Birch Island Pork Shoulder Rub and Sauce (plus ribs)

Servings: 8
Preheat: 225
Prep Time: Overnight brine, then 6 hours on the grill
Source: Birch Island Friends of Norman and Carol

One 7 lb pork shoulder butt feeds ~12 people. The bone-in cut is best.

Spare ribs come from the the belly of the pig – where bacon comes from. Because they’re larger and tougher than baby backs they take longer and are more of a challenge to cook. However, they also have more meat than baby backs and more fat marbling which makes them more flavorful. The fact that they’re a greater test of grillmanship and they deliver more flavor makes them the rib of choice with people on the profession barbecue circuit. St. Louis cut ribs – also known as Kansas City cut ribs – are merely spare ribs with the rib tips cut off. Removal of the tips makes the rib slab more attractive and helps it to cook more evenly.

Place 4-5 coals on each side of grill for indirect cooking. Place a drip pan under the grate between the mounds of coals. Add fresh charcoal every hour or as needed to maintain 225 degrees. Grill slowly, or the rub will burn.

Ingredients: 

Brine:
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup kosher salt
4 quarts water

Rub (makes enough for several butts or ribs):
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Paprika
3 TBS Salt
2 TBS Coarse Black Pepper
2 TBS Granulated Garlic (1 TBS if powdered)
2 TBS Granulated Onion (1 TBS if powdered)
2 TBS Chili Powder
2 tsp Chipotle Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Ground Mustard

Sauce:
1 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Pepper
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Lemon Juice
4 TBS Worcestershire
2 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 TBS Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper – (optional)

6 to 8 pound pork shoulder or 3 racks of spare ribs

Directions: 

Pork Shoulder: Plan for overnight brining and 1 hour grilling per pound. But always allow more time than you think you’ll need.

Heat 1 quart of water and add molasses and salt, stirring until completely dissolved. Add remaining 3 quarts of water and let cool before submerging meat in large stock pot or brine bag. Add pork and brine 12-24 hours.

Remove meat from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application. Keep meat away from coals, or the sugar in the rub will burn.

If your intention is to serve the pork sliced, you can remove it from the grill when it reaches an internal temperature of 170 to 180 degrees F. If you want to chop or “pull” the pork (tear it into meaty shreds), the internal temperature must be between 190 and 200 degrees F. Anything less, and the collagen and connective tissue will not have broken down sufficiently. Insert the temperature probe of an instant-read meat thermometer in several places to ensure doneness. Shred pork when cool enough to handle, discarding skin, fat, and charred meat. Before serving, heat sauce and mix into pork.

Pork Ribs: Plan for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Grill ribs for 3 hours bone-side down if you can keep the grill at 225°, or 2 hours at higher temperatures.

Wrap them in foil and grill, bone-side up, for 30 to 60 minutes. You can an extra special touch here by pouring a cup of apple cider or juice into the foil packet.

Unwrap them and grill for 30 more minutes bone-side down.

Finally, add your sauce and move the ribs to the hottest part of the grill and remove when the sugars have caramelized and you have a nice pasty coating with crisp spots – not more than 20 minutes

Cumin Roasted Carrots and Meyer Lemon

Servings: 6
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 1-hour
Source: http://www.athoughtforfood.net/blog/roasted-carrots-with-cumin-and-meyer-lemon

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 – 2 lbs of carrots (or approximately 10 medium-sized), peeled
1 Meyer lemon cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, seeds removed
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, toss the carrots with four tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add the sliced Meyer lemon and toss with the carrots.

3. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt over the carrots and lemon slices.

4. Roast for 20 minutes.

5. Rotate carrots and flip lemon slices, and season with another sprinkle of salt. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until carrots are golden brown.

6. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Finish with Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Lemony Almond Macaroons

Servings: 25 cookies
Preheat: 325
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Source: Real Simple, April 2009

A delicious light cookie
Great for Passover

Ingredients: 

1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg whites

Directions: 

Heat oven to 325° F.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut, almonds, sugar, lemon zest, and salt.
Mix in the egg whites- (whisk them- per Carol).
Drop mounds of the mixture (each equal to 2 tablespoons) onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart.
Bake, switching the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 
Source: Fine Cooking, Issue 118

Great summer salad

Ingredients: 

2 oz. lightly packed baby arugula (about 2 cups)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1-1/2 cups large-diced seedless watermelon
1 medium or 3 mini unwaxed cucumbers, halved or quartered lengthwise, seeded if necessary, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3 oz. feta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

Put the arugula, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, feta, and basil in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.

