Archive for the 'pork' Category
I spent a few hours last night staring at/fiddling with this website, and editing some photos for an article I was working on, and then went to bed at a little past eleven, thinking I was doing well. And then woke up in the middle of the night realizing I had neglected to mention dinner. Again.
One definite bonus to working as a foodstylist is at the end of the day, you generally have dinner. Some (most) people just throw stuff out after shows, having been out on display or whatever, but as you know I hate to waste stuff. Especially food.
So last night was grilled pork shoulder steaks a la Ron. I have only cooked shoulder blade in the slow cooker or braised it in the oven; I would never have thought to through them on the grill. I assumed they would be too tough. They weren’t. You have to navigate the ripples of fat, unless you are the type to devour that part and the leftover bits on everyone else’s plates too, but the meat in between was divine.
Ron paints the steaks with a little Dijon - I only like the grainy kind - and then sprinkles them with toasted cumin seed, which sticks to the mustard. (I thought it was a little cumin heavy, so I’ll just leave that out next time. Nothing against cumin, just, you know.) Then he liberally flings a spice rub overtop - and you could use any one here - and drizzles them with some olive oil. These looked as great when I did them at home as when we made them in the parking lot at Shaw on Tuesday. But when I threw them on the grill, a lot of the rub stuck to it. I likely didn’t massage it all in like I should have - I loved that sort of rustic look. At any rate, they tasted fantastic. Just grill them for a few minutes per side, until they’re just cooked through.
Ron’s Pork Shoulder Steak Rub
2 Tbsp. ancho chili powder (or any chili powder)
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic (the stuff that looks like sand)
1 Tbsp. granulated onion (ditto)
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. chipotle powder or cayenne
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
Mix together; rub over pork or beef steaks before grilling.
With them, leftover puréed butternut squash with maple syrup and ginger, and some marinated asparagus - I made another batch of the stuff from the recipe Elna Edgar gave me. (Everyone’s coming to the asparagus festival this weekend, right? We’re heading up on Sunday.)
Maple Butternut Squash Purée
Adapted from Barbecue Secrets Deluxe, by Ron Shewchuk (I boosted the maple syrup and cut back on the butter! And omitted the parsley garnish. I hardly ever garnish at home!)
2 butternut squashes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ chunks
6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp. ground ginger (or 1 Tbsp. grated fresh)
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. each butter and canola or olive oil
salt and pepper
Put the squash and carrots into a steamer basket in a large pot, or just into the pot with a couple inches of water; bring to a boil, cover and steam for about 30 minutes, until very tender. Transfer to a bowl, add everything else, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Transfer to a food processor or use a hand-held immersion blender (oh yes - mine is a Phillips “Billy”! I love it. I used a fancy-looking big chrome industrial one the other day and it was crap in comparison) and puree until smooth. Add a bit of hot water if it’s too thick. Serve hot, or chill and reheat later. Serves 6.
One Year Ago: Coffee and Chocolate Bread Pudding
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May 28 2009 | on the grill and pork | 7 Comments »
Last night, at around dinnertime, I decided to clean out the fridge. Don’t ask me why this suddenly seemed like a good idea. It’s one of those tasks you commit to finishing as soon as you start - not only because everything is out of the fridge and splayed across every iota of counter space (and some floor and chair space), but because once it’s out you can see the many layers of disgusting multi-hued, gummy/sticky/crispy/petrified muck that was underneath everything. Some of the containers I pulled out were left over from the It’s Just Food shoot in February. Here I thought it was all sourdough starter.
While I was on my knees with my head in the fridge, W sawed the edge of the wooden countertops with the serrated edge of the barbecue flipper at perfect 1-inch intervals, and fed a $16 wedge of Parmesan to the dog. To be honest, I don’t even remember what we had for dinner. I think I ate a few spoonfuls of sour cream and the end of a bag of Triscuits.
