Extra Schmaltz!

Apparently it's been 11 years since I last posted a stuffed peppers recipe ! I am posting a new one, which a) is a different style, and b) I think is more delicious. My previous recipe was more of a Turkish style. This is based on Das Original DDR Kochbuch , which we purchased in Weimar, Germany.  I have added some spice to what would have been a rather stodgy recipe. This is great to make if you are practically drowning in peppers from the garden, as we are at this time of year. We used about 12 peppers of varying sizes, mostly small. If you are using store-bought peppers, 6 will probably do. Before. Note: some extra peppers were placed in my massive Dutch oven as spacers (and not filled with rice).  Bonus picture of Violet's favorite game that she invented--pepper tops! They say "Helloooo!" and jump around a lot. Melt-in-your-mouth taste of summer. Preheat oven to 400° F Filling 6-10 green bell peppers 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. butter 2 c. coo...

I wanted to make something that was very Autumnal and so I started looking up pork and apple recipes. Almost all of them called for cinnamon and sounded foul, so I came up with this which I wanted to be more balanced. It turned out better than expected so I figured I'd write it up. I made it in the slow cooker, but you could probably use the oven also if you're a masochist.  Ingredients 2# pork tenderloin 1 onion, cut into thin strips 2-3 cloves garlic, cut into large chunks 1/2 c. white wine 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 water or chicken broth 1/2 tsp white pepper 1 tsp mustard powder Salt 1 6" sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stem, or equivalent dried, but fresh is way better 3-4 cooking apples, cored and cut into chunks (they'll melt, no need to stress over this) Instructions Carmelize the onions in a heavy skillet. Salt the pork tenderloin on both sides. Put onions in slow cooker, add oil and brown the tenderloin. Once brown, add ...

This recipe is really simple and easy to make, but shockingly delicious - the first time I made it I was trying for something that wasn't too much like American Chinese food but still had elements of sweet and savory. I was surprised how balanced it turned out. It's not overly sweet, nor is it overwhelmingly soy-sauce flavored. It's as easy to eat as it is to prepare. Ingredients Pork or Beef Roast (I used a 3 pound pork blade roast most recently - whatever is cheap) 1/2 c. soy sauce 1/2 c. water 1.5 Tbsp cider vinegar 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar (more if you want it sweeter) 1 Tbsp yellow mustard powder 1 tsp ground pepper 1 2" cube of ginger, cut into slices 2 medium cloves garlic, cut in half 1-2 dried red chilis (to taste) Combine sauce ingredients. Taste for balance. Place roast in crockpot, pour sauce over roast, let cook until it's dinner time. If you're feeling fancy, you can add some veggies to the crockpot at the very end. Make sure it ...

My goal in making this recipe was to explore Asian recipes that would translate well into American holidays. I think this would be a great recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas, as it has a rich, special-occasion quality to it, as well as spices such as cinnamon which are traditional at the holidays. It turned out great, and really wasn't that difficult. Maybe not an everyday meal, but certainly worth making a few times a year. The pork becomes glazed with a sweet, flavorful sauce, and the meat is fall apart tender, with the fat completely melting in your mouth. There are many versions online, and mine is primarily based on this video . You can add puffed tofu or hard boiled eggs at the end for more variety in texture. Finished product, with stir fried Chinese broccoli and scallion pancake. Towards the end of the cooking time, before you add the sugar and cook down to create the final glaze. The assembled ingredients. The pork has already been blanched and is ready fo...

My lovely brother accused me of posting elitist bourgeoise recipes using the steam oven, so here's a recipe for the people--LITERALLY. This is from DDR Kochbuch - Das Original , a cookbook of East German recipes that we got in Weimar. This clearly influenced by the multitude of Russian recipes for shchi , or cabbage soup. Being on the eastward side of the iron curtain, many GDR recipes were influenced by cuisine from within the USSR. I believe this could be made with sauerkraut rather than fresh cabbage. If you use kraut, rinse it a couple of times first, and then don't add vinegar later on. The humble appearance of this soup belies wonderfully rich flavor. For this version we used pork loin, but can be made with other cuts of pork, or with beef or veal. The meat is cooked until tender, but still with some chew to it. 2 lbs.  boneless stew meat: beef, pork, or veal (or 3-5 lbs bone-in) 1 large celery root (celeriac), cubed 1 large leek, separate the leaves, wash tho...

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha...

