Tag Archives: big green egg

Roasted Pork Shoulder with Winter Spices

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | 11 Comments

Modified from The Splendid Table

Pork Shoulder Roast

The traditional menu for New Year’s Day here in the Southeastern United States is pork, black-eyed peas, and greens.  As the saying goes, “Eat poor on New Year’s and eat fat the rest of the year.”  These foods are supposed to bring you prosperity in the coming year  – the greens symbolize money and the peas symbolize coins.  I have no idea what the pork is supposed to bring – but there is another saying that might be relevant:  “Eating high on the hog.” This expression may have originated due to the belief that the cuts of meat “higher on the hog” were better or more extravagant, but it has come to exemplify that one is successful and living well.

The pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) is not a cut “high on the hog”, but I personally favor the richer tasting, less lean cuts of pork.  A pork loin roast is delicious, if you brine it and watch it carefully to keep it from being overdone, dry, and tough.  The pork shoulder, on the other hand, is nicely marbled with fat and you have to make a real effort to overcook it.

We usually make pulled pork from a pork shoulder – this is the first time I have made a roast with it.  You still need to slow cook it to at least 185F so that the intramuscular fat and collagen have a chance to break down, making the roast tender and moist.  I was going to cook it on the Big Green Egg, but there was a steady rain on New Year’s Day so into the oven it went.  On the plus side, the house smelled fabulous all day!

This roast does not have much hands-on time, but it does take some planning due to the 2-3 day marinade in the spices.  Also, if you can freshly grind your spices, please do so for the best taste.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

  • 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 inch cinnamon stick, ground (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup dry good-tasting red wine

Roasting:

  • 2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup red wine

Marinate the meat:  2-3 days before cooking, spread the roast out (untie if it came tied together) and make deep cuts into the thick parts and through the fat cap.  (Do not even think about removing any of the fat.)  Mix the remainder of the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, then spread it all over the roast, stuffing it into the slits and massaging it into the pork on all sides.  Place the roast and all the marinade in a sealed plastic bag or a shallow glass dish (covered);  refrigerate until ready to roast, turning once or twice a day.

To roast:  Remove the meat and allow to come to room temperature (about an hour).  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Roll up the roast and tie with butcher’s twine.  Rub the roast all over with the rosemary and salt.

Oil a shallow roasting pan and scatter the sliced onions in the bottom.  Place the roast, fat side up, in the pan and scape all the remaining marinade over it.  Roast for 30 minutes at 400F.

Remove the roast and pour in the orange juice and red wine.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.  Continue to roast until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 185F.  This will take several hours (4-6 most likely) – check on the roast every hour or so to make sure the pan does not dry out (add water if necessary), check the temperature, and baste the roast with the juices.  If the temperature of the roast seems to plateau, cover the pan partially with foil to help concentrate the heat.

When the roast is done, let it rest on a cutting board, covered, for about 15 minutes.  Skim the fat from the pan juices.  To serve, roll the pork back into the pan juices to moisten, then slice.  Serve hot, with extra pan juices if desired.  Don’t forget the black-eyed peas and greens if it is New Year’s Day!

Pork shoulder roast (wide)

harlemWell, I felt high on the hog eating this! Yummy! Some yummy music this time too. Generally sons of famous artists are a pale copy of their fathers, but in the case of Steve Earle’s son Justin Townes Earle, there’s no fear of that. Justin is his own man indeed, as on Harlem River Blues. He’s taken folk, country and blues influences together and created something new and fresh, as on the title cut or “Working for the MTA”. Stellar stuff!

His second album, The Good Life, is more jukebox country, and Earle’s vocals goodliferemind you of classic country singers such as George Jones or Lefty Frizzell. Hard to believe a kid this young could be so assured and good, but the truth is in the grooves.

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Balsamic Pork Belly

Posted on June 6, 2012 by | 11 Comments

Recipe adapted from Ian Knauer’s Sticky Balsamic Ribs

I hope you are not tired of pork belly, for a couple of reasons.  First, this is the best version yet!  (Yes, I say that every time.)  The second reason is because I still have a few pounds of it in my freezer, so chances are you are going to see more of it.

