Sunday Supper: Falafel "Burgers" with Israeli Salad and Pickled Onions

I was talking about Israel the other day with a couple of cousins who had recently been and we were all reminiscing about the falafel there. We all agreed that we have yet to try any here in the US that comes close. It just can't be replicated. This was exciting for me to confirm, because I thought I was just being a snob about it, but apparently i'm not the only one.

I KNEW IT.

I don't know how they do it, but in Israel, the falafel always has this shatteringly crisp outer shell and the creamiest, yet perfectly cooked insides. Since Haifa was the first place I ever tried falafel, I basically ruined myself forever, but even so, it's pretty much fact that most of the falafel sold here is dry, crumbly, over cooked, over-herbed, or (shudder) served cold. Just, no.

In the 10 years (!) since I was in Israel, I have tried many a falafel, from random salad bars, Middle Eastern restaurants, non-Middle Eastern restaurants, and dedicated falafel shops. In that time, I've realized that if I want to eat anything close to my ideal, I'm going to have to make it myself. 

Fortunately for me, years ago Epicurious published a falafel recipe from Joan Nathan, including head notes that made me suspect she was just as picky as I am about her chickpea fritters. Hers is the closest I have come to the perfect memory in my head, and I've tweaked it a tiny bit here and there over the years to result in the best falafel I know how to make. It's spicy, fluffy but creamy, and crispy, with just the right amount of herbs. It's the most authentic Israeli falafel I've found without needing a trans-Atlantic flight on El Al.

Here, I've formed the falafel mixture into larger patties and shoved them into split pita buns with Israeli salad, pickled onions, hummus and a spicy harissa tahini. You end up with what I'm calling a falafel burger, because it really resembles nothing else. It's huge and delicious and filling, but plant-based enough to claim virtuosity if you need it. These are in fact entirely vegan, if you're looking for a little mid-holiday season break from rich meats and butter-laced starches. 

Though of course store-bought is fine, I would heartily recommend making the pita buns yourself, since it's actually a very simple process. Homemade pitas just come out fluffier than their commercial counterparts, which for me is crucial from a texture perspective, but I realize I'm also calling for deep frying and garbanzo soaking and for pickling as well, so do what makes you comfortable. The falafel itself is enough of a Sunday project.

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Falafel Burgers with Israeli Salad and Pickled Onion

Falafel adapted from Joan Nathan

For the Falafel

• 1/2 large onion, cut into quarters
• 2 tbs minced parsley
• 2 tbs minced cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried chile flakes
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4-6 tbs flour
• canola oil, for frying

1. In a food processor, add onion, parsley, cilantro, salt, chile flakes, garlic and cumin and pulse until finely chopped. Add chickpeas and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Add baking powder and 4 tbs flour and pulse until combined. Test a bit of the mixture: if it holds its shape when you squeeze it together and doesn't stick to your hand, it's ready. Othewise, add up to 2 more tbs flour. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. When ready to fry, heat an inch of canola oil in a large cast iron pan to 375 degrees. Form dough by 1/4 cup scoops into thin patties. Fry until golden and puffed a bit, flipping if needed, about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 

Notes:

• To get that perfect, creamy texture, you really need to use raw, dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. Canned chickpeas will work in a pinch, but they are already pre-cooked, so will result in a falafel that is mushier than I prefer. To get the falafel creamy and cooked through without burning the outside, you may find that you need to lower the temperature of the oil to 350.

For serving:

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• juice of 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• pepper
• 1/2 small red onion, siced thinly
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• hummus
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tbs harissa
• pickles (optional)
• 6 pitas, for serving (store-bought or see recipe below)

1. In a bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a small pot, bring water and vinegar to a boil and then pour over the onions in a heat-proof bowl. Let sit at least 20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine tahini and harissa, and mix with enough water to thin to a pourable consistency. 
4. Assemble burgers: Split open pitas and slather inside with a good amount of hummus. Stuff with a falafel patty, cucumber and tomato salad, and pickled onions. Drizzle with spicy tahini and garnish with pickles, if you want.

