Crock Pot Wonder: Curry Inspired Pork Ribs

A perk of being a country girl in the city is having a physical and mental resistance to climbing temperatures once summer finally hits.

It’s the lesser of two evils sometimes; especially, when you love cooking during the summer months. The swelter of a New York apartment once the oven is turned on is, well it IS a given.  For avid cooks, who happen to also have air conditioning, there is the delicate dance of knowing exactly when to start cooking in 80˚+ weather, and when the perfect time comes to turn on the AC to fight against both the indoor and outdoor heat.

A very delicate dance! One slip in timing and you’ll sweat if you do, you’ll sweat if you don’t!

Growing up in Charleston, where much of my childhood was spent without an air conditioner, we relied on the timely clockwork of Ocean breezes feeding in to marsh waters.  Beyond that, my Grandmother had the perfect solution for cooking during summer months.

 

Most if not all meals for the day were finished cooking by noon. In fact, all household chores were virtually finished by noon! THOSE were the days of hung laundry and mandatory long afternoon naps.

I’m still working on the diligence that sort of homemade “three meals per day” culinary discipline takes.

In the mean time I faithfully use my slow cooker.

A recent tangle with our crock pot produced fantastic results in a no fuss curry inspired light stew of pork ribs and vegetables - a dish that would have required hours of braising on top of the stove and just as many hours roasting in the oven.  I simply COULD NOT that day! As the temperature climbed outdoors, the little one and I stayed cool indoors, chipping away at chores, all the while cooking our slow cooked one pot wonder.

By midafternoon, I felt quite accomplished! By evening, and dinnertime, I knew I’d done our cool comfortable home a huge service, and my Grandmother proud!

Curry Inspired Pork Ribs

Yield: 6 – 8 Main Course Servings

Special Equipment: At Minimum a 6 quart Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

The Madness: The Ingredients

The Vegetables

1 large white or sweet onion

1 large poblano
9 small thin carrots (approx. 3 cups of chopped)
1 lb of sweet baby tomatoes on the vine
3 – 4 stems of fresh thyme
3 – 4 stems of fresh thyme
1 quart of vegetable or chicken stock, divided in to half, then set aside
3 tbsp of ap flour for slurry to thicken gravy
1 10oz box of frozen or 1 1/2 cups of fresh peas

The Protein

3lbs of sliced pork ribs

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of ap flour for dusting, set aside

Curry Inspired Seasoning Rub for the Ribs

2 tbsp of garam masala

1 tsp of ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp of favorite ap seasoning blend
1 ½ tbsp ground coriander
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of kashmiri pepper (can substitute ground cayenne pepper)
½ tbsp dried cilantro
½ tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp of curry powder
1 tbsp of turmeric

Keeping It Real Disclosure:

The curry inspired seasoning rub for the ribs per the recipe above yields just over ½ cup of seasoning mix. For this recipe, I found that I used just over ¼ cup of the rub. This leaves me with enough rub for next time I’m in the mood for a quick curry inspired meal, OR you may find that your taste lends itself to using a bit more rub than I do. Here, you have plenty! Trust your pallet.

Example: By reflex, I found that as I layered the vegetables in the crock pot, I sprinkled a bit more (a teaspoon or so) of the seasoning here and there to build complex layers of slow cooked flavor.

 

 

The Method: The Assembly

Once the ribs have been removed from their purchased packaging, rinse them and be sure to remove any excess fat that may be hanging around. Pork ribs are well marbled, any excess fat can be removed without worry of drying out your ribs.

 

Place the ribs on to a paper towel lined baking sheet to dry the ribs.  Once dried, sprinkle them liberally with the spice rub. Be sure to coat all sides.

 

 

Set them aside.

Peel and slice the onion in half. Place the flat side of each onion half against your cutting board, and then slice across each half until you have sliced your entire onion in to thin strips.

Start layering the slices of onion into the crock container of your crock pot.  

