Pancit - White boy goes native - a la PI

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As in all cultures, there are as many Pancit recipes as there are Filipino grannies: I am going out on a limb and just working with what is in the house -- I am looking for awesome lunches to pack for work!  Here is my version with chicken (from the chicken pudding recipe posted earlier), sausage, diced pork and shrimp.

THE RECIPE

2 T peanut oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 Opo squash, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 florettes broccoli
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1/4 bunch cilantro, minced
1/4# pork, diced
1/4# shredded chicken\
1/4# Chinese, Filipino or Vietnamese sausage, sliced
2-3T soy sauce
3T Chinese red vinegar
6 Thai chiles, thinly sliced
2T sambal oelek
sea salt and white pepper, to taste
1/4# shrimp, split and sliced into quarters


4 Qts salted water, + 1 T oil
1 pkg pancit noodle, Cantonese or rice stick

Saute all ingredients up to sambal in a wok over high heat, adding shrimp last.  Boil noodles in salted water until done.  Add to wok and stir fry noodles while tossing remaining ingredients,  Serve hot and have some kind of hot sauce on hand - enjoy!

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The Perfect Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Perfect - such a high standard, and when you say, "I have made the perfect _________" you become the perfect scapegoat for anyone to follow in your footsteps, regardless of what they do to your brainchild. But THIS recipe, I say, is a fail safe venture into simple comfort food.

Meatballs - for the longest time, I could not make mine work -- you read recipes and hear folks describe theirs as "fluffy" -- WHAT?  Mine come out with the texture of lead!  I do not over mix, and pay attention to the addition of each ingredient, but to no avail.  So imagine my surprise when things just worked out with this last batch!  Apparently I have struck upon the right combination.  This is, of course, the classic usage for fresh meatballs, but be prepared to read about meatball sandwiches with Provolone, etc...

THE RECIPE - MEATBALLS

1# ground beef, not too lean - we like fat!
1# ground pork
1# ground veal
2 extra large eggs
1 large slice sourdough bread, toasted and ground in a food processor or 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 T whole milk
1 t minced parsley or cilantro
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3 Thai chiles, minced
1 T sea salt
1 T fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°; spray a baking dish with pan release. Mix all above ingredients with care, just enough to blend -- DO NOT OVER MIX.

Wet hands with water.  Roll approx. 1 T of meat mixture into a ball; use more or less for your desired proportions.  Repeat for the rest of the mix.  When complete, place the sheet pan into the oven.  Check after 30 minutes, turn and when cooked, remove from oven and cool.

THE RECIPE  -- MARINARA SAUCE

3 T EV olive oil for saute

2 cans San Marzano tomatoes, or if you are insanely lucky and have a garden, FRESH tomatoes steam peeled

1 large onion, minced
1 large bunch fresh basil, or 4T dried
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute onion, garlic, and basil in oil for 3 minutes over medium heat; add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat until reduced by more than half.

THE RECIPE - PASTA

6 Qts water
1 Oz. EV olive oil
1 t sea salt
1 # spaghetti or capellini pasta - I like mine just past al dente -11 - 12 min.  Strain and reserve.

If you use homemade pasta, be sure to roll it out as flat as possible and only cook for 4-5 min.

1 t crushed chile pepper
1 t Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta until done; drain immediately and toss with sauce and meatballs.  Garnish with crushed chile peppers and cheese if desired.

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Quick & Easy Menudo

The food of my people!  Seriously, I am the whitest Latino you will ever meet.  Yes, Grandma (Abuelita) was from Guadalajara, Jalisco MX.

As we are at New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (pictures probably in the morning, as the light is quickly fading) this dish is fabled to be...well, a type of antidote...a curative...a palliative...oh, hell, it's a hangover remedy!

This is a traditional stew of beef, patas (pig's or beef feet) in a rich, hearty beef stock with onion, herbs, chiles, hominy (dried, limed and reconstituted corn kernels) and yes, tripe.  If this scares you OR you don't know what this is, back away now and you will have no regrets.  The process is a day-long project at least and results in a spicy stock with stewed tripe and hominy.  The consumer typically garnishes to taste with crushed red chiles, oregano, diced onion, cilantro and lime - even avocado, try what you like as it is a blank canvas wrapped up in warm tortillas (I like corn{maize}).

As I think about the coming hangover holiday and look into my freezer, I realize I have TONS of clarified beef stock which has been parked for a while and needs to be used up.  This gives me an advantage in terms of prep time, but as I have removed all the cool fat and thickening gelatin from the cartilage I will need to add in these ingredients to be successful.  I repurpose the stock with some roasted bones, amp up the seasoning, and pop in tripe and hominy.  As you may have seen the phrases, "quick and easy" do not often appear in my recipes, and even in the real world these are objective terms.  Instead of a full day recipe this ends up being a half-day recipe.  Allow three to four hours for prep.

