June 2008 – Page 3 – The Constables Larder

Cilantro & Ginger Pork

I winged this one evening in London many years ago and it was a hit. It’s a great, easy way to whip together a tasty pork dish when you don’t have access to a grill (my preferred method of cooking ribs and chops). The medium cooking temperature will help keep the pork moist, but you want to try to not let it overcook. I prefer to make this with pork chops, but the pictures were actually taken from a meal where I used country-style pork ribs.

4 Thickly cut pork chops, on or off the bone
1 bunch cilantro (coriander)
1 or 2 tbsp fresh ginger
2 bunches of spring onions (green onions)
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers (or serrano if no jalapeno)
olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

In a baking dish large enough to hold all the pork chops, coat the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Create a bed of the following: chop up half of the spring onions deep into the green part; mince the ginger and use half; halve, seed and chop up the hot peppers and use half; finely chop the cilantro and use half.

Next, wash and dry the pork chops and score both sides with a sharp knife in a criss-cross fashion, which helps the marinade penetrate. Lay the chops on top of the base and add some salt and pepper.

Distribute the remaining spring onions, ginger, cilantro, and hot peppers over the top of the pork chops.

Pour cup white wine vinegar over the pork. Optional: you can also pour over 1/4 cup of white wine or vermouth.

Ideally, you have time to let this marinate for a while but it is not absolutely necessary. If you want to marinate for a long period, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Place in the oven and cook at 350 F. Cook until the chops feel firm, which usually takes about 40 minutes to an hour depending on the thickness of the meat. If you are unsure about how firm the pork should feel, you can cut into one to see how well done the middle is, and remember that when you remove the pork it will continue cooking in its own juices for a few minutes.

Optional: turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the very end to brown the top.

Pork & White wine vinegar

In London, we lived across the street from Lidgate, a marvelous butcher, and I started cooking pork for the first time. I believe the keys to good pork are timing and marinade. One recipe I saw brined pork chops in pickling spices. I simplified into this concoction.

4 Thickly cut pork chops, off the bone
2 tsp country seed mustard
2 tsp Olive oil
1/2 lemon
2 tsp White wine vinegar
very large handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
coarsely ground salt and pepper

» Wash and dry the pork chops, lightly score both sides, and place on a baking tray. Smear both sides of pork with mustard, olive oil, vinegar, parsely, onion, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. You can also add a splash of vermouth or white wine to this.
» Squeeze lemon juice over the pork and flip chops until both sides are reasonably covered with the marinade. Spread the parsely and onion on and around the chops. Let sit for 1-2 hours out of refrigerator, or overnight in the fridge.
» Preheat oven to 425 degrees (or broiler) and slide tray in. Depending on how thick your chops are, they should only need a few minutes to cook on each side. Cut into one to check for color — if the chops are still pink inside, they need just a few minutes more. Try not to overcook.

Note: I have also cooked this for longer under a lower heat like 350 F. The timing can be tricky to get right, but it can leave the pork nice and juicy if you don’t let it overcook.

Spicy Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nuea)

I think I snagged this, or something resembling this, out of a magazine but it was too long ago to remember where.

London broil or skirt steak
fresh minced Ginger
1 Bunch of spring onions, minced including green part
1 small Red Onion
3-4 medium tomatoes
3 serrano peppers
Bunch of cilantro
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers
1/4 cup Fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 leaves of red leaf or romano lettuce

» Score the beef and let sit in a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and hot peppers. Broil it until medium to well-done.
» In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes (cut into wedges), cucumber (de-skinned, halved and sliced finely), red onion (halved and very finely sliced), lettuce (washed, dried and torn into small pieces), and a hefty bunch of cilantro (loosely chopped).
» In a small mixing bowl, create the dressing by combining: fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, 2-4 tbsp fresh minced ginger, serrano peppers (halved, seeded and finely chopped), sesame oil, and for a bit more kick, I sometimes add in a touch of Rice Wine Vinegar.
» Finely slice the beef (and halve the larger pieces), add to salad and mix in dressing. Let the salad sit for a bit so that the beef marinates further in the dressing.

Stuffed Peppers

This is an adaptation from a Joy of Cooking recipe.

