Pork Chops with Onions & Bacon/Kremenadli so Kromid i Slanina

The onion complements the chops and the bacon releases a lovely smokey flavor making them irresistibly yummy.

My boys are definite carnivores. It’s not a meal, according to them, if it doesn’t have a meat component.

You can serve these chops either with a huge salad side or with mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 8 pork chops
• 2 onions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour or Flour for Roux, Gravies, Sauces…/Brashno za Zaprshki, Kashi, Sosovi…
• 4 bacon slices
• Oil

Preparation:

• Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Flour them on both sides.

• Heat up some oil in a shallow fry pan.
• Add the chops and reduce the heat to medium.
• Fry them in batches, turning them from side to side until golden brown.

• Place them on a serving dish.

• Add the sliced onions.

• Fry for few minutes until it breaks down.
• Add the diced bacon.

• Fry while scraping the sides until the onions becomes translucent.

Note: do not add salt and pepper to the onions as the bacon is salty and the oil is also infused with salt and pepper from the chops. Taste test at the end and see if you wish to add more seasoning.

• Remove from the heat.
• You can either top up the chops with the onion and bacon or arrange it on the side of the chops.

Drizzle the chops with the oil that is infused with the bacon smokey flavor and the onions.

If serving with a side of mash, you can arrange the onion and bacon on top of the mash and drizzle oil over the mash.

 

Pan Fried Lamb Chops/Przeni Jagneshki Kremenadli

Pan fried lamb forequarters. I am unsure why they are called lamb as their size definitely shows they are from a much more mature animal, a sheep.

My boys, who by the way, are carnivores, love these chopped either pan fried or BBQ-ed. The fat content makes them perfect for either or.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg to 2 kg lamb forequarters

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Preparation:

Season the chops with salt and pepper generously.

Heat up some oil in a shallow fry pan (not a lot as the chops have a high fat content which will melt).

Fry the chops on medium until golden brown.

Arrange them on a serving plate and drizzle some of the fat from the pan. The fat is infused with flavor and my boys love dipping their bread in it.

You can serve it with: Vegan Syrian Riz/Posen Sirijski Oriz, Vegan Basil Rice/Posen Oriz so Bosilok, Vegan Smashed Baked Potatoes/Posni Smachkani Pecheni Kompiri, Deep Fried Roasted Peppers/Pohovani Pecheni Piperki, Vegan Sviripile Dip with Sun Dried and Charred Peppers/Posno Sviripile Makalo so Suvi Potpecheni Piperki, Vegan Baker’s Oven Baked Potatoes/Posen Pekarski Pechen Kompir…

 

Leftover BBQ Meal/Obrok so Ostanata Skara

I had leftover BBQ meat that I couldn’t let go to waste. I had few chevapi, a homemade sausage, couple of pork chops, some pork ribs, a lamb chop and a chicken fillet that I transformed into this lovely dish.

Ingredients:

• leftover BBQ meat
• 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 diced onion
• pepper
• spices of own choice (I used oregano)
• oil

Preparation:

• Clean the BBQ meat of the bone and chop it in smaller bite size pieces.
• Set aside.
• Heat up some oil in a deeper fry pan and add the diced onions.
• Fry until translucent.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and fry until they collapse.
• Add the BBQ meat and continue frying until the meat heats through.

• Season with pepper and spices of own choice (do not add salt as the meat is already salted).

A nice sour cream dollop on the side and sprinkle of crushed paprika completes it.

 

Spinach Stew/Mandja Spanak

There is no other dish that reminds me of springtime other than this one.

In Macedonia lamb could be bought only in springtime as lambs mature into sheep by the time autumn starts.

Same with fresh spinach. It comes out in springtime when it’s harvested and frozen to keep during the winter months.

Nowadays we have the luxury to be able to consume both lamb meat and spinach anytime we wish as it gets mass produced, frozen and sold all year round.

