Sunday Morning

The Coulette Brunch

It's Sunday and I feel like relaxing a bit today. Not doing too much. Taking it easy.

Not too long ago I was decrying the coulette steak. Now, I'm an absolute fan. For last week's fundraiser for the Maryland Food Bank, Roseda Beef donated the meat for the dinner. We had some leftovers that became my bounty. The coulette is a small, French cut - about four ounces. It's the hind end of the sirloin, but unlike the description the bartender gave me, it's wonderfully flavorful. She actually said that it was leaner than sirloin (and it probably is) but she didn't sell it. It's small but full of flavor, not to mention deliciously tender. I've been making all week for breakfast - usually with eggs and rice.

Today, I decided for a little twist. Some risotto cakes, some sauteed chanterelles some sauteed asparagus and the butter seared coulette. How can you go wrong?

I've got a bag full of green heirloom tomatoes that I picked up from Reid's Orchards last weekend and they're getting long in the tooth. They're absolutely delicious but we ended up not using them for Tuesday's fundraiser and now they're just sitting there looking pretty but wasting away. The vacuum sealer is still down and I'm at a loss.

That's when I decided to give them a little confit action. Peeled the tomatoes by scoring, dip in boiling water for 20 seconds and cool in an ice water bath. The skins should peel off easily. Core and seed the tomatoes - reserving the loosey and juicy stuff for juice. Line an oven pan (or casserole) with fresh basil (I raped my lone basil plant, poor thing) and line the pan with seeded and cored tomatoes with the core side down. The tomatoes should be one layer but be crowded in the pan.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt and then coat liberally with olive oil and bake in the oven (convection off) for 50 minutes at 350F. Tomatoes are done when they've browned but are still slightly firm. Eat the tomatoes and reserve the oil for seasoning - it is now infused with the flavor of tomato.

I've poured my tomato confit in a jar and placed in the fridge for eating soon to commence.



Tomatoesin the oven confit-ing.