Sunday Soup #54: Steak and Ale Soup with Tender Mushrooms

After I made the Beef Bourguignon (https://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2018/01/sunday-soup-50-beef-bourguignon.html) several weeks ago, and it turned out so well, I have been looking for something similar that was a little easier to prepare. When I stumbled across this Steak and Ale soup recipe, hosted on The Cozy Apron (whose soups I usually really like), I thought I'd give it a try. If it was half as good as the aforementioned Beef Bourguignon, and half the work, it would be a winner! So, did it deliver?

This recipe came from: https://thecozyapron.com/steak-and-ale-soup-with-mushrooms/

*Pic 1 - https://thecozyapron.com/steak-and-ale-soup-with-mushrooms/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. That's it!

General Thoughts: This soup was quite easy to prepare. A little onion and mushroom slicing (which you could skip if you bought pre-sliced mushrooms and pre-diced onions at the market), a few minutes to trim and cube the ribeye (which the butcher will also do for you, if you ask her or him nicely), and then it is just a matter of coating the meat with flour and frying/searing it up before you cook the soup. On that score, it is exactly what I'd hoped... The Beef Bourguignon was terrific, as I already said, but it was also fairly labor intensive; prepping this Steak and Ale soup was much faster and did not feel like as much of a chore.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

Another bright spot in this soup was the mushrooms. They turned out, as the soup's name implied, to be tender and tasty. They provided a nice contrast to the beef and acted as additional bulk, in lieu of potatoes or other veggies.

But, unfortunately, that's where things started to go south... The flavor was fairly unremarkable. It was helped by the parsley and thyme garnish, but ended up being just kind of "meh". It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great.

One of the biggest downers was the beef... Despite being trimmed and cooked exactly a prescribed in the recipe, it came out kind of tough and (some pieces) a little gristly. I'd have thought that using a fancier cut of beef would lead to more tenderness and richer meaty goodness, but the chuck roast used in the Beef Bourguignon seemed much better suited to this type of soup. Not to mention that ribeye is expensive, so the fact that expense did not translate to a better soup (or, at least, a better beef choice for the soup) was a bit aggravating.

Potential Improvements? If I made this again, I would definitely choose a roast (like a chuck roast) instead of ribeye steaks and cook the meat longer; maybe even consider pressure cooking it. I would add potatoes to give it some additional heft. Finally, I'd probably double the Italian seasoning, and maybe even add a little Lawry's seasoning salt to impart a stronger overall flavor.

Polling the Fam: I thought it was just okay and not really remarkable overall. Becky thought the meat was tough and the soup needed potatoes, finding it underwhelming and saying she'd never ask for it. Hunter thought it had too much meat and not enough mushrooms, saying that the broth was tasty but that he, too, would not ever request it. Fox's only comment was that he was glad he had a spoon? Hmm...

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)

Sunday Soup #53: Thai Coconut Peanut Soup

I know, I know... I hit 52 soups last week, which was the mark I was trying to reach with this project. But, I've enjoyed it more than I thought I would. So, if you are willing to indulge me, I'll keep going... At least until you tell me you're tired of seeing new posts. :-)

This recipe came from: https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/thai-coconut-peanut-soup/

*Pic 1 - https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/thai-coconut-peanut-soup/

Variations from Recipe as Written: None. I followed the recipe exactly as written.

General Thoughts: I was very excited to try this one... I've had it pinned for months now, and I am always interested in trying new Asian recipes. Particularly, soups like this one, which promise a great deal of flavor (coconut... peanut... peppers... what's not to like?!), will always have a place in my kitchen. But, despite good reviews on its site, this one just didn't really deliver...

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

When I reached the stage where I added the peanut butter (I should have taken a pic then), I was very hopefully. The mixture was warm and gooey and fragrant, promising that a culinary treat awaited. But, by the end, after adding the amount of liquid called for in the recipe (coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, rendered/melted peanut butter, and chicken broth), the ratio of bulky ingredients to broth seemed way off; I mean, WAY off. I like brothy soups, but this one was extreme. Taking normal ladlefuls, I wound up with bowls that were 3/4 broth and 1/4 chicken and veggies. This effect can be offset if a broth is thick and hearty in and of itself (as a nice hearty coconut broth-based Thai soup should be), but that was not the case here. The broth was thin and, while it had decent flavor, "drowned" the other ingredients.

As for the flavor, it was okay, but nothing to write home about. Based on the ingredient list, I had high hopes but, in the end, this was not a soup whose flavor would make me order it again in a restaurant. The spice from the bird's eye (Thai) chiles I used to garnish it helped, but I did not get a particularly strong punch of coconut or (surprisingly) peanut from each bite. All in all, it just kind of fell flat...

Potential Improvements? I'd definitely cut the amount of chicken broth by at least 1/3 and up the chicken by at least 1/2 again as much as called for, if I were to make this again. I might like to try a different brand of coconut milk (maybe Thai Kitchen instead of the Chaokoh I used). I think I'd also add some curry paste to help kick the flavor up a little bit.

Polling the Fam: There was a small audience for this one, since it was a busy week. You have my impressions above, so I won't belabor the point there. Hunter was the only other one to try it, and he did not comment on it to me, but I did notice that half the bowl he took wound up in the sink, so that's not a great sign.

