Recipe: Pan Seared Ribeye with Flambeed Onions, Garlic and Apple Saute

I posted months ago that one can make steakhouse quality steak with all the trimmings right in your own home.  I started with a whole slab of meat, in that case choice quality ribeye then proceeded to slice it in what I consider the most minimum thickness for it to be cooked to your liking - usually, as a matter of personal preference, one and 1/2 to even one and 3/4 inches thick.  The reason is one cooks steak by applying constant high heat, first on one side then flipping it to the other with one turn and with just the right amount of time on each side, the meat achieves the desired doneness and with the perfect crusting at least on the presentation side.

Ribeye Steak with Onions, Garlic and Apples - sauteed
and flambed with Sherry.

I did not emphasize much on the trimmings that can be served along with the steak as it can be cooked separately.  On the other hand, I have some personal inquiries from friends how to make steak and how it can be enhanced by the flavors of the trimmings that can be cooked with and accompany it.  I am doing in post with emphasis on that.

In order to know how to cut steak on your own and how to make a consistent sharp cut with even thickness, refer to an earlier post I have on this blog.  Unfortunately, I think the video was made in Tagalog and with not the best editing techniques I knew then.  However, read the post instead and watch the video as the post very much summarizes what I demonstrated.  But one should achieve a cut that is even throughout and a thickness of 1 1/2 inch.

A nice ribeye - preferable choice to prime has marbled fat
and therefore retains moisture and flavor. 1 1/2 inch
thickness is preferred to achieve rare or medium rare
with a nice caramelization.

If one prefers to buy ready cut ribeye in the supermarket, that is of course, great.  Just emplasize to the butcher that a 1 1/2 cut thickness is preferred.

Now on to the cooking.

As I mentioned before, a consistent high heat is preferred because it achieves two things: one knows how long the steak need to be seared in order to get to the proper doneness (just like baking) and secondly, the consistent searing will develop the crusting the meat needs to give the nice caramelized flavor that is so desired in steak.  For this reason, a thick cast-iron well-seasoned skillet is preferred. Do not go for the nice shiny new one that looks good in a kitchen that no cook cooks with.  Rather,  go for the blackest skillet that has been used and passed on to generations from the great-great grandmother to the present day.  Theskillet's  black colors implies that it has been used several times that the fats that have touched it have already changed in character givng that non-stick coating that is natural to this lovely utensil. My skillet at home is as old as Mike's great great grandmother and reportedly was in existence in York county, Pennsylvania as she heard the bombs and voices of slaughter of the Battle of Gettysburg.  I hope that at the present, I am doing justice to its being and that I did not bother the ghosts of the former owners who have used it with love.

Yes, this cast iron skillet is probably even older
than your grandmother. I believe it was a
witness to the Battle of Gettysburg.

But going back again to the steak, I am giving you one of my favorites with regards to trimmings. Everyone knows the value of onions and garlic; mostly the former.  But not everyone knows the value of contrast items in the flavor such as fruits -- in this case apples.  I used peaches as well.  Sometimes, if I have it in the pantry, sliced plums or dried prunes.  Cherries, blueberries, raisins or craisins even can be used.  The tartness of these things is the key to provide that zing and an element of variety and "difference" to the plain steak.  With the searing and the caramelization of these elements, combined with the meat juices and flambéed, deglazed and reduced by a high alcohol wine such as port or marsala, and with the wine's sweetness, the magic is set for a great side dish.  Now, I used an old apple that I found in my refrigerator chiller drawer.  Peeled, cored and sliced into pieces, I combined these with garlic and onions to make this nice steak compliment.

So this...

...turned to this...

And not wanting to waste anything away - here combined
with sliced onions, whole garlic cloves.

Seared Ribeye with Onion-Garlic-Apple Side Flambéed with Sherry.

