tea-smoked-bacon-

Tea-Smoked Sichuan (or Szechuan) Bacon

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This is a style of smoking that hails from China’s Sichuan (formerly Szechuan) region, which is known for its hot, spicy cuisine.  This is the recipe Mark Masker used to make this tasty Asian bacon.  Read the entire article on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

1 5-pound slab of pork belly, skin on, neatly trimmed
2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper*
2 tablespoons ginger
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 teaspoons Morton’s Tender Quick or equivalent pink salt cure
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

Mix up all the non-swine ingredients and use the mixture as a rub on all surfaces of the pork belly. Place it in the fridge inside a Ziploc bag or in a covered, non-reactive container just large enough to hold the pork belly. Flip the belly every day for seven days, then wash it off, and let it dry on a rack in the fridge overnight. Hot-smoke it the next day until it reaches 165 degrees F. at its thickest point. Then, remove the skin while the finished bacon is still warm.

Do-It-Yourself-Spicy-Olives

Do-It-Yourself Spicy Olives

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Note that there are hundreds of olive varieties, some might work better than others. Results may vary, so start with small quantities. And as with any produce that you plan to preserve, use only fresh, ripe  and spotless fruit. Read the entire article from Harald Zoschke on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh olives
8 oz. sea salt
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Rinse the olives. We didn’t blanch our olives, but if you prefer, submerge olives in 90C (195F) hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Put a clean cheesecloth or kitchen towel in a strainer, fill in the olives and mix with 8 oz. of salt. Cover with cloth and let sit at a cool place for 20 days, mixing through every other day.
Rinse the olives, pat dry and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with some fennel seeds and coarse salt. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 100C (210F).
Let cool and put olives in a glass jar. Add fennel seeds, salt, pepper flakes, dried oregano and olive oil. Close jar and shake well until olives are coated evenly.
Store cool and dark, the olives should stay fresh for about 6 months. Use either as a snack, or in recipes like spicy pasta sauce or on pizza (pits removed).

Spicy-Lentil-Stew-with-Killer-Sausage

Spicy Lentil Stew with Killer Sausage

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This stuff freezes well, it’s hearty, and you can adjust the heat level easily up or down, simply by adding more or less fresh habanero chile. The baseline heat level of the sausage is only warm, so if you want a real kick, add at least half a habanero to the pot. This features Mulay’s Killer Hot Italian Sausage, but you can use your favorite spicy Italian sausage.

Ingredients

1/3 pound of bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large celery stalks, diced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 fresh habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped (add more if you love it hot)
1 pound dry split red lentils, rinsed and cleaned
2 cups water
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon dry)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound Mulay’s Killer Hot Italian Sausage (or substitute the Italian sausage of your choice, though it won’t be nearly as good)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Heat a large 6-8 quart pot on medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until browned. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside.
Heat the remaining bacon fat and add the carrots, onions, celery, and cumin. Sauté until softened and onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and habanero, and cook for another minute.
Return the cooked bacon to the pot and add the lentils, stock, water, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the stew, partially covered, until the lentils are tender—about 45 minutes.
Brown the sausage links in a separate skillet over medium heat until they are cooked through. Remove from the pan and slice into bite-sized pieces when slightly cooled. Add the sausage to the stew during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Add the sherry vinegar and cilantro to the stew, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Zhangcha Duck

Zhangcha Duck

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This is a style of smoking that hails from China’s Sichuan (formerly Szechuan) region, which is known for its hot, spicy cuisine. Serious Chinese food geeks may be familiar with Zhangcha duck—a tea-smoked Sichuan delicacy that’s tough to make but impressive as hell to anyone who’s never had it before. This is the recipe Mark Masker used for his experiment.  Read the entire article on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

One 2 to 2 1/2-pound duck
1 1/2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper*
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/2 cup black tea leaves (preferably Oolong)

Instructions

First you want to clean the duck and open a slit about 3 ½ inches long at the back of it so you can remove the guts. Then, mix everything but the duck and the tea. Marinate the duck in that concoction in the fridge for several hours. Place the duck into boiling water to tighten the hide. This ensures that your duck will have a crispy skin after you’re done cooking it. While that’s going on, you should start preheating enough vegetable oil or peanut oil in a separate pan to deep-fry the duck later on. Drain the water from the duck, and move it over to your heated wok. The tea sits in the bottom of the wok while you smoke the duck in it for 10-15 minutes. After that, steam the duck for 10 more minutes. Think you’re done? Not quite. Let the duck cool off, then deep-fry it in the oil until the skin is crisp. It goes great with rice, veggies, and Chinese dumplings.

Vibrant-Vegetable-Stock

Vibrant Vegetable Stock

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This stock is good enough to serve as a first course consommé, in addition to using it as a basis for some of the recipes that follow. Baking or caramelizing the vegetables before adding the water gives an additional richness to the stock. If you wish, adding a 1 to 2 inch piece of kombu seaweed will also add a further depth of flavor. This stock will keep for 2 days, covered, in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen; divide it into 2- or 3-cup freezer containers. Feel free to add any vegetable trimmings from the bag in your freezer, but beware of cabbage or broccoli, whose flavors tend to dominate the stock.

Read Dave DeWitt’s article on Veggie Soups for Spring here.

Ingredients

4 onions, not peeled, cut into eighths
3 large ribs celery, cut into fourths
2 leeks, white part only
1 head garlic
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons high quality olive oil
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped New Mexican green chiles, or more to taste
1/3 cup chopped parsley, including the stems
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or 2 tablespoons of dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves
1 zucchini, peeled and sliced
3 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
3 quarts cold water
5 whole black peppercorns

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the onions, celery, leeks, garlic, and carrots in a shallow pan and pour the wine over the top. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oil in a pot and add the caramelized vegetables and the green onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients (except the water and peppercorns) and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cold water and the peppercorns and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours. Remove the cover and simmer for another 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and salt to taste.