Ossau-iraty is produced in southwestern France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Ossau-Iraty is rather medium-soft, light in color and has very complex yet delicately smooth flavors. Made from the milk of Manech and Basco-Bearnaise ewes, this cheese tastes slightly akin to cow’s cheeses of similar texture (i.e. alps cheese). After three months of ripening in cool and humid cellars, Ossau-Iraty acquires its characteristics of a tender, soft, ivory body. Its orange rind turns ash gray when stored at length. Its taste is simultaneously nutty and sweet, with hints of olive, hazelnut and fig and a rich, smooth finish. The edible, slightly tart rind also adds considerably to the experience.

Its name reflects its geographical location: the Ossau Valley in Béarn and the Iraty Valley in the Northern Basque Country. It has been recognized as an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) product since 1980. It is one of only two sheep’s milk cheeses granted AOC status in France. (The other is Roquefort). Although Ossau-Iraty received AOC status in the 80s, it is of ancient origin, traditionally made by the shepherds in the region.

Pair it up!

• Ossau-Iraty is ideal for the cheese board, and can be enjoyed with bread, black cherry jam and honey, or even with fruit.
• This wine-friendly cheese tickles the palate with Pinot Gris, Bordeaux Blanc, any medium-to-full bodied Merlot, or rare local Basque wine, such as Irouléguy.
• You can also pair it with a California Sémillon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Madiran.

Ossau-Iraty “Quiche” Recipe

For the pastry

• 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• salt
• 5 Tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

For the filling

• 3 cups Ossau-Iraty, grated
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup double cream
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preparation method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour together with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add enough cold water to make the crumb mixture come together to form a firm dough, and then place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line a 8-9 inch well-buttered pie or cake pan. Chill again.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Remove the pastry case from the refrigerator and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment, and then fill it with baked beans. Place on a baking tray and bake blind (without the filling) for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and wax paper and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base
5. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 325°F.
6. Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the broccoli, if desired. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and sprinkle them over the top.
7. Combine the eggs with the milk and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese. Sprinkle the thyme over the top and trim the edges of the pastry.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool and set further.
9. Trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge, then serve in wedges.

Just in time for the Superbowl! Score a touchdown with the Straub’s Smoker and make your Superbowl party an event to remember. See our à la carte menu & special packages here!

À la carte items will be available at our four locations all weekend (Feb 1-3). Exclusive event packages are available by pre-order only. Hurry up and order before the end of the day on January 30th, 2013 to make sure you get the best BBQ for the big game on Feb. 3rd! Order by phone or drop by:

CLAYTON | 314.725.2121 ext. 32
TOWN & COUNTRY | 314.434.4707 ext. 3
WEBSTER GROVES | 314.962.0169 ext. 3
CENTRAL WEST END | 314.361.6646 ext. 3

Share to Win on Facebook & Twitter!

**UPDATE 1/31/13 – We have our winners: congratulations to Suson Koenig & Carol Goodman! Keep an eye on our social media feeds for more “Share to Win” opportunities!

You could win 2 Slabs of Baby Back Ribs OR 5 lbs of Smoked Wings from the Straub’s Smoker! (A $40 value!!)

Like us on Facebook? Follow us on Twitter? Now is the time to do so! We will be posting a “Share to Win” image on Straub’s Facebook & Twitter pages the week of January 28th. All you have to do is “share” the image. Bonus points for comments, likes, re-shares, retweets, etc.

We will randomly select one winner from Facebook and one winner from Twitter on the afternoon of Thursday, January 31st and reward them each with their choice of ribs or wings from Straub’s Smoker! If you win, you’ll pick up your prize this weekend, February 1-3, to take home for the big game!

Also, keep checking our Straub’s Smoker page for more information and updates on the new season! We plan to start the first week of May, but may start sooner if the weather is nice.

Chilean Sea Bass is the filet mignon of fish! This recipe will surely please your taste buds, plus it offers another option for anyone trying to steer clear of red meats.

Pan Roasting is how professional chefs cook all the time but how many of you have heard of this technique or pan roast at home? Before you start this recipe, we recommend you read some tips on Pan Roasting. It provides you with some great tips and suggestions to help understand how pan roasting works and why it is a popular cooking method with professional chefs.

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more as a garnish
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 filets of sea bass (approximately 8 oz. each)

Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients before starting. This way you’re not scrambling around chopping something while the rest of the meal is overcooking.
2. Start by chopping the fresh dill and shallots
3. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
4. Boil wine, shallot and lemon juice in medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low & add butter 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more.
6. Remove pan from heat and stir in fresh dill.
7. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
8. In an oven proof sauté (fry) pan, heat the canola oil until it’s so hot it’s about to smoke. Be careful around this hot oil!
9. Season the filets with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan.
   For filets with skin: Start cooking filets skin side down for approximately 5 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy. Then, flip them over for 30 seconds, transfer them into a 450° oven and roast them for about 3-4 minutes.
   For skinless filets: Cook them on one side for about 5 to 6 minutes and flip them over for another 2 minutes before transferring to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
   **This method should result in plump, moist, and tender filets, but you may want to experiment with these times because there are so many variables that can go into any recipe. Type of pan, thickness of fish, stove’s btu’s, oven temperature, pan temperature, type of oil… All of these factors go into cooking times and cannot be accounted for in a recipe. Using your senses and experience are vital for any recipe to work. Tom Manno’s rule of thumb: For every inch of thickness, cook fish  for 10 minutes total at 425-450 degrees on the grill or in the oven.
10. On warm plates (Try pre-heating them in the microwave for about 2 minutes), top the pan roasted filet with the Lemon Dill Sauce. Sprinkle a little of the extra chopped dill on top and serve with wild rice, green beans, and a wonderful, dry Italian white wine.