Category Archives: Dinner

New food adventure: Birria Tacos!

25 Saturday Jul 2020

Posted by in Dinner, meat, Miscellaneous

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

Droolworthy videos and images of birria tacos and quesabirria from California and Texas have been all over my social media (check out the hashtag #birria or #quesabirria on Instagram or TikTok), and making me incredibly jealous.

I hadn’t had a chance to try them at La Tiendita (amazing Tallahassee restaurant), and I knew I could get most of the ingredients locally – I did have to order the dried Anaheims online, but Publix had the guajillo chiles, chipotle in adobo and whole spices, and Whole Foods had the Oaxaca cheese – so it was on. (You can sub a block of high-quality mozzarella for the Oaxaca cheese though.)

Obviously my German ancestors had no guidance on this recipe so I consulted the talented abuelas, madres, tías and hermanas of the internet and watched countless videos on YouTube and IG.

Some base recipes that I consulted for amounts and techniques:
https://www.mylatinatable.com/authentic-mexican-birria-recipe/
https://hispanickitchen.com/recipes/birria-style-stewed-pork/

As you can see there are a variety of ingredient differences throughout the recipes, so you can pick and choose the spices /chiles depending on your preference and their availability. I would also use some fresh peppers such as poblano or jalapeno next time to increase the heat. I used more garlic than most recipes because I looooove it.

Highly recommend getting all ingredients out and organized by stage before beginning. Go ahead and snip tops off of the chiles and discard seeds. I used 4 guajillo and 4 dried anaheim peppers (chile california). I didn’t end up using the Rotel because I had fresh tomatoes that needed to be used.

Slice pork or beef into thick slices and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Heat dutch oven with neutral oil covering the bottom. Sear pork or beef in batches until each piece has a dark golden crust, and remove to bowl.

Toast chiles in same dutch oven until a little darker, remove, and put in blender container with some hot water to steep and soften (don’t blend yet).

I added onions (thick slices), four tomatoes cut in half to dutch oven with some salt and pepper, keep stirring so the bottom doesn’t burn. Then add ground/whole spices and garlic cloves, stir until fragrant.

Add a little chicken stock and scrape the bits up and then add everything in the dutch oven to the peppers in the blender with apple cider vinegar, pinches of ginger/cumin/salt, and a chipotle pepper (can add more for additional spice) and blend until as smooth as you can get it.

Take out the lid insert and cover with a paper towel and dish towel while blending hot liquid so that steam can escape and you don’t burn your hand AND you don’t have an explosion.

Add pork back to pot, strain blended sauce over meat, add remaining chicken stock and some water to make sure that the liquid covers the meat) and then stir in a couple tbsps of beef bouillon ( I use the “Better Than Bouillon” brand). Bring to boil, then simmer for two hours sealed with foil and lid.

Pork should be shreddable at this point; if not, cook for another 20 min. Remove pork to separate bowl, shred, and add some juice to the meat to keep it from drying out. Cover with foil to keep warm. I put the bowl on the back of the range to make it easy to access when building the tacos.

Preheat griddle or skillet, add oil right before use. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce a bit while chopping onions and cilantro, prepping lime wedges, and shredding cheese. Taste sauce to see if you need additional salt. Turn off heat so that fat settles on top for the tortilla dipping.

To assemble: dip corn tortillas in liquid, put on preheated and oiled griddle/skillet, top with cheese and meat, fold and toast. Can add garnish before or after folding.

Put juice in cups for each diner topped with onion and cilantro for dipping. Serve with lime wedge.

These vaulted to the top of the “best dishes I have ever cooked” list according to the teenagers and spouse, so I’m thinking we will be having this regularly. I honestly may freeze some of the remaining liquid just so I can have impromptu birria tacos in the future.

Easy Peasy Pita

21 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by in bread, Dinner, Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Time to see how much making pita bread is! AND I actually remembered to take pictures throughout the process for you. 😉

The recipe I followed for this post was the Serious Eats: Perfect Homemade Pita Bread recipe.

