Fish & Tomatillos....

As in all of my posts, if you need to follow a recipe exactly, this blog will frustrate you.  Quit reading it now.  My recipe measurements are only suggestions - please modify the ingredients and amounts as you see fit.  If it works, Great!  If it sucks, that's not my fault - you've been warned....

So, a couple of days ago I was in Chicago at a business group meeting.  For lunch, we had several choices.  One of the choices was a mexican course with a tomatillo and avacado remulade, and an unrelated fish course.  I happened to pick the Tilapia course, and by accident instead of picking the intended sauce / malt vinegar, I got the tomatla saouce.  I put the tomatillo sauce on the Tilapia, and it was AWESOME!

I replicated it at home, and here's how I made it.  I started with butterfly-split Tilapia fillets, then I cut them in half again laterally (with a fillet knife - about 1/4" thick).  Then I put them in a plastic bag with a lot of Italian dressing, and let them marinate for a couple of hours.

While the fish is marinating, I prepare the tomatillo avacado sauce.  The tomatillo avacodo sauce is easy to make, as it only takes 3 or 4 ingredients.  Start with Tomatillos.  These look like green tomatoes with a tough shell, but are actually not tomatoes.  You can get fresh tomatillos,  but they need to be a little ripe - if you go with this option, you need to look for soft tomatillos, and blend them in a blender or food processor, addng a litte salt.  It's just as easy to use prepared tomatillo sauce in a jar, and you don't have to add any salt.  Next, cut up an avacado into small chunks - the avacado needs to be semi-ripe - not mushy like you'd use for quacamole.

Once you cut the avacado into small chunks, add a litte lime or lemon juice to keep it from turning brown, but not enough to affect the flavor.  Do not add salt at this point!  Mix the avacado and tomatillo sauce together.  I add a little cumin powder to the mix, and you could also add a little cilantro.

Now that the Tilapia has marinated, take it out of the bag and roll the fillets up like little volcanoes.  In the centers, add the melted butter and italian dressing.  Put in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Once the fish has cooked, add the butter and dressing to the middle of the fish "volcano". 

Great sides with this dish are green beans cooked in sessame seed oit with almonds, or any other bitter greens such as kale, snap peas, etc.   

As in all of my posts, if you need to follow a recipe exactly, this blog will frustrate you.  Quit reading it now.  My recipe measurements are only suggestions - please modify the ingredients and amounts as you see fit.  If it works, Great!  If it sucks, that's not my fault - you've been warned....

Sweet Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

I recently went to a barbecue joint in Tampa, Florida, and they had an item on the menu that included a sweet sriracha-honey barbecue glaze for chicken wings.  I'm not a big fan of chicken including their wings and other various parts (where the heck do "nuggets" come from?), but the sauce sounded intriguing.   I got the wings just to try the sauce, and it was amazing.  Note - the sauce is great on chicken, but not on beef or pork.

So, here is how to make the sauce (or at least a start).

Most barbecue sauces start with a base (such as ketchup, tomato sauce, vinegar, etc) then add ingredients and flavorings.  This type of sauce is tricky, because it doesn't really have a base - you have to create a base from several different ingredients.

Since this sauce includes raw brown sugar, honey, and molasses, you have to use a double boiler, otherwise you'll get a sticky mess of goo.  If you don't have a double boiler, you can use a large pot of water with a smaller pot floating on top of it.  The main idea is that you don't want the ingredients sitting directly over the heat source.

I start with soy sauce - not a huge amount, maybe a cup or so.  Then, add some honey and let it heat up so it's easy to stir.  You can add a few tablespoons of white vinegar to emulsify everything (make it all stick together) or not - the vinegar actually doesn't work as well in this recipe as the Sonny's Barbecue Sauce recipe (see earlier post).

Then add a little Sriracha sauce.  There are several different brands of Sriracha sauce.  Basically, Sriracha is a Korean hot sauce.  The actual Korean brand of Sriracha sauce can be identified by a rooster on the bottle, and is hot but a little bitter.  The American version (that I like better) is made by Texas Pete, and branded as "Cha" sauce.  It's a little sweeter, not bitter, but a little hotter than the Korean version.

Next, add a few tablespoons of brown sugar, and stir it until dissolved - this will take a while.  Don't use an immersion blender, although that is my favorite kitchen tool - using an immersion blender will make sriracha cool-whip - I already made that mistake for you.

Now, add a little molasses,  And by "little", I mean a little.  A little goes a long way - you just want to add enough to add some smokey flavor - like a teaspoon.  Molasses has a very distinct and strong flavor profile, so be very careful - add very small amounts until it tastes right.  You shouldn't be able to taste the molasses directly in the sauce.

Now you have a base for the sauce.  From here, you just adjust the ingredients.  If you want it a little hotter, add some more Texas Pete "Cha" sauce.  If you want it sweeter, add a little more brown sugar.  You don't want to add much honey, as that will create a thick sauce that will stick to the back of your throat - it's not very pleasant.  If you need to make it thicker, add sriracha sauce and brown sugar.  If you need to make in thinner, add white vinegar and a little sugar.

