Country Style Pork Chop Braised in Beer

This is another meal created from Project Freezer-burn, where I am woking to clean out my freezer. The pork came from one of my favorite local butchers, grocers and purveyors of beer and wine Gene's Sausage Shop & Delicatessen and the recipe was adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook 1996 edition by Marion Cunningham.

I coated the pork in seasoned flour and seared it in my cast iron skillet on all sides, then poured in about half a can (eyeballed) of beer, lowered the heat, covered it and let it cook until it reached an internal temp of 145 deg F.

When the chop was done I took it out of the pan and let the sauce cook down and thicken. The Brussels sprouts also came from the freezer and I basically just let them thaw, seasoned them and poured a little lemon-infused olive oil over the top which is all they needed. Some Yukon Gold potatoes baked with lots of garlic rounded out the meal.

The country style chop was big enough for me to make three meals out of it.

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: My Recipes COUNTRY STYLE PORK CHOP BRAISED IN BEER 1 Country Pork Chop, about 1-1/2" thick
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup of beer

Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano to the flour and mix well. Spread it out onto butcher or parchment paper to the size of the pork chop. I usually use the butcher paper the chop was wrapped in by the butcher.

Heat the oil in a ten-inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat.

Lay the chop over the flour mixture and pat it down, then lift it and shake off any extra mixture. Turn and lay the other side down and pat it as well so that both sides are covered in the seasoned flour.

Place the chop in the hot skillet. Sear on both sides until well browned, about three minutes per side.

Pour the beer into the skillet, lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the internal temperature has reached 145° F at the thickest part, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile, raise the heat over the liquid in the pan and let it cook for another five minutes or so until it thickens. Serve the chop with the gravy.

adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook edited by Marion Cunningham (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996)

exported from Home Cookin v9.81

Corn and Sausage Saute

I got the recipe for this sautéed corn and sausage dish many many years ago from my coworker at The League of Women Voters in Texas. At the time I used Eckrich smoked sausage and canned corn and it was one of my favorite dishes and I made it all the time. Fast forward to today and I use fresh corn cut off the cob and Sausage Konig onion brats and imported Italian tomatoes and it is worlds away from that earlier version. There is something about bringing corn, tomato, sausage and onion together that amounts to sheer perfection. I will admit to using frozen corn (but never canned!) if I am craving this dish out of season but that doesn’t come close to how good it is when the corn is fresh off of the cob.

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: My Recipes CORN AND SAUSAGE SAUTE 1 lb link sausage
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh corn, prefereably cut from the cob, or frozen
1 28-oz can whole or diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives or green onions for garnish

Slice the sausage into bite-size pieces. Brown on both sides in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender. Reduce the heat and squish the whole tomatoes into the skillet with your hands, then add the liquid (or just add the tomatoes and juice together if using diced tomatoes). Bring to a simmer and cook for twenty minutes.

Add the corn and cook until just heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions just before serving.

8/30/2020

Exported from Home Cookin v9.81

Picadillo

Picadillo is a South American dish usually consisting of ground beef with tomato, olives, raisins and almonds.  I don't know where I first heard of it but I first started making it in my mid twenties and I'm pretty sure I just winged it armed only with the knowledge that it was made with beef and contained olives, raisins and almonds.  I have no idea how close to authentic my recipe is but it's mighty tasty.

If you don't have all of the ingredients on hand you can easily improvise.  I did not have any green pepper as called for in the recipe when I made this pictured version so I substituted red pepper and it worked out fine.  The masa I was going to use for the sopes I planned to serve this with was rancid so I made polenta instead.  Picadillo goes well with refried black beans.

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: My Recipes PICADILLO 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 med onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried chilies, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup roughly chopped green olives
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Green onions and cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook for two minutes. Add the garlic and green pepper and cook until the onion is translucent, three or four more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir to ix it in with the vegetables. Cook for a couple of minutes until the color has deepend. Add the cumin and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.

Add the ground beef, oregano and dried peppers. Season with more salt and brown thoroughly, breaking it up so there are no clumps and it is thoroughly mixed into the vegetable mixture. If the mixture becomes too dry, add water in small amounts at a time.

Once the meat has browned add the olives and raisins and cook until heated through and the raisins have plumped some. Remove from the heat and add the almonds.

Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

10/27/09

Exported from Home Cookin v9.81 (http:\\mountainsoftware.com)

Dan Dan Noodles

I don't remember where I first heard about Dan Dan noodles, but I do remember wanting to try the recipe right away.  One of the things that stopped me was that it contained Sichuan Peppercorns, which are related to the citrus family and which for a long time were banned in the US for being potential carriers of a citrus virus.  I first heard about them as one of the ingredients in Chinese 5-Spice Powder, which at the time what we could buy here in the states did not contain.  So I decided to wait until the ban was lifted before trying any dishes that I knew traditionally used it.

Not long after the ban was lifted in 2005 I saw them in my local spice shop and bought a big bag of them.  And put it in my spice cupboard.  Where it sat for a few years, until I finally decided I wasn't going to use them any time soon and they had probably lost all potency and got rid of them.

And then Bon Appetit had a recipe for Dan Dan Noodles in their October 2011 issue so I eagerly tore it out and resolved to make it soon.  But I no longer had the Sichuan peppercorns.  And could never seem to remember to pick them up when I was at the spice shop.

Fast forward several more years to the time that we chose Sichuan Peppercorns for one of our spice-themed potlucks in my spice group. By this time I had pretty much forgotten all about Dan Dan Noodles so I was thrilled when the recipe popped up during my search for something to make and decided to make it then.

I was pleased with the results.  The Sichuan Peppercorns are not that hot but you can taste the citrus just before your mouth goes tinglingly numb.  But not so numb that you can't still taste everything.  The chili oil raises the flavor of the pork to a new level and the pork and the sauce complement the noodles perfectly.  The peanuts and green onions add a welcome freshness to the overall flavor profile.  The result is a spicy, numbing, tingling and surprisingly comforting dish.  It was a big hit.

This is one of those lovely dishes that is simple to make and has simple ingredients that come together for a powerhouse of flavor.

Home Cookin v9.73 Chapter: Grains Pasta and Potatoes


DAN DAN NOODLES 8 ounces fettucini
2 Tbsp grapeseed or peanut oil
12 oz ground pork
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped peeled ginger
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp chili oil (or to taste)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well and place in a serving bowl.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook about two minutes, breaking up pork with a spoon. Add the ginger and cook until the pork is cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Stir in the chicken stock then add the chili oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, tahini and Sichuan peppercorns and stir. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.

Pour the pork mixture over the noodles. Garnish with the peanuts and green onions and serve.

from Bon Appetit October 2011
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dan-Dan-Noodles-367755

Exported from Home Cookin v9.73 (www.mountain-software.com)

Bobotie

Bobotie is a South African dish with roots in ancient Rome, according to Wikipedia.  The dish Patinam ex lacte consisted of a mixture of cooked meat and pine nuts seasoned with pepper, celery seeds and asafoetida cooked until the flavors were blended, then covered with a top layer of eggs and milk and cooked until the top layer had set.

Over the centuries it has evolved into what can be considered one of the national dishes of South Africa.  It was the first South African dish that ran across my sphere of being.  And I will be eternally grateful that it did, because I loved this dish.

I made it for one of my spice group potluck dinners.  The featured spice was fenugreek, which is a particularly pungent spice and found mostly in Indian cuisine.  I was familiar with the dried leaves, or kasuri/kasoori methi used in Indian cooking but I wanted to find something different.  When I found that there are ground fenugreek seeds in Bobotie I decided to try it.

It was a big hit; big enough that I have made it a few times since then.  While many of the spices are the same as those I use for a more traditional Indian curried dish, the fenugreek and fennel add a unique dimension to the flavor that makes for a nice change.

There are several steps to this dish, but they are easy to do and the end result is worth it.  If you don't have the individual spices you could use curry powder, but I would recommend that you add the fennel and fenugreek, or at least the fenugreek, to achieve the distinctive flavor that makes this dish so special.

Home Cookin v9.70 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs
BOBOTIE (SOUTH AFRICAN MEAT PIE) Servings: 8

2 oz tamarind paste
2 slices square white sandwich bread
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 lbs ground lamb shoulder
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground fennel
kosher salt, to taste
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 Tbsp golden raisins
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Break the tamarind paste into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Cover with half a cup of boiling water and let sit until soft, about 30 minutes. Mash the paste and water together with your fingers until the mixture is smooth. Push the pulp through a fine strainer into a bowl and set aside.

Tear the bread into small pieces and place in another small bowl, cover with a fourh of a cup of milk and let sit until the bread soaks up milk.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is well browned and any moisture has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Place it in the bowl with the lamb mixture, then add the tamarind pulp, the soaked bread, 3 tablespoons os the almonds, the raisins, lemon juice and zest and 1 egg. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and mix well.

