Chorizo

George Hirsch November 5, 2020

Grilling the chorizo and vegetables before they go into the pot is a good example of how browning ingredients first add to a dish's flavor.

All chorizo sausages are not the same. The Spanish make it from smoked pork, while the Mexican chorizo is made from fresh pork. To further confuse the issue, the flavor can differ depending on the variety of spices, the hotness of the chilies, and the texture can range from styles made with chunks of meat to those made from ground meat. No chorizo, no problem. Substitute a flavorful sausage of your choice.

Chorizo and Pepper Stew

Makes four servings

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1 pound fresh chorizo sausage

2 sweet red or ripened peppers, halved and seeded

1 sweet onion, peeled and thickly sliced

Olive oil

3 slices of bacon, chopped

1 (16 ounces) can white beans, rinsed and drained

6 cloves Caramelized Garlic

1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, oregano, paprika

Hot sauce to taste

1/2 cup red wine + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Top with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

Preheat grill or stovetop grill/ cast iron pan to medium.

Grill the chorizo for 7 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove, cool, and slice into 1-inch pieces. Brush the bell peppers with olive oil, grill 2-3 minutes on each side, cool, and cut into thin strips. Brush the onion slices with olive oil, grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove, cool, and chop.

On the side burner of the grill or stovetop, preheat a pan to medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until light brown. Add the grilled peppers, onions, beans, garlic, spices and cook for 2 minutes longer. Lower the heat to medium and add the chorizo. Stir in the wine, broth and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Serve with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Chorizo Stew is perfect served on top of cooked rice.

***Treat yourself to an amazing Chocolate Cake***

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AS SEEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION & CREATE TV- SEASON ONE
FEATURING CHEF GEORGE HIRSCH DEMONSTRATING HIS SAVORY COOKING, BAKING AND GRILLING RECIPES; WITH HIS EXPERT CULINARY TIPS & TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH VISITS TO HIS INSPIRING HAMPTON LOCATIONS.

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

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This easy to live with lifestyle plan; with more than 165 of George's easy-to-prepare gourmet recipes, you can lose weight, maintain energy, look better, and enjoy a longer active life, by eating great food!
M.Evans and Company, Inc.

George Starts your year off right!

George Hirsch Living it UP
Recipes for a Healthy Active Life
Product Details
Hardcover: 240 pages; $24.95
Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; 2000
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0871319241
ISBN-13: 978-0871319241
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Creative Cooking tips
Fast Easy recipes that allow for an active lifestyle
A 30-Day Menu Plan you can adapt throughout the year
Support and motivation for staying on a healthy eating & exercise routine
Tips for easy food shopping & eating healthy on the run

Each book is personally autographed by George Hirsch.

***Plus, watch video for good measure — a good Scone Tip***

Best Scones

George Hirsch October 24, 2020

The best scones are delicate and cake-like with slight crumble. Having filmed many times on the Emerald Aisle, I've had my fair share of perfect scones, offered by the always welcoming Irish people. As a tribute to the Irish I hope you enjoy these scones as much as I have.
Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!

A scone is a quick bread, but it is unclear of the word's true origin—be it from the Scots, Brits, or Germans. I like the word scone as it may have derived from the Gaelic term "sgonn," meaning a shapeless mass or large mouthful. Scones are usually round in shape, although some are hexagonal as this shape provides for space-efficiency while baking. Other shapes include triangles and squares.

Why Buttermilk? Using buttermilk instead of cream makes for a lighter, more bread-like scone. The scones are baked at a higher oven temperature, which produces a darker, crispier crust. Using Buttermilk will also result in a more tender, creamy texture with a rich buttery taste and a bit of tang, somewhat similar to a good Greek yogurt. TIP: Not to worry if you are plum out of buttermilk; regular milk + vinegar will provide the same results.

Easily prepared, baked, and enjoyed in under an hour—have a good cup of hot tea and jam with my Irish Scones.

George's Irish Scones

Makes 8 scones in a 9 inch round pan

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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold sweet butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk, *made into buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup raisins, **plumped

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar, for making milk into buttermilk

*Add white vinegar to milk to make the buttermilk. Allow to sit 5 minutes to sour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter to the flour and blend in by hand until the butter resembles fine crumbs. Add granulated sugar and mix it into the flour.

Combine beaten egg, vanilla, and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, toss in plumped raisins, and mix by hand until a dough forms. It will take about one minute of kneading until the flour is absorbed. Turn scone dough on to a floured surface. Form in the shape of a ball, do not over knead. With a rolling pin, flatten out dough to one inch thick.

Place the round scone dough into a 9-inch cake pan. With a bench scraper or knife, cut through the dough across four times, dividing into eight equal pieces. Immediately bake for about 16-18 minutes until dough sounds hollow, a sign it is fully baked.

Serve warm with jam and clotted whip cream.

TIP: **To plump raisins, add 2 tablespoons of water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.

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Q on Demand

George Hirsch October 17, 2020

I’m getting into dangerous territory here, because I’m talking pork Q. There is nothing I like better than a slow cooked smoked pork shoulder or butt, served with a soft piece of bread and a vinegary sauce. Sounds good, doesn't it? However, you’ll have to wait five plus hours for the real deal or jump in the car and head to your favorite smokehouse. Here’s a solution. Whip-up my BBQ Pork Sandwich as a snack while you slowly cook-up a pork shoulder.

