Smoked Salmon (Using a Smoker)

 Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

• Salmon with skin on
• Maple syrup for basting
• Brine:
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix the brine ingredients together and place brine and fish in a non-reactive container, cover and put in the fridge. Cure at least four hours but not more than 48 hours. 
2. Take fish out of the brine and pat it dry. Set fish skin side down on wire rack over cookie sheet. Let fish dry overnight in the fridge.
3. Slick the skin side of the fish with some oil so it won't stick to the smoker. Smoke very low between 140 degrees F and 150 degrees for an hour. You can then finish at 175 for an hour or two. 
4. After an hour in the smoker, baste the fish with syrup and repeat every hour. This will also brush away the albumin that might form. You want the fish to be 140 degrees.

 

Chicken tikka masala

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marinade:

• 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces (I used one pork tenderloin)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili (or 1/2 teaspoon ground red chili powder) (I used cayenne)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable/canola oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 small onions (or 1 large onion) finely diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 14 oz (400g) tomato puree (tomato sauce/Passata)
• 1 teaspoon ground red chili powder (I used cayenne and it was pretty spicy)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups of heavy or thickened cream 
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (a little too sweet; add to taste instead)
• 1/4 cup water if needed
• 4 tablespoons Fresh cilantro or coriander to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 10 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
• Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
• Melt the butter in the same pan. Fry the onions until soft (about 3 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. 
• Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the tomato puree, chili powders and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
• Stir the cream and sugar through the sauce. Add the chicken and its juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.
• Garnish with cilantro (coriander) and serve with Naan bread

Ultimate Chili Mac

 Ultimate Chili Mac

Serves: 6   Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
Salt & Pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (can also use beef)

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

10 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until nearly al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.

Dry now empty pot, add oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in turkey and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in tomato puree, diced tomatoes and their juice, sugar, and 3/4 cup reserved cooking water. Cover pot partially (leaving about 1 inch of pot open) and simmer, stirring occasionally until flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. 

Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cooked pasta, breaking up any clumps, then stir in 1 cup cheese. Pour into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese over top.

Bake until bubbling around edges and cheese is spotty brown, about 15 minutes. Let casserole cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Potato & Cauliflower Curry (Aloo Gobi)

Potato & Cauliflower Curry (Aloo Gobi)

From Milk Street 

Start to finish: 45 minutes 

Servings: 4

Note: Don't cut the potatoes into chunks smaller than 1-inch or they will be overdone and mushy in the finished dish. And don't stir the vegetables while they roast; allowing them to cook undisturbed in the oven results in better browning.

Ingredients:
2- to 2-1/2 pound head cauliflower, trimmed, cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch florets
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
5 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

Heat the oven to 500 degrees F with a rack in the middle position. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower and potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle the cornstarch  and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper over the vegetables, then toss well. Distribute in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast without stirring until lightly browned and a knife inserted into a piece meets just a little resistance, about 15 minutes.

In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the turmeric, paprika, coriander, cayenne, sugar, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the cauliflower-potato mixture and toss to coat. Stir in 2 cups water, cover and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has thickened and the vegetables are fully tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Smashed Burgers

From Cooks Illustrated

Do not use a stainless-steel or nonstick skillet. You can use 85 percent lean ground beef, but 90 percent lean will produce a dry burger. Open a window or turn on your exhaust fan before cooking. Be assertive when pressing the patties. Use Kraft singles here for their meltability. Once the burgers are cooked, transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, adding cheese to the burgers and keep warm in a 200-degree oven. Place on buns right before serving.

Sauce (for 2 burgers):
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles plus 1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup
1/8 teaspoon peppper

Burgers (four double patty burgers):
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired
1 pound (16 ounces) 80 percent lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 slices American cheese

1. FOR THE SAUCE: stir all the ingredients together in a bowl. (make sure shallot and pickles and finely chopped/minced).

2. FOR THE BURGERS: Divide beef into 8 equal pieces (2 ounces each); form into loose, rough balls (do not compress). Place oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Use paper town to rub oil into bottom of skillet (reserve paper towel). Heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. While skillet heats, wrap bottom and sides of small saucepan with large sheet of aluminum foil, wrapping foil around the upper rim of the saucepan, and place large plate next to cooktop.

3. Increase heat to high. When skillet begins to smoke, place 3 balls of beef about 3 inches apart in skillet. Use bottom of prepared saucepan to firmly smash each ball until 4 inches in diameter and thin. Place saucepan on plate next to cooktop. Sprinkle patties with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook until at least three-quarters of each patty is no longer pink on top, about 2 minutes (patties will stick to skillet - this is good and means that they have made full contact with pan and browned uniformly). Use thin metal spatula to loosen patties from skillet. Flip patties and cook for 15 seconds. Slide skillet off heat. Transfer 1 burger to each bun bottom and top with 1 slice of cheese. Gently scrape browned bits from skillet and return to heat (add more oil if needed). Repeat with the remaining beef balls. Spread sauce on bun tops and serve immediately.

Instant Pot Carnitas

I haven't made a recipe in a while that got inhaled by the girls as fast as this one!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

From Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lb. skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston Butt), cut into 2" pieces
• 2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, stems removed
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• RECIPE PREPARATION

  • Place pork, jalapeños, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, coriander, and cumin in Instant Pot. Toss with your hands until well combined. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
  • Release pressure manually. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a large bowl; fish out jalapeños and garlic and discard. Shred meat with two forks or your hands. Pour cooking liquid over meat and toss to combine.
  • Working in batches, transfer shredded pork to a large nonstick skillet set over high heat and cook, undisturbed, until underside is well browned, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until some of the edges are caramelized and crisp, 5–7 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm and moist.

  Notes:

I diced up the jalapeno and garlic cloves. Added a little splash of orange juice to the Instant Pot. Was worried there wasn't enough liquid but it turned out OK; lots of liquid left over. Cooked this an additional 10 minutes since after 35 minutes the pork didn't shred and seemed rubbery but was good after an additional 10 minutes. Cleaned all the fat off the pork before shredding. Didn't use all the liquid after it cooked but using a slotted spoon pulled out most of the cooked jalapenos and garlic along with some liquid (the fat in the liquid helps when browning the pork).

Everyone ate this differently: in a bean and cheese burrito, in a sandwich, in a taco, and also layered on top of a tostada.

Paprika-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Paprika-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin 

From Milk Street Tuesday Nights

Note: I made this with just one tenderloin and halved the recipe for the sauce but the sauce was so good I would make the entire sauce recipe even with one tenderloin.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Two 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed of silver ski and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons neutral oil (I used canola)
6 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons honey
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons salted butter, chilled and cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Recipe Note: Don't add all the butter at once to the pan sauce. Swirling it in one piece at a time creates an emulsified sauce that's glossy and full-bodied. If the sauce breaks and the butter separates, drizzle in a few drops of water while swirling the pan until the sauce once again becomes shiny and emulsified.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees with rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, mix together both paprikas, the thyme, and 2 teaspoons salt. Add the pork, turn to coat, and massage into the meat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

In an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the center of the thickest piece reaches 135 degrees F, or just slightly pink when cut into, 9 to 12 minutes.

Using an oven mitt, transfer the skillet from the oven to the stovetop. Transfer the pork to a large plate, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the garlic to the skillet (I had to add a bit more oil at this point) and cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the honey and stir until it slightly darkens, about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth and simmer until reduced and thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Add the vinegar, and simmer for 30 seconds. Add the butter once piece at a time, swirling the pan to emulsify the sauce before adding more butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cut the tenderloins crosswise into thin slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce over the pork.

I served it with roasted broccoli and buttered egg noodles.