Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños, My Boating Tradition

Peppers ready to assemble and a cold beer while cooking of course

Wrapped and ready to grill

Hot and Crispy off the Grill

It all started during one sunset at anchor in a quiet bay on the Island of Lanai, Hawaii. My cousin prepared grilled bacon-wrapped jalapenos with a melted cream cheese filling served up with a stiff dark rum and pineapple drink. Wow- I'm hooked now. Grilled peppers have become a tradition on my boat since that trip a few years back. Just this last weekend with good weather, I cooked dinner on my boat and naturally made grilled bacon peppers again. They are very easy to prep ahead of time, and keep cold in the fridge or cooler until ready to grill. Try them on your own home grill. One note on the hotness of the peppers is that they can be very hot when raw, but with precooking and removing the seed membrane, they will be much less hot.

My Grilled Jalapenos 
Ingredients:
Jalapeño peppers, large size
Bacon strips, smoked is best
Cream cheese, regular or light
Toothpicks to secure

Method:
1. Make a slit down the side of the raw pepper and careful remove all the seeds and whitish membrane.
2. At this point they can be boiled or fire charred to remove skin and precook.
3. When cool and cleaned, stuff slit with cream cheese.
4. Lay a strip of bacon on a cutting board and tightly roll up around stuffed pepper.
5. Secure with toothpick, they are ready to grill.
6. Grill on medium heat and turn son they brown evenly.
7. Remove toothpick and serve.

Note: Wearing plastic gloves will keep your fingers and anything you might touch, from burning when cleaning seeds.

Stove Top Grilling

Nothing compares to cooking over a open fire, the intense heat and smoke that imparts flavor while giving food beautiful color. Sometimes its just not going to happen so a good alternative is using a cast iron grill pan on top of the stove. Tonight I cooked big meaty pork chops in my grill pan and they turned out really nice for indoor grilling. The secret is to preheat the pan till its almost smoking then cook the meat with a good exhaust fan on. The thick iron pan does a good job of holding the heat and giving a good sear. I can't wait to cook more.

Braised Pork Tamales

With the weather getting warmer I am spending more and more time on my boat. Today I decided on Mexican pork Tamales served with a cold beer, a perfect plan. The Tamales are Made by slow braising pork butt and dried chili peppers till it is fall apart tender, the cooked and shredded pork is added to a spoonful of corn masa dough which are then enclosed in fresh banana leafs. The little bundles are then steamed for about an hour and then they ready to eat. I served them with a tomatillo-green chili salsa and avocado. They were perfect eaten on the boat while watching the warm sun set. Note: tamales are a perfect food that can be made far in advance and reheated when ready to eat and available now in well stocked markets.

Tamales Steaming

Banana Leaf Wrapped Pork Tamales

Sailing back to Port while the Tamales Steam

The Mexican Christmas Tradtion, Posole Soup

Pressure Cooker Braise Pork

Ready to eat with diced Onions and Cilantro

One of my favorite soups is the classic Posole soup originating from Mexico,  a thick and rich meat broth with either chicken or pork and hominy. All the great flavors of Mexico in a soup form. My soup is made with a dry rub of home ground chili powder on cuts of pork shoulder that is browned in a heavy pan, then cooked in a pressure cooker with chicken stock till fall apart tender. This broth and shredded meat becomes the base for the soup to which precooked hominy is added, simply seasoned and brought to a simmer. After it is ladled into bowls the fun part comes, adding traditional condiments to personalize to your own taste. The condiments include: dry oregano, chopped cilantro, shredded green cabbage, lemon or lime juice, fine diced onion, diced avocado and plenty of hot sauce.

Note: Canned Hominy can be found in most markets, a pressure cooker does not have to be used but its faster to cook meats.

