Yes, I'm making a lot of cabbage this winter. Truth be told, I'm trying my best to cook from local ingredients and at my market this is the only vegetable I can find that is grown even remotely close to NYC. But, necessity is the mother of invention and I've been keeping my tummy full with delicious variations on this hearty vegetable. Tonight's presentation is tarted up with lemon rind and given a kick in the tongue with some dried chilies. Golden garlic rounds out the flavor wheel, making the dish a new staple in your repertoire.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Green Cabbage
1 head Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
Rind of 2 Lemons, cut in large strips
2 Dried Chilies
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Business
Cut the cabbage into thin shreds, set aside.
In the bottom of a wok or large stockpot, heat the oil. When hot, add the garlic and fry until golden. Then add the lemon peel and dried chilies. Toast everything.
Add cabbage to pot, stir to combine, drop heat to medium-low and cook until tender (about 30 minutes), stirring infrequently.
Don't wait for the summer to start grilling. Invest in a cast iron griddle/grill pan and you'll be set through the colder months of the year. I brined the pork loin in whole grain mustard and garlic to infuse it with flavor before slapping it on the hot grill. The final product is perfectly seasoned, charred on the outside, and juicy in the middle (just where it counts).
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 tablespoon Salt
1/2 tablespoon Honey
3 smashed Garlic Cloves
1 to 1.5 pounds Pork Loin
BUSINESS
In a small bowl combine all ingredients, except for the pork. Whisk together until everything is combined.
Trim the silver skin from the pork loin, then place it in a sealable plastic bag.
Pour the brine into the bag with the pork, then seal it and put it in the refrigerator. Leave it for at least a few hours, and not more than 36 hours (the brine can make it too salty).
Let the pork come to room temperature before grilling. Heat a cast iron grill over medium-high flames.
Grill the pork for 8-10 minutes per side, covering it with a larger roasting pan or domed lid while it cooks on the cast iron. Don't move it around while it grills on each side, let the pork get nice charred grill marks. Cook the loin until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads ~145 degrees, about 40-50 minutes.
Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
SAUCE
While the pork is grilling, make use of the leftover brine by incorporating it into a sauce for the finished dish.
1 quart Chopped tomatoes
1 Yellow Onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Brine from above (after the pork is on the grill)
All Garlic Cloves from above Brine
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
In a small sauté pan, combine all ingredients.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the onions are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.
Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank, monetary salvation lies in knowledge. So, arm yourself with information and get to know your butcher. I’m a lover of lamb, but buying the rack every time will rob your wallet of its health. Lamb spare ribs, however, are often overlooked and if you can get your butcher to save some for you, the price will likely surprise you. Unpopular meat is cheap, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t scrumptious.
INGREDIENTS
2- pounds Lamb Spare Ribs
2 cups Red Wine
¼ cup Poppy Seeds
2 large Red Onions
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt
Balsamic Vinegar for serving
BUSINESS
Trim the lamb ribs of nearly all exterior fat (there will be a lot), leaving a thin layer where you cannot get any closer to the meat without cutting into the muscle. If you are able, pull the translucent skin away from the muscle tissue. If it is too difficult, don’t worry, it will peel away easily after cooking. Add the lamb to a plastic bag or plastic-wrap covered dish for marinating.
Pour red wine and poppy seeds over the ribs and slosh them around in the bag to spread the marinade. Let the ribs soak in wine for at least a few hours, if not overnight (or even a few days).
Hear your oven to 250 degrees. Remove the ribs from the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature while you heat the oven.
Slice the onions thinly and scatter them in the bottom of a large roasting tray.
Remove the ribs from the marinating bag, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides then lay the ribs meat-side down directly on top of the onions. The bones should curve up toward you like fingers reaching out of the tray. Pour the remaining marinade (from the bag) over the ribs.
Roast the ribs for 2.5-3 hours, until they're fork tender. Remove the lamb from the oven and crank the heat up to 500 degrees.
Cut the ribs into individual bones and flip them over, so the meat is on top now. When the oven is up to heat, slide the tray back in for 10-15 minutes. The ribs should be crackling and crisp by the time you take them out again.
Remove the ribs to a plate and drizzle a touch of balsamic vinegar over them before serving.
This date night meal needed some heft (I intend to put my dear friend into a food coma) and what adds more power to a meal than the humble potato? Boiled, smashed, and pan fried, this potato has everything: a tender center, a crisp skin, salt, garlic. It was only missing one thing: intrigue. Enter caraway. You think of it as the flavor of rye bread, and it's the perfect compliment to a smashed potato.
INGREDIENTS
6 Red Skinned New Potatoes
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil for pan frying
1 head Garlic Cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon Whole Caraway Seeds
BUSINESS
Clean your potatoes and place them in a large stock pot. Cover them with cold water, until it is at least an inch above the potatoes. Put a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the water, drain them and let them cool. When they're cool enough to handle, use a heavy pan to press them down (or smash them) until they're relatively flat.
In a wok or cast iron skillet, heat a good pour of olive oil. Add the garlic and sprinkle in some caraway seeds (judge the amount depending on how many batches of potatoes you'll be frying). Cook garlic and caraway until fragrant.
Add potatoes (don't crowd the pan, maybe only two at a time) and fry until golden brown, then flip and cook again until golden.
In an effort to serve foods with a natural blush for my practice date I picked up a head of red cabbage at the market. Cabbage has a bad rap for being smelly, cheap, and mushy, and the fault for such a reputation sits heavily on the shoulders of mid-century cooks. Cabbage is a riot of color and texture, the tender leaves contrast mightily with the crunchy veins. I toss mine with apple cider vinegar and miso for a punch of acidity and flavor. No mush over here.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium Red Onions
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 head Red Cabbage
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons White or Yellow Miso
Salt and Pepper to taste
BUSINESS
Cut the onions in half vertically, then slice the halves thinly.
Heat the oil in a wok or large stock pot, then add the onions and sauteee for 6-10 minutes over medium-high heat until translucent and slightly charred.
While the onions are cooking, cut up the cabbage. Chop the head in half vertically, then cut out the core of each half. Slice each half into thin strips.
Add the cabbage to the onions and stir to combine. Sautee for 5 minutes.
Pour the vinegar around the edges of your pot, then immediately cover with a lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, add miso, salt, and pepper, stir to combine and cook another 5-7 minutes, until the cabbage is your desired texture.
