The 2 Spoons

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

June 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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These Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops are a favorite! When I ask Allen what he wants for dinner he always responds “Pork Chops or Tacos!!” Yes! Always. Obviously, he doesn’t get pork chops every day, but he does get pork chops a lot. Because of that, I am always trying to think of different ways to cook them. Smothered, grilled, pan- fried, and baked are just a few of the ways I cook pork chops. I like the center cut pork chops because they will be uniform. Have you ever bought that package of pork chops and the top is the only center cut and the rest are random. https://www.thekitchn.com/a-complete-guide-to-pork-chops-meat-basics-208638

Of course baking or grilling would be the healthier alternative, but just like fried chicken or Texas chicken fried steak, sometimes you just want that chicken fried pork chop. I really didn’t use much oil, it was new oil in a non stick skillet which takes even less oil. They are not deep fried. They sure are delicious though.

I made my Macaroni and Cheese with this. Here is the recipe that you must have! https://the2spoons.com/delicious-four-cheese-macaroni-and-cheese/ You will love this Mac and Cheese recipe! If I had not made macaroni and cheese, I would have made mash potatoes and cream gravy! Makes me hungry just typing this. I just can’t get away from my Southern roots and the food I grew up with! That doesn’t mean I have to eat like this everyday, but occassionally works for us.

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbuttermilk brined, chicken fried pork chops, pork, pork chops, southern, southern roots, Texas

Ingredients

4 1/2 inch center cut pork chops
3 cups buttermilk
1-2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
salt and pepper (cayenne pepper if you prefer)
2-3 large eggs, beaten
oil for frying

Instructions

Add the buttermilk and Louisiana hot sauce to a zip lock bag. Add the thawed pork chops to the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. An option is to place frozen pork chops in the bag with the buttermilk and hot sauce and place in the refrigerator overnight. They should thaw overnight.
Add the beaten eggs to a flat container or large bowl. In a separate flat container or bowl add the flour with salt and pepper.
Heat your the oil to medium high in a large skillet. While your oil is heating remove a pork chop at a time and place in the seasoned flour turning to coat both sides pressing down a little for the flour to adhere. Then place in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, then back into the flour pressing down again on both sides. Pressing down helps you form a good coating for frying. Place on a sheet pan and continue until all the pork chops have been battered.
When your skillet has heated to about 325 degrees add the number of pork chops that will fit in your skillet without crowding. You want to leave a space between each pork chop. Try to not disturb as much as possible as you will knock the batter off before it can set. When that side has browned, turn and brown the other side. If your pork chops are frying too hot or browning too fast, lower your heat a little. Brown the other side and continue to flip from side to side to insure doneness and the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees. Remove from the heat, drain on paper towels. If you have more to fry, place the cooked pork chops in the oven on warm. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Notes

If your pork chops are browning too fast, lower the heat a little. If both sides have nicely browned, but the internal temperature is not at 155-160, you can reduce heat to low and cover for a few minutes. Then remove the lid, increase the heat a little to crisp a final time. Enjoy!!

Macaroni and Cheese — Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

love these baja fish tacos.

June 26, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I love these Baja Fish Tacos! They take me back to my favorite resort in Cabo San Lucas! I mean you are having pool time, the staff is passing around menus for you to have a delicious lunch at the pool and what do I always order? Fish Tacos! Can you imagine how delicious and fresh those fish tacos are in Cabo on the Baja Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the mighty Pacific Ocean! Fresh!

Well, I’m not there to get the fresh fish in Cabo, but I did find a beautiful fresh red fish that I used for these tacos.

The red fish made wonderful tacos; however, you can use cod , snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, flounder or halibut. All of these make delicious beer battered pieces to use in your tacos.

love these baja fish tacos.

I topped these with a Chipotle Crema that is so delicious! I keep Chipotles in Adobo in my pantry. Most recipes only call for one or two with some of the adobo sauce so what’s left from the can I always put in a zip lock bag and label it so I have them for the next time I need them. I love Chipotle which is a smoked jalapeno. Here’s a link for Chipotle if you aren’t familiar with them. https://amzn.to/34kb6J0

I also topped these with finely chopped onion, purple or white are best, finely chopped cabbage and cilantro.

