Monday 18 May 2015

Grilled Steak Kabobs


GRILLED STEAK KEBABS










INGREDIENTS
         1/2 cup olive oil
         1/2 cup soy sauce
         3 cloves garlic, minced
         1 teaspoon black pepper
         2 pounds sirloin steak, cut in 1-inch cubes
         1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1-inch pieces
         1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1-inch pieces
         1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1-inch pieces
         1 red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
         8 (12-inch) metal skewers

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and pepper.
Add the cubed sirloin steak to marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Once the meat has marinated, thread it onto the skewers alternating with pieces of bell pepper and red onion.
Grill kebabs over medium heat, turning often, until all sides of the meat is well brown and vegetables are tender. (About 12 to 15 minutes)
Serve and enjoy!   Serves 4-8




Sunday 17 May 2015






Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade    
                                 BBQ Sauce, & Cole Slaw

1 boneless pork butt, about 4 lbs.
3 Tblsp. Dark brown sugar
4 Tblsp. Essence, recipe follows
1 Tblsp. Salt
1 Tblsp. Cumin
1 Tblsp. Paprika
1 Tblsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tblsp. cayenne pepper


Wet Mop Basting Sauce, recipe follows
Homemade Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
8 sandwich buns or hamburger buns
Kicked Up Cole Slaw, recipe follows

Place the pork in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine the sugar, Essence , salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the seasoning evenly over the pork to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat an oven or smoker to 225 degrees F.

Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a roasting pan, fat side up.  Slow cook in the oven, basting with the wet mop basting sauce every 45 min., until tender and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (The cooking should take about 6 to 7 hours.)  Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 – 30 min.

With a knife and fork or two forks, pull the meat apart into small slices or chunks.  Toss with the barbecue sauce, to taste.
and divide among the hamburger buns.  Top with the coleslaw.  Serve with the fried pickles and additional BBQ sauce on the side.


Essence Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch                                      
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Wet Mop Basting Sauce:

1 c. white vinegar
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 Tblsp. Dark brown sugar
1 Tblsp. Red pepper flakes
1 Tblsp. Cracked black pepper
1 Tblsp. Salt
The night before you cook the pork, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk will.  Refrigerate and let the flavors blend overnight.

Barbecue Sauce:

1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 c. ketchup
3 Tblsp. Packed dark brown sugar
1 Tblsp. Yellow mustard
1 Tblsp. Molasses
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
In a bowel, combine all the ingredients and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.  Place in a squeeze bottle and dress the putlled pork sandwiches to taste







Plain Pulled Pork
 Pulled Pork with BBQ sauce drizzled on
Pulled Pork with BBQ sauce mixed in,
& the Cole Slaw

The Cole Slaw gets slapped on top of the Pulled Pork

O.K., so I left my bun on the BBQ a little longer than I should have.
So delicious anyway!



Cole Slaw:


3/4   cup mayonnaise
1/4   cup Dijon mustard
1/4   cup packed light brown sugar
3       tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2       tablespoons buttermilk
4       teaspoons celery seeds
1       teaspoon salt
1/4    teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8    teaspoon cayenne
3       cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)
3       cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)
1       green bell pepper, finely diced
1       large carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2   cup grated yellow onion
1/4   cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, buttermilk, celery seeds, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Toss with the dressing until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Place in the refrigerator, covered, to chill slightly before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2001









Tuesday 12 May 2015

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
1 cup of salted butter
3  teaspoons of vanilla
4 cups of icing sugar
4-5 tablespoons of  coffee cream (18% and up)

Trust me on this one and use salted butter. I haven’t come across a single buttercream icing recipe that uses salted, and I think that is what made the difference.  Salt and sweet are a match made in heaven. You want salt in this icing.

Whip that butter, with a paddle beater if you have it, if not, don’t worry.

Add in the icing sugar. 

Add in the cream. Not milk, cream. Perhaps this is another reason why it worked out so well.  So…to make my long story short…I used cream and it rocked. I used 4 tablespoons for my preference, you adjust to what you want. Stiffer icing = less cream. 
Whippier buttercream icing = more cream.

Vanilla…. I used 3 teaspoons, again, you can try a little more if you like.
Then whip it…whip it gooooood! 
Lordy, and try not to eat it all before it makes it to the cake. 
Good luck with that.