Surly's Soap Box

Flavors that just go together. But how to bring them all to one plate?


Let's see...

You'll need some pork chops, 3 or 4
Fresh Thyme
Salt and Pepper
olive oil to coat pan
1 Chopped Small Onion
1 teaspoon minced Garlic
1 coarsely chopped Ripe Peach
Couple Table Spoons of AmaBlu Gorgonzola crumbles

Rub the pork chops with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, then saute until done to your liking. Set aside.

In the same pan, toss in your onion and saute until translucent, about three minute. Then add the garlic. Sautee for another minute, then add the peaches. Once they soften up, smash them with a fork. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for a couple minute.

Shut off the heat, mix the cheese in and taste.

Mmmmmm...

Spoon over the pork chops and enjoy.

But I've got your back...

Learned Foot of KAR fame is a poser. He does a good job of steering people away from the evils of the gas grill, only to lead them astray by telling them to, "Now go forth and buy some lighter fluid."


Wrong! WRONG! WRONG!

Never use lighter fluid.

Bad Chemicals. Bad Taste. Pretty amature. What you need is one of these:





A little news paper or paper bag in the bottom, light a match, and let the coals get nice and toasty. None of the lighter fluid taste.

By the way, when you use newpaper, don't use the opinion section of the Star Tribune: The isn't enough substance to get a fire going and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.




Cooking,
Food

Oven Brisket

I like to smoke briskets, but sometimes I don't have the time to devote to a smoker. And when you want it for Friday night but you have to work all day...

But here is a easy, though not quick, way to do a brisket.

6:00AM: Turn oven on to 200°.
Rub the brisket down with your prefered rub or steak seasoning.

Put 'er in the oven, on a rack, for 10-12 hours. The temp you are looking for about 195°'s. If you want, when it hits about 160°, put the brisket in a foil pouch big enough for the brisket, mix the pan juices with a cup or two of your favorite BBQ sauce and pout it over the top, and then let it cook to 195°. Good stuff. You can thank be later.


Cooking, Food, Recipes

One of my favorite dishes is risotto. I have a particular way of making it that is hard to describe, but easy to demonstrate. Since I don't have web cast capabilities, I'll have to put up a recipe from the archives.




Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Scallops

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, crescent-shaped muscles removed and discarded (You can use those cheapy frozen ones from the local grocery store)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as Portobello, crimini, and shiitake, stemmed
Leaves from handful fresh thyme sprigs or a teaspoon of dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
8 cups canned chicken stock, heated ***No MSG*** Kitchen Basics or Swanson Natural
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Place a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan. When the oil is hot, sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper and brown well on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm while you make the risotto.

Reduce the heat to medium. Drizzle a little more olive oil into the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft. Toss in the mushrooms and herbs and cook until the mushrooms lose their liquid and are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir 2 minutes to coat with the oil; the grains will turn opaque. You ought to smell a 'grainy' smell as well. Season again. Stir in the wine and cook until nearly evaporated.

Now pour in 1 cup of the warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Add another cup of stock. Continue in this way, stirring constantly and adding the stock 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. (You may not need all of the stock; the risotto is done when it is slightly firm but creamy.) Fold in the scallops with the last cup of stock to warm them up. When the risotto is cooked, fold in the butter and cheese. Serve hot. Serves 4.


Food,Recipes

Got some friends coming over for dinner this weekend. I'm thinking this for the entree:

Stuffed Pork Loin with Peaches
****Loin****
2 lb pork loin roast
3 ea patties country sausage mashed; crumbled, cooked, and drained
1/2 ea small peach; peeled, pitted, and diced, or 1/2 cup from the can you need for the sauce.
3 tbsp Cognac, Brandy, or Apple Jack
1/4 c diced red onion
1/3 c bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter; melted

salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Peach Sauce
2 1/2 ea peaches (or 14 oz can, drained)-- peeled & pitted
2 - 3 tbsp sugar depending on sweetness of fruit (not needed for canned fruit)
3 tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Cognac, Brandy, or Apple Jack
1/2 tsp ground chipotle
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 350F.