Ready for Summer with Grilled Pork Chops

Grilled Marinated Pork Chop with Potato Cake, Kale and Apricot Compote

Chops with Garlic, White Wine and Fresh Thyme

Grilling over Charcoal

I had a craving for something on the grill tonight and I chose a pair of big thick-cut pork chops to cook.
The pork was simply marinated in white wine, garlic and fresh thyme from the garden. While these chops soaked in the flavors, I started a hardwood charcoal fire. This gave me time to make the sides of fresh apricot chutney, potato cakes and cleaning kale which I will later cook on the grill.
With a glowing hot fire the chops go on and cook on both sides till just done, about 15 minutes total time. The kale I served with it was cooked in a sauté pan over the same coals.  I served a chilled rose wine with it and it was great-craving satisfied!

Posole soup to warm you on a cold day

Pork Posole Soup

One way to make daily cooking less of a chore, is to cook a big batch of something that can be transformed into another meal the next day. Think turkey sandwiches that are made from Thanksgiving turkey; that's the time-saving idea.  I often cook a big piece of pork shoulder and it can be tacos one night and another recipe the next. This posole soup is my second day meal using some of the cooked pork shredded into a pot with its cooking liquid and hominy.  Fast and really good.

Second Day Posole Soup

Ingredients:
Slow braised pork*, diced or shredded
Pork cooking liquid
Canned hominy
Chili powder

Method:
1. All ingredients go into a pot.
2. Bring to a simmer.
3. Serve in big bowls with your choice of condiments.

* Pork shoulder is slow cooking in a heavy pot with water, garlic, onion and orange zest till fork tender.

Note: Traditional condiments can include shredded cabbage, oregano, cilantro, avocado, lemon, chili flakes.

Chili -a classic for Football or any time

Smoked Pork Chili with the Works

There was a big championship game on TV a few weeks ago and with that comes the classic menu combination of beer and chili. My first choice was to use pork shoulder with red beans; they will not get as mushy when cooked as other beans. It was an all day project smoking and cooking, but was well worth it.
My beer pairing was a tasty Tiburon Blond Ale from my friends at the Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, California.

Smoked Pork Chili

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch thick slabs
4 dry Ancho chili pods, cleaned of seeds
1 T smoked paprika
1 T ground cumin
kosher salt
1 large red onion, char grilled then diced
2 Poblano chili, roasted, peeled then diced
5 garlic cloves, diced
1 can or three fresh diced tomatoes
1 small bag small red beans
1-3 T tomato paste
2 Quarts Water or chicken stock

Method:
1. Slice the pork into thin slabs and rub with smoked paprika, cold smoke for 2-3 hours in a smoker or your BBQ with wood chips. Dice into bite size pieces.
2. Cook the beans in water till tender, drain, cool and reserve.
3. Char the red onion and chili on the same grill. Peel, clean and dice.
4. Heat the water or stock, rehydrate the dry chili pods, and carefully blend till smooth.
5. Saute the vegetables, garlic and spices in a large heavy pot, add the meat and Ancho chili water,
bring to a simmer.
6. After about 30 minutes add tomato paste to help thicken the liquid, simmer another 15-20 minutes.
7. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Great served with diced white onions, chopped cilantro, avocado and your favorite hot sauce

A Week Night Dinner- Pork Chops

Grilled Pork Chop with Black Cherry Onion Jam

I had a energy-filled free night so I spent some time cooking dinner; a nice thick pork chop. The first thing to make was the red onion "jam" using thin sliced red onions and black cherry juice which I slowly cooked down till soft and syrupy and I added a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness of the cherry juice. Next I made risotto cakes using fine diced onions and sweet potatoes. After it was allowed to cool, I formed little round cakes using a ring mold which will later go into a pan to reheat and crisp the outside. Green Swiss Chard was washed and cut into ribbons ready for a hot pan. The star of the show is the pork chop, which I seasoned and put in a smoking hot grill pan that was put in a 400F oven to finish cooking. About eight minutes later it all comes together on a plate ready to serve. Pass the wine please.

Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl

Pork Belly, Shiitake and Kimchee Rice Bowl

Slow Braise Pork Belly Crisping in pan

Pork Belly, a old meat cut enjoyed in a new way. For most people, strips of bacon have been the only way they have eaten or even heard of pork belly. It has now become trendy with food lovers and chefs everywhere. By cooking a big cut of this meat you have more options on how to serve it, but having these large cuts will change the way you have to cook it. I like to braise it in a flavorful liquid using my pressure cooker; what would take hours in a conventional pot takes a third of the time. After it's cooked to a falling- apart tenderness, it can be cut and put in a pan to crisp it. In this recipe I used a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sake for the braising liquid. After cooking and crisping it in a pan, I added sauteed Shiitake mushrooms which I spooned over steamed jasmine rice and a big scoop of spicy kimchee finished the dish. I enjoyed, and recommend a cold Asian beer to go with it.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Beet Greens and Sweet Potatoes

Getting ready for Winter with a pork loin chop stuffed with caramelized onions, served with sweet potato mash and braised beet greens. Yes- the tops of beets should never be thrown away, but cooked with maybe a splash of vinegar and a touch of bacon- delicious. The pork is easy to make with a slit cut in the side and stuffed with a few tablespoons of slow cooked caramelized onions then into a hot pan and into a 400F oven to finish cooking. In the same hot oven go the sweet potatoes to cook in their skins till soft, then the potato is scooped out and mixed with cream and a touch of butter.

A Meat & Potatoes Night

Pork T-Bone Chop with Glazed Carrots

Potato cakes in the Cast Iron Pan

A classic combination. Tonight for me it was thick-cut pork chop with a crispy potato cake and honey glazed carrots. I started by brining the pork using water, sugar and salt and let it sit overnight to allow the brine to soak in and season the meat. For the potato cake I used both a russet potato and sweet potato. The sweet potato was cut into small cubes and cooked with sliced yellow onions and bacon and the russet was peeled and cut in big chunks, boiled in water until soft then drained and mashed. I combined the cooked sweet potato mixture with the russet mash and then formed it into thick cakes using a ring mold. The cakes were browned in a saute pan and finished in the oven until hot. The peeled and cut carrots went into a pan covered with water and a dash of honey, and they were simmered until the liquid reduced and a sweet sticky glaze formed. The pork was simply grilled and went on a plate with the carrots and potato cake. So simple and good.

Pork Carnitas with Fresh Corn Pancakes

Summer Ingredients on a Plate

Fresh Corn Pancake

Crispy Pork

With corn being available everywhere right now, I decided to make corn pancakes and braised pork to go with it. To start, I seasoned a pork shoulder and browned it well in a heavy pan and then into the pressure cooker it went with a splash of water and fresh garlic, and it simmered it under pressure for about two hours. Next, I made a fresh corn batter with milk, egg, flour, baking powder, pinch of salt and fresh shucked corn kernels, blended 'till smooth and added more corn for texture. The third component is a heirloom tomato salsa made with diced tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro and fresh lime juice. I made the corn cake on hot greased cast iron pan while the fall-apart tender pork finished in a pan 'till it was crispy. Pork went on the corn cake and salsa on the pork; ready to eat!

Pork Belly

Pork belly is the cut of pork from which bacon is made; it has been around for a long time but has gained increased popularity in recent years with many chefs and home cooks who love its meaty flavor and texture. Another plus is the low cost due mostly to the excessive amount of fat, but this fat gives flavor, moistness and tenderness to the meat when cooked low and slow. In the Asian countries of China and Korea its also very popular and that gave me the idea of using a Soy Sauce, Mirin and ginger flavored braising liquid. A two pound piece cut in two and cooked about a hour in my pressure cooker. The falling apart tender pork was sliced and put on top of cooked Somen noodle with scallions and cilantro, a little braising liquid spooned over to moisten. Any kind of pork is a good thing and was great.

Soy Glazed Pork Belly with Miso Risotto

I had a piece of long simmered pork belly, cooked till falling apart tender. I had the idea of cooking thick slices of this pork belly till crisp, then coated with a rich glaze of soy sauce. In keeping with the use of Asian flavors I made a simple risotto using miso paste as the principal flavoring. It turned out good and I will make it again with the addition of maybe stir fried bok choy.

