Tag: main course
Pescadillas
Pescadillas
Pescadillas are fish tacos in corn tortillas that are fried until crispy. The filling consists of cod stewed in tomatoes and onions. The filling is put in the center of corn tortillas. The tortillas are held closed by toothpicks while they fry. The tacos are topped with cabbage, radishes, pickled onions, and arbol chilies salsa.
Equipment
- food processor
- toothpicks
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup white onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 lb cod
- salt and pepper to taste
Arbol Chiles Salsa
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 24 arbol chilies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Tacos and Toppings
- vegetable oil for frying
- corn tortillas
- cabbage shredded
- radishes thinly sliced
- pickled red onion
Instructions
- Simmer the tomatoes and arbol chilies in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chilies, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the simmering water to a food processor.
- Purée until smooth. Stir in the vinegar and salt. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- Heat up olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaf. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the cod to the pan. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes.
- Break up the cod. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes until the majority of the liquid has evaporated. Let cool.
- Heat up a tbsp of oil in a sauté pan. Cook the tortillas for a minute a side to make them pliable.
- Take a scoop of the cod mixture and place it in the center of the tortillas.
- Seal up the tacos with 3 toothpicks per taco.
- Heat up 1/2” deep of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the tacos into the oil.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes a side until crispy. Drain grease on a wire rack.
Smoked Char Siu Pork Tenderloin
Smoked Char Siu Pork Tenderloin
I recently bought some nice pork tenderloins from my friends at Wildfork Foods and wanted to turn one of them into char siu. Then I thought, why not smoke it?! It usually my answer to all of life’s problems. Smoke it. Smoking pork tenderloin is a lot different then smoking other cuts of pork. Because the are very lean and not large, there is the risk of them being over cooked. The key is to preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Get your wood chips smoking for 10 minutes. Throw in your pork tenderloin and drop the heat to 185 degrees. This will allow a longer smoking time to absorb smoke without drying out. After the first hour, turn the heat back up to 250 degrees. Apply a layer of glaze every 15 minutes for the next 30 minutes. A 24oz pork tenderloin will take 90 minutes in total. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 large pork tenderloin
- 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 red bean curd cubes plus 1 tbsp of juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 tsp 5 spice powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 tsp sesame oil
Glaze
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp marinade liquid
Wood Chips
- 1/2 hickory
- 1/2 cherry wood
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together.
- Marinate the pork tenderloin in a storage bag for 3 days.
- Let the pork tenderloin rest on a rack overnight before smoking. Save the marinade.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Add in your wood chips. Let smoke for 10 minutes. Throw in your pork tenderloin. Decrease the temp to 185 degrees. Smoke for 1 hour.
- While the tenderloin is smoking, heat up the honey and reserved marinade in a small saucepan until the honey has dissolved.
- Brush the tenderloin with the glaze. Increase the temp to 250. Smoke for 15 minutes. Apply another layer of glaze and smoke for 15 more minutes.
- Let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Thai Smoked Duck with Gravy
Thai Smoked Duck with Gravy
Instead of a turkey for thanksgiving, I went the duck route. I also wanted to do a Thai inspired dinner. So I made a smoked Thai duck with a rich gravy. The duck was stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, and ginger; the outside rubbed with salt, sugar, and ground ginger. The duck was smoked with hickory wood for 4 hours until the fat rendered out and the skin turned a dark golden brown.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- food processor
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb whole duck
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3” ginger cut in half
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
Gravy
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1” ginger peeled
- 5 cilantro sprigs
- 2 tbsp fermented soybean paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp five spice powder
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
Wood Chips
- hickory
Instructions
- Season the inside cavity of the duck with salt. Stuff with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic cloves. Prick the skin all over with a knife. Rub the outside with salt, ground ginger, and sugar. Let dry out in the refrigerator overnight on a rack.
- Let your duck sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw the duck in the smoker.
- Smoke the duck for 4 hours.
- Let the duck rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Gravy
- Place the garlic, ginger, cilantro, white pepper, soybean paste, and 5 spice powder in a food processor.
- Process into a paste.
- Heat up a tsp of cooking oil in a small pot and sauté the paste for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Pour in the soy sauces, honey, and coconut milk. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened.
