# The SBHonline Community Daily > Restaurants Wine & Food Off The Island >  >  Bocuse d'Or & Keller

## sradek

Absolutely drooling over this...

Bocuse d'Or & Thomas Keller

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## JEK

Cheap at twice the price. We had a memorable lunch at the FL a few years ago and we still rave about it.

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## sradek

Agreed on the price.  I fully expected it to be higher.   Had my first dinner at the French Laundry in 1998.  One of the most memorable dinners of my life.  

There was a terrific article on TK in a recent issue of Wine Spectator (at least I think it was Wine Spectator).  It was a surprisingly intimate profile

Also really enjoy Greystone, beautiful property.  Have had quite a few dinners there over the years, some excellent, some just ok.   Regardless always look forward to a return trip.  

Its been quite a while since we've made it to Napa and this type of event makes me miss it even more!

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## bto

susanne, we just got back from a trip to napa and the california coast...first trip to napa...loved it.  didn't do FL though...maybe next time.

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## JEK

August Men's Journal has an article about TK and the 5 dishes every man should know how to make.

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## GramChop

beautiful photo, bev!

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## GramChop

> August Men's Journal has an article about TK and the *5 dishes every man should know how to make*.



do share, pops!!!!

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## andynap

> Originally Posted by JEK
> 
> August Men's Journal has an article about TK and the *5 dishes every man should know how to make*.
> 
> 
> 
> do share, pops!!!!




It says men- you have a sex change? LOL

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## GramChop

> Originally Posted by gramchop
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>  Originally Posted by JEK
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you ARE a funny one, andy!!!  

you never know when i might have the opportunity to be wined and dined by a man again and i want to know that he knows how to cook at least five things!

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## amyb

Bev-this brought back tons of happy Napa and Sonoma trip memories. Phil and I are making a concerted effort to lower the inventory of his wine cellar and we are starting to think of our next California trip. Thanks for reminding me how great a vacation destination that has been.

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## JEK

It's always the ones who are insecure in their masculinity that make these "jokes".

His chicken, his rack of lamb, his special pork and beans, his bavette in butter and his BLT.

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## CREGGERS

I bet I could go toe to toe with him on the homemade baked beans   :Wink:  





> It's always the ones who are insecure in their masculinity that make these "jokes".
> 
> His chicken, his rack of lamb, his special pork and beans, his bavette in butter and his BLT.

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## JEK

I can't find the recipe online, but it calls for heirloom Borlotti beans.

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## CREGGERS

you got me there, I don't even know what they are.
Post the recipe if you can dig it up I'd love to check it out.
What does his BLT have on it ?




> I can't find the recipe online, but it calls for heirloom Borlotti beans.

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## andynap

> I can't find the recipe online, but it calls for heirloom Borlotti beans.




Can find those online or an Italian market but regular pinto beans or small navy beans will do.

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## CREGGERS

I guess it makes it "gourmet" foo foo baked beans if they don't use great nothern beans.

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## bto

yes, Amy, I sense that you will return soon : )  I really don't know why we haven't been before now...it was a week of pure fun and relaxation.  Stayed in Yountville at The Vintage Inn for 3 nights...lovely place...tasted some great wine,  maybe too much...lol.
I read the posts on here before planning the trip and as we drove along Big Sur we passed the Tickle Pink Inn, which I remember you posting that you and Phil had stayed there.

Can't wait to go back.

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## MIke R

> I bet I could go toe to toe with him on the homemade baked beans   
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>  Originally Posted by JEK
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I was taught  how to make slow roasted baked beans by a dyed in the wool Vermont girl

bring it on!...I'm ready

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## JEK

> What does his BLT have on it ?



  
INGREDIENTS
4	thick slices of bacon
2	slices of Monterey Jack cheese
2	thick slices of rustic white bread, toasted and hot
1	tablespoon mayonnaise
4	tomato slices
2	leaves of butter lettuce
1	teaspoon unsalted butter
1	large egg
DIRECTIONS
In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Set the Monterey Jack slices on 1 piece of toast. Spread the mayonnaise on the other slice of toast, then top with the bacon, tomato and lettuce.
In a small, nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the egg and fry over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp around the edge, about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be runny. Slide the egg onto the lettuce; close the sandwich and eat right away.

