Author: Ken Baker

Al Pastor

Posted 11 months ago by Ken Baker

 

Al Pastor

Classic Mexican pork for tacos, burritos, etc.
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican

Equipment

  • 1 Sauce pan
  • 1 Smoker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter unsalted
  • ½ cup onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 ea chipotle peppers, chopped
  • 2 ea dried ancho chilies
  • 1 taste kosher salt
  • 1 tbd sugar
  • 1 tbd oregano
  • 1 tbd cumin
  • 1 tbd white vinegar
  • 1 tbd achiote paste
  • 1 ea pork shoulder, sliced

Instructions
 

  • Simmer all but pork shoulder in sauce pan, allow to cool.
  • Pour cooled marinade over sliced pork, then marinate overnight in cooler.
  • Stack marinated meat on a rotisserie plate in an aluminum pan and place on smoker.
  • Smoke at 275 for 4-5 hours until 145°f internal temp.
  • Baste meat during smoking.
  • Grill pineapple reserve, serve with tortillas, raw onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Keyword Mexican, Tex-Mex

 

Almond Cake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French

Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 9" cake pan
  • 1 mixer/beater

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 2 ea eggs
  • 1 ½ cup flour sifted
  • 1 tbsp almond extract
  • sliced almonds
  • powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • This is the classic creaming method for cake mixtures
  • Beat butter & sugar until light in color and fluffy.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  • The creaming method adds the dry and liquid ingredients alternately to the butter mixture.
  • The usual method is a third of the flour, half the milk, a third of the flour, the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour; it's helpful to scrape the bowl midway through this process.
  • Adding flour and liquids alternately ensures all the liquid (usually milk) will be thoroughly absorbed into the batter. If there's a high amount of butter or other fat in the batter, it's hard to get the liquid totally mixed in; the alternating technique helps reduce the percentage of fat overall (by adding some flour first). It also facilitates the formation of gluten, which binds the batter together.
  • Pour batter into cake pan, and top with almond slices.
  • Bake at 350°f for 45 minutes.
  • Allow to cool, then dust with powdered sugar.
Keyword almond, almond cake, cake

Ancho Chili Sauce

Print Recipe
Course Sauce
Cuisine Latino, Mexican

Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ea onion
  • 10 ea garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 ea jalapeno seeded & chopped
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 2 oz olive oil
  • 4 ea cloves
  • 1 tsp whole cumin
  • 6 ea ancho chilies toasted, seeded, bloomed
  • 18 oz tomato sauce or fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 ea chipotle peppers w/adobo sauce
  • ¼ bunch cilantro
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 16 oz vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients into a bowl.

 

Char Siu Chicken

A popular Chinese method for BBQ'ing chicken, pork, and other tasty meats
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine BBQ, Chinese

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls Medium & Large
  • 1 Food Processor something to puree garlic and ginger
  • 1 Sheet pan grate(s) that fit inside sheet pan
  • Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
  • Assorted measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole Chicken, separated or "8-part" chicken pak, or equal weight in chicken thighs only

Char Siu Dry Rub

  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp 5 Spice Powder
  • .5 tsp White Pepper

5 Spice Powder

  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp Clove
  • 1 tbsp Star Anise
  • 1 tbsp Szechuan Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Fennel Seed

Char Siu Wet Marinade

  • 1.5 inch Fresh Ginger Root peeled
  • 3 clove Garlic roughly chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp water
  • 3-4 tbsp Maltose substitute Golden Syrup, Honey, or Brown Sugar as a last resort
  • 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce Chef recommends "Boy In The Boat"
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce Chef uses low sodium
  • 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Char Siu Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Showxing Wine Substitute Dry Sherry
  • 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil No more than a splash
  • .25-.5 cup water

Optional

  • 2 drop Red Dye adds an "authentic" color but NOT necessary
  • 1 can Pam Cooking Spray or similar product

Instructions
 

Chicken prep

  • Separate whole chicken to breasts, thighs, wings, legs. Remove keel bone but leave bone in for parts. Do not remove skin.
  • Be sure to pat dry all chicken parts, then add Dry Rub to both sides, pat into chicken.
  • Add all parts into larger bowl.
  • Allow chicken to rest in refrigerator for an hour or more, 2 is better.