While looking for a marinade for ribs, I came across what has to be the most highly praised recipe short of when the ancient Mesopotamians recorded the first recipe for beer, as handed down from the god Enki.  Ian Knauer, a former food editor for Gourmet magazine, said “These ribs just might be the best thing I’ve ever come up with.”  Food 52 proclaimed the recipe “Genius”.  Ruth Reichl wrote about them in her journal after making them again and again.  Review after review – serving these ribs made you the most popular person in the world. Well heck, I thought, if this is good enough for ribs, it should be heavenly on pork belly!

Looks heavenly, right?  To use Ms. Reichl’s words – “Smokey, Sweet, Tangy, Sticky”  – that’s all you have to know.

I halved the original recipe since I was marinating a small slab of pork belly vs 8 pounds of ribs.  Also I substituted coconut palm sugar for the brown sugar, to decrease the glycemic load.  We were smoking ribs, so the pork belly went in the Big Green Egg with the ribs.  However, you can also roast it in the oven using these instructions from Jamie Oliver.

The last time we smoked a pork belly, we found that the skin was very tough and ended up cutting it off.  This time I borrowed Jamie Oliver’s technique for crackling the skin before putting the belly in the smoker, which resulted in a crispier, edible rind.

Ingredients:

  • 1 slab of pork belly (1-3 pounds, or whatever you have)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Rinse the pork belly and dry with paper towels.  Using a very sharp knife, cut crosshatches just through the rind (skin).  Place pork belly in a resealable bag.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Stir together in a small bowl with rosemary, sugar, vinegar, cayenne, remaining salt, and black pepper. Pour the marinade in the bag with the pork belly.  Seal bag (squeezing the air out) and massage the marinade into the pork belly, coating it thoroughly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours (go for 24 hours if you can).

To prepare the glaze, bring the vinegar, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Continue to boil (watching carefully) until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Set aside.

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Sage and Sweet Potato Mash (with Bangers and Caramelized Vidalia Onions)

Posted on May 27, 2012 by | 4 Comments

We recently became enamored of the Japanese sweet potato, or satsumaimo.  These potatoes are dark red-skinned, almost purplish, and have a creamy white inside.  They are very sweet – particularly if you roast them – and have a denser flesh than the orange potatoes we are used to.  I decided to try mashing them for a new take on “Bangers and Mash”.

Since these potatoes are so sweet already, I used fresh sage to add a more savory aspect to the mash, along with copious amounts of cream and butter (of course).  We really liked the combination of the grilled sausages with the sage and the sweet potatoes – and the caramelized onions were like the cherry on top of a banana split.  Yum!

This is a hearty dish, probably best suited for colder weather.  However if you have the urge to grill some sausages, any time of year is good for bangers and mash!

Ingredients (about 3 servings)

  • 2 large Vidalia onions (or other sweet variety of onion)
  • ~ 2 tablespoons butter (pastured)
  • ~1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large Japanese sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • heavy cream or half and half
  • more butter
  • ~1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped fine
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Bangers

Preheat oven to 325F.  Cut the onions in half and discard the skin.  Slice into thin slices.

Using an oven-safe skillet or saute pan (with lid), melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions; saute for several minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onions are soft.  Cover pan and place in oven.  Cook for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply browned (sorry, I forgot to write down the time).  Remove from oven and set aside.

Place the cut-up sweet potatoes in a medium-size sauce pan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender (can easily be pieced with a fork).  Drain into colander, then return the potatoes to the pan.  Throw in a few dollops of butter (~2 tablespoons to start with) and a glug of half and half.  Using a potato masher, blend the potatoes with the cream and butter to the desired consistency, adding more cream and butter as needed.  Stir in the sage, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the potatoes are cooking, grill the bangers – on an outdoor grill, or stove-top grill or grill-plate.

Serve the bangers over the sweet potato mash, topped with caramelized onions.

