Stick with ribs for these two tasty meals

By Debra Samuels, May 5, 2010

Chinese spare ribs are restaurant food, and usually gnaw-the-bone good. You can also make delicious ribs at home, where you don’t have to worry about table manners. There are three cuts of ribs: meaty pork ribs, sometimes called St. Louis-style; baby-back pork ribs that have less meat; and country-style ribs that may take longer to cook and aren’t traditionally used in Chinese recipes. St. Louis and baby back both come in racks. I prefer the meaty St. Louis; butchers will cut the ribs into individual bones, which is what you want. Marinate them for several hours in a soy and hoisin mixture with ketchup, then roast them in a hot oven. The marinade turns into a glazy sauce with a deep reddish tone (because of ketchup). One drawback to this foolproof method: The sweet sauce and high oven temperature make everything stick like crazy to your pan, so line it with heavy duty foil. Add gloriously green baby bok choy and a bowl of rice to turn this classic appetizer into a main course.

Stash away a few ribs and some of the bok choy for bowls of pork-noodle ramen. Add scallions and a few slices of ginger to a good quality beef broth, then simmer the ribs in it to heat them through and flavor the soup. Serve the broth with pork sliced off the bone, curly ramen noodles, sometimes called chuka soba, the bok choy, and a handful of crunchy bean sprouts. Recycle all those take-out menus, toss that packaged ramen, and do it yourself.

RECIPES

Chinese-style pork spare ribs
Serves 4 with leftovers

You can use this sauce for Chinese roast pork. Cut a pork tenderloin into two long strips; follow the marinating and cooking instructions below.

5 1/2	pounds St. Louis-style pork spare ribs (about 16 ribs separated)
1/4	cup soy sauce
2	tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2	cup sugar
1/4	cup red or white wine or sake
1/4	cup ketchup
6	scallions, cut into 4-inch lengths and smashed
6	cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4	cup water

1. Have on hand 2 half-gallon zipper plastic bags. Divide the ribs between them.

2. In a large bowl combine the soy and hoisin sauces, sugar, wine or sake, ketchup, scallions, and garlic. Mix well. Stir in the water. Pour half the sauce into each bag. Carefully press the air out of the bags, then close the zippers. Rub the sauce around all the ribs. Refrigerate for several hours, turning once to redistribute the sauce.

3. Set the oven at 450 degrees.

4. About 15 minutes before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator. Line a roasting pan with heavy duty foil. Place the ribs and marinade in the pan, leaving space between them.

5. Cook the ribs for 35 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Cut into the meat down to the bone to make sure there is no bright pink color. If they are burning, turn the heat down to 425 degrees. Place ribs on a platter and brush any cooking juices onto the ribs. (Set aside 4 ribs for the ramen.) Serve with white rice and bok choy. Debra Samuels. Adapted from Jeanne Tahnk.

Pork-noodle ramen
Serves 4

Curly ramen noodles (chuka soba), come dried in compact squares or nests. You can also use 1 pound of thin fresh Chinese noodles in this Japanese dish.

3	cups beef broth
2	cups water
2	tablespoons soy sauce
4	scallions, cut into 4-inch lengths and smashed
1	piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, cut into 4 slices
4	cooked pork spare ribs
2	teaspoons sesame oil
	Salt and pepper, to taste
4	pieces cooked bok choy, each halved lengthwise
2	cups fresh bean sprouts (mung bean)
12	ounces (4 nests) ramen noodles (chuka soba)
	Extra sesame oil (for sprinkling)

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, combine beef broth, water, soy sauce, scallions, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Add the pork ribs and lower the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until pork is heated through. Remove ribs, scallions, and ginger and transfer to a bowl.

2. Add sesame oil, salt, and pepper to the soup. Turn the heat to low.

3. Slice meat off the bones; discard bones, scallions, and ginger.

4. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the bok choy and cook for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to lift it out and transfer to a plate. Add the bean sprouts to the water; cook 1 minute. With the spoon transfer the sprouts to a bowl; sprinkle with salt.

