Ruth had a garden club meeting on Thursday, so I went to the Szechuan House in Lutherville for dinner to satisfy my craving for some good Kung Pao chicken. Uncle Lee’s at 33rd and Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore used to be my favorite spot to get this dish until it closed many years ago. Szechuan House, at least to me, now makes the best in town! I learned to make this dish at home out of necessity because the closest Chinese place is over 10 miles away. I prefer to make it with chicken thighs rather than breasts, because the dark meat has a much richer flavor and is less likely to dry out. You can substitute plain rice vinegar for the black rice vinegar (available in Asian markets), but the black vinegar adds complexity to the dish. By the way, do not eat the charred whole chiles in the finished dish!
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbs dry sherry or rice wine
2 tsp soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 Tbs peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 3/4 to 2 inches long)
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar (available at Asian market)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs oyster sauce (available at Asian market)
1 Tbs hoisin sauce (available at Asian market)
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 medium bell pepper , cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 medium scallions , sliced thin
Directions:
Toss the chicken thigh pieces with the sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl and marinate until they have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix the garlic, minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in small bowl and set aside. Combine the peanuts and chiles in small bowl and set aside. Mix the chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the dried chiles and cook until they darken. Add the chicken and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, allowing chicken to brown on one side; stir and cook about 2 minutes more, until no longer pink. Stir the peanuts into chicken and continue cooking until peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer chicken, peanuts, and chiles to a bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to the burner and reheat about 15 to 30 seconds. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the bell pepper; cooking until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved chicken, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in the chopped scallions and serve the dish with steamed rice.
One of my former employees at WJZ, Cliff Newman, was quite the cook. We would often trade recipes, and sometimes we would share dishes we each made at lunch. Cliff liked spicy food as much as I do, and he made this jerk chicken recipe one day. Now I make a pretty mean jerk chicken, but Cliff’s wet marinade recipe was “off the charts.” I hounded him for it until he finally relented and gave it to me just before he retired. Thanks Cliff!
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium scallions, coarsely chopped
2 habanero chiles, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 Tbs 5 spice powder
1 Tbs allspice berries, coarsely ground
1 Tbs black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp thyme, crumbled
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
½ cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 whole chickens, quartered
Directions:
Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste. While the machine is running, add soy sauce and oil in a steady stream till well incorporated. Pour marinade into a Ziploc bag and add chicken pieces, turning to coat all sides. Refrigerate overnight. Grill on a charcoal grill.
There is a real chill in the air, so I had a craving for one of my favorite “stick to your ribs” dishes, namely Sour Beef and Dumplings. Imagine wonderfully flavorful, tangy, tender chunks of beef in a delicious rich gravy thickened with ginger snaps, and served with silky potato dumplings. My history with this dish goes back to my childhood. My Mom has made this dish for as long as I can remember. Now this is not a recipe you can throw together in 20 minutes, so I offer it as a “culinary plan” for a special Sunday dinner where the prep starts on the prior Wednesday.
Ingredients for the Sour Beef and the Gravy:
4 lbs beef (boneless round roast or chuck), some suet left on – cut into 2” large chunks
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
½ cup dry red wine
2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs pickling spice
6-10 ginger snap cookies, crushed fine
Place the beef chunks in a large ceramic bowl. Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the meat. Place a small plate on top to keep the meat from floating above the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 3 days, turning the meat several times. Pour the meat and marinade into a large crock pot and simmer slowly for 6 to 8 hours (or more) until the meat is tender. Crock pots vary, so use a dinner fork to test for tenderness. Remove the meat from the crock pot to a large bowl. Strain the stock into a stainless or other non-reactive cook pot and bring to a boil. Add crushed ginger snaps and simmer until the gravy reaches the desired thickness. Adjust the flavor, as desired, by adding beef bouillon cubes, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Return the meat to the gravy and hold in the crock pot to keep warm while you make the dumplings..
