Russ's Restaurant and Recipe Repository

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Indonesian Nasi Goreng

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
5 oz / 150g cold roasted chicken breast, thinly sliced and fried ‘til lightly browned
Handful ready cooked king prawns, crawfish tails, or shelled cooked mussels/oysters
1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, or ordinary dark soy sauce if not available)

RICE:
1.5 tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli, finely chopped
1 onion, medium, diced
3 cups cooked white rice, day old, cold
2 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce, or use dark soy sauce)
2 tsp shrimp paste , optional
1 tbsp Sambal Oelek Indonesian cooking paste
½ cup Chilli-fried peanuts fried in 1 tsp Sambal belacan and ¼ tsp red chilli powder

GADO-GADO SALAD
5 Tomatoes
1 Large cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 Large red onion finely sliced
1 medium white radish, peeled and julienned
Generous handful fresh chilled bean sprouts

Cut Tomatoes, Onion, and cucumber into wedges/chunks and mix with the bean sprouts and shredded radish, sprinkle with a slack handful of crushed chilli peanuts, add a dash of fish sauce, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon golden cane sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, toss and serve

GARNISHES / SIDE SERVINGS (OPTIONAL)
4 eggs, fried to taste
1 green onion, sliced
1 large white onion, finely sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
Lime wedges

Method:
Fried Rice:
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
Add chilli and garlic, stir for 10 seconds.
Add diced onion, cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken and any other meats or seafood, cook for a few minutes to warm through, then add 1 tbsp kecap manis or dark soy, and cook for a further 1 minute then add Sambal Oelek sweet and salty chilli Sambal paste Add rice, 2 tbsp kecap manis and shrimp paste, if using. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly, for 2 minutes until sauce reduces down.

Chilli Peanuts:
While the rice is frying, toss a handful of salted roasted peanuts in a hot, oiled skillet and fry until the peanut aroma rises, stir in the teaspoon of Sambal Belacan paste and ¼ teaspoon chilli powder, stir until the peanuts are coated and put in the rice, reserving some for the Gado-Gado salad. Stir through and keep warm.

Crispy Onions and Garlic:
Fry the finely sliced white onions in enough hot vegetable oil to cover, stir the turmeric powder into the hot oil and fry the shredded onions until crisp then stir in the sliced garlic. Fry until the garlic is golden crisp, then remove from the oil and drain well on kitchen paper, reserve in a side dish.

Lightly crush the reserved chilli peanuts and sprinkle over the prepared Gado-Gado salad.

To Serve:
Stir the crispy onions and garlic into the rice and meat mixture (as much or as little as each diner wants) and serve by platter topped with a fried egg fried over easy and a sprinkle of chopped green onion and finely sliced red chilli for each dinner guest.

 

[AloneTooLong]

Peppers Texas style

Candied Jalapenos (Cowboy Candy)

I don't slice across, I cut the stem off and slice lengthwise, usually about 4-5 slices (and usually remove most of the seeds)
Slice peppers
1 1/2 lbs fresh jalapenos (about 30 peppers)

Mix below ingredients to make the 'syrup.
▢ 1 cup apple cider vinegar
▢ 3 cups granulated sugar
▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
▢ 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
▢ 1/4 tsp celery seed

Add vinegar, sugar, and spices to a large pot and heat until boiling.
Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
If you notice your mixture starts to foam up a lot, decrease your heat and stir it a bit to get it to calm down.

Once boiling, add your sliced peppers, and allow to come back to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 4 minutes.
Transfer peppers to jars, using traditional methods of preparing jars and lids (for food safety).
use a slotted spoon to leave as much of the liquid in the pot as possible.
Fill the jars to within about 1/4-1/2″ of the top of the jar.

Increase the heat again and bring the syrup to a full rolling boil.
Boil for about 6 minutes.
Either ladle, or transfer syrup to a pitcher to pour into the glass jars with the peppers.*
Fill the jars to within about 1/4-1/2″ of the top of the jar.*

Wipe the rims of jars with a damp paper towel and screw on canning jar lids.
Refrigerate for at least 1-2 weeks (3-4 weeks for optimal flavor and texture).

 

[NotWise]

I'm sure I'll have to cut the recipe down to match what I get from the garden, but I want to do this.

