Char Siu pork ribs and riblets

I decided to buy spare ribs instead of the normal baby back ribs I usually smoke. One of the reasons is that I planned on trimming them St Louis Style and then using the off cuts to make Char Siu riblets.

 I had experimented with Char Siu on a recent Chinese-food-making foray, but wanted to refine the recipe.

Refine nothing! I found the recipe I'll use from now on, thanks to Jessica Gavin on her Test Kitchen site. While I substituted some of the ingredients I didn't have (Sherry for the Mirin Wine and a bit of sesame oil in the marinade instead of Sesame Paste or Tahini) and a different cut of meat, this recipe turned out sticky, savory and sweet and as good as I have had in any restaurant. I have reproduced the recipe below, but I'd encourage you to follow the link above or below, read her tips and definitions and give her a thumbs up.

CHAR SIU RECIPE

(CHINESE BARBEQUE PORK)

http://www.jessicagavin.com/test-kitchen/seafood-meats/cantonese-char-siu-recipe/

Traditional Cantonese style barbeque pork recipe (Char siu). Roasted to perfection with savory and sweet Chinese spices and flavors.

Cook time: 50 mins
Total time: 1 hour 50 mins
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds pork loin or shoulder (trimmed weight) 
• ¼ cup honey 
• 2 tablespoons mirin wine (Aji-Mirin sweet cooking rice seasoning) 
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 

MARINADE

• ¼ cup dry sherry (Shaoxing or sake if sherry not available) 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon sesame paste (Tahini may be substituted) 
• 1 tablespoons black bean paste (or black bean and garlic sauce) 
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon five-spice powder 
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 

DIRECTIONS

1. Use off cuts from the spare ribs or trim fat and silver skin from your chosen meat and cut into 2 X 2 X 10 inch strips.

2. Combine all marinade ingredients; mix well. Add pork and toss to cover with the marinade. Cover and set a room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight. Either use a ziploc bag or turn every 30 minutes or so.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a roasting rack on top of a sheet pan lined with foil. Place the pork on top of the roasting rack. Roast the meat in the center rack of the oven for (40 minutes).

4. Turn oven to 450°F. Mix the honey and mirin. Brush the strips of pork with the honey mixture, then sesame oil. Roast 5 minutes, then turn the strips over, brush the other side of the meat. Roast additional 5 minutes.

5. The meat should be cooked until an internal temperature of at least 135-140°F is reached.

6. Serve the char siu with your favorite vegetables and white rice.

Carnitas con Rajas

I decided it was time to explore something I haven't cooked... carnitas. There are a few ways to cook this tasty dish, but basically all of them involve slow cooking a Pork Butt (shoulder) for about 3 hours. The yield from this patience is well worth it, especially if you have to "tend the stove" and there happens to be a football game on.


Carnitas are cooked traditionally in Michoacan by simmering cubes of pork shoulder in a copper pot filled with lard. Most people today a)don't have a bunch of lard lying around, and b) want to try to keep their cholesterol under 350. In this first go-round, I decided to try a semi-traditional method by simmering lightly seasoned meat on the stove and then reducing the liquids till done. To accompany the carnitas, I added Rajas and Avocado-tomatillo salsa.

I love Rajas, and the recipe got me of to a simple but pretty good start. It was fairly mild, and I might add a little more heat next time. The avocado tomatillo salsa is an excellent version, and I'll use it again.


Carnitas (adapted from DianaKennedy)

Ingredients:
3 pounds of pork butt
Orange juice and water in a 3 to 1 ratio, enough to cover the meat
2 teaspoons of salt

Method:
1. Cut pork into strips (three inches by one inch), add to a large pot or cast iron skillet with the liquids and salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered on low for 2 hours. Do not touch the meat.
2. After two hours, turn heat up to medium high, and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork fat has rendered (about 45 minutes). Stir a few times, to keep pork from sticking to bottom of pan.
3. When pork has browned on both sides, it’s ready (there will be liquid fat in the pan). Serve either cubed or shredded (pork will be tender enough that just touching it will cause it to fall apart).
 Serves 4-6

Notes: The key to this recipe is that the meat has fat, so don't trim it! If there's not enough fat on the meat the recipe will turn out too dry. The brilliance of this recipe lies in its simplicity. Add rubs or spices as desired, or simply season with salt.


Hasson's famous Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

1 ripe avocado

1 medium tomatillo

1 stemmed jalapeño pepper, quartered*

1 Cup water

1 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar

3/4 Teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons diced onion

Chef's note: 

For less heat, remove seeds from the jalepeños.

To make it hotter, substitute serrano peppers to the recipe.

In a blender or food processor puree all ingredients.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 lime to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 1-1/2 cups

Basic ChilePoblano Rajas

You can use different peppers or seasonings but this is a good basic recipe, by Rick Bayless.

I N G R E D I E N T S
4 medium, fresh chiles poblanos, roasted and peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2/3 cup crema or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (thyme, Mexican oregano, marjoram)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Chiles: Stem and seed the roasted chiles. You can remove the veins if you want a more mild rajas. Slice the chiles crosswise into 1/4" strips.

Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat and fry the onions until they brown, about 7 -8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chile strips, cook 2 minutes.

Add the cream, herbs, and bay leaves and simmer until the liquid reduces enough to just coat the vegetables. Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust salt as needed. 

New Mexico-Style Rub

This is probably my favorite rub. I use it on my Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, and also beef, like skirt steak for Carne Asada.

