Meats


Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs

Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs

 

Sweet, sour, salty, spicy, crispy, sticky, tender succulent, and aromatic….

These Thai baby back ribs explode with all the elements that make Thai food so popular the world over.

Tamarind Pod

Tamarind Pod

Tamarind? The tamarind tree originates from Africa, but now found across the tropics including South and Southeast Asia. India is now the largest producer of tamarind.  Tamarind is used in many Thai dishes and available fresh or in paste form. Here in Thailand tamarind is available in fresh clusters of pods or in blocks of the sticky contents of the  pods that include the seeds.  The flesh and seeds from the pods are boiled until vary soft. The seeds are then removed and sticky flesh is passed through a fine mesh strainer. The resulting tamarind paste has a unique tart, sweet, and slightly fruity flavor.

 

Tamarind Paste

Tamarind Paste

The methods used for this recipe are adapted for the home kitchen. Some of the ingredients may be somewhat unfamiliar, but most can be found in Asian markets or in the Asian foods section of you local supermarket.

Keep in mind that cooking is always an adventure! Discovering new and unfamiliar ingredients and flavors are all part of the fun and open up new windows of possibilities. Tamarind is a subtle flavor enhancer you will find yourself using  again and again when cooking Thai or other Asian dishes. 

 

 

Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs    Serves 4 to 6

Ribs:

  • 1 kilo/ 2.2 pounds baby back pork ribs

Separate the ribs and remove the silver skin membrane  from the underside of each rib using a very sharp knife. Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towels, and transfer the ribs to a bowl.

Seasoning rub:

  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon back peppercorns 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

Place all the rub ingredients in a spice mill and pulse until finely ground.

Then sprinkle the seasoning rub over the ribs. Using your hands, rub the seasonings evenly over all the ribs. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside.

Basting sauce: makes 1 ½ cups

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
  • 2 inch knob ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 medium size shallot, finely minced
  • 1 bunch of coriander, leaves and roots chopped
  • ¼ cup light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 4 tablespoons tamarind paste (available at Asian markets)
  • 3 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons rum or brandy
  • ½ teaspoon red Thai chile powder, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon cold pressed peanut oil
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)

Using a mini processor or mortar and pestle, combine the grated garlic, grated ginger, minced shallot, and coriander leaves and roots and pulse or grind into a coarse paste.

Transfer the paste to a non reactive bowl. Add the soy sauce, sweet dark soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind paste, palm sugar (or light brown sugar), rum or brandy, Thai chile powder, and the peanut oil and mix until well combined.

Select a rectangular baking pan and fit the pan with a shallow baking rack. Lightly oil the bottom of the pan as well as the rack.

Preheat the oven to 325 f/170 c

Place the seasoned ribs on the rack, bone side down and flesh side upward in a single layer, tucking the kaffir lime leaves here and there between ribs. Pour about an inch of water into the baking pan, generously brush the ribs with the basting sauce, seal the pan tightly with foil, and transfer to the preheated oven.

hai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs

Thai Tamarind Baby Back Pork Ribs

Total cooking time will be about 1 ½ to 2 hours. At 20 minute intervals brush the ribs with more basting sauce. Add water to the bottom of the pan if needed, re-seal the pan, and return the pan to the oven front to back to insure even cooking.

After 1 hour check the meat for tenderness. The finished meat should be very soft, but just short of falling off the bone. So continue checking and roasting the meat until tender as described.

Once the meat is sufficiently tender you want to raise the heat to 400 F/ 200 c.

Remove the foil and brush the ribs generously with more basting sauce. Pour the remaining basting sauce into the bottom of the pan and add more water as needed. Move the oven rack to the upper position, return the ribs to the oven uncovered and cook until the tops of the ribs are deeply colored, sizzling, and crisp on the top surface.

Promptly remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs, transfer the ribs to a platter and cover lightly with foil. Remove the roasting rack and skim the fat off the surface of the pan juices and pour the pan juices through a fine mesh strainer into a saucepan.

Place the saucepan over medium flame, bring to a boil, and if the juices are looking very thin boil until reduced to the consistency of a thin sauce.

Alternatively, mix a couple of teaspoons of corn starch mixed with an equal part of cold water, and stir it into the simmering pan juices while stirring until the sauce thickens to a thin sauce.

Dipping sauce: 

  • 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely sliced coriander leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red hot chile flakes

Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Chill until ready to serve.

Serving:

Serve the ribs on individual plates or on a large platter. Drizzle some pan juices over the ribs and, if serving on individual plates, add a small pool of pan sauce to each plate, or place a bowl of pan juices on the table.

Serve with a bowl of the tamarind dipping sauce and Thai jasmine rice as pictured.

