Smothered Pork Chops

Had a few friends over for a great soul food dinner the other night. The highlight? Well, all of it. But the smothered pork chops I made were the centerpiece.

Add, to a medium hot pan:
2 Onions, thinly sliced

Cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Onions should be translucent, not brown. If you hear a loud sizzle, reduce heat slightly.

Add:
4 Cloves Garlic, smashed
2 Teaspoons Salt

Cook an additional 3 minutes.
Remove from pan.

Turn heat to high, and then brown:
1.5 Pound Pork Chops

Remove pork chops from pan.
Deglaze pan with:
1 Bottle Good Beer
     *I used Newcastle. 




Add:
1 Cup  Chicken Stock
1/2 Can Cola
2 Tablespoons Apricot Jam

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons Mustard
Small Handful Juniper Berries (optional)

Return pork chops, onions, and garlic to the pan.

Cover pan.
Reduce heat to low.
Let simmer 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Add:
5 Springs Fresh Marjoram
5 Springs Fresh Thyme
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

Thicken sauce.
Impress your friends.

Brunswick Stew

I have no idea how this wonderful creation avoided my radar for so long. I love southern food, and this stew is a perfect example of why I love it so much.

Brunswick Stew has been cooked in Virginia for at least 150 years, though it's quite likely versions of the recipe go back at least another 100 years. Brunswick County in Georgia also lays claim to the recipe, but historical evidence seems to support Virginia.

Originally cooked with squirrel, the thick stew is now made primarily with chicken- rabbit and pork often being added as well. Like most traditional dishes, everybody and their uncle has their own version, so feel free to experiment. You can use my recipe, or you can work via poem:

First catch your chicken, clean and cut them.
And in an iron pot you put them
And water nearly to the top
And in it salt and pepper drop
Boil slowly.  Your tomatoes peel;
Put in a shin or so of veal;
And for the flavor, bear in mind,
A chunk of middling with the rind.
Next some onions you throw in,
The young and tender skin,
And butter beans do not forget;
And what is more important yet;
The corn, but do not be too fast,
For you must cut and add it last;
For better than the flour you'll find it'll do
To give some thickness to the stew.
Some lemon peel cut very thin
May now be added and stirred in,
And err it's taken from the fire,
Give it a dash of Worcestershire,
And soon you'll hear it's praises ring,
This is a dish fit for a King.
           --Virginia S. Woodroof, 1930   Here's what I did:  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes:1 1/2 Cups Onion, diced 1 Cup Carrots, diced1/2 Cup Celery, diced  Add:One Whole Chicken, cooked and shredded1 Pound Smoked Pork Shoulder, shredded1 1/2 Cups Crushed Tomato1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock1/4 Cup Whiskey 1 Cup Potato, diced2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme2 Teaspoons Black Pepper1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce1 Teaspoon Chili Powder1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder2 Bay Leaves  Simmer 45 minutes.Add:1 Cup Frozen Sweet Corn1 Cup Frozen Lima Beans1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce   Simmer 15 minutes.Serve.  *You have options with the chicken and pork. You could boil the chicken first, making a chicken soup that you use later for the dish. Or you can oven roast it. Or smoke it. Or you can buy a pre-cooked one. Same with the pork- I was able to find a wonderfully smoked pork shoulder. This saves a lot of time!    

Hearst Ranch Flank Steak

I met Brian Kenny, manager of Hearst Ranch Beef, at the Foodbuzz weekend last November. He took part in a conversation on grass fed beef, and the workings of Hearst Ranch, that had me all kinds of excited about the future of beef in America.

A few weeks later, we followed up with a phone conversation. Kenny spoke more of Hearst's commitment to careful stewardship of the land. His philosophy (one that I share) is that cows reared on a natural diet, living a stress free life, produce better meat. We also spoke about Kenny's innovative approach to marketing better beef by supplying convention centers and other large venues.

I love free things, and I love steak, so imagine my happiness when I was offered a gift card for Hearst Ranch beef. This was very nice indeed.

It's one of those strange SoCal days when it seems perfectly sensible to grill in February. So I made a little spice mix, and put a flank steak over the hot hot hot coals. This beef is fantastic.

