I believe this ping gai chicken is the first Laotian recipe
we’ve ever posted on the blog, but based on how incredibly delicious this was,
it won’t be the last! Having said that, based on my several minutes of exhaustive
research, this particular recipe seems to have originated from the Queen Mother Cafe in Toronto, so I’m not sure how much North Americanization has occurred,
but it’s only a matter of time before someone lets me know.
Besides all the freshly ground black pepper, the other key
element here is the equally generous amount of chopped cilantro, which
unfortunately not everyone is able to enjoy. For roughly 10% of the population,
the herb tastes like soap, so below I’m going to provide you with a substitute
herb blend that will get you pretty close.
You can use this same marinade with chicken breasts, but I
really think the darker, richer meat makes for a much better match with the
herbaceous, black pepper flavor profile. By the way, some recipes call for
garlic in the marinade, and some don’t, but since my dipping sauce was going to
be very garlicky, I didn’t add any to mine. As usual, suit yourself, but either
way I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Large Portions Ping Gai Chicken:
This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten a video idea from Diners,
Drive-Ins and Dives, but it is the first time I can’t seem to figure out which
restaurant it came from. I
wasn’t paying close attention, and just caught the end of the segment, but I do
know they didn’t call it a firecracker shrimp roll with crab aioli, but
rather a shrimp po’boy with crab mayo; just in case that helps someone I.D. this.
I decided to do an extra spicy version, and give it a 4th of
July-friendly name, but the soul of the sandwich is the same, and features an
insanely great combination of hot, crunchy shrimp, and cold crabby mayo. This
was one of the best things I’ve had in a long time, and that’s after eating
it barely warm, which is not recommended. For best results, be sure to enjoy
this just as soon as it’s safe to eat, in all its crunchy glory.
The amounts below will make four giant portions, which you
could easily stretch into six, but I’m a big fan of the time-honored po’boy
sandwich tradition of overfilling. I remember eating a fried oyster po’boy in
New Orleans one time, and being almost full by the time I’d eaten enough off
the top to close the bun. Good times. But no matter how generous you decide to
be, I really do hope you give this amazing firecracker shrimp roll a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Firecracker Shrimp Rolls with Crab Aioli:
It only seems fitting to post this Golden State Gazpacho
recipe on the first day of summer, and the longest day of the year, since there
is simply no better thing to eat on a hot, sunny afternoon. And since this time
of year those hot sunny afternoons last well into the evening, there’s plenty
of time to whip up a batch between naps.
Many gazpacho recipes that include fruit turn out tasting
more like dessert, which is fine if that’s what you’re into, but if you want something
that actually tastes like a super-refreshing, and seriously savory gazpacho,
then this peach-kissed version is for you. This is a very simple recipe, and
not a lot can go wrong, as long as you serve it ice cold. I can’t stress this
enough, but I'll try.
Some folks actually like to freeze about half the recipe in
ice cube trays, and then serve those with the soup, to ensure that it’s
literally ice cold. That’s a great trick if you feel so inclined, but at the
very least, give your gazpacho a few hours in the fridge, as well as keep your
cups in the freezer. Regardless, I really do hope you give this a try soon.
Enjoy!
The great American philosopher, Homer Simpson, once said,
“You don’t make friends with salad.” This cold, spicy, and addictively
delicious chicken noodle salad might be the exception. You bring a big bowl of
this to the next big cookout, and you’re going to make all sorts of friends. The
only people who might not be huge fans are the folks who brought regular pasta
salads, in which case the best you can hope for is frenemies.
While I also love more traditional pasta salads, there’s
just something extra special about this combination of tastes, and textures, as
well as the always exciting aspect of spicy food served cold. Besides that,
this recipe is a perfect catchall for all those summer vegetables we're supposed
to be eating more of. No matter what you add, if you can make this ahead, it
will always come out a little better, since the noodles and chicken will have
time to soak up all that flavorful dressing.
As I mentioned, this salad usually gets made because you
have some possibly dry leftover grilled chicken around, or other meat for that
matter, but if you do want to poach some like I did here, I would watch this video for the proper technique. Or, in a pinch, just pick up a rotisserie
chicken from the store. Regardless of what you use, I really do hope you give
this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 large portions:
8 ounces dry spaghetti, cooked al dente, rinsed in cold
water, and drained
1 large cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 cup thinly grated carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
1 cup packed mixture of chopped basil, mint, and cilantro
For the dressing (all amounts here are to taste, so add more if you want): 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon hoisin 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Chopping up perfectly good steaks to make burgers with is going
to raise a few eyebrows, and that’s just one of the reasons to do it. The great
taste and texture are a couple other ones, not to mention it’s always nice to
know exactly what you’re eating. Besides, imagine the mileage your dad’s going
to get out of the story about the time you hand-chopped a rib eye just to make
him a burger for Father’s Day. That’s pure chatting with your buddies at the hardware
store gold.
