Pot o' Neck Bones: Make Your Own Ramen

It wasn't that long ago that I was a college kid, subsisting mainly off of Hot Pockets, Easy Mac, and heaping late-night bowls of cereal. What's a skillet? Is that the one you put the bacon in?

And now here I find myself making ramen again. But stay with me! This is a good one.

Let's start with the ingredients. The style of ramen I made has a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. I actually arrived at this recipe by way of pork bone. I recently subscribed to a new delivery service in Baton Rouge, and I'll be partnering with them regularly to whip up some seasonal and delicious things. Indie Plate is a pipeline to all that's fresh, seasonal, and delicious. Not just vegetables either! The site traffics in meat, fish, pantry goods, and more, all from local farms and artisans, for a small flat delivery fee too.

Ordering online, I'm at a much lower risk of loading up my cart with things I don't need or won't use in time. And I won't shop just for one recipe, which I am sadly prone to do. If you're in the area, I surely recommend it. And if you're not a Baton Rouge reader, fingers crossed that you've got something similar in the area—otherwise, start clamoring!

Back to pork neck bones: I found them on Indie Plate's site and, since I'd never made my own pork broth before, I was intrigued. And the recipe grew from there. Onions and carrots, summer vegetables for a stir-fry, leaf lard for the vegetables and frying the egg I set on top of the ramen. All from Indie Plate. I rounded up the rest from the neighborhood grocery once I had firmed up my ingredient list.

Most pork neck broth recipes I found involved simmering for about twelve hours. While I definitely wanted the punch of slow-roasted flavor, I was concerned with leaving the burners on, and I haven't yet used the crockpot I have in my closet. So when I found this alternative take from Seattle Magazine, I was relieved.

Let me take you through my adaptation—as well as the stir-fry I served on the side.

Pork bones from Iverstine Farms

A little more of my bounty from Indie Plate

Loveably ugly heirloom carrots

Roasted pork bones

Tonkotsu Ramen and Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry

Yield: 2 servings ramen and stir-fry; 2 cups of broth left-over

Ingredients:
For pork broth:
4 small meaty pork neck bones (I used a 1.26 oz. package, but ideally would have used more)
3/4 cup water and 4 cups water, divided
1/3 of a white onion, not chopped or sliced, just segmented
2 medium carrots, stemmed and chopped
Kosher salt
Soy sauce

For ramen:
2 cups Pork Broth
1 package Top Ramen noodles (seasoning packet discarded)
1 egg
2 inches leaf lard, diced
Sliced scallions (for garnish)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pulled pork from roasting pork bones

For summer stir-fry:4 inches leaf lard, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
3 grape tomatoes, halved and chopped
One fourth an onion, sliced
Sesame oil


Method:
For the broth:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Place the pork bones in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Roast for 70–90 minutes, turning the bones over halfway through, until bones are browned all over.
2. Immediately after removing the pan, pour 3/4 cup water inside and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Transfer bones and liquid to a large stockpot.
3. Add four cups water, onion, and carrots. Bring to a boil and then simmer for two hours. Then cool to room temperature (about an hour).
4. Strain out the solids and set aside. Refrigerate the liquid overnight (I placed it in two mason jars.) Pick the meat out of the bones and refrigerate it in a separate container with carrots and onion. Discard the bones.
5. The next day, as you prepare to make your ramen, bring two cups of the broth to a simmer and season with kosher salt and soy sauce to taste.

For the ramen:
1. Add noodles to simmering broth and cook for 3–4 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up chopped leaf lard in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, rendering fat. Fry egg—seasoning with salt and pepper—until white is set but yolk is still runny.
2. To serve, ladle noodles into each bowl, draining excess broth. Top with fried egg, scallions, reserved pork from neck bones, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve!

For the summer stir-fry:
1. Heat up a large skillet to medium-high. Add chopped leaf lard and cook for five minutes, pushing down on lard to render fat. Set aside lard.
2. Add zucchini, tomatoes, and onions to skillet, drizzle with sesame seed oil, and cook, stirring, until golden brown.
3. Serve alongside ramen.

