The Homesick Texan Cookbook: Seven-Chile Texas Chili

Want a project that will keep you entertained for most of the day?  I've got one for you.  Making Texas chili.  It only takes, oh, FIVE HOURS.  Not that bad.  And it's pretty darn spicy, so if you have issues with that, you might want to cut the cayenne and chiles de arbol way back.  But otherwise, this will put some hair on your chest.

Seven-Chile Texas Chili
Adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain

6 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried chipotle chiles
4 dried chiles de arbol
4 pieces of bacon
4 pounds chuck roast, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed coffee
1 bottle of beer (preferably Corona or Dos Equis)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon grated Mexican hot chocolate (such as Abuelita tablets)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 dried pequin chiles
2 tablespoons masa harina
Grated Cheddar and chopped onions, for serving

Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles.  In a dry skillet heated on high, toast the ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles, and chiles de arbol on each side for about 10 seconds or just until they start to puff.  Fill the skillet with enough water to cover chiles.  Leave the heat on until the water begins to boil and then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, fry the bacon on medium heat.  When it's done, remove from the pan and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.  Leave the bacon grease in the pot, and on medium heat, cook the beef on each side until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  (You may have to do this in batches.)

Remove the browned beef from the pot.  Leaving the heat on, add the diced onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add the beef back into the pot, crumble in the bacon, and add the coffee, beer, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cayenne, chocolate, 3 cups of water, and salt.  Turn the heat up to high.

While the pot is coming to a boil, make the chile puree.  Drain and rinse the chiles, then place them in a blender along with the pequin chiles (you don't need to presoak these little chiles) and add 1 cup of fresh water.  Puree until nice and smooth and then pour the chile puree into the pot.

When the chili begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 hours, stirring occasionally.  Taste it once an hour and adjust seasonings.  If it starts to get too dry, add more water.  After 5 hours, scoop out ¼ cup of broth out of the pot and combine with the masa harina.  Pour the masa harina mixture into the pot and stir until the chili is thickened.  Let the chili simmer for another 30 minutes or so.  When done, serve with Cheddar and onions.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Note: If you can't find all of these chiles, just use the more readily available anchos and chipotles.

The Homesick Texan Cookbook: Pork Chops with Salsa Verde Rice

This dish is like a cross between your mom's old-fashioned baked pork chops and your abuelita's fresh salsa.  It's tangy, but still hovers on this side of reminiscent.  You de-fang the jalapeño, but I threw some tequila in for the heck of it.  Like the best smash-ups, this pork is messy but delicious.

Pork Chops with Salsa Verde Rice
Adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain

½ pound tomatillos, husks removed, cut in half, or 1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
¼ medium yellow onion, cut into slivers, divided
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 bone-in, thick-cut (porterhouse) pork chops (about ½ pound each and about 1 inch thick)
Salt and black pepper
½ cup white long-grain rice (such as Texmati), soaked in water for 30 minutes and then drained

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a blender, mix together the tomatillos, half the slivered onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, chicken broth, tequila, and lime juice.  Add salt to taste.

In a large ovenproof skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil on medium heat.  Lightly season the pork chops with salt and black pepper and then cook for 6 minutes, turning once.

Remove the skillet from heat.  On top of each chop, place 2 tablespoons of the soaked rice and the remaining onion slivers.  Pour the tomatillo salsa over the chops, cover the skillet tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour.  Then remove the skillet from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and serve chops with the rice and salsa.

Makes 4 servings

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen: Penne Pasticciate (Baked Penne with Radicchio and Sausage)

I've made this recipe before.  Well, not this recipe.  The original recipe.  And it was kinda wah...wah...wah.  Enough that it went in the trash, much to my dismay.  But I knew this "messy penne" could be so much more.  All it needed was...flavor.  How do so many people miss something as simple as flavor?  Meat + radicchio + milk ≠ delicious.  It = boring.  Add some garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley to that puppy, and now we're talking.

Penne Pasticciate (Baked Penne with Radicchio and Sausage)
Adapted from Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen by Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (about 2), removed from casings and crumbled
8 ounces hot Italian sausage (about 2), removed from casings and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil (if necessary)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced and coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 pound penne rigate
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (3 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter an 8x12-inch baking dish.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the fat is rendered and the sausage has lost its pink color. If the sausage is pretty lean, add the olive oil to help it along.  When the sausage is cooked through, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the garlic and radicchio, stir well, and cook, stirring until the radicchio is soft and well blended with the sausage, about 4 minutes. Season with basil, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with the sausage. Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, parsley, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Spread the pasta/sausage mixture evenly in the baking dish, and then pour the cream mixture over. Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the top looks a bit crunchy and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Wolfgang Puck: Gulyás (Beef Goulash)

As a child, when I used to flick through my mother's recipe cards, I always stopped to look at the ones written in a strange handwriting.  The recipes were in metric units, and they were always something foreign-sounding.  Like Gulaschsuppe.  Or Apfelstrudel.  I didn't know it at the time, but they were written by my mother's best friend when she lived in Germany.  These items never appeared on our dinner table that I remember, but I always wondered what they tasted like.  Finally I made some goulash (although not with my mother's recipe card - I'm too lazy to translate metric), and I'm certainly glad I did.  This Hungarian stew has a beautiful depth of flavor and is true comfort food.

