Braised pork shoulder… It’s magically delicious!

Ah, the pig.

That regal creature that Homer Simpson once referred to as a “wonderful, magical animal.” Indeed, I believe the pig may be magical: After all, a little bit of pig seems to make everything a lot more delicious. (And, never having had unicorn, I can only assume the pig is far tastier.)

My husband has long been under the spell of the swine, and has lately become a little more obsessed. Take, for example, the menu he prepared last week when we had family in town:

Monday: Braised pork belly. Tuesday: Braised pork shoulder. Wednesday: Barbecued pork ribs. If he had prepared pig trotters on Thursday, I was going to start ransacking the house looking for the pig carcass he was obviously hiding.

Not that I’m complaining. Doctors may not agree, but I believe a steady diet of pig leads to healthy — or at least, happy — living. And that is why we’re sharing with you Tuesday’s masterpiece: Braised pork shoulder.

Yes, the husband has not only blessedly turned his attention to that wonderful, magical animal… he has also dedicated himself to studying perhaps the most delicious art of food preparation: braising. Braising, that most perfect of techniques for concocting tender, delectable, melt-in-your-mouth meat. And pig, that meat most amenable to the BBQ chef’s mantra of “low and slow.”

The result of combining these two divine things? Heavenly, tender, succulent pork shoulder and a lovingly reduced sauce that will transport your taste buds to nirvana. I’m not exaggerating. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.

And now, the husband speaks…

I do love some pig. I’ve made more than a few pork dishes in the past week, but how’s that my fault? I mean, I didn’t make the pig that delicious.

But while this dish does demonstrate the magic of pig, it also is an example of the greatest technique I learned in culinary school — sauce making. There is perhaps nothing more French than the act of making sauce, and you have to give those cheese-eaters credit: Uninteresting morsels of food can be turned into something really special with the right sauce. In this dish, the sauce is made by reducing the cooking liquid to a near-glaze until it it is rich, delicious, and enhances the flavor of the meat.

What’s more, this dish also works with a newer obsession of mine: beer. I have to admit, I spend an inordinate amount of time at Rick’s Wine and Gourmet here in Alexandria, Va. I’ve even become friends with my local beermonger and fellow blogger, Nick. The store and Nick have been my cheerful suppliers as I continue to plow along. But this post is about demonstrating the glorious potential of beer, not about the high likelihood of seeing me in my little beer shop around the corner.

Here the beer is part of the braising liquid. The pork shoulder is browned and then slowly cooked in combination with Belgian strong ale and chicken stock. Along with their higher alcohol content, Belgian strong ales are known for their intense flavors that I feel pair naturally with pork. Here, I used a dark or golden variety of this style that exhibits fruit, citrus rind and spice; it reminds me of the classic pairings of pork with apples and cinnamon. The sauce that is rendered from the cooking liquid has a sweetness and a nice acidity — and I’m fairly confident would make my fingers delicious enough to eat.

Finally, this recipe is an homage to Daniel Boulud. While we were living NYC, my wife and I went to his flagship restaurant, Daniel, in midtown. For both my wife and I that experience was incredibly memorable not only for the amazing meal, but for the hospitality heaped upon us by the staff. After finding out I was a culinary student, the chef did those little extras that made us feel lavished upon. Beyond a clear demonstration of what it means to receive multiple Michelin stars and four stars from The New York Times, it showed us a sense of generosity that we’ll try to show to others.

This recipe was inspired by his recent book Braise. He has a recipe for pork shoulder with hazel nuts and Jerusalem artichokes (AKA sunchokes). While I liked the original version, I changed it to include more American flavors such as bourbon and pecans, gave up white wine for my heartier ale and swapped the very earthy Jerusalem artichokes with the milder new potatoes. The recipes do vary in grades from there, but I’d like to think this version is… I won’t say better, just more pleasing to a pair of people.

Click here to download the recipe.

Braised Pork Shoulder with Raisins and New Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
3 lbs. red potatoes (peeled, cut into 3-inch pieces)
1 qt. chicken stock
12 oz. Belgian Strong Ale (pref. golden/dark)
2 medium sweet yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
3 shallots
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup bourbon
olive oil

Crust:
1/4 cup pecans (crushed)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp. butter (melted)
zest of a lemon
salt
pepper

Brine:
1 gallon water
3/4 cup salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
15 peppercorns

Directions:
1. Mix together the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved set aside and let cool. Once room temperature, add the pork shoulder and cover the container. There are benefits to brining for as little as 20 minutes. However, for best results, refrigerate overnight. If the shoulder has an excess amount of fat, trim off.

2. In a medium sauce pan, boil 1 quart of water. Add the raisins and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the raisins. Move the raisins to another container. Add the bourbon to the raisins. Cover for as long as 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight. The raisins should look slightly plumped.

