Thai-Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Orange Curry Sauce

Bon Appétit | April 1996
Goodfellow’s, Minneapolis MN

Ingredients:

For sauce
3 cups orange juice
1 carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Thai red curry base

For pork
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai red curry base
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed

 1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil  

Make sauce:
Combine orange juice, carrot, cilantro, grated fresh ginger, garlic, minced jalapeño, ground cumin and Thai red curry base in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil mixture until carrot is very tender and liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Puree sauce in blender or processor in batches until smooth. Strain sauce and return to same saucepan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Make pork:
Stir molasses, soy sauce, curry base and ginger in large zip lock bag. Add pork tenderloin and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat grill to 350°F. Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade.  Heat grill and oil grates . Add pork and cook until slightly browned, cook until thermometer registers 160°F, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring sauce to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually 1 cup coconut milk, whisking just until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut pork into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.

I have changed the recipe so that it could be prepared on the grill, and I substituted coconut milk for the bitter that goes in the sauce. If you wish to use butter instead of the milk use 6 tablespoons butter.

Grilled Venison Backstrap

“Tender chunks of venison are marinated twice, and wrapped in thick bacon before being grilled until crispy on the outside. A venison version of Filet Mignon. This is a heavenly use of the best part of a deer. For the BBQ sauce, I prefer hickory flavored.”

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

.INGREDIENTS
2 pounds venison backstrap (tenderloin), cut into 2 inch chunks
1 quart apple cider
1 1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon
2 (12 ounce) bottles barbecue sauce, your choice

DIRECTIONS
1.Place chunks of venison into a shallow baking dish, and pour enough apple cider in to cover them. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove, and pat dry. Discard apple cider, and return venison to the dish. Pour barbeque sauce over the chunks, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 more hours.

2.Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Charcoal is best, but if you must, use gas. Remove meat from the refrigerator, and let stand for 30 minutes, or until no longer chilled. Wrap each chunk of venison in a slice of bacon, and secure with toothpicks.

3.Brush the grill grate with olive oil when hot, and place venison pieces on the grill so they are not touching. The bacon will kick up some flames, so be ready. Grill, turning occasionally, until the bacon becomes slightly burnt, 15 to 20 minutes. The slower, the better. Dig in, and prepare to want more!

Bratwurst, Wisconsin’s Soul Food

With summer quickly approaching it is now the time to start thinking Bratwurst. Living in Wisconsin I don’t feel the need to put a recipe here, but you may want to check out this link for everything bratwurst.
http://www.bratwurstpages.com/brats.html

Sweet-Hot BBQ Tater Fries

Bon Appétit |  July 2006

Rick Browne

yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, each slice cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Additional olive oil

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place potatoes in 13×9x2-inch baking dish. Add 1/4 cup oil, chopped fresh rosemary, brown sugar, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Brush grill lightly with oil. Place potatoes on grill, spacing about 1 inch apart. Grill until potatoes are tender and slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes total. Transfer potatoes to bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Tuna Kebabs with Ginger-Chile Marinade

Bon Appétit |  August 2007

Molly Stevens

yield: Makes 4 servings

Why you’ll make it: Because it’s tuna done differently, and a spicy Asian take on kebabs.

• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds 1 1/4 -inch-thick ahi tuna, cut into 1- to 1 1/4 -inch cubes
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 large sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), cut into 1-inch squares
• 6 (12-inch-long) metal skewers
• Additional chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; season to taste with ground white pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons marinade to small bowl and reserve. Add tuna to remaining marinade in medium bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Alternate tuna cubes, bell pepper squares, and onion squares on each of 6 metal skewers. Grill to desired doneness, turning frequently, about 4 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Drizzle reserved marinade over; sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Grilled Scallops and Nectarines with Corn and Tomato Salad

yield: Makes 6 servings

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes—with its corn, tomatoes, basil, and unexpected nectarine, it sings out “summer.” The first time I made this warm salad, I served it to Michael Newburg and Amelia Hunt, the owners of Falls Brook Organic Farm. Everything was from the market, including the scallops, so Michael and Amelia knew the provenance of every ingredient (including their own basil and tomatoes), which made this delicious dish even better.

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
• 1/8 teaspoon (generous) piment d’Espelette or chili powder
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fleur de sel*

Salad:

• 24 large sea scallops, side muscles removed, patted dry
• 3 firm but ripe nectarines (white or yellow), each cut into 6 wedges
• Olive oil, for brushing
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 2 large ears of corn
• 24 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
• Fleur de sel

Basil Puree:

• 3/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Fleur de sel

For dressing:
Whisk lime juice, lime peel, and piment d’Espelette in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with fleur de sel and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

For basil puree:
Blanch basil in small pot of boiling salted water 30 seconds; drain. Squeeze to remove as much water as possible, then coarsely chop. Puree basil and oil in blender until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Season to taste with fleur de sel. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Return to room temperature before using.

