My new favorite way to grill is to use meat that's been brined. The process is well worth the wait; it makes the meat moist and incredibly flavorful. Here are my brined porkchops, but this same brine can be used for really awesome chicken breasts as well.
Citrus Salt-Brined Porkchops
1/2 c. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (If you use a different brand, the amount of salt needed could be different, so try to get this brand.)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 quart water
1 quart ice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tablespoon dried, finely chopped orange peel (Available in the spice aisle.)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh lemon thyme
2 pounds porkchops
Mix the salt, sugar, water, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange peel together thoroughly in a large pot. Let come to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add in the rosemary and thyme sprigs whole, then simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and add ice cubes. Allow to cool.
In a large glass baking dish, layer in the chops then pour the brine over top, making sure the chops are completely submerged in the brine, and that the brine is beneath the chops as well. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the chops rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but no more than 4 hours.
Remove chops from brine, pat dry with a paper towel, and lay the chops out on a wire cooling rack set into a cookie sheet. Put the chops back into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so meat can dry slightly. (This is an important step, so don't skip it. It gives the meat a nice seared outside while keeping moisture in.) Grill until meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let rest on a plate loosely wrapped in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes, then enjoy.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Nadine's Strawberry Cake
I don't care that it's winter, I need a reminder that summer is coming. So I dug out my Great-Aunt Nadine's well-worn, handwritten recipe for Strawberry Cake. You know the thing tastes good when the recipe card looks like this.
Strawberry Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 small box of strawberry Jell-o
1/2 c frozen strawberries (thaw before use)
3/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
4 large eggs
Pre-heat oven to oven temperature specified on your white cake mix.
Thoroughly butter your cake pans or line cupcake pan with baking cups.
Pour cake mix and Jell-o powder into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Add thawed strawberries, oil, water, and eggs and beat until smooth. Bake according to package directions, just keep an eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Icing
This icing is very thin. I recommend chilling it until stiff and spreadable, if you prefer, or you can spread it on the top of the cake and between any layers and let is simply drip down the sides. It's good either way.
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c thawed frozen strawberries
Melt the butter and blend with thawed strawberries and confectioner's sugar. Beat with electric mixer until smooth.
Strawberry Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 small box of strawberry Jell-o
1/2 c frozen strawberries (thaw before use)
3/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
4 large eggs
Pre-heat oven to oven temperature specified on your white cake mix.
Thoroughly butter your cake pans or line cupcake pan with baking cups.
Pour cake mix and Jell-o powder into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Add thawed strawberries, oil, water, and eggs and beat until smooth. Bake according to package directions, just keep an eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Icing
This icing is very thin. I recommend chilling it until stiff and spreadable, if you prefer, or you can spread it on the top of the cake and between any layers and let is simply drip down the sides. It's good either way.
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c thawed frozen strawberries
Melt the butter and blend with thawed strawberries and confectioner's sugar. Beat with electric mixer until smooth.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Triple Chocolate Cookies
This week I share the most successful cookies I've ever made. Three different kinds of chocolate. Need I say more? Ok, they're chewy but still have a bite to them, they're great for dunking in milk, and oh yeah, they are impossible to stop eating. If you get nothing else from this blog, make these cookies. Seriously.
Triple Chocolate Cookies (Makes about 3 and 1/2 dozen)
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 packed cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 oz (by weight) high quality white chocolate, chopped into chunks
8oz (by weight) high quality milk chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the butter and both sugars to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream together until the mixture is fluffy and light yellow. Pour in the vanilla, then add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Stop the mixer, then add the cocoa and mix again starting off on a low speed so cocoa isn't flying around the kitchen. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture with the mixer on low speed until just combined. (Don't over mix.) Finally, fold in the white chocolate chunks and the chocolate chips.
Use a tablespoon to measure out the cookies and roll the dough into a ball in your hands, then wet your hands a little so the dough won't stick to them and flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes. The cookies will look like they aren't done, but they will continue to cook on the pans once out of the oven. Allow the cookies to sit on the pans for about 2-3 minutes before sliding them off the cookie sheets and onto wire racks to finish cooling.
Triple Chocolate Cookies (Makes about 3 and 1/2 dozen)
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 packed cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 oz (by weight) high quality white chocolate, chopped into chunks
8oz (by weight) high quality milk chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the butter and both sugars to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream together until the mixture is fluffy and light yellow. Pour in the vanilla, then add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Stop the mixer, then add the cocoa and mix again starting off on a low speed so cocoa isn't flying around the kitchen. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture with the mixer on low speed until just combined. (Don't over mix.) Finally, fold in the white chocolate chunks and the chocolate chips.
