Tackling the Tri-Tip in the Slow Cooker

The tri-tip cut of the beef brisket can be a challenge to home cooks, perhaps so much so that many might choose to not deal with it at all. The cookbooks tell us that the cut can be grilled, but honestly, I have not had great success with that method. The problem is that the cut is very lean, with not much marbling. I don't care for rare meats, so cooking only until pink inside is not my cup of tea.

I have done much, much better smoking this cut, however. It always comes out juicy, tender and beautifully seasoned. But of course, there is smoker setup time, temperature control and clean up afterward. If I have time these steps are no problem for me at all; however this weekend, I had grandpa duties with my 4 month old grandson and didn't want him to smell like a pit-master when went he home on Sunday, so my next obvious choice was to use my slow cooker. It's an easy recipe, and left me plenty of time to visit with the kids:

INGREDIENTS

1 2-3 lb. beef tri-tip, well trimmed (most grocery store cuts are already trimmed well).
2/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth, low sodium
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Turn on the slow cooker and set to low. Mix the liquid ingredients with the chili powder and set aside. Salt and pepper both sides of the tri-tip. On medium high heat, heat the oil and brown both sides of the beef until a nice crust forms on both sides. This should take 6-7 minutes.

Add some of the sliced onions to the bottom of the slow cooker and set the browned meat on top of them. Place the remainder of the onions on top and pour the barbecue sauce mixture all over the top of the meat and onions. Pour the broth along the sides of the meat for added moisture. Cover the the slow cooker with its lid and let it cook for 8 hours. If you are in a hurry set the slow cooker to high heat and cook for four hours. Don't peek!

SLICING

Pull the meat out of the slow cooker after completion of coking and let rest for five minutes. The tri-tip cut looks like a boomerang, with a long lobe and a short lobe. The mid-point of these lobes is the grain dividing line. It may be easier to cut the meat in half at this point. The short lobe can be cut from tip to the centerline cut of the tri-tip. The long portion has a grain the runs across the meat, so cutting along the long side of this lob will yield the best results. Cutting on the bias results in wonderfully juicy and tender slices, which can be dressed with some of the sauce in the bowl of the slow cooker and garnished with the cooked onion.

Serve with a dinner salad and nice crusty bread.

Digital Revolt or Nostalgic Whims?

The media is finally taking notice of a cultural trend this year that may be just the tip of the iceberg - the need of people to get away from the thumb-jamming, ear-pounding demand of our digital devices in order to find some quiet time for themselves away from their phones, tablets, laptops and computers. How many of us walk around all day long with a phone in our hands? And how many meals with family have we seen interrupted by one or all of the gathering disconnect from needed family time in order to text someone or respond to another text? It's maddening.

I was very interested recently to read several articles in the New Yorker, New York Times, Huffington Post and Business Weekly all talking about adult coloring books and their growing popularity. Several have been in the top ten in sales on Amazon.com, and the craft stores can't seem to keep them on their shelves. People are trying to find a way to just put those phones down, de-stress, and find a quiet way to discover some inner peace and creativity.

There are others, like me, who loved to draw and color as a child. I can remember many, many sick days as a youngster growing up when I couldn't go to school (I was sick a lot as a child) where I found comfort in coloring books. I also enjoyed working alongside my sister, whom was a year younger, on coloring projects, showing off our completed works to each other and our parents.

In May I read Thrive, by Arianna Huffington and even took her online course this summer. In her book and in the class Ms. Huffington preaches rest, sleep, meditation, and sorting out people "on our life trains" while putting limits on how and when we choose to marry ourselves to our devices. There were some excellent points to take away from this reading, so I decided to work on these things this summer while I was off from school. The meditation part was hard at first, because our minds are always running. Quieting your mind, I've learned, does not mean ending all thoughts. That's not really possible for those untrained in meditation. But by concentrating on our breathing we can begin to push some random thoughts away temporarily.

The other part of the process was finding projects to do, coloring and crafts, to help me move away from my cell phone. I searched around and found a great coloring set by Creative Designs, which I fell in love with. I have never been a graphic artist and certainly never took a art class, but these sketches are terrific, with suggested color schemes, which I could follow - or not follow. I will say these sketches were exactly what I needed to plug into my inner child. They were so much fun to complete! And the stock they are printed on can be framed, so I also made gifts of some as well. Here are two samples, both now hanging in my home office:

As for my craft side, I've always loved working with my hands. I found some kits and made four wall clocks, giving them out as gifts. These required mechanical clock parts, painting, wood, stain and a whole lot of patience. Here is a clock that I gave to my wife earlier this summer:

I can't say that these projects are for everyone. But I do know that at least for me they provided a much needed respite from my digital world, as well as the ever present television in my home. We all need these breaks; our culture has become so digitized into 140 characters that I fear we will no longer find the time to just talk to one another. Perhaps engaging in coloring or crafts can keep us connected to that very human behavior seemingly lost in the digital noise.

