Author: Grant Stone

French onion soup with its dark brown caramelised depths hidden beneath a melted cheese crouton is one of the worlds great dishes. Super simple ingredients but manipulated with technique to rise up as a culinary standard.

The onion is such an understated vegetable. It hides most of its life semi-buried behind a thick skin. It’s the introvert of the alliums.

As an ingredient it’s the backbone of so many dishes. Leave the onion out and there will be something missing. It’s the undercoat, the bass line. Defining the flavour of an onion is difficult. It’s well … oniony.

When raw it’s very oniony. Many don’t care much for the naked truth of the onion. Pungent, acrid and tear inducing. Hanging around on the breath and the fingers of the handler.
Fried the smell spreads rapidly – the smell of fairgrounds and football matches.

Even when drowned and boiled to a soft mush the smell of canteens and school dinners leeches out.
Treated gently and slowly caramelised is the necessity for onion soup. Slowly coaxing the sugars and flavours into a dark broth of sweet savoury richness.
Classic recipes for french onion soup are readily available and as always I check out Felicity Cloake Perfect column. These great chefs and their customised versions use the standard approach but whilst I was smoking a chicken recently I had a flash of inspiration.

I love smoked onions. Often whilst doing any smoked meat I will loosely wrap an onion in foil and sneak it into a spare space on the grill. Low and slow the sugars caramelised and the smoke permeates. In itself it’s a thing of beauty to eat alone. It can be saved and chopped into rice or beans, acting like a bouquet garni of umami and gentle smoke. Puréed and mixed into sour cream or hummus.

I had never thought of using this as the base for a french onion soup though? So mission accepted next smoking session goal; Perfecting the smoked onion soup.

A mesquite smoked chicken done at around 275 degrees for 2-3 hours was the perfect setting. I had some sage and onion stuffing so did a stuffed onion at the same time but in the back of the smoker I put a chopped onion in some oil in. As all cast iron pan. Stirred a few times and so had beautiful smoked onion.

Let it cool. Next day in a casserole added the onion to some water and stock. I use concentrated frozen chicken stock but any good stock will do. Avoid stock cubes for this one. There are so few ingredients that the stock is a main player.

Got the whole thing to a simmer and let it bubble away and reduce a little. Threw in. A few thyme leaves and some pepper. A pinch of sugar and a splash of balsamic also assist with bringing the rich sweet savoury flavours out.

Serving is simple and classic. Ladle into an overproof bowl. Put a nice toasted crouton in the middle and cover with grated cheese, ideally gruyere.

Under the grill for 5-10. Ins and then serve.

Who was Norma? I guess it is a reference to the Bellini opera but who cares. This is one of the best vegetarian pasta dishes in my opinion. Its easy to do well but also easy to do badly. As with all pasta sauces (and most good food) using minimal ingredients is better than lots.

This simply needs a finely chopped onion, crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes and an aubergine.

The aubergine is the dish and this is where the magic is. I like small dice, no more than a cm cube and slow cook in olive oil (not EVOO) until they are soft and starting to brown. Add the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook until golden and add the tomatoes. Reduce down a little. Season.

As to pasta shapes with this I like Penne but spaghetti is often used. Make sure to add some pasta water to the sauce – it makes it thicken and adds body.

Add the pasta to the sauce and stir in and coat thoroughly. A grate of parmesan, a splash of EVOO and salt and pepper. (a sprinkle of dried pepper flakes is good but very non-traditional!)

As meats go the flesh of the cow has always been held in high esteem. Grand titles have been bestowed on certain cuts. The Sirloin for example. The legend has it that it was knighted by Henry VIII although the etymology is more likely to be from the old French sur la longe, meaning above the loin.

The Baron of beef is probably a bit grander.The Penguin Companion to Food (2002),defines the Baron as “both sides of the rump together, with the back part of the sirloin attached”. in context that is a big bit of meat. Typically 100 to 200lb in weight it was popular in victorian times to feed large gatherings with reports of such events as the coronation of George IV feeding 700 children in Kingston and Queen Victoria rewarding veterans of the Boer war with a Roasted Baron.

