Fissler and the Voltaggio Brothers

One of the best things about working with Fissler cookware is the opportunity, once a year, to visit the International Home + Housewares Show and talk with other people who love our cookware. We spend a whole week talking about cooking, showing cooking products, and having chefs demonstrate cooking - with delicious edible results.  

This year we were fortunate enough to have FOUR talented chefs grace our demonstration area, dazzling us with their cooking knowledge, style, and personalities! They have been kind enough to share some of their phenomenal recipes with us, which we will in turn share with you, starting with the first two chefs we had the pleasure of working with.

Bryan and Michael chatting while cooking

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, or are a foodie faker (do you just pretend to watch the Cooking Channel, people??), you should be familiar with Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. Both men competed on Season six Bravo's Top Chef. Bryan is the "nice" one, Michael is the "dirty" one; and women of all ages find one or the other (or in many cases both) of them hot for a multitude of reasons. And if running their own restaurants (Bryan's VOLT in Maryland and Michael's ink in Los Angeles) wasn't keeping them busy enough, they agreed to come demonstrate for us for a couple of days!

Can you tell what sort of family secrets they are sharing?

So, without further ado, let us share with you the Voltaggio brothers' Memphis Style Ribs and BBQ Baked Nuts!

 MEMPHIS STYLE RIBS

Ingredients for Dry Rub Seasoning

3 2/3 cups (730 grams) sugar

6 oz (170 grams) Smoken Maldon salt

4.95 oz (140 grams) Aleppo pepper

3.88 oz (110 grams) Smoked paprika

2.82 oz (80 grams) Onion powder

2.12 oz (60 grams) Ground black pepper

Ingredients for Braising Liquid/Mop

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup spiced ketchup

1 tsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp of prepared dry rub seasoning

2 slabs pork ribs, approximately 3/4 pounds each

Equipment

Fissler Vitaquick 4 Liter Pressure Pan

Smoking Gun and Applewood chips

• Combine all of the ingredients for the dry rub seasoning
• Mix water, ketchup and 2 Tbsp of the dry rub seasoning together to make your braising liquid. Set the remaining dry rub aside to season the ribs with after cooking.
• Place the ribs bone side down in a Vitaquick pressure cooker, place the braising liquid in the pressure cooker.
• Close and secure the pressure lid until the red indicator in handle turns green. Cook on high heat until 2 indicator rods are visible. 
• Lower the heat to low and maintain pressure for 15 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let the pressure naturally release for approximately 10 minutes. 
• Once all the pressure is released, slide open the pressure lid and carefully remove the ribs. Place in a shallow casserole and baste with the braising liquid/mop generously using a brush. 
• Cover the casserole with plastic wrap. 
• Using a smoking gun with apple wood chips, smoke the ribs twice. There should be generous smoke flavor to the meat.
• Baste again with the mop. Finally, dust the ribs with the remaining dry rub seasoning and serve.

Top Chefs Love Fissler - and we love them!!

BBQ "BAKED" NUTS

Ingredients

3 cups water

1 cup (150 grams) shelled hazelnuts, raw

1 1/4 tsp (7.5 grams) salt

2 1/4 tsp (14 grams) prepared dry rub seasoning

1/4 cup (56 grams) whole unsalted butter

1 cup (200 grams) whole diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp (30 grams) sorghum molasses

2 1/4 oz (65 grams) Newsom's bacon, diced

2.2 oz (62 grams) onion, minced

Equipment

Fissler 4.5 liter pressure cooker

• Combine the water, salt and hazelnuts in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Place the soaked hazelnuts with the water in the Vitaquick pressure cooker.
• Close and secure the pressure lid until the red indicator in the handle turns green. Cook on high heat until 2 indicator rods are visible.
• Lower the heat to low and maintain pressure for 30 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let the pressure naturally release in order to keep the hazelnuts whole. 
• Once all the pressure is released, slide open the pressure lid, remove the nuts, and let cool until ready to use. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• In a small pan start rendering the bacon until the meat crisps and the fat starts rendering out. Add the onion and sweat until translucent. Continue to cook until the onion almost starts to caramelize. Add the sorghum molasses and cook until it begins to have a lazy bubble; the sugars will lightly caramelize, be careful not to burn as it will make the dish bitter.
• This step should only take 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until almost dry (au-sec). 
• Add the hazelnut cooking liquid and the 4 grams of the dry rub seasoning.
• Reduce the liquid by half. Add the hazelnuts and reheat until they are glazed with the sauce.

The Voltaggio brothers, holding a plate of their delicious ribs