Orzo Shrimp and Basil

Here's a quick dish that you can make with things that you may have on hand in the pantry and the crisper. It's a light dish that is easy to make and quite satisfying.

Ingredients

1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup dry orzo
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup basil, chopped, plus a sprig for garnish
1/3 cup grated pecorini-romano cheese, reserve some for serving.

Directions

Boil orzo in 4 cups salted water according to directions on the package. Drain orzo when it just turns al dente, about 8 minutes, and set aside. In a large heated saute pan over medium heat add the olive oil and sweat the vegetables. While vegetables are cooking salt and pepper the shrimp, adding red pepper flakes and toss in a bowl. Layer the shrimp in the saute and cook each side until pink. When the shrimp are cooked through pour in the cooked orzo and toss to incorporate the shrimp. Add the tomatoes, basil and cheese, tossing in the pan. Turn off heat and cover to let rest five minutes before serving. Serve the dish with a sprig of basil, a dusting of cheese and a side salad.

Stuffed Pork Loin Chops

I must admit that I am not a huge pork chop/pork loin fan. Maybe that is because the chops I’ve had have been overcooked and are often tough and tasteless. I suppose that I have been conditioned by all the admonished over the years about the dangers of undercooked pork.

The past aside, I’ve reinvented the stuffed pork chopped for all you carnivores out there which is slightly decadent, flavorful, and not at all dry. Even more, it is easy to prepare and very satisfying, using minimal ingredients. Here is what I did.

4 thick cut pork loin chops, bone in
5 strips bacon
1 tsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 tbsp. dried bread crumbs, seasoned
1 tsp dried oregano
Tooth picks
Dash salt and pepper

Chop the bacon into small pieces and render in a skillet, drain on a paper towel, pouring off most of the fat but reserving about a teaspoon. While the bacon is cooling cut a pocket into the sides of the chops all the way to the bone and work with fingers to deepen. Into this pocket stuff a tablespoon of the bread crumbs, cheese and bacon into each chop. Seal with toothpicks and season with salt, pepper and oregano on both sides.

Reheat the pan in which the bacon was rendered over medium heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the reserved fat. Place the chops into the pan (you may have to do this two at a time) and brown each side of the chops about four minutes. While browning the chops preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place browned chops on a foiled lined baking pan and finish in the oven about 15 minutes, or until the chops have reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Once the chops are at the correct temperature pull them out and let rest for a minimum of three minutes.

You may serve these with a variety of side dishes, including a refreshing salad, mixed steamed vegetables, and of course apple sauce! If you want to reduce fat and calories in this dish you can substitute finely diced green apples and dried cranberries for the bread crumbs and turkey bacon may be used. Either way the chops will be moist and favorable.

Prep and cook time: About an hour

How Accurate Was The World Wars?

I have been a World War II history buff since childhood, growing up listening to war stories from my father and uncle. I remember proudly buying my first book from an elementary school book sale about the Battle of the Bulge, which I read and re-read until the binding failed on the book. Since then I have read hundreds of books and treatises on the Second World War and have always welcomed new literature and documentaries on the subject. I’ve also read many books and articles on the First World War and the interwar period.

The knowledge that the History Channel was launching a new mini series called The World Wars piqued my interest as I anxiously to see what the series would produce. There have of course been many documentaries on cable television. A whole cable channel is devoted to military history and hardware, so I was mainly interested in seeing what new material was to be offered by this program.

The show is in three parts, each two hours long. The series centers on six main historical figures and their experience in World War I that shaped the course of history in World War II and beyond; Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, and George Patton. The problem with a format of this type is that while interesting, the narrative is susceptible to tunnel vision; that is, the roles of other key figures in the chronology are either omitted or glossed over. This leads to misleading or even erroneous reporting.

To be sure there are many inaccuracies. The most obvious are trivial: a soldier in part one is seen shaving in a trench with a modern Gillette or Schick disposable razor; footage of warships include many shots of modern US missile frigates; the head gear of America troops during the Corregidor campaign are wrong (US Army and Marine personnel used British-style helmets until late in 1942, not the steel pot helmets shown during this battle); many weapons were of the wrong type for the time period. One scene had American soldiers the M1 Garand rifle in World War I battle scenes and during the fall of the Philippines. That iconic weapon was adopted by the army in 1936, but it was not widely issued until late 1942. Marines at Guadalcanal in August 1942, for example were still equipped with the 1903 Springfield rifle.