Keep stirring and adding ingredients until the mixture starts to bubble a little - definitely not a full boil though - the sugar will form a brick when it cools.  Also, be aware that as it slowly boils and cools, the molasses will become more prominent in the flavor profile, so another reason to not add too much molasses.  The sweetness will also become more concentrated, so be careful to not add too much brown sugar.

If you have a better recipe, please post back!

As in all of my posts, if you need to follow a recipe exactly, this blog will frustrate you.  Quit reading it now.  My recipe measurements are only suggestions - please modify the ingredients and amounts as you see fit.  If it works, Great!  If it sucks, that's not my fault - you've been warned....

Sonny's Hot Barbecue Sauce

Growing up in Florida, one of my favorite restaurants was Sonny's Barbecue.  My VERY favorite BBQ joint is BubbaLou's Bodacious BBQ in Orlando- the original one that operates out of an old gas station near John Young Parkway with cheap picnic tables outside (more on that in another post!).

Sonny's is in fact a chain restaurant, but it's a local chain.  They have consistently good hickory-wood smoked BBQ, whether it's chicken, beef, or pork (yeah pork!).  After moving to North Carolina, we found there is only one Sonny's restaurant in North Carolina, about 200 miles away from us. Whenever we drive home to Florida, our first stop is in Jacksonville at Sonny's, even if it's 2am.

Sonny's has some of the best sauces in the world, not the vinegar crap that passes for BBQ sauce in eastern NC - we're talking western NC, Kentucky, Memphis, or Texas BBQ sauce.  Now if you like the eastern NC vinegar crap, that's ok - but this recipe won't be for you.

Sonny's has three basic sauces - sweet, mild, and HOT.  This recipe is for the HOT variety.  Ok, so here is the recipe:

1 bottle of standard Kraft Barbecue Sauce

Put it in a bowl.

Add some white vinegar (yes I know I derated vinegar earlier, but just do it)

There's really not a specific amount of vinegar to add, I would start with 2 cups, you want to make it thin but not "watery" 

Lastly, you want to add the heat.  This can be either Tabasco sauce or Louisiana Hot Sauce,either works fine.

Add the hot sauce until it tastes good.  This may be the whole bottle.  

That's pretty much it.  If you screw up and make it too watery, you can either add more BBQ sauce or some shredded carrots if you feel adventurous

Really Good Mexican Cornbread!

Caution:  If you're the type of guy that needs to follow the recipe to the "T", this may not be the recipe for you.  If words like "pinch", "dallop", or "crapload" make you nervous, this may not be the recipe for you.

However, if your attitude is "yeah, I'll add as much as I think it should have", then you have arrived at the right place.  My recipes are more like suggestions, with recommended amounts, but you should also understand that this blog exists mainly because my wife wanted me to document the stuff I make on-the-fly, since I'm really bad about writing down what I create.  If it inspires your own creation, that's awesome.  If it sucks, don't blame me....you've been warned....

Ingredients: (makes enough for about 4 - 6 people - unless they're really fat & hungry)

1 package of cornbread mix (corn muffin mix works as well)
Some Masa flour (corn meal) in case you screw it up and need to make it thicker
At least one 8-ounce container of sour cream
1 can of creamed sweet corn (not just regular corn - needs to be creamed corn)
About 1 pound of mild or sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1 Egg
A little bit of milk (2%, skim, or whatever - it doesn't matter)
3 or 4 Jalapeno peppers (Habaneros if you don't mind things burning on the way out)
A couple sticks of butter (yes, butter, not margarine - this is important)

Pre-Cooking Instructions

Turn the oven on to around 375 or 400 degrees.  Use a half stick of melted butter to grease up an iron or stainless steel skillet.  We'll look at iron vs steel skillets in another post soon.

Put the liquid ingredients in a large mixing bowl - milk, egg, sour cream, creamed sweet corn, cheddar cheese.  Melt one stick of butter and stick it in the bowl too.  Whisk all of this together with a fork or an actual whisk.  If you happen to have a mixer, that works great as well.  Don't use a food processor, that will make a cornbread milkshake and that would suck.  You don't have to use all of the sour cream, just use a crapload - maybe a cup or two. Or whatever looks good to you.

Cut the Jalapeno or Habanero peppers.  If using Habaneros, use rubber gloves if you have them - they can really hurt you.  Tip on peppers - the actual peppers don't have any hot stuff - it's the internal white membrane and seeds that are hot.  If you use the outer skin, you'll get the pepper taste without the tongue-scorching capcasin.  Use a little of the white membrane and seeds to regulate the heat of the cornbread.  Dump that into the bowl as well.

After all of that is kinda mixed together, you can add the cornbread mix.  After mixing for a few minutes, it should be a little firm - not soupy, but not very firm either - somewhere in between.  If it's too thin, add some Masa flour (corn meal).  Caution - the Masa flour goes a long way - add a few spoonfuls at a time - it makes it thick really quickly.

After you've mixed it to the consistency of roughly tile mastic or concrete, pour it into a skillet.  Preferably a black iron skillet.  Put it in the oven.  If your mix is thick, lower the oven to 375 degrees (so it doesn't burn the bottom).  If the mix is thin, use a higher oven temperature (so it cooks in the middle - raw cornbread is really bad).

