Last weekend, briefly

It was a tough weekend for me.  On Thursday I had the much dreaded talk with my boss with regards to our annual employee evaluation.

Bottom line : my bonus was lower than previous years and my increase was a measly 1%. I kid you not, I got a freakin' 1% salary increase. How much is that in dollar terms is just even more pathetic.  Negotiating for even a slight increase proved worthless, so the verdict is that I am set to find a new job.  Please, pray for me.

It took awhile for me to digest the whole thing.  Come weekend, my emotions took a dive. I was depressed at the unfairness of it all. Sadly, my poor husband and daughter had to deal with me at my worst.  All weekend long.  I hate myself for that but for some reason I just couldn't snap out of it fast enough.  We went to the movies to watch the Pirates, and  I rolled downhill with Sophia at the park in my effort to forget but it didn't do the trick. Thankfully, my husband was considerate to let me have the day to myself after church on Sunday. I am blessed to have married such a man. I love him dearly.   Him telling me "I love you" through it all was like a band-aid for my wounded spirit.   That free time helped me reflect and think things over.

My Redeemer lives. He will provide for us. I shall HOPE and place my TRUST in Him.

I shall not complain but deal with this GRACEFULLY.

I will be thankful for my job but look for better opportunities UNTIRINGLY.

On Sunday afternoon, even though my emotions was not yet 100% recovered I felt good enough to make our Sunday supper of Tuscan Roast Pork.  Cooking was actually therapeutic.  Besides, a good dinner is the least I could do for being a mess on an otherwise would have been a wonderful time to spend with my family.    

Pork Roast
(serves 4-6)

3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
10 oz crimini mushrooms, washed and cut in half
4 Plum Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Pitted Green Olives, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 cup dry White Wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
Kosher/Seasalt Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Brown pork loin on all sides and set aside.

3. Discard all but 1 teaspoon oil from the pan.  Add onion and saute until soft.

4. Add mushrooms and cook about 3 minutes or until softened.  Add tomatoes, olives, garlic and herbs.  Cook about 3 minutes then add in the wine.  Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.

5.  Add broth, then add back in the pork loin.  Bring to a boil then transfer to oven uncovered.

6. Cook uncovered for about 2.5 to 3 hours, turning the roast occasionally every 45 minutes or so.

7. When meat in fork tender remove from pan and set aside.  Let it rest for 5 minutes.

8.  Boil liquid in Dutch oven on stove top until sauce is thick, about 10 minutes or so.  Turn off heat.

9.  Slice roast into pieces and serve drizzled with the sauce.  (Or cut up the roast and add it back into the pot with the sauce.)

Note that you should slice the roast across the grain so it's more tender.  I made a mistake here as I wasn't really paying attention when I cut it.  Thankfully the meat was tender and moist so it was not big of a deal.

10.  Serve with baked/mashed potatoes, rice, or bread.

Beef Stracotto

In a nutshell, cotto means cooked and stracotto just means extra cooked. I like to make things sound a little more complicated, don't I? :)

This dish was a nice remedy for the spring chill we had in Los Angeles last week.  I suppose it is an Italian version of beef stew, which is adopted from a new cookbook purchase, Italian Home Cooking by Julia della Croce.

The sauce is divine!  I specially liked the light flavor of lemon and cinnamon, and how it has just a tad of sweetness.  Make sure to eat it with mashed potatoes.  The photo above does not show much of the sauce because I took the picture after the sauce was gone.  Talk about food photography fail!

I used what I think is a decent bottle of Chianti from Trader Joes.   Choose a wine you like, something you'd want to drink with it.