Place the mixture in a 9" deep-dish pie plate or a 9" x 12" baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom.

Whisk together the remaining milk and egg and season with salt and pepper. Pour it over the lamb mixture.

Place the dish on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake until the custard is set on top and the lamb mixture is heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining almonds. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

adapted from recipes found in Saveur #144 (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Bobotie-South-African-Meat-Pie) and Saveur #150 (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/south-african-curry-meatloaf)

exported from Home Cookin v9.70 (www.mountain-software.com)

South Asian Shepherd's Pie

As busy as the past year was, I made sure to make time for my spice and my bread group meetups.  That guaranteed that I did at least some cooking and socializing during that time and kept me from going completely insane.
In addition to meeting great people, both meetups challenge me to stretch outside of my comfort zone and work with ingredients and techniques that are new to me.  Sometimes my efforts are not so successful, and sometimes they shine.

Like this take on Shepherd's Pie.  The spice for our monthly potluck was curry leaves.  I had heard of curry leaves but had never seen them and had definitely never cooked with them so I was intrigued but had no idea what I was going to do with them.


The curry tree is native to India and can be found both in the wild and cultivated.  The leaves are rich in essential oils and have a strong earthy, slightly citrus flavor that enhances any dish.  In addition, as I discovered when I brought them home and opened up the package, they have a pungent aroma that is unlike anything I have encountered before in my cooking history.  They filled my senses the way that menthol does, but without the menthol flavor. 

The one thing almost everyone who grew up with them commented about on the sites I visited while looking them up online is that because the leaves can be hard to find outside of India they are often omitted, and while good, the dish is definitely not the same without them.  And after having used them, I can see why they say that.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make for the potluck, but I had two pounds of ground lamb and a package of peas in the freezer and potatoes in the pantry, so I started thinking about Shepherds Pie, which usually consists of leftover lamb cooked with peas, carrots and onions topped with mashed potatoes and baked until the potatoes are golden brown. It seemed to me that those ingredients would lend themselves well to an Indian interpretation and I always have carrots and onions on hand so I decided to give it a try.  I also had a bag of cauliflower florets in the freezer, which is another vegetable often found in Indian cuisine so I decided to use that instead of celery.  But I think celery, which is more traditional to the original version, would be fine to use here instead.

The result was more successful than I anticipated.  Once the ginger and other spices were added as I was cooking the lamb and vegetables I knew I was on the right track.  And adding the Madras curry spices and coconut milk to the potatoes was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself.

It would have been delicious with those ingredients alone.  But the curry leaves added a deep citrus-like overtone that enveloped all of the separate ingredients and elevated them into one amazing flavor, while still allowing the individual ingredients their place at the table.

I will not lie, this dish does not come together in a few minutes.  But if you want something that will impress a crowd and have the time, it is worth every minute it takes to put it all together.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes
SOUTH ASIAN SHEPHERDS PIE Servings: 12

[Note: The only fresh curry leaves I could find down on Devon avenue here in Chicago came in a big package that had many more leaves than needed for this recipe.  In my online research I discovered that you can fry the leaves in a little bit of oil and freeze them, which I did.  It works.]

2 medium-large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
36-48 curry leaves, divided
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste* (or 1 Tbsp each minced garlic and minced fresh ginger)
1 large red onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb ground lamb
2-3 Tbsp madras curry powder, divided (or to taste)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander (or to taste)
1 Tbsp garam masala (or to taste)
1 Tbsp tomato powder (or 4 oz tomato paste)
1 13.5-oz can coconut milk, divided
1 bag frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and chopped (optional)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1-2 tsp smoked hot paprika

*Garlic ginger paste: chop equal amounts of garlic and ginger and place in a small processor. Add about 2 tablespoons of grapeseed or canola oil for every 1/2 cup of garlic and ginge and process until a lumpy paste is formed. Will keep in the jar in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

Place the chopped potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan, setting the burner as low as it will go.

Drain the potatoes and return the pot to the stove. Add about half of the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of the Madras curry powder, and 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil and mash until soft. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated, but the coconut milk will set so the potatoes will need to be reheated before they can be spread.)

