The seven-course tasting menu at Sons & Daughters in San Francisco is usually an elegant affair, featuring vegetables from the restaurant’s farm in Santa Cruz and beautifully cooked meats from animals raised on nearby pastures. In early March, as a result of the city's shelter-in-place protocols, Chef/Owner Teague Moriarty temporarily closed his One-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant. But as of April 8th, Sons & Daughters reopened for takeout. The dinnertime prix-fixe has included mustard-braised pork shoulder with sides of melted leeks and roasted potatoes with green garlic butter. A salad, bread and dessert completes the at-home restaurant experience.
But when cooking for his family at home, Moriarty, like so many chefs, turns to comfort and convenience. One-pot meals made with accessible ingredients that are guaranteed to have leftovers, which can be portioned and saved for future meals, growing even more delicious. It’s a strategy that resonates especially well these days, as millions of people hunker down at home to stay safe and slow the spread of Covid-19.
The chef adds that cooking at his house is also about making healthy and tasty foods that his seven-year-old daughter would like, but considering the stresses of feeding a child in quarantine, a little leniency goes a long way. “All of our lives changed so much so fast, I think just getting them food, whatever it ends up being, is good enough some days. We are pretty shameless of using dessert privileges.”
Here are two (seven-year-old-approved) recipes in Moriarty’s current home cooking rotation:
Kitchen Sink Beef and Barley Soup
“One of my favorite one-pot dishes to make from my childhood. The flavors are big and hearty. This recipe is made up of what I had in my fridge, but you can easily interchange the veggies with whatever you have. Make sure you cook in a large pot!”
Ingredients:
3 lbs of beef top round, cut into 1½ - 2 inch cubes
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
1 shallot, diced
3 bell peppers, diced
½ bottle of white wine
½ lbs button mushrooms, sliced
4 bunches of rough, leafy greens such as collard greens or kale, cut into ribbons
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
6 cups of chicken stock
1½ cup of uncooked barley
1 bunch fresh thyme minced, or dried thyme to taste
Method:
1. Season the cubed beef liberally with salt and black pepper.
2. Sear the cubes in oil, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Pour out most of the oil and beef fat, leaving enough to sauté the garlic, onion, shallots, and bell peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper along the way.
4. De-glaze with white wine.
5. Add mushrooms and let simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add in the greens in batches, taking care not to overload the pot. Let simmer until they have cooked down.
7. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and beef and bring to a low simmer.
8. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until the beef has softened.
9. Add in barley and thyme and simmer on low for another 45-60 minutes.
10. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Teague's Cochinita Pibil
“I’ve had this at taquerias for years, but I started trying to make a simple version at home this year. This is a great versatile braised pork for tacos, rice bowls, pastas or however else you would want to enjoy. In our family, we make a batch every few weeks and freeze most of it and add it into meals as we go.”
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1½ - 2 inch cubes
For the marinade:
3 oz achiote paste
2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
4 cloves of garlic
Juice from 8-10 limes
Juice from 2-3 oranges
3 tbs salt
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
Method:
1. Char the shallots till blackened in a pan with no oil.
2. Combine shallots with the rest of the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
3. Pour the marinade over the pork, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Transfer to a heavy roasting pan and very tightly cover with foil.
5. Roast at 300F for 4 hours.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes, then take a large fork and shred the pork.
7. Season with salt to taste.
Hero photo credit: © Robert McClenahan/Michelin