 

[AloneTooLong]

Cowboy Candy

NW, they are really 'tasty'. Not really quite as 'hot' as just eating them 'raw', i.e. uncooked. Great to have a dish of them on the table at holiday time; also great over a block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Yum.

 

[AloneTooLong]

Russ, here is the other jalapeno recipe I make.

TexMex pepper & carrots

Frequently found "free" on the restaurant table.

This is never canned, and due to the lesser amount of vinegar and lack of salt , it should be refrigerated and eaten within a week or so.

Can multiply quantities easily.

1 c water
1/2 c vinegar, preferably white, but cider vinegar works also.

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, sliced lengthwise, then across; you want pieces to be 'bite' size, perhaps 1" x 1 1/2"

1 medium size carrot, slice on the diagonal, 1/8 – 1/4" thick

1 piece of white onion, slice fairly thick then cut across, again about same size as peppers

When I last made this, I had 4 oz carrot, 4 oz onion, 2 oz pepper. You definitely want more onion and carrot than pepper.

Bring liquids to a boil:

add carrot slices, simmering boil for about 3 minutes, you want the carrot to still be a bit crunchy.

Now add the onion, stir a minute, then add peppers.

Stir another minute then pour everything into a Mason canning jar (or a stainless steel container).

Cover, refrigerate. Serve in a glass/ceramic/porcelain bowl.

I am not 'brave' enough to make this with any peppers that are hotter than jalapeno. For those who don't even like this much 'heat' I suggest you use less jalapeno and then some sort of 'sweet' pepper. Bell pepper would certainly work but would change the taste/flavor.

You can certainly add some salt, peppercorns, cumin, etc.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Hallowe’en Toffee-Apple Cake

Ingredients:
3 eggs
200g /7oz caster sugar
280ml /10fl.oz. vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
375g/13 ½ oz. plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
500g/17 ½ oz. chopped, peeled apples
120g /4oz. chopped pecans

For the toffee sauce:
125g/4 ½ oz. butter
60ml/2 fl.oz. milk
225g/8oz. dark brown soft sugar
1 pinch salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ Gas 4.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy, then gradually add the sugar. Gently blend in the oil and vanilla.

Combine the flour, salt and bicarb thoroughly and to the add to egg mixture.

Stir in the chopped apples and pecans.

Spoon the batter into a greased 10”/25cm ring pan and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake tests done with a knife or skewer.

Cool the cake in the cake pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove cake to a serving platter.

For the toffee sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly drizzle over warm cake and leave to cool.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Chilled Louisiana Raspberry Charlotte

Ingredients:
18–20 Sugared Sponge fingers, halved crosswise
475ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
65g refined white sugar
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
240ml whipping cream
500g fresh raspberries
Confectioner’s sugar, to garnish
8 × 2-inch (20 × 5-cm) round spring-locked non-stick Cake Pan

Method:
Line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Arrange the sponge fingers tightly, sugar side out and rounded-ends down, around the sides of the pan.

Bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Remove the vanilla pod and whisk the milk mixture into the bowl. Rinse out the saucepan. Return the custard to the saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon (185°F/85°C). Strain through a wire sieve into a clean bowl.

Sprinkle the gelatin over 30ml water in a small heatproof dish. Let stand for 5 minutes, until spongy. Place the dish in a shallow pan of very hot water and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Stir into the custard and mix well. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let stand, stirring often, until the custard is almost set.

Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the custard. Stir in half the raspberries. Carefully spoon into the sponge finger-lined cake tin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set completely.

Invert the cake pan onto a platter to unmold, and carefully release the spring-lock so as not to jar the Charlotte. Arrange the remaining raspberries on top. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve chilled.

 

[Handley_Page]

Advice from a pal:-

To test if spaghetti is ready to eat throw it at the wall and if it leaves a dent it’s still in the tin.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Luxury Chelsea Buns

Classic Chelsea Buns

Bun Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold butter, diced
1/2 cup tepid milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup raisins, sultanas, and/or dried currants
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
100g marzipan crumbled and mixed with a very little dry sherry to a smooth, workable, but not runny, paste
¼ cup apricot jam diluted with a little warm water, to glaze

Equipment:
9-inch (23-cm) square cake pan

Method:
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl.
Add the butter and rub it well in with your fingertips.
Make a well in the center and pour in the milk and egg and mix to form a soft dough.
Knead on a lightly floured work surface for 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning several times to coat the dough.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Lightly butter the cake pan. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to knock it back a little and roll into a rectangle about 12 × 9 inches (30 × 23 cm).