Saute diced onion in one tablespoon butter until translucent.

In a small bowl mix sausage, onion, bread crumbs, sage, salt, and pepper. Melt remaining butter and drizzle over stuffing mixture along with Cognac.

Pat roast dry. Insert a carving knife from end to end of loin cutting a slot. Reinsert carving knife perpendicular to first cut to form an X extending through roast. Your trying to make a 1 inch tunnel through the meat. Widen it out with a wooden spoon, get your fingers in there, spread it out. Fill roast with stuffing (a wooden spoon helps pack it in). Liberally season roast with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in an ovenproof skillet and brown roast on all sides. Place skillet with roast in middle of oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 145F at center. Remove from oven and allow to rest.

While roast cooks, slice 1/2 peach into thin wedges and reserve. Chop remaining peaches and simmer in a sauce pan with other ingredients for 15 minutes. Process until smooth in a blender or food processor. Be Very Careful Blending Hot Stuff! It has a tendency to rapidly expand, and if your not careful, you could burn yourself. Put a towel over the cover of your blender or food processor.

Serve roast, garnished with peach slices and drizzle with the peach sauce. Serves six.



Food,Cooking,Recipes

I was unaware that there are other bloggers who do the "post a recipe on Friday" thing. Like this guy Vodka Pundit, who put up a recipe for Crock Pot Lamb today.

Hmmm. Looks good to me.

I try to post Friday's recipe on Thursday, but I didn't have a chance yesterday. So, in honor of my Catholic readers, I post a fish recipe. Once again, I can't credit a source because I just pull these out of my big freakin' folder of recipes. Maybe I got it in school, maybe from a job, probably the internet.

Hey, that could be a name for my Cook Book! Surly Dave's Big Freakin' Folder of Recipes.


Fish Tacos

White Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Fish Tacos:
Oil
2 packages Tempura Batter Mix
1 can beer
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
24 ounces boneless cod, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 limes

For the sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 375 degrees F. Remember to get a thermometer like discussed here.

Mix 1 of the packages of batter, but only use 1/2 the required amount of water and use beer for the remaining amount instead. Add the beer until the batter becomes almost like a heavy cream consistency.

Using the other package of batter add salt, garlic powder,cumin, coriander, and coat cod pieces with the dry mix, then dip into prepared batter. Deep-fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Place fried cod pieces on warmed corn tortillas, add white sauce to fish, a little shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime, to taste.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Now here is a holiday I can support: March 15th Eat A Tasty Animal for PETA Day: EATAPETA Day.

PETA wishs that all animals would live out happy, useful lives. They all have a place. Right next to the mashed potatoes.

But then there is this: Save Jill.

I would like to introduce to you a new member of the Dr. Phat Tony family. This is Jill. Jill is 3 ½ weeks old, and probably one of the cutest things ever. Unfortunately Jill is in a fight for her life and she doesn’t even know it.

I'll be keeping you up to date on this.


Save Jill

Mediterranean Potato Salad


Preheat Oven to 425

You'll need for 8:

2 lb Baby Red potatoes, washed, dried, and quartered
1 Bunch of Fresh Asparagus (Or 1 lb Fresh Green Beans) cut into 1 inch sections
1 Sweat Onion, thinly sliced
small carton of cherry tomatoes, halved
one small jar pesto.
olive oil
Kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Toss the potatoes and onions with olive oil. You want enough to coat, but not bathe. Sprinkle with salt (2 good pinches) and pepper, place in baking pan in oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove and add tomatoes and asparagus. Add another pinch of salt, stir, and return to oven for 15 more minutes.

Check the potatoes for doneness Should be with in 5 minutes of being done, but always check. How? Taste.