The cooking process takes a long time so make enough for plenty of leftovers to have the next day.  Also, do not make this on a weeknight.  I repeat, do not make this on a weeknight.  Don't be like me and make your poor starving husband wait for dinner until 8PM.  The beef needs its sweet time to cook.  That's how you get that melt in your mouth tenderness.  If you speed up the process by increasing the heat, the beef will get cooked but you'll give your jaw a real work out. So plan to make this dish on the weekends.  Let it simmer while you do the chores, do laundry or watch a movie on the couch. Hey, that last one sounds like a great idea ;)

Beef Stracotto

3 pounds stewing beef, cubed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cinnamon stick
3 carrots, diced
3-inch strip of lemon peel
sea salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup good quality, full-bodied dry red wine, such as Chianti
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325F.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat on stove top.  Add the bacon and saute until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon transfer it to a dish and set aside.

Using the rendered fat from the bacon, brown beef on all sides about 2 minutes each side.  Cook in batches, do not over crowd the pan! Add olive oil if there is not enough oil in the pan to brown the meat.  Transfer browned beef to the dish with the bacon.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of oil then stir in the onion, carrots, garlic, lemon peel, bay leaves, marjoram and cinnamon stick.  Saute until vegetables are soft and aromatic , about 5 minutes.

Return beef and bacon back to the pan, then season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle flour over the meat and stir to combine, coating all of the ingredients.  Add tomato paste and smear on the ingredients.

Add the wine and enough water to barely cover the meat.  Cover and bring to a simmer then transfer it to the oven to cook for about 2-3 hours.  Check and stir occasionally.  Check for seasoning as you go along.  Add water as needed maintaining a liquid level half the height of the meat.  

When meat is tender to your liking, remove from heat.  Omit bay leaves, cinnamon stick and lemon peel.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

I made the most flavorful pork tenderloin.  I feel like I hit the jackpot on this one.  It's a no-brainer really unless you don't like bacon. But for my family, if not for health issues, we could eat bacon every day.  I've had a few flops with pork tenderloin.  Because it is a very lean piece of meat it is a little tricky for roasting.  Overcook it and it gets too dry.  I don't like dry meat!

So I experimented on wrapping it with bacon.  Not only does it add flavor to the meat but it also keeps it moist.  Think about that bacon fat dripping on the roast for a moment.  Convinced?

Oh yeah, I  found out at the last minute I needed kitchen twine.  I didn't have one so I improvised and put my brain to work.  It turns out interlacing the bacon does the trick.  Just make sure you are working with thin-cut bacon strips.  I used good old Farmer John's bacon in this roast.

Then because I was a little skeptical that it might come out dry I made gravy out of the pan juices.  It wasn't necessary but it did kick it up a notch.  In fact, when I had the left overs for lunch the next day I found out it was soooo good with rice!  

Here's how I did it.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Gravy

For the Roast

1 pork tenderloin (about 1.5 pounds), cut in half crosswise

6 thin-cut bacon strips

1 garlic head

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

8 sage leaves

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon grape seed or canola oil

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

For the gravy

1/2 cup apple cider (or dry white wine)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons flour

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cut garlic in half (crosswise) and place in a small microwave safe bowl.  Drizzle with the olive oil and a little salt.  Microwave until soft about 2 - 3 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh out from the head into a mortar and pestle.   Add the rosemary, then mash with the garlic.

Pat dry each tenderloin pieces with paper towels then rub with the garlic mixture.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Place sage leaves on top of tenderloin, about 2 on each side.  Wrap with bacon, overlapping and interweaving the end of one strip with  another.

In an oven proof skillet, heat a drizzle of grape seed or canola oil (or any oil with high smoke point) over medium high heat.  Brown the meat on all sides, turning carefully, about 2 minutes on each side.

Place skillet with the roasts in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness.  I cook mine to an internal temperature of 145°F.  Transfer roast to a platter and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

While the meat rests make gravy.  This is optional but adding gravy is a nice touch to the dish.  Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, making sure not to discard the brown pieces at the bottom.  Place skillet on the stove top over low heat.  Add cider and deglaze the pan, scrapping all the browned bits at the bottom using a wooden spoon.  Whisk in the flour with the chicken broth and add into the pan.  Let it cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until sauce is thickened.

Slice tenderloin into medallions.  Serve with gravy.

