By spring, we’ll be weary of short ribs and venison, Brussels sprouts and rivers of chestnut purée. One-pot, cold-weather casseroles and stews outlive their welcome when local peas start anew from the earth. For now, though, we’ll embrace winter’s melancholy largesse. Nights when “it gets late early,” in Yogi Berra’s eloquent analysis, demand sauces dark and musty, and stewed and brined animal flesh that brings solace as during no other season.
Everyone has a slightly different notion of a “winter” dish. For globe-roaming author and former Times critic Mimi Sheraton, “It has to be red-hot, easy to cut and chew, and curl up all cuddly inside me and bring back pleasant memories.” Eater.com managing editor Amanda Kludt likes her winter dishes “hot, buttery and full of protein.”
For me, it should warm the palate, stomach and soul in equal measure, a prescription not to be misread as “comfort” food.
With so much winter bounty already on menus, I’ve left out promising dishes not regularly available yet or still in development. The great Christian Delouvrier is remaking the menu dish by dish at La Mangeoire, where I previewed the slow-braised beef-and-wine staple known as daube. I look forward to Julian Alonzo’s suckling pig-and-boudin noir cassoulet at Brasserie 8 1/2 after Friday.
But there’s plenty to choose from now. I’ve included no dishes heavy on truffles or foie gras, but reasonably priced ones from a variety of cuisines. Bundle up and dig in.
* HOT POTS FOR TWO
TOM YUM at Jaiya Thai (396 Third Ave., at 28th Street; 212-889-1330). Every Thai restaurant serves the classic, hot soup, but not the way they do at Jaiya — a tropical treat suited to the deepest freeze. “Have you had it before?” the waiters ask first. The sinus-clearing tom yum, served for two, comes to the table in a butane-fired hot pot. The soaring blue flame hints at the balanced, sweet/sour/spicy starburst that’s the embodiment of fine Thai cooking. Have it with head-on prawns, which cost $18.95 — more than for shrimp/seafood or chicken, and worth it. But the soup’s the thing — especially for couples, who enjoy it on opposite sides of the flame. Unlike at many places, Jaiya’s tom yum is not spiced-up chicken broth. There’s no chicken, but lots of fresh lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and galangal. Chili paste from Thailand imparts the scarlet color. Don’t ask for it hotter than medium unless you’re brave.
STILTON/SAUTERNES
FONDUE at Artisanal (2 Park Ave., at 32nd Street; 212-725-8585). Dipping crunchy, rustic bread into the simmering pot should raise your body temperature by 10 degrees. Fondue ($24 for the “petite” size, enough for two) is the house pride at Terrance Brennan’s cheese-driven brasserie, where you can have it in various formulations, including bracing gouda-and-stout. But Stilton/Sauterne’s my fave — a sensuous wallow reinforced with cream cheese, just in case it wasn’t rich enough, and possessed of a sweaty, erotic aroma.
KUROBUTA PORK LOIN
SHABU-SHABU at Matsugen (241 Church St., at Leonard Street; 212-925-0202). Lesser Japanese joints let you throw any old meat into a bubbling cauldron. It’s another story here, where pork from the black Kurobuta pig stands apart for its distinct, mildly sweet flavor. Also simmering in the iron pot are Napa cabbage, three kinds of mushrooms (shiitake, oyster and Hon Shimeji), scallions, yam noodles and seaweed. The paper-thin pork slices turn from pink to white in 10 to 15 seconds as you twirl them. Our waiter skimmed fat off the surface, and vivid soy and sesame dips added to the fun. At $48 for two, it’s a third-date deal-clincher.
* INDIVIDUAL
BRAISED SHORT RIBS RISOTTO at Swifty’s (1007 Lexington Ave., at 73rd Street; 212-535-6000). Chef/partner Steven Attoe, who loves cold-weather dishes, turns out a mean cassoulet. He cooked a memorable game dinner last winter at the James Beard House and offers wild game paella as an occasional menu option. But my favorite is his risotto ($26), a recurring entrée using short-grain Vilano Nano rice slow-stirred with butter and parmesan — “We beat the hell out of it with a wooden spoon” — and then loaded up with the ribs, which are cooked separately and laboriously. The crumbling, baby-soft beef gives the risotto a moody, deep-winter complexion. It’s a good introduction for first-timers to a menu bearing no resemblance to Zagat’s off-the-wall “vodka and salad” diss.
CASSOULET at Café d’Alsace (1695 Second Ave., at 88th Street; 212-722-5133). Chef Philippe Roussel turns out one of the best traditional-style cassoulets around ($21.50). The rugged, layered essences of duck sausage and confit, garlic sausage, foie gras and lamb shoulder merge and seep through a couple of tons of tarbet beans topped with crisp bread crumbs. I’ve never finished an entire cassoulet, but what a joy it was to try!
COQ AU VIN at DB Bistro Moderne (55 W. 44th St.; 212-391-2400). I’ve had miserable coq au vin at certain places with French names. Some eateries give the name to pan-roasted chicken parts served with vegetables and any dark sauce lying around. At DB, chef Olivier Muller’s at the top of his game with a powerful, no-shortcuts version ($30) you’d expect at a Daniel Boulud restaurant. Marinated leg and thigh meat falls easily from the bone. Bacon, onions and mushrooms announce themselves separately and as parts of the whole. The inky, wine-rich sauce looks as satisfying as it tastes. And nubbly spaetzle’s the icing on the cake.
LEG OF VENISON at Tribeca Grill (375 Greenwich St., at Franklin Street; 212-941-3900). Boneless, meat from the hind leg is trimmed and served in medallion form. The pink rounds are presented with a formidable constellation of spiced acorn squash, Brussels sprouts, baby white turnips, red pearl onions and crisp pancetta ($29). Chef Stephen Lewandowski’s lingonberry-wine sauce pulls it all together in a soothing, sweet-and-tart embrace.
MATZO BALL SOUP at DBGB (299 Bowery, at First Street; 212-933-5300) and Lansky’s (235 Columbus Ave., at 71st Street; 212-787-0400). Forget anemic versions. The real deal’s at two places widely separated by distance and style. DBGB chef Jim Leiken and Lansky’s chef David Ruggerio throw in the chicken sink — roasted wings, bones, cartilage and leg confit at DBGB ($8), and literally the whole, poached bird at Lansky’s ($4.50). The matzo balls at both places are lighter and flakier than the norm. The result is the delicious, quasi-medicinal miracle of legend, but rarely of real life.
NEAPOLITAN MEATLOAF at Il Gattopardo (33 W. 54th St.; 212-246-0412). Chef Vito Gnazzo’s luxurious meatloaf ($24) blends veal and beef textured with pecorino, parmesano, red onions, parsley and garlic, enfolding provolone, eggs and prosciutto. For good measure, the delectable loaf is bathed in pungent tomato sauce. Although light on the tongue, it’s so rich that I suggest you start with seafood such as moscardini rather than generous pasta dishes, which can fill you up.
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