Cow Girl Chili Recipe and Bloomingdale's First Rodeo

When you are married to a Texas A & M alumnus,  you learn to love rodeos, even when you are a Korean.  And you teach your four children Aggie's yells.  My husband and children were excited for months when they heard about the rodeo coming to our little town of Bloomingdale, Georgia.  Hey, it's a pretty big deal when the city is only 14 square miles with a population of 2,700.  This great event would have never happened if our good neighbor, Mr. Waller of Ottawa Farms , didn't host it.  Thank you so much, Mr. Waller! We had a fantastic time!

Recipe and photos featured in the Savannah Morning News 

COW GIRL CHILI RECIPE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil

2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)

1 colored bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef

2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans , drained and rinsed

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree

Kosher salt to taste

2 limes , cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed non-reactive Dutch oven over medium heat until simmering but not smoking a few minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

**Slow Cooker Option: At the end of step 1, transfer the cooked beef mixture to a slow cooker; add the rest of the ingredients as directed in step 2. Cook the chili on the high setting for four hours.

**At my church, this recipe is multiplied by 15 and served along with baked potatoes, cornbread and all the fixings!  Great Fall menu for a large crowd!

Traditional Easy Pot Pies

Good Monday morning!  Unlike most people, I just love Mondays.  My spirit is recharged from the great sermons and worship on Sunday, and although my body is tired from all the cooking I do in the afternoon, there is nothing better in life than to be with God's people on the Lord's Day.  

These photos were featured in the Savannah Morning News weekly food column with Miss Sophie.  And my church family absolutely loves this humble dish.    

 I have to agree with Miss Sophie, that great tasting rich stock or broth is the basis for great tasting pot pies.  So in the IPC kitchen we take a little extra time in making homemade stock by using the carcasses from Sam's rotisserie chickens.  We add bay leaves, fresh onions, carrots, and celery, whole peppercorns,  and cook until all the goodness comes out the marrow.  

Here is a simple pot pie recipe from Miss Sophie, which is very similar to the one I do for my church family.   I hope you will give it a try this week for your family.   Have a wonderful week everyone!  

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TRADITIONAL EASY POT PIE

Recipe by Miss Sophie  (Used with permission )

Sauce:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 cups rich stock

Beef, Chicken, Vegetable or Veal Stock

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

Filling:

2-3 cups chopped or shredded cooked meat

Rotisserie chicken, turkey, beef or lamb

2 cups cooked vegetables:

Peas, Carrots, Mushrooms, Potatoes or Frozen mixed vegetables, uncooked.

Crust:

1 box of 2 pie crusts or 1 sheet of puff pastry

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for wash

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add onions and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Whisk flour into butter and onions and cook for additional 2-3 minutes.  Slowly whisk broth into flour until smooth, add thyme and bring to slow simmer. Add meat and vegetables. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

For a 2 crust pie: spray a pie plate with cooking spray. Unroll one crust and cover bottom and sides of pie plate, trim excess edges. Pour hot ingredients into pie shell. Top with second pie crust, remove excess crust and tuck crust down around ingredients. Using the tines of a fork, crimp edges to pie plate to seal. Cut two or three slits in the top crust to allow steep to vent. Brush with egg wash.  Bake in a 400 degree oven 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

For a top crust pie only, pour ingredients directly into pie plate and cover with one pie crust or a sheet of puff pastry, remove excess and tuck crust down around filling. Using the tines of a fork, crimp edges to pie plate to seal. Cut two or three slits in the top crust to allow steep to vent. Brush with egg wash.  Bake in a 400 degree oven 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Large volume cooking tip:
For the crust, we bake about 300 Garlic-Cheese biscuits separately.  After we ladle the filling in a 12-oz disposable bowl, we then top it with biscuit and serve.  It's much easier to control portions and crust topping this way.  

Communion Season 2012- Friday Dinner and Bulgogi Recipe

Photo by Hyosun @ Eating and Living

On Friday was our meal two for our Annual Communion Season dinners and I wanted to make something very special for my church family, and of course Korean food it had to be!  Korean Beef BBQ or Bulgogi is most likely the best well known meat dish and for trusted recipes, I always to go Hyosun's Korean food site, Eating and Living.  

I have planned this menu several months ahead not knowing that Hyosun of Eating and LIving blog would be coming to visit me in Savannah in conjunction with her business trip!  Can you believe that!?  Though I have "known" her through her blog for last two years, I was beyond ecstatic and honored to meet her in person.  So Friday afternoon,when Hyosun was done with her work, she came to IPC kitchen and helped with the meal prep for 200.  