Perform the same slicing and layering method on your washed, de stemmed, and deseeded poblano pepper.

Rinse, peel, and chop the carrots in to large chunks.  Place them in to the crock.

Rinse and quarter the tomatoes, once they have been removed from their vines. Place them in to the crock on top of the carrots.

 

In a large cast iron or fry pan heat the extra virgin olive oil over high heat.

Lightly dust the seasoned ribs with ap flour. Shake any excess flour from the ribs. Place each rib in to the heated oil. Sear each side of the ribs until browned, approximately 2 – 3 minutes per side.  Searing the ribs first develops a richer flavor in the crust that permeates the crock pot liquids to build even tastier and more complex gravy in the end.

Once seared on all sides, place the ribs in to the crock pot on top of the layered vegetables. Pour half of the quart of stock (2 cups) on top of the ribs and vegetables. Finish with placing the fresh herbs on top of the meat and vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

 

 

Check your meal periodically, though sparingly. If in that time you find that you need additional liquid, add some of the reserved stock ½ cup at a time. Chances are, you won’t need it.

Once the dish has been cooking for 6 hours, create what is called a slurry to thicken your developing curry inspired gravy.

Take the 3 tbsp of ap flour remaining and place it in to a small bowl, add approximately one cup of the developing gravy from the crock pot. Before adding the gravy to the reserved flour, taste the gravy for seasoning. If you need additional seasoning to taste, add more of the rub mix to this slurry. Whisk the flour, additional seasoning, and stewing liquid until well combined, and smooth.

Pour the slurry in to the crock pot with the simmering meat and vegetables; stir the slurry in to the developing gravy. Cover and cook for an additional hour. During this time, your gravy will thicken, becoming more luscious.

When your stew is about a 1/2 hour from being of perfect tenderness and consistency, add peas. Cover to allow peas to cook through.

Dinner is ready to be served when you are ready to receive it!

 

As always, Enjoy!

xo, Bon Appégeechee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crock Pot Wonder: Curry Inspired Pork Ribs

A perk of being a country girl in the city is having a physical and mental resistance to climbing temperatures once summer finally hits.

It’s the lesser of two evils sometimes; especially, when you love cooking during the summer months. The swelter of a New York apartment once the oven is turned on is, well it IS a given.  For avid cooks, who happen to also have air conditioning, there is the delicate dance of knowing exactly when to start cooking in 80˚+ weather, and when the perfect time comes to turn on the AC to fight against both the indoor and outdoor heat.

A very delicate dance! One slip in timing and you’ll sweat if you do, you’ll sweat if you don’t!

Growing up in Charleston, where much of my childhood was spent without an air conditioner, we relied on the timely clockwork of Ocean breezes feeding in to marsh waters.  Beyond that, my Grandmother had the perfect solution for cooking during summer months.

 

Most if not all meals for the day were finished cooking by noon. In fact, all household chores were virtually finished by noon! THOSE were the days of hung laundry and mandatory long afternoon naps.

I’m still working on the diligence that sort of homemade “three meals per day” culinary discipline takes.

In the mean time I faithfully use my slow cooker.

A recent tangle with our crock pot produced fantastic results in a no fuss curry inspired light stew of pork ribs and vegetables - a dish that would have required hours of braising on top of the stove and just as many hours roasting in the oven.  I simply COULD NOT that day! As the temperature climbed outdoors, the little one and I stayed cool indoors, chipping away at chores, all the while cooking our slow cooked one pot wonder.

By midafternoon, I felt quite accomplished! By evening, and dinnertime, I knew I’d done our cool comfortable home a huge service, and my Grandmother proud!