Oven-Roasted Dunganess Crab

I wish one day my husband will get over being picky about seafood.  That he will be open to try new kinds of fish besides halibut and sea bass, and also try shellfish and other edible sea creatures.  There is so much to love about seafood-  it's healthy, delicious and so easy to make.  How much easier it would be to plan dinners if I can add grilled whole fish of different kinds in our dinner rotation.  Unfortunately even if it's sea bass or halibut he won't be enticed with the idea of a whole fish on a plate.  Please, help me understand what is so freaky about a cooked whole fish.

I am a person who loves fish, head and all.  If you present me with a whole fish I will eat every morsel of it.  And the head, oh my -- it's my favorite part with all it's wonderful flavor!  Then I also love all the other creatures from the sea; oysters, clams, sea urchins, crabs... I can't name one I do not like.  Crab is on the top of my list.  I eat crabs (or oysters) when I am feeling low.  They just give me comfort.  You know how some people go to a bar for drinks when they are depressed?  I go to a seafood restaurant and have oysters and crab legs.

Anyway, the other day a dunganess crab ended in my shopping bag.  I had no intention of buying crabs  because husband is not into it, but when I had to add something to my purchase to be able to charge it I know it had to be crabs.  If it was just me I'd simply steam it then dip the meat in vinegar with garlic (that's how my Filipino family do it by the way).  But since I am serving it with dinner, with my picky husband, I know I needed to make it a little more gourmet.  In the end my husband did not even try but that's just because he was too lazy to shell.  When it comes to crabs, I think he will only eat crab cakes or something that's off the shell.  Sorry honey, I love you but I have no time to shell it for ya'.  None for my husband means more crabs for me!  My little foodie enjoyed it too although she can only eat a few chunks of it.  There was plenty of left-overs which lasted a couple of days.  I snacked on it after work and it was one of the best treats.  What I loved about the dish is how the orange-buttery flavor complement the sweetness of the crab.  I can say it's a recipe to impress as long as you don't mind a little mess working with your hands.

Oven Roasted Dunganess Crab

Adopted from Bon Appetit (Feb 2005)

ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
2 large Dungeness crabs, cleaned, steamed, and cracked
1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 cup regular orange juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Arrange crab in a heavy bottomed ovenproof skillet (I used a cast iron pan).

In a separate small skillet, melt butter with oil.  Stir in onion and until translucent.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat and drizzle the sauce over the crabs.

Sprinkle thyme and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley over crabs. Toss to combine. 

Place skillet in oven and roast crabs for 7 minutes.  Turn crabs and cook for another 7 minutes or until heated through.  Remove crabs from pan and set aside, leaving the sauce in the pan.

Add orange juice and zest to the skillet and boil until reduced by half.

Spoon sauce over crabs and garnish with remaining parsley.

Beef Osso Bucco

Last night's dinner was later than usual.  I could have waited for the weekend to make this dish but I got too excited I didn't want to wait another day.  I was hopeful dinner will be ready by seven but with the time it takes to prepare, plus the time for browning the meat cooking ended up to be a total of three hours instead of two. And it could have braised for another thirty minutes to an hour but I know my poor starving family can not wait any longer.  The meat was tender, good enough to eat but it could be a little bit more tender.  So note to self, next time allow at least 3.5 hours for cooking this dish.
Osso bucco traditionally calls for veal but I took a chance on beef shanks because it is cheaper and more accessible.  It was a success! My husband said it was worth the long wait (whew!) and for me the flavors sent me back to Rome, in that restaurant near the Piazza Navona called La Scaletta Degli Artisti where I had tasted Osso Bucco for the very first time.

ingredients
6 1-inch thick beef shanks - about 3-31/2 pounds
3 strips of bacon, diced
Flour for dredging
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken or beef broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 dry bayleaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper

for the gremolata
3 tablespoon fresh flat parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325F.
Heat a dutch oven on stove top over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy.  Set aside bacon.
Season beef on both sides with salt and pepper then dredge with some flour shaking off any excess.
To the hot bacon fat in the Dutch oven, brown the beef over medium high heat, about 3 minutes per side.  Set beef aside to a plate.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and add celery, carrot, and onions to the pan.  Season with salt to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Toss in the garlic and thyme and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add the tomato paste and mix well.
Pour in the wine and deglaze, then add back in the bacon and beef.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add rosemary sprig, bay leaf and broth and bring to a boil.