Gulyás (Beef Goulash)
From Wolfgang Puck

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground
1½ tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika
2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups chicken stock
2½ pounds beef shank, cut into 2-inch cubes**
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and sugar until caramelized. Add the garlic and caraway seed. Cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet and spicy paprika, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté another minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and the stock and add the pieces of beef shank, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until very tender, about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with spaetzle on the side.

Makes 4 servings

**Note: If you can get beef shank still on the bone, throw those bones in at the same time as the beef cubes.  The marrow from the bones will cook into the stew and make it even more delicious.  Just toss the used bones before serving.  I got 3 (1¼-pound) shank steaks on the bone, and it worked beautifully for this recipe.

Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe: Dried Porcini and Sage Tagliatelle

This dish is one of those dishes that makes you want to lick the bottom of your bowl like a slob.  And then when all of the creamy goodness in your bowl is gone, you want to lick your dining companion's dish, too.  But that would be...uncomfortable.  So you debate just how far you would go for more of the delicious goodness.  And then you come to a conclusion.  Who cares if your dining companion thinks you're crazy?

Dried Porcini and Sage Tagliatelle
From Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

16 ounces egg tagliatelle
1½ ounces dried porcini mushrooms
8 sage leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 dried chile
1 lemon
2 ounces Parmesan
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Soak the porcini in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes.

Peel and finely slice the garlic, chop the sage, and crumble the chile.  Finely grate the peel from ½ the lemon and squeeze all the juice.  Grate the Parmesan.

Drain the porcini, reserving the water.  Rinse the porcini and chop.  Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth.

Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pan, and add the garlic, sage, and chile.  Color, then add the porcini.  Fry until soft, then add 4 tablespoons of the mushroom liquid and simmer until most of the juice has been absorbed.  Add the cream, lemon zest, and juice, and reduce until the sauce is creamy and thick.  Season.

Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente, then drain.  Add to the sauce, and turn over to coat each ribbon.  Serve with Parmesan.

Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving: Traditional Corn Relish

One of the best things about summer is the absolutely fabulous fresh sweet corn.  But it's not around for long.  And frozen corn just doesn't hack it once you've had the good stuff.  So it makes me wonder if there's any good way to preserve the days of summer.  I found this recipe in my good ol' Ball preserving book and figured I would give it a try.  What I got was a delicious sweet-and-sour relish that would be awesome on a hot dog, but just as amazing on some grilled chicken or pork.  And come January, I'll still have the sweet ripeness of summer to savor.

Traditional Corn Relish
From Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving

9 cups corn kernels (from about 18 medium ears corn)
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped, seeded red bell pepper
4 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground tumeric

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine corn, cabbage, onion, red pepper, vinegar, sugar, water, dry mustard, celery seeds, mustard seeds, salt, and turmeric.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until liquid is reduced and vegetables are tender-crisp.

Fill jars, one at a time, leaving ½-inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes.  At the end of the processing time, turn heat off and remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, without tilting.  Cool and store.

Makes about 5 pint jars

Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe: Green Bean and Tomato Tagliatelle

So, it's the middle of the summer, produce is fresh and fabulous, and you have a craving for...pasta?  Pasta always seems so incredibly heavy to me.  Especially in the summer, when the air conditioner is struggling against the 110°F outside ambient temperature.  A big stomach full of pasta just makes you feel even more sluggish than usual in those circumstances.  Unless you're using my new favorite cookbook.

This pasta dish, with fresh haricot verts green beans from Central Market and tomatoes from the farmer's market, was perfect.  And it certainly helps that there were only seven ingredients on the list.  Super quick, super fast.  The tagliatelle noodles held the creamy sauce, and the green beans still had some snap.  The tomatoes added a little acidity.  I was licking my plate.

Green Bean and Tomato Tagliatelle
From Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

16 ounces egg tagliatelle
1 pound fine green beans
6 plum tomatoes
2 ounces Parmesan
1 garlic clove
⅔ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

Top and tail the green beans, cook in boiling salted water until tender, then drain.

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the juice and seeds, and chop the flesh coarsely.  Season.  Grate the Parmesan.

Peel the garlic, add to the cream, and bring to a boil.  Season.  Remove the garlic, and add the tomato, green beans, and basil.  Stir to combine.

Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, and add to the tomato and beans.  Serve with Parmesan.

