I have never been a fan of these crab cake things. Frying meat, and frying breaded meat is one of those things that I can't get behind. I have given it the old college try- while we were in Budapest on our honeymoon, I ordered the extreme- I think it was chicken wrapped around a pâté, breaded and deep fried. As if that wasn't enough, they drizzled some cream based sauce over it. Possibly the richest meat dish I have ever had. I could only eat about a third of what they gave me. That is saying something- I have done haggis while in Scotland and quite liked it, and I love pâté. I remember my mom bringing home tins of pâté for me when she went to France.
As it turns out, my wife loves crab cakes, and I'm one for a challenge- I'm not so hot at cooking something I don't love, and my wife cannot stand mayo, which is generally a staple ingredient. I think I came up with a decent compromise recipe.
1 lb super lump crab meat (had to go look up what lump crab is. wiki it!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise ( I put less in because my wife hates it so much )
1 tablespoon fresh dill minced (Be careful with this, I think I put too much in- I did almost 2 Tbs. I love the flavor, but I think I over did it)
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
2 large eggs
3-4 Tbs panko crumbs
2-3 tsp seafood seasoning- Old Bay is good. I had never used this before, but if you look online, it's in recipes everywhere. It wasn't in the spices aisle at my grocery store, I finally found it in the meat-seafood area.
ground salt and pepper to taste
If you have mixed a tuna salad, this will be exactly the same for you. Whip up the eggs, then add all the other ingredients. Pour over the crab and mix with your hands. When I say "mix to taste" I think it can vary from house to house. Ever since I stopped smoking, I am very sensitive to salt. You may notice that I don't add a lot in. The real rule for me is that you can't take it out again once added, and you can always add a little at the table.
So, I have tasted this again, as part of a green salad I made for my wife. I still think I over did it on the dill, but I think it's still tasty.
We have a pretty handy little cast iron griddle. I stuck that in the oven at 425 until heated. I patted together four patties, and grilled/cooked them for about five minutes on a side. Served them up kind of like a burger- sliced up some onion and tomato, put them on a piece of bread, made up some cocktail sauce with ketchup and horseradish. My wife did the heavy lifting on the prep of the plate- she threw some sweet potato fries in the oven, and cut up all the toppings.
I had leftover after making four burger sized patties, and I had a bit of my green chili from the last batch. My wife had the idea of mixing the two together. She likes her crab cakes with a little spice added- adding some red pepper flakes from the get go would work well. I'll post a comment on this thread as to how the green-chili version worked, that might be lunch today. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
One more ice cream recipe
I'm getting harassed to post more ice cream. This is one I haven't tried yet, but looks great!
Ben and Jerry have different tastes in Chocolate. This is Ben's mixed with Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Freeze the cups, and cut into pieces. They call for one cup. I think you should at least double that. Watch your fingers as you do that, you could hurt yourself!
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
Editorial:
Heavy cream has more fat than whipping cream.
Many recipes call for half and half- a lower cal version still.
I usually go with heavy cream, and that is why I'm not doing a couple quarts of ice cream every other day.
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch of salt
The recipe calls for a double boiler, but my wife is correct in saying that melting chocolate in the microwave is the easiest way. Do it this way for your choco fondue as well! Whisk in the milk slowly until smooth. Remove from heat and let sit to cool.
Whisk the eggs until fluffy. Whisk in the sugar _very_ gradually. I can't emphasize how important it is to do the sugar thing slowly- it will make or break your recipe. It's the same with vanilla, you think your hand is falling off. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Blend it up.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream and blend.
Refrigerate until cold for at least 3 hours. Stick it in the maker and go for the required time. Add the pieces of candy in the last two minutes as usual. I haven't done this recipe, but I think it will be great! Let me know!
Ben and Jerry have different tastes in Chocolate. This is Ben's mixed with Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Freeze the cups, and cut into pieces. They call for one cup. I think you should at least double that. Watch your fingers as you do that, you could hurt yourself!
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
Editorial:
Heavy cream has more fat than whipping cream.
Many recipes call for half and half- a lower cal version still.
I usually go with heavy cream, and that is why I'm not doing a couple quarts of ice cream every other day.