In a large skillet heat the 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add 24 of the curry leaves and let cook for a few seconds, then add the mustard and cumin seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop (cover if you want to avoid the splatter), then add the garlic-ginger paste, onions and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are translucent. Add the lamb and cook until it is browned. Add the remaining Madras curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, and garam masala. Cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices bloom. Add the tomato powder/paste and the remaining coconut milk. Cook until the mixture comes back up to heat. Add the cauliflower and the peas and cook until everything is heated through and the flavors are well blended. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Layer the meat mixture on the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with smoked hot paprika. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered, then check the topping. It if looks like it is drying out, spread a thin layer of grapeseed oil over the top to keep it from getting hard. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. During the second half of baking, heat a thin layer of oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the remaining curry leaves and cook until they turn a bright green then remove and place on paper towels to cool and drain, then crush them loosely. When the top of the dish is browned, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the crushed curry leaves.

10/24/15

Exported from Home Cookin 8.63 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Haluska (Cabbage and Onions with Pork)

I have discovered a most wondrous thing.  A few years ago I was looking for something new I could do with cabbage.  I had half of a large head of it left over from something and didn't know what to do with it.  I was also feeling the urge to make pasta, so I looked for recipes that had both cabbage and pasta.

I found an eastern European dish called Haluska, which is basically just braised cabbage and onions with noodles.  It seemed simple enough and I certainly had the ingredients so I decided to give it a try.

And it was delicious.  "Where have you been all my life?" delicious.  The cabbage and onion cooks long enough to become tender and velvety and coats the pasta like a buttery velvet glove.

What's the catch?  The recipe calls for a stick of butter.  That is half a cup.  And while I love butter, that seemed like an awful lot of fat in general, and butter in particular.  So the first time I made it I cut the fat in half and used equal amounts of olive oil and butter.  Not having ever made the recipe as written I can't make a true comparison and I am sure it would be absolutely fantastically divine with the full stick of butter, but it was mighty darned tasty the way I made it.  So tasty that I have made it fairly often since that first time.  Any time I have any leftover cabbage, as a matter of fact.

I usually make it with just the cabbage, onions and noodles, but many recipes offer variations that include meat.  This last time when I decided to make it I remembered that I had thrown some braised pork shoulder in the freezer since I had cooked more than I could eat in a few days.  I am always trying to reduce the load in my freezer so I decided this would be a good use for it.  So I shredded up the pork and added it to the dish along with the noodles.

And oh my gosh, what a wonderful thing that turned out to be!  The meat melted into the dish like it was meant to be there, and while all of the flavors were detectable, they combined into something much much greater than the sum of its parts.  It was heavenly.

And I will be making it often.  In fact, I now plan to always cook a little more meat than I need when I am braising so I can hold some back to make Haluska.  For such an easy dish to prepare, it packs a powerful punch of flavor.  Try it - I am sure you will agree!

Home Cookin Version 8.62 Chapter: My Recipes

HALUSKA

4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons butter
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion halved and thinly sliced
1/2 large head of cabbage, cut into thin strips
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 pound noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup cooked pork, chicken or beef, shredded (optional)
fresh parsley, for garnish

Melt the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cabbage and saute until they are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cabbage and onions are translucent.  Do not let them brown.

Add the cooked noodles and meat if using and mix everything together.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

(Adapted from recipe found online but the link seems to be broken)

Exported from Home Cookin 8.62 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Flageolet Beans with Lamb

And just like that, summer is over and fall is on the way.  Even though the weather will continue to periodically climb up into the seventies, the sun is already visibly lower in the sky and the winds have changed and the leaves are starting to fall.

And apples are back at the Green Market which makes me oh so very happy!

This Flageolet Beans with Lamb is a riff on the White Beans with Lamb (Etli Kuru Fasulye) that I made the winter before last.  I had the lamb chop in the freezer and some flageolet beans (which are quickly becoming one of my favorites), and I was in the mood for a some good hearty beans for lunch.  This method of adding meat to beans is a great one, because I already had the beans cooking on the stove before I decided to add the lamb.  It added no time to the overall dish to sear and braise the chop while the beans were still cooking and then add them all together at the end.

The method I used to cook the beans is one that I adapted from the oven-baked no soak method I wrote about here.  I quickly realized that the method should work just as well on the stove top, and it seems much faster and easier to do it this way.  I will usually just cook up a batch of some kind of beans a few days before I need to think about what to make for work lunches, and then I will come up with the idea for how I want to use them by the time that I need them.  And if I do not need them, they freeze well so I will have them on hand and available if I want them and don't have time to cook them.

