12/19: Samoan Dinner - Samoan Green Banana

from recipe @ http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Samoan-Green-Banana/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 3 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 small unripe (green) bananas

Directions

1. Combine the coconut milk and onion in a bowl; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Boil the bananas in their skin for 30 to 40 minutes; drain. Run the bananas under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Remove the bananas whole from their skins.
3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place the bananas in the pan. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the bananas. Cook until the coconut milk is foamy. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

My experience:

• added 2 tbsp of sugar to it as i though it would taste better

Result:

• pretty good...very similar to eating taro. its texture is very similar...not mushy as i expected
• good side dish to a meat dish
• feel the fattiness of the coconut milk
• not many people liked it...think they just can't get over eating unripe bananas...
• should be how plantains taste
  

12/19: Samoan Dinner - Kalua Pig

adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sam-Choys-Oven-Roasted-Kalua-Pig-233927

Preparation (from website)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/4-inch-deep slits 1 inch apart all over pork roast. Rub 2 tablespoons sea salt all over pork. Unfold 1 banana leaf on work surface and place pork roast atop leaf. Fold up leaf around pork, enclosing completely. Repeat wrapping pork in remaining 2 banana leaves, 1 at a time.

Tie with kitchen string to secure, then wrap roast in foil. Place pork in roasting pan; pour 4 cups water into pan.

Roast pork in oven until very tender when pierced with fork, about 5 hours. Unwrap pork and cool slightly. Shred pork and place in large bowl. Bring remaining 2 cups water and remaining 2 teaspoons salt to boil in small saucepan. Add liquid smoke; pour over pork and stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to allow liquid to flavor pork. Serve.

My Ingredients:

• bone-in pork shoulder roast (5.5 lbs + 2.5 lbs) - 89 cents a pound at safeway
  

My Procedure:

1. preheat oven to 350
   
2. both pieces of meat were rubbed with salt and pepper and liquid smoke then wrapped in banana leaf, tied with string and wrapped in foil. both are placed in a oven tray with enough hot water to cover about 1 inch up the foiled meat
   
3. in 2 hours, i checked the smaller piece was fork tender and the temp was at 140 so i took it out of the oven...
4. after 30min of resting i poked the smaller meat and it still had red blood so i put it back in the oven with the big meat
5. after a total of 4 hrs, i checked both meats and both were very fork tender and registered about 140-145.
   
6. i let the meat sit out covered for 30min, then tried to pull it apart...it didn't pull...was very tender but could not pull apart
7. so i decided to slice and chop the meat into small little pieces and put more salt and pepper on top

Result:

• i failed to cook the meat long enough to the point of fall off the bone tender....
• meat was tender but not kalua pork which is supposed to be shreds of meat
• meat lacked flavor...can sense the banana leaf but not much else
• not salty enough...i never did the salt water solution poured on top
• very slight liquid smoke flavor...think i need more
• i still like it as it was very tender...now i know how to make a very tender sliced pork shoulder roast...all i have to do is do the same thing, then uncover and sear the meat to get a nice color and slice

Next Time:

• cook meat to 195-210 where the meat falls off the bone and shreddy
• add more flavor, especially salt to the meat
• should brine it beforehand to get more flavor into the meat
  

Pressure Cooker Times

MissVickie.com meat pressure cooker times:


(http://missvickie.com/howto/times/howtomeat.html)



Fastcooking.ca's Pressure Cooker Times:



Meat Pressure-Cooking Instructions:

(http://fastcooking.ca/pressure_cookers/cooking_times_pressure_cooker.php#meat_and_poultry)

12/12 - Slow Cooker Braised Boneless Short Ribs

Ingredients:

• 4.4 lbs of boneless short ribs (costco)
• 1.5 - 2 cans of tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red wine (pinot noir)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 carrot (sliced)
• 6 cloves garlic (whole)
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 pieces beef bone marrow (i added it frozen...think it lengthened the cooktime)
  

Method:

1. salt and pepper the meat...cut into 2-3 inch cubes
   
2. place all ingredients into crock pot and turn to high...cook til tender (i put veggies on bottom)
   
3. (did not sear as i feel the best stews have not been seared...meat absorbs flavors better
   

Notes:

• think it was a bad idea to put meat in last...should sit on bottom, not on top of veggies...but i wanted least heat to hit it as i don't want the hot bottom overcooking the meat
  
• first i started on low for 1 hour, but didn't do anything so boosted to high
• mom said that i should have boiled liquid first then add to crock pot so it would not take so long to simmer
• no simmer after 6 hrs (started at 8pm...checked at 2 am...so simmer)
• too much liquid at 2am, so scooped out about 1.5 cups of liquid as it might boil over
  

12/12 - Roast Leg of Lamb

adapted from giada's roasting temperture

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/herb-crusted-lamb-recipe/index.html)

ingredients:

• 5.38 lb tied boneless leg of lamb (australian lamb from costco)
• 5 five-inch sprigs of rosemary
• 10 garlic cloves
• 5-6 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion
• 1.5 carrots
• flour
• butter or olive oil
  

assumed method:

1. bash garlic with salt....then add chopped rosemary and bash with oil
2. salt and pepper the roast...rub all over with garlic mixture...place on a rack over a sheet pan
   
3. foil and tent and refrigerate overnight
4. take out of oven 1-1.5 hrs prior to roasting meat
5. chop onion into quarters and carrot into 3 inch pieces and place around the roasting rack on the bottom of pan
6. preheat oven 450
7. roast meat for 20 min uncovered
8. turn down oven to 375 + pour 1/2 cup red wine + 1/2 cup water onto bottom of pan + rotate
   
9. roast another 45-55 minutes til meat is 130-135 for med rare
10. (if gets too dark, turn heat down to 350.)
11. while meat is roasting, make a quick roux
12. pour juices into roux to make a slightly thickened au jus

What i did on 12/12:

steps 1-7 = same...

8. turn down oven to 375 + pour COLD 1.5 cups of short rib braising liquid onto bottom of pan + rotate
9. roast 1 hr 40min more til roast is 130 + take out
10. while meat is roasting, make a quick roux til nutty and light brown...about 10min (3.5 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp oil + about 3 tbsp flour
11. pour juices + red wine into roux to make a slightly thickened au jus
12. too thick so i added some short rib liquid to make thinner

Result:

• uneven cooking of roast
• some parts too rare (mostly underside of meat)
  
• needed more salt
• garlic and rosemary good taste on crust
• medium pieces tasted very good
• pan suace was good...perfect consistency
  

Next time:

• need to rotate roast every 20minutes to get more even cooking
• can try to flip roast midway through to get more even cooking
• need to add HOT liquid (water + wine is best) to pan, not cold liquid
• 130-135 degrees seems best for lamb roast
• can use more salt or even untie roast and salt and pepper, then tie up and roast...
  

Great Cheese Site

http://www.ilovecheese.com/typesof_cheese.asp

Beef Roasting Times

(http://www.askthemeatman.com/prime_rib.htm)

Cooking by Minute per pound method: (For roasts 6 pounds and up)

• Rare: 12-13 minutes per pound

• Medium-rare: 14-16 minutes per pound

• Medium: 17-20 minutes per pound

These times are approximate as all ovens cook differently.
Resting periods: Allow at least 15 minutes for a 2-4 pound roast
and 25-30 minutes for 6 pounds and up.