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch of salt
The recipe calls for a double boiler, but my wife is correct in saying that melting chocolate in the microwave is the easiest way. Do it this way for your choco fondue as well! Whisk in the milk slowly until smooth. Remove from heat and let sit to cool.
Whisk the eggs until fluffy. Whisk in the sugar _very_ gradually. I can't emphasize how important it is to do the sugar thing slowly- it will make or break your recipe. It's the same with vanilla, you think your hand is falling off. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Blend it up.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream and blend.
Refrigerate until cold for at least 3 hours. Stick it in the maker and go for the required time. Add the pieces of candy in the last two minutes as usual. I haven't done this recipe, but I think it will be great! Let me know!
Valentines Day Surprise - Shrimp Stir-Fry
I think it is likely that my wife might get into some trouble with her parents when I tell this next story. For some time after she moved into her house, the front door lock wouldn't work. This got fixed eventually, but it worked out for a surprise dinner I cooked up on Valentines day. I left work early, and drove down to her place before she got home and cooked the following recipe from the food network web site. Shrimp is one of her favorite foods, so I was pretty sure this one would be a hit. She wasn't ready for someone to be in her kitchen when she got home though- in retrospect, possibly not one of my most brilliant ideas.
Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil- slimmed.
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs water
2 tsp southeast Asian fish sauce
4 tsp light brown sugar
3 tbs peanut oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbs grated ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes (season to your taste)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
1 yellow pepper cut into 1-inch dice
1 jalapeno sliced into thin rounds
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved. (those slightly smaller ones you can get work well)
3/4 cup basil, torn by hand
1/4 cup mint, torn by hand
2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
serving suggestion: Jasmine rice
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (break out that wok if you have one. get it nice and hot) Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle- maybe 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Add the onion, yellow pepper, and jalapeno to the skillet and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil to glaze the shrimp. Turn the heat off and add the tomatoes, basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to your serving plate and serve immediately.
As stated above, jasmine rice is a great flavor for this recipe, so have it cooking at the same time. This recipe is quite low cal- 286 calories per serving. Lots of flavor and no guilt!
Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil- slimmed.
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs water
2 tsp southeast Asian fish sauce
4 tsp light brown sugar
3 tbs peanut oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbs grated ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes (season to your taste)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
1 yellow pepper cut into 1-inch dice
1 jalapeno sliced into thin rounds
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved. (those slightly smaller ones you can get work well)
3/4 cup basil, torn by hand
1/4 cup mint, torn by hand
2 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
serving suggestion: Jasmine rice
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (break out that wok if you have one. get it nice and hot) Add the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle- maybe 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Add the onion, yellow pepper, and jalapeno to the skillet and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil to glaze the shrimp. Turn the heat off and add the tomatoes, basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to your serving plate and serve immediately.
As stated above, jasmine rice is a great flavor for this recipe, so have it cooking at the same time. This recipe is quite low cal- 286 calories per serving. Lots of flavor and no guilt!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Hard Boiled Eggs- the easier way
After years of doing hard boiled eggs from the fridge to the boiling water, I found out it is better to do them this way. You always "shock" them when you put them in the water, and as an engineer, I should have figured this out earlier. If they break, surely your Easter is ruined. Ok, it's not ruined, but then you have weird, ethereal boiled egg whites to deal with, and no one needs that.
Put the eggs in your pot and submerge them in water- should be about a half inch over the top. Bring the pot to a boil, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 12 minutes. I then submerge them in ice water which does two things. The cooking stops, and it makes them easier to peel. Another odd tip about eggs this way- they are easier to peel if they are a little older. Buy them a week before you cook them.
They are a great low cal snack, give 'em a try with a little salt!
-edit-
The NEW easiest way!
Get out your rice cooker, get it steaming, and then eggs in there for 12 minutes. Pull them out and let them rest on a paper towel.
done and done!
Put the eggs in your pot and submerge them in water- should be about a half inch over the top. Bring the pot to a boil, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 12 minutes. I then submerge them in ice water which does two things. The cooking stops, and it makes them easier to peel. Another odd tip about eggs this way- they are easier to peel if they are a little older. Buy them a week before you cook them.
They are a great low cal snack, give 'em a try with a little salt!
-edit-
The NEW easiest way!