Borlotti Beans with Sausage

Borlotti Beans with Sausage

 

I just love beans, any which way, and I’m always trying out new variations just to keep the dialogue evolving. And, of course, it is fall and a perfect time for cooking beans for some hearty cool weather meals.

Borlotti beans may not be as popular as many other bean varieties, but why not try something new. Borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans, originate from Mesoamerica and first cultivated in Colombia. The Colombian caramauto beans eventually found their way to Italy where they are favored for their thicker skin, creamier texture, and nutty flavor when cooked. Fresh borlotti beans have a pale buff background color streaked with red. Dried borlotti beans vary in color and are popular in Portuguese, Turkish, and Greek, as well as Italian cooking.

Like all common dried beans, Borlotti beans are cooked in a seasoned broth until soft. A flavorful meat is often added to the beans to give them an enticing aroma as well as a tantalizing note to what would otherwise be a pot of rather bland earthy boiled legumes.

All common beans (phaseolus vulgaris) originate from the Americas and were brought from the new world to the old world by European explorers in the 1400’s. Like many other new world indigenous foods, beans were then traded eastward into Asia, and the rest is history.

For this recipe I have used a well seasoned local sausage, but an Italian, Portuguese, Mexican chorizo, or your favorite local well seasoned sausage will do nicely.

When fall rolls around there is nothing quite like a hearty piping hot bowl of well seasoned beans to satisfy the appetite.

 

Borlotti Beans with Sausage   serves 4

A cooks note: I like to make this recipe a day in advance which allows the flavors to develop and meld together.

  • 1 pound well spiced sausage, cut into 6 inch lengths
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil + additional for finishing
  • 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly slice
  • 3 fresh jalapeno chilies seeded and diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 quart cooked borlotti beans For cooking beans (click here)  or 3  400 g canned Borlotti
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
  • a pinch of ground clove
  • 2 quarts stock or water as needed
  • 1 bunch collard greens, leaves only with center ribs removed and leaves chopped
  • sea salt to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (optional)

 

Place a medium sized stock pot on the stove top over medium flame. When hot add the oil. When the oil is nearly smoking add the sausage and deeply brown on all sides. Transfer the browned sausage to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions to the pot and saute, stirring continuously, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute 1 minute. Then add the jalapenos and red peppers and saute, stirring continuously, until the peppers are wilted, about 4 minutes.

Clear a well in the center of the pot, add the tomato paste and press it against the bottom of the pot to caramelize it, about 2 minutes. Then stir in the beans and add the bay leaves, oregano, cumin seeds, and the clove and stir all the ingredients until well combined.

Promptly add enough stock or water to cover the contents with an inch to spare and stir well. Bring the contents to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Meanwhile cut the browned sausage into ½ inch rounds and set aside.

Add the chopped collard greens, the sausage, and additional stock or water if needed. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Taste and add salt to your liking as well as the paprika if using and stir to combine.

At this point the beans and sausage are ready to serve. That said, as mentioned, you may want to transfer the beans to several containers and refrigerate overnight. Be sure to reserve stock for reheating.

Serving:

slowly reheat the beans and sausage and simmer for several minutes, adding some stock or water if needed. Be sure the beans and sausage are piping hot just before serving.

Ladle the beans, sausage, and broth into individual shallow bowls, stirring in a drizzle of olive oil into each just before serving.

Serve with crusty warmed bread or focaccia.

Vietnamese Pho Bo

Vietnamese Pho Bo

Pho is Vietnam’s famous noodle soup that has garnered a legion of devotees around the globe. Traditionally Pho is served first thing in the morning in Vietnam, but there are Pho stalls and shops that are open 24/7 across the country. Making Pho at home does require a lot of ingredients as well as time, so most Vietnamese frequent their local Pho shop for a quick meal on the go. This is a country on the move and in perpetual motion! The energy in the air is mind boggling at first, but then your realize there is an order in this symphony of chaos that envelopes you. Welcome to Vietnam!

Pho became popular during the French colonial period in the mid eighteen hundreds. The French colonists introduced beef into the Vietnamese diet as well as French cooking methods. Some speculate, myself included, that the French beef stew called pot- ou- feu was the likely source for the name Pho, pronounced “fuh”, which is very similar in sound to the French pot-ou-feu.

Vietnamese Pho Bo

Vietnamese Pho Bo

Fortunately, these days Vietnamese restaurants serving Pho can be found in almost any city in the world. Of course you could use a Knorr Oxo beef broth sachet for a quick Pho, but taking the time to make a traditional Pho at home affords you the luxury of a well tended slow cooked broth that reflects the refined essence of this soups mystique. Hand selecting the other fresh ingredients that are added to the piping hot broth insures that the alluring aromas of this sublime Vietnamese soup fills the air as it arrives at the table.

