Pork and mushrooms over rice

I like things in gravy. I always have. Sometimes, when I’m traveling and stop into a diner, if I see meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes on the menu, I’ll order it. Roast beef with gravy - better yet, with Yorkshire pudding and gravy, I’m in! Someone once remarked, when I was serving a large beef roast, that you need a life vest to approach my gravy bowl. Did I mention, I like gravy?

Often, I will make simple little dishes, which would be unremarkable, until I finish it with a gravy. For these little dishes, it really pays to have some bones in the freezer. 

Last night, I was in the mood for something with mushrooms and gravy. I have lots of thick boneless pork chops in the freezer, which I bought on sale. I pulled some bones out, which were leftover from a pork butt, and made a broth. I went through the freezer and picked out a nice piece of pork. This is how I made that into dinner.

1 thick pork chop, about 3/4 lb.

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 thin red hot pepper, sliced thin

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Adobo seasoning

1 tbs. flour

Broth

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Steamed brown rice

Broth:

1 hand full of pork 

(or chicken bones)

3 cups of water

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup of dried onion flakes

Preparation

Despite the list of ingredients, this is very easy to prepare. First, take the bones out of the freezer. Any bones will do, steak, pork, chicken or lamb. You don’t need a lot. Even one steak bone or two pork chop bones will do. Add the bay leaf, onion flakes and water. Bring that to a boil, cover and simmer while you prepare the rest of the meal. Put the rice on to steam.

Cut the pork into half inch slices. Heat a large cast iron pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and then add the sliced pork. Stir and let that start to sizzle. Add the chopped onion and stir. Add the sliced hot pepper, unless you are too timid. Stir and let that sauté for at least ten minutes, probably more, until the pork is browning, and the onions are starting to caramelize. 

Stir in the balsamic vinegar, along with the garlic and mushrooms. Now add the thyme and the fresh rosemary. Sprinkle on some adobo seasoning, or your favorite seasoned salt. Let that cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have softened. Sprinkle on the flour, and stir well, to make sure it gets absorbed. Strain the stock into the pan. Use it all. Now stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Let that simmer, uncovered, for about ten minutes, so the sauce reduces down to a gravy thickness. You are ready to serve.

Serving

Place a large pile of steamed rice on a plate. Smother it with the pork and mushrooms. Get lots of gravy. Now add some broiled asparagus, a large tossed salad, and some homemade bread with butter. Any good Merlot is great with this.

Italian sausage sandwiches

I was in the mood for something simple and spicy, as I drove home from the office yesterday. I thought about what I had in the freezer and fridge, and remembered I had some Italian sausages frozen. I also had a thin loaf of homemade bread in the fridge. Hmm.

I used jalapeños and arbol peppers from the garden, but if you want to avoid heat, bell peppers will work with this. I just worked with what I had on hand, but these came out good. Here’s how I put them together.

2 Italian sausages

Cooking spray

4 jalapeño peppers

3 hot thin red peppers

1 large clove of garlic

1/4 tsp. oregano

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

Thin loaf of homemade bread

Preparation

Take a small cast iron pan, and spray it with cooking spray. Place the Italian sausages in it, and set it a medium distance under a hot broiler. Broil until both sides begin to char. Prick the sausages with a fork to let the juices escape.

While that is broiling, cut the jalapeños (or bell pepper) into strips. Cut the thin red hot peppers into thirds, and thinly slice the garlic. When the sausages are starting to char, but are only about half cooked, add the peppers, oregano and garlic. Shake the pan to distribute the peppers and coat them with the fat. Return the pan to the broiler.

Broil, stirring often, until the peppers have softened, and the sausages are sizzling really good. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Return to the broiler, and broil, stirring every minute, for a couple of minutes, until the sauce is simmering. Remove and let that sit for a few minutes.

While that is resting, place your thin homemade bread on the lowest shelf, under the broiler, and carefully crisp the crust of the bread.

Serving

To assemble the sandwiches, slice open the bread, and set the sausages in it. Scoop out all the peppers and distribute them evenly between the two sandwiches. Top with the tomato sauce. Finally sprinkle the sauce with lots of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve your sandwiches with a big tossed salad. I also set out a plate of Freestone pickle wedges. Any good Italian red will be good with these sandwiches, or even a cold beer.

Rib steaks with mushrooms and asparagus

I was in the mood for a good steak the other night. I had plenty of meat in the freezer, but I wanted a steak, so I stopped at the grocery on the way home. They had a great looking rib steak, thick and nicely marbled, so I bought that, along with some mushrooms and asparagus.

