Well, we had some bananas sitting around getting old. We had some organic peanut butter in the fridge, and we really don't eat peanut butter in our house. So I decided I was going to make something with them. I really don't enjoy baking much at all. Sure, I'll make a cheesecake here and there, and sometimes I get a baking bug up my butt, but it's not something I really enjoy like cooking. I Googled for different ideas - cookies, muffins, cakes, breads. In the end, I didn't really like any of the recipes I found so I simply decided I was going to make peanut butter banana bread and come up with my own recipe by combining elements of recipes I found on line. I was really happy with the results! When we ate the bread by itself, the peanut butter flavour was really strong, but didn't over-power the banana, it was a nice balance. When we made french toast with it, or toasted it with some butter (which was like waffles!), the peanut butter got a little weaker, but it was still freakin' delicious!
I still want to play with this recipe... being that I'm calling it "Elvis Bread", I so want to make it again and add a bunch of crumbled bacon to it! I think it would be killer. And I might add a little more butter, too. Though the bread wasn't dry, I don't think it was as moist as I'd like it. But until I make it again, this is the recipe I made the other night.
I'm torn about what kind of music to post. It's Elvis Bread, so you'd think I'd have been listening to Elvis, but I wasn't (even though I love The King!) I was actually listening to some soul music when I baked it (so you know it's was made with some love): Solomon Burke, Maurice Williams, Sam & Dave, Ike & Tina. However, this is a punk rock cooking blog, and because the bread was made with bananas, the first song that popped into my head was The Dead Milkmen's "Smokin' Banana Peels" on the album Beelzebubba. I remember discovering this album in 7th grade with the only other weirdo in school, my good friend, Nate. Sneaking into the cafeteria with out little boombox, playing Punk Rock Girl over and over. And so, rather than posting "Smokin' Banana Peels", I'm going with "Punk Rock Girl". -jen
ELVIS BREAD
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 large)
1 cup peanut butter, melted (just throw in microwave for 30-60 seconds)
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding more. Add mashed banana and peanut butter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Incorporate dry ingredients into large ingredients, a little at a time. Batter will be very thick.
Spray a cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in batter and smooth until even. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife or toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
So, our Cinco de Mayo dinner recipe is posting a bit late, but that's only because we're too busy eating leftovers to wash our fingers off and use a keyboard. I originally had designs on a traditional Mexican meal, complete with an old school mole that involved all kinds of chiles, cocoa, nuts, and herbs along with several steaming, steeping, grinding processes, etc. Needless to say, that didn't come to pass. Instead, I found a couple of modern, shortcut recipes that have a very similar taste and texture to the one that Abuelita would make and they only take a little while to prepare, comparatively.
We decided on chimichangas as they are just like a burrito only deep fried crispy and they happen to be one of my favorite things to get when we go out for Mexican here in NorCal. Jen put together the filling and made a guacamole that was perfect to balance the mild heat and savory flavor of the mole sauce.
I could think of no better group to accompany this recipe than Union 13 as they are a rocking punk band from East Los Angeles that is not only comprised of Hispanics but also sing at least one song on each of their four albums in Spanish. Suitable for Mexican dinner on Cinco de Mayo, especially since Jen and I both had a couple shots of Chinaco Reposado (my favorite tequila) to celebrate! -justin
MOLE SAUCE
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 can (8oz) salsa verde
2 tbsp ground New Mexico chile powder
2 tbsp ground Pasilla chile powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 fresh Poblano peppers, seeded, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup peanut butter
To start, pulverize the pumpkin seeds in a grinder or small food processor. Incorporate the can of salsa verde with the pumpkin seeds in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking, until thickened, around 15 minutes or so.