When done, pour the mix into a large bowl, and stir in half the pesto. This is one of those 'you be the judge' moments as to how much. Coat everything well and serve it up.


Cooking,Recipes

It's nearing the end of February. Your starting to plan your summer events. Graduations? Family Reunions? Family Moving Out of Town? Company Picnics? Weddings?

Here's the deal: Book me between now and the end of March for a weekend event this upcoming summer or fall, and I'll knock 10% off my usual asking price.

Most oft asked for is the BBQ Pork. Not grilled. Not roasted in industrial ovens. Slow cooked smoked pork with Surly's Secret Rub. We're talking Carolina pulled pork here.

So, for a basic BBQ package: Pulled Pork, buns, sauce, baked beans, Special Recipe Cole Slaw and a dessert (Brownies or our specialty: Strawberry Shortcake Trifle), plates, flatware and napkins: 100-150 people for $9.50 per person, after discount and before tax. I work on a sliding scale, so more people cost less per head, and less people, cost, err..more. 25 person minimum for BBQ packages. Drinks are extra.

Texas Beef Brisket and appropriate sides run $12.50 a head for the 100-150 group.

This is full service: Servers, clean up of the service area, and wrapping up the left overs.

Or, at a discount, I can just drop off the fixin's and you take it from there.

I can add sides for additional cost, supply tables, chairs, tents, and even a band--brass or blues. Okay, maybe not brass, but blues, rock, and more. Of course, at an extra cost.

If your interested, just email me through the contact contact button. Tell your friends.

Yikes...It's late and I almost forgot.

I could just go and blatantly cut and paste something off the net.

I could dig something out of my files.

But my goal here is to present practical, approachable recipes. So tonight I'm going to give up one of my appetizer 'concepts'. Not really a recipe, as you will see.

Skewers

Skewers are bite size tid bits on, well, skewers. Pick up some cocktail skewers (Long tooth picks) at the store or local liqiuor store. Now think of flavors that go together. I'll give you some ideas:

Apples and Cheddar
Mozzerella and Sun Dried Tomato
Feta and Cucumber
Melon and Prosciutto Ham

Now, what you want to do is assemble them with the idea that they can be eaten in one bite, without getting a wine glass dirty. Good idea: put the cheese on the bottom of the skewer because it with 'stick' better.

And remember to watch the time and temp on these. Food at room temp is only good for a couple hours.




Cooking Food Recipes

I thought I had done this one before, but I guess not.

Apple Maple Chicken

1 lb. chicken breast or boneless thighs
½ medium onion
2 medium sized apples, sliced
½ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Use oven proof skillet

Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with pinch salt, pinch pepper, oregano and parsley.
On the stove top, heat skillet over medium high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot add chicken. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.



Layer onions and apples on top of chicken, combine maple syrup and balsamic vinaigrette, and pour over chicken.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is done. Spoon sauce over chicken then serve.

Enjoy!



Cooking,Food,Recipes

Pork Loin with Ginger Peach Glaze

First, you really need to get one of these:




Cooking to temperature guarantees cooked to perfection. If you don't have a digital meat thermometer, it's worth the investment ($15.00 on up).

If you really want to be cool, you can get on of these.

On with the recipe:

1 3 1/2-4lb Center Cut Pork Loin (not tenderloin)
5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme. You can use a tablespoon of dried, but fresh is preferred.
1 tablespoon chopped garlic. If that's too much garlic, cut it down to 3 teaspoons.
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 cups (1 jar) Peach preserves
2 teaspoon dried, powdered ginger
2 teaspoon soy sauce


Preheat oven to 425°

1. Rub the loin with salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil. Salt is really hard to judge because everyone's taste is different, so you kind of have to use your experience. I'd say 2 good healthy pinches, or a teaspoon. The olive oil is necessary to 'pull' the flavor into the meat.

