Corn starch

Cornmeal-Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

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So who decided that the only good ribs are BBQ’d Ribs ?!
Once you have tried these here knock-out babies, you might be hooked on this very different spin on one of Americas favorite pork cut’s.
I for one prefer this preparation to the traditional way of barbequing ribs. This way you will actually be able to taste the rib meat, as well as enjoy the unique texture of the ribs, all of which is lost after hours of grilling, smoking and then drowning in a bucket-load of bbq sauce.
Of course, there are some great bbq’d ribs out there, but in my own humble opinion, they are few and far between.
So here we go, great ribs served with a wonderful German potato and cucumber salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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German Potato Salad
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Cornmeal Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: single-cut pork ribs

: simmer ribs in salted water until tender but NOT falling apart, drain

: season with dijon mustard, sriracha, kosher salt , oregano and granulated garlic

: coat with a mixture of corn starch and corn meal ( 50/50)

: saute in peanut oil until golden and crisp

: meanwhile, prepare the potato salad from cooked, warm sliced potatoes and cucumbers (see link for instructions)

: remove ribs to absorbent paper, let rest for a minute

: Cornmeal Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

: Cornmeal Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

: Cornmeal Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

: Cornmeal Dusted Sauteed Pork Ribs

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Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

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It seems to me that the biggest return (culinary bliss and satisfaction) for the smallest investment (time, money and work) was, is and always will be, the preparation of food.
While there are of course very expensive, time-consuming, complicated and labor intensive dishes to be had, the majority of great food can be prepared in a snap. The following is just one of these dishes. All ingredients can be had for a few bucks and the actual prep and cooking time is only about 15 minutes.
So folks, please don’t say you don’t have time to cook. Just face your demon’s and admit that you don’t like to cook 🙂 😦 .
On the other hand, if you don’t know how to cook, that’s a whole different story. For you I have a simple solution to that malady : Follow my blog and get inspiration for simple dishes and instructions how to prepare them- this will be the first step to help you overcome the biggest hurdle, because most of the instructions on ChefsOpinion are dead-simple and require only the most basic culinary knowledge to produce great results.
First step – start trying………. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! You Can Do It !!!
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More Udon dishes on ChefsOpinion
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Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

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Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cook udon noodles in salted water, drain, coat lightly with sesame oil

: prepare a slurry of cornstarch and water

: stir fry sliced onions and fresh, quartered shiitake mushrooms until onions lightly caramelized

: add oyster mushrooms, saute another minute, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili sauce and a bit of chicken stock or water

: stir-in slurry

: simmer a few seconds

: add seafood mushrooms, remove from heat, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

: 🙂

: plate udon noodles

: top with mushrooms

: for a bit of crunch, top with scallions and mung bean sprouts

: Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

: Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

: Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

: Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

: Mushrooms And Udon Noodles In Oyster Sauce

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Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Conventional wisdom dictates that squid (Calamari) for salad should be cooked in liquid or steam.
Not so, say I 🙂
I am of the opinion that squid when done in liquid lack enough taste and texture to add interest to a salad. In my opinion, coating the squid with a mixture of corn starch and corn meal, then frying them in very hot oil to a scrumptious crisp, will give a far superior result and brings out the best of the little sea critters. Should you decide to use this method, add the squid to the top of the salad for presentation, then mix with the rest of the salad just before eating to ensure the crispness of the squid.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
When cooking pasta for salad, you should cook the pasta all the way ! Al dente is for hot dishes;
It is not a good texture for pasta salads. (This is of course my very own opinion, make your own decision according to your own preference 🙂
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Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: remove innards and spine, cut eyes and fangs from tentacles

: cut bodies lenghtwise (or into rings if you prefer)

: season with granulated garlic, plenty of sriracha and kosher salt

: coat with a mixture of half cornstarch, half corn meal

: deepfry for a few seconds in VERY hot oil

: remove to absorbent paper, sprinkle with chopped cilantro

: capers, sun dried tomatoes, corn, grape tomatoes, peppers, scallions,

: pasta of your choice (I used casarecce), add veggies and honey/mustard dressing

: love this serving dish 🙂

: add lettuce in honey/mustard dressing

: top with pasta salad

: top with squid

: Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

: Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

: Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

: Pasta Salad With Squid And Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣汤

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Spicy lunch (I made it VERY spicy), washed down with lemon ice tea while
watching “The Great Gatsby”.
Perfect Saturday so far 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Saute shrimp, dried shrimp, squid, garlic paste and grated ginger in peanut oil for one minute. Add chicken stock, salt, chili sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer, add sliced water chestnuts, soaked and cooked wood ears and small amount of cornstarch slurry. Add whisked eggs, stir slowly in one direction only. As soon as eggs have set into long, thin strands, remove soup from fire. Check/adjust seasoning. Add cubed tofu. To serve, sprinkle with sliced scallions and fried onion julienne.
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Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣汤

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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” Flank Steak & Veggies “

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I have done a few variations of this dish lately and I have become a real fan of it.
Cutting the flank in finger sized pieces, dusting it with corn starch and sauteing
at high heat gives a very pleasant texture and taste. And of course, mixing it with
great vegetables, lots of garlic and then deglazing the pan with red wine or
white wine, depending on the type of veggies – what could be better, once all
these flavors and textures come together in a simple, hearty, flavorful dish 🙂

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Ingredient’s :

Flank steak, cut into large strips
Corn starch, to dust beef
Onions, diced
Grape tomatoes, whole
Artichoke hearts, whole, canned
Butter beans, canned
Garlic, paste
Scallions, sliced large
Oyster sauce, to taste
Sriracha, to taste
Teriyaki sauce, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Season beef with salt and pepper, dust with corn starch and saute
in very hot oil until nicely browned at the outside, rare on the inside.
Transfer to a rack with a plate underneath to catch the juices.
Saute all vegetables and garlic. except scallions, until fragrant.
Add a bit of white wine and the collected beef juices to deglaze,
add sriracha, oyster sauce and teriyaki sauce, blend well.
Add the beef, adjust seasoning if necessary .
To serve, sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

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” Rinderherz Spiesschen ” (Beef Heart Schaschlik)

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Cooking with Heart, part two.

” beef heart skewers with spicy bean salad and chimichurri.

I had expected a whole lot of negative comments on cooking with offal.
To my surprise, most comments were positive and encouraging.
Many readers welcomed the opportunity to see food which is hard to find
in other publications these days.
(Never mind the fact that one food critic called a group of seattle chefs :
” Innovative and daring for using the whole animal in their kitchen’s “) . Daaahhhh.
Real chef’s have never stopped doing that, just as real, experienced food lovers have
never stopped searching for it and enjoying it whenever available.

So here it is, Beef Heart Shashlik .
It may be an acquired taste, but once you do have acquired it, ……. 🙂
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: Image Source: Unknown ( can anybody help out ? )

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Ingredients :

Beef heart, diced, soaked in milk for at least 8 hours
Salt, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
Corn starch, to dredge
Onions, wedges
Olive oil, for sauteeing

Method :

Season meat and onions liberally with pepper and garic powder,
dredge skewers in corn starch, shake of excess corn starch and saute
(grill if you prefer) until crisp on the outside, still light pink in the center.
When almost done, add onions to the pan and saute until meat has
desired temperature and onions start to caramelize. Sprinkle heart with
kosher or sea salt, drizzle with lemon juice, remove to absorbent paper.
Season onions with salt, pepper and garlic powder, remove to absorbent paper.
Serve with any salad and condiment / sauce, such as chimichurri,
horse raddish, spicy salsa, mustard, etc.
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