Celebrations.com Virtual Memorial Day Potluck

Pork boneless back ribs. Pork country style boneless ribs, too. Oh, and a fantastic velvety, savory (and a little sweet) Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry Barbecue Sauce. Yeah, you know you want to taste them! All juicy and tender. Yes, let’s dig in.

Memorial Day is right around the corner! Are you planning your menus? I can’t say that I am yet. I’m always a last minute person. But Celebrations.com is holding a Virtual Memorial Day Potluck with appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, cocktails/beverages and desserts--so I’m sure you’ll find something that you’ll like! If you haven’t checked out Celebrations yet, you should! They have everything you’d need to think about for any celebration that comes up.

My contribution to the potluck is ribs--two kinds. We have the petite boneless pork back ribs, and the hefty boneless country style pork ribs. They’re priced reasonably, and kids love them, too. No bones to mess with. These ribs and the sauce I made got thumbs up from all four of my kids. They even wanted seconds!

The barbecue sauce is made with my favorite hard cider, Woodchuck. I used the Summer Cider for this sauce, which has a balance of cider and blueberry in it, so pairing it with fresh blueberries was a natural progression. The Summer Cider is seasonal, so if you can’t find it, go ahead and use any of the other varieties. The berries will still go beautifully with any of them. Let’s get to the recipes.

All Purpose Grilling and Smoking Rub

Makes about 1/2 cup, maybe a bit more.

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Kosher salt
2 1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
3 tsp Chinese Five Spice
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a small airtight container or zip top bag. Rub on pork, chicken or beef before grilling or smoking. (If you don’t have Chinese Five Spice, you can make your own: Combine equal parts Szechwan (or black) pepper, star anise (or anise), cinnamon, cloves, and fennel, all ground.)

To use on ribs, sprinkle some of the rub all over the ribs, and rub it in with your hands. Let the ribs sit with the rub on for a couple of hours or overnight. In the fridge!

Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Makes 3 cups. Set aside two hours total for simmering the sauce!

1 tbsp oil
4 shallots, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (12 oz) Woodchuck Summer Ciders
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen is ok, too)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp chili powder (the seasoning blend, not plain ground chilies)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the two bottles of cider and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium high and simmer (a good bubbling action, but not a rolling boil) for about 25 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients (blueberries through cinnamon). Stir well, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Keep it at a good simmer.

I don't have an immersion blender (I know! What am I waiting for?!) so I pureed the sauce in my blender. Do it in two batches. Hold a dish towel over the lid of the blender to catch any drips and also to hold the lid down. Puree half of the sauce for a few seconds until smooth, transfer to a bowl, and do the second half of the sauce, and add it to the already pureed sauce. It's really not as complicated as it may sound. Then again, if you have an immersion blender, it's even easier! Just get all the lumps out of the sauce--you want it velvety smooth.

Use immediately with your favorite grilled meats, or cool completely and store in the fridge.

• Don’t be scared by the ingredient list. It’s really very simple and comes together quickly.


• And homemade barbecue sauce? Hello! It’s fabulous. Your friends and family will all be impressed that you actually made it yourself, with no weird chemicals. This isn’t spicy, by the way. If you want, add some heat in whatever form you like.

To Cook The Ribs:

After you’ve rubbed the rub blend into the ribs and prepared the sauce, it’s time to cook.

We smoked the boneless back ribs for two hours total. They’re not very big, and rather small compared to the country style monster sized ribs! Cover with foil and set them aside while you wait for the other ribs to finish.

Smoke the larger country style ribs for 4-5 hours.

Get your grill ready--get the coals going and all that. When the coals ready to go, put all of the ribs on the grill and get some color and char on those babies. They don’t need much time, you’re just getting the flavor of the grill on them.

In the last few minutes, brush the barbecue sauce over the ribs, both sides. Use as much or as little as you like. We like a lot. When they’re done to your liking, remove from the grill and serve. You can serve some sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling over the top. We also do that.

Check out the other Virtual Potluck Dishes from the rest of the guests! And thank you to Celebrations.com for putting this party together!

Melissa at Celebrations: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Erin at Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts: Quinoa Salad with veggies and a lime, garlic cilantro dressing

Beth at Hungry Happenings: Patriotic Biscuits

Rowena at Aprons and Sneakers: Speck Skewers with Herb Mayonnaise and Grilled Mediterranean Aubergine Bundles with Provola

Katrina at In Katrina's Kitchen: Picnic Tablecloth Cookes

Tara at Smells Like Home: Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Valerie at Une Gamine dans la Cuisine: White Chocolate Mint Cake

Banh Mi-eatball Rice Bowl

We love Banh Mi sandwiches around here. On Saturday mornings, our local Asian market offers a few different types of fresh take and go foods. Among them is the Banh Mi. (They sell some killer empanadas, too!)