3. Remove the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme. Add the leaves, bread crumbs, pecans, and butter to a small dish. Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

4. Preheat oven to 325F.

5. Drain the raisins and reserve the bourbon. Place a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Once hot, add the pork shoulder, shallots, garlic and 3 sprigs of thyme. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides. Watch the shallots and garlic and remove if they appear to burn. Once the pork is browned, remove and set aside. Add the reserved bourbon to deglaze. WARNING: Be careful, the bourbon may ignite. This is not a bad thing, just be careful. Once the bourbon is nearly evaporated, add the beer, stock, and any removed garlic, or shallots. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 min. Strain the liquid, and skim off any obvious extra fat. You are making a flavorful stock to use later. Set it aside.

6. In the pot, back over medium heat, brown the onions. Return the meat and cooking stock to the pot, and add the raisins and remaining thyme. Place in the oven. It will need to braise for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. The meat should be extremely tender. About halfway through the cooking, add the potatoes and cook until they are easily pierced with paring knife.

7. Remove the potatoes and pork from the liquid. Cover with heavy foil and set aside. Strain the liquid and place in a pot to reduce. This is the moment of truth for this dish. You want to boil down the cooking stock to nearly a syrup. Do not season the sauce until you are done. There may be enough salt from the meat that seasoning too early will hurt the flavor. Reducing could take up to 30 to 40 min. One signal it is done will be that the liquid will change from a pale apple cider color to a dark caramel color. The liquid will also begin to bubble in a manner similar to when you make caramel, meaning lots of small tight bubbles the cover the top of the liquid. Finally, it should be thick and coat a spoon completely without easily dripping when turned upside down. Another trick to check for doneness is to place a little on a plate and see how easily it moves when the plate is held perpendicular to the floor. It should be slow.

8. Preheat the broiler. Press the crust against the top of the pork shoulder pieces and then place on a sheet tray. Run under the broiler until golden brown. Slice the shoulder, serve with the potatoes, coat gently with sauce, and add a few fresh raisins as garnish.

NOTE: In making this recipe, I used both Pranqster from North Coast Brewing Company and Gulden Drak, a classic Belgian version, on separate occasions with great results. Other examples of this style are Chimay Grande Reserve (the blue bottle), Gouden Carlos Carolus D’Or, and Brooklyn Brewery’s Local 1.

We’re baaaack! Now, let’s eat some gnocchi!

Yes, it’s been much longer than we promised, but I have a litany of excuses. (New York is distracting… Our baby is distracting… We are preoccupied by our jobs fighting international crime… The usual.)

But I promise that what my husband has been cooking will be worth the wait. First and foremost, he has an actual culinary degree. (Applause!) Yes, he has been trained by real, live fancy-pants chefs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Does this really make his cooking taste better?

Actually, it kind of does.

In fact, he is a better cook — if that’s possible. He has learned these things he calls “TEK-NEEKS” which he uses to prepare my increasingly delicious meals. And (bonus) he’s learned to cook more neatly — and to estimate dinner time more accurately. That’s right: As opposed to using every pot in the cupboard and telling me dinner would be at 7 p.m. (read: 7:45 p.m.), he actually keeps the kitchen tidy and puts dinner on the table at — dramatic pause — dinner time.

Let’s just say, my gratitude toward those Frenchies in toques is great and unwavering.

Second, the husband has become a student of spirits. Indeed, while in New York he took “classes” on wine and liquor. (I write “classes” because he came home with purported certificates of completion… but, let’s face it, his assignment was to drink wine and cocktails. Um, what kind of school was this exactly?) And since returning to the DC area, the husband has also become a devoted student of beer.

So, why should you care about this, dear readers of My Husband Cooks? Because a beer-soaked chef is a creative (and happy) chef. And because he is about to drop some serious knowledge on you guys.

That’s right. My husband and I have decided to turn our attentions back to this beloved blog, where we’ll invite you to share in his new obsessions: Fresh, seasonal and, when possible, local (to the DC area) ingredients… simple and delicious American fare… and, finally, tasty and exciting brew possibilities.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my stomach does!

And now, the husband’s take…

In our absence, I suspect you missed my wife’s clever wit. And while this is one of her best qualities, the one I’d like to point out is her devotion to my crazy cooking obsession. I mean, when your lawyer husband says, “Let’s move to New York City so I can go to culinary school,” and you are behind it 100%… you are pretty amazing. (Oh, and by the way, you’ll also be moving into a tiny apartment, in a city with no family, and you’ll be bringing along your two-month-old son.)

So, my wife is really the hero of all this. I can’t say that enough to her.

… But enough of this sentimentality, this blog is about the food.

Alas, everything she writes above is true. Dinners come out on time. Food looks better, but is also more complicated. And it’s true, I have focused on libations of various types. Yet, in my defense, I contend that all of this “research” is about understanding the food better. It’s about the experience of eating and sharing time together.

In secret, though, I bet my wife would tell you that the biggest benefit of all of this is actually (whispering) the side dishes. My wife is one of those people who at holiday feasts is more interested in the various concoctions of vegetables and starches than the main protein. Quite frankly, she wouldn’t notice that the turkey was missing at Thanksgiving… provided there were enough side dishes.

So one of the biggest things she coos about these days is the variety of sides that I produce. Frequently, it’s the multiple vegetables of various preparations and the perfect carbohydrate-laden starch dish that first disappear from her plate. I hope this recipe for potato gnocchi elicits similar responses from your family and friends.