Potato Dumplings
1-¼ cups water
½ cup milk
3 Tbs butter
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups Betty Crocker Potato Buds
1-1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
2 eggs
1 small onion, grated (optional)
2-3 slices white bread (or use packaged pre-made seasoned croutons)
Place the above ingredients in a 3 quart cook pot and heat until the butter is melted. Add 2 cups of Betty Crocker Potato Buds and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature
To the cooled potato mixture, add 2 eggs, slightly beaten, 1 small grated onion (optional) and 1-¼ cups of flour. Knead this into a dough on a well floured board about 15 times. Shape the dough into a roll about 2” in diameter. Cut the roll into 12 to 16 one-inch pieces. Cut 2-3 slices of white bread into ½” cubes. Fry the bread cubes in butter until they start to brown. Remove the fried bread cubes to a paper towel to drain. Place a butter fried bread cube in the center of each dough ball and roll in your hand to a golf ball sized dumpling. Drop the dumplings into boiling water and simmer uncovered about 15 – 20 minutes.
Cut one in half to test for doneness and cook longer if necessary. Remove the dumplings to a platter. Place 2 – 3 dumplings on each plate with several chunks of beef. Smother the beef and dumplings with the gravy and enjoy!
One of the appetizers we made on our trip to Spain was this “Tomato and Olive Granita” from the Catacurian cooking school, with a few of my own twists. This dish is super easy to make and delightfully refreshing, so give it a try,
Ingredients:
5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled seeded and pureed (or one 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes)
1 cup green Spanish olives (or one jar of green olive pate’)
1 oz. Vodka
fresh thyme sprigs
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
¼ tsp Tabasco pepper sauce (or more to taste)
Directions:
Skin and seed the tomatoes and place them in a food processor (or use the canned San Marzano tomato puree.) Add one shot of vodka, a few twists of freshly ground black pepper, the Tabasco and process until smooth. Pour the pureed tomato mixture into a shallow glass dish and place in the freezer for an hour or so until it freezes. Check it occasionally and scrape with a fork so it had a fluffy crystalline texture and doesn’t freeze solid.
Soak the green olives in cold water for 20 minutes or so, rinsing them and changing the water several times to remove as much brine and salt as possible. Place the rinsed olives in the food processor and pulse until almost a paste.
In the bottom of a martini glass, spoon about 2 Tbs of the olive paste. Remove the dish of tomato granita from the freezer and using a fork, scratch the top to fluff it, Spoon about 3 Tbs of the tomato granita on top of the olive pate in the martini glasses. Gently tap the bottom of the glasses on a dish towel to compact the ingredients slightly. Sprinkle a few granules of gray sea salt on top of the tomato granita, then pour about 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil on top around the edge of the glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme and serve immediately.
When Ruth and I started our BBQ sauce business many years ago, we met Pete and Jill Sullivan of Maui Pepper Company at one of the wine festivals we did. They made several hot sauces and a wonderful pineapple mango salsa. We became friends and had some fun doing demos at various gourmet stores and wine festivals. After two long weekends sharing a booth at the Christmas show in Frederick, we stopped by their house to unwind. One of the things we munched on were Pete’s dark chocolate cookies that were spiked with cayenne pepper and coffee. He called them Chocolate Chile Blast Cookies and the combination was delicious. They eventually sold their business and moved to Hawaii (lucky people) but I remembered those cookies and have adapted this recipe to come close to them. You can substitute habanero powder for the cayenne if you are particularly daring! Enjoy! The recipe was adapted from Pete Sullivan’s recipe and Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces), plus 1/2 cup for coating
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 Tbs instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp baking soda
¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp table salt plus 1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dark corn syrup (see note)
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened (70 degrees)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces, see note)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate; chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (see note)
Directions:
Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ½ cup granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cayenne and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, vanilla and coffee granules together in another small bowl. In stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bowl once with rubber spatula. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly (do not chill longer than 30 minutes). Divide dough into 16 equal portions; roll between hands into balls about 11/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, drop 8 dough balls into baking dish with sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or lined with parchment, spacing about 2 inches apart; repeat with second batch of 8. Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 10 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool the cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature.
