Greek Ribs with Tzatziki

dried bay leaves in a coffee grinder

[js]
Another day, another recipe from Peter of Kalofagas. ;)

We've made several of Peter's recipes and all of them have turned out excellently.

We've discovered Peter's blog more than 6 months ago and we have never looked back since. As most of you know Peter, I'm sure you will agree that Peter is one of the nicest, most gracious bloggers around. He has been very generous with his time, very encouraging of new and veteran bloggers alike.

What I find absolutely amazing about Peter is how much he does! He reads our blogs, leaves pithy and witty comments, he cooks, he posts, he takes pictures. . . all at an incredibly high-powered pace!

How do you do it, Peter? What's the secret, Peter?

Peter probably does the work of 4 people combined, and the only explanation we can come up with is all that Greek food!

Hence, methinks we'll be making more of Peter's Greek food and see if that transforms us from lazy slowpokes into Energizer bunnies. ;)



[ts]
We had some ribs the other day and I didn't want to do yet another BBQ version. JS said she recalled a Greek version on Peter's site so off I went to look for it.

From what I've gathered, bay leaf powder is crucial to this recipe. But of course, since we thought to cook this just then and didn't have time to go out and look for bay leaf powder, I simply placed some bay leaves in a coffee grinder and ground them up.



[ts]
Ta-da!

Well, some pieces were still biggish, but this still worked. Now onto the rest of the recipe!

The recipe called for making a dry rub using onion powder and garlic powder, among other things. Lemon pepper too. We didn't have any of those three items on hand: onion and garlic powders we never have in our pantry, and I didn't know what lemon pepper was! I can only assume that it had something to do with black pepper and lemons.



[ts]
So, I made a wet rub instead. I used actual onion and garlic in place of the powders and added a generous amount of black pepper and some lemon zest in place of the lemon pepper.


wet rub ingredients

[ts]
The rest of the rub ingredients were ground bay leaves, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and sweet paprika. I added a little bit of olive oil as well.

I rubbed them all over the ribs. I don't know how long we let it marinade for... probably not a long time because we had to make sure it was ready by dinner time.



[ts]
To cook it, we did our standard method for oven ribs: I covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked the ribs in a slow oven (325F-350F) and forgot about them for a while. After about 2 hours, I uncovered the pan and raised the heat to 375/400F and cooked until the ribs browned. You can also broil them as an alternative method after the slow-cooking.



[ts]
Look at that Greek rib goodness!

We ate ours with some spaghetti and greens. Oh, these Greek ribs were served with tzatziki, of course.



[js]
These Greek ribs were fantastic!

In the beginning, we were debating whether to use 2 slabs of the side ribs or 1. We ended up being prudent and used only 1 (cut up into 2 racks) because we didn't want to have too much food leftover.

Wrong decision! Should have used 2 slabs.

The bay leaves gave the ribs a wonderful woodsy deep flavour and the smoked paprika gave them that hint of smoke, so essential to my carnivorous enjoyment of meat, meat, meat!

I've had Greek ribs in restaurants before and these evoke those quite authentically. In fact, these are probably better than those. Lipsmackingly delicious!

The only thing I was missing were lemon-roasted potatoes. Maybe next time.



Peter's recipe here: Baby Back Ribs from the Greek Side

eatingclub vancouver Greek
"Greek" Calamari
Simple Greek Meal
Caper Salad
Greek Meatball Soup (Giouvarlakia)
Marinated Feta
Greek Shrimp with Feta
Greek Ribs with Tzatziki
Mushroom Ragu Pastitsio
Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
Zucchini Ribbons Salad with Anchovy Dressing
Souvlaki (Pork and Chicken)
Tomato Bread Salad, Greek-style
Grilled Fish Fillet on Oregano
Pastéli (Greek Sesame Snaps)


We're submitting this post to Weekend Herb Blogging, a world-wide food blogging event (created by Kalyn's Kitchen, now maintained by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once) with the goal of helping each other learn about cooking with herbs and plant ingredients.

If you'd like to participate, see who's hosting next week. WHB is hosted this week by Ivy of Kopiaste.

Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipián Verde

[ts]
Broccoli as the ingredient for this edition of Weekend Wokking is a really difficult one for us.

What are we to do with broccoli!!?!?!

Besides sautéing and steaming it, that is. As you know, we always want to be "different." We're difficult like that.

We thought back to a long time ago, when we were oh-so-young, and enjoyed a dish at White Spot called Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese. That item has since been discontinued, to our knowledge... but we haven't eaten at a White Spot for a while... as of late they are trying to be more "upscale." I digress.