Cover pan and put it in the oven until meat is tender. Check every 30 minutes, turning shanks and adding more stock as necessary.  The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the meat.

Serve shanks with the sauce poured over it and garnish with the parsley and lemon zest.

Serve with asparagus risotto or mashed potatoes.

Thanksgiving

Ah, Thanksgiving! That day of the year when we reflect on how much blessings we have been given. It should be done every day but the thought that in this one particular day we are all in the same frame of mind on showing gratitude just makes it extra special.  And even when life is not as good as we hope it to be, our blessings are overflowing, much more than we deserve in fact. So often, we take for granted to be thankful for the very things that are most important in life- our health, the roof above our heads, our jobs, our family and friends.  Thanksgiving, just like Christmas is a beautiful day to celebrate our blessings with love ones.  There is nothing like the warmth and comfort, the fuzzy feeling of being with family. 

So with a grateful heart I promised myself to make something special and 'homemade' for Thanksgiving.  I have never made apple pie and cranberry sauce before. I chose these two because of Jennie.  She is making these for Thanksgiving and have shared the recipe on her blog.  This is her family's first Thanksgiving without her husband....  I have been following her blog religiously since her husband passed away in August and the way she carries on with their life in these difficult times just inspires me and gives me a different perspective in life.  

I just thought it would be appropriate to make her apple pie and cranberry sauce to celebrate my gratitude  that I have my family with me today..

apple pie

makes one 9 1/2-inch pie

sweet butter pastry crust
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoon  granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces cold butter, cut into 24 pieces
6 to 9 tablespoons ice cold water

for the filling
4 tablespoons butter
6 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (Granny Smith, Jonah Gold, Empire, Golden Delicious apples, crispin, mutsu)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

egg wash

1 Tbsp heavy cream, half and half, or milk
1 large egg yolk

To prepare the pie dough, add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it forms a sandy crumb. Starting with 6 tablespoons, sprinkle the water over the flour-butter mixture and pulse, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no bigger than peas. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the mixture just begins to clump together.

Dump onto an unfloured counter and divide into two 4 inch flat discs. Wrap in plastic and let chill until firm, but still pliable, about 1 hour (or stick it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes while preparing the apples) or up to 2 days before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

For the filling, melt butter over moderately high heat in a small heavy bottomed skillet. Cook until it begins to brown, but not burn; it will smell nutty and fragrant. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the apples, sugar, salt and flour to a deep bowl, and toss with a rubber spatula to coat well. Pour in the brown butter, scraping in those browned bits too, and lemon juice, stir well. Let sit on counter so juices can thicken while you roll out your pie crust.

After the dough has chilled in the refrigerator, you can take it out to roll. If it is too stiff, you may need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling. Sprinkle a little flour on a flat, clean work surface and on top of the disk of dough you intend to roll out. Using a rolling pin, apply light pressure while rolling outwards from the center of the dough. Every once in a while you may need to gently lift under the dough to make sure it is not sticking. You have a big enough piece of dough when you place the pie tin or pie dish upside down on the dough and the dough extends by at least 2 inches all around.

Fit dough into the bottom of a 9.5-inch pie plate.

Roll out the remaining pie crust for the top.

Spoon the apple filling into the pie plate, and place second crust on top. Flute edges and cut a hole in top to create a steam vent.

Beat egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush.

Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425ºF, then turn temperature down to 350ºF and bake for 35 to 40 minutes more, until top is golden and juices are bubbly.