Taco Tuesday will never be the same when you add these Baja Fish Tacos to the menu!

love these baja fish tacos.

I use a beer batter that I season with salt, pepper and chile powder. I used New Mexico chile powder because we love it. Beer makes a better batter than water because it adds a carbon dioxide, foaming agents and alcohol to make a light and crisp crust. I used a lime flavored beer but use what you like. I don’t like a dark, heavy beer for these tacos.

Frying the fish doesn’t require a lot of oil. Because of that you only want to fry a couple of pieces at a time. It’s also key to get your oil up to 350 – 360 degrees. I suggest a kitchen thermometer if you don’t have one. You can get a pretty inexpensive one. https://amzn.to/2YmuMIi I like a thermometer like this.

Need another taco recipe? Thy these https://the2spoons.com/crazy-good-carne-asada-tacos/.

Here’s the recipe for the Baja Fish Tacos! Enjoy!

Baja Fish Tacos

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineMexican

Keywordbaja fish tacos, beer batter, beer battered fish tacos, Chipotle crema, cod, fish, fish tacos, mahi mahi, mexican food, red fish, tacos

Servings servings

Ingredients

For the Fish

1 lb fish like red fish, snapper, mahi mahi, cod, halibut
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup beer
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
corn or flour tortillas
3-4 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying

For the Chipotle Crema

1 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotles in adobo ( just use one if you want less heat but they add so much flavor)
1 tbsp adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt
squeeze of lime

Topping

finely chopped red or white onions
finely chopped cabbage
chopped cilantro
limes for serving

Instructions

For the Chipotle Crema

Add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor and combine well: 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 chipotles in adobo, 2 garlic cloves, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. You might need to add a splash of water to get it to combine. If you want more heat you can add more chipotles or some of the adobo sauce. Keep in mind that you can substitute some of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.

For the Fish

Pat dry and season the fish on both sides with salt. Cut into strips that are approximately 1" x 3". To make the beer batter, add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional). Combine well and then add 1 cup of beer. Whisk together until you have batter that is the consistency of thick paint, adding more beer if necessary (I added an additional 1/4 cup of beer to this batch.) Preheat 3-4 cups of oil in a saucepan until it reaches 350-360F (I used canola oil). One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the batter and drop them gently into the oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes or until the exterior is turning a darker brown. I used a narrow pan and only cooked 3-4 pieces at a time so that the oil temp remained as close to 360F as possible. Carefully remove the fish sticks from the oil and drain them in some paper towels, continuing until all the fish sticks are cooked. If making a big batch, place the fish sticks on a wire rack after draining , this will help prevent them from getting soggy. You can optionally keep them in a 250-300F oven until you need them.
Warm up the tortillas on a hot griddle, my preferred way, or nuke them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Each tortilla gets fried fish, Chipotle Crema, the toppings and serve with limes.

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

June 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns and Refried Beans is one of Allen’s favorite breakfast! Mine too for that matter because we love all things Mexican food. When we go to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast, this is a menu item that we love to order. Just delicious! Add your favorite salsa, sliced avacados or guacamole and you’re set!

This is how Allen likes to eat this breakfast. Sometimes if it’s just me, I’ll just make breakfast tacos with the same ingredients and just fold them in a tortilla.

I made homemade flour tortillas this time, but I don’t always. Wow! I can’t tell you how much difference it makes with homemade. They are very simple! For 12 tortillas I used 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon lard (yes, you need to use lard) and about 3/4 cup warm water. I made mine in a food processor but you can knead by hand.

After you combine your dry ingredients, combine your lard and mix together using your fingers or processor until your flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. If you are kneading on your countertop, just add a little flour and knead several times. Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Preheat a large skillet. Using a well floured rolling pin roll each ball into a round tortilla. They do not have to be perfectly shaped!

If you don’t want to make completely from scratch, the prepared tortilla mix that you just add flour is great also. This is the brand I have used and it is delicious!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SK7J98/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004SK7J98&linkCode=as2&tag=24570b-20&linkId=94fb109912290e51f295cc21fe4a0d7d

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

I started making homemade Mexican chorizo because it seemed the chorizo I bought from the store had good flavor but it was very greasy! It seemed like after cooking some of it and draining, there was hardly any left! This homemade chorizo is loaded with those same flavors but not greasy at all! It is delicious! You can make this recipe with beef, pork or even ground turkey or chicken!