This will also work with cheaper cuts like chuck, or round,
but there’s a certain luxuriousness starting out with meat that’s already
tender before it’s even chopped. By the way, using premium cuts for burgers is
nothing new, and steakhouses have been doing just that with their trimmings for
decades, which reminds me, if you can find some extra flavorful
dry-aged beef, this will be even more memorable.
Above and beyond the taste, as long as you’re using cuts
with enough fat, hand chopping the meat to a course grind will produce a very tender burger. Most hamburger meat from the store is too finely ground, and horribly overworked, and by the time you form it into patties, it can’t
help but be a little tough. That’s not a problem here. By using a sharp knife,
and partially frozen meat, there will be little to no fat smearing, which is
one of the things that makes for a chewy burger.
Feel free to use no cheese, or a different variety, but the
sharp, slightly salty funkiness of the blue cheese really works perfectly
here. And the glorious crust we get as
our meat sears in that melted fat is a wonder to behold. Homemade buns
will also add to the experience, and here’s the link for making your own, but
even if you’re going to serve this on a store-bought bun, and really do hope
you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients to make 4 normal, or 3 giant Black & Blue
Steak Burgers:
3/4 pound fatty rib eye steak
3/4 pound top sirloin steak
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup not packed) crumbled blue cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-Sear about 3 minutes per side in a dry, very hot cast iron
pan set over medium-high heat.
For the red onions:
1 red onion, sliced
big pinch of salt
enough red wine vinegar to cover
- Combine ingredients and let sit in fridge overnight, or
until the onions turn color and soften slightly.
When I heard there was a recipe called million dollar dip, I
knew it was something I had to try, especially since it was invented by a fellow
upstate New Yorker, named Helen Corbitt. Apparently, the original name was Neiman Marcus dip, which at
some point evolved into million dollar dip, although I’m not exactly sure when,
or why. I’m guessing Pinterest had something to do with it.
Whatever the reason, I do like the new name better, and not
just because recipes shouldn’t be named for department stores, but also because
million dollar dip is so darn accurate. I’ve had more than a few cheese-based dips
in my day, but this is, by far, the richest one I’ve ever enjoyed. I mostly credit
the semi surprising addition of almonds, which makes sense, since that’s the
best part of any holiday cheese ball. Yes, I’m that guy at the party who
whittles off all the crushed nuts it was rolled in.
By the way, I wanted to expand on a cryptic tip I gave
during the video, when I said to use a sharp knife for the green onions, so
they taste better. The reason is, if you use a dull knife to slice or chop
onions, you’ll be crushing instead of cutting, which releases volatile sulfuric
compounds, and makes the flavor much harsher.
In fact, I have a theory that most people who don’t like
onions, had parents who used dull knives to cut onions when they were kids. If
that’s you, go buy a sharp knife, and give them another try. That aside, this dip
is extremely simple to make, profoundly satisfying, extremely addictive, and sure
to be a huge hit at your next party, which is why I really do hope you give it a
try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 3 cups of Million Dollar Dip:
1/2 cup chopped crisp-cooked bacon (6 to 8 slices)
When I roast, or smoke a pork shoulder outside on the grill,
I usually break a few rules, and by a few, I mean pretty much all of them. I
use too high a heat; I don’t wrap my meat halfway through; or even bother
mopping the meat with a marinade; and yet despite ignoring all those best
practices, I’m always thrilled with how it comes out.
Maybe it’s the brine, or that I’m just easily satisfied, but
it’s been my experience that if you season aggressively, and cook the meat over
smoky coals to an internal temp of 195 F., you’ll be rewarded with tender,
moist, and very flavorful meat. By the way, this was inspired by the famous al
pastor taco’s spice blend, and pineapple element, but I wouldn’t want anyone to
expect this to taste exactly like that magical meat.
Having said that, this particular flavor profile really
works here, especially when the pulled pork is topped with grilled pineapple
salsa. In fact, that stuff was so delicious, you should make it even if you’re
not barbecuing the shoulder. It’s great on anything, including ice cream; so
don’t let the last of those hot coals go to waste.
The only real challenge here is maintaining a steady temp in
your grill of between 300 and 325 F. I try to keep it just above 300 F., which
is accomplished by adjusting the vents under, and on top of the grill, or
smoker. I also like to start with a good amount of (real) charcoal, so I don’t have to
reload it halfway through, but that depends on your set-up. Thanks to the
brine, and spice rub, even if you end up having to do this in the oven, I still
think it comes out quite well. In any event, there’s nothing like a juicy,
pulled pork sandwich, and this is one of my favorite versions, which is why I really
hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 portions:
1 bone-in pork shoulder (about 9-10 pounds)
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1 quart pineapple juice
3 quarts water
For the Rub (will make extra):
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup ancho chili powder, or any ground chili pepper
