Easter Dinner - Southern-style BBQ

Beautiful Tulips in DC - Easter Weekend 2009

Living in New York, far from my home in Wisconsin, there are certain holidays that are always celebrated with family, namely Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Everyone flies or drives home to be with one another, enjoying home-cooked dinners, a bottle of wine or two, and of course sharing stories, both old and new.

For one reason or another, other major holidays do not hold the same place as Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and other great American holidays are hard for people living a flight away from their home.  While I become a little down that I'm not home, firing up the grill with my family or childhood friends, there is a bright side to these holidays.  In places such as New York, there are many others also not able to make it home.  As a result, little "families" are formed, coming together to share their individual family traditions, foods, and stories.  

Starting last year, we have hosted a couple of our good friends in New York for a Midwestern style Easter dinner.  We baked a honey ham and buttermilk biscuits, steamed green beans, and of course served a cheesy casserole (diced potatoes, cream sauce, and cheese).  Another Midwestern tradition was the twelve layer Jello salad, which is six different Jello flavors made two ways (one plain, one with either a dab of sour cream or evaporated milk), and poured onto one another in a 12" x 9" glass pan.  It takes time and lots of patience...but it's beautifully delicious.

This year, we had the same little "family" over for Easter dinner, except one of the two friends was traveling in Europe for work...so he had to celebrate from afar.  The three of us enjoying a Southern-style BBQ meal.  Our friend brought over a refreshing spinach salad, served with a creamy poppy seed dressing, with fresh strawberries and red onions tossed in.  

Pork Shoulder Braised with Apples, BBQ Spices, and White Wine

I slow-roasted a lovely cut of pork shoulder, which I later shredded and coated in a homemade smoky barbecue sauce.  I served the BBQ pork on kaiser rolls with a creamy cole slaw.  On the side, we enjoyed another classic America holiday dish (common in the Midwest), green bean casserole and a healthy grapefruit-red onion-cucumber quinoa.  And like any good BBQ meal, we had homemade BBQ baked beans and cold beer. 

BBQ Pork Sandwich topped with Creamy Cole Slaw; sides of green bean casserole & quinoa

For dessert, we served angel food cake, topped with my mom's classic cinnamon cream sauce.  Yum!

Happy Easter and Passover (belated at this point) to everyone!  I hope you were able to enjoy a meal with your friends and family, either at your childhood home or wherever you call home.

Recipes

BBQ Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, brined, rinsed, & dried

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, sliced

1 apple, sliced

1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine

BBQ spices: 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 T chili powder

1-2 cups barbecue sauce, or more to taste

1 cup cole slaw or fresh red onion slices

4 kaiser rolls

Directions:

1. If you have time, brine the pork for 3-4 hours; remove from brine, rinse, and pat dry.  If not, it will be okay...but brining will produce a more moist final product.

2. Preheat oven to 275 F.

3. In a large round casserole dish, place onion on the bottom.

4. Mix BBQ spices together, then rub into the pork.

5. Place the pork onto the onions in the dish.

6. Pour water & wine into the dish, careful not to pour it directly onto the pork (this would wash off some of the BBQ spice rub).

7. Add the garlic, apple, and bay leaves around the sides of the pork, placing them in the liquid.

8. Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 6-8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and falls apart easily.

9. Remove from the oven, and place pork in a large bowl.  Using a fork, shred the meat.  Remove any large pieces of fat while shredding.

10. Place shredded pork into a large pot, add 1/2 cup of the liquid in the roasting dish.

11. Add 1 cup barbecue sauce.  Mix well.  Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

12. Add more barbecue sauce to taste.  Add salt or other spices (e.g. cayenne for more kick) to taste.

13. Serve on kaiser rolls, topping with cole slaw or fresh red onion slices.

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 slice bacon, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. tomato paste

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. dry mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder

1/2 tsp ancho chili pepper powder

1/2 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt, to taste

1 T. Olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauce pan to medium; add oil

2. Add bacon; fry for 1-2 minutes

3. Add onion

4. Saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onion softens

5. Add tomato paste; stir into onion-bacon mixture

6. Add vinegar; stir

7. Add all the other ingredients; stir very well

8. Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes

9. Taste the sauce and adjust to your taste

10. Once its to your liking, turn off the heat and place in a food blender

11. Puree until smooth

12. Place in a glass bowl and refrigerate until chilled

Creamy Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

6 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups shredded carrot

1/2 cup mayo

2 T. vinegar

1/2 T. brown mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

2. Taste and adjust mayo, vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper to taste

3. Chill for at least an hour before serving

Green Bean Casserole (French's recipe)

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. fresh green beans, cut in 1" pieces and steamed

1 1/3 cups French's Fried Onions

Directions:

1. Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.

2. Bake at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.

3. Stir. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

A Tribute to Japan and its Cuisine

This past month has been awful for Japan and its people.  The earthquake that ravaged Japan on March 11, 2011 left thousands dead, with many more still missing today.  And the nuclear disaster that followed has only added to their misfortune.  My thoughts and concerns are with the Japanese people, hoping they can rebuild, just as they did after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.  If you haven't already, please consider donating to the Red Cross effort to help the Japanese (Link: Donate to Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami).

As a tribute to Japan, this entry is on a traditional Japanese cooking technique...teriyaki.  The beauty of teriyaki dishes is in their simplicity.  Soy sauce, sugar/honey, and mirin/vinegar comprise the "sauce."  The cooking method is typically grilling or broiling.  My favorite is salmon teriyaki, but I also love chicken and steak teriyaki dishes.

Teriyaki is the combination of two meanings.  Teri refers to the shine or luster given by the sugar content, and yaki refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling.  

Teriyaki Salmon, served with steamed carrots & green beans and mashed squash with crispy shallots

I found this recipe a few months ago while I was hoping to do something different with a pair of salmon fillets from Whole Foods.  Rachael Ray's website, RachaelRayMag.com, had this delicious recipe laid out for "super crispy salmon teriyaki."  Like most of Rachael's recipes, there are not too many necessary ingredients and it was fairly straight-forward.  I also liked the idea of crisping the skin, which I learned a year or so ago, is completely edible (and even healthy for you).  

If you look closely, it's an adaptation of a traditional Japanese teriyaki recipe.  Rachael adds garlic (not commonly used in Japanese cooking).  But like many of my favorite recipes, a few simple tweaks and changes can make a good recipe great!  It's all about changing it to fit your palate (or the palate of your friends & family).

Japan itself, while certainly not the largest country in terms of land size, it has over 127MM people living on its soil.  That makes it the 10th most populated country in the world, nestled in between Mexico (11th) and Russia (9th).  Japanese cuisine is also impressive.  The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo with more Michelin stars than any other city in the world (in fact, it has more than London & Paris combined!).  Sushi, teriyaki, and Japanese noodle soups (ramen, udon, or soba) have become commonplace in major cities around the world. 

Many of my friends (especially Shelly & Anne) in New York love the various Asian soup restaurants, serving up steaming hot bowls (very large bowls) of ramen, udon, or soba noodle-based soups.  A bowl of Japanese soup and a cup of hot tea are perfect for a cold, rainy day.  

As we continue with our day-to-day activities, enjoying Japanese cuisine either at home or in at a favorite restaurant, let's take a moment to think of those people in Japan rebuilding their lives.  Donate if you can.  At minimum, thank them and their ancestors for creating such delicious food and sharing it with the rest of the world.

Super-Crispy Salmon Teriyaki

Ingredients:

Four 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce 

3 T. honey

1 T. rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

2 T. vegetable oil 

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and red pepper flakes (if using). 

2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic.

3. Season the salmon on both sides with salt. 

4. Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. 

5. Add the oil, swirling to coat, then add the salmon, skin side down, and cook undisturbed, until the skin is very crisp, about 6 minutes. 

