Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef Salad (Bun Bo Xao)

One of the most common Vietnamese dishes is some form of grilled, marinated beef served on, in, or at least near some rice noodles. Just like tex-mex food in Jim Gaffigan's words (tortillas with meat, cheese, or vegetables), bun bo xao is one such construction of beef with rice noodles and cilantro, and is on almost every Vietnamese menu other than at pho restaurants. I've made pho before, but have actually never made this dish until now. It turns out that not only is it somewhat simple, it's also incredibly delicious, and replicates the restaurant version almost identically.

I made this dish by merging a few different recipes, some coming from the very excellent book Vietnamese Street Food, by Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl. The key components of the dish are the lemongrass marinated beef, the raw salad components, and the seasoning sauce, nuoc cham truyen thong.

Grilled Lemongrass and Turmeric Chicken Wings

If you're following along, you know I'm searching for new and more amazing chicken wing recipes.  This means thinking outside of the box - more than just your average Buffalo wing flavors.  This one is no exception, and worth checking out.  It's more of a Thai curry, plus it has a great color from the fresh turmeric.  And once again, it meant that I got to purchase a new ingredient, not having bought turmeric in any form other than dried.

Fresh turmeric can be found in Asian grocery stores, and looks similar to ginger but with no branches and more ribbing.  It's a rhizome related to ginger, often used in Indian curries, but also used as a food coloring (specifically in mustards).  Inside, the root is a bright orange, and smells like a combination of carrots and ginger.  Careful - it stains skin and clothing quickly and effectively, making my nails look like those of an old woman.  But good news, turmeric isn't light fast, so that stain will fade over time.

Fresh turmeric looks a bit like a slug

Peeled turmeric stains pretty much everything.  That's why I'm taking the picture, and someone else is peeling it.

Grilled Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken Wings
from Bon Appetit, July 2012

• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 lemongrass stalks (bottom third only, tough outer layers removed), finely chopped
• 2 jalapeños, stemmed
• 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate (not paste or pulp) or 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh turmeric (not powdered)
• 3 pounds whole chicken wings
• Vegetable oil (for grill)
• Lime wedges

The ingredient list is strange, and is some mix of Thai and Indian flavors.  If anything, I'd say it's closest to Cambodian cuisine

Combine coconut milk, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeños, ginger, lime juice, tamarind juice, fish sauce, kosher salt, and turmeric in a blender.  Purée mixture until a smooth marinade forms.

Lemongrass has a strong citrus scent and looks really cool.  It's also really pulpy and needs to be blended well.

Add everything to the blender and puree thoroughly

Place chicken wings in a large baking dish.  Pour marinade over; turn wings to coat evenly.  Cover chicken and chill overnight.

Add the chicken, and marinate overnight.  The turmeric should dissolve more into the marinade and turn more yellow overnight.  I looked into this - apparently the color change is related to the acidity of the solution it is in.  If I had added a bunch of lye instead of lime juice, it might have turned red!

Remove chicken from marinade, shaking any excess marinade back into dish.  Transfer chicken to a large platter.  Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Transfer marinade to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until marinade thickens, 10-15 minutes.  Pour half of marinade into a small bowl; set aside for basting chicken while it grills.  Keep remaining marinade in saucepan; cover and keep warm until ready to serve the chicken.

Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high.  Oil grill grates to prevent sticking.  Grill chicken wings, turning every 5 minutes and basting occasionally with marinade in small bowl, until fat is rendered and skin is nicely charred in spots, 30-35 minutes. (The key here is to turn the wings often so the skin doesn't burn.)  Continue cooking chicken without basting (so it will get crisp) until wings are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Turn regularly and baste with the reduced marinade

Transfer chicken to a large platter and let it rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze lime wedges over wings. Transfer marinade in saucepan to a small bowl. Serve warm marinade alongside chicken as a dipping sauce.

Garnish with more sauce and a lime wedge

Pollo Asado con Mojo

If you ever worry that you've lost your mojo, do not worry - there's a way to get it back.  Mojo, after all, is more than a magical charm bag used in hoodoo, it's also a delicious Cuban sauce.  Wikipedia defines mojo (pronounced "mo-ho") as: 

"...the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauces, varying in spiciness, that originated in the Canary Islands. It is predominantly either a red (most common), green or orange sauce.... In Cuban cooking mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil and a citrus juice, traditionally sour orange juice. It is commonly used to flavor the cassava tuber and is also used to marinate roast pork. "

I learned about mojo from my old boss, who was Cuban.  He taught me how to make it to go over yuca, which turned a bland starchy tuber into delicious garlicky exotica.  It's typically the same few core ingredients - garlic, oil, cumin, and a tart citrus juice - conventionally bitter orange, but since this is hard to find usually just orange and lime juice.  And while I've never used it for roast pork, I have used it with roasted chicken in a recipe from the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook (highly recommended, by the way).  So I'm no stranger to this stuff, and have made it a few different ways.  But I wanted to try something a little safer than the last time I made it, which involved heating up a bunch of oil and then adding orange juice, leading to many burns and much less arm hair at the end.  This recipe had some similarities to that, but seemed more appropriate for a Memorial Day cookout and safer to boot, so I gave it a shot.  It did not disappoint, and I came away without permanent scarring.