Two from the Wayback Machine today (bonus points if you know what I’m referring to!). Two incredibly influential pioneers of rock and roll. Without them, you probably don’t have the Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, etc. First up, the first album from the wildman from Macon, Here’s Little Richard. Nobody else sounds like Little Richard, and this one is loaded with hits- “Tutti Frutti”, “Long Tall Sally” and more. Amazing what a 28 minute record achieved!

Next up, Bo Diddley. “Who Do You Love”, “Mona”, and his signature song- literally! Bo was a great songwriter, guitarist and performer, and still making great records into his later years, including a terrific live set with Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Here’s a great collection of all the hits. Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960 Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley, have ya heard…

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Jerk Chicken

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | 5 Comments

Recipe from Food & Fire, slightly modified

“Artistic” photographic rendering of Jerk Chicken.
Or, in other words, the photo was dark and blurry…

Last week, our Whole Foods had a sale on locally raised, pastured, whole chickens.  I got four of them since the price was so good!  However, my ability to cut up a raw chicken (or rather, lack thereof) is an insult to the bird and a danger to myself and anyone nearby.  I did a decent job removing the thigh and leg quarters, but the breast and wings ended up in pieces of unidentifiable origin.  Zooarchaeologists would be stymied trying to figure out what happened to this poor chicken.  I would have done myself a favor by watching this video of how to cut up a chicken beforehand…it looks so easy when someone else does it!

Although this wasn’t the most attractive chicken, it tasted the same as a professionally cut up chicken.  This Jerk Chicken recipe comes from Dave at Food & Fire, and it is something we have enjoyed on many occasions.  Yes indeed it is spicy, but there is a nice blend of flavors behind the heat – and of course you can adjust the spiciness to a level that you are comfortable with.  Dave’s recipe calls for 4-6 habanero peppers – this time I wimped out and used 3, and it was plentifully hot.  In the past I have used dried peppers, but I had fresh peppers for this batch.  Following his directions to use gloves to cut up the peppers would have been a good idea, because even after washing my hands numerous times, my skin felt irritated.  Whatever you do, keep your hands away from your face!

Another good idea is to serve this chicken with something on the acidic side.  Acids (such as those found in citrus juices or other tropical fruits) are extremely effective at taking away the burning sensation from hot peppers.  Margaritas, of course, are a great option, but I would also suggest something like this Citrus and Avocado Salad, or grilled pineapple, or a mango salsa.  Having some lime slices to bite into also helps.

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken thighs, or 1 chicken, cut into pieces
  • 4 to 6 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers (or whatever you can withstand)
  • 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers (because they were in the refrigerator)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 6 green onions, white and pale green parts, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wearing gloves, seed and de-vein the peppers.  (Ignore the gloves at your own risk…)  In a small food processor or blender, add salt and garlic.  Pulse until the garlic is minced.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the chicken) and process until well-combined.

Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal.  Massage the marinade all over the chicken, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before grilling.  The longer the better (up to 24 hours).

Set up the grill to cook at 375-400F.  (If using a Big Green Egg – we used a spacer ring to raise the grill surface level with the grill opening.)  Grill the chicken, turning every 6-8 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thighs have reached 180F (usually 30-40 minutes).  When chicken is done, remove it to a warm plate and let it rest around 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

No other music for Jerk Chicken than reggae, of course! If all you know of it is Bob Marley, then you have some great listening ahead. To get you started, a former member of Bob Marley Wailers, Bunny Wailer with Blackheart Man. Legend has it he disappeared into the jungle and emerged a year later with this album…who’s to say, but its one of the most moving and reactionary statements of personal freedom and morality you can find. Essential.

Now, the crazy man, the mad scientist of dub, the legendary producer Lee “Scratch” Perry with Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread. Created in his Black Ark studio- before he burned it down- this is primal reggae, created by one whacked out weed head and his patched together equipment. He’s still going strong, but living the high life in Sweden these days, but this album…whew. I and I like.

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Pulled Pork (Smoked Pork Butt)

Posted on May 6, 2012 by | 2 Comments

This may well be my laziest, virtually no-effort attempt at smoked Boston Butt yet….and I think it was one of the best.  Sometimes the less you do, the better things turn out.  No brine, no overnight rub, not much tinkering with the cooking…just a generous application of Dizzy Pig “Dizzy Dust” and onto the Big Green Egg.

