Northern Kittitas County Tribune » nkctribune

Black Eyed Peas

nkctribune — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:04:17 +0000

Eating a heaping bowl of this humble food is so common that many will eat 365 beans, one for luck each day in the New Year.

Black Eyed Peas

Recipe type: Side Dish

Author: Chef Frank Schuchman

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Yes, these “peas” are actually beans. You’ll love these beans, they have a great flavor and they cook in just a few minutes, rather than the long soaking & cooking times of larger beans like red kidneys, pinto and others.

Ingredients

About 2 cups of beans
For Sauce:
6-7 strips bacon cooked extra crispy, crumbled
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
For stock:
1 1/2 – 2 cups beef stock
1TBL corn starch
Seasonings:
1 TBL fresh chopped Parsley
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
Pinch of crushed hot chili pepper flakes

Instructions

To prepare any dried beans:
They need to be sorted, use a white piece of paper, dump some out into a single layer and look for funky beans, dirt, stones, etc. Then wash & rinse under cold running water 2-3 times. For larger beans like kidney and others, you can soak them in cold water up to 24 hour ahead, this will help them cook faster the next day. (always drain and rinse the ‘old’ water off the beans before cooking)
Black Eyed Peas – about 2 cups beans with enough water to just cover them, they will only take 15-20 minutes!
Bring to a rolling boil
Then drop to a simmer, uncovered until soft.
Add water as needed.
The Sauce: for about 4 cups of cooked beans
Sauté the sauce ingredients above in the bacon drippings until lightly brown. Ok, ok, if you really don’t want the bacon, just cook the veggies in a little veggie oil.
Beef Stock – boil, take off heat
Add corn starch to thicken
Bring to a low simmer until the stock is thick and clear
Add: Seasonings
Stir, low simmer for 5 minutes add the cooked beans and stir.
Serve the black eyed peas immediately over your rice (others will cook or mix them together, I prefer the taste of the individual components).

Notes

Both rice and beans can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days – and they do freeze well. But these are so easy to make, just make small batches and enjoy them freshly prepared.

Chef Frank’s Oven Roasted Rice

nkctribune — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:51:30 +0000

I prefer to use an oven-browning method for rice making:

Chef Frank’s Oven Roasted Rice

Recipe type: Side Dish

Author: Chef Frank Schuchman

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup dry rice
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 3/4 cups beef stock
Any raw vegetables you like

Instructions

In 350 oven and an oven proof, deep dish, casserole dish, baking pan, etc, I add dry rice and place it uncovered into the oven.
Every 15 minutes I’ll give the dry rice a stir
The rice will begin to brown, after about 30 minutes (checking & stirring 3x ). Then I stir in vegetable oil and beef stock, and any raw chopped veggies you like. (be careful of the steam when you add the stock)
My favorite veggie combo: celery, carrots, onions, garlic and bell peppers.
Small cut fresh carrots, frozen petite green peas and fresh garlic are a nice combo too.
Cover very tightly with foil and put back in the oven.
Do Not open for 20 minutes.
Uncover and make sure all of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the oven off, then wait another 10 minutes.
Uncover, and it’s Done!
Fluff up with a fork and you’re ready to go.
The longer you let the rice get brown, the more of a nice “nutty” taste you’ll get.

Notes

Optional: You can add granulated garlic and dry oregano with the beef stock.

Hoppin’ John Recipe

nkctribune — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:51:07 +0000

Hoppin’ John! is simply the combination of cooked black eyed peas served over rice. Here is my version of the traditional New Year’s good luck recipe.

Hoppin’ John Recipe

Recipe type: Main Dish

Author: Chef Frank Schuchman

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Hoppin’ John is a dish made of black eyed peas over rice

Ingredients

Batch of rice
Beef Stock
Black Eyed Peas (see my recipe for these)

Instructions

Make a batch of rice, your favorite method will do just fine.
Instead of using water, use Beef Stock.
Then make the black eyed pea recipe.
Spoon the beans and sauce over the rice
Serve immediately

Greens Recipe

nkctribune — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:35:16 +0000

Greens! Turnip, Mustard, Collards, Chard, Cabbage… the ‘green’ of course represents money, dollar bills, and they wish you prosperity in the year ahead!