Pollo asado con mojo, with homemade cole slaw and agua fresca de pepino.  And a little flag - Memorial Day for the win.

Mojo Roast Chicken (Pollo Asado)
Adapted lightly from Allrecipes

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
•  3 tablespoons lime juice 
• 3 tablespoons orange juice 
• 1 (6 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot.  While the oil heats, mash the cumin, salt, oregano, and garlic together into a paste in a heat-proof bowl; whisk the hot oil into the paste.  Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
 

Crush up your whole cumin - don't use the powdered stuff.  Toast them first for maximum flavor.

Whisk the herbs and hot oil together in a heatproof bowl

Mojo is the perfect combination of aromatic infused oil and tart citrus - use bitter orange if you can find it, or orange and lime if you can't

Add the lime juice and orange juice; stir.  And don't use that nasty lime juice from a bottle, or I will come find you and give you the look of eternal shaming.  Place the chicken in a large sealable bag; pour the marinade over the chicken and shake to assure an even coating. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

Marinate the chicken for a few hours at least, to break down the fibers with the acidic mojo sauce

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), or grill over low / indirect heat.  Arrange the marinated chicken in a roasting pan if baking.  Bake / grill chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour.  If grilling, take the reserved marinade and boil in a small saucepan to sanitize, then bring down and baste over the chicken periodically.  An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

Grill over low heat, basting regularly

This recipe goes great with plantains, rice, fries, yuca, or traditional American picnic sides just the same.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to Indian food.  But I've made one dish so far that's consistently good, and also fairly forgiving if you screw it up.  Chicken tikka masala, one of the more common dishes on Indian restaurant menus, is surprisingly easy to make, if you look past a possibly intimidating list of new ingredients.  But go to your nearest ethnic food store and you should have no problem finding all of these things.  And to those Indian people who cringe by my saying 'garam masala' because it's a spice blend that varies heavily from region to region (even from shop to shop) in India, I will respond by saying that I am not enlightened enough to appreciate the differences, and bow to you all as the kings and queens of the spice world.  But I do know about at least a few of the spices: I used a sweet paprika with a mild level of heat (not smoked), and I recommend getting whole seeds of cumin and coriander, then lightly toasting and grinding them yourself.  This will bring out a lot more flavor.

If you've got some kind of vacuum marinator, you can cut the prep time down significantly.  Again, this is a fairly forgiving dish.  Don't have long to marinate?  Just thread the meat onto skewers and grill after 30 minutes in the chill chest.  Chicken came out tough?  Just simmer it a bit longer in the sauce.  Ran out of plain yogurt?  Use something mild, like lemon or peach (I used this once, and it was fine).  It's actually really hard to screw up.

Marinade

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 piece gingerroot, minced (1/2-inch long)
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup half and half

For marinade, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a medium bowl or food-safe plastic bag; stir in chicken, marinate in refrigerator 2-4 hours.

Get the chicken into your marinade (not marinate, that's a verb) and let it party down for at least a few hours in the fridge

Toss the ingredients together to make sure you get even flavor distribution

Skewer the chicken after it's been marinating.  Give it as long as you can stand to let the flavors get in there.

For sauce, melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add garlic and jalapeno; cook 1 minute.  Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt.  Stir in tomato sauce, simmer 3 minutes, stir in cream; simmer until sauce thickens, then keep on low while meat is cooking.

This dish has a surprising amount of heat, which you can temper by replacing jalapenos with something milder

Saute in butter to get that creamy flavor you won't find with olive oil.

The sauce, after everything is incorporated

Meanwhile, heat grill to medium-high (or heat broiler).  Remove chicken from refrigerator.  Thread chicken onto skewers; discard marinade.  Grill or broil chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Remove chicken from skewers; add to sauce.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Serve with basmati rice, naan, or pita bread.

You don't need to cook these all the way through, just get some char flavor on them.  They finish in the sauce.

Tikka masala, served with basmati rice and spinach (saag)

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream and Pickled Red Onions

Well, after an overly long hiatus, I'm back.  Life is good, thanks for asking.  I mean, how bad could it be, considering that I was finally able to make a crazy hamburger recipe without my good friend and former housemate lamenting "why would you ever put something in a burger besides salt and pepper?!"  Because it's awesome, that's why.

Show me potato salad!

Tonight's post liberates and modifies a burger recipe from Cooking Light, wherein ground beef is augmented with spices and a roasted chile pepper.  To top it off, it calls for a chipotle cream, as well as pickled red onions.  For those of you who haven't had either of these things, a) I weep for you, and b) you need to try them.  Chipotle peppers, being jalapenos that have been smoked and either dried or preserved in a spicy sauce called adobo, are more than just the namesake of your favorite mission-style burrito.  They are also a small piece of heaven, and make for an incredible flavored mayonnaise that's very easy to whip up at home.  And pickled red onions are a garnish traditionally served in Latin cuisine, with a slight bit of tang and a crisp, refreshing bite.  The idea of throwing these things on a burger sounded too good to pass up, and I assure you, the combination is fairly impressive when you're done.