It's about as close to having canned beans on hand as you can get without actually buying canned beans.  I highly recommend it.  Dried beans are so much cheaper than canned, and you know from whence the ingredients came.

As with most bean dishes, this travels extremely well for work lunches.  In fact, it actually works well for school lunches as well.  I have taken to not putting my lunches in the refrigerator when I get to work, and by lunch time they are warm enough to eat without re-heating.  I am sure some of you will gag at the thought, but I have found that most dishes are just as tasty this way and I don't have to worry about microwaving in plastic (which I avoid) or getting an extra dish dirty when I transfer the contents to a glass bowl so I can microwave it.  Obviously this does not work for everything, but I am re-heating less and less of my lunches at work.  YMMV.

Home Cookin 8.59 Chapter: My Recipes

FLAGEOLET BEANS WITH LAMB

Makes 6-8 servings

1 cup (about 1/2 lb) dried flageolet or other white beans, or 3 cups cooked
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil oil
1 6-oz lamb blade chop
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Sort through the beans then rinse them well and drain them.  Place them into a 3-quart saucepan and add half a tablespoon of salt.  Cover with cold water up to two inches over the top of the beans.  Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for a good minute or so before lowering the heat to a simmer and covering the pot.  Cook the beans over the low heat until they have all settled down to the bottom of the pan and are tender, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half (start testing after half an hour).  If you are using canned beans, you can skip this step (obviously).

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add the lamb chop and brown it, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.

Adding more oil if necessary and lowering the heat to medium, add the fennel seeds to the skillet and cook until they are sizzling and have released their aroma. Be careful not to let them burn. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and season with the salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes, still stirring occasionally.

Add the wine, thyme, smoked paprika and the water. Place the lamb chop back in the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover, lower the heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lamb is fork tender. Take the lamb chop out of the skillet, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces, then return it back to the pan. Add the beans and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

adapted from Stewed White Beans recipe from Saveur Magazine Number 120

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountain-software.com)

Pork Chops with Black Sour Cherry Beer

I was recently gifted with a home-brewed bottle of sour black cherry beer.  I am not a big beer drinker, but I do enjoy the occasional bottle of ice cold Shiner Bock or Tecate con lima.  So when my friend and her husband started brewing beer, I was clinically interested and somewhat curious about it and could totally relate to her enjoyment of it, given my own obsession with home-made anything, but I could understand why she did not feel a pressing need to present me with any samples of her efforts.

So I was quite thrilled when she mentioned to me the last time we were planning to get together that she and some friends had made a brew she was pretty sure I would like and would bring me a bottle.  I was super pleased, since I have been wanting to taste what she's been making for a while.  I brought it home and put it in the refrigerator and thought about what I wanted to do with it.  Aside from drinking it, of course.

It had a lovely dark brown tone and I decided the sour cherry would best be complemented by meat.  Pork always goes well with fruit and a had some shoulder chops in the freezer so I defrosted them and braised them in a little bit of the beer.  The result was a dark, tangy luscious sauce with just a hint of the cherry that added a sweet tone without being sweet.  It was even better than the chops I braised in the Shiner Bock which I absolutely love.

The rest of the beer I drank with dinner.  It was crisp and smooth with the deep tang of the black cherries.  It was a winner for sure.  I hope she will make more of it!

You can find the recipe for braising pork chops in beer here.  Just use whatever brand you have on hand, and enjoy.

White Beans with Lamb (Etli Kuru Fasulye)

This dish does not look like much, but let me tell you it is quite delicious. I have a tendency to fall into a groove with seasonings for certain kinds of dishes, so I was intrigued when I found this recipe in Saveur Magazine. The lamb and seasonings were different enough from the white bean dishes I usually make that I was eager to try it.

The only reason I hesitated to try it is because I love broiled lamb chops so much that I wasn't sure I wanted to waste one by putting it into a stew. I'd glad I finally decided to try it. That tiny little chop packed a powerhouse of flavor, and the meat was tender and delicious.

Etli Kuru Fasulye is a Turkish dish and translates to White Beans with Meat. In most of the recipes I saw, one is instructed to soak the beans overnight. Ever since I discovered the no-soak method of cooking beans I do not bother with that. And I have recently discovered that this method works just as well on the stove top as it does in the oven. Once the beans are boiling, just lower the heat as low as it will go and simmer until the beans are tender. So now you no longer have any excuse not to cook beans from dried. It is so much less expensive to do it that way, and you know exactly what is going into them and you don't have to worry about the BPA in the cans

Given my tendency to try to healthy up my meals by adding vegetables whenever I can, I am thinking that adding a bunch of greens would greatly add to the flavor of this dish. But it is awfully delicious as is. Maybe I'll just serve the greens on the side.

