Makah Ozette, the perfect fingerling potato

 

      Makah Ozette potatoes are a unique fingerling variety, prized for their creamy, nutty, and earthy flavor. They are also known for their elongated, lumpy shape, thin skin, and firm, creamy white flesh.  Originally from South America, they were brought to the Pacific Northwest and cultivated by the Makah people of Washington's Olympic Peninsula for around 200 years.  They were added to the Slow Food's Ark of Taste to help preserve this unique variety.  They are nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet, with a creamy texture.  Although primarily blonde in color, you will also find them in brown or sometimes red hues, most notably at Trader Joe's.  They are a bit of a novelty, but we love the flavor.  

      Steaming whole and then lightly crushing with a fork is a popular preparation.  You can also roast which brings out their earthy and nutty flavors.  Pan-frying can also enhance their flavor.  They can be mashed for a creamy texture. They can also be halved and used in warm potato salads. They can be grated and used in potato pancakes. 

      They pair well with browned butter, lemon, scallions, cheese, paprika, and various meats and fish.  Due to their long, cylindrical shape they can be sliced into chunks or even slivers if you wish.  

      Living in Michigan and Texas I don't often find them.  When visiting Washington or Oregon they are easily found in Whole Food, Organic Food Stores, and Trader Joe's.  Some of our favorite recipes include:  

Roasted Taters

1 lb Makah Ozette Potatoes washed and halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional: ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese

Optional Spices (about a teaspoon each): garlic powder, smoke paprika, onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

       

       Preheat your oven to 425 Fahrenheit.

       Fill a medium bowl with cold water.  After you have washed your potatoes, begin cuttin them in half lengthwise and place them in the cold water.  This will help them get nice and

 crispy when you bake them.

       Drain your potatoes and allow them to air dry for 10 minutes.  Add back to the bowl and

 drizzle in your oil, cheese (optional), and seasoning blend.  Shake until evenly coated

 Spread out onto a lined baking sheet or even a cast iron skillet.  Place into the oven for

 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the potato is fork tender.  Flip

 halfway through and make sure you are keeping an eye on them as some spices tend to

 burn if they are not turned frequently.  Allow to cool before enjoying as a side dish. 

 Sautéed Makah Ozette Potatoes

2 pounds Makah Ozette potatoes, halved lengthwise

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating

1 cup chicken broth

Flakey sea salt, to taste

      This is our favorite recipe.  Rinse the potatoes in water.  You can leave them whole if you wish.  Pour chicken broth into skillet and turn heat to medium.  Rub potatoes liberally with oil and let rest for 10 minutes.  

      Add potatoes to simmering broth, add salt.  Simmer till fairly tender.  Keep an eye on this as it can get out of hand.  When ready to serve, place on plate and fork smash with some butter.  

Makah Ozette Potato Salad with Mustard and Fresh Herbs

      This recipe uses 2 pounds of Ozette potatoes, and a dressing made with Dijon and whole grain mustards, minced shallot and garlic, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, chopped chives and parsley, salt, pepper, and hazelnut oil.

      Slice the potatoes across the grain into chunks.  Boil the potatoes till tender, drain and cool.  

      Combine the mustards, vinegar, mayonnaise, herbs, salt, pepper, and hazelnut or walnut or almond oil.  Slice the cooled potatoes and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning and add more hazelnut oil if needed.  Serve.

There are handful of online sites you can order from, but they are limited.  

Potatoes - Irish Eyes

Burpee.com 

www.traderjoes.com/

"In Makah tribal culture, the social aspects of food are as important as the food itself"

Polly McCarty

 

Mode's Bum Steer Traverse City, MI

 

      We have eaten here before in the past when we lived in Traverse City, but wanted to visit again.  There are many fine eateries in the Traverse Bay area, but for steaks our two favorites are Mode's and Boone's Long Lake Inn.  

      Since 1975, Mode's has been serving great steaks, fresh seafood and meaty BBQ ribs. All homemade sauces and dressings are a blend of the finest herbs and the best ingredients to compliment every meal.  Due to the outstanding steaks and prime rib; Detroit News has voted them the best restaurant in Michigan.  Modes Bum Steer Restaurant

      This is a not a large restaurant, catering to a select group of appreciative customers and not looking to expand.  They do not accept reservations but rely on a large volume of walk-in patrons nightly.  Their menu offers a wide array of appetizers, salads, 'The lighter side', and great beef steaks, and seafood.  They also offer rack of lamb, pork, poultry, and sandwiches.

