I got this recipe from the Scaling Back blog, which is the best blog you are probably not reading. I met the author Tina Jeffers at a food photography workshop, but when you read her blog you may be inclined to agree that she probably doesn’t really need food photography classes because her pictures are gorgeous, mouth-watering, and instructive all at the same time. Her tips and recipes are well-chosen, not too difficult, and they work. Subscribe, follow, or just check in from time to time, but for goodness’ sake don’t miss out on this site. It is hands-down one of my absolute favorites, which in the crowded world of food blogs is saying quite a lot.

I reproduce the recipe here because I simplified some steps and made some small changes. As is reflected in the recipe, I do not recommend eating this the day you make it- it tastes infinitely better if you let it sit in the fridge for a day or two or three and reheat it. Enjoy – and thank you Tina for the inspiration.

Recipe: Butternut Squash & Short Rib Chili

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tblsp live oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of most of the fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (ask your butcher to remove the bones for you)
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• chili flakes, cayenne, or hot spice of your choice to taste (I used a large pinch of very hot Chinese chili flakes and a large pinch of cayenne)
• 2 Tblsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• cilantro leaves, crumbled queso fresco, and avocado slices to serve

method:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and add to pan. Cook about 8-10 minutes, browning on all sides.
• Add onion and cook another 8-10 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomato paste, garlic, chipotle, cocoa, and spices and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add wine, beans, and tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.
• Add butternut squash and simmer for another hour, until beef and squash are tender. Cool slightly, then cover and rest in the fridge overnight.
• To serve, reheat on the stove and serve with cilantro, queso fresco, and avocado.

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Of course, the original recipe was a little bit too fussy for me, so I have simplified for all of our sake’s. There’s not much to it, but damn, this thing is irresistible. If you have the time to marinate the night before then sit around waiting for this thing to cook, you can easily make it without too much fuss. He recommends it as the filling for a lettuce wrap, but I served it with rice, his recommended scallion-ginger sauce, kimchi, sambal oelek, and a kale and cabbage salad with miso dressing. And for the record, I don’t make my own kimchi, but I am extremely impressed by people who do, mostly because it makes your fridge stink so much, so if that kind of thing interests you maybe David Lebovitz or Jaden Hair can give you an idea of what you’re in for.

Despite his personal issues and lack of respect for my hometown, I remain, as ever, an unabashed devotee of the Chang-inspired recipe.

Oh, and if you think David Chang’s original recipe with all of its bells and whistles will be better than my version, well you are probably right, so you should totally try it.

Recipe: Momofuku Inspired Bo Ssam, aka Korean Slow-Roasted Pork

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole boneless pork shoulder, about 8-10 lbs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tblsp kosher salt
• 7 Tblsp brown sugar

Recipe: Ginger-Scallion Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 bunches scallions, cleaned and chopped (white part and most of green part)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp any kind of vinegar – I used white wine vinegar
• large pinch salt

METHOD:

• Combine all ingredients together a few hours before serving, so the flavors can meld together. Serve alongside pork roast.

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I was a little skeptical at first – raw kale instead of basil? But it turns out, I was totally wrong to doubt. What I like about this is that it only takes a few leaves of kale, and you can use the rest of the kale in something else–unlike basil, pesto, which uses about half a bunch and then forces me to witness the slow and slimy death of the remainder of the bunch every time I open my refrigerator.

For a creamy, fulfilling, vegetarian pasta dish, cook the noodles, then toss some pesto with the pasta and a little of the reserved pasta water in the pot. For a great appetizer, spread the pesto on thin slices of toasted bread and top with sliced cherry tomatoes and/or sprinkle with more crushed walnuts or a little bit of grated cheese. You can make the pesto while you’re boiling the noodles or toasting the bread.

I didn’t have parmesan, so I used some salty grated pecorino, which cut the bitterness of the kale really well. I think you could use either with excellent results. If I’m being honest, I eyeballed the cheese and thereby I probably used extra, because that’s kind of how I roll, so if it’s not tasting great throw another 1/4 cup of cheese in the mix and see how it goes. Get the recipe here! 