So I finished the fridge with about 10 minutes to get to my Artemis meeting. We’re closing in on our annual Gallery Calorie event - a Saturday afternoon of gallery and restaurant hopping up and down 17th Avenue with food and drinks at each venue (noon-4pm), after which everyone converges at Tompkins Park (in front of Mount Royal Village) for a huge party afterward - there is a band, and an art race, and wine and martinis and bacon wrapped scallops and cupcakes - and I’m emceeing - and all proceeds going to benefit Peer Support Services for Abused Women. (It’s on Saturday, June 13, if anyone wants to come! Email me at onesmartcook[at]hotmail dot com if you do - tickets are hot off the press and I have an envelope of them sitting here beside me on my desk. They are $40-well worth it and all toward a great cause!)
When I got home after 10pm, having stopped for groceries on the way, I opted out of my post to answer some questions for … drumroll please … The Kitchn! Who want to feature … drumroll please … MY kitchen as one of their kitchen tours! Which meant I had to clean it a little (really I just told Mike to) - that’s what it takes to get this kitchen clean - a camera crew or some threat of public footage. But The Kitchn! How cool is that? So I answered some questions for them instead of doing my usual post here. I was sure you’d understand. (Look for it tomorrow, I think!)
Tonight I gave in to W’s persistent request for yellow noodles. He may have meant macaroni & cheese - I dunno. When I asked him for the first time to choose his own clothes and get himself dressed (any other time I’ve attempted this he chooses “naked”) he came downstairs in two shirts and announced “I’m wearing my shirtpants!” So instead of being the kid who wears a superhero suit everywhere he goes (that was Ben), mine will be the kid walking around wearing another shirt as a skirt, with arms flopping along beside him. Hopefully I can at least convince him to wear his Shrek underpants.
Please pardon the trashy yard. Keep in mind that it is scarcely spring yet here. At least there is no Lou poo visible. (He is responsible for the gaping chasms behind W though.)
Sesame Noodles with Pork
a drizzle of canola or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice or balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar
a tiny squirt (about 1/8 tsp.) chili sauce or sambal oelek
1/2 lb. fresh thin Chinese egg noodles, rice noodles or spaghetti
leftover pork (I used about half a pork tenderloin, cut into strips)
1 small carrot, cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
a handful of cilantro, torn
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional)
In a large skillet heat the canola oil and sauté the garlic and ginger for a few minutes, until soft but not brown. Transfer to a bowl and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and chili sauce.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions, or until tender. Drain them well in a colander. When the pan is empty, add a little more oil and toss the noodles in the pan, letting them sit for a bit to get nice and brown, then tossing them around. Add the pork and sauce, and toss to coat and heat through.
Transfer to a large bowl and add the carrot, green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Toss to combine everything and then divide among bowls or refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavours to meld. (Or you could hold off adding the pork and veg and refrigerate the noodles and sauce overnight, then add the pork and veg just before serving. Or heat everything through in the skillet if you don’t want it to be cold.) Serves 4.
One Year Ago: Homemade Falafel
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May 07 2009 | one dish and pasta and pork | 17 Comments »
Although we ate it standing up while doing dishes, it was a good one today, on account of our “Ode to the Pig” this morning on CBC. I could not do a pork show without making ribs, but in typical Julie fashion did not make it out to buy them until close to 8 Monday night, which had them coming out of the oven (I always pre-bake ribs on a rimmed baking sheet, covered tightly with foil, at 300F for 2.5-3 hours) at around 11. I didn’t have any barbecue sauce, so was going to make them ginger-soy in the morning. I finished up some stuff and went to bed at midnight.