For visuals and details for making the crust check Perfect Pie Crust

Cranberry Sauce

Makes about one quart

One 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses or 2/3 packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, uncovered. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and jam-like, about 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool to room temperature or chill before serving. May be prepared and stored in a glass container 3 to 4 days in advance.

Roast Beef

Last night I cooked the most perfect roast beef  I have ever cooked.  In my attempt to lower our meal budget  I bought a top round roast on a whim when I saw they were half-off at Ralph's.  I have been buying meat on sale these days and just rely on almighty Google afterwards to find a recipe for it.  I find it easier to plan our meals this way and at the same time save money.  Thanks for the internet it has never been easier to find recipes.

In my research on roasting beef I learned a few key points:
1) To help the roast cook evenly, take the roast out of the refrigerator and let it get to room temperature, at least an hour before cooking.

2) Quickly sear on very high heat then lower to 250F.  Roasting at low temperature result in even cooking, almost all meat cooked in medium-rare .

3) Use a meat thermometer, do not wing it.  Better to error on the rare side  Set thermometer for 130°F for a medium-rare roast (125°F for rare; 145°F for medium)

4) Let the roast rest and redistribute its juices for at least 15 minutes before slicing into it.

For ribeye roast, sear at 500F for 15 minutes then lower to 250F.  For medium-rare, allow for 15-17 minutes per pound total cooking time.

Roast Beef
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
3 to 3 1/2 lbs of Top Round Roast (pick a end cut with a lot of fat marbling)
Olive oil
8 slivers of garlic

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

Lawry's seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper

You will need a meat thermometer

METHOD

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.  Preferrably start with the roast at room temperature (remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking) and stick to following Elise's method for cooking time.  I on the other hand was pressed for time so I cooked mine straight out of the fridge.

3. With a sharp knife make 8 small incisions around the roast. Place a sliver of garlic into each incision. Coat roast with olive oil then sprinkle with the rosemary and a little seasoned salt.  Generously sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

4.  Place the roast directly on an oven rack (in middle of oven), fatty side up, with a drip pan on a rack beneath the roasting rack. 

Note: This arrangement creates convection in the oven so that you do not need to turn the roast. The roast is placed fat side up so that as the fat melts it will bathe the entire roast in its juices.

5.  Brown the roast at 375°F for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 250°F.  The roast should take somewhere from 1 hour 45 minutes to 2.5 hours additionally to cook. (When I checked the temperature on my 3 lb roast  after 1 hour and 45 minutes, it was at 135° to 140°).

6.  Pull the roast from the oven when the inside temperature of the roast is 135° to 140°F. Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes, tented in aluminum foil to keep warm, before carving to serve.

7.  Cut thinly across the grain and serve with Au Jus and creamy horse radish.

Grilled Maple Brined Pork Chop

These pork chops are WONDERFUL.  The brine did a beautiful job of tenderizing the pork and adding an amazing flavour.  I think this recipe will be a staple for my pork chops.  It was good (even without the chutney) - flavorful and succulent, something I never attained when grilling pork chops.  I left out the juniper berries (can substitute 1 tbsp gin but I didn't have that either), and cloves but it still came out incredibly delicious.  I also substituted ginger powder Also I did not have fresh ginger and fresh thyme so I used dried ones.

A few notes:

1. Buy fresh thick pork chops bone-in from the butcher if you can and make sure the chops are not already brined.  Make sure no salt solution was injected, some stores do this to make them moist.
2. Use kosher salt, NOT table salt.  Table salt is much more saltier than table salt.
3. Thick chops, NOT thin or it will be too salty.
4. Brine no longer than 12 hours, otherwise it will be hammy.  Brine for at least 4 hours.
5. For the summer use the grill but it works on the oven too.  First brown the meat in an iron skillet 2-3 minutes on each side then put in a 350 degrees oven for 5-10 minutes.
6. Don't skip brushing the chops with oil before grilling. It gives good caramelization.
7. The brining solution can also be used for turkey, pork bellies, chicken and pork tenderloin.  Feel free to experiment.
8. Use a thermometer so you don't have to guess doneness.  Stick a meat thermometer, once it heats 145 it's done.  It may be a little rosy when you cut into them but will quickly turn pale. 
9. You can brine more chops at a time.  You can keep excess brined chops a few days in the bridge for later cooking. 