Use a tablespoon to measure out the cookies and roll the dough into a ball in your hands, then wet your hands a little so the dough won't stick to them and flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes. The cookies will look like they aren't done, but they will continue to cook on the pans once out of the oven. Allow the cookies to sit on the pans for about 2-3 minutes before sliding them off the cookie sheets and onto wire racks to finish cooling.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Self-Made Cookbook / Chicken-Pot Pie
I like food. Nothing makes me happier than finding a new recipe and making it for friends and family. So this blog is all about sharing the love. I find something delicious, I pass it on to you. Feel free to do the same.
Variation on The Lady and Sons' Chicken Pot Pie
Paula Dean knows that sometimes eating something with 4 cups of heavy cream is necessary in life. This pot-pie is comfort food like no other, and while, no, I wouldn't eat it more than once a month if you want your arteries to stay clear, it is so worth the time and effort on an occasional cold winter night. It's rich and densely flavored and just incredible.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 and 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup unsalted butter (or about 2/3 of a stick)
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour plus an extra pinch for dusting
4 cups heavy cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups frozen peas and carrots mixture
1 cup diced canned potatoes, drained
1 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg (Trust me, it's so much better fresh.)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep, 12-inch skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides then cook in the oil until golden brown and cooked through. (Be careful not to over-cook the chicken- it will continue to cook while the pot-pie is baking.) Set the cooked breasts aside on a paper-towel lined plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop chicken into bite size pieces.
Add the butter to the skillet with the left over oil from the chicken. (The little brown bits will add a ton of flavor to the cream sauce.) Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and keep stirring for about 3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and keep stirring for 30 more seconds. Stir in the flour and stir for about 1 more minute until flour is browned and mixture is thickened.
Slowly pour in the cream and continue stirring to avoid lumps in your sauce. Add the bouillon cubes and keep mixing, allowing cubes to melt before adding veggies, chicken, dried parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Now allow the entire mixture to come to a simmer for around 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch, 2 and 1/2 quart casserole dish.
On a lightly floured cutting board, unfold the pastry and cut out a 10 inch circle of dough. You need to use a very sharp knife to cut the dough without mashing the edges of the pastry or it won't rise well. Lightly crosshatch the surface of the circle before placing the pastry on top of the casserole and tucking the edges down into the edge of the dish. Now brush the crust with the lightly beaten egg.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden and allow to stand for about 10 minutes after baking before cutting and serving.
Variation on The Lady and Sons' Chicken Pot Pie
Paula Dean knows that sometimes eating something with 4 cups of heavy cream is necessary in life. This pot-pie is comfort food like no other, and while, no, I wouldn't eat it more than once a month if you want your arteries to stay clear, it is so worth the time and effort on an occasional cold winter night. It's rich and densely flavored and just incredible.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 and 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup unsalted butter (or about 2/3 of a stick)
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour plus an extra pinch for dusting
4 cups heavy cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups frozen peas and carrots mixture
1 cup diced canned potatoes, drained
1 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg (Trust me, it's so much better fresh.)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep, 12-inch skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides then cook in the oil until golden brown and cooked through. (Be careful not to over-cook the chicken- it will continue to cook while the pot-pie is baking.) Set the cooked breasts aside on a paper-towel lined plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop chicken into bite size pieces.
Add the butter to the skillet with the left over oil from the chicken. (The little brown bits will add a ton of flavor to the cream sauce.) Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and keep stirring for about 3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and keep stirring for 30 more seconds. Stir in the flour and stir for about 1 more minute until flour is browned and mixture is thickened.
Slowly pour in the cream and continue stirring to avoid lumps in your sauce. Add the bouillon cubes and keep mixing, allowing cubes to melt before adding veggies, chicken, dried parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Now allow the entire mixture to come to a simmer for around 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch, 2 and 1/2 quart casserole dish.
On a lightly floured cutting board, unfold the pastry and cut out a 10 inch circle of dough. You need to use a very sharp knife to cut the dough without mashing the edges of the pastry or it won't rise well. Lightly crosshatch the surface of the circle before placing the pastry on top of the casserole and tucking the edges down into the edge of the dish. Now brush the crust with the lightly beaten egg.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden and allow to stand for about 10 minutes after baking before cutting and serving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)