When you are not working with many ingredients, it is especially important that those ingredients are of high quality.  When buying pork, support farms with pastured animals that are compassionately and sustainably raised.  Look for Heritage breeds of pork, like Berkshire, which unlike “factory farm” animals that are raised indoors for maximum size in the minimum time, are traditionally bred and raised in a natural environment for the best tasting meat.  Use fresh spices when making your own rub, or buy spice blends that have all natural ingredients and no preservatives.  I like the the assortment of rubs offered by Dizzy Pig Barbeque Company, which are also gluten-free and have no MSG.

Here’s how our lazy day went…

About an hour before cooking, I took the boneless pork butt (around 3.5 pounds) out of the refrigerator.  It got a nice rub down with olive oil, then I liberally applied the Dizzy Dust all over the butt.  (No snickering…)  The butt was then tied up with kitchen twine.  We let it sit there on the counter to come to room temperature while the spice rub melded on the surface of the meat.

In the meantime, Mr. “He Cleans” got the Big Green Egg set up for smoking, with plenty of charcoal since we anticipated this would need to cook for 7-8 hours (roughly 2 hours per pound).  When the Egg was showing a stable temperature around 225F, we threw in several handfuls of Jack Daniel’s Barrel Wood Chips for smoke, put in the inverted plate setter and grill for indirect cooking, and set that pork butt in there right on the grill.  To really notch up the effort, we also had a slab of pork belly there with the butt.   We closed up the Egg and watched the smoke pour out, hoping that our annoying, loudmouth neighbors were getting a good whiff of it and burning with jealousy.

The weather was really pleasant, so we sat on the screened-in porch…reading, playing Sudoku, browsing the interwebs.  We peeked in the Egg after 2 hours had passed; the little rush of ventilation gave the woods chips a boost and picked the smoke up again.  Then back to porch sitting, occasionally wiping drool off our chins.  After 4 or 5 hours (what is time, really?), we pulled the pork belly out of the smoker and had a little snack.  More time passed – jalapeno slaw and bbq sauce were made, more Suduku, Words with Friends, checking on what people were up to on Facebook.  Next thing you know, it’s about drinking time!

After about 6 hours, the temperature of the butt seemed to be stuck in the 160F range.  This, I found from reading blogs about meat smoking, is known as the “Stall”.  We want the meat to get above 170F, because that’s where the magic happens.  Around 170F is when the collagen in the meat begin to melt and turn gelatinous, and the meat becomes more tender and juicy and scrumptious.  One way to get around the “Stall” is to cover that butt to keep the juices from evaporating, and thereby cooling the meat.  I plopped it in a cast iron pot with a little apple juice, sealed it up with foil, and put it back on the grill.  If you don’t have a pot handy that you want to stick in a grill, you can also wrap it securely with foil.

Now that it was drinking time, the wait became a little easier.  We cooked the butt for another hour, and checked the temperature.  It was just under 180F – but more importantly, the butt passed the “fork test”.  Basically, if you can stick a fork in it and twist it easily, it’s done!  At this point, the butt should rest for about 30 minutes.  I think we made it for 15 before deciding that surely that was enough.  We put the butt in a lasagna-sized pan to make sure we got all the juices, and pulled it apart with these nifty “Bear Paws“.  The Bear Paws make easy work of picking up hot meat off the grill or out of a roasting pan, as well as shredding it.  If you don’t have Bear Paws, you can also shred the meat with forks.  When the meat had cooled down a little, I also picked through it to remove any gristly or extra-fatty parts (and only ate a little of the delicious bark while doing so).

We ate our pulled pork with hot tortillas, spicy jalapeno slaw, and smoky barbeque sauce.  Pork with guacamole and pineapple-mango salsa was also a hit.  Delicious!  What a nice ending for a lazy day!

