Jun4

Pozole (with spare ribs)

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I usually make turkey pozole, but I wanted to make a pork-based version.  I used spare ribs because I wanted a cut of meat that braises well, but I needed something with a bone to add to the flavor of the broth.  This was even easier to make than turkey pozole, because you don’t have to brown the spare ribs first!

Pozole

2 lbs spare ribs
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp New Mexico ground chile
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt
1 32-oz can of hominy, rinsed and drained
water

For garnish:
red or green cabbage, sliced
lime wedges
cilantro
diced red onion
tortilla chips or corn tortillas
avocado

Rinse the spare ribs, then cut into individual ribs. Put them in a large pot, and cover with water by two inches. Add the onion, garlic, chile, and oregano, and season generously with kosher salt. Heat over medium-high heat until the water reaches a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone. Turn off the heat, and use tongs to remove the ribs from the soup.

While the ribs cool, stir the hominy into the soup. Shred the meat from the ribs and discard the bones. Add the meat to the soup, then stir and warm over medium heat.

Serve with cabbage, tortilla chips, limes, cilantro, diced onion, and avocado.

posole

May31

The secret to juicy pork chops – Brining!

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Pork chops are one of those things that I always thought were just okay. They aren’t as juicy as a steak, and they aren’t as flavorful as some of their other pork cousins (ribs, pork shoulder, pork belly).

The first time I ever saw someone brine a pork chop was years ago in San Francisco. My friend Blake cooked the juiciest pork chop I had ever tasted, and since then, I have always brined my pork chops.

You can use brine to infuse flavors into your meat, but I usually just make a plain one for the juice factor. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices!

Brined Pork Chops

2 thick pork chops
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 c warm water
1 c ice cubes
black pepper
olive oil

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water. Add ice cubes to cool the water, then add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

When you are ready to cook your pork chops, remove them from the brine and rinse thoroughly. They will be very salty if you skip this step! Pat dry with paper towels.

Season the pork chops with black pepper or any other desired seasoning, then sear over medium-high heat in a skillet with olive oil for 3-4 minutes on each side. We have ours with grainy mustard on the side.

May30

S’more bars

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We went to our friends’ house for a barbeque on Sunday, and I woke up with the urge to bake a s’more pie.  This pie has been on my to-make list for years. Unfortunately, I was missing several key ingredients, and at 7:30 a.m., I didn’t feel like a trip to the grocery store.

What I did have were stale graham crackers, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips, so I made a modified version of these deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars from Allrecipes.com. Using graham crackers instead of Rice Crispies made them more like s’mores and less like Rice Crispy Treats. They were a hit! They are not the prettiest of baked goods, but I love the chewiness that the marshmallow layer brings to them.

S’more Bars
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

3/4 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 large eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 T baking cocoa
2 1/2 c mini marshmallows

Topping:
2/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c peanut butter
2 T butter
3 crushed graham crackers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 X 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and baking cocoa), then stir until the batter reaches a thick consistency and there are no lumps. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges of the cake are set, but the insides are still soft. Remove from the oven and top with the mini marshmallows. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the marshmallows are a little bit brown.

Remove from the oven, and with a knife or the back of a spoon, spread the marshmallows around so that they are more even. Allow to cool.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Stir until melted. Add the graham cracker crumbs and stir to combine. If the mixture seems too thick to be spreadable, add a touch of milk.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the marshmallow layer. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened.

May29

Barbeque chicken salad with homemade blue cheese dressing

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In high school, I used to love the barbeque chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen. We were craving grilled chicken on Saturday, but wanted to mix it up a bit from our usual slaw. The creamy, salty blue cheese dressing was a lovely complement to the charred, sweet chicken. I even ate the tomatoes, which I usually pick out of salads.

Barbeque Chicken Salad
(Serves 2)

2/3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
barbeque sauce
lettuce or spring mix
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
1 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 c cucumber slices
1/2 c black beans, rinsed and drained
blue cheese dressing (see below)

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Grill for several minutes on each side, until almost cooked through. Brush with your favorite barbeque sauce, and cook for another minute on each side.

Combine all salad ingredients in a salad bowl. Toss together, then serve with chicken and blue cheese dressing.

Blue Cheese Dressing

1/3 c mayo
1/3 c sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp worcestershire
5 oz. blue cheese (I used stilton)
kosher salt
black pepper

Combine the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Crumble in the blue cheese, and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.