Greens Recipe

Recipe type: Side Dish

Author: Chef Frank Schuchman

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 3 mins

Total time: 13 mins

Serves: 4-6

Greens are so good for you! Tons of essential vitamins and minerals – more than any head of lettuce could ever attain! They take just a minute to prepare and are packed with wonderful flavors and textures. They are great raw in a salad, quick fire sautéed and served as a side veggie… or just make them your whole meal. Serve with a nice chunk of corn bread! They add a new dimension to just about any soup. They are great served over rice and can go into any pasta sauce.

Ingredients

Any combination of washed Greens: 4-6 cups loosely packed
1 TBL Butter, or any vegetable cooking oil (Canola)
1 heaping tsp Chopped fresh garlic
Diced onions (optional)
1 pinch of dry red chili pepper flakes (optional)
2 TBL White Wine Vinegar (or 1 TBL fresh lemon juice is a nice substitute)

Instructions

Cook greens on high heat.
Melt the butter, add the onions, cook until slightly clear.
Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.
Add the vinegar and simmer 2-3 minutes.
Crank the heat to medium-high, add the greens, constantly stirring, count to 12 and they are done!

Notes

Chef’s Note: do not over cook the greens. You’ll receive the most nutrition and killer flavors by not over-cooking them. Many people will cook them down for an hour or more… I think they are lifeless and tasteless… probably because I don’t like cooked mushy spinach either! Ha Ha! (I cook my spinach the exact same method as these greens.)

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

nkctribune — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:07:34 +0000

Pork Shoulder Roasts – are used most commonly to make pulled (shredded) pork for bbq pork sandwiches, Po’ Boys, rice dishes, jambalayas, soups & stews.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Recipe type: Main Entree

Author: Tribune Chef Frank Schuchman

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 30 mins

Serves: 10+

Ah, the humble pig is a reminder for you to be a little humble in the year ahead. The pig also roots its food by moving forward, another blessing that you too will “move forward” or “progress” in the year to come. All forms of pork are eaten during the first few weeks of the New Year such as roasts, chops, hams, sausages, smoked shanks, and bacon. A pork shoulder roast is a wonderful light flavored cut of pork that is lean and always inexpensive. (Usually half the price of ground beef) This may also be labeled as a “Pork Shoulder Roast” or ”Shoulder Butt” or “Pork Butt” and is similar to a beef chuck roast. Bone-in is cheaper, and they average 7# – 10# pounds. This cut is also widely used in sausage making. Like a beef chuck “pot roast”, there is a bunch of outside fat that you’ll see, but leave it on to keep your roast moist – it can easily be trimmed off after the roast is fully cooked to reveal the lean cuts inside. And like a beef pot roast, we are going to cook it at a low temperature for a very long time so it does not dry out making it fork tender and juicy! We do need to add some Southern flavor, and that’s easy, just mix up a batch of herbs & spices called a “Dry Rub”. Once rubbed all over the roast…they will do all of the work! You can leave this rub on the roast for 2 to 24 hours.

Ingredients

The Dry Rub:
2 Tbl ground Cumin
1 Tbl Chili Powder (find your favorite, every chili powder is different)
2 Tbl Granulated Garlic (not garlic salt)
Tbl Ground Black Pepper (cracked peppercorns are best – simply fold up some plain white paper with whole peppercorns inside and smash with a mallet or hammer)
Tbl dry Oregano (rub into the palm of your hand, then into the bowl)
2 tsp Celery Salt (about half the sodium content as regular table salt – and twice the flavor)
tsp red chili pepper flakes (spicy – optional, but goes great with the heavy amount of black pepper used in this rub)
Wet Rub:
Hot Sauce – such as Louisiana “Crystal”
1 TBL ground cayenne pepper
Roast:
7-10# Pork Shoulder Roast, Bone-in
2 cups water
4-5 Bay Leaves

