Poor Boy Steak

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I saw this recipe on Kami's blog, "No Biggie", and I knew I had to give it a try. The recipe was created by her mother, Debbie Markle,  who won first place for it at a beef cook-off  while she was still in high school. Kami uses her mother's marinade for an upgraded version of the recipe which swaps tri-tip steak for the pot roast used in the original dish.  I probably should change the name of the recipe because poor boy's don't eat tri-tip steak in this area of the country, but because I'm featuring the recipe exactly as it appeared on No Biggie, it didn't feel right to play with her title. There are a couple of things I wanted to share with you. You know that horrid orange French dressing that we hate to use. Well, I used it here because that is what would have been available at the time of her mother competed in the beef cook-off. I also swapped Heinz 57 Sauce for the ketchup to add extra flavor to the marinade. If you decide to give this recipe a try, remember that it needs to marinate for 24 hours before it is grilled. While it is not inexpensive to make, it is very easy to prepare. I'll be making this again, but the next time it surfaces in my rotation, I think I'll use a pot roast so I can compare the two versions. I do hope you give this recipe a try. Here is how Poor Boy Steak is made.

Sweet Barbecue Sauce

      

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the lovelier aspects of summer are those informal family picnics and barbecues that bring young and old together in a stress-free environment that everyone can enjoy. I always want the food for these occasions to be first rate, but I don't want to spend hours preparing it. In my lexicon fussing is a winter affair and I prefer to reserve the difficult and impressive meals for our winter get-togethers. Our family picnic and barbecue meal are simple and while there are generally lots of salads and side dishes, I try to serve just one main dish. That can require some finessing. The youngest at our table does not like spicy foods, so a barbecue necessitates at least two kinds of sauce to keep everyone happy. I found the recipe for this sweet barbecue sauce in Food and Wine magazine and it really is a perfect sauce for small children or adults who do not care for heat. The sauce, which is made from readily available ingredients, can be ready to use for basting in about an hour and it will keep for several days if refrigerated. If you like sweet sauces I think you'll love this one. Here is how this very simple sauce is made.

Sweet Barbecue Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until richly browned, about 20 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add ketchup, brown sugar, apple juice, lemon juice, ginger and molasses. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Season with salt.

One Year Ago Today: Sticky Chicken

Two years Ago Today: Sloppy Joes

Three years Ago Today: Hawaiian Banana Bread

Four Years Ago Today: Morning Glory Petal Bread

Oven-Barbecued Buttermilk Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this is a ridiculously easy recipe, it's surprisingly tasty and everyone who has tried these chops really seems to enjoy them. The base recipe feeds 6 people. If you need more than six chops, the recipe directions will remain the same, but you will need a second heavy skillet in which to cook the overflow. I use an Asian barbecue sauce to glaze our chops, but any sauce, including a commercially prepared one, can be used to finish them.  Buttermilk should be the star here. It makes the chops remarkably tender and moist, and the sauce is almost superfluous if you keep the pork on the rare side.  Please don't overcook it.  When we are home, I serve the chops  with cheese scalloped potatoes, but limitations of the kitchen I'm working in, make mac n' cheese a better choice for dinner tonight. I really like chops cooked in this fashion. The technique is interesting and much like the one I use for thick-cut beef filets. It works for beef and it works for pork as well.  I think it is a great way to assure that meat is not overcooked. I hope you try these. Here's the recipe.

Oven-Barbecued Buttermik Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients: 

Chops

6 to 12 (1-1/4 inch thick) boneless pork chops
1 quart lowfat butter milk
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin  olive oil
Barbecue Sauce
1/3 cup miso
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup Korean chile paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Directions:
1) Lightly salt and pepper pork chops. Place chops in a single layer on bottom of a large, shallow baking pan. Cover chops with buttermilk and refrigerate over night, turning chops once or twice.
2) To make barbecue sauce: Whisk  miso, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, vinegar, chile paste, garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Transfer to a small pan and boil to thicken slightly. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate sauce until needed.
3) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drain chops and pat dry. Season both sides well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet until it shimmers. Add 6 pork chops to pan and cook over high heat until browned on bottom, turn chops and immediately transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until instant read thermometer registers 135 degrees F. Brush chops with sauce and glaze under broiler for a minute or two to set. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Two Years Ago Today: Coconut Bubble Tea

