You have hit on my favourite past time I love cooking I find it very relaxing and also I appreciate the appraise after its all finished. Two recipes from me but I will add more tommorow its 1am here should get some shut *** soon
Belly pork really shines when slow cooked and is possibly the most mouthwatering unbelievably good piece of meat ever made. Cooked this on sunday and is a huge favourite of mine. I use the recipe below as my base then add to it as appropriate to the rest of the meal.
Ingredients:
* I kilo joint of belly of pork - Feeds 2 people comfortably can feed 4
* 10 leaves off a sprig of rosemary
* 3 small cloves of garlic sliced
* Foil big enough to cover the meat side of the joint
Prep:
Place the joint crackling side up and dab as much moisture as possible out of the skin with kitchen towel. Cut the skin using a very sharp knife into diamonds just short of where the fat turns to meat. Dab again with kitchen towel and sprinkle with a little rock salt.
Method:
1. Place the pork, crackling side down, in roasting pan. Distribute the rosemary and garlic evenly over the base of the belly. Take the foil and press it over the belly to make sure that the herbs will not shift.
2. Turn the whole lot over, crackling side up, and form the foil into a snug nest around the joint, leaving the crackling exposed and ensuring that the fat from the crackling will drip into the foil nest.
3. Roast at 140c for 3 hours and then turn down to 130c for another hour (4 hours!) - these are our fan-assisted oven temperatures so you may wish to adjust for a conventional oven, but not by much I think. Maybe +10% maximum.
4. If the crackling is not crispy (should be like pork scratchings) then place under the grill at a medium heat for 5-10mins but keep an eye on it as it burns easily and quickly spoils.
5. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins then carve
I love to have it in a lightly buttered seeded roll really brings out the flavour as the juices soak into the roll and its just divine.
Fajitas are another favourite of mine and possibly the easiest thing to cook as its just production line cooking (everything is prepared then you just throw it into a single pan).
Ingredients:
* 2 Large red onions
* 3 mixed peppers
* 3 cloves of garlic
* Cajun spice many commercially available ones around (see below if you want to make your own)
* 3 Chillis - Jalepenos preffered
* Tequila (Resposada) - not essential but I think it adds a bit more depth to the flavour and as a college student I accept any excuse for a drink
* Meat of your choice I have tried
500g Chicken breast
500g Aged sirloin steak
600g King prawns or tiger prawns (shell removed)
500g Tofu
best way to eat the fungal growth of an old Japanese basement imo
Cajun spice ingredients freshly ground is always best:
* 1/2tsp of black pepper
* 1/2tsp of red pepper
* 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
* 1/2tsp of onion powder
* small clump of thyme
* 1/4tsp oregano
* 1/4tsp of white pepper
* 1/8tsp of cloves
* 1/8tsp of rock salt
* 1/8tsp of mustard powder
* 2tsp of paprika
* 2tsp of cayenne pepper - adjust to your spice level
Cajun spice method:
1. Grind all ingredients with a pestle and mortar until a fine powder and ensure its properly mixed.
2. Place in a small air tight jar will be at its best for 4 months but never goes bad in my experience the flavours just weaken.
Prep:
If using terrestrial meat i.e. chicken or beef or tofu atleast an hour (longer is better) before cooking cut into strips which will be manageably eaten, then marinade the meat by adding some cajun spice mix and massaging in with your hands. I like to drizzle with a little olive oil after to help seal the meat when in the pan but this isn't essential.
If using seafood then its better to spice the mixed peppers and onions just before cooking as the cajun can overpower the subtle flavours of the seafood if applied directly
Fajitas method:
1. Chop 1 red onion into cubes, slice the other one into segments (depending on size of onion 4-8). Cut the Chilli in to rings and deseed if necessary as this will remove a lot of the heat. Cut the Peppers into slices/strips and roughly chop the garlic into chunks.
2. Heat up a large pan preferably a wok to a high heat with some vegetable oil in the bottom, I like to use extra virgin olive oil but any should be ok. Throw in the peppers and chillis and fry for 1 min then add the onions and garlic. The trick is to keep everything moving so that very little heat is transferred directly to the food this stops burning or charring on the outside. A minute after the onions add the meat with a splash of tequila and toss until cooked with chicken should take 6 mins, beef is 3 mins if you like it medium rare (depends on thickness), prawns two mins and scallops 3-4. Turn off the heat and cover the dish whilst you set the table and prepare dish up salad/ garnishes warming the tortillas this allows time for the meat to rest and condensation on the lid will run into the base of the pan creating a beautiful juice. Spoon into a tortilla wrap and garnish to your choosing
Garnishes:
Salsa
Guacomole
Cheese
Sour cream
Creme fraiche (low fat alternative to sour cream)
Rommaine lettuce
I will add a basic white and red sauce recipes in the morn for pastas