Chocolate and Raisin-Walnut Babka

babka

Servings: Makes 2 – 9 inch Babkas
Preheat: 375
Prep Time: ACTIVE: 1 HR 15 MIN TOTAL TIME: 6 HR ( Overnight Resting)
Source: Food and Wine, January 2016

These babkas are from pastry chef Melissa Weller at Sadelle’s in New York City. You can split the dough in two and make one as chocolate and the other as raisin-walnut but be sure to halve each of the filling recipes. The babkas are sweet enough without the glazes.

Note that the raisin-walnut babka may need more time in the over than does the chocolate recipe, as the filling is moist.

Ingredients: 

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH
4 cups all-purpose flour, preferably King Arthur
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 cup whole milk, warmed
1 packet dry active yeast
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

CHOCOLATE FILLING
9 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons honey

RAISIN-WALNUT FILLING
3 cups golden raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 cup dark raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

RAISIN-WALNUT GLAZE
1 stick unsalted butter
6 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions: 

MAKE THE DOUGH In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk with the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and sprinkle the dry ingredients on top. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix at medium speed until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add all of the butter at once and mix at low speed until it is fully incorporated and a tacky dough forms, about 3 minutes; scrape down the side of the bowl as needed during mixing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and coat the paper generously with nonstick baking spray. Scrape the dough out onto the parchment paper and cut the dough in half. Pat each piece into a neat square. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

MAKE THE FILLING (see note about halving above)
Chocolate: In a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt both chocolates with the butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the cookie crumbs and honey.
Raisin-Walnut: Combine all of the ingredients except the dark raisins and walnuts in a food processor and puree until smooth.

ASSEMBLE, RISE, AND BAKE
Coat two 9-by-4-inch loaf pans with nonstick baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on each of the long sides.

Roll out each square of dough to a 16-inch square. Using an offset spatula, spread all but 1/2 (or 1/4 if halving) cup of the filling in an even layer over the dough squares to within 1/2 inch of the edges. If making the raisin-walnut, sprinkle the dough evenly with the dark raisins and toasted walnuts. Starting at the long edge nearest you, tightly roll up each dough square jelly roll–style into a tight log.

Using a sharp knife, cut the logs in half crosswise. Using an offset spatula, spread 1/4 cup of the reserved filling on the top and sides of 2 of the halves. Set the other halves on top in the opposite direction to form a cross. Twist to form spirals and transfer to the prepared pans. Cover the with a towel and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the loaves in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, until puffed and well browned. Let cool slightly, then use the parchment paper to lift the babkas out of the pans and onto a rack set over a baking sheet. Discard the paper.

MAKE THE GLAZE
Chocolate: In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt both chocolates with the butter; stir until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup. Spread the glaze on top of the warm babkas and let stand until set, about 30 minutes.
Raisin-walnut: In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Spread the glaze on the warm babkas and let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

Meatballs (Polpettine)

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Source: The Classic Italian Cookbook, Marcella Hazan

NOTE
The meatballs can be prepared entirely ahead of time and refrigerated for several days.

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup milk
1 slice firm, fine-quality white bread, crust removed
1 pound lean beef, preferably from the neck, ground
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 egg
A tiny pinch of nutmeg or marjoram
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper, 3 to 4 twists of the mill
Fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs
1 cup canned Italian tomatoes, cut up, with their juice

Directions: 

Put the milk and the bread in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mash the bread with a fork and blend it uniformly into the milk. Set aside and let cool before proceeding with the next step.

In a mixing bowl put the chopped meat, onion, parsley, egg, nutmeg or marjoram, grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of oil, the bread and milk mush, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Mix everything thoroughly but gently by hand.

Gently, without squeezing, shape the mixture into small round balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the meatballs lightly in the bread crumbs.