Get out your rice cooker, get it steaming, and then eggs in there for 12 minutes. Pull them out and let them rest on a paper towel.
done and done!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Al's Dip Unleashed!
Our Al's dip is a family favorite. So much so it got a family name! I'm not sure how Al's dip became famous that way, but we are keeping it.
It is very easy to make:
Cube a two pound block of velveta. I know, it's crazy.
Brown a pound of hamburger and drain.
Melt the cheese in a large bowl in the microwave on medium for two minutes at a time. Mix it up at the end of each two minute stint. After it's all melted, add the hamburger. Another two minutes in the microwave makes it easy to mix.
Add your favorite salsa to taste. We use Pace medium, usually. Have plenty of corn chips on hand for this one- it's a party favorite as well!
BTW, the wife wants a crack at this as a guest poster- she wants a clear record about how I'm OCD. Look forward to that post!
-edit-
I recently made this for the new years party we attended- but it just wasn't tasting spicy enough for me. I found some habenero pepper hot sauce we had in the fridge and added that. It added a little more zing to the mixture.
-edit 2-
Most recently I used ground chuck, and it was that much better- the meat was more tender and delish. I am also toying around with other hot sauces you find at the grocery. So far I like the habenero mentioned above the best.
It is very easy to make:
Cube a two pound block of velveta. I know, it's crazy.
Brown a pound of hamburger and drain.
Melt the cheese in a large bowl in the microwave on medium for two minutes at a time. Mix it up at the end of each two minute stint. After it's all melted, add the hamburger. Another two minutes in the microwave makes it easy to mix.
Add your favorite salsa to taste. We use Pace medium, usually. Have plenty of corn chips on hand for this one- it's a party favorite as well!
BTW, the wife wants a crack at this as a guest poster- she wants a clear record about how I'm OCD. Look forward to that post!
-edit-
I recently made this for the new years party we attended- but it just wasn't tasting spicy enough for me. I found some habenero pepper hot sauce we had in the fridge and added that. It added a little more zing to the mixture.
-edit 2-
Most recently I used ground chuck, and it was that much better- the meat was more tender and delish. I am also toying around with other hot sauces you find at the grocery. So far I like the habenero mentioned above the best.
Ice Cream!
If you stick around here long enough, I think you will find a pattern- it will be food I love every time. Generally, it won't be stuff that is good for the waist line, and is why the OCD part isn't so good for people who have access to our fridge. As indicated in the introduction, ice cream is my other weakness, and the center of my last recipe obsession.
I didn't look very far to get my start on this new compulsion. Ben and Jerry have a recipe book, and it is a good read. There is a bunch I can share from this thing, but I will start with the basics, namely because I'll start with the tools, and it's my favorite and quite easy to make!
I made the mistake of trying for the cheap maker. It was one quart, and a cheaper brand- it stopped working as soon as the ice cream was getting firm. Go the extra mile when getting a machine, it is worth it.
We have a Cuisinart 2 quart maker. I don't know if you remember the ice-in-a-salty-bucket thing as a kid, and maybe it's just me sitting by that bucket waiting waiting waiting.... but ice cream is created pretty quickly now, with a little prep time. Makers come with a prep bowl that you freeze for 24 hours. You have to take some care when cleaning this, sending it through the dish washer will ruin it... but from pour to finish, your ice cream is done in less than 30 minutes in this thing, and the vanilla recipe from Ben and Jerry is a quick, no cook base for everything you like to mix into ice cream.
It sounds excessive to buy a 2 quart machine. The good reason to do so anyway is that ice cream expands quite a bit while being made. The first maker I bought on the cheap stopped working the first time out. Also, adding your favorite candy/cake/cookies/syrup is quite a strain on the motor of your maker.
Without further ado, Ben and Jerry's basic vanilla. Please try this at home with your favorite mix at the end!
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk to blend.
2. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
Adding to this a package of heath bar crunches from the cooking aisle of the grocery store is why our maker has been exiled to our top shelf, and the purchase of ice cream making goods is under intense scrutiny. Ben and Jerry suggest four bars worth, but after my experimentation, their recommendations are too low on all accounts, no matter what you are adding. I did cookies and cream... need more cookies... etc etc etc. If you are doing something like cookies, my experience is to make sure some bigger chunks are in there. My cookies and cream turn out almost like chocolate. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but you need those chunks in there. Whatever it is, it gets added at the very end. Mixed for two minutes and then in to the freezer or into your bowl. Incidentally, the only thing that sucks more than cleaning a deep fryer is cleaning one of those soft serve machines. I was the apprentice for that- another engineer was "the guy" I was learning from. If you think I'm pedantic, just wait for him to start a blog.
Alton Brown did a whole episode about ice cream, and I had no idea there was a five level grade system about what ice cream is all about. Much of it has to do with how much air ends up in there- your light stuff has lots, your decadent stuff has less. Good Eats is my favorite food channel show, but alas- I didn't love his recipe, so it isn't included here.
I am looking for a chocolate recipe that is good. I have tried a couple recipes and have failed badly, my wife can account. My underscore_favorite_ununderscore is B&Js brownie batter- I think there is a reward for a mix that pulls that off in the home. The chocolates I have attempted are either mediocre (barely edible but I'm the man for the job) or bad. (there is only so much bad ice cream I can eat!) I am also looking for lower calorie versions. In general you vary the fat of the cream / milk that you use- all recipes use a variant of milk to cream.
I will look to do lower calorie recipes- my wife loves my red chili, ground turkey recipe that is about as basic as it gets. I don't cut corners on ice cream, though!
I didn't look very far to get my start on this new compulsion. Ben and Jerry have a recipe book, and it is a good read. There is a bunch I can share from this thing, but I will start with the basics, namely because I'll start with the tools, and it's my favorite and quite easy to make!
I made the mistake of trying for the cheap maker. It was one quart, and a cheaper brand- it stopped working as soon as the ice cream was getting firm. Go the extra mile when getting a machine, it is worth it.
We have a Cuisinart 2 quart maker. I don't know if you remember the ice-in-a-salty-bucket thing as a kid, and maybe it's just me sitting by that bucket waiting waiting waiting.... but ice cream is created pretty quickly now, with a little prep time. Makers come with a prep bowl that you freeze for 24 hours. You have to take some care when cleaning this, sending it through the dish washer will ruin it... but from pour to finish, your ice cream is done in less than 30 minutes in this thing, and the vanilla recipe from Ben and Jerry is a quick, no cook base for everything you like to mix into ice cream.
It sounds excessive to buy a 2 quart machine. The good reason to do so anyway is that ice cream expands quite a bit while being made. The first maker I bought on the cheap stopped working the first time out. Also, adding your favorite candy/cake/cookies/syrup is quite a strain on the motor of your maker.
Without further ado, Ben and Jerry's basic vanilla. Please try this at home with your favorite mix at the end!
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk to blend.
2. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
Adding to this a package of heath bar crunches from the cooking aisle of the grocery store is why our maker has been exiled to our top shelf, and the purchase of ice cream making goods is under intense scrutiny. Ben and Jerry suggest four bars worth, but after my experimentation, their recommendations are too low on all accounts, no matter what you are adding. I did cookies and cream... need more cookies... etc etc etc. If you are doing something like cookies, my experience is to make sure some bigger chunks are in there. My cookies and cream turn out almost like chocolate. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but you need those chunks in there. Whatever it is, it gets added at the very end. Mixed for two minutes and then in to the freezer or into your bowl. Incidentally, the only thing that sucks more than cleaning a deep fryer is cleaning one of those soft serve machines. I was the apprentice for that- another engineer was "the guy" I was learning from. If you think I'm pedantic, just wait for him to start a blog.
Alton Brown did a whole episode about ice cream, and I had no idea there was a five level grade system about what ice cream is all about. Much of it has to do with how much air ends up in there- your light stuff has lots, your decadent stuff has less. Good Eats is my favorite food channel show, but alas- I didn't love his recipe, so it isn't included here.
I am looking for a chocolate recipe that is good. I have tried a couple recipes and have failed badly, my wife can account. My underscore_favorite_ununderscore is B&Js brownie batter- I think there is a reward for a mix that pulls that off in the home. The chocolates I have attempted are either mediocre (barely edible but I'm the man for the job) or bad. (there is only so much bad ice cream I can eat!) I am also looking for lower calorie versions. In general you vary the fat of the cream / milk that you use- all recipes use a variant of milk to cream.