To make pitas:

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 3/4 tbs granulated yeast (1 packet)
• 3/4 tbs kosher salt
• 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Mix water, yeast and salt in a large bowl and add flour. Stir to fully combine, scrape down bowl and stir to make sure everything is welll combined. Dough should be very wet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until dough rises and begins to flatten on top. You can use the dough at this point or store the dough in the refrigerator until needed (the longer it sits in the refrigerator the more flavor will develop).
2. When ready to bake, heat the oven to at least 500 degrees, and preheat a baking stone or steel. Dust the surface of the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape into balls and dust a large, flat surface with plenty of flour. Roll dough into 1/8 inch thick rounds (if they are too thick they won't puff). You may need to add flour if dough sticks too much. Transfer rolled rounds to a sheet of parchment on the bottom side of a large baking sheet. 
3. Slide the parchment onto the hot baking steel or stone, and bake 5-7 minutes, until puffed. When done, remove pitas from oven and wrap baked pitas in cloth dish towel and set on a cooling rack. As they cool, pitas will deflate a bit and the crust will soften. Repeat with remaining dough.

Sunday Supper: Bulgogi & Kimchi Burritos

I've got another Sunday Supper idea for you! But I have to confess right at the start that this particular meal may be more of a project than even one Sunday can handle. However, it's completely easy to adapt it to a less time-consuming version, provided you decide not to make your own kimchi. 

That's it! All you have to do is buy the jar from the store instead of getting a 2-week head start on your burritos. I'm pretty sure 99.9% of home cooks would be down with that.

I am too, in fact, but I also was dying to try making my own kimchi after my sister did it and reported back that it actually wasn't all that complicated or terrifying. And she was right! The hardest part, I found, was remembering not to leave my kimchi to rot away in my hall closet. It may have had an extra couple of days for that initial ferment, but the kimchi came out delicious and I'm still alive after eating it, so I'll just pretend I meant to leave it there an extra 72 hours. 

Aside from obtaining your kimchi by whatever means you prefer, the only other really time consuming part of these burritos is the bulgogi. It takes some time to marinate and that does require some pre-planning, and if you can't find thinly sliced beef, you may also find yourself shaving a partially-frozen ribeye yourself. I did, and it was so worth it, as that particular cut of meat has just the right amount of fat to come play with the sugars and acids in the marinade.

Beyond that, I've suggested a few toppings here, but I feel burrito fillings are very personal, so you do you, whatever that means. Hopefully you land in a place with kimchi, bulgogi, rice, something crunchy, something extra spicy, and something cooling. Wrap it all up in the biggest tortillas you can find and chow down. 

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Bulgogi & Kimchi Burritos

Kimchi & Bulgogi recipes adapted from Koreatown, pickled daikon adapted from Serious Eats.

You absolutely do not need to make your own kimchi for this, but I'm including the recipe here. Just know if you do choose to make it you need to allow a couple weeks for it to ferment before it will be ready to eat.

I've included recipes here for suggested main fillings and additional fillers. This is all obviously a bit of a project but basically everything can be made ahead. I've also put in some links below for some of the harder to find ingredients.

Main fillings:

For the kimchi:

• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt
• 1 lb napa cabbage
• 1 tbs sweet rice flour
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped, peeled asian pear
• 1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 cup gogucharu (korean red pepper flakes)
• 1/2 bunch scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup peeled and grated daikon

1. Brine the cabbage: Cut cabbage lengthwise in half and then in half crosswise into quarters. In a large bowl, combine sea salt with 6 cups water and add the cabbage. Soak in the salt water for 6 hours at least.
2. Bring rice flour and 1/2 cup water to a boil, and whisk two minutes to a pudding-like consistency. Remove to a bowl to cool and chill until needed.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onion, asian pear, ginger, garlic, 1/8 cup water, fish sauce and sugar. Pulse to puree, then transfer to a large bowl and mix with the chilled rice flour paste, the gogucharu, scallions, carrot and daikon. Toss this mixture with the cabbage and then pack it all into a large glass jar. Seal and place the jar in a plastic bag (this is in case of leaks as the mixture ferments and bubbles), then place it in a dark, cool space, like a closet, for 1-2 days. After this initial fermentation, transfer to the refrigerator and let sit for at least a week before eating.

