Pork Chop

So, a fun experiment.  This meal was a disaster.  Below, in bold and normal fonts is what I wrote in between cooking steps before the final product appeared.  In italics is what actually happened. No blame to the Kitchn. I’m sure all the mistakes are mine.  Enjoy!

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Woke up, watched a movie, went to the market, opened the windows and sat down with a book and a glass of wine, fell asleep, talked on the phone, ate pork chop. True day so far. Nothing fancy here.  Just a simple pork chop, prepared as described in the Kitchn (not exactly).  Tastier than it has right to be. Bu-u-u-ull-shit! The pork chops were super salty and I undercooked them three (3)! times.  Oh, and I tried my new rice cooker with some short grain brown rice and I made gummy rice.  Train wreck of a meal.  At least the arugula salad tasted good, but that involved no cooking and the dressing was store-bought Garlic Sensations.   Recorded here so I can find it again.

Brine

3 cups of water, 3 T kosher salt, 1 t black pepper, bay leaf in a freezer bag.  Cover the pork chops (I made 3, no bone, about a pound total).

Ingredients

• Pork chops
• olive oil, salt, pepper

Preparation

1. After brining for 1/2 to up to 4 hours, dry the pork chops with paper towel and maybe place them back in the fridge on a plate for a little while. I swear I brined for 4 hours.  That had to have been too long.  Next time, 30 minutes to an hour only.  
2. Heat your cast iron skillet in a 400 degree oven.
3. Rub the chops with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I also over-salted at this step.  If the Kitchn is to blame for anything here, if you brine for 4 hours, you probably really don’t need any surface salt.  
4. If you’ve got a probe thermometer, place it in a pork chop. And set it to the right temp (not 145 F), and read it when it beeps, and pay attention to the one pork chop that was thicker than the other two. You know, the one you didn’t put the thermometer in.
5. When hot, place the skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top and sear the pork chops. 3ish minutes
6. Flip the chops and place the skillet back in the oven.
7. Cook 6-10 minutes until done (~165 F). And not 145 F.
8. Rest before serving. And don’t rest and turn off the oven without fully cooking, and don’t do that again with the thicker chop.

Served with a simple arugula salad, some rice (some gummy rice, with no flavor.  This was at least salvageable with green onion, soy sauce, and white pepper), and a glass of red (or two!).

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Next time, whenever I get the courage to revisit the simple pork chop, I will salt soo much less, and not screw up the thermometering!  Not my best work, not at all.

Until we meet again, food! Until we meet again…

“Spanish” rice and Sausage

2 posts in 1 day? Mon Dieu!

I’ve been trying to shake off a rut of making the same things I always make (and eating out too much).  I also don’t make many good rice dishes, especially ones that reheat well.  So I got the idea I’d like some hearty “Spanish” rice.  I have no idea who I would offend if I took away the quotes, but it came out pretty great.  H/T to Martha (and Lu) for getting me started. Here ya go.

Calorie Estimate: 2300

Ingredients

• 3 T cooking oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/4″
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into bite-size rounds (“fully cooked” hot links or andouille, (or kielbasa, portuguese, lop cheong(?)….))
• 1 1/2 cups rice (white, light brown)
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 2 cups water
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 t ground red pepper
• 2 t white (or black) pepper
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1.5 T dried oregano
• salt to taste
• (You should also keep at least 2 cups of water near a boil in case the rice is slow to cook, especially if not using white rice.)

Preparation

1. In a large (12″, walls at least 2.5″ high) skillet, sautee the onions and garlic in the oil.  Add a small pinch of salt to start releasing the water.
2. After a few minutes, add the sausage rounds and diced bell pepper.  Sautee until the sausage starts to brown.
3. Add in spices and seasoning and cook the spices for a couple minutes.
4. Add in the tomato sauce and cook a few minutes.
5. Fold in the rice.
6. Mix in broth and 2 cups water. Lower the heat to a simmer (between 1 and 2 on my stove), stirring occasionally.
7. Simmer until the rice is cooked.  If it’s starting to dry out before the rice finishes, add water a half-cup at a time like a risotto until it’s done.  Salt to taste (although I doubt you’ll need more).

