Very Slowly, My Friends
Time! It nips at our heels every moment of every day. Even this sentence is laden with references to time. Chronos, which runs our human experience, makes me burst with speedy actions and hurried steps. If I don’t take on some tasks at full throttle I won’t make my deadline, whether it’s preparing a complicated dinner for a group, or putting together a simple supper at home. But right now, (another reference to time), let’s consider a slower cooked meal that allows for greater savoring of what we’ve prepared.
Naturally, cooking depends upon careful timing. How many minutes do you like your egg boiled? (I prefer mine jammy…6-7 minutes max.) How long does it take for coals to reach their optimal grilling temperature? Add the challenge of juggling tasks so that all the parts of a meal are ready simultaneously. Now that requires planning and coordination! Even the goodness of ingredients is highly time dependent. When were the veggies and herbs harvested? Are they ripe? When was the fish caught? How were these items stored and for how long?
We humans will someday break loose from the confines of chronos. God works entirely outside the restraints of time that he gave us for our earthly experience…and one day in the future, we too will join in that timeless glory! In the meantime, we must live and cook with phones that tell us when the guests will arrive, and when the fish and potatoes are done, or at least need checking.
Lately, in this hurried world of ours, I’m having fun cooking a few dishes slower, and at temperatures lower than I thought possible. It’s a refreshing change of pace. My interest in slow cooking began when we visited with friends who recollected for us a meal of the most delicious cheeseburgers, of all things! They’d been invited to a cousin’s home in Sweden where they chatted over beverages and appetizers in a very relaxed atmosphere, wondering if this was perhaps the entire meal. But to their surprise, their host excused himself momentarily and reappeared with a large tray of delicious smelling cheeseburgers. They looked at each other in amazement. Who was in the kitchen grilling these burgers to perfection? How does one instantly produce such a thing? They didn’t stand by the grill while he monitored the meat, and no one could have panfried those beauties so quickly. Best of all, our friends said the burgers were scrumptious!
When inquiring their host about his cooking method, he replied with cavalier ease that the burgers had been roasting slowly in the oven for 45 minutes at 125 degrees C. Before serving, he simply placed them on warmed buns and added cheese. Voila! He held out a platter of the most delicious, moist cheeseburgers they’d ever tasted.
Our friends relayed this culinary tale at a time when I’d been too rushed, scurrying from one meal preparation to the next in swift succession. That’s why it caught my attention. In the kitchen I often stir and chop in a frenetic whirl wind; my mind flying faster than my hands or husband (bless him) can work. So, you see why cooking slowly at a lower temperature is a welcome change of pace. To my happy surprise, cooking the protein of a meal at a leisurely rate makes it possible to concentrate on the side dishes or sauces while the salmon or beef slowly come to temperature. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical at first, but lowering the temperature and adding time has proven a reliable method.
Additionally, and perhaps even more importantly, eating more slowly is also a valuable pursuit. Especially when children ringed our table, I remember feeling discouraged when a meal that took a long time to prepare was devoured as soon as we said “amen.” Sometimes I’d stretch out mealtime by serving in courses—my strategy to keep our three at the table long enough to ask about their day. Slowly savoring the gift of tasty food promotes joy and greater thankfulness. Plus, as we decelerate the speed of eating long enough to delight in beautiful flavors, we are less likely to overeat and more apt to relish God’s bounty and the presence of those with whom we share the meal.
So, when time allows, be still and know you can cook fish or beef, and many other foods, low and slow, which is good for both body and soul.
Oven Roasted Salmon Filet with Fresh Herb Sauce
4 servings
1 ½ lb. salmon fillet (skin on is okay)
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
Preheat oven to 250º F. Place salmon filet on a parchment lined baking sheet. Run your finger over salmon checking for pin bones that might need removing. Rub salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fish in oven for 40-45 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Check temperature with a quick-read thermometer at thickest part of the fish. We like ours to reach 127º F.
While the fish is slowly roasting, stir together:
Fresh Herb Sauce
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 T. white wine vinegar
juice and zest of one medium lemon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Place in a non-reactive bowl to allow shallot to macerate and salt to dissolve.
Add and whisk together:
1-2 anchovy fillets, very finely chopped and smeared into a paste with the side of a knife
1 T. capers, rinsed and rough chopped
about 1 cup chopped herbs (a combination of dill, parsley, chives or tarragon; your choice.)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Serve sauce spooned over cooked salmon or on the side for each person to drizzle over their own. The sauce is tasty accompanying roasted potatoes and vegetables as well.
Oven Roasted Cheeseburgers
Makes one dozen burgers
3½ lbs. good quality ground beef (13-15% fat)
one large or two smaller yellow onions, finely chopped
½ cup ketchup
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. plus ½ tsp. kosher salt
pepper to taste
about ½ lb. cheddar cheese, or any cheese of your choice
Stir onions, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Add beef. Using your hands, blend all ingredients just until uniformly mixed. Using a scale, divide meat into a dozen equal-weight balls. (Approximately
5 oz. each.) Press into patties about 7/8-inch thick. Place patties on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Chill burgers for at least 30 minutes.
Set oven to 250º F. Place patties on center rack of oven. At 45 minutes, check patties with a quick-read thermometer. Suggested temperatures for doneness are as follows:
medium rare, 130-135º F.
medium, 140-145º F.
medium-well, 150-155º F.
When you’ve reached the desired temperature, place slices of cheese over beef patties and allow cheese to melt. While patties rest and cheese melts, warm buns in the oven. Place patties on buns and serve with your favorite condiments.