      Admittedly beef prices are much higher than the last time we dined here, but not unusual these days.  This restaurant is not inexpensive.  What the hell, my bride loves a good steak.  We dined here in July midweek.  Parking was a bit of a nightmare as on street parking is sparce and Mode's lot next door is now a city controlled, pay lot which is only accessible through a back alley.  After perusing the menu, we got some drinks.  Barb chose the Anita's cut NY Strip Steak while I selected 16-ounce Prime Rib. 

  

      We enjoyed our meal.  We both found our steaks to be a bit chewy in places, but overall, quite tasty.  I got probably 2 cups of sauteed mushrooms, which I loved.  Enough sour cream to drown your baked potato, which Barb loved.  The service was excellent.  Our server checked on us often, adjusted our order when necessary and kept our glasses filled.  Total price for our meal was $114.  Not inexpensive but worth our rating......

"I think steak is the ultimate comfort food, and if you're going out for one, that isn't the time to scrimp on calories or quality"

Tom Colicchio

  

Beef, it's what's for dinner......$$$

 

      With all the hoopla about the rising cost of groceries the past couple of years, up to now I could not comment on the price of beef as I only shopped for what I wanted when and where I needed it.  For example, beef in Texas during the winter and pork/chicken/fish back in Michigan during the summer.  

      The past few months I have obviously taken notice that beef prices have not only risen but are skyrocketing.  Of course it is easy to place blame on the current administration, but the real causes are a bit deeper and an unfortunate continuance of past policies.  When I shop for beef, I always look for the USDA inspection label.  There is no requirement to post the country of origin (thanks to President Obama) so a significant portion of our beef comes from either Mexico, Brazil, or Argentina.  I keep my money at home.  

      The average cost of one pound of ground beef reached a record-high of $5.80 in April, according to numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is up nearly 50% from five years ago.  Raising steers also comes at a higher cost, with prices going up for feed, land and financing. Those cost increases have contributed to U.S. cattle herds falling to their lowest numbers in more than 70 years, according to USDA data. 

      Beef is so expensive right now because drought, high grain prices, inflation and rising interest rates made cattle farming a costly endeavor in recent years. To deal with rising operating costs, many U.S. cattle farmers reduced the size of their herds — and some got out of the business altogether. As a result, the U.S. cattle inventory is the smallest it’s been since 1951. 

       Smaller herds mean fewer cattle are available for beef.  But consumers have maintained a healthy appetite for it, even amid rising prices.  That combination of low supply and an increasingly steady demand has pushed prices even higher.

      Now, tariffs add another layer to consumers’ price problem. The U.S. imports beef from a long list of countries, with most of it coming from Brazil, Australia, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand. Some of those imports now face a new 10% tariff. (Beef is exempt from the Mexico and Canada tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.)

Inflation drove up input costs, which haven’t receded, making it expensive all around to care for livestock.  In addition, when climate conditions are not favorable, crops like corn and soy suffer which can increase the cost of feed, therefore, increasing the cost to raise cattle. Some of the cattle liquidation has been a result of increased feed costs compared to other animals.  Ranch grazed cattle enjoy grasslands while the subsequent feedlot cattle feed on grain to fatten them off for sale.  It all goes to cost. 

>Drought conditions continue to impact pastures in cattle regions, which can force producers to spend more on feed.

>Record-high prices can be good for farmers selling cattle. But anyone looking to expand their herd is paying those same sums.

>High interest rates mean producers are paying more for operating loans, which many rely on to run their businesses.

      U.S. cattle producers export beef to a variety of countries, including China, and those exports are threatened by the ongoing trade war.  That means beef exports will likely decline because importers in those countries won’t want to pay the steep tax that’s in place.  In the worst-case scenario, beef producers could go out of business without those markets, and that would put even more strain on the domestic market.

      That’s because producers are exporting beef that isn't in strong demand domestically. While Americans love burgers, consumers around the world prize high quality steaks or other cuts of beef that don’t have the same appeal here.  Mexico is the prime example here.  Cattle producers can export those products and get a higher price than they would if they sold them domestically.