Curry Inspired Pork Ribs

Yield: 6 – 8 Main Course Servings

Special Equipment: At Minimum a 6 quart Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

The Madness: The Ingredients

The Vegetables

1 large white or sweet onion

1 large poblano
9 small thin carrots (approx. 3 cups of chopped)
1 lb of sweet baby tomatoes on the vine
3 – 4 stems of fresh thyme
3 – 4 stems of fresh thyme
1 quart of vegetable or chicken stock, divided in to half, then set aside
3 tbsp of ap flour for slurry to thicken gravy
1 10oz box of frozen or 1 1/2 cups of fresh peas

The Protein

3lbs of sliced pork ribs

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of ap flour for dusting, set aside

Curry Inspired Seasoning Rub for the Ribs

2 tbsp of garam masala

1 tsp of ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp of favorite ap seasoning blend
1 ½ tbsp ground coriander
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of kashmiri pepper (can substitute ground cayenne pepper)
½ tbsp dried cilantro
½ tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp of curry powder
1 tbsp of turmeric

Keeping It Real Disclosure:

The curry inspired seasoning rub for the ribs per the recipe above yields just over ½ cup of seasoning mix. For this recipe, I found that I used just over ¼ cup of the rub. This leaves me with enough rub for next time I’m in the mood for a quick curry inspired meal, OR you may find that your taste lends itself to using a bit more rub than I do. Here, you have plenty! Trust your pallet.

Example: By reflex, I found that as I layered the vegetables in the crock pot, I sprinkled a bit more (a teaspoon or so) of the seasoning here and there to build complex layers of slow cooked flavor.

 

 

The Method: The Assembly

Once the ribs have been removed from their purchased packaging, rinse them and be sure to remove any excess fat that may be hanging around. Pork ribs are well marbled, any excess fat can be removed without worry of drying out your ribs.

 

Place the ribs on to a paper towel lined baking sheet to dry the ribs.  Once dried, sprinkle them liberally with the spice rub. Be sure to coat all sides.

 

 

Set them aside.

Peel and slice the onion in half. Place the flat side of each onion half against your cutting board, and then slice across each half until you have sliced your entire onion in to thin strips.

Start layering the slices of onion into the crock container of your crock pot.  

Perform the same slicing and layering method on your washed, de stemmed, and deseeded poblano pepper.

Rinse, peel, and chop the carrots in to large chunks.  Place them in to the crock.

Rinse and quarter the tomatoes, once they have been removed from their vines. Place them in to the crock on top of the carrots.

 

In a large cast iron or fry pan heat the extra virgin olive oil over high heat.

Lightly dust the seasoned ribs with ap flour. Shake any excess flour from the ribs. Place each rib in to the heated oil. Sear each side of the ribs until browned, approximately 2 – 3 minutes per side.  Searing the ribs first develops a richer flavor in the crust that permeates the crock pot liquids to build even tastier and more complex gravy in the end.

Once seared on all sides, place the ribs in to the crock pot on top of the layered vegetables. Pour half of the quart of stock (2 cups) on top of the ribs and vegetables. Finish with placing the fresh herbs on top of the meat and vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

 

 

Check your meal periodically, though sparingly. If in that time you find that you need additional liquid, add some of the reserved stock ½ cup at a time. Chances are, you won’t need it.

Once the dish has been cooking for 6 hours, create what is called a slurry to thicken your developing curry inspired gravy.

Take the 3 tbsp of ap flour remaining and place it in to a small bowl, add approximately one cup of the developing gravy from the crock pot. Before adding the gravy to the reserved flour, taste the gravy for seasoning. If you need additional seasoning to taste, add more of the rub mix to this slurry. Whisk the flour, additional seasoning, and stewing liquid until well combined, and smooth.

Pour the slurry in to the crock pot with the simmering meat and vegetables; stir the slurry in to the developing gravy. Cover and cook for an additional hour. During this time, your gravy will thicken, becoming more luscious.

When your stew is about a 1/2 hour from being of perfect tenderness and consistency, add peas. Cover to allow peas to cook through.

Dinner is ready to be served when you are ready to receive it!