First you add all of the ingredients to your mixer or your food processor (in the processor, I would add the dry ingredients first (pulse) and then add the wet ones.) Or you can do this with just a wooden spoon (like the recipe above.) I really like the combo of the white and wheat flour, but you can use what you have on hand.

Once it comes together, keep the machine going for a couple minutes to “knead” it. Then place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.

Let rise for an hour or two. I like to put my oven on its lowest setting, and then turn it off before putting the covered bowl in there to rise. It gets nice and puffy. At this point, I put my griddle in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

I then separated into fairly equal balls – I weighed the dough and divided by 3 ounces (for each ball.) Cover the balls of dough with a kitchen towel and let them rest.

 

Then I roll each ball out to a circle. The dough bounces back a little bit, but try and get it pretty thin. Then cover the circles with the towel so that they don’t dry out.

Throwing the circles on the griddle can be a little tricky, but the ugly pita tastes just as good as the pretty pita. Most of them will puff up nicely and give you a lovely pocket for your sandwiches.

Flip and let brown for a couple seconds, and then take out and place with the rest – wrapped in a towel.

So pretty, and they really are delicious. Since they do not have any preservatives, keep them in the fridge if you still have some left after a couple days. You could probably freeze them as well. Happy Pita making!

Off the beaten path, but worth it: Backwoods Crossing

04 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

One of my weaknesses is a solid (and verifiable!) farm-to-table restaurant. There are three main challenges with these type of businesses. If they really are farm-direct products, the cost is generally higher. “Farm fresh” doesn’t guarantee good flavor/cooking technique. And it can be very difficult to confirm that the food is from a local farmer.

We needed a good place to take my Dad for his birthday that was out closer to their side of town (East Side!), and I had heard great things about Backwoods Crossing a local “farm-to-table” restaurant. I figured it was a handy occasion to try them out (and to use family to sample more dishes.)

Backwoods Crossing seems to have accomplished the trifecta – verifiable fresh, local food, high quality and reasonable cost. With one garden immediately outside the building, you can see what is ready or harvest, and then those options are directly reflected in the vegetable options and the specials.

To start, the house salad was fresh and simple. The balsamic vinaigrette had a good balance, and the meal started off on a solid note.

Daughter #1 got a sandwich with grilled chicken, apple and brie. Really a lovely combination.

My mom got the fried catfish over stone-ground grits and sautéed greens with corn. This was a huge portion, and straight-up delicious.

Daughter #2 got the Hog in a Henhouse – chicken breast stuffed with pulled pork and fried with a crispy crust over béchamel-sauced broccoli. Holy moly! Another large portion and the chicken was perfectly cooked. I think this was my favorite.

My dad got the Seafood Heaven entree with blackened shrimp and cream cheese/blue crab nuggets over creamy grits. Yum.

Trying to be somewhat health-conscious, I got the seared tuna over roasted brussels sprouts, garden beets and potatoes. )I can’t believe that as an adult I have discovered a love for beets. Who knew?)

img_7898

All of the food was impressive, but even more surprising was that our bill (for six people) was around $100. Really loved this place, and my parents, who live on that side of town, were thrilled.

Backwoods Crossing is on Mahan Drive out by the I-10 exit and is in the building formerly inhabited by Stinky’s Fish Camp (RIP!) across from the Tallahassee Automobile Museum. (You can also find them on Facebook!)

We are already planning our late spring visit so that we can see what’s in their garden.

(And sorry for the weird camera angles, the fam was rushing me and messing up my shots so that they could start digging in!)

Example:

Short Ribs Experiment!

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Per usual, I bought an unfamiliar ingredient and picked out the perfect recipe without reading it through. Short ribs were on sale and they were going to happen, whether the fam wanted them or not.

The recipe I wanted to try was Tom Colicchio’s lovely wine-marinated, slow-braised short ribs (which required marinating overnight in a bath of red wine, herbs and aromatics). Next thought…why not use the sous vide?? Welp, that short ribs recipe instructed a 48(!) hour cook in 180 degree water.