As I say these are trivial matters. The most glaring weakness is the focus on the six main characters, which really distorts the history. Granted there is only so much that can be addressed in a six-hour series, but the omissions or misstatements are unfortunate. The interwar period is primarily about the rise of Hitler’s National Socialist Party in Germany. If you were to believe this series, Hitler came to power mainly due to the oppressive reparations forced upon Germany by the Allies at Versailles in 1919 and his oratorical skills. Merely glossed over or not even mentioned was the progressivism of the Weimar Republic, which stabilized the German economy and laid the base for the powerful industrial infrastructure of the Germany that eventually emerged and dominated Europe.

Also if you follow the narrative of the series, Hitler had no rivals to challenge for power in the rising Nazi party. Never mentioned was his rival, Ernst Roehm who was the center of a great deal of intrigue within the party, which ended with his assassination of orders of Hitler’s right hand man, Heinrich Himmler. The whole interplay which finally resulted in the German President Hindenburg conceding power to Hitler in 1933 was never fully addressed.

For viewers who really want to know more about this key period in world history I would suggest reading the exhaustive study done by William L. Shirer in his book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I realize that the time constraints and entertainment value of the show precludes detailed history telling, but if you are going to do it, get it right. Otherwise all that you have is a flashy poster, with little real value.

A case in point is the description of the Sicilian campaign, which was essentially described as Lt. Gen. George S. Patton’s show. If you believe what the show said, it was Patton’s leadership which carried the day and lead to the conquest of mainland Italy as well. There is a problem there, though. Patton was relieved not long after the poorly planned and executed Sicilian Campaign for slapping a soldier (which was depicted) in a hospital area. Patton in fact had nothing to do with the long, bloody and mostly forgotten Italian campaign that followed the invasion of Sicily.

In fact the British-American rivalries for influence and dominance in the course of winning the war had no finer example than the botched Sicilian affair. George Patton and overall British commander General Bernard Law Montgomery hated each other, mainly because they were both made from the same cloth. Both were vain and egotistical. “Monty” was plodding and cautious, while Patton was daring and adventurous. Montgomery’s plan for Sicily was adopted by the Allies over Patton’s, which assured a long and bloody trek up the rugged Sicilian terrain, instead of being daring by bottling up the German forces in making Messina – the main port of the island – the first objective instead of the end point. Monty’s plans allowed the Germans to fight a skillful delaying action while they escaped into Italy through the port of Messina. The entire campaign marked one confrontation after another between the two commanding generals. Patton was upset because he was not in charge of the invasion despite the invasion forces being predominantly American. Montgomery distrusted the Americans, seeing them as green and untested.

The whole Italian campaign was in fact a compromise by the Americans who had their sights set on France from their entry in the European war. They agreed to invade Sicily and Italy as a compromise to the British plan of invading the Balkans through Greece, protecting their oil interests while avenging the stiff defeat they suffered there in 1940. Not a mention of any of this was made by the producers of this show, and even more curious, nothing was said about the role of the supreme allied commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who resurrected Patton, his most skilled tactical general, and mended the fences necessary to keep the fragile American-British alliance from falling apart at the seams. Now that was a story that should have been told and worth hearing.

So while I give all the credit to the History Channel for bringing this important topic to television it would have been better to tell the whole story as accurately as possible. By focusing the narrative on six individuals, as key as they are, leaves out to many other characters’ roles in shaping the course of events which still influence the world to this day. That story still has not been told.

Dry Rub Recipe

It’s the start of the barbecue and grilling season again and once again we are all outside doing our thing. The age old question with smoking comes into play with brisket and ribs – wet rub or dry rub. I know that both sides have their heated proponents and I don’t want to anger anybody. I certainly do not want to start a regional fight, but apologies made, I do prefer the dry rub myself!

The problem that I find with so many wet rubs is that there is often too much sugar in the mixtures, which can burn on the meat, even at the low temperatures found in smokers. And if you are using bottled barbecue sauces those preparations are loaded with salt, preservative chemicals and sugars – not exactly what you want to put on a fine cut of ribs or brisket.

Here is my recipe for the dry rub that I use for smoking or grilling. It is a spicy, yet not over the top rub with I think just the right combination of salt, sweet and spice. It won’t burn readily (yes there is some brown sugar, which can be omited if yiu are concerned), and if you are using fresh dried spices it should keep in a sealed jar or container about six months.

3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. coarse salt (Kosher)
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 Tsp. crushed Mexican Chili Piquin (red pepper flakes will do)
1 Tsp. cumin
1 Tsp. oregano
11/2 Tsp. brown sugar

Mix all of these ingredients well and seal tightly until ready to use. Pour out what you intend to use into a small bowl to apply to your raw meats if you don’t want to use it all. This will prevent contamination from hands handling raw meat. Rub this in your meats thoroughly; for best results refrigerate the meat overnight or for at least an hour or two before grilling or smoking. I always have a fresh batch of this spice mixture in my pantry. It works great on beef, pork and even chicken.

