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Creating recipes isn't a pastime—it's a passion. And a lot of fun.

The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Honey-Roasted Pork Chops with Spiced Butter



Honey is a natural mate for pork and it makes a good base for a glaze, whether you’re cooking ham, roast, or chops. In this recipe, white balsamic vinegar and savory oregano help balance the sweetness of the honey and brown sugar.

I like making seasoned butters, and they’re easy to prepare. Just give the butter time to soften, blend in your ingredients, then give it time to become firm again before using.

Fresh garlic is always a hit in butter, and, here, I added a little spice with red chile flakes, ground cumin, and smoked sea salt. If you’ve not tried smoked salt, put it on your shopping list. It lends a wonderful, mild smoky flavor to dishes without being too salty.


Smoked Sea Salt
Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp dried red chile flakes
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp smoked sea salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 8-oz bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Pork Loin Chops
Preparation
  1. Combine the butter and next 4 ingredients (through smoked sea salt) in a medium bowl and mash with a fork to blend. Once blended, use the fork to push the mixture into a log shape. 
  2. Move the butter log to a small sheet of plastic wrap and roll the plastic tightly around the log. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (may also be prepared a day ahead).
Butter Mixture Ready to Blend 
Butter Log Ready to Wrap 
Wrapped Butter Log
  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the honey, vinegar, oregano, and sugar in a bowl.
Honey Glaze for Pork Chops
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and sear until browned on the bottom, 5-6 minutes.
  2. Turn the chops and brush with 1/3 of the honey mixture. Sear 5 minutes. Turn the chops again and transfer to the baking sheet.
Chops Beginning to Sear
Chops after Turning
  1. Brush with 1/3 more of the honey mixture and roast until the glaze is golden and the meat is just cooked through, 10 minutes. Remove the chops to a plate and brush with the remaining glaze. Let rest 5 minutes.
Roasted, Glazed Chops
To serve, place 1 chop on each of 4 plates. Cut the spiced butter log into 4 pieces and place 1 pat on top of each chop. Serve right away. 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Chorizo Enchiladas with Achiote Sauce



Lots of supermarkets have international sections but nothing beats perusing the aisles of authentic international markets specializing in the foods of only one country or one region of the world. I recently discovered a wonderful Mexican market tucked away in the northwestern part of my city, and it’s now on my frequent-visit list of local international stores.

So this recipe was inspired simply by a trip to the market, where I picked up fresh, house-made chorizo; the ground spice “achiote”; mild, creamy Mexican queso quesadilla cheese (great for melting); dried Mexican oregano; and an assortment of beans, chiles, fresh herbs, and soft tortillas. Enchiladas underway.

Achiote is an inedible fruit from the tropical areas of Latin America, including the Caribbean and Mexico. It’s harvested for its seeds, which are ground and used as a spice (in powder or paste form) and as a food colorant for its vibrant reddish-orange hue.

Ground Achiote
The achiote paste common in Mexican cooking is typically made with a blend of ground achiote, oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, allspice, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Here, I used some of those same ingredients to create a tomato-based sauce for the enchiladas.

Note: Achiote derives from a fruit, not a chile, so there’s no heat in this spice. It’s flavor is deep and earthy with overtones of bitter lemon. (You also may find it labeled “annatto.”)

Makes 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

For the Achiote Sauce
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 3 tsp ground achiote
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • sea salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1-1/2 cups tomato puree
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Spice Ingredients for the Sauce
For the Enchiladas
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling dish
  • 1 lb pure-pork chorizo sausage links
  • 3 serrano chiles, finely chopped
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 8 8-inch-diameter soft, white-corn or flour tortillas (warmed, for easier rolling)
  • 1/2 lb thinly sliced queso quesadilla (or queso Chihuahua or other Mexican “melting” cheese)
  • refried black beans and lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Chorizo, Cilantro, and Serranos
Queso Quesadilla
Preparation

For the Achiote Sauce
  1. Place the cloves, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a sturdy plastic bag and pound lightly with a meat mallet or small, heavy skillet until crushed. Place the crushed spices in a bowl and add the achiote, cumin, and oregano and season with salt. Stir well to combine.
Crushed Spices 
Spice Mixture
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
  2. Add the tomato puree and vinegar and season with salt. Stir in the spice mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. Do not wipe out the skillet.
Sauce Beginning to Cook 
Cooked Achiote Sauce
For the Encliladas
  1. Reheat the skillet in which the sauce was cooked and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Remove the chorizo from its casing and add it to the skillet along with the serranos. Season with salt and cook, crumbling the meat, until the chiles are tender and the sausage is just cooked through, 9-10 minutes.
  2. Add 1/3 cup of the achiote sauce and the cilantro to the chorizo mixture and stir well to combine. Remove from the heat.
Chorizo Beginning to Cook 
Cooked Chorizo
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly oil a large baking dish.
  2. Lay the warm tortillas on a work surface and place cheese slices, torn to equal the diameter of the tortilla, in the center of each. Spoon 1/8th of the chorizo mixture each on top of the cheese.
Cheese Layer 
Chorizo Layer
  1. Roll up each enchilada and place seam-side down in the oiled dish. Spoon the remaining achiote sauce over the top, not smothering the tortillas. 
  2. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Allow the enchiladas to cool 3-4 minutes before removing from the dish.
Rolled Enchiladas 
Enchiladas Ready to Bake 
Baked Enchiladas
Serve the enchiladas with refried black beans and lime wedges, if desired.    

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Thai Steak and Noodles with Shiitake Broth



A few small-portion ingredients and great big, bold flavor—that’s typical Thai, and in this recipe, the broth is key. Spicy, savory, and sour, with rich, earthy depth from the shiitake mushrooms, the broth brings together the tender beef and rice noodles.

I think when a dish imparts a lot of complex flavors—without being a complex recipe—a little goes a long way. This dinner serves four, with only four ounces of mushrooms, four ounces of noodles, and 12 ounces of beef. Small, individual portions add up to a satisfying, flavorful bowl of good, guiltless food.

If you’re a Thai fan, you also may like Scallion-and-Chile-Braised Pork Ribs with Thai Noodles or Spicy Shrimp Pad Thai

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Broth
  • 4 oz shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 14.5-oz can low-sodium beef broth
  • 3 Thai chiles, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
Solids for the Broth
For the Steak and Noodles
  • 4 oz Thai rice noodle sticks
  • olive oil, for brushing
  • 2 6-oz strip steaks, about 3/4-inch thick
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • cilantro leaves and lime wedges, for garnish
Preparation

For the Broth
  1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and place in a saucepan. Thinly slice the caps and set aside.
Sliced Shiitakes and Stems
  1. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly 10 minutes.
Solids in the Pan 
Broth Beginning to Cook
  1. Strain the solids from the broth and return the broth to the pan. (Discard solids.) Add the sliced mushroom caps to the broth and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes.
Shiitakes Beginning to Cook
Cooked Shiitakes in Broth
For the Steak and Noodles
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the noodles to the hot water, submerging completely. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are soft but still a bit firm.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat and brush with oil. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper and sear until slightly charred on the outside and medium on the inside, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 3 minutes.
Strip Steaks Ready to Grill
Steaks Beginning to Grill 
Grilled Steaks
To serve, drain the noodles and divide among 4 shallow bowls. Thinly slice the steaks on the diagonal and divide on top of the noodles. Spoon the shiitake broth over each bowl, and garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.