blogfromafar

Live from the Krabill Cucina: steak dinner with steaks we dry-aged in the refrigerator (see November 5 post for the “before” view, and this post for the process). Wonderful flavor and texture, full of savory depth and tender-to-the-tooth mouth feel. Here are the numbers: We paid about $150 for 15 pounds of choice beef rib roast steaks (all in one piece). After ageing them for 10 days or so, and cutting off the “grunge” and excess fat, we ended up with about 8 pounds of meat, or 16 8-oz. steaks, about $9.40 a steak or $18.80 a pound. We froze those that we didn’t eat and now live with the fat and sassy knowledge that whenever we have a rough day or are feeling a little down, we can come home to a simple, rich, succulent, extravagant meal to enjoy with a nice bottle of red. Ahhhhhhh…………

We love Luxardo Marascha cherries from the Veneto. They’re everything our “Maraschinos” are not. First, they taste like cherries, ruby-rich and deep. The texture is plump and just a little resilient. And they come in jam, cherries in syrup, and baba (a sweet cake) in Maraschino, a cherry liqueur. Pictured above? A limpid Luxardo cherry resting in vodka, a perfect holiday “-tini”. The vodka isn’t overwhelmed with foreign flavors; just the right hint seeps through. Of course, there’s a surprise at the bottom of the glass! We’ve got limited supplies of all three at Flavors From Afar - call 214.696.2327 to order!

Live from the Krabill Cucina is a picture of beef that we’re dry-ageing in our adjunct (read “beer”) frig. Most beef is aged for seven days or so before it’s sold at the grocery. We’ve taken it to the next level of flavor and tender texture by ageing it further in the frig. Science experiment? We think not! We’re getting ready for holiday rib eyes! For the process, click here.