Can also be made with chicken. 50% of the household thinks this would be better made with bone-in, fattier chops, and 50% of the household likes it lean. Either way it's got tons of flavor! 3-4 pork chops, whatever cut you enjoy 2 stalks lemongrass 5 cloves garlic 3 shallots 2-3 red chili peppers 3 Tbsp. fish sauce 3 Tbps. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. black soy sauce 1 Tbsp. oil 2-3 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper Pat the pork chops dry, set them on a plate, and salt lightly. I find it's easiest to control the salt in the marinade if you salt the meat directly. Pound the base of the lemongrass stalks with something heavy to break them up a bit. Slice into 1/2" pieces and then chop in the food processor. Add the garlic, shallots, and chili peppers and chop until fine textured (will be a little fibrous from the lemongrass). Add in the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Test the flavor and adjust if needed. The marinade should be the texture of ...

My original tonkatsu recipe has been tested many times, and I've learned a few things. Mainly I have improved the salad dressing. Also I include a more detailed description of how to make the cutlet. Not pictured: mochi ice cream. Ganbatte! Improved Salad Dressing The key to the improved salad dressing is the miso. Hint: even if you are using the pre-packaged instant miso soup, you can repurpose one of the packets for the salad dressing. 2 Tbsp. white miso 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 dash roasted sesame oil 1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds Combine all ingredients and toss with lettuce and finely julienned carrots, daikon, and red onion. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. I like to let it rest while I'm cooking the other things so that the veggies marinate a bit. Grated Daikon This forms the bed for the cutlet. I have found that if you grate the daikon, then squeeze out the water, sprinkle...

We made these for a "fictional food" themed party. This makes 10, so you may want to scale it down. Thank you to Clancey's meats for accommodating my cutlet request. The rest I based on Roman flavors and the goal of making everything as green as possible. They turned out delicious and I didn't even get punched in the face by Charlton Heston! 10 pork or veal cutlets 2 leeks 1 head escarole or other leafy green 1 can white beans, drained 1/2 c. frozen green peas 1 handful fresh parsley 1 tsp thyme 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds 1/4 c. shredded Romano cheese 1 Tbsp. fish sauce 1-2 Tbsp. verjus or white wine vinegar Salt and fresh ground black pepper Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper and keep them cold in the refrigerator. Overall the rolls are easier to handle if they are kept cold. Cut the leaks lengthwise and wash each leaf under running water to remove grit. Chop coarsely. Wash the escarole and parsley and chop coarsely. Defrost the peas. ...

This is a simple-yet-flavorful meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner. It helps if you can season the porkchops an hour or more ahead of time, but not required. Here I serve them over couscous, with Couve Mineira on the side. I used boneless pork chops, but you could use bone-in. In fact, this would probably be good with chicken breasts too. Make as many as you would like for dinner and leftovers--this is for 4 chops. Serving Suggestion 1 Serving Suggestion 2 4 pork chops 3 Tbsp. Kosher salt 2 tsp. ground coriander 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper flakes 1 tsp. ground black pepper 2 medium red peppers, diced 3 shallots, minced 1/4 c. white wine 1/4 c. water or chicken broth 1 tsp. sugar salt and pepper to taste olive oil Combine the seasonings and rub it on the pork chops (honestly, I just eyeball the seasonings and sprinkle them on directly). If you have thin chops, score the fat & silverskin layer on the edge at 3/4" intervals so that they don't warp and cook u...

I thought I'd just post some outlines of how I like to do pork (spare)ribs. They take a lot of time to do right, but they turn out really well. I do the rub from memory more or less every time, but I find that certain things, like szechuan pepper, really add to it nicely. Alex's Dry Rub: 1/2 c. brown sugar 1-2 Tbsp. Szechuan peppercorn, smooshed a bit in mortar and pestle 1 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. paprika 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 Tbsp.+ salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. ground mustard 1/2 tsp. white pepper (I haven't tried this yet since I forgot, but it's probably a good addition) 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayanne pepper Mix everything together, then coat the outside of the ribs. Let sit overnight wrapped in plastic wrap (unless you have a container large enough to hold a whole rack of ribs. Cooking the Ribs: So I know there are a lot of ways to cook the ribs, but the way I prefer is to just put them on the grill at a pretty low temperature for about 2-4 hours (the longer, the flaki...

I think this recipe has every flavor your tongue can taste in it. Spicy chili oil, astringent and cooling Szechuan pepper, salty and bitter pickled greens, meaty pork, and just a hint of sweet and sour. Some of the ingredients may seem exotic, but many of them can be substituted with more common things. This recipe is easily scaled for however many people are eating and for individual tastes, as you add the seasoning to each bowl individually. I make lots of the pork topping and freeze it for later use, because the other items are in my cupboard all the time. It is based on this YouTUBE recipe. Pork Mixture 1 lb. ground pork 1/2 c. Chinese pickled vegetable/cabbage 1/2 c. chopped bamboo shoots salt Brown the ground pork with a few pinches salt. Rinse the pickled vegetable and squeeze out the excess water. Chop finely. Add the vegetable and bamboo shoots and heat through. If you don't have the pickled vegetable (you can find it in a can at the Asian store), add finely chopped cabba...