Note: I used a light brown Thai rice (brand Aroy-D Extra Quality AAA) and needed to add about 1.5 cups of water from the hot water pot.  Somehow this took 90 minutes from start to finish.  I should consider using a covered cooking vessel next time.

Chili Verde

Hey Blog, I still remember your password!  After an excellent ski trip and a lackluster restaurant chili verde, I ask myself: “why don’t I make my own?”  Problem solved.  H/T everydaypaleo for providing an easy recipe to start from.

Serve with: rice, corn tortillas, or whatever else you want with a Mexican stew.

Calorie Estimate: 1400

Ingredients

• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 lb. pork shoulder cubed for stew
• 1 lb. fresh tomatillos
• 3 Anaheim or poblano chiles or other mild peppers with a “smokier” flavor
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice from 1 lime
• 1/2 t smoked paprika (or red pepper powder or whatever you like)
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t black pepper
• salt to taste (don’t add more than a pinch or two until toward the end of cooking, as it cooks down)

Tool I don’t normally use

• Food processor or blender or stick blender and large bowl

Preparation

1. (See also step 4!) In a heavy stew pot or dutch oven, brown the pork over the oil (5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and be careful not to burn the stuff that might stick to the pan).  When browned, remove the pork and set aside.
2. Add the onion and garlic with a little more oil if necessary and sweat (5 – 10 minutes).
3. Add the spices and cook them for a few minutes, then add the chicken broth. Be sure to dissolve all the bits off the bottom of the dutch oven.  Add the pork back to the pot and lower the heat if you’re not ready to finish step 4.
4. Peel and wash the tomatillos and seed the peppers (but otherwise leave them intact). In a dry skillet over medium/high heat, char the tomatillos and peppers, turning often. When charred, blend the peppers, tomatillos, and cilantro until smooth.  (We’re charring for flavor and not to remove the skins, but I suppose if you want the skins removed, after roasting, put them in a paper bag to cool and then peel.)  Add the green puree to the dutch oven after you’ve completed step 3.
5. Simmer uncovered for a least 2 hours until pork is tender and the sauce has thickened (reduce about half in volume). Toward the end, add the lime juice, salt to taste, and enjoy!

Notes

This was my first attempt.  It turned out good but was maybe a little too sweet (especially the next day).  Next time, I’ll remember the cilantro (oops!), try another pepper, a couple fewer tomatillos, and char for longer (I wasn’t that patient).  Otherwise, it was better than the typical chili verde I’ve had a random restaurants.

Spanish Rice

In a stroke of genius, my friend Benji decided we should combine experimental culinary forces and cook a lunch together.  He made a tasty chicken molé which I can say very little about, other than that it was tasty, and I took my first shot at spanish rice, and it came out quite good, with a little of his help on the seasoning.  All spice amounts are estimated–start small and add slowly until things seem about right.  Useful tip–taste and smell often, adjusting seasoning as you go.

Calorie estimate: 2000

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb prosciutto end (or other fatty pork), diced as finely as you have patience for
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 C long grain white rice
• 1 medium onion, diced rather finely
• 1 big clove of garlic, minced
• 3/4 can diced tomatoes, slightly drained
• 1.5 C frozen peas and carrots
• 1.5 C chicken broth
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1.5 t salt
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t ancho chili powder

Preparation

1. Get a large skillet with a cover (or find something that can cover your largest skillet).  Over medium-high heat, warm the oil and render the prosciutto bits for 5-7 minutes.  The pork fat should disappear into the oil and the meaty bits should darken and start to get crispy.
2. Add in the rice and the cumin, coat it with the oil, and toast it for 5-8 minutes, until it browns a bit.  Stir occasionally.
3. Add in the onion and garlic, stir around, and cook for 2 or so minutes more.
4. Add in the tomatoes, veggies, and broth.  If you use fresh peas and carrots, steam them in the microwave first.  Stir thoroughly, cover, and lower the heat to let it simmer for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, taste, add in the other spices and salt, slowly and always tasting and smelling.  When you think you’ve got it about right, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, ideally covered although we didn’t have that sort of restraint.