2. If you have a roasting pan with a rack, place loin on rack fat side up. You want to cut (score) through the fat cap about a quarter of an inch so the fat, along with salt, pepper, and other seasonings, can penetrate into the meat. Think 'crosshatch', about an inch apart. Place meat thermometer probe into the thickest part of roast and set the alarm for 150°

3. Once roast is in the oven, heat the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once the butter is foaming, turn down to medium low and add the garlic. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. If the garlic starts spiting or popping, just take the pan off the stove and left it cool for a couple seconds.

4. Once the garlic is done, add the rest of the ingredients. Once the preserves are bubbling, turn down the heat to low. Preserves pack a lot of sugar, sugar burns easily, so be careful not to burn it.

5. When the buzzer goes off, brush glaze onto the pork loin. Use about a third of it because you want to use some for sauce. No brush? Just spoon it on. Back in to the oven for 5 minutes. At 425°, it should caramelize (crust up) pretty good.

Pull it out, cover with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute and temperature even out. Buy the time it's done, the internal temp will be about 160°. Don't remove the probe until you are ready to carve.

Serve with a caramelized leek mashed potato (Recipe coming soon) or mashed sweet potatoes (I guess I can give up a recipe for that as well sometime.)

Wine? Go for a Chardonnay, like Frei Brothers.


Food
Wine
Recipes

Heading off to a Super Bowl party or hosting one, here are three easy appetizers.


Raspberry Chipolte Dip

1 bottle of Raspberry Chipolte Sauce, any brand. Refrigerated. Not dressing: Sauce.

2 8oz blocks of cream cheese (Not the 'nutfetzle', low fat variety: It has a sharp, lemon flavor that doesn't work here.)

1 box Wheat Thins (Large or Small, depending on the size of your group)

Directions:

About a 1/2 hour before serving, take one of the block of cream cheese out of the 'fridge to soften up.

Put the block of cream cheese on a large round plate, then cover with Raspberry Chipolte Sauce. Not the whole bottle, but enough too coat the out side of it, probably a quarter of the bottle.

Surround with Wheat Thins. Check on it once and a while: If the sauce is disappearing, add a little more. If it goes fast, you have another block on reserve.

***Don't let this sit out for more than 2 hours!!!***

Watch the clock. If it's out for two hours, pitch it and build another batch. It's good food safety.


Smoked Salmon Log

16 oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, cubed and softened
8 oz smoked salmon
1 teaspoon dill (fresh preferred, dry will due, just add a little more)
1 table spoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup crushed pecans

Assuming you have a food processor or stand mixer: Toss the cream cheese into the bowl of the mixer of your choice and turn it on to high.

Add the smoked salmon a little at a time. (You may want to stop half way and scrap down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Add the dill and lemon juice. Shut it down once the lemon juice is incorporated.

Taste. Does it need a little salt? Pepper? Maybe a little more dill? Be careful not to over salt.

Now, lay out some plastic wrap or parchment paper on the counter. Spoon the salmon mixture out evenly in a straight line, then pull the wrap (or paper) over the mixture and roll it out like a log. If it is to pliable, toss in the cooler for a little bit to harden it up. Once it is rounded out, roll in the crushed pecans to coat. Chill (the log, not you. But you could if you wanted to.)

Slice off 'coins' and serve with your favorite crackers (other than the 'chicken and biscuit' variety).

***Don't let this sit out for more than 2 hours!!!***

Watch the clock. If it's out for two hours, pitch it. We are talking fish and dairy: Not notorious for lasting long periods of time at room temp.


Swedish Meatballs

1 bag of prebaked meatballs. (Sam's and Costco have the best)
1 small jar grape jelly
1 bottle chili sauce. The classic Heinz variety.

Cook meatballs as directed.

In a small sauce pan, heat up the jelly and chili sauce.

Put meatballs in a slow cooker, crock pot, or roaster and stir in the sauce. You don't need to float the meatballs, just coat. Set the heat to low and set out a bunch of tooth pics.