Ingredients:

• 2 larger onions cut in wedges
• 2 x 500 gr packets frozen spinach (thawed, thawing liquid included)
• 200 ml milk
• cc 800 gr lamb meet (any cut will do, I used large lamb chops on the bone) cooked until tender and falling off the bone (clean it from the bone, discard the bones but keep the broth)
• water for cooking
• 150 gr uncooked rise (1 espresso cup)
• 2 table spoons mild paprika
• 1 table spoon Vegeta spice
• 2 table spoons dry mint
• 1 tea spoon cracked black pepper
• 3 dry red peppers chopped or 1 fresh red pepper diced
• oil for frying

Preparation:

• Place the meat in a pot, cover with water and cook until meat is tender, (skim the froth from time to time).
• When the meat starts falling off the bone, clean it from the bones, discard them but keep the broth. Set aside.
• Thaw the spinach and preserve the liquid. Set aside.

• Fry the onions in a little bit of oil.

• Add the chopped dry peppers and fry until you start smelling a peppery aroma.
• Add the spinach together with the liquid and fry for few minutes.
• Add the rise and fry for few minutes while stirring so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

• Add all of the seasonings: Vegeta, mint, pepper and paprika, stir and fry to kick start cooking the rice.
• Add the meat and about 4 cups of the broth (keep the rest as you might need to add more while the spinach is simmering).

• Bring it to the boil and add a cup of milk (reason for adding milk is to get the best out of the spinach: the enzyme in the milk dissolves the iron).
• Cover and let it simmer on low heat, stir from time to time as the rice might stick to the bottom of the pot.

• Cook until the rise is fluffed (add more of the broth if the rise soaks up the liquid while it’s simmering).

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with a generous dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top and sprinkle with either hot or mild paprika.

 

Meat Balls/Kjoftenca

These meat balls can be a great addition to a grazing table, antipasto platter or on top of a pasta dish with Bolognaise sauce. They are also perfect for little fingers.

Ingredients:

• Oil for frying
• 500 gr mince meat (I use pork and beef)
• 100 gr bread
• 100 milk
• 1 egg
• 1 grated onion (juice and all)
• 2 cloves grated garlic
• 20 gr finely chopped parsley  
• 1 tea spoon oregano
• 1 tea spoon Vegeta
• 1/2 tea spoon pepper
• 2 table spoons ajvar

Preparation:

• Warm up the milk and soak the bread in it until it softens.
• Squeeze out the excess milk.
• Place it in a mixing bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Work the mixture using your hands until everything is well combined.
• Cover with plastic foil and let it rest in the fridge to marinate for about 30 minutes.
• Take it out of the fridge.
• Form small balls using a table spoon as a measurement.
• Heat up oil in a shallow fry pan and fry the meatballs until golden.

 

Chicken Tandoori Tongues/Pileski Jazici

This is my variation of the original tandoori chicken recipe (an Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi dish where the chicken meat is marinated in yogurt and a tandoori masala spice mixture and then baked in a clay oven). I love it because I can moderate and adjust the amount of tandoori spice I use and therefore enable the dish to appeal to almost everyone including my kids.

Ingredients:

• 1kg chicken breast
•  as much or as little u need to season the meat to own taste: tandoori powder spice
•   to taste: salt and pepper
•  2-3 table spoons butter

Preparation:

• Cut the meat in long, narrow pieces to look like tongues.
• Thread each piece on a bamboo skewer.
• Season the meat with salt, pepper and tandoori powdered spice.
• Cover with plastic foil and place it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours.
• Heat the hot plate of the BBQ and melt the butter.
• Place the meat on the well greased hot plate and grill it until golden brown.

Serving suggestion:

Serve it with the following yogurt sauce that will give it freshness and enhance its taste:

Yogurt as meat topping-sauce/Yogurt kako prilog za meso-sos

 

Deep Fried Chicken/Pohovano Pilesko Meso

My boys love deep fried chicken, erm well not just them, I love it as well. Here are two ways I prepare deep fried chicken.

