DELICIOUS FRENCH ONION SOUP - POST MORTEM

I made some FOS last evening and it was very good! I used a chuck roast that I bought on sale for $2.65/lb. I don't recommend this unless you're willing to take the time to trim away the fat and sinew thoroughly. Even then, some of the meat will be a little chewy, but much of it will be surprisingly tender and delicious. While there is benefit to going to better cuts - my favorite is rib eye steak - I would stay away from round steak except for the fact that it is the easiest to cut and handle. However, of the various cuts, it is the least flavorful and can be dry. I still want to try lamb and buffalo and will report on these.

I've revised the recipe in accord with what I did last evening . . . [sorry previous post needed editing - 021608]

021708: My brother, Fred, asked, "How come you didn't use marrow bones to make beef broth for the FOS. Here's my reply:

F,

Thanks for your comment and your opinion.

For the FOS, the object was to have pieces of beef in the soup. The original recipe called for using broth and also called for discarding the juices from the braising of the beef. This, to me, was a waste. These juices and the beef and onions made their own broth from simmering in the water.

Making broth starting with bones is extra work and takes time. There was ample beef in the recipe to make this unnecessary. It's also a good way to make use of a cheap cut of beef which only cost slightly more than soup bones.

In my earlier blog about chicken soup, I showed that commercial broths were virtually all water with almost zero chicken protein or fat.

H
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Chuck Steak French Onion Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

~ 3/4-1 pound chuck steak, (or any of above suggestions)

~1 1/3 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 inches of saltine crackers finely crumbled
~4-5 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
1+ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/6 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices toasted Gen 1:29 bread
6 oz. thick sliced sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Brown beef in EVOO in a large WOC about 5 min.

2. Add onion and braise with beef 10 min. Don't drain. Add water, saltines,

red wine, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat

and simmer, partially covered 15 minutes.
3. Place 4 ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Place 1 toasted

bread slice in each bowl. Ladle soup into bowls and top with

cheese slices to loosely cover. Broil 51/2 inches from heat about

3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and crusty.

Makes ~4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (approx.)

CALORIES 325 (19% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 2.0g); PROTEIN 36g;

CARB 24.g; FIBER 5g; CHOL 20mg; SODIUM 450mg