To make the filling:
Brush the surface of the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) border along the long sides.
With a spatula knife spread the marzipan paste evenly over the dough sheet, leaving a 2cm/1-inch border all round.
Mix the raisins, brown sugar, and sultanas together and sprinkle evenly over the spread paste filling, pressing them lightly to make them adhere to the almond/sherry paste.
Starting at a long side, roll up the dough and pinch the seam closed.
Slice the dough into 9 equal pieces with a very sharp wide-bladed knife to prevent pulling and tearing of the dough.
Arrange the slices in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand somewhere warm about 30 minutes, until doubled. If you are unsure about people with nut allergies (the almonds in the marzipan…) substitute warmed thick unset honey and spread it thinly.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 30 minutes, until pale golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Brush the buns with the dilute apricot jam to glaze and leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and serve warm.

Tips
The buns can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.

Freezing Information: Freeze baked buns up to 1 month.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

It's the 2nd week of November, that means my Christmas baking is getting underway. At last, the family will be joining us for Christmas after the lockdown bust of last year, so we're in 'feed the famly until they explode' mode; so far this morning Jonny and I have turned out 60+ deep-filled jam tarts and there's another 60 planned, rolled out enough shortcrust pastry for 30 Cornish Pasties, made over a gallon of mincemeat, the real stuff, with ground venison mixed in with the fruit and beef suet, and got my Christmas cake ingredients together.

I got the recipe for the cake from Will's 4x great-Grandmother's kitchen book, so a genuine rich fruit Victorian Christmas cake loaded with candied fuit, gin, rum, brandy, English cider, India Pale Ale, and spices. I'll mix it all up tonight, I need Will to help me, it takes arms like Popeye's to stir that much fruit and cake batter, and then I'll let it sit in the cold room in a sealed container for a few weeks to mature, pricking and drip-feeding it a cocktail of gin, brandy, Cointreau, and light sugar syrup every so often to keep it moist. I usually bake it mid-December, then let it rest, mature, and prick it occasionally to soak up more booze until it's time to decorate it the week before Christmas. I make my own almond paste from scratch and Royal sugar icing, and Will has a super-steady hand, so he gets the honor of icing the cake.

I've set next week aside to make my Christmas table accompaniments. It's kind of set in stone with Will to serve fruit jellies with cold cuts and cold game at Christmas, and Will and his friends love their traditional tracklements like Redcurrant, Apricot, Apple, or Bramble jelly, Red Onion marmalade, sweet mango chutney, and mint jelly with lamb, blackcurrant jelly with venison, and Elderberry and Port or Quince jelly with beef. There's another traditional British tracklement, Piccalili, a kind of yellow blah, I sniffed some once, but honestly, I didn't know whether to eat it or step over it, so I settled for spitting it out and mainlining Listerine.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Char Sui Barbecued Pork

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless pork loin or rolled pork shoulder, unrolled and skinned

Marinade:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or Japanese sake, or Shaoxing wine)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
10 drops red food colouring (Optional)

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a pan. Heat over medium low heat. Cook and stir occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from the stove to cool off.

Cut the pork along the grain, into 2 strips about 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
Transfer the pork to a gallon-sized ziploc bag.
Pour half of the marinade onto the pork and save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge (for later use).
Seal the bag and press as much as air out as possible.
Rub the bag so that the pork is covered well with the marinade.
Let marinate at room temperature for 3 hours, or in the fridge overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. After the oven is preheated, turn on grill
Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven, about 10 inches from the grill element.
Add the red food colouring into the remaining marinade.
Line a baking pan with baking foil and add 1/4-inch of water.
Place a baking rack on top. Drain pork loin and discard the marinating bag and liquid.
Transfer pork onto the baking rack.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in total, until the internal temperature registers 140 to 150 degrees F (60 to 70 C). Flip pork every 4 to 5 minutes, 3 times, until the surface is cooked.

In the last 5 to 6 minutes, flip the pork every 1 to 2 minutes, and generously brush marinade onto the pork using the remaining marinade saved earlier.

When it’s finishing up, the pork should be covered with a thick coat of marinade, slightly charred/caramelized, with the inside still a bit pink (or just cooked through).

