Pulled Pork

There are so many recipes you can try out using pork.  For that different recipe, I suggest you try the pulled pork.  Never heard of it?  This is a different way of cooking pork using a slow method.  For this recipe you need to buy a good piece of pork meat.  I suggest either the shoulder or neck.  A 1.5kg piece of pork is enough for 4 persons.

Prepare the Dry Rub by mixing the following ingreadients together

Dry Rub 

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
Place the meat in a big container and cover with the Brine solution

Brine Solution

1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
3 tbsp dry rub mix
2 bay leaves

Refrigerate for 8 hours or more. 

After 8 hours, take the meat out, pat dry and cover with remaining dry mix and rub as much as possible.

Place the meat in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours

The beauty of this recipe is that with the left overs (hence the big piece of pork) you can make some delicious sandwiches or burgers.  'Pull the pork' using a fork, put on a bun, add some of your favourite sauce et voila.

French Onion Soup

I’m a big fan of onions. It’s always a case of the more the better. I just cant’ get enough of them. That’s why I enjoy cooking onion bajis and onion soups. Here’s the recipe for the latter.

Ingredients

(serves 6)
50g butter
1tbsp olive oil
2kg onions
1tsp chopped fresh thyme
1tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1.5 litres vegetable stock
25ml tbsp plain flour
150ml dry whtie wine
3tbsp brandy
Salt and ground black pepper

For the Croutes
6-12 thick slices day old french bread
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp french mustard
115g Gruyere cheese

Heat the butter and oil in a large pann. Add the onions and stir. Cook over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions begin to soften. Stir in the thyme.
Reduce the head to very low, cover and cook the onions for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until very soft and golden.

Uncover the pan and increase the heat slightly. Stir in the sugar and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the sherry vinegar and increast the heat again, then continue cooking, stirring frequently until onion turn a deep golden brown – this could take up to 20minutes.

Bring the stock to the boil in another pan. Stir the flour into the onions adn cook for 2 minutes then gradually stir in the sotck, wine, brandy and seasoning to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15minutes

For the croutes, preheat the oven to 150C. Place the bread on a greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Rub with the garlic and spread with mustrad, then sprinkle with the cheese.

Preheat the grill on the hottest setting. Ladle the soup into six flameproof bowls. Add the croutes and grill until the cheese melts, bubbles and browns. Serve immediately.

Lemon Granita

The Heat is on in the med. and one of the best ways to cool down is a lemon granita!

A very simple recipe you should all try out.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

half cup sugar

juice of 2 lemons

zest of one lemon

Method:

Dissolve sugar in water. Bring to boil then let cool completely.

Add lemon juice and zest to water mixture.

Freeze.

Take out from freezer, and using a blender break up the large frozen mixture. Pour into tall glasses and enjoy!

Stuffed Maltese Bread with Grilled Vegetables and Cheese

Ingredients



Maltese Hobza (loaf)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 crushed large garlic
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 large zucchini
1 large eggplant
black olives without stone
Fresh basil leaves
400gr slices cheddar chees or any other cheese
Sesame seed
2 large tomatoes
Sun dried tomatoes
capers


Method

Grill all the vegetables and in the case of the bell peppers after grilling remove the outer skin.


If you happen to live in Malta you have the luxury of finding the typical Maltese Hobza (bread) in every village bakery. Cut the top part of the bread but do not discard.

Remove the inside as shown in pic

Spread the inside of the bread with tomato paste

And now let’s start layering.
Our base will be the aubergine, then some zucchini, followed by cheddar slices and press to make enough room for the remaining ingredients.

Now add the fresh tomato slices, followed by some fresh basil leaves and some more cheese.

Now add the red and yellow peppers , capers and some more cheese

If there’s room for more vegetables, feel free to add more layers and don’t forget to press down. Add some sun dried tomatoes

Now close the bread using the upper part we cut off earlier. Rub the entire loaf with olive oil and bake for 15-20mins at 150c.



Cut the loaf in half - and serve.....

Maltese fried rabbit and spaghetti with creamy rabbit sauce

Ingredients:

1 rabbit cut

2 onions sliced

6 garlic cloves

1 cup peas

4 bay leaves

mixed herbs

1 tsp olive oil

1 stock cube

salt and pepper

2 cups red wine

half cup fresh cream

fresh parsley chopped

80 g spagetti per person

Method:

Heat oil in frying pan.

Cook rabbit until slightly brown.

Add onions and garlic until onions soften.

Add the wine.

Dissolve stock cube in water and add to pan together with the bay leaves and herbs.

Add kidney, liver and peas and parsley.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hours. Add more wine if sauce begins to dry up.

When the Rabbit is done, remove from sauce (so that it doesnt become overcooked).

Add the cream and let the sauce reduce.

In the meantime cook the spaghetti al dente.

Serve the spaghetti with the creamy rabbit sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.

You can eat the rabbit as a main course with baked potatoes or chips with some of the sauce and Maltese bread.

Maltese Beef Olives (Bragjoli)

Ingredients:

For the Bragjoli
12 thin slices of beef
small bunch of parsley chopped
6 slices of smoked ham or bacon
300 grams Edam cheese (divided in 12 pieces)
6 hard boiled eggs - peeled and quartered pepper
4 cloves garlic chopped

For the Sauce

4 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
3 tbsp finely chopped garlic
3 large onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 large cup of frozen peas
1 litre of tomato polpa or passata
200 grams of tomato paste
1 glass wine
sea salt and pepper
oil for cooking

Method:

Prepare the cut ham or bacon, quartered hard boiled eggs, sliced cheese and chopped garlic and parsley.
Place a slice of the thin pieces of beef on a clean surface.
Place a piece of ham or bacon onto the far end of the meat
Then place a piece of cheese, 2 quaters of hard boiled egg and sprinkle some minced garlic and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Fold the sides of the meat to the center and roll over to form a parcel.
Close the extremities with a toothpick on each side. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the slices.

Cooking

In a heavy based sauce pan, heat some oil and add some of the garlic, bay leaves and herbs.
Add the 'bragjoli' in batches of 4 or 6 so you can cook properly and have space to move and turn them.
Brown for about 2 to 3 min on each side and repeat process till all are cooked.
Place to the side. In the same pan, add the remaining garlic, herbs and onions and some more oil if needed.
Deglace pan with wine so that the bits of meat that might have stuck to the pan will come off.

Cook together for about 10 min, then add the chopped carrots and peas.
Add some more wine, cook for another 10 min, then add the tomato polpa and paste.
Season, bring to the boil and add the 'bragjoli' you would have half cooked earlier.
Cook on a medium flame for about 20 to 30 min
Reduce heat and cook for another hour.