IF you do not have half a freezer full of prepared beef stock, here is a quick menudo stock recipe to get you started.  This takes you back to a full day of prep.

THE RECIPE - SCRATCH STOCK
3-4 # Beef soup (marrow) bones
3-4# Beef soup (meaty) bones
3 patas (pig's feet)
3 - 4 Qts, filtered water
3 lg. onions, quartered
6-8 bay leaves
4 stalks celery, sliced on the bias
3 T dried oregano
Stalks from one bunch of fresh cilantro
5-6 chiles japonesas, dried (more if that's your thing)
Salt and pepper, to taste

ROAST the bones and feet at 450°F for an hour, turning at the half-hour mark.  Add the onions at the half hour mark and torch these guys,  place all ingredients into the water and add all spices.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer three hours.  Remove from heat, cool and strain with a china cap.  Then proceed to the rest of the recipe. 

THE RECIPE - Quick & Easy Menudo

3 - 4 Qts. beef stock
2# beef marrow bones, roasted for 1 hour at 450°F, turned at 30 min.
1 lg. onion, quartered and roasted 450°F  for 30 min.
6 bay leaves
2 T dried oregano leaves
2 T smoked paprika
2 T ground New Mexico chile pepper
2 T freshly ground black pepper
3 chiles japonesas, dried
Salt & pepper, to taste

2# honeycomb tripe
(rinsed and soaked three times for 30 min. each run, with water changes and salt added at each 30 min.  Remember we are working with beef stomach, so you want a good, thorough rinse.  The market did not have honeycomb tripe today, but they did have book tripe in stock.  This is a flatter, more delicate and feathery tripe, often used in Chinese dim sum.  Unlike honeycomb tripe which is one flat strip to slice into squares, this is more three dimensional - it needs to be sliced both horizontally and diagonally.  The tripe will absorb the flavors in which it simmers, and break down with the simmering.)

GARNISH:
Cilantro
Diced onion
Crushed red pepper
Dried oregano
Minced cilantro leaves
Diced avocado
Jalapeno pepper slices
Lime wedges
Smoked or black finishing sea salt
Warm corn / flour tortillas

 OK - for those of you who have enough frozen beef stock to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, we are going to add a bit of gelatin for a thickener, and seasonings to "Latinize" the stock, then simmer the tripe and finish with the hominy and garnishes.

Rinse the tripe and soak for 30 minutes in cool water.   Add 2 - 3 T sea salt and soak and change water, rinse and salt for three more thirty minute water changes.

Warm the stock and add misc. seasonings.  Bring to a boil and simmer as beef bones and onions roast.  Add these as well as rendered fat, and simmer for an additional hour.  Remove from heat, cool and strain.

When the tripe finishes its rinse / soak cycle, drain and slice into bite - sized strips.  Set into stock and simmer until tender, 1 to 2 hours.  Add hominy, taste stock and adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve into 12 - 16 oz. bowls, with garnishes and warm tortillas.

ENJOY and leave feedback if you try this recipe!

Lion's head braised Chinese meatballs - two ways

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I've loved this dish since I first discovered it in Mai Leung's Classic Chinese Cook Book several years ago.  That was the first time I'd heard of it, and over time I have modified to suit my taste.

Today I modified things to suit the market (and my pantry).

These meatballs are a natural comfort food; they simmer in a savory stock studded with cabbage and mushrooms which can be made into either a thick sauce, or served as a soup.  I'm sharing both with you today.  The backbone is simple ground pork; the store only had completely lean pork available so I have added 75 / 25 ground beef to add a bit of fat.  The result was a bit loose, and the meatballs turned out a bit more like polygons, but the flavor was fantastic.

The wilted cabbage leaves are said to resemble the mane of a lion; with a little creative license it works out fine.

THE RECIPE

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

1# ground pork
1# ground beef, 75 / 25 fat
1 can water chestnuts (or fresh); minced
1 can bamboo shoots (or fresh); minced
One 2in. length fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
4 scallions, minced
4 T black (thick) soy sauce
3 T cornstarch
2 T shaoxing cooking wine
2 T sesame oil
1 T granulated sugar
1 T ground white pepper
1 t minced garlic
1 t five spice powder
3-4 drops chili oil
1 egg
Corn oil for frying

Mix above ingredients in a bowl, enough to blend but do not overmix.  Form 8-10 balls and set aside on a plate.