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I, for one, can barely register the actual Thanksgiving meal as I’m cooking and eating it, because I’m so focused on how much better everything will taste the next day. I made this chicken hash this weekend with (wait for it) leftover chicken- but I think it would be just as fabulous with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

And if getting together with your relatives leans more Mommie Dearest than Leave it to Beaver, you could even prep all the vegetables for this dish while you’re making Thanksgiving dinner and put them in the fridge – so that even in a bleary-eyed morning-after state of tryptophan- and whiskey-induced torpor, you can throw this together with minimal effort.

This was inspired by the chicken hash at Bix. If you eat dinner there with someone who has eaten there before, at some point as you’re perusing the menu they will say something like “you should really try the chicken hash, it’s terrific” and you’ll be thinking, “Why would I eat that for dinner? Why am I even here? Is there more wine? Why is he drinking all the wine? I really think he is hogging the wine.” and so forth. But my point is, you will be skeptical about eating chicken hash for dinner. You will also be wrong. It’s fantastic. And the internet, amazingly, has still to this point managed not to produce a recipe for it. So this is an attempt at meeting its high standard of quality. Since it’s a “restaurant recipe” I made sure to add fattening dairy products in at the end. You know that’s their top secret trick, right?

Recipe: Chicken (or Turkey) Hash

If you make eggs to go with it, serves 6. If not, serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 Tblsp olive oil
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and grated
• 2 large or 3 small carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 stalks celery, strings removed and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken or turkey meat, no skin, chopped in small pieces or shredded with your hands
• 2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley (flat leaf or curly is fine)
• 8 scallions, chopped finely
• 2 Tblsp dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup half and half

METHOD:

•  Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring every few minutes, about 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through and beginning to brown.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, along with chili powder, paprika, and thyme. Add chicken, parsley and scallions. Cook another 3-5 minutes, until scallions are translucent and chicken or turkey is heated through.
• Using a fork or small whisk, combine mustard and half and half in a bowl. Pour into pan and turn heat to medium. Cook about 7-10 minutes, stirring, to reduce sauce and boil off the liquid, leaving a creamy hash.
• Top with fried or poached eggs if desired. Serve with hot sauce and lots of freshly cracked black pepper on the side.

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Not everyone is a big fan of marjoram, and it’s not always the easiest herb to find in a store. I think the slightly floral nature goes perfectly with the pumpkin, but you can certainly substitute thyme or sage and still get excellent results.

This could easily be made vegetarian if you just don’t use the pancetta; just use a little extra butter instead to make up for the missing grease.

Bucatini with Pancetta and Pumpkin-Parmesan Sauce
serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz. bucatini (or other pasta shape of your choice)
• 4 oz. pancetta, cubed
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped, divided
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or more to taste)

METHOD:

• Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain, reserving one cup of the pasta water.
• Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large saute pan over medium heat until browned and crispy. Remove onto paper towels and set aside.
• Remove all but 2 tsp pancetta grease from the pan. Add butter. Add onions and 1 tsp. marjoram and cook 3-5 minutes, until onions are softened. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add lemon juice and cook until dry.
• Whisk together pumpkin and cream. Add mixture to pan with 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Bring to a boil and add pasta, parmesan, and black pepper. Season with salt to taste.
• Toss with tongs over high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until pasta is coated and sauce has reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
• Remove to bowls and garnish with remaining marjoram and reserved pancetta.

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A few notes to make your life easier: since you are supposed to puree the Asian pear, you might as well take advantage of the food processor for other parts of the prep. So I used the shredding blade to julienne the onions, carrot, and garlic first, then dumped those out and switched to the normal blade to puree the pear. This cut down significantly on prep time. The brisket can be tough to slice but it’s easier if you stick it in the freezer for about 30 minutes and sharpen your butcher knife well. And do make sure you get really good-quality buns.

I also cooked up most of the shredded carrots with the meat (they were stuck to it anyway.) This turned out to be a great idea because they got very dark and caramelized and added a lot of depth to the sandwich.