Remove the pan from the oven. Tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Goan Vindaloo Curry

Ingredients:
2 tbs vegetable oil
6 fresh curry leaves,
150g piri-piri masala, see below for recipe
800 g leg of pork, cut into 2cm cubes (or 800g shin or stewing beef, or chicken, duck, or lean lamb) suitable for slow cooking, or, for the vegetarian option, use 1 kg Okra, pumpkin or squash cut into 1-inch cubes, or small aubergines cut into quarters.
250 ml chicken stock, vegetable stock or water,
1 tbsp tamarind pulp, or paste, or 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 large tsp Sugar
1 large tbsp Tomato Puree
12 baby Potatoes (if desired)
1 large tsp Salt

For the piri-piri masala (needs to be made at least 3 hours before using, or the night before for the most intense flavour)
20g large dried chillies, broken, dry pounded in a mortar & pestle, or snipped into pieces, or you could use 20g dried chilli flakes.
50g Ginger, coarsely sliced
200 ml palm vinegar,
10 cloves Garlic, coarsely sliced
1 tbsp Coriander (Cilantro) seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 cm cinnamon stick
5 Black peppercorns

Method:
First prepare the piri-piri masala. Put the dried chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and peppercorns in a bowl. Pour in enough of the vinegar to cover, then cover tightly and set aside for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Crush the masala mixture to a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle. If using a blender or grinder you may need more vinegar. Add the vinegar a little at a time, taking care not to make the paste runny.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat.

Add the curry leaves and fry, stirring now and then for a few seconds, then add the meat, or vegetable substitute, mixing well.

Stir in the piri-piri masala and cook until everything is well browned.

Stir in the stock or water, then add the tamarind, tomato, and sugar, bring to the boil then back it down and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, then lower the heat and slow simmer for another 40 minutes, or until the meat/vegetables are cooked through.

Two-thirds of the way through the cooking time, add the uncooked, unpeeled baby potatoes (if included).

Season with salt to taste, then serve with plain or Pilau rice.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Crispy Roast Belly Pork (Siu Yuk)

[/b]Ingredients:[/b]
1kg pork belly uncut slab
2 tsp sea salt
½ tbsp five-spice powder
½ tbsp white pepper powder (or milled Szechuan peppercorns)
water
Pak-Choi cabbage
Oyster Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 cloves Garlic, crushed and minced
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil

Method:

Use kitchen tweezers or electrician’s pliers to pull out stray hair on the pork belly skin, if any (or use a blowlamp to burn them off, if you have one). Use a knife to scrape the skin for a few minutes to remove impurities. Rinse pork belly and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine 1 tsp salt, 5-spice powder and white pepper in a small bowl. Rub the marinade all over the meat portion only. If any marinade gets on the skin, rub it off with a paper towel.

Rub the remaining 1 tsp salt on the skin. Place pork belly on a plate, uncovered, skin side up and let it marinade for a few hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator under a mesh cover. The purpose is to dry the skin thoroughly and also to allow the marinade to seep into the meat.

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C for at least 30 minutes before putting the pork in.

Place the pork belly on a rack in a Bain-Marie (a large square roasting tin with a tall fitted rack, half filled with hot water will do nicely for this). Be careful not to let the skin get wet, if that happens, pat dry with a paper towel.

Bake the pork belly in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to get the blistering on the skin started.
By this time, the skin will be softened and you can see some blistering on the skin.

Turn down the heat to 200°C for another 70 minutes, topping-up the water in the Bain-Marie every 20 minutes or so, or until the skin is roasted to crispy perfection.

Place the cooked pork on a wire rack and allow the meat to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting.

Now slice the Pak-Choi lengthways and place in a prepared steamer, steam for 15 minutes and arrange on a plate.

Meanwhile, fry the crushed garlic in the sunflower oil, add the bottle of Oyster Sauce and stir until steaming hot, stir in the Sesame oil, remove from the heat and pour over the steamed Pak-Choi.

Place the meat on a chopping board, skin side up. Slice the pork into 1 inch strips, and further cut the strips to smaller, bite-sized pieces. Serve on a large platter alongside the Pak-Choi.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder

Wet Rub Ingredients:
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1½ tablespoons fine sea or kosher salt (see Notes)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Method:
Pound the garlic cloves and salt to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the peppercorns and oregano, pounding well after each one to incorporate them into the paste. Stir in the oil and vinegar.