 

As always, Enjoy!

xo, Bon Appégeechee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sassy Muffuletta

 

Question: Can't get an old school cold Italian sub from this place?

Answer: Try a homemade New Orleans Mardi Gras inspired Muffuletta sandwich with goodies from these kind folks, complimented by my new favorite tapenade. An unctuous olive salad made using two of our favorite products at Rick's Picks HQ, Pepi Pep Peps, and our newest launch, a delicious giardiniera, Rick’s Picks Sweet & Sassy Mix. 

You’ll want to dig in! Trust!   

Pepi Sweet & Sassy Muffuletta
Inspired by O Magazine

Yield: Serves 4 to 6, Generously!

The Method: Ingredients

1 15oz jar of Rick’s Picks Sweet & Sassy Mix, drained and brine reserved

1 15oz jar of Rick’s Picks Pepi Pep Peps, ½ cup of Pepi Pep Peps
6 oz green pitted olives
6 oz black pitted olives
1/4 cup of sweet and spicy banana peppers
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
5 anchovy fillets
2 tsp dried Italian seasonings (optional)
A pinch of kosher salt

1 Italian bread, loaf or round, preferably unseeded (about 12 inches in diameter)
 
3-4 tbsp oil from olive salad (or more, to taste)
3 oz capicola ham, thinly sliced
3 oz Genoa salami, thinly sliced
3 oz mortadella, thinly sliced
3 oz provolone cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

 
The Method: The Tapenade 

Coarsely chop the contents one jar of Sweet & Sassy Mix, reserve brine.  Chop ½ cup of Pepi Pep Peps (make sure to generously collect all of the good garlic bits, leaving the brine behind), green and black olives, banana peppers. Mince anchovy fillets. Combine all in a medium bowl, mix well. Add extra virgin olive oil and all reserved Sweet & Sassy Mix brine. Be sure to remove all of the thyme stalks from the brine.  Add kosher salt. Allow the tapenade to sit and meld. Being in a hurry, I couldn’t wait the preferable two days to a week melding time recommended for the tapenade; however, I would highly suggest allowing your tapenade to sit covered refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

 

 The Madness: The Sandwich Assembly

Halve the loaf of bread lengthwise. Generously spoon the tapenade (reserving its brine) on the cut side of the top loaf. Spread out the olives and pickle salad all over the bread. Set aside. Coat the bottom half of the bread with three (3) to four (4) tablespoons of the tapenade’s brine and olive oil liquid.

Keeping It Real Disclosure: The easy, more practical way of assembly would be to start with the bottom side of bread, spreading the tapenade, then topping it with overlapping slices of ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss. At that point you'll only have to top the layered half with the side that's been saturated with the tapenade's oil and brine dressing to top the sandwich.

HOWEVER, by this time, I was completely enamored with this sandwich and wanted to gawk at its magnificence for as long as possible. Alas, I didn't assemble our muffuletta with efficiency, but I know in my heart, that didn't compromise the taste one bite! 

I set aside the tapenade smeared half.  I layered the oil laden side with alternate rows of the meats and cheeses: Salami, Swiss, Provolone, Capicola, Mortadella.  In the end I needed a little help to weld the two sides together without having tapenade spill all over our kitchen.  Ultimately there was success.  

If you’re on the fast track with eating this sandwich, forgetaboutit! This sandwich requires patience.

Now, wrap the entire sandwich in clear plastic wrap. Squeeze out as much air as you can, forcing the olive oil/brine/tapenade sandwiched meats together. Now is where your strength and virtue align. Allow your wrapped sandwich to sit for at least one (1) more hour. 

One hour later; unwrap, slice into wedges, or long into large slices.

Isn’t she gorgeous!?!?

To my non-pork eating Loved Ones, Honties, I was SO thinking about you!!! 
 
xo, bon appegechee

Sassy Muffuletta

 

Question: Can't get an old school cold Italian sub from this place?

