R.I.P. Sears — Here’s some of the cool stuff I got to write/shoot for them
Believe it or not, one of the coolest thing I’ve gotten to do was contract work for Sears as part of their Grilling is Happiness campaign. They brought a whole group of people together — Ty Pennington, Sandra Lee, Stephen Raichlen, and … uh, me and Jesse Valenciana. Weird crew!
But the result was delightful. Here’s a small sample of what we got to work on, since the original Grilling is Happiness site has gone long dormant. Plus I’m like 90% sure I have the copyright back on all this stuff, so enjoy.
The Perfect ManBQue Burger
We were (and remain) incredibly opinionated about how to do a good burger. And honestly, once you grind fresh beef for one, it’s hard to go back. We made this one with Brain Killer.
Using Your Whole Grill
We love The Ox King. Like a lot. We used to cater out of local bar/restauraunt/metal venue Cobra Lounge, and turned out many a fine meal to hours of incredibly loud live metal some twenty feet away.
That said, still surprised Sears and their agency didn’t push back on the song choice. It’s quite aggressive. Glad they didn’t because it rules.
Valentine’s Day Corazon de Res
Seriously. We got away with A N Y T H I N G. Which isn’t to say we were half-assing it, but that we were trying all the wildest, most fun stuff we could think of and they smiled and nodded. Honestly, feeling very nostalgic for Sears right now.
Original piece:
The Spanish language has a way of making even the most intimidating of English phrases sound fluid and mellifluous. Take, for example, today’s fine dish. Calling it “beef heart” conjures images of a Soviet-style cafeteria – wool-suited comrades and cow boiled to a uniform socialist grey. So today, we’re not showing you how easy and delicious it is to eat beef heart. No, friends, today you’re going to learn to make Corazon de Res. Much better, right?
Don’t take us for skinny-jeaned Portlandian organ meat hawkers. This isn’t veal stomach, lamb kidney, or fish eye. This is the heart – a lean, flavorful muscle not much different from the other popular cuts of the cow. You don’t shy away from tenderloin, brisket, or New York strip, do you? Then settle yourself, crack a beer, and come learn to impress people with your adventurous nature and deft touch on the grill.
Plus, ladies swoon for the Corazon de Res. This Valentine’s Day, show her she has your heart by giving her a cow’s.
Corazon de Res (with Lambic Blackberry Reduction)
The Setup
Spice Rub
4 tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Grapeseed or peanut oil, to brush
Lambic Blackberry Reduction
12 oz. raspberry lambic beer
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp orange zest
12 oz. frozen blackberries, thawed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz brandy or cognac
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
Cooking
1. Begin to break down the heart, first removing the hard exterior fat and any visible silverskin. Fun fact, this about the only fat in this cut. A very sharp, thin blade works best. When exterior silverskin and fat has been removed, cut the heart along its natural lines into its component chambers, removing the veins as you cut.
2. Remove the membrane and interior veins from the inside of the heart, making sure to only cut away what’s necessary to get to the dark red muscle tissue underneath. Treat it like a piece of fish – smooth, assured cuts. Above all, don’t panic. Heart is about two bucks a pound, there’s enough meat resulting to learn on the job, and tomorrow’s always another day.
3. When you have your meat ready to go, mix the dry ingredients for the rub. Pat the meat dry, brush lightly with the oil, and apply the rub generously. Let sit in the refrigerator while you make the sauce and pre-heat a charcoal or gas grill to its highest heat setting.
4. Bring beer to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir in sugar, orange zest, berries, and vanilla.
5. Cook 15-18 minutes, until slightly thick, stirring frequently to keep the sugars from burning.
6. Mix the arrowroot powder with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl and stir the resulting slurry into the sauce a quarter at a time until the desired texture is reached.
7. Stir in brandy and remove from heat. Spoon into a bowl while you cook the heart. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
8. Here’s where knowing your grill really comes in handy. Beef heart is the leanest of the cuts. Makes NY strip look like a fistful of bacon. So you want to be delicate here. We’re going to cook it rare. Otherwise it’ll seize up and become dry and flavorless. Your date will be crestfallen. Local children will throw rotten fruit at you as you walk to market. So keep the beef on for only as long as it takes to get the Maillard reaction working its magic, adding texture and flavor. For a grill that reaches over 600, keep it to a quick 2:00-2:30 per side. This is assuming a thickness of ½” – ¾”. Adjust expectations up or down as your heart desires. BWAHAHAHAHA.
9. Oil the grill grate and sear the heart. After a quarter of the cooking time, give the heart a quarter turn to burn in that attractive diamond pattern that makes your guests forget their squeamishness. Flip, diamond, and remove to rest for five minutes under foil.
10. When the heart has rested, slice it thinly against the grain at an angle. It should be cool in the center and a deep, rich red. Serve with the lambic sauce and a Barry White record.