Grilled Pork

It doesn’t mater if it is pork chop or pork country style ribs. Just sprinkle some of Chef John’s seasoning that you can find under
my Rub and Spices label and then thinly coat the meat with vegetable oil.

Set your grill to medium heat and wait until it is hot, about 20 minutes.

Grill for 10 minutes on one side and turn and cook for about another 10 minutes.

Pictured are my grilled country style pork ribs that were cooked on my gas grill with the hood down.

Let stand for a few minutes to let the juices settle into the meat.

Emeril’s Refried Beans

• 1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in a large bowl with water to cover by 2-inches, and drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup bacon drippings or lard
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced, seeded jalapeno
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup grated queso blanco
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, garnish
Directions
In a medium, heavy pot, combine the beans, bay leaf, and enough water to cover by 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep covered. When the beans are soft, mash in the pot with a potato masher or the back of heavy wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the beans and any cooking liquid from the pot, and the oregano, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon, until the mixture forms a thick paste, 5 to 10 minutes, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to keep from getting dry.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a decorative bowl. Sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro, and serve.

Asian Grilled Five-Spice Chicken

GRILLED FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN

Hankering for something different that your tired-baked chicken? Well that was what I was feeling a few days ago and decided to search the net for something different. I found this Vietnamese recipe and thought that I would try it out. Although I had to bake it in the oven (it’s winter) I was very pleased with its results. I’m sure that if grilled, it would be even better. It is well worth a try. Serve with rice.
And no, the sexual pose of the chicken should not enter your perverted desire to make this delicious dish. lol

1 Whole Chicken

Marinade:

3 TBS veggie oil
2 TBS soy sauce
3 TBS minced ginger
2 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
½ tsp sea salt
4 whole star ansi, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes, pounded or ground into a fine powder

Pierce the chicken all over, marinade chicken for 1 -4 hours. Grill or bake in oven until done.

Blending Oil Topped Peanut Butter

Like most Americans, I like peanut butter. Although I like Skippy, I really prefer the brands that have the oil floating on the top. The problem with these is that it is difficult to reincorporate the oil and make a smooth mixture.

The fix to this is quite simple and easy, using a hand mixer with only one of the two standard beaters you can mix this jar of oil separated peanut butter mixture into a nice blend.

Just start at the lowest possible setting and crank it up a bit until it is well blended.

Classic Tuna Salad (inspired by Cooks Illustrated)

Classic Tuna Salad

2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna in water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dill Weed

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped pickles (sweet or dill)

1/2 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/8 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Barr’s Homemade Mayo – It’s easy to make

Slow Roasted Turkey (Cooks)

Slow-Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Who ever said that you have to cook a turkey whole? This recipe calls for the separation of the turkey breast, the legs and thighs BEFORE cooking. A novel idea indeed.

Ingredients

Turkey (of Course)
3 medium onions , chopped medium
3 medium celery ribs , chopped medium
2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped medium
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 medium garlic cloves , peeled and halved
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (5 to 7 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels (see note)
4 pounds turkey drumsticks and thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry with paper towels (see note)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1 tablespoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Gravy
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 bay leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. 1. For the Turkey: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Arrange onions, celery, carrots, thyme, and garlic in even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Pour broth into baking sheet. Place wire rack on top of vegetables (rack will rest on vegetables, not on bottom of baking sheet).

  2. 2. Brush turkey pieces on all sides with melted butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over turkey. Place breast skin-side down and drumsticks and thighs skin-side up on rack on vegetable-filled baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between pieces.

  3. 3. Roast turkey pieces 1 hour. Using wads of paper towels, turn turkey breast skin-side up. Continue roasting until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 170 to 175 degrees in thickest part of thighs, 1 to 2 hours longer. Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer rack with turkey to second baking sheet. Allow pieces to rest at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours.

  4. 4. For the Gravy: Strain vegetables and liquid from baking sheet through colander set in large bowl. Press solids with back of spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables. Transfer liquid in bowl to 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Add chicken broth to measuring cup (you should have about 3 cups liquid).

  5. 5. In medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is dark golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisk in broth mixture and bay leaves and gradually bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gravy is thick and reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove gravy from heat and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Keep gravy warm.

  6. 6. To Serve: Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place baking sheet with turkey in oven. Roast until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, transfer turkey to cutting board, and let rest 20 minutes. Carve and serve, passing warm gravy separately.

Step-by-Step

Slow-Roasted Turkey with Gravy

1. ADD AROMATICS
Aromatics and broth catch drippings and help flavor gravy.

2. ARRANGE MEAT
Arrange turkey on rack set over vegetables to allow air circulation. Roast at 275 degrees.

3. FLIP BREAST
Flip breast partway through cooking to ensure uniform doneness.

4. REST, THEN CRISP
Let turkey rest to allow juices to redistribute before final crisping in 500-degree oven.

5. MAKE GRAVY
Strain vegetables and broth, then use this flavorful liquid as a base for gravy. At this juncture I suggest that you go-to my gravy and sauce recipes and use Chef John’s grave recipe.

Egg Salad

Egg Salad

Makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 medium stalk celery , chopped fine (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
Instructions

1. Do NOT boil your eggs because this will make it more difficult to remove the shell. You need to steam the eggs in a steamer or in a pot with no more than an inch of water in the pot. Place your eggs in the water and turn up the temp to medium high and place a cover over the pot but tilted so the steam can escape. After about 10 minutes remove the lid and fill the pot with cold water to stop the cooking process. You may need to try this a few times to see what works best for you.

2. After the eggs have cooled a bit, gently crack the shell on the side of a hard surface and remove the shell while submerged in the water filled pot.

2. Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl, including pepper to taste. Serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

Barr’s Homemade Mayo – It’s easy to make