Don’t confuse the Mexican Chorizo that is uncured with Spanish Chorizo that is cured. In Texas we mostly find Mexican Chorizo and only find Spanish chorizo in finer grocery stores. Spanish Chorizo will come in a casing, it is firm, and you have to dice it to cook it. Delicious as it is, it is different than the Mexican Chorizo we are used to in Texas.

After you make this chorizo you will never want to buy store bought again, unless you can finda a really good brand you like! I just make it and freeze it in half a pound portions. When i get ready for it I just let it thaw overnight, then I’m ready for my breakfast or other recipe. There are so many uses for Mexican chorizo. you can make the Cowboy Beans or Charro Beans and it is a great ingredient in a spicy pasta dish. Here’s some other uses from the Cooking Channels website: https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/devour/2013/07/25-ways-to-use-chorizo

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns and Refried Beans

The refried beans are essential to this dish in my opinion! You can purchase the prepared in a can which are good. If you do purchase, buy a good brand. I always heat them by adding a little oil to a skillet, adding the beans and if they need to be thinned a little, I will add just enogh water to do so. I really like to make them from scratch though because they’re just so much better. Here’s my recipe for the beans: https://the2spoons.com/pinto-beans-for-refried-beans/

Hope you enjoy this recipe!! Great for breakfast any day of the week!!

Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

Print Recipe

CourseBreakfast

CuisineMexican

Keywordchorizo, homemade, homemade chorizo, Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans, homemade mexican chorizo, mexicanfood

Ingredients

For the Chorizo

1 lb 80/20 ground beef or chuck, pork, or turkey will work too
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika (I used smoked)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

For the Refried Beans

See the link below or
1 can your favorite refried beans

For the Eggs and Chorizo

1 lb chorizo
6-8 extra large eggs, beaten
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

For the Hashbrowns

1 20 OZ PKG Simply Potato Brand Hashbrowns, or your favorite homemade hashbrowns

Heated Corn or Flour Tortillas for serving

Instructions

For the Chorizo:

Combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves and black pepper in mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
Add cider vinegar and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
Add ground meat and knead until spice mixture is well incorporated into the meat.
You can use the chorizo immediately, but for best flavor development, place chorizo mixture in an airtight container and store overnight in fridge.
If I'm only using a portion, I divide in freezer bags and store for the next use.

To make the breakfast:

Brown your hashbrowns in a skillet with a little oil until lightly browned. Heat your refried beans in a saucepan.
Break your eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine. Brown your chorizo in a skillet with a little oil. When done, lightly browned, add your eggs and cook over medium high heat until the eggs are cooked through and set, like making scrambled eggs. Add grated cheese if you desire.
Serve in a plate with the hashbrowns and refried beans with plenty of corn or flour tortillas to scoop it up and eat it with! Have plenty of salsa on hand and avocado or guacamole if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Pinto Beans for Refried Beans

the best instant pot – pot roast.

June 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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We love a pot roast! One of the reasons I made this roast over the weekend was because I knew I could make several meals from one roast for my husband and this is another opportunity to show others struggling with meals during these difficult times, recipes using the leftovers.

I used a chuck roast because I just love that they are well marbled and so tender. Of, course a pot roast of any kind is a slow cook or braised and takes a couple of hours or you can cook in the Instant Pot like I did. Here are other roast you can use:

Chuck roast
Chuck center roast
Chuck eye roast
7-bone chuck roast
Arm roast
Blade roast
Shoulder roast

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, and if you can afford it, here’s a link from Walmart for one of the choices. https://goto.walmart.com/c/2049504/568839/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&prodsku=696895054&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2F696895054

The good thing is you can order this online! Honestly, my Instant Pot saves me hours!

The Best Instant Pot – Pot Roast

So, we know cooking a delicious tender pot roast can take hours, that’s why I love making my roast in the Instant pot. I do most things the same as I would cooking a roast in the oven or stove top, so I start with salt and peppering my roast, then lightlly coating in flour, then sear in oil on the saute mode on your Instant Pot.