Beef, potato, and spinach stew

Due to a lack of planning, I accidentally bought the ingredients for half of 2 recipes today (this and this). Now, to improvise!  Let’s throw together what I did buy, merge the meat and the starches by way of tangy canned jalapeno and canned tomatoes, and spice in the general ballpark of a curry.  This was a winner, and looked so nice in the pot that I had to take a picture.

Calories: 2600

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• large onion, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb stew beef
• 2 baking potatoes (1.75 lbs), 1/2 inch dice
• 1 lb spinach
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 can diced chilis
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 T black pepper
• 1/2 T hot mirchi ground pepper (or 1 T cayenne)
• 1/2 t allspice
• 1 t celery salt
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t coriander
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Make a soup.  By that I mean, look at any other soup recipe on this website and do that.

Carrot, Spinach, and Rice stew

Based on this recipe by Mark Bittman.  A tasty, cuminy, very nutritious stew.

Calorie Estimate: 1900

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3/4 pound carrots (1/8-inch medallions)
• 1 pound spinach (chopped or baby)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C long grain rice
• 6-8 cups water/chicken broth
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 T cumin
• 1 T coriander
• 1 T black pepper
• 1-2 T butter
• salt to taste (1-2 t)
• optional: 3/4 pound chicken thighs or lamb, 1/2 inch pieces

Preparation

1. Place sliced carrots into 6-8 cups of water/broth.  Bring everything to a boil.  Put in a generous pinch of salt.  Add in 1 pound of spinach, diced onion, chick peas, rice, and any meat you’re including. Add pepper, cumin, and coriander.  Reduce to a simmer.
2. Stir occasionally for next 40 minutes.  Spinach should get silky and the mix should set up into more of a stew than a soup.
3. Add garlic and butter.  Check the seasoning.  Cook for 5 more minutes.   Let it sit for as long as you have patience, and enjoy.

Potato and Rice Soup

Based on this recipe from The Wednesday Chef.

Calorie estimate for the batch: 2400

Ingredients

• 4 T olive oil
• 2 large baking potatoes, 1/3 inch dice
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, sliced thin
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thin (or 1 green bell pepper, diced)
• 2-3 T tomato paste
• 10 C chicken broth
• parmigiano rind
• 1 C long grain rice
• 2 bay leaves
• salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh basil/parsley (or 1 T dried)
• dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

1. Rinse potatoes really well.  If you’re making this for company, peel the potatoes.  Otherwise, leave the skins on–they taste good, but they will fall off the potatoes and just kinda be conspicuous in the soup.
2. In a deep soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Add in diced potatoes. Cook for 5-8 minutes.  Try to brown some of the potatoes a bit and get them all started.
3. Add in the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery (or bell pepper).  Stir together and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add in tomato paste.  Stir around until a bit of red coats all the veggies.
5. Add in 10 C of chicken broth (or, 10 C of water and enough Better Than Bouillon to make the broth).  Add in the bay leaves and black pepper and bring to a boil.
6. Turn the boil to a simmer.  Leave the lid off the pot so things stew down a bit.
7. You don’t have to stand their stirring, but give it a good stir every so often.  The potatoes will break down and thicken the soup.
8. Add the rice in whenever you need to so it cooks through when the dish is ready.  For wild long grain, about 40 minutes before the cooking is done.  Add dried herbs at this time if you’re using them.
9. The total simmering time should be 60 minutes or so.  If it starts to get  too thick, put the lid on.
10. When finished, add fresh herbs and salt to taste.  Fish out the bay leaves too of course.

This dish will go well with a little pepperoni in the mix too if you want.  Maybe a small salad along side and you’ve got a filling, tasty dinner.