Ruth held a meeting of her garden club at the house today and she asked me to make some soups for the “ladies.” I decided to make a big pot of crab soup and I found some dried black beans in the pantry and thought a nice southwest black bean soup would be good. This is a really good soup for a cold winter day and hits all the flavor notes. Thick and savory with a hint of smokiness from the bacon…YUM!
Ingredients:
1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups), rinsed, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight, drained
1/2 lb smoked slab bacon (cubed into ½” pieces)
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
4 large carrots
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 can tomoto paste
1 Tbs Worcestershire
1 Tbsp molasses
1 pinch cinnamon
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
Salt
Toppings:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Avocado, peeled and chopped
Directions:
Soak the beans overnight. They will re-hydrate and double in size.
Place the pre-soaked beans in a heavy 4-quart pot. Add 5 cups of water, bay leaves, salt and baking soda. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook until beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours, then remove the bay leaves.
Prepare the veg.
Heat the olive oil in a large 8-quart pot on medium high until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Add the cubed bacon and fry until lightly browned. Add the onions, celery, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the cumin, chili powder, and garlic, cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the sauted bacon and veg mixture to the beans and their cooking liquid. Add chicken stock, molasses, tomato paste, Worcestershire, cinnamon and bell pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove about half of the soup to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and return to the pot of soup. (You may need to puree the soup in small batches depending on the size of your blender. Don't fill the blender more than half way and be sure to hold the lid while blending.) Add 3 Tbsp of lime juice. Adjust he seasonings. If needed.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and avocado if desired
I felt a little lazy today, so I decided to make a batch of my “Ragin’ Shrimp Dip” and some homemade pita chips to have something to nibble on when I get home from work during the week. This is a super-easy dip made from frozen, pre-cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp, cream cheese, mayo and some seasonings. I make my own pita chips because they frankly taste better than the store bought ones and aren’t as salty. This is a great dish to take to a party or to enjoy as a snack at home with the family.
Ingredients
For the dip:
½ lb cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 8 oz. pkgs Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese
1 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs Lea and Perrins Worcestershire
½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
For the pita chips
Pita bread
Olive oil
Rosemary leaves, crumbled
Kosher salt
Directions:
For the dip; Thaw the shrimp under running cold water, then place them on paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Put the shrimp in a food processor work bowl and pulse until the shrimp are minced fine, but not so much that they become a paste. Place the minced shrimp in a stand mixer with 2 packages of cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks. Add the mayo, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce and Rick’s Ragin’ Cajun seasoning. Mix on high speed until thoroughly incorporated, pausing a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Scoop the dip into a storage container and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to mellow.
For the pita chips; I use jumbo pita bread, but the regular size works fine.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil.
Cut the bread into 2 inch wide strips with scissors, then cut the strips into triangles.
Arrange the triangles onto baking sheets.
Sprinkle with crumbled rosemary leaves and some Kosher salt.
Bake at 375 until browned and crispy.
My good friend Frank Donaldson is an amazing cook! Whenever we get together, he always makes something wonderful to eat. Frank made this great appetizer for one of our get-togethers, and it instantly became a favorite of mine. These delicious little toasts are made from cocktail Pumpernickel rye bread squares topped with chicken and marinated artichokes, piped with a garlic and cheese mixture and baked until golden brown. I guarantee they will “fly off the plate” and quickly become a favorite of yours too!
Ingredients: (makes about 15)
1 pkg cocktail Pumpernickel rye bread (Rubschlager brand or equal)
For the piping mix:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Rick’s Ragin Cajun Rub (optional, available at www.ricksragin.com)
1 tsp granulated garlic
½ tsp Worchester sauce
4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
For the primary topping
6 oz cooked chicken breast; shredded and coarsely chopped
1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix mayonnaise, granulated garlic, Worchester sauce, Rick’s Ragin Cajun Rub and the grated cheese in a mixing bowl. Spoon mixture to a small zipper-type plastic sandwich bag. Close bag; clip ¼” from one corner of bag to create a hole for piping the mixture onto the chicken and artichoke toping.