5. Add ramen to boiling water and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but still have bite.

6. Drain the noodles and rinse with warm water. With a scissors snip the noodles in half. Divide the noodles among 4 deep bowls.

7. Arrange the pork, bok choy, and bean sprouts on the noodles. Ladle soup around the noodles. Sprinkle with sesame oil. Serve with chopsticks and a spoon.

Making the most of tender rib-eye

Open with classic roast beef, then a hearty shepherd’s pie

December 30, 2009

The classic pairing of roast beef and potatoes can go from Sunday night supper to something special - depending on the cut of meat you use. For a New Year’s Eve celebration, a rib-eye roast, which has plenty of flavor for a relatively moderate price ($7.50 per pound at my local supermarket), makes a nice presentation. “The Joy of Cooking’’ refers to this and other tender cuts as “Sunday dinner roast beef.’’ Turn your elegant leftovers into a hearty shepherd’s pie.

Rib-eye comes from the area along the animal’s spine that doesn’t get much of a workout, hence its tenderness. A little marbling contributes to the good taste. Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika a few hours before roasting, and baste the roast with tomato or vegetable juice, which mixes with the pan juices and cooks into a light but meaty sauce with none of the fuss of thickening. For the potatoes, make a creamy cloud of golden mash; add steamed green beans or broccoli tossed with a little butter and lemon juice as a side dish.

The extra pound of meat in the roasting pan, more potatoes then you need in the mash, and lots of veggies in the steamer are ideal for shepherd’s pie. This meat and potato casserole, traditionally made with lamb, is the perfect comforting, hot dish to feed your bleary-eyed New Year’s guests.

RECIPES

Roast beef
Serves 6 with leftover

1	boneless beef rib-eye roast (5 pounds)
2	teaspoons kosher salt
1/2	teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2	teaspoons paprika
1	large onion, thinly sliced
2	carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
2	stalks celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
3	cans (8 ounces each) vegetable or tomato juice
1	cup water

1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a small roasting pan.
3. Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle half the onion in the pan with the carrots and celery. Spread the remaining onion on top of the roast.
4. In a bowl, mix the vegetable or tomato juice and water. Pour 1/2 cup over the meat and 2 cups over the vegetables in the pan.
5. Roast the meat in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Spoon the juices in the pan over the meat.
6. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130 degrees for medium-rare meat, 140 degrees for medium, 170 degrees for well done. (Total cooking time is 2 to 2 1/2 hours.) During roasting, if the pan seems dry, add the remaining tomato mixture.
7. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
8. Strain the roasting juices into a saucepan (save the onions, carrots, and celery for the pie); taste the juices for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Reheat the juices and let them simmer gently to thicken slightly. Cut the meat into 1/4-inch slices and spoon the cooking juices over the meat.

Shepherd's Pie - Serves 6

	Olive oil (for the pan)
2	tablespoons olive oil
2	cups cooked vegetables, coarsely chopped
	Onions, carrots, and celery from roasting the beef, coarsely chopped
4	cups cooked roast beef, coarsely chopped
2	teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2	tablespoons ketchup
1	teaspoon dried thyme
	Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2	to 1 cup leftover cooking juices, or more if you have some
3	cups mashed potatoes
2	tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook all the vegetables, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the beef, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
3. Add the cooking juices (up to 1 cup) and turn the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Transfer to the baking dish.
4. With a rubber spatula spread the mashed potatoes over the meat to cover it completely. Dot with butter.
5. Bake the pie for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are browned and the meat mixture is bubbling at the edges

Carrot and daikon salad

October 14, 2009

Serves 4

Light vinegared salads, known in Japan as sunomono, can be made with most any vegetable. In Shizuo Tsuji’s “Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art,’’ the author pairs carrot and daikon radish in a light and refreshing dish with a sweet and sour dressing called amazu (the word looks like shorthand for amazing - and it is). Salt shreds of deep orange carrot and white daikon radish to release their liquid, then knead the vegetables to create icicle-like shards of daikon. The dressing is made from mild rice vinegar, sugar, and water heated and then cooled. Toss it with the crunchy vegetables and refrigerate the dish for at least 30 minutes (it’s even more flavorful if left overnight). Traditionally, the salad is served in small plates but add this mixture to a bowl of salad greens and you have an appealing variation.