We said goodbye on April 19 to one of America’s greatest artists, Levon Helm of The Band. His wonderful voice and unerring ear for music will never be forgotten. Eerily a week before his passing I picked up Ramble at the Ryman, and it’s a great evening of music, Levon with special guests such as John Hiatt, Sam Bush and Buddy Miller raising the roof at the legendary Ryman Auditorium.

And speaking of legendary, you can’t go wrong with Rock of Ages. The Band at the height of their formidable powers, with horn arrangements by Allen Toussaint. A must have for fans of one of America’s most beloved bands.

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Maple-Bourbon Smoked Pork Belly

Posted on April 30, 2012 by | 9 Comments

Modified from Los Angeles Times

What a smoking weekend!  Determined to clear out some of the pork products in the freezer, we decided to get the Big Green Egg smoking most of the day Saturday with a pork shoulder roast (aka pork butt) and a pound of pork belly.  We’ve been getting pork belly every month in our CSA share from Moonshine Meats – so far we have only braised it, and I was ready for something different.  The Los Angeles Times had a recipe that caught my eye, and why wouldn’t it with the title “Maple-bourbon hot-smoked pork belly”.  YUM-MEE!

The recipe calls for a three-day brine, but I can’t be expected to think that far ahead.  Our pork belly was in the marinade for a bit longer than 24 hours, and although a longer brine would no doubt increase the flavor, it nevertheless had the sweetly subtle taste of maple and bourbon.  After hours of sitting on the porch with tantalizing wafts of whiskey-barrel-spiked smoke passing by our noses, as soon as the pork belly was done we were unable to resist slicing bits off and eating it with our greasy fingers while we waited for the pork butt.  What a great appetizer – melt in your mouth tender, sweet and smoky!  What we didn’t snack on is destined for another meal, and I am looking forward to it.

One note about preparation of the pork belly – the LA Times recipe said to remove the rind (skin) before marinating, but instead I carved crosshatches in the skin and left it on.  In retrospect, I should have removed it because after smoking, the rind was quite chewy.  It is easily trimmed off after smoking, although some of the flavor is trimmed off with it. Live and learn!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (or more) pork belly, rind removed
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seed, toasted and crushed
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • several grinds of black pepper
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Other special equipment:

  • Smoker
  • Charcoal
  • Drip tray
  • Hardwood chips (i.e. apple-wood; we used Jack Daniel’s Barrel Chips that we had on hand)

Pork belly rubbed with crushed mustard seed, black pepper, and coriander

Wash and dry the pork belly.  Carve crosshatches into the top fat layer, and rub in some of the toasted, crushed mustard seed, coriander, and black pepper.  Place the pork belly in a resealable plastic bag.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining mustard seed and coriander with more black pepper and the maple syrup, bourbon, and salt.  Pour the marinade in the bag and massage it into the pork belly.  Press the air out of the plastic bag and seal.  Refrigerate for at least 24 hours up to 3 days; remix and turn the bag over occasionally.

Prepare the smoker to cook at 225-250 degrees (F).  (On the Big Green Egg, be ready to use the plate inverter, feet up, with a drip pan and grill rack.)  When the coals are ready, throw in the wood chips.  Remove the pork butt from the marinade and set up on the grill, fat side up, over a drip pan.  Close the smoker and let it go for at least 2 hours before peeking in on it.  Keep the temperature of the smoker around 225 degrees.  Smoke the pork belly until the internal temperature reaches at least 150F, per the LA Times recipe.  We took our pork belly to around 170F, which took 4-5 hours. (I forgot to time it….sorry!)  The time and temperature are likely not that important…I don’t think you need to worry about drying out this lusciously fatty piece of meat.

Remove from the smoker and allow to cool slightly.  Slice into thin slices, cubes, chunks, or however you like it!  Refrigerate leftovers.

Nothing beats Grill Day…sitting there smelling the heavenly aroma…but new music day is nearly its equal! Picked up some new releases recently. First up is Ray Wylie Hubbard’s The Grifter’s Hymnal. Ray is a Texas songwriter, a little bit more rocking than most. He’s been around forever- he wrote the classic “Up Against The Wall, You Redneck Mother” in 1973- and his wordplay and musical instincts have rarely been sharper than on his new album. From “New Year’s Eve At The Gates Of Hell” to “Coochy Coochy” with Ringo Starr, this is fine waiting on the pork to cook music!