Pat one Flank Steak with:
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, per side

Rub both sides with spice mix.
I used:
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Sugar
1 Tsp. Celery Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp. Ground Mustard
Don't overseason. Or underseason.

Let rest for at least one hour, up to twelve hours.

Grill over very hot coals for five minutes per side.
Let rest five minutes before slicing.

*Let the meat come to room temperature before grilling. You'll notice an improvement in the texture.
*You could cook this on a gas grill, or even broil it, but coals are best for this one. I even added a few wood chunks, too!

*Ask for grass fed beef at your grocery store. If they don't carry it, tell them they should. Then walk away, without buying any industrial beef. You can order directly from Hearst if you're having trouble finding well raised cows near you.

Chicken Variation #3: Simplicity

Sometimes you'll see a recipe that called for pre-cooked chicken. This is a simple way to do it. Cook a bunch, and keep them in your freezer. This way you'll always have a base you can build on. (Or just squeeze a little lemon over it, and eat as it is. Nothing wrong with simple!)

Start with:
Chicken Breasts

Rub with:
Olive Oil

Dust with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 14 minutes, turning once.
Or grill it. High heat, same timing.

Great for:
Really Easy Soup
Penne Pesto with Chicken

 

Garlic Broccoli

It's no wonder so many people hate broccoli. The superdupermega vitamin-packed vegetable is almost always prepared as if it were old shoes. Boiled to death, steamed soft and mushy. Well, no more.

Add, to a hot pan:
One Teaspoon Clarified Butter or Vegetable Oil

Give the oil 30 seconds to heat up, and then add:
1/2 Pound Broccoli Florets

Saute for about 4 minutes, until sides of broccoli begin to brown.
Add:
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

Saute one minute.
Add:
1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
Pinch Salt
Pinch Fresh Nutmeg (Optional)

Cook two minutes, or until liquids reduce by half.

Lemony Leftover Chicken

 What do you do when you grill/bake/fry too many chicken breasts? Sure, you could eat the leftovers as they are--cold chicken is great. Or, you could take five minutes and transform your leftovers into something totally new.

Cut, into chunks:
Leftover Chicken Breast

Add chicken to a hot pan with:
One Clove Garlic, chopped
Two Tablespoons Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
One Tablespoon Honey
Cook for two minutes.

Add:
Two teaspoons butter
Cook one more minute.


Finish with:
Handful Chopped Italian Parsley

*If you can't find Meyer lemons, use the citrus juice of your choice. Oranges are especially nice with this.
 

Really Easy Soup

Add to a pot:
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Pureed Tomato
2 Carrots, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Cup Broccoli Florets 
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Two Cooked Chicken Breasts, diced 

Simmer for 30 minutes. 
Add salt and pepper as desired.

Roasted Butternut Squash

One of the things I miss most about living in the east coast is having some kind of winter. Not a full winter or anything, just a little bit of cold. In Los Angeles, that hardly happens. Since it's early December, I decided to make it feel like winter a little bit by roasting the ultimate winter vegetable, squash. Added bonus- this side dish is stupidly easy to make.

Split in half, and then seed:
One Butternut Squash

Place squash on a roasting pan.
Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until squash is tender.

Remove flesh from squash, and mix in:
2 Teaspoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Salt
Fresh Grated Nutmeg (about 1/4 teaspoon)

If you want to get all fancy-pants, you can return the squash to its shell and serve it like that.

Gravy Train

You might want to bookmark this little tidbit for next year's Thanksgiving, because it was the finest turkey gravy I've ever made.  This is yet another proof of how a little bit of playing with your food can take you someplace special.

Started by straining:
Turkey Pan Juices

The turkey had been stuffed with onions, sage, orange, celery, thyme, and garlic.
It had been brined and dried before roasting.
One and one half hours before end of cooking, I poured .5 can Coca-Cola over bird.

*You're think crazy thoughts now.  I know.  Coke?  WTF?!  This is the only time per year that I have a coke.  Hey, it helps make amazing gravy.  After I pour half the can, I take a sip from the rest and remind myself how horrible this stuff is!

