Wednesday, February 25, 2009

For the Love of Kimchi!


All the stars are aligned. I have heard so much about Kimchi, a Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage, and I can't wait to learn more! According to lifeinkorea.com, kimchi is served at almost every meal in Korea. This article from NY Times profiles a mobile taco stand that features a tofu-chili taco with kimchi. This weekend I am hoping to try out a kimchi recipe I found in the Top Chef Cookbook. Typically, as I learned from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, kimchi typically is fermented with raw oysters in large urns buried in the ground for a three weeks, this recipe only takes three days! Here is the recipe for those who are just as curious as me!

1 head napa cabbage
1 medium daikon radish
1/2 cup salt
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes or kimchi spice mix
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1. Separate the cabbage into leaves. Peel the daikon and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a large bowl, layer the cabbage and daikon slices, sprinkling salt in between each layer, using about 1/2-cup salt total. Add water to cover 1 inch and place a heavy plate on top of the leaves. Set aside overnight.

2. The next day, remove the plate and drain the vegetables. Rinse well under running water and drain. Cut the cabbage into 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1-cup water. Mix gently.

3. Transfer the vegetable mixture and liquid to a large crock. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 days, stirring once a day.

The photo comes from lifeinkorea.com
The NY Times article is from nytimes.com

Monday, February 2, 2009

Schedule Your Triple Bypass -- Here Comes The Bacon!



Woah.

Despite the health concerns, bacon has reclaimed its spot as a popular ingredient in any restaurant chef's kitchen. It can be said that bacon makes any dish more delectable; however, could this be taking it too far?

This dish, lovingly coined The Bacon Explosion, has stopped bacon lovers in their tracks to cock their heads and say, "Huh, imagine that." Two heaping pounds of bacon basket woven around two pounds of ground sausage make up "The BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes." The recipe has been linked to more than 16,000 various sites since its premier on a Kansas City BBQ competition site. 



Here is the recipe for those who are daring enough to try.

From NY Times
Adapted from Jason Day and Aaron Chronister

Cooking time: 3 hours

2 pounds thick cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage with casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1. Use 10 slices of bacon to weave a square lattice by placing 5 slices side-by-side on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Use the remaining 5 to weave into the others.

2. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees or you could use an outdoor smoker. 

3. Place the remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. 

4. As it is cooking, sprinkle the weaved bacon with barbecue rub. Evenly spread the sausage over the weave entirely to the outer edges.

5. Cut the fried bacon into bite sized pieces and then spread over the sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce and then sprinkle with another tablespoon of the barbecue rub.

6. Carefully lift the edge of the sausage, leaving the bacon flat, and begin to roll the sausage over itself away from you. Press the sausage roll to to remove any air pockets and push together seams at the end.

7. Roll the sausage back toward you, this time with the bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Place roll seam down. Sprinkle the roll with the remaining barbecue rub.

8. Place the roll on a baking sheet and into the oven or smoker. Cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees, about 1 hour per inch of thickness. When done, glaze the roll with more barbecue sauce. Serve by slicing into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

So, would you?
 
Pictures by Don Ipock for the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?em