At 12:10, it occurred to me that maple-rosemary ribs would be pretty fantastic. And why not add the sauce now, so that the ribs marinate overnight? Why not marinate cooked meat, when it’s all about flavour? So I fumbled around for my glasses and padded back downstairs, separated the ribs and put them in a pot with 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup soy sauce, a couple squirts of grainy mustard and the leaves pulled from a few stems of rosemary. Then I put it back in the fridge, and this morning put the pot over medium heat, brought it to a simmer and cooked them for about 15 minutes, to rewarm and glaze the ribs. They were like the very best candy; tonight when we reheated the leftovers I found myself running my finger through the bottom of the pot to get every last drip of the sauce. It was late, and M had to go out, so we ate ribs, teeny rainbow Hotchkiss carrots, strawberries and apples. M and I ate the ribs while cleaning the kitchen, and when he left W insisted we eat the fruit, carrots and some cheese outside sitting on a towel (he will sit on a washcloth and call it a picnic).
Bone-Sucking Maple Rosemary Ribs
Put a rack or two of side or back pork ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with foil; bake at 300F for 2 1/2-3 hours. When cool enough to handle, separate into ribs.
In a large pot, combine:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Dijon or grainy mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Add the ribs to the pot and let sit for half an hour or so, or refrigerate overnight (or for up to two days, if well covered so they don’t dry out). When ready to eat, set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, tossing them around in the pot so that the ribs absorb some of the sauce, get glazed and and sticky, and heat through. Serves 4.
And the cake! That was actually lunch, but I had to include it, because it did contribute significantly to our caloric intake for the day. And it’s so pretty. (Two friends were having or recently had birthdays, so I invited them and their juniors over for lunch.) It is actually lower in fat than many cakes, and I didn’t use coconut milk, which is common in coconut cakes and not a bad idea per se, but gets lost, I think, and is ultimately a waste of coconut milk that could be put to better use elsewhere, especially considering the high quantity of saturated fat it contains.
When I make coconut cake I just use a regular white or yellow cake recipe, and add 2 tsp. coconut extract in place of the vanilla. Easy. Same with the frosting - I generally start with a lump of soft butter and add a dribble of extract, then add icing sugar and splashes of milk until I have something spreadable. Is that enough to go on? If not, I’ll add some more precise measurements below.
I kind of wish I had left it a pristine white, but I went and (over)toasted some shredded coconut, and so decided to sprinkle it over top anyway. I like the crunch it adds to the soft, buttery cake.
Creamy Coconut Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. canola oil (optional)
3 large eggs
2 tsp. coconut extract
1 1/4 cups milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8” or 9” round cake pans or one 9”x 13” pan with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a larger bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for about half a minute, until it’s pale and creamy. Pour in the sugar (and oil if you’re using it) and continue to beat for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, and adding the coconut extract somewhere along the way. Scrape down the sides of the bowl whenever it needs it.
Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir it in by hand or with the electric mixer on low speed, just until it’s combined. Add about half the milk in the same manner, then another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and the rest of the flour, mixing just until the batter is blended.
Divide the batter between the greased cake pans and tap the bottoms a few times on the countertop to remove any air bubbles. To prevent a domed top, spread the top of the batter with a spatula, creating a slight dent in the middle and a raised edge. This compensates for the way a cake tends to rise higher in the middle.
Bake for 30-35 minutes for round layers or 40-45 minutes for a 9-x 13-inch cake, until golden, the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan, and the tops are springy to the touch. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pans and inverting them onto a wire rack. Cool completely before you frost them.
Coconut Frosting:
1/4-1/2 cup butter, softened (depending on whether you’re watching fat intake or not)
1 tsp. coconut or vanilla extract
3 cups icing sugar
1/4-1/3 cup milk, as needed to achieve a spreadable consistency
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and extract with an electric mixer until creamy. Add about a third each of the icing sugar and milk; beat and continue to add each until you have a spreadable frosting. Makes enough for 1 cake or a batch of cupcakes.
One Year Ago: Grilled Farmers’ Sausage, Roasted Sweet Potato and Braised Red Cabbage
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May 05 2009 | cake and on the grill and pork | 30 Comments »
I am LOVING how the Ericas spurred a blitz of comments on the subject of coffee - that is, what you like to have with it in terms of experiences - besides chocolate, cookies and scones (not that there’s anything wrong with that) - making me want to eat komish and yoyos with my grandma and sit in silence by the water and drive to the cabin in the cold pre-dawn. It’s lovely to read about those little things that make people happy, what is considered bliss, and how food plays a role in those moments.