Once all the juices are strained, allow them to sit so that the fat can rise to the top.  This will happen fairly quickly.  Remove all fat, reserving 4 tablespoons in a small pan.

Now, for the roasting pan:  Remove all big bits of leftover skin and gristle.
Then add:
3/4 Cup White Wine
1/2 Freshly Squeezed Orange
1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar

Place over medium heat, and scrape until leftover brown bits melt into the liquid, and the sharp alcohol flavor cooks off.  Strain, and add to pan juices.

You're going to make a roux out of the previously reserved turkey fat, and 4 tablespoons flour.  Whisk the fat and flour over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.  The longer you go, the deeper flavor you'll be rewarded with.  Just don't let it burn.

Slowly whisk the pan juices into the roux.  Continue to whisk for two minutes once all pan juice is added. 

Finish with:
Squeeze Fresh Orange
1/2 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
Salt, as necessary

If you're into that kind of thing, you can strain again before serving.  I didn't.

Making Bacon at Home, First Attempt

It was only a matter of time before I did this.  I love bacon.  Love it with all my heart.  So why not make my own, right?

I did.  It was a time intensive process, but the actual work time was very limited.  The result was decent, but too salty.  

Don't try this at home (yet).
Actually, do try this at home.  Make some adjustments to the recipe, and let me know how it turns out.

I began with:
Three Pounds Uncured Pork Belly

Washed and patted dry pork belly.
Covered completely with:
One Head of Celery, juiced 
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar


Left pork in celery juice for 48 hours, turning occasionally.

Removed pork from juice, rinsed, and patted dry.
Painted pork with a thin layer of:
Pure Maple Syrup

Crushed, and then rubbed pork with:
1 Cup Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Clove
2 Bay Leaves
1.5 Teaspoon Whole Black Pepper
1.5 Teaspoon Whole Coriander

6 Juniper Berries

Placed rubbed pork in plastic bag, and then refrigerated for one week.  (One week!)
Turned it every day, draining excess liquid.

After one week, rinsed and dried pork.
Smoked, over very low heat, for 6 hours.

Sliced, and cooked.

Lessons learned:
1) This, unlike making yogurt, is worth the effort.  Making bacon at home is damn satisfying.
2) For next time: reduce salt by at least 1/4 cup, and increase sugar by 1/4 cup.
3) Leave more liquid in curing bag?  I think if I hadn't drained the bag so much, the pork belly might have reabsorbed some of the liquid, decreasing the salt concentration in the meat.
4) There is only one smell better than having your apartment (and neighborhood) smell like sweet smoking wood for 6 hours--it's having your apartment (and neighborhood) smell like sweet smoking wood for 6 hours, and then having your apartment smell like bacon for 2 hours after that.

*Uncured pork belly can be hard to find.  Your best best is to seek out a neighborhood butcher and ask.  If they don't carry it, they can usually order it for you.


*Celery juice?  Really?  Yup.  Celery contains natural nitrates which will help cure the meat.  I also like the subtle flavor it adds.  If you want to skip this step, you're going to have to order something called Insta Cure #1- pink curing salt. 

Beef & Barley Soup

Poor barley has somehow gotten the short shrift in the grain world. This is sad, because barley is totally terrific- chewy, nutty, and wholesome. It's also really easy to prepare- you can simply boil one cup of barley in three cups of water for 25 minutes and you're good to go. Better yet, you can make my amazing beef & barley soup, and see first hand how tasty this little grain is.

Begin by browning:
2 Lbs. Chuck or Top Round, cut into 2 inch squares

Remove from pan.
Add:
4 Carrots, quartered
3 Ribs Celery, halved
1 Large Onion, diced into large chunks
1 Parsnip, halved
4 Whole Cloves Garlic

Cook veggies for 5 minutes, and then return beef to pot.
Add:
2 Cups Beef Stock
1 Cup Purred Tomatoes
1 Cup Stout Beer
2 Tablespoons Dried Italian Seasoning

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook 1.5 hours.

Remove as much of the celery, parsnip, and garlic as you can.
Wash and then add:
3/4 Cup Barley

Cook for one more hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

*To shorten final cooking time, you can start the barley in a separate pot. Cook it for the first 30 minutes in this pot, drain, and cook the final 30 minutes in the soup pot.

