Seattle, we want to know: what do you think of our New Zealand Angus grass-fed beef?

We love our New Zealand Angus grass-fed beef for a lot of reasons…but it’s always good to get some fresh perspective and hear new thoughts, so we’re looking for some bloggers in Seattle to join our exclusive* review contest comparing our grass-fed beef to your usual beef of choice.

If you’re up for the challenge, then put on your test kitchen hats and get ready to analyze! We’re looking for thoughtful and thorough reviews, no skimping! We want in-depth analyses of the differences between the two steaks in terms of appearance, cooking characteristics, flavor, texture and any other differences you observe. Most important, we want it to be honest. Please be detailed & candid and tell us (as comprehensively as possible), how does our grass-fed beef compare with your beef standard?

To conduct the review, come by our store to pick up two grass-fed strip steaks. You’ll also need to pick up your usual steak from your local grocery store to do the comparison. Then you’ll cook our grass-fed beef & your beef and compare.

The rules of the challenge are as follows:

1. Email your name, mailing address and blog URL to Katie at kwallace(at)marxfoods.com by Friday, 6/21. Katie & Justin will select the participating bloggers and invite them to shop to pick up their steaks – you must pick up your steaks at our store by Friday, 6/28.

2. After you’ve gotten your grass-fed steaks, you’ve got to get your comparison steaks from your local market.

3. The cooking method is up to you. All that matters is that the steaks are prepared the same way (but do allow for the fact that our grass-fed steaks may cook a little faster).

4. Write your review, post it on your blog and send the link to Katie by Sunday, 7/21. 

We will post a roundup of links to the posts submitted on our blog, but the judging will be solely internal on this one. The Marx Foods staff will read through all of the reviews and the blogger with the most comprehensive comparison will receive a $200 gift certificate to Marx Foods in Seattle or online!

*This challenge is only available for Seattle-area residents

FTC Regulations for Bloggers

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Elderflowers Fried in Beignet Dough

Beignet Dough:

¾ cup of Flour

1 tablespoon Melted Butter

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

½ cup of Beer

½ cup of Buttermilk

2 Egg Yolks

1/3 teaspoon Salt

2 teaspoon Sugar

Freshly grated Lemon Peel

2 Egg Whites

Sift flour and mix with butter, oil, beer, buttermilk, egg yolks, salt, sugar and lemon peel. Mix until dough is smooth. Then let the dough rest in a cool place for an hour or two.  Beat egg whites until they are firm and mix with dough just before use.

Elderflowers in Beignet Dough:

1 portion of Beignet Dough

8-12 Elderflower Heads

3 cups of Oil for deep frying (peanut oil or rapeseed oil)

Powder Sugar to sift on top

Fresh Lemon Pieces

Prepare dough. Heat oil to 350 F in a saucepan. Dip elderflower heads in dough one at a time and add to oil. Cook until they are golden. You may need to fry in more batches. Let the flower heads rest on paper towels to soak excessive grease. Serve warm with powdered sugar sifted over and fresh lemon pieces.

Elderflower Cordial

40 Elderflower Heads

4 Lemons

6 cups of Sugar

6 cups of Boiling Water

1 ½ oz of Citric Acid

Cut flowers off flower heads. Add then flowers to a big saucepan or metal container. Wash the lemons and cut in very thin slices. Add the lemon slices to the container. Then add sugar and citric acid on top and pour over nearly boiling water. Cover the container with a clean kitchen towel or lid and put in a cool place for 3-4 days. Stir once in a while to ensure sugar is mixed with the liquid. Add a piece of cheese cloth to a sieve and pour liquid through. Then add to thoroughly cleaned and sterilized bottles and keep refrigerated. The finished elderflower cordial is served mixed 1 to 6 with sparkling water. The cordial can also be frozen.

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The post Traditional Danish Elderflower Recipes appeared first on MarxFoods.com Blog.

Alpine Origin Merino is leaner than conventional lamb, so we recommend treating it a little bit differently – more like game meat – by using lower heat and cooking for less time.

Searing Merino:
When a lamb recipe calls for searing cuts over high heat, instead sear Merino over medium-high heat.

Cooking Time:
Merino can cook more quickly than conventional lamb, so check the meat earlier for doneness.

Testing Merino Lamb for Doneness:
In our experience, Merino lamb reaches Medium Rare at lower temperatures than conventional lamb. We would likewise assume that other levels of doneness will also occur at lower temperatures.

To give you a baseline we’ve found that lean Merino lamb cuts (most cuts) will be medium rare when removed from the heat at an internal temperature of 110˚F and rested (loosely covered) for 10+ minutes.