• 1 ribeye, preferably choice or above grade, 1 1/2 inch thickness
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 whole peeled garlic, retained in clove form
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced coarsely (each piece probably 0.5x0.5 cm size)
• 1 medium apple, peeled, coared and diced coarsely (each piece about 0.5x1.0 cm size)

In place of apples, you can use:

• 1 medium peach, peeled, pitted and sliced in at least 8-12 sections
• 3 prunes, pitted, each sliced into 4 pieces and soaked in a liquid - sherry, brandy, marsala etc.
• 4 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 8 cherries, pitted and halved

You would also need:

• 1 plain resting plate: a resting plate is any ordinary plate, not for presentation, but for the purposes of letting the cooked steak rest and cool a bit as the residual inside juices seep out of the meat making it clean in appearance just prior to presentation.
• 1 presentation plate: self-explanatory. Usually, I have it in a hot oven for about five minutes until ready.  You can also choose to place the plate in a microwave and just leave it there for five minutes.
• Optional: side-dish plate. Usually, in steak houses, this is a boat shaped dish.
• 1 well seasoned thick cast-iron skillet

Procedure:

• Heat your cast iron skillet as you begin to salt and pepper the meat.  It should already be on your stove, lingering in heat, preferably on high.  Because the skillet is thick, it will gather and preheat the skillet to real high sometimes smoking lightly.  Since there is no oil on the pan, it will not smoke the kitchen prematurely. Usually, I leave the pan on for at least 5 minutes for this procedure although longer is fine.
• Once the meat is salted and peppered and the skillet is ready, sear the meat leaving it there during the searing undisturbed.  This is important as it is the prolonged contact with the heat that the searing, crusting and caramelization of the meat is achieved. Frequent turning of the meat will not achieve this effect!
• There is a formula for the achievement of proper doneness for a 1 1/2 inch thick cut ribeye:

                        N = first side in minutes and (N-1) = second side in minutes

                       where:
                                      5=rare
                                      6=medium rare
                                      7=medium
                                      8=medium well
                                      9=well

• Smokey flavor? You may want to place a paper plate on top of the meat while searing is going on.  It gathers the smoke emitted by the vapors of the oil as the fat melts and the meat sears on the pan.
• After searing the first side with the prescribed number of minutes, turn the meat and replace the paper plate.
• Sometime about a minute or so during the searing of the second side, saute on the periphery the onions, garlic and apples.  Replace the plate with occasional stirring to caramelize the vegetables evenly. DO NOT DISTURB the meat during this time.
• Once the second side is well seared, remove from the pan and let it rest on a warm plate. Spread truffle butter or plain butter on the steak to give it as glisten for presentation.
• Pour about 1/5 cup of a dry, high alcohol content wine (sherry in this case) on the pan with the sauteed vegetables and tilt the pan on the side to catch fire.  Turn off the heat.
• With your presentation plate ready - usually a white plate preheated in a microwave or conventional oven for about five minutes - place the meat in a middle.  Garnish with your sides and apply a few parsley flakes to complete the dish.  Enjoy while hot.

The Basics of Cake: The Banana Coconut Cake

When I was growing up in New Manila, Quezon City many seasons ago, I remember how I used to ogle at the many pictures of cake in cookbooks that my mother had stored in the kitchen cabinet.  To a ten probably twelve year old boy then, 1977 perhaps, a 1956 or a 1948 cookbook wasn’t so old.  When I had the chance to revisit that old kitchen cabinet where I used to get these books, most of these are already tattered and torn at the sides, with covers that have the grime of dust and the paper browned with age simply because the humidity of Philippine weather is not conducive to preserve artifacts of even recent yesteryears.  It is a tragedy because I could imagine how recipes could be lost simply because of this simple process of deterioration.

The Banana Coconut Cake. A recipe
that came to being in an instant.

Anyway, back to the story.  It has always been a mystery to me how come cake batter rises in the heat of the oven. Besides, there were some old housewives takes about what NOT to do during the baking process or how NOT to blend the batter or how NOT to beat the eggs, etc. etc. etc.

My mother was able to say, "I know if your cake
batter is going to be success."

So, there I was trying to figure the mysteries of cake.  I followed each and every instruction that the cookbook told me, and despite the meticulous, intensive mental involvement the final product was one that I find unbearable to be consumed yet unbearable to be fed to our pet German Shepherd, Olga. So many kilos of wheat flour, sugar, eggs, milk, flavorings and baking powder went to waste. Needless to say, my mother scolded me for being the frustrated cook that I was.

