BACON JAM - My Version

There are many variations to the recipe for Bacon Jam.  After trying a couple of them, I've decided to make my own.  My version has a little bit of Southwestern and Southern style mixed together.  This is a good spread for either an appetizer on slices of baguettes or spread on toast with egg on top, or spread on a good bread with melted cheese.

What is Bacon Jam?  It's not a jam with bacon.  It's a meat spread with bacon as its main ingredient.  I decided to use the bacon that's natural without preservatives like sodium nitrite which is carcinogenic.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lbs of bacon
1/2 sweet onion or red onion
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB light brown sugar
3/4 tsp all spice
2-4 chipotles en adobo sauce plus 3 tsps of the sauce
1-1/2 c brewed coffee
1/3 c cider vinegar
2 tsp ancho chile powder
1TB ground Mexican hot chocolate
1/4 c brandy
4 TB Maple syrup
black pepper to taste
Yields: 2-3 cups

In a large pot (I used a large wok), cook the bacon before it becomes crisp.  Remove and cut it up in 1 inch squares.

Drain the fat leaving about 2 TB in the pan.  Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.  Then add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer in low heat for 2 hours, adding 1/4 c of water before it evaporates (about every 15 minutes).

This is the consistency you would like to achieve in 2 hours.

Put it in a food processor in pulse mode to achieve the consistency you see pictured.

You're now ready to serve or pack it up in a jar to store.

My family likes it on good toasted bread with an egg on top or melted cheese.
You can also serve it like a tapanade for hors d' oeuvres.

WITH THE HOLIDAYS AROUND THE CORNER
IT MAKES A GOOD BRUNCH, LUNCH, APPETIZER AND A HOME MADE GIFT!

http://skilletstreetfood.foodzie.com/skillet-bacon-jam.html

DUCK - Asian style Version 2

This is a variation of the other duck recipe - Asian Style I originally put out.  This one is an easier version.  The difference is how I prepared the duck.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 can of 7Up or Ginger Ale
1/4 c of soy sauce
1TB of powdered 5 Spices (available in Asian stores)
3TB of corn syrup
Canola oil

Sauce for Brushing:
1/3 c of Plum Barbecue sauce (I used F&W - Fischer & Wieser Hot Plum Chipotle Sauce for brushing

Marinate the duck breasts in the first 4 ingredients for 4 hours. Place in pan half filled with hot water (bain marie) on rack.  Brush the duck generously with the Hot Plum Chipotle Sauce or Plum Barbecue sauce.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in preheated 350 degrees F oven.  Remove and let sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

Pictured above 4 duck breasts served

Garnish or Accompaniment uses 1 bunch of chopped scallions and 1-1/2 inch peeled and shaved ginger sauteed in safflower oil seasoned with sea salt generously.  I cooked this in a small saucier pot as pictured. 

Can be served as dinner with rice on the side and Siracha sauce on top of the rice.  Above, served with salad and the ginger scallion condiment.

FOR LEFT OVERS:
We used left over slider buns or hot dog buns to make sandwiches.
The sandwich had siracha, cilantro, the scallion-ginger condiment, pickled relish - mayonnaise is optional.
Try it, we loved it!!

ARROZ CALDO (Chicken-Rice Soup)

This is a flexible and useful dish to know how to make.
FILIPINO VERSION OF A CHINESE CONGEE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee

INGREDIENTS:
1lb of chicken wings (or half a chicken cut up into bite size pieces)
1/2 onion chopped 4 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch ginger thinly julienned
1/2 cup of chopped Jasmine rice (available in Asian Grocery stores) (but if not available, you can use regular rice)
6 cups of chicken stock 2 TB of fish sauce (or more for seasoning)
Fresh ground ppepper
12 sprigs of cilantro (a Mexican or Chinese parsley look-alike leaf condiment)
2 finely chopped scallions lemon wedges

Saute the onions and garlic till onions are translucent.  Add the ginger.
Add the chicken and fish sauce. Slightly sear the chicken parts on all sides.
Add the rice. Stir, then cover the pot to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
When cooked, spoon in bowl.  Garnish with cilantro and minced scallions. Season with extra ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Nothing like a good soup!
*Also makes a good soup to serve when one feels dreary or recuperating from a cold

PORK BUN - My interpretation and it's delicious!

Lately, I've been eating pork buns in this city from the new hot spot restaurants.  Last week, while with friends after our dancercize class, we went shopping at Chinatown and I found frozen steamed buns for Peking Duck.  I got so excited because I've always wanted to copy my favorite pork buns from these restaurants.

Tonight was the night to try my own version.  It was a hit!  We loved them, if I may say so myself.

This is the quick version that I've improvised which delivered a similar result.

Ingredients;
1 lb of meaty pork belly cut up half an inch thick (can use pork shoulder as well)
1/2 c of mirin or Aji Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
1/3 c of soy sauce
5 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
6 frozen pork buns (comes 12 in a package)
1 Scallion chopped
4-butter lettuce leaves
6-10 pieces of bread & butter pickles
Mayonnaise in a squeezable container
Sriracha hot sauce (comes in a bottle found in various grocery stores)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a pot.  Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir and cook another 10 minutes.  Remove cover and simmer for another 15 minutes till the sauce begin to glaze.

SIMMER THE PORK UNCOVERED IN THE LAST 10 MINUTES TO GLAZE  (sauce thickens and separates from the fat)

 On the left are the frozen buns I found in the Chinese grocery store in Chinatown which inspired me to try making my own pork buns.

 On the right are the buns I steamed for about 10 minutes.

Above are the ingredients you need to garnish your pork bun with, plus mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle (not pictured)

TO ASSEMBLE:  Open the bun. Place about 1 pieces of meat. Squeeze on top some mayonnaise, sriracha pepper sauce, chopped scallion and the leaf lettuce.

SERVE IT WITH A PIECE OF BREAD & BUTTER PICKLE ON TOP OR SKEWERED WITH A FOOD TOOTHPICK ON TOP OF THE BUN.

This is my take on this.  Now, you can make it yourself and remember the time when you ate them out.  (If you've been to those places). I couldn't believe that I've closely replicated it!!!  And it's my first time to try to do this!

**Note:  I must have used only half of the pork dish.  Now, you have some left overs to make more buns or eat it as another dish with rice!

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice: TRUFFLED MUSHROOM LUNCH in 2 Ways!

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice: TRUFFLED MUSHROOM LUNCH in 2 Ways!: "The advantage of knowing how to make your own gourmet lunch is being able to stay indoors when the weather is a whiteout. It's also go..." This is a two in one recipe!