FOR THE STIR FRY

1 head Napa cabbage
6 dried Shiitake mushroom slices
Corn oil for stir frying

4 cups chicken of beef stock

Salt, to taste

3 scallions, minced

Remove 3-4 outer leaves and set aside.  Reconstitute the mushrooms in hot water, approximately 30 minutes.  Core the cabbage and shred lengthwise into 1 inch strips.  Drain the mushrooms and press out excess water; dice and reserve the liquid.

VERSION 1 - LION'S HEAD IN SOUP

Heat a wok; add a bit of oil and brown the meatballs all over; remove and set aside.

(Click on image for larger view) Fresh from the wok.

Return the wok to heat; add the mushrooms and cabbage and wilt slightly.  Add the mushroom liquid and simmer 3-5 minutes.

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Transfer to a Dutch oven.  Add the meatballs and stock;

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cover with the whole cabbage leaves.

Bring to a boil; cover and simmer over low flame for 50 minutes.

(Click on image for larger view) Just done; here is the "mane".

Check the stock and adjust seasoning as desired.  For each portion, place some of the vegetables on the bottom of a bowl.  Add a meatball or two, garnish with one of the whole cabbage leaves on the side (to form the "mane") and scallions.

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VERSION 2 - LION'S HEAD IN SAUCE

1 - 2 cups braising liquid from the main casserole
1 T Shaoxing cooking wine
1 t light (thin) soy sauce
1 t Chinkiang (black) vinegar

2 T cornstarch
&
2 T cold water, blended to form a slurry

Steamed rice
scallions, minced

In small saucepan, heat the first four ingredients.  Slowly add the cornstarch in increments.  Whisk the sauce as it thickens.  For each portion, place rice in a bowl; add some vegetables, a meatball and pour heated sauce over.  Garnish with scallions.

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Don't forget the Sriracha hot sauce as well!

Dim sum for dinner - "Kicked up" pork and vegetable congee

(Click on image for larger view.)  A little of everything in a rich, homemade stock.

Since our recent heat wave is at an end, I declare it time for soup.  I could not make it to dim sum this morning, so here we are with the next best thing.

This soup is a delicacy wheeled around on the special cart in Chinese restaurants - the one with the steaming mystery cauldrons which sends the most delicate scents wafting about the room; the one for which I hold off tucking into all the shumai and har gow and char siu bau (well, at least I try to).  I've always wanted to make this, and it occurs to me I have several quarts of pork stock which are just begging to be used up.

While it is most often served for breakfast, congee (rice porridge) is great any time of day, and is even good for an upset stomach and special diets.  It can be toned down as a food for babies and even for folks who are under the weather; it's a great recovery food.  Like so many soups, it is also a great way to use up leftovers.

It is truly a comfort food, but can be treated as a blank canvas for individual interpretation (that's the part I like).  The backbone is a good stock (ALWAYS a favorite for me) and good quality white rice - I am using Calrose for this batch.  Just about any protein or vegetable can be used, and it is SO easy to prepare I'm kicking myself for not making this sooner!

Typically congee has a mild flavor profile.  Of course, I can't leave well enough alone, so I have used LOTS of vegetables and just a touch of heat to finish the dish off.

THE RECIPE

1 cup rice (white or brown) medium grain

8 quarts stock (I used pork)
2 ribs celery, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 dash corn oil

1 cup shredded pork

3-4 scallions, sliced bulbs and leaves separated

ground white pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Sesame oil
Chili oil
soy sauce

Soak rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes; rinse and drain.

Bring stock to boil; add stock, vegetables, rice and oil.  Reduce to simmer.  Reduce until stock has thickened and ingredients have softened, approximately 30 minutes.  When a thick consistency has been reached add scallion bulbs, season with salt and pepper, stir in pork and heat through.

Garnish with scallion green slices, sesame and chili oils, and soy if desired.  Serve piping hot.

**NOTE: if you are not familiar with these two oils, be cautious!  They both have very strong flavors; add just a drop or two and taste from there.**

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Barbeque Pork Kreplach Soup

I live for irony; I love the irreverent blending of the sacred and the profane.  I'm just wired that way.

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This dish is dedicated to my friend, Robin Drubin.  I've been wanting to make something like this for some time, and after last night's batch of puerco adovado failed to be as spicy as I'd hoped, I decided to finish it off with some Phil's BBQ sauce and go in this direction.

Kreplach soup is a traditional Jewish dumpling, very simply prepared with a minimum of ingredients served in a clear chicken stock, with or without vegetables.  Usually the filling is chicken, beef or lamb, onion and salt.  But I can't leave well enough alone.