For the Bulgogi:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbs mirin
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs fresh ground black pepper
• 2 lbs boneless ribeye
• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• vegetable oil, for grilling

1. Make the marinade: in a food processor or blender, add soy sauce, onion, sugar, mirin, garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper and blend to combine. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, covered, up to 24 hours. 
2. Thinly slice the ribeye: freeze for 20 minutes, then, using a very sharp knife, slice into thin strips. Add to the marinade with the scallions and sesame seeds and chill up to 24 hours, at least 8 hours. 
3. When ready to grill, heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over high heat. Blot meat dry and add vegetable oil to the hot pan. Cook meat, flipping frequently, until dark browned and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

For the Nori Rice:

• 2 cups white sushi rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs salt
• 1 sheet nori, toasted

1. Rinse the rice until water runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes. Drain and add to a pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and microwave 30-45 seconds, and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Stir mixture into the rice, then crumble in the nori and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to use.

Additional fillings:

For the Pickled Daikon:

• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 8 whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 lb daikon, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch strips

1. In a saucepan, stir together water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, turmeric, pepper, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then remove mixture from heat and add daikon. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight glass container. Store in the refrigerator.

For the hot sauce:

• 4 tbs goguchang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbs sweet soy sauce (or 1 tbs soy sauce + 1 tsp brown sugar)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbs sesame seeds
• water, to thin if needed

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine.

For the Avocado Sour Cream:

• 1 avocado, removed from peel and pitted
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. Mash/stir all together in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Assembly:

1. Find the largest wheat tortillas you can, and roll up your desired fillings. Enjoy and nap as needed.

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Hard to find ingredients:

Tae-kyung Korean Red Chili Pepper Flakes Powder Gochugaru, 1 Pound

Gochujang Hot Pepper Paste 1.1lbs

Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) - 600 ml(20.2-Ounce)by ABC.

Sunday Supper: Shiitake Crusted Rib Eye

There are a lot of recipes out there for “Easy Weeknight Meals” or “30 Minute Wonders” or basically anything in the Rachel Ray canon that will show you how to pull together an easy dinner in a relatively short amount of time, with minimal effort beyond a little chopping and stirring. I think these are wonderful ideas, and there are many weeknights where I’m happy to use recipes of that sort, or even better, reheat the leftovers of the previous night’s meal.

Sometimes, though, especially on days when I have the time, I’m looking for more of a “project”. I want to spend a few hours on a chill Sunday putting a little effort into my dinner. I want to take the time and go through some steps, and at the end of it I want to feel (hopefully) relaxed, or at the very least, accomplished. If the idea of a few hours of focus on one recipe doesn’t sound relaxing to you, that’s ok, but maybe you just want to feel instead like you learned something or crafted a meal that is “gourmet”. The point is the process as much as the result, to enjoy the act of cooking itself, and to treat yourself with a dinner that is comforting, calorie-full and special ahead of the tough work week to come.

We can worry about our arteries on Monday.

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For our first Sunday Supper, I’m starting us all off with a dinner that is actually pretty light on effort, but does take some prior planning and care. It's worth it though, for a result that is delicious, buttery, and meaty, and definitely not heart-healthy. It's also perfect cozy, "now that it's fall" food.

(Oprah voice) It’s a steeeaaaaak!

