Spicy Pulled Pork

The other day I sort of decided that I want to make some Pulled Pork again. It's been quite awhile and needed to be revisited. So I went grocery shopping and noticed that it was on sale by the pound. Naturally I picked some up.

DISCLAIMER: THE AMOUNT OF SPICES USED HERE MAKES THIS RIDICULOUSLY HOT AND SPICY! NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR STOMACH!!!

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs Pork Loin
1 bottle Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest (BEER)
Paprika
Ground Cloves
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Ground Allspice
Chili Powder
Ground Turmeric Root
Fennel Powder
Chipotle Chili Powder
Ancho Chili Powder
Cayenne Chili Powder

I began this by gathering all my spices.

Then I found this delicious bottle of seasonal brew. Yes, I had a second bottle to enjoy while the pork cooked.

In the slow cooker, I made a spice mix. I began with about 2 spoonfuls of the following: Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Garlic Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Ground Turmeric Root, Fennel Powder, Paprika, Ground Cloves, and Ground Allspice. On top of those, I added about 2.5 spoonfuls of the Chipotle Chili Powder, Ancho Chili Powder, and Cayenne Chili Powder. Then I mixed them together.

On top of that, I put in the two Pork Loins. I placed them how they are so as to make a hole in the middle for the spices and beer to meld together easier.

Once the Pork Loins were in, I added a smaller amount of that spice mix to the tops of them. Turn the heat on 'high' now.

Then I added a little big of Beer in the middle hole. It bubbles up from the reactions it has with the spices in there.

Now the rest of the bottle. You will need all of it. If you are using regular bottle sized beer, use at least two bottles.

Now put the lid on and let cook. Take a peak about 2 hours into the cooking process.

That looked tasty, didn't it? I think it did. Well, this recipe takes about 5 hours. I say about since it's a rough estimate depending on the slow cooker, type of beer used, and if you switch it from HIGH to LOW or vice versa.

Check it again a few hours later. Your entire home should smell like the Pork.

Such a change from that darker muddy brown color before to a bright reddish hue! Step back when opening the slow cooker. That spice aroma will kill you!

Alright, to taste it I took a tip off of one of them and it was delicious. So I unplugged the slow cooker and took out the Pork Loins. This is what they looked like right away:

I cut one apart, this is what it looks like. Shows that I could have taken off a little bit sooner, however still moist and deliciously spicy.

I know there are more than a few different ways to actually eat the Pulled Pork I have created, however I prefer to eat it 'straight'. As in I like to just put it on a plate and eat it. Some Asiago Cheese never hurt it either. Enjoy.

Kirby's Korner: Bombay Grill Indian Restaurant & Bar

This place was an eye opener. I love spicy food and cooking with Indian spices, but this place was definitely something for me to shoot for. I couldn't find a good picture to post with this business that was in focus, so you get one of their food. Mouthwatering, isn't it?

Service
The service here can be split into two different ways depending on when you go. The first way is when it is the lunchtime buffet, where service really cannot go wrong. I had a woman dressed in Indian dress that of course matched the food they were serving. For the second way, there is dinner. No longer a buffet but a more normal ordering system. Only small issue I had was the wait once done eating, it seemed like a long time.

Score: 4/5

Food
When I went for lunch, the food did seem a bit bland like they used the leftovers from the day before, but who knows. Regardless of that fact, the food tasted quite well if bland. I had a little bit of Chicken Vindaloo, Tikki Marsala, and a few other things that escape my memory. It is better when you go for dinner. I went for dinner and had their Chicken Vindaloo again, hoping for some spice to it. I was not disappointed. No longer was there any hint of blandness here. It was full of spicy and flavor to the point I was sweating while eating it. So amazing and exactly what I wanted. I even ordered a second Chicken Vindaloo to go for lunch at work the next day, however they gave me Chicken Tikki Marsala which was quite the downer.

Score: 5/5

Decor
This place does not look amazing. I cannot stress that enough. The outside is boring and not inspiring at all. The inside is very basic with a touch of cuteness added in. Could do a lot by making the inside, other than the hostess/waitress dressing Indian, match their food. The colors used are quite drab, maybe to make the food stand out more, but could brighten up the walls some.

Score: 2/5

Cost
This place is decently cheap. Not bad cheap like fast food, but good cheap like amazing food for low prices. My dinner alone cost maybe 25 dollars overall and that includes the second ordering to go. I highly recommend this place!

Score: 5/5

Overall Score: 4/5

Main Course: Shrimp!

So after putting the appetizer and side dish together, I had to turn my attention to the main course. Shrimp.










