makes it easier to move the noodles out.
  8. When the cooking is done, move the noodles into a large recipient filled with cold water (I add ice cubes). This will prevent them from being saggy or overcooking. You rinse them to remove all the gluten to avoid stickiness. Then you can make a bun by wrapping the noodles around your fingers, like you would do with small electric cables. You could leave them messy, but I just can’t do that. Lol.
  9. Once you have one or two buns of noodles in the bowl, add:
  10. The sauce
  11. The cucumber sticks
  12. The pear sticks
  13. The egg
  14. The meat
  15. And voila! Enjoy and share!
  16. Note: Koreans will typically cut noodles with scissors and mix everything (bibim means “mix”) before eating with chopsticks and spoons.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/huberts-cold-korean-noodles-bulgogi-%eb%b9%84%eb%b9%94%eb%a9%b4/

Like Us And Join The Citizens Of TFD Nation!