6. Turn and cook until opaque at the thickest part, 1 to 3 minutes.

7. Drizzle serving plates with the sauce, place the salmon, skin side up, on top and sprinkle with the scallion.

Roast Pork Shoulder and Potato-Gruyère Galette

In May, Rachel and I will be moving out of our NYC apartment and moving across the Hudson to New Jersey.  We’ll definitely miss living in Manhattan, with all its markets, amazing culinary shops…not to mention the restaurants.  Anyway, one of our current challenges is in our freezer.  As a CSA member of 8 O’clock Ranch in upstate New York, we have a freezer full of lamb, pork, and beef that needs to be consumed before we move out. 

With only a couple months to go, I’ve been trying to find new and delicious ways to cook up the different cuts of meat.  Last week, I pulled out a pair of pork shoulder steaks (bone-in).  I love slow-roasting pork at very low temperatures, allowing it to break down into tender, juicy bites that fall apart with just a fork.  It does take a lot of time, typically 6-10 hours, depending on the cut, temperature, and size of the meat.  But it sure is worth it.  Sometimes I’ll cook it overnight, which ends up leaving me dreaming about food while I’m sleeping.

Adding the sherry and shallots to the pan

To spice up the pork last week, I used a combination of fennel seeds, juniper berries, black pepper, sumac berries, and olive oil.  I ground the spices in my Magic Bullet, which I love.  Then I drizzled some spicy Tuscan olive oil on the pork, tossed on the spice mix, and rubbed it into the meat.  In a ceramic baking dish, I placed a layer of carrots.  To help the pork stay juicy, I seared it first on the stove and then added some sliced shallots and sherry at the end to give it some extra flavor.  From there, it all went on top of the carrots in my dish.  I added a little white wine and a bit more sherry, covered it with a lid, and placed it in the oven.  One of my favorite parts is the aromas that come out of the oven over the next several hours.  Yum.

Also, I highly recommend brining the pork for a few hours before roasting.  It helps keep the pork even juicier and allows for some really complex flavors to seep into the meat itself.  For pork and chicken, I always brine unless I am short on time.

Pork Shoulder from 8 O'clock Ranch (NY)

While the pork was baking, I looked in my fridge to settle on the sides.  I saw that there was a chunk of Gruyere cheese (you could also use Provolone cheese, which is a lot cheaper than Gruyere), a little bacon, and fresh herbs.  I sliced a few gold potatoes, and layered them with grated Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano, along with thyme, rosemary, and olive oil.  I also placed a layer of bacon on the bottom of the dish to give it a little smokiness.  My recipe was inspired by Chris, a fellow blogger that writes the Pantry Raid, a fun blog on creative cooking.  It looks like she hasn’t blogged in a year or so, but she has some great recipes on her site.

View from Artesa Winery in Napa, CA (Los Carneros AVA)

To drink, I popped a 2005 Artesa Merlot Reserve from Napa.  The soft red fruit, firm acidity, and slight earthiness of the Merlot paired very well with the fennel and juniper flavors of the pork.  Artesa Winery makes some great red wine (Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Pinots are all superb).  Their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are good too…but only if you love the big, oaky California style. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Pork Shoulder

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs pork shoulder steaks (previously brined, rinsed, and dried)

2 carrots, cut into 3” sticks

2 shallots, finely sliced

2 T. white wine

¼ cup sherry, divided into two 2 T. portions

Olive oil

Spice mix:

  2 T. whole juniper berries

  1 T. fennel seeds

  1 tsp. black pepper

  ¼ tsp. ground sumac berries (or you could substitute lemon zest)

Directions*:

1. Brine the pork for 2-3 hours (add some juniper berries and whole allspice to the brine)

2. Preheat the oven to 200 F

3. Mix spices together in a food processor and grind into a powder

4. Drizzle the pork shoulder with olive oil, rubbing it into the meat

5. Add spice mix to the pork, rubbing it into the meat, ensuring it is well coated

6. Heat a grill or skillet to medium and add a little olive oil to the pan

7. Sear the pork on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until slightly browned

8. Add the shallots and half the sherry, using the sherry to deglaze the pan

9. Place the carrots in a baking dish with high sides (I use a 2 ½ quart Corningware dish)

10. Add the pork and shallots to the dish, layering on top of the carrots

11. Add the remaining sherry and white wine

12. Roast, covered, for about 6-8 hours, or until it easily shreds with a fork

13. Remove from the oven, pull out pork and carrots separately, careful to not mash the carrots

14. Serve

*Note – if you brined the pork, you shouldn’t need to add any salt

Potato and Gruyère Galette

Ingredients:

4 medium yellow potatoes, sliced in ¼” slices

2 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces

1 T. fresh thyme, minced

1 T. fresh rosemary, minced

¼ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (or sub Provolone)

2 T. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. In a ceramic baking dish (such as another Corningware casserole dish), place the bacon on bottom

2. Add a layer of potatoes

3. Drizzle with olive oil, top with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs

4. Add a layer of Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano

5. Repeat until you finish with one last layer of potatoes on top, then drizzle with olive oil, add salt & pepper, and a dash of the herbs (I didn’t put any cheese on top)

6. If cooking along the pork, roast at 200 F for about 90 minutes.  If roasting separately or with another dish, roast at 350 F for about 45-60 minutes.  The potatoes should be soft and slightly browned.

Baking Challenge: Croissants

From talking to other people that also love to be in the kitchen, I feel we generally fall into two categories: those who love to cook and those who love to bake.  For whatever reason, it seems to be rare that someone is interested in both.  My theory is that cooking attracts those who enjoy more free-form expression, adding a little of this and a dash of that.  Conversely, bakers are those who love structure and appreciate a recipe, treating the entire process as a scientific process where each and every ingredient is carefully measured.  I mean, you can’t just throw in a bit of yeast or water when baking bread. 

Realizing how little I knew about baking, I decided to venture into this more structured universe, away from my comfort zone of cooking.  Starting with simple things, such as a basic yeast bread, buttermilk biscuits (see my Beef Stew and Buttermilk Biscuits entry), and pizza dough, I began to appreciate the art of baking.  Of course I made mistakes, and I continue to learn a lot about baking. 

For example, when making biscuits, it’s critical to not over-mix the dough.  Otherwise the biscuits become dense and lose their delicious flakiness.  With pie crust, there is a careful balance between lard, water, and flour.  The perfect angel food cake is all about whipping the egg whites just enough to form the proper peaks. 

Seeking a challenge, I decided to bake homemade croissants and pain au chocolat (bread with chocolate).  This was one of the most difficult dishes I’ve ever attempted.  Croissant dough requires careful folding, rolling, and refolding layers of dough and butter, always keeping it at a cool enough temperature to prevent the butter from liquefying.  More than once I had to place the dough in the fridge when the butter oozed out.

All the work was totally worth it.  The croissants were flaky and absolutely decadent.  The pain au chocolat was superb, with bittersweet chocolate cradled within a roll of croissant dough.  Yum.  If you want to make the pain au chocolat, simply make the croissant dough (see recipe below), and roll the dough into a large square.  Then cut individual 4" squares, drop in a dozen bittersweet chocolate chips, and roll them up (see picture above).

Make sure you have plenty of counter space, a good rolling pin, and a bit of patience.  Also remember to use unsalted butter.  The recipe is challenging, and very intricate.  It's helpful to read through the entire thing before starting out.

Bon appétit!

Recipe (from Joy of Cooking, 75^th Anniversary edition)

Caribbean Cuisine

Jerk-style braised pork, mango-tomato salad, roasted sweet potato with red bell pepper sauce, and mashed plantains

Sometimes a recipe just doesn’t turn out well.  While it is certainly disappointing, and often frustrating, it happens to everyone.  So don’t get discouraged!  Last week, I was in the mood for venturing into a new cuisine, and I thought Caribbean would be fun.  A beautiful combination of sweet, spicy, and savory, Caribbean food brought to mind images of Jerk chicken, grilled pineapple, fried plantains, and rice and beans, not to mention pristine beaches and aqua waters.

While a Google search on Italian, French, or burgers brings up thousands of websites, I struggled to find good Caribbean recipes.  There were plenty of websites featuring Caribbean fare, but many lacked either the credibility or the appeal of a well-crafted recipe.  Eventually, I fell back on my favorite site, Food & Wine, and discovered a nice variety of Caribbean dishes.  My main dish for the meal would be something with pork because I had about a pound of pork stew meat from 8 O’Clock Ranch in NY that I wanted to use.