I was thinking that a fun take on the popular sandwich would be a Banh Mi Meatball Bowl. Taking all of our favorite elements from the classic, it’s reinvented--in a bowl with soft, fluffy Jasmine rice as a base. I’ve made addictive little meatballs with pork and typical flavorings found in the Banh Mi, and kept in the usual fresh, crunchy veggies and cool cilantro. This made a fantastic dinner that totally satisfied our cravings. Even my eight year old loved the meatballs! He’s a brave little taster.

What’s Banh Mi? A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich served on a crusty baguette-type roll, and typically it’s got sliced pork, liver paté, spicy mayo, fresh cucumbers, cilantro, and pickled shredded daikon and carrot. It can also be made with grilled chicken, and have sliced jalapenos (a US addition) on it. There are many different varieties of the sandwich, and the meat on them can be prepared in several different ways. Other additions are sardines, tofu and fried eggs. Delicious no matter how you look at it!

Now, a bit about the daikon radish. What’s a daikon look like?

From Cook’s Thesaurus:

“daikon = white radish = Japanese radish = Chinese radish = icicle radish = lo bak = loh baak = loh buk = mooli = Oriental radish = lo pak   Pronunciation:   DIE-kon  Notes:   Daikon is larger and milder than its relative, the red radish. The Japanese like to grate it and serve it with sushi or sashimi, but you can also pickle it, stir-fry it, or slice it into salads.  Japanese daikons tend to be longer and skinnier than their Chinese counterparts, but the two varieties can be used interchangeably.  Choose specimens that are firm and shiny.  They don't store well, so try to use them right away.  Substitutes:  jicama (This is especially good in recipes that call for daikon to be grated.) OR young turnip (for pickling) OR radish (not as hot) OR black radish (much more pungent) OR pickled ginger (as a garnish) OR parsnips (in soups or stews) OR turnips (in soups or stews) .”

Daikon radishes can be sort of pungent. Our friends at a local Japanese restaurant will shred it and soak it in water for about an hour to lessen it’s sharpness. I don’t find it particularly sharp tasting, but the aroma can be pretty strong. You don’t necessarily have to soak it, and it won’t affect the taste of the pickles in this dish at all, but it will smell strong. Sort of broccoli-cabbagey. I’ve included soaking it in the recipe directions, but again, it’s not something you must do--it’s just an option.

Banh Mi-eatball Rice Bowl
Serves 3-4

Pickled Daikon and Carrots:

1 medium daikon radish, about 8-9 inches long 
1 (6-8 oz) bag shredded carrots (or you can shred 2-3 carrots)
3/4 cups rice vinegar
4 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Meatballs:

1 pound ground pork
1 stalk of lemongrass
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fish sauce
Dash of sesame oil
1 egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

To serve:

Sliced cucumber (I love the small Persian ones.)
Fresh cilantro
Sliced green onion
Your pickled daikon and carrots
Jasmine rice (or your favorite variety) plan on about 1-1 1/2 cups per person.
Soy sauce (optional)

An hour ahead of cooking, shred the daikon radish and soak it in cold water. When the hour is up, drain it and combine in a bowl with the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the sugar and salt--stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the carrot and daikon and toss well. Set aside.

To make the meatballs, in a medium bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients. (If you've never used lemongrass before, remove the outer leaves, then cut off the top, dry stalky half and the very bottom of the stalk and discard. Carefully slice the remaining part down the middle lengthwise. Slice across in thin strips and then go back and mince the slices into finer pieces. Don’t worry, they soften during cooking.)

Form into small balls and set aside. I got 41 meatballs. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-medium high heat. Heat some oil in the pan. Just enough to coat the bottom. Add the meatballs and brown all over. If they’re browning too quickly, turn the heat down. Test your largest one and when it's done, remove them all from the pan and set aside.

To serve:

Place a serving of rice in each bowl. Add some of the meatballs, some sliced cucumber, cilantro, green onion, and the pickled daikon and carrots. Serve with some soy sauce on the side, if desired.

