Article

2006-09-29 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Zenster 2006-09-29 05:12|| || Front Page|| [11138 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Barbacoa
Philippine Barbecue

Preparation time: 1-2 Hours

Serves: 4-8 People

Ingredients:

2-3 Pounds Streaky Pork
1-2 12 oz. Bottles of Mama Sita's Barbecue Marinade (or Mothers Best)
1 Package Small 6 Seafood Bamboo Skewers

Notes: The pork must have some fat in it. Use shoulder, Boston butt, unsmoked picnic or boneless country ribs. Do not use tenderloin or loin cuts, they will dry out.

Mama Sita's is the better product, but Mother's Best may be substituted. For large batches purchase the 23 fluid ounce bottle. Look for these products at any Philippine or Asian market. You may have to settle for a packaged mix if the market is small.

Preparation:

Unwrap the skewers and place them in a tall glass or tumbler of water to soak. Soaking the skewers stops the wood from burning on the grill. Invert the skewers after ten minutes of soaking to complete the process. Start your charcoal for the barbecue. You may also use an indoor broiler, but it gets fairly messy. For the best results be sure to have all of the charcoal on only one side of the barbecue. This will allow you to cook over indirect heat and have better control of the speed at which the skewers cook. If using a gas grill, light both sides and preheat at high for 15 minutes, then turn off one side before starting to cook. Run the other side at low during the entire cooking process, unless you are in a real hurry. Slow cooking produces superior results. Upper racks in multi-tier propane grills work perfectly and allow the use of both burners at the same time.

Bone out the pork and cut into chunks less than an inch (~2cm) cubed. Skewer the cubes by piercing each piece of pork twice with the skewer. This stops the meat from rotating when you turn the skewers on the grill. Pierce the meat at one edge of the piece and then again at opposite side.

Use a bread pan or shallow rectangular pan (glass is best) that will allow you to submerge the entire skewer lengthwise in it. This is important during the cooking and basting phase. If needed, trim the skewers ahead of time to fit the pan that you have. This will make everything a lot simpler once the grilling begins.

Grill the skewers away from the coals. Use barbecue tongs to place and remove the skewers. Swish the skewers back and forth in the marinade every few minutes to build up a candy-like glaze on them. Turn each skewer after basting it. If using upper racks, be sure to rotate skewers back and forth from the grill to the racks. Avoid flare-ups and use a spray bottle to extinguish them if they arise. Check after 30 minutes, the skewers will probably be done. The meat should still be tender with a build up of savory glaze on it.

Note: Everyone that I make this for instantly becomes addicted to it.

Official Recipe Request:

If there are any Philippine cooks out there that know the recipe for this marinade, please submit it to this thread. Here are the ingredients from a very old bottle that had a complete list of contents: (in order) Soy Sauce, Cane Sugar, Black Pepper, Salt, Garlic, Onions, Curry Powder, Tamarind, Spices, Caramel, MSG, Lemon Butter (Kalamansi), Mustard, Flavorings.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-09-29 05:25|| 2006-09-29 05:25|| Front Page Top

#2 Four-Pork Deep Dish Pizza
(Best during Ramadan; also suitable for Bad Catholic Fridays)

Prep time: 4 hours

This recipe makes a double batch (four 9 pizzas), which I recommend as it can be an all-day project. Bake one and freeze the rest for no-hassle dinners.

Background note: Ive spent years overseas, and Ive been truly homesick for very few things. But the Chicago girl in me was dying for a real pizza. I started with a basic recipe, and developed and modified it over the years; this is the recipe that achieves perfection every time

Ingredients:

Filling:

Olive oil
2 red peppers, chopped
2 lbs Italian sausage, skinned and crumbled
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 t oregano or Italian seasoning
2-28 oz. cans peeled Italian tomatoes, chopped
½ lb sliced mushrooms
2 large onions, chopped
Leftover ham, chopped*
Bacon bits (real ones!)*

12 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 lb provolone cheese, sliced
1 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 lb shredded pizza cheese

Crust:
2 C warm water (105-115F)
2 packets active dry yeast
4 T olive oil
6 C flour
2 t salt

* These Ramadifications are just for fun and can be left out; however, you will be left with a perilously deficient 2-pork pizza.

Preparation:

First, make the filling:

In a large stew pot (or evenly split between two smaller pots), heat 1T olive oil and add the red pepper and sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and oregano, cook 1 minute more, then add the tomatoes. In a large skillet, heat 1T olive oil and sautee the onions and mushrooms; drain and add to the big pot. Toss in a handful or two of chopped ham, and anoint with shake or two of bacon bits. On low heat, simmer uncovered until very thick (2-3 hours), stirring every 20-30 min.