 

For salad:
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush scallops and nectarines with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill scallops until slightly charred and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Grill nectarines until slightly charred, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops and nectarines to plate.

Arrange 4 scallops on each of 6 plates. Toss corn and 2 tablespoons dressing in medium bowl. Toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon dressing in another bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon corn around scallops. Scatter tomatoes over corn. Arrange nectarine wedges decoratively on plates. Drizzle some dressing over scallops, then spoon some basil puree over. Sprinkle sliced basil and fleur de sel over corn and tomatoes and serve.

* A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

 

Ingredient tip: Piment d’Espelette is the ground powder of a small, dried, hot red chile grown in Espelette, France. It is available at specialty foods stores and from zingermans.com. 

Eggs in Ham Cups

Yield:  6

Ingredients:

• 12 slices of maple cured ham (1.6 cm x 2.5 cm)
• 12 x medium sized eggs
• 1 x 12 cup capacity muffin tray (1 x 250 ml cup capacity)

 

Directions:

Eggs In Ham Cups

1. Place ham on a flat surface and cut a small triangle 1 inch in width (6cm) from the center to outer edge of each ham piece. This helps create an even bottom for the ham cup.
2. Place one slice of ham evenly into each muffin cup of the baking tray, ensuring the bottom is covered completely with ham. Place the left over triangle of ham on the bottom to cover any holes. Repeat until all muffin cups are evenly lined with ham.
3. Preheat grill to 400°F/204°C or medium-high heat.
4. Place muffin tray on the barbecue and grill until crisp – approximately 4 minutes or until crisp and golden around edges of ham. Remove from barbeque.
5. Carefully add 1 cracked egg to each ham cup. Cover the entire tray with a sheet of aluminum foil. Do not press down on foil. Leave the foil loose but tightly sealed around edges.
6. Turn the temperature down to 200°F/100°C or low-heat. Once temperature is reached place eggs on grill.
7. Cook eggs for 2-3 minutes or until desired doneness.
8. When desired doneness of eggs is achieved, remove from grill. Using a small spatula remove eggs onto a serving platter.

Blackberry-Peppered Lamb Chops

Courtesy of:
Licence to Grill 

Episode:
Picture Perfect BBQ 

Host:
Rob Rainford  

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Ingredients:

Blackberry Pink Peppercorn Marinade:

• 2 pints blackberries
• 1/4 cup chopped mint (60ml)
• 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns cracked (15ml)
• 1 cup port (250ml)
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns cracked (10ml)

Mushroom Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15ml)
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots (60ml)
• 1 pound wild mushrooms ( such as shitake, oyster, button) (500g)
• 1/4 cup red wine (60ml)
• 1 split vanilla bean
• 1/4 cup chopped mint (60ml)
• 1 cup chicken stock (250ml)
• 2 teaspoons honey (10ml)
• salt and pepper to taste

Blackberry-Peppered Lamb Chops

• 10 lamb rack chops double cut (ask you butcher)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (30ml)
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Blackberry Pink Peppercorn Marinade:

1. In a bowl mash blackberries with fork. Add chopped mint, crushed peppercorns, port and black pepper. Place lamb chops in a reseal able plastic bag and cover with marinade. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 3 hours.

Mushroom Sauce:

1. In a large skillet set over high heat add oil and shallot. Allow to sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze. Add chicken stock, mint and drizzle in honey. Allow to cook until most of the liquid is incorporated. Season mix with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Blackberry-Peppered Lamb Chops

1. Prepare the barbecue for direct grilling. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Oil grill.
2. Remove lamb from baggie and discard excess marinade. Season with salt and drizzle with oil.
3. Carefully wrap bones in foil. This will prevent the bones from burning and give a bitter flavour to the lamb.
4. Place seasoned lamb on grill. Grill for 3 – 4 minutes per side for medium rare, or until nice char marks and deep caramelization is achieved.
5. Remove from grill. Serve with mushroom sauté.