*You don't have to remove the celery, parsnip, and garlic. I like to do so because I feel it helps the final texture of the soup.

Roasting a Pepper

Roasted peppers are expensive to buy. And the quality is generally mediocre. Why spend money on something mediocre, when you can easily do it better at home?

All you need to roast a pepper are:
A Pepper
Fire or Heat
Tongs
A Brown Bag
Oil

You have two options for roasting: oven & open flame.

Fire

Clearly, it's much more fun to roast something over an open fire, so let's start there. Turn your gas burner on high (sorry, electric range users, no fun for you- go to the back yard and build a campfire...). Grip the stem of the pepper with the tongs, and place over heat. Rotate when the sides begin to blacken. You're going to need some courage here- there will be smoke and burning. Enjoy it.

When all sides are blackened, place pepper in a brown paper bag. Roll the top. Let the pepper cool in the bag for 15 minutes. This will allow the pepper to cook through, and the steam will help separate the skin from the flesh. To fully remove the skin, rub the sides of the bag. The friction will expose most of the flesh- use your fingers to do the rest.

Heat

A less fun, if more elegant, method for roasting a pepper is to use your oven. Brush the pepper with vegetable oil, and place on a baking sheet. (To avoid messy cleanups, you might want to line the sheet with aluminum foil.) Put that in a 400 degree oven. Every 10 minutes, use your tongs to turn the pepper. After about 45 minutes, you'll have a wonderfully roasted pepper.

No need to for the brown bag here, as the pepper will be more evenly cooked. Simply allow the pepper to cool, and then peel off the skin.

After that, remove the stem and seeds- they will be very easy to get rid of. Serve warm or cold. Or mixed into something else. However you want to. They're very good.

Turkey Stew

It gets "cold" and rainy in Los Angeles just a few times per year. Today is one of those days. So I decided to try something new, and make a turkey stew. Had some fun playing with flavors, especially the apple notes. It turned out pretty terrific.

Cut into good-sized chunks, and then brown:
2 Pounds Turkey, white, dark, or mixed

Remove turkey from pot.
Immediately add:
3 Carrots, quartered
3 Ribs Celery, quartered
1 Onion, quartered
2 Green Apples, quartered (remove core!)
3 Cloves Garlic, smashed
Pinch Salt

Roast veggies for 4-5 minutes, and then remove from pot.

Add:
2 Tablespoons Butter or Chicken Fat
2 Tablespoons Flour
Cook fat & flour for 3 minutes. Whisk constantly.

Whisk in:
1.5 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup White Wine
1/2 Cup Apple Juice
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Dried Sage

Allow the liquid to come to boil.
Return turkey and vegetables to the pot.

Cover, and transfer to a 300 degree oven.
Cook 1.5 hours.

Nature's Pride Meets Toasty Goodness

My friends at Foodbuzz sent me a few loaves of Nature's Pride bread. I am not a fan of commercial sliced bread, as it is usually filled with chemicals, filler, and air. So I was prepared to write a nasty "worst thing since sliced bread" review. Much to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed the bread- especially the 100% Whole Wheat.

Nature's Pride bread manages to maintain decent shelf life stability (it kept fresh in my pantry for one week), without the addition of preservatives and stabilizers. There is a subtle sweetness to the bread, achieved with only 4g sugar (sugar, honey, brown sugar, molasses, and concentrated raisin juice form the sugar blend). A touch of vinegar balances the sweetness, and helps bring out the great malty flavor of the wheat.

Best of all, the slices are generously thick, without being too overwhelming. In fact, they are the perfect thickness for a toasty sandwich. So, Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat...meet my favorite open faced sandwich:

To build the sandwich, layer:
One Slice Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat
Spicy Apricot Dippin' Sauce
2 Slices Rosemary Ham
1-2 Slices Swiss Cheese
Dijon Mustard
2 Slices Rosemary Ham
Grated Parmegiano Reggiano Chese

Toast until cheese begins to brown, about 6 minutes.

*I was also given a sample of the 12 Grain bread. The flavor was nice. However, I'm not a big fan of bits of seed and grain in my bread. If you like that sort of thing, go for it. I'll stick with the smooth bread.

