Archive for the 'pork' Category
So hey, it turns out I can cook Vietnamese. Who knew?
There are some things that I have a ton of interest in eating, but none whatsoever in making. Vietnamese food falls into this category. So does Chinese food, Korean food; anything I feel like I have no authority to create. I mean besides the basics. I attempted homemade ginger beef once and for all the effort that went into it I’d rather call up the place down the street and slap down a 10 spot for them to do it for me.
Besides, the mystique is taken away when you make something yourself. Do you ever get that sense that everything you make tastes like slightly different versions of the same thing? You know what went in there, and you’re intimately familiar with the process that made it taste the way it does. I’d rather focus my energies elsewhere and leave some things up to the pros.
But then recently I had the occasion to try, and I’m so glad I was shoved out of my comfort zone. Because that’s how you learn – when you expand your horizons beyond what you already know. (Whether voluntarily or by force.)
Satay aren’t really out of my comfort zone – they’d be more accurately classified as a staple around here. But the marinade is different from my usual. I kind of winged it; using about a pound of skinless chicken thighs and cutting them across into half strips, half chunks, and then mashing them more closely together than my usual slightly graceful (if anything about me could be described as such) “S” shape. I liked it this way.
Vietnamese Chicken or Pork Satay
1-2 lb. skinless chicken thighs or pork tenderloin, cut into strips or chunks
2 Tbsp. honey or sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. Sriracha or a pinch of dried red chili flakes
Put the chicken or pork in a bowl or ziplock bag; stir together the rest of the ingredients and pour overtop. Marinate for at least an hour, or preferably overnight.
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent them from burning, and thread the meat onto them, squishing the pieces together. Grill or broil for a few minutes per side, just until cooked through.
Fried rice is one of those things I tend to go about on my own. Even when I find a recipe I’m one to ignore it, thinking I know what I’m doing, and right here is a perfect example of something I make that always comes out tasting the same, with the occasional fluctuation depending on how heavy-handed I am with the soy sauce, or whether or not I opted to add curry paste.
But this. It elicited as many oohs and aahs as I’ve received for anything that has come out of my kitchen. The first time I made it, the recipient (who shall remain anonymous to protect his reputation as a mostly generous person) didn’t even share. I think it was the seasoning – the rice vinegar and sugar and fish sauce – but wow. It’s like fried rice that really means it.
Remember – you need leftover cold rice to make a good fried rice – the time in the fridge gives the grains a chance to separate, so that they won’t clump together and get all sticky in the pan.
Vietnamese Fried Rice
This is a bit of a spinoff of one I found on Epicurious
Seasoning:
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
canola or mild olive oil, for cooking
5 cups cold long-grain rice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
big pinch dried red chili flakes
1 small bunch of green onions, chopped
1-2 large carrots, coarsely grated
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups bean sprouts (optional)
fresh cilantro and chopped salted peanuts, for garnish
In a small bowl stir together the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat a slick of oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, until heated through. Push over to one side and pour in the eggs; stir-fry until the eggs are scrambled, allowing them to cook without mixing them into the rice completely (so that you end up with detectable bits of egg); add the chili flakes, then the green onions, carrots and garlic; cook for a few more minutes.
Pour over the fish sauce mixture, then add the bean sprouts and cook for a minute, tossing with tongs, just until heated through. Serve immediately, in shallow bowls topped with cilantro and peanuts. Serves 4.
One Year Ago: Meatloaf, (S)Mashed Potatoes and Peas
October 20 2009 | chicken & turkey and grains and on the grill and one dish and pork | 12 Comments »
I’m in full Christmas mode, finishing up a piece for the holiday issue of Parents Canada magazine. I actually pulled up Bing and Bowie in order to jolt my brain into writing something sufficiently holiday-spirited, then baked gingerbread. (Upside-down Pear Gingerbread – remember it? The one that apparently caused a run on molasses in Jakarta? Oh yes, ’tis almost the season!)
But since they frown on eating cake for dinner, I thawed some of that pork. (I may just start throwing the shrinkwrapped tenderloins in W’s bathtub to thaw in the evenings – they’d make fine sea monsters for his pirate ship.) Tenderloin #1 was hastily rubbed with a dry barbecue rub I had on my shelf and grilled. Bam.
And really in the end the pork was just a mode of delivery for the pear chutney, which I’m quite enamoured with. It’s from Well Preserved by Mary Anne Dragan, a newly re-released cookbook I’ve had on my shelf for years (I do love the new makeover though!) and reference quite often when I’m in the mood to put stuff up in jars. If you’re looking to do something with all those pears, here’s just the thing. It may just oust the cranberry sauce from our Thanksgiving table this year.
(Please note: as you may be able to tell from this photo, I forgot it on the stovetop and nearly candied it. I had to add a bit of water just to coax it back into something remotely chutneylike. It was still fabulous.)
Pear Chutney
The author suggests serving this chutney alongside roast chicken, turkey or pork, stirred into curries, or spooned over baked squash or sweet potato. (Sounds just about perfect for Thanksgiving to me.) Reprinted (with permission) from Well Preserved, Small Batch Preserving for the New Cook (Whitecap).
6 cups chopped pears, peeled or not
1 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. dried chili flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
Prepare the preserving jars according to package directions. (For me, this means wash them. I like giving them a run through the dishwasher, so they come out clean and hot – when you ladle in the hot preserves, they seal perfectly as they cool.)
Combine all the ingredients in your preserving pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer, stirring often, until the pears are tender and the mixture has thickened, about 1 hour.
Remove from the heat. Ladle the chutney into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rims clean. Seal according to manufacturer’s directions. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (Or not.)
Makes about five to six 8 oz. (250 mL) jars.
One Year Ago: Skillet Jambalaya
September 29 2009 | pork and preserves | 21 Comments »
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 throw 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 | 19 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).
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 | 36 Comments »
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