Vinie Keattikul: Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)

In case you haven't noticed, Asian restaurant menus don't really include a lot of dessert.  Sugar is a limited-quantity, limited-availability kind of thing.  If you do get a dessert, it's normally a European-style cake (although this, too, normally has almost no sugar in it, which is disconcerting to say the least).  So when I was first introduced to Thai food, I didn't exactly expect to find anything appealingly sweet.  Boy, was I wrong.  This dessert, a perfect combination of sticky rice, syrupy coconut, and sweet mango, is just about my favorite thing.  I have seriously considered skipping the dinner altogether (and I'm all about some green curry) and just moving on to the finale.

Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)
From Vinie Keattikul

2 cups sweet (glutinous) rice
2 pandan leaves (optional)
1½ cups coconut milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

Wash rice several times to remove starch. Cover with water in a medium bowl, and soak for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. Steam sticky rice with pandan leaves for 30 to 35 minutes.

While rice is cooking, combine 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, and salt. Cook the sauce over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. When rice is done, combine cooked rice and sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Let stand for 45 minutes.

Combine remaining ½ cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir together over medium heat until sugar melts (or microwave for about 10 seconds to warm). To serve, scoop a mound of rice onto a dish, spoon sauce over the rice, and place sliced mango on the side.

Makes 6 servings

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen: Polpettine con Spaghetti (Meatballs with Spaghetti Coco Pazzo)

I'm not a big spaghetti girl.  Or pasta in general.  So basically every time I have the option of Italian or something else, I'm choosing the something else.  But once every great while I feel like having some meatballs.  Tender, beefy meatballs in a tomato sauce.  But not just any meatballs.  Homemade meatballs in a homemade sauce.  No jars here.  And each time I make it, I remember how really delicious homemade Italian food can be.

Note: In addition to some other tinkering which is included in the instructions below, I added 10 leaves of fresh basil (chiffonade) to the sauce.  Because it's awesome.

Polpettine con Spaghetti (Meatballs with Spaghetti Coco Pazzo)
Adapted from Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen by Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman

For the meatballs:
1 cup day-old sourdough bread cubes (crust removed)
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
8 ounces ground veal
8 ounces ground chuck
8 ounces lean ground pork
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (about 2), removed from casings and crumbled
3 tablespoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium red onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine (such as Chianti)
2 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with the juice, puréed in a food processor or food mill
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)

2 tablespoons kosher salt
1½ pounds spaghetti or linguine

To make the meatballs:
Place the bread and milk in a medium bowl and let soak for 5 minutes.

Heat a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

Place the veal, beef, pork, and sausage in a large bowl and, using your hands, mix well. Add the oregano, cheeses, eggs, garlic powder, parsley, and bread one at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined after each addition. Add the onion and mix until very well combined. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the sauce:
Heat a 10-quart casserole over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until wilted. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, dried basil, and red pepper flakes to taste if necessary.

While the tomato sauce is cooking, form the meatballs:
Take a piece of meat the size of a golf ball and roll it between the palms into a ball. Add it to the sauce, and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Return the sauce to a simmer and simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1½ hours. Be sure to cook the meatballs at a very gentle simmer; if the sauce boils, the fat will separate from the meat and they will dry out. When you think they are done, remove one from the pot and cut into it with a paring knife. If it is still pink in the middle, continue to cook until done, another 10 to 15 minutes.

Just prior to serving, fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, add to the pan with the meatballs and sauce, and carefully toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, 16 to 18 meatballs with sauce

New American Table: Beer-Braised Short Ribs

I love making short ribs.  They are like the absolute pinnacle of beef eating if you have the 3 hours to wait for them to cook up.  Where else do you start with a nasty, tough old piece of meat, and come out the other end with a tender, succulent dinner?  Maybe brisket.  But even brisket can't live up to the saucy perfection of these babies.  Chef Samuelsson, I salute you.

Note: Definitely try to use the beer recommended (or a close relation).  Otherwise the flavor profile is changed, and it's just not as good.  When it comes to cooking the ribs, I used some of the marinating liquid in lieu of all beer.  It adds some of the spiciness from the Sriracha back in for the long haul.  I'd maybe swap out 1 cup of marinating liquid for 1 cup of the beer and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce.

Beer-Braised Short Ribs
Adapted from New American Table by Marcus Samuelsson

3 tablespoons red chile paste (such as Sriracha)
4 pounds short ribs
½ cup soy sauce
4 cups beer (such as Brooklyn Lager)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
One 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
3 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup mirin
2 tablespoons ketjap manis
1 tablespoon honey
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Smear the chile paste over the short ribs. Arrange the ribs in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix together ¼ cup of the soy sauce and ½ cup of the beer and pour over the ribs. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Remove the ribs from the baking dish and pat dry. Season with salt. Heat the sesame oil and olive oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add the ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a separate dish.

Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and pour in 3 cups of the beer, the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, the chicken stock, and mirin. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover, and place in the oven. Cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Remove the ribs from the pot. Skim the fat off the top and reserve 2 cups of the liquid. Combine the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, ketjap manis, honey, and the remaining ½ cup beer in a small saucepan. Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, stirring constantly.  Stir in the scallions and butter and serve over the short ribs.

Makes 6 servings