As is Leaving Eden from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a jug and old-time band from the Carolinas. They bring the old black string band music into the 21st century, and it’s intoxicating.

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Sirloin Tip Steak with Harissa Marinade

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Silly me, I made the mistake of assuming the grocery store would be open on Sunday, as usual.  Rediscovering that it was Easter meant that dinner plans had to be changed, subject to rescuing something from our freezer.  (Maybe there’s an analogy to be made, but I won’t go there.)  In the recesses of the freezer, there was a package labeled “sirloin tip steak” from the 1/8 grass-fed cattle share we got last year from Heritage Foods USA.  The sirloin tip steak is not top sirloin – it is a more “economical” lean cut of meat that can be tough and chewy if you don’t treat it right.  According to meatsource.com, the sirloin tip steak, aka “round tip”, can be used to make cutlets (fast fry), stir-fry, kabobs, stew, cube steak, or can be marinated and grilled.  I decided to do something in between kabobs and a marinated steak – - I’ll call this “faux sirloin tips”.

The recipe for the harissa marinade is slightly modified from Bon Appétit via epicurious.com (Harissa-Marinated Top Sirloin Tips) to make it more paleo-diet friendly – namely switching out the brown sugar for coconut palm sugar, and the soy sauce for coconut aminos.  I can’t take any credit for the harissa either, since I bought it pre-made from The Spice House.  Harissa is a common North African condiment made from chilies, oil, garlic, and spices. This organic version, made on a family estate in Tunisia, is not overly spicy and is a great complement to beef.  This turned out to be one of those happy meals that came together with minimal planning and effort.  We grilled some red and yellow sweet bell peppers to serve with the meat hunks, and washed it down with a nice Zinfandel.  Yum!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds sirloin tip steak (or top sirloin steak)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  •  3/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
  • 2 tablespoons harissa sauce

Cut the steak into 2- to 3-inch-wide strips, then cut the strips into 2- to 3-inch triangles.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large glass (or non-reactive) bowl and mix well.  Add the beef triangles and toss in the marinade to coat evenly.  Marinate for up to an hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate to marinate up to one day.  Toss occasionally to mix.  (The longer the meat can marinate, the better.)

Set up a grill for cooking at ~400F.  When the grill is ready, grill the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until desired level of doneness.  (Medium rare would be best for this lean meat, in my opinion.)

Enjoy!

Got some great music recently! First up, Tragic Songs of Life/Satan Is Real by the Louvin Brothers. I’m currently reading Charlie Louvin’s book, and his description of the early days on the road with his brother Ira is hair-raising stuff! So is this set of some of their biggest albums. Their influence is vast on country music, and their harmonies are as good as you’ll hear anywhere. And “Satan is Real” is easily the best cover ever!

I’ve written about Guy Clark here before, so I was thrilled to hear of this- This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark. It’s a treasure, with some of the greatest songs ever, sung by some pretty esteemed folks such as Joe Ely, Emmylou, Shawn Colvin and a wonderful version of “She Ain’t Going Nowhere” by The Trishas. Sometimes tribute albums are hit or miss, but this one is two discs of hit!

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Grilled Chicken Wings Mole

Posted on February 11, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Greetings Huffington Post readers! Join us on Facebook for more treats!

Always on the lookout for another way to serve chicken wings, I read quite a few recipes before the “big day”.  I am of course referring to Superbowl Sunday, unquestionably the biggest day of the year for chicken wing consumption.  According to the National Chicken Council‘s 2012 Wing Report (really, I am not making this up), more than 1.25 billion wing portions will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend in 2012, totaling more than 100 million pounds of wings.  That’s a lot of freakin’ chicken wings!