Tonight was not nearly as inspiring. Awhile ago, I made pork won tons to stash in the freezer to drop into simmering chicken stock for instant won ton soup. (Or wor won ton with some bok choy, carrots, shrimp, noodles, scraps of leftover chicken or pork, etc.) And tonight I called them into service.
Mike loves Ichiban noodles. He doesn’t eat them often, but I did come home early once and bust him and W sharing a bowl, and I haven’t quite forgiven him for introducing them. I never make the stuff. But tonight, it was blizzarding outside, there was a minor flood down at the space where Mike’s band practices (the jam pad, if you will) underneath the Crossroads Market, so he was down there hauling out gear and I had a meeting to go to and couldn’t find any of my notes, and so I just heated a pot of water, threw in some frozen won tons, when they rose to the surface I threw in the noodles, the packet of spicy chicken powder and a couple mini bok choy, separated at the base. It’ll do. W just got the noodles and won tons.
Wontons are easy. Buy some wonton wrappers, thaw them, and a pound of ground pork. Add to the pork any or all of the following: a tablespoon or so of soy sauce, a few chopped green onions, a spoonful of grated ginger, a clove or two of crushed garlic, a drizzle of sesame oil. Put a small spoonful of the mixture on the middle of a wonton, dip your finger into some water and run it along two (connected) sides, then fold it over like a triangle and press to seal it, pressing out any air bubbles so that it doesn’t become a flotation device in the pot of soup. Now you could leave it like a triangle, or bring the two flappy ends together and attach with another dab of water. Freeze them on a cookie sheet (so that they don’t stick together) and then transfer to a freezer bag, and you can throw them frozen right into your pot of soup to cook. (They’re done when they rise to the surface - it should only take a few minutes.)
One Year Ago: Moroccan Braised Carrots, Squash and Chick Peas over Couscous
April 22 2009 | pork and soup | 23 Comments »
OK, it technically wasn’t us who ate tourtière for dinner, but I made it. Does that count?
It was the topic of discussion on CBC this morning - inspired by you guys. I have always associated tourtière with Christmas, but only because our neighbour down the alley made it every year back in elementary school, and to be honest I haven’t eaten that much of it, so I’m really no expert. I think I’ve made it once in my lifetime - the Canadian Living recipe, of course. I keep meaning to make it every year, because I love the idea of it, and I love that it’s real Canadian cuisine.
When it was decided I would do tourtière I called my French-Canadian neighbour Pascal for advice, who called his mum in Quebec to get her recipe, which he then translated for me, so I made an extra for him and the family. So at around dinnertime I pulled a steaming pie from the oven and walked it across the street in my Pepto-pink polka-dot flannel PJs and giant Fargo parka I bought at a movie set sale in Vancouver (because when you’re working on the computer at home, why would you wear pants with buttons and bits to dig into your gut when there are PJ pants to be worn? Honestly everyone on my block has seen me more in PJ pants than any regular clothing), instead of setting it on the dinner table, which was really fine with me because a) they were so excited about it, and b) Mike has been barfy all day anyway.
So W and I ate some noodles with tomato sauce and Mike groaned and whined a lot and drank a Coke because he upchucked his coffee this morning and has had a headache ever since. W insisted he eat his in the tub, which eliminated clean-up afterward. His new favourite demand: “get out mine way!!” (Translation: get out of my way, like now.) I told him that’s impolite; he should say excuse me, please. His newest favourite demand: “excuse me please. GET OUT MINE WAY!!”)
The only thing I found odd about this recipe was the partially baked bottom shell for the pie - I haven’t seen any other recipes that require this, and it would make it near impossible to bind the raw top crust with the bottom. Then again, who am I to argue with Pascal’s mom?
