Great Food, All Day Long_ Cook Splendidly, Eat Smart - Maya Angelou [6]
3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
½ cup olive oil or other vegetable oil
Red Chile Sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
1½ teaspoons dried tarragon
Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes and their liquid
2 cups homemade chicken stock or one 14½-ounce can low-sodium chicken or beef stock
Sprinkle the beef with the flour in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.
In a 6- to 8-quart pot, cook the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the meat mixture and Red Chile Sauce (if desired) to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the cilantro, cumin, cloves, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, tomatoes and their liquid, and stock. Simmer, uncovered, until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour, stirring often.
SERVES 4 TO 6. Serving size: ½ cup of chili over ½ cup of rice.
For a more flavorful dish, cook and refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before serving. Or place in zippered bags and freeze to be used with a hot dog at a later date. And for a spicier kick, add more Red Chile Sauce to taste.
Red Chile Sauce
4 ounces (12 to 15) dried pasilla chiles (New Mexico or Anaheim chiles work best)
Stem and seed the chiles and combine with 3 cups water in a 2½- to 3-quart pot.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the chiles are very soft, about 30 minutes.
Remove the chiles from the pan and place them in a blender, saving the cooking water.
Puree the chiles, adding cooking water as needed, until you have a very smooth mixture, about 3 minutes.
Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, rubbing firmly, into a container. Discard the residue.
Add the sauce to chili or other dishes as desired.
Spicy Barbecued Spareribs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 pounds baby back spareribs, cut into serving pieces
1 cup chicken stock
Barbecue Sauce
½ cup vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1⁄3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
Dash of hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Stir together 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle over the spareribs and rub in thoroughly. Place the coated ribs in a shallow roasting pan.
Pour the chicken stock over the ribs and place the ribs in the oven. Cook for 1½ hours or until tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce. Mix together the vinegar, honey, ketchup, mustard, paprika, hot pepper sauce, garlic, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove the spareribs from the oven and place them in a broiling pan. Brush the spareribs with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven on the lowest rack. Set the oven to low broil, and broil the spareribs for 30 minutes, brushing frequently with the sauce. To tell when they’re done, pierce the meat between the bones with a fork. If the fork comes out easily, the meat is done.
SERVES 4. Serving size: ½ pound of ribs.
Many years ago I was invited to be a distinguished visiting professor at Wichita State University. I taught there for four weeks while staying with family friends.
My hosts, Dr. and Mrs. George Rogers, had two daughters and the first microwave I had ever seen. The daughters were very clever teenagers, who cooked everything they could find in the microwave oven.
I elected to cook some special dishes for the family. I prepared a beef bourguignonne one night, and a beef stroganoff a few days later. On a Sunday I cooked curried lamb and served it with mango chutney, cucumber, cashew nuts, raisins, and diced tomatoes.
While the adults enjoyed my creations, the young ladies could barely choke them down.
My husband, Paul, visited from California for a weekend, and he offered to cook his version of a London grill. He fried steak, liver, bacon, a beef kidney, and pounds of sliced onions in