After I brown the roast, I added onions, celery and carrots for aromatics along with a bayleaf, fresh thyme and fresh parsley. To this about 4 pound roast I added a little tomato sauce and beef stock which immediately adds richness to your pot roast.

The vegetables I cooked with the pot roast become part of the gravy, so I cook potatoes and carrots separately. When tender, I remove the roast then strain the broth mashing the very soft carrots, onions and celery through my strainer to help thicken the gravy and add so much flavor.

Usually, depending on the size, you can cook a pot roast in 45 minutes in the Instant Pot.

The Best Instant Pot – Pot Roast

One of my favorite uses of the leftovers is hash! Here’s my link for a delicious hash! https://the2spoons.com/easy-leftover-prime-rib-roast-hash/ This is with prime rib roast, but just substitute the chuck roast.

Also, I love to make a Beef Pot Pie with the leftovers! Delicious! Here’s that link:https://the2spoons.com/easy-beef-pot-pie/

Here’s the recipe for my this roast! Enjoy!

The Best Instant Pot – Pot Roast

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Servings servings

Ingredients

For the Chuck Roast

3-4 lb chuck roast, marbled well
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for browning the roast
Salt and Pepper
1 bay leaf
a couple of thyme sprigs, rosemary and parsley
a quartered onion, couple of carrots and a celery stick
4 tbsp cups beef broth plus 1 tbsp tomato paste

For the additional potatoes and carrots for serving

6-8 red potatoes, peeled, halfed or quartered if large
enough water to top of potatoes
3-4 carrots, peeled and quartered
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper

For the Gravy

2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp flour
the reserved strained broth

Instructions

For the Pot Roast:

Put your instant pot on sauté. Salt and pepper both sides of the roast and dust each side with flour pressing in so the flour will adhere to the roast. This will help in the browning of your roast. Add the oil and when heated, add the roast and brown on both sides. When browned, toss in the onions, carrots and celery along with the fresh herbs. In a separate bowl, combine the beef broth and tomato paste, then pour over your roast. Set your mode on the instant pot for Meat/Stew for 45 minutes. When the time has lapsed, I unplug the Instant Pot and allow it to release the steam naturally.
Note 1: If you want to get perfectly sliced pot roast, cook the day before and refrigerate. When ready to use, slice and reheat in the microwave or in the oven covered with foil in about a 200 degree oven.
Note 2: If you don't have an instant pot, brown in a heavy pot, follow the other steps and place in a 350 degree oven until tender.
Remove the roast from the pot, cover and set aside. Strain the broth in a large strainer, pressing with a spoon the vegetables though your strainer, scraping the bottom into your bowl. This makes your gravy extra delicious and you won't waste those delicious ingredients.

For the Gravy:

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the flour to make a roux. Cook for a minute or so, whisking, then add your reserved strained broth, continuing to whisk to keep from having lumps. Cook until the gravy has thickened, and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the potatoes and carrots to serve:

Place your peeled potatoes in the Instant pot along with your quartered carrots. Add about 2 cups of water or so to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper and add a sprig of rosemary. Set the pressure cook timer to 5 minutes. When time has lapsed, do a quick steam release.
To serve add the pot roast with potatoes and carrots on a plate and drizzle with the gravy. Serve with more gravy for passing. Enjoy!

Big Green Egg Smoked Bbq Chicken

June 22, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This Big Green Egg Smoked Bbq Chicken is the best! I finally bought a Meat Injector from Home Depot! I injected this with melted butter that I added bbq sauce and when the cooking had finished, the juices were almost pouring out of this chicken!! Yes! Crazy good! Use the BBq sauce of your choice.