Three Years Ago Today: Pink Lemonade

Korean Barbecue Chicken

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had some wonderful food this weekend, bested only by new photos of our younger grandsons. They are as cute as they look and the food, while not as photogenic, was really delicious. Yesterday, I mentioned that the Silver Fox made a special Father's Day request for Korean barbecued chicken. I was happy to comply. We have a small but affluent Korean community in town and there are several excellent restaurants that cater to their tastes. We often frequent them, in part to learn, but mainly because the food is so fresh and tasty. That's how I learned about Korean barbecued chicken. It was love at first bite and I was determined to attempt a reasonable facsimile of it in my kitchen. I've tried several times, but haven't been able to duplicate it. However, in the course of my kitchen trials I came up with a barbecue sauce that is sweet, hot and so delicious that it might cure the major ills of the 21st century. The sauce is very easy to make, though it uses a hot chile paste that may be hard for some of you to find. If you are unable to find Korean chile paste, called gochujang, in your local Asian market or on-line, use three to four tablespoons of Sriracha in its stead. While this recipe uses boned chicken thighs, the bone-in variety can also be used. I like to marinate the chicken for at least 8 hours, so, while the chicken is quick to assemble, some advanced planning and wait time are involved. I use the outdoor grill at this time of year, but a grill pan or broiler can also be used to cook the chicken. I really hope you will this recipe. The barbecue sauce is outstanding and I know you will enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Korean Barbecue Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/3 cup  miso
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup Korean chile paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
8 to 12 large boneless chicken thighs
Vegetable oil, for brushing

Directions:
1)  Whisk  miso, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, vinegar, chile paste, garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Put  chicken in a large, shallow dish, add half of the marinade and turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Refrigerate the remaining marinade.
2) Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Remove  chicken from  marinade and brush with oil. Grill chicken over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3) Brush chicken with reserved marinade.  Grill for about 2 minute per side, until glazed.Yield: 4 to 6 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Strawberry Orange Smoothie


















Two Years Ago Today: Lemon Anise Churros

















Three Years Ago Today: Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Not Your Mama's Macaroni Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was asked to make some old-fashioned salads for a party this weekend. The request made me smile. Years ago, potluck suppers and luncheons were more common than they are today. Most women were still at home and operating their households on budgets that would make lesser women weep. That greatly affected the type of food they could bring to these affairs. Salads, particularly macaroni and the ubiquitous three bean, were odds on favorites and you could count on at least several people bringing them to any function you attended. Now, I have nothing against these salads, save for the fact I ate a lot of them as a child and young woman. Having tired of them myself, I assumed the immediate world shared my fatigue and would prefer other salad offerings. The world and I are apparently not in sync with each other. This weekend's request is proof positive that we grow too soon old and too late smart, or at least I have grow too soon old and too late smart. So, macaroni salad it is. I decided to make a version popularized by Cook's Country magazine several years ago. The dressing in this version contains some heat and barbecue sauce has been added to the mayonnaise that binds the salad ingredients together. It is quite nice and the salad works well with hamburgers and plain grilled meats and poultry. It is easy and inexpensive to make and I thought those of you not suffering from macaroni fatigue might like to give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Barbecued Macaroni Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Cook's Country

Ingredients:
Table salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
4 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
2/3 to 1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain once more, briefly, so that pasta is still moist; transfer to large bowl.
2) Stir in bell pepper, celery, scallions, vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and barbecue sauce and let sit until salad is no longer watery, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Check seasonings before serving.) Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Asian-Style Noodles with Snow Peas, Cucumbers and Peanuts

Two Years Ago Today: The Last Best Egg Cream in New Jersey

Three Years Ago Today: Lemon and Blueberry Sweet Bread

Blueberry Salsa and Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

This is an unplanned post, but yesterday's barbecue produced some nice surprises. I was experimenting with a mop sauce and salsa to go with grilled lamb. I wanted something a little out of the ordinary and I had blueberries that were rapidly aging and would soon be fit only for the compost pile. The prime directive of old cooks is use it or lose it, so it was only natural to work with the berries. Thirty minutes later I had another variation of sauce and salsa for summer barbecues. Not only did they work, they worked well. So, I have a couple of more recipes for you. I hope you'll try these afterthoughts. They're PDG.

Blueberry Salsa
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups blueberries, stemmed and washed
1 large Bartlet pear, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely mined
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Coarsely chop 1 cup blueberries ( food processor may be used). Combine chopped blueberries, 1/2 cup whole blueberries, pear, onion, bell pepper, Jalapeno, lime juice, honey, oregano, garlic salt and cilantro in a small bowl. Serve shilled or at room temperatur. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tomato catsup
1/4 cup blueberry sauce or melted blueberry jelly
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine catsup, sauce, vinegar, worcestershire, sriracha, liquid smoke and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 3/4 cup sauce.