While the filling is cooking, make the dough:

Stir the yeast into the warm water until dissolved, then stir in the oil. In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together, then add the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. I use the bread hook on a Kitchen Aid mixer to knead the dough until its smooth and elastic (~ 5 min), though this can be done by hand (~ 10 min). Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, flipping once to coat the surface with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, non-drafty place to rise, ~ 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Assembly:

Punch the dough down to eliminate air bubbles, and divide into four. Roll out each ball to a 12 circle, and fit into oiled 9 x 2 round cake pans, patting the dough up the sides. Layer in the filling as follows:

1/8 of the sausage filling
1/8 of the pepperoni
1/8 of the sliced provolone and mozzarella
¼ of the shredded pizza cheese
1/8 of the sausage filling
1/8 of the pepperoni
1/8 of the sliced provolone and mozzarella.

Cover with foil and freeze, or bake for ~ 40 min at 400F until the filling is bubbling. (Frozen pizzas bake considerably longer, ~ 70 min.) Cool for ~ 15 min, and PIG out. Rama-dama-licious!

Posted by exJAG 2006-09-29 07:45|| 2006-09-29 07:45|| Front Page Top

#3 I don't cook with pork, but here is a recipe from the oldest inn in Ohio, The Golden Lamb. The Golden Lamb has been in continuous operation since 1803, and they boast they've hosted all sorts of famous and important people, including Mark Twain and Charles Dickens (although as far as I can tell both bedded down in almost as many places as George Washington).

Golden Lamb Sauerkraut Balls
1 lb. (454 g) lean ham (can be a mix of lean ham, Kentucky ham and corned beef, but make sure to use more ham than corned beef)
1 lb. (454 g) lean pork
1/2 lb.(227 g) sauerkraut
1 cup (112 g) all-purpose flour (German Type 405, I don't know how it's identified elsewhere)
1 tsp (5 ml) dry mustard
hint of thyme
1 onion, sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup (118 ml) milk
bread crumbs (The Cook's Illustrated people have determined (most scientifically!) that Japanese style Panko bread crumbs are the best for breading things to be fried)
lots of oil for frying

Heat oil in frying pan. Saute' pork until brown, then add onions, ham and corned beef. Stir in flour.

In a separate pot, heat sauerkraut. Drain, then add to frying pan. Stir in dry mustard and thyme. Grind. (Zenster, if you would be so kind as to elaborate on that instruction, I'd be grateful. Clearly after 200+ years they know what they're doing, but Chef Dennis Glosser was a little spare in his instructions when he wrote it up for the local international group's cookbook committee. Thanks!) While mixture is cooling enough to handle, mix together eggs and milk in a small bowl, place flour in another bowl, and the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Preheat oil in a pot or deep fryer to 350F (177C). Shape the mixture into 1" (2.5 cm) balls. Roll each sauerkraut ball in the flour, then dip into the egg, then roll in bread crumbs.

Deep fry the sauerkraut balls until golden-brown. Drain on newspaper or many layers of paper towels, and serve warm.

Posted by trailing wife 2006-09-29 08:43|| 2006-09-29 08:43|| Front Page Top

#4 Continuing the pork theme, I offer Honky/Gweilo/AngMoh Char Sui.

Char Sui is essentially marinated pork cooked in an oven. It doesn't have to be the brightly colored fatty meat you may be used to.

I used pork filet. The only work is to remove the tendon in the filet. Cut in half and then lengthways (4 pieces per filet).

I tell family and friends, I don't do recipes. I know more or less what what works, so my Char Sui recipe is pretty flexible.

Marinate meat for 4 hours in the following.

4 to 8 cloves of garlic crushed (required)
Soy sauce - 3 ounces per filet (required)
Oyster Sauce - 2 ounces (desirable)
Plum sauce - 2 ounces (can substitute something like honey)
Hoisin sauce - 2 ounces (desireable)
Black bean sauce - 1 ounce (optional, but I like it)
Sometimes I add Chinese 5 spices, but generally I forget.

If you want to experiment, you can add lime, lemon, mustard, tamarind, anything with a pungent flavor (trust me this recipe is impossible to screw up).

Cook meat still in the marinade in the oven around 160C. Turning meat every hour or so. If I am in a hurry, I might drain out some of the liquid. I generally cook for 2 hours or until liquid has gone.

The meat takes on a leathery texture, which it should. Slice thinly and eat anyway you choose, tasty and low fat. It's also a great snack the day after.

Posted by phil_b 2006-09-29 09:13|| 2006-09-29 09:13|| Front Page Top

#5 Hainanese Chicken Rice

No pork, but I made it this evening and my family raved about it. My daughter still refers to the rice as 'special rice' and when we lived in Singapore one of the first things she figured out was that she could send the maid out to buy her 'special rice' for lunch.

Boil a chicken in pot slightly larger than the chicken with 6 cloves of garlic, an onion cut in half and 5 slices of ginger, for one hour.