Now most people think of gnocchi as either fluffy or gut-bomb dense dumplings that are rolled off the back of a spoon, boiled, then covered in some sauce at an Italian eatery. Well, I’m here to suggest an alternative. This recipe is in the vein of French-style gnocchi, which are made using pate choux (the same dough used to make cream puffs) that is boiled and then sautéed.

Here, we keep the more Italian-style potato pasta, but dispense with the fork shaping. The pasta is shaped quickly with a knife, then boiled, drained and sautéed to finish. When done right, it’s impressive, delicious, light and true to the potato.

Click here for the recipe.

Why we are in New York, and why we aren’t blogging about Top Chef.

Top Chef is back! But, sadly, our snarky commentary isn’t.

“What?” you exclaim in disbelief and horror.

Yes, it’s true. Our amusing — if we don’t say so ourselves — recaps and Q&As are sidelined this season because of … my husband. There, I said it.

Last season, I was willing to sit through lame reality show drama (such as, say, drunken head shaving), uppity contestants who whine that they hate TGI Fridays food, and bizarre vending machine quickfire challenges. I put up with Padma and endless product placements. I was even willing to stay up to the ungodly hour of 10 p.m. to watch these goings on, and then remain awake even later to write the posts.

No longer.

Why? Well… My husband has done it: He’s taken the plunge and is going to become a bonafide, certified, rarefied and dignified (?) actual chef. Dramatic pause. That’s right: He’s going to culinary school.

The whole family has temporarily relocated to New York City while he attends the French Culinary Institute for six months. Now, dressed in a budding chef’s uniform — black-checked hammer pants, a white chef’s jacket, dinner-napkin-like scarf and paper hat — he’s learning the basics of classic French cuisine and then some. He’s on his feet all day. He’s tired. He’s drained. And, yes, I still make him cook for me, dear readers of My Husband Cooks!

So, while our exploits here may slow a bit (I can only ask a man to cook so many hours in the day), we’ll keep the blog going — and hopefully drop some of his cooking school wisdom on you.

“But wait,” you interrupt, “what does this have to do with Top Chef?”

Well, gang, aside from having a 3-month-old whose sleep/wake schedule interferes with Bravo programming scheduled at 10 p.m., there’s another barrier. My husband has a professional conflict of sorts.

Lee Anne Wong, of Top Chef season one fame, is a faculty member at the French Culinary Institute. Plus, there’s all those other professional-type chefs at the joint who may not share our wicked sense of humor. So, while like all good cooks my husband likes a little bit of char, he’s not for burning bridges. So, we’ll keep our snarky commentary about Top Chef to ourselves and our TiVo.

We hope, though, that you’ll stay tuned for the blog as we enter this new chapter in my husband’s cooking — and my eating. I’m thinking both can only get better!

It hurts so good: Toothachingly sweet Uneven Pavement ice cream

Ice cream just got a little more dangerous.

We already know that it’s hazardous for your waist line, and that it can result in some wicked brain freeze headaches. Now, it’s after your teeth.

No, I don’t mean that ice cream causes cavities. (I’m sure that it does that, too.) I mean that the ice cream that my husband has just concocted is so sweet that it will literally make your teeth ache.

“What is this treacherous ice cream,” you ask, “and, um, where can I get some?” Right here, friends. Its name is “Uneven Pavement,” and it is a sweeter and, dare I say, more sophisticated cousin to Rocky Road.

First, it calls upon that underutilized nut of nuts — the cashew — in its sweet and creamy base. Second, it harnesses chunks of carmelized toffee goodness to assault your taste buds. Finally, in its coup de grace, it seduces you with homemade marshamallow fluff laced throughout.

Resistance is futile. Your teeth may not thank you. Your waist line may not thank you. Your frozen sinuses may not thank you. But you’ll be grateful nonetheless.

And the ice cream replies, “Your welcome. Sucker.”

Backgrounder…
Sometimes you just want to be a kid again. I think that is really the lesson of Vermont’s hippie-capitalists and ice cream moguls Ben & Jerry. And when it comes to ice cream flavors, pretty much the sky is the limit — fans of the original Iron Chef will remember Iron Chef Japanese Masaharu Morimoto’s squid ink ice cream as proof of this rule.

I’ve become even more daring in my ice cream-making, trying to find new ways to bring complexity. I’ve done chips. I’ve done nuts. I’ve done fruit. But after hearing my wife wax poetic about her craving for a childhood favorite, Rocky Road, I decided I would try marshmallows.

No, I wasn’t willing to settle for store-bought little marshmallows. I wanted veins of precious white marshmallow fluff running through the heart of my ice cream. I wanted the taster to discover strands of marshmallow sticking to the roof of her mouth. And I wouldn’t settle for the jarred fluff. No, sir. I looked up the recipe for making my own.

The result was a riff on my wife’s memories. By replacing the traditional walnuts with delicious cashews and chocolate with toffee, we developed a tooth-achingly sweet flavor called, “Uneven Pavement.” It’s rich, nutty, sweet and delicious. Place it on a cone and you’ll get the urge to be bike riding through the neighborhood again.