Pork Roast:
One 4½-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast

Method:
Up to 3 days before you serve the roast, set it in a bowl, skin side up. With a paring or boning knife, make several slits about ½ inches apart through the skin of the roast and into the meat. Make the slits as deep as you can. Wiggle a finger in the slits to open them up a bit and then fill each one with wet rub using a teaspoon. (A pair of latex gloves comes in handy when it comes time to rub the wet rub into the pork.) Do the same on all sides. If you have rub left over, smear it all over the outside of the roast. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 day or up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Set the roast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, turn the heat down to 400 degrees F, and roast until the skin is a deep golden brown and crackly and with no trace of pink near the bone, about 1½ hours or until an instant reading thermometer inserted near the bone registers 160 degrees F. Let the roast rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

To serve, remove the crispy skin. It will pull right off in big pieces. Cut them into smaller pieces—kitchen shears work well for this—and pile them in the centre of the platter. Carve the meat parallel to the bones all the way down to the bone. (It will get trickier to carve neat slices as you get near the bone; don’t let that bother you.)

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Tennessee-Style Sweet Barbecue Baby Back-Ribs

Ingredients:
4 racks baby back pork ribs, about 2 3/4 lbs each (see Notes)

Mustard Moisturizer:
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Seasoning Blend:
6 tablespoons mild chilli powder, preferably Chimayo, Ancho or Hatch
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/4 teaspoons coarsely ground fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Wrapping Mixture:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup honey
1/4 cup apple juice

Honey BBQ Sauce:
1 cup Apple Barbecue Sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and grated on a Microplane grater
About 1/2 cup Apple Juice Spray

Apple Juice Spray:
1 cup unsweetened apple juice, 1 cup water, shaken together in a clean spray-bottle (or substitute unsweetened Apricot Juice for a sweeter, fruitier, more aromatic flavor)

Apple BBQ Sauce:
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet white onion coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional as needed
1/4 cup bourbon
3 tablespoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, plus additional for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, plus additional for seasoning
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups water
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, plus additional as needed
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 jalapeno chilli, grated on a Microplane grater, stopping before the seeds
1/2 Granny Smith apple, grated on a Microplane grater

Method:
Preheat an indirect barbecue drip pan and fruitwood (preferably apple), a ceramic cooker with deflector plate and fruitwood (preferably apple) or a charcoal or gas grill with a box or packet of fruitwood (preferably apple) to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all of the Mustard Moisturizer ingredients. Combine all of the seasoning blend ingredients. Rub a thin layer of the Mustard Moisturizer on all sides of the racks and lightly sprinkle with the seasoning blend on all sides. The remaining seasoning blend will be used later in the cooking.

If using a ceramic cooker, the racks can be placed an inch apart on a rib. They might need to be trimmed to fit the cooking surface so the lid can close. If using a larger indirect or direct barbecue, no additional trimming is necessary. Place the ribs in the cooker and cook for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the Wrapping Mixture ingredients.

Tear off 8 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Working with 2 sheets of foil at a time, place a quarter of the Wrapping Mixture on the foil, top with a rack of ribs, and wrap in the foil, crimping to seal. Wrap with the second sheet of foil. Repeat for three remaining 3 racks of ribs.

If using a ceramic cooker, stack the packets on top of each other. If using a smoker, place the ribs on sheet pans for easier movement.

Place the packets back in the cooker, meat side down, and cook for 1 hour, flipping half way through.

Remove the racks from the cooker and let rest in the foil packets for 20 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the foil and dust lightly on both sides with additional seasoning blend. Place the ribs back in the cooker, meat side up, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the Honey BBQ Sauce ingredients.

Remove the racks from the cooker and brush with an even, but not too thick layer of sauce. The layer should evenly coat the ribs but should not clump. Place meat in the cooker, meat side up, for 25 minutes to tighten up the sauce.

Paint a cutting board with some of the remaining sauce.

Remove the ribs from the cooker and place on the prepared cutting board adding additional sauce as needed to cover, but not excessively coat. Spray twice with apple juice spray. Cut the ribs from the racks and dredge to coat the exposed sides with the remaining BBQ sauce.

For Apple BBQ Sauce:
Pour the oil in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Stir in garlic, onion, bell pepper and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the bourbon and cook until the alcohol has cooked off, about 5 minutes. There will no longer be the strong smell of alcohol.