Chipotle hot wings sounded interesting, but I decided to take that idea a step further with a nod to mole sauce.  Technically this marinade is not even close to the depth of flavor you would experience from an authentic Oaxacan mole, but it does have discernible elements of chile, cocoa, cinnamon, and honey – - mild heat, sweetness, and smokiness.  This is my “first draft” of the recipe, and it may need to be tweaked a little to get just the right balance.  If you give it a try, I welcome your suggestions to take this recipe from “tasty” to “killer”!

I used apple cider for the base of this sauce since I have a lot of it in the refrigerator, but other fruit juices could potentially be substituted.  I recommend marinating the wings overnight, if possible, or for at least 6 hours.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings (either whole or separated)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Lime quarters, for squeezing (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the ingredients (except the wings and limes) until well-mixed.  Place the wings and marinade in a large resealable bag; shake and squeeze the bag to coat the wings thoroughly.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.  Turn bag occasionally.

Prepare a grill for indirect cooking at 375-400F.  (If using a Big Green Egg with inverted plate setter, add a drip pan to help with clean-up.)

When coals are ready, grill the wings for 15 minutes, then flip the wings and grill for another 15 minutes.  Move them around as necessary to cook the wings evenly.  Keep flipping them until the skin is crispy and they are done  – around 45 minutes for wing portions, or around 60 minutes for whole wings (when they start getting loose at the joints, they are usually done).

Serve with a squeeze of lime and Citrus and Avocado Salad.  Enjoy!

My goodness that’s a bunch of wingless chickens wandering around…but I digress. Couple of new releases this morning. First is a guy I saw perform in a small record store to about 10 people several years ago, and I was struck by his unique sense of place and language, and his haunting, sparse style. His name was Jim White, and his new album, Where It Hits You is a barren, emotional landscape of despair, based on the end of a relationship. Sounds like a downer, but it grows on you.

Mark Lanegan, formerly of the Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age has a new album, Blues Funeral and its already being touted as the album of the year. It’s moody, provocative rock with an edge. Fans of Nick Cave and Tom Waits will dig this.

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London Broil with Lime-Garlic-Ginger Marinade

Posted on January 9, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Last year we bought a 1/4 grass-fed cattle share – most of which has been consumed.  There were a few odd cuts of steak remaining, like this large package labeled “London Broil”.  Now best I can tell, “London Broil” is not the name of a cut of meat, it is more of a preparation method.  My guess is this piece of meat is a top round steak because it is very lean and it is pretty large (around 2 pounds).  Top round steak has a nice beefy taste, but it can also be chewy and tough unless prepared correctly.  You could also use flank steak, sirloin, or skirt steak for this recipe.

I marinated this steak for about 6 hours for additional flavor, using a marinade recipe with lime, garlic, and ginger slightly modified from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.  He suggests leaving the meat in the marinade for 1 to 2 days to really soak up those flavors, which I would recommend.  At six hours, the garlic and ginger flavors were there, but subtle.  However, I probably overcooked our steak a little, trying to photograph it in the dark by lantern light.  Even so, the steak turned out pretty well and was great with grilled multi-color bell peppers and eggplant slices!

Since this is not a tender cut of meat, it should be sliced thinly across the grain when serving – this keeps it from being chewy.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 pounds top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, or skirt steak
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (gluten-free, soy-free sauce)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 heaping teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine lime juice, fish sauce, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, and honey.

Make shallow slashes across the surface of the steak with a knife.  Place the steak in a resealable bag or shallow glass dish.  Pour the marinade over the steak and rub it into the surface well.  Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.  Turn occasionally so that all surfaces of the steak have good contact with the marinade.  When near the end of the marinating time, remove from the refrigerator and allow to return to room temperature.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking at 450-500 degrees.  Dry the steak well with paper towels.  Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.  (Go lightly on the salt since coconut aminos and fish sauce may be salty.)

Grill the steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 125F.  Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, covered, to allow the meat to relax.

Went to Memphis a few weeks ago- talk about food!- but in between bouts of ribs, saw some local history at the Stax Museum. Fascinating place, with loads of exhibits and music of one of American’s foremost and influential labels. For a great look at its history and the legendary artists who recorded there- Otis, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes and more, I recommend Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story. Vital. America wouldn’t be the same without it.