Boeuf Bourgignon

Could not stop impersonating Julia Child while making this! Boeuf bourguignon!

I must issue the disclaimer that this is not a true production of the dish, because I did not use burgundy, as I was already slightly breaking my bank in the making of this and the only bottle I could find (after visiting both Fresh Market and my neighborhood store) was $40. I'm a little disappointed with myself on that note, but I still used a French pinot noir and the sauce was aaaabsolutely fantastic. So I would say it's a perfectly acceptable substitute!

My favorite part about making this was getting to make a bouquet garni for the first time.

I began by placing the diced salt pork and rind in a saucepan, covering them in water, and bringing it to a boil for a couple of minutes. Then I drained the pan and set aside the diced pork.

For the bouquet, I unfurled two 22-inch lengths of cheesecloth and then unfolded each to make a 22x8-inch piece. I stacked the cloths and draped them over a medium bowl. Then I added my lovely aromatics (onions, carrots, crushed garlic cloves, thyme, parsley, black peppercorns, bay leaves, oh my!), bundled up the cheesecloth and secured it (twine would have been ideal, but I "elected" to use floss. Substitutions, my friends!)

I love cooking when it's actually light out! When my boyfriend saw this picture, he thought for a second I had bundled up one of the cats for an "artistic" shot. Cat Sacks - they won't catch on.

I placed the bouquet in my Dutch oven and preheated my (American) oven to 300.

Then I set my cast-iron skillet over medium heat and sizzled up some salt pork till it was browned and crispy (about 12 minutes.)

I made sure to press down on the pieces as I cooked them to render the fat.

After I added the pork to the Dutch oven, I poured out all but two teaspoons of the rendered fat--then I set these teaspoons to the side.

Next came the beef. After slicing my beef into two-inch chunks, I patted the pieces dry and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

I handled the browning in two rounds, spreading the pieces out in a single layer in my cast-iron (with the heat now raised to high) and flipping them over once or twice to make sure they browned on all sides.

During the slicing process.

After the first batch, I put the beef into the Dutch oven, added half a cup of water to the skillet and swirled it around, scraping up the browned bits. This too went into the pot.

I then browned the second batch of beef (adding the reserved fat from the salt pork). After adding it to the burgeoning stew, I repeated the water process and poured the resulting liquid into the pot.

I returned the skillet to the burner and set the heat to medium. I melted four tablespoons of butter, then whisked in the flour once the butter ceased foaming.

Then the mixture had turned golden (with a nutty aroma), I whisked in the low-sodium chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups of water. I raised the heat to medium-high and stirred the liquid as it simmered.

Once it was thickened, I poured it into the Dutch oven--along with 3 cups of wine, tomato paste, salt and pepper.

I finally turned the heat on under my Dutch oven, setting it to high. Once the liquid was boiling, I covered the pot and transferred it to the preheated oven (like Russian stacking dolls, these ovens are!)

Then I cleaned my kitchen and listened to Frightened Rabbit, because I am a sometimes-responsible young lady (with a tendency to let her musical horizons stagnate, because Van Morrison often makes other tunes unnecessary. But I'm growing!) and this stage of the recipe takes 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

When it was finally time to exonerate the oven from its larger oven prison (TWO-FOUR-SIX-OH-ONNNNNE! - though I do not mean to imply that the things I cook are miserable), I set it on the (off) stove and removed the bouquet garni, setting it in a mesh strainer above the pot and essentially juicing the remaining liquid into the stew.

I scooped out the beef with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

I let the liquid rest in the pot for fifteen minutes before skimming off the fat.

Then I brought it to a boil over medium-high heat. Without reducing the heat, I let it simmer--giving it the occasional stir--for about 20 minutes. Ultimately, the sauce should be reduced to about three cups and thickened slightly.

