BREAKFAST "BREAD PUDDING"

This is a variation on a breakfast gravy that I like to make. You can use ground beef or ground pork (or a mixture of both.) Try it and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef or pork
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
3 c. milk (warmed to room temperature in the microwave)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bullion
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. course ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 can Pilsbury Grands Butter Tastin' biscuits

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown the ground meat and drain, set aside.
2. Prepare biscuits according to directions on can.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and wisk until creamy. Stir and continue to cook about 2-3 minutes until the mixture starts turning a very light brown.
Slowly wisk in the milk, to create a smooth sauce (adding too much milk too fast will results in lumps.)
4. Add Worcestershire sauce, bullion cube (crumble into a powder before adding), onion powder, white and black pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Add drained meat to the gravy and cook over medium-high heat until boiling.
6. Remove from heat (gravy will thicken as it starts to cool.)

SERVING
Tear a biscuit into small pieces in a bowl. Top with the gravy mixture and mix thoroughly.


*You can also serve this great gravy over the tops of a biscuit or toast, but then it's not quite a "bread pudding", is it?

ORANGE CHICKEN

The following recipe is from Cook's Illustrated. I made this for dinner last week and turned out really good. I highly recommend this one (thus my posting of the recipe.)

ORANGE FLAVORED CHICKEN

We prefer the flavor and texture of thigh meat for this recipe, though an equal amount of boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used. It is easiest to grate the orange zest and remove the strips of orange peel before juicing the oranges; use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the strips. For extra spiciness, increase the cayenne added to the sauce to 1/2 teaspoon. The whole dried chiles are added for appearance, not for flavor, and can be omitted. To fry the chicken, use a Dutch oven or a straight-sided sauté pan (with at least 3-quart capacity); do not use a 12-inch skillet with sloped sides, as it will be too small to contain the oil once the chicken is added. White rice and steamed broccoli are good accompaniments.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4	cup soy sauce
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
Coating and Frying Medium
3	large egg whites
1	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3	cups peanut oil

See Illustrations Below: Secrets to Great Orange Chicken

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer. 2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. 5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately.


STEP BY STEP: Secrets to Great Orange Chicken

1. Soy-orange marinade keeps chicken juicy.	2. Patting marinated chicken dry helps chicken adhere.
3. Beaten egg white acts as "glue," securing coating to chicken.	4. Cornstarch and baking soda coating fries up golden and crisp.
5. Frying in peanut oil produces chicken with fresh, clean flavor.

SKILLET-BARBECUED PORK CHOPS

I recently started subscribing to Cooks Illustrated magazine. It is awesome! It is made by the people who do the TV show America's Test Kitchen. All the recipes are tested by using several methods of cooking and seasonings, and the best results are used in the recipes. I have tried several recipes so far and all of them have been great. Here is one for pork chops that my wife really enjoys.

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We prefer natural to enhanced pork (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor) for this recipe, though enhanced pork can be used. If using enhanced pork, skip the brining in step 1 and add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the spice rub. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. In step 5, check your chops after 3 minutes. If you don't hear a definite sizzle and the chops have not started to brown on the underside, increase the heat to medium-high and continue cooking as directed (follow indicated temperatures for remainder of recipe).

INGREDIENTS

Pork Chops
1/2	cup table salt
4	bone-in pork rib chops , 3/4 to 1 inch thick (8 to 10 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat (see note above)
4	teaspoons vegetable oil
Spice Rub
1	tablespoon paprika
1	tablespoon brown sugar
2	teaspoons ground coriander
1	teaspoon ground cumin
1	teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce
1/2	cup ketchup
3	tablespoons light molasses
2	tablespoons grated onion (see note above)
2	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2	tablespoons Dijon mustard
1	tablespoon cider vinegar
1	tablespoon brown sugar
1	teaspoon liquid smoke