• If you want these meatballs in sandwich form, just get some nice crusty rolls, and mix some hot sauce (like Sriracha) into some mayo, then add the meatballs and remaining toppings, but lose the rice.
• The meatballs would also make a great little appetizer with a nice dipping sauce on the side.
• If you can’t find daikon, there are substitutions listed in the info above. Can’t find lemongrass? Try lemon zest (zest from 1/2 lemon = 1 stalks lemon grass), lemon verbena, lemon balm, or lemon leaves. I suggest checking for them in your local Asian/ethnic market for them first. Sometimes big grocery stores surprise you and have these, as well.

Gyros For Those Who Don’t Like Lamb

I’ve been meaning to make these for ages! Can you believe I’ve never had a Gyro? It’s true. The problem is…I don’t really care for lamb. Some of you will respond “You’ve never had it done properly, then,” to which I say “Correct!” It’s true. I had a pretty good bite of it once, from a local Greek restaurant, off of a friend’s plate. It was better than I’d anticipated, but not really any wow factor to make me rush out and get my own. I had a horrible experience one Christmas…I won’t say who in the family cooked it, (because I love my husband and don’t want to piss off his mom, haha!) but it was inedible. Like chewing on a gamey, rubber soled shoe. That had been cooked beyond recognition. And then boiled to death. So, yeah-not a fan of lamb.

Billy loves Gyros, so I wanted to find a good recipe for them. I had nothing to go on, since I’d never had one, but you really can’t miss with Alton Brown. While I was looking at recipes for authentic Gyros, his recipe was mentioned on several sites and given very high praise for being spot on, so I went with his.

Brown’s recipe calls for two pounds of ground lamb. I was expecting this. I was going to be brave. I knew I’d recently seen ground lamb at my local grocery store, but they were completely out when I went shopping. Plan B: A meatloaf mix of pork, beef and veal. It would have to do, because I wasn’t going to go all over town looking for lamb.

The recipe is simple-you’re just basically making a meatloaf. The difference is that when it’s done cooking, you’re going to weigh it down (with a brick) to get that loaf all compressed--so it isn’t going to crumble up like a soft, tender meatloaf would.

While I’m on the subject, why do most TV chefs/cookbook authors assume that every household has a brick lying around? We don’t have a brick. No pile o’ bricks out back next to the old clunkers hidden by the long grass. No. None of that stuff. I suppose I could go out and buy a brick. One brick. How silly! We weighed it down with some heavy cans from the pantry and a ten pound weight. It was a little wobbly, but it did the trick.

You can find the recipe at FoodNetwork.com. It even has rotisserie instructions, if you’d like to torture yourself by trying to cook two pounds of ground meat on a small stick. A big debate I saw when looking at recipes was whether or not to sauté the meat slices before assembling the Gyros. Some do, some don’t find it necessary. Since Billy likes them sautéed, that’s what we did. It also adds some nice color and a bit of flavor to the meat, which looks very pale out of the oven.

Notes:

• Billy gave these two thumbs up! He said they’re just like the ones he’s had over the years. I also loved them-and will definitely make them again! These will be a fun summer food, and since the meat is sliced so thinly, it’ll serve a crowd.
• We couldn't find any flatbreads we really liked, so we took pizza crust dough, rolled out small rounds, and cooked those on hot stones in the oven for two minutes on each side. PERFECT. Soft, fluffy-and yet sturdy enough to hold the fillings without falling apart or leaking. You could also do those on the grill!
• The Tzatziki sauce, I thought, was lacking something. The first time I added a bit of cilantro, and the second time--fresh dill. We really enjoyed both!
• Don’t worry if the meat itself is a little bland tasting. It’s meant to be eaten with the Tzatziki, tomatoes, and onions. When you have all of them together, it’s a flavor packed sandwich.
• I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the recipe, but I do completely trust Alton. So, please, no comments about this being “not the way it’s done,” or “a slap in the face to the Greek culture and it’s food,” hehe. Yes, it’s happened before.

See how sautéing the meat slices gives it a nice color? Better color than this:

But that’s to show you how compressed it’ll be after weighing it down for 20 minutes.

Random Thursday Thoughts: Football, Rude 4 year olds, and Pork Egg Rolls

What do these apples have to do with this post? Not a thing. I just like them.

Happy Thursday! I have a couple of thoughts in my head, and need to get them out. Too much rattling around in there.