But the frustration did pay off.  You see, cooking and baking is a science.  The difference is that unlike the creation of new compounds through these chemical reactions, we make mixtures in which all the individual ingredients retain their native characteristics. By preserving the individual component's character and with their proper proportion, they bring out the flavor and  subsequent chemical stimulation of the tongue’s taste senses.  In addition, using the texture of each ingredient and with proper technique, combining and even transforming that texture, the dessert can come out smooth and moist, or worse – dry or grainy.

Which leads us to the various aspects of cake.  What makes it light and moist?  What makes it hold up yet retain its moistness?  Why is it soft?  Why is it dry? What makes it hold up and give structure rather than the failed flat brownie that it could be?

If one knows the answers to these questions, one can make cake right on the spot seeing the ingredients at one has in the panty and the refrigerator.

And such is the case with my Banana-Coconut Loaf Cake.  One day, as I was strolling along the supermarket aisle, I saw some "over" ripe bananas (here in the US, ripe is just yellow, shiny yet has a sticky feel - what we call in the Philippines, "mapakla"; meanwhile the ones with the mildly blotched yellow peel are classified as "overripe" but certainly, this is what us Filipinos find palatable) on sale.  Because they were cheap, I managed to grab quite a lot leaving me some to make some cake.

Hmm...coconut...

...and bananas? Why, yes! We can make cake!

I know that these large Cavendish bananas will provide more than what is needed for Banana Cake, teaming it with my leftover desiccated coconut in the pantry, I modified the whole recipe to become Banana-Coconut Loaf Cake.

I said the structure is just as important as its moistness and sweetness.  And the proportions are as follows:

• Sweetness and Oils.  Sweet is the taste basics of cake as with any dessert.  Oils provide softness and moisture retention.  Usually, sweetness and oils come in terms of sugar and butter and made light in the process of creaming, the proportion is 1 cup sugar : 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter. This is just right to make the mixture fluffy, the sugar well incorporated, the mixture whipped containing the right amount of air that is important for leavening the cake. The fact that air is contained in the whipping of sugar in butter, making it velvety smooth is the process known as Creaming.

  

  Sugar...

  
  

  

  ...and butter, provide the sweetness and moisture retention.
  Just like lotion that contains oils, butter retains the
  moisture of the cake.

• Structure. Cake structure is made through the ability of the dry ingredients to hold the oils, sugars and liquids which provide the moisture.  In the case of cake, this is provided by flour and in this recipe, also desiccated coconut.  Dry ingredients, in proportion to the above, is one cup.

  

  Flour is there for a reason: nutritionally, its the basic
  carbohydrate. But it is there for structure as well.

• Liquids to provide mixability and moisture usually come in terms of milk.  In some cakes, it is juice or even plain water.  Usually, this is 1/2 cup.
• Flavorings.  These are the small things which provide flavor and dimension - usually, this is vanilla and leavening agent such as baking powder or soda.  Usually, I make this 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1/2 tablespoon baking powder.  If baking soda is used, be sure to add the other half of the chemical reaction to release the gas during the exothermic reaction to provide more leavening to the cake batter.  This is vinegar.  (See my comment on neutralization in my last post.)
• Eggs.  Eggs are somewhat more liquid than solid.  It is a totally a class of its own because of its gelatinous quality, it can be whipped and made light.  In terms of the above, what is needed is 1 or 1-1/2 eggs.

So, notice: the basic proportion is:

1 stick butter:1 cup sugar:1 cup flour:1/2 cup milk:1-1 1/2 eggs

To this, our derived recipe became:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 2 cups brown sugar, well packed
• 2 cups all purpose flour sifted
• 1 cup milk
• 3 whole eggs

Then, one adds the flavorings which make the cake:

• 2 Cavendish bananas (mashed)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shredded desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon salt (to make the sweetness come forward, see?)

And what is cake without any leavening to make it light?