While the salsa and seeds are going, combine the New Mexico chile, Pasilla chile, cayenne powder, salt, cumin, and coriander in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. This is the seasoning mix referred to from here on out.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot over high heat. When butter is hot, add the onions and Poblanos and cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Stir in 3 tbsp of the seasoning mix, add the garlic to the pot, and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and the brown sugar and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add another 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the pan and deglaze with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to get all the good bits off the bottom. Stir in the chocolate, peanut butter, and the pumpkin seed/salsa verde mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes while continuing to stir. Add the remaining 4 cups of chicken stock, the rest if the seasoning mix (make sure to save 1/2 tbsp to use in the cimichanga filling!) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. At this point you'll want to use a whisk to make sure everything is mixed well. Stir continuously until sauce thickens, becomes darker brown, and comes to a rolling boil (large, fast bubbles). Reduce heat to low and mix with a hand blender (or portion into stand blender) until smooth. Let simmer over low heat for 20 more minutes or until sauce coats the back of a spoon like a brown gravy. Let cool and place in fridge while preparing the chimichangas as this will give the flavors a chance to marry. This sauce can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the fridge, in an airtight container.
CHIMICHANGAS DE POLLO
2 tbsp olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground, black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon leftover seasoning mix from Mole sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
few dashes of green Tabasco
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
large flour tortillas
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Add oil to 1 large baking sheet and brush evenly over surface. Side note: Jen and I also use tin foil (or aluminum foil for you modern folks) on our sheet pans before oiling as they are super easy to clean up after dinner that way! Mix salt and pepper and apply evenly to both tops and bottoms of thighs. Space evenly apart on sheet pan and place in center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until skin in golden brown. Let cool until you can handle them.
Tear off meat from bones and shred into a large bowl (I use my hands, but you can use two forks to shred it too.) Add the cilantro, oregano, seasoning mix, lime juice, chiles, Tabasco, Cheddar and salt and pepper and toss.
Heat the vegetable oil to medium-high in a large skillet. Fill your tortillas with the meat mixture (Jen added Mexican rice, guacamole, and more cheese to hers.) Fold sides in tightly and roll so that the ends are sealed, like a burrito. Fry in oil seam-side down first, until golden brown, then turn and cook until entire chimichanga is golden brown.
GUACAMOLE
3-5 ripe avocados
1-2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of cumin
dash of salt
few dashes of green Tabasco sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1 roma tomato, diced
In a medium-sized bowl, add avocado and lime juice. Mash. Then add garlic powder, cumin, salt, Tabasco, green onions, and tomato. Mix. (I like to top it with crumbled Queso Fresco! -jen)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (click for homeade taco seasoning recipe)
1 can (7oz) diced green chiles
1 tablespoon diced jalapeños
7oz (1/2 of a 14oz can) diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
In medium sauce pan, heat oil on high. When oil is hot, add rice and fry for several minutes (do not brown). Add water, tomato sauce, Caldo de pollo, garlic, taco seasoning, chiles, and jalepeños. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid and let simmer 20 minutes until rice is tender. Do not lift the lid during cooking! Once rice is tender, remove from heat, stir in tomatoes and serve.
So, when we did the crab stuffed sole, we had some canned, lump crab left over and were trying to decide what to do with it. We "kicked" around a couple of ideas regarding croissants, avocados, Swiss cheese, and other accoutre mounts, but settled on a crab bisque since we both love soup and had been craving creamy, savory goodness for some time. This was another amazingly simple meal to throw together with the crab on hand and took about 40 minutes to do, total. Include some bread to sop up soup with, and maybe some steamed or roasted veggies, or a carb like rice or potatoes, and you're all set.
I was enjoying some Dropkick Murphys, live on St Patty's Day, 2002, as I made the bisque since they are the quintessential, east-coast punk rock Irish band. And their ode, "Boys on the Docks" only seems all too appropriate for this recipe. This is a later video but that's okay because how would you like to be this close to the stage in such a small venue for the Dropkicks?! - justin
Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan that's heated to medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until golden brown. Add garlic and lemon zest and cook 2 minutes. Add flour and butter and cook 2 more minutes. Add crab and parsley and cook 3 minutes, scraping, making sure the mixture doesn't stick to the pan. Add chicken broth and sherry, cover partially, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream, cayenne, and white pepper, and add salt to taste.