I have several quarts of my clarified chicken stock, and am finishing it with some carrots, onion and the hearts of the Napa cabbage from my previous post.

L'chaim!

Perhaps I will work on an Indian beef dish next week!

THE RECIPE

KREPLACHS

1 pkg. prepared dumpling skins

I am employing a cheat here, and using gyoza wrappers and a dumpling press for the kreplachs.

Press-to!  And infamy is mine!  Click on image for larger view.

Newly formed; click on image for larger view.

The traditional wrapper is simply flour, egg, water and a pinch of salt, kneaded into a stiff dough and rolled out to paper thin squares.  Cook the kreplachs in boiling water, and warm in the stock.

KREPLACH FILLING

 2# pork shoulder, cubed into 1 in. pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 T smoked paprika
3 t New Mexico chile powder
1 T cumin powder
1/2 cup water

1 t crushed red pepper
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

2-3 T barbeque sauce

1/2 cup water to seal the wrappers

Boiling water, reduced to simmer
1 T oil

Place all the ingredients up to the water in a crock pot; cook on high for 5.5 hours.  Add the crushed pepper and season with salt and black pepper.  Cook for another 1/2 hour.  Cool, drain off all fat and stir to shred the pork.  Stir in the barbeque sauce and reserve until needed.

Add approximately 1 t filling to each dumpling skin; wet one half of the wrapper and press.  Seal corners together if desired.  Drop into simmering water and simmer until cooked, 5-6 minutes.

THE STOCK

8 cups chicken stock
3 carrots, 1/8 inch coin cut
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced cabbage
1 bunch sliced scallion bulbs

Simmer the carrots in stock for 15 minutes; add onion and cabbage.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Ladle vegetables and stock into individual bowls.  Gently transfer the dumplings to serving bowls and garnish with the scallions.

Asian Fusion Noodle Soup

 

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This started out as a clean-out-the-fridge project, with a couple of ideas in the back of my head (yeah, it's weird in there) and I thought, "why not do it up into something special"?  Those of you who know me understand I don't care much for leftovers; it seems each time I do something with them I simply create more leftovers.  But this is a wonderful exception.  Of course in keeping with my character, I have managed to make it as labor-intensive as possible, short of making my own noodles.  I bought those.  Other than the just slightly over poached egg (flub), I'm on Cloud 9.  Not quite ramen, not quite udon, still it all came together nicely.  

(I've had in my mind all the ramen scenes from the movie Tampopo as I cobbled these elements together.)

I am working with the ends and interior ribs of the Napa cabbage left over from the recent kimchi project, as well as the balance of the Korean radish and Japanese turnip and some other ingredients (that was the clean-out-the-fridge part).  I simmered the vegetables and used some udon soup base to make a mild, subtle stock.  Soft Korean flour noodles tied the whole thing together.

Treat this as a blank canvas; play with it based on what you like and have some fun.

THE RECIPE

4 cups water

2 cups Napa cabbage ribs and leaves, chopped into 1" strips (or any other cabbage / green you fancy)

1/2 cup Lo bok (Korean radish - this is much milder than daikon or Western radish), peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup Kabu (Japanese turnip), peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

1tsp minced ginger

1tsp minced garlic

4Tbsp udon soup base (or soy / ponzu sauce)

1Tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/3 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

5-6 leaves wakame (coiled dried seaweed), or crumbled nori sheets

Boiling salted water with 1Tbsp oil

2-3 oz. noodles

3oz. roasted chicken, sliced

3oz. Char siu barbecued pork (use any proteins you like; these are just the ones I had at hand)

1 egg, poached

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Bell pepper slices, for garnish

Serrano chili slices, for garnish

Bring water to a boil; reduce heat to low and add the next 6 ingredients.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 15 minutes.  Pour stock through a strainer and reserve vegetables.  Return stock to medium-low heat and add next 5 ingredients.  

Using a strainer basket, "dunk" the proteins in the hot stock until warmed through.

Boil noodles in the salted water until just done.  Strain and portion between individual serving bowls.  Add some vegetables to each serving, and pour hot stock over each.  Arrange proteins atop this and garnish.  I sincerely hope your poached egg yolk is still runny; I was slightly disheartened when I cut into mine and it was just turning firm - it would have made for a much better picture!  But I had not eaten all day, and didn't want to cook another.

Of course I'm the only consumer tonight, and I'm putting noodles, stock and vegetables back in the fridge but use the proportions above as individual servings.  Enjoy!