Before I go, there are a few tricks when it comes to the marshmallow fluff. I used a pasteurized egg white. Since it doesn’t get heated, I would recommend doing that. You can find them in the dairy section or just buy pasteurized eggs and separate.

Next, even if you don’t make your own fluff, the key is to add the marshmallow after you’ve churned the ice cream and have given it a chance to set up. I tried adding it early in my initial batches, and the marshmallow just integrated into the ice cream. It was tasty, but not the effect I was going for. So, wait as long as possible before you add the marshmallow.

Finally, I didn’t know how to make fluff before I started this recipe. I like to make sure I credit other recipes when I use them. I simply paired down a recipe I saw elsewhere. You can find the original version here.

Click here to download the recipe for Uneven Pavement.

Uneven Pavement Ice Cream
Cashew Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup salted, roasted cashews (crushed/chopped)
1/2 cup salted, roasted cashews (whole or halves)
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Toffee chips
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Marshmallow fluff
Ingredients:
1 egg white (or equivalent egg substitute)
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup confectioner sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Making the base of the ice cream
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and the egg yolks. Set this aside. Preferably over a double boiler, combine cream, milk, chopped cashews and salt. Whisk regularly until the temperature reaches 140F.

2. Once the liquid reaches temperature, it is time to temper the egg/sugar mixture. Slowly add about half of your hot cream mixture to the eggs and sugar, while whisking vigorously. Next, add the tempered egg mixture back to the original milk and cream and continue to whisk. Heat until the liquid coats the back of a spoon evenly or reaches 165F. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and immediately transfer to a container to cool down. Either cover and refrigerate overnight (preferred) or place in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until very cool.

Making the toffee:
3. Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper or a silpat. Next, in a small pot or saucier, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once the butter has stopped frothing, add sugar, corn syrup and water. Gently stir using a wooden spoon or heat resistant silicon spatula until the mixture reaches 300F. This is the “hard crack” stage and is typified by very small bubbles and a lava-like consistency. At this point, it is very dangerous if it spills on you, so be careful. Once it has reached this temperature, which should not take long given the small amount of liquids, quickly add the vanilla, stir in, and then pour out onto your lined sheet pan. Gently smooth the surface and then set aside to cool for 15 min. Once cool, break into pieces you feel is suitable for ice cream.

Churning the ice cream:
4. Following your ice cream maker’s instructions, churn the ice cream while adding the whole cashews and toffee pieces as soon as possible. Once completed, place in a covered container to set up in the freezer.

Making marshmallow veins:
5. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, whisk together all the ingredients. The mix should come together quickly and resemble something similar to marshmallow fluff. After the ice cream has set in the freezer for approximately an hour — it should be firmer but not stiff — gently fold in as much of the marshmallow mix is you desire. Return to freezer and let harden for at least another 3 hours. Once the ice cream is finally set, enjoy!

All good berries go to heaven — others go into blackberry ice cream

As a lover of berries, I wholeheartedly endorse eating them as God and nature intended: straight off the bush… or out of your grocer’s green quart container. And I’m a true believer: I regularly gorge myself on whole cartons of berries — and cherries, now in season! — minutes after they enter my house.

Blueberry-purple tongue? No problem. Strawberry seeds in my teeth? Who cares? Cherry juice stains on my blouse? My drycleaner loves ‘em.

But, sadly, sometimes a berry-buying frenzy can result in berry casualties. That’s right: You see all those gorgeous gems stacked into sparkling pyramids in the produce department, and you can’t help yourself… you overbuy. Some berries get shoved to the back of the fridge, forgotten. Perhaps some go uneaten when you leave town for a few days. Or perhaps some were just slightly too ripe when purchased. In any case, sometimes berries go past their prime — and, shockingly, sadly, are no longer fit to consume unadulterated.

That’s where my husband’s ice cream machine comes in.

Ice cream is the perfect resting place for berries otherwise destined for the boneyard. Softened by time and ready to relinquish their luscious juices, overripe berries partner perfectly with a little cream, sugar and cold freezer air. Sure, they’re no longer as sweet or sunkissed as they once were. Yes, they have undesireable blemishes and their skin gives a little too easily. But none of these things matter when they come into contact with blissfully sweet cream.

Yes, friends, you can ressurect those past-their-prime berries. Don’t toss them into the garbage… toss them into ice cream, man.

Click here to download the recipe for Blackberry Ice Cream.

Backgrounder…
With Memorial Day now here, we can officially (in a non-official capacity since June 21 still has that whole cosmological argument) say that summer is here. From a kitchen standpoint, this is awesome. Let’s be honest — as cooks, there are two great benefits:

First, the kitchen can be closed. Things are fresh. You can create a lot of delicious dishes with just a knife and a bowl. Furthermore, you can cook outdoors — bringing in those incalculable benefits of charring and burning things over flames.

Second, everything is in season. Most fruits tend to be fresh and local for a brief period. The number and colors of ingredients explode. Pretty much everything tastes better for the next 20 or so weeks until the last of the apples start to make their way off the trees.

This recipe is an homage to one of those ingredients that is starting its brief but vibrant trip into freshness — the blackberry. While I’d recommend you eat as many of these while you can, this is a great use for those that you start to see go wrong before you can get them out fresh. Also, feel free to substitute the frozen variety.