      My thoughts on this:  Part of this is simply Keynesian Economics of supply and demand.  The demand is the result of Americans and their insatiable thirst for entitlement.  This is not easy to swallow, but true, nonetheless.  Chicken, pork, fish, and salads are cool too.  We need to severely limit our export of beef and only import from countries with favorable trade agreements.  Do I know when prices will come down?  No, and we can't do anything about the weather trends, but we can provide more favorable interest rates and tax breaks for ranchers and those who produce the beef.  We have bailed out several other economic sectors over the years, why not ranchers?  Any incentive to provide for increased calf production would be invaluable.  Finally, buy local, USDA American, local, and organic if possible.  I will continue to eat beef when we desire, but only with USDA inspected stock.    

"Go vegetable heavy.  Reverse the psychology of your plate by making meat the side dish and vegetables the main course"

Bobby Flay

BBQ Sauce; the Wide River of Flavors

 

      This topic can inspire/aggravate people from all over the BBQ country, with indifference to love or hate.  Is it used while cooking in the pit, is it served over or on the side?  In the Carolinas they love their vinegar mustard-based sauce, while Kansas City loves the tomatoes.  Texas loves the spicy heat.  In fact, in the Lone Star State you won't even get BBQ sauce unless you ask for it.  Your meat comes in a brown paper wrapper with a roll of paper towels on the table.  Sometimes you get plastic silverware.   

      Let's break it down to the regional differences.  Carolina BBQ sauce is generally known for its sweetness, particularly in the mustard-based style. It often incorporates ingredients like cane sugar, molasses, and honey, along with vinegar and yellow mustard, to create a sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor profile.  This can differ from North to South Carolina. There is even a Carolina Gold Sauce.  It is tangy, with a zippy edge that makes it totally irresistible. 

      Alabama has its own unique blend, called White Sauce.  Alabama White Sauce is a mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce commonly used with barbecue chicken, an Alabama specialty. Typical ingredients of white sauce include vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and horseradish.

      Kansas City BBQ Sauce is known for its thick, tomato-based, and sweet flavor, with a balance of sweetness and tanginess that is often achieved with molasses or brown sugar. It's a key component of the regional style, known for its balance of sweet and tangy flavors. 

      Finally, we come to Texas BBQ Sauce.  There are a few key ingredients that make Texas BBQ sauce unique. It has a deeper, smokier flavor, and often includes cumin and chili powder, which give the sauce a bit of a kick. Texas BBQ sauces are usually made with vinegar or the addition of another acidic ingredient rather than ketchup or tomato paste.

      Again, sometimes coated on ribs for the final cook, but usually available only on the side for brisket and pork.  

      

      Which brings us to California, and much of the West Coast.  The Santa Maria Grill Crowd has its own rewards, but the rest of the West Coast are just dilettantes.  These folks do not apologize for their own brand of taste.   California tomato sauce, packed from fresh tomatoes.....not from concentrate. Ingredients: Vine ripened fresh tomatoes, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper and naturally derived citric acid.  

 

      Yes, they all look similar, but taste is everything.  To each his own, so to speak.  Throughout the country many pitmasters have their own blend for backyard cooking to competitions.  I am no different.  I do not compete but do blend my own.  When I first started BBQing I used commercial 'whatever'.  Once I bought my first wood pit 32 years ago (which I still own) things changed.  I started out with KC Masterpiece which was very good. I evolved into Bullseye adding cayenne, liquid smoke, garlic, honey, and a bit of Worcestershire Sauce.  This was my mainstay for about 22 years.  

      About 12 years ago I sampled some Sweet Baby Ray's and although I don't normally like VERY SWEET BBQ sauce, it had the basics of what I was looking for.  Now I utilize the original recipe sauce with two exceptions:  for Pork or Chicken I add (for each bottle of sauce) 2 teaspoons KOSMOS Killer Honeybee Rub and 2 teaspoons Meat Church Honey Bacon Rub.   For beef I add 2 teaspoons KOSMOS SPG and 2 teaspoons Coopers Blend.  I like to use Coopers Old Time as they serve the best brisket I have ever eaten.  You can find these products at:  

www.kosmosq.com

Meat Church BBQ | Legendary Rubs & Seasonings for Pitmasters

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

     Everybody to his own tastes, flavor profiles, and expected outcomes.  Some Q is best spicy, some creamy and subtle, some tomato and honey, and some even vinegary.  I have tried and never liked the Alabama White Sauce.  No one's fault.  But please feel free to experiment and find your own blend, taste, and satisfaction.  BBQ is an art of each individual cut of meat yet enjoyed as a love of family.  

"Barbecue sauce is like a beautiful woman. If it's too sweet, it's bound to be hiding something."  

Lyle Lovett