Verdict: Not a fan. (2 stars)

Sunday Soup #52: Lisa & Amy's Pozole

Wow... 52! One whole year's-worth of weekly soups... This is actually what I set out to do, this was my goal, to post enough recipes that I could make a different one every week for an entire year, and I've done it! It took me one year and nine months to reach this number, but I'll still call it a win. :-) They haven't all been good, but they've all been different, and I've enjoyed making every single one... I hope you've enjoyed them too!

Which brings me to Big #52... This one is kind of neat because it is a recipe I got from my friend Amy, who knows how much I love pozole. It was very brave of her because, pozole being my favorite soup, and me already having my own recipe that I happen to think is Da Bomb, she is letting me take a hack at this one. So, how did it go? Let's see...

This recipe came from: Amy Suzanne

This recipe came to me as a real "little of this and little of that" and "I don't measure, I just taste" type of thing, with some of the instructions and measurements being a little... "squishy" (yes, that is a technical term). To be fair, I think it was the original author of the recipe (Vivianne?) who simply provided the outline, and Amy similarly has to do a lot of interpretation when she makes it. So, the version of the recipe I am posting for you below is my own interpretation of what I got from Amy.  I'll give you the recipe I followed first, and then finish up with my normal impressions/analysis.

First, the recipe:

Vivianne's Lisa & Amy's Pozole
Cooking/Prep Time: About 2 hours
Serves: 10-12

Ingredients-

5 pounds pork (cubed)*

16 cups water

8 cups chicken broth

3 tsp crushed Mexican oregano

5 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp cumin

1 large white onion

10-12 dried New Mexico chiles

Salt to taste

4 cans (7oz) of El Pato Salsa de Chile Fresco (aka, Hot Tomato Sauce)

1 large (#10) can (105oz) of white hominy

(optional garnishes)

Shredded cabbage

Chopped white onion

Chopped cilantro

Tortilla strips
Chicharrones (pork rinds)

Chopped avocado

Lime wedges

Chopped radishes

Sour cream
Cotija cheese or queso fresco

(*Although not part of the recipe Amy gave me, I chose to marinate the pork for a few hours in a marinade I created to punch up the flavor in all of my pozole meats: combine ½ TBSP garlic salt, 1 TBSP cumin, 7 TBSP water, 1 TBSP liquid smoke, and 1 TBSP lime juice, toss the cubed pork in it, and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours before use.)

1. Bring the water, pork, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and half (2 ½ cloves) of the minced garlic to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for an hour, or until it reduces by about half. Skim foam from the top, as needed. After it reduces, add the chicken broth, and bring back to a simmer.

2. While the pork is cooking, add the dried chiles to a medium sauce pan, fill with enough water to cover them, and boil for about 45 minutes. When done, remove the chiles (reserving the water) and cut the stems off. Place the boiled chiles, large white onion (roughly cut), the remaining minced garlic (about 2 ½ cloves), and about 2 cups of the water in which the chiles were boiled into a blender and purée.

3. Once the pork has been simmering at least an hour, add the chile slurry, drain and add the hominy, and add the cans of El Pato Salsa de Chile Fresco.

4. Simmer another 45 minutes or more until the flavors properly combine.

5. Serve immediately and garnish as desired.

General Thoughts: First, let me say that I can't help but compare this to my pozole recipe that I know and love. It is the same thing I do with the pozoles I get out at Mexican food restaurants, compare them to my recipe that has become a family staple and that I make on special occasions. Is it fair? Maybe not, but it is the standard by which I judge... I told you, Amy was brave to give this one to me!

*Pics 1 & 2 - Pictures from when I made it (there are tons of yummy garnishes under that cabbage!)

Amy's pozole recipe intrigued me because it did not call for a lot of spices, so I was curious to see where the flavor would come from. My own recipe uses black pepper, cumin, oregano, chipotle powder, chili powder, salt, and more to punch my taste buds in the face and leave no doubt that I am eating a Mexican pork stew.

The flavor I got from this pozole underwhelmed me somewhat, and it was not spiced strongly enough for me (remember, I am a fire-eater!). The strongest flavors were of the pork (which is a good thing), tomato sauce (which is not something I enjoy in a pozole), and the pureed peppers (which did not pack enough spice for me). I could taste the cumin and the Mexican oregano, but I definitely needed to add more salt (which was on me, not the recipe, since it did say "salt to taste").

The garnishes are a MUST for this one... They are important to any pozole, but the lack of a really strong flavor from the soup itself makes them extra important here. Some good salty tortilla chips or chicharrones (pork rinds), as well as the salty cotija cheese, can really help.

Potential Improvements? For me, making this again, I'd need to find a way to give it a bit more bite (something with a bit of vinegar taste, maybe), add a lot more spice (subbing guajillo chiles in for the New Mexico chiles, for example), and find more savory, salty flavor (perhaps, with some black pepper, chili powder, and/or garlic salt). But, with that said, not everybody will find my particular pozole tastes to their liking, so use your own palate as your guide...

Polling the Fam: I think I made it clear how I felt about this one: it was okay for me, but I just needed more oomph. Becky likewise thought it was not as flavorful as she'd hoped, but thought it was fine overall. The boys, by contrast, really liked it... Hunter commented that "it was a solid pozole" and had three bowls! He liked it quite a bit, specifically highlighting the hominy, and reiterated that the garnishes are very important. Fox, our picky eater, also seemed to like it and commented that he thought it had a good combo of flavors. In the end, I'd say 3 stars, they'd say 4 stars, but... I don't give halves, and it is my blog, so...

Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)

A special "THANK YOU" to Amy for letting me try this soup, and for giving me permission to give my honest opinions on the recipe!