Last thing: the recipe tells you to butter the toasted buns. In fact, I forgot to butter them but the sandwiches were still very rich and definitely not lacking for fatty goodness. I can’t believe I’m going to recommend this, but… I don’t think you need the butter. I would skip it.

(Somewhere, a pig just flew. Probably through a very cold and ice-filled Hell.)

Here’s the recipe: this one gets top marks from me!

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I absolutely love flavorful, slow-cooked, melting-off-the-bone short ribs, and have tried several recipes (including the Thomas Keller version, which paled in comparison to these.) This recipe has been adapted, over five years or so, from a recipe that David Chang supplied to the New York Times several years ago, pre-Momofuku fame and fortune. To my mind, they are the best short ribs I have ever eaten.

Although I’m usually not a fussy cook, the end result of a fabulous pot of short ribs is totally worth it. There isn’t a ton of fussing around, but you do have to hang out for about 3 hours while they cook in the oven. You can prepare them most of the way the day before, and finish them the next day before serving. Because they have an Asian-ish flavor, I think they pair best with a side of rice, but mashed potatoes work well too.

A note: if your proportions of apple juice, sake, and mirin are not exact, it’s OK. I usually buy a sake bottle that ends up having a little more than a cup, and a bottle of apple juice that has a little less than 1 1/2 cups. As long as the total of apple juice, sake, and mirin equals roughly 3 1/2 cups, you’ll be OK.

The Best Short Ribs You’ll Ever Eat
serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 – 3 Tblsp vegetable or canola oil
• 7 to 8 pounds “English cut” beef short ribs, cut into pieces with one-bone each
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice (flat or sparkling)
• 1 cup sake (filtered – not nigori)
• 1 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped (you don’t need to peel it)
• salt and pepper

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350. Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
• Put oil in a pot that’s 6 quarts or larger and heat over high heat. When the oil is hot, add ribs to brown on one side (you will need to do this in batches.) After 4-5 minutes, turn the ribs to brown on another side. Remove from pot and put on a plate. Repeat with remaining batches of ribs.
• Meanwhile, put apple juice, sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic in a pot and heat just to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
• When all of the ribs are cooked and out of the pot, add onions and carrots to the pot and cook 3-5 minutes to brown, stirring often.
• When onions and carrots are browned, add short ribs back to the pot. Pour the liquid over and try to get the ribs completely covered by the liquid. (It’s OK if a few of them are poking above the liquid a bit.) Cover with a lid and put them in the oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, until meat is soft enough to pull easily from the bones.
• (At this point, you have 3 choices: start the next step right away, wait about an hour so things cool down a bit before you handle them, or put the whole pot in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight, and pull it out to finish the dish about 30 minutes before serving. If you choose the latter, you can easily remove the hardened fat layer before proceeding.)
• Remove the ribs from the pot (I use tongs for this) and remove the bones (they should just fall out easily.) Discard the bones and set the meat aside.
• Strain the liquid, reserving all of the liquid in a bowl. Discard the solids (or, save them for later–they taste pretty good tossed with pasta the next day.)
• Return the strained liquid to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the sauce so it thickens a bit, about 20 minutes. Add short ribs back to the liquid to heat through. Serve immediately.

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I usually serve this over rice or couscous. This time, I put a few threads of saffron in hot water for about 15 minutes and added the water to the rice pot to give the rice more color and flavor. If you’re using couscous, why not roll your own? Only kidding. I usually use the Near East box, but if I can find it, sometimes I like to use the hand-rolled kind. It’s fun to try if you’re into couscous, and you can buy it at Williams-Sonoma.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Herbs, and Ginger

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped finely
• leaves from 5 sprigs fresh oregano plus more for garnish
• 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped finely
• 2 whole dried red chiles
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (can use thighs)
• 1 cup dried apricots, cut in fourths
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 27 oz. can plum tomatoes with their juice
• small handful of mint leaves, chopped

Method:

• Heat the oil in a heavy casserole dish. Stir in the onion, oregano leaves, ginger, and chiles and saute until the onion begins to soften. Add the cinnamon sticks.
• Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on both sides and add them to the pot. Brown the chicken on one side, then flip them over to brown the other side.
• Add apricots, honey, and tomatoes with juice. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 35-45 minutes, until chicken is falling apart.
• Remove lid and reduce sauce to thicken. Break the chicken pieces up with a wooden spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare a serving dish with rice or couscous and put the chicken in the middle with the sauce. Garnish with additional oregano leaves and chopped mint.

