Recipe: Joe’s Special

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Photo Credit: Todd Coleman (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

This Saturday on Good Food you will hear from James Oseland, Editor in Chief of Saveur (and judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters). The Magazine’s October magazine celebrated 150 issues of Saveur with 150 classic recipes. When asked about his favorite dish in the issue, Oseland gushed over this Northern California classic. In the magazine he writes, “Joe’s Special is one of the most odd and divine scrambles known to man. Consisting of egg, garlic, spinach, and ground beef, the dish originated in San Francisco in the 1920s, at a long-gone Italian-American restaurant, New Joe’s. Later, it was the signature dish of a Bay Area chain called Original Joe’s—and a standby for countless home cooks in Northern California, including my mom. At least once a month, we ate it for dinner, and I still make it, as there are few dishes so appealing and comforting to eat.”

You can see all of the 150 classic recipes from Saveur’s special 150th Issue here and tune in Saturday at 11am to hear more about this special issue.

Joe’s Special (Reproduced in the October 2012 Issue of Saveur)

SERVES 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

8 oz. ground chuck

1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in paper towels

8 eggs, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Crusty Italian bread, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chuck; cook, stirring, until browned and all moisture evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add spinach; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; cook until eggs are cooked and mixture is slightly dry, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve with bread.