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Garlic Scape and Pork Stir Fry

Garlic Scape and Pork Stir Fry

Garlic Scape and Pork Stir Fry

Garlic scapes are really popular in Chinese stir fries. Scapes are the stems and flower buds of garlic bulbs; being a great substitute for garlic, leeks, green onions, and Chinese chives. This stir fry utilizes garlic scapes with marinated pork, cooking in only 5 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Marinating Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese, East Asian, main course, Pork
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

Pork and Marinade

  • 1 lb boneless pork shoulder cut into small strips
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil

Stir Fry

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil divided
  • 2 tsp ginger grated
  • 1 large carrot sliced
  • 1 lb garlic scapes trimmed; cut into 2” pieces
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Mix together the pork and marinade in. Marinate for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the pork from the marinade and save the juices.
  • Heat up 1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Sauté the pork for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the wok.
  • Add in the rest of the vegetable oil. Stir in the ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add in the carrots and scapes. Cook for 1 minute. Add the cooking wine and cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the chicken stock. Cook for 30 seconds covered. Add the pork and its Cook for juices back in; along with the white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce uncovered. Cook for 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 15 seconds. Remove from the heat.
Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

You definitely can say that making ribs is my thing. I’m more of a fan of spare ribs, but when I see a nice rack of baby backs, it’s hard to pass up. These were quite meaty being a 3lbs rack and needed to be mine. I typically do everything but straight up traditional bbq ribs, but I felt now was a good time to demonstrate how to do a simple version of ribs on the grill.
There are a few things to know when making grilled bbq ribs. First, there is a membrane on the bottom side of the rack. Some people like it removed; others don’t care. Ask your butcher to remove it for you if you desire it off. Second, it is easier to handle half racks of ribs instead of full racks. So cut the ribs in half unless you’re looking for a full rack presentation. Lastly, use your favorite dry rub and bbq sauce. You know what you like. I used a rib dry rub that my girlfriend Val prefers on pork. She also made the homemade bbq sauce for this recipe. If you don’t have a particular dry rub that you like, I recommend salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne pepper if you like spice.
The type of charcoal you use makes a difference. While I like using hardwood charcoal for flavor, it burns fast and more will need to be added since these ribs take more than an hour to grill. For these ribs, I used charcoal briquettes. They burn hotter and will last the whole rib grilling process.
For the majority of the time, the ribs will be cooked indirectly. After they’re seared, it’s a low and slow process. A 3lbs rack will take at least an hour to grill; flipping every 5-10 minutes to ensure even cooking; plus at least 15 more minutes of grilling with the bbq sauce on.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Marinating Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: American, main course, Pork, signature dishes
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • chimney starter
  • charcoal
  • charcoal grill
  • brush

Ingredients

  • 1 rack baby back ribs about 3lbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup rib rub
  • bbq sauce

Instructions

  • Rub your ribs with olive oil. Aggressively season with your favorite rib rub. Let rest for 2 hours.
  • Start your charcoal in a chimney starter until they are grey. Pour them on one side of the grill in a single layer. Place the grate on the grill. Brown the ribs on the top side for 8-10 minutes with the cover on the grill.
  • Flip them over and brown 8-10 minutes on the other side with the cover on.
  • Move the ribs to the outer edge of the charcoal. Grill for 40 minutes, flipping every 5-10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Brush on bbq sauce and grill for 10 minutes with the cover on.
  • Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before cutting in between the bones.
Val’s Bacon Swiss Quiche

Val’s Bacon Swiss Quiche

Val’s Bacon Swiss Quiche

My girlfriend Val is an expert in the field of baking, especially pies. Val recently made a quiche that was so damn good, I ask her to start submitting her recipes to StonedSoup.net. So she made the quiche again on the 4th of July. This is her very first entry on this website, with many more to come.
The best part of this recipe is that you can alter the fillings. Substitute the bacon for ham, sausage, or with sautéed vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, or spinach. Cheddar, gouda, feta, or any other hard cheeses are great replacements for Swiss.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting Time10 minutes
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Main Course
Keyword: breakfast, brunch, Eggs, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • 8”-9” glass pie plate
  • plastic wrap
  • rolling pin
  • aluminum foil
  • fork

Ingredients

  • 6 strips bacon diced
  • 1 cup shallots finely chopped
  • 4 mini sweet peppers diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 large eggs beaten
  • 2 cups half/half
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup swiss cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup chives chopped

Quiche Crust

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup butter flavored shortening + 1 tbsp
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2-3 tbsp ice water

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until crispy; about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon grease.
  • Add in the shallots and sweet peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes.
  • Add in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan.
  • Mix together the eggs, half+half, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.

Quiche Crust

  • Mix the flour and salt together. Then mix in the butter shortening and 2 tbsp of cold water to start. You may need another tbsp or more of cold water depending on the humidity. Form into a dough ball.
  • Clean a large surface to make the crust. Roll out 2’ of plastic wrap. Slice it off.
  • Overlap half way up with another 2’ piece of plastic wrap. Then another layer each on the top and bottom. Do the entire process twice so you have 2 giant pieces of plastic wrap.
  • Dust the plastic wrap surface with some flour. Place the dough in the center and give it a light dusting of flour.
  • Place the other sheet of plastic wrap over the dough.
  • Starting from the center using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about 12” circumference
  • Get your pie plate ready. Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap. Get your left hand underneath the bottom plastic wrap to flip over into the pan.
  • Flip it over into the pie plate.
  • Remove the plastic wrap off and trim the crust to have at least a 1/4” overhang on the edge of the pie plate.
  • Pinch the edges together around the rim of the crust. Alternatively, you can crimp the edges with a fork.

Quiche Assembly

  • Using a fork, poke holes around the entire pie crust. Place in a preheated 475° oven for 8-10 minutes.
  • Take out the crust. Evenly spread out the bacon, shallots, peppers, and garlic across the bottom.
  • Place the shredded Swiss cheese on top.
  • Pour in the egg batter. Sprinkle the chives across the top.
  • Using aluminum foil or tin pie rings, cover the edges of the crust. Place in a preheated 425° oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300° and bake for 30 more minutes.
  • Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.