I know I said in my last post that the title of this post was going to be "Kitchen Staples II, Revenge of the Red Curry" but "Miso Horny" has a tad more "kick" to it. On top of that, I rather like the double entendre and potentially scandalous nature of said new title. That being said, let's begin....
If you have ever eaten at a Japanese Steak House, chances are, you have already had Miso. The house dressing that always comes on the little salad before your meal contains Miso, ginger, carrot, oil, vinegar, and a bit of salt. The soup course is usually Miso. [You know the soup I'm talking about, the one with like two pieces of mushrooms and maybe a scallion or two.. ]
Miso is a soybean paste that originated in China around 700 B.C.. Popular throughout Asia, it is most identified with Japanese cooking. Miso comes in a variety of colors, from light to dark. A lady by the name of Eve Turow, did an excellent job of introducing me to Miso with an article titled "Miso: An Ancient Solution For Modern Meals" LINK HERE on the NPR. After reading that article, I went into all out geek cook mode. I knew I HAD TO HAVE MISO!!! I put the Mizzrus on alert, and informed her that a quest was at hand. Due to the fact that Eastern North Carolina is not exactly a "hot bed" of Oriental Markets, [Hispanic yes, Oriental NO] I knew my quest would take me west to our State Capitol. [Technically the Grand Asia Market might be considered in Cary, not sure, don't care, you get the picture.] Being a newbie to Oriental Markets, I was unprepared for sheer awesomeness of the Grand Asia Market. Upon crossing the threshold of the entrance, the Mizzrus and I were instantaneously thrust through the time space continuum, and landed in China. It was as if all of our senses were assaulted at once. The sight of roasted ducks in a window, the exotic smells of food being prepared, the sounds of announcements being made over the intercom in Chinese, thousands of ingredients I have never seen. It was amazing, and I was in cooking geek heaven. Now, how to find Miso. Being the adventurous type, I immediately start walking down the aisles, Mizzrus in tow, looking for Miso. I was really "geeking out" looking at all of these exotic ingredients. I was in a Happy Geek Cooking Place. I will give the Mizzrus credit, she indulged my geekness for a good twenty minutes, before she smacked me out of my bliss. She had had enough and was ready to go. Luckily, she found a person who told us right where to go, which was a good thing, because I think she was ready to drown me in the eel tank. Then the dilemma is, what kind to get??? I settled on a White Miso, [which is really kinda tan, almost like a light brown rue] [Shinshu Shiromiso] and a red Miso, [kinda rust colored] [ShinshuAkamiso]. I could hardly wait to get my new "finds" home to play with.[ I think the Mizzrus likes it when I start "geeking out" over a new ingredient as it gives her time to catch up on re-runs of One Tree Hill and Beverly Hills 90210 etc...]
So now back at home, my first thing is to taste Miso right out of the package. It's kinda salty but with a definite "oriental" flavor. I like it. From all that I've read, you can kinda think about Miso, like the traditional way we look at wines. Red Miso for red meat, and White Miso for fish, dressings and the like. Pork can go either way, but from most recipes I've seen, Red is probably the way to go . [Your mileage may vary, tax, tags, and title, are extra] My first attempt to make something with Miso is to create the dressing that they give you at the Japanese Steak House. I kinda took the things I liked from the recipe on the Miso package and the recipe from Eve Turow [see above] and made a, if I may say, a damn fine dressing. My next attempt with Miso has turned into a Family Favorite. This meal is one of the few meals that EVERYONE will eat and enjoy. From the Mizzrus to my 3 children, [ages 15, 12, and 8, girls and one boy] this one is a winner. I took Turow's recipe in the above link [with two minor modifications, O.K, three] for Grilled Miso-Glazed Flat Iron Steak. [If you have never had a Flat Iron steak before, you have missed a great cut of meat. It's not well known, but gaining in popularity. It's known as a "butchers' cut" , meaning that because it was not well known, and not easy to sell, the butcher would take that cut home to feed he and his family. Very tasty and tender.] But I digress.... First change, I use a London Broil [because they were on sale when I first was going to attempt this recipe], Second change, I half the sesame oil. No more than two tablespoons. [Don't know what your experience is with this oil is, but you can ruin a dish in a hurry if you aren't careful. Great oil if used judiciously] Final change, I double the red Miso. Make the recipe with those changes, add the marinade and the meat in a zipper top bag, let marinate for at least two hours. [Personally I like to prepare the marinade after breakfast and let it marinate ALL day] I've cooked it both on the grill, and under the broiler in the oven, and both have produced excellent results. We like medium rare. Cook to an internal temperature of 127, and after the "rest", the internal temp. will be right at perfect medium rare. Another tip is to take the marinade that is left over and put it in a pot to reduce enough till it thickens. This makes a great sauce for dipping. Lastly, serve with Edamame, [steamed soybeans] and a starch or side of your choice. One neat thing to try [to trick your kids into eating healthier] steam a whole head of cauliflower till soft, then add, cheese, butter, salt, pepper etc.. however you would do mashed potatoes.[I have found that mixing them up with an immersion[stick]blender, or food processor makes the best consistency.] I call them faux-taters... Good eating and give me some feedback.
rj.will3@hotmail.com