They are not exactly with the secret mix of 11 herbs and spices but they sure will give Colonel Sanders’ the run for his money.

1. Deep Fried Chicken

KFC eat your heart out!!!!!

This one has a very crunchy crust covering the succulent chicken meat.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks (or any other chicken meat pieces of own choice such as chicken fillet, chicken steak, chicken wings etc)
• water for cooking
• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic pieces
• 2-3 bay leaves
• oil for deep frying
• to taste: Vegeta and pepper
•  as much as required for the batter: eggs, plain flour, palenta, milk

Preparation:

• Place the chicken meat, quartered onion, garlic and bay leaves in a pot and cover with water.
• Cook until the meat is tender.
• Remove the meat (keep the water/broth, a nice soup can be made out of it): https://foodspiceandallthingsnice.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/creamy-chicken-and-nutmeg-soupkremasta-pileska-supa-so-morsko-orevce/
• While the meat is hot, season with Vegeta and pepper.
• Allow it to cool.
• Beat with a fork couple of eggs with a drop of milk (if required you can beat more).
• Place some flour in a plate.
• Place some polenta in another plate.
• Dip and cover a drumstick in the egg batter.
• Roll it in flour to cover it well.
• Dip it in egg again.
• Roll it in polenta to cover evenly.
• Place it on a clean plate and repeat the process until all meat is done.
• Heat oil in a deep pot for deep frying.
• When the oil is hot drop the pieces in the hot oil and fry on high heat; the chicken is already cooked so all that is required is for the surface to crisp and become golden.
• Remove from the oil and place them on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.

2. Deep Fried Chicken

This version is a bit more delicate, the crust is thinner, it absolutely melts in the mouth.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks (or any other chicken meat pieces of own choice such as chicken fillet, chicken steak, chicken wings etc)
• water for cooking
• oil for deep frying
• to taste: Vegeta and pepper
• as much as required for the batter: eggs and plain flour

Preparation:

• Place the chicken meat in a pot and cover with water.
• Cook until the meat is tender.
• Remove the meat (keep the water/broth, a nice soup can be made out of it): https://foodspiceandallthingsnice.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/creamy-chicken-and-nutmeg-soupkremasta-pileska-supa-so-morsko-orevce/
• While the meat is hot, season with Vegeta and pepper.
• Roll the meat while hot in flour to cover it well.
• Place it on a clean plate and repeat the process until all meat is done.
• Allow it to cool.
• Heat oil in a deep pot for deep frying.
• While the oil is heating, beat 2 eggs with an electric mixer while pale and frothy.
• Dip each piece of meat in the egg, roll it in flour again to cover it evenly and drop it in the hot oil to fry.
• Fry on high heat; since the chicken is already cooked, all that is required is for the surface to crisp and become golden.

Note: dip the chicken in the beaten eggs couple of pieces at a time and do not overcrowd the oil. Once few pieces are ready, repeat the process with the remainder of the meat (if you run out of egg mixture, beat another two eggs and continue to dip the floured meat in the egg and again in flour just before dropping it into the hot oil).

• Once the meat becomes golden, remove from the oil and place it on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.

 

Lamb Rack Roast/Peceni Jagneski Rebra

Carré d’agneau or rack of lamb: tender, succulent and mouth watering.

Ingredients:

• A pair of lamb racks: 2 x 8 bones

• Vegeta
• White pepper
• Dried parsley

Also:

• Potatoes (cc 1kg)

Preparation:

• Season the lamb racks: rub in Vegeta and dried parsley and dust with pepper.

• Place them flat in a deeper baking tray.
• Cover the tray with alum-foil and roast it in the oven on moderate heat until you can start smelling the roast.