Bread is a must for this soup! This is rich and savory and creamy. Some sourdough or crusty Italian bread will do nicely! The sourdough is a nice accent to the richness of the soup and the Italian style loaves tend to be dryer and more absorbent.
So, growing up here in California in general, and more specifically the North Coast, I've always been exposed to awesome seafood. From fresh snapper, to abalone, to salmon, my family and I have always enjoyed the fruits of the Pacific. I caught my first catfish at 8 and my middle brother caught his first mackerel in the open Pacific at 9. I've fished bluegill, rainbow and brown trout, steelhead, small mouth bass, lingcod, and a myriad of other fish since my childhood. While I rarely fish anymore, I love to cook seafood here at home for Jen and myself. Living in Eureka, one of the old fishing capitols of California, affords us the opportunity to get fresh seafood at an affordable price almost anytime of year, from a variety of outlets and vendors.
When Jen moved out to Cali, she'd only been exposed to seafood in the Midwest and was not much of a fan at all. I don't blame her. After living here a couple of years, she started falling in love with sushi, fresh pan-fried catfish, all kinds of shellfish, and basically any kind of crustacean (i.e. crabs, lobster, shrimp, etc.), many of which she had liked before but rarely had fresh. Since then we've made it a regular part of our menu. Recently, we'd wanted to do some seafood and she suggested stuffing some whitefish with some crab. Since I'm no moron, I said, "Of course!" I decided to do something simple and easy, some canned crab, as opposed to fresh, as it involves much less prep and it tastes awesome regardless.
As I made the dish, I was listening to an all time classic of one of my favorite bands, Primus, "Fish On". Though this song is not punk rock, per say, it is none the less a part of my musical repertoire from earlier days and I happen to love Les Claypool's bass action, especially in their earlier years. Since he happens to reference San Pablo Bay, which is located in the north eastern part of the Greater San Francisco Bay, it seemed perfectly appropriate for me to use as I grew up in what San Franciscan's refer to as the North Bay, but the rest of us call Ukiah.
This is a simple dish that can be a perfect meal to serve to company as it seems far more complicated than it is. We served it up with some steamed broccoli and used wild Dover sole for the whitefish, but you could substitute your your favorite mild, whitefish or garden veggies very easily. The sauce is simple to put together and takes no time at all so it really is a snap to prepare as long as you have the ingredients all chopped and measured out ahead of time. -justin
WILD DOVER SOLE STUFFED WITH CRAB
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced mushroom
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup crab meat (I used canned, lump crab but you could use whatever you prefer)
2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
salt to taste
ground black pepper
6 fillets of wild Dover sole (or whatever whitefish you prefer)
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 3-quart sauce pan and heat to medium-high. Add the yellow onion and cook until golden brown. Add mushrooms, green onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Pull vegetables from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the crab, Gruyere, lemon juice, white pepper, and Mexican oregano and mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste. Lay out fillets and salt and pepper both sides. Divide filling evenly among the fillets and roll them closed over the filling, using toothpicks to secure the ends of the fish fillets. Place evenly spaced on a lightly oiled sheet pan, brush tops lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and place in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until tops are starting to brown. Serve with the following sauce which can easily be prepared while the fish is baking:
LEMON DILL SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced shallots (or onions)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
5 tablespoons sweet cream butter
Add the olive oil to a small sauce pan heated over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until golden brown. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add wine and cook 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, dill and Dijon and stir until combined. Add heavy cream and black pepper, taste and add salt ass needed. When properly seasoned, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure each is melted and incorporated before adding the next.
We served this with steamed broccoli, as I mentioned before, as the sauce goes with it beautifully. One could also use cauliflower, asparagus, or artichokes, etc.