Turn the chicken once to ensure it's properly cooked.

Remove chicken from pot.

Add 3 cups of rice to a rice cooker (sorry but a rice cooker is the only way to cook rice and if you don't own one you should).

Add Sufficient liquid the chicken was cooked in to cover the rice to a depth of 1 inch.

Turn on rice cooker. After 5 minutes add coarsely chopped chinese green vegetables to top of rice. I call all chinese green vegetables Bak Choi, but then what do I know.

The rice cooker will shut off automatically.

Serve special rice with sliced chicken and vegetables on top.

My daughter adds soy sauce to the rice, but I find it spoils the flavor of the rice.

Posted by phil_b 2006-09-29 09:55|| 2006-09-29 09:55|| Front Page Top

#6 1 lb shredded pizza cheese

Ex-JAG, that sounds terrific. But what is "pizza cheese"?

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-09-29 11:02|| 2006-09-29 11:02|| Front Page Top

#7 If not Mozarella, it's not pizza cheese.

Posted by Phineter Thraviger1073 2006-09-29 11:56|| 2006-09-29 11:56|| Front Page Top

#8 Literally, shredded "Pizza Cheese" found in the processed cheese section of the supermarket -- basically shredded co-jack. But any cheese that melts nicely will do. Yes, it cheapens a fine Chicago pie. But a bit of yellow cheese in there adds a nice flavor -- colby or cheddar might also be yummy. Or, if you're a purist, or just prefer not to overdo it, you can skip it altogether.

Posted by exJAG 2006-09-29 12:24|| 2006-09-29 12:24|| Front Page Top

#9 Stop already with all your recipes, don't you think I'm fat enough?

Posted by anonymous5089 2006-09-29 12:28|| 2006-09-29 12:28|| Front Page Top

#10 Ramadifications

LOL!

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-09-29 12:28|| 2006-09-29 12:28|| Front Page Top

#11 I just hate this: stuck here at work where all I can do is read and drool.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2006-09-29 12:33|| 2006-09-29 12:33|| Front Page Top

#12 ~~Cat.~~ Pork. The other white meat.

Posted by Mike N. 2006-09-29 14:49|| 2006-09-29 14:49|| Front Page Top

#13 Enough of the side dishes. Time for the main course:

Roasting a Hog in Three Steps

1) Buying your hog
Order your pig from a specialty meat packer, grocery store or local locker. It is often necessary to give them 7 days advance notice. Before purchasing make sure the pig is absolutely clean.
See Chart 2 for serving portions
Dressed pigs are 70% of the live weight.
Smaller animals will have a greater percentage of bone and skin and will yield proportionately fewer servings of meat.
The carcass should be opened butterfly-fashion.

2) Equipment
There are three methods for roasting a hog.

Grill

The temperature at the roast should be kept constant and around 200-250 degrees F.
Most grills will have thermometers installed to monitor temperature. If not, use a large meat thermometer inserted in a top vent.
The outside temperature, wind, type of equipment, all will have an effect on maintaining this temperature.
Split the rib bones at the spine to allow pig to lay flat, being careful not to pierce skin.
Fill grill with charcoal. (see Chart 1)
Let charcoal burn until it has turned ash-grey.
Place heavy wire, the size of the pig, over the grill, 13 inches from the coals.
Place pig flat, skin side up on wire surface.
Place second wire over pig, sandwiching pig between the 2 layers of wire

Rotisserie

If using a rotisserie make sure weight is evenly distributed.
Follow directions from your rotisserie manual.

Rock-lined Pit

Dig hole 2 ½ to 3 feet deep at center with a diameter of 5 to 7 feet, depending on the size of the pig.
Line the pit with rocks.
Light fire.
Additional small round rocks should be place in fire to be heated.
As fire burns down, wet the burlap and dress pig as desired.
Place pig on chicken wire.
Under the legs make slits big enough to insert round heated rocks.
When rocks are very hot, use tongs to fill the abdominal cavity and slits.
Tie front legs together, then back legs.
Wrap pig in chicken wire, fastening well so it can be lifted.
Completely cover ashed coals and rocks with corn stalks and leaves or grass trimmings.
Lower pig onto the leaves.
Cover it generously on top with some leaves
Place wet burlap over leaves to hold the heat and steam the pig.
Cover with large canvas!!!
Shovel dirt or gravel over canvas to keep steam in.

Chinese Box

The Chinese roasting box, also known as La Caja China, is a hot trend among barbecue enthusiasts. Contrary to the name, the device was invented by a Cuban American, Roberto Guerra Sanchez. In a Chinese roasting box, the hog is placed in a thick wooden box lined with sheet-metal and fitted with a removable pan in the bottom to catch cooking juices. Coals are piled on the boxs steel top to provide heat.