For a while I was debating between the charcoal grill and the broiler. Charcoal, of course, gives that great smokey flavor. Broiling, on the other hand, lets me cook the mushrooms and asparagus in the steak fat, which gives them a rich flavor. In the end, I opted for the broiler. Here’s how I put this together. The amounts I specify are per person. Ok, you can use smaller steaks if you insist. For me, if I’m eating steak, I want big and thick.

One large rib steak, about 1-1/4 lb.

Cajun seasoning

Cooking spray (Pam)

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1/2 lb. asparagus

1 tbs. butter

Preparation

Take the steak and season it lightly on both sides with cajun seasoning. Pre-heat the broiler, but drop the rack down one level from the closest to the flame. If the steak was thinner, I’d set it up close, but because it is thick, it will take longer for it to reach medium rare, so lowering the rack will let it cook evenly.

Take a large cast iron pan, and spray it with cooking spray. Set the steak on it, and set it under the broiler. Broil it until it is sizzling and charred on the top, somewhere between five or ten minutes. Turn the steak over and return it to the broiler. This side will only need a couple of minutes because it will reach medium rare quickly. Remove the steak from the pan, set it on a dinner plate, place a pat of butter on the steak, and set that somewhere to keep warm.

Add the sliced mushrooms and the asparagus to the cast iron pan, and shake it to coat them with the steak fat. Give them a stir as well. Return the pan to the broiler, for about five minutes. Stir the asparagus and mushrooms, and set them back under the broiler. About another five minutes will have them sizzling nicely.

Serving

Set the asparagus next to the steak, and put the mushrooms on and around the steak. You also want a good tossed salad, a block of Parmesan cheese, some homemade bread and butter, and a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. I suggest turning your phone off before you start eating. You don’t want to be interrupted as you enjoy this one! 

Pork chops with fresh herbs

Do you do a garden? I have lots of fresh herbs growing, along with my tomatoes and peppers. I have thyme, sage, basil, rosemary, oregano, and tarragon growing, either indoors or out. In this recipe I used them all. If you don’t have fresh herbs growing, pick a couple at the store (sage and basil would be my first choice), and use those.

There are lots of ways I could have gone with this. I could have breaded the chops first. I could have finished it with some balsamic vinegar. I chose to keep it simple, and use white wine. I dry rubbed it, but a marinade would have worked too. Here’s how I put this together.

2 thick pork chops

Cajun seasoning

Onion powder

White pepper

Olive oil

Soy sauce

1 cup of dry white wine

1 thin red hot pepper

2 sprigs of thyme

5 sage leaves

4 basil leaves

2 rosemary tips

2 oregano sprigs

2 tarragon sprigs

2 tbs. butter

Preparation

Season the chops on both sides with equal amounts of cajun seasoning, white pepper, and onion powder. Pre-heat the broiler and heat a large cast iron pan until hot. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and then add the chops. While they sear on that side, finely chop all the herbs. Slice the hot pepper real thin.

Turn the chops over, let them sear for a minute and add the wine, and then all the chopped herbs and the pepper. Add them around, not over the chops. Bring the wine to a boil. Drizzle soy sauce over the chops, and then place the pan under the broiler. Broil until the tops of the chops are nicely charred, and then turn them over, place a tablespoon of butter on each, and broil again. When your chops are sizzling, you are ready to serve.

Serving

Place the chops on a plate, and drizzle them with the cooking liquid. I made one mistake when I took the picture, in that, I left most of the herbs in the pan. I corrected that as I sat down to eat. Make sure the chops have lots of the cooking liquid with all of the herbs and the pepper slices on them. 

In addition to that, add a baked potato, a tossed salad, and some good Parmesan cheese to slice. I also put a couple slices of leftover pizza, that I heated under the broiler, on the table. Open a good Merlot, and ring the dinner bell.

Chicken stir fry, with ginger and basil

I was tired on Sunday. After driving to the U.P. Friday, and loading my truck, and then returning from the U.P. Saturday, unloading my truck, and then partying with friends, I was tired all day Sunday. Mostly I just relaxed, with a book.

Around mid afternoon, I started to get hungry. I was in the mood for a stir fry, and checked the freezer. I found a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, which was perfect for my plans. I find it is easiest to slice the chicken, if you only partially thaw it. Here’s how I put this together.

1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh

Soy sauce

White pepper

1 carrot, sliced

1 turnip, peeled and sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, sliced lengthwise

Fresh ginger, inch by inch and a half, 

1 bell pepper, cut into pieces

4 long thin hot peppers, halved

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

Olive oil

8 basil leaves, torn

Toasted sesame oil

Steamed brown rice

Preparation

I cleaned out the fridge for this one. When the dogs saw me pull out the bell pepper, the carrot and the turnip, they immediately started begging. Camper taught Squeeky to like fresh veggies. I shared bits of carrot, bell pepper and turnip with them as I chopped.