Answer: Try a homemade New Orleans Mardi Gras inspired Muffuletta sandwich with goodies from these kind folks, complimented by my new favorite tapenade. An unctuous olive salad made using two of our favorite products at Rick's Picks HQ, Pepi Pep Peps, and our newest launch, a delicious giardiniera, Rick’s Picks Sweet & Sassy Mix. 

You’ll want to dig in! Trust!   

Pepi Sweet & Sassy Muffuletta
Inspired by O Magazine

Yield: Serves 4 to 6, Generously!

The Method: Ingredients

1 15oz jar of Rick’s Picks Sweet & Sassy Mix, drained and brine reserved

1 15oz jar of Rick’s Picks Pepi Pep Peps, ½ cup of Pepi Pep Peps
6 oz green pitted olives
6 oz black pitted olives
1/4 cup of sweet and spicy banana peppers
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
5 anchovy fillets
2 tsp dried Italian seasonings (optional)
A pinch of kosher salt

1 Italian bread, loaf or round, preferably unseeded (about 12 inches in diameter)
 
3-4 tbsp oil from olive salad (or more, to taste)
3 oz capicola ham, thinly sliced
3 oz Genoa salami, thinly sliced
3 oz mortadella, thinly sliced
3 oz provolone cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

 
The Method: The Tapenade 

Coarsely chop the contents one jar of Sweet & Sassy Mix, reserve brine.  Chop ½ cup of Pepi Pep Peps (make sure to generously collect all of the good garlic bits, leaving the brine behind), green and black olives, banana peppers. Mince anchovy fillets. Combine all in a medium bowl, mix well. Add extra virgin olive oil and all reserved Sweet & Sassy Mix brine. Be sure to remove all of the thyme stalks from the brine.  Add kosher salt. Allow the tapenade to sit and meld. Being in a hurry, I couldn’t wait the preferable two days to a week melding time recommended for the tapenade; however, I would highly suggest allowing your tapenade to sit covered refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

 

 The Madness: The Sandwich Assembly

Halve the loaf of bread lengthwise. Generously spoon the tapenade (reserving its brine) on the cut side of the top loaf. Spread out the olives and pickle salad all over the bread. Set aside. Coat the bottom half of the bread with three (3) to four (4) tablespoons of the tapenade’s brine and olive oil liquid.

Keeping It Real Disclosure: The easy, more practical way of assembly would be to start with the bottom side of bread, spreading the tapenade, then topping it with overlapping slices of ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss. At that point you'll only have to top the layered half with the side that's been saturated with the tapenade's oil and brine dressing to top the sandwich.

HOWEVER, by this time, I was completely enamored with this sandwich and wanted to gawk at its magnificence for as long as possible. Alas, I didn't assemble our muffuletta with efficiency, but I know in my heart, that didn't compromise the taste one bite! 

I set aside the tapenade smeared half.  I layered the oil laden side with alternate rows of the meats and cheeses: Salami, Swiss, Provolone, Capicola, Mortadella.  In the end I needed a little help to weld the two sides together without having tapenade spill all over our kitchen.  Ultimately there was success.  

If you’re on the fast track with eating this sandwich, forgetaboutit! This sandwich requires patience.

Now, wrap the entire sandwich in clear plastic wrap. Squeeze out as much air as you can, forcing the olive oil/brine/tapenade sandwiched meats together. Now is where your strength and virtue align. Allow your wrapped sandwich to sit for at least one (1) more hour. 

One hour later; unwrap, slice into wedges, or long into large slices.

Isn’t she gorgeous!?!?

To my non-pork eating Loved Ones, Honties, I was SO thinking about you!!! 
 
xo, bon appegechee

Inaugural Pork Chops

 

 





This is recipe salutes two uniquely special “Historical Firsts” within 1⁰ of separation of one another.  The election victory of Barack Hussein Obama II as the 44th and current President of the United States of America, and the Rick’s Picks Pickle that solidified a company,and started it all, Windy City Wasabeans.