I got to work making the garnish. I used fresh pearl onions, boiling them for a few minutes and then rinsing with cold water so I could easily squeeze them out of their peels. It might be easier, though, to buy the frozen, already-peeled version. Your choice!

Using a medium skillet, I mixed the pearl onions, butter, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water and brought them to a boil over high heat.

Then I covered the skillet and reduced the heat to medium-low, letting them cook for 5 minutes until the onions were tender.

I uncovered the skillet and raised the heat to high again, letting all the liquid dissipate.

Then I stirred in the mushrooms and another quarter-teaspoon of salt and let the vegetables brown for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

I set the vegetables aside before adding water to the skillet and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (poured this into the stew as well.)

Once the sauce was reduced and thickened to my liking, I reduced the heat to medium-low and added the beef, vegetables, brandy, and the last of the bottle of wine. (No worries--we got another bottle to enjoy with the meal.)

Then I covered the pot once more and heated the stew through for five minutes.

After convincing my cat that she didn't want to lounge on my placemat, we sat down to dine.

I can't resist now...bon appetit!

Beef Bourguignon (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
Serves 6.

Bouquet Garni

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, cloves separated and crushed but not peeled
10 sprigs fresh parsley, quartered
6 sprigs fresh thyme
12 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
Salt pork rind

Stew:

6 oz. salt pork cut into 1x1/4x1/4 inch pieces (rind removed and reserved for bouquet)
4 lbs. chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt
Pepper
Water
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups burgundy or pinot noir (a true burgundy is obviously ideal, but you can't always break the bank)
1 teaspoon tomato paste

Garnish:
10 oz. white mushrooms (whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large)
36 white pearl onions, peeled
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons brandy (or cognac)
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca)

Ooooh, boy. What a mix of deliciously tangy catfish with fresh vegetables and sweet coconut milk. Each bite was impressively flavorful.

It was so nice out today that I didn't get started cooking till it was dark out, just because I wanted to sit outside and bask in the sun I rarely get to enjoy at work.

Then I got to chop up vegetables, drink wine, listen to The Mountain Goats, and hang out with my lovely boyfriend--so I didn't necessarily neeeed the fish stew to make my day, but I welcomed it anyhow. I have a generous spirit.

Once those on Dice/Slice Row had been dispensed of, I tossed the fish pieces with lime juice, olive oil, half the minced garlic, salt and pepper, then set them aside.

I heated up two tablespoons of olive oil in my Dutch oven, setting it over medium-high heat. Once the oil was heated, I added the remaining garlic, the large diced onion, and half the diced green pepper. I cooked these until they were tender and translucent (about four minutes.)

Then I added the diced tomato, cooking it down for five minutes. As it began to mush, I poured in the coconut milk, wine, and vegetable oil. The mixture came to a boil, at which point I added the fish and cooked it for about six to eight minutes.

I then added remaining veggies (sliced tomato, sliced onion, and other half of the green pepper) and stirred to combine. I covered the oven and let it cook for another five minutes--don't reduce the heat!

I then removed the lid, stirred in the cilantro and basil, and seasoned the dish (after tasting) with salt and pepper.

Ladled it over rice, snapped some pretty pictures, and then sat down to enjoy the stew with the latest episode of Homeland. Perfect.

Brazilian Fish Stew
Serves 3 - 4.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless catfish fillets, cut into 2-in. pieces
2 large tomatoes, one diced and one thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil (one for fish, two for cooking)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/2 cup basil, minced
Salt
Pepper
2 cups white rice, cooked

Jambalaya with Cajun Roasted Chicken and Sausage

Time again to share the best aspect of Louisiana culture with "all y'all."

I'm so glad the weather's starting to take a turn toward bearable, because I've missed boots and warm comfort foods and light jackets and all that. Also, I do hate to wilt.

We made this delicious jambalaya last weekend because I'd picked up chicken, sausage, and file powder at the farmers' market and I needed to put them to good use. With the help of my illustrious sous-chef Kayla (who likes to dice things while she drinks--a very useful quality I look for in friendships), I was able to enjoy this during my wonderful work-less weekend.