Fattier cuts (racks, etc) may need to be cooked a bit longer – try cooking them to an internal temperature of 125˚F for medium rare after a rest.

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Hearty, satisfying and vegetarian/vegan!  This recipe is really more of an example designed to show you how easy it is to jazz up old standbys with the addition of a few dollops of fine preserves.  Just a little bit of chutney brings a lot of flavor to sautéed greens.

Ingredients:             Makes 4 Servings
½ cup Bing Cherry Chutney, plus extra for the plate
1 cup Rice   (we used Camargue Red Rice)
9 oz Dried Beans, soaked(we used Giant Peruvian Lima Beans)
1 bunch Swiss Chard, cleaned & chopped
1 Garlic Clove, peeled
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp of Salt
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. Cook the rice and beans as you normally would (times & liquid quantities will vary with the varieties used).

How to Cook Dried Beans

2. In a large frying pan over high heat, warm up the olive oil.  When the olive oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic clove.

3. Stir the garlic clove around the oil, taking care not to burn it.  Once the garlic clove is golden brown on all sides, remove it from the oil & discard.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chard and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the chard starts to wilt.

5. Add the cherry chutney to the pan and continue to stir.  When the chard is cooked the way you like it, take it off the heat.

6. Serve the chard with the beans, rice and an additional dollop of cherry chutney.

Recipe by Rebecca Staffel of Deluxe Foods

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Here Merino shoulder racks are roasted and sliced into elegant bone-in chops, then served with  fattoush salad and a creamy, dilly yogurt sauce.

Fattoush is a Lebanese salad made with pita bread that has been toasted until crispy, then crumbled.  It is crunchy, fresh, bright & salty, and balances the richness of the lamb beautifully.

Wine Pairing: Syrah

Ingredients:             Makes 4 Lunch Servings
2 Merino Lamb Shoulder Racks

Yogurt Sauce:
½ cup Yogurt
¼ tsp Dill Pollen
½ tsp Honey (we used Wild Heather Honey)
Pinch of Salt

Dill Pollen for Garnish

Fattoush:
½ English Cucumber
2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved
½ cup Fresh Parsley Leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, sliced lengthwise
3 Greek Pita Breads
1 tbsp Mint Leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
Juice of ½ Lemon
1/2 cup Olive Oil
4oz Greek Feta, cubed
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Toast the pita breads in your toaster or bake them in the oven until they’re crispy enough to be broken into shards.  Break them into small pieces.

2. Preheat your oven to 350˚F.

3. Slice the cucumber into 1/8” thick rounds, then cut those rounds in half.

4. Combine the cucumber, cherry tomato, pita, parsley leaves, kalamata olives and mint in a large bowl.

5. In a separate bowl combine the molasses and lemon juice.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Add salt & pepper.

This step can also be done in a blender.

6. Get an oiled, oven safe frying pan or skillet hot on the stove.  Sear the shoulder racks on one side over medium high heat.

7. Move the pan to the oven and roast until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 125˚F.

8. Remove the racks from the oven and let them rest (covered) for 20 minutes.

9. Slice the racks into one or two-rib sections.

10. Mix half of the dressing into the salad.  Taste & check the salad for consistency, then add more dressing until it’s the way you like it (you may have some left over).

11. Whisk together all the yogurt sauce ingredients.

12. Put servings of the salad on plates (or on a single platter, as we did).  Sprinkle the feta cubes over the salads.  Add the yogurt sauce on the side or in bowls in the center of the plate.

13. Top the salads with the rib chops.  Sprinkle additional dill pollen over the sauce & serve.

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A cocktail made with chutney!  Really!  Our tasters described this one as being “like an evening Bloody Mary.”  You’ve got to try it.

Ingredients:             Makes 1 Drink
1 ½ oz Tequila           (we used Milagro Silver)
2 tsp Bing Cherry Chutney
1/2 oz Agave Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters

Directions:
1. Combine the tequila, cherry chutney, agave syrup, lemon juice and bitters in a shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously to combine.

2. Double-strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.  Serve.

Mixologist: Jonny Spielsinger

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The post Cocktail Recipe “Cherry Chutney Cordial” appeared first on MarxFoods.com Blog.

This is an easy, weeknight meal that’s sure to wow.  Artisanal jam is already packed full of flavor, pork tenderloins are simple to prepare and practically ready to cook right out of the package.

Don’t discount the onions as filler either – once they caramelize and catch the pork drippings they’re transformed into pure deliciousness.  During our photo shoot people were at least as excited about them as they were the pork!

This recipe can easily be cut in half to produce 2-3 servings from only one tenderloin…you might want to roast the same quantity of onion to have extra.