Instructions

Dry Rub:
Mix all dry ingredients. Done. Now, use about 1 TBL of salad oil and rub it all over the pork roast. This will help the dry rub to stick to the meat. Now rub the spice mix all over the roast, cover it evenly top to bottom. Let rest in the fridge, covered, 2 to 24 hours.
Hint: These simple spice & herb staples should always be in your kitchen. No worries, if you don’t have them now, accumulate them when you can. They are all inexpensive, always go on sale and are widely available.
Wet Rub – is another way to add flavor. I use a hot sauce, especially the Louisiana “Crystal” brand www.crystalhotsauce.com (available in almost every grocery store) I keep shaking the bottle into the dry rub until it forms a loose wet paste then rub it onto the roast. To build some serious heat, add 1 TBL of ground cayenne pepper. This is a tasty rub for beef roast, steaks and even a roasted chicken… lift the skin and push the mix up inside! Oh My!
Hot Hot Hot!
The lip-smackin’ spices and hot sauces of the South also play a role in the New Year. It is said that the fire of chili peppers will “chase away” demons and bad omens in the year ahead. Cajun and Creole whole grain mustards are also spicy staples in many kitchens. It is also rumored that the “heat” will spice up your love life!
The Recipe
Grab a big roasting pan like you use on Thanksgiving. If you have a rack to suspend the roast, use it. But really, you want the roast to contain a lot of moisture, so it is perfectly fine to just set the roast in the bottom of the pan. I add about 2 cups of water (at least 1” inch deep) along with 4-5 bay leaves. Cover it with the lid or foil, and toss it in the oven: 275-300 degrees for about 4 hours, but it could take as long as 6 hours to get it really falling off the bone. Bring the internal temperature up to165-180 in the thickest part of the roast (always take at least 4 temps in different thick areas). To check for doneness, yep, grab a fork and see if will come apart easily.
Every hour check the water level, if getting low, just add more water.
The roast is going to be in the oven for a long time – so take a break and make some other stuff. (wash dishes, prep some veggies, start on the other recipes)
+ hours later…when it is fork tender, remove from the liquid. When cool enough to work with grab a fork and gently pull the meat apart. The excess fat can easily be pulled off and discarded. Refrigerate and/or freeze some for another day.
This “shredded” pork can now be used to make a tasty pork sandwich. I use a burger bun or hoagie roll, lightly toasted and buttered. I add my favorite bbq sauce to the pork as it heats up in a frying pan. Put the pork on the buns and enjoy! A Southern Po’ Boy is made the same way, just change the bun to a hoagie style roll. This is a ‘naked’ Po’ Boy, to “dress” it add mayo, lettuce and tomato slices! In the South, you’ll order your Po’ Boy naked or dressed.
For your New Year’s good luck, add the shredded pork to your Hoppin’ John recipe. You can substitute diced ham in place of the bacon too.
To Freeze: use zip-lock bags, add enough meat for several sandwiches. Partially zip close the bag and firmly press all of the air out and seal closed. Label and date the bag. Pressed flat bags can be stacked like nice little pillows – saving room in your freezer.

Notes

“Pink” meat is ok! If for some reason you see ‘pink’ colored meat at 160 degrees, its ok. It has to do with oxygen affecting the surface ‘color’ of the meat, and has nothing to do about the pork being ‘fully cooked’. Even pink inside is ok, it’s the high moisture content that is causing the color change, nothing to worry about. You will often notice this when using a crock pot for cooking.

“It never reached 165 degrees!”

When cooking low & slow at oven temps in the 200’s, you may not reach 165 up to 180 degrees. The reason is the oven temp is so low, the center of a thick roast or turkey may not read the high temps you are looking for. Crock pots are notorious for this… after 8 hours and the roast has totally fallen apart, yet when you take the temperature, it still has not hit 165 degrees! It’s ok, with a 5-7 pound roast, after 4 hours at 200+ degrees, you have hit your mark and the food is safe.

Alternative Method – add Veggies!

For more flavor and nutrition I add veggies – the classic combo is called “Mirepoix” (pr: meer-pwah) which is equal amounts of diced celery, carrots and onions. The Southern equivalent is called “The Trinity” and is celery, onions and green bell peppers. Both versions are widely used throughout basic American recipes.

When cooking beef & pork roasts, including roasted chicken, I will add these veggies. Then when it comes time to shred the meat, I finely chop these veggies right into the meats (and/or into their gravy sauce) for added flavors and nutrition.

Kittitas County Information

nkctribune — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:57:38 +0000

Welcome to Kittitas County, Washington!

Kittitas County spans from Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade mountain range, through the towns of Easton, Roslyn and Cle Elum, through the county seat in Ellensburg, and onto Vantage and the Columbia River, following the transportational artery of Interstate 90 (I-90). The county is divided into two distinct regions, the “Northern” part, or “Upper County” as residents refer to it, is shown in green below. This is the primary coverage area for the Northern Kittitas County Tribune, the Upper County’s Very Own Newspaper. The “Lower County”, or “Kittitas Valley” as it is also known, is shown in tan. Click for Useful Area Information Links