Sweet-Sour Spareribs

 

This is one of my favorite dishes, using the recipe my mother used whenever she prepared this dish for me when I came home from college or for a visit with my young family.

I make it often, mostly substituting chicken for the pork spareribs. But whenever I find soft-bone spareribs on sale, I buy a few pounds and indulge in this most tasty and addicting dish. This recipe tastes extra good the next day, when the vinegar-pineapple tastes permeate into the vegetables.

 

Ingredients

 

• PORK SPARERIBS, 3 pounds, lean soft bone
• FLOUR, ¼ cup
• CANOLA OIL, ¼ cup
• DARK BROWN SUGAR, ¾ cup
• CIDER VINEGAR, ½ cup
• PINEAPPLE JUICE, 1 cup (+ optional ½ cup)
• SHOYU (SOY SAUCE), 2 tablespoons
• GARLIC, 2 cloves, crushed
• GINGER, 3 two-inch pieces, smashed
• SALT AND BLACK PEPPER, to taste
• ONION, 1 large, chopped in large pieces
• SWEET GREEN PEPPER, 1, chopped in large pieces
• CARROTS, 5 small (3 medium, or 2 large), in ¼-inch slices
• CELERY, 1 stalk, in ¼-inch pieces
• DAIKON (long white Japanese radish), 1 medium, sliced into thin "coins"
• PINEAPPLE CUBES, 1 can

 

Directions

 

1. Cut the individual ribs apart. Dredge the ribs in flour. Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven, and brown the ribs thoroughly.
2. Remove the ribs and drain on paper towel. Remove the fat and oil from the liquid in the pot.
3. Add brown sugar, vinegar and pineapple juice to pot, and bring to a boil. Add browned spareribs, salt and pepper, shoyu, garlic and ginger.
4. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer covered for one and a half hours, stirring often until meat is very tender.
5. (Optional: If possible, let cool, remove from pot, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove all visible fat from the pot. Add the optional ½ cup of pineapple juice to the pot before reheating the meat and gravy, to prevent the meat from sticking to the pot.)
6. Bring the pot back to a near-boil, then add the vegetables just before serving. Cook an additional 15 minutes.
7. Garnish with the pineapple chunks, and serve with steamed rice.

 

Trisha’s Skillet Apple Pie

This recipe is from the Food Network’s cooking show, Trisha’s Southern Kitchen, hosted by country singing star Trisha Yearwood (wife of Garth Brooks). It looked so easy that I just had to try it. If you like sweet Southern desserts, then this is the apple pie for you.

Her recipe calls for one can of apple pie filling, but I increased it to two, drained.

Unfortunately, my cast iron skilled is a 12-incher, which proved too big for this recipe. So I ended up finishing it off in my regular deep-dish pie casserole.

I have to say it’s too sweet for my liking, and although using canned apple-pie filling makes everything a whole lot easier, the finished product is much too sweet. I miss the crunch you get when you use fresh apples.

Still, I like the butter and brown sugar concept at the bottom – it produces a crunchy bottom crust.

Ingredients

• UNSALTED BUTTER, ½ cup (1 stick)
• LIGHT BROWN SUGAR, 1 cup
• PIE CRUSTS (e.g.  Pillsbury ) 2
• APPLE PIE FILLING, Two 21-ounce cans
• CINNAMON SUGAR, 2 tablespoons

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; set aside 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for the top crust.
3. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and melt them together on medium heat, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and line the skillet with one of the pie crusts.
5. Pour the apple pie filling over the crust and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar. 
6. Use the second pie crust to cover the filling. Brush the top with the reserved melted butter, then evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar on top. Cut vents in the middle of the pie.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot, topped with a generous dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

• WHIPPING CREAM, 2 cups, chilled (I used Cool Whip, myself)
• GROUND CINNAMON, 1 teaspoon
• SUGAR, 4 tablespoons

1. Chill a large metal mixing bowl and a wire beater attachment in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
2. Pour the cream, cinnamon and sugar into the cold mixing bowl and beat 2-3 minutes until soft peaks form.

Beef with Snow Peas

I got the basic recipe for this from the cooking show, “The Pioneer Woman” hosted by Ree Drummond on Food Network. It looked scrumptious when she made it, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Actually, I’ve made something like this before – Teriyaki beef slices with Chinese peas – so this dish was familiar and easy. Plus, I had a bottle of homemade teriyaki sauce on hand (my wife’s family’s delicatessen recipe, which you can find elsewhere on this blog).

Consequently, I used our teriyaki sauce, augmenting it with sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch and minced ginger … all of which gave the sauce an extra zing. Ree added in some chili pepper flakes at the end to give it some pop, but my family isn’t into spicy, so I left it out. Instead, I sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds over the completed dish.

Anyway, here’s her recipe, which I basically followed, changing the flank steak into an 8-ounce filet mignon instead.