Friday Dinner Menu for 200

Bulgogi with Teriyaki Sauce (65 lbs of bottom round sliced paper thin)

Steamed Rice (28 lbs of rice), click here for method

Fried Egg Rolls with Red Chili Sauce  (250)

Sauteed Vegetable Medley  (12 lbs of frozen beans/18 lbs of broccoli/8 large onions/24 bell peppers)

Garden Salad with Spiced Dressing (9 large heads of Romaine, with red onions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes)

Coconut-Kiwi Cake (recipe x10 = 4 pans/180 pieces)   

For detailed preparation instruction from Hyosun's site, Click Here. 

Bulgogi 
Recipe by Eating and Living
Used with Permission

2 pounds thinly sliced beef (rib eye or top sirloin)*
3 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small onion thinly sliced10 mushroom caps sliced (optional)

6 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)

2 tablespoons garlic

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons grated Asian pear (optional)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

(*Pre-sliced bulgogi meat is sold at any Korean market. Pay a little more to get good quality meat. If cutting the beef at home, partially freeze for about an hour to firm it up for easier slicing. Cut across the grain into about 1/8-inch thick slices.)

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. If using packaged pre-sliced meat, separate the slices. Add the meat and vegetables to the marinade and toss gently to combineeverything well. Marinate the meat for about an hour. Grill on a charcoal or gas grill or pan fry in a skillet over high heat until slightly caramelized. (Preheat and lightly oil with sesame oil before adding the meat. If pan frying, do not crowd the skillet.)

Note: Since rib eye or top sirloin would be too expensive to feed 200, I purchased bottom round cut and had the butcher slice it very thinly. 

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Even though it was a busy weekend with another two dinners ahead, Hyosun and I carved out some to frolic around town.   It was as though I have known her all my life.  We talked incessantly about blogging, food photography, our children, food photo props, our dreams, faith and more blogging. 

 On Saturday, we went to The Tea Room for an early lunch. Both our salads were fabulous and Hyosun fell in love with my favorite tea in the world, Emperor's Bride Tea.  

 

I gave Hyosun a quick tour of my beloved church.  I am never tired of looking at my church's exquisite steeple and the sanctuary ceiling.  Can you see why?

 It was simply wonderful to meet someone for the first time and yet have the feeling as though you have reconnected with your old friend.  Thanks so much, Hyosun for taking your time to visit me!  Love you, my friend! 

Booyah, Savannah Style!

This hearty beef rib and chicken soup is a favorite among the Northerners but hey, we could have it here in South, too! After all, the temperature did fall way down to 60 degrees today and my family needed something like this to warm their tummies. Inspired by Cook's Country recipe, I decided to give this a try at home, in hopes to convert this recipe suitable for my church family of later on.

I began with 2 pounds of back ribs and rotisserie chicken. De-bone the chicken, shred the meat and set aside. Discard the skin but reserve the carcass.

Boiled the back ribs with 4 cups of water for 15 minutes. Discard the water, cleaning out the foam inside the pot with paper towel, add 8 cups of cold water to the pot, then add chicken carcass, one onion chopped, 2 stalks of celery, and two bay leaves and boil to make rich stock.

After about an hour, the stock is reduced to about 4 cups. To defat the broth, lay a paper towel over its surface, quickly lift it up by a corner (the fat will adhere), and discard. Repeat with more paper towels, as needed.

Chop veggies: onions, celery ribs, green cabbage, carrots, rutabaga, and potatoes. Yes, hearty and healthy!

Heat 3 tablespoon of olive in the pot, stir in prepared veggies (potatoes and peas later) until fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Add 4 cups of homemade broth and 4 ups more of low-sodium chicken broth, 2 cans of 28-oz diced tomatoes. Also add shredded chicken and beef meat from ribs.

You know how I LOVE freshly ground nutmeg! Microplane does the perfect job for this.

15 minutes before serving, add diced potatoes. Season well with salt and pepper. And right before serving, add rinsed frozen peas. Squeeze in some Sriracha sauce to your taste. Serve with lots and lots of warm crust French bread.

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Booyah, Savannah Style

Makes 10+ quarts

2 pounds beef short ribs (or 3 to 4 pieces of back ribs)

1 whole rotisserie chicken, de-boned, skin discarded, meat shredded (reserve carcass)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onion, chopped fine, divided

5 celery ribs (2 whole for stock and 3 minced)

4 cups shredded green cabbage

4 cups homemade stock

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 of rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves of garlic, grated/minced

2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg.

1 cup frozen peas

2 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take 2 pounds of short rib and 4 cups of cold water in 10-12 quart stock pot. Bring it to boil, then discard the water and foam, leaving the ribs in the pot. Add 8 cups of cold water, chicken carcass, 1 diced onion, 2 celery ribs, 2 bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to a good rolling simmer. Simmer uncovered about 1-1/2 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface. Strain the stock in a fine sieved colander into a large bowl. Defat the stock using the paper towel method as shown.