Home Cookin Chapter: Beef and Lamb

STEWED WHITE BEANS (Etli Kuru Fasulye)

Makes 6-8 servings

2 cups dried white beans
2-3 dried chilis de arbol
2 medium yellow onions, 1 halved, 1 finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 6-oz lamb blade chop
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large banana pepper or Italian frying pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp dried ground aleppo pepper or paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sort through and rinse the beans. Place them in a large saucepan and cover to about 2-1/2 inches with cold water. Add the chilis, halved onion, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a rapid boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the beans are just tender, anywhere from 45 minutes to one-and-a-half hours, checking at ten minute intervals after the first 30 minutes. When they are tender, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot. Add the lamb and cook, until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining chopped onions, garlic and banana pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato sauce, Aleppo pepper, oregano and tomatoes and cook until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth and the beans and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are reheated and the flavors have blended. Take the lamb chop out of the pot. Remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-size pieces, then return it to the pot. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.

adapted from Saveur Magazine, Number 120.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Cottage Pie

What is the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherds' Pie?  Short answer:  the kind of meat you use. At least if you are in the UK, where the recipe seems to have originated.  Traditionally, a cottage pie is made with beef and a shepherds' pie is made with lamb.  Both were made utilizing leftovers from the Sunday roasted meat and vegetables.  Here in the states, however (at least in my memory), shepherds' pie was introduced using beef, so shepherds' pie is what we called it.  And that is what I called it when I first wrote about it in this post.

But now that I know the difference, I am calling this dish Cottage Pie.  For reasons that are irrelevant to this post, I made a 4 or 5-pound pot roast over the weekend, thinking I would freeze half of it, but I am embarrassed to say I did not have enough room for half of a pot roast in my freezer (and there you have the reason after all).  So I chipped away at it all week and still had half left by the weekend.  What to do with the leftovers?  I thought about soup, but a chance encounter with a rutabaga at the Green City Market changed my mind. I thought about mashing it and that thought led to adding potato, and from there it was a short hop to cottage pie, and an even shorter hop led to my decision to add cheese to the potato-rutabaga mash.

I am quite proud of my achievement on this dish.  The vegetables are tender but still firm and the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender.  The rutabaga lightens up the potatoes and keeps the cheesy topping from taking over completely, but it has that rich buttery flavor and texture that you want in a mashed potato topping.

And as much as I have always enjoyed this dish with ground meat, it becomes transcendent when you use leftovers.  I think I will be adding too much meat to my roasting pot more often just so I can keep making it this way.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

COTTAGE PIE WITH CHEESY MASHED POTATOES AND RUTABAGA

Makes 6 servings

FOR THE FILLING:
2 TBSP olive oil
1 carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 oz pot roast, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 TBSP fresh chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc.), or 2 tsp dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup port or other rich red wine (or broth, or water)

FOR THE POTATO AND RUTABAGA TOPPING:
3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Heat  the oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until tender, approximately 5 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the beef and the peas and cook until they are heated through.  Add the herbs and parsley, stir them in, and remove from the heat.  Adjust seasoning as required.

To make the potato and rutabaga topping, combine the chopped potatoes and rutabaga in a medium saucepan and fill with just enough cold water to cover the vegetables.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until a knife slides easily into both the potato and the rutabaga.

Drain the vegetables and return them to the saucepan and place it back over the low heat.  Mash them well, adding enough milk to bring them to the desired consistency.  Add 1 cup of the cheese and the butter and stir to melt them into the mixture.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place the cooled meat mixture into a 2-quart round or 8 x 8-inch square baking dish.  Add the wine, being sure that the liquid does not rise more than halfway up the mixture.

Drop spoonsful of the mashed potatoes and rutabaga evenly over the beef mixture and then spread it out, making sure that it reaches all the way to the sides of the dish.  Sprinkle the remaining half cup of shredded cheese evenly across the top.

Bake at 350 deg. F. for 50 minutes.  The beef mixture should be hot and bubbling.  If desired, place under the broiler for 2 minutes to brown the potatoes.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Chuck Roast Braised with Port

Ahhhhh . . . the first braise of the new year. Color me content. I had one last hunk of chuck roast in the freezer and it was calling to me, even though the temperature around here was more like early fall than winter at the time. But, we have had our first snow and the temperature is closer to where it should be, so I plan to be braising and stewing and souping quite a bit over the next couple of months.