Check the cornbread about every 10 minutes or so, put a toothpick in the center.  If the toothpick comes out with sticky stuff on it, it's not ready.  If it comes out clean, it's close to being done.  This usually takes about 20 - 30 minutes.  Start checking at 15 minutes.  Once it comes out clean, use a half-stick of butter and rub all over the top of the cornbread until it's all melted.  Leave in the oven until the butter on the top is melted.

Once the butter is melted, take the cornbread out and let it sit for about ten minutes, then you can turn the skillet upside-down to release the cornbread and cut it into chunks.

Knives – Cutting Something is Almost as Fun as Shooting Something!

             

When it comes to kitchen knives, knowing your cutting technique and how you want to work is paramount. You have to match your cutting technique and most common tasks to the type of knife that is best for you. There isn't a “right” or “wrong” answer, just what works best for you.

This article will help you understand the different types of knives and how to pick out the ones right for you.

The most important knife in the drawer is the “Chef’s Knife.” This is a very versatile knife, covering duties from general chopping and cutting to slicing and trimming. If you only can afford one knife, it should be a Chef’s Knife.

The Chef’s Knife is defined more by what it can’t do rather than what it can do. The Chef’s Knife is not good at slicing bread or trimming small fruit / vegetables. It pretty much rocks at everything else.

There are two basic types of Chef’s knives; the Traditional Chef’s Knife and the Santuko. The Santuko appears as this:

               

The Santuko is nearly flat on the cutting edge, and frequently has detents (hollow spaces) along the cutting edge. A common misconception is that the hollow detents help keep slices of starchy foods like potatoes and apples from sticking to the blade – this is not the case. The hollow detentes help keep slices of meat a straight line, or even thickness. Potatoes and apples will stick to the blade like any other knife.

The Santuko knife is more appropriate for chefs who use a “back & forth” cutting technique rather than a rocking technique. Neither technique is better than the other, it’s just a matter of what you’re more comfortable with (and less likely to cut your fingers off).

The Standard Chef’s Knife is more curved and doesn't have the hollow detentes. A popular brand of a Standard Chef’s knife is the Victorinox Chef’s knife, as appears below: 

This knife is more curved than the Santuko knife, and is more suited to chefs that use a rocking motion to chop items rather than a back-and-forth motion. Again, neither is better than the other, just a matter of how the chef likes to work.

One of the main differences between the two knives is how they are constructed, and as a result how they are sharpened and maintained.

The Wusthof knife is a forged high-carbon stainless steel blade, which is very hard. The edge is a very narrow angle, sharpened at a 14” (or 14 degree) angle on each side. This means that you have to use a special sharpener to condition the blade, such as the sharpener appearing below:

The advantage of the Wusthof is that it can be sharpened to a razor-edge, and is very durable, cutting soft and hard items with ease.  The disadvantage is that it is hard to sharpen, and if it gets very dull, it requires a professional to re-sharpen it.

The Wusthof paring knife is essentially the same as the Chef’s knife, only smaller.  It comprises the same metallurgy and sharpening angle as the Chef’s knife and the same sharpening angle, but is designed to cut small vegetables and fruits.

 The Victorinox is a softer steel blade, which is easier to sharpen, at a 23 degree angle.  This is a standard knife-sharpening angle, and several affordable knife sharpeners are available.

The Victorinox Chef’s knife and related paring knife are much cheaper than the Wusthof, although they are made of cold-rolled steel which is less dense and therefore less able to be sharpened as much as the Wusthof knives.  The Victorinox knives can be sharpened quickly, but the edges don’t last as long as the Wusthof knives.

The Wusthof knives typically cost about $100 or more per knife, while the Victorinox knives cost about $25 per knife. 

As an aside, Gordon Ramsey exclusively uses Wusthof knives.

Chicago Cutlery

           Chicago Cutlery is below Wusthof and Victorinox in terms of quality, but is still pretty good.              They are made of cold-rolled soft steel, and are easy to sharpen, but the sharp edge doesn't

           last long. They, like the Victorinox knives, are sharpened at a 23-degree angle.

           They are typically inexpensive, less than $20 per knife.

Electric Knives

           

            NO.   NO.

Serrated Knives

             
Use for bread slicing only. Don’t get an expensive one, you won’t use it enough to warrant getting an expensive one. Don’t re-sharpen, just buy a new one when it gets dull – don’t spend more than $10 on it.

Fillet Knives

            A decent fillet knife is nice if you cook a lot of fish. They are typically long ( > 12”) and very 

            flexible. However, like serrated knives, you won’t use them enough to warrant an expensive

            purchase – look for one that is less than $20. Just get a new one when it gets dull.

Take away – Wusthof is the best brand, but expensive and hard to maintain, Victorinox is good but the edge doesn't last long, Chicago Cutlery is cheap but only adequate.  For the money, I would choose a Wusthof Santuko and a Wusthof Paring knife if you’re a semi-serious chef or chef-wannabe.