2. Cool ribs and cut off the meat from bone and finely shred the meat. Set aside the meat, discard the bones along with vegetable remnants.

3. In the empty stock pot, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil, add onions, carrots, celery, rutabaga and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add grated garlic. Stir in homemade and canned broth and canned diced tomatoes.

4. Add shredded beef, cabbage, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rutabaga is translucent around edges, about 30 minutes. Stir in potatoes, shredded chicken and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. And right before serving, add peas to stir and heat. Off heat, stir in Sriracha sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty French Bread.

Simple Bolognese Sauce and Hunter Cattle Co.

I had the pleasure of visiting my friends at Hunter Cattle Co. in Brooklet, Georgia. It was so great to re-connect with Debra Ferguson and family again after many years. Their lives are wonderfully busy with children, grandchildren, cattle, and chickens on their 350-acre ranch.

Hunter Cattle Co. is a family owned and operated ranch, specializing in grass-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is as lean as wild elk or deer. And compared to grain-fed beef, it is four times higher in Vitamin E, six times more of Omega-3 fatty acids, and has fewer calories. But who's counting? It's just so tasty and healthy for you.

Hunter Cattle Co.'s newly opened storefront is filled with family photos and heirlooms.

The store also carries local and organic honey, dairy, pastas, and chicken.

A newly born calf only a few days old.

All their cattle are raised and finished on grass with no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics.

Their ground beef had much brighter red color with smaller speckled fat.

Sauté chopped onions in olive oil first, then add herbs and garlic. Add ground beef.

When it begins to brown, add milk. I know, know...it seems weird to do this, but milk makes ground beef tender and the finished sauce is wonderful.

Then add some white wine for great flavor.

Add canned tomatoes and a few dried bay leaves. Then simmer, uncovered until liquid is reduced for about 2-3 hours.

Serve on spaghetti topped with oven roasted onions.

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Simple Bolognese Sauce
Serves 8-10

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium minced onion

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon basil, dried

1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes

3 whole cloves fresh garlic, grated
2 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , packed in juice, chopped fine, with juice reserved

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat olive in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, dried herbs, and pepper flakes and sautè until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic. Add ground meat and 1 teaspoon salt and crumble meat with edge of wooden spoon to break apart into tiny pieces. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.

2. Add milk and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, about 10 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, about 10 minutes longer.

3. Add canned crushed and chopped whole tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer; add dried bay leaves, reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, until liquid sauce is very thick, about 2 1/2 -3 hours.

4. Adjust seasonings with extra salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve over hot pasta of your choice. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)

Hunter Cattle Company
430 Driggers Rd.
Brooklet, Ga. 30415

Phone: 912-823-BEEF

email: grassfed@huntercattle.com

Ellen's Crispy Beef Strips

Every time I make these Crispy Beef Strips, I think of Ellen Lew. Ellen was a renowned Savannah caterer, writer, and recipe developer in the early 90's. As a third generation Chinese-American, she came to Savannah during the early 80's, where grocers thought her crazy asking for strange green stuff like cilantro.

She had great love for cooking and even more so, teaching people how to cook. I was young and just married when I met her back 17 years ago. As a novice herb farmer selling fresh herbs and edible flowers to local restaurants and caterers, I was so excited to meet this famous caterer. Her love for cooking was contagious and soon I was cooking along side of her. She gave me the last copy of her cookbook: Ellen Lew's Far East Favorites and said that good recipes are meant to be shared. I agree.

Ellen was so gracious and taught me to love cooking, but above all, the people you cook for. With much encouragement from her, I began my own catering company. Five years after I met Ellen, she was in a tragic car accident and I lost my most beloved mentor and friend.

This recipe is from her cookbook, well loved and tattered now. I will feature her recipes from time to time. I know she would love for you to have them.


To slice beef thinly, flash freeze the meat for about 2-3 hours in the freezer.


Pour the soy marinade over sliced beef and cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (for ribeye, longer for flank) for flavors to meld.


After draining the marinade, dip slices of meat flour, egg wash, then finally Panko bread crumb.


Deep fry the pieces until bread crumb is light brown. Drain on a wire rack.

Serve over thinly sliced red leaf lettuce and garnish with green onions. Makes a beautiful appetizer. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Ellen's Crispy Beef Strips
Makes about 16-18 beef strips

1 lb rib eye steak (or flank steak), cut into strips 1/4" thick
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. dry sherry or dry white wine
4 Tablespoon sugar
1 shallot, minced very finely or pulsed in food processor
2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated with Mircoplane
1 C. flour, all purpose
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C Panko bread crumbs
2 C vegetable oil for frying

Combine soy sauce, dry sherry, sugar, shallot, ginger in a small bowl. Marinate steak slices with soy marinade for about 2 hours (for flank, marinade 4 hours), covered and refrigerated.