Thank you Bon Appetit.

ingredients

(serves 2-3)
Brine
1/2 cup KOSHER salt
1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons juniper berries (or 1 tablespoon gin)
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
4 cups water

2-3 bone-in center-cut loin pork chops, 1 1/2 inches THICK (make sure it has no salt solution injected)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil for grilling
Roasted Pear Chutney (optional)

1. Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool, then put it in a large nonreactive container and immerse the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.

2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).

3. Heat grill to high.

4. Season the chops with pepper (not salt — remember, the brining solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then lower the heat to medium, cover the grill, and cook to the desired doneness (about 10 minutes on each side). Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops. A reading of 145° to 150°F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160°F is well-done. Serve immediately, accompanied by the chutney, if using.

Accompany meal with Orzo- Artichoke Salad

Pomegrenate Sangria

Ahhh! There is nothing like sangria on hot summer nights.  But what exactly is sangria?  According to my good friend Wikipedia:

Sangria is a wine punch typical of Spain and Portugal. It normally consists of:

1. a light - dry - young - high acid - unoaked - inexpensive wine, usually red wine due to Sangria's connotation with the word blood. Other reds that work well include French styles such as Gamay or Beaujolais, and Italian styles such as Grignolino, Bardolino, Dolcetto, Freisa or Lambrusco.
2. chopped or sliced fruit such as orange, lemon, lime, apple, peach, melon, berries, pineapple, grape and mango.  
3. a sweetener such as honey, sugar, simple syrup, orange juice and/or nectar 
4. a small amount of added brandy and triple sec or other spirits 
5. In some recipes (common in the United States) Seltzer, Sprite or 7up and ice.

Awhile back I got a nice bottle of Pomegrenate red wine from Wholefoods.  I finally opened it the other night and found out it was not my ideal wine to go with steaks or other meats.  It has a sweet taste, more of a dessert wine I suppose.  Then last night a bright idea flashed before me - sangria!  Why not?  The wine was sweet and fruity, I thought it'd be perfect.  Besides, it was a warm night and I was craving for something to relax me... and something to make me a little tipsy.

So I gathered all I can find in our fridge that I thought would go well with it and made this refereshing and slightly intoxicating beverage.  It's perfect for the summer night and so simple you can make it in ten minutes.  Make sure to start with cold wine, cold fruits and cold spirits though because you want this as cold as possible.

Pomegrenate Sangria
Serves 4

ingredients:
1 bottle pomegrenate wine (or any red wine)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 liter ginger ale
1 small orange, thinly sliced
1 small green apple, cored, thinly sliced
Honey or simple syrup to taste
lots of ice

Place a few fruit slices and the ice cubes in a tall, narrow, chilled glass (the cubes should come near the top.) Set aside.
In a glass pitcher add first six ingredients and stir well. Pour and serve over ice.
Note : Tastes even better refrigerated for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.

Steak with Creamy Morel Mushroom Sauce

The sauce in this recipe is divine! Need I say more?  Keep an eye out for fresh or dried morel mushrooms, give this sauce a try and you'll know what I mean. It's an oh-em-gee moment at first bite.

I am a big fan of mushrooms so it was mushroom heaven when I saw this stall at the West Hollywood farmer's market on Memorial Day.  I was like a kid at a candy store!

I've had dreams about morel mushrooms ever since I read Hank's post about venison and morels.  So immediately my eye scoured for morels. Forget maitake.  Forget porcelini. I want morels!  And though I did not have the budget for it that day, it seemed too good to pass up on.  So I handed over my hard earned $10 to the vendor for a 4oz bag of fresh morel mushrooms.