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## CREGGERS

ahhhhhhhhhhhh he used an egg, nice  :) 





> Originally Posted by creggers
> 
> What does his BLT have on it ?
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>   
> INGREDIENTS
> 4	thick slices of bacon
> ...

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## JEK

À cheval!

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## MIke R

good Lord that looks good

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## JEK

Here's the skirt steak. The pork and beans still isn't online.

 

Bistro-Style Skirt
Mon, Aug 9, 2010Features, Food & Drink


The Perfect Steak
If I came up with a list of five meals for men and I didnt include a steak, it wouldnt make sense. People would be like, Whats up?? Keller tells me.
Hes got a point, and not just because everybody thinks of steak as the ultimate guy food. Seared cow meat and burly red wine really do have some incantational power to stitch a weary male soul together again, reassuring a man that hes living right and alls well in the universe. Anyone can learn to grill a porterhouse, but Keller recommends the classic French bistro steak  an intensely flavored cut known as the bavette or, to any good American butcher, the outside skirt.
The Complete Recipe:
Skirt Steak with Red-Wine Jus and Caramelized Shallots

Ingredients
10 oz outside skirt steak, a.k.a. bavette
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tsp minced thyme
For The Red-Wine Jus
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup diced yellow onions
1/4 cup carrots,
peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sliced leeks, white
and light-green parts only
1/4 cup sliced shallots
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 thyme sprig
2 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup veal stock (MJ alternative: 1 tbsp Williams-Sonoma veal demi-glace)
Step 1
Combine all ingredients for the red-wine jus, except the veal stock, in a saucepan. Simmer until the wine reduces almost to a glaze. Add the stock and simmer another 15 minutes. (Alternative: Add the veal demi-glace and 2 tbsp water, then stir. No need to simmer further.) Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. The jus should have the consistency of a thin sauce. Reduce further if needed. Set aside.
Step 2
Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Add the canola oil to a large skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the steak.

Step 3
After about 2 minutes, or when the steak is nicely seared and browned, turn it over and set the butter on top. Once the butter begins to melt, baste the steak.
Step 4
After about 7 minutes total cooking time, transfer the meat to a warm place (a cutting board is fine) and let rest for at least 10 minutes  this is key, as it allows moisture to redistribute evenly.
Step 5
While the meat rests, add sliced shallots to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft.
Step 6
Add thyme, reduce heat, and cook gently until shallots are completely softened and golden brown.
Step 7
Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to caramelize. Stir juices from the steak into the shallots.
Step 8
Spoon about 2 tbsp of jus onto a plate; top with the steak (sliced or whole) and then the shallots.
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For watercress salad recipe, go to mensjournal.com/steakside.

Keller On
Searing the Steak: Heat some oil in a skillet  I always err toward more rather than less. Once its smoking, tilt the pan so the oil pools on one side. Then it wont splatter when you set down the meat.
Set the skillet back on the flame and, after two minutes, or once its browned, flip the steak, tilting the pan again.
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Key Skill
Basting the Steak
The recipe calls for two tablespoons of butter, but I watch Keller plop about half a stick right onto the steak, still in the pan.
See, if I put the butter directly onto the metal, Keller tells me, itll burn and separate before I have time to do much basting.
Hes describing precisely what happens every time I baste a steak, except that now Im seeing the light, because Kellers own half-stick melts luxuriously off the meat, oozing into pretty white foam. Tilting the pan again, pooling the foamy butter, he grabs a spoon and begins basting the meat. The spoon clanks repeatedly into the pans metal, scooping up melted butter at about the pace youd knock on a door, if you were in a hurry: bang-bang-bang-bang.
My turn.
Nope, the rhythms wrong, Keller says. Its all in the wrist. Watch me.
So I do, and then I try again, but I can hear it: Im still clanking the spoon way too slow.
Youre pausing each time, Keller says. Once again, he demonstrates: bang-bang-bang.
Sweat beading on my nose, I finally understand the problem: Im scooping and pouring. Keller wants a quick scoop-and-flick motion. I also realize why it matters: Basting is a way of preventing the butter from burning, keeping the meat moist, and heating the meat from above so it cooks evenly. The faster the rhythm, the more constant the moisture and heat.
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## JEK

An old post with his roast chicken. We do this all the time and it is the best chicken this side of La Rotisserie!

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## GramChop

OMG...that BLT looks downright sinful!!!!  

so, this is one of those dishes, according to men's journal, i should expect a man to know how to prepare?  if so.....bring on the boys!!!

