Tag: main course
Kabocha Korokke (Japanese Pumpkin Croquettes)
Kabocha Korokke (Japanese Pumpkin Croquettes)
Korokke are the Japanese equivalent of a potato croquet. You can use kabocha pumpkin, sweet potatoes, ir just regular potatoes when preparing this savory appetizer. The korroke can be shaped into oval sized patties or into smaller ping pong sized balls. Once formed, place on a parchment paper lined baking pan in the freezer to firm up. Then dredge them in flour, egg, then panko breadcrumbs. The korroke fry for a couple of minutes a side u til golden brown and crispy. Serve the korroke with tonkatsu sauce.
Equipment
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 1 lb kabocha squash seeded and cut into cubes
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
- tonkatsu sauce
Instructions
- Place the kabocha in a steamer. Steam for 10 minutes.
- Place the kabocha in a bowl and mash with a potato masher.
- Brown the ground beef in a small sauté pan over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add in the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Drain any excess oil.
- Mix in the ground beef and onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the mashed kabocha. Let cool.
- Form the dough into 6-8 oval shaped patties. Place on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Dredge the croquettes in flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs.
- Heat up 1” of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Place some of the croquettes into the oil, frying in two batches.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes a side until crispy and golden brown.
- Drain the drain the grease on a wire rack.
Salmon Bulgogi
Salmon Bulgogi
Usually, when you think of bulgogi, you think of beef. The marinade is also great on salmon and other types oily fish. I used a 1lb. fillet of farm raised salmon with the skin on. Leaving the skin on is crucial to hold the salmon together. Without it, the salmon is hard to handle and will fall apart. I then cut 3/4” thick slices off the fillet. Seems like too small of pieces? The purpose of this recipe is to cook the salmon fast; so it is recommended to cut the fillets less than an inch thick. It also allows the marinade to penetrate the fish all the way through. Marinate the fish for 30 minutes. I chose to bake the salmon. With the pieces being thin, it takes 5 minutes in a 425 degree oven. You can also broil or pan fry the salmon for 2 minutes a side. Finally, garnish the salmon with green onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon fillets cut into 3/4” thick portions
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp garlic grated
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- black pepper to taste
Garnish
- sesame seeds
- green onions finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Marinate the salmon for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Line up the pieces of salmon on the baking pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
Smoked Country Style Ribs
Smoked Country Style Ribs
So, let’s get this out of the way before we even talk about the recipe. Country style ribs aren’t ribs. Even more so, there’s no such thing as a boneless rib. Rib means bone. Then what is a country style rib? There are 2 types: loin ribs and shoulder ribs. Country style loin ribs come from the rib end of a bone in pork loin. When I was the Mad Butcher, I would cut 2” thick chops. Then, on the bandsaw, I’d cut through the bone across the center of the loin, leaving two rectangular chunks of pork with bone on it. Shoulder country style ribs come from the pork shoulder. You pretty much cut big rectangular pieces out of the shoulder. Why these 2 cuts are called ribs, I can’t answer that. Regardless, country style ribs are delicious smoked.I brined the ribs for a day. Then the ribs sat on a rack in the refrigerator for another day to form a pellicle. I threw them in my smoker at 250 degrees. They smoked for just over 2 hours. Remember, since these aren’t really ribs, but reshaped rib end pork chops, they don’t need to smoke the same way as you would with spare and baby back ribs. As with anything you smoke, let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 5 lbs bone in country style ribs
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup sea salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 medium white onion chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Wood Chips
- 1/2 hickory
- 1/2 applewood
Instructions
- Mix together the brining ingredients. Place the country style ribs in a gallon sized storage bag. Pour in the brine. Brine for 24 hours.
- Place the ribs on a rack and let dry out in the refrigerator for a day.
- Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees. Place the ribs in the smoker. Smoke for about 2 hours until the ribs internal temperature reads 150 degrees.
- Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before serving.