But while the meat is certainly a big attraction, I am still focused on my vegetable project, so I focused more on those for this braise. I usually cook the vegetables in the pot with the meat, but the meat is so big it leaves little room for a lot of vegetables, and they can get a little too tender for my taste. So this time I roasted the vegetables separately from the meat. It worked out ok, but not great. The meat cooks at 325 degrees, and the vegetables were taking too long at that temperature, and they were not caramelizing. After an hour and a half, I finally decided to put them in a baking dish, added a little vegetable stock, covered them with foil and baked them off.

The end result is that they tasted good, and they had a little of that roasted flavor, but next time I think I will roast them before I put the meat in the oven, and then warm them up again just before I'm ready to serve them. I think that will make a big difference in the flavor.

I braised the meat in a little bit of ketchup (homemade, of course), vegetable stock, and port. The only spice I used was fennel seed. To the vegetables I added some olive oil, dried rosemary, thyme and marjoram. The dumplings, from a recipe I found in Saveur magazine, are brightened up with fresh parsley. They absorbed the braising liquid, which wonderfully enhanced their flavor, but there was very little left over. I think that is more because I did not use as much as I should have in the first place than because of the dumplings. I did wonder as I was putting it into the oven if I shouldn't add more stock, but decided against it. Next time I will bring the liquid closer to the top of the meat, so I will be sure to have enough afterwards to sauce the vegetables.

In case it is not obvious in the photo, the vegetables are carrots, fennel and rutabaga. I used garlic, onions, leeks and the fennel stems to braise the meat. I think that qualifies this dish for my vegetable project. I usually run out of vegetables before everything else; this time there was more than enough to last through the leftovers.

All in all, a satisfying dish. The vegetables were tender, but not mushy, and the dumplings provided a light component to the heaviness of the meat, which was fork-tender and rich with the flavors of the aromatics, ketchup and port.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

CHUCK ROAST BRAISED WITH PORTMakes 4-6 Servings

2-1/2 to 3 lb chuck roast
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, well-rinsed and chopped,
1 medium onion, chopped
3 fennel stalks, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup port or other strong red wine
1/4 cup ketchup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Take the roast out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Layer a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the meat on the dish. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large dutch oven. Add the fennel seeds and cook until their aroma has released, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the leeks, the onion and the garlic and cook until the leeks are soft, at
least the 15 minutes that the meat is browning in the oven.

Remove the meat from the oven and lower the temperature to 325 deg. F. Raise the heat under the dutch oven to medium high and push the aromatics around to the sides of the pot. Place the meat with the unbrowned side down into the middle of the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, until it has had a chance to brown. Add the bay leaves, the broth and the port and as much water as needed to reach about three-fourths up the sides of the meat. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven.

Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking every half hour after the first hour to make sure the water level is good and it is not boiling. When the meat comes apart with a fork, it is ready. Remove it from the liquid and reduce the liquid on the stovetop until it has reached the desired consistency.

Serve with root vegetables and dumplings.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Braised Pot Roast with Leeks

Ah, braising. If you've been following my blog at all, then you know how fond I am of this technique. It makes everything tender and flavorful - meat or vegetables. And it is so easy! And even though it takes a long time, there is little work involved and once the braise is going you can pretty much ignore it and still end up with a a delicious dinner. And the leftovers just seem to get better.

But as much as I love the process, and the layers of flavor you get when you load up with aromatics and root vegetables, sometimes even that is too much work. I had pulled a chuck shoulder out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator, but by the time it was ready to be braised I was not so ready to braise it.

But braise it I must, so I decided to follow Mark Bittman's lead and make it as minimalist as possible. I decided a leek would add enough flavor to some chicken stock, along with some home-made ketchup and fennel seeds. The carrots, potatoes, and squash could wait for the next day.

I browned the meat in the oven while I cooked down the leeks. The whole thing was in the oven within a half hour and there was very little to clean up when it was done. Easy peasy and out-of-this-world delicious! The next day I didn't even bother with the rest of the vegetables, I just cooked up some potatoes and mashed them with some squash and garlic I had roasted earlier in the week (and was the basis for this Thanksgiving dish) to use as a bed for the roast.