Put your rice on to steam Slice the chicken thinly, and place it in a bowl with the garlic. Add some soy sauce, and some white pepper. Let that rest while you slice the other vegetables. For the ginger, peel it, and then thinly slice it. Now cut the slices into strips. When everything is chopped or sliced, you are ready to cook.

Years ago I had difficulty getting the wok hot enough to stir fry. I’ve solved that problem. Most gas stoves have a metal disc to divert the gas flame into a circle. If you remove that disc, you’ll have to light the gas with a lighter, but then you’ll get a column of flame. Light it on low. Set the wok over it, and turn it up. You’ll have a roaring fire under the wok, and it will be plenty hot.

When it is hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and then add the chicken and garlic. Stir that as it sizzles, until it is cooked through, and starting to brown. Remove the chicken and garlic to a clean bowl and add the hot peppers to the wok. Add the carrots, celery, turnip and half of the ginger. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add the bell pepper and stir. After another minute, add the onion and the remaining ginger. Stir that for a minute. Splash on some soy sauce, and then some toasted sesame oil. Stir well to mix, and then add the torn basil leaves. Give it one more stir, and you are ready to serve.

Serving

I served this around a big mound of steamed brown rice. Give everything a splash of soy sauce and a sprinkle of white pepper. A ice cold off-dry Riesling will go nice with this.

Marinara with fresh herbs

I’ve always held that good marinara sauce is a form of art. Beautiful, but not as easy as it looks. 

When making beer, most home brewers know that light beer is the most difficult beer to home-brew. The reason is that the canvass is so light, that any off flavors will shine through. If it isn’t perfect, everyone will know.

While marinara sauce isn’t that difficult, the same principle applies. Good marinara sauce has a delicate flavor. Everything has to be in balance, or it will stick out like a sore thumb. The onions and carrots need to be cooked down to moderate and sweeten them. The fresh herbs need to be added lightly so they nudge the flavor, not take over. The sauce I made last night, hit the perfection mark. All the flavors were balanced, and none stuck out. 

Here’s how I put it together. The arbol peppers from my garden are milder than either cayenne or Thai peppers. I would use only one of those in place of the three arbol, or you can use a dried arbol pepper, which most groceries around here carry. A pinch of red pepper flakes will work too. If you can’t find the fresh herbs, you can use dried, but be cautious. Just a small pinch of each.

1 medium carrot, grated

1 large onion, finely minced

3 Arbol peppers, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

Adobo seasoning (or a good seasoned salt)

2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1/2 cup of dry Italian white wine

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

2 sprigs of thyme, snipped

2 sprigs of oregano, snipped

5 basil leaves, snipped

1 sprig of tarragon, snipped

1 tbs. butter

Preparation

Heat a medium saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the finely minced onion, and the grated carrot. You may need to add a spec more olive oil. Add the dried marjoram and a good sprinkle of adobo seasoning, cover the pan and let them sweat down for about ten minutes, stirring often. Now you don’t want to brown the onions, but you do want them to just start to turn golden. The cover will keep the moisture in, which helps prevent burning.

Add the garlic and stir. Let that go for another five minutes or so. Add the white wine, stir and cover. Give that another five minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, rinse the can with a little wine, and add that as well. Bring that to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Let that simmer gently, while you bring your pasta water to boil. When you put the pasta in the boiling water, add the fresh herbs. My sprigs were small, so error on the side of moderation, especially with the tarragon. Try to get fresh basil for this, because it really blends well. 

Once the herbs are in, stir and simmer for two or three minutes, and then turn off the heat. Let it rest for three or four minutes, and stir the butter in until it is well blended. You are ready to serve.

Serving

I served this delicate marinara over bow tie pasta. I also placed a pile of sausage and peppers on the plate, and dusted both with grated Parmesan cheese. Set out a bowl of olives, some wilted cucumbers and onions, and a bowl of cherries. I opened a bottle of Hungarian red wine, that I was going to serve over the weekend, but didn't. I was surprised that it went real well with this meal.

East European style beef sausages

Saturday, I still had about a pound of ground beef left to cook, and I wanted to do something different with it. I eventually decided  to make an East European style dinner. 

This didn’t really fit one particular country. I just worked with what I had. The sausages have kind of a Romanian flavor, with the garlic, so we can pretend this is a Romanian dish. But my neighbor came over for dinner, and we were drinking Czech beer, so we could also call it Czech. Whatever, here’s how I made dinner.