If I’m remembering correctly, I’ve only made a steak on this site a couple times, once shoved into a potato and the other time garnishing a salad. I have tried to convince you to try out a vegetarian steak night, but I’ve never thrown up a massive slab of beef and called it dinner.

But I’m doing it now!

Here, for your dining pleasure, is the biggest rib eye I could find, salted with love, sprinkled with mushroom dust and then buttered with abandon in a hot skillet until burnished and sizzling, then rested to tender, mouthwatering perfection.

I mean, HELLO. This screams Sunday night on the couch with a side of baked potato and red wine, does it not? 

Let me assure you though, I may be talking about a large hunk of meat here, but it is intended to serve multiple people. We are not out for steak night on company per diem, ok?

Did I once however, this year, eat an entire steak this size in one sitting? Perhaps, but that is between me and my cholesterol levels. The silver (plaque) lining for my arteries though is that that meal inspired this very steak for YOU. 

And then, because why have a metabolism if you aren’t constantly daring it to work for you, I tested this recipe to near perfection a couple more times. I may have a heart attack, but you get a shiitake crusted rib eye out of it. 

You’re welcome.

Considering how easy this steak is to prepare and cook, it really took me a while to nail down the recipe. At first I thought I should sear and then also roast to finish, before realizing I wasn't working with a two-inch thick rib eye like so many recipes call for, nor am I likely to even find that at my local grocery store (I'm sure my favorite butcher shop could cut that for me and offer it dry-aged as well, but sometimes I like some of my money to stay in my pocket).  So, with a little hint from the Bible, a.k.a. The Food Lab, I adjusted for the more easily found 1-1 1/2 inch thick cuts, and wow, the results were so much better, and wonderfully, require fewer dishes and therefore less cleanup.

You might be able to tell from the photos that I still haven't quite dialed into the perfect cooking time for medium doneness. However, I'm sharing this recipe anyway because I suspect that the proper cooking time has a lot to do with what "medium low" means for your stove and how long you want to cook your meat for (and whether you possess an instant-read thermometer), so let's all embrace the learning curve and jump in, shall we?

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Shiitake Crusted Pan Seared Rib Eye

Cooking technique adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. He calls for 2 steaks to serve 4, but I got 4 meals out of this one for myself, so I'm only calling for 1 steak here. Adjust according to your own appetite.

• One, 1-1 1/2 inch thick bone-in ribeye, about one pound (try to find the thickest cut you can)
• kosher salt, for seasoning and 1/4 tsp for spice mix
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbs shiitake powder (or any other ground mushroom powder you like)
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 3 large cloves garlic
• a handful of thyme sprigs
• 1/2 stick of butter (4 tbs)
• balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
• flaky sea salt, for garnish

1. Pat steak dry with paper towels and generously season with salt and pepper on all sides, including the edges. Let rest at room temperature for at least 45 minutes, or better yet, on a rimmed baking sheet, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight. 
2. When ready to cook, mix together your spices and shiitake powder with 1/4 tsp salt and rub all over the steak. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron is best here) over high heat until just smoking. Gently lay the steak in the pan away from you so you don't splash yourself with hot oil. Cook for about 4 minutes, flipping as much as you like, until both sides start to form a crust. Flipping frequently helps keep the mushroom mix from burning. If things start to get too smoky you can lower the heat to medium-low.
3. If you haven't already lowered the heat on your pan, lower it now to medium-low and the add the butter, thyme and garlic to the pan. Continue flipping the steak occasionally, and, using a spoon, baste the steak with the butter as it gets infused with the herbs and garlic and begins to brown, about 5-6 minutes more for medium (if you don't want to guess, use an instant-read thermometer and cook to 120 degrees for medium-rare and 130 degrees for medium). Transfer steak to a plate or cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Reheat the butter and drippings in the pan, and drizzle over the steak with your spoon to re-crisp it a bit. Slice up the steak, and to serve, drizzle the slices with a little balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.