Tag: cooking

Sorta Porchetta

One of my all-time favorite street foods in San Francisco is
Roli Roti’s famous porchetta sandwich, served at the Ferry Plaza Farmers
Market. For those of you not familiar with the perfection that is the porchetta, it’s a loin,
and possibly other cuts of heavily seasoned pig parts, wrapped inside a pork
belly, which is then roasted until the inside is tender, and the outside is
crispy and crackling.

It’s then sliced and served on a crusty roll with salsa
verde.

It’s insanely good, and something I’ve always wanted to try doing at
home. Of course, a real porchetta feeds like 20 people, so I wanted a
version that would be better suited for a smaller group.

I decided to try using
a small pork shoulder roast. The plan was to mimic the same flavors, but cook
it more like pork loin, instead of the usual fork tender, falling apart state
we associate with this cut. Pulled pork was not what I was after here.

It worked wonderfully, although you do need to slice it nice and
thin. We’re only cooking this to 145 F. which is not high enough a
temperature to break down all that connective tissue. All in all, I thought it
was a very successful experiment, especially when you consider how much we
scaled this down.

What it didn’t feature however, was that crispy skin, also
known as “the best part.” I wish I’d thought of it before I finished the video, but
what I should have done was fried up some diced pancetta (un-smoked Italian
bacon) until it was perfectly crispy, and topped the sandwich with that! That
would have put this already fine faux-porchetta over the top! I hope
you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 very large portions:

2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast, butterflied open,
and slashes made all over the connective tissues

olive oil as needed

1 tbsp kosher salt (2 tsp for inside, and 1 for out)

1 tbsp black pepper

2 tbsp chopped sage leaves

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

6 cloves minced garlic

zest from a large orange

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

– Stuff, tie, salt, and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours

– Roast at 450 F. for 15 minutes

– Reduce heat to 250 F. and roast another hour, or until an
internal temp of 145 F.

For the vinegar sauce:

1/2 anchovy fillet

1 tsp hot chili flakes or to taste

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley

Bonus How to Butterfly Meat for Rolling Video!

Incoming search terms:

Lamb koftas with potato wedges

Print Page

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy
Costs: Cheap as chips

So tasty and very easy to make these lamb koftas are popular with kids especially with the addition of potato wedges. You can also serve these spicy lamb koftas removed from the skewers and wrapped in warm flat breads with salad and yogurt. Perfect as a light dinner or a hearty lunch these lamb koftas are a great way of using up leftover lamb from your Sunday roast and turning them into a tasty treat that the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredients

4 small to medium baking potatoes
2tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing
500g lean lamb mince
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1tsp ground cumin
2tsp ground coriander
Large pinch chilli powder
1tbsp fresh chopped mint
Plain yogurt and lemon juice to serve

That’s goodtoknow

If you are using wooden skewers soak them in cold water for about 30 mins before using so they don’t burn under a hot grill or on a barbeque.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Wash the potatoes and cut into wedges. Put into a bowl and add the oil and toss well together. Spread out on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20–30 mins until golden brown and cooked through. Turn the wedges over a couple of times during cooking.
Put all the remaining ingredients, except the yogurt and lemon juice, into a bowl and mix well together. Divide the mixture into eight and shape into ovals. Thread onto skewers.
Heat a griddle pan or a grill. Brush the koftas with a little oil and then cook on the griddle or under the grill for 3-4 mins each side until cooked and browned.
Serve the koftas with the potato wedges and plain yogurt with lemon juice.

By Val Barrett

Average rating

(1 ratings)

What do you think of this recipe? Leave us your comments, twists and handy tips.

Incoming search terms:

Dairy-free beef stroganoff

Print Page

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Skill level: Easy peasy
Costs: Mid-price

Traditionally beef stroganoff is made with soured cream but in this dairy-free beef stroganoff we’ve used a non-dairy alternative to cream (there are several available made from oats or soya) and added a little lemon juice to give the slight sharpness of soured cream. Beef stroganoff is a quick dish to make using tender cuts of beef such as rump or sirloin steak. However to cut the cost you can use lean pork steaks instead and even lambs liver cut into strips is very tasty cooked this way. Served with boiled rice and a crisp green salad it makes a delicious speedy meal.

Ingredients

2tbsp olive oil
500g rump or sirloin steak, cut into strips
1 onion, chopped
175g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
250ml dairy-free oat or soya cream substitute
1tbsp tomato puree
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
Rice, to serve

That’s goodtoknow

For vegetarians omit the beef steak and serve the mushroom sauce with Quorn peppered steaks.

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the strips of steak and fry over a high heat for 2 mins until browned. Remove from the pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce the heat, add the onion and cook for 3-4 mins until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins, stirring occasionally. Pour in the cream and add the tomato puree, mustard and paprika. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and heat, stirring, until hot but not boiling.
Return the beef to the pan and simmer for 2 mins to heat through. Season with lemon juice to taste and add a little boiling water from the kettle if the sauce is too thick. Serve with rice.

By Nichola Palmer

Average rating

(0 ratings)

What do you think of this recipe? Leave us your comments, twists and handy tips.