Category: San Luis Obispo

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curing and smoking salmon is worth it

2 pounds of smoked salmon… less some snacking along the way!

There are quite a lot of recipes for ‘curing’ salmon on the web. Some are very different from each other, but all have some sort of sugar and salt. Spices vary quite a bit, although most have some sort of peppercorn. Alcohol isn’t a frequent, but it is a welcome addition to the process.

Here’s what I used and it turned out fantastic!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups salt

3 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup crushed peppercorns ( I used an assortment including pink, green, and  black)

1/4 cup crushed fennel seeds

1 bunch chopped dill

1 bunch parsley

1 lemon zest

1/4 cup Tortuga RUM! and enough water so you will be able to submerge the salmon

Process:

— place ingredients and 2 lb. Salmon in a large container , submerge the salmon under water by placing a number of small plates on top of it , then into your refrigerator for 3 days

— smoke until done using your favorite flavors ( I use Hickory and Mesquite chips)

 

enjoy!

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amarula pumpkin spice cake

Amarula Pumpkin Spice Cake
Amarula Pumpkin Spice Cake Rocks!

This is one of those recipes that you need three bowls… one for the dry, one for the wet ingredients and one for the frosting.

  • Wet ingredients bowl:

1/2 cup Amarula Liquor
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 can 15 ounce solid pumpkin
4 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend

( my blend is 6 parts, cinnamon; 2 parts each of nutmeg, allspice and cloves; 1 part each of mace, cardamon and ginger)

  • Dry ingredients bowl:

2 – 2 1/4 cups bread flour ( start with 2 then check)
2 cups fine sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda


  • Basic process:

gradually blend the dry into the larger bowl with the wet ingredients


  • Baking:

350 degrees for around an hour


  • Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cups powdered sugar. (Or as needed to be firm bu pourable)
ADD enough Amarula Liquor to make the frosting thick but pourable ( around 1/4 cup)

top off with sliced Almonds

  • RESULTS:

I made this for my wife’s 60th birthday and all 130 pounds of her had three huge servings… when she thought she’d just have a ‘taste.’

  • Bon Appetite!
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the Rabbi Sandwich

the Rabbi Sandwich courtesy of the Nautical Bean!
the Rabbi Sandwich courtesy of the Nautical Bean! CLICK on the picture above to watch the 1 minute build-it-yourself VIDEO!

Sandwiches – by definition — are usually easy things to build and this is by no means an exception. The video made on PTCH …the latest and greatest video site… was easy to make and I think you will get the idea!

There really isn’t too much to learn in putting this sandwich together… and you can buy some smoked salmon rather than curing and smoking it by hand as I did… but it is fun to make and delicious to share with someone you love!

I would like to thank the Nautical Bean in San Luis Obispo for sharing me this fun way to prepare a very traditional sandwich. So much more than just Lox and bagels. Enjoy!

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a shortcut homemade Pastrami

Shortcut Pastrami by using Harris Ranch Corned Beef and throwing it into a smoker!

I was at the market the other day and the young man checking out my cart remarked that  seeing the briquets that I was ready for a summer barbecue. I said that I was going to make Pastrami by smoking an already prepared but not cooked corned beef. This subtle difference between what is corned beef and what is Pastrami always seems to surprise people. Before I left I answered a variety of questions… what makes the meat red even after cooking ( sodium nitrate), how do you know it is done, what type of wood to use and what kind of smoker is best. I was there for quite a while.

Maybe next time I will just say… “Yeah, I am going to barbecue” and leave it at that.

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bison schnitzel is a snap

“Mechanically Tenderizing” Meat

A while back I wrote about the  various methods of tenderizing meat… one of which was to ‘Mechanically” tenderize as pictured above turning Bison steaks into ‘Schnitzel!”  (I start off with the larger spikes and end with the flat side to return the meat to a smoother texture)… I wrote:

“Mechanical Tenderizing:

As the name implies, Mechanical tenderizing is simply beating a piece of meat with one of many of the tools designed for this task. Usually, the hammer-like tool will be surrounded with a variety of spikes with the largest for the toughest cuts. Also available are needle like tools that help to increase the depth that the chemical tenderizers and marinade can reach.”

Personally, I think many game meats lend themselves to this method best… as other techniques tend to turn game into mush.

Bison Schnitzel!

I did brush the Bison with Worcester Sauce and placed into the fridge overnight allowing the flavor to infuse. The next day I added a bit of mustard to my egg mixture and a little salt, pepper and garlic powder to the bread crumbs before frying the Bison… as you can see above it turned out wonderfully tender and flavorful!