Ingredients:
1/2 lb Gulf Coast Shrimp
Archer Farms Chili Lime Sauce
Italian Herbs Mix
White Wine
Cilantro

So I began by throwing together the marinade for the Shrimp. I began with Archer Farms Chili Lime Sauce and put in about 1/4 to a 1/3 of the bottle. To this I added about a 1/4 cup of Cilantro leaves and 2 pinches of Italian Herbs Mix. I poured in about a 1/3 cup of White Wine, and mixed all of this together. Then in went the Shrimp. I did all of this in a large ziploc bag and made sure to roll it up to make sure all the Shrimp was marinaded properly. It also pushes out most if not all the air to create a pseudo vacuum seal.

I then turned the stovetop burner to medium and placed a saucepan on. To this I poured the Shrimp and marinade into the pan.

Stir occasionally until done, which is evidenced by the Shrimp turning from pink to a light orange color.

Once done, turn off the burner and plate according to your tastes. I did sprinkle some Italian Herbs Mix on top as a finish, as well as a simple garnish of sage and cilantro. Enjoy.

Side Dish: Moroccan Mushrooms

In addition to the Chef's Original: Appetizer a l'oignon, I threw together a spicy little side dish to go along with my main dish. I know mushrooms are easily manipulated and used with any flavoring, so I began by choosing them.





Ingredients
White Button Mushrooms
Archer Farm's Moroccan Inspired Sauce
Italian Herb Mix

This recipe is a very simple one since I used sauce from a bottle. I did find that this sauce is amazing and I must research into creating my own Moroccan spice mix/sauce.

I began by slicing the mushrooms. Very easy to do, or you can just buy them that way. I turned the burner to medium and put the saucepan on. I put in about 1/2 the bottle of Moroccan Inspired Sauce. I tossed the mushrooms in and mixed them around to coat them thoroughly. I then topped with italian herb mix.

About 2 minutes into them cooking, I stirred again so the herbs mixed in. About a minute after this they were done, which you can tell by the mushroom slices being a bit spongey. Or you can just taste test, that's always a fun time!

I took them out and served them with the sauce, topped with a dash of italian herbs again. Enjoy.

Indian Spiced Chicken

Today for lunch, we went to a local indian restaurant. It was amazing. I have not had indian food in years, other than that which I have cooked myself, so it was quite memorable....and filling.

This trip got me in the mood to cook today, so I picked up some chicken and delved into my spices and came up with something that was tasty!

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts
Vegetable Oil
Sesame Seeds
Turmeric/Tumeric
Garam Masala
Hot Smoked Spanish Paprika
Cumin
Coriander
Ground Black Pepper
Cloves
Cardamom Pods
Fenugreek Seeds
Garlic Salt
Pearl Couscous

So I grabbed a metal mixing bowl and mixed together everything but the Vegetable Oil, Pearl Couscous, and Chicken Breasts. I did not include an amount on the spices because everyone should have fun with this recipe and mix together what you think is right! Once that was mixed, I took my large saucepan and poured in around 2 cups of the Vegetable Oil. I then turned the heat to medium-high and turned to the chicken.

You should be able to trim the Chicken Breasts and cut them into smaller portions/chunks in time to turn around and add the spice mix to the oil. The oil should be about to boil at this point. I turn the heat down to about medium when I add the spices in. Mix them together as best you can.

Once that is done, add the chicken in. Let cook for about a minute, then flip the chicken. Do this periodically until you think it's done, which should be no more than 10 minutes. However, cut a piece to check so you do not get sick!

I also used my rice cooker to cook up some Pearl Couscous (1.5 cups Couscous: 2 cups water) and had that with the Chicken. It was very tasty and I am lucky enough to have some for my lunch tomorrow! Enjoy!

Fresh Salsa!

I love making salsa since it is a great addition to so many dishes! It's very easy to make and very easy to customize your flavor.

Ingredients:
6 Roma Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
1 White Onion
1 Cubanelle Pepper
1 Bell Pepper
2 Caribe Peppers
2 Red Fresno Peppers
1/4 cup of Lime Juice
2 healthy pinches of Italian Herbs Mix



So first off you start with using a food processor to puree the Roma Tomatoes. It will look pink, but that's how fresh tomatoes look, so don't worry just yet.

After that is done you do the same to the Onions and Peppers. Put all of this into a tupperware container and add the Lime Juice and Herb Mix. Stir together quite thoroughly. Seal and put into your fridge. Serve when cold!

You can just serve it fresh, it does taste quite good as is. I think that putting the salsa in the fridge overnight, or at least for an hour or two, lets the flavors blend together better.