(Side salad: I'm having difficulty making it through the writing of this post without Seinfeld's Newman gushing "JAMBALAYA!"  in my head. Not completely painful, but a bit distracting...)

First I needed to cook the chicken. I preheated my oven to 325 degrees. Then I mixed together Tony Chachere's seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. I rinsed my chicken and patted it dry, then rubbed it with olive oil and the spice mixture.

I put the chicken in my trusty cast-iron skillet and arranged the onion slices around it, then drizzled oil over the pan.

I put the skillet in the oven and let it roast for two hours, re-oiling it halfway through.

Once the chicken was done cooking (it should be at an internal temperature of 180 degrees), I removed the skillet from the oven and  let the chicken rest for ten minutes before cutting into it. As for the broth and onions, I reserved them for the jambalaya.

After the aforementioned ten minutes, I carved into the chicken, slicing the procured meat into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, Kayla arrived and helpfully chopped up all the ingredients that needed chopping and added new playlists to my Spotify (after we went to get amazing corn dip), so obviously she was very good company.

In my Dutch oven, I heated up a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and added the sausage slices. I didn't use any seasoning here, because this sausage is to die for and I don't believe in messing with perfection. But if you are dealing with less-than-heavenly sausage, please sprinkle a little cayenne or Tony's in there! Treat. Yo. Self.

I sauteed the sausage until it was cook through, then set it aside with the chicken. I added fresh oil to the Dutch oven, then added in the peppers, onion, celery, and garlic and cooked them about five minutes, till they were translucent.

Then I stirred in the crushed tomatoes, crushed red pepper, freshly ground black pepper, salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and file powder. To all this magical, well-seasoned, tomato-iness, I added the meat. I made sure the mixture was well-combined and then let it cook for about ten minutes.

Not the prettiest picture, but take my word that it all ended up more than OK.

Finally it was time to add the rice and the chicken stock (part of which I gleaned from the roast chicken, the rest supplied by store-bought broth), which can be a bit stubborn when it comes to cooking (unlike yours truly, who has never been bull-headed in her life, especially not in the kitchen.)

I brought everything to a boil, then let it simmer (covered) for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the liquid was gone and the rice completely cooked.

Then we scraped the pot clean.

Cajun Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken, 2 - 3 lbs.
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil

Jambalaya

Cajun Roasted Chicken
10 oz. Cajun sausage (such as andouille), sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon file powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
10 oz. uncooked rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (part of which you can get from the cooked chicken)

Mustard Coriander Curry for Two

Yay, new camera!

 Long time no blog! I did a little camera-switching over the holidays, so it's only recently that I was able to get some fresh and fancy food pictures on my computer. But now here we are, and I'd love to share with you this salmon curry I made the other night.

I began by cutting my salmon fillets into 1-inch cubes. Then I put a heavy skillet (I used cast-iron) on medium and added the yellow mustard seeds. Once they began to crackle, I put the onions in (along with the brown sugar) and sauteed them until they were golden.

Then I added the ginger garlic paste, turmeric, cinnamon, curry powder, a teaspoon of ground coriander, salt, and pepper. On top of this, I poured the can of coconut milk, then stirred all the ingredients together.

 Now it was time to add the fish! I put the cubes into the cast-iron and stirred the mixture to coat the fish. Then I allowed it to cook for 6-7 minutes, turning the fish every so often.

Meanwhile, I cooked the couscous (following the box directions, which took about five minutes.)

Finally, I ground another teaspoon of coriander over the top of the dish, then served the curry over couscous. Warm and flavorful! Perfect for the cold winter (or the occasionally vaguely chilly Louisiana winter.)

Enjoy!

Mustard Coriander Curry for Two
2 4-6 oz salmon fillets, skin removed
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups couscous

Chicken Vindaloo

I'm from Louisiana, and it's not too often that we have stew or gumbo weather. But so delicious and aromatic are these dishes that sometimes you've just gotta turn down your air conditioner and curl up under a blanket as you enjoy the scent of your simmering dinner and later the hearty taste! Sacrifices must be made for proper sensory overload.