• Take it out of the oven, uncover and turn the rack on the other side. Return the foil and roast again.
• Repeat the process until the meat starts falling off the bone.
• While the rack is roasting, wash and clean a desired amount (1kg will do) of potatoes-leave the skin on, just remove the spots if any. Put them in a pot, cover with water and boil until al dente. Drain and discard the water.
• Check the meat,if ready, remove the foil and return it to the oven until it gets a golden brown color and a thin skin forms on top of the meat.
• Remove the rack from the tray and place it on a serving dish.
• Take the boiled potatoes and put them in the same baking tray where the rack was roasting. Stir to cover them with the spices and juices from the lamb rack.

• Bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

• Place them around the lamb rack in the serving dish.

 

Ossobuco

Literally: “bone with a hole”: Quote: “There are two types of ossobuco: a modern version that has tomatoes and the original version which does not. The modern and more popular recipe includes tomatoes, carrots, celery and onions. The older version, ossobuco in bianco, is flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf and gremolata. ”

Ingredients:

• 3 onions diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 potatoes diced
• 4-5 pieces of garlic
• 2-3 medium tomatoes diced
• 1 can (330ml) beer
• to taste: Vegeta, pepper and oregano
• 2 table spoons paprika
• oil for frying
• of own choice either cooked rice,boiled potatoes, mushed potatoes or cooked pasta

Preparation:

1. Brown the onion in a bit of oil.
2. Add the sliced carrots-fry until the oil becomes yellowish.
3. Add the tomatoes and fry for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the meat and fry it on high heat until its surface becomes brownish.
5. Add Vegeta, pepper and oregano to taste-stir it well.
6. Add paprika and fry until the surface of the meat is well covered.
7. Transfer the lot in a baking dish and add the beer.
8. Cover with a lid or alum-foil and bake in a moderate oven until the meat falls of the bone (turn it from time to time).
9. Remove the lid and bake until the meat browns.

Serving suggestions:

You served it on a bed of pasta like I did or on a bed of rice, mushed potatoes, or boiled potatoes. Place the meat on top and heavily drizzle with the veggies and sauce.

 

Grilled Lamb Sweet Breads/Krezla na skara

Sweetbreads or Ris are culinary delicacies highly prized by cooks, chefs and connoisseurs all over the world because of their delicate flavor and smooth, velvety texture.

They can be prepared by almost any cooking method: sautéing, braising, poaching, grilling, frying and roasting. They are fantastic in stews, can be accompanied by veggies, rice or potatoes or just with some green salad and warm crusty bread. Our choice is very simple: BBQ grilled with stacks of salad and crusty bread.

These meat cuts come exclusively from young animals most often from lamb or veal although sometimes pork sweetbreads can be eaten. My choice are lamb sweetbreads. My Turkish butcher brings them in every now and then and I know there will be no fresher sweetbread in Melbourne (they’re very perishable, should be as fresh as possible and eaten within 24 hours of purchase). When buying sweetbreads choose ones that are white as the older the animal-the redder the sweetbread therefore tougher the texture and stronger the flavor/smell.

Ingredients:

• 1kg Sweetbreads
• Water
• 1 Lemon

Then:

• to taste: salt and pepper

Also:

• mild paprika

Preparation:

1. Clean the sweetbreads: remove fatty bits and very, very gently peel the skin/outer membrane as much as possible.

2.  Put them in a dish and cover them with cold water.

3.  Place the dish in the fridge and let them soak in the water for couple of hours.

4.  Tip the water out and replace it with fresh, clean and cold water.

5.  Add juice of 1 lemon.

6.  Return them in the fridge to soak for another hour or so.

7.  Remove them from the water (discard the water) and place them on a paper kitchen towel to drain.

8.  With a very sharp knife cut them in bite size pieces.

9.  Season with salt,  pepper and paprika, massage in the spices.

10. Thread them on BBQ skewers.

11.  Grill them on the BBQ or hot grill.

(If you wish you can or pan fry bite size loose pieces in butter until they become golden brown)