PA Corporate Chef Steph's take from this week's Market Report "Good Buy"
Pineapple always feels like it’s a summer fruit to me. Maybe because it’s “tropical feeling” and reminiscent of extravagant rum drinks and naps on beaches? But pineapple is actually at its peak right now, during the coldest months of the year, and is one the best (and least expected) ingredients to offer on your winter menus. Pineapple’s intense sweetness is an obvious match for desserts, but I love them in savory dishes as well. The high acid and sugar content of pineapples makes for perfect marinades and tenderizers for meat. Whether added to a favorite barbeque sauce recipe, or muddled with oil, garlic, onion, and herbs, these fruits transform grilled, roasted, fried, or broiled proteins. Saving half of your marinade and adding extra chopped pineapple to the batch doubles as a bright, fresh sauce to spoon on top. Fresh pineapples are also sturdy enough for grilling or charring. I love pineapple slices glazed with habanero and cilantro marinade and imprinted with classic, smoky grill marks. Pineapple juice is also an excellent “cooking” agent for ceviche because the acid in the fruit will literally cook animal protein.
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.