• 1 tablespoon baking powder OR
• 1 tablespoon baking soda PLUS 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Now, we have enumerated the ingredients of the cake, let's proceed how to make it.  Usually, the steps are:

1. Combine in one bowl: flour, salt, baking powder or baking soda and desiccated coconut.
2. Combine in a Pyrex cup: milk, vanilla, vinegar (if baking soda is used)
3. Cream the sugar and butter, first a medium speed to incorporate, then high speed to whip and add air to the mixture.
4. Add the three eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Add the mashed bananas, again mixing well after adding.
6. In three separate batches of flour and milk mix, add each flour/milk mix one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Do not forget to use the spatula to gently center all the ingredients in the middle of the bowl while mixing. Stop mixing when the batter is smooth and well incorporated.
7. Divide the batter in two loaf pans lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about fifty minutes to an hour. You may want to use the lower temperature because of the high sugar content of the batter would make the crust darker but whether light or dark is a matter of personal preference.
9. Remove from the oven and cool completely before peeling away the parchment paper and slicing it to serve.  You may dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving.  This will make it nice and pretty.

Tip:

• Testing the cake with a toothpick or long thin kebab stick is only done in order to see if the cake is already dry and cooked within.  DO NOT OPEN the oven door prematrely or else the wet batter and the crust not having formed well will result in releasing all the hard earned leavening air within the batter thus flattening the cake like a popped balloon.  Certainly, YOU DO NOT WANT a failed cake.

How to Make Red Velvet Cake with Nutella Dressing and Cream Cheese Icing

Mi Favorita Senora Gorda, se llama Blanca Padilla (sorry, Blanca but as you said it once, "Es verdad!") has become my solitary test kitchen in the Lehigh Valley along with my cohorts of colleagues in the medical profession.  Using them as my guinea pigs, they tell me which of my concoctions agreed with their pallate, which are the so-so and which are the "unfortunate" but "fortunately, did not bother the stomach."  So far, the reviews have been favorable. Thank God as I cannot bear to see my reputation go into the cesspool.

Red Velvet Cake...Nutella Dressing...Cream Cheese Icing.
Mmmmmm.

Anyway, in connection with the above, I am in the habit of testing new and exciting flavors in all aspects of a meal - from amuse bouches, appetizers, soups, salads, main courses and desserts.  The first six of these are relatively easy because I find savory dishes to be primarily the taste and not much of the texture.  Tenderness and softness is a plus but still there needs to be a bite.  Example, a great steak should never be tough that it becomes a struggle to the teeth but for most part, meat is meat is meat and whether it is garlic or onions or mushrooms or a demiglace or a fruit based or wine based or cream based or vegetable based sauce will for most part, work. Now, if we put an alien background flavor which wakes up the various points of the tongue in a different combination with the salient nerves of the nose, like let’s say, the essence of Sampaguita flowers (Google it!) in steak, I think that would be daring and unique.

Ms. Blanca - having a foodgasm.

Dessert, for me is the most difficult.  Yes, its sweet.  But should not be too sweet because the base of sweetness is just to close the meal.  But what you can do with the background flavors that accompany the sweetness is the key - will it be citrus?  What about floral?  What about chocolate?  Vanilla perhaps?  Essence of banana?  Cinnamon? Tropical fruit or temperate fruit flavors?  Then the bitch of making dessert is not just the flavor on the base of sweetness but the final texture of how it glides on the tongue.  Because dessert is best described as the velvet curtain that slowly falls to mark the end of meal, it should be as smooth as that velvet with a proper fold and shape like the curtain it resembles. Remember how in the olden days of the movie theater, which the screen is actually a hand over of the proscenium stage of the vaudeville theater and therefore the curtain that was delicately folded on top and the sides closes after a showing of the movie?  Did anyone notice how slowly it unfolds to close the screen.  That should be the feeling that one gets with dessert.  How ironic it would be if the dessert has the proper sweetness and flavor, but grates on the tongue like sand.

To complicate this further, the dessert itself, should of course, hold - structurally, that is.  Yes it is soft, but the product should stand. How could you guarantee that it would stand?  Therefore, this means structure.  It is the balance of structure, velvet softness and flavor is what makes dessert.  Too much softness is nice on the tongue but it does not hold.  Structure makes it hold but velvet smoothness is sacrificed.  New flavors lead to excitement but too much of it leads to the bizarre.

