Recent Posts
Vietnamese Pork Rib Soup
Vietnamese Pork Rib Soup
To me, this pork riblet soup is the ultimate Vietnamese comfort food. The ingredients can be found at any grocery store and it’s very easy to make. You will be able to find riblets at every Asian market; either cut from spare or baby back ribs. If shopping at an American grocery store, you will most likely have to ask the butcher at the counter to cut a rack of ribs into individual bite size pieces for you; about 1.5” thick. Not a fan of pork? You can use flanken style beef ribs or even bone-in chicken parts as a substitute. The key to making this soup so flavorful is the bone; so no boneless meat.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 green onions white and green parts separated; finely chopped
- 1 lb pork riblets
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp mushroom bouillon powder or chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 large potato cubed
- 1/2 head cauliflower broken into florets
Instructions
- Add cooking oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and white part of the green onion for 3 minutes.
- Toss in the riblets. Sauté for 10-12 minutes until the riblets are browned.
- Pour in the water. Simmer for 45 minutes. Skim off any of scum from the top of the pot.
- Stir in the salt, mushroom bouillon, fish sauce, and black pepper. Add in the potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add in the green part of the green onion.
Pork-Stuffed Potato Dumplings (Klubb)
Pork-Stuffed Potato Dumplings (Klubb)
Klubb are a traditional Norwegian potato dumpling eaten during the holidays. These dumplings are stuffed with a piece of salty; whether it be ham, bacon, or a chunk of pork chop. Instead of making mashed potatoes, they are grated raw and mixed with egg and flour; expanding to almost double in size once boiled. They are then drizzled with copious amounts of butter. This is a win-win in my book.
Equipment
- box grater
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 lb cooked ham, slab bacon, or pork chop cooked; cubed
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes in a bowl. Mix in the flour, egg, and salt. Knead until it has a bread dough consistency.
- Roll the dough into 8-10 large dumplings.
- Stuff each dumpling with a chunk of pork of your choosing.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop each dumpling into the water with a slotted spoon and give them a stir so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer and boil for 45 minutes.
- Drain the dumplings. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with melted butter. Top with chopped parsley.
Brown Butter Zucchini Bread
Brown Butter Zucchini Bread
After eating this, you’re going to ask yourself why you don’t add brown butter to everything. This zucchini bread is rich and decadent to the extreme. Your first bite will make you question your existence. Why am I here? The answer: to eat this zucchini bread.
Equipment
- 10” springform pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini grated
- 1/2 cup pecans crushed; plus more for topping
Brown Butter
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, increase the heat to medium high and constantly stir. Once the butter starts to brown, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Press the liquid out of the zucchini in a colander.
- In one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In the other bowl, mix in the wet ingredients.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Stir in the brown butter, zucchini, and pecans.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the batter. Top with more pecans.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