If you do not plan on using it right away, store the mushroom in a cool dry place.  Better to keep it in a brown bag so it can breathe.  For my case I used it a couple of days after since I had other dish on the line for our dinner menu.  In those two days that I waited I searched all-knowing google for the perfect sauce.  There were several of them but I opted for a creamy based sauce.  

Jimmy, whoever you are, thank you for duplicating this sauce and allowing your sister-in-law to share it on food.com.  This mushroom sauce is a winner!

Steak with Creamy Morel Mushroom Sauce
2 steak cut of your choice
1 cup chopped fresh morel mushrooms (or 2 ounces dried, dehydrated)
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup whipping cream plus 1 tablespoon flour)
1 tablespoon or to taste Bouillon Beef (or chicken) base or demi glace
black pepper
3 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley (optional)

Rub both steaks with olive oil then season with salt and pepper and any steak rub of your preference.  Grill steak and set aside.  While steaks are resting make the sauce.

Prepare the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat butter and saute shallots until they are clear.

Add minced morels and bee (or chicken base).  Stir well, then pour cream.  Add freshly ground black pepper and wine.  Simmer and stir constantly until sauce is thick.

Spoon sauce over grilled steaks, lamb, grilled or poached chicken or pasta.

Pernil Al Horno (Roasted Pork Shoulder)

Tonight the moon is set to rise bigger and brighter than any other night. In a rare lunar event the moon tonight will appear as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter.  The downside, it's cloudy in my neck of the woods tonight that I was not able to get a peek at it.

Now the upside of this beautiful saturday evening...

I've been wanting to make the Pernil Al Horno by Tyler Florence for months now.  The problem is, pork shoulder is not always available at the grocery stores I frequent.  But today I got lucky to find it at my local Ralphs on sale for $9, that's $2 a pound, hence it was a spur of the moment recipe for dinner.  Thankfully I went to the market early in the day and had enough time to marinade the meat then cook for 3 hours.  (You see I have not been so lucky these days). The ingredients are few and simple, and it's a plus that I have fresh oregano growing in my patio.

The flavors were out of this world, the meat was succulent and the crispy skin was to die for (watch your cholesterol!).

It was a hit!  Who would have thought the roast cost only $9?   The meat was huge for the three of us but we thought we can use the leftovers for sandwiches and as topings for our ramens.

Yumm!

Pernil Al Horno (Roasted Pork Shoulder)

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork shoulder picnic roast (about 4-4.5 pounds), skin on
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 cup fresh oregano
• 4 tablespoons Kosher salt (1 teaspoon for every pound of meat)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions

Mash together garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle; stir in oil and vinegar.

Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits.   Rub the garlic paste all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked.

Place pork in a ceramic container, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the pork in a  roasting pan fitted with a rack insert and put it in the oven.

Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered. For the last 30-40 minutes blast the temperature up to 400 degrees F for a crispy-brown skin.

 Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

Bon Appetit!

Beef Stew with Ale

On Valentines day I did not know what to make for dinner.  I did not feel like going out because I hate Valentine's Day crowd, the overpriced menu, and the long wait.  I thought of something easy and quick like steak, but I just made steak the day before so it was out of the list of choices.  Well actually there was no list of choices, come lunch time and still I had no clue what to serve my family.  I needed to come up with something special.... something to make my family feel the love.  I was feeling lazy and unadventurous that day but in the midst of my usual blog hopping I was able to get some inspiration which led to a spur of the moment decision to make stew.  That day I drove like a maniac, went to the market to buy the ingredients and hoped I would have enough time to do a 3-hour beef stew.  I was inspired by Elise's stew over at Simply Recipes and also the Pioneer Woman's stew.  I sort of cross referenced both recipes, I do that a lot.

But before proceeding,

first let me show the Valentines card my husband gave our 2 year old daughter.  Man, that's sweet!

Our daughter flashed the card to me with excitement when they got home.  At first I thought it was mine so I snatched it from her (I know, shame on me!).  Then my husband handed me mine.  Sorry I am not posting that, it's for my eyes only.