Chicago deep dish pizza. If you've never had it, you can't even begin to understand the delicious lie that it is. It's not really a pizza... it's a monster. If you've eaten one and you're not from Chicago, you went home and told all your friends and family how awesome it was. And if you live in Chicago, you have your favourite... probably Giordano's (which is my favourite), or Gino's, or Lou Malnati's. And if you're like me, you've lived in Chicago and moved... and sometimes late at night, when you're alone, you cry a little for some real Chicago deep dish pizza. Well, after four years of living in California with only one visit home, I decided I had to make my own, because I couldn't bring myself to fork out the $50 to have it shipped to me frozen. I researched different recipes, tried to find what sounded right to me, and I made myself one hell of a Chicago pizza! In fact, I'm going to brag and tell you that I think it was better than some of the afore mentioned restaurants' pizzas! I put a can of Coke there for size-reference. ;)
If you're not familiar with a Chicago pizza... it's a thick crust, and the cheese goes on the bottom. Then your toppings. Then the sauce goes on top. You can't eat it with your hands (unless it's leftover cold pizza the next day). And you'd be hard pressed to eat more than two pieces at a time... one is pretty much enough. Don't let this recipe intimidate you... it looks lengthy, but it's not too hard. Really it's like this: mix part of the dough, let rise, add the rest, knead, let rise. Punch it, let rise. Add toppings. Bake. See... it's easy! You just need a few hours for all the rising and baking (and a cast iron skillet or a deep-dish pizza pan). And I apologize in advance... I made homemade marinara for this, and I always just wing my marinara, so I didn't consider writing down measurements for the recipe. :\ I will do this next time!
We were going to make this Saturday, but our guests' schedules worked better for Sunday... which happened to be Easter. So we celebrated Zombie Day with pizza, chocolate, dice, and good company! We tend to lean away from the traditions of the church... far, far away. (Except that Justin said pizza is Italian, and the Italians were the ones who crucified Jesus, so in a way, it's quite befitting and following the church.) And though there were a few excellent punk rock songs that would have fit this post well... Justin and I both thought that Bad Religion's "Don't Pray On Me" was the best song for this recipe. It is on the album titled "Recipe for Hate" and surely someone is going to be offended for my non-interest in the Christian faith... so it really has all come together in the end! Don't let your hate spoil your appetite though... this pizza rocks! -jen
CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA
1/4 ounce packet Quick Rise yeast
1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil , plus
1/2 pound Provolone, sliced 1/8" thick
1/2 pound Mozzarella, sliced 1/8" thick
pizza toppings*
2 to 3 cups marinara
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
* If using Italian sausage, do not pre-cook it. Add to pizza in raw form. Suggestions for other pizza ingredients: chopped or sliced red onion, green onion, pepperoni, mushrooms, fresh garlic, green or black olives, fresh basil, sweet peppers, spinach - whatever!)
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour and stir to combine.Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes (I have a gas oven, so I set it in the middle of the stove top, towards the back. Or you can turn your oven to it's lowest heat, open the door all the way, and just set the bowl on the open door.)
Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, the cornmeal, salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil.If using a stand mixer, first use mixing attachment to combine, then switch to dough kneader and run for 10 minutes.
If not using a stand mixer, stir the dough with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. It will be a little sticky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough and turn to coat on all sides.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean, damp, kitchen towel over the top. Set the bowl in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. (For a slow rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let rise for 10 to 12 hours, returning dough to room temperature before using).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes. Coat a 14" cast iron skillet well with olive oil or butter. (If using a 12" cast iron skillet, remove 1/4 of the dough and use for something else - pepperoni twists, cheesy garlic sticks, etc.) Sprinkle a dusting of corn meal over the oiled pan. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides.Let the dough rise in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place a layer of Provolone cheese on dough, then add a layer of Mozzarella. Continue adding all remaining toppings in layers (except the olives, I sprinkle those on top of the sauce.) If using raw sausage, I suggest tearing it into finger-tip size pieces to guarantee thorough cooking. Gently ladle sauce to completely cover toppings. Add grated Parmesan and olives.