The device is inspired by the American oven broiler with its heat source located above the food. The Chinese roasting box combines a broiling method with an enclosure reminiscent of the pit traditionally used in roasting hogs and other large meat cuts. The box cooks primarily by radiation. The boxs metal lining reflects the infrared radiation throughout the enclosure, similar to a microwave oven, so all the surfaces of the pig are heated, not just the top.

3) Cooking

Hog is better if thawed.

Grill

Because of variants in sizes, shapes, weights, air currents and methods of barbecuing, among others, it is difficult to give a rule of minutes per pound.
For estimate grilling times see Chart 1.
Always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, the roast should be removed.
A good place to check is the ham, as it is the largest section of the hog.
Turn hog over half way through cooking process.
***Time is a variant! One must be flexible in the timing and cooking process, checking the hog often is essential.

Rotisserie

Cook the pig 12 away from the source of heat.
Keep the heat constant.
Fluctuating heat will add to your cooking time.
110 pound live weight estimated cooking time is 8-10 hours.
When pig reaches 160 degrees F move the pig away from the heat.
An estimated 1-2 hours will keep the pig warm without drying out.
***Time is a variant! One must be flexible in the timing and cooking process, checking the hog often is essential.

Rock-lined Pit

Estimated cooking times
2 hours for 25 pound live weight
2 ½ hours for 50 pound live weight
4 hours for 75 pound live weight
8 hours for 150 pound live weight
When in doubt, leave it in the pit a big longer. The pig will not burn as it is cooked by the steam.
Start cooking 12 hours ahead of serving time depending on the above table, periodically checking internal temperature.
When pig reaches 160 degrees F move the pig away from the heat.
An estimated 1-2 hours will keep the pig warm without drying out.
***Time is a variant! One must be flexible in the timing and cooking process, checking the hog often is essential.

Posted by mcsegeek1 2006-09-29 15:01|| 2006-09-29 15:01|| Front Page Top

#14 " 'Twas the night before Ramadan, all thru the house,
was pork marinading, piggies were soused..."

Posted by Grunter 2006-09-29 15:35|| 2006-09-29 15:35|| Front Page Top

#15 Thanks Mgeek!

It's time for a Cuber Hog!

Posted by 6 2006-09-29 18:03|| 2006-09-29 18:03|| Front Page Top

#16 Roast pork cooked over a stack burning Qurans (don't have any? Just request enough from any Mosque, be sure to inform the Mullah how many pounds of pork you will be cooking.)

Wash it all down with "Allah's Swine Sperm Beer" from Mecca, brewed right in the Kaaba slaughter house.

Posted by Icerigger 2006-09-29 18:17|| 2006-09-29 18:17|| Front Page Top

#17 Blast your eyes, phil_b! I've been meaning to post that same Chinese barbecue sauce recipe for the last few days. I was trying to work my around the globe with a string of international recipes. I'm putting it up tomorrow with a few other ingredients included that make this into one of the most incredibly tasty marinades you can imagine. I just had it last night on two marinated boneless pork chops with the remaining sauce over some rice and it was sheer perfection.

Note to trailing wife. You might want to consider trying the Sabaw ng Sinigang Philippine sour soup recipe I posted yesterday. The pork could be left out and it would still be very satisfying with all the other vegetables, fish and shellfish. I don't know if your dietary restrictions also declare shellfish to be ~~haram~~ trafe, but even with just some nice firm fish in it, this dish would still be quite tasty.

Nice to see you going whole hog for Ramadan there, mcsegeek1. Not that exJAG's four-speed pork pizza is something to ~~squeal~~ sneeze at.

Keep up the good work! We're averaging six recipes per day for a total of two dozen so far. If we maintain this pace, we'll have around 150 recipes by the end of Ramadan. Then I'll bust loose with another slough of non-pork recipes to keep things running with the "A Rantburg Holiday" series. Go Team Rantburg!

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-09-29 21:17|| 2006-09-29 21:17|| Front Page Top

#18 #14 Gunter --

" 'Twas the night before Ramadan, all thru the house, was pork marinading,
piggies were soused..."
Posted by: Grunter 2006-09-29 15:35

With no authority from anyone or any body, with powers bestowed to no one, I hereby accept this occasion to anoint you with the Rantburg Ramadan Carol of the Day.

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2006-09-29 23:27|| 2006-09-29 23:27|| Front Page Top

23:54 anon
23:53 JustAsking
23:51 anon
23:50 SR-71
23:50 trailing wife
23:48 Iblis
23:47 anon
23:42 Zenster
23:39 Classical_Liberal
23:32 Zenster
23:29 RD
23:27 Sherry
23:16 Zenster
23:10 Old Patriot
22:47 ed
22:36 ed
22:35 gorb
22:25 Ptah
22:25 JosephMendiola
22:25 Hyper
22:25 ed
22:21 Ptah
22:20 anon
22:19 Jackal