Korean Roasted Pork Ribs

I headed to the supermarket with a plan to make Korean style short ribs for dinner, but was thrown a curve when the short ribs were no where to be found. So, after standing in the meat department for way too long, I decided to stop making the staff feel uncomfortable and just grabbed a pack of pork baby back ribs. While not what I originally planned, what resulted was pretty good.

Ingredients
1 rack pork baby back ribs, divided into two pieces

Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
dash ground ginger

Sauce
½ cup honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper seeds

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together marinade ingredients. Wash pork and pat dry. [Note: I prefer to take off the tough membrane on the back of the ribs. If you haven't done it before, here's a short video demonstration I found on YouTube.]

In a gallon ziplock bag, rub marinade all over rib racks, massaging them well. Refrigerate and allow ribs to rest with marinade. (Ours went for almost 6 hours, but I'm sure more or less would work.)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line roasting pan with tin foil (If you haven't tried the new "non stick" foil, this is a great recipe to try it with).



Roast ribs for 50 minutes. While ribs are baking, in a small bowl, make the sauce by simply whisking together everything on the list.

Once ribs are cooked, remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut racks into individual rib pieces.

Increase oven temperature to 500. Brush sauce onto each rib, coating fully. Return ribs to the oven, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce begins to caramelize. Continue basting with sauce and flipping ribs until sufficiently coated.

Pulled Brisket Taco with Hoisin BBQ Sauce

This summer, C and I have enjoyed many a lunch at Bone-In Artisan Barbecue on Wheels. They park and work in tandem with one of our favorite restaurants Baan Sawan. Bone-In provides the vittles, and Baan serves insanely great cocktails crafted to go with. This past Saturday, we had their smoked brisket with hickory-hoisin sauce. With no plans for Sunday, we decided to give it a try for ourselves. Since we don't have access to their awesome focaccia bread, we went the taco route.

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 jalepeno peppers, halved
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses



Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a plate and leave the pan on the heat.



Add garlic, onion, jalepenos, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (CAUTION: a vinegar steam facial is a bad idea), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water.

Return the brisket to the pan and pull some of the onions on top of it. Crush the tomatoes and add them and the tomato sauce to the pot along with the bay leaves and molasses. Cover and braise in the oven for 3-4 hours.

Gently remove brisket from the pan. Pull the brisket apart with two forks and set aside.



For the sauce, we cooled the braising liquid slightly, then blended with an immersion blender. We then seasoned with a small bottle of prepared hickory bbq sauce and 1/4 cup hoisin sauce.

Lamb Flatbread Taco

After a very late night visit to Paco's Tacos in Five Points on Saturday night, we were inspired to make more taco-y goodness on Sunday.

Marinated, grilled lamb shoulder in a warm flatbread with grilled peppers and onions, and fresh pico de gallo.



Lamb Marinade

Blend in a food processor:
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 small tomato
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp chili powders
1/2 tsp cumin
2 whole dried chilis
Add fresh rosemary and oregano

Marinate lamb should chops for at least four hours, grill, and the cut into bite size pieces.

Blueberry Pie

Apparently the cooking gods wanted me to play with blueberries this weekend.

First, Chef taught us about mini blueberry tarts at last week's class at Let's Cook, then one of C's co-workers sent him home with a gallon size ziplock bag filled to the top of fresh picked berries.

Don't you love when a plan comes together.

Prepped and ready for the oven...


Ingredients:
Homemade or pre-packaged pie dough (top & bottom crust)

Filling:
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash vanilla extract
6 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

Topping:
Milk or half & half
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Served a la mode. We couldn't wait for the pie to fully cool to dive in, so the juices didn't have time to thicken. Who can wait?


INSTRUCTIONS

Prep Pan -- Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Prepare Filling:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg; stir to combine. Add the blueberries and toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. Let the filling sit for 5 to 10 minutes to let the berry juice develop and the cornstarch dissolve.

Assemble Pie:
Spoon the blueberry mixture into the chilled pie shell, mounding the berries slightly in the center. Add top crust, cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to chill.