The dish consisted of cubes of chicken breast and chunks of broccoli in some sort of creamy sauce that actually had a hint of curry (which was not indicated on the menu). As for the cheese part, I'm guessing that it was in the sauce as well... but it's all a bit hazy now. It was served with some sort of rice pilaf.

So, we thought to recreate that dish for our Weekend Wokking entry.

But, planning it in our heads, as we thought to make a bechamel-based sauce cheesified with cheddar and kissed with curry, then assembling it with poached chicken and broccoli florets for a stint under the broiler, JS had a change of heart.

"Why not do the same assembly and prep work, but with a pipián sauce instead?"

Hmm, very intriguing. I wasn't too attached to the nostalgia dish of Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese, and thinking how the green-colored sauce will match the broccoli, I agreed. In fact, this dish can still be called Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese!

I guess seeing this post on pipián on Homesick Texan had something to do with the change of heart.

We start with the most time-consuming component of the dish.

Pipián Verde


[js]
I couldn't get over how serene and luminous that green pipián was on Homesick Texan's page. I looked over the ingredients and it seemed like it was very doable.

I'm always an optimist when it comes to recipes. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm incapable of just following recipes strictly.

The recipe called for chicken broth and we didn't have any in the house.

We do have some whole chickens and we were debating whether to poach them for broth.

Fortunately, CSC roasted some chicken the day before and we had some leftover chicken legs, along with the back.

So, in lazy-people-way, I just decided that the carcass of this already-baked chicken would serve to make broth for our pipián verde.



[js]
I started by toasting the pumpkin seeds. We didn't have a lot of pumpkin seeds on hand, just half a cup.

Of course, you think that I would modify the recipe to reflect the pumpkin seeds on hand. Somewhere along the way, I got too lazy and didn't want to keep track. In fact, I more or less "winged it" the rest of the way.


halfway-charred

[js]
While the pumpkin seeds were toasting, I put a couple of Anaheim, jalapeño and serrano peppers on a baking pan, along with some garlic, tomato, and an onion. I put them under the broiler to char.

Afterwards, I put the peppers in a paper bag to steam. I peeled the skins and they were ready.



The recipe also called for a can of tomatillos, a couple of radish leaves and romaine leaves, and a few sprigs of cilantro.


left: radish, only leaves wanted
right: cilantro and romaine lettuce

[js]
I pushed all into the food processor -- peeled roasted peppers, toasted pumpkin seeds, radish leaves, cilantro and romaine -- wetted them with some chicken broth, and tried to buzz them into a smooth paste. I also added salt and pepper and about a couple of tablespoons of cumin powder.

Our food processor was not powerful enough, so I was left with a very, very chunky sauce.



[js]
I tasted the sauce and I thought it was pretty good but seemed to lack some body. I added a couple of bay leaves and more salt.

I tasted again and it was still lacking the body.

I was starting to worry, but figured that since we were going to be adding cheese to it, the cheese would round out the pipián nicely.

(I figure the lack of body has to do with too much water, either the broth and/or the romaine and the radish leaves. For the amount of greenery I put in, I didn't put enough pumpkin seeds.)

The pipián verde needs to be heated and simmered until it was thick-ish. After about 20 minutes or so, the pipián goes into a blender to be blended into an even smoother sauce.


left: chunky pipián, buzzed once
right: simmered pipián, buzzed a 2nd time

[js]
Once the pipián verde was where I wanted it to be, I turned over the sauce to TS to assemble with the chicken and broccoli.


Chicken and Broccoli


[ts]
Compared to all that work for the sauce, the chicken and broccoli took no time at all.

I cut the broccoli (including the stems, of course!) into little chunks, then cooked them in some chicken broth (made from the previous night's leftover roast chicken and its bones). When it was still fairly firm, I took them out.



[ts]
It was the chicken's turn.

We don't usually buy chicken breasts or solely use them for a dish. For these breasts, I took them off of a whole bird. I diced them and poached them in the same chicken broth until just barely cooked. They joined the cooked broccoli.



[ts]
Even though we subscribe to the breasts-are-not-the-best-part-of-the-chicken school of thought, sometimes their soft, pillowy, white selves are quite endearing. Teehee. Look at them, so cute.


The Assembly


[ts]
First, a layer of pipián. Then, chicken and broccoli.



[ts]
Then some cheese. We confess! This was some Kraft Tex-Mex blend that we had to use up (blend of cheddar and jack cheeses). Repeat layering until you reach the top. In our case, we were a teeny bit overflowing because I wanted to put in all of the chicken and broccoli into the dish.

