food Harvest Cooking with Stickman

[Ela]

Hi Ela
Out of curiosity... do you have a slow cooker? Another of my passions during the New England winter is making braises and curries in mine. I have a pork shoulder thawing in the 'fridge right now, and I'm planning on making Pörkölt with it later this week.

I do have a slow cooker and it's used quite often during the winters. I'm planing to make Osso Bucco in the cast iron pot with leeks and white vine.Should be interesting,giving a fact that my boys don't like green veggies sitting on theirs plates. I tend to make food that is cooked on low heat with a lot of Mediterranean spices and herbs. To me slow cooking brings out all the flavors, textures and aromas that the joy of eating feels like....well I'll leave it here to everybody's imagination.

 

[stickman]

Tonight's recipe is inspired by my friend Baláz. Some of you know him by his username HabaneroHead. He is Hungarian, and he shared with me a recipe for one of the classics from his country, called Pörkölt. It's a really hearty stew made from Pork, Beef or Veal for the most part, though there are some variations using chicken or fish. It also has Lots of onions, marjoram, salt and Lots of paprika! I'm making mine from a pork shoulder i had down in the chest freezer...

Skinned, boned and cubed... I started with a bit over 4 pounds (2 kilos) of meat

I very finely chopped 5 large onions in my food processor, but didn't let it become mush. Added 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to my pot, and when the oil was hot, added the onions. Over medium high heat I fried the onions for half an hour without allowing them to brown... stirring constantly, and when the onions started to stick to the pot, I added a quarter cup of water. When the onions were very soft, I stirred in the cubed pork and seared the chunks until the pork was browned.

Once the meat was browned, I added enough water to cover, a couple of sweet green peppers cut into thin strips, 4 tablespoons of dried marjoram, 3 teaspoons of salt and about a third of a cup of sweet paprika. Simmering, partially covered, until the pork is very tender, then kicking it up with the hot chile powder of your choice... I'll be going with tradition and using hot paprika and serving with steamed beets and parsleyed potatoes.

 

[stickman]

We had a hard frost last night, so the garden is done... dug us some carrots and cut up a butternut squash and made Thai carrot/squash curry for out 15th wedding anniversary.

simmered the chunks of butternut squash and carrot with vegetable broth, garlic, lemon grass, galangal and a few sliced gochu peppers until the carrot was crisp-tender.

In another pan I sauteed shallots and more garlic, then added Thai yellow curry paste and fried some more.

Combined the two and added coconut milk and simmered another 10 minutes to blend the flavors and Served over rice.

The Korean radishes aren't big enough to use in making cabbage kimchi yet, but I filled my Grandmother's old stoneware crock with homemade sauerkraut...

I shredded the cabbage with my food processor, sprinkled it with salt and packed it down firmly by pounding it with my fists. I left a couple of inches for expansion... the salt pulled enough liquid out of the cabbage to completely cover it when I put a plate over it and put a water-filled glass jug on the plate to hold it down under the brine. I covered the whole thing with an old pillowcase to keep out the dust, and will leave the crock upstairs at room temperature for a couple of weeks or so until it sours to my liking... then I'll move it down cellar for the winter.

 

[HabaneroHead]

Hi Rick,
Congratulations, amazing thread! I checked your description about making pörkölt. I would like to tell my opinion/advice if you don't mind, my friend!
The meaning of the Hungarian 'pörkölt' word is similar to the English scorch. It means that you have to fry the meat suddenly, to make a 'coat', then to simmer it. Therefore when you added water after frying the onion was not the best choice, since you were not able to fry the meat, but to simmer it, which is not the same. Another thing is, that pörkölt is usually a thick stew, meaning, that you might add water to it, but only after the meat lets its juices out, and even if you are adding water to it, you boil it away. In the high level gastronomy the word pörkölt is used for only the stew made from veal, the rest (pork, chicken, catfish) is called 'paprikás'.The basis of the difference is, that in case of the veal you don't have to add water in it, since the meat has its own juices, but in the case of the other types of meat, you always have to. But anyways, for the ordinary people, pörkölt is the pörkölt, no matter what meat is available.
I think I am a little bit obsessed, but it is one of my favourite food.
Balázs

 

[stickman]

Hi Rick,
Congratulations, amazing thread! I checked your description about making pörkölt. I would like to tell my opinion/advice if you don't mind, my friend!
The meaning of the Hungarian 'pörkölt' word is similar to the English scorch. It means that you have to fry the meat suddenly, to make a 'coat', then to simmer it. Therefore when you added water after frying the onion was not the best choice, since you were not able to fry the meat, but to simmer it, which is not the same. Another thing is, that pörkölt is usually a thick stew, meaning, that you might add water to it, but only after the meat lets its juices out, and even if you are adding water to it, you boil it away. In the high level gastronomy the word pörkölt is used for only the stew made from veal, the rest (pork, chicken, catfish) is called 'paprikás'.The basis of the difference is, that in case of the veal you don't have to add water in it, since the meat has its own juices, but in the case of the other types of meat, you always have to. But anyways, for the ordinary people, pörkölt is the pörkölt, no matter what meat is available.
I think I am a little bit obsessed, but it is one of my favourite food.