1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch-by- 1/2-inch matchsticks
1 medium (1 pound) daikon radish, cut into 2-inch-by- 1/2-inch matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water

1. In a large bowl combine the carrot and daikon radish matchsticks. Add the salt and toss lightly. After several minutes, mix and lightly knead the vegetables with your hands. Working over a colander set in a bowl, gather up the vegetables in your hands and squeeze out the liquid. Rinse and dry the bowl. Place the vegetables in it.
   
   
2. In a glass bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, and water. Heat in a microwave for 1 minute or until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, heat the mixture in a small saucepan. Cool to room temperature.
   
   
3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the vinegar mixture onto the vegetables. Mix with your hand and then squeeze the liquid from the vegetables. Discard the liquid.
   
   
4. Add the remaining dressing to the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to two days.

Lobster Cantonese

(Photos by Debra Samuels for The Boston Globe)

The classic method for Lobster Cantonese calls for chopping the raw crustacean - a scary proposition. Instead, start with a cooked lobster - unconventional, but perfect for squeamish cooks. This recipe is based on one from Irene Kuo’s “The Key to Chinese Cooking,’’ which does begin with live shellfish. Many markets will cook the lobsters for you. Once home, snap the claws and tails off the body. Stir-fry fermented black beans and ground pork with garlic and ginger. The liquid from the cooked lobster becomes part of the tasty sauce; the lobster in its shell protects the meat from turning chewy and still imparts flavor. Prepare ingredients in advance, line them up near the burner, and the cooking time is minimal. The results are frightfully good!

3 cooked lobsters (1 1/4 pounds each)
Juices from lobsters plus chicken stock or water to make 1 1/4 cups
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fermented black beans, soaked for 5 minutes, drained, and chopped
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Over a large bowl, snap off the claws and tails from the lobster (boil the bodies to make lobster stock for seafood stew for another day).
   
   
2. With a lobster cracker, hold a claw over the same bowl and crack down the middle, catching any liquid in the bowl. Twist off the base of the claw and crack in the middle. The meat should stay intact in the shell. Repeat with remaining claws. Hold a lobster tail over the bowl and twist off the base. Lay the tail on a cutting board and with a chef’s knife or cleaver, cut the tail into 3 pieces. Repeat with remaining tails.
   
   
3. Set a strainer over another bowl. Pour the lobster liquid through it. Measure and add enough stock or water to make 1 1/4 cups liquid. Add the rice wine or sake and pepper.
   
   
4. Heat a large wok or deep skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the scallions, ginger, garlic, and black beans. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry 2 minutes or until the pork loses its pink color.
   
   
5. Add the lobster liquid mixture. Bring to a boil. Add the lobster pieces, and cook, tossing with a wide spatula, until lobster is coated with sauce. Cover and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
   
   
6. Lower the heat to medium. Stir the cornstarch mixture. Drizzle it over the lobster mixture. Add the sesame oil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.
   
   
7. Pour the eggs into the pan in a circular motion. Cook, stirring gently, for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 1 minute more.
   

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

One potato Two potato

Photo by Debra Samuels for the Boston Globe

By Debra Samuels

Globe Correspondent / April 1, 2009

As Lexington resident Norma Currie explains it, she and her siblings did what many children do: "None of us would eat our vegetables," she says. But their mother was smarter than her kids. She cooked the vegetables and mashed them with potatoes. "And we loved them," says Currie, who still makes various versions of the spuds today. Sometimes it accompanies roast chicken or other meats and fish. It's a good way to have your mashed potatoes with less guilt and fewer calories. Carrots add volume and sweetness and their vitamins, of course. Spinach and mashed is another winning combination. Add rinsed spinach leaves to the hot potato water after cooking. Cover the pot and let the spinach sit for 2 minutes. The heat of the water softens the leaves, but they keep their vibrant green color.