Finally, I feel the best part of this recipe is that it is a combination of flavors I really enjoy. It is sweet, tart, tangy and smooth. It has a refreshing character that makes it great for an evening summer meal — and there are a number of those ahead.

Blackberry Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 quart blackberries
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Juice of 1 lime

3 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Add the yolks and sugar to a medium-size bowl. Whisk together and then set aside.

2. Using a double boiler — or, less ideally, a medium-size pot — over medium-low heat, add the milk, cream, blackberries and salt. Regularly whisk the mixture, heating until the temperature reaches approximately 145F. The mixture should begin to turn purple.

3. Once the cream mixture has reached the desired temperature, slowly add about half of the mixture to the eggs and sugar while whisking vigorously. This will prevent the eggs from curdling. Once the eggs and cream have been thoroughly integrated, pour back the egg mix into the remaining cream.

4. Whisk constantly and slowly as the mix rises in temperature. Once the temperature has reached 165-170F — or when the mix evenly coats the back of a spoon — remove from heat and add the lime juice and vanilla. Whisk them in completely and move to a new container to cool. The mix can be placed in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours or, preferably, into the refrigerator overnight.

5. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. After churning, place in freezer to firm up. I recommend placing a seal of plastic wrap tight against the ice cream after making it to prevent a skin from forming on the ice cream’s surface. Serve once firm enough. Enjoy!

The big reveal…

Sort of… Ever been curious about us? Apparently the folks over at Culinate were as well. Not long ago, Liz Crain, their intrepid blog watcher, wanted to know more about us. So we did our first ever interview. If you’d like to plumb our depths or discover our secrets, then you can visit Culinate’s great site you and find the interview here.

Houston, we have some pickles…

It’s just the Husband here today, and if you are a frequent reader of the blog, you’ve noticed things have slowed down since our little bundle of joy arrived. It turns out that Jack is a little pistol. So much so that while gesticulating and grinning at his doctor at his two month check-up, the doctor felt the need to remark, “Oh, he’s an active baby.”

And, yes, he is. The little guy sleeps well enough during the night, but is quite alive and awake during the day. As a result, my wife and I have developed strong calf and thigh muscles because his favorite way to be soothed is to be held while his parents do deep-knee bends (reminiscent of the Oompa-Loompas in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). The result is tired parents and recipes that sit in the queue.

In reality, though, we haven’t slowed down. I’ve still been busy putting together ideas, and we’ve been snapping photos and debating the recipes privately. Cooking is still the rage in our kitchen. In fact, we’ve had so many guests over the past nine weeks, I’ve likely cooked more and for larger groups than at any time since we started the blog. The result has been some creative things we hope to share more over the coming months.

The idea that I’ve been most excited about lately is pickling, and I wanted to invite you folks into the test kitchen. With summer just around the corner and gardens starting to yield many a delicious thing, I know many of you have some ideas about the subject and would love to exchange insights.

Here is what I’m working on… The first is a pickled green been with pink peppercorns and curry powder. The result has been described as having an Old Bay flavor by one of our blogger friends, Synaesthesia, when she came for dinner last week.

The second is a spicy carrot, a variation on the Firecracker recipe from Good Eats. The carrots have lots of straight heat and not much else.

The third is pickled Hungarian wax pepper. It mellows in a sweet brine of cider vinegar and dill, and has a sweet and spicy bite.

The final experiment is a Japanese-style pickled ginger, a.k.a gari. When it came time to serve them, they had not pickled long enough to produce that pretty pink color you see in gari next to your sushi, but the basic flavors were there.

So this is my latest obsession, I’ll be working on these a bit longer, as well as a few other experiments, and sometime this summer I hope start posting about my pickled masterpieces. However, if you’ve got ideas, suggestions, recipes, horror stories, we’d love to hear them. So post about pickling please!

Chicken Curry 2.0: The sequel worth waiting for…

Oftentimes when you’re waiting — probably impatiently — for some or other event to unfold, that wiseacre to your left will intone the stale adage, “Good things come to those who wait.”

Phooey.

It doesn’t help that it’s sometimes true. Take this curry, for example. I had become accustomed to working all day and coming home to find my house filled with the pleasant aromas of the dinner I was about to throw down my gullet. And, as if by magic, by the time I had settled in, said meal was sitting on the table, ready to eat. Not anymore.

Now that I am enjoying my maternity leave and caring for my son at home, I find that I am tortured by the process of my husband preparing dinner. Especially this curry. Instead of tucking into meals mere moments after walking in and being seduced by their aromas, I am now made to wait — impatiently — as the dish is built and lovingly prepared. Oh, the smells. Oh, the torture.

This meal includes a spate of marinating (which, thankfully doesn’t give off tempting odors), then grilling (which does), then roasting spices (which really, really does), and then building a gravy (yes, even more smells).

By the time this curry is ready to serve, yours truly is truly frantic. So, the only disadvantage to this dish is that when it’s ready, you — and any guests subjected to its preparation — may be too tempted to woof it down in ravenous delight, rather than savoring its subtle flavors.