I hear ya Balázs... I didn't add any water to the pot until the onions started sticking to the inside of it. I only added a couple of tablespoons of water at a time, and I didn't add more until the water had evaporated and the onions had started to stick again. When I had fried the onions for a half an hour and they were very soft but not browned, I increased the heat from medium high to high, and when the onions started to really sizzle, I stirred in the cubes of pork... let them sear, then gave them a stir or two, then let them sear, and kept this up until all the meat was browned... then I added the other ingredients. My last picture was taken when I put the pot on for the final simmer, not the finished product. It came out as you describe... very thick and rich, with a slightly grainy texture from the finely chopped onions. The flavor was different of course, but the texture reminded me a little bit of ajvar.

It's interesting that you noticed a woody smell to the gochu pepper powder. It didn't myself, but everybody's different, eh? I scooped the placenta and seeds out of my gochus before drying them, and ran the dried peppers through a small blade-type coffee grinder instead of a burr mill. That's why it came out as fine flakes rather than powder. I think the gochus are a bit sweet, but nowhere near as sweet as paprika peppers. Still, as an all-around chile I think they're very good for most things. Glad you liked the powder. Cheers!

 

[stickman]

It's my wife's birthday today and she wants turkey chili. I'll start by making a base of Salsa Adobada. I roasted a large onion directly over a burner in the stove, and 3 large cloves of garlic in a dry frying pan. When they were done, I peeled and coarsely chopped them and pureed them with a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon and fried them in the pan with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil for about 5 minutes until they thickened up nicely.

Added the onion paste to a saucepan with a quart of chicken stock (caldo), 3 heaping tablespoons of my chili blend, half a teaspoon of sugar, a quarter cake of grated mexican chocolate, an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and simmered until thickened.

Browned a pound of ground turkey in the frypan, added it to the slow cooker and stirred in the salsa adobada, set the slow cooker for low heat, and an hour before lunch I'll add the cooked beans. I'll make a pot of rice and pick some collards from the garden to steam and complete the meal.

I've got to bake more bread today and a birthday cake too. Have a great weekend all!

 

[stickman]

Kimjang is here and I've got my ducks in a row... time to make Cabbage kimchi. In this version, the Cabbage is cut up and is called Mak Kimchi. If you halve whole heads of Napa Cabbage lengthwise (or quarter the large ones) and pack the stuffing mixture between the leaves it's called P'aechu Kimchi.

Here I've washed and cut up 5 pounds of Napa Cabbage, mixed it with a cup of kosher salt and poured a brine made of a quarter cup of kosher salt and a cup of water... then tossed to mix. The cabbage needs to salt for 3 hours, tossing to mix every half hour to make sure it salts evenly. While the cabbage is salting, I cut up the other veggies...

In here are 2 minced cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of minced ginger, 4 ounces of mustard greens, 6 scallions, a red Korean pepper, a green Korean Pepper and a pound of Korean Radish cut into 3 inch juilenne. (Daikon Radish may be substituted)

Cabbage done salting and other veggies cut up.
 

A half hour before the cabbage is done salting, I make up a paste with a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sticky rice flour... cook over med. low heat whisking constantly. I let it cook for 2 minutes once it begins to bubble, then chop the heat and let it cool. Once it's cooled I add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped salted Shrimp (saeu chot)

A half a cup of finely chopped fresh Oysters

And a cup of Korean red pepper powder (gochu garu)

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. When cabbage has finished salting, drain, wash 3 times in fresh water and squeeze out excess water between rinses. Mix together all the ingredients by hand, like you'd do for meatloaf.

Pack into jars, leaving 2 inches of space at the top for expansion. Add enough water to the top of the jar to cover the kimchi, cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days until fermentation is well underway. Check the brine after the second day... when it gets the tang you like, tighten the caps and refrigerate. The kimchi will last 3 to 5 months in the refrigerator, gradually becoming more sour as time passes.

 
As a side note... Kimchi brine is an excellent starter for fermenting pepper mashes, and adds quite a bit of flavor on its own.

 

[sicman]

looks great! i need to try something like that.

 

[stickman]

looks great! i need to try something like that.

Hi Sic, thanks for dropping in... I think kimchi is the perfect food for cold and flu season... it's loaded with probiotics, has a mega-dose of vitamin C, the pepper powder in it loosens and drains congestion and acts as a mood elevator. My wife brought home a wicked cold last winter that hung on in her for 2 weeks. I got it too, and burned it out in 3 days eating kimchi. She didn't get rid of hers until she ate it too.

Besides all that, I just like it. It's a quick salad-like side dish, or you can chop it up and use it as a relish on burgers or hot dogs, put it in soups or stews, make gyoza (potstickers) with it in the filling or add it to braises or stir-fries. I particularly like braised chicken or pork cooked together with kimchi. The lactic acid in the kimchi really tenderizes the meat when you cook it "low and slow" in a dutch oven or slow cooker. Definitely give it a try! Homemade is best since you have more control over what goes into it and how long it sits before you eat it.

