Steel Cut Oats


 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Petrone:
Brown sugar and butter works for me for breakfast, what about a savory cooked oats recipe? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wouldn't that be Haggis?
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Traditional Haggis (from Evelyn Hlabse, esh2@po.CWRU.Edu)

1 sheep's pluck (stomach bag)

2 lb.. dry oatmeal

1 lb. suet

1 lb. lamb's liver

2 1/2 cups stock

1 large chopped onion

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, Jamaica pepper and salt

Boil liver and parboil the onion, then mince them together. Lightly brown the oatmeal. Mix all ingredients together. Fill the sheep's pluck with the mixture pressing it down to remove all the air, and sew up securely. Prick the haggis in several places so that it does not burst. Place haggis in boiling water and boil slowly for 4-5 hours. Serves approximately 12.
 
Steel cut oats is one of my favorites for breakfast. I like it with dried fruit and buttermilk for one third of the liquid added towards the end. Growing up on the instant rolled oats, it was a revelation when I first tried steel cut oats.

I also like steel cut oats in bread. I do a soaker a day in advance with equal parts water and steel cut oats.
 
Skirlie--the Scottish side dish or stuffing for roasts and such--and a good use for drippings (though I wouldn't used heavily smoked ones).

Saute a chopped or, my preference, thinly sliced onion in a T or two of drippings, bacon grease, melted lard or butter (I use butter for this step). Most cook just till soft but I like some browning of the onion. Add a hefty amount of drippings (and/or other fat), about a 1/2 c, salt and pepper, and a scant cup of oats. Stir then cook covered, stirring occasionally, till the fat absorbs, maybe 10 min or so. (You can add a splash of stock if needed.)

Oats pair well with mushrooms and makes an excellent pilaf. Oats can be toasted first to bring out their flavor (spread on a sheetpan and toast in a 400 oven, stirring once, about 5 or 6 min; remove and dump to cool on a plate).

The liquid to oats ratio is usually 3, 3.5, or 4:1, depending on the finish consistency desired. You can saute a 1/2 pound of mushrooms till they release their liquid and brown, remove to a bowl, then in the same pan (with a little more fat) saute a small chopped onion or a couple shallots. Add some minced parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, return the mushrooms to the pan, then add, say, 1/2 c of oats plus 1.5 c chicken stock; bring to a boil then cover, reduce the heat and simmer 20, add a handful of freshly shucked peas, then cook another few min till the oats are tender and the broth is absorbed. (Altenatively, cook till finished then add a handful of frozen peas.) Stir in a couple T of minced red bell pepper for color and a little sweetness; adjust seasoning; serve.

Shredded fresh spinach can go in instead of the peas--or you can skip the green addition and do a green veg on the side.

Toasted, it's nice made as for oatmeal but with salt and pepper. At finish, stir in butter and freshly grated parm. Serve topped with garlic-wilted spinach. (For brunch, ease up on the garlic for the spinach, create a well when placing the spinach on top, then nestle a poached egg in the well, topping with a little more cheese and a drizzle of you best olive oil.)
 
Sheeps pluck...hmmmm. You never fail to surprise me. Toasting sounds very interesting. If I follow you Kevin, we should think polenta and proceed accordingly. Thanks all.
 
I love steel cut oats for Breakfast, can't help you out with the savory thing but..... I make AB's recipe for steel oats.

Steel Cut Oatmeal
Alton Brown

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
In a large saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk and half of the buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Here's another good one.

Creamy Oatmeal

1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups milk
Pinch kosher salt
Two 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dried currants or other dried fruit
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
Serving suggestions: Honey, sugar, maple syrup, milk, buttermilk, yogurt, or cream
In a medium bowl, combine the oats and milk. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
Transfer the oat mixture to a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the salt and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, currants, and sugar; and simmer for 5 minutes more. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve plain or with your topping of choice.
 
Yes, Steve--polenta, pilaf, or risotto, depending on technique.

I've cooked oats as in the method in Bryan's noted recipe, but used stock instead of water, then finished with yogurt or buttermilk and cinnamon--but also cardamom, fenugreek, turmeric and a couple other things--as a based for ground chickpea-battered fried chicken thigh meat. And have done one similar to the second recipe he posts--with the dried fruits (sour cherries, cranberries plus almonds or pecans; chopped apricots plus pine nuts or almonds), and with caramelized onion and a little garlic and thyme--to undergird lamb shoulder. (With the leftovers, I bound the oat mix with an egg and made thin patties for savory pancakes--another idea--and then made lamb hash out of the shoulder to go on top.)

It's all in the additions...
 
I'll have to try that soak overnight thing ... great idea. When I cook mine it's like simmer 35 minutes, then rest 15 - 20 to get the texture and consistency I like.

I've not gotten fancy with them yet other than to throw in chopped apple or destemmed raisins in right after the simmer.

*Canadians: SuperStore (Loblaws) started carrying Steel Cut Oats sometime last year under their blue Presidnt's Choice label. Great product, less than half the price of the tinned oats from Ireland that Safeway and Sobey's carry.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:

*Canadians: SuperStore (Loblaws) started carrying Steel Cut Oats sometime last year under their blue Presidnt's Choice label. Great product, less than half the price of the tinned oats from Ireland that Safeway and Sobey's carry. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Shawn, I hear you on the price of the McCann's Irish oats. A 28oz tin runs about $7.00 here. I get my steel cut oats at a local grocery store (Stauffer's) that has a pretty nice bulk foods section. Just bought some more today for $0.99 a lb.
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Just a heads up for those looking for the steel cut oats.
 
Having grown up eating regular rolled oats, I often mix some rolled oats in with the steel cut to get a texture more similar to that I was used to.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Petrone:
Having grown up eating regular rolled oats, I often mix some rolled oats in with the steel cut to get a texture more similar to that I was used to. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Having grown up eating regular oats also, I wonder why my Mom never fed me steel cut oats.
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The single most thing I like about the steel cuts is the texture of them. They have tooth to them. As much as I love them, Cream Of Wheat (regular stove top method with whole milk) is still my Favorite hot breakfast cereal
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I buy my steel cut oats at Whole Foods, formerly a Wild Oats. When it was Wild Oats, they were $1.19/lb. I paid $1.99 lb on Sunday. It's still cheaper than McCanns.

They must be getting very popular, they run out of them sometimes.

We do the overnight soak also. If you start the overnight soak with boiling water, they get done very quickly, 5-10 minutes, but my wife refuses to do that.

T.
 

 

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