Choose a skillet, large enough to hold all the meatballs in a single layer, with a cover. Pour in oil until it is ¼ inch deep. Turn on the heat to medium high, and when the oil is quite hot slip in the meatballs. (Sliding them in with a broad spatula is a good way of doing it. Dropping them in will splatter hot oil over you and your kitchen floor.) Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so that they don’t break up or stick to the pan.

When well browned turn off the heat, tip the pan slightly, and remove as much of the fat that floats to the surface as you can with a spoon. Turn on the heat to medium, add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and 34 teaspoon of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice with care, so that they don’t break up. Cover the skillet and cook until the tomato has thickened into sauce, about 25 minutes. While cooking, turn the meatballs over from time to time, and taste for salt.

The Best Sticky Bun Recipe

Servings: 8
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 3 hours prep. Place sticky buns in refrigerator overnight and bake in the AM
Source: The Food Lab: Better Cooking Through Science

Delicious

Filling: only mix sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter and spread on dough

Note on preparing in the PM and baking in the AM
Note from the author on baking in the AM: Being a night owl and a late riser, I like to prepare the buns and let them rise overnight in the fridge so all I have to do is bake them off in the morning. To do so, place the buns in the refrigerator immediately after covering them in step 6 and allow to rise for at least 6 hours, and up to 12. The next day, remove the buns from the fridge while the oven preheats, then proceed as directed.

Ingredients: 

Makes 12 sticky buns

For the Dough
3 large eggs
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons kosher or 1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
20 ounces (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the Pecan-Caramel Sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons buttermilk
4 ounces (about 1 cup) toasted pecans coarsely chopped
Pinch of kosher salt

For the Filling
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions: 

1. Make the dough: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until homogeneous. Add the brown sugar, buttermilk, salt, yeast, and melted butter and whisk until homogeneous (the mixture may clump up a bit—this is OK). Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a cohesive ball of dough forms.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, or until completely homogeneous, smooth, and silky. Return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise at room temperature until roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

3. Make the pecan-caramel sauce: Cook the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk, pecans, and salt and stir to combine, then pour the mixture evenly over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish.

4. Make the filling: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Roll out the dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly flour it. Shape into a rough rectangle with your hands and then, using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle about 16 inches long and 12 inches wide, with a short end toward you. Brush with the melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture and spread it with your hands until the buttered portion is evenly coated. Roll the dough up jelly-roll-style into a tight cylinder, using a bench scraper as necessary to assist you. Pinch the seam shut and turn the dough so that it’s seam side down. Use your hands to even out its shape.

6. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 even slices: The easiest way to do this is to cut it in half, cut each half in half, and then cut each section into thirds. Nestle the 12 rolls with the swirl pattern facing up in the prepared baking dish, making sure the slices from the ends of the log go cut side down. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until roughly doubled in volume, about 2 hours (for overnight instructions, see Note above). The rolls should be well puffed and pressed tightly against each other.

7. While the dough is rising, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the buns are golden brown and well puffed, about 30 minutes, rotating the dish once. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then invert the buns onto a serving platter; scrape out any excess goo from the pan and spoon over the buns.

Oven Ribs, Even Better

Servings: 4
Preheat: 200
Prep Time: 6 hours
Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/06/oven-ribs-even-better/

… I’ve been tweaking my dry rub recipe almost as long as I’ve been making it, and I think this summer, I finally got it where I wanted it — with the shortest and I hope most balanced ingredient list to date. I still make them the way Harold MacGee taught us in 2010: tightly wrapped in foil packets in the oven for many hours, but I’ve also found a lot of flexibility in the cooking time, so you can make the recipe work for you, even if you don’t have 6 hours to wait it out. At the time, I lamented that I couldn’t make them on a real outdoor grill or smoker. These days, even if I had one, I don’t even think I’d bother when they’re so low-maintenance and perfectly cooked, every time, from the oven.

For 1 5-pound rack spare ribs; we estimate about a pound of ribs per person. We tripled this recipe for our first ribs party this summer, doubled it for our second. Makes about 1 cup rub per rack. (This is a thick coating and we prefer it this way.)