Thus my experimentation with Red Velvet Cake. Historically, based on what I read was that this is essentially a variation of the chocolate cake and with the reaction of vinegar to the cocoa, the brownish color changes to red.  Currently, the recipe calls for red food coloring, loads of it, to make the cake what it is - red.  Also, the slight chocolate taste of the cake is just minimal - in fact, just a hint of it. What is striking; however, is the reddish appearance of the cake is what makes the flavor; meaning, the redder the cake, the more flavorful it is.  Doesn't one notice that there is a hint of pleasant bitterness that somewhat enhances the chocolate taste of the cake and when it merges with the cream cheese icing, just gives out the perfect...well, mmmmm.

This ingredient is just a trifle.

This plays a MAJOR part in making Red Velvet Cake.

And would you believe, THIS is integral in making the cake?

Which begs us to admit, as reluctantly as I want, that yes, Virginia, we are eating carcinogens - if that is what one believes about red food coloring.

Off to the next point. Vinegar, chocolate, buttermilk -- sounds like Devils Food Cake.  Now, take this, lessen the chocolate, add the red food coloring - Red Velvet Cake.  Yes. Historically, there are sources that say that the granddaddy of the Red Velvet is actually Devils Food Cake.


Which then leads to the final point.

My mother has this rather peculiar cookbook called Anna del Rosario Cookbook which I believe, contains the test recipes by this lady who I do not really know what were her credentials in the culinary world.  From what I could gather from the Manila Chronicle cookbook of 1959, it seems that there was this company called del Rosario Brothers in Manila at that time and that they may be owners of what was a once fledging appliance company producing refrigerators and kitchen equipment in the Philippines.  Whether she is related to this company is only what I could guess.

But in this book contained the very first chocolate cake recipe - Devil's Food, at that! - that I every tried as a teenager fumbling my way in my mom's kitchen and which I found to be a success the first time.  With that, making a very moist flavorful cake, I decided to alter the recipe to become Red Velvet Cake.  As what was the historical approach ion producing this cake. Add Cream Cheese Icing, modified with a Nutella Dressing (my recipe, mind you) and voila!  Off to the taste test. Needless to say, the final product was just so delicious that Ms. Blanca Padilla once again lived to her own reputation as Mi Senora Gorda.

Red Velvet Cake with Nutella Filling and Cream Cheese Icing (after the Devils Food Cake Recipe of Ms. Anna del Rosario, 1956)

Red Velvet Cake:

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 evaporated whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 1/4 cup sifted cake flour
• 1-2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2-3 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Combine the following in a bowl and sift well: flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.
2. Mix the following in a pyrex liquid measuring cup: evaporated milk, vanilla and vinegar.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy.  Once this is reached, add the eggs one at a time while mixing until the butter, sugar and eggs are well incorporated. Last add the red food coloring and mix some more.
4. Then, in two or three batches, add the flour and the milk mixtures into the egg-butter mixture each time mixing it until well incorporated.  One would achieve a somewhat semi stiff batter.
5. Add the boiling water last and mix further the batter is homogenous.  The batter would be somewhat thin but do not be alarmed as the original Devils Food Cake recipe calls for a thin batter.
6. Pour the batter in two separate 8-in diameter pans and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour taking care not to open the oven in the early stages of baking.  One can test the cake for doneness but be sure that this is done at the later stages of baking or else, if the cake batter is wet and has not developed its crusting, it would have a tendency to fall leaving a fudge brownie consistency.
7. Once done, cool the cake completely.  It is much preferred that the cakes be cooled in the refrigerator prior to frosting as this lessens the tendency for flaking during the application of the icing.

Cream Cheese Icing.

• 1 cup cream cheese
• 2 sticks (therefore 1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• Some vanilla to taste

Cream the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Then, add the sugar and mix some more until incorporated.  To this, add the vanilla and mix once more until of spreadable consistency.  If a softer spread is desired, add about a tablespoon of milk.

Nutella Dressing.

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• Some vanilla to taste.

As with the cream cheese dressing, first cream the Nutella and butter together until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix some more, adding vanilla last, until a spreadable consistency is reached.

Assemble the cake by first laying the first cake on the cake circle then spread the Nutella dressing on top as the second cake is placed on top of the dressing like making a sandwich.  Press the two halves together with one hand with wax paper as the Nutella dressing is spread on the sides using a spatulla. Place in refrigerator for a few minutes to stabilize this structure.

Next, trim the sides using a sharp cake knife in order to smoothen the surface, taking care to preserve the arc of the cake.  This will make it easier to apply the icing.

Divide your cream cheese icing into two batches.  Using the first batch and with the spatula, get some of this and it its the icing on the spatula that you will use ANOTHER spatula to get the icing and spread on the cake.  This will avoid contaminating the icing batch with crumbs making resulting in a muddy, dirty looking icing.  The purpose of the first batch of icing is just to seal the cake of its crumbs.  Once the first batch of icing is applied, cool the cake in the refrigerator again just to stabilize the structure.

Next, it's time for smoothening and patterning.  Using now the second and remaining batch of cream cheese icing, apply the icing further especially on areas where it is rather thin.  Smoothen and apply the patterns as deemed fit.  Lastly, you may use other edible decor (example, fruits or chocolate candies) to top and make it nice and pretty.  Serve at room temperature.

You Don't Have to be a Texan or Have a Smokehouse to Make Great Barbecue Ribs!

My forever Chicago friend who used to be my Philadelphia friend who originally came from the Philippines and once was a resident of Los Angeles, Ronaldo Sy, has on several occasions asked my advise on how to approach the cooking of certain foods or how to deconstruct certain dishes he has a clue what's it all about but couldn't finally pinpoint the final kick that makes the dish tick. I am appreciative of Ron's trust of my culinary abilities or gustatory senses. On my part I am sure there are still quite a constellation of aromas, mixed with the five (or six) tastes that make the flavor universe that I haven't even experienced. In fact, a case in point, just the other day, Mike and I were out shopping in the Korean store when we ran through this can of soy marinated silkworm grubs on sale for two dollars (normally it sells for 3.99). I was very sure that the flavor of that would be something different but no, I had no desire of finding it out.  But then, hey, I love balut (boiled 21 day old duck embryo) as I am sure a lot of my Caucasian audiences would not dream of trying.

Making tender, juicy and flavorful ribs is
a possibility in your home oven.

But Ron asked me several weeks ago and it is way overdue, to present my way of doing slab of pork ribs.  Because I grew up with my mom and dad tending a pig farm which raised us five brats to full maturity and sent us to school becoming the professionals we all became, I also grew up utilizing almost all the pig parts making them into edible final products that we are all familiar with. So, from sausages to adobo, skin chicharron to chicharron bulaklak, humba to braised pork kidneys and uteri (yes, Virginia, you eat them  too...) I've made them all.

Ron - my friend who shares my delight
in culinary adventures.

But don’t you worry - this essay is not about that.  We'll be familiar this time.  How to make the perfect oven baked ribs. Ron asked me for my advise on this dish because it is perfect for the summer and everyone enjoys a rib recipe that is finger lickin' good.  To achieve this, there has to be the perfect combination of the right meat with all its fat and subcutaneous tissue and not to mention - cartilage! - the proper spicing and lastly cooking including sauce caramelization.

To begin, let's discuss the meat. Ribs is perfect to make the dish because of several qualities the first being the ribs itself - bone.  Bones provide marrow and with marrow comes blood supply and with more blood supply comes flavor.  Thus the dictum that the meat that is nearest the bony structure is the most flavorful of meats.  Why do you suppose bone-in ribeye is the best cut?  One may argue about the tenderloin as the most prized cut of meat for its tenderness but face it, as tougher the ribeye may be, it has the perfect balance of fattiness, flavor and bite. Unfortunately, slab ribs may have flavor but because of the fascial subcutaneous tissue it is also tough but this is where the slow and tenderizing cooking process comes in.

See the fat?  See all that bone?  What about the meat?
Yes, ribs make the perfect flavor trifecta.

And how does one achieve that?  Slow cooking and with a relatively low temperature, of course. But in slow cooking there is a risk slow dehydration and unfortunately, dryness.  Look. What we want is a slab of tender, juicy ribs and not jerky right?

So, here comes the common kitchen aid - aluminum foil.  Foil is a great way to achieve even heat that slowly penetrates all sides of the meat via convection from the oven surroundings then conduction via the foil the touches the surfaces of the ribs.  It seals in the meat juices as the heat slowly tenderizes it leaving it moist.  Unlike some methods of tenderizing meat by boiling then roasting it in the oven which extracts the meat's flavor prior to the final cooking process leaving it tasteless, using aluminum foil to seal in the goodness of meat will ensure that not one iota of the meat's intrinsic flavor will be lost.

Aluminum foil saves the day!

Oven Barbecued St. Louis Pork Ribs

• 1 whole thick slab pork ribs
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Paprika to taste
• 1 bottle favorite Barbecue Sauce
• 1 Sheet Aluminum foil enough to contain and seal the slab of pork ribs
• Optional: smoking wood plank (e.g. apple, cedar, hickory, cherry etc.)

Procedure

1. Make a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to completely contain and seal the pork ribs in preparation for baking.  Most aluminum sheets are not large enough to do this, so get two sheets, fold at the longest edge twice to completely hold them together creating a seal.  This would ensure to preserve the juices and flavor of the meat during cooking.
2. Getting the slab of meat, drain of all juices preferably by patting it dry using paper towels.  Laying the slab on the aluminum foil, sprinkle salt and pepper evenly.  Next, sprinkle generously paprika until all surfaces are covered.  Some people do not like a strong paprika flavor so this could be lessened.  But paprika usually not only intensifies the barbeque flavor but also adds color as the slow cooking of the ribs continues within the foil packet.
3. After applying the rub, seal the aluminum foil packet completely and bake in a slow oven of 300 to 350 degrees F for about two and a half to three hours.
4. As long as there are juices within the packet as it releases them during cooking the meat, it is okay to prolong the cooking and in fact, would achieve an even more tender ribs.  Just reseal the foil and return the ribs in the oven.
5. Once the initial tenderizing process is done, open the packet and pour generously and speading evenly, your favorite bottle of barbrque sauce.
6. Raise the temperature to about 400F or broil and bake for about five minutes, longer if desired, to dry the meat and caramelize the sauce.  Remove from the heat and let rest for about ten minutes to settle the meat and sauces and serve.  The resulting ribs would be fork tender and guaranteed to fall off the bone!

How to Make Rellenong Bangus (Philippine Stuffed Milkfish) - this one with apples and cherries...

Whenever I have a relatively new or recipe that I am trying for the first time, I have a tendency to take pictures and not a video because I am not sure whether the final product would be a success.  This may be for any dish that I make differently because of a modification in either ingredient or cooking process.  For most part, I find that my revisions have resulted in success recipes and though some may be abysmal failures. This one is full of pictures in the video to demonstrate the modifications I made in preparing this dish. 

 

In this entry I am going to make Rellenong Bangus which literally translated as "Stuffed Milkfish".  Rellenar is Spanish for "to stuff" and relleno is the adjective form of it.  In the Philippines, this is a very well-known dish although seldom served because of its complicated preparation that it is reserved during special occasions like parties, fiestas and noche buenas (Christmas Midnight Dinners - though the term literally translates as "good or benevolent night". 

Rellenong Bangus or Stuffed Milkfish

 

Now, the Milkfish is very much a national fish in the Philippines although when I was growing up in the 1980s, the Galunggong or the humble Mackerel Scad was the more common fish of the masses.  By that, one can surmise that Milkfish usually costs an arm and a leg while the Scad is dime a dozen.  Now, because of my humble roots, I grew up with the taste of Galunggong rather than the Milkfish although I must admit that the flavor of Milkfish is heavenly. 

 

Galunggong a.k.a. "GG" or the Mackerel Scad
so called, "fish of the Philippine masses" even so,
this fish is a more expensive commodity than tilapia.

Traditionally, Rellenong Bangus is prepared by first removing the meat from the fish leaving the skin as intact as possible.  The meat is then deboned and minced only to be sautéed in garlic, onions, some vegetables usually peas and carrots and raisins.  The raisins is incorporated as a "sweet-sour" contrast that enhances the savory flavor of the fish.  The meat filling is then returned as a stuffing to the milkfish skin and head, sewn and sealed and fried whole resembling a whole fish and served. 

 

The Philippine Milkfish - Asian stores have them.