Avocado-jalapeño salad (sort of a deconstructed guacamole)

The side dishes I found on F&W’s website all looked so delicious, and it was impossible to choose which ones to make.  Ultimately, I gave up and decided to make all four of them.  They were all easy to make, some only requiring ten minutes, so it wasn’t as daunting as it might sound.  Also, Rachel & I love variety in a meal.  Lastly, with all of these recipes new to me, I figured even if one or two didn't knock it out of the park, the others might.

What is unique about Caribbean food is its origins.  While many regions and countries around the world have multiple influences on their modern day cuisine, Caribbean food is the mutt of all mutts.  This fascinating food represents the marriage of African, French, English, Spanish, and even Asian ingredients, techniques, and traditions.  The famous Jerk seasoning is a delicious blend of baking spices, such as allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, and spice from fiery-hot peppers.  Lime, garlic, rice, beans, chicken, and pork are all commonly used ingredients.  But so are interesting things such as coconut, tomatoes, papaya, goat, and ginger. 

The influences are not hard to see when looking at the region’s dynamic history.  Following Christopher Columbus’s European discovery of the ‘New World’ in 1492, it was only a matter of time before imperialism followed him.  By the 1700s, nearly every scrap of land in the Caribbean (and for that matter, the entire ‘New World’) had been claimed by the European powers, each jockeying for power in the ever-expanding geopolitical arena. 

As far north as Florida and Mexico to the southern countries of Chile and Argentina, the Spanish excelled at colonizing the Americas, to the extreme misfortune of the native inhabitants.  The Caribbean was no different, with the Spanish controlling many of the islands, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic.   Meanwhile, the French and British pushed to control many of the smaller islands.  The French controlled the western half of Hispaniola, which later became Haiti (the other half is the Dominican Republic), along with Martinique, Turks & Caicos, and St. Lucia.  The British, being the British, always seemed to push to control key strategic ports and waterways.  They pushed to control large tracks of the Central American coastline, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and the modern day British Virgin Islands.

The African roots in the Caribbean, unfortunately, come almost entirely through the slave trade.  In the 16^th and 17^th centuries, and even through the mid-19^th century, millions of enslaved Africans were shipped from their homeland to the ‘New World.’  The slaves made up the workforce for expanding agricultural and mining enterprises.  In the Caribbean, slaves were first brought to work the sugar cane farms.  Later, they were also forced to farm coffee, cotton, and tobacco.

Back to the food.  The jerk pork had excellent flavor, but the pork became kind of dry during the hours of braising (I think I used too much water).  I won’t bother passing on the recipe.  Fortunately, a couple of the side dishes were absolutely delicious.  The mango-tomato salad, avocado & jalapeño salad (essentially deconstructed guacamole), and mashed plantains were all very good.  I posted these three recipes below, all of which came from Food & Wine.

Mango-tomato salad with fresh basil

I hope you enjoy these Caribbean dishes.  They’re the hard work of centuries of different cultures from around the world, all neatly blended into a meal.

Mashed Plantains (based on F&W recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

2 cups water

2 jalapeños, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 ½ T. unsalted butter

¼ cup sweet onion, diced

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. After mincing the garlic and jalapeños, mash into a paste using a mortar & pestle or the back of a spoon.

2. Place the plantains and water in a medium sauce pan, and turn the heat to high.

3. Boil the plantains, covered, for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the lid, and continue to boil for another 10-15 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.

5. While the plantains are boiling, heat a small skillet to medium.  Add the butter.

6. Once hot, add the jalapeño-garlic paste.  Sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until it begins to brown.

7. Add the onions, stir, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.

8. When the plantains and onion mixture are both ready, mix together, mashing the plantains much like mashed potatoes.  If you want it even more homogenous or whipped, you could place in bowl and use a hand mixer.