Why a Baron? again from the french derivation for the lower round part or bas-rond.

Cuts of beef are confusing. From country to country different names for the same cuts exist. even if you work these out there can be regional differences within the same country.

A chine of beef generally refers to the backbone but may also refer to a bone in forerib. Samuel Pepys has multiple entries of dining on a chine of beef and his description sounds to be the latter.

On 30th December 1661 he states “I staid at the Mitre, whither I had invited all my old acquaintance of the Exchequer to a good chine of beef, which with three barrels of oysters and three pullets, and plenty of wine and mirth, was our dinner, and there was about twelve of us”. Multiple other references support his liking of such a cut.

How to cook such a cut? Well pepys doesnt give us much idea but talking to butchers this is not a Rib of beef which can be served rare. This needs a long slow cook. Its a hard roking piece of muscle from tyhe from end with a thick fat but little marbling.

It needs a low oven at 140 (or 120 if fan oven). Quick sear to get a bit of maillard reaction. As its low and slow a rub or some mustard will create a great crust.  A decent sized joint will nedd 3-4 hours covered in foil then another hour or so to get a good bark-like crust.

A sign hangs on the wall in the corner of Rusty’s Tacos delaring that tacos are the most important meal of the day.

Thats a big claim in Texas where barbeque could also make the claim. As could steak but in Dallas tacos are a staple. From street tacos at gas stations through to fusion creations the taco is a culinary masterpiece with combinations of flavours and textures such that you can have tacos as every meal of the day and not get bored.

Rustys tacos in Greenville is easily spotted by the huge sign almost the size of the place.

The story of Rustys is that Rusty Fenton wanted to open an authentic mexican style street taco stand in the neighbourhood. He did this in 2010 on the site of a gas station hence the large patio and huge sign.

The menu is totally authentic street tacos.

Thirteen Tacos are on menu with straight up simple meat combinations such as spicy ground beef and potatoes with onion and cilantro, a rosated pork with cotija cheese and pickled red onions or as its texas a slow roasted brisket with BBQ sauce and slaw.

Vegetarian options are just as tasty with a the Rajas taco having grilled poblanos, mushrooms, onions and red peppers topped with queso fresco and cilantro. The black bean taco has chipotle beans pico de gallo, cotija cheese, cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds scattered on top.

Fish and chicken are also available but my personal favotire is the eponymous Rusty taco which has achiote pork with pineapple, onion and cilantro.

Close by Rustys in Knox Henderson is another great Taco joint Velvet Taco.

Next door to the fantastic boot store Tecovas where you can get a polish and a beer sits Velvet taco. The ethos of velvet is in t,he other direction to Rustys. Rather than the authentic route Velvet prides itself on the creative. Velvet taco runs on the principle that “anything goes meets the art of the possible” and claims to be a “temple to the liberated taco”.

The menu clearly reflects this with most tacos unrecognisable as the standards. Shrimp and grits for example with creole mayo, blackened shrimp, crispy pepper jack cheese grits, charred tomato salsa, micro cilantro on a corn tortilla.

The menu features WTF weekly specials, this week being a Reuben taco with corned beef, swiss cheese, velvet sauce, sauerkraut, pickles on a flour tortilla.

The fish taco is served with a curry mayo sauce

The combinations of flavours are fantastic and sound like a fine meal. The grilled salmon, Taco is served on a vibrant pink hibiscus corn tortilla with avocado crema, house shred, lime crema, roasted corn pico, pickled fresnos, and micro cilantro.

One of the most intereting and best tasting is the chicken Tikka taco. Its a spicy combo of crisp chicken tenders with a tikka sauce, buttered cilantro basmati rice, raita crema and Thai basil.

The tacos here are interesting and exciting. the falvours vibrant and zingy. Truly a temple to the libertated taco!