Ingredients:             Makes 4-6 Servings
2 Kurobuta Pork Tenderloins
1/3 cup Spiced Plum Jam
1 tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves (could substitute 1 tsp dried thyme)
1 Yellow Onion
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375˚F.

2. Trim any silver skin off of the surface of the tenderloins.

3. Peel the onion, cut it in half and thinly slice both halves.

4. Sprinkle the onion across the bottom of your baking dish or roasting pan.  Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over the pieces along with salt & pepper.  Toss them to coat.

Optional: If you prefer thicker slices or a softer texture, you can put the onion slices in the oven for 15 minutes before adding the pork, which will help cook them through.

5. In a small bowl combine the plum jam, ¼ tsp of salt, thyme and black pepper to taste.

6. Sprinkle the pork tenderloins with salt & pepper.  Rub them with olive oil.

Optional: For even better flavor, salt and pepper the pork tenderloins in the morning of the day you will be cooking them, then wrap them and put them in the refrigerator until you need them.

7. Spread half of the glaze on top of the tenderloins in a thin layer.

8. Put the tenderloins on top of the onion bed, glaze-side down.

9. Brush the other side of the tenderloins with a thin layer of the rest of the glaze.

10. Roast the tenderloins in the oven until they’re cooked through (check it in 15 minutes).  When they reach an internal temperature of 145˚F, they’re done!

11. Remove the pan from the oven and let the tenderloins rest for 10-15 minutes (lightly covered with foil) before slicing or serving.

Variation: This same technique (with modified cooking times) can be used for pork roasts or fish fillets.

Recipe by Rebecca Staffel of Deluxe Foods

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Take carbonara to new heights with intensely flavorful guanciale (cured pork jowl) instead of bacon.  This version is creamy, cheesy, very lemony and porky.

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay

Ingredients:             Makes 4 Servings
1/4 lb Guanciale, diced
8.8oz Dry Tagliatelle (we used Filotea Egg Tagliatelle)
2 Eggs
1 cup of minced Fresh Italian Parsley
1 cup finely grated (microplaned) Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Red Chile Flakes to Taste
Zest of ½ Lemon
1 ½ tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1 tbsp Kosher Salt (for the pasta water)
Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:
1. Render the fat out of the guanciale in a cast iron skillet.  Start at medium high heat, then when the skillet gets hot reduce the heat to medium low.  When the guanciale is rendered, but not yet crispy, remove & reserve half.  Leave the rest in the skillet until it crisps, then move it to a paper towel to drain.

2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add the tablespoon of kosher salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs.  Add the parmigiano reggiano cheese, lemon zest, uncrisped guanciale, meyer lemon olive oil, red chile flakes , lemon juice, black pepper and parsley.

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water.  Cook until al dente.

5. Strain the pasta out of the water, then add it to the bowl with the egg & cheese mixture.  Add 1 tbsp of the pasta cooking water, then stir to combine.

6. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

7. Plate the pasta, then top it with parmesan cheese and the crisped guanciale bits.

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Specialty game sausages bring a lot of flavor to the table, but do benefit from a little bit of sauce, jus, or mustard.  If you have artisanal jam and mustard handy, a mostarda-style sauce is just moments away.

While we’ve used pheasant sausages here, you could substitute a different variety – especially one based on other poultry, pork or wild boar.

Likewise, while this recipe cooks the sausages on the stove top, they would also be delicious grilled!

Ingredients:             Makes 4 Servings
4 Pheasant Sausages with Cognac
1 tbsp Water

Mostarda:
1 tsp Honey Wine Vinegar (could substitute other vinegar)
2 tbsp Pear Butter with Vanilla
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard   (we used Kozlik’s Double C Mustard)
1 pinch of Salt

Recommended Side: Sauerkraut

Directions:
1. Get the water hot in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sausages.  Poke each sausage once or twice with a knife.  Put the lid on the pan and let the water simmer for four minutes.

2. Flip the sausages, re-lid the pan, and continue to simmer for four minutes.

3. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate.  Continue to cook the sausages to brown them, turning as necessary.

4. Make the Mostarda: Mix together the pear butter, mustard, salt and honey wine vinegar in a small bowl.

5. Serve the sausages with the mostarda and your side of choice (we used Midori Farms Dill & Caraway Kraut).

Recipe by Rebecca Staffel of Deluxe Foods

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Gin and the celery-like flavor of lovage pair together beautifully in this simple yet complex cocktail.

Ingredients:    (Makes 1 Drink)
1 oz Lovage Soda Syrup
1 1/2oz Gin (we used Aviation)
1 dash Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Garnish: Fennel Salt (salt ground with fennel seed to taste – how to grind spices)

Directions:
1. Wet the rim of a rocks glass with ice. Dip in the fennel salt to rim the glass.