9. Serve hot.

Mango-Tomato Salad (based on F&W recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, sliced ¼” thick

1 large, ripe mango—peeled, pitted and sliced ¼” thick

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, oil, shallots, and basil

2. On a large plate, mix tomato and mango together, then spread out on the plate

3. Sprinkle with salt

4. Spoon dressing over the tomato and mango

5. Serve immediately

Avocado-Jalapeño Salad (based on F&W recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 avocadoes, halved, pitted, and cut into ¼” strips

¼ to ½ lime, juiced

1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced

2-3 T cilantro, roughly chopped

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. On a plate, arrange strips of avocado in a circle (or whatever shape you like)

2. Sprinkle with lime juice and salt to your taste

3. Add jalapeño slices, then top with cilantro

4. Serve immediately

Time for Thai

Chicken with Basil

Visiting our friend in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago, Rachel & I had the privilege of learning a traditional Thai recipe from our friend's father.  Originally from Thailand, her father, Charlie, loves his country's cuisine, which was apparent throughout his exciting cooking lesson.  The dish was chicken with basil, one of our favorite dishes from one of our favorite cuisines.



My teacher, Charlie, and me

Charlie started the lesson by explaining the importance of high-quality, fresh ingredients.  He showed me the proper fish sauce, soy sauce, and the basil that he bought earlier that day at their local Asian market outside of LA.  The recipe, he explained, was like many Thai dishes...very simple, based only on a few key ingredients, and easy to make.  Of course, like any fast-cooking stir-fry dish, it's important to prep everything before you begin.  Cooking steps are so brief that you won't have time to clean, cut, or prep anything mid-way through.

In this particular recipe, the flavor comes from the garlic, peppers, fish sauce, soy sauce, and basil.  Lots and lots of fresh, delicious, aromatic basil.  Another interesting tip from Charlie was the use of ground chicken rather than chunks of breast or thigh.  This texture allowed for more of the sauce, garlic, and peppers to coat the chicken.



Garlic and peppers in the mortar & pestle


Charlie stressed the importance of the chef actually tasting the dish as it cooked.  A recipe is only a guide, and the chef needs to taste the food to decide if extra fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, or even peppers should be added.  His/her tastes, or the tastes of the guests, may dictate slightly different levels of these ingredients.  So remember this lesson when making your Asian dishes (or for that matter, any cuisine).

Thailand, for those not familiar with this beautiful country, is located in Southeast Asia, not too far north of the equator.  Burma (or Myanmar) to the west, Laos and Cambodia to the east & north, and Malaysia to the south, Thailand is one of many countries in this region with delicious food.  But for one reason or another, many Thai dishes offer more pronounced flavor than its regional counterparts.  Perhaps this is the reason that its cuisine can now be found in cities throughout the world.  Or maybe the Thai government did a good job marketing it.









Enjoy!  I recommend serving with beer, or a sweet white wine (Riesling, Gewurtztraminer).  While white rice seems to be more traditional, you can also serve with brown rice for a healthier option.  Another nice addition would be a serving of papaya salad or a delicious, spicy Thai soup.




Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken, ground (or finely minced with a knife)
8 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 to 5 bird/Thai chilies, minced
1 cup long bean (or green beans), diced*
1 T. fish sauce, or more to taste
1 T. soy sauce, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar, or more to taste
1 cup packed Thai basil
3 T. vegetable oil

*May substitute Thai eggplant


Directions:
1. Using a mortar & pestle, grind the garlic and peppers into a rough paste (you can also use a food processor, but the mortar & pestle is preferred)
2. Heat a wok to high heat, add the vegetable oil
3. Once hot, toss in the garlic-pepper paste, stirring quickly to coat it in the oil
4. Saute for 30 seconds
5. Add the chicken, stirring well
6. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through
7. Add the fish sauce and soy sauce, stir
8. Saute for another 2-3 minutes; taste to see if additional soy or fish sauce is needed
9. Add sugar, stir
10. Add beans (or eggplant), stir
11. Saute for 1-2 minutes
12. Add basil, stir
13. Taste again for soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar.  Also see if you want it spicier, and add more peppers if necessary.
14. Turn off heat, serve with steamed rice