Combine the chili powder, black pepper, allspice and cloves and add to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the brown sugar, water, ketchup, molasses, mustard, vinegar, hot sauce and preserves. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to be sure nothing sticks to the bottom and burns. Reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 45 minutes.

Add the jalapeño and apple. At this point the sauce can be left chunky or blended in a blender (blend in small batches since it will be hot), or in a bowl using an immersion/stick blender until smooth.

Season to taste with additional allspice, cloves, salt and vinegar to taste.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Lori’s Cajun-Style St Louis Ribs

Note: this is a bake and grill recipe, so you’ll need an open grill with a vented smoker lid to develop the full flavor.

Ingredients:
10 lbs (usually 2 racks) St. Louis-style pork ribs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped red onions
½ cup finely chopped shallots
4 garlic cloves, finely crushed or minced
1 ½ cup tomato paste (not the herbed variety)
1 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons Demerara or Muscovado dark sugar, not white refined sugar
8 Szechuan peppercorns, roughly crushed (for aroma)
1 level tablespoon Garlic Salt
½ tablespoon Celery salt
1 level tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Method:

Marinade:
Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over low heat.
Add onions and shallots and sauté for about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onions are ‘sweated’ and translucent but not browned, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, chilli powder, cumin, the salts, and red pepper flakes. Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, adjusting the flavor to taste.

Set aside half of the marinade for serving.

Ribs:
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ribs on a baking sheet, paint both sides generously with marinade, and bake for about an hour.

Place ribs on hot grill and cook for 3-5 minutes until one side is nicely browned. Turn the ribs and close the cover of the grill, making sure vents are open enough to allow airflow, but not so much that there are flames around the meat.
(I usually have some wet apple wood standing-by to go on the coals at this point, as the smoke makes the ribs even more aromatic)

Grill the ribs for 10 more minutes, turning if necessary.

Place ribs on a platter, brush with reserved marinade, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice between ribs and serve hot with the remaining reserved marinade for dipping.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Louisiana-Style Spicy Peanut-Coated Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 - 4 pork chops, 350gr, 12.5oz boneless top loin chops

Marinade:
1 tbs peanut butter, creamy, 16gr, .56oz
1 tbs soy sauce, 16gr, .56oz
1 tbs red wine vinegar, 15gr, .53oz
1 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce/Tabasco
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1 tbs sesame or walnut oil, 13.5gr, .48oz
2 tbs olive oil, 27gr, .96oz

Method:
Mix all ingredients for marinade and pour over chops.
Let marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours .
Cook on barbecue for 5 - 8 minutes a side or until done. Should be done all the way through, no pink meat visible – slide a very sharp knife into one and twist it to separate the meat fibers to check it’s cooked all the way through.

You can also fry the chops gently in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat the same amount of time, or preheat the oven 180F/160 fan-assisted/82C and place the marinated chops, with a layer of the marinade liberally brushed over them, in a high-sided oven dish, loosely cover with kitchen foil, and bake for 20 minutes then remove the foil and broil until the chops are sizzling and showing color.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Oven Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, Louisiana Style

Aromatic Boil:
3 Red Onions, quartered
4 shallots, halved
Bouquet Garni made of: 1Stick of Cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, sprig of fresh Thyme, sprig of fresh Rosemary, tied tightly
½ thick-skinned orange, with 4 cloves pushed into the skin side (or use a thick slice of pineapple if you’re citrus-intolerant)
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns
1½ tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Chilli flakes

Barbecue Sauce:
3 medium-sized sweet dessert apples
16 oz Soft Brown sugar
1½ cups Tomato Ketchup
3 Serrano or finger chillies (or fewer, if you’re concerned about the heat), finely minced
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Black pepper
1tbsp cracked black Peppercorns
½ cup Dark Soy Sauce
¼ cup white wine or cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh orange/pineapple juice
1 shot Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey
1 Heaped tbsp smoked Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 piece fresh ginger, thumb-sized, peeled and finely minced
2 tsp Sea Salt

3 Racks Baby Back Ribs, with silver Back-Sinew removed.

Method:

Preparing the ribs:
Place the ribs in a pan or flat kettle large enough to fit them all in, put in the aromatic boil ingredients, cover with water, and bring to the boil, then back the heat down and let the kettle simmer for at least 45 minutes, making sure it doesn’t boil dry by adding a little hot water occasionally. At the end of this time, remove the ribs from the kettle, pat them dry with kitchen paper and let them stand to cool down.