Marinade prep

  • Combine peeled and roughly chopped ginger root, garlic cloves & water and puree in processor. Add to medium bowl.
  • Add Maltose, Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Char Siu Sauce, Showxing Wine and Sesame Seed Oil. Mix well to combine.
  • Once chicken has dry brined, add the marinade to the chicken, making sure to cover all the parts thoroughly. Once properly coated, cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator for 3 hours, or over-night even better, to marinate.

Let's Cook Something!

  • Preheat oven to 385°F
  • Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to sheet pan to prevent burning.
  • Spray pan racks with Pam. Arrange chicken on racks, and try to keep space between pieces so all the parts can get full circulation of air while roasting. Allow chicken to sit for an hour, to come to room temperature.
  • While chicken comes to room temperature, pour remaining marinade into a pot. Bring to a boil, and then lower temperature and reduce for about 20 minutes, to create the glaze.
  • Pop the chicken into the oven for about 20 minutes, until skin begins to nicely brown. Braise chicken with a coating of glaze on top.
  • Lower oven temperature to 140°F, and roast chicken for another 20 minutes or so, watching to see the skin isn't browning too much.
  • Remove chicken, flip the pieces, glaze all the bottoms of the parts, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  • Glaze chicken once more, and return to oven for a final 20 minutes.
  • Allow chicken to rest after final roasting for 10-15 minutes before serving and/or processing for other recipes.
Keyword BBQ, Chineses BBQ

Apple Crisp Topping

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 baking pan

Ingredients
  

Apple Crisp Topping

  • 2 cup quick cooking oats
  • 2 cup flour
  • 2 cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter cubed
  • * optional to add nuts

Apple Mix

  • 10 cup apples sliced
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • *optional to add other fruits or dried fruits

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 375°f
  • Grease pan.
  • Spread ½ of crisp topping on bottom of pan.
  • Spread apple mix on top.
  • Spread other ½ or topping on apple mix.
  • Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes.

Apple Fritters 2

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Ingredients
  

Fritters

  • tbsp butter
  • 2 ea Apples peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 ea egg
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tbsp butter melted
  • 1/2 cup sparkling cider or regular cider
  • 2 cup vegetable oil

Glaze

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1-2 tbsp cider

Instructions
 

  • Brown 1 tbsp butter, and saute apples until just cooked.
  • Add sugar and cook another 2 minutes. Drain in strainer until cooled.
  • Whisk together all dry ingredients.
  • Whisk egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter.
  • Add cooled apple pieces and cider.
  • Add the flour mix and stir until just combined.
  • Heat oil to 350℉ and spoon drop 2 tbsp batter per fritter.
  • Brown on both sides, then set aside for glazing.

Apple Fritters 1

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Ingredients
  

Fritters

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2-3 cup Granny Smith apples medium diced
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 ea eggs rt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • oil for frying

Glaze

  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3-5 tbsp water or milk

Instructions
 

  • Sift flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • In a separate bowl combine apples and lemon juice.
  • In a stand mixer, mix the sugar, vanilla and eggs until sugar has dissolved.
  • Add flour mixture until just combined.
  • Pour in milk mix and stir until incorporated.
  • Fold in apples.
  • Heat oil to 375℉.
  • Add 1/4 cup batter and fry until golden brown, then flip over.
  • Drain on paper towel.
  • Cool on rack, then glaze.

 

Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette

Chef Ken
Print Recipe
Course Salad

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand-held mixer or food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ea Strawberry med-large size
  • 1 pinch Sugar
  • 1 pinch Kosher salt
  • 4 grinds Black pepper corns
  • 1 dash EVOO extra virgin olive oil
  • .5 ea shallot coarsely chopped
  • .25 cup Balsamic vinegar (1/4 cup)
  • .125 cup White wine vinegar (1/8 cup)
  • 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
  • 1 TBSP Maple syrup actual maple syrup, not Log Cabin
  • 1 pinch Kosher salt to taste
  • 4 grind Black pepper corns to taste
  • .25 cup EVOO

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425f°
  • Combine strawberries, sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil in a bowl, toss to coat. place on foil-lined tray, and roast for approx. 20 minutes.
  • While strawberries are roasting, combine shallots, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt & pepper in mixing bowl.
  • Add strawberries (allow to cool first) into bowl, get as much of caramelized drippings as possible, and then blend with processor, either to smooth puree or a little chunky per your preference.
  • Once all other ingredients are mixed in to preference, slowly add in 1/4 cup olive oil.
  • Add 3-4 TBSP into mixed greens/veggies salad to taste, toss and serve.
Keyword vinaigrette