Pork Belly

Raw Pork Belly

Cooked Pork Belly

Crispy Pork Belly Strips

Most people can not get enough bacon and the trend in the last few years has been cooking pork bellies. This is the cut of pork from what bacon is made from, it is a large belly flap with thick layers of fat and meat. The belly needs a long and slow cooking time to make the meat tender. I used a spicy pork stock and my pressure cooker to speed up the process which took only about an hour. The result was a thick and tender piece of pork ready for the next step. The big slabs were cut into smaller pieces and I placed them in a pan to slowly fry in its own fat at a low temperature, it becomes crispy and golden on the outside and very tender and juicy on the inside. This is pork at its best and can be served any way you would use bacon.

Baby Back Pork Ribs with a Tropical Twist

Tropical Baby Back Pork Ribs

I recently bought baby back Pork ribs with a couple of ideas on how to prepare them, my first idea was to wrap them in banana leafs and cook them Island style, low and slow till tender. The twist was to take advantage of the amazing stone fruits flooding the markets right now. I made a simple chipotle chili and peach glaze, this was then brushed on the ribs, next was to wrap in banana leafs and steam in a pressure cooker. As the ribs slowly cooked with that constant steam hiss of the pressure cooker I prepared a chutney using fresh peach, banana and flavored with a cardamon pod. After a few hours of cooking, the ribs were ready to eat. The meat just fell off the bone with the flavors being as interesting as good, everything worked really well together, a little spicy and tangy with sweetness from the fruits. Sometimes experments don't always work out, this time it did and dinner turned out great.

Peach-Banana Chutney

Ingredients:

1 ripe Peach, pitted and diced

2 firm Bananas, peeled and diced

1 small red Onion, peeled and diced

3 T Sugar

2 T White wine vinegar

1 dash cracked pepper

1 cardamon pod, cracked

1 cup water

Method:

1. Slowly simmer all ingredients till water reduces and mixture thickens.

2. Discard cardamon pod.

Rack of Pork

I found a really nice pork loin with bone in at neighborhood market, cooking with the bone in provides additional flavor, helps retains moisture and gives you the rib bones to chew on as well. I trussed the loin with heavy duty twine and placed the pork in a brine for two days. The brine is simply made with water, kosher salt, sugar, garlic, fennel seeds, carrots, celery and onion. The brine gives a lot of flavor and will help the pork stay moist during cooking. After a quick sear on top of the stove it goes into a hot 400 degree oven to roast till it reaches 150 degrees, after a 15 minute rest the chops are carved from the roast and served with roasted potatoes and honey glazed carrots, the pork turned out very moist and tender. I could have made a sauce using maybe mustard or fruit, but this time I left it alone and it was great.

Indian Spiced Pork Tenderloin

I bought a pork tenderloin with the idea of doing some kind of Indian flavor with it, I used a Indian curry rub which I brushed on the piece of cleaned and trimmed pork. I let the pork marinate and absorb the rub flavors for a little while. During this time I roasted whole sweet potatoes in a hot oven. Next I slowly braised garbanzo beans with garlic and sliced onions till tender. To cook the pork I put it in a hot pan with olive oil to brown on all sides, then place in the oven to finish cooking. The sweet potatoes when cooked will peel very easy and are simply seasoned with salt and pepper, some chopped cilantro finishes the garbanzo beans and the pork is sliced and served.

Brasied Pork with White Beans

Even in the Summer a comforting stew sounds good when the cool fog comes in. I made a simple stew of pork shoulder, garlic, onion and white beans. After about three hours of slow simmering the beans are soft and tender and the chunks of pork are falling apart. The flavors are a lot like cassoulet but with out all the vegetables and sausage. I served it with a dollop of a parsley pesto.

A Craving for a Juicy Pork Chop

Its rare when I look in the meat case for a dinner idea, normally its some kind of fish or shellfish. There was some nice thick pork chops calling out to me so I took them home. I preheated my stove top cast iron pan while the chops were seasoned with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. The cast iron is excellent for searing meat because it will retain heat. Its the original non stick pan. A dash of olive oil in the pan and it was time to sear.The chops only took about five minutes per side while I sauteed sliced onions and cabbage to go with them. When the chops were platted with the cabbage and quick saute of peeled sliced apples in butter became the sauce. Its a good cold weather comfort dish that is really not as fatty as you would think. So go for it.