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Appetizers I Salads Veggies and Sides I Soups I Fish I Desserts

Prime Rib, Perfectly Medium-Rare
This is the nightly special on Saturday night in supper clubs and taverns throughout Wisconsin.  Many commercial establishments use an oven especially designed for slow-cooking the "prime ribs of beef" (Alto-Sham is the brand name of the oven).  You can use this method at home to get a roast that is nearly uniform medium-rare throughout, tender, juicy, and full of flavor.  This is one of my favorites.

Beef Rib Roast, bones in, any size ( I generally use a 4-6 pound roast).
Chopped Garlic, fresh ground pepper, dried rosemary, dried thyme
Sliced yellow onions
Rub fresh chopped garlic, fresh ground pepper, dried rosemary and dried thyme to taste into the fat at the top of the roast.  Lay sliced onions on top.  Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place roast, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan.  Do not cover and do not add liquid.  Put roast in oven for one hour.  Turn oven off.  Now this is IMPORTANT.  Do not open oven, not even for 1 second.  Wait 30-60 minutes.  Turn oven on again to 375 degrees and roast the beef for an additional 30-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and lest rest 15-20 minutes before carving.  Slice into thick slabs.  Serve with sauteed mushrooms, baked potato, salad, and good bread for a true Wisconsin gourmet feast.

Steak, Wisconsin Style
Nothing fancy here, because Midwest U.S. beef is so fresh, tender and flavorful you don't want to mask it with a sauce.  Simply broil or grill over charcoal to medium rare and season with salt and pepper.  Some folks top it with butter-sauteed mushrooms and onions.  That's it.

Norwegian Meatballs
Yah hey, volk of Norwegian descent are found in the Stoughton area and other spots in Wisconsin.  Church supper menus in the Norwegian areas typically include lefse, meatballs, lutefisk and other Norwegian delights.

1½ pounds ground beef
1/4 pound pork sausage
1/2 cup minced onion
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
oil for frying
flour for dredging
1 can (10 ¾ ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef broth

Mix meat, onion, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Let stand 15 minutes. Form into plum-sized balls. Heat oil in heavy skillet until light haze forms over surface. Roll meatballs lightly in flour; shaking off excess. Fry meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned (do not crowd pan). Drain each batch on paper towels and place in baking dish.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Discard oil in skillet; stir in mushroom soup and beef broth, scraping bottom of pan to remove brown bits.  Bring to simmer; pour over meatballs. Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Pork Hocks or Country Ribs with Sauerkraut and Potatoes
Talk about your classic Wisconsin dish.  Pork, sauerkraut, and potatoes, cooked slow with, simply seasoned with salt, pepper and butter.  This one has been served millions of times at Wisconsin farm tables.  This is old-fashioned artery-clogging goodness!  For maximum artery-clogging, use pork hocks, which have that thick layer of fat around them.

1 large family pack (3 to 4 pounds) country-style pork ribs, bone-in, or pork hocks.
Vegetable oil to barely cover bottom of pot
2 large cans (27 ounces each) sauerkraut
Salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 medium potatoes (some folks peel them, some don't)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

In large pot over medium heat, brown ribs in a little oil. When ribs are browned, add sauerkraut, salt and pepper. Fill one sauerkraut can with water and add to meat. Cook covered over low heat until meat falls off the bones, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bones. Quarter potatoes and place in pot. Add butter. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes about 6 servings.

Schweinebraten (Pork Roast)
Here's another take on pork as traditionally prepared in Wisconsin.  This recipe actually uses spices other than salt and pepper, making it something like "Wisconsin Gourmet".  I use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder (once you get used to using fresh garlic, garlic powder has an unpleasant rancidity).  Fresh herbs make it better yet.  With fresh herbs, use a tablespoon or more according to your taste.  Serve this with mashed potatoes and gravy made from the pan drippings, and a steamed vegetable, or sweet and sour red cabbage.  Apple pie or apple crisp is the perfect dessert.