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika (sweet, hot or smoked, whichever variety you prefer)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond brand, which is very lightweight; for most others, use 1 1/4 tablespoons; more about why here)
Chipotle powder or ground red pepper (cayenne) to taste
As many cranks of freshly ground black pepper as your arm is in for
1 5-pound rack spare ribs

To finish: 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions: 

Tools: If you can find it, a wide roll of heavy-duty foil makes the racks much easier to wrap up. You’ll also want a large rack (cooking cooling sheets, so long as they’re metal and thus ovensafe, are just fine) and a large baking sheet per rack of ribs.

Heat oven to 200°F.* In a medium bowl, combine all of the spices and seasonings. On a piece of foil large enough to wrap around your ribs, place rack of ribs, meatier side up. Sprinkle half of spice rub over rack, patting it on generously, including the sides. Carefully — it can help have a second person hold the foil down while you lift the rack — flip the rack of ribs back onto the foil so that they’re now meatier side down. Pat on remaining rub. Tightly fold the foil to seal packets.

Set a metal rack (a cookie cooling sheet works well here) over a baking sheet and place foil-wrapped ribs on top. Bake for 4 hours, then reduce temperature to 175°F for 2 more hours, or until a fork easily penetrates the meat.

Open packet of ribs very carefully and pour accumulated juices into a saucepan. I find this easiest with one person lifting/tilting ribs packet and the other one snipping a corner and making sure the juices only go where you want them to. Bring the saucepan to a full boil and reduce the mixture until it becomes thicker, syrupy and will coat a spoon — usually by at least half. Stir in vinegar. This is the “barbecue sauce” for those that like it on their ribs; it will be fairly salty and I always warn people to use it judiciously.

Meanwhile, cut the ribs apart and spread them on a serving tray. For extra caramelization, you can spread them back on their baking sheet (sans rack) and run them under the broiler for a couple minutes.

Serve ribs with sauce on the side.

* Let’s talk about timing: These cooking times and temperatures, laid out by the great Harold McGee, require 6 hours. But, real life ensures that I always start them late, and while “low and slow” is the barbecue bible for a reason — you’re always going to get the best meat from the longest gentlest cooking times — you’d be pretty amazed by the results of even 3-hour ribs. Long cooking times are not an exact science. As with humans, heh, some ribs are meatier than others and will take longer. Regardless, if you’re looking for guidelines, here are some other time and temperature combinations that have worked for us in the past:

2 1/2 to 3 hours at 300°F.
3 1/2 to 4 hours at 250°F.
4 hours at 225°F

We’ve also fiddled with combinations, such as a higher temperature at the beginning, and then, upon realizing they’d be ready sooner than we’d need them, turning them down to 175°F for the remaining time. And vice-versa, starting with the low temperatures in the original recipe, and realizing at the 4 hour mark, they were coming along too slowly and finishing them at 300°F. I hope these extra options make it easier, and not more confusing, to make yours at home.

Rich Turkey Gravy

Servings: 8 Cups
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 
Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rich-turkey-gravy-231006

This recipe makes a generous amount of gravy — we find you can never have enough.

Ingredients: 

Roasting pan with pan juices from a roast turkey (about 14 lb)
Unsalted butter (less than 1 stick), melted, if turkey drippings yield less than 1/2 cup fa
About 9 cups hot brown turkey stock
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions: 

Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off fat and reserve. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into a 2-quart measure, and reserve fat left in separator.) If there is less than 1/2 cup reserved fat, add melted butter.
Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 8 cups liquid (2 quarts). Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup of remaining stock and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute. Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure with stock.
Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add hot stock with pan juices in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer gravy 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Frisée Salad with Oranges & Pistachios

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 30 minutes – 2 people
Source: by Eva Katz from Fine Cooking Issue 62

wonderful light salad

Ingredients: 

1 large or 2 small heads frisée, rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
2 navel oranges or blood oranges
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
3 Tbs. finely diced red onion
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted

Directions: 

Put the frisée in a large salad or mixing bowl. Finely grate the zest of one of the oranges into a small bowl. Slice the skin from both oranges and cut the orange sections away from the dividing membranes; put the sections in another bowl.

Add the vinegar, honey, and onion to the zest, whisk in the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add just enough of the dressing to the frisée to coat it lightly. Mound the frisée on four salad plates, scraping any red onion remaining in the bowl over the frisée. Arrange the orange slices on top, scatter with the pistachios, and serve immediately.