The first is addressed to the Patriots fans that had the balls to boo the team and leave the stadium before the end of last Sunday's game. What were they thinking? We have been spoiled by being lucky enough to have Tom Brady go this long without any huge injuries. And here are just a few of their stats:

League Championships (Super Bowl Wins)

2001 (Super Bowl), 2003 (Super Bowl), 2004 (Super Bowl)

Conference Championships

1985 (AFC), 1996 (AFC), 2001 (AFC), 2003 (AFC), 2004 (AFC)

Division Championships

AFL East - 1963
AFC East - 1978, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005

Years in Playoffs

1963, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Thank you Rauzulu's Street for those stats.

The Patriots also have a record 21 regular season game winning streak, just broken on Sunday. So they have a bad day, and these spoiled rotten fans in the stadium jump ship and disrespect the team that has given New England so much these last years.

You guys suck. What happened to supporting your team? Do you think booing them makes them mad so they'll work harder and win? No, it's a slap in the face, and I'm embarrassed for you. Everyone's trying to be first to show up to the Super Bowl celebration parade through Boston, but one loss and they're jumping ship.

I for one, will proudly wear my official Belichick hoodie and watch every game, and cheer for my team, win or lose. They've worked so hard for us, and it's time for us to step up and support them.

My husband says I take football too seriously, hehe. Funny, right? A husband telling his wife she takes football too seriously. hahaha! He teases me and says we should now pick whatever team is doing best and root for them.

I think he almost felt the daggers from my eyes boring into his very soul.

And I know, a lot of people hate the Patriots and Belechick. But don't hate me for loving them--they're my team!

Rant #1 over. hehe!

Next up--rude 4 year old kids. Sitting in the dentists waiting room yesterday, waiting for my daughter to have some stuff done. There's this little boy there no older than 4, maybe a young 5. He is wreaking havoc in the toy area, tossing stuff around and being loud, like a 4 year old boy will do. I'm fine with that. But his mom, instead of sitting right near him and quietly telling him to behave, is sitting directly behind me, and YELLING across the entire waiting room "Gavin, knock it off!" "Gavin, cut it out!" You get the idea.

So then little Gavin--with a cherub face--comes walking over to where I'm sitting. Down a few seats from me is a man, minding his own business and waiting with his young daughter. Gavin comes around to this guy and looks up at him. I'm thinking he's going to say hi or some other sweet little thing.

No. No, no, no and no.

He looks up at the nice man and says "Hi douchebag!"

Knock me over with a feather. I gasped, and loudly. I was shocked! The man was so taken aback, that he didn't know what the heck to say. We looked at each other and gave the silent "WTF?!"

Did his mom say anything? Keep in mind, she was right behind me, so there's no way on God's green Earth that she didn't hear him. So did she say anything to sweet little Gavin?

Not. One. Word. If at that moment, he hadn't had his name called to go back and see the dentist, I'd have given an earful to his mom. No such luck.

I can forgive the kid, because you know, kids will hear something and pick it up, then say it to anyone and everyone. It happens, right? What I can't forgive, is the mother that let it happen and didn't say a word to him. He'll never learn not to say it if she doesn't tell him not to.

Mr. Nice Man looked at me and said "You know, if they aren't taught respect, they don't show respect."

Amen, Mr. Nice Man. Amen.

Rant #2 done.

And third--Pork Egg Rolls, because this IS a food blog, no?

These are a real favorite around here. I can even bribe my sister in law, Orietta, with these. (Hi Ori!) They are so simple. A little time consuming, wrapping them and all, but so worth it. I always double the recipe, because if you're going to the trouble, you may as well make more and have extra. And they won't be around long, let me tell you. If you can't eat them all, you'll most likely find someone that will help you. Or freeze them for another day. Oh, and since the filling is precooked, you can taste and adjust seasonings before you fry them all up and realize you have bland egg rolls!

These are from Everyday Food and a good, basic pork egg roll. But feel free to change things up here and there if you like. I added water chestnuts, not for flavor, because they have none, hehe, but for some crunch and texture.

Pork Egg Rolls

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
veg oil (for frying)
2 napa cabbage, about 2 1/2 lbs, thinly sliced
water chestnuts
8 med carrots, coarsely grated
8 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 smallish can of water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
coarse salt and ground black pepper
2 lb ground pork
12 green onions, thinly sliced
32 (6-7" square) egg roll wrappers
2 large egg, lightly beaten

dipping sauce for serving

In a small bowl, combine soy, vinegar and sugar.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TB oil at med. high. Add cabbage carrots, garlic and ginger, and water chestnuts, season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, stir occasionally.

