Tag: main course
Lebanese Chicken Livers
Lebanese Chicken Livers
I know chicken livers aren’t very popular with my generation and younger, but it is something I was raised on and still enjoy to this day. They are inexpensive and happen to be full of iron, protein, vitamins A, C, and B12. This particular preparation is simple, but boasts a ton of flavor from the garlic and mint. Adding the lemon juice at the last minute helps balance out the richness of the livers.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken livers washed; cut into 2 pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp mint chopped; plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Marinate the livers with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, mint, garlic, and salt for 30 minutes.
- Heat up the rest of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken livers. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the livers are still slightly pink on the inside.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and cook for 1 more minute.
Lebanese-Style Strip Steak
Lebanese-Style Strip Steak
The Lebanese marinade for the steak is very similar to what is used for shawarma. The steak requires only an hour of marinating and less than 10 minutes to cook. Ribeye, top sirloin, filet mignon, and flank steak are all suitable choices to use if you don’t want a strip steak. If you prefer to grill the steaks, they will require the same cooking time of 4 minutes a side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz strip loin steak 1 1/4” thick
- 1/4 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp sumac
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Marinate the steak for 1 hour.
- Heat up cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Place the strip steak in the skillet.
- Cook the steak for 4 minutes a side. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Green Chorizo
Green Chorizo
I never heard of green chorizo until very recently. I was shopping at my favorite Latin market, El Burrito Mercado, in their meat department. I stumbled across packages of green chorizo that they make in house. Sure, why not. Let’s try it. So I bought a few links and cooked them up at home. To quote the great Ric Flair, “Wooooo!” They were unbelievably flavorful and spicier than I expected. A lot more spicy than any red chorizo I’ve had. So, being a sausage maker, I had to learn how to make them.Green chorizo gets it’s color from all of the green ingredients: roasted poblanos, serranos, cilantro, parsley, and green onions. All of these ingredients get chopped in a food processor until a chunky green paste is formed. The paste is then mixed into ground pork. And just like that, you have bulk green chorizo. If you want the sausage stuffed into casings, you will need a sausage stuffer. The green chorizo is great with eggs and even better in tacos.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 5 lbs ground pork
- 4 poblano peppers
- 4 serrano peppers
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 head garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar vinegar
- pork casings for making links
Instructions
Bulk Green Chorizo
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the poblano peppers on a rack on a baking sheet.
- Broil for 6 minutes a side until the pepper is charred.
- Place the peppers in a bowl with a cover for 10 minutes. This will sweat the skins off of the poblanos.
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are turned into a chunky paste.
- Pour the green mix over the ground pork.
- Mix thoroughly.
Green Chorizo Links
- Pipe the green chorizo through your sausage stuffer. Use pork casings for regular sized links and lamb casings for breakfast sized links. Twist to 6” long.
- Let the links sit for 2 hours before cutting.
Green Chorizo Tacos
- Place the bulk chorizo in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Brown for 8 minutes.
- Serve on corn tortillas. Top with onions, cilantro, and your favorite salsa.