1 lb. ground beef

6 cloves of garlic

2 tbs. Hungarian paprika

Adobo seasoning

2 eggs

Thyme

1 cup of flour

Cooking spray (Pam)

1 mild jalapeño

1 cup of beef stock

16 oz. tomato sauce

Egg noodles, cooked and drained

Preparation

Several hours before you plan to cook, place the beef in a bowl. Coarsely chop about 6 large cloves of garlic and add them to the ground beef. Sprinkle on about two tablespoons of paprika, and then sprinkle on some adobo seasoning, or your favorite seasoned salt. Now add about a teaspoon of thyme, and the two eggs. Use your hands (stop complaining) and mix the eggs into the ground beef. Continue until everything is well mixed.

Place the flour in a bowl. Use your hands to shape the ground beef mixture into little three inch sausage shapes. It will be a little messy, and the sausages will be loose. As you shape each one, roll it in the flour, and then set it on a platter. Continue doing this until all the beef is used up. Wash your hands, cover the sausages with parchment paper, and set them in the fridge for at least four hours. Pull some steak bones out of the freezer, and make a little beef stock, and let it simmer for an hour.

When it is time to prepare dinner, take a large oven-proof skillet, and spray it with cooking spray. Set the chilled sausages in the pan, and place that under a hot broiler. While that is broiling, take the mild jalapeño, and remove the seeds, and then finely chop it.

You want the sausages to be charred on top, then turn them over and char this side too. Remove the pan from the broiler. Add the peppers and then add the beef stock. Stir in the tomato sauce and sprinkle on about a teaspoon of thyme, and some adobo seasoning. Stir well, and turn the sausages so the least charred sides are facing up. Return this to the broiler. Let that simmer under the broiler for about ten minutes, stirring often, and you are ready to serve.

Serving

Place a pile of egg noodles on a plate, and then set a couple of sausages next to the noodles. Ladle some of the sauce over both. Set a pile of warm sauerkraut next to the noodles, and add some green beans which were simmered in beef stock. Now slice the homemade rye bread, and pour an ice cold Czech beer. Finally set out a bowl of wilted cucumbers and onions, and a bowl of cherries. Now you can ring the dinner bell.

Chicken with San Marzano tomatoes and Asiago cheese

Yesterday, I was in the mood for something Italian. Back in my youth, I enjoyed going to Italian restaurants in and around Chicago. Often, I would order chicken with pasta, and it would come out garlicky, and with a pungent cheese flavor. That was what I had in mind when I started preparing this.

I finished this in the broiler, down a little ways from the flame. I feel that brightens the flavor of the San Marzano tomatoes and the basil. When this comes out of the broiler, the cheese will have a very brown crust. That’s what I was looking for. The Asiago cheese takes well to browning, and it adds a depth of flavor to the chicken. Here’s how I put this together.

2 boneless chicken thighs

Adobo seasoning

Olive oil

1 large shallot

4 cloves of garlic

1 medium knob onion

1 arbol pepper (or cayenne)

1 large mild jalapeño 

1/2 cup of red wine

28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes

10 large fresh basil leaves

2 cups of grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Take a very large cast iron pan and heat it on the stove. Open the chicken thighs so that, the inside where the bone was can lay flat. Season both sides with adobo seasoning. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the cast iron pan, and then add the chicken thighs, rough side down. Let that sear, while you cut the onions, peppers and garlic.

Slice the shallot and arbol pepper razor thin. Smash and mince the garlic. Take the knob onion (looks like a green onion with a medium onion at the base) and chop the onion part, and thinly slice most of the green stem. Chop the mild jalapeño (if that worries you, add half a bell pepper instead).

Let the chicken sear for about ten to fifteen minutes. You want it browned, as well as cooked through, but still moist inside. When it is almost there, add the chopped vegetables. Stir and let those soften, about five minutes. Add the wine, and reduce that down by at least half. Now add the tomatoes. Break them up with a knife and fork. Bring that to a simmer.

Tear the basil leaves and stir them into the sauce. Now move the chicken into the center of the pan, shoved right together, so that it is almost like one piece. Pile all the grated Asiago cheese on top of the chicken, and add the Mozzarella cheese on top of that. Place the pan under the broiler, but down a ways from the flame. We want the browning to take about ten minutes, so don’t set it too close to the flame. When the cheese is browned and the tomatoes are sizzling, you are ready to serve.

Serving

Place a cheesy chicken thigh on your plate. Add a pile of spaghetti next to that, and smother the pasta with the tomato sauce. Add some sauce over the chicken as well. Now add some fresh homemade bread, a bowl of olives and open a nice Italian red. Dinner is served.

