Pork Chops with Nectarine Relish

I mentioned that I was going to make this and everyone oohed and aahed.  So I thought I’d better write about it.

I found this recipe on the Food & Wine website.  It’s a Bobby Flay recipe.  I’ve altered a little, because we don’t eat pine nuts in our house.  And I just chop up all the ingredients fairly small, so my pictures look a lot different than his do. I also cut the recipe way down because there are only two of us.

adapted from FoodandWine.com

Ingredients:

Two 6-ounce center-cut boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 firm nectarines, halved and pitted
1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 tablespoon shredded basil

Directions:

- Light a grill.
- Brush the chops with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the chops over high heat, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 11 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate; let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush the nectarines with olive oil and grill cut side down until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill until charred and softened, about 2 minutes longer; cut into 1/2-inch dice.
- Put the nectarines in a bowl and stir in the vinegar and honey. Add the onion and basil and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the pork chops topped with the relish.

 

Memphis-Style Ribs

It’s BBQ Time!

Kate, over at Gluten Free Gobsmacked decided to host a BBQ Party, and we are all invited!  We all picked a letter of the alphabet to plan our dish around.  I picked the letter “M” and decided to make authentic Memphis-Style Dry-Rub Ribs.  They turned out much better than I expected for a first attempt!  The meat was so tender that it was just falling off the bone.  I served my ribs with home-made cole slaw, which provided just the right amount of crunchy freshness.  (You can find the slaw recipe that I used here.)

(The photo, alas, is not mine, due to a broken camera.)

Ingredients:

1 big rack of spare ribs (you can use baby back ribs if you want, but I like the bigger spare ribs)

FOR THE RUB:

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups hickory chips or chunks, soaked in cold water

Directions:

Wash the ribs and blot dry.

Combine the ingredients for the rub in bowl and stir to mix.  Rub as much of the mixture on both sides of the ribs as needed to coat.  If you have time, let the ribs “marinate” for a few hours in the fridge.  I didn’t, and it didn’t matter. 

Wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil and place in a baking pan (you don’t want a mess in the bottom of your oven).  Cook in a 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours.  This will vary depending on how many ribs you are cooking and what kind they are.  You want them mostly done.

While they are cooking, prepare the grill. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the coals on one side. The meat will go on the other side, so you are cooking over indirect heat. You also want to adjust the vents so the air comes up under the coals and goes out over the meat. (If you have a gas grill, well, you are on your own.) Put the hickory chips on the fire before the ribs.

Place the ribs on the grill and cover the grill. They don’t take long on the grill, maybe 1/2 hour, because they will come out of the oven mostly (if not completely) cooked. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and it has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If you want to add wet sauce, add it to the ribs only a few minutes before removing them from the grill (otherwise you will burn it).

Serve, and enjoy!

 

Kebab Party

Food and Wine Magazine had a great idea this month. It was for a “Kebab Party.” The basic idea is that you provide all the meat and veggies, along with a marinade and dipping sauce (or two), and your guests can make their own kebabs with whatever combination of ingredients they choose. They gave three themes: Mediterranean, Mexican, and Asian.

I chose the Mediterranean. (We weren’t actually having a party, it was just me and my husband, so we kept it simple.) We had combinations of Shrimp and Beef with Fennel, Red Onion, Cherry Tomato, Mushroom, and Zucchini. I’ve actually never had fennel before. I’m not sure if I’m really a fan, but it wasn’t too bad. The dipping sauce was excellent, especially on the beef.

Before grilling, brush on an oil:

Four-Herb Oil

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
10 sage leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt
Black pepper
Hot pepper flakes

Directions:
In a processor, pulse the olive oil, garlic cloves, sage leaves, oregano, thyme and rosemary, until herbs are chopped. Season with salt, black pepper and hot pepper flakes.

  

Serve With:

Herb and Sundried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Crushed red pepper

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and herbs are minced.  

  

These were some of their suggested combinations:

Swordfish + Lemon + Bay Leaves
Tuna + Cherry Tomatoes + Bread Cubes
Lamb + Halloumi Cubes + Zucchini
Shrimp + Fennel + Orange + Red Onions
Pork + Red Peppers + Yellow Squash
Beef + Fennel + Tomatoes + Onions