Smoked Lamb Breast, Fried Okra, and Deconstructed Elotes

We are rather odd for Americans in that we like and frequently eat lamb and goat.  Strangely enough, I usually prefer the taste and texture of leg of lamb over lamb chops.

Some time ago I was at WalMart and cruising down the meat case.  Not sure why because I don't buy meat there.  This time though, I ended up buying some.  The reason being they had American raised lamb breast.  Lamb breast is the same cut as pork spareribs.  I decided to give them a try since they were American raised.  I find Australian lamb most often.

A nice package of American grown lamb breast

The lamb breast was seasoned with my general purpose rub that is very good with lamb, pork, and poultry.  It was smoked with hickory until an internal temperature of 180F.  This got the meat cooked to the point of being easily bitten and the fat is melty and flavorful.  You can use whatever rub you'd like.

Lamb breast ready to come of the smoke

Since our Okra was producing well and a few had gotten big enough that they wouldn't be tender enough to eat boiled I made fried okra.  My method for fried okra is simple and yields a good crispy coating.  Cut the okra into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices and toss in seasoned flour.  Shake off the excess flour and dip in an egg wash.  Let the excess egg wash drip off and toss in a mix of corn meal and corn starch.  I use a 4-1 ratio.  You just need enough of the corn starch to help it get crispy crunchy.  Then fry in a skillet or deep fry until crispy and you have the color you desire.

Smoked lamb breast, deconstructed elotes, and fried okra

I'd been seeing Mexican street corn, Elotes, on the cooking shows for some time prior to this.  Since I didn't feel like taking the time to thaw out some ears of corn I decided to make a deconstructed version.  We were quite pleased with how it turned out and have done it several times since.

Deconstructed Elotes

2 cups whole kernel corn
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cotija cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbs minced cilantro
pinch chipotle powder
smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt butter in cast iron skillet over med heat and add the corn. Cook, stirring time to time, until the corn picks up some color. While the corn is cooking, combine the mayo, cheese, chili powder, cilantro, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder in a bowl and mix well. When the corn is done, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust if needed. Once on the plate sprinkle with the smoked paprika as garnish.

All these go well together or would do well with completely different menus.  I will say I gave the Elotes recipe to someone that was looking for something different to do with corn.  A couple of days later she let me know it was a hit and her husband cleaned it up.

Give these a try and let me know what you think.

Uncle T

Sous Vide Pork Belly, Tri-color Quinoa with Tomatoes, and Boiled Okra

It's been some time since I've used and written about my Joule.  I'd been wanting to try their recipe for pork belly but every time I'd get one I'd cure the whole thing for bacon.  Last week I had stopped at the Commissary to get some cokes (generic Southern word for carbonated beverages) and saw they had a nice 3lb piece of pork belly in the meat case.  I decided that would be a half for sous vide and the other half for smoking.

Some weeks ago, ChefSteps came out with a combination offer of the big mouth clamp for Joule, a silicon pot cover, and a silicon mat to protect your counter from the heat.  This put those to the test and they did what they were supposed to do.  For long cooks I like to use a small cooler to help retain heat and that is exactly why the big mouth clamp was developed.  It worked like a charm with enough room left to have fit an even thicker cooler.  The silicon pot cover kept the water from evaporating and kept the heat in very well.  I'm quite pleased with them both.  I didn't bother with the mat since I was using the cooler.

Fresh from under the broiler

One thing I will change the next time I make this is the amount of the "cure" I will use.  In the ingredient list they say 5 heaping spoonfuls of salt and 2 heaping spoonfuls of sugar.  When they get into the process, they say 5 parts salt and 2 parts sugar.  I went with what was in the ingredient list and used it all for my 1.5lb piece of pork belly.  There was lots of extra "cure" that fell off and gathered in the corners of the vacuum bag.  While the belly had good flavor it was a bit saltier than I thought proper.

Succulent pork belly slices

I did do one variation to their instructions.  I ground 2 tablespoons of Szechuan peppercorns and added them to the "cure" mix before applying it to the belly.  Another thing I did, though not really a variation since they didn't address it was to put some roasted sesame oil in the bottom of my cast iron skillet.  The cast iron skillet is used to put the sous vide pork belly under the broiler to crisp the skin before serving.

A tasty supper

The tri-color quinoa with tomatoes was done in the pressure cooker.  I used chicken broth instead of water then stirred in some diced tomatoes along with some salt and pepper when it was done.  Adding some fresh sage, oregano, and thyme along with the tomato would be good as well.

Preparing the boiled okra can be found in this post.

We really like pork belly and this method of preparation will definitely find its way into the rotation.  If you have a Joule, give this pork belly recipe a go.  Pair it with the quinoa and okra and I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Let me know what you think.

Uncle T

Potatoes and Okra

Potatoes and okra, two of my favorite plant based foods.  Given my ancestral make up I almost think I'm genetically programmed to like potatoes.  Of course, potatoes are a Southern staple and it's hard to think of a day without potatoes in some form.  Needless to say, even though not many potato recipes appear here, we eat a lot of potatoes.