I will look to do lower calorie recipes- my wife loves my red chili, ground turkey recipe that is about as basic as it gets. I don't cut corners on ice cream, though!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Green Chili
I love green chili. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines in general, and I think that is largely due to the fact that most of it is a vehicle for the green chili. Until recently I just went to places that I liked and bought theirs, but I decided to give it a go myself. (It's kinda pricey to buy from a decent restaurant, and I no longer live near the place that is my favorite anyway.)
Since this was my first attempt at it, I decided to go look online for a starting point. Not surprisingly, there are a ton of people posting their recipes varying all the spices and ingredients. In my opinion, pork is the best way to go, and I like it spicy. I found a recipe on a blog which I recommend checking out.
Kirsten's Home Cooking
She has some good stuff on there- she even has a recipe for devilled eggs made with quail eggs! I should have known there was a more labor intensive way to make those things.
At any rate, here is Kirsten's chili that I started with:
Green Chili with Pork (Chili Verde):
(serves 4-6)
2.5 lbs pork shoulder or boneless country-style ribs, cubed
6 Pasilla chilies (those dark, fat forest green ones)
4 Anaheim chilies (longer, skinny grass-green ones)
2 Serrano chilies (look like little, dark jalapenos), sliced thinly
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs dried Mexican oregano (can use regular)
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
Olive oil as needed for searing meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Blacken all chili peppers (except Serrano chilies - leave those raw) by holding with tongs over a gas flame or roasting under a broiler. Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Once cool to the touch, carefully peel skin of all peppers. Remove as many of the seeds as you can, roughly chop chilies and set stand.
Rub pork with cumin, salt and pepper, sear in a large stock pot, remove to a plate. Saute onions, garlic and sliced Serrano chilies until softened. Add pork back in, then chilies and oregano. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 2-3 hours for a soup/stew consistency, or 4-6 hours for a thicker consistency (see below) perfect for a green chili burrito.
This is a great recipe, but I changed it to suit my personal taste
First, I just used pork tenderloin- mainly a convenience thing since Costco sells 7.5 lb. tenderloins that I use for other things. I tried it both ways- cubing it and shredding it- my favorite was shredded. I cut 2.5 lb tenderloin in half, and seared the sides after adding the cumin, salt and pepper.
Secondly, I removed the water from the recipe, and instead I used a 32 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes. I like a little tomato in my green chili- I just crushed up the whole tomatoes by hand. (I find that it is a little more flavorful than just using canned crushed tomatoes, and the extra effort is minimal.) The liquid in the tomatoes takes the place of the water.
Third, I like my chili pretty hot- so I added two Habanero peppers to the Serrano. A note about these things- first, use latex gloves. Habanero's are 100,000 or more Scoville units of spicy goodness- where Jalapenos and Serranos range around 2,000-10,000. I find using latex gloves is a good idea throughout this recipe as I don't like my hands smelling like garlic and onion for three days, and my hands even start burning some after the mild pepper prep work. (this is a pet peeve of mine from college- I ALWAYS had to cut up a 5 gallon bucket of onions on Fridays one semester- I'd smell like onions the whole weekend) DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES OR SKIN while the oil of these peppers are on your hands! Counter to what I expected, the chili actually gets milder after it's in the fridge for a day no matter which peppers I used. Oh, I also found that the cumin will stick to the pork much better if you are using latex gloves to apply it.
I put the crock pot on low for 7 hours- this last time I put a oven thermometer in the pork just to see how warm it gets- levels out at about 190 degrees. I pulled out the pork, shredded it with forks and then put it back in for another hour. The recipe makes about 3.5 quarts, and the chili will stay good in the fridge well over a week. (You can always freeze it if you don't eat as much as I do.)
I tried adding fresh cilantro once, but didn't notice much difference- this might be a good thing to add after it's done cooking. I'll probably try that next time.
My lunch yesterday:
Cheese Quesadilla Chili con Carne
Bonus pic:
Our dog wistfully hoping for a handout.
I would love it if anyone has a chili recipe for me to try- or suggestions for this one! I'm certain there will be a Green Chili part deux in the future.
