Ben Smith, Author at Tsunami

I received some beautiful madako tako from my friends at Honolulu Fish Company recently.

Madako tako is octopus that has already been cleaned and cooked. I have cooked octopus from the raw state on numerous occasions, but since I discovered this product I have never gone back.

Octopus can be a hard sell in the Memphis market. I usually reserve it for when I have a cooking class or a special dinner when I have a captive audience and they have to eat it. It gives me the opportunity to talk about the differences in perception that different cultures have about textures in food. Americans probably have more hangups about the texture of foods than any other culture in the world. How many times have you heard someone say “I just don’t eat (fill in the blank). It’s a texture thing.”?

Admittedly, octopus does have a texture issue. It is chewy. In our culture “chewy” has negative connotations. As a chef, the way you deal with dense or tough or chewy items is through a long, low-temperature braising or smoking. Or through creative cutting, i.e. thinly slicing or slicing across the grain.

Octopus can be braised into a state of tenderness. But for me, and many other fans of octopus, part of the enjoyment is the texture. You do have to spend some time masticating. And I happen to be a big fan of mastication.

Here is a recipe that I picked up from my friend Al “Tako Man” Alboro when I was living in Hawaii.

Tako Poke

1 pound cooked octopus
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 bunch green onions, green part only, chopped
3 ounces toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Hawaiian red salt or sea salt, to taste
juice of one lemon

Slice the octopus legs crosswise into thin rounds. Toss together with the remaining ingredients until well mixed. Allow to marinate for several hours before serving

I was rooting through the freezer at work the other day and I was both happy and sad to run across a tenderloin of beef from Neola Farms. Happy, because this is about the finest piece of beef I’ve ever gotten my hands on. Beautiful deep red coloring, amazing marbling, clean flavor. But sad, because Neola Farms no longer exists, due to the untimely death of Michael Lenagar, the driving force behind the business.

I first met Michael at the Memphis Farmer’s Market in 2008. He was selling his beef out of the back of a refrigerated truck. I started talking to him and I was immediately struck by his enthusiasm and commitment to his trade. He spoke of his cattle as if they were part of the family and not just a commodity. He had a real passion for what he did and it showed in the way he marketed his beef. He did not want to be in all of the big name markets. He didn’t want to provide beef to all the restaurants in Memphis. He wanted to do business with other folks who understood and appreciated the history and the principals of his business.

I left the market that day with an armful of free beef samples, a newfound respect and appreciation for the burgeoning local food movement, and a new friend. Over the next few years Michael, and his wife Charlene, kept me well supplied with amazing beef. The untimely passing of Michael in July of 2011 was devastating to the Memphis restaurant and market community. The rigors of running the business without Michael were just too much for the Lenagar family and the operation was dissolved.

Michael and Charline were a testament to the old-fashioned notion of running a small business with integrity, respect, and humanity as the guiding principals. Neola Farms was a shining example of how things used to be done, and an inspiration for those of us who believe that those principals are not entirely gone from this business. We miss you, Michael.

Neola Farms beef was so good that I didn’t even want to cook it.
One of my favorite preparations was a simple beef carpaccio.

Beef Carpaccio

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8-10 ounces fresh center cut beef tenderloin, preferably hormone free and locally raised
1 small red onion
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
soy sauce
toasted sesame oil
1 ounce toasted sesame seeds
Fried wonton chips

Wrap the beef in butcher paper and place in the freezer for about an hour. Remove from the freezer and slice paper thin on an electric slicer. This is the most efficient and easiest way to slice the beef. However I know that not everyone has a commercial slicer sitting around the kitchen. The next best technique is to slice the beef as thinly as possible, then lay it between two sheets of butcher paper and either gently pound it thin, or use a rolling pin to carefully roll it thin.
Lay the slices of beef in a single layer on four chilled plates.

Slice the onion into rings as thin as possible. Toss the onions in the lemon juice and allow them to marinate for several minutes. Whisk together the mayonnaise with soy sauce to taste and just a couple of drops of sesame oil.
Place the mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle or in a small baggie with the corner tip cut off. Drizzle the mayonnaise across the top of each carpaccio portion. Portion the marinated onions evenly on each plate. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
I like to use wonton chips but you could just as easily use a crostini of toasted baguette. I also like to add a little lightly dressed greens to the plate, especially arugula. The idea is to place a bit of the beef and all of the garnishes on a crusty bit of something and eat it that way.
This is a fabulous start to a summer meal.