Risotto

Prep time: 1 hour

Risotto is not lazy-man friendly, but it’s very satisfying and much more decadent than its reasonable calorie count suggests.  Once every couple months, in exchange for stirring a pot for 40 minutes, you get to eat something that very few restaurants have the patience to do a decent job of.  You can make it as a side or as a meal in itself, and the character can easily be modified by featuring different ingredients.  It’s worth the work.  On the other hand, it’s apparently so much work that I was too exhausted to take a picture…

Tools

• knife and cutting board
• big pot
• wooden spoon

Calorie Estimate for the base: 1900

Ingredients

• 2 C arborio rice (necessary for maximum creaminess)
• 6 C chicken broth (+ water to finish)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 C grated parmesan (or pecorino)
• olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan
• 1 C wine (I prefer white, but there’s no real rule other than nothing too tannic)

Extras, depending on the day and purpose:

• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I prefer crimini to white)
• 2 oz dried mushrooms (lobster, porcini, etc) (reconstituted for about an hour, mix the liquid in with the broth)
• truffle oil (at most 1 t per pot)
• sausage, partially-cooked and sliced
• roasted red peppers, slivered
• eggplant, cubed
• spinach, shredded
• tomato paste
• etc…

Method

1. Dice the onion and garlic.  With a little olive oil in the bottom of a pot big enough to hold everything comfortably, soften the onion and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Toss in the rice, mix and toast for a couple minutes.  Then pour in the cooking wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan.  Stir until wine is taken up by the rice.
3. Now, the work begins. Over medium-low heat, add about a 1 C of broth to the mix.  Keep stirring.  After the broth is taken up, add another cup.  Keep stirring.  Keep adding broth cup by cup, each time waiting until it’s mostly taken up before adding another, and stir always.  The stirring helps draw starch out of the rice, and adding broth cup by cup ensures you don’t put in too much liquid.  If the rice is still a little crunchy after the 6 cups of broth have been added, finish it with water, using the same method.During this stage, add in other base ingredients, depending on their cooking time. I usually add sausage with about 20 minutes left.  Reconstituted dried mushrooms, I add as I take up the liquid/broth mixture.  Light veggies like spinach or green onions get added at the very end of cooking.
4. Before serving, mix in the parmesan cheese and any ready-to-eat veggies if you’re using them.  Serve hot and enjoy.

Even without the cheese, the risotto is creamy from the starch.  That’s the big secret: it’s rich as if it was loaded with cream, but there’s none.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

care of chow.com.

Calorie estimate for the pot:  1950 (check next use)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, medium dice
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, medium dice
• (or chicken hearts (cheap!, but very high in cholesterol))
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add broth and rice, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until rice is tender but still has some firmness, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Add chicken, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add parsley, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Fried Rice (3-star = Good Food)

Prep time: 12 minutes

My previous attempts at fried rice have been disappointing, but I’ve got 2 servings of leftover boring pilaf, so it was time to try again.  This time, success.

Tools

1. knife
2. cutting board
3. wooden spoon
4. 12″ frying pan (or something like that)

Ingredients

• old cooked rice (about 20 oz by volume == a good sized cereal bowl and change)
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/2 onion,  all veggies diced “White Castle”-sized (total, including what was in the pilaf already)
• 2 eggs
• a few tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1T (-ish) soy sauce
• 1t (-ish) black pepper
• (If you’ve got some sort of cured pork, toss that in too at the right stage, depending on if it’s cooked already or not)

Method

1. Finely dice the veggies so they soften quickly.  Smaller than 1/4″ a side is the goal.
2. Heat a splash of oil in a hot pan, then toss in the veggies to soften them for a few minutes. Season with pepper but leave out the salt since the soy sauce brings plenty.  Onions should just start to brown on the edges.
3. Push veggies to the side, mostly off the heat,  and add a few tablespoons of oil until the bottom of the pan is coated with about a 1/16″-thick layer.  Let oil heat for a few seconds (if the pan’s hot, that’s all it’ll take), and then crack two eggs onto the pan.
4. Working quickly, scramble the veggies into the eggs and dump in the rice.  Rapidly stir and fold, making sure to break up clumps.  Add about 1 T of soy sauce (or whatever gives some color and not too much saltiness), stir some more.  Toast for a minute or so, and serve.
5. As long as you don’t care if you warp your pan a little, run it under water while it’s still hot and wash it off with a little sponging.  A hot pan cleans effortlessly.

It came out good, touched up with a little soy sauce on the table.  It’s nowhere near as good as the goose fat fried rice I had in Hong Kong (for which I’ll forever be haunted), but it’s better than Panda Express.  Most importantly, this fried rice is a hell of a lot better than unimproved old rice, and it’s not that much work.