Vintage is Better: Caffeine

Finally...after 38 years, several coffee pots and lots of bad cups of joe later, I have figured out how to make a good cup of coffee consistently. I even bought a Keurig several years ago so I could offer guests something drinkable. No longer!

It's my coffee pot. I bought a corningware nine cup percolator at an estate sale. Just fill with cool water to the waterline marking the amount you want, add the metal basket and scoop in one tablespoon for every cup, and set over medium low heat. Then wait. The coffee will boil and perk over the grounds, giving you delicious results. You can see how strong the brew is by looking at the boil in the glass bubble in the lid. I can also smell when it's done. Yummmmm!

It's way better than any electric drip coffee maker I ever used. It doesn't use filters either- the grounds stay in the metal basket. No waste, and it cleans up in a snap.

I am on the hunt for a four cup with a ceramic spout- as it seems these were eventually recalled in the 70s as the handle could become separated from the pot. There's not that issue with the four cup percolators.

Still- I love this coffeepot dearly!

Recipe:Beefsteak

One of the benefits of living with Matty is that he's a fantastic cook. It means I have to do the dishes, but when I get to eat terrific food like this, I don't mind one bit. This is one of my favorite meals that he makes for us. It's a recipe he learned from a Filipino friend in college, and it's quite simple and incredibly delicious. I'm warning you though- it's really really salty and really lemony, but that's how we like it. The first time I had it, I don't think I cared for it all that much, but now I crave the lemony saltiness of it. I'm sure you could alter the proportions to your liking. I find I like it best when he uses big sweet vidalia onions, but he likes regular yellow cooking onions best, because they have a little bite. Also, the amounts listed are approximate, this is a recipe he literally throws together by eyeballing it.  I encourage you to give it try. We eat it over hot jasmine rice. YUM!

Beefsteak

1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c soy sauce
2 lb sandwich steaks (flank steak also works well)
2-3 medium onions
4 tbsp olive oil

1. Add the lemon juice to the soy sauce in a bowl. Matt uses a big glass Pyrex one that doesn't react with the acid.

 

2. Pound your steak between plastic wrap to 1/8". You can also slice your meat thinly. Cut the meat into 2" squares.

3. Add the meat to the lemon soy marinade. This is where I tell you to marinate overnight. Usually, Matt marinates the meat for 30 minutes whiles he slices the onions, wipes the tears from his face, and gets the skillet nice and hot.

4. Sllice onions to 1/2" thick rings.

drool

 5. The marinated meat should have browned in the marinade. I think the acid helps to cook it. Get your skillet or wok nice and hot. It's best to use a skillet with high sides if you have one. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the hot skillet. It should be so hot the oil smokes.

6. Use tongs to add the meat to the skillet. Be careful- the oil will spatter.

 7. If you have a skillet with high sides- push the meat up the sides of the pan to avoid stewing the meat in it's juices

8. Cook over high heat until the marinade is reduced.

9. Add the remaining marinade back to the pan and deglaze (scrape up all the delicious flavor nuggets cooked on the bottom). Cook for a minute.

10.Remove meat and  marinade to a serving dish. Add remaining oil to skillet and return to high heat. Add several tablespoons of the cooked marinade and onions and cook until translucent and crisp tender.

11. Heap cooked onions over steak. Serve with hot cooked rice!