It’s a winner! The trick is in a little advanced planning by applying a dry rub on a tender pork tenderloin for 24 hours, then quickly grill for 15-25 minutes! A crowd pleaser, many times. Enjoy!

George Hirsch's Pork BBQ Sandwich

Makes six servings

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1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

1/4 cup Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 soft rolls or hamburger buns

1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup Q Sauce

Dry rub the pork tenderloin. Rub pork spices over pork tenderloin and refrigerate until ready to cook*. (*If time permits, putting the rub on one day prior or two hours before cooking will really increase the flavor)

PORK RUB

2 Teaspoons each; powdered garlic, paprika

1 Tablespoon each; black pepper, rosemary, thyme, Chipotle rub

Q SAUCE

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup Steak Sauce

1/4 cup Hoisen sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients. Serve sauce warm or at room temperature.

TIP: To cut cooking time in half, butterfly the meat. Use skewers to keep the meat from curling up.

To Cook Pork:

Pre Heat Grill to high heat.

Rub olive oil over pork tenderloin. Place pork tenderloins on high heat and grill to golden brown turning once on all sides. Lower heat to medium, cook until pork is fully cooked about 15-25 minutes* (see *Tip). Remove from grill and let meat rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice pork tenderloin very thin, pile high on soft buns. Drizzle Q Sauce over meat, top with finely shredded cabbage.

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Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

George Hirsch October 3, 2020

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Makes 1 large loaf or 3-4 mini loaves; about 6 servings

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8 strips bacon

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ pounds 80 / 20 ground beef; or use combo of pork, veal, or turkey

½ sweet onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 large egg, beaten

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups day old Italian bread or panko pulsed into crumbs

1/2 cup milk or beef broth, add to bread crumbs to soften

½ teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

* Note all ingredients should be very cold before mixing.

Cut bacon strips in half crosswise and coat with 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. In a large sauté pan, blanch (partially cook) the sugared bacon for 2 minutes to render some excess fat. Do not overcook.

Heat grill to medium heat or an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking loaf pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly oil the parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Line the inside of the loaf pan/s with blanched bacon; bacon slices should hang over the top of the loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, celery, garlic, milk-soaked breadcrumbs, egg, basil, oregano, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are blended together, but do not over mix. Divide the mixture into 1 large or 4 mini loaf pans. Press the meat mixture into the prepared parchment paper-lined and bacon baking pans, removing any air pockets.

Fold the bacon slices over the top of the meat to seal in the meat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake until meatloaf is firm, about 1 hour for the large loaf or 35 minutes for mini loaves. Remove loaf pans from grill or oven and cool completely.

Pre heat grill to high heat or oven to 400 degrees F.

Unmold meatloaf from loaf pans, and place on a hot grill or on a roasting pan if using the oven. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or 10 minutes in the oven until meatloaf is hot and bacon is crispy. Remove from grill / or oven and serve with a mushroom pan gravy or barbeque sauce.

George Hirsch's Mushroom Sauce

Makes 4 Servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped fine, 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced, ½ cup white button mushrooms, 1/2 cup Portobello mushrooms, grilled and sliced, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, Pinch nutmeg, 1 cup beef broth, or beef au jus, 1/4 cup dry white or red wine

Preheat a large sauté pan to a high on side burner or gill top. Add olive oil and onions and sauté for one minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are light brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and broth, simmer for 2 minutes. Serve sauce over top Double Grilled Meatloaf.

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Hush Puppies

George Hirsch August 28, 2020

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Depending on where you are in the world, I believe there is some variation of hush puppies or cornballs cooked in every culture, either savory or sweet - such as the falafel, sorullitos, and festivals. Typically you may think of hush puppies as a BBQ or seafood side dish; originating in the southern region of the USA - tasty comfort food. Yes, I included my own version of it in my Know Your Fire Cookbook. Perfect to serve along with fish and shellfish, such as my ultimate Seafood Chowder from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series.

Where the name HushPuppies came from:

The name "hushpuppies" is often attributed to southern cooks who would fry some basic cornmeal mixture (possibly that they had been bread-coating or battering their own food with) and feed it to their dogs to "hush the puppies" during cook-outs or fish-fries.

Hush Puppies

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1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 Tablespoon fine chopped parsley

Vegetable oil for frying

* optional suggestions: onions, hot pepper, crisp cooked bacon, finely chopped ham or crab meat

***Hush Puppies are great to serve with Beer battered Cod***

Combine cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the milk, add egg and beat with a whisk or fork until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain. Stir in the butter, parsley and set the batter aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

Fill a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 360 degree F. Scoop up a scant tablespoon of batter off the spoon or with a small ice cream scoop into the hot fat and when the hush puppies rise to the top in about 1 minute, turn them over and cook until evenly brown, about 2 minutes total. Remove and drain on a wire screen cooling rack. Do not drain on paper towels as they will become soggy. Hush Puppies should always be served piping hot. Serve with a garlic aioli and or sweet chili sauce.

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