While pie is refrigerating, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove pie from refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the pie rim and stars with milk or half and half cream. Sprinkle with sugar.

Line a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Place pie on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices are thick and bubbling and the crust is a golden brown.

Sunday Dinner, Roasted Cornish Game Hens

A few years ago, C and I got in the routine of roasting a chicken every Sunday. While we don't do it every weekend anymore, a roasted bird is still a fairly common Sunday night dinner. Today, after browsing the meat department, we decided on roasted cornish game hens.

Here are the hens ready for the oven...



My usual preparation is a simple garlic-thyme-butter. For two hens I make a paste of 1 tbsp softened butter, 1 clove minced garlic, minced fresh thyme (or any other fresh herbs you have on hand), salt and pepper. The paste is simply slathered on the skin and then the hens are roasted in a 400° oven for 1 hour.



Despite the name, game hens are not game birds at all... they're actually a typical chicken that is just slaughtered at a young age. For that reason they command a higher price, but they are still quite affordable.

Light Banana Muffins

An overcast Saturday morning, and a bunch of over-ripe bananas, lead to this yummy batch of cakey light muffins.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Optional Garnish: chocolate jimmies



Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cups.
2. Sift the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat the mashed bananas, sugars, honey, eggs and melted butter together.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until combined.
5. Divide the batter into the muffin cups - top with garnish if desired.
6. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Easy Grilled Pork Roast

While browsing the local Publix meat department, I found the cutest 1lb pork roast (yes, I said cute).



Since I had the time, I gave it a full days soak in a sweet and savory marinade of whatever I had on hand:

8oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

mix everything together in a ziptop bag and add the roast



Squeeze all the air out of the bag, give it a twist so the entire roast is submerged, and throw it back on the fridge for a few hours.



Light up the grill. Drain and discard marinade, and sear the roast over direct heat on all sides. Move the roast to one side and cook with indirect heat until a meat thermometer reads 160° (around 30 minutes per pound). Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Garlicy Crisps

On more than one occassion (including one just a few weeks ago), C and I ordered an appetizer that included housemade crackers. Each time, the "crackers" were thick and doughy, and pretty disappointing.

Before passing judgement, I decided to try and make some at home. I went with a recipe from one of my favorites - Cindy Pawlcyn. While slightly time consuming, I was very happy with the results. Now, if I can do it, why can't they?? hmmmm.

1 1/2 teaspoons active dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon cold water
2 cups flour, or more as needed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut up
2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
1 egg
seasoning topping of your choice (CP uses sesame seeds, I went for italian dipping oil seasoning)

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let rest for 8 to 10 minutes, until foamy. Add the 1/3 cup cold water, then add the flour, butter, and salt. Mix to combine on medium speed until smooth and elastic, pulling the dough down off the hook if necessary. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.

2. Gather into a ball, place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat lightly, cover, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.



3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

4. Roll them out as thinly as possible into 6-inch-wide, 3- or 4-inch-long strips. (I used a pasta roller to make paper-thin sheets).



5. Lay the strips of dough on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the egg and the 1 teaspoon cold water, and brush the crackers with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt and seasoning, then score the strips of dough to make triangular shapes (they’ll break apart into individual crackers when they bake).

6. Bake for 5 minutes, flip and bake for 2 more minutes or until golden brown.

C's BLT+

In case there was any question regarding C's ability to make a sandwich...



Bacon
+ Lettuce
+ Tomato
+ Cheese
+ Egg Over Easy
+ Your Weight in Mayo
==============
C's BLT

pasta with zucchini and tomato

As temperatures heat up, C and I look to lighter dinner dishes -- luckily the veggies of summer are here.

I recently found there is a farm stand on my way home from the gym, and now I'm absolutely addicted. I just love the way you never know what they will have that day, and the challenge of coming up with a meal from whatever looks and smells best.

Here's the latest - pasta with zucchini and tomato.

While you wait for your pasta water come to a boil...