Drain marinade from steak slices in colander.

Dip steak slices in flour, then into beaten egg, and then final coat with Panko bread crumbs.

Heat oil in cast iron pot until temperature reaches 375 degrees F. Fry steak slices until bread crumbs are light brown and crispy. Do not over cook. Drain fried steak pieces on wire rack until you finish frying the remaining beef strips.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or over finely shredded greens as a first course.

Fried Egg Rolls

Fried Egg Rolls are the ultimate favorite for my church family. I can make a thousand of these and I assure you, and these will get eaten. I am so happy that I can finally post this recipe. A dozen of young moms and young ladies from my church gathered to learn how to make egg rolls and had lunch afterward: Thai Noodle Salad (I'll post this recipe later) and egg rolls. It was a great fun, food and most importantly, fellowship! We made close to three hundred and they all went home with a few dozens of egg rolls.



Here are some ingredients which are found only in Asian markets. In Savannah, Han Me (click for map) Oriental Market sells the Mung Bean Threads, Spring Roll wrappers, and fantastic Red Chili Sauce. I find that these wrappers are best for crispy egg rolls. Don't bother with square, pasta looking sheets sold in American grocery stores. They are too thick and chewy.


Shredded cabbage must be blanched in hot water when making in large quantity or pan-sauteed. Shredded carrots are also sauteed. Both vegetables are squeezed in a cheese cloth to get excess liquid out, or the egg roll wrapper will crack during freezing process. All ingredients are chilled before rolled with wrappers.

I use only five simple main filling ingredients(browned meat has both beef and pork) since there are so many children in my church and many are not adventurous eaters, yet. You can easily add or make other variations of egg rolls from this basic recipe.



Here are the steps to rolling egg rolls.
1. The key is to not to put too much filling, 1 tablespoon is good amount.
2. First fold should be snug against the filling, shaping into a cylinder shape, not a flat parcel.
3. Fold over both sides of edges, make sure the folded lines are parallel, which will result in a neater roll.
4. Using your finger, smear egg white/cornstarch mix on the top triangular edges and finish rolling. There should be a complete seal.


You can use canola, vegetable oil, or peanut oil to fry. Make sure oil temperature is about 375 degrees F. for crispy skins. And don't crowd the pan or the oil temperature will plunge and egg rolls will take too long to brown.


For Filling (for about 50 egg rolls)

3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound of ground beef
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 head of small cabbage, shredded or sliced 1/4 in thickness (see photo)
3 carrots, coarsely grated, dried sauteed on pan (no oil), for 45 seconds to wilt

1 pkg of Bean thread, or Mung bean noodles (Lungkow brand was used for this recipe), soaked in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, drained well and cut with scissors into 3-inch length.

3 Tablespoons of sesame oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

For wrapping:
2- packages of Spring Roll Wrappers (Wei Chuan Brand), 25 sheets in a package, thaw completely and leave sealed package out, bring to room temperature. Always buy a few packages extra, keep frozen until needed.
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon of corn starch

1- Cheese cloth or any clean cotton sheet (18"x18") to squeeze liquid out of cabbages and carrots


Heat a large frying pan over high heat until hot. Add ground pork, beef, and soy sauce and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain in colander.

Add shredded cabbage and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted. Set aside. Saute grated carrots in the same pan 1 minute until wilted. When veggies are cooled, put veggies in a cheese cloth or any clean cotton fabric and squeeze excess liquid. A great way to work out your muscles!

**I purchased a brand new mop wringer three years ago, just for this purpose. Squeezing 30 pounds of cabbages and carrots by hand is not recommended when you are making 400 egg rolls at a time!

Soak Mung Bean Threads in hot, not boiling, water, for 5 minutes until soft. Drain for 10 minutes. Cut with scissors into 3-inch segments.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, mix well. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

For Wrapping:

Combine egg whites and cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well until corn starch is well incorporated with egg white. This is your glue for egg roll wrappers!

Open the wrapper package and separate the sheets. Separate only 2-3 sheets ahead or they will dry out too quickly and it will be harder to roll.

See photos for how to roll. Can be refrigerated up to 4 hours or freeze.

For freezing, egg rolls can touch each other, but put a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap between layers to ensure they will not stick together in the freezer. Can be frozen up to 2 months. Fry the egg rolls frozen, cooking 4-6 at a time.

Fill a heavy duty pot with 2-inch of oil. Heat oil until temperature reaches 350 - 375 degrees F. Gently lower the egg rolls, 4-6 at a time and fry until golden brown, turning a few times. 1 1/2 minutes or so, longer if frozen.

Serve with Red Chili Sauce.