Steak burritos

Ok, I made burritos again. I can’t help it. I had some course cut beef in the fridge, flour tortillas, peppers and onions. I was trying to think of something more imaginative to do with these ingredients, but I was really in the mood for some burritos. 

I don’t know why I enjoy them so much. When I stop for fast food, it seems like it is always burritos. Chipotle, El Famous Burrito, or even Taco Bell, all make burritos I enjoy. The tortillas I used yesterday are the medium sized tortillas, so I made several smaller burritos, but I also enjoy the football sized burritos that you get from El Famous Burrito. Sorry, but you folks outside the Chicago area, may not know what I’m talking about. Anyways, here’s how I made dinner.

1/2 lb. coarsely chopped beef

Olive oil

1 tsp. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. cumin

Adobo seasoning

Oregano

Garlic powder

Onion powder

3 mild jalapeños (or 1 bell pepper)

1 medium onion

1 clove of garlic

6 medium flour tortillas

Salsa

Rice and beans

Preparation

Take a large cast iron skillet and heat that for the tortillas. 

Take a medium cast iron skillet and heat that for the meat. Add enough olive oil to it to coat the bottom, and add the beef. Spread it out and let it brown while you cut the peppers and onion. Before you do, sprinkle the beef with the Hungarian paprika, the cumin, and a light sprinkle of adobo seasoning, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.

Cut the stems off the jalapeños, and cut them lengthwise. Now slice each half across into strips. Once the beef is browned, add the peppers to it. Cut the onions into wedges. After the peppers had a few minutes to soften, add the onions to the beef. Smash and mince the garlic clove and add that as well. Stir and let that sizzle.

While that is cooking, take the tortillas, one at a time, and heat them on the large cast iron pan, about fifteen seconds per side. Stack them on a plate, and cover with another plate to keep them warm. Once they are all heated, you are ready to serve.

Serving

Take a tortilla and add a pile of beef and peppers on one side. Dab on a little salsa. Fold the edges over as you roll it up. I also served some pinto beans and rice with my burritos. Beer is probably best with this, but an ice cold off-dry white wine also works. 

Pinto beans and rice

Sunday, I was in the mood for some made-from-scratch cajun style beans. After I mowed the back yards, the idea struck me, and I formulated a plan. I had some pork neck bones in the fridge, and I had plenty of dried pinto beans. Now, normally cajuns make red beans and rice, but I have pinto beans, so that’s what I’ll use.

This is an all day process, which involves the grill, but very little work. The beans have to soak, and the neck bones have to smoke. Then the beans have to simmer at least three hours. It was perfect for a warm lazy Sunday. I started smoking neck bones and soaking beans at 11:00. Here’s what I did. I made a hot version, but it is easy to moderate. If you want mild hot, leave out the arbol peppers. If you want no hot, use a bell pepper instead of jalapeños.

1-1/2 cups dried pinto beans

Water

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. pork neck bones

Cajun seasoning

Oregano

2 jalapeños

4 arbol peppers (or cayenne)

1 medium onion

Garlic powder

Onion powder 

Cumin

Adobo seasoning

4 stems of fresh thyme

Worcestershire sauce

Steamed rice

Preparation

Sort and rinse the beans, and place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover them by at least two inches. Add the salt and bring that to a boil. Let it boil one minute, and then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for at least an hour and a half. 

While they are soaking, light a charcoal grill. Take the neck bones and season them generously with cajun seasoning and place them on a cast iron pan. Let those smoke in a covered grill over charcoal and if you have any, some maple branches, for two hours.

After the neck bones are at the peak of their smokey goodness, you are ready to prepare the beans. Rinse and drain the beans, and place them in a large sauce pan. Add the smoked neck bones. Coarsely chop the onion and jalapeños, and add them to the beans. Thinly slice the arbol (or cayenne) peppers and add them. Sprinkle on about a teaspoon of cumin and add a half teaspoon of oregano. Sprinkle on some garlic powder and onion powder, and then do the same with some cajun seasoning and adobo seasoning. Fill with water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a slow simmer, and cover. Add the fresh thyme.

Let that simmer, stirring often, for at least three hours. You may have to add a little more water as it simmers. After about two and a half hours, the beans should be breaking up, and the sauce thickening. Add about a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and stir. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, and when the beans are good and thick, you’re ready to serve.

Serving

Set a mound of steamed rice in the center of a plate, and ladle the beans around the rice. Sprinkle with a spec of cajun seasoning, add some warmed tortillas, and you are good to go. Ice cold beer is what I recommend. for this.