Ingredients

• FLANK STEAK, 1 to 1½ pounds, sliced very thin against the grain
• SOY SAUCE, ½ cup, low sodium
• SHERRY, 3 tablespoons
• BROWN SUGAR, 2 tablespoons
• CORNSTARCH, 2 tablespoons
• GINGER, minced or grated, 1 tablespoon
• FRESH SNOW PEAS, 8 ounces
• GREEN ONIONS (SCALLIONS), 5, cut into half-inch pieces on the diagonal
• OLIVE OIL, 3 tablespoons
• SALT (as needed)

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger in a bowl.
2. Pour half the marinade over all of the steak slices and toss. Reserve the other half.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add the snow peas and stir-fry for about a minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Reheat the pan, then, using tongs, add in half the meat mixture, along with half the scallions.
5. Stir-fry the meat, spreading it out. Transfer to a plate.
6. Repeat with the other half of the meat, then add the previously cooked meat, along with the snow peas.
7. Stir-fry over high heat for about 30 seconds to a minute, then turn off the heat. The mixture will thicken as it sits, because of the cornstarch.
8. Serve over steamed rice.

Brined Pork Chops

My pork chops used to be a disaster — over cooked, dry and chewy. And then, several years ago, I discovered brining. Elementary, my dear Watson. And voila! Vastly improved pork shops.

Ingredients (Brine)

• WATER, about 3 cups or so
• KOSHER SALT, 3 tablespoons
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS, 1/2 teaspoons or so
• BAY LEAF, 1 or 2

Directions (Brine)

1. Pour the water into a container large enough to hold your pork chops.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water.
3. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves, and mix well.
4. Dunk the pork chops in the brine (make sure they're fully immersed).
5. Refrigerate for an hour or more.

Ingredients (Chops)

• PORK CHOPS, 4, bone-in if possible.
• OLIVE OIL
• SALT and PEPPER

Directions (Chops)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, along with a cast iron or oven-safe skillet.
2. Pat the chops dry, coat them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully take the skillet out of the oven and put on a medium-hot burner on the stove.
4. Brown one side of the pork chops (about 3 minutes), then flip and transfer the skillet to the oven.
5. Roast for 6 to 10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
6. Remove from skillet, cover with foil, and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

English Muffin Pizza

 

I’ve always wanted to do this, but for some reason it seemed too easy to do and I kept putting it off because in my head, I always thought “I can do this any time I want to,” which as you know, never happens.

Finally got my act together. And I was right … it’s so easy.

Ingredients

• ENGLISH MUFFINS, cut in half, as many as you want
• BUTTER
• MARINARA SAUCE, about a cup, heated
• SAUSAGE, 1 large (Italian, breakfast, summer, your choice), sliced thin
• MARINATED ARTICHOKES, chopped, as many as you want
• MOZZARELLA CHEESE, shredded

Directions

1. Toast the English muffins and butter the cut side.
2. Spoon on about 2-3 tablespoons of marinara sauce.
3. Layer some of the artichoke hearts on top.
4. Lay 2-3 sausage slices on top of the artichokes.
5. Cover generously with mozzarella cheese.
6. Toast in a broiler oven until the mozzarella is bubbly.

The Kitchen Is Smaller Now

Oct. 4, 2015 update:

The "Kitchen Craig" blog has slimmed down, with a change in the posting schedule and frequency as well.

All non-recipe articles have been removed, leaving 94 recipes on-site. Posting will be sporadic from now on, and only when I have a new recipe to share.

Mozzarella Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Here’s a dish I threw together for dinner one night; we just happened to have the right ingredients. I have to say it was a big hit.

Ingredients

• BACON, 4 slices, cut into lardons
• ONION, ½ sweet, chopped
• OLIVE OIL, 1 tablespoon
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons
• MARINARA SAUCE, about 1 cup
• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, about 1 cup
• MUSHROOMS, white, 8 ounces, cut in half.
• JAPANESE PANKO BREADING, about ½ cup
• CANOLA OIL, 1 cup
• CHICKEN, 4 thighs boned, skin on
• GARLIC SALT, to taste
• MOZZARELLA CHEESE, 1 cup, shredded

Directions

1. First, make the sauce in a sauce pan. Fry the bacon in the olive oil and butter until almost crisp, then add the onions.
2. Add the marinara sauce (I used jarred sauce available at the supermarket, drop the heat to medium low, and allow to bubble.
3. Boil or steam the Brussels sprouts, and when about ¾ done, add to the sauce, along with the mushrooms, for about an hour.
4. Prep the chicken while the sauce is simmering. Cut the chicken thighs into 3-4 pieces each.
5. Heat the Canola oil in a deep-sided pan. (Now is a good time to transfer the sauce to a wide casserole dish.)
6. Season the chicken pieces with garlic salt, then cover with panko breading. Deep fry them in small batches. Remove when they turn a golden grown, and drain on a paper towel.
7. When all the chicken is cooked, arrange on top of the sauce in the casserole dish.
8. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and broil uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
9. Serve with pasta or rice.