Unfortunately, I myself find this to be true. That’s why I always determine to have two helpings: One to eat, and one to enjoy. I suggest you do the same.

Click here to download the recipe for Chicken Curry.

Backgrounder…
I admit it. I’m obsessed. If you’ve had dinner with me in the past five years and got me talking about cooking, I’ve more than likely said something like, “There is something about Indian food… I just want to know what restaurants know that makes theirs so much better than mine.”

Another clear sign of an obsession: I wake up in the middle of the night craving good Indian food. To give you an idea how bad it is, this is the second version of this recipe we’ve posted. We did the earlier post, “Chicken Curry and Mind Control” on the same topic. Yet, I wanted to keep working on it.

Furthermore, I have a very small cookbook collection, 15 or so books. Of those, there are two books that deal just with Indian food. I’ve purused these books with a religious zealotry, only to discover that there is something lost between those pages and my results. Indeed, I’ve been compelled to look through the recipes of other Indian cookbooks trying to divine some secret I’ve missed.

In essence, I want culinary satisfaction now. I don’t want discussion about the things I missed, spices I don’t have, or rationalities in the cuisine. I want amazing curry. End of discussion.

The first breakthrough came last fall when we went to California to visit my wife’s paternal grandparents. They are fascinating people who love to eat. So when her grandfather offered to teach me his curry recipe, I was more than happy to learn. His recipe is actually a Malaysian-style curry, which he learned after he and his wife fled China during the Cultural Revolution. Focusing on coconut milk and good curry powder, the recipe is amazingly good and it’s reflected primarily in the earlier post.

And yet… there was something missing. The flavor was not developed the way I wanted. There was a lack of depth. There wasn’t that wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-start-cooking feeling that I wanted in my recipe.

The next breakthrough came not long after Jack was born. Both my wife and I were craving Indian food, but commiserating that there was no place nearby with great takeout. I drove out of my way to try a new place rumored to be good, but during the long car ride it clicked — the tandoor. For those who don’t know, a tandoor is a round oven in which food is cooked over charcoal and intense heat. The result gives Indian cuisine a signature flavor. I don’t have a tandoor (though you can add it to my list of things I want for my next kitchen), but I do have something that has intense heat — my grill.

This insight has changed everything. I started to realize that many dishes in Indian restaurants are not the one-pot cooking I presented in a previous post, but are two separate dishes — a protein and a gravy. They require separate construction and then unification.

Since changing my mindset, there has been a startling improvement. First, I focused on making the chicken delicious. And it is. The chicken is so good that I have a tough time not eating it before I’ve added to the gravy. Speaking of the gravy: It’s full of flavor and the complexity that I find so wonderful about curry. I also added new elements — cashews and golden raisins — to enhance the tropical flavors of the coconut milk. When these flavors blend, I feel they unite to become one of the most pleasing dishes I’ve posted here on the blog.

Unfortunately, this new approach means a serious stretching of the prep time. But, I want satisfaction, and sometimes I’m willing to go to the extra mile for it. The recipe has lots of ingredients, lots of steps, but it is so fundamentally satisfying that I have a tough time complaining while I’m cooking.

Finally, some notes on the recipe. I used chicken thighs. I prefer them because you can cook the heck out of them with little damage and I feel they have more flavor. If you have only breast meat, feel free to substitute. I would recommend Greek yogurt if you can get it. I think tangier yogurts, such as Greek yogurt, add more zing to the recipe versus the common stuff. I use serrano peppers because I like their flavor better for this sort of dish, but feel free to substitute jalapeños if you can’t find them. Lastly, I tend to use a white wine that has more of a fruity flavor profile. I think it adds another depth that enhances the sweetness in the coconut milk.

Chicken Curry
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Yogurt marinade:
1 1/2 to 2 lbs . chicken thighs (boneless & skinless)
1/2 large onion (diced)
1 1/2 cups yogurt
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garam masala
3 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 tbsp. fresh ginger (minced)
1 serrano pepper (diced)

Gravy:
14 oz. can coconut milk
1 large onion (diced)
2 serrano peppers (diced)
1 cup cashews
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro

Spice Mix:
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Extras:
4 bamboo skewers
rice

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the yogurt marinade. Cut the thigh pieces into three to four larger than bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the bowl and stir until all pieces are covered in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to overnight. At this point, I place my bamboo skewers in water to soak to prevent burning on the grill later.

2. Light the grill and heat to medium high, if gas-powered. Remove the chicken from the bowl and skewer. Oil the grates with vegetable oil or oil spray and then add the chicken to the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes and then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest while preparing the gravy.

3. Mix together the spice mix in a small dish.

4. In a large pot over medium high heat, add the butter and let it froth and bubble. Once it has stopped, add the olive oil and let heat for about 30 seconds. Add the spice mix and stir for 30 seconds. Turn down the heat to medium. Add the onions and ginger and then salt liberally. Cook for about 6 minutes stir or until the onions begin to soften. Add the cashews, peppers and garlic and cook for another 6 minutes.