To start with, I chopped up one onion (or rather Andy chopped it) and combined it in the food processor with curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, ground mustard, minced garlic, ground ginger, cumin, white wine vinegar, and ground cloves and blended the ingredients until they were smooth.

Full disclosure: I forgot to chop up the chicken thighs before I coated them all with the spice mixture. So that had to happen post-coating and was rather messy and not at all noble. Chop up the chicken first! 1/2- to 1-inch pieces should do the trick. THEN throw them in a bowl and coat with your spice mixture. Now to return to the first-person narrative...

Andy chopped up the remaining onion. Then we heated up two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. I added the onions and sauteed them until they were golden (about 5-7 minutes.) Then I added in the chicken (and all of the spice mixture) and stirred it in with the onions for about 3 minutes.

Next came the can of diced tomatoes (including all the liquid) and a cinnamon stick. Once the sauce came to a boil, I covered the pot, reduced the heat to low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring on occasion.

After that, I removed the lid and added a tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds. I raised the heat to medium and let it simmer for another 8-10 minutes so the sauce would thicken.

Meanwhile I boiled up a pot of orzo on which to serve the stew. Basmati rice would be really delicious too.

Before serving, I fished out the cinnamon stick and seasoned the stew with salt and pepper. Then I stirred in my cilantro, ladled the vindaloo over bowls of orzo and curled up on the couch in front of a movie. Three cheers for makeshift stew weather!

Chicken Vindaloo
Serves 4.
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground mustard
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tsp cumin
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 3/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cinnamon stick
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Orzo or basmati rice or whatever you choose to serve it on!

Chicken Tikka Masala

 So many posts lately! I should slow down, since there are indeed bills to pay. But I have an addiction to recipes, new and old. Tonight's blog features one of the first dishes I made with my boyfriend (also one of the first complicated dishes I tried. I use "complicated" as an antonym to "easy," as in Easy Mac.)

It was definitely interesting to see how much more comfortable I was in the kitchen. The dish turned out well the first time, but I think confidence and ease are great attributes in the kitchen (nowhere else, though. Shaky cowards unite!)

I couldn't find any garam masala at the store, so I began with making a substitute out of cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, crumbled bay leaves, cinnamon, and ground cloves--garnered from a useful Yahoo! Answer. My friend Andrew suggests adding freshly ground coriander next time and favoring it above the other ingredients.

For the marinade, I used yogurt, the garam masala substitute, lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper, and minced ginger. I took three boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut them into bite-size pieces, and stirred them into the marinade. Then I covered and refrigerated the bowl for two hours.

Once the chicken was ready, I threaded it into four long wooden skewers. Using my new stovetop grill pan, I heated it in high and drizzled olive oil onto the pan. I situated the skewers on the pan and let the chicken cook for about five to seven minutes on each side--it's done when the juices run clear.

For the sauce, I melted butter over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Then I added garlic and chopped fresh jalapeno. I sauteed these for a minute, then added three teaspoons of the garam masala substitute, cumin, and paprika and stirred the mixture to combine the seasonings. 


Next I added tomato sauce and coconut milk. I heated the sauce through, then reduced the heat to low and let it simmer for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.

After twenty minutes, the sauce had begun to thicken and I unthreaded the chicken from the skewers, stirring them into the sauce to coat. I let it simmer for ten more minutes.


Finally I served the chicken and sauce on a bed of rice, then I garnished it all with chopped cilantro. Wonderfully spicy and tasty. Enjoy!


Chicken Tikka Masala (adapated from Allrecipes)


For the marinade:
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garam masala substitute
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
skewers


For the sauce:
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce

1 3/4 cup of coconut milk
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
3 teaspoons garam masala substitute
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika

Garam masala substitute:
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1.2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves