Recipes from The Meat Club Cookbook

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (6- to 8-pound) beef brisket, trimmed of external fat
4 yellow onions, chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
10 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed
4 bay leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups red wine

1. Preheat oven to 500F.
2. Liberally salt and pepper brisket.
3. In a large bowl, toss onions, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, thyme and bay leaves with oil, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Spread mixture in a large roasting pan. Place seasoned brisket on top of vegetables. (There should be enough room for everything, but the veggies should peek out only an inch or so around the brisket; if they are too spread out they will burn.)
4. Roast for 10 to 20 minutes, until meat is golden brown all over. Reduce heat to 275F and add wine to the pan. Cook 8 more minutes and then cover the roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil.
5. After 3 hours, check brisket by inserting a knife into the thickest part of meat. While the brisket shouldn’t not fall apart, the knife should meet little or no resistance. If it is not yet tender, continue cooking, checking every 20 minutes until done.
6. Carefully remove meat from the pan, place on a deep platter, and let rest 10 minutes. With a large spoon, transfer vegetables and wine to a blender and add any accumulated juices from the resting brisket. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. If it is too thick, add water or chicken stock until desired consistency is found.
7. Slice brisket again the grain, arrange on a shallow platter, and pour sauce over. The brisket can be colled at this point and reheated in the oven later as needed. Serves 6.

Recipe adapted from The Meat Club Cookbook, copyright 2006 by Vanessa Dina, Kristina Fuller and Gemma DePalma. Recipe courtesy of Chronicle Books, www.chroniclebooks.com. “Relish This or That,” July 2006.

2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 cup red wine, preferably Merlot or Cabernet
1 cup fresh orange juice
5 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place pork, wine, orange juice, basil, orange zest, pepper and garlic in a large, heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Remove pork from the bag and reserve marinade.
4. Heat oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add pork and brown evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes for each side.
5. Transfer meat to a roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes for medium rare.
6. Meanwhile, in the same pan used for browning the pork, add reserved marinade and simmer over medium heat until pork is ready. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with marinade reduction. Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from The Meat Club Cookbook, copyright 2006 by Vanessa Dina, Kristina Fuller and Gemma DePalma. Recipe courtesy of Chronicle Books, www.chroniclebooks.com. “Relish This or That,” July 2006.

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
12 to 15 fresh or dried pitted Bing cherries
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (6- to 7-ounce) bone-in lamb leg steaks, cut 1/2 inch thick

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add shallots and sauté, stirring, until shallots have just softened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Stir in 3 more tablespoons oil along with parsley and cherries.
3. Season mixture with salt and pepper; transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
4. Season lamb steaks with salt and pepper.
5. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add lamb steaks and cook until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer steaks to a platter and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with the cherry relish.

Recipe adapted from The Meat Club Cookbook, copyright 2006 by Vanessa Dina, Kristina Fuller and Gemma DePalma. Recipe courtesy of Chronicle Books, www.chroniclebooks.com. “Relish This or That,” July 2006.