All mixed up and ready for the skillet

I was wondering about a way to use some larger okra instead of frying them when I saw a reference to this dish in an email about potential things I'd like from Pinterest.  I got to looking around and found quite a few.  After that, it was just a matter of deciding how my version would be constructed.


Potatoes and Okra


2-3 russet potatoes, diced 3/8 inch
2-3 cups sliced okra
1 cup sliced red pepper
1/2 cup bacon grease\
1/2 cup corn meal mix
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp roasted cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper


Dice the potatoes and slice the okra and red pepper and put them in a large bowl.  Add the corn meal mix and toss to coat.  Add the spices by pinches and toss after each pinch.  Taste a bit to see when you get the seasoning level you like.  Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet.  Once the bacon grease is hot add the potato and okra mix to the skillet.  The skillet will be full.  Let cook for a bit then gently turn to keep the crusty part with the potatoes and okra it formed with.  Repeat until the potatoes are cooked and there are crispy bits scattered throughout.  Serve hot.  Serves 4-5.

Cooked and ready to serve

A note about bacon grease, like a good old school Southerner, I have a bacon grease pot in the cabinet.  If you don't have bacon grease, you can fry up 6 - 8 slices of bacon and use the grease from that though you may need to add some additional oil to get the correct amount.  Alternately,  you could use lard or vegetable oil of some sort but the vegetable oil won't add anything to the flavor.

We paired this dish with pan fried salmon and it was great.  I've talked about this method with salmon before.  Spread softened butter on the skin of the salmon and season with salt and pepper and place in  a hot skillet.  Season the flesh side and when the cook line is about halfway up the fillet turn it and cook the rest of the way. 

The potatoes and okra did well as leftovers also.  I added some more bacon grease to a skillet and refried them until heated through.  The leftovers were served with pork chops.

This is a simple filling dish that could stand alone if you wanted a vegetarian meal, just use vegetable oil in place of the bacon grease or lard.  However it is eaten it will be a winner.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Uncle T

Red Rice and Shrimp with Boiled Okra

Rice has been a staple in the South for a long time.  It is more prevalent in the Low Country cuisine of the Carolinas and in the Cajun and Creole cuisine of Louisiana.  Still, I remember eating rice while growing up in Tennessee.  Between the presence of rice in Southern cooking and in the Korean and Thai cooking we enjoy, the good wife and I eat a fair bit of rice.  Cooking rice in my pressure cooker makes it an easy choice for many meals.

Red Rice and Shrimp with Boiled Okra

I'm not sure where or when I first saw anything about red rice.  It's not something we ate growing up.  I've been trying to come up with ways to use more of our canned tomatoes and this came to mind.  Plus shrimp and rice are an excellent combination so it just went from there.


Even though our okra is anywhere from almost upright to almost parallel to the ground after the edge of hurricane Matthew hit us, it is still producing.  Since the good wife prefers boiled okra and we had plenty of the smaller pods it was a match made in heaven.  Making good non-slimy boiled okra is detailed in this post, Boiled Okra.  The only change was that I added some of my Cajun style seasoning to the butter instead of using hot peppers.


Red Rice and Shrimp


1.5 cups rice
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1.5 tsp Tarragon
1.5 tsp Oregano
1.5 lbs shrimp, 31-35
6 Tbs butter
Cajun seasoning
salt


Cook the rice according to the method you use.  I used the pressure cooker set for 7 minutes.  Divide the red onion into quarters and slice.  Julienne the bell pepper to strips about the same length as the red onion slices.  Melt 2 Tbs butter in a skillet and add both the red onion and bell pepper and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  Sautee' until they are tender.  When the rice is done, add the red onion and bell pepper to it and stir.  Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid, and add to the rice.  Break up the tomatoes and stir into the rice mixture.  Add the Tarragon and Oregano and stir.  Season the rice mixture to taste with the Cajun seasoning.  Add the reserved tomato juice until you get the consistency you want.  Keep warm and let the flavors meld.  Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning.  Melt the remaining 4 Tbs butter in a skillet and add the shrimp.  Cook until done and add to the rice mixture.  Stir to combine.  Serve with boiled okra and enjoy.  Serves 4.

A colorful and tasty meal

The shrimp can be left tail on if you like the look of for presentation purposes.  I pinch the tails off because I'd rather not have to fool with it while I'm eating.  If you take the tails off, keep them in the freezer until you have enough to make some good shrimp broth for making seafood soups.  I prefer 31-35 size shrimp because they are small enough to eat with one bite and not have your mouth too full and can be cut in half to eat with some of the rice.


I believe that chicken cut into bite size pieces and given the same treatment as the shrimp would work for folks that are allergic to shellfish.  I'll have to give that a try sometime.


There are many Cajun style seasonings available.  I was given some called "Slap Ya Momma" several years ago and we like it.  Since that can ran out, I've devised my own version of it to avoid having to order it since I've not seen it in stores in Virginia.  If you don't have a preferred seasoning look this one up and order it.