 

[stickman]

This one's for you Jamie... I cut up the sweet habaneros you sent in your care package yesterday and added them to a couple of beaten eggs. Sprinkle with toasted cumin powder and a healthy 3-finger pinch of your smoked pepper blend...

Toasted a couple of slices of my whole wheat/buttermilk/honey bread, spread some ajvar on each slice and add cheddar slices...

Added the hard-fried egg and put it all together for a breakfast sandwich to go with a travel mug of coffee. That's what I call an eye-opener!

 

[stickman]

Just had an excellent "virgin Mary" made of tomato juice, a pinch of garlic powder, a pinch of toasted cumin and a spoonful of the orange habanero sauce I made this summer. Add some vodka and a celery stick and I think this'd make a great cocktail...

 

[stickman]

Doing yard work outside to get ready for the coming of Sandy, be she tropical storm or true hurricane, so a slow cooker meal seemed in order that could take care of itself with minimal input until suppertime...

First off, I took the neck and giblets out of a fryer and boiled them until thoroughly cooked. Pulled the meat off the neck and put back into the pot with the broth and giblets. Processed with my immersion blender and added uncooked rice, garlic, chopped tomatoes, herbs, one of romy's Dorset Nagas and enough water to cook the rice mixture for stuffing the chicken.

Put peeled carrots, celery stalks and peeled pearl onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Added a cup of water and the stuffed chicken... peeled and chunked some potatoes and put them around the chicken. Cook on high for an hour to get the temperature up while eating breakfast, then set for low heat for 10 hours. This'll be supper tonight and meals tomorrow. Cheers

 

[stickman]

I'm in the mood for pulled pork Mexican style, so I started by soaking 3 dried anchos and 2 dried cascabel peppers in hot water to soften them... (put a glass on top of the dried peppers to keep them under the surface of the hot water)

Tossed them in a blender with a tablespoon of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar and a quarter cup of the soaking liquid and pureed. Slathered the puree over a 3 and a half pound Pork Shoulder Butt. Preheated the oven and let set to marinate a bit...

Diced a couple of fairly large onions, 2 of romy's mystery Annuums and 3 cloves of garlic. Put 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the dutch oven and sauteed the onion and garlic with 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 2 bay leaves and a half tsp ground allspice.

When the onions had sweated, I added a cup and a half of beer, brought to a boil, covered the dutch oven with foil and baked in the oven for 2 and a half hours... basting every half hour.

The roast looked great!

Pulled the meat apart with a couple of forks and stirred in the pan gravy...

and we'll serve with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, yellow spanish rice and flour tortillas.

 

[stickman]

Went out to my Mom's yesterday, and she said she had something for me in lieu of a birthday cake...

I got a pretty good laugh... it's a very large Rye bread shaped like a fish. Thanks Mom!

 

[stickman]

I wanted to make a pot of Jambalaya tonight, so here we go...

Browned some leftover ham and some Andouille sausage...

sauteed the trinity... 3 celery stalks, 2 medium sweet onions and a large green bell pepper...

Added a 2# can of diced tomatoes, a bay leaf, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, a couple tablespoons of gochu pepper powder and a half tsp of Yellow Scotch Bonnet powder, a 3-finger pinch of dried thyme and another of oregano, 2 cups of raw rice, salt and pepper. Add the browned meat and enough water to cover. Simmer gently until the rice is done, and stir occasionally to make sure the rice doesn't stick to the pot.

Done!

 

[ThePepperManiac]

great cooking thread

 

[romy6]

Man Rick you are a master in the kitchen. I wish I could get past the smell of kimchi but it just turns me off. I wish I had no sense of smell. Please keep your gochu on my brotha!!!!

Oh and that jambalya looks amazing!!!!!!

 

[stickman]

I'm in the mood for Chickpea curry prepared in my slow cooker. Soaked 3 cups of dried chickpeas with a tablespoon of baking soda overnight, drained, and added 10 cups water, a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced, a medium onion, chopped and 4 cloves of garlic, minced...

Add to that a can of fire-roasted diced tomato, and 6 frozen, chopped serranos...

In a coffee grinder, grind together 1 tbsp cumin seed, 1 tbsp coriander seed, 1 tbsp chana masala, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp red pepper powder (I use my gochugaru), 1 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tablespoons of salt.

Stir together and set the slow cooker to high for 8 to 10 hours, or until the chickpeas are cooked through. You can check this by cutting a chickpea in half. If the center is still tan and uncooked, leave them in until done.

 

[HigherThisHeat]

This sounds like a good Idea.... I definitely want to see the end result

 

[stickman]

Hi Jeff, thanks for stopping by.

I didn't post the finished product last night because my wife and I had to head out immediately after eating to a christmas wreath-making bee. Here's a pic of the leftover tonight with a bit of the apple/raisin/ginger chutney I made to accompany it.

There's a dash of romy's powder in the chutney along with the ginger. Add that to the chiles in the curry and this one will really warm the cockles of your heart...