The chipotle - a smoked / dried jalapeno.  And you thought it was some kind of crazy mystery pepper!

Pickled red onions.  I use my own recipe, which is easy and fast, and requires about 4 things you have around the kitchen.

The recipe calls for roasted poblanos in the burger meat.  This is a simple process that can go horribly if you don't follow the directions.  Let's walk through the process quickly:

1. Take your peppers and char them over an open flame.  Do not bake them, don't put them in a pan and sear them.  Char them, over a gas burner, on a grill, or in a broiler.  Turn them regularly, to make sure they are well blackened.
2. Take the still hot peppers and put them in a bag.  You're trying to get the skin off, which you don't want to eat.  To do this, you want the steam coming from the peppers to work its way throughout the membrane keeping the skin attached, so that even the non-charred bits give up their fight and let go.  Translation: place in a sealed plastic zip-top bag, and let the peppers sit for 15 minutes.
3. Peel the skin off.  Try to get as much as possible removed, or the final product will both look and feel weird.

The mostly charred peppers.  I used cubanelle, because I'm lazy and couldn't find poblanos.  About the same heat level and flavor in a pinch.

The peppers, after steaming in a ziploc bag.

Look, the skin comes right off in sheets!

If you're lucky, you can get most of the skin off in one pull.

The finished product, peeled, seeds removed, and sliced open.

We all thought the burgers were great, although I would have cooked them slightly more rare on a better grill.  Regardless, the tart chipotle cream, the slightly sweet, slightly sour pickled onions, and the savory burger come together in what I thought was a well-rehearsed symphony of flavors.  Make sure you are sitting when you eat the hamburger, and please, remember to eat responsibly.

The recipe calls for making a few subassemblies, which need to be prepared in a certain order to get the flavors and consistency correct.  I will outline the recipe in the order in which you must complete everything for maximum awesomeness.  Besides changing the order of the recipe, I replaced white bread and milk with panko crumbs, which gives the burger just a bit more body and a less mushy meatloaf-y texture.

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Pickled Red Onions and Chipotle Cream

Adapted from Cooking Light, July 2010

• 2 poblano chiles
• 1 oz panko crumbs
• 3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 pound ground sirloin (I used 90/10 chuck)

• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 tbsp minced shallots
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 (7-oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (you will just need 1 chile)
• 4 (1.5-oz) hamburger buns, toasted

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano

First, get the pickled onions pickling.  You can do this a day ahead, but a few hours is better than nothing. Most importantly, slice your onions thinly and uniformly.  For this, I use a mandoline, also referred to in my kitchen as 'the finger slicer'.  This medieval torture instrument is valuable not only for injuring yourself, but also for making precisely sliced foods.  Observe:

The mandoline - observe nature's cruelest mistake

I recommend using the finger guard, unless you have excellent medical insurance

These perfectly sliced onions were created in about 10 seconds total.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt, heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add onions and dried oregano. When mixture is cool pour into a quart container. You may need to add a bit of water just to cover. (If you have time, keep at room temperature for about 6 hours, then place in the refrigerator).

Next, prepare the chipotle cream.  Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, shallots, and juice. Remove 1 chipotle pepper and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for another use. Chop chile. Stir chopped chipotle and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce into sour cream mixture.  Set aside and allow flavors to combine.

Now you can get the poblano peppers roasted.   Preheat broiler, or use a gas / charcoal grill.  Either grill, turning frequently, or place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil for 8 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles, and discard the seeds and membranes. Finely chop.

Now, prepare your spices.  Naturally, you use whole spices, right?  What's that, you don't?  Well, throw out your spices, because they are undoubtedly bland and gross.  Instead, go to a latin market and pick up fresh coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant) and cumin (the seeds of some other plant), and grind up fresh as needed.  I specifically purchased a coffee mill that I use just for latin spices, which would produce some of the worst coffee ever at this point, but which does an excellent job at making fresh ground spice.

Grind your spices fresh for the best flavor

Combine panko, poblano chile, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and beef, tossing gently to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.  Make sure to shape the burgers thin and wide, so that they won't contract into a sphere when cooked.  A trick I learned on Food TV - press a small indentation in the center of each patty, which helps prevent this 'burger bulge' and results in a completely flat burger after cooking.  Cover and chill until ready to grill.   Also, if you're going to the trouble of making this recipe, shell out for decent buns.  A burger that takes this long to make deserves to be on bread without preservatives, that doesn't cost 25 cents, has some flavor, and won't turn to complete paste if looked at incorrectly.  Like a good CEO, burger buns should have some integrity.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully flip patties; grill an additional 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.  Don't be that person that squishes the burger with your spatula - yes, it sounds great, but all you're doing is wringing the flavor and moisture out of the burger, along with potentially cross-contaminating your cooked burger implement with raw beef bits.

I try to make the burgers wide, so they don't shrivel up into small burger balls that are gross when you get them to a bun.

Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 3 tablespoons chipotle cream and 1 tablespoon Pickled Red Onions.  Serve with whatever sides you like, and enjoy your hard work - you earned it.

Chipotle pickled red onion roasted pepper burger