Category: Meat

Savory Samosas

Savory Samosas

I remember living in Singapore as a child and how distinct the culture there was, with influences from the British, Malaysians, ethnic Chinese and Indians. Even though English was the official language, people who lived there spoke many languages. And the ambience was so vibrant…along with the food. One of my favorite foods was Indian: Tandoori, samosas, curries. That memory of Singapore made me crave Indian food. So when it came time to figure out what I was going to make for dinner, samosas came to mind.

Aug 20, 2010 | 4 comments View Post
Phuket Pork — Bathed in Coconut Milk and Curry, Wrapped with Banana Leaves and Slow-roasted Over Coals

Phuket Pork — Bathed in Coconut Milk and Curry, Wrapped with Banana Leaves and Slow-roasted Over Coals

If a kalua piggy went to Phuket for a vacation, I figure he’d end up soaked in coconut milk, curry, and then surrounded by chunks of onion and pineapple before being wrapped in banana leaves and taken for a walk over hot coals. Forget digging a hole in your back yard to do this. No need to ruin the landscape. I’ve figured out how to do this in a Weber kettle charcoal grill. The lawn and roses get to live another day! Serve with a Thai satay-style peanut sauce to top it off.

Aug 12, 2010 | 1 comment View Post
Buffalo — A Tasty and Healthier Alternative to Beef

Buffalo — A Tasty and Healthier Alternative to Beef

Until we moved to Salem, I had never seen buffalo meat for sale at markets. But ever since we moved here, I’ve been curious because I’ve always associated buffalo with the West. And it turns out that you can easily find buffalo meat here at Lifesource, an organic food store, and at Salem’s Saturday Market. [...]

Jun 29, 2010 | 2 comments View Post
Guava-glazed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Habañero Orange Mojo

Guava-glazed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Habañero Orange Mojo

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village was created to inspire creativity in our greatest natural resource, the ever-present “next generation”. When Executive Director Pam Vorachek asked if we would donate a dinner for their silent auction, saying yes was easy. Here’s an account along with the recipe for a stellar Grilled Pork Tenderloin à la Rodriguez with Guava Glaze and Orange Habañero Mojo.

Jun 21, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
Recipes That Go Bump in the Night - Quick Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

Recipes That Go Bump in the Night – Quick Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

It’s 3:00 in the morning, my eyes spring open and my brow furls. “Did I double, triple or quadruple the fish sauce in that recipe?” The question flashes through my mind like a nightmare fueled by too much pizza with “the works” plus double onions, anchovies, jalapeños and pineapple.

May 17, 2010 | 6 comments View Post
Pan-seared Pork with Willamette Valley Vineyards Quinta Reserva Port-Style Pinot Noir Sauce

Pan-seared Pork with Willamette Valley Vineyards Quinta Reserva Port-Style Pinot Noir Sauce

Recently we opened a bottle of Willamette Valley Vineyards Quinta Reserva Port-Style Pinot Noir and I’ve been mulling it over in my mind ever since, to figure out a way to use it in cooking. There are a lot of recipes that call for a touch of Port. Most pair them with meat somehow. Since our household eschews beef, I was fancying pork married with a sauce using some of that Quinta Reserva. Here’s a delicious way to use a Port-style wine with pork.

May 06, 2010 | 1 comment View Post
A Fond Memory of Steamy Bangkok: Larb

A Fond Memory of Steamy Bangkok: Larb

One of my favorite memories of Bangkok prompts me to ask my mother to often make Larb for us for dinner. Larb is a Thai dish that can be made from ground beef, ground pork, or if you have to be healthy — ground chicken or turkey. It is quickly cooked and then seasoned with fish sauce and lime juice and dressed with roasted ground rice and ground red chillis, chopped cilantro and chopped scallions.

Apr 06, 2010 | 5 comments View Post
Pork and Apple Cider Stew

Pork and Apple Cider Stew

Pork and apples make a perfect marriage. When stewed or baked with apples, the pork takes on the wonderful flavors of apples – sweet, but somewhere lurking in the background is that familiar tart flavor that’s a pleasant surprise.

Mar 22, 2010 | 1 comment View Post
Forever Roasted Pork with Chipotle Glazed Apples and a Knockout Winter Salad with Maple Dressing

Forever Roasted Pork with Chipotle Glazed Apples and a Knockout Winter Salad with Maple Dressing

Vic gave me a copy of The Tra Vigne Cookbook from the Napa Valley restaurant of the same name some years ago. Two recipes captured me immediately — Forever Roasted Pork, and Mozzarella Martinis. The pork recipe can be made any time of the year, but the Mozzarella Martinis are best left to when the very best vine-ripened tomatoes are available. Check back in late summer for Mozzarella Martinis — they’re not what you think.

Jan 22, 2010 | 5 comments View Post
Pranee's Nua Pad Prik — Beef with Peppers

Pranee’s Nua Pad Prik — Beef with Peppers

Pranee doesn’t eat meat (meat=beef to her; pork, poultry and seafood are still on her “A list”) but occasionally renders up some beef dish for her hungry sons. Not long ago, she surprised me with her Beef with Peppers. She noticed the tears and sweaty scalp all the way through my enjoyment while asking, “Too spicy?” “No,” I wheezed, “just right.” Tears and reactions such as perspiring aren’t always synonymous with sadness or discomfort. Sometimes wonderfully spicy food will just shoot you straight into an endorphin high.

Nov 09, 2009 | 0 comments View Post
The Stuff of Pork – These Little Piggies Are Full of Fall Flavor

The Stuff of Pork – These Little Piggies Are Full of Fall Flavor

My inspiration for this post was simply a desire to braise some pork in the wonderful cider from Wandering Aengus Ciderworks in Salem. I settled on combining some ingredients and methods from the recipe mentioned in the previous paragraph with another for Stuffed Pork Chops with Roasted Apples and Calvados from Saveur Magazine. Amazingly, all the ingredients came from Oregon.

Oct 26, 2009 | 0 comments View Post
Crater Lake – A Feast for the Eyes, Sustenance for the Soul, and Palate-Pleasing Wild Food

Crater Lake – A Feast for the Eyes, Sustenance for the Soul, and Palate-Pleasing Wild Food

Upon deciding to write an article about Crater Lake and the food we enjoyed there, I knew I wanted to locate some huckleberries, even though the season had just passed. I called D Loos, the produce manager at the Roth’s Vista Market here in Salem, to see if he could help. I told him I needed only a quart. D returned my call promptly and said I could have my huckleberries tomorrow afternoon. Great news! We’re having huckleberry pie this weekend.

When I was notified that my prize had arrived, I ecstatically went to fetch them. (Note to self: Always ask the price when placing a special order. My pie filling was going to cost me $13.99 a pound. Ouch!)

Oct 11, 2009 | 10 comments View Post
Congress Gives Pork a Bad Rap

Congress Gives Pork a Bad Rap

Pork has frequently been a controversial food. Various religions forbid the consumption of pork products and there was a time when pork carried dangerous parasites and required thorough cooking. Most controversy today centers around pork fat. Most will agree that pork fat delivers a wallop of flavor, especially if the pork is smoked. There’s a reason so many dishes call for some bacon or salt pork; a pot of beans gently simmered along with a smoked ham hock is undeniably delicious. And who among us hasn’t awakened to the aroma of frying bacon?

Sep 29, 2009 | 4 comments View Post