**Now stretching out on the couch with a sense of accomplishment**

Ricotta - herb stuffed pork tenderloin

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I don't CARE if it's 80 degrees today, warmer than our summer was, I want to roast something.  I found whole pork tenderloin on sale today, and that got me started.  I've added herbs and vegetables, and thought to bind that all together with ricotta - let's see how it goes.

The filling is resplendent with fresh herbs, and studded with garlic and baby spinach.  During roasting the tenderloin is wrapped with bacon to keep it moist.  I served this with some simple pan-roasted potatoes and with the braised red cabbage from the previous post.

THE RECIPE

3-4 # Pork tenderloin, roll cut lengthwise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Several dashes Worcestershire sauce
8-10 slices bacon
Twine for tying the roast

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The roll cut is achieved by opening up a flap evenly across the bottom of the roast lengthwise (fat cap up, if you haven't trimmed it) then filleting across evenly, in series, "unrolling" the rest of the tenderloin just like you are rolling out a mat, slicing along that same cut lengthwise, keeping your knife precisely parallel to the cutting board.  My roll was a bit thick in places but opened up to about 18 inches long.  You can level out any "bumps" or thick parts with a mallet.  Season both sides with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, roll back up and set aside on a plate.  Meanwhile, prepare the filling.


1 cup baby spinach leaves, chiffonade
1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch basil, chiffonade
2T thyme leaves, chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
20 pieces sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water and minced
6 mushrooms, minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 - 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs, as needed for binding
Salt and pepper, to taste

Let the ricotta cheese come up to room temperature and blend all ingredients.

PREP

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unroll the pork tenderloin onto a cutting board; spread the stuffing mixture generously over the roll but keep the last 3/4  inch clean all the way around.  Roll the tenderloin up slowly, applying some tension to eliminate empty pockets.  Leave the flap side down.  Wrap the roast with several turns of twine, pull to form the roll and tie off.

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Wrap the roast with bacon.

Ready for the oven.

ROASTED POTATOES
3-4 white rose potatoes, cut into eighths
Drizzle olive oil
Cracked pepper

Place the rolled roast in an oven-proof pan alongside potatoes.  Drizzle the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with pepper.

Roast at high temp for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325.  Roast until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with the potatoes and pan drippings or whole grain mustard.

Mi Adovada

I'm back home, and enjoying my last day of  a 5-day break.  I am tackling my version of a recent favorite dish.  With football season quickly approaching, this puerco adovada makes an incredibly versatile stuffing / filling / topping / base for any number of sandwiches, tacos, tortas, sopes, burritos, tamales, tostadas, nachos, dumplings, piroshky -- (get the picture?) QUICKLY and EASILY (two words you won't read often on this blog!) prepared once you have the base product.  The adovada is a rich, spicy, satisfying pulled pork which has been simmered in a Dutch oven or crock pot.

I was introduced to this New Mexican variant of the adobado preparation by sampling a packaged mix (all hail the work of the good folks at Pig Boy Willy) www.pigboywilly.com and it's a great product -- all natural spices and easy to prepare.

But of course, I can't leave well enough alone.

My take on the dish includes garlic, onion, herbs, tomato and wine -- and, of course, MORE chilies.  For convenience I have simmered the pork in a crock pot.

THE RECIPE

3- 5 pounds boneless pork butt roast or country style pork ribs (start out with large chunks)
1/2 brown onion, minced
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
6T New Mexico chili powder (absent in the photo; I used the last of it)
2T dark chili powder
2T dried oregano
1/2 t cayenne powder
3T flour, all-purpose or whole wheat
Sea salt, to taste (start with 1/2t; I used Sel Gris)
1 pasilla chili, cut into slices
1 jalapeno chili, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
2T sherry
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1T crushed red pepper flakes

Line the bottom of the crock pot insert with half of the garlic, onion and peppers.  Add the pork; top with the remaining ingredients with the exception of the cilantro and crushed red peppers.

Cook on HIGH for approx. 6 hours.  Stir every two hours.  When the meat is just tender and can almost be shredded with a fork, add cilantro, crushed red pepper, simmer for 40 minutes and remove from heat.  remove meat with a slotted spoon and allow to cool.

Shred the pork with two forks

and use as a filling for burritos or any of the goodies mentioned above.  Tonight's portion (top picture) was served over a polenta cake with warm tortillas and charro beans.

Side project -- I reduced the extra liquid from the crock pot to use as a sauce base for future use.  To this you can add barbecue sauce, salsa or even teriyaki or hoisin, for an Asian flavor; it's versatile, spicy goodness!