Toss together the chopped artichoke and chicken; set aside.
Place the Pumpernickel rye slices onto a baking sheet; top each with 1 tablespoon of the artichoke and chicken mixture. Pipe the mayo-cheese mixture onto artichoke and chicken ( a spiral piping is desired to completely cover the chicken and artichoke topping). Bake in pre-heated 450 degree oven for 8-10 min or until golden brown.
Cool and serve slightly warm.
It was nearly 77 degrees yesterday, so I broke out the charcoal grill. This simple grilled chicken with a Alabama-style BBQ sauce has become one of my favorites. The inspiration for the white BBQ sauce comes from Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ in Decatur Alabama. A small amount of fresh rosemary is added to the marinade, and it adds a lot of flavor. After marinating and seasoning the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, place them directly over hot coals, searing both sides for 2 or 3 minutes to get some grill marks - then move them to the outer parts of the grill where its not as hot. Cover the grill and cook the chicken the rest of the way, nice and slow. You will end up with perfectly juicy, tender and smoky pieces of chicken. The whole grain Dijon mustard adds a great tang and texture to the chicken. You can use this white BBQ sauce on all kinds of grilled meats.
Ingredients:
Whole chicken, cut into quarters or pieces
1 cold beer (reserve for the chef!)
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided (I use Maille brand)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs cider vinegar
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs corn syrup
1 Tbs water
Trim, clean and pat dry your chicken pieces. Whisk together 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbs olive oil, chopped rosemary, and salt and pepper. Put chicken in a large zip-bag and pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and coat them completely. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 24.) Remove chicken from the fridge 1/2 hour before you are ready to cook. Combine 1 Tbs mustard, the mayonnaise and the water in a small bowl. Prepare the grill and make sure it is clean, very hot and brushed with oil before placing the chicken on it. It is much less likely to stick and pull all the yummy outside bits off when you turn it.. Place chicken on center (hottest part) of grill and sear on both sides for 2 minutes or so, then move the pieces to the outer (low heat) part of grill. Cover and let cook and smoke slowly (turning occasionally) until its done (internal temp of 170 degrees).
Dip the chicken pieces in the mayonnaise-mustard sauce and return to the hot grill to sear for 30 seconds per side. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Open the reserved beer (if it is not already) and enjoy with the delicious chicken and your favorite side dish!
It was a busy weekend and I worked outside for a while until I got a chill, which made me crave some nice warm soup. I had a chicken in the fridge, so I decided to make a pot of my homemade chicken noodle soup to warm me up. This is so easy and so good, I can’t imagine buying canned soup anymore. Give it a try and keep some in the freezer to heat for dinner on those nights where you get home late.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut up
1 large onion, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½” pieces
4 ribs celery, cut into ½” pieces
2 tsp dried Herbs de Provence
¼ cup fresh parsley with stems
6 peppercorns
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
1 gallon cold water
2 Tbsp McCormick Chicken Base (optional, but really enhances flavor)
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 package frozen peas
Directions:
Cut the vegetables into 1/2” pieces
Place chicken, vegetables and Mc Cormick chicken flavor base in 12-quart stockpot.
Add 1 gallon water, or enough to fully cover the chicken.
Place the dry herbs and peppercorns into a metal mesh “tea ball” and place in the pot. This infuses the flavors without having herb pieces mixed into the finished stock/
Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium-low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim any scum that forms on the stock with a spoon every so often. Add hot water as needed to keep the chicken and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 2-4 hours. Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container. Separate the chicken pieces and carrots and return them to the stock. Add ½ package frozen peas and some egg noodles and cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the noodles are cooked “al dente.”
My broadcasting career started in radio and I worked in Miami and Nashville for about 3 years. The General Manager at the Nashville stations was a “larger than life” guy named Dick Casper, and he was quite a cook.