So no, I didn’t partially bake the bottom crust, I just lined the pie plate, filled it, topped with and crimped the edges and cut a few slits for steam to escape.
Tourtiere
(from Pascal Desjardins’ Mom in Quebec)
Recipe for 1 pie:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork or beef
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 celery sticks
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onion and celery in a small amount of oil.
Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients, add a half cup of water and simmer for 1/2 hour.
Place in a partly cooked pie crust, brush top of crust with egg and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
And one more time in French…
Tourtiere
1 1/2 de porc ou boeuf haché maigre
1 petit oignon
2 gousse d’ail
1 ou 2 branche de celeri
1/4de c. a thé de muscade
1/4 c. a thé de canelle
1/4 de c. a thé de clou giroffle
persil
sel et poivre au gout
Faire revenir l’oignon l’ail le céleri ensemble avec un peu d’huile.
Incorporer la viande et faire cuire avec 1/2 tassel d’eau pendant 1/2 heure.
Placer dans l’assiette a tarte et faire cuire au four a 350 pendant 45 minute sur la grille du bas.
Bon Appetite.
Now, as I was calling every French Canadian I knew to solicit tourtière advice, I noticed one of the newest cookbooks on my desk, A Taste of Canada by Rose Murray. A taste of Canada would surely include tourtière. It did; little turnover tourtières that you make with frozen puff pastry and can even assemble in advance and bake just before your guests arrive. I served them with apple-plum chutney.
Tourtiere Turnovers
Excerpted from A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey by Rose Murray (Whitecap Books)
Makes 48 turnovers.
The French-Canadian meat pie, traditionally served with the main course, has the new role here of a festive appetizer or cocktail bite. Serve the turnovers hot with the usual green tomato relish or fruity chili sauce to temper the richness of the pastry.
1 potato, peeled and quartered
1 lb lean ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, with leaves, cut in 3
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
2 pkg (14 oz/397 g each) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
In a medium saucepan, cook the potato in boiling salted water until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, mash and set aside.
Bring ½ cup (125 mL) of the potato water to a boil. Add the pork, onion, celery, garlic, savory, thyme, cinnamon and cloves, breaking the pork up with a spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pork is no longer pink and the liquid has reduced by half, about 45 minutes.
Remove and discard the celery pieces. Stir in the potato, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and more of the other seasoning if desired. Let cool in the refrigerator.
Working with a quarter of the pastry (half of one package) at a time, roll out each quarter into a 12- × 9-inch (30 × 23 cm) rectangle. Cut each rectangle into 12 even squares. Brush each with egg. (Reserve any remaining egg in the refrigerator.) Place a heaping teaspoon (5 mL) of the pork mixture in the centre of each square, making sure none gets on the edges. (Mounding it into a bit of a ball with your fingers helps.) Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling and form a triangle. Seal the edges by pressing all around with the floured tines of a fork. (Turnovers can be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated, covered, overnight. Or, freeze for up to 2 months sealed in freezer bags. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.)
When ready to serve, arrange the turnovers on a baking sheet; brush with the reserved egg. Bake in the centre of a 400°F (200°C) oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Apple-Plum Chutney
2 large apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
4-6 plums, coarsely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 14 oz. (398 mL) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. - 1 Tbsp. curry paste
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch cinnamon
Put everything into a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally and mashing with a potato masher - you don’t want to smooth it completely, just rough it up a little.
Turn the heat down low and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until it has the consistency of jam. Transfer the hot mixture to warm, clean jars, and seal, or cool and refrigerate or freeze.
Makes about 4 cups.
And while we’re on the subject of traditional family recipes, I found the original recipe for the much-loved Chinese Chews my Grandma and great Aunts used to make. They are actually very low in fat, too. The tattered end instructs to cut into small bars and roll in icing sugar to coat while still warm. I think I’ll make a batch for my Dad.
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December 16 2008 | cookies & squares and freezable and pork and preserves | 20 Comments »
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