The dish went into a hot oven (about 425F) until bubbling and the cheese had browned.



[ts]
We ate it with rice, of course.



[js]
This dish was quite yummy, in that very comforting sort of way. I had a couple of servings and I couldn't seem to stop eating.

The cheese that melted into the pipián did all the bodywork for it. The pipián verde was smooth, nutty, and deep. If there is anything, I would have liked it to have more of a kick to it. I ate mine doused with a lot of Tapatío hot sauce (which I brought all the way from LA).

Surprisingly, this tasted similar to the White Spot version of Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese. Well, perhaps just because of the cumin. Our pipián verde had more complex notes from the toasted pumpkin seeds, which made all the difference.



We show our Tapatío hot sauce love here:
Fried Oyster Quesadilla
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipián Verde
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Sausage

eatingclub vancouver Weekend Wokking posts:
Ravioli "Caprese": Tomato, Basil, Bocconcini
Eggplant "Clafouti"
Bibingka
Pumpkin Congee w/ Pumpkin "Beignets" & Sesame-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese w/ Pipián Verde
Adobo Mushroom Tart
Duck and Orange Crêpes with Orange-White Wine Sauce
Almond Eggplant "Bisteeya" (Bastilla)
"Mashed Potato Beef Burger" (Red-skinned Potato Salad in Taiwanese Sacha Cheeseburger)
Korean Soybean Sprouts Pancake (Kongnamul Jeon)
Lemon Chamomile Tiramisu
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Clear Oxtail Soup with Corn, Cabbage and Potatoes
Beijing Pickled Cabbage
Salsa Romesco ("Queen of the Catalan Sauces!")
Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup)
Bangus Belly à la Bistek (Milkfish Belly with Onions, Calamansi and Soy Sauce)
White Pork with Garlic Sauce, Two Ways (蒜泥白肉)
Mr. Zheng's Soupy Tomatoes and Eggs with Tofu (蕃茄雞蛋跟豆腐)
Steamed Fish and Tofu with Chinese Black Beans
Spinach and Cheese with Puff Pastry, Three Ways

eatingclub vancouver Mexican
Tacos... then
Tacos... now
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Semi-Lime-cooked, Semi-Yucatecan Shrimp with Garlic Chips
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipían Verde
Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup
Tacos of Carnitas with Pineapple, with Roasted Salsa and Sweet Potato
Shrimp a la Mexicana (Camarones a la Plancha)
Enchiladas Verdes
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Mexican Ancho Guajillo Chicken
Chipotle Ground Turkey on Flour Tortilla
Tacos... again (July 2009)
Tacos al Pastor with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Tacos with Beer-braised Carnitas Filling
Shredded Beef and Tripe Tacos
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Blueberry Tres Leches Cake
Crab Tostada
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Sausage
Torta (Mexican Sandwich)

We're submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks celebrating the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient.

The host this month is Wiffy of NoobCook.com.

If you would like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month.

Check out all Weekend Wokking Roundups.

Coffee Pancakes with Honey-Ricotta and Black Pepper and Coffee-Crusted Bacon

[ts]
That title is quite the mouthful!

[js]
When we bounced around ingredients for this month's Royal Food Joust, we had no idea how difficult it would be to come up with our own entry.

The trifecta of ingredients seemed to make sense at the time of discussion.

Chocolate?

No, because then most of the entries are going to be dessert.

Yeah, that's right. Desserts aren't bad, but we need items that could go either way.

Why not coffee?

Okay.

What about an herb or a spice?

Cilantro?

Nah, we just had cilantro. And with coffee?

OK, herb or spice to go with coffee? Let me think.

Go with a common one.

Black pepper?

Sure. Everybody uses black pepper.

Then something to sweeten everything up.

Easiest would be honey.

Okay. It's a common enough ingredient.

So we have it? Coffee, black peppercorn, honey.

Sure.

[js]
With all the sure-ing, it seems we've assured ourselves of no-entry this month. We swayed back and forth between sweet and savoury entries -- and still couldn't decide on anything even with just two days left.

We changed our minds so many times this Joust -- that what we have is just what we have right now, just before the deadline.

[ts]
We originally thought of a dessert ravioli: we would fry up some coffee-flavored pasta with a honey-mascarpone filling and sprinkle some black pepper sugar on top. But, since we already did fried dough last time, we had to think of something else.

[js]
We had no idea it was going to be this hard.

Since we couldn't decide on sweet or savoury, we figured we'd do both -- and where and which meal do we usually have sweet and savoury on the plate?

Why, breakfast, of course!