(Reserve the boil stock if you want to, remove the half-orange and Bouquet Garni, then purée, strain through a fine sieve or muslin jelly bag, clarify with egg white if your consommé is too cloudy, and simmer the resulting consommé with gelatine over a medium heat to a reduction and pour into a shallow steel pan to set. When set, score and cube to make pork bouillon stock cubes for stews and casseroles. Wrap each cube in a piece of kitchen plastic, bag or box them up, and they’ll keep indefinitely in the freezer)

Preparing the Oven Marinade:
Put the brown sugar, whiskey, vinegar, juice, tomato ketchup and Soy sauce in a large bowl, stir them together thoroughly and add the minced ginger, Fennel seeds, minced chillies, black pepper, Cayenne Pepper, and cracked peppercorns, Paprika, and sea salt, stir well. Core and finely grate the apples, there’s no need to peel them, and stir the shredded apple into the marinade, cover with kitchen film and let stand for an hour to let the flavor intensify.

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 345F/180C.

Place the ribs in the widest, flattest oven pan you can find, laying them flat side by side if possible, cutting the racks into pieces to fit if necessary, and spoon the marinade/sauce generously over them, making sure every rack or piece of rack is coated; turn them over and coat the back side as well, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the ribs are as sticky and glistening and crisp as you want them (if you think the ribs are drying too quickly then brush some of the marinade over and loosely cover the pan with kitchen foil to prevent burning; don’t just turn the heat down, this will roast the ribs.)

When done, pile the ribs on a serving platter, and deglaze the pan vigorously with a little water using a steel spatula over a medium heat on the stove top, stir in the remaining sauce and heat through, keeping it moving all the time with a metal whisk until it’s bubbling hot, stirring in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little water to a runny consistency to thicken it if required, strain through a wire sieve or a conical Chinois and serve with the ribs as a dipping sauce.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Mulled Wine-Glazed Baked Ham

Ingredients:
1 x 2.5 kg (approx) unsmoked middle-cut gammon, with knuckle (In the UK, Gammon is the hind leg of pork after it has been cured by dry-salting or brining, and may or may not be smoked. This recipe calls for the unsmoked variety. Strictly speaking, a gammon is the bottom end of a whole side of bacon (which includes the back leg), while ham is just the back leg cured on its own. Gammon is a cured, but not cooked bacon joint.)

Some sprigs of woody herbs , such as rosemary, thyme
3 fresh bay leaves
2 sticks of celery
2 carrots
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
½ a fresh red chilli
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
olive oil

Glaze:
1 x 454 g jar of orange marmalade, (no-peel)
175 ml full-bodied red wine, such as Rioja
1 star anise
a few cloves , plus extra for the pineapple
½ a stick of cinnamon, or 1 generous pinch of ground cinnamon
1 fresh bay leaf
1 Clementine Orange
1 x 435 g can of pineapple rings in unsweetened juice

Method:
Take your meat out of the fridge and bring it up to room temperature. Place the gammon in your largest pot, then strip in the woody herbs and add the bay. Roughly chop the celery and carrots, peel and quarter the onion, and squash the garlic cloves, then add it all to the pot with the chilli and peppercorns.

Cover with water, bring to the boil, then pop the lid on and simmer gently for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender, turning it halfway, topping up with water occasionally and skimming away any excess fat.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Transfer the gammon to a large roasting pan (save a little of the stock for later), then carefully remove the skin and discard, keeping the fat on the meat.

Score the fat in a criss-cross fashion, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Stand the gammon on-end and roast for 30 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden.

To make the glaze:
Spoon the marmalade into a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the spices and bay, strip in a curl of Clementine peel using a speed-peeler, then pour in the pineapple juice, saving the fruit for later. Allow to bubble away and reduce by half, stirring with a wooden spoon to prevents sticking, then switch off – it should be thick and syrupy.

When the roasting time’s up, take the tray out of the oven, lay the gammon on its side then arrange pineapple rings over the gammon, securing them onto the ham with a few cloves in a regular pattern. Arrange the rest of the pineapple in and around the pan, then pour the glaze over the meat ensuring the ham is coated with the glaze.