If the mix seems too spicy or not sweet enough experiment with the portions until you come up with a combination that works for you. I prefer Kosher salt because it has a better flavor to me and being coarse, it’s not as salty as regular table salt. Enjoy!

Why Do Most New Year's Resolutions Fail?

You know we’ve all made them; losing weight, stop smoking, reduce or cut alcohol intake, save money, spend more time with family…… the list goes on and on. Yeah, I’ve made and failed at more resolutions than I can remember to count. In the end I’ve always ended up disappointed with myself and ultimately backtracked on my promises. We all have done it. It got so bad for me that I eventually stopped making such resolutions, mostly because I really didn’t believe in them or myself.

An article in The Journal of Clinical Psychology by John Norcross and others who report that about half of the population makes resolutions for the New Year. But most of us begin to backslide by February, and by the end of the year we are back in the same place we started. What causes this?

There is also research by psychology professor Peter Herman, who cites what he calls the FALSE HOPE SYNDROME. In that condition he believes that we make unrealistic resolutions about changing something in our lives which we don’t believe in. Ultimately we fail and our self-esteem suffers after taking the hit.

For me that observation is spot on. I used to make resolutions about weight and money, none of which were reasonable or specific, and I knew deep down that I wouldn’t follow up on them. Take my diet, for example. With a full-time career and being often consumed with things going on in my professional life it is all too easy to eat poorly. Out on band and choir trips with kids or pressed for time after a long day, one can easily make the wrong choices about food, and I did. I realize now that those poor choices were really an excuse for not wanting to think about better choices or not understanding that great food taste does not have to be unhealthy food choices. More on this theme in a later post!

Author Ray Williams has written in Wired for Success (Psychology Today, December 2010) that our behaviors have to be rewired in order to have long term success in our resolutions:

“The other aspect of failed resolutions lies in the cause and effect relationship. You may think that if you lose weight, or reduce your debts, or exercise more, your entire life will change, and when it doesn't, you may get discouraged and then you revert back to old behaviors.

Making resolutions work is essentially changing behaviors and in order to do that, you have to change your thinking and "rewire" your brain. Brain scientists such as Antonio Damasio and Joseph LeDoux and psychotherapist Stephen Hayes have discovered, through the use of MRIs, that habitual behavior is created by thinking patterns that create neural pathways and memories, which become the default basis for your behavior when you're faced with a choice or decision. Trying to change that default thinking by "not trying to do it," in effect just strengthens it. Change requires creating new neural pathways from new thinking.

So, if you're going to make New Year's resolutions, here are some tips to help you make them work:

1. Focus on one resolution, rather several;
2. Set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 10 pounds in 90 days would be;
3. Don't wait till New Year's Eve to make resolutions. Make it a yearlong process, every day;
4. Take small steps. Many people quit because the goal is too big requiring too big a step all at once;
5. Have an accountability buddy, someone close to you that you have to report to;
6. Celebrate your success between milestones. Don't wait the goal to be finally completed;
7. Focus your thinking on new behaviors and thought patterns;
8. Focus on the present. What's the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal?
9. Become physically, emotionally and mentally aware of your inner state as each external event happens."

The key takeaway that I have from this is to have a reasonable goal and put a common sense plan in place that is achievable. That includes developing a support system. or some way to do period checks to make sure that the plan is being followed. Without such provisions it is easy to see why our New Year’s promises to ourselves fail so much; the goals are too big, too non-specific and we have nothing in place to guide us and to check our progress. We say we’re going to change something in our lives, but we forget to ask ourselves how we are going to go about making these changes and what will the timeline for completion for the changes look like. So in the end we either end up at the starting point of a disappointing circle or giving up all together.

In the end we all want to improve our lives. I know that I have certainly been guilty of making grandiose goals with no way to be accountable for these goals. One of the mistakes we all make is to wait until year’s end to start thinking about these failures. Let’s get a head start and start working toward improvement now!

======UPDATE!======

My progress has been more than satisfactory. Most people want to take off too much too soon - that almost always comes back on. In my case I have lost about 35 pounds now since January 2nd - and this is April 20th. There is a long way to go, but a pound or tww a week is all I am asking myself to do - that's a deficit of just 3,500 calories a week. Portion control, eliminating junk food, cutting back o social drinking (which are hidden calories) all have been beneficial, even if I have slipped a day or two in a week with an extra slice of pizza or grabbed a cupcake at work on staff treat days. It's all okay! Just get back on track the next day!

I've learned that the body is a savvy machine, but it can be persuaded to go along with the program if we commit our minds to improving our health. That is the key - our minds! More positive reports to follow!