Pork Bulgogi, A Family Dinner

Are you thinking . . . hmm . . . this sounds familiar?

Well if you know Lizzy, who writes "That Skinny Chick Can Bake", then, yes, you probably read about this recently. And when I saw it I knew my family would love it.

Pork Bulgogi
A recipe by Lizzy, that she adapted from her friend, Norm Matthews

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced wafer thin (easier to achieve when pork is slightly frozen)
Peanut oil

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons dry sherry or saki
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (she reduced it to 1/2 teaspoon, and so did I)
1 large onion, cut into 12ths

Garnish:
Toasted sesame seeds, optional

Method: mix all the marinade ingredients together. Add sliced pork and set aside at least 10 minutes. (I let the pork marinate about 30-40 minutes while I got the rice going.) Heat peanut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Working in batches, cook pork and onions until pork is no longer pink.

After I cooked all the pork, I added the remaining marinade to the skillet and cooked over high heat until reduced a little. Then I used it as a sauce over the pork. (It looks like a lot because I doubled the recipe.)

Pork Bulgogi, brown rice, and blanched asparagus, which were leftovers from the other night, made a great sit down family meal.

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Dessert was charred fresh pineapple slices topped with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and lemon sorbet for my daughter, her favorite.

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Bulgogi is a historical Korean dish dating back to around 37 BC-668 AD. The name means fire meat, the word fire coming from the way the dish is usually prepared over hot heat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgogi, http://www.mct.go.kr/html/symbolImg/eng/bulgogi/sec01.html.
Here's an interesting article I found with variations of the dish and different ways to serve it:
http://ezinearticles.com/?All-About-Bulgogi---Korean-Beef&id=5505977

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White Bean Grilled Panini With Basil, Tomato, And Mozzarella

Bring on the flavors of summer with this delicious grilled panini adapted from A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock And Roll's recipe for Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini With Tomato & Basil.

I didn't want to make changes to Jenn's recipe. It sounded great just as it was with white beans, basil, tomato, provolone, mayonnaise and red onions. I could just imagine that creamy blend and looked forward to those flavors.

But when I looked for the provolone at around 7 pm last night it was gone! My little cheese robbers ate it without my knowing. All that was left was fresh mozzarella so I made a little change. The mayonnaise, I thought, would go well with the smokey flavor of provolone but I didn't think so with mozzarella. So I substituted extra virgin olive oil for mayonnaise in this version. I also didn't have a red onion so I used a shallot. However, I'm still thinking about her recipe and can't wait to make it her way. My son would have preferred it also since he loves sandwiches with mayonnaise.

White Bean Grilled Panini With Basil, Tomato And Mozzarella
Ingredients for 4 sandwiches:

1 medium shallot, minced
Between 1/4 -1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
About 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pepper to taste

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

2 balls of fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced

Italian bread, preferably a grain mix or wheat, sliced

1 can white beans, cannellini or navy, slightly smashed

Mix shallot, basil, oil, and pepper together first and let sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Slice tomato, cheese, and bread. Slightly mash beans.

To put this panini together:

Combine oil, shallots, basil, and pepper.

Slice Italian bread and lay slices out on sheet pan. I bought "rustic" Italian bread from the farmers' market over the weekend, thinking it was a grain blend like last week, but it doesn't look that way. I might have grabbed the wrong bag.

Slice tomatoes and cheese. Spread basil mixture over each slice of bread then layer sliced tomatoes over half the bread. Oops! Here is where I should have added the beans. Add beans before the cheese so it helps keep the sandwich together. Don't forget the beans!

Lay down thick slices of mozzarella.

Warm up the grill. Cook over medium heat. Press sandwiches down with a weighted pan. Flip when nice grill marks are achieved.

I can just imagine how amazing this sandwich will taste when my fresh garden tomatoes come in. Can't wait.

To make Jenn's creamy panini go here: http://alittlebitcrunchyalittlebitrock.blogspot.com/2011/05/provolone-white-bean-grilled-panini.html.

Indoor Pulled-Pork Sandwiches, Napa Cabbage Slaw, And An Evening With Mark Bittman

Before I get to the recipes, let me tell you about this really nice fundraiser event I attended a few weeks ago, "An Evening With Mark Bittman".

On May 5th, I got a chance to briefly meet Mark Bittman at a book-signing fundraiser event for the Rhode Island Food Bank held at The Culinary Arts Museum. I was pretty excited to visit the museum again, and more excited to hear Mark Bittman speak. But at a time when hunger is high in Rhode Island, with food assistance reaching over 55,000 families a month through its food network, I was extremely happy to donate and learn more about the Rhode Island Food Bank.

The food served that night was delicious and was made by a local restaurant using Mark Bittman's recipes. Various food stations were spread around the museum which were fun to search out while looking through the museum's extensive culinary collection. Drinks were served from an antique art deco bar and an antique diner bar.

