When the weather starts to warm up I notice a trend in what we are selling from our meat counter, hamburger, steaks and pork ribs start flying out of the store. These are the typical items that people throw on the grill for quick outdoor cooking. Grilling is not a new form of cooking, it has been around since the cavemen first started cooking their food; but how we grill and what we grill has changed quite a bit.
I am not a huge fan of hamburgers at home for some reason, the funny thing is that I save tons of recipes for burgers but rarely make them. Also I never put chicken on the grill because I find that the outside burns before the inside is cooked through. I do however like to grill at other people’s houses, as I currently only have a tiny camp sized gas grill. The nice thing about the grill is that with a little creativity you can grill your entire meal.
My absolute favorite grilled meal is a Marinated Flank Steak with Grilled Guacamole. Now I know that you are saying, “How the heck go you grill guacamole?” Well read on because it is very easy. Begin by marinating your flank steak in two tablespoons of olive oil, three tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons of course ground Dijon mustard, two tablespoons of Montreal Steak Seasoning, a grated garlic clove, a quarter of onion also grated and about a tablespoon of hot sauce. Let this sit for about an hour to incorporate all of the flavors. Combine a pint of halved grape tomatoes with half a bunch of chopped cilantro, six diced pickled jalapeno rings, a tablespoon olive oil, one tablespoon red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. While the steak and tomatoes are marinating cut a large red onion into one-inch wide rings and halve two avocados; drizzle both of these with olive oil so that they do not stick to the grill. Okay now it is time to head outside to the grill that you have preheated to a medium-high heat to get in touch with your inner caveman. The steak and onions are going to take the longest to cook so start them first, when you flip these add the avocado. Once everything is grilled to your liking begin constructing your dinner. Once the steak has rested for a few minutes slice it against the grain and on a heavy angle into fairly thin slices. Cover the plated slices with the tomato salad, avocado and onions, squeeze some fresh lime juice over everything and enjoy. This meal does require a lot of prep work but seriously it is worth it!
We sell a lot of pork ribs and chops that people cover in barbeque sauce and throw on the grill; how boring! Pork is a very delicate meat to grill; most people tend to over do it so you end up with a burnt dry chop or a shoe leather tough rib. Personally I never grill ribs; I have learned that cheaper cuts of meat turn out better if slow cooked. So when I put pork chops on the grill I tend to cook them over low heat so that they come up to a doneness of medium without burning on the outside. I am also a fan of sauces on my meats so Bourbon Smothered Spiced Pork Chops is right up my alley.
Begin this dish by making the sauce that will eventually be poured over the chops. Combine half a cup of bourbon, quarter cup of brown sugar, three tablespoons of cider vinegar, quarter cup of soy sauce, one minced clove of garlic and about half a teaspoon of black pepper over high heat just until it boils then reduce the heat to low for about ten to fifteen minutes until it reduced to half. While this is cooking combine half a teaspoon chili powder, quarter teaspoon cinnamon, eighth teaspoon allspice and a pinch of salt, rub this on both sides of four pork chops. Grill the chops over medium heat until medium, about four minutes per side. Serve the spiced chops smothered in the bourbon sauce. The combination of spicy and sweet is a nice change to the boring barbeque smothered chops.
Most people think that only dense meaty fish, such as swordfish and salmon, can be grilled; but I am going to share a secret with you. You can also grill shellfish, shhh. I have seen someone grill lobster by tossing the live sea bug onto the grill, closing the lid and letting it rip for about twenty minutes; and it was just as tasty as boiling the lobster. Clams are another shellfish that translate nicely to the grill; all you need is one of those throwaway tin foil pans in order to do this. I really do like clams and Grilled Lemon-Garlic Clams is a slightly smoky light dish that works as a meal or appetizer.
In a sauce pan that you do not mind putting on the grill combine one stick of butter, one large minced shallot, two tablespoons of lemon juice, four cloves of minced garlic, and one teaspoon of lemon zest. Place the pan on the grill to melt the mixture. Place four pounds of cleaned little neck clams in a single layer in a disposable casserole pan; cover it tightly with tinfoil and cook over high heat for about ten minute or until they all open. Discard any of the unopened clams and pour the melted butter mixture over the cooked clams before serving.