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## andynap

> OMG...that BLT looks downright sinful!!!!  
> 
> so, this is one of those dishes, according to men's journal, i should expect a man to know how to prepare?  if so.....bring on the boys!!!




Hey- if you are lookin you should do the cookin.

BTW- the recipe for the skirt steak is ridiculous.

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## MIke R

> so, this is one of those dishes, according to men's journal, i should expect a man to know how to prepare?  if so.....bring on the boys!!!



in my sleep

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## GramChop

> Originally Posted by gramchop
> 
> OMG...that BLT looks downright sinful!!!!  
> 
> so, this is one of those dishes, according to men's journal, i should expect a man to know how to prepare?  if so.....bring on the boys!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...



in the words of the famous mick jagger..."hey, hey, you, you, get off of my cloud!"

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## JEK

> BTW- the recipe for the skirt steak is ridiculous.



It is indeed. Ridiculously good. I've had it at his place Bouchon in Yountville.

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## andynap

I'm sure it's great for a restaurant but much too involved for me. There are just as good and much easier to do.

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## JEK

the wine jus take a bit to concoct, but the steak is foolproof.

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## andynap

I'm looking at the entire recipe. The steak is easy.

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## JEK

I'm not intimidated by a complex recipe, I'm retired :)

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## andynap

I am way past doing convoluted recipes unless there is no other way. You should try it at least once.

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## JEK

Pork And Beans
Tue, Aug 10, 2010Features, Food & Drink


The Crowd-Pleaser
Even the best home chef cant be pan-frying fillet of sole for 12: Too much last-minute hassle, no way to nail the timing. Thats where the one-pot meal comes in, the richly satisfying braise that actually gets better if you cook it three days in advance, so the flavors have time to develop. A braise takes minimal last-minute effort and can easily be scaled for a huge group or to leave a weeks worth of the best leftovers youve ever had.
And the thing I especially love about pork and beans, Keller tells me, is all the ways you can repurpose it into other meals. He shows me exactly what he means, whipping up the single best plate of huevos rancheros Ive ever eaten (and eat them I do, hunched over his kitchens counter) and a killer bean soup that takes all of about 10 minutes to make (see mensjournal.com/leftovers for those recipes). But the pièce de résistance is the pork-and-beans proper, a classic Keller dish in which the simplest comfort food becomes a minor culinary miracle.

The Complete Recipe: Braised Pork Shoulder with Slow-Cooker Beans
The Pork
Ingredients
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4- to 5-lb bone-in pork shoulder
4 tbsp canola oil
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped Spanish onion
1 chopped leek, white part only
8 cups veal or chicken stock
1 rosemary sprig
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
4 diced garlic cloves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
Step 1
Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on the pork very generously on all sides (dont be shy; you cant really overdo it here).
Step 2 
Place a large cast-iron pot on the stove on high heat, and add the canola oil.
Step 3
When the oil is shimmering, lower the pork shoulder into the pot gently. Sear on all sides until golden brown, rotating the pork by hand, setting it up on its edge when necessary  then remove the meat and set aside.
Step 4
Pour out excess oil, then add chopped carrots, onion, and leek. Stir to coat with remaining oil in the bottom of the pot.
Step 5
Lay the shoulder on top of the vegetables (fatty side up). Add the veal or chicken stock so that it comes only halfway up the side of the pork, then add rosemary sprig, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, garlic, and peppercorns to the liquid. Bring to a simmer.
Step 6
Cover the pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and place in a 250? oven. Braise the pork for 3.5 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with two forks.
Step 7
Remove the pork from the pot and let cool to room temperature. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, return the pork and liquid to the pot, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 8
Once ready to finish the dish, debone the pork and then cut the meat into 2-inch-square chunks.
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For beet salad recipe, go to mensjournal.com/porkandbeansside.
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Keller On
Braising: If you ever taste a braise and the meat is dry, you know they overcooked it, or they didnt let it rest. Once the pork has finished braising, you have to let the meat rest in its liquid so it can reabsorb all of that moisture. Nothing wrong with making this dish the day you want to serve it, but it really does have a sweet spot, a moment of optimal flavor, about three days out. Just let the pork cool to room temperature, strain its braising liquid, and then refrigerate the pork in the strained liquid.
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Deboning the Pork
Sounds complicated, removing the odd-shape bone, but, as Keller demonstrates, its easy: Just slip the fingers of one hand between the meat and the big shoulder bone, and remove without a single stroke of a knife.
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The Beans
Slow-Cooking the Beans
The dilemma: Dried beans take forever to get tender, and you invariably overcook some, turning them mushy before others lose their hardness. Kellers solution: Rancho Gordobrand beans, which are guaranteed fresh from ranchogordo.com, and a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker to help achieve even cooking.
-

