Sunday, March 27, 2011

Jalapeño Ketchup

Credit: KitchenDaily

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and jalapeno. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the jalapenos have softened.
2. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and cider vinegar.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Corned Beef Hash

( #CornedBeef, #Hash )

Credit: Huffington Post: Meathead Goodwyn

Got that leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day? Here is a hash recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked leftover corned beef
2 cups cooked leftover potatoes
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 pasteurized eggs
2 teaspoons bacon fat, lard, butter, or cooking oil
1/2 cup broth from the boiled corned beef and cabbage or just plain water

Directions:
1. Chop the meat and potatoes into 1/4 to 1/2" cubes.
2. In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs with a fork, then add the corned beef, potatoes, onions, garlic, and thyme. Add the broth or water. Mix.
3. On your grill or stovetop, preheat a frying pan, preferably a cast iron pan, to high and add the fat. Roll it around so it coats the bottoms and sides.
4. Add the hash mix and pat it down with a spatula. Cook on until the eggs in the mix set. With a spatula, flip things over. If the meat looks dry, add another 1/2 cup of broth or water.
5. Crack the remaining eggs and lay them on top of the hash. Turn the heat to medium. Cover and cook until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny. This could take 10 to 15 minutes, longer than you think. If you are not using pasteurized eggs you should cook them until the yolks are set. The salmonella risk is too great. Just don't burn the bottom.
6. While the eggs are cooking, heat the leftover cabbage as a side dish. Microwave is fine.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Home Cured Corned Beef

Credit: Simple Recipes | Elise

INGREDIENTS

Pickling spices:
1 Tbsp whole allspice berries
1 Tbsp whole mustard seeds (brown or yellow)
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
9 whole cardamom pods
6 large bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 stick cinnamon

Brine:
1 gallon water
2 cups Kosher salt
5 teaspoons pink curing salt*
3 Tbsp pickling spices
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brisket:
1 4-5 pound beef brisket
1 Tbsp pickling spices

DIRECTIONS

1 You can either used store-bought pickling spices or you can make your own. To make your own, toast the allspice berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom pods in a small frying pan on high heat until fragrant and you hear the mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices a little (or the back of a spoon or the side of a knife on a flat surface). Add to a small bowl and stir in the crumbled bay leaves and ground ginger.

2 Add about 3 Tbsp of the spice mix (reserve the rest for cooking the corned beef after it has cured), plus the half stick of cinnamon, to a gallon of water in a large pot, along with the Kosher salt, pink salt (if using), and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until well chilled.

3 Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat. The meat may float in which case you may want to weigh it down with a plate. Alternatively you can use a 2-gallon freezer bag (placed in a container so if it leaks it doesn't leak all over your refrigerator), place the brisket in the freezer bag and about 2 quarts of brine, squeezing out the air from the bag before sealing. Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5-7 days. Every day flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined equally.

4 At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse off the brine with cold water. Place the brisket in a large pot that just fits around the brisket and cover with at least one inch of water. If you want your brisket less salty, add another inch of water to the pot. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender. (At this point you can store in the fridge for up to a week.) Remove the meat to a cutting board.

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Cheese Fondue

Credit: Kitchen Daily | Lauren Costello

Here is a heart attack waiting to happen... Enjoy!

Fondue Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Fondue Accompaniments:
baguette or sourdough bread cubes
cubed apples or pears
cubed cooked ham, turkey, chicken, or beef
cooked broccoli florets
cooked potato pieces
grape tomatoes

Directions:

Gather these tools: cutting board, chef's knife, dry and wet measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, whisk, medium saucepan, fondue pot and forks

1. Toss the shredded cheddar cheese with cornstarch in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk the milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, until it is hot and begins to gently bubble.
3. Using a whisk, gradually add in the cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth and bubbling.
4. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot or bread bowl. Serve immediately with bread, fruit, vegetables, or meat with fondue forks or skewers.