Roughly cut a few tomatoes and put them over medium heat with some olive oil, a few cloves of minced garlic, and some fresh basil and oregano. Here'a what it looks like after it's had some time to break down:



While the tomatoes cook, prepare the zucchini. I used a mandoline slicer and julienned into spaghetti shaped pieces.



Throw in your pasta and cook until al dente. Right before you drain, pull out a cup of pasta water and add to your pan of tomatoes. Add drained pasta and zucchini shreds to the tomatoes and mix over low heat until well combined. Salt/Pepper to taste. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Onion Rings

A less is more approach to onion rings.

Ingredients
Onions
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
dash cayenne pepper
dash salt

Before you start prepping the rings, preheat your deep fryer or a pan of oil so that it is hot enough when you are ready to start deep frying... around 375°

Slice onions into 1/4 inch rounds, separating rings. Place in a bowl with milk and let soak for at least 15 minutes.



In another bowl combine remaining ingredients.



A few rings at a time, drop onions into flour mixture. Coat well and drop into hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with your bbq favorites.

Sipala-tini

A local italian restaurant has made a contest to find their a signature martini. Here is my entry.

bringing a little north jersey-italian to south cackalacky...

3 parts red table wine
1 part orange brandy (like Grand Marnier)
splash sweet vermouth
---
shake well with ice; strain into a martini glass.
garnish with orange twist or cherry

Hasselback Potatoes

This dish takes its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. I've seen recipes for it in a variety of magazines and cooking blogs, but it always seemed a bit fussy, so it never made it on to my to-do list... but then I thought of you, my loyal readers (hahaha) who might be interested.

Hasselback Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes and dry with a kitchen towel.

Place between two wooden spoons, or something similar...



Cut slits into them from the top down, being careful not to go all the way thru (using the wooden spoons as guides) so that they will fan open like accordions when baked



Traditionally the potato would be peeled, cut to resemble a fan, dotted with butter, baked, and then topped with fine bread crumbs and broiled.

Too boring.

We first drizzled with a garlic-chive-butter, being sure to get some between the layers



then personlized with some additional ingredients...

For me, I shaved slices of jalapeno and inserted between the potato slices, then topped with coarse salt...



For C, everything's better with bacon, so he cooked up a slice, crumbled, and shoved between the layers...



Bake at 400° for about an hour, and voila!

Hummus x 2

For a friends cocktail party, C and I decided to experiment and make two flavors of hummus. The first turned out to be a beautiful spring green Spinach and Feta Hummus.

Spinach and Feta Hummus
1 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh spinach
3 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cups red pepper flakes

In a blender or food processor combine chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic and lemon juice...blend well. Add spinach, cheese, and red pepper flakes and whiz again until smooth.

* * * * * * * * *

For hummus #2, we used a few of the jalepeno's we had in freezer from the garden last year.




Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
1 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained and rinsed
roasted red jalapenos (we used four small ones)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients in the blender or food processor, blend until smooth.



and for a glimpse into the kitchen when we experiment...

Pizza Pizza

Making pizza at home isn't especially difficult, it just takes a some advanced thought. To make a few pies on Sunday, you'll need to start the day before

SATURDAY AFTERNOON, start the dough

Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast over 1 1/4 cups water and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until creamy. If the yeast doesn't become active, throw away and start again with fresh yeast.

In the meantime, in the bowl of your food processor, mix 4 cups flour ("OO" flour if you can find it, otherwise all-purpose is fine) and 2 teaspoons salt. Drizzle in 2 Tablespoons olive oil and yeast mixture.



Run mixer until the dough comes together.



Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until dough is silky.



Roll dough into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge overnight.

SUNDAY

Punch dough down, re-cover and put back in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.

A FEW HOURS BEFORE YOU WANT TO CHOW

Take dough out of the fridge, divide into 4 pieces and roll into balls. Loosely cover with a damp dishtowel and allow to rise for about two hours.

Crank your oven or grill (400-450° or so)

While it heats, assemble the pizza on pizza pan with the toppings of your choice. Bake until cheese is melted and the dough is crisp and brown on the bottom.

C's choice... pepperoni and sausage


J's choice... veggie veggie (pepper, onion, mushroom)