Since this was my first attempt at it, I decided to go look online for a starting point. Not surprisingly, there are a ton of people posting their recipes varying all the spices and ingredients. In my opinion, pork is the best way to go, and I like it spicy. I found a recipe on a blog which I recommend checking out.
Kirsten's Home Cooking
She has some good stuff on there- she even has a recipe for devilled eggs made with quail eggs! I should have known there was a more labor intensive way to make those things.
At any rate, here is Kirsten's chili that I started with:
Green Chili with Pork (Chili Verde):
(serves 4-6)
2.5 lbs pork shoulder or boneless country-style ribs, cubed
6 Pasilla chilies (those dark, fat forest green ones)
4 Anaheim chilies (longer, skinny grass-green ones)
2 Serrano chilies (look like little, dark jalapenos), sliced thinly
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs dried Mexican oregano (can use regular)
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
Olive oil as needed for searing meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Blacken all chili peppers (except Serrano chilies - leave those raw) by holding with tongs over a gas flame or roasting under a broiler. Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Once cool to the touch, carefully peel skin of all peppers. Remove as many of the seeds as you can, roughly chop chilies and set stand.
Rub pork with cumin, salt and pepper, sear in a large stock pot, remove to a plate. Saute onions, garlic and sliced Serrano chilies until softened. Add pork back in, then chilies and oregano. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 2-3 hours for a soup/stew consistency, or 4-6 hours for a thicker consistency (see below) perfect for a green chili burrito.
This is a great recipe, but I changed it to suit my personal taste
First, I just used pork tenderloin- mainly a convenience thing since Costco sells 7.5 lb. tenderloins that I use for other things. I tried it both ways- cubing it and shredding it- my favorite was shredded. I cut 2.5 lb tenderloin in half, and seared the sides after adding the cumin, salt and pepper.
Secondly, I removed the water from the recipe, and instead I used a 32 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes. I like a little tomato in my green chili- I just crushed up the whole tomatoes by hand. (I find that it is a little more flavorful than just using canned crushed tomatoes, and the extra effort is minimal.) The liquid in the tomatoes takes the place of the water.
Third, I like my chili pretty hot- so I added two Habanero peppers to the Serrano. A note about these things- first, use latex gloves. Habanero's are 100,000 or more Scoville units of spicy goodness- where Jalapenos and Serranos range around 2,000-10,000. I find using latex gloves is a good idea throughout this recipe as I don't like my hands smelling like garlic and onion for three days, and my hands even start burning some after the mild pepper prep work. (this is a pet peeve of mine from college- I ALWAYS had to cut up a 5 gallon bucket of onions on Fridays one semester- I'd smell like onions the whole weekend) DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES OR SKIN while the oil of these peppers are on your hands! Counter to what I expected, the chili actually gets milder after it's in the fridge for a day no matter which peppers I used. Oh, I also found that the cumin will stick to the pork much better if you are using latex gloves to apply it.
I put the crock pot on low for 7 hours- this last time I put a oven thermometer in the pork just to see how warm it gets- levels out at about 190 degrees. I pulled out the pork, shredded it with forks and then put it back in for another hour. The recipe makes about 3.5 quarts, and the chili will stay good in the fridge well over a week. (You can always freeze it if you don't eat as much as I do.)
I tried adding fresh cilantro once, but didn't notice much difference- this might be a good thing to add after it's done cooking. I'll probably try that next time.
My lunch yesterday:
Cheese Quesadilla Chili con Carne
Bonus pic:
Our dog wistfully hoping for a handout.
I would love it if anyone has a chili recipe for me to try- or suggestions for this one! I'm certain there will be a Green Chili part deux in the future.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Welcome to the OCD Kitchen!
Hi all,
I have decided to start a blog about my exploits in the kitchen- if anything to get a certain wife I know to stop hounding me about it. Seriously, though- I love to cook. I even like going to the grocery store to buy ingredients.
With that said, I plan to make this all about recipes I love to make and tweak, appliances I use, and everything related to the kitchen. I call it the OCD Kitchen for two reasons- first, I tend to get on a kick for a certain type of food and make batch after batch of it with changes to get it "right". Most notably as of late have been ice cream and green chili- more on those things later. The second reason is that I tend to be a bit... ehem... unbearable to be in the kitchen with. I want everything done a certain way. Why not try to redirect these dubious personality traits (flaws?) into a blog?