Place in a 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, then turn heat up to 475 and cook an additional 15-20 minutes. Crust should be golden brown and Parmesan should be golden.
Remove and let sit at least 20 minutes to allow the ingredients to firm up. If you try to serve right away, you'll have a soupy mess that's impossible to serve.
So Jen had been craving some chili lately and I decided to make a batch on Wed, which happened to be April 20th, Carmen Electra's birthday! Also, it is supposed to be some sort of stoner holiday or hippie celebration or something...not sure where I heard that. Anyway, since stoners, bachelors, and assorted college students (was that redundant?) always have a trusty can of chili in the cupboard for that "Crap I can't afford food" emergency meal, I thought it would be fitting to undertake such a meal on said day. For musical accompaniment, I had a variety of tunes but the most fitting for this adventure would have to be Sublime's "Smoke Two Joints". I know it's not very punk but they used to be a punk band...and, well, we live in Humboldt. Reggae, ska, and such are just the norm around here. Everyone's got a Che Guevara tee or a knitted rasta hat and dreads, so this works for the day and setting.
This chili is actually very easy to pull off and has an amazing complexity to the flavor and heat. There's a slow, medium burn at the end of a spoonful that stays with you for a bit and warms the body nicely but it's not very hot up front. It has a bit of chocolate, cinnamon and agave nectar (to mellow out some of the heat) so it's very Mexican inspired and ends up having a very silky texture and a dark, smokey flavor that is a definite plus in my book! Plus, it's made with a whole bottle of dark beer, which we all know makes everything taste better! - justin
CHIPOTLE CHOCOLATE CHILI Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 2-3 hours Difficulty: medium Serves: 8-10, depending on serving size
BEEF
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef (20/80)
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
12oz bottle of dark beer (I used Lost Coast Brewery's 8Ball Stout but a porter or Guinness would work nicely as well)
VEGGIES
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 whole poblano chili
1 whole jalapeno chili
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
1 quart chicken broth
2 cans (14oz each) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
1 tablespoon Chili de Arbol powder
1 tablespoon Pasilla chili powder
2 Tbsp Light Agave Nectar
To start the beef you'll need to heat a high-sided skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the 3 tbsp of olive oil and when it starts to shimmer add the ground beef. As the beef starts browning add the salt and pepper and cook until well browned. Drain off the excess fat and add the cumin, cinnamon, and chocolate to the beef and continue stirring to melt the chocolate chips. Once they are mostly melted add the bottle of dark beer (making very sure to save a bottle for sampling...you know, for safety) and cook the liquid down till it's mostly evaporated. This concentrates all the seasonings and flavors in the meet before it's added to our vegetable base.
Fire roasting the jalapeno and poblano chilies is not necessary but can be done very quickly over a gas burner on the oven. Use tongs so as not to fire roast your finger tips. When the skin starts to snap and pop and singe, you are done. The peppers can then be cut in half, seeded, ribbed, and diced.
In a separate soup pot, add your 2 tbsp of olive oil and set on medium high heat. When the pan is hot, toss in your onion and sweat it down until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. While the onion is sweating, puree the whole peeled tomatoes and the chipotles in adobo (found in the Mexican or ethnic aisles of the market) in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, poblano, and jalapeno to the onion and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the powdered chilies, tomato/chipotle puree, and the chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, bring the pot to a boil, and let it boil uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
After the 20 minutes are up, puree the entire pot. I used a stick blender but a standing blender or food processor would work. Make do with what you have. The main idea is to break down the sauce to a smoother consistency, unless you want a chunky chili, in which case, ignore this whole paragraph.
