Tag: main course
Smoked Beer Brined Cornish Hens
Smoked Beer Brined Cornish Hens
Smoking cornish hens needs to occur more often on your dinner table. These hens were brined in beer, onions, and garlic for a day, then smoked with hickory and applewood for about 2 1/2 hours. The hens turn out unbelievably juicy and full of smokey flavor.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 2 cornish hens
- 4 cups beer
- 1/2 onion diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 bay leaves
Wood Chips
- 1/2 hickory
- 1/2 applewood
Instructions
- Mix all of the brining ingredients together. Brine the cornish hens in a gallon sized storage bag for 24 hours.
- Remove the hens from the brine and place on a rack. Dry out in the refrigerator overnight.
- Let the hens rest at room temperature for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Place the hens in the smoker.
- Smoke the hens for 2 1/2 hours. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Ugali with Coconut Milk Stewed Beans
Ugali with Coconut Milk Stewed Beans
Ugali with coconut milk stewed beans is the national dish of Tanzania. Initially when you hear what it is, it sounds kind of underwhelming. It is everything but that when you taste it. Ugali is made of maize flour and water and is eaten in many African countries. It is simmered as a porridge to a thick mashed potato-like consistency. It starts to firm up in the pot. It is then rolled into a ball, becoming your starch for the dish. The maharage is kidney beans with tomatoes, carrots, and onions, briefly stewed with coconut milk. When you combine the ugali with the maharage, something magical happens. While being so simple, it is unbelievably flavorful. This is on the same addicting level as eating a coconut milk-based curry; the type that you can stop eating. If I were to ever go vegan, this would be a weekly staple in my house.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Ugali
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups maize flour
Maharage
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and cubed
- 1 cup coconut milk
- salt to taste
- 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
Ugali
- Heat up the water in a pot over high heat. Turn down to medium heat. Stir in half of the maize flour.
- Once bubbling, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
- Take off the heat. Stir in the rest of the maize flour. Break up any lumps.
- Cook for 4 minutes. As it firms up, flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Do this process a total of 3 times
- Form into 2 oval like balls.
Maharage
- Heat up the oil in a pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt.
- Stir in the beans.
- Pour in the coconut milk and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Corned Beef Ginisang
Corned Beef Ginisang
Ginisang is the Filipino version of corned beef hash. Canned corned beef gets sautéed with potatoes, cabbage, onions, and garlic. There are numerous brands of canned corned beef; some finely ground while others are chunky. I prefer to use the chunky type to get larger chunks of the beef. Ginisang is best served with a couple of fried eggs. You’ll never buy canned corned beef hash after trying this.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large potato peeled and diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup cabbage chopped
- 1 can chunky corned beef
- 1/4 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the potatoes for 6 minutes.
- Add in the cabbage, onions, and garlic. Cook for 4 more minutes.
- Add in the corned beef. Break up the large chunks. Pour in the water and cook for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