I made it the weekend before I went down to Austin for my nephew's bar mitzvah and I had more of both the beef and the potatoes left over than I could finish before leaving. I gave them to a co-worker so he could have them for lunch. When I got back he asked for the recipe. Can't get better validation than that!

So not only will I give it to him, I will give it to you as well.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

POT ROAST WITH LEEKSServes 4

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 leek, cut in half lengthwise, well rinsed and thinly sliced
2 to 2-1/2 lb chuck shoulder roast
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup, preferably home made (or any tomato-based sauce)
2 cups beef or chicken stock (or water)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 deg. F. and line a baking sheet with foil. Bring the meat to room temperature and put it on the sheet. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper and bake in the 425 deg. oven for 15 minutes.

While the meat is browning, in an oven-proof dutch oven or heavy pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to let them burn. Add the leek and garlic and turn the heat to low. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they have turned translucent and tender.

Two minutes before the meat is done, raise the heat back to medium-high and add the tomato paste to the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring frequently.

Take the meat out of the oven and lower the heat to 275 deg. F. Put the roast into the pot browned side up. Cook for two to three minutes without moving the meat.

Add the ketchup and the stock to cover the roast about halfway up the sides. Add more stock or water if necessary. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and put in the 275-degree oven. Bake 2-1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is falling off of the bone.

Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside, covering loosely with foil. Return the pot with the cooking liquid to the stove and cook over medium heat until it has reduced to the desired thickness.

Can be served immediately or the next day. Store the meat separately from the sauce. Before serving the sauce, remove the cold layer of fat from the top before reheating it.

10/31/11

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Braised Pot Roast with Fennel Seeds

Even with Passover underway and Easter on the doorstep, the weather here has been cold enough (with one exception which I don't even want to discuss) for one last braising hurrah.

And this one is a doozy, wherein I learn, once again, that less actually can be more.

I didn't have any stock in the freezer so I wasn't sure what to use for the braising liquid for this pot roast. I did, however, have some leftover canned tomatoes in the refrigerator and I wasn't going to be making any pizza soon, so I decided I could puree that up with my handy dandy stick blender and braise the pot roast and root vegetables in that.

I wasn't sure how to season it and I was feeling a little lazy, so I decided to just throw some fennels seeds into the oil before adding the vegetables and call it a day. With a couple of bay leaves, salt, and pepper, it was delicious. The brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar both sweetened and kicked up the flavor.

I decided to try my hand at dumplings and used a recipe from the Settlement Cookbook and they were ok, but nothing special. And of course this would be delicious with any of the usual side suspects - mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, or noodles.

If you have any cool temperatures left this season, I strongly recommend you make this dish. If not, save it and pull it out at the first sign of autumn chill. You won't regret it.

How do I know? I've already made it again twice.

This is the kind of recipe to use as a guideline. Don't have red onion and a shallot or two? I didn't have anything else so that's why I used them. I have also used leeks and regular onion and they all worked out perfectly. The same goes for the root vegetables - parsnips would probably be good, or beets, and potatoes would be especially nice.

You don't even need the meat. The last time I made this I had a rutabaga, fennel, sweet potato, and beets that all needed to be used pronto. I also added caraway seeds in a flash of inspiration which turned out to be a brilliant idea. I braised them up and then made soup, which I am eating right now for lunch. Perfection.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

POT ROAST WITH FENNEL SEEDS
2-1/2 to 3 lb chuck shoulder roast
Garlic powder
Paprika
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1/4 red onion, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut on the diagonal 1/4-inch wide
1 celery rib, roughly chopped
1 medium to large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes*
1 large fennel, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups tomato puree
2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F.

Place roast on an aluminum-lined rimmed baking sheet and season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is browned. Turn the
roast over and season the other side with salt, peper, garlic powder and paprika. Return to the oven and cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until that side is also browned. Remove from the oven and lower the heat to 325 deg. F.

While the meat is browning, heat the oil in a dutch oven large enough to hold the meat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and shallots and let them cook, stirring frequently, until just softened. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook another 5 minutes, still stirring frequently. Add the rutabaga and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the toasted fennel seeds and cook for 2 minutes more.

Nestle the meat into the vegetables. Add the tomato puree, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown subar, and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then cover tightly. Remove from the stove and place in the 325-degree oven.

Cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the vegetables are soft and the meat is falling from the bone. Remove the meat from the dutch oven and continue to cook the remaining liquid, if necessary, until it reaches the
desired thickness.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)