I don’t think that I need to get into grilling potatoes and vegetables because those are no brainers; but I do have a dessert trick up my sleeve. Did you know that you could make a grilled Banana Split? Yes you can and it is really easy. First you need to make a slit down the inside curve of the banana without cutting into the flesh too much, pull apart the peal so that you can stuff that thing with a bunch of yummy toppings. First brush a little melted butter on the flesh, drizzle a little chocolate sauce, caramel, strawberry topping and your favorite nuts. Wrap this concoction in tinfoil and grill it over high heat for about 8 minutes. Once cooked top the banana with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry. The warm banana, melted toppings and cold ice cream make for an upscale version of this ice cream shop favorite.
As I said, I do not grill that often, but when I do I like to kick it up a notch. Don’t get me wrong I really enjoy having burgers in the summer, but usually it is when I am a guest somewhere. When I actually break out my ghetto camp grill I want to make something that just screams “WOW!” The recipes that I have shared here have that wow factor in my opinion and can make a great impression on your dinner guests.
Marinated Flank Steak with Grilled Guacamole
1 Flank steak
3 Tlbsp. Olive oil
3 Tlbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tlbsp Course ground Dijon mustard
2 Tlbsp Montreal steak seasoning
1 Clove Garlic, grated
¼ wedge Onion, grated
1 Tlbsp Hot sauce
1 pint Grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup Cilantro, chopped
6 Pickled jalapeno rings, diced
1 Tlbsp Red wine vinegar
1 lg. Red Onion, sliced into 1 inch rings
2 Avocados, halved
1 lg. Lime, cut into wedges
Combine 2 Tlbsp olive oil, Worcestershire, mustard, steak seasoning, hot sauce, grated garlic and onion well, marinate the steak in this for 1 hour, turning once. Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, 1 Tlbsp olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; let this marinate at least 15 minutes. Grill the steak, onions, and avocados over med-high heat to your liking. Top everything with the tomato salad and a squeeze of lime.
Bourbon Smothered Spiced Pork Chops
½ cup Bourbon
¼ cup Brown sugar, packed
3 Tlbsp Cider vinegar
¼ cup Soy sauce
1 clove Garlic, minced
½ tsp Black pepper
4 Pork chops
½ tsp Chili powder
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Allspice
Pinch Salt
Combine the first six ingredients in a saucepan over high heat, bring up to a boil and reduce heat to low for 10-15 minutes. Combine the last 4 ingredients well and rub on to both sides of the pork chops. Grill the chops over medium heat until medium doneness and smother with the reduced sauce.
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Clams
1 stick Butter
1 lg. Shallot, minced
2 Tlbsp Lemon juice
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Lemon zest
4 lbs Littleneck clams
Combine the first five ingredients in a grill-safe sauce pan and let melt together. Place the cleaned clams in a single layer in a disposable casserole dish, cover tightly with tinfoil and cook on the grill over high heat for 10 minutes or until opened. Pour the butter mixture over the clams before serving.
Grilled Banana Split
Banana
Melted butter
Chocolate sauce
Caramel sauce
Strawberry topping
Nuts
Ice cream
Whipped cream
Cherries
Cut a slit through the inside cure of the peel and pull apart to expose the banana flesh. Top with chocolate, caramel, strawberry and nuts. Wrap in foil and grill over high heat for 8 minutes. Top with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Spam-A-Rific
Okay, so I am going to go where only few brave cooks have gone before, to Spamland. Now stop your complaining and gagging because it is not that bad, you eat hotdogs right, well same thing. Spam is the perfect food to have in your pantry in case of an apocalypse; the stuff literally lasts for years. And honestly if you read the list of ingredients the only one that sounds unnatural is the Sodium Nitrate (actually a salt), a preservative. So really how bad could the stuff be? And don’t even try telling me that you don’t eat preservatives; remember the hotdogs?
Spam was introduced in July of 1937 and became very popular during World War Two, insanely popular in Hawaii during their wartime fresh meat shortage. Well the war might have ended but the Hawaiian’s love affair with Spam has flourished. They consume the most of this smeat in the United States, possibly the world, so much so that their McDonalds and Burger Kings offer it on their menus. Hawaiians love it so much they refer to it as “Hawaiian Steak”.
So, on that note let’s make some Spam Musubi or as I like to call it Redneck Sushi, which is possibly the Hawaiian state food. This thing is so popular there that they sell it in every ABC Store (their 7-11) in the state and the president has even been caught eating it. When I vacationed there with my friend KB the Musubi intrigued us, but we were too afraid to try a convenience store fast food. Luckily I found a recipe for it and decided to give a homemade version a try, see I told you that I would try sushi. Okay, so start with one cup of sushi rice combined with one and a third cups of water, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for fourteen minutes. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat, drape a towel over it, recover and let it sit for twenty minutes. While you are waiting you can get the Spam out of the can and scrape the gelatinous ooze off of it. Okay back to the rice, pour it into a baking dish and stir in about a fourth of a cup of rice wine vinegar then cover it with plastic wrap. Cut your Spam into one by two inch squares that are about a quarter inch thick and fry them up in a pan. Form the rice, which should be sticky into patties that are about the same size as the Spam, keep a bowl of water handy to rewet your hands and stop the rice from sticking to them. Top the rice patties with the fried Spam and wrap a thin strip of nori seaweed around it. (Seal the end of the nori with a little water). Finish it all off with s drizzle of Teriyaki sauce. I am not a huge fan of the nori that you buy in the supermarket, way too strong for me, but I read that soy paper can also be used. Unfortunately my ghetto grocery store does not carry it so I have to buy it when I go to Boston, another plus in the city’s column.
You could also make the Spam into a traditional sushi roll with cucumber and avocado along with the smeat in the center. A few months ago I bought a sushi roller and that thing works like a dream. I was fully expecting my first experience rolling would be a nightmare, but it was very easy. I highly suggest purchasing one of these contraptions if you plan on making your own rolls, you will love it.
Since Spam is so popular in Hawaii I am going to do a few more Polynesian inspired recipes, like Hawaiian Spam Calzones. In order to do this recipe you either need to make or buy a ball of pizza dough. Divide the dough into four smaller balls then roll those out on a floured surface into circles about a quarter inch thick. Cover half of each circle with diced Spam, crushed pineapple and a mild shredded cheese, like Monterey Jack or Provolone. Then fold the other half of the dough over to form a half circle, crimp the edges, cut a few vents in the top and brush it with an egg wash. Bake them for ten minutes at 450 degrees or until they are golden brown. Serve the Calzones with either duck or sweet and sour sauce for dipping. I liked the combination of the sweet pineapple mixed with the slightly spiced flavor of the Spam. You could also do this a traditional Hawaiian pizza if you want, just spread the duck sauce onto the uncooked crust before you add the toppings.
Here is a recipe that you can bring to a casual potluck dinner, just double or triple it if needed, Hawaiian Spam Casserole. Chop up one can of Spam into small cubes and brown them in a frying pan. Combine the smeat with one twenty ounce can of undrained pineapple, one cup of sugar, six tablespoons of self-rising flour and one and a half cups of shredded cheddar cheese in a baking dish. Top this all with either breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers drizzled with around a half a stick of melted butter. Bake this at 350 degrees for twenty minutes or so.
This last recipe is for Chinese Spam Lettuce Wraps. Start by dicing your Spam as small as you are capable of doing, fry it in a tiny bit of canola oil with one small diced red pepper, a quarter cup of diced water chestnuts, two tablespoons of diced scallions and a pinch of red pepper flakes. In a separate bowl combine two tablespoons of stir-fry sauce with two tablespoons of lime juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Pour the sauce over the Spam mixture and cook until the liquid evaporates. Serve this spooned into whole Romaine leaves with bean sprouts and peanuts for garnish. Oh yeah, this dish can be made with ground chicken also.
Spam is actually a very versatile smeat; it is great fried up with eggs, on white bread with mustard or even as one of my customers suggested, fried in real maple syrup instead of oil. He said this creates a sweet crunchy crust on the Spam; unfortunately it also creates a sweet crunchy mess in the pan to scrub.
Spam has gotten a bad wrap over the years; some of its acronyms are “Something Posing As Meat” and “Spare Parts Animal Meat”. But really it’s not all that bad. I mean how can thousands of Hawaiians be wrong? Plus if you eat enough foods with preservatives you (or at least your loved ones) will benefit, because you will hardly have to be embalmed. That sounds like a money saver to me; eat up mom and dad!