The connection: Both got their known professional starts in Chicago, Illinois! Barack’s political career began in the Illinois State Senate.  Windy City Wasabeans are an idea and moniker realized by Rick and his Brother during a visit to the brisk winds of Chicago.  Kismet!

Hail to the Chief and Windy City Wasabeans!  Neither is to be underestimated.

The Windy City Wasabeans at first sight are often misunderstood as a spicy “wasabi” pickle.  To the contrary, the earthy wasabi-soy brine imparts a subtle smokiness into these surprisingly addictive and crispy, pickled green beans.

To celebrate the 2012 United Stated Presidential Election and this year’s upcoming Rosedale Pickle Festival on Sunday, November 18 , where Windy City Wasabeans are a Best in Show First Place Alum, I had an idea. 

I decided to make Pork Chops. 

Pork Chops can be tough.  No pun intended.  There is a delicate line between cooking perfectly unctuous, succulent and flavorful pork chops, and well, dry over cooked ones.

BUT, never Fear, your new go to recipe for tender and luscious chops is here!

Queen Elizabeth has her Coronation Chicken Salad. We have our Inaugural Pork Chops.

Windy City Wasabeans:  Inaugural Pork Chops

Inspired by: Martha Stewarts’ Seared & Roasted Pork Chops with Lemon

Yield: 4 Servings

The Ingredients

Four (4) bone-in pork chops (just shy of 1lb. each, approximately ½ - ¾” inches thick)
1 Jar of Rick’s Picks Windy City Wasabeans (brine and garlic bits drained and reserved to the side, cut 10 pickled string beans across into thirds, set aside)
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp. of Sweet Paprika
1 ½ Tbsp. of Hot Sesame Oil (Regular Sesame Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any combination thereof is Acceptable)
2 Stalks of Lemongrass (Optional)

The Method: Marinade

Thoroughly rinse pork chops to clean.  I didn’t, but feel free to trim excess fat. Add Chops to a gallon sized zip lock bag. Add ½ cup of Windy City Wasabeans’ brine to the chops inside the zip lock. Take one of the reserved brined garlic cloves, mince, and add to the marinating pork chops. Place zip lock into a medium bowl, and place into the refrigerator. Marinate 4 hours to overnight.

The Method: Cooking

Preheat Oven to 425⁰F

Remove pork chops from brine. Blot chops with a paper towel to remove the excess brine/marinade moisture, set aside.

Generously season both sides of each pork chop with Kosher Salt and Sweet Paprika.

Heat hot sesame oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.  I used a 12” cast iron pan. Sear the first two (2) pork chops on their first side until crusts are golden, four (4) minutes.

As a bit of a trick for not trimming the outer layer of fat from the chops, using tongs lift and stand the chops of their sides in the oil to brown the edges.

Flip the pork chops, and sear for an additional two (2) minutes more on their second sides. 

Transfer the pork chops to a waiting plate placed near your pan searing station.

Repeat the searing process with the two (2) remaining pork chops.

Here you can either add the reserved pork chops to the pan, and immediately begin roasting the chops, or do as I did, and make a make shift bed out of a couple stalks of lemon grass that we happen to have lying around.

Either way, add the reserved pork chops to skillet, and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast each until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 145 degrees, approximately four (4) minutes. Remove from the oven.

Let chops rest in pan for 5 minutes.

The Secret Weapon of Hunger Destruction: Windy City Wasabeans Brine Pan Gravy

As the pork chops begin to rest remove the lemongrass from the pan, toss. Turn the flame up to high. Deglaze the pan with the remaining reserved Windy City Wasabeans brine. Whisk the sauce as it begins to boil and thicken, add reserved cut pickled string beans. Allow gravy to reduce by half. Pour over rested chops. Amazing richness and taste ensues.