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

I don’t know if it’s because we’re from Texas but I really like some of the Texas BBQ sauces out there. I love the BBQ sauce from Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas, just southwest of Austin. I love the BBQ sauce that Louis Mueller uses. It’s very thin and vinegar based. I love the BBQ sauces Aaron Franklin makes. That’s what I used in this recipe was the original sauce from Franklin’s bbq in this recipe. You can buy it online if you don’t have it in your area, but our Texas-based HEB carries it and that’s where I buy it. Here’s their link so you can see what I buy. https://www.heb.com/product-detail/franklin-barbecue-texas-style-barbecue-sauce/1639566

I smoked this chicken in my Big Green Egg, but you could smoke it in the smoker of your choice. If you don’t have a smoker you can cook this on your gas grill or charcoal grill as long as you cook it over hot coals. You would need to set it to the side away from the hot coals.

There are so many side dishes that would be great with this chicken! I always love a baked potato with bbq chicken for some reason. I love to make Texas Toast with BBQ chicken. My potato salad is an excellent side dish. Here’s the link if you decide to make potato salad: https://the2spoons.com/super-good-southern-potato-salad/

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

Enjoy the recipe!

Big Green Egg Smoked BBQ Chicken

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican, bbq

Keywordbbq, bbq chicken, big green egg, big green egg smoked chicken

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, wings tucked behind and legs tied
8 tbsp butter melted
1/4 cup bbq sauce of your preference, plus more for basting
oilive oil for coating the outside of the chicken
salt and pepper

Instructions

Combine the melted butter and bbq sauce. Inject the chicken all over with the mixture., under the skin around the breast, trying to make sure there's added moisture in all the areas that tend to be drier than others of the chicken.
Pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Apply a thin coat of extra virgin olive oil on the chicken, front and back and salt and pepper all over, including the cavity.
Place the chicken on your prepared grill or smoker. I usually want my smoker temperature about 350 degrees when I'm smoking a chicken, because a slow smoke is not necessary. I don't add bbq sauce at this time. When the chicken starts to brown and the skin starts to crisp a little, I start brushing bbq sauce on the chicken, and continue every 15 minutes or so until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. I like to check the area between the leg quarter and breast because for me that seems to be the area that takes longer to cook.
Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy with your favorite sides.

Country Style Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

June 21, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I cooked these Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes in my Instant Pot and it literally took 15 minutes! I sautéed onion and bacon ends first, then I added my beans and potatoes, a little water along with seasonings, and set the pressure cooking time for 15 minutes! They were perfectly cooked! Oh, I forgot to mention that these potatoes were fresh from a garden. They were at our church grown by the youth group who are raising money for camp! There’s just something about some local grown new potatoes.

Country Style Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

I love green beans! Sometimes I make them crispy with lemon and garlic, but sometimes I want the country style like these, super tender in a delicious bacon flavored-broth, the kind I remember my Mom making growing up.

You can always find fresh green beans in the grocery store, probably year around. They are inexpensive and really have some health benefits. Check out the information in this link for some benefits of green beans. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/green-beans.html

Country Style Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

This is a perfect side dish for so many different entrees! Click this link for my green beans with lemon which are also very delicious, just cooked crisper: https://the2spoons.com/perfect-browned-butter-and-garlic-green-beans/

Hope you try this very simple recipe!

Country Style Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

Print Recipe

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAmerican

Keywordcountry style fresh green beans, country style fresh green beans and new potatoes, fresh, fresh green beans, green beans, new potatoes

Ingredients

1 1/2-2 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed and washed
4-6 new potatoes, depending on the size
2-3 strips bacon, or bacon ends, cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 onion, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or about 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed
water or vegetable stock

Instructions

I cooked the green beans and new potatoes in my instant pot, but the same instructions apply if you are cooking them stovetop, except for the cooking time.
Trim your beans and wash them. You can either completely peel your potatoes or you can cut a strip around like I did. If they are small, leave them whole, but large I'd half or quarter, so you have a uniform potato size so they will cook evenly.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to your pan or instant pot. Add the bacon and onions and sauté until the bacon fat has rendered and the onions begin to very lightly brown.
Add your beans and potatoes and enough water or vegetable stock to almost the top of the beans, maybe 3/4 way. They do not have to be completely covered because they are quickly going to cook down and you don't want too much liquid.
Add your salt and thyme, and set your Instant Pot to pressure cook for 15 minutes, or bring your stovetop pan to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes or so until the green beans and potatoes are tender.
When the cooking has finished, check for salt and add fresh cracked black pepper. Serve with almost any entrée. Enjoy these country style green beans.