Spoon ½ a ladleful of the gammon stock into the pan you used to make the glaze and return to a medium heat, and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the sticky bits from the bottom and keeping the liquid moving until incorporated and dissolved. Pour the deglazed pan scrapings into the roasting pan ensuring all the gammon and pineapple in the pan is coated. Roast for a further 20 minutes, or until beautifully glazed, basting with the run-off glaze every 5 minutes.

Remove the glazed ham to a serving platter, ready to slice hot, cold or at room temperature. Pour any remaining glaze from the tray all over the ham, and arrange the pineapple slices around it.

 

[Handley_Page]

Hallowe’en Toffee-Apple Cake
.
Spoon the batter into a greased 10”/25cm ring pan and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake tests done with a knife or skewer.
.
.
For the toffee sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly drizzle over warm cake and leave to cool.

Please forgive the question, but "cake test done with a skewer, [etc.]" ?
Wassat ??

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Please forgive the question, but "cake test done with a skewer, [etc.]" ?
Wassat ??

Poke a clean skewer or sharp table knife into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean and unstreaked, the cake is baked all the way through. If it comes out smeared with cake batter, cover with a sheet of foil and continue baking

 

[Rustyoznail]

My Nan used a knitting needle…

It must be coming up to Christmas. The Nigella Christmas cooking specials are on. Obviously I watch them for the cooking tips, not for the tight black outfits she wears.

Anyhoo, I’ve compiled a spreadsheet with all the recipes listed against the post number. If you’re interested in a copy, shoot me a pm.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

My Nan used a knitting needle…

It must be coming up to Christmas. The Nigella Christmas cooking specials are on. Obviously I watch them for the cooking tips, not for the tight black outfits she wears.

Anyhoo, I’ve compiled a spreadsheet with all the recipes listed against the post number. If you’re interested in a copy, shoot me a pm.

Will says he could watch her cook all day long and not blink once. Guess who's sleeping on the couch?

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Gougère; Savory creamed-cheese Choux Pastry Profiteroles

Something for your Christmas table to give starters a little extra 'pop':

Gougères (Three-cheese Choux-pastry bites)

Ingredients: (makes about 30 small gougères)
65ml water
55ml full-fat milk
60g butter, unsalted, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
75g strong plain flour (strong plain gives a crisp, firmer pastry than standard plain flour)
2 large eggs, at room temperature: they do not need to be beaten
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon or grain mustard
20g grated Cheddar cheese
20g grated Gruyere cheese
20g grated Parmesan cheese
20ml heavy cream, beaten to a light peak
egg-wash (beaten egg yolk with a splash of milk)

Method:
(1) Preheat the oven to 190C (fan) and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

(2) Heat the water, milk, butter, salt in a saucepan gently until the butter is melted. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil.

(3) Once the water has come to the boil add the flour and mix well until the mixture pulls away from the sides into a smooth ball. Turn down the heat and keep beating for another minute or two. Remove from heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes: the mixture needs to be warm but not hot.

(4) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. It is easiest using a wooden spoon or a hand-mixer. As you beat, the mixture will come together, resulting in a smooth and glossy paste.

NB: the paste will look unsightly once you add each egg (slippery, almost curdled), but trust it: a few moments more beating it will all come together, at which point add the second egg and repeat.

Once the pastry is made, make the creamed cheese filling:

(5) Reserve a level tablespoon of the mixed grated cheeses, mix the remaining cheeses, mustard, cream, cayenne and a good grind of pepper. Mix well into a firm paste, adding a little more cream a little at a time if the mixture is too stiff until just right, then cover and chill.

(6) Put the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle and pipe small mounds of pastry (about the size of a ping-pong ball) onto the greaseproof, ensuring they are well spaced. If any nipples (!) of pastry are sticking up, gently press a wet finger over the top to flatten it. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Alternatively, instead of piping you can place teaspoons of the pastry onto the greaseproof and smooth down with a wet (but not dripping wet!) finger.

(7) Bake for about 20 minutes, until well risen and a beautiful golden brown.

(8) Transfer the baked gougères to a wire rack. Pierce them with a skewer to let the steam escape and leave to cool, then carefully, using a skewer in the bottom of each gougère, hollow out a space in the center of the gougère. Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese mixture and cut a small hole sufficient to fit the hole in the base of each gougère. Pipe the creamed cheese mixture into the hollowed-out center of each gougère and mound them up on a warmed plate. Serve warm or chilled.

 

[Handley_Page]

Lori, my wife would have loved your recipes.