Redneck Sushi (Spam Musubi)
1 cup Sushi Rice
1 1/3 cups Water
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 can Spam
1 pkg Nori seaweed or soy wrappers
Teriyaki Sauce
Combine the rice and water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 14 minutes. Once this is done remove the pan from heat and let sit covered for 20 minutes. Pour rice into a baking dish and stir in the vinegar and cover with plastic wrap. Cut Spam into 1 by 2 inch strips and fry until golden brown. Form the sticky rice into patties about the same size as the meat, top with fried Spam and wrap a thin strip of your chosen wrapper around the middle. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.
Hawaiian Spam Calzones
1 Ball store bought pizza dough
1 can Spam
1 8 oz can Crushed pineapple, drained
1 pkg Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Duck or Sweet and Sour sauce
Divide the dough into 4 smaller balls and roll out until quarter inch thick circles. Pile Spam, pineapple and cheese over one half of the circle; fold the other half over and seal. Cut vents into the top of each calzone and brush with an egg wash. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Serve with either duck or sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
Hawaiian Spam Casserole
1 can Spam
1 20 oz can Crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup Sugar
6 Tblsp Self rising flour
1 ½ cups Shredded Cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups Breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers
½ Stick Butter, melted
Chop the Spam into cubes and fry until golden brown. Combine the first five ingredients in a buttered baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs and butter and spread over the Spam mixture. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Spam Lettuce Wraps
1 Can Spam, diced super fine
1 small Red Pepper, diced finely
¼ cup Water chestnuts, diced finely
1 Scallion, diced finely
pinch Red pepper flakes
2 Tblsp Stir fry sauce
2 Tblsp Lime juice
1 tsp sugar
Romaine leaves
Bean sprouts
Peanuts
Sauté the first five ingredients until soft. Combine the sauce, juice and sugar and pour over the meat mixture. Serve in the romaine leaves topped with bean sprouts and peanuts.
Spam was introduced in July of 1937 and became very popular during World War Two, insanely popular in Hawaii during their wartime fresh meat shortage. Well the war might have ended but the Hawaiian’s love affair with Spam has flourished. They consume the most of this smeat in the United States, possibly the world, so much so that their McDonalds and Burger Kings offer it on their menus. Hawaiians love it so much they refer to it as “Hawaiian Steak”.
So, on that note let’s make some Spam Musubi or as I like to call it Redneck Sushi, which is possibly the Hawaiian state food. This thing is so popular there that they sell it in every ABC Store (their 7-11) in the state and the president has even been caught eating it. When I vacationed there with my friend KB the Musubi intrigued us, but we were too afraid to try a convenience store fast food. Luckily I found a recipe for it and decided to give a homemade version a try, see I told you that I would try sushi. Okay, so start with one cup of sushi rice combined with one and a third cups of water, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for fourteen minutes. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat, drape a towel over it, recover and let it sit for twenty minutes. While you are waiting you can get the Spam out of the can and scrape the gelatinous ooze off of it. Okay back to the rice, pour it into a baking dish and stir in about a fourth of a cup of rice wine vinegar then cover it with plastic wrap. Cut your Spam into one by two inch squares that are about a quarter inch thick and fry them up in a pan. Form the rice, which should be sticky into patties that are about the same size as the Spam, keep a bowl of water handy to rewet your hands and stop the rice from sticking to them. Top the rice patties with the fried Spam and wrap a thin strip of nori seaweed around it. (Seal the end of the nori with a little water). Finish it all off with s drizzle of Teriyaki sauce. I am not a huge fan of the nori that you buy in the supermarket, way too strong for me, but I read that soy paper can also be used. Unfortunately my ghetto grocery store does not carry it so I have to buy it when I go to Boston, another plus in the city’s column.
You could also make the Spam into a traditional sushi roll with cucumber and avocado along with the smeat in the center. A few months ago I bought a sushi roller and that thing works like a dream. I was fully expecting my first experience rolling would be a nightmare, but it was very easy. I highly suggest purchasing one of these contraptions if you plan on making your own rolls, you will love it.
Since Spam is so popular in Hawaii I am going to do a few more Polynesian inspired recipes, like Hawaiian Spam Calzones. In order to do this recipe you either need to make or buy a ball of pizza dough. Divide the dough into four smaller balls then roll those out on a floured surface into circles about a quarter inch thick. Cover half of each circle with diced Spam, crushed pineapple and a mild shredded cheese, like Monterey Jack or Provolone. Then fold the other half of the dough over to form a half circle, crimp the edges, cut a few vents in the top and brush it with an egg wash. Bake them for ten minutes at 450 degrees or until they are golden brown. Serve the Calzones with either duck or sweet and sour sauce for dipping. I liked the combination of the sweet pineapple mixed with the slightly spiced flavor of the Spam. You could also do this a traditional Hawaiian pizza if you want, just spread the duck sauce onto the uncooked crust before you add the toppings.
Here is a recipe that you can bring to a casual potluck dinner, just double or triple it if needed, Hawaiian Spam Casserole. Chop up one can of Spam into small cubes and brown them in a frying pan. Combine the smeat with one twenty ounce can of undrained pineapple, one cup of sugar, six tablespoons of self-rising flour and one and a half cups of shredded cheddar cheese in a baking dish. Top this all with either breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers drizzled with around a half a stick of melted butter. Bake this at 350 degrees for twenty minutes or so.
This last recipe is for Chinese Spam Lettuce Wraps. Start by dicing your Spam as small as you are capable of doing, fry it in a tiny bit of canola oil with one small diced red pepper, a quarter cup of diced water chestnuts, two tablespoons of diced scallions and a pinch of red pepper flakes. In a separate bowl combine two tablespoons of stir-fry sauce with two tablespoons of lime juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Pour the sauce over the Spam mixture and cook until the liquid evaporates. Serve this spooned into whole Romaine leaves with bean sprouts and peanuts for garnish. Oh yeah, this dish can be made with ground chicken also.
Spam is actually a very versatile smeat; it is great fried up with eggs, on white bread with mustard or even as one of my customers suggested, fried in real maple syrup instead of oil. He said this creates a sweet crunchy crust on the Spam; unfortunately it also creates a sweet crunchy mess in the pan to scrub.
Spam has gotten a bad wrap over the years; some of its acronyms are “Something Posing As Meat” and “Spare Parts Animal Meat”. But really it’s not all that bad. I mean how can thousands of Hawaiians be wrong? Plus if you eat enough foods with preservatives you (or at least your loved ones) will benefit, because you will hardly have to be embalmed. That sounds like a money saver to me; eat up mom and dad!
Redneck Sushi (Spam Musubi)
1 cup Sushi Rice
1 1/3 cups Water
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 can Spam
1 pkg Nori seaweed or soy wrappers
Teriyaki Sauce
Combine the rice and water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 14 minutes. Once this is done remove the pan from heat and let sit covered for 20 minutes. Pour rice into a baking dish and stir in the vinegar and cover with plastic wrap. Cut Spam into 1 by 2 inch strips and fry until golden brown. Form the sticky rice into patties about the same size as the meat, top with fried Spam and wrap a thin strip of your chosen wrapper around the middle. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.
Hawaiian Spam Calzones
1 Ball store bought pizza dough
1 can Spam
1 8 oz can Crushed pineapple, drained
1 pkg Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Duck or Sweet and Sour sauce
Divide the dough into 4 smaller balls and roll out until quarter inch thick circles. Pile Spam, pineapple and cheese over one half of the circle; fold the other half over and seal. Cut vents into the top of each calzone and brush with an egg wash. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Serve with either duck or sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
Hawaiian Spam Casserole
1 can Spam
1 20 oz can Crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup Sugar
6 Tblsp Self rising flour
1 ½ cups Shredded Cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups Breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers
½ Stick Butter, melted
Chop the Spam into cubes and fry until golden brown. Combine the first five ingredients in a buttered baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs and butter and spread over the Spam mixture. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Spam Lettuce Wraps
1 Can Spam, diced super fine
1 small Red Pepper, diced finely
¼ cup Water chestnuts, diced finely
1 Scallion, diced finely
pinch Red pepper flakes
2 Tblsp Stir fry sauce
2 Tblsp Lime juice
1 tsp sugar
Romaine leaves
Bean sprouts
Peanuts
Sauté the first five ingredients until soft. Combine the sauce, juice and sugar and pour over the meat mixture. Serve in the romaine leaves topped with bean sprouts and peanuts.
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