Raise heat to high, add pork and soy mixture. Cook, stirring, until pork is done and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 min. Transfer to a plate to cool. (I made the filling a day ahead and kept it in the fridge, but for faster cooling, spread the filling on a large rimmed baking sheet.)

Working on a flat surface, put down 4 wrappers, keeping the others covered with damp paper towels. With a pastry brush, wet the 4 sides of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Put 1/3 cup of filling in the center of each wrapper. (don't be tempted to overfill)

Fold the point of the wrapper that's facing you over the filling, tucking the corner under the filling. Fold both side corners in so it looks like an open envelope. Tightly roll the wrapper to close and press to seal the edge.

At this point, you can freeze them: Freeze in a single layer at least 2 hours, transfer to a ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To fry, increase cooking time by about 3 mins per batch.

They say you can also bake these at 400° on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet. Brush egg rolls with a bit of oil and bake till golden, 10 minutes. If baking from frozen, bake 15 minutes. (I have not tried this!)

For frying, I used a deep electric skillet. I like it because it's easy to control the temp of the oil. Pour in enough oil to be about an inch or 2 deep. Heat the oil to 350° and working in batches of 6, fry about 3 minutes on one side and flip the rolls, frying for about 2-3 minutes more. Remove to racks placed over paper towels to drain. Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees between batches. Serve with dipping sauce.

Can my man roll an egg roll or what? I'll forgive him for the "root for another team" comment. Maybe...

Egg rolls love a good dip in hot oil. Just make sure it's hot enough!

Oh yeah...that's the stuff. And see? If the oil is hot enough, they don't get greasy at all.

I don't have a special dipping sauce recipe, I usually just wing it till it tastes good:

Soy sauce, sesame oil, a little ginger, a bit of garlic, and a bit of brown sugar. Mix it all up and adjust to taste.

So that's it for this week's Thursday ramblings. Thanks for listening! Stay tuned for a Cinnamon Overload Apple Crisp recipe...

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What is the trick to making enchiladas pose nicely for a photo?!?

Damn enchiladas. They taste incredibly good, but those irritating little filled tortillas like to get all ugly for the camera. At least that's how it is for me. This is the second enchilada recipe that I've made and photographed, and the first one is still sitting in my files because even though they're delicious, the photos are just not good. Maybe I should just do a few days of ugly photo posts and be done with it, hehe.

Anyway, these enchiladas are George's recipe, at Culinary Travels of a Kitchen Goddess. (Check out her enchilada photos--they're much prettier!) I admit it, I'm a sucker for enchiladas, and these looked really interesting! I always make chicken ones, but these were ground beef and ground pork, with beans, too. Which is what my husband has been asking for--guess he wanted a break from chicken. They certainly don't disappoint! Now, she says right from the start that the spices are toned way down in these, because they were made for her Mum. No biggie, I just upped the spices, adding more cumin, chili powder, and as a quick afterthought, some of the homemade taco seasoning I keep on hand. Same with the sauce, just up the spices. For you recipe tweakers out there, this is a perfect one for you! You get an awesome base recipe, but you can personalize it to suit your spice/heat levels.

I only had one issue, and it wasn't a bad one. This makes 8 large enchiladas, like burrito size! So I used 2 11 x 7 pans with 4 enchiladas in each. This meant I didn't have enough sauce, and no more ingredients to make more of George's sauce. So I pulled out my trusty enchilada sauce recipe which is made from pantry staples and only takes about 15 minutes to make, and added it to George's sauce. The combination was perfection!!

And oh my goodness, are they delicious! Oh! Instead of buying ground beef and pork, I bought a meatloaf mix of ground pork, beef and veal. I also added a bit of a shredded cheese blend to the called for mozzarella topping--whatever kind you have on hand would be fine. Also, subbed black beans for the kidney beans.

These are satisfying and filling. And so good, that my husband took one for lunch, and wants the rest for dinner tonight. So there's a testimony for you!

And in case you're curious, here is my trusty enchilada sauce recipe, because the two sauces mixed together were just perfect--hers has pieces of tomato in it, and mine doesn't, but they added a nice texture to my sauce. Hers also has lime juice, which added an overall brighter flavor to the sauce.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1-2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 tsp cocoa
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in a 2-quart saucepan until onion is tender.
Stir in broth, spices, salt and tomato sauce.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat, simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

Thanks, George, for another winning recipe! :)

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If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator, by e-mail subscription,
or through BlogBurst, the site you are viewing may be guilty of copyright infringement.
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