Hoison Pork Rib dinner.
Chef Note: Tonight is a re-visit of my Hoison Pork Rib Dinner. While I loved the meal, I thought of a few things to make it better. 1) Instead of Baby Back Ribs, I’m using St. Louis ribs.2) I’m doing a quick surface charring of the ribs on the grill instead of pan searing them on cast iron.3) I’m using more Hoison sauce, about 1/4 cup4) I’m adding Gochujang sauce to bring up the heat, about 1/4 cup.5) I’m adding my Flat Iron Peppers, also for the heat. About a tablespoon. THE ORIGINAL RECIPE: It’s very possible I just devoured the best tasting meal from my kitchen this year. But first, a preface. Three years ago, yesterday, I came to Colonial Beach abruptly. At the time I did not know that I would never go back to my home next...
New York Strip Steak with Shiitake Mushrooms
Yay, A Couples Steak Dinner! A Wegman’s run today resulted in a negotiation that allowed red meat, but not a well-marbled ribeye that I love, but a nice beautiful lean New York Strip with less fat. Respect. First, pat dry the steak on both sides until there is no moisture. Then apply kosher salt and let it rest. This will draw out the moisture, and then pat it down again. The goal is to get the driest meat that you can before searing. Otherwise it will steam. With this done, apply a bunch of fresh crushed black pepper. In a cast iron skillet, melt a tablespoon of grass-fed butter and a table spoon of olive oil. When it begins to smoke, add the driest beef you can conjure. Cook medium-high for a big sizzle for about 3-5 minutes, depending on the depth of...
Ancho Chili Powder Chipolte Con Carne Ground Chuck Black Bean Chili
Here’s a rare occasion for one of my meal write-ups, something before I even serve the meal! Because, well, I have the time! Tonight is the season closer for the monthly Peggy’s Pier. I wanted to do something more hearty than an appetizer. It’s a beautiful cool night, so I thought I’d do a chili. Thus I give you a hearty Home-Made Ancho Chili Powder Chipolte Con Carne Ground Chuck Black Bean Chili. In a bowl, put a couple/few tablespoons of water, add a tablespoon of salt and a couple tablespoons of baking soda. Add a pound of beef and mix together. I use nitrile gloves to smush it all well. Set aside for 20 minutes. The baking soda will be a browning agent. Sure, you can buy chili powder, and that’s fine. But I make my own. I...
California Burritos
Tonight we give you one of my favorites…California Burritos. This is not a normal burrito, it’s more of a wrap, but I do toast the tortilla a bit. This is not required. The origin of this dinner is an outdoor restauant/tiki hut in Satellite Beach, Florida called Da Kin Diego’s Insane Burritos. These fresh beach wraps brought me a lot of joy, but they tended to lean heavy on the rice and beans. The saving grace was the sauces. So in honor of that memory, here is the Colonial Beach version of a California Burrito. I loved making these and would come up with enough adaptions that it never became boring. I have some smoked chicken from our last big smoke-fest, so that is the foundation. Normally I would just grill some chicken. But I’ve done...
Chicken Gyros!
Chicken Gyros! One of the best things to come out of my kitchen! Since we had some great gyro’s, I’ve been thinking about how to make my own. I bought this $16 spit/pan on Amazon to see if I could pull it off. And we absolutely did. We bought an 8 back of chicken thighs. Placed each in a ziplock bag and pounded them flat, to about 1/4 inch. Using kitchen shears, cut these in half. In a storage container we mixed this… 6 garlic cloves, minced2 tbsp red wine vinegar5 tbsp lemon juice1/3 cup Greek yogurt1/4 cup olive oil 11/2 tbsp dried oregano1 tbsp onion powder1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground coriander2 tsp sweet paprika2 tsp chili flakes1 tbsp kosher salt2 tsp black pepper Put in the chicken and blend well. Set aside for at least an hour, but...
Shrimp Saganaki
Tonight we give you a classic Greek dinner, Shrimp Saganaki. This is our adaption from Sip & Feast FOR THE SHRIMP2 pounds extra large shrimp1/4 cup olive oil divided1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon Kosher salt1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes COMPLETING THE DISH1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil1 medium onion – diced8 cloves garlic – sliced1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes1/2 cup of dry white wine1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes12 ounces cherry tomatoes – halved2 teaspoons dried oregano1 tablespoon honey3/4 cup feta –1/3 cup kalamata olives – sliced1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley1 large lemon – cut into wedges, for serving Dry off 2 pounds of extra large shrimp with paper towels and place in a large...