1. FOR THE PORK CHOPS: Dissolve salt in 2 quarts water in large bowl or container. Submerge chops in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. FOR THE SPICE RUB: Combine ingredients in small bowl. Measure 2 teaspoons mixture into medium bowl and set aside for sauce. Transfer remaining spice rub to pie plate or large plate.
3. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk ingredients in bowl with reserved spice mixture; set aside.
4. TO COOK CHOPS: Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Coat both sides of chops with spice rub, pressing gently so rub adheres. Pat chops to remove excess rub; discard excess rub.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Place chops in skillet in pinwheel formation; cook until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip chops and continue to cook until second side is browned and charred and center of chop registers 130 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 4 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer chops to clean plate or baking sheet. Lightly brush top side of each chop with 2 teaspoons sauce.
6. Wipe out pan with paper towels and return to medium heat. Add remaining teaspoon oil and heat until just smoking. Add chops to pan, sauce-side down, and cook without moving until sauce has caramelized and charred in spots, about 1 minute. While cooking, lightly brush top side of each chop with 2 teaspoons sauce. Turn chops and cook until second side is charred and caramelized and center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
7. Transfer chops back to plate or baking sheet, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Internal temperature should rise to about 145 degrees. Meanwhile, add remaining sauce to pan and cook, scraping pan bottom, until thickened to ketchup-like consistency and reduced to 2/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Brush each chop with 1 tablespoon reduced sauce and serve immediately, passing remaining sauce at table.

PERFECT STEAKS

Here are tips for making the perfect steak. Following it is a recipe for a gorgonzola butter that is awesome when served on grilled steaks.

First, buy BLACK ANGUS steaks (I prefer Ribeye or NY Strip, my wife prefers Tenderloin) Black Angus is always $2 to $3 more per pound, but I just prefer it over CHOICE beef. PRIME BEEF would be even better (but not by much in my opinion), but the cost is prohibitive.

Second, and really the most important is the cooking process itself..... Most people aren't very patient when it comes to grilling. For the very best from your grill (other than Brats or dogs) you need to follow these steps.....

1) Let your grill get VERY hot (maximum settings if using a gas grill), then using an old rag or t-shirt wipe the grates with a heavy oil (I use olive oil) before starting the grilling itself.

2) Do NOT pre-salt any meat - this will pull all of the moisture to the surface and out of the steak, chop or whatever (unless you let it stand for over 60 minutes.) Wipe the surface of the steaks with olive oil and used some McCormick's Steak seasoning and some fresh ground black pepper.
You can get creative here and do almost anything - just NO salt.

3) Once you put the steak or chop on the grill, close the lid and forget about it. Most people ruin the steaks right here by trying to turn them too soon. All you do is "tear" the surface of the meat (leaving bits and pieces stuck to the grill) and boom.... there goes all the juice of the meat. You want to "SEAR" the surface of the meat by keeping it inside the meat. Depending on the thickness, and how hot your grill is, you should probably leave them on the first side from between 3 to upwards of 6 minutes. A great way to tell when they are ready to turn is they will start to "sweat" a bit on the surface. Now, I don't mean that all of the internal juice is coming to the surface... they just start to look a bit "glassy." Once you get used to it, you can also tell by temperature by just touching them.

4) Turn the steaks or chops and again FORGET about them. You are doing the same thing to this side.... searing the outside to hold in the natural juice and flavor. Once again, most "grillers" want to keep flipping or turning stuff when it's on the grill.... DON'T! You tear the surface and lose juice and flavor. Anyway, about the same amount of time on this side and you will be right at Medium Rare. (again, depending on thickness or grill temp) For Medium, turn them once again laying them perpendicular to how you had them before and go about another minute or two and so on all the way to well done, where you would turn them a fourth time for the last couple of minutes. Even well done (brown all the way through) steaks done carefully, will be juicy, tender and flavor full.

5) Be sure to let the steaks 'rest' after removing them from the grill - at least 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. You can place a dollop of the following recipe on the steaks while they 'rest' for AWESOME flavor!

Gorgonzola Butter (for steaks)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Stick REAL butter
1/4 lb. GORGONZOLA cheese
1 or 2 shallots
1 TBS. FRESH parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Shallots- I chop them and then tame them up a bit. I melt a little butter or use a little oil in a saute pan and let em "sweat" a little. Do not saute.

Throw all ingredients into the food processor and "whip" until well blended.

A little (or a LOT ) brushed on the steak right after placing on the serving plate is just unbelievable. We also like to substitute this for butter on our baked potatoes when having our steaks.

Yummy! You really should try it!