Add the meat to the veggie pot and stir in. Cover with a lid and let it simmer on low for an hour. Add the 2 tbsp Agave nectar (one could alternatively use maple syrup or some light molasses, or dark brown sugar for another twist on the flavor profile) and stir in thoroughly. At this point, one must taste and season as needed. If it's too spicy, add a little more sweetness to cut some of the heat. If it's not spicy enough for ya, toss in another chipotle and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Serve with some bread for sopping, a little grated cheese and some sour cream and you have one killer bowl. This pot of chili will serve 4-6 folks with hearty appetites.
Oh, almost forgot to mention the best part! This chili gets better with age...to a certain extent. It tastes great the night that you make it. Try it the next day for lunch and you'll find that the flavors really marry in the fridge overnight.
I've always loved Salisbury steaks... the crappy TV dinner kind, the school cafeteria kind, the greasy diner kind. They're usually made with ground beef or cubed steak. Well, we had some pre-tenderized pork steaks we'd been buying lately that were like cube steaks, and they've been a fast, tasty fix for nights we haven't felt like cooking. Recently, we've had some sitting in our freezer and rather than breading and frying them like we usually do (delicious!), I thought I'd try something that "fancied" them up a little, but wasn't a pain in the ass to cook. And this is the recipe I came up with! It looks like a lot of ingredients, but don't let it scare you, it's really fast to make. Basically you're just throwing some onions and mushrooms in a pan with flour and broth, then making a quick dry rub and broiling the steaks for 8 minutes. Super basic, cheap, and some serious home style comfort food.
Having come up with the recipe, I had to decide what kind of music I wanted to listen to while cooking. It seemed like it was a bit of a Southern dish, but I just wasn't in a real hard, punk rock mood. Instead, I did a little 90's flash back to some good, southern alt-rock: The Toadies. I know, I know, we said this was a punk rock cooking blog. But we listen to a LOT of different kinds of music, and we cook a whole lot, so sometimes we're just going to have to mix it up a little. The Toadies never fail to bring some messed up, dark, Southern imagery to mind... creeping kudzu, old plantation houses, old dark family secrets, people mentally and emotionally (and sometimes physically) tortured by generations of fucked up bible thumping... oh yeah, and gravy! So here is one of my favourite Toadies songs, "Away". -jen
PORK STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM AND ONION GRAVY
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional oil for drizzling)
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow or white onion, julienned
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (depending on how spicy you want it)
salt and pepper to taste
4 large pork steaks, tenderized (we bought ours pre-tenderized, like cube steak)
Seasoning Mix:
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
In a large skillet with straight sides, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter on medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms, tossing to coat with oil and butter. (The pan's going to look too full, but it'll all cook down.) Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, Worcestershire and soy sauce, cooking another 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir in until completely absorbed, cooking about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and beef broth all at once and stir quickly in order to avoid lumps in your gravy. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until gravy has thickened. Add Sherry, Sriracha and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside on very low simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure gravy isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, turn oven to broil. Mix together all of the ingredients for the seasoning mix. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Pat pork steaks dry and lay over olive oil on one side, then flip to the other side so both sides are coated with a small amount of oil. Season both sides of steaks with seasoning mix to taste (you'll probably use 3-4 teaspoons of the mix in total). Leftover seasoning mix can be stored in airtight container for future use! Broil steaks on one side for about 5 minutes. Flip and broil an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve smothered in onion and mushroom gravy. We used homemade mashed potatoes, but concurred that egg noodles or rice would also be delicious.
MASHED POTATOES
Serves 4
3 large baking potatoes
salt
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
pepper to taste
Bring well salted water to boil in large pan. Peel 1/2 of the potatoes (and scrub skin of the unpeeled ones clean). Dice into 2" cubes. Carefully put into boiling water and cook until they're fork-tender (about 12-15 minutes, fork should slide in easily). Remove from heat and drain. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, butter, and milk. Mash with a hand masher until all ingredients are well mixed (butter will melt from the heat of the potatoes). Add pepper to taste.
(We're really trying to work on our plating techniques... so we thought we'd each try a plate.)