2. Combine all other ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

3. Add ice & shake to combine.

4. Pour directly into the rocks glass without straining.  Serve.

Mixologist: Jonny Spielsinger

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This Vietnamese noodle salad offers big flavors and a variety of textures. On the plate you’ll find cool noodles, fresh cilantro and Thai basil, crisp vegetables, crunchy peanuts and rich, sweet caramel pork with just enough heat and brightness from the nuoc mam sauce.  It’s a light, refreshing, low fat & low meat meal, perfect for spring or summer.

Drink Pairings: Dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Vietnamese Beer

Ingredients:             Makes 4 Servings
1 Kurobuta Pork Loin Chop (¾-1lb), deboned & thinly sliced (with fat)
2 large Shallots, peeled & sliced paper thin
1 tbsp Rice or All Purpose Flour
8oz Thin Rice Stick Noodles or Rice Vermicelli
2 Carrots, Jullienned
¼ Red Cabbage, Jullienned
1 small bunch Fresh Thai Basil, stems mostly removed
½ small bunch Cilantro, stems mostly removed
½ cup Shelled Peanuts
1 bunch Red Leaf Lettuce, Green Leaf Lettuce, Romaine or one Romaine Heart (as leaves or cut as you would for salad)
1 cup + 1 tbsp High Heat Oil (canola, grape seed or peanut)

Pork Marinade:
2 tbsp Red Boat Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
½ cup Sugar
1 tsp Water

Plus: Nuoc Mam Sauce Recipe

Directions:
1. Soak the rice noodles in cool water for a half hour to soften them.

2. Melt and caramelize the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  For this dish you want the caramel to be extremely dark, almost scorched.  It’s ready when it’s amber to very dark brown and starting to smoke.

3. Take the pot off the heat.  Add the fish sauce and rice wine vinegar, then return it to the heat and stir to dissolve any clumps.  Once the clumps have dissolved, remove it from the heat again and add the teaspoon of water.

4. In a small bowl, pour the caramel over the sliced pork and stir to combine.  Let the pork marinate for at least 15 minutes.

5. In a small (but deep) saucepan, heat the cup of oil to 350 degrees.

(If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test this by throwing one of the prepped shallot rings in.  If it falls to the bottom, then floats up and starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough).

6. Separate the rings of the sliced shallots, so they’re in little ringlets.

7. Line a baking sheet with paper towels so you have a place to drain the shallots.

8. Toss the shallots with the rice or wheat flour.  Fry them in the hot oil until golden brown, then fish them out and move them to the paper towels to drain.

While the shallot rings are cooling, sprinkle sea salt over them to taste.

9. Optional: Lightly toast the peanuts in a little oil in a frying pan until they start to smell nutty.

10. Prepare a bowl of ice water (ideally big enough to partially submerge your pasta colander in) – to rapidly chill the noodles.

11. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the rice noodles.

When the noodles are tender, pour them into a colander to drain off the hot water, than submerge them (ideally still in the colander) in the ice water bath.

12. Put 1 tbsp of oil hot in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Pull the pork out of the marinade and add it to the pan. Save the marinade.

Saute the pork, stirring often, until cooked through & caramelized (about 3 minutes).

13. Remove the cooked pork from the pan to a shallow bowl. Pour the leftover marinade into the hot pan and let it simmer for about a minute.  Pour the marinade back over the pork.

14. Place a large leaf of lettuce in each bowl.  Top with some of the cold rice noodles. Top the rice noodles with carrots, cilantro, Thai basil, cabbage, fried shallots, pork and peanuts.  Serve with nuok mam sauce on the side so people can dress their own salads to taste.

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The bourbon in this cocktail really emphasizes the vanilla in the pear butter, drawing it forward while reserving the pear’s subtle fruitiness for the finish.

Ingredients:             Makes 1 Drink
1 1/2 oz Bourbon (we used Maker’s Mark)
½ oz Vanilla Simple Syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1/2oz Tahitian Vanilla Extract)
1/2oz Lemon Juice
2 tsp Pear Butter with Vanilla
1/2oz Eau de Vie Pear Brandy   (we used Clear Creek)
Vanilla Sugar (1oz Sugar, seeds from 1 Bourbon Vanilla Bean, mixed)
Lemon Wheel for Garnish

Directions:
1. Wet the rim of a martini glass with lemon and rim it with the vanilla sugar.

2. Combine the bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice and pear butter in a shaker with ice.  Shake to combine.

3. Double-strain the mixture into the martini glass.

4. Pour the pear brandy into the glass.  Garnish with the lemon wheel.  Serve.

Mixologist: Jonny Spielsinger

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