Before he spoke, he mingled with guests and gave his undivided attention to many who wanted to meet and chat with him. Wanting to meet him myself, I approached him with my friend. We briefly chatted then I asked to take a photo. It was embarrassing. My friend had trouble with my camera and my being determined to get a decent photo with him, she had to take several photos. It took longer than it should have. He was very patient and pleasant about it all. I was very grateful.

After he gave his speech based on his Food Matters book, he sat for the book signing. While I waited for my friend to get hers signed I found just this tiny cupcake sitting next to this decorative cake modeled after his Food Matters book cover picture.

The night was fun, it was great to hear him speak in person, and it was a terrific night out with my friend. More importantly, it was a successful fundraiser for the Rhode Island Community Food bank.

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Spicy Cole Slaw

From the "Fish" cookbook by Mark Bittman

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp sherry or balsamic vinegar (I used sherry)

1/2 cup olive oil, peanut, or vegetable oil (I used peanut)

1 tbsp sugar

6 cups shredded Napa, Savoy, green, and/or red cabbage (I used Napa)

2 cups seeded and diced red bell pepper (I julienned mine)

1 cup diced scallion with green and white parts

Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

I added:
1 large carrot, julienned
1 small can water chestnuts, sliced

To make this, I prepared the dressing first by combining mustard, vinegar, sugar and oil together in a dressing vessel and shook until sugar was dissolved.

Then, in a large bowl, I added the vegetables and tossed with the dressing and refrigerated about one hour to let flavors build. Just before serving I tossed again with chopped fresh parsley.

Indoor Pulled-Pork Sandwiches
When I made this, I was in the mood for pulled pork but all the recipes I found were time consuming and required grilling or smoking. I was happy to find this recipe from Fine Cooking magazine. It's actually a recipe for the slow cooker, a great make-ahead version of pulled pork, but since I love to use my dutch oven and had the time I cooked it in the oven. I didn't make any changes and it adapted well to the oven.

1 4 - 41/2 lb bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced 

3/4 cup jarred tomato salsa*, medium heat
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
Kosher salt
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To finish sauce:
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp tomato paste
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Rolls

For the make-ahead version in the slow-cooker, click on this link.

My method for the oven version: I roasted the pork shoulder in a large covered dutch oven with the first set of ingredients about 3 1/2 - 4 hours in a 300 degree oven until done, when meat pulled apart easily (but this is tested, my cast iron dutch oven gets really hot and my oven temp could be off).

*I was surprised to see salsa as an ingredient.  Since I think this ingredient plays a big roll in the dish's flavor, I decided to use Poblano Farm Chipotle Salsa, a local sustainable tomato farm in RI, because I love its thick texture, smokiness, and rich tomato flavor.

Then I removed meat from the pot, discarded bones and fat and shredded with a fork (I made the pork a day ahead. After refrigerating the pork and sauce overnight, it was easier to remove fat from the meat and sauce):

To make the finished sauce, I placed about 1 cup of the juices with onions into a large bowl. Whisked in the second set of ingredients: tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, and salt. Added the pulled pork and combined. (If it seems dry add more broth or water.)

A secret: I thought it still needed a little more smokiness so I added a few drops of liquid smoke.

When I make this again, I think I would add a little whole grain mustard. Somehow, it seemed to lack an ingredient and I think this might be it.

Makes about 8 cups of pulled pork, enough for about 12-16 sandwiches the recipe says. But that depends on how much you stuff between the rolls!

Two days later, leftovers!

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If you haven't seen my post about my first visit to The Culinary Arts Museum, you can take a look here.

Just for fun!

It's Spring! Birds and Bees

A break from food posts

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Mommy robin and her babies

My friend's bees

Purple Kohlrabi, Yellow Beet & Green Apple Salad, And The Garden

A morning of gardening

Lunch break  

The Inspiration
It was the farmer. When my friend Jayne and I asked how he cooked the kohlrabi he emphatically said, "raw!".  And he offered the same advice about the yellow beet, "raw!". With that, I decided to give it a try and make a raw kohlrabi and yellow beet salad. Although, I have the feeling he meant a pure kind of raw, as in no dressing, naked. Well, I'm not that adventurous and thought it should be dressed.

Farmers' market yellow beet and
purple kohlrabi in need of attention!

Glorious morning sun on sage

Purple Kohlrabi, Yellow Beet, And Green Apple Salad 

I just love this type of food but I do think it takes an acquired taste to enjoy this earthy salad. And sitting down with it beside my garden after a morning of hard work made this salad perfect and maybe even tastier, if only on a psychological level. Since I knew what their reaction would be, I didn't dare offer any to my family later. Which I regret now because I like to have them try new flavors. Sometimes they surprise me. 

To make this salad . . . wash and peel a yellow beet and a purple kohlrabi, and wash a green apple. Slice into thin pieces and in a bowl mix with extra virgin olive oil to coat, then apple cider vinegar, fresh juice from a whole small lemon, chopped fresh sage, salt and pepper - add all to taste as the flavor depends on the size of the vegetables and your taste. Refrigerate covered for about a half hour to let flavors build. Top it over washed red lettuce.

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