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Every day it seems like there’s more troubling news about protests in Syria. I have a soft spot in my heart for the country and the people, since I went there on my honeymoon and found it to be one of the most magical, welcoming, wondrous places I’ve ever been. It’s hard to think of Syria without remembering the mouth-watering food we ate there.

I present an example that illustrates Aleppo’s primacy in Syria’s food culture: when the Four Seasons opened a hotel in Damascus, they opened Al Halabi, one of the fanciest and highest-rated restaurants in all of Syria. The scouting team went to Aleppo and poached the city’s best chef to helm their flagship restaurant. Al Halabi, of course, translates to “from Aleppo.” The food at Al Halabi is exquisite–especially the kebab karaz.

Even the kids in Aleppo are serious about their food.

Other Syrian cities boast excellent food, too. On a rainy day in Hama, we had a hard time mustering enthusiasm for the creaky wooden windmills for which the city is famous, but we do fondly remember the city for this friendly fried chicken shack. We were two honeymooners huddled under the awning out of the rain. The effusive counterman gallantly brought out a plastic table and chairs and insisted we make ourselves comfortable.

His hospitality and the warm, crispy chicken and super-thick fried potatoes saved the day.

In addition to the aforementioned Al Halabi, Damascus is full of fantastic food from the low end to the high end. The shawerma shops at the western end of the old souq–where you can have a few bites of heaven for under a dollar–were a favorite of mine.

The sweet shops, proffering pyramids of sticky pistachio-studded pastries, are hard to pass up, even with some minor misspellings.

In Syria, fine cooks use sour cherries and pomegranate molasses to make kebab karaz. I adapted the recipe with fresh or frozen cherries and pomegranate juice because I find the taste is comparable but the flavors are a little brighter.

Kebab Karaz

serves 2

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. ground lamb
• 1 small yellow onion, minced finely (you can use a food processor)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
• 1 cup pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablepoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• small handful of toasted pine nuts

Method:

• Combine lamb, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon with your hands or a wooden spoon. Put lamb mixture in fridge, covered, for at least an hour, as it will be easier to form patties when chilled.
• Preheat broiler. Put a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and spray with nonstick spray.
• Form 1-inch meatballs with your hands and place meatballs on foil. Broil 3-5 minutes on one side, then use tongs to flip meatballs over and broil another 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine juice, cherries, remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then mash cherries with a potato masher. Scrape down sides and continue simmering about 10 minutes more, until sauce is slightly thicker and syrupy.
• Gently add meatballs to sauce and stir to coat. Warm if necessary.
• Remove to serving bowl and garnish with pine nuts. Serve with warm pita bread and thick plain yogurt on the side.

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I made a half ration of Ginger Sesame Ahi Poke too, and served the two side by side. (In that post, I also discuss facts and myths about “sushi-grade” fish, and how I select and buy fish to eat raw.) It couldn’t be easier to toss everything in a bowl and let it mesh for 30 minutes. With a squeeze of fresh lime and a squirt of Sriracha, Hawaii was calling once again.

Salmon Avocado Poke with Lime and Mint

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup minced green garlic or green onion, white and light green parts only
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 Tblsp soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 2 small or 1 large lime
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1 ripe avocado, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

Method:

• Put salmon cubes, green garlic or green onion, grated ginger, coriander, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a non-metal bowl and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
• Zest the lime and add the zest to the bowl, stirring to mix. Reserve the zested lime.
• Add the mint and avocado and gently mix together.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and squeeze reserved lime over salmon. Mix together. Serve immediately with Sriracha or other hot sauce on the side.

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