2 or 3 sweet peppers (red, orange or yellow)
block of parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts
saffron rice (you can buy or make yourself)
1 bunch spring onions
Bunch of cilantro
1/2 to 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 small serrano pepper

» Halve and seed the peppers, leaving the stem, and steam them for 10 minutes. Put aside.
» Make the saffron rice and add to the rice: pine nuts, minced serrano pepper (halved and seeded), 4 chopped spring onions (only the white part), 1/3 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, and 1/2 cup of water (or chicken broth). Mix in a few pinches of salt and pepper.
» Lightly coat baking dish with olive oil. Stuff pepper halves with rice mixture and top with parmesan cheese shavings. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (F)

Mom’s Meatloaf

This is an old family favorite, and I have yet to find a restaurant meatloaf that is better. As usual, I picked up this recipe watching Mom in the kitchen and so amounts are not exact, especially with the seasonings.

2 pounds ground beef
2-3 stalks celery, diced
6-8 white mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 egg
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp ketchup (or tomato paste with a little water added)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
parsley
bacon
breadcrumbs (optional)

» (Optional) Saute the onions until translucent, then add mushrooms, celery and herbs and cook for a few minutes. This step can be skipped if you like your veggies a little crunchier.
» Combine everything in a large mixing bowl except for the bacon. If you first sauted your vegetables, let that cool a bit before putting in the bowl and adding the egg. Mix up the ingredients with your hands until everything is evenly distributed.
» Take out a large baking dish and shape the meatloaf.
» Lay strips of bacon on top of the meatloaf (you can trim extra fat or cut them to the proper length). I typically lay them across the width, and lay the bacon so that each piece is touching the next.
» Preheat oven and cook at 425 degrees (F) for about 10-15 minutes, then turn down to 350 degrees. Test the meatloaf for firmness to see if cooking is finished, but it usually takes about an hour.

My Shepherd’s Pie

This is my version of Shepherd’s Pie, inspired by a recipe in the Dean & Deluca cookbook. I almost always cook this with ground beef, and the amounts below can be totally altered depending on your whim. I prefer to make this in a flat cast-iron skillet with decently-high sides that can be placed directly into the oven, but of course you can create this in non-oven-ready pots and combine everything in a baking dish.

Mashed Potatoes (the top layer)
6 to 8 medium red or gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup milk (or to your desired level of fluffiness)
2 tbsp butter
salt
pepper
parsely, finely chopped (optional)

» Boil potatoes (can cut them into smaller pieces to speed cooking) in salted water in a large pot
» Drain potatoes and mash. Add 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper (parsley optional here). Add milk (may need more or less than 1/2 cup depending on amount of potatoes) to the point where potatoes are moist but not yet liquidy.

Base of Shepherd’s Pie
1 pound lean ground beef (or ground lamb)
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp flour
1 medium yellow or white onion, minced
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup beef stock (can be skipped)
3-4 bacon rashers (in U.S., canadian bacon; can use regular bacon too)
salt and pepper
1 tsp tomato paste

» Cook bacon thoroughly in a touch of olive oil in a large cast iron frying pan (or whatever pan you have). Remove from pan and drain most of the bacon grease.
» In same pan, brown the ground beef over moderate heat and season as you cook with 1/2 tsp salt, rosemary, and worcestershire sauce. Once browned, sprinkle with flour, stirring the flour in and let cook for another 4 minutes. Remove meat and drain excess grease from pan.
» Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
» Saute onion and carrot in frying pan and cook until onion is translucent. Increase heat slightly and add wine and stock, deglazing bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for another 5 minutes until liquid is reduced by half. (Optional: add a tsp of tomato paste for a richer flavor)
» While this is cooking, chop up bacon into small bits
» Add meat and bacon back into pan and cook together for a few minutes, until the liquid turns into a nice thick sauce (if it gets very dry, add a little more stock or wine)

Combine and bake:
» If you are using a cast iron pan, your meat and vegetables are already in the pan as the bottom layer. Otherwise, move the mixture to a baking disk. Cover with the mashed potatoes. Smooth the top (easier with a fork, which also lets you make fun patterns) and bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes until heated thoroughly. I will often turn the heat way up at the very end to brown the top just a bit.

Grandma House’s Egg Nog

This is another recipe my Mom picked up from our Maryland Grandmother. Every time I make it, I seem to reduce the amount of liquor and still wind up with a potent creation. The original recipe had a lot more “sauce” than this version.