Before Stax, future members of Booker T. and the MGs- Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn and Booker T, hooked up with high school classmate Charles “Packy” Axton and cut a bunch of sides to regional success. Packy was the son of Estelle Axton, who would go on to found Stax with Jim Stewart. These early southern soul sides have been collected on Late Late Party, and it’s great. Raw, gritty blues and soul, and you can tell future Hall of Famer Steve Cropper’s stinging tone early on.

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Lamb Chops with Moroccan Spice Rub and Apricot Risotto

Posted on December 13, 2011 by | 9 Comments

These grass-fed lamb chops from U.S. Wellness Meats are rich in taste and perfect for grilling.  We marinated the lamb chops in a wet spice rub of classic Moroccan herbs and spices, and paired the grilled chops with a creamy risotto spiked with Turkish apricots and pistachios for a dinner worthy of any special occasion.  This recipe would also work with a full rack of lamb.

The choice of rice for the risotto is essential for the best texture and flavor.  The most widely available rice suitable for making risotto is Arborio white rice.  Carnaroli is also very good, but is more difficult to find.  Risotto takes about 15-20 minutes to cook – the rice is done when it is al dente – firm to the bite, but tender all the way through.  It should be creamy in texture, but not mushy.

This recipe is part of our feature on U.S. Wellness Meats, “Music and Meals to Warm You Up“.  Visit their website for free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, and other great products!

Yield: 2 generous servings.

Lamb Chops with Spice Rub Ingredients:

  • Small bunches of fresh cilantro and parsley, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup, packed)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 tablespoon raw (turbinado) sugar or honey
  • 2 packages U.S. Wellness Meats Lamb Rib Chops  (each package contains approximately 4 chops, cut into couplets)

In a small food processor, pulse together the cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, ginger and olive oil.  Add the remaining ingredients (except lamb chops) and process until a pesto-like consistency is reached.  Add more olive oil, if needed.  Rub the spice paste over all surfaces of the lamb chops.  Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Remove from refrigerator about an hour before grilling.

Set up a grill for direct cooking at 400F.  When coals are ready, place the rib chops on the grill, fat side down, for 5 minutes.  Flip the chops over and grill, rib side down, for 5 minutes.  Finish by grilling the chops on each side for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature at the center of the chop is 125-130F. Remove the chops from the grill, tent with foil to keep warm, and allow to rest for ten minutes.

Note: These times are for chops cut into couplets – 2 bones per chop.  Shorten cooking time if grilling individual chops, or adjust as needed if cooking an intact rack of chops.

Apricot Risotto Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • approximately 4 cups of light meat broth (you will probably not use all the broth)
  • 6-7 dried Turkish apricots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A drizzle of high quality extra-virgin olive oil
  • Chopped roasted pistachios, to garnish

Some cooks keep the broth at a simmer on the stove while cooking the risotto, which helps keep the cooking temperature for the rice constant.  I have found that this is not completely necessary for good risotto.  I use broth that is at room temperature most of the time.

Using a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven), heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté the shallots for several minutes, until softened.  Add the rice and continue to sauté until the rice is coated with the butter and becomes partially translucent (about 2 minutes).

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add about 2/3 cup of broth to the pan while stirring (just eye-ball the amount).  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the broth is mostly adsorbed.  Add another portion of broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until the broth is nearly adsorbed again.  Keep repeating this for about 15 minutes before tasting the rice to check doneness.  The rice should be still firm, but tender all the way through, when done (al dente).

Toward the end of the cooking time, stir in the chopped apricots.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

When the rice is done, remove from heat and stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese.  Allow to rest for a couple of minutes, then stir again vigorously.

Serve the lamb chops over the risotto.  Drizzle with a little high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and garnish with chopped pistachios.

Sitting in an unmarked box in the Library of Congress, only discovered in 2005, the The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall is a landmark event in recorded jazz. Finally, these two titans of modern music captured in all their glory. Coltrane was soon to leave to join Miles Davis, but before he did, he and Monk created magic.

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Posted in Entrees, Sauces, Marinades, and Rubs, Side dishes, Veal and Lamb

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