At a holiday party he threw for the WLAC and WJYN staff at his home, Dick cooked the most delicious country ham I have ever tasted, which I thought was odd because he was Jewish. I asked Dick about this and his reply is a quote that I have remembered for over 30 years. He said “Only a Jew can cook a ham properly, because you have to respect it !” What more needs to be said? Now what made this ham special was the Orange Cranberry glaze that Dick used on it. He wrote the recipe on a napkin for me that I still have today. This glaze is absolutely delicious and relatively easy to make! If you use a country ham, you will need to soak it for a few days to lower the salt content that was used in the curing process. If you buy a prepared spiral cut ham, you can add to or re-glaze the ham. Either way, you will be in for quite the treat!
Ingredients:
1 country ham, skin on
whole cloves (to insert in the ham after scoring)
Orange Cranberry Glaze (recipe follows)
For the glaze:1 14oz jar cranberry relish
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbs arrowroot
Directions:
Combine all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1 Tbs arrowroot dissolved in water to thicken the glaze. Cook the ham with the skin on 1-1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Remove from the oven and cut off the skin and fat, leaving ¼ to ½ in of the fat. Score the fat at 1 inch intervals and stick a whole clove at each intersection. Baste with 1/3 of the sauce and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Baste the ham with another 1/3 of the glaze and cook 20 minutes. Baste with the remaining glaze and cook the final 20 minutes. Let cook, carve and serve.
After a particularly busy week at work, I had a craving for my favorite Korean dish, Daeji Bulgogi, made with thin slices of pork and sweet onion, marinated in Korean hot pepper paste, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and other yummy things. The marinated pork is grilled on a stovetop grill and served on green leaf lettuce leaves with a spicy bean paste. You’ll probably need to take a trip to an Asian market for the Korean hot pepper paste, Korean red pepper flakes and bean paste, but this is REALLY GOOD stuff!
Ingredients:
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs sake
1/2 cup gochujang (a Korean hot pepper paste that comes in a red plastic tub: shown below)
3 Tbs minced garlic
3 Tbs minced fresh ginger root
1 Tbs Korean red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbs white sugar
3 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 sweet onion, cut into slices (end to end)
1 (2 pound) pork loin, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup canola oil
Bean Paste (In the brown plastic tub, shown below) for the lettuce leaves
Steamed rice
Directions
Put the pork loin in the freezer for about 1/2 hour. This partially freezes it and makes it much easier to slice. Slice the pork loin into 1/8” slices with a very sharp chef’s knife (you can also buy it pre-sliced and frozen at most Asian markets.)
Gather the ingredients; grate the ginger, mince the garlic and slice the onion into strips.
Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, ginger and 1 Tbs of the Korean red pepper flakes (package shown below).
Add the black pepper, sugar, sliced sweet onion, sesame seeds and canola oil in a large bowl. Add the pork slices, mixing well until completely coated.
Place into a re-sealable plastic bag, squeeze out any excess air, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. Heat the Korean stovetop grill (about $25 at the Asian market) over medium-high heat. Add the pork slices in batches, and cook until no longer pink in the center, and lightly browned on the outside, about 5 minutes per batch. Place some foil around the grill to catch any spatters and speed cleanup.
Be careful when cooking the meat, the spicy fumes will “zing” your nose! Garnish cooked pork with sliced green onion and serve the pork on green leaf lettuce leaves with some, rice and a small amount of bean paste.
After a day of yard work, boat work, etc, I had a craving for some chips and salsa. Now there are a ton of commercial salsas available in the grocery store, but they are generally cooked to make them shelf stable. Unfortunately, that dulls the flavors of most of the ingredients. Now canned tomatoes are packed at a lower temperature and taste pretty much the same, but onions, garlic, fresh cilantro and lime juice lose their freshness when cooked. My salsa tastes like one you would get at a Mexican restaurant, but is so easy to make that you might never buy that jarred stuff again. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
28-ounce can Hunt’s diced tomatoes, with juice
1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/4 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get a nice chunky consistency. Refrigerate about one hour. Serve with your favorite corn chips.