5. Time to build up the gravy. Add the wine and stir, clearing the bottom of the pan of any baked-on bits (a.k.a. fond). Continue to cook for 4 minutes or until the wine has mostly reduced. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, raisins and cilantro and cover. At this point, I typically start my rice and let it cook while I let the dish finish off simmering together. Otherwise, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve hot over rice. Enjoy.

They’re dynamite, Napoleon: Gosh-darned chicken quesadillas

It’s that time of year, and he’s been at the grill again. As far as I can tell, there has been only one instance when the husband inadvertantly left that gas-powered fire hazard on — and he beat me to the chore of turning it off, glaring at me menacingly as he did so. (Is it wrong to be a nag about an item that can burn your house down? I think not.)

You might think, then, that I would discourage firing up the barbie for an item like chicken quesadillas, which can be safely made indoors and without the risk of sirens. Well, think again.

These quesadillas rock because of the sooty flames licking their crisp skins. They rock because of the sear marks on the juicy chicken inside. They rock because they are crunchy and fresh and… well, grilled.

As you know, I am a huge fan of eating and of my husband’s cooking. Plus, I love any items that are chock-full of fresh ingredients — here, it’s salsa and avocado. (Yes, please!) Therefore, I yield to the siren song of these delicious chicken quesadillas and throw caution to the wind. When the husband volunteers to make these chicken quesadillas, I turn on the grill.

(And, of course, make sure it’s turned off again, too.)

Click here to download the recipe for Chicken Quesadillas.

Backgrounder…
So, OK, not the most original recipe. But this is one that I’ve used a number of times in recent weeks with excellent success. You can serve these quesadillas as a meal or an appetizer. And let’s be honest: It’s starting to get hot out and it’s grilling season… So “Knock it off Napoleon, and make yourself a dang Ques-a-dilla!” (For those who have used their lives more efficiently than I have, that quote is from Napoleon Dynamite, a movie that I’ve grown to appreciate.)

Now that I’ve convinced you to make yourself a quesadilla, here are the keys to it. First, keep everything fresh. I know the temptation in life is to take that jar of salsa from New York City and mix it in, but it’s not worth it. Everything is coming into season now and you’ll be able to taste it in every bite.

Second, the wet rub is king in this recipe. In the last post I talked about a dry rub on the ribs. (I love dry rubs, too.) But this is a dish you want to turn out on the fly, like when you are exhausted by a 2-month-old and don’t want to order out for the third night in a row. So the wet rub — here very spicy — gives you a lot of kick, without taking hours to create flavors.

Finally, the grill is magic. Even my gas-powered grill can make all the difference in flavors. You can toast the quesadillas or broil them for likely the same level of doneness, but the grill marks and flavors brought on by sitting on those grates will make you crave this dish. If you can, grill. You will be rewarded.

Chicken Quesadilla
Yield: 24 servings if hors doerves, 6 for main course
Time: 40 min

Ingredients:
1 dozen 4-inch flour tortillas
2 large chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
2 cups cheddar, Monterey jack or similar cheese
1 avocado (diced)

Wet Rub:
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flake
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
juice of 1 lime

Salsa:
1 medium onion (diced)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 jalapeños (finely diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 lime (juice)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. This recipe uses direct heat while cooking over a grill. If using a gas grill, set to medium high heat. If using charcoal, over the coals will work.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the wet rub. Pat dry the chicken breasts and dredge them through the rub. Both sides should be well coated.

3. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 min per side with the grill lid on or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165-170F. Remove from the heat and let rest for at least 5 min, preferably longer. Once cooled, cut the breasts into half-inch or smaller cubes. Do not turn off the grill or snuff the flames once cooking is complete. You will be returning to the grill later.

4. While the chicken is grilling, mix together the salsa in a large bowl. Be careful with the jalapenos — if you are not inclined to spicy food, modify. Take a third of the salsa and set aside to serve along with the finished product. Add the diced avocado and cubed chicken to the remaining two-thirds of the salsa. At this point, if you are preparing for a party, you can stop. Simply cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It’s important that you press the plastic wrap down against the mix, to prevent the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown, as apples do.

6. If your tortillas are refrigerated, remove from fridge and allow to warm to room temperature or until easily pliable. Once ready, take about two tablespoons of your chicken mix, and place it on one side of the tortilla. Add a healthy pinch of cheese and then fold the tortilla over in half. If necessary, press along the seam to keep the tortilla closed.

7. Time for the finishing touches. Place the filled tortillas on the grill. Toast them on both sides for about 2 min per side or until the tortilla becomes crisp and the edges begin to darken. Once cooked, remove from heat and let rest for at 2 minutes to allow the cheese to solidify slightly. Slice in half and serve with the remaining salsa, plus other condiments of choice such as guacamole and sour cream.

The fire brigade is on stand by: Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs

My husband likes to barbeque. When we bought our house, one of the first acquisitions was — not new furniture, not even his much longed-for 52 inch high definition TV — but a gas barbeque grill. (And that’s saying something. He really loves that TV.) He often tells me — while watching barbeque programming on the aforementioned TV — that he wants an outdoor smoker, a Green Egg, a caja china, and various other meat-searing implements as soon as we get a bigger house with a yard.