APPLE CITY BARBECUE GRAND WORLD CHAMPION RIBS

Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue – by Mike Mills, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

SERVES 4, OR YOU CAN CUT THE RACKS IN HALF TO SERVE 8
“Life is too short for a half-rack.” -Mike Mills

People are mystified about how to cook ribs properly. I’m going to walk you through every step using a basic charcoal grill. Obviously if you have different or more high-tech equipment, you’ll need to modify these procedures. If you’re setting up your backyard charcoal grill for indirect cooking, you’ll want to use a disposable aluminum pan to capture the grease as the fat renders while cooking. Some people add water to this pan to add moisture to the cooking environment.
     Let me caution you right up front to mop the ribs with sauce no more than 10 minutes before you take them off the grill. Saucing the meat too early is a mistake many people make when smoking or grilling. Virtually all barbecue sauce contains sugar, and your meat will have a burned crust around the outside if you use sauce too soon in the process.
     Ribs are readily available in most grocery stores. When selecting ribs, try not to buy ones that weigh less than 2 pounds. A true baby back rib weighs about 11/4 to 1 1/2 pounds; they are very fragile and dry out quickly. This recipe calls for a meatier rib. A loin back rib is preferable; they’re easier to cook, less fragile, and have more meat.
     Once you start smoking ribs, you can’t leave the smoker unattended for any more than about 20 minutes. You’ll need to continually check that the temperature in the grill remains between 200 and 210 degrees at all times. If it gets too hot, open the lid and allow some of the heat to escape. Coals that appear to be glowing red will cause a hot spot. Don’t cook the ribs directly over the hot spot; move the ribs to a different, cooler part of the grill. If the temperature dips below 200 degrees, move the ribs to a hot spot for a while. If the temperature gets too low, add some more coals.
     You’ll need about 4 cups of apple wood chips to be authentic; you can use hickory, pecan, sweet maple, or cherry, but the ribs won’t taste as sweet. You’ll also need a chimney starter or another small covered grill or bucket to keep extra hot coals.

4 racks of ribs (about 2 pounds each)
Magic Dust (recipe below)
4 cups apple juice in a spray bottle
Apple City Barbecue Sauce (recipe below)

Sprinkle the ribs liberally with Magic Dust, coating both sides. Put them in a shallow pan or on a cookie sheet and cover them with clear plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate them until you’re ready to use them. I recommend letting them marinate for at least an hour. At the restaurant, we dust the ribs up to a day in advance.

Soak the apple wood chips in water for half an hour. Drain.

Remove the grate and arrange the medium-hot coals in a grill or smoker. If you are using a grill, it must have a lid. Set an aluminum pan next to the coals as a drip pan. Spread out the wet wood chips on the coals. Replace the rack, close the grill, and check the temperature. It should be between 200 and 210 degrees. If the temperature is too high, open the lid to allow some heat to escape.

Notice that the meat on a rack of ribs is on the top. The bottom, where you remove the membrane, is called the “bone side.” Once the temperature is steady, place the ribs on the rack, bone side down. You want to cook them bone side down as much as possible. Turning them dries out the meat. If necessary, you can cut the racks of ribs in half to comfortably fit your grill.

Cover and smoke the ribs for 3 to 5 hours or until the ribs are done and tender. 

You’ll want to check the ribs every 20 minutes or so. Examine them to see if the surface of the meat looks dry or moist. Ribs “sweat” about three times during the smoking process. The pores of the meat open, and this allows moisture to escape. This is when the seasoning from the dry rub and the smoke itself are reabsorbed into the meat. When they’re sweating, mop or mist them with some apple juice and sprinkle them with a little more Magic Dust. Opening the lid will lower the temperature; add more coals and wood chips as needed to maintain the temperature.

About 10 minutes before you remove the ribs from the pit, mop them with the sauce. When you take them off the pit, mop again with sauce and sprinkle some more Magic Dust on them. Serve immediately.

APPLE CITY BARBECUE SAUCE

MAKES 3 CUPS

This award-winning sauce enhances just about any barbecue. Some barbecue sauce is very thick and just sits on top of the meat. This sauce is smooth and on the thin side, and it seeps down into the meat.

1 cup ketchup (I use Hunt’s)
2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar 
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce   
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup bacon bits, ground in a spice grinder
1/3 cup peeled and grated apple
1/3 cup grated onion
2 teaspoons grated green bell pepper

Combine the ketchup, rice vinegar, apple juice or cider, cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne, and bacon bits in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the apple, onion, and bell pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Stir it often. Allow to cool, then pour into sterilized glass bottles. A glass jar that used to contain mayonnaise or juice works real well. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

VARIATION: To make this sauce a little hotter, add more cayenne pepper to taste, approximately another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Be careful; a little cayenne goes a long way.

Magic Dust

This recipe is courtesy of Mike Mills of Apple City BBQ. Winner of many bbq competitions and Bon Appetite’s Worlds Best Ribs.

To make it a little more hot and spicy, increase the mustard powder and black pepper to 1/4 cup each.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, finely ground
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons mustard powder
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons cayenne

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients and store in a tightly covered container. You’ll want to keep some in a shaker next to the grill or stove. Keeps indefinitely but won’t last long.