Ruth and I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico many years ago to exhibit our BBQ sauce at the Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque. The locals told us that we absolutely had to try a green chile cheeseburger while we were there, and that The Owl Café was the place to go, so we set out to find the place on Route 66.
We ordered their signature burger and it was a juicy, thick patty of fresh ground beef grilled over an open flame, blanketed in molten cheddar cheese, and topped off with a generous portion of diced roasted New Mexican green chiles - what could be more glorious? Here in Baltimore, we actually have a restaurant that makes green chile cheeseburgers that rival, if not surpasses the burgers from New Mexico at The Golden West Café on 36th Street in Hampden.
Golden West makes their burgers with fresh house-ground beef and also make their special green chile sauce daily. The burgers are served with delicious fries, laced with fresh minced garlic, YUM! I set out to duplicate the taste of these burgers and if you use the techniques outlined below, you will be rewarded with a real Southwestern taste treat that rivals the restaurant burgers.
For the Chile Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 lbs roasted New Mexican or Poblano chiles
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbs flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 Tbp fresh cilantro, chopped fine
Directions:
Roast the chiles on an outdoor grill, turning frequently until the outer skin is well blackened.
They should look burnt – if the skins are still pretty green, then they won’t peel properly. Immediately place the blackened chiles in a 1 gallon size resealable bag and seal tightly. The steam created will loosen the chile skins so they can be easily removed by washing the charred chiles or gently scraping with a knife. After removing the skins, cut open the roasted chiles, remove the seeds, then dice them finely with a knife, then place in a food processor and pulse a few times.
If you don’t want to take the time to prepare the chiles as shown, you can use canned ones that are fire roasted and already diced.
In a heavy saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until well softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add the flour and continue cooking for another 1 or 2 minutes, stirring continuously to incorporate it and avoiding any lumps. Mix in the chopped green chile, the stock and add the cilantro. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool. Keeps in the fridge about a week or freezes well.
For the Burgers:
Now this is more about the correct method of making the burger, and came from food writer David Rosengarten in his “Rosengarten Report.” It is spot on! The ingredients for a great burger are really simple and few; meat, salt, pepper and a bun. According to Rosengarten, probably the most important detail in making a great hamburger is that when you take ground meat out of the package, preserve the “noodles” (the wavy looking strands of beef created by the store’s meat grinder.)
Treat the ground meat like eggs that might crack! Any undue pressure will lead to a tight, tough, “hockey puck” hamburger. Gently take about a five ounce chunk meat from the package. Place the meat on the counter or cutting board in its still unformed state, making sure that it’s a little wider than the finished size you want. Lightly sprinkle the meat with some Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, but do not roughly compress it into a patty! Gently push the outsides into the middle until you have something resembling a burger. At this point, keep the meat loose and pat it gently with your hands to round it out. Use only salt and pepper to season the meat so you taste the beef without a lot of competing flavors.
The essentials to burger cooking are listed below. Here are the six rules that Rosengarten spoke of, whether you’re going to grill or pan fry the burgers:
• Burgers are best cooked over very high heat (is a cast iron pan or on the grill.)
• Start with cold meat to retard cooking the inside while the outside gets brown.
• Allow the meat to get a nice crust on one side before flipping to the other side.
• DO NOT, under any circumstances, press on your burger with a spatula!
• Once the burger has a nice crust on both sides, red juices on the surface of the patty indicate a rare burger. If the juices are clear, the burger is medium-well to well done.
• Now the big secret: Just before you remove the burger from the pan or grill, place a small pat of salted butter onto the burger and let it gently melt into the meat. Add a slice of cheddar cheese, some tomato, onion and a generous portion of green chile sauce over that and
Use a nice fresh soft bun! A lightly grilled bun brushed with homemade garlic butter and some grill marks is a wonderful thing. Remember though, it’s all about the burger so don’t use oversized, overly crusty rolls.