Aha moment! I can cook the ribs sous vide all day in the marinade and then do 1.5 hour braise just in time for dinner. Right? (Here goes nothing.)


First, I seared the ribs at high heat, took them out of the pan, and added the veggies and garlic in the pan. Second, I added a bottle (do it big) of Pinot noir to reduce with the veggies and with added sprigs of thyme.

(In the meantime, I set up the sous vide to preheat to 180 degrees – this takes a good bit of time so I heated up water in the tea kettle – to add to the water bath and speed up the water-heating process.)

I retrieved some chicken stock from the freezer and added it to the wine reduction (now cooling). Then added the ribs to the plastic bag with the wine marinade/cooking liquid, and vacuum-sealed the bag. Once the sous vide was preheated, I added the bag of yumminess and left it in there to cook for 6 hours.

After that, I poured all of the contents in a Dutch oven and put it into a 350 degree oven with the lid ajar for an hour and a half. I grilled the ribs before serving, and reduced the liquid, simmering in the pot, while the ribs were getting roasty and charred on the edges.

The ribs were not “fall apart” tender but were seriously delicious. The leftovers were kept in the liquid for dinner on Monday, and I just poured them in a pan to heat up and further reduce for dinner time.

Oh my.

(WARNING: DO NOT CLICK TO SEE A LARGER VERSION OF THE ABOVE PHOTO. MAY CAUSE DROOLING AND LOSS OF BREATH.)

The combo of Chef Colicchio’s marinade and the combo sous vide/braising cooking technique really paid off. I essentially took a three-day process between the two recipes and shrunk it down to eight hours, with a quality reheat the next day.

I served them over rice, but mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles would be divine.

Lechon, My Lechon

06 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

I love books of all kinds, but cookbooks and YA badass heroines are my weaknesses. Getting a new cookbook and reading it from cover to cover is always a delight. I got The Cuban Table awhile ago, but kept putting off committing to a recipe.

I can’t remember what triggered my need for Cuban food, but this pork roast instantly called to me when I was looking for a good Sunday dinner. (Cautionary tale: I skimmed the recipe and didn’t notice the overnight marination until too late…so it became a Monday dinner .)

The marinade is straightforward, but I wanted to make it a little easier so I used storebought Mojo and doctored it with the juice of one blood orange. You can substitute half orange juice/half lime juice for the blood orange, but they are becoming more common at the grocery store. (These oranges have a beautiful red interior and contribute color as well as flavor.) Made the prep very simple.

bloodorangeMonday morning, I drained the pork butt, placed it in the Dutch Oven, and put it in a 250 degree oven, and left for work (about 8 a.m.)

(For those concerned about leaving the oven on unattended, here is a detailed article on the pros and cons.)

The reveal at 6 p.m. was pretty impressive and my house smelled like citrusy porky goodness. I took of the lid and broiled the roast, which resulted in a gorgeous crackly crust on the top. I really wish I could share the smell with you. Drool!

The bone came right out, the meat was succulent and silky, the crispy top added the perfect crunch to balance the meat.

The absolute icing on the cake was the Mojo Criolla, which I made as suggested as the finishing sauce.

Fresh oregano, orange/lime/blood orange juice and garlic are combined, and then separately, lard heated up. It is very dramatic as you pour the hot lard into the juice mixture with lots of popping and bubbling as it cooks the garlic and oregano.

My black bean recipe starts by sautéeing onions, carrots and garlic, then adding two cans of rinsed black beans and enough stock to almost cover, simmer for an hour. I also like to reserve some diced onions and place them in a little lime juice to use as a topping for my beans.

This recipe was relatively simple, but really delicious. And I was lucky that blood oranges were available, they added a nice sweet/sour flavor and color.

This entire cookbook is gorgeous, and after the success of this Lechon Asado, I am looking forward to diving into the rest of the recipes.

The Cuban Table by Ana Sofia Pelaez; Photography by Ellen Silverman

Getting my Shawarma on at the new (old!) Sahara Cafe

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

The Sahara Greek and Lebanese restaurant (formerly on E. Lafayette Street in Tallahassee) has been a reliable option for an affordable, delicious lunch. However, the building was definitely aging, and the restaurant needed more seating and parking.