*Interstate Bakeries, the owners of Nature's Pride, also make Wonder Bread. Wonder Bread, of course, is the bread that's most symbolic of the collapse of good bread in America. Strange. But impressive. This represents a step in the right direction; A massive (often low quality) bread company introducing a line of bread with high quality ingredients will allow more people to have the choice to eat Good Food. That's the key- the choice. You need to read the labels, and choose bread made with wholesome ingredients.

Matzo Balls

If you're making chicken soup, you might as well make some matzo balls, too. They're a lot easier to make than you think, and you can use the flavor of the soup to enhance the flavor of the matzo balls.

Whisk together:
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Chicken Fat
1.5 Tablespoons Chicken Soup
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Small Pinch Salt

Add:
1/2 Cup plus 2 Teaspoons Matzo Meal
Stir matzo in until just combined- do not over mix, or your balls will be less fluffy.
Refrigerate for one hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Roll matzo mix into one inch balls.
Boil, with pot covered, for 40 minutes.

*Chicken fat. Listen. You're not going to have a heart attack if you use it. It adds immeasurably to the flavor and texture of the matzo balls. So just use it. The best thing to do is to skim it from the top of the soup.

Simple Wicked Good Potatoes

So what if this dish has spent many a night as part of a buffet line. It's wicked good, and very easy to make.

Boil, for 20 minutes:
One Pound Fingerling Potatoes

Drain potatoes, and allow to cool slightly.
Sliced potatoes into 1/2 inch slices.
Set aside.

In a hot pan, add:
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

Once butter and garlic begin to brown remove from heat.
Stir in:
Sliced Potatoes
1/4 Cup Italian Parsley, chopped
2 Pinches Salt

Spicy Lemon Sherbet

Simmer, over medium-low heat, for 10 minutes:

¾ Cup Heavy Cream

¾ Cup Milk (at least 1% fat)

1 Serrano Pepper, seeds removed

1/4 Cup Fresh Mint, chopped

Strain.

Use the back of a spoon to press out extra liquid.

Discard solids.

Whisk in:

1 ½ Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 ¾ Cups Sugar

Allow mix to cool.

Use in ice cream maker, according to machine’s direction.

Serves 5

Heirloom Tomato and Onion Salad

I feel bad for the tomato & onion salad: Watery, crappy tomatoes. Overwhelming sharp onion flavor. Relegated to mediocre steak houses and South Florida old-folks homes.

It's time to bring the tomato and onion salad back. But better. Much better.

Mix:
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 Cup Italian Parsley, chopped
1/8 Cup Basil, chopped
Pinches of salt & pepper


Add:
One Pound Ripe Tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 Small Red Onion, diced

Mix gently.
Let sit at room temperature for up to one hour, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Spoon into serving dish.
Discard excess dressing.

*I recommend using heirloom tomatoes for this. They were grown for flavor, not for ease of transportation. If possible, try to get tomatoes from your garden, a friend's garden, or the farmers' market. Don't, under any circumstance, use shitty tomatoes.

Quick Braised Green Beans

Trim, wash, and cut into 1 inch pieces:
One Pound Green Beans
Set aside.

Add, to a warm skillet:
3 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, diced
Cook bacon until crispy.

Add:
2 Cloves Garlic, diced
1 Shallot, diced
2 Tsp. Ground Coriander
Cook one minute.
Add green beans, and then cook one more minute.

Add:
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbs. Sherry Vinegar
Cover.
Reduce heat to low.
Cook 20 minutes.

*The bacon and stock should add enough salt to the dish. Don't add extra salt until you taste, but do add more if necessary.

*Beans should be cooked through, but not overcooked. The texture should resemble a cooked piece of pasta.

*If desired, thicken leftover liquid with a small pat of butter.

Minty Glazed Carrots

Add, to a hot pan:
1 Tbs Butter
2 Carrots, sliced to about 1/4 inch
1 Shallot, Diced

Cook one minute, then add:
1 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Agave or Honey
1 Tbs Fresh Mint, chopped
Pinch Salt

Cook for one more minute.
Serve hot or cold.