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Alcatra

JoNorvelleWalker

By JoNorvelleWalker
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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

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The current issue of Cook's Illustrated has a recipe for alcatra, "Easiest-Ever Beef Stew".  It looks interesting, I bought the ingredients, and I intend to make it -- but there is precious little alcatra information on eGullett, or for that matter anywhere in English.

 

From what I can tell from google translate I assume the Portuguese use cassia for cinnamon in their alcatra.  Can anyone verify if this is correct?  CI is not helpful.

 

CI used a Dutch oven for their recipe, but mentioned an alguidar as traditional.  I don't have an alguidar.  Would I be better off using a Dutch oven or an unglazed tagine bottom?  If the recipe works out, is there any source in the US for a real unglazed alguidar?  I cannot find one.  All the online alquidar sellers seem to be in Brazil.  I found a maker in the Azores but only selling locally.  As much as I would love to visit the Azores it is not practical at this time.

 

Paula Wolfert mentioned a source for the French equivalent of an alguidar, made in France, but theirs is glazed, not unglazed as an alguidar is supposed to be.

 

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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I know nothing of this dish, but it does sound good and I would like you to be able to make it and report back!

In the comments section for this on-line recipe, Alcatra – Portuguese Pot Roast, two people mentioned a shop called Amarals in MA sells these pots and will ship if you call them.  

The recipe above and this one and this other one use allspice, but no cinnamon.

Good luck!

 

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

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Thanks!  I had been reading Ortins online and placed holds on two of her books from the library.  She gives a good description of the different types of Portuguese clay cooking vessels.

 

But I could not find the comments about Amaral's.

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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Anna N

Anna N

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3 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Thanks!  I had been reading Ortins online and placed holds on two of her books from the library.  She gives a good description of the different types of Portuguese clay cooking vessels.

 

But I could not find the comments about Amaral's.

 

Can't help but think a Romertopft would work just as well. 

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

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Well, my maiden alcatra is in the oven.

 

Indeed it was the "easiest-ever" beef stew...at least until it came time to cut up the shank.  I've cooked veal shank and lamb shank, but this was my first experience with beef shank.  The most tough and slippery meat I've ever tried to work with.  I went through two knives.

 

For the stew I followed the Cook's Illustrated recipe and instructions with a couple of differences:  for the ingredients I used a stick of cassia rather than a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon.  From what I could figure out from google translate Portuguese savory cuisine is more apt to use cassia than cinnamon.  If I am wrong, someone please correct me.

 

I also added about three times as much allspice, as my berries are very, very old.  I don't often cook with whole allspice.  I also added more garlic.  Never had a stew with too much garlic.  Other than that my ingredients were as specified.  Even if I didn't put my bay leaves in a cheesecloth bag.

 

The cooking vessel gave me some pause.  CI used Dutch ovens as their "alguidar substitute".  I don't have an alguidar either, and while I possess a fine battery of whatever is the plural of creuset, I felt my unglazed tagine bottom would be a more apt replacement.

 

When the alcatra was assembled I covered the tagine with two thicknesses of parchment and the proper sized Le Creuset lid.  From what I have read, for an alcatra the alguidar is traditionally covered with aluminum foil.

 

Anyhow, as I said, the alcatra is in the oven.  And will be for a while.  This brings up another sore point.  CI specifies to serve with "crusty bread or potatoes".  I'm sure CI's facility has no lack of ovens.  My kitchen has but one.  This meant I had to bake the bread hours ahead of dinner.  I was not pleased.  Last night I dined in a restaurant with excellent food -- except for the stale bread.  Why could not the establishment simply have announced:  "We regret we have no bread tonight" rather than serving something disappointing?

 

 

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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gfweb

gfweb

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This recipe sounds great. I really enjoy aromatic spices with stewed meat. Cinnamon, ginger or 5 spice adds a beautiful note.

 

Completely agree about crap bread at good restaurants. No excuse at all.

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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Sounds good.  Did you substitute the stick of cassia for the ground cumin?  Or maybe the print edition is different from the one online. 

Edited to say that now I see the written instructions in the online recipe do indeed mention cinnamon but for some reason, the list of ingredients calls for cumin but not cinnamon.

Edited by blue_dolphin (log)
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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

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36 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Sounds good.  Did you substitute the stick of cassia for the ground cumin?  Or maybe the print edition is different from the one online. 

Edited to say that now I see the written instructions in the online recipe do indeed mention cinnamon but for some reason, the list of ingredients calls for cumin but not cinnamon.

 

Ha ha!  There is no cumin in the printed recipe!  Perhaps Chris Kimball left too soon.

 

Anyhow, better than it ought to have been.  Accompanied by broccolini, a bottle of Altano Douro, and some pretty decent bread.

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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Anna N

Anna N

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1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

Sounds good.  Did you substitute the stick of cassia for the ground cumin?  Or maybe the print edition is different from the one online. 

Edited to say that now I see the written instructions in the online recipe do indeed mention cinnamon but for some reason, the list of ingredients calls for cumin but not cinnamon.

 Strangely if you watch the video on the link you provided there is no mention of cumin.  Without a subscription I am unable to read the recipe in that link.   Don't think I have ever seen long cut shanks.  

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

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41 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Strangely if you watch the video on the link you provided there is no mention of cumin.  Without a subscription I am unable to read the recipe in that link.   Don't think I have ever seen long cut shanks.  

 

Yeah, the cumin is clearly a website typo.  I posted above before I read through the recipe and the description of its development where the author says that she decided to add a little ground cinnamon after testing.

Sloppy for a site that charges a premium!

 

Edited to delete screen capture of ingredient list from this recipe on CI website to avoid the appearance of any copyright violation.

 

Edited by blue_dolphin (log)
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