Tag: American
Lobster Rolls
Lobster Rolls
Lobster rolls are a staple all over New England; most notably in Maine and Connecticut. This buttery sandwich is said to have originated in Connecticut in the late 1920’s; gaining popularity up and down the Atlantic Coast. In Maine, the sandwich is typically served cold. In Connecticut, the sandwich is served warm. If cold, it is called a lobster salad sandwich. Either way you want to eat it is a win-win in my book.Unless you want to go through the trouble of cooking a whole lobster, breaking it down, and cleaning out any pieces of shells, you can buy already cooked lobster meat and save yourself some time. It usually will come frozen, so make sure to completely thaw it before cooking.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 8 oz lobster meat
- 2 tbsp celery finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp chives finely chopped
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 2 brioche hotdog buns
Instructions
- Mix together the mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice and zest, chives, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the lobster meat. Cook for 2 minutes, making sure the lobster is coated in the butter. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the lobster meat from the butter and stir in to the mayonnaise mixture.
- Wipe out the skillet clean. Melt the other tbsp of butter in the skillet and toast the brioche hotdog buns.
- Equally distribute the lobster salad into the brioche buns.
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.
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.
Kālua Pork
Kalua Pork
Kālua pork is a popular staple of Hawaiian cuisine. Traditionally, a whole pig is wrapped in banana leaves and buried underground with a fire; left to roast for an entire day. While that’s going to be a problem doing it in your backyard, you can still make Kālua pork on a smaller scale in your oven. You can find banana leaves at any asian market, usually in the frozen section. Pork shoulder will work the best for this recipe. All you have to do is line a dutch oven with banana leaves, place chunks of pork in the leaves with garlic, liquid smoke, and pink sea salt, wrap it up in the leaves, and bake. The banana leaves give the pork an earthy flavor that you can’t duplicate anywhere else. The pork s traditionally served with shredded cabbage or can be used as pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- banana leaves
- 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 2” chunks
- 8 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke
- Hawaiian pink salt
- water
Instructions
- Line a dutch oven with banana leaves.
- Place the chunks of pork shoulder in the center of the leaves. Add in the garlic and liquid smoke. Season with pink sea salt.
- Fold over and cover the pork with the banana leaves. Fill the dutch oven with 1” of water. Place the lid on and bake in a 300° preheated oven for 3 hours.
- Remove the lid and open up the banana leaves. Shred the pork with a fork and serve.
