Author: PK
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PK’s Cheaters Red Curry Paste
Here is my, unashamedly, unauthentic red curry paste :).
I use it to make Thai Red Chicken Curries and also Tom Kha Gai (one of my favourite south-east Asian soups).
Please read PK’s Curry Paste Kit before you get going and also ramp the chili factor skywards if you are allowed to. You will notice that I use a blender because I am a lazy cook. However I prefer the chunkier look of the paste if you use a mortar and pestle.
One last thing, I would love to use Kaffir lime zest instead of common limes but my tree never seems to fruit. I think it has something to do with what it is grafted to.
You will need:
- Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 0.5 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 Tbsp rock salt (add more if you want a more authentic taste)
- 0.5 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp powdered kashmiri chili (add more and use whole chilis if you want a more authentic taste and look)
- 3 coriander roots
- 7cm of pickled galangal root
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 lemongrass stalks, freshly harvested, leaves removed
- 1 large red shallot
- 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)
- 1 Tbsp lime zest (I used about 2 small limes to get this much)
- a dash of lime juice
- a dash of water (add less or more depending on your desired consistency)
- a dash of olive oil or garlic infused olive oil (I think you can skip this if you are using a mortar and pestle)
- 2 Kaffir lime leaves (sorry everyone, I know this is really not the done thing traditionally)
- Equipment
- a chopping board
- a sharp knife
- a serving bowl
- a wet blender with a very small bowl
- a dry spice mixer
- a medium frypan (for dry roasting the spices)
Make the paste
I love bringing everything together before I start cooking. The ingredients in this dish are so visually appealing and the aromas are simply amazing.
Steps:
- Dry roast the 1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 0.5 Tbsp whole cumin seeds and the 0.5 tsp whole black peppercorns.
- When cooled, pop them in you dry spice mixer and pulse to a rough consistency.
- Chuck the rest of the ingredients (at least roughly chopped) in your wet blender:
- 1 Tbsp powdered kashmiri chili
- 1 Tbsp rock salt
- 3 coriander roots
- 7cm of galangal root
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 lemongrass stalks
- 1 large red shallot
- 1 Tbsp dried belacan
- 1 Tbsp lime zest
- a dash of lime juice
- a dash of water
- a dash of olive oil or garlic infused olive oil
- 2 Kaffir lime leaves
Storing
This paste freezes well in a small container or snap-lock bag. I prefer to make it in just enough of a quantity so I can use it fresh in a dish.
Enjoy and please send me your tips,
PK
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- Ingredients:
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Grochow’s BBQ Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is an excellent starting dish for cooks getting into proper barbecuing. The right cuts of meat are reasonably priced, the cooking process is relatively easy (almost foolproof), and the end result is delicious!
Grochow writes:
Below is my most recently used recipe; noting that I’ve never followed one particular recipe so my process is a bit different each time.
Steps:
- Go to a good butcher and buy a nice lump of pork shoulder. For this particular dish I used two pork collar butts weighing ~3 kg each.
- Sprinkle pork with salt and dry brine in fridge overnight (see here for further information on dry brining and other excellent barbecuing tips http://amazingribs.com/).
- After ~24 h, take pork out of fridge and crank BBQ up to ~107°
- I used my GMG Daniel Boone Pellet Grill this time, but have had equally good results in my Dragon Kamado.
- I like to place a full water pan in the BBQ at this stage.
- If you want (I did this time but don’t always), inject the pork with some combination of warm apple juice/dry rub/chicken stock/sugar/Worcestershire sauce/melted butter. See here for some tips on doing this http://amazingribs.com/)
- Rub generously with your favourite homemade or store-bought dry rub (one that does not contain salt, as we’ve already added a good amount during the dry brining process).
- Place pork directly on grill/on a rack (not a pan) in the BBQ.
- When using the Daniel Boone, I also add an A-MAZE-N tube smoker filled with smouldering apple wood pellets at this stage for supplemental smoke.
- Over the first two hours of the cook, spritz the pork every 20/30 minutes with a mixture similar to the injection marinade above. I’m not confident it actually does anything, but smoke adheres to cold/wet surfaces, so in my mind it will enhance the under-bark smoke ring as it wets and cools the surface of the meat.
- This is also why I put the pork in the BBQ cold rather let it rise to room temperature. The flavour will be no different had you not done this, but the smoke ring looks cool.
- Go and do something else for a while. You will have a bit of time before the pork is ready for pulling. For example, these butts took 16 hours…
- That said, don’t cook to time – cook to temperature. The pork is ready for pulling when the internal temperature reaches 88–95° Trial a few temperatures and see what works best for you. I took these off the BBQ when the internal temperature reached ~92°C. The meat should have a nice dark bark and probe like butter.
- Remove the pork and pull apart using forks.
- The rich bark and moist pork tastes pretty good on its own, but I like to drizzle with a homemade vinegar/mustard BBQ sauce
- Serve as you please! (e.g. with a side of homemade coleslaw, in sliders, on pizza, with nachos, etc.). Leftovers freeze well.
Give it a go guys,
Grochow
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PK’s No Recipe Pizza Warmers
Winter is trying to get back at Perth at the moment and although the sun is out, we are getting cold winds and rain. This makes for chilly evenings, so my family fought back with these really easy pizzas.