1 quart light cream
1 quart deluxe eggnog mix or heavy cream
12 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 1/2 cup super-fine sugar
1 pint whipping cream
nutmeg
bourbon
brandy
dark rum

» Beat egg yolks and sugar until yolks are very pale
» Add booze in the following proportions to taste: 2 parts bourbon to 1 part brandy and 1 part dark rum (my original note says 1/2 quart bourbon, 1/4 quart brandy, 1/4 quart rum but you might start with less and add to taste). Beat mixture as you add liquor.
» Add light cream then eggnog mix (or heavy cream).
» Beat whipping cream until thick and add to mixture
» Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in two thirds of the egg white
» Before serving whip up rest of egg whites and add
» grate nutmeg on top and serve.

Grandma’s Oyster Stew

This is a traditional Christmas dinner appetizer for our family, and it is really more of a soup than a stew. As with most recipes, all the amounts below can be changed to fit the taste you are looking for.

2-4 tb butter
1-2 cups diced onion or leek
1/2 – 1 cup chopped celery
3 pints oysters and their liquid
2 cups milk or half-and-half
1 cup cream
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
1/8 tsp white pepper
salt
worcestershire sauce
parsley
thinly sliced mushrooms (optional, but we love the addition)

» Saute onion/leek, celery and mushrooms (if used) in butter in large soup pan.
» Add liquid and oysters and cook on low heat until the oysters float. Flavor with salt (to taste), pepper, and a few drops of worcestshire sauce. Add chopped parsely just before serving.

Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey

My mother took this recipe from the New York Times in 1973 (John Hess, 11/15/1973)

Making the broth
The turkey neck and giblets
3 cups water
1 large, quartered onion
1 sliced carrot
A few parsley stems
1 bay leaf
Take the turkey neck and giblets and cook with 3 cups of water along with onion, carrot, parsley, and a bay leaf.
Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hour. (optional: add chicken or veal broth)

Making the stuffing
The turkey liver, minced
1 pound pork sausage (without casing)
1 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup very thinly sliced celery
1/2 tsp thyme
1 loaf good bread
1 cup sliced black olives
1 cup broken walnut
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup of stock broth
2 tbsp of cognac or 2-4 tbsp madeira/port
finely chopped green apple
large handful of cremini or white mushrooms, chopped

1. Toast the bread and let it partially dry, then cut into small squares (or vice versa)
2. Brown sausage and then add onion, celery and thyme
3. Combine everything else

Cooking the Turkey
»Stuff the turkey then truss with heavy needle and thread. Bring wings close to body and tie legs up and together.
»Wipe bird and rub it with softened butter. Salt and pepper all over.
»Lay bird on its side in an oven-proof platter of same size.
»Roast a 10-12 pound bird about 2 hours. Roast a 15-16 lb. bird about 3 hours. Cook at 450 degrees (F) for 30 minutes then turn down slightly. Every 15 minutes flip bird to other side and spoon fat from pan over bird. If browning too quickly, turn down to 400 degrees (F) (or 350 degrees if still cooking too fast). Give yourself 30 minutes at end to finish sauce and further cook bird if not completely done.
»Place turkey on warm platter. Remove excess fat from pan with a spoon and then add remaining stock. Simmer over high heat and reduce (but not too far). You can also add 1/4 cup red wine.

Update 11/28/09:

Having just gone through another Thanksgiving, I thought I would write down what I did differently while it was fresh in my mind.

I wanted to make my stuffing completely from scratch rather than use store-bought breakfast sausage. The key is making this ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to meld, so I would advise making it Thanksgiving morning.

Stuffing
1 pound ground pork
1 large spanish onion, diced
3/4 to 1 cup celery, diced
3 cups country bread, toasted and cut into small cubes
1 cup black olives, diced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup white or cremini mushrooms, diced
1 granny smith green apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
1 to 2 tsp fresh thyme (to taste)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 to 2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of stock broth
2 tbsp of cognac

In a large pot (I like using my big dutch oven), brown the sausage, adding the salt and thyme. Add the chopped onions and cook for a few minutes, then the celery, then everything else. Cook on medium-low heat on the stovetop for 40 minutes to an hour. Add more broth if it starts to dry out excessively and stick to the pan. Turn off the heat and let the flavors meld, and reheat prior to the meal.

I no longer stuff the turkey with the stuffing — you end up having to dry up the turkey to make sure the stuffing is fully cooked and safe.

For the turkey, we rubbed it all over with butter and liberally sprinkled it with salt and pepper, then stuffed it with onion and trussed it with kitchen twine. We cooked it on its back for 30 minutes at 425F, and then lowered the heat down to 350F and kept on turning turkey every 30 minutes. Remove the turkey when a meat thermometer reads 160F deep in the thigh (make sure the thermometer is not touching a bone). Loosely cover with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.