I have to say Vietnamese food is the perfect cuisine for life in the tropics. It’s light, refreshing, cooling in the steamy hot months, and warming in the bracing monsoon and brief cool winter months.

Getting to it then, developing a perfect broth is the first step in mastering an authentic Pho. Traditional broths are poultry, meat, or seafood based, but a vegetarian broth is doable with thoughful seasoning. The Pho Bo I have made here uses a beef based broth, but feel free to substitute a chicken, pork, or vegetable broth if you like. With a well developed broth you are free to create endless variations of this Vietnamese classic.

 

Vietnamese Pho Bo:    serves 6 to 8

Nuoc Dung Bo ( beef broth)  : makes 3 liters

I like to make the broth in advance. You can then cool it, cover, and refrigerate until needed, or freeze it for later use.

  • 6 liters water
  • 3 pounds beef bones
  • 1 hand of ginger root, (unpeeled)
  • 3 medium onions, unpeeled
  • 6 whole star anise 
  • 4  four inch cinnamon sticks (Vietnamese if available)
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon white peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • a pinch or more of ground Saigon cinnamon (click here) to taste

Place the beef bones on a grill or under the broiler in your oven and brown the bones on all sides. Transfer the bones to a large stock pot and set aside.

Fire up a grill or place a rack directly over an open flame on the stove top. Flame roast the hand of ginger with skin on until it is well charred on all sides. Brush off excess charred bits, break the hand apart into fingers and add them to the stock pot.

Remove excess papery skin from the onions and cut them in half. Grill or flame roast the onions, unpeeled, until they are charred on all sides. Brush off excess charred bits and add them to the stock pot.

Fill the stock pot with the water and add the star anise, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, fennel seeds, peppercorns, sugar, and salt. Partially cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil. Uncover and stir. Then reduce the heat until the liquid is just gently simmering. Simmer for 2 ½ hours or until the liquid has reduced by half. Turn off the heat and set aside for an hour or so to cool. Then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Discard all the solids and set the broth aside until you are ready to assemble the Pho, or transfer to containers with lids and refrigerate. As you will probably have more broth than you will need you may want to freeze the rest of the broth.

Beef:

preheat the oven to 400 f/200 c

  • 1 pound good quality beef round or filet
  • flaked sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fish sauce

Salt and pepper the beef on all sides. Gently rub the beef with fish sauce and place it in a preheated sizzling hot skillet. Quickly sear the beef on all sides and transfer to a roasting pan.

Put the beef in the oven and roast for no more than 12 minutes. You want the beef to be very rare in the center. Promptly remove ifrom the oven, cover lightly with foil, and cool to room temperature.

Just before you are ready to serve the Pho  slice the beef as thinly as possible across the grain. Place the slices on a plate and set aside. The beef slices will be slipped into the Pho right before serving.

Noodles:

  • 1 pound dried rice vermicelli or 1 pound thin Chinese egg noodles, fresh or dried.

If you are using rice noddles soak them in cold water for 20 minutes. When you are ready to assemble the soup place the soaked vermicelli in a wire mesh basket and lower them into the simmering broth for about 30 seconds and then transfer them to individual bowls, add broth and other ingredients, and serve.

If you are using Chinese egg noodles boil them in a generous pot of salted water as you would pasta, cooked al dente. Transfer to bowls and add broth and other accompanying ingredients, and serve.

Fresh garnishes for Pho Bo: pickled mustars greens, ngo gai(saw tooth coriander), chilies, scallions, coriander and lime wedges,

Fresh garnishes for Pho Bo: pickled mustars greens, ngo gai(saw tooth coriander), chilies, scallions, coriander and lime wedges,

Accompaniments:

The following ingredients should be available in Asian markets. Gather all of the following accompaniments together,  lined up, and ready to add to the bowls of steaming hot Pho just before serving.

  • mung bean sprouts
  • coriander leaves
  • ngo gai (saw tooth coriander, if available), thinly sliced
  • Vietnamese/Thai sweet basil leaves
  • green scallions, thinly sliced
  • finely sliced fresh red chilies, to taste Best to remove the seeds before chopping.
  • pickled mustard greens (du chua)
  • Saigon cinnamon (if available)
  • Lime wedges
  • fish sauce (nuoc mam/nam pla

Serving:

Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding fish sauce and/ or salt, and a pinch or 2 of Saigon cinnamon to your liking. Then bring the broth to a full boil.

Place warmed noodles into individual bowls and ladle broth over the noodles to cover generously. Garnish with bean sprouts, sliced ngo gai (if using), basil leaves, sliced scallions, and some finely sliced red chilies. 

Slip 4 or 5 slices of the thinly sliced beef into each bowl and serve.