Cleaned, flayed open and...

...deboned...

Skins with head intact - Yes, Virginia, head intact!
Marinated with lemon juice and light soy sauce.

In this variation, instead of raisins, fresh peeled and sliced apples combined with dried cherries were used.  Also, a neat variation to the preparation of this dish is baking it rather than frying it.  Fish skin, becoming delicate when cooked, has a tendency to break and since an elongated shaped fish is difficult to fry in a round, bowl shaped, deep utensil such as a wok, I find that the baked method is more efficient, easier and results even in a less greasy Rellenong Bangus.  I suggest that my readers to try this method. 

Sauté the fish meat with some goodies...

 

...and stuff it back in the fish.

 

Dust with all purpose flour, brush with oil, wrap with
parchment paper, bake, rest, slice and serve!
WHEW!~~

Baked Rellenong Bangus (Stuffed Milkfish) with Dried Cherries and Macintosh Apple 

• 2 large Milkfish (combined weight of about 4 pounds) 
• 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped 
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped 
• 1 medium Macintosh Apple, pared, cored and sliced coarsely 
• 1/2 medium orange or red pepper, diced to small pieces 
• 1 cup dried cherries 
• 2 "American" long carrots, peeled and diced coarsely (or 1 fat "Philippine" carrot) 
• 1 12oz can peas 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water 
• needle with cotton thread 
• All purpose flour for dusting 
• Olive oil to brush prior and during baking 
• Parchment paper 

 

Procedure 

1. Clean the milkfish by first removing the scales, gills and entrails.  Slit the underside and flay the fish open exposing the meat and fishbones, carefully remove the major spine by breaking it at the head and tail. Scape the meat as you hunt for the small bones removing them in the process.  Set the meat aside in a bowl. 
2. Meanwhile, marinade the fish skin with the head intact using some light soy sauce and kalamansi (Philippine lemon) juice.  A good substitute is the juice of calamondins or kumquats. Set aside as well. 
3. In a medium sauté pan with some oil, sauté the garlic and onions until transparent and fragrant.  Add the carrots and sauté further until the carrots are a bit soft.  Next, add the fish meat and red bell peppers and stir occasionally until half cooked.  You may choose to lower the heat at this stage and cover to let the steam cook the meat. 
4. Add the apples and cherries and sauté further just until barely almost done.  Salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Lastly, make a solution of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the liquid coming from the peas.  In the absence of such liquid, fish or vegetable broth is a good substitute or plain water would do.  Stir in the fish meat mixture to congeal the meats and vegetables.  Set aside this mixture and let cool. 
6. Using a thin thread and needle, sew the underside of the fish skin leaving the gill opening intact. Once the fish skin is back to its original shape and using a spoon, fill the fish skin up to the head with the filling being careful that the skin does not tear at the stitching. 
7. Using cornstarch, dust the fish all over from head to tail.  
8. The next step varies.  In the original way of preparing rellenong bangus, one fries the whole fish with filling intact in a sizable wok with deep oil.  The problem with this is two fold: one, frying bangus usually results in oil splattering all over the place creating a big mess and leads to burns and two, usually in the middle of the frying when one needs to turn over the fish, the skin breaks into two exposing the filling into the oil and destroying the fine work of art.  I do not recommend this method.  Besides, fish is again exposed to more oil thus the extra calories. 
9. What I recommend is to brush the fish after it is covered with all purpose flour with some olive oil and wrap the whole fish in parchment paper, sealed and bake for thirty minutes in a 350oF oven.  The oil is enough to fry the skin as it gently bakes in the over.  The parchment saves the heat within along with the moisture as it keeps the fish crunchy outside with the filling moist inside.  This is a perfect way of savoring the many flavors and textures of the stuffed fish. 
10. If desired, after dusting with flour, you may choose to cover the whole fish with cling wrap and freeze until further use.  From the frozen state, after brushing with oil and sealing in parchment paper, bake for at least 50 minutes to an hour at 350oF.  During the baking process, you may choose to spray or brush further with oil as the temperature is set to a broil to brown the fish evenly.   
11. Let the baked fish rest for about ten minutes then serve with garnish of parsley if desired.