Now this.....

from me, for the loves of my life - a hearty beef stew cooked with lots of love!

The original recipe called for beef short ribs but I decided to use Trader Joe's tri-tip meat instead. I figured it would get tender quicker.  I used every short cut I know to cut down the cooking time. I am trying to serve dinner by seven thirty, you know.  So I browned the beef in big chunks then cut them afterwards.  I also added the vegetables right away so they get tender along with the beef, which shortened the time by about 30 minutes.  I actually like it when the potatoes gets mushy, and thickens the stew a little bit.

Beef Stew with Ale

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp paprika
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds beef (tri-tip, stew meat, or beef short ribs)
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut in 1 inch strips
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bottle (12 oz.) brown ale
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 Beef Bouillon cube
Minced Parsley (optional)


METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, paprika, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper in a large bowl. Dredge the beef in the flour mixture.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat renders. Transfer bacon to a plate and set aside.

Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat from pot then add beef. Notice the beef were in huge chunks. I was trying to save time in the browning process.

Brown beef on all sides.

Transfer browned beef to the bacon plate and reserve. Cool beef for a little while then cut them into smaller pieces.


Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the ale and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. It is called deglazing, the process of dissolving all the flavorful food particles stuck at the bottom of the pan.

Add tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, brown sugar, reserved bacon, beef, carrots, potatoes, bouillon cubes and water. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and put in the preheated oven, and cook two hours. Make sure to check how it taste like and adjust seasoning as desired.  A lesson from Top Chef - always taste your dish!

This is how it looks like after 2 hours.  Next, do your best to spoon off any excess fat on top.

I also bought these pre-baked mini baguettes from Trader Joes which I thought would be perfect to serve with the stew. They only need about 5 minutes to crisp in the oven.

Serve the stew in bowls along with crusty mini French baguettes.

This is what they call comfort food.

And yes, dinner was served before seven thirty.

L.O.V.E.

This picture says it all.

When I was single I did not like Valentines day too much.  When you are single Valentines day makes you feel lonely.  (Blame it on the heart balloons everywhere and to the girls who parade their bouquet of flowers.)

Now, for me Valentines Days is about FAMILY.  After all, love begins at home.

However I do welcome a bouquet of flowers from my beloved any day, Valentines day or not.  In fact the more unexpected it is the better. I got these last week ... I was thrilled!

And speaking of love, this past week I've been glued to the computer reading the online love story between The Pioneer Woman and her husband a.k.a. The Marlboro Man entitled Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  It is  a beautiful love story.  And her blog, oh goodness! I love it! It's my new addiction.

In celebration of Love day, I am sharing Ree's Steak with Burgundy Mushroom sauce recipe.  It's elegant and tastes absolutely divine.  And did I say mushrooms are my favorite?

Ingredients
4 whole Steaks (sirloin, Ribeye, Etc.)
½ cups Butter
1 pound White Mushrooms, Sliced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
3 whole Green Onions, Sliced
1-½ cup Red Wine: Burgundy, Merlot, Cab, Etc.
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Butter
Fresh Parsley, Minced, To Taste

Preparation Instructions
Heat a large pan and dry saute the mushroom first, just on their own with no added liquid or fat.  Stir often. The mushrooms will squeak and just when you think they are going to burn they will release their water.  Stir so that the mushrooms are coated with their own juice. Keep cooking until it absorbs back the water.

Add the butter, garlic, and green onions and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are nice and golden. Pour in wine and stir, scraping bottoms of the pan. Allow to cook for several minutes or until liquid is reduced by at least half. At the end, add 1 tablespoon butter and stir into sauce. Add parsley and stir together. Don’t be afraid to splash in a little more wine if needed.

For the Steak:
Remove steak from fridge, allow steak to warm to room temperature. Drizzle olive oil on steak then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet over high heat and fry steak to desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium rare, 10 minutes a side for well done), only flip the steak once.  When done, allow the steak to rest about 10 minutes.

Spoon mushroom sauce over the top of the steak.