Place bowls of sliced pickled mustard greens, grated ginger, finely sliced red chilies, and lime wedges on the table along with a platter or bowl laden with all the leafy garnishes on the table for adding to each individuals tastes. Be sure to have a dispenser of the ubiquitous nuoc mam/ nam pla  (fish sauce) on the table as well.

Bon appetite!

Mexican Chorizo Burrito

 

Mexican Chorizo Burritos have been on my  mind the last few days as Cinco de Mayo celebrations are just around the corner. The 5th of May in Mexico celebrates the unexpected defeat of the French army in the battle of Puebla in 1862. While this was not the definitive ending of the French occupation of Mexico it marked the turning point for Mexico’s liberation from French rule. 

As there is sometimes confusion about the differences  between tacos and burritos, a short clarification follows. Both tacos and burritos us tortillas as a base. Tacos are generally made with 6 inch corn or wheat flour tortillas as a base. The tortillas can be either soft or fried and crispy.  Tacos are served flat along with various salsas to add as condiments. Soft tacos are then folded and eaten using your hands. A burrito is best described as large 10 inch soft flour tortilla filled with various ingredients that are then wrapped and rolled into an open ended cylinder and eaten beginning at the open end. The burrito is the precursor of the contemporary“ wrap” if you will. Burritos are considered Mexican street food. Burrito is the diminutive word for burro. And so the burrito was  aptly coined as a donkey loaded down with an assortment of ragtag cargo. 

The Aztecs were making corn tortillas as far back as 10,000 BC, once they had devised a method called nixtamalization, in which native corn was soaked in water and lime which released vital nutrients in the corn. The corn was then boiled, dried, and ground into meal that was used to make corn tortillas. Tortillas were all made with corn until the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the mid 1500’s, and introduced and cultivated wheat that was integrated  into the Mexican diet via wheat flour tortillas which are used to this day as burrito wrappers.

Fast forwarding to twentieth century North America, where the fist commercially handmade tortillas were introduced in San Antonio, Texas, in 1947. Then In 1972 Villamex introduced the first machine made tortillas into the North American market and Mexican foods went mainstream.

The breakfast burrito, which includes fried chorizo and scrambled eggs, has become a favorite the world over. But the more common rustic chorizo burrito found all over Mexico that is filled with beans or rice, some Mexican cheese, and salsa  is the real deal and pure perfection in my mind’s eye.

The Mexican chorizo burritto recipe that follows involves making several traditional components, but once they are prepared the burritos are easily assembled. Just think of the preperations as honing your Mexican cooking skills that you will be using again and again!

 

Mexican Chorizo Burritos      makes 6

Homemade Mexican chorizo For recipe (click here)

Follow the instructions for preparing the chorizo mixture and marinate it for at least 24 hours before you intend to use it.

Divide the chorizo mixture into 12 2 oz/57g portions. Shape each portion into small torpedo shaped sausages and place them on a parchment lined baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Any leftover chorizo mixture can be frozen for later use.

Preheat the oven to 375f/190c

Brush the Chorizo with olive oil and transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Homemade Chorizo for Burritos

Homemade Chorizo for Burritos

Assembling the burritos:

  • 6 large flour tortillas, wrapped in a kitchen towel and warmed in the oven or microwave
  • soft cooked beans, or refried beans, warmed   For recipe (click here)
  • For refried beans recipe  (lick here)
  • Mexican cotija cheese (or mild Feta), crumbled
  • 12 small warm cooked chorizos (2 per burritto), cut in half lengthwise 
  • sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves
  • fire roasted tomato salsa   For recipe (click here)

Have all the components assembled before you begin making the burritos.

Making Mexican Chorizo Burritos

Making Mexican Chorizo Burritos

Place a warmed large flour tortilla on a large flat plate or cutting board.

Spread a generous amount of warm cook beans or refried beans over inner surface of the tortilla, leaving about an inch around the edge of the tortilla as it is.

Place 4 halves (from 2 sausages) on top of the beans in the center of the tortilla from top to bottom.

Scatter the crumbled cheese over the surface as pictured.

Spoon salsa around the center and topping the chorizo. Top with fresh cilantro sprigs to your liking.

Fold about ¾ of an inch of the bottom edge of the tortilla towards the top as pictured. Then fold the left side of the tortilla over the filling, gently tucking the inner edge of the tortilla under the filling as pictured.

Then gently roll the filled burrito until it meets the right side of the tortilla. Spread a small amount of beans near the edge to act as a “glue” before closing the burrito.

Serving:

Serve promptly while still warm with additional salsa on the table.

If you prefer making the burritos ahead of time, omit the salsa and the cilantro sprigs. Place the burritos on a backing tray and tent the tray with foil and secure the edges tightly. Place the tray in the preheated 300f/150c oven for about 20 minutes. Serve right from the oven with salsa and cilantro sprigs placed on the table.

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