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In this episode
Have a question, query, or quagmire you’d like Renee and David to answer? Click that red button to the right, or click on this link to leave us a recorded message. Press and talk away and maybe you’ll be featured on the show!
As you know, the world premiere of our brand-spanking-new podcast came and went a couple weeks ago, and it drew its share of critical acclaim, and not just from our moms. Ah, yes. We laughed. We cried. And that was just me and David recording the darn thing and nervously—okay, obsessively—clicking the podcast’s page on iTunes to see how many admirers had starred it in the two and a half or so minutes since we’d last checked.
But now we’ve gotten our attention back where it ought to be: on you, dear reader. Whereas the first podcast was all about introducing our regular cast of characters, we decided the second one ought to be dedicated to sharing with you those who inspire us. Namely, the creative, generous, and soulful women who’ve nourished and otherwise nurtured us—we’re talking, of course, about our moms, grandmoms, and great-grandmoms. But we’re not talking just about them. We actually stretched the definition to embrace not just our matriarchs but all those women who’ve taken it upon themselves to mother us in some fashion. They include Beth Kujawski, a longtime LC reader who holds staunch opinions and deep convictions about brownie recipes—fudgy versus cakey, nuts versus no nuts, frosted versus unfrosted—and isn’t afraid to share them. There’s also blogger and Homesick Texan Lisa Fain, who schools us on her time-honored family recipe for Chicken-Fried Steak. We even have a few words with the woman who started it all, Momma Leite, who chats about her carne assada (which David says makes the Leite men love her all the more).
☞ MAKE THE RECIPE: MOMMA LEITE’S CARNE ASSADA
And, because heaven forbid we go more than 10 minutes without heaping attention on David (after all, the tagline for his blahg says, “It really is all about me”), when you listen to this podcast you’ll get a glimpse of how he imagines his life would be if he were a mother. (Yes. You heard me. Say it with me—oh, brother.)
So here you have it—a handful of the many, many women who, in our combined experience, possess both the sass and the class to up the ante in the kitchen and, by extension, in our hearts. And for that we couldn’t be more grateful—or humbled.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the garlic, wine, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves, both types of paprika, the pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the beef, turn to coat, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight, turning the beef several times.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and crank the heat to 325°F (163°C).
Remove the bowl from the fridge and transfer the beef and garlic cloves to a plate, reserving the marinade. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven, and, when hot, sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Do not wipe out the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium. If the pot is dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more. Pour the reserved marinade and water into the pot and bring to a boil. Nestle in the beef, cover tightly, and put it in the oven to braise, turning the meat and basting it every 20 minutes or so, for 2 1/4 hours.
Add the chouriço, potatoes, and carrots to the pot and continue to braise the meat, covered, until it’s almost fall-apart tender, 30 minutes more.
Transfer the beef to a bowl, ladle some of the cooking liquid over the meat, and cover with foil to keep warm. Bump up the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), slide the pot back into the oven, and roast the vegetables and sausage, uncovered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 25 minutes more.
Transfer the vegetables and sausage to the bowl with the meat and skim any fat from the sauce in the pot. If the sauce seems too liquidy, simmer it until it’s reduced to the desired consistency. Pick out and toss the bay leaves.
To serve, slice the chouriço on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Plunk the beef in the center of a platter and arrange the sausage and vegetables around it. Ladle a bit of the sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley, and pass the rest of the sauce on the side.
David and Renee, Hurray and well done. It was concise and entertaining. As one who watches youtube clips and listening to podcasts groaning and rolling my eyes moaning “stop all this blathering and get to the point!” you guys got there! You took the time to accent with music and segue to the next subject perfectly. The conversation didn’t lag with ummms and silence. David, your monologue was well written, with good voice inflection (you should be on radio!) . In the 21 century sea of video and podcasts this is a bright spot among them. Look forward to hearing more of your work.
Will you marry me, Ann?
Ha! Ha! and what would The One say?
We’re negotiating….
I am waiting to listen to the second podcast until I have uninterrupted time tomorrow. I love anticipation! I so enjoyed the first podcast, but forgot to post a comment. Too much on my mind! Keep up the good work and keep the podcasts coming. I was so excited to see I had a new “Talking with my Mouth Full” when I looked at the podcast app yesterday. Yay!
Sarah @ The Cook’s Life, can I marry you? I know that it might cause a bit of trouble with The One, but, hey, I know what side my gender identity toast is butter on.
Sure! We’ll work it out with The One and my hubby. It will have to be a long distance relationship, though, I am a Midwestern girl at heart.
I had uninterrupted time to listen on Thursday. Bravo! I feel like I am sitting down to coffee and dessert with you and your cast of characters. I will wait with bated breath for the next one.
I’m loving these podcasts…so fun! David, trust me, your kids would just scoff at your demands for Mother’s Day. I’ve tried it and believe me they just look at you like you’re doing some sort of stand up comedy routine. No respect…;)
Susan, thanks! It means the world to me that you enjoy the podcasts and that they’re being so well received. And I guess it is a good thing I don’t have kids–but I do have a secret weapon: Momma Leite. She taught me a thing or two about teen coercion.
You two are so cute! What fun! Momma Leite, I’m going to make the carne asada for my kids and see how they like it. Odds are pretty good!–they both love Portuguese food. David, your essay was hysterical, and I only wish I had the nerve (or the patience) to try lying in bed demanding my favorite dishes. I’d go hungry! Happy Mother’s Day, everybody!
Suzanne, when you come to visit, I will make a special note to serve you breakfast in bed.
Hello, Suzanne! Long time no see! Thanks for coming back into our lives via David’s “POD thing!” 🙂 God bless you and your family, and we hope the kids enjoy the carne asada! Please let us know. Blessed and Happy Mother’s Day. 🙂
David and Renee, I am pretty sure I’m falling in love with both of you but, not necessarily in that order. Fudgy, crispy edges, no frosting, nuts…Mama Leite, is an obvious gem. And once again, we are left wanting more. Tocatta and Fugue in D minor was a lovely touch. One word says it all, bootiful!
Hi Larry: I’m not sure about being a “gem”…more like a mature “relic!” 🙂
We appreciate your cute remark. God bless you and your family.
Thank you Mama Leite…I was beginning to get worried…