This recipe is from Karen Putman's "Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food", and if you are someone who loves to Barbeque, I would highly recommend this for your library.

New Mexico-Style Rub
For an authentic Southwest flavor, add this mixture to barbequed beans, pork, lamb or beef.

Mix all the following together and store

1/4 Cup chili powder
1tbsp onion powder
1tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Smoked Baby Backs, Apricot Chicken, and Marinated Artichoke with Cauliflower Gratin and Southwestern Slaw

Sometimes you practice and practice and then it is Showtime! With friends in town, it was time to cook all day and see what happened.

For the ribs, a spicy New Mexico style rub, 6 hours of smoking and a finishing Cherry-Chipotle Barbeque sauce (both recipes from Karen Putman's "Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food") ... and as long as I had room on the smoker I might as well smoke a pastrami for sandwiches later... right?!

Pictured above:

Smoked Baby backs with a Cherry Chipotle bbq sauce, Chicken Skewers with an Apricot glaze, Southwestern Slaw, Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin, and Smoked marinated Artichoke

For the baby backs: Cooking method is avg 230 degrees on a smoker. 2 1/2 to three hours smoking with a mixture of charcoal, oak and hickory or fruit wood such as cherry. Spray with apple juice every half hour or so. At the end of that time, wrap the ribs in foil (adding about a 1/4 cup of apple juice) and place back on the smoker for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Un wrap and place back on the grill for about 1/2 hour while glazing with sauce. (Rub and Sauce recipes courtesy Karen Putman's book "Championship Barbeque Secrets for Real Smoked Food")
Note: This cooking method is to produce ribs that are firm and pull cleanly off the bone; for "fall off the bone" ribs leave them in the foil a little longer.

Cherry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce
2 cups Ketchup
1 cup Cherry Preserves
1/2 cup Cherry Juice
1/2 packed brown suger
3 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder

Blend and simmer for about 10 minutes for flavors to blend

For the Chicken Skewers: Four or so chicken breasts sliced into thin strips and threaded onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers. Place on grill... when you flip them over glaze the cooked side, and when you take them off glaze the other side.

Apricot Glaze: (Adapted from Karen Putman's book above)

1 C Apricot preserves; 1/4 C maple syrup, 1/4 C packed brown Sugar, 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger, fresh ground black pepper

For the Marinated Artichoke: (recipe courtesy Artichokes.org)

(Recipe for 4 artichokes, 8 servings ½ artichoke each)
This recipe is perfect for the lazy cook, since all preparation can be done the previous day. The slightly smoky taste compliments the nuttiness of the artichoke and no dip is necessary, although some might want to use additional marinade for dipping.

Ingredients: 4 large artichokes, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 T minced ginger, ¼ cup olive oil

Method:
Slice artichoke tops off, crosswise. Trim Stems.
Boil or steam artichokes until bottoms pierce easily, or a petal pulls off easily.
Drain artichokes. Cool. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and scrape out fuzzy center and any purple tipped petals.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large plastic bag. Place artichokes in the bag and coat all sides of the artichokes. For best flavor marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator but should marinate at least one hour.
Drain artichokes. Place cut side down on a grill over a solid bed of medium coals or gas grill on medium. Grill until lightly browned on the cut side, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn artichokes over and drizzle some of the remaining marinade over the artichokes. Grill until petal tips are lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve hot or room temperature

For the Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin: (Recipe Courtesy Bobby Flay)

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (cooks note: I used Pepper Jack)
2 cups grated Parmesan
6 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Layer the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cook's Note: Recipe can be doubled and made in a roasting pan.

For the Southwestern Slaw: (recipe Courtesy Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients
1 medium jicama, sliced into thin strips (about 3 cups)
1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, toss together the jicama, cabbage, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Pork Chops with Gertie Belle in mind

Sometimes you just gotta have comfort food!

My wife's grandmother was an ol' west Texas gal named Gertie Belle. One of the legacies she left was to teach her son Kenny to cook fried chicken... and he passed it on to Valerie.

I decided to cook some pork chops in the spirit of Gertie, with a little added spice to the flour. Couple that with some ol fashioned mashed potatoes and green beans, and Valerie was happy!

Stuffed Pork Loin

Many times when I am making rice for a meal I make extra for later. This recipe uses a rice stuffing with a grilled and smoked pork loin.

First, the Pork loin must be "flayed" by taking a knife and cutting it so the result is a flat sort of even layer of meat. This cutting motion is kinda like trying to peel an orange and keep the peel unbroken... you have to turn the loin as you are cutting it to get it even. The result should be a long rectangular and flat piece that can be folded over to enclose the rice.

For the rice stuffing, I took a mixed brown and white rice combination and added fresh chopped Italian Parseley, chopped pecans, chopped dried orange cranberries, grated orange peel, diced red onion, chicken stock (for moisture) and salt and pepper.

Spread the stuffing on one side of the meat and fold it over. Secure the 3 open sides with toothpicks and coat the surface of the pork with fresh ground salt and pepper. Grill on indirect heat with fruitwood smoke such as cherry or apple for a more delicate smoke flavor. Count on about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs...

These layers are thin, so there may be a tendency to overcook it just a little... if you use a thermometer remember to try and get it in the meat not the stuffing.. if the stuffing registers your desired temp then the meat on the outside will probably be done a little more.

The result will be a sweet/savory meal which was a good follow up to the Jamacain spice I served the day before. This is excellent with the Pinapple Orange Mango Salsa if you want to add a bit of sweet and spice...