juicy pork chops

The best way we've found to cook pork chops (which includes the sous-vide method). If you like your chops nicely browned, make sure not to crowd the pan, i.e. leave space between each pork chop. 

tender and juicy pork chops

Ingredients: 

For the brine (optional):
3 cups cold water, divided
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 2 1/2 tablespoons table salt)
2 smashed garlic cloves (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

For the pork chops:2 to 4 pork chops — center cut, bone-on, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Brine the pork chops (optional): If you have time, brining the pork for even a brief period adds flavor and ensures juiciness in the finished chop. Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil, add the salt and optional flavorings, and stir to dissolve the salt. Add 2 more cups of cold water to bring the temperature of the brine down to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over top. The brine should cover the chops — if not, add additional water and salt (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon salt) until the chops are submerged. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Heat the oven and skillet: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F (or higher, you want your pan to be searing hot). Place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.

Season the pork chops: While the oven heats, prepare the pork chops. Remove the chops from the brine; if you didn't brine, remove the chops from their packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the chops aside to warm while the oven finishes heating.

Remove the skillet from the oven: Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over high heat on the stovetop. Make sure your oven is set to 400 degrees. Turn on a vent fan or open a window.

Sear the pork chops: Lay the pork chops in the hot skillet. You should hear them immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the undersides of the chops are seared golden, 3 minutes. The chops may start to smoke a little — that's ok. Turn down the heat if it becomes excessive.

Flip the chops and transfer to the oven: Use tongs to flip the pork chops to the other side. Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven using oven mitts.

Roast the chops until cooked through: Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops, how cool they were at the start of cooking, and whether they were brined. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes and continue checking every minute or two until the chops are cooked through.

Rest the chops: Transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and pour any pan juices over the top (or reserve for making a pan sauce or gravy). Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

easy beef stroganoff

What I make when london broil is on sale, and I'm out of ideas for dinner. A decent meal, makes everyone happy.

easy beef stroganoff, adapted
makes 5 servings

1 1/2 lbs london broil beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water or more
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pkg chopped mushrooms
1 lb pkg egg noodles
flour, as needed

Place garlic, mushroom soup, basil, oregano and salt in a slow cooker and combine.

Place london broil on top of mixture and add water to cover.

Cover the pot and cook on low for at least 6-7 hours.

15 mins before serving, add mushrooms, if desired. Cook noodles according to package directions.

While noodles cook, shred the meat in the slow cooker.

Once noodles are al dente add to the pot, along with the frozen peas and stir to combine.

To thicken the sauce, sprinkle flour over the top and mix until you reach your desired consistency.

blasted / roasted broccoli

Easy, simple, delicious and gives us another method to cook broccoli, which is helpful when your kids love broccoli, but you're tired of the same thing all the time. It also feels a bit more grown-up, since the florets are slightly charred.

blasted broccoli (adapted)
serves 4

2 large broccoli crowns, chopped
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place broccoli on rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle with oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to coat lightly.

Roast broccoli for 20-25 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve immediately.

classic red wine beef stew

Made this awhile ago, and it was good. :)

red wine beef stew
makes 4 servings

2 lbs chuck beef, cut into 2 in pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine, such as pinot noir or syrah (I always just use $3 TJ's brand merlot)
2 cups beef broth or water
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
2 sprigs thyme or 2 tbsp dried thyme
5 medium carrots (~1 lb), peeled and cut into 1 in pieces
3 baby white or red potatoes, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, place in a large bowl and toss with the flour.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Cook the meat in batches (making sure to leave room in between each piece for searing), until well browned all sides, 6-8 mins. Transfer the pieces to a plate as they finish browning.

Add the tomato paste, wine, broth, onion, thyme and one of the carrots and bring to a boil. Return the meat and any juices back to the pot (meat should be barely submerged in liquid), cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Add the potatoes and remaining carrots to the pot, cover and return to oven. Cook until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours more.

chen family pizza

A chen pizza always includes sausage and mushrooms, sometimes accompanied by red onions and olives.

I'm not sure if I remember everything we did correctly, but I will update if anything changes. 

pizza

1 22 oz pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
8 oz ball fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
4 oz sliced mushrooms
2 sausages, crumbled and cooked
1/4-1/2 red onion, sliced into slivers
1/4 cup sliced olives
cornmeal, as needed

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 degrees.

On an edgeless or back of a rimmed baking sheet, heavily dust cornmeal (you want your dough to slide right off). Roll out dough on cornmeal dusted baking sheet using a rolling pin.

Spread sauce on dough and add mozzarella slices, then add your toppings.

Slide and shimmy pizza off the baking sheet onto hot pizza stone.

Bake for 13 mins. 

garlic green bean stir fry

This was my best attempt so far at recreating Chinese restaurant style green beans.

p.s. cutting the green beans makes it easy for kids to eat, and our kids totally ate these up.

garlic green bean stir fry
makes 8 servings

1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 2 in lengths
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic (I used ~6 cloves)
1 large yellow onion, cut in half top to bottom, then into slivers
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water (plus more if you check and the pan seems dry)
2 tbsp oyster sauce

Heat the wok or heavy frying pan over high heat for 1-2 mins, until too hot to hold hand over. Add the oil and heat about 30 secs more, then add the garlic and onion and cook for 20-30 secs more, stirring the whole time.

Add beans and salt and cook about 2 mins, stirring several times. Then add water, cover wok, and let beans steam for 5 mins. (I checked once to see if pan seemed dry and added about 1 tsp more)

Uncover the pan and add oyster sauce, then cook 2 mins more, stirring so all the beans are uniformly covered with sauce. Beans should still be slightly crisp when done. Serve hot.

moo goo gai pan

perfect for when you'd like something ethnic, yet something also kind of plain.

moo goo gai pan
makes 6 servings

1 tbsp egg white (optional)
1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
1 tbsp vegtable oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 (8 oz) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (15 oz) can whole straw or enoki mushrooms, drained
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
 2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

Optional step: velvet your chicken (how restaurants make their meat so tender and soft). Combine 1 tbsp egg white (f you don't want to use eggs, just toss with cornstarch instead) and 1 tbsp corn starch into a slurry, toss with the chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Stir together the cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine and chicken broth in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Stir in the broccoli and saute for a couple minutes. Add 2-4 tbsp water, and let broccoli steam until water is evaporated and broccoli tender. Add mushrooms and saute until just starting to soften. Stir in bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and canned mushrooms. Cook and stir util all of the vegetables are hot. Remove from skillet/wok and set aside. Wipe out wok.

Heat the remaining tbsp of vegetable oil in the wok until it begins to smoke. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken, and cook unti lthe chicken has lightly browned on the edges and is no longer pink in the center, about 5 mins. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy. Return the vegetables to the wok and toss with the sauce.

Serve over rice.