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of marjoram
Pinch of basil
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless loin pork roast (4 to 5 pounds)
2 to 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups water or light beer
Combine salt, marjoram, basil, pepper and garlic powder. Rub all over roast.  Place roast in roasting pan and surround with onions. Pour water or beer into pan. Cover and roast at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Turn over roast.  Roast uncovered another 2 hours, checking about every 30 minutes, adding more liquid when needed. Roast is done when internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Make gravy with pan juices, if desired. Makes about 8 servings.

Macaroni and Cheese
This is the real thing - not the glop that comes from a box.  Be sure to use an aged cheese for best flavor.

12 ounces elbow macaroni
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced white onion
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cups shredded aged Wisconsin cheddar cheese
3 cups coarse bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375
Cook macaroni according to package directions, or until al dente. 
Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In large saucepan, sauté onion in butter for two minutes until transparent.
Blend in flour, stirring well and cook for an additional minute.
Whisk milk into the roux, bring to simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
Reduce to low heat, add salt, pepper, hot sauce and mustard.
Stir in 2 1/2 cups cheese.
Add cooked macaroni to cheese sauce and mix well.
Place macaroni mixture in buttered oven proof 9 x 9 inch dish.
Top with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for 25 minute, or until top is golden brown.
8 servings.

Cornish Pasty

In the 1800's, Cornish miners' wives in the old lead mining region of southwestern Wisconsin, and the wives of loggers in extreme northeastern Wisconsin, baked meat pies called pasties.  They were portable, filling, and nutritious.  Today's recipes for Cornish Pasty call for round steak or sirloin steak, cuts those early settlers never heard of.  Today's recipes usually call for just meat, potatoes, and onions, though there is no reason to believe the transplanted Cornish housewife abandoned the old-country habit of including other vegetables in-season.  In northeastern Wisconsin, it's not unusual to find a pasty with turnips or rutabagas in the mix.  You could include carrots, or whatever vegetable you like.

3/4 cup shortening
2 cups flour
Water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
3 onions, peeled and chopped coarsely or sliced thinly
1 1/2 pounds sirloin  or round steak, cut in small, bite-sized cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter
Work shortening into flour and add enough cold water to make a pie crust.  Roll out to the size of a thick dinner plate.  Combine potatoes, onions, and steak and season well with salt and pepper. Onone-half of the pastry, arrange vegetables and meat.  Dot with butter.  Wet edge of crust and fold over, pinching edges together tightly. All steam must be retained inside the pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours.  The dough may be rolled out into smaller portions to make individual pasties.

Sauerbraten
This is not everyday Wisconsin food, but it is served and enjoyed at many of the German heritage festivals.

2 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 cup red-wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 yellow onions, quartered
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
10 cloves
2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
4 sprigs of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 (4-pound) rump roast, tied
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter
1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps
In a large bowl stir together well the wine, vinegar, lemon juice, 1 cup water, onions, celery, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, nutmeg, cloves, peppercorns, parsley, and bay leaves. Add the meat and let it marinate, covered and chilled, turning occasionally, for 3 to 4 days.

Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a heavy kettle heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the meat and brown on all sides. Add the reserved marinade and gently simmer the mixture, covered, for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Strain the cooking liquid and skim off the fat. Transfer 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a saucepan, bring to a boil, and stir in the gingersnaps and the remaining liquid, a little at a time, stirring. Boil the sauce, stirring, until it is thickened and add salt and pepper to taste. Slice the meat and serve it with the sauce and potato dumplings.

Stuenchtnesch
Here it is.  You may recognize this as similar to head cheese or sulze.  If you want to give it a try, be my guest.  Don't bother inviting me.

5 pork hocks
3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder with bone in
1 veal bone
6 onions
2 bay leaves
12 allspice berries
1 Tablespoon salt
1 cup white vinegar

In large pot, combine pork hocks, pork shoulder, and veal bone.  Add onions and water to cover.  Add bay leaves, allspice and salt and bring to a boil.  Cook on low boil until very tender, about two hours.  Remove meat from bones and chop into very small pieces.  From the liquid, strain 2 cups of broth.  Discard solids and remaining broth.  Add vinegar to reserved broth.  Add chopped meat and bring up to boil.  Place into a loaf pans or a mold and refrigerate overnight or until gelatin sets.  Slice, serve, and enjoy; if you dare.
 

This page last updated on 07/07/2003

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