May we present today's breakfast:
Coffee Pancakes with Honey-Ricotta and Black Pepper & Coffee-Crusted Bacon

Let's begin.


Coffee Pancakes



[ts]
Nothing complicated here.

Basically, take your favorite pancake recipe and add 2 shots (2 ounces) of brewed espresso or strong coffee.

Done!


Black Pepper & Coffee-Crusted Bacon

honey-drizzled

[ts]
Of all the elements, I was most fearful of this one. I mean, what if this "coffee-crusting" was a massive failure? But, bacon is such a strong flavor that it stands up well to anything, it seems! It could even have used more coffee. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

To start, I had to crush some black peppercorns and coffee granules. I used instant coffee just because it had big granules.


black peppercorns & coffee granules in mortar & pestle

I didn't need too fine a powder. I wanted a more chunky crust for the bacon.



There. That's what I wanted.



I crusted some bacon with the mixture...



... and fried them up!

Just a note, we do like our bacon quite extra-crispy (especially Mama!). Also, I believe the coffee also added to bronzed color.

Honey-Ricotta


[ts]
To smooth out the ricotta, I buzzed it a little in the food processor. Once I got the silky texture I was looking for, it was just a matter of adding the honey. I also sprinkled some black pepper there.



[ts]
It was just a matter of putting all the elements together. I stacked some pancakes, drenched it with honey ricotta sauce, and added some pieces of bacon. As a final touch, I drizzled honey all over the whole thing.

Of course, no quantities are required. Want more pancakes? Make a lot more! Want more bacon? By golly, make a lot of bacon. More honey-ricotta? Use a big tub of ricotta!



[js]
I cautioned against making the coffee the dominant flavour in the pancakes.

First, I was afraid that too much coffee would make the pancakes overly dark. Overly dark pancakes would not look good in pictures.

Second, I wanted the pancakes to taste recognizably like pancakes, instead of some sort of round coffee-cake like thing. The coffee should be an accent flavour, not the primary flavour. After all, we will be having coffee to drink too.

But TS defied me! After adding the first shot of espresso, she added yet another!

I need not fear. I was very happy with how the pancakes turned out. They were light, fluffy, buttery -- pancakes, with the whisper of coffee.

The coffee-crusted bacon? I don't really have that much to complain about bacon. Maybe it was on the dark side and could have used a little less colour. But of course, we already know the joys of black pepper bacon. The coffee added a touch of pleasant bitterness and even more of it could've been added to the crust.

But the emergent star of this dish is the honey-ricotta. It's not everyday that bacon gets upstaged so this "sauce" is a real winner.

The honey-ricotta is the one element that brings all of the elements in this dish together, bridging the gap between the salty-smoky-peppery bacon and the coffee-sweet-buttery pancakes. It was smooth, silky, creamy -- really quite perfect.

The only thing I'm missing are the sunny-side up eggs. I asked TS to make some for me but she refused.

[ts]
In my defence, we were also doing our dish for our Weekend Wokking entry at the same time. ;)


Recipes


Coffee Pancakes
Take your favorite pancake recipe, any pancake recipe, and add a shot or two of brewed espresso. Cook pancakes as per usual.

Black Pepper & Coffee-Crusted Bacon
bacon, as many slices as you wish
equal amounts of the following by volume:
black peppercorns
instant coffee granules

Crush peppercorns and coffee in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Crush/grind to the level of coarseness/fineness desired.

Coat bacon slices with the pepper-coffee mixture and fry to crisp up.

Honey-Ricotta
ricotta cheese
honey, to taste
black pepper, to taste

In a food processor, process desired amount of ricotta until smooth. Add black pepper and honey to taste.

To assemble:
Serve coffee pancakes with honey-ricotta and bacon. Drizzle the dish with more honey.

This is our entry to the Royal Food Joust (created by The Leftover Queen).

[eatingclub] vancouver Royal Food Joust posts:
Dimsum Seafood Trio: Black Pearl Toast, Scallop in Nest, Jewelled Rice Cup
Cream of Fennel Soup with Parsey Oil
Ginger-Guava Jam
Lime-Marinated Pork Skewers with Ginger-Guava Jam and Five-Grain Rice
Soy Pudding Parfait with Orange-Ginger Syrup and "Streusel" Brittle
Squash Churros with Orange-Sage Hot Chocolate
Coffee Pancakes with Honey Ricotta and Black Pepper & Coffee-Crusted Bacon
Caribbean "Fish & (Banana) Chips"
Steelhead Trout and Enoki Mushrooms with Wasabi Cream Sauce



We're submitting this to Culinarty's Original Recipes.

More information here.
The Round-ups here.