Braised Pork Belly

I was at the grocery the other day with the intention of buying Dungeness crab and only crab. On the way to the seafood section, I had to pass by the meat area. I caught a glimpse of the pork belly and just couldn't resist...Rrrrrrr

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork belly cut into 2" cubes

1/3 C cane vinegar

1/4 C soy sauce

8 cloves garlic, peeled & pounded

2 dried bay leaves

1/8 t dried oregano

1/4 t peppercorns, cracked

1T golden brown sugar

1/4 C water

1 t salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pot. Marinate for 30 minutes

Bring to a boil without stirring, lower heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes

Stir, continue cooking uncovered for another 30 minutes or until pork is fork tender

Separate pork & garlic from sauce and fry in a skillet until toasted

Add sauce to meat. Serve

Lemon Braised Pork

I had a bunch of lemons left from this detox that I did and was also craving some pork adobo. I figured, why not adobo with a twist?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. pork butt, cut into 1 1/2" cubes

1/3 c lemon juice

lemon peel (half a lemon) cut into wedges

1/4 c mushroom flavored dark soy sauce

6 garlic cloves, pounded

2 bay leaves

1/8 t dried oregano

1/4 t peppercorns, cracked

1 T golden brown sugar

1/4 c water

1 t salt

5 hard boiled eggs, shelled

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pan except eggs

marinate pork for about 15 minutes

Over medium heat, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes, covered

Add hard boiled eggs, making sure eggs are covered with the sauce.

simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered

Remove from heat & remove pork pieces. Set aside

Over medium high heat, brown pork pieces in a skillet (no oil needed)

Add the sauce & eggs to the meat. Mix well and serve

Ragù di Carne con Cioccolato

Haven't posted anything in awhile. The past few months have been a blur. But when I finally got my mojo back, I could think nothing but pappardelle (my current pasta fav) with a rich savory meat sauce. I was bored with the usual bolognese so I decided to create something with a twist....why not with chocolate?

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pappardelle pasta, cooked using package directions

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pound ground pork

1 1/2 pound ground beef

salt & pepper to taste

2 small carrots, finely grated

2 small onions, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 sprigs thyme, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped

2 bay leaf

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 t ground cloves

1 c whole milk

1 c dry white wine

1/2 c tomato paste

3-4 c chicken stock

2 c grated pecorino romano cheese

Directions:

While the pasta is working, in a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking.

Add the pork and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned.

Stir in the carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, cocoa and cloves; mix well.

Add the milk and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the milk is completely evaporated.

Add the wine and simmer until evaporated.

Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock a cup at a time. Lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened.

Discard the bay leaf.

Stir in the cheese. Mix well

Adjust seasoning, serve over pasta

Empress Rolls

I miss Ding Qua Qua from Cebu City. Out of all the dim sum restaurants I've tried from all parts of the world, this place still has 1st place in my heart. In fact, this was the first ever dim sum restaurant I went to. I must have been 5 or 6 years old when my folks first took me there. I was so amazed at the carts rolling around and bringing in assorted delicious treats. Since then, we had countless happy memories of family trips to Cebu just so we could eat at this place. One of my favorite from there is called the Empress Roll. It's a simple steamed cabbage roll but oh so good! Since I could never find it served here in SF, I was inspired to recreate it. After looking through countless recipes, I've come up with my version.

Filling:
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 t ginger, minced
2T green oninon, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1 small egg, beaten
1 t semsame seed oil
1/4 t ground white pepper
1 T cornstarch
1 medium carrot, minced

1 head Savoy cabbage, leaves blanched and hard stems trimmed.

1 C water

1/2 C chicken stock
1 t cornstarch mixed with 1 T water

Directions:
Mix filling ingredients well in a bowl.
Wrap in blanched cabbage and seal with a toothpick
Arrange the cabbage rolls in a pan.
Pour water over rolls and cook on low for 45 minutes.
Remove rolls and arrange on a plate.

Do not discard remaining liquid from the pan (should be almost evaporated)
Add chicken stock and cornstarch mix to the remaining liquid.

Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour sauce over rolls. Serve warm

Leeks Wrapped in Ham au Gratin

One of the many pleasures of living with Hannah was her passion for cooking and good food. This was a common winter dish served at her home growing up. I know it's still summer but really, when the craving hits, there is no season to dictate what one could or should eat when all the ingredients are readily available all year round.

Ingredients:

6 Leeks

6 slices of cooked ham

1/4 c butter

2 T flour

3 cups milk

300 g Gruyere or Emmental cheese, grated (100 g set aside for broiling)

salt

nutmeg

Directions:

Cut off green part of the leek. Wash thoroughly.

Boil in salted water till tender. Discard first layer of the leek.

Roll a piece of ham over each of leek. Arrange in a baking dish.

Cheese Bechamel Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Add cheese whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg. Pour sauce over the ham and leek rolls. Bake at 375 degrees, till sauce is boiling. Add more cheese on top and broil till a light brown crust is formed. Best if served with mashed potatoes.

*Jamon Serrano would be amazing for this recipe as well. Gives it a more robust flavor*

Clyde's I want my Baby Back Ribs

This was such a holiday treat when Clyde made this for Xmas '08. Had the perfect balance between sweet n' spicy with the juicy tenderness of the meat. Truly something that teases the palate for that next bite. Needless to say, it was the first one gone from the table!




Ingredients:
4 lbs. back ribs
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper, freshly ground

Barbecue Sauce:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce or 2 T. Sriracha sauce
1/2 t. ground cayenne powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 T. chopped red onion
1 T. lemon

Mix all ingredients for barbecue sauce and set aside.
Boil the ribs with onion, salt and pepper in 3 quarts water for 1 1/2 hours till very tender. Drain.
Arrange ribs on a broiler rack. Brush with barbecue sauce. Broil 5 minutes from heat, basting frequently with sauce for 10 minutes on each side.

Sinigang

Although a very popular dish among Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad, this was a regional dish that was never adapted in my childhood home. So it was such a delight to me when I finally had a taste. This is now one of my favorite comfort foods...especially during cold nights in SF.



3 lbs. Pork baby back ribs or Pork shoulder, cut into 1-1/2" pieces
1 T oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
6 cups water
1 packet sinigang tamarind soup mix
2 pcs. serrano peppers
1 daikon radish, peeled and sliced in thin round slices
2 pcs. taro root, peeled and sliced in thin round slices
1/2 pound fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 bundle spinach leaves, rinsed and trimmed

In a soup pot, saute onions and tomato in oil until onions are transparent and tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add pork and saute until no longer pink. Add water and bring to a boil. Skim off scum. Add in tamarind soup mix and serrano peppers, mix well. Bring to a boil again then simmer covered on low for an hour or until meat is tender. 15 minutes before the hour is up, add in radish, taro and green beans. Cover and simmer. Add spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Mix well. Adjust seasoning. Serve with rice.

*Add more water if needed
*Variation: Beef short ribs or beef chuck may be used instead of pork, cooking time is increased from 1 hour to 2 hours.