UPDATE! Here is an improved salad dressing recipe and a detailed description of making the cutlet from scratch. The dressing below is still good, but not quite as good as the miso style! Technically tonkatsu is a breaded pork cutlet, but you can make chicken-katsu or veal-catsu or chickenmcnugget-katsu (as pictured). It's traditionally served as a full meal with rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and some pickles. The cutlet is generally sliced so that it can be eaten with chopsticks and dressed with Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce ('sosu'). I forgot to take a picture of rice, so don't forget to include it! For the meal pictured I used salad with ginger vinaigrette instead of the cabbage. Here's how to put together the meal: Make the Sosu: 1/2 c. catsup 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 c. rice wine 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced Combine all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Rice : Make some short-grained w...

This recipe isn't much different from Porky Kraut , but I thought I'd post it anyway, since it's a little faster (you don't have to cut up the meat) and more colorful, and it reminds us all to use our beloved slow-cookers. ~6 raw bratwurst 2 lbs. sauerkraut 1 large carrot 1 large turnip (optional) 1/4 c. white wine 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. sugar 1 pinch cayenne 2 bay leaves water Brown the brats in a pan. Place them in the slow-cooker. Use some water or broth to deglaze the pan and add that to the cooker. Drain and rinse the kraut. If you like it zingy, only rinse it a little. Add to the cooker. Grate the carrot and turnip (if using) and add to the cooker. Stir in the spices and wine and add water so that the contents are 3/4 submerged. Cook all day. Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes. *** Feel free to experiment with the spices. I add a mix I got from Penzey's called Krakow Nights. You can go the caraway route if you l...

This soup gets its name from the dubious observation that the meatballs look like a lion's face and the greens look like its mane. I don't see it, but it's a pretty badass name. It's also a pretty badass soup and easy to make. I based my recipe on this one at Melting Wok , which includes Spam in the meatballs. This is optional, but highly recommended, as it gives a nice texture and smoky flavor. You can use various greens in the soup. Napa cabbage is traditional, but you can also use mustard greens or baby bok choy. Meatballs: 1 lb. lean ground pork 1 can Spam 1 egg 1 Tbsp. cornstarch 2 shiitake mushrooms, chopped very fine 1-2 Tbsp. ginger, minced 2 tsp. sesame oil 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce 3 green onions, minced 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry Combine all ingredients, making sure to break up the Spam completely. Form into meatballs and set aside. Traditionally these are served with one giant meatball in each bowl, but I think it...

It's our 200th recipe! (Or at least the 200th post). Things have slowed down a bit since our family doesn't have as much free time at the moment, but I think that with the winter weather the blog posts will pick up again. Here's an easy, flavorful, and inexpensive recipe that deserves to be part of our family's canon. This is Filipino dish based on soy- and vinegar- and garlic-marinated meat (not the Mexican seasoning blend also known as 'adobo'). You can use any meat you like and it works especially well with cheaper cuts, like chicken leg pieces or pork shoulder. You can also alter your technique for how much time and patience you have--it's kind of like choose-your-own-adventure. 3-4 lbs of meat (bone-in chicken or pork chunks work well) 1 c. light soy sauce 1/2-1 c. water 1/2 c. white vinegar 1 entire BULB garlic, chopped 3 bay leaves 2 Tbsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. salt Combine all the ingredients in a shallow dish. If the marinade doe...

While I was trying new things with new ingredients I figured I'd go for what is often mentioned amongst foodies in a hushed, reverent whisper: pig cheeks, especially smoked. So, pig face #2, rather than being rolled up with seasonings, was butchered into its constituent parts. I only have a humble Weber sphere grill, so smoking means placing a big pan of boiling water underneath the meat and continually feeding wood chips to the fire which is off to the side. Here is a pretty good setup which is far more sophisticated than what I used, using only tinfoil. I will not attempt here to give a thorough overview of smoking meat on a grill, when so many already exist online. Long story short, pig cheeks are not unlike a very fatty bacon in their composition, and are delicious. Dip them in BBQ sauce and enjoy.

Continued from here After curing the face overnight, cooking time arrived. I rolled the face up, resulting in this somewhat grim device:

Watching lots of Anthony Bourdain will definitely give you a hankering for some odd cuts, so here's the first in what will hopefully be a series of snout-to-tail classics.

This is mostly just an illustration of Lillian's (adapted) meatloaf recipe, which is indeed pretty awesome. Whats interesting about the recipe is mostly the cooking technique, which involved forming the loaf on a rack wrapped in tinfoil, with a sheet underneath to catch the grease. A picture is worth a thousand words: As for the contents of the loaf, I mostly didn't use the recipe, since I had neither crackers nor gelatin on hand. It held together fine with corn meal however. Mine contains equal parts beef and pork.