Photo by Travis Rathbone
Slow, even cooking  thats the secret to great beans and a whole host of other dishes, like stews and soups. The All-Clad 6.5 Quart has the added bonus of a digital timer that can switch the appliance to a keep warm setting, allowing you to start beans in the morning and come home to a perfect pot. $300; all-clad.com
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Binding the Sauce
Right before combining the pork and beans, Keller creates what the French call a liaison, an emulsification that converts the braising liquid into a luxurious sauce. Keller just puts the drained, cooked beans into a skillet, adds enough of the pork-braising liquid to moisten them, drops in a couple of tablespoons of butter, and then explains the key: A few drops of vinegar. Doesnt even matter what kind because its so little you wont even taste it. The vinegars acid helps the butter and stock bind together and become silky.
Ingredients
1 pound Rancho Gordobrand borlotti or cannellini beans
6 cups veal (or chicken) stock
6 cups water
2 thyme sprigs  1 bay leaf
Kosher salt  1/2 leek
1/2 carrot  1/2 white onion
1 oz bacon
Step 1
Wash and rinse beans  do not soak  then heat the stock and water in a pot and add to slow cooker.
Step 2
Tie together thyme and bay leaf and put in liquid with 1 tsp salt, leek, carrot, onion, beans, and bacon. Slow-cook on high until tender, about 4 hours. Cool and store in their liquid.
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Finishing the Dish
Ingredients
3/4 cup large-diced leeks,
white parts only
1 cup large-diced carrots
Canola oil, as needed
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
Step 1
Scrape fat off surface of pork-braising liquid. Discard.
Step 2
Warm the meat and stock over low heat. Remove the pork. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into another pot.
Step 3
Return pork shoulder to its liquid. Simmer until needed.
Step 4
In a large skillet, sauté leeks and carrots in oil until tender.
Step 5
Strain the beans and put half in the skillet. Add one cup of the pork-braising liquid, the butter, and the red-wine vinegar to bind the sauce. Simmer 20 minutes, until the liquid thickens.
Step 6
Set pieces of warmed pork in the beans and serve.

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## andynap

That's beyond sane.

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## JEK

You like?

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## andynap

Get out.

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## MIke R

oh my God...that is just so out of this world crazy its laughable.....oh I gotta show Wendi this one...

this is taking something simple and taking it to new heights of complications....

the vinegar is a good tip though...totally stops the beans from splitting....

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## JEK

> oh my God...that is just so out of this world crazy its laughable.....oh I gotta show Wendi this one...
> 
> this is taking something simple and taking it to new heights of complications....
> 
> the vinegar is a good tip though...totally stops the beans from splitting....



 Your fishmonger might get a kick out of it too. Until you eat at the Thomas Keller restaurant, no stones please :)

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## MIke R

Its Pork and beans for Gods sakes..!!!!!!!!..LOL

does he have a preferred hot dog and sauerkraut recipe as well????

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## CREGGERS

that recipe is bananas, I'd love to try them though.

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## JEK

> that recipe is bananas, I'd love to try them though.



I may, when it gets cool.

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## JEK

> August Men's Journal has an article about TK and the 5 dishes every man should know how to make.



 Full article posted with the five.

http://www.mensjournal.com/five-meals

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## sradek

We've staying in Yountville quite a few times.  Central, and walking distance to great dining. 

Our last trip also included some time in Big Sur, it was our first time there.  Absolutely loved it.

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## sradek

Typical TK recipe LOL

We've cooked a few things from his cookbook, the best is by far the duck breast sous vide.... we've found once you make a recipe once or twice you can come up with short cuts that don't compromise the dish, at least for those of us with only mildly sophisticated palates   :Wink:

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## JEK

Our French Laundry adventure was on the occasion of our daughter and son-in-law turning 30 and my sister turning 70.  We assembled for a lunch in the private dining room and it was magical.

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