Steps:
- Make or buy your pizza bases (I did the latter).
- Make or buy pizza sauce (I did the former with some reduced tomato pasata and Italian herbs from the garden.
- Spread the sauce over the pizza bases.
- Layer your pizza with your favourite toppings. My secret is to put any leafy greens on top of the sauce but under the cheese. It stops them drying out but you didn’t hear it from me :).
- Whack them in the oven on ~180°C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy,
PK
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Super Quick Home-made Pizza Snacks
Winter is trying to get back at Perth at the moment and although the sun is out, we are getting cold winds and rain. This makes for chilly evenings, so my family fought back with these really easy pizzas.
Steps:
- Make or buy your pizza bases and sauces.
- Spread the sauce over the pizza bases.
- Layer your pizza with your favourite toppings. My secret is to put any leafy greens on top of the sauce but under the cheese. It stops them drying out but you didn’t hear it from me :).
- Whack them in the oven on hot and fast until golden brown.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are more pizza posts and thrifty cooking ideas:
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Dr C’s Tandoori and Coriander Rissoles
Try my tandoori and coriander rissoles with chili and mint yoghurt. Eat them with salad or whack’em between two bits of toast with fresh spinach. Yum!
Take say 500 g beef mince and combine with a good whack of tandoori paste, an egg, lots of breadcrumbs (say 2 cups), coriander sprigs and chopped spring onions.
Add salt & pepper, chili and make patties however large or small you want but be consistent. Then fry the rissoles until they are cooked all the way through.
The only limit to the serving options is your imagination.
Enjoy,
Dr C.
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Dr C’s NoRecipe Tandoori and Coriander Rissoles
Dr C has the right idea on the minimal recipe idea so his is the first ‘RecipeFree’ cab off the rank. Experiment with your own quantities and remember to enjoy yourself :).
He writes:
Try my tandoori and coriander rissoles with chili and mint yoghurt. Eat them with salad or whack’em between two bits of toast with fresh spinach. Yum!
Take say 500 g beef mince and combine with a good whack of tandoori paste, an egg, lots of breadcrumbs (say 2 cups), coriander sprigs and chopped spring onions.
Add salt & pepper, chili and make patties however large or small you want but be consistent.
The only limit to the serving options is your imagination.
Enjoy,
Dr C.
See other ‘RecipeFree’ posts here.
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The NoRecipe Series
Don’t follow recipes and proud of it?
In your honour I have started the ‘NoRecipe’ series. I will probably cheat a bit with the odd key steps or recommended amounts. I promise to keep them light on text but use lots of images.
Share yours with the rest of us, especially your one shot tells all photos.
I dare you 🙂🙂.
See them all here.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK Reviews: Romak Shed Shelving
I am finally getting my main garden shed in some sort of order storage-wise. It is only a small rectangular brick shed so storage efficiency is the key as is maximising the available footprint for working in.
To this end, I just bought two Romak brand shelving units that came flat packed from my local Bunnings. I am writing this post because any time a flat pack anything goes together so easily and sturdily people need to know :).
Products:
- Romak 1830 x 910 x 410mm 5 Tier Adjustable Shelving Unit ($89 AUD)
- Romak 1500 x 810 x 310mm 4 Shelf Unit ($39 AUD)
Pros:
- Very good value for money considering the high quality of the product.
- The instructions were well laid out, clear and suitable even for beginners.
- The parts were labelled with letters that matched the instructions.
- A hammer or rubber mallet is the only tool (not supplied) required during assembly.
- The taller/larger units have cross braces for stability.
- The shelves, excepting the top and bottom most, are height adjustable.
- The finished unit can be easily bolted to a wall for safety.
- There is a local phone number supplied in case there are any missing parts.
Cons:
- The shelves are made from particle board and I noticed a slightly poorer finish of the shelves in the cheaper unit.
The Verdict:
The lower end of the Romak range is definitely for you if you want a cheap, quick and easy storage solution in your shed or garage. You will get a better product than you expect for the price.
Clear Instructions:
Easy Assembly:
I hope this review helps.
Enjoy,
PK
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Ben’s Butterflied Chook
This dish by Ben is one of his favorites and he says you can easily double the recipe so you have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch :).
He got his friend Louise to road test the recipe recently using these steps:
- So get a butterflied chook from the butcher and brine (see Ben’s Brining Tips for how) the chook overnight.
- Dry the skin with paper towel and leave it in the fridge uncovered for the day.
- Make a rub with:
- 2 x red Chili
- 2 x cloves Garlic
- 1cm sq lump Ginger
- Small bunch Coriander or 1 tsp powder
- 2-3 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 x Lime juice and the zest of ½ a Lime
- a slug of vegetable oil
- ~1 tsp salt
- Rub the chook about 2 hours before cooking.
- Cook on bbq (charcoal preferred):
- Start with the skin down until it is crispy.
- Then turn bone side down, shut the lid and cook at ~150/180 till cooked.
The preparation stage is what makes this dish so tasty:
After cooking it will look as awesome as Louise’s:
Enjoy everyone and thanks again Lou,
Ben
See more of Ben’s posts here.
Hot Tip: You can recover the chicken bones to make bone meal for your garden.
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