Mashed potatoes with carrots

Serves 4

Salt and pepper, to taste
3 medium Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes (about 3/4 pound), peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch rounds
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk

1. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, combine the potatoes and carrots and turn the heat to medium high. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced with a skewer.
   
   
2. Drain the vegetables and transfer to a bowl. Add the butter and milk. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper
   
   

Mashed potatoes with spinach

Serves 4

Salt and pepper, to taste
3 medium potatoes (about 3/4 pound), peeled and quartered
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk

1. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer.
   
   
   
2. Turn off the heat and add the spinach. Cover and set aside for 2 minutes until the spinach wilts but is still bright green.
   
   
   
3. Drain the vegetables and transfer to a bowl. Add the butter and milk. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper.
   Adapted from Norma Currie
   
   
   

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Spicy Tuna Salad

photo for Boston Globe by Debra Samuels

Think spicy tuna and a sushi bar comes to mind. But there are other ways to meld rich fish and hot condiments. One is this composed canned tuna salad, made with the same spicy sauce used in those popular sushi rolls. You can make the same dish with shrimp, grilled salmon, smoked salmon, or leftover roast striped bass. The sauce begins with ordinary mayo, to which sesame oil and a few squirts of the Thai hot sauce sriracha are mixed in - enough to make a lip-tingling, faintly pink-colored sauce. Flake white tuna onto peppery arugula, garnish the plates with radishes for even more bite, and toss on a few cucumbers to cool the presentation. Then drizzle with spicy sauce. Not your mother’s tuna salad.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or more to taste
1 bunch arugula, stems removed
2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) solid white albacore tuna in water
1 bunch radishes, soaked to remove sand, trimmed, and quartered
2 Armenian or pickling cukes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 scallions, chopped
4 small whole-wheat pita, halved and toasted

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sesame oil, and sriracha. Taste for seasoning and add more sriracha, if you like.
2. On each of 4 plates, arrange some of the arugula. Divide the tuna among the plates, setting it in a mound on each one. Add radishes and cucumbers.
3. Spoon the sauce over the tuna and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with toasted pita.

Maharashtra fish curry

In this fish curry from the Maharashtra region in western India, you get both delicate and piquant in one dish. Coconut milk makes the sauce creamy but you get plenty of heat and flavor with a balanced blend of spices. Most Indian cooks toast and grind whole spices - some do this daily - but Renu Dvivedi, an Indian cooking teacher in Greenwich, Conn., and Dubai, says dried spices will work; buy them in small quantities and use them within 6 months. The spices are sauteed initially with onion and green chili pepper. Then stir in the coconut milk, and add thick white fish fillets such as haddock, cod, pollock, or sole, along with zucchini. Tuck the thinner sections of the fish under the thicker parts to create a uniform size for cooking. The fish and vegetable are bathed in a golden, aromatic sauce. Rice rounds out this exotic meal.

1 1/2 pounds white flesh fillets (haddock, cod, pollock, sole)

2 tablespoons oil 1 large onion, finely chopped

1 small green chili, seeded and finely chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lemon, cut into slices

1. Tuck the thinner pieces of the fish under the thicker ones to make uniform pieces.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and chili. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the onion is golden.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, and cayenne and black peppers. Stir the spices into the skillet with the garlic and coconut flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the water to form a paste; cook 1 minute more.

4. Add the salt, turmeric, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Place the fish in the sauce. Set the zucchini at the edges. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook 3 minutes more or until the fish is done. Sprinkle with cilantro and garnish with lemons.

Adapted from Renu Dvivedi