If the tomatoes don't have enough juice to get the consistency you want, add a bit of water or even white wine.  For the first meal, the home canned tomatoes had enough juice to get the consistency I wanted and enough left over for the good wife to drink the next day.  When I reheated the leftovers I used some left over white wine for some additional liquid.  It did add something more to it than water would have.


See, another fairly quick meal that packs a punch of flavor.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.


Uncle T

A Southern Supper

Every so often I get the urge to forego fancy or new dishes for supper.  When that happens I go back to my small town Southern roots.  You just can't go wrong with the basics of Southern cooking.  To that end, we had a meal that any Southerner would appreciate.  Last night's supper was grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes, fried okra, and mixed greens.  Oh my goodness it was good.  The only thing I didn't do that my grandmother would have done was make biscuits or cornbread to go with it.


I'll break down the how and why of this meal as I go along.  Now, on with the show.

A plate of good Southern cooking

Grilled pork chops should need no explanation.  After all, is there anything better than glorious pork?  I will say, I could have fried the pork chops but I didn't have enough space on the stove top.  If I hadn't had fried okra then I'd have fried the pork chops and been able to make gravy to go on the mashed potatoes.  Any way, pork is the meat of the South.  I am not big on over seasoning meat since I think the flavor of the meat should shine, so the pork chops got a simple treatment.  I sprinkled kosher salt and ground black pepper on the pork chops then splashed a little bourbon on them.  They sat on a pan until time to take out to the grill.  They were grilled until they reached 145F.  Beautiful juicy white meat with great flavor.


Mashed potatoes are one of those things that tend to get short changed.  It's hard to find a meal in the South without potatoes in some form.  Like pork, the potato is a versatile ingredient and can be used many ways.


Mashed Potatoes


4 russet potatoes
1 stick butter, sliced
buttermilk
salt
pepper
garlic powder


Cut the potatoes into cubes of similar size and place in a pot.  Fill the pot with water and rinse the potatoes then dump the water.  Repeat the process.  Fill  the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes then put over med-high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender.  A fork should stick in without breaking the cube.  Drain the water.  Put the pot of potatoes back on the eye to evaporate any remaining water.  Add the butter slices in pot and stir.  Once the butter has melted start mashing.  Add buttermilk as you go till you get the consistency you want.  Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Serves 4.


Fried okra is all some people know of okra, or it's the only form of okra they'll eat.  Mention boiled okra to most people and they start talking about slime even if they've never had boiled okra.  In spite of my okra plants getting laid over thanks to the edge of hurricane Matthew that hit us, they are still producing well.  Okra pods that get too big to be tender boiled get sliced and fried.  Since I had built up a good collection of frying okra that's what I used.


Fried Okra


1/2 lb okra
flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
cornmeal mixture (cornmeal, corn starch, salt, garlic powder)
oil


Cut okra into 1/2 inch thick slices and put in flour.  Shake excess flour off the sliced okra and put into egg wash made with the egg and milk.  Drain the excess and put in a bowl with the cornmeal mixture and toss to coat.  Once well coated remove okra from the bowl and put on a plate until all the okra is done.  Heat a skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil in it.  Once it is hot put in the breaded okra.  Cook until brown on the bottom and turn the okra to cook the other side.  Alternatively, you can deep fry the okra and not have to worry about turning it.  Serve hot.

Fried Okra almost ready

Greens are another thing that get Southerners going.  Greens mean different things to different people.  Greens can be collard greens, mustard greens, or turnip greens most often.  There are also wild greens like poke salad, dandelions, and lamb's quarter.  For me growing up, greens meant either mustard or turnip greens.  I now prefer a mix of the two since they both have different flavor profiles and textures.  I've also been known to throw some wild greens into the mix from time to time.


Greens get boiled and slow simmered in the South, especially collard greens.  After all, you've got to give the smoked pork time to give its flavor to the greens.  I did a variation on this.  Our greens had been blanched prior to freezing so they were nearly done.  For the pork flavor, I heated the thawed greens in a skillet with some bacon grease in it. 

Bottle of homemade pepper sauce

I'll throw in one last tidbit about eating greens.  You have to have pepper sauce available.  No, I don't mean hot sauce.  Pepper sauce is vinegar with hot peppers in it.  You put it on your greens and you get a bit of the acid from the vinegar and a hint of heat and flavor from the peppers.  As you use up the pepper sauce, you simply add more vinegar.  The pepper sauce we use was made with Serrano peppers from our garden and apple cider vinegar.  Pepper sauce is widely available in stores, at least it is in the South but it is easy to make your own.  All  you need is a jar, some vinegar, and the hot peppers of your choice.  Pull the cap and stem off the peppers and put them in your jar then fill with vinegar.  Let it sit in the cabinet for a few weeks before using it.


There you have it, a good Southern supper.  Give it a try sometime.


Uncle T