(An aside: the original building used to house a fantastic Pizza Hut when I was growing up. Sit-down Pac-Man game and a jukebox, yes!)

img_7436

They recently moved into a new location, across the street, in the shopping center facing Apalachee Parkway, with New Leaf Market, Cabo’s, Ross, etc., with a lot more room and much more convenient parking.

One big change is that you now have to go to the counter to order before sitting, and they then bring your food out to your table. This change appears to have streamlined their lunch service, and worked great for me as I have been ordering the same thing for years. (Chicken Shawarma, please.)

As you can see below, the Shawarma is always a good choice.

The Chicken Shawarma features well-seasoned and charred chicken with the best tzaziki in town. The Greek salad is solid, though on the small side, and I am completely addicted to their lentil soup. They have great options if you are looking for low-carb or gluten free eating as well.

The Hubs got the gyro platter (yum!) and the hummus is very creamy with a nice garlic kick.

The new location provides more parking, added convenience and plenty of seating space. The new ordering system seemed to make the process much faster, and the staff was very attentive on drinks and making sure we knew about the new procedure. Not fancy, but a great choice for a solid lunch.

 

 

Sous Vide or How I Leveled-Up My Meat Cooking

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Miscellaneous

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

There is a saying that “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Which is also my not-so-excusable reason for the delay on posting. (Whoops!🙃)

BUT I have been having so much fun with my new cooking toy and can’t wait to share my adventures so far. 

So here she is, my Anova Precision Cooker. In brief terms, “sous vide” is the process of cooking food sealed in plastic (vacuum-sealed or just freezer bags with the air squeezed out). 

And just FYI, I have a cool little vacuum sealer (Waring Pro Pistol Vac), which I love. Completely not necessary. (It’s so fun though!)

​​
My first attempt was cooking 1 1/2 inch thick ribeye steaks heavily seasoned with salt/pepper and rosemary sprigs. Because I had to run around town that evening, I cooked them that morning at 129 degrees for 2 hours. (Here are some lovely charts from The Food Lab on the effect of different temps and times on steak.) That night I was able to pull them from the fridge, pat dry, and sear them quickly in a very hot pan, and have them on the table in minutes. The color was gorgeous and the texture was much more tender than when cooked with mostly high heat. 

Note: because they absorbed so much of the seasoning in the bag, there is no need to season again before searing.

After that first use, I realized that there are some serious advantages to the sous vide process.

  • Can pre-cook meats to exact desired doneness, refrigerate, and sear/serve whenever you want with 2-3 days.
  • No clean up. Just dump the water out of the plastic bin. (Nice!)
  • Easy to cook (gorgeous) chicken breasts for the week’s lunches.
  • Can put the bin and cooker on the porch or in the garage, so it doesn’t necessarily take up kitchen space.
  • Is operated via app, so you are alerted at every step (can’t overcook.)
  • No need to “rest” after searing.
  • Can completely skip defrosting, just add 30 minutes to 1 hour to the cook time (depending on six of meat).

(For cons, the only real drawback is the cost, but at about $150 it still costs less than a good blender or mixer and would potentially see much more use.)

Next up, I put frozen pork tenderloins (sealed with Greek seasoning, oregano, garlic) in the water – a few minutes before the water was fully preheated to defrost the pork a bit. (Cooked for 2 hours at 135 degrees – halfway between medium-rare and medium.) Then seared in hot skillet on all sides. Here is an article detailing the temps and any food safety considerations. Even the food safety cautious Hubs was good with the final product. This was really nice, great texture and it was easy to get a nice crust.


For an extensive look at sous vide recipes and techniques, The Food Lab over at Serious Eats has all of the information you need to get started.

I can honestly say that this has completely replaced the slow cooker for me, and has quickly become essential in my weekly meal planning, both for quick dinners and easy lunches. Let me know if you have any questions, and will keep you updated as I try new recipes.