A little history of my unprofessional cooking career:
Everyone in my family learned to cook while I was growing up. My mother enrolled me as the only boy in a 4H cooking an sewing group- yes, I got a hard time by my peers there. It was the first evidence of the OCD in my Kitchen however. The first recipe I did over and over again: orange julius. (I was hoping to find the recipe card I wrote out as a kid- but alas, I can't seem to find it.) Incidentally and as a side note, my patch work pillow got honorary mention at the local 4H fair... or whatever that was. That's right, big honors!
My first job at age 16 was working at El Pollo Asada- mexican food and grilled chicken. While it was certainly good, this was the sort of food you wouldn't want to see cold. We made everything from scratch there, and when stored in the fridge, the refried beans and taco meat had an inch thick layer of fat formed on top of the vat. We cut and flattened our whole chickens to be marinated in three large garbage cans that we wheeled around before we grilled and cut them to order with butcher knives.
If you dined at Kittredge or Farrand hall at the University of Colorado at Boulder circa '92-'95, chances are you had food that I helped prepare while I was in college. I suspect that I should keep this information to myself, as preparing food for 800 diners per meal for a span of 4 hours of "sit time" had just about everyone complaining, including myself. Nonetheless, I spent hours and hours cutting onions, mushrooms, preparing large vats of soup, cooking massive pizzas, etc etc etc. Nothing is as fantastic for a college student's complexion as not only eating the fatty food, but getting to stand over deep fryers for 3 hours preparing it. I figure you haven't lived until you have cleaned deep fat fryers. Good times!
At any rate, CU residence halls couldn't beat it out of me, so I hope I can share some of the things I have learned, swap recipes with people, and have a laugh!
I have decided to start a blog about my exploits in the kitchen- if anything to get a certain wife I know to stop hounding me about it. Seriously, though- I love to cook. I even like going to the grocery store to buy ingredients.
With that said, I plan to make this all about recipes I love to make and tweak, appliances I use, and everything related to the kitchen. I call it the OCD Kitchen for two reasons- first, I tend to get on a kick for a certain type of food and make batch after batch of it with changes to get it "right". Most notably as of late have been ice cream and green chili- more on those things later. The second reason is that I tend to be a bit... ehem... unbearable to be in the kitchen with. I want everything done a certain way. Why not try to redirect these dubious personality traits (flaws?) into a blog?
A little history of my unprofessional cooking career:
Everyone in my family learned to cook while I was growing up. My mother enrolled me as the only boy in a 4H cooking an sewing group- yes, I got a hard time by my peers there. It was the first evidence of the OCD in my Kitchen however. The first recipe I did over and over again: orange julius. (I was hoping to find the recipe card I wrote out as a kid- but alas, I can't seem to find it.) Incidentally and as a side note, my patch work pillow got honorary mention at the local 4H fair... or whatever that was. That's right, big honors!
My first job at age 16 was working at El Pollo Asada- mexican food and grilled chicken. While it was certainly good, this was the sort of food you wouldn't want to see cold. We made everything from scratch there, and when stored in the fridge, the refried beans and taco meat had an inch thick layer of fat formed on top of the vat. We cut and flattened our whole chickens to be marinated in three large garbage cans that we wheeled around before we grilled and cut them to order with butcher knives.
If you dined at Kittredge or Farrand hall at the University of Colorado at Boulder circa '92-'95, chances are you had food that I helped prepare while I was in college. I suspect that I should keep this information to myself, as preparing food for 800 diners per meal for a span of 4 hours of "sit time" had just about everyone complaining, including myself. Nonetheless, I spent hours and hours cutting onions, mushrooms, preparing large vats of soup, cooking massive pizzas, etc etc etc. Nothing is as fantastic for a college student's complexion as not only eating the fatty food, but getting to stand over deep fryers for 3 hours preparing it. I figure you haven't lived until you have cleaned deep fat fryers. Good times!
At any rate, CU residence halls couldn't beat it out of me, so I hope I can share some of the things I have learned, swap recipes with people, and have a laugh!
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