That’s all well and good. But I can’t get behind buying more barbeque paraphernalia until my husband learns to tame his gas grill enthusiasm. Meaning: Until I’m certain he won’t burn down our house.

Yes, I love it when he barbeques… The product is tasty, and there’s that exciting element of danger. What danger? Well, he often leaves the gas grill turned on, full blast, long after serving its wares. Note that this is made more dangerous by the fact that our grill is right next to our house, on our wooden (read: flammable) porch. In fact, this tick has gotten so bad that I habitually check the grill after he uses it — despite getting the stink eye from him for doing so. Nonetheless, about 1 in 5 times, I’m glad I did it.

So, yes, this recipe for ribs is delicious. I just hope you readers appreciate that we risked a house fire to bring it you.

Click here to download the recipe for Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs.

Backgrounder…
Okay, so I know you’re thinking, “Didn’t he do this recipe last week?” Well, you’re sort of right. The recipe for last week was similar, but sometimes you have to go to the well again to impress on people how much you like something. In this case, it’s my new barbeque sauce. In this recipe, I apply it to a classic barbeque food, ribs.

Lately my palette is really about some of those comfort foods — I suspect it has something to do with being tired so often with the baby boy. Yes, I have a weakness. As much as I love trying to balance those new ingredients with classic preparations or flavors, sometimes I just want something that makes me feel full and warm and happy. I mean, a good burger can send me over the moon as easily as some gourmand’s delight. And these ribs are exactly what satisfies.

So, let us begin by talking about technique. In barbeque cooking, there are intense arguments about how to make your chow. All agree that the proper method is low and slow cooking, meaning you cook at a low temperature for a long time. However, some believe in the dry rub, which is just patting down the spices and slow cooking over smoke. Others believe in the wet rub, which is about smearing on pastes and sauces to get a result. Me — when it comes to this style of cooking — I’m a Buddhist with a gas grill. I’m all about a smokeless middle path. Anyway, let’s be honest, when cooking for a long time, you’ve got time for both wet and dry. I take my dry rub and then slowly lacquer on my citrus barbeque sauce. (Now, if only I can convince my wife that she should buy me a smoker for my birthday to get that wood-fired flavor.)

The result here is ridiculous. I know I often like what I make. I cooked it, I thought of it, it was designed by what I think tastes good… but really, this is good enough to make me very happy. The spice, the sweet and the way the meat falls off the bone really create something that, once again, I was hesitant to post for the sake of potential long-term profitability. But I give freely for the sake of spreading the good food to people everywhere. Oh, by the way, I did check the gas, it was off after I finished cooking these.

Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs
Prep time: Min 1 hour
Cook time: 3 to 4 hours
Ingredients:
1 slab pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Directions:
1. Locate the membrane on the back of the ribs; it’s a thin filmy substance on the underside. It can be left on, but for better results and flavor you want to remove it. Do so by running a sharp blade along the line of one of the bones and under the membrane, lifting it up. Use your hands to pull up the excess membrane. It may take a couple of passes to get all of it.

2. In a bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients. Make sure all the brown sugar is broken up and the spices evenly distributed. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap long enough to double over the entire rack of ribs. Lay out the rack, with the underside up. Take about a third of your mix and pat it onto the ribs. Turn the ribs over and pat the remaining portion over the top of the ribs. Fold over the plastic wrap and wrap tightly around the ribs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

3. Heat the grill to low if you are using gas, cook over indirect heat if you’re cooking with charcoal. The ideal temperature is approximately 225F. Place the ribs on the grill facing up. Brush lightly with the Citrus Barbeque sauce (recipe below). Cook covered like this for 3 to 4 hours, brushing on more sauce about every 20 min to 30 min. You are looking for the bones to become exposed at the ends and the meat to tear easily away from the rib when prodded with a fork. Once done, remove from heat, let rest for 5 min, break out the beers and the papers towels and enjoy!

Citrus BBQ Sauce
Time: 40 min
Ingredients:
1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 jalapeño (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ponzu
1 cup fresh orange juice (approx. 3 large navel oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approx 8 key limes)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp. fresh oregano (chopped)
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Coat the bottom of a medium-size sauce pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and let heat for 30 seconds. Add the onions and salt liberally. Let cook until the onions begin to yellow slightly. Add the jalapeño and garlic and continue to cook until the onions begin to brown.

2. Add the juices, ponzu and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and continue to reduce by about half or until the sauce is viscous, about 20 minutes. A visual key is more reliable than time elapsed: Watch the way the sauce reacts to being stirred. Drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan; you should glimpse the pan’s bottom as you drag your spoon through the thickened liquid. It should also easily coat the back of a metal spoon. Be sure to stir often and watch the temperature because as the sauce reduces the sugars will start to caramelize and bubble. You may need to stir to break up the bubbles or turn down the heat.

3. Once the sauce has reduced, remove it from the heat, add the cilantro and oregano, and let cool for about 10 to 15 min. Once it’s no longer burning hot, blend with either a hand mixer or a blender. Once the sauce is smooth, it can be bottled and refrigerated for up to a week. Note, if it’s too thick after being refrigerated, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds and add a tablespoon of water. Mix together by shaking or stirring and the sauce should return to form.