Happy Sunday.

We’re pretty pumped about this week’s dishes, especially the throwback to the Tonkatsu video and its great versatility for leftovers.

As always, a grocery shopping list for the recipes is linked in Notion at the end of this email.

In This Week’s Edition

Try Something New 🤯 — NOLA Style BBQ Shrimp

Throwback Time 🍳 — Tonkatsu

The Leftover Shelf 🥡 — “Schnitzel” with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Extra Helpings 🤤 — Buying Fresh vs. Frozen, Grinder Sandwiches, & More!

Shopping List ✅ — Ingredients sorted into categories for easy shopping.

Try Something New 🤯

The best meal I made this week. A New Orleans classic.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

Buying whole, head-on shrimp is the move because

1) They’re cheaper than pre-peeled shrimp

2) The shells add so much flavor to the broth. Win-win.

Dish Components

• 1 lb (~450 g) jumbo shell-on shrimp. Get the biggest you can find, ideally U12 or bigger.

• 4 tbsp (~55 g) butter

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 2 rosemary sprigs

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) cajun seasoning (or a mixture of paprika & chili powder)

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp (5 ml) hot sauce (like Tabasco or Crystal)

• 1 cup (~240 ml) amber lager beer (like Fat Tire)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper, about 15 cranks or to preference

• Parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

• French bread, to sop up the broth

Instructions

1. Sear the shrimp: Heat a pan over high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the butter to the pan, followed by the shrimp. Sauté the shrimp on high heat until the shells start taking on some color. Add the garlic, rosemary, & cajun seasoning and continue cooking until fragrant and a fond is developing on the pan.

2. Deglaze & reduce: Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and beer to deglaze the pan. Stir & scrape off anything stuck to the pan, then simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce the broth slightly.

3. Finish the sauce: Turn off the heat. Stir in 1 tbsp butter at a time until all butter has been incorporated. This should transform the broth from soupy to velvety. Taste and adjust with salt & pepper.

4. Garnish & serve: Sprinkle a handful of freshly chopped parsley on the dish. Ladle a number of shrimp with some of the broth into a bowl, and serve with more parsley and a slice of French bread. Note: This is a dish to eat with your hands, peeling the shrimp and dunking them into the broth before devouring. Any leftover liquid can be mopped up with the bread.

Pro Tip - This broth flavor base works great for more than just shrimp. Try steaming mussels or braising a cut of meat in this same recipe base. NOLA BBQ-style anything!

Throwback Time 🍳

Every culture seems to have a fried meat cutlet: Mexico has the milanesa, Germany has the schnitzel, Italian-American immigrants created the chicken parm, and the U.S. has its iconic chicken-fried steak.

Tonkatsu is a thicker, fried pork cutlet, and is one of the most beloved dishes in Japan. It’s a strong contender among the global offerings. In Japanese “ton” = pork and “katsu” = cutlet, but you can also make katsu with chicken or beef.

Check out the video, or read the written recipe here.

If you make this recipe, you should make a large batch — it’s easier to bread and fry many katsus at once. Here’s an idea for the leftovers:

The Leftover Shelf 🥡

Leftovers are back in style…if you know how to use them.

This week’s move:

Leftover Tonkastu→ Jager “Schnitzel” with Mushroom Sauce

While the leftover tonkatsu won’t be as thin as a traditional schnitzel, it’s similar enough to dress up with a classic German sauce. And now you’ve instantly transported your cutlet into a totally different cuisine.

Dish Components

• 1 lb (450 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1/2 yellow onion

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream*

• 1 tsp (5 ml) umami booster of choice: Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, or bouillon powder

• Kosher salt & black pepper

• Optional: garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: Sauté cooking oil, mushrooms, onion, and garlic until softened and taking on some color. Add in heavy cream and the umami booster of choice. Simmer for a few minutes or until your desired gravy consistency is reached. Taste and adjust with salt & pepper, and a squeeze of lemon for brightness.

2. Plate & serve: Reheat the cutlet in the oven or microwave, and serve with a layer of sauce over the top. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley, if desired.

Note: This recipe should make enough sauce to dress at least 3-4 cutlets

*If you want a lighter or dairy-free option, create the sauce with a roux instead of cream - cook in a couple of tbsps of oil and flour each with the mushrooms, then add water or broth until the desired consistency is reached.

Variations: Turn your cutlets into chicken parm instead, or use them in a torta!

Extra Helpings 🤤

🚀 Viral Eats

Cooking trends explained.

Q: What’s up with this Grinder Sandwich I’m seeing all over my feed?

A: The grinder became popular on TikTok in 2022, which launched it into home kitchens everywhere, including Kylie Jenner’s.

Originally, the grinder was a variety of sub sandwich popular in New England. Some say that the name originated from Italian-American dock workers who grinded down rusty ship hulls to repaint them, and packed these kinds of sandwiches for lunch. Others say that it was called a grinder because the bread’s hard crust required a lot of chewing.

But is it anything special?

Our take is that the grinder is on par with any Italian sub you can get at a deli, but social media showed people how to recreate it at home using deli sandwich tricks (such as dressing the veggies and using lots of fats and vinegar) that make restaurant subs taste way better than the average home sando.

Learn more about the science of sub sandwiches, deli hacks, and why the grinder is a culinary success in this video.​

🧠 Reader Q&A

Q: What do I absolutely need to buy fresh at the grocery store vs. what is fine to buy canned, frozen, or bottled? I hate wasting food and don’t want to worry about extra items going bad on me. — Annie G.

A: Feel free to buy frozen shrimp & fish filets as well as seasonal veggies like peas, edamame, and sweet corn during the winter. Frozen seafood is often fresher than what is available at the butcher counter because it hasn’t been frozen and thawed (only to be refrozen at home again). Similarly, veggies like corn and peas are flash-frozen at their peak season and best flavor, and they defrost in seconds into a dish.

We don’t recommend canned veggies or fruits due to their mushy and watered-down texture. The exception here is canned tomatoes, which are also canned during peak season to be more flavorful and ripe than anything you can find in the produce aisle.

Please buy fresh citrus and avoid bottled lime/lemon juice. The flavor difference is significant, and even a splash of bottled citrus can taint a whole dish. If you keep your citrus in the fridge instead of the counter, it’ll stay fresh and juicy for weeks on end.

Lastly, buy full garlic heads instead of the jarred, pre-minced stuff. While it takes some effort to peel and chop individual cloves, the fresh, powerful flavor wins every time. Plus, garlic can keep for months at a time in a dry pantry or paper bag on the counter (a fridge is too humid).

🏆 Dinner Winner! Reader Photo Submission of the Week

This week’s winner is Eric M, who 'meal prepped' some braised meat and then made a beautiful lineup of Bahn Mi sandwiches!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

🍽 More Yummy Content

A Read: What does a teacher’s week of eating look like?​

In a Minute or Less: The 2 Ingredient Taco​

What We’re Watching: Salt Fat Acid Heat (on Netflix)

Food Science: Doner Kebab Framework​

Upgrade Your Feed: Connect with Ethan everywhere​

Ready to shop? 🛒

​✅ Shopping List 2/19