Archive for 'Kosher Meat'

Ultimate Kosher Thanksgiving Guide on Kosher.com

Kosher.com Dishes the Dirt on Thanksgiving

Need help with Thanksgiving? Our guide shows you how to shop and cook for the ultimate kosher Thanksgiving celebration.

Check out the Ultimate Kosher Thanksgiving Guide

Read our Kosher Turkey Buying Guide

Get Cooking Tips for the Perfect Thanksgiving Meal

Learn How to Deep Fry a Kosher Turkey

Plus, try these menus:

Kosher Cooking in Season Thanksgiving Menu

Quick & Kosher Thanksgiving Menu

Southern Style Kosher Thanksgiving Menu

It’s not too late to win a $250 shopping spree in the Kosher.com video contest.  Enter now >>>

This Week on Kosher.com …

Fresh or frozen turkey this Thanksgiving? Here’s what you need to know about kosher turkey buying.

Cooking Kosher on a Budget shows you 10 rules for saving money on your weekly grocery bill.
The return of cold weather begs for cozy comfort foods. Nutritious Delicious and Kosher expert, Bonnie Taub-Dix, offers 6 tips that show you how to keep warm with out packing on the pounds.

In Your Kosher Questions Answered, author and challah expert, Tamar Ansh, offers her techniques for getting that fresh taste right out of your freezer.
Plus, try these recipes:
Honey and citrus flavors provide a note of contrast in North African Spiced Turkey with Avocado-Grapefruit Relish
Pair turkey cutlets with roasted fennel and a rich pomegranate pan sauce for a simple, yet elegant, dish. Serve with a nutty-tasting bulgur pilaf for a delightful meal.

10 Tips for Your First Thanksgiving & 3 Foolproof Recipes

  1. Lists, lists and more lists: menu, shopping list, invites, RSVPs and emergency cooking guru numbers
  2. Invest in good equipment—a sturdy roasting pan for even cooking, rack with handles for easy turkey removal, meat thermometer, carving knife , etc. Even an oven thermometer can help make sure your turkey is ready on time.
  3. If you’re using a frozen turkey you must allow adequate time to defrost it—you cannot cook a frozen turkey through on Thanksgiving Day!
  4. Make sure your turkey fits in its pan and the pan fits in the your oven. People sometimes by a big bird and a big pan for a big crowd only to realize that their city apartment oven or older model oven is too small to hold their turkey.
  5. Everything doesn’t have to be homemade-buy some pre-made products to round out your meal—and take guests up on offers to bring something, whether it’s a pie or sodas.
  6. Stuffing doesn’t have to be stuffed into the cavity of your turkey. A lot of cooks make “dressing” baked in the oven.  That way your turkey cooks faster and you don’t have to worry about undercooked stuffing. If you have vegetarians coming, make a vegetarian dressing you can serve to all your Thanksgiving guests.
  7. Timing is everything—­so that all food is hot and ready at the same time, plan recipes accordingly and have lots of covered ovenproof serving dishes available to keep foods warm.
  8. Have plenty of creative hors d’oeuvres on hand to keep guests happy until turkey time. They don’t have to be Thanksgiving themed or even autumnal—try guac/salsa and chips, hummus and pita crisps, sausage bites, etc.
  9. Keep drinks cold—if your fridge is full of food, consider a cooler with ice or keeping drinks in a cold garage or, depending where you live, even outside.
  10. Keep the day for essentials like cooking and celebrating with your guests—clean the house, etc. on the day before.

Bonus: 3 Foolproof Beginner Recipes for Thanksgiving

Roasted Turkey
Cranberry Relish
Roasted Sweet Vegetables

in Spicy Cinnamon Cider

Raise the Steaks this Labor Day

Steak On The GrillBest Kosher.com Cuts for the Last Party of the Summer

For many, Labor Day is bittersweet. We all love the long weekend, but we’re sad to kiss the endless days of summer goodbye. For the perfect send off, why not grill up some super steaks?

Whether you’re cooking for a couple or a crowd, steak is a great choice. Steaks require very little preparation and are easy to cook. With cuts like Kosher.com’s rib steaks and kosher NY strips all you need is a little seasoning, a little oil and a hot grill. Place the steaks on a well-oiled grill at a 45 degree angle and cook over high heat for one minute. Then rotate the steaks 90 degrees and cook one minute more (the steaks will develop great grill marks). Turn your steaks over then turn down the heat to medium low or move the steaks to a cooler part of the grill so they can cook through without burning (about 4-7 minutes depending on desired doneness). Since the meat undergoes a certain amount of “carryover cooking” during the rest, it is best to take your steaks off the grill before they’re done; undercook them by 5°F (see the temperature guide below).

Off the grill, steaks should rest, on a warm plate tented with aluminum foil, for approximately 10 minutes before serving. Resting also helps redistribute a steak’s juices so don’t cut into the meat until the resting is complete. There is nothing better than a juicy steak; cut your steak too early and all the juices will end up on the plate.

If you’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, choose a skirt steak, shoulder steak or London broil. Marinate the meat in an acid-based marinade of your choice for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. The marinade adds flavor and the salt, sugar and acid tenderizes the meat by breaking down the fibers. Remove the meat from the marinade, season, and cook on hot and well-oiled grill like you would any other steak. After resting the meat, slice it on the bias and serve.

The Dos & Don’ts of the Best Kosher Steaks You’ll Ever Eat
Do pick thicker steaks over thinner ones. Denser meat cooks more slowly and evenly and you are less likely to overcook the meat.

Do use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your steak, taking it off the grill about 5°F shy of the desired degree of doneness (see the temperature guide below).

Do serve plenty of appetizers like Guacamole and Chips to keep your guests happy and entertained while you grill.

Guacamole and Chips

Do throw some chicken cutlets on the grill and serve atop this fresh parve Sun-Dried Tomato Caesar Salad for those guests who might not like steak (as crazy as it sounds, these people do exist).

Sun-Dried Tomato Caesar Salad

Do serve some great sides like Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and Israeli Salad.

For dessert, do offer your guests something light and refreshing like a Tea Biscuit and Sorbet Tower.

Don’t use sweet barbecue sauces; the sugars will burn leaving your steak tasting like carbon. If you plan to use barbecue sauce as a glaze, put it on during the last couple of minutes of cooking or, better yet, serve it as a condiment.

Don’t overcook your meat!

Internal Cooking Temperatures for Steak

Rare 120°-125°F
Medium-rare 130°-135°F
Medium 140°-145°F
Medium-well 150°-155°F
Well done Not recommended for steak

Click here to see my video on how to make guacomole and chips.

Get Your Meat On

Groovy shochet

Groovy, man!  Grilling in winter weather is HOT, if you want to get your meat on. When the sun sets early, and the snow flies, that doesn’t have to mean we close up our patios for months on end.  This could beat out light therapy as the new cure for Seasonal Affect Disorder, as well as a fun way to warm up with friends and family. If it isn’t actually sub-freezing out, get out and get grilling!

A foodie blogger and winter grilling enthusiast raves, “I don’t know about you, but I find grilled food in the winter tastes even better than it does in the summer. Really what’s so tough about starting up the grill, especially if it’s a gas grill, and cooking a great meal?”
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