Tomato-free BBQ, yes it's possible!

A long time ago decided that I was born in the American South in a previous lifetime.  For some reason, I have a passionate love for Delta blues and southern cuisine (fried chicken, fried okra, biscuits and gravy, fried green tomatoes, cornbread and of course barbecue) that is completely inexplicable for a second-generation Chinese girl from California.  (Either that, or it's because my mom grew up next door to a Soul Food restaurant in Oakland.  I prefer the previous life theory.  You decide.)

As a confirmed carnivore, fried chicken and BBQ are my favorite summertime proteins.  And if you don't know, there are so many styles of barbecue in the south (Memphis, North Carolina, Texas, it goes on and on) that you can actually get into a fistfight there if you ever are thoughtless enough to insult someone's barbecue -- which is usually someone's mama's recipe.  But since I discovered that I am allergic to chicken, I am now forced to eat only within the BBQ genre.  And since I am also tomato-free, I can no longer rely on the standard American tomato-based barbecue sauce.

Enter the dry rub.

My first encounter with the dry rub technique of barbecue was in Santa Maria, California, which is renowned for their dry rub barbecue over maple, usually a tri-tip.  (Dry rub is just what it sounds like --  a combination of dried spices, usually including salt, rubbed onto the meat for flavor ahead of time, then thrown on the grill as usual.)  I of course ordered pork baby back ribs because dangit, I just love them so.  It was at an old-school place called Shaw's, where they served retro relish plates sporting olives and celery sticks, and iceberg lettuce salad with bottled bleu cheese dressing.  All of which I completely ignored because my ribs were OUT of this world.  I had ordered a full rack with the intention of eating half and saving some for later, but ended up wolfing down the entire rack in one sitting!  I was in so much pain afterwards that I was forced to lie down in the car on the way home, with my jeans secretly unzipped, trying not to complain.  My very skinny friend who brought me there looked on with amusement and slight horror.  However, I was hooked on dry rubs ever since.

The best two things about dry rubs are that (1) they are completely flexible, you can change ingredients to suit your tastes, and (2) they taste great on their own, or if you MUST add a wet barbecue sauce, you can!  How great is that?

Here's my favorite dry rub for pork ribs right now.  Sweet, salty and the ancho gives it some depth, much better than paprika. If it's not warm enough to throw on the grill outside, you can do it inside the oven as well.

Kansas City style Ancho dry rub for pork
Enough for 2 racks of baby back ribs

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. ancho chili powder
1 Tb. fresh ground pepper
1 Tb. kosher salt
1 Tb. each of garlic or onion powder, I use 2 Tb. all onion powder since I can't have garlic
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all dry ingredients together until well blended.  I put mine in a jar and shake it, then keep the excess until next time. (Note: for food safety reasons, don't reuse rub once it's touched meat, only keep what doesn't get sprinkled on.)

Wash and dry the ribs.

Sprinkle and press dry rub equally on both sides of the ribs until thickly coated and evenly covered.

If using the oven, bake on foil in a preheated oven at 250F for 2 1/2 to three hours, turning once or twice.
If using the grill, smoke on low heat 275-325F for about 2 hours turning once or twice.
Low and slow keeps the meat moist and tender.  You can cover the ribs with foil if it starts to burn prematurely.

If you like, you can throw the ribs under a broiler for a few minutes until the brown sugar bubbles right before serving.  You get a little burnt, a little extra crunch for extra taste.  Yum!

It's chilly! Time for white turkey chili

All of a sudden it's turned chilly and fall-ish in Los Angeles. Two weeks ago we were sweating in shorts and flip flops and now we are dragging out sweaters and boots. It was time to make something warm and hearty for dinner! I posted earlier that I am always searching out chili recipes without tomatoes (still have to try a Texas Chili recipe submitted by a reader), but in the meanwhile I rely on my white turkey chili, which has become a favorite with friends and family. With lots of hearty taste and texture, you won't even miss the tomatoes! Another reason this has been welcomed is that my stomach is still recovering from my recent battle with food poisoning (the longest duration I've ever had -- one week, requiring antibiotics) and this chili is not spicy yet still satisfying. For you hotheads out there, you can still add hot sauce at the end!

The secret ingredient is the broth. My absolute favorite broth is from Savory Choice -- easy to use individual packets, and rich, hearty flavor that doesn't use garlic, celery or carrots. Hooray! I've seen Savory Choice sold in Whole Foods and Bristol Farms, hopefully they get to regular grocery stores soon, they're AWESOME. Please try to find this brand when you can. You can also use chicken broth, but keep in mind that the quality and saltiness varies greatly from brand to brand and you may have to adjust the seasonings accordingly.

FAQ Famous White Turkey Chili
Four generous servings

2 TBS. olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, diced
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (dark meat if possible)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS. ground cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans (or other white beans)
1 4 oz. can of diced mild green chiles
4 cups turkey broth made from 4 packets of Savory Choice (or chicken broth of your choice)
1 can whole black olives
diced green onions for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot (6 quarts/dutch oven) over medium heat. Add diced onions and saute until softened and lightly browned.

Add in ground turkey, salt pepper, cumin and onion powder and cook until browned. As turkey is cooking, break up the turkey with a wooden spoon so that the meat is in smallish pieces, it's tough to eat big chunks!

Add in broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes for flavors to meld. Add in olives just before serving to heat through (if you add the olives too early they get mushy). Taste and correct seasoning. This is meant to have a thin broth. If you like it thicker, you can crumble a few tortilla chips into the chili and simmer for a few minutes (this is a good trick to thicken soups without using flour!)

Serve with diced green onions as a garnish. Tastes great served with cornbread. My non-allergic bf likes to top his with sour cream or cottage cheese as well.

Tomatoes on my mind -- aka tomato-free chili

Oh my, has it been a month since I last posted? Life keeps you pretty busy, doesn't it? Hope everyone had a happy Fourth. Lately I've had tomatoes on my mind. It's summer, and they used to be one of my favorite things...naturally sweet and ripe, juicy and bursting with flavor...especially the heirloom varieties with just a hint of salt for flavor...mmmm. NOT ANYMORE for the FAQ. *sigh* Tomatoes now, unfortunately are one of the more problem foods to avoid. They're in fricken everything. Soup, salad, sauces, stock, pizza, ketchup. And let me tell you, turning down ketchup in America makes people look at you funny....like you're an alien or French or something. :)

Anyhow, I've been able to get around them in some ways, for example I use roasted peppers when I need some color in foods that usually require them. But for other things that are traditionally made with tomatoes, like chili, what to do? Up until now I've whipped up a tasty white bean turkey chili, which holds me off for a little while, but I've really had a jones going for some hearty, meaty old-fashioned chili. And who would have thought that I would have found it in Washington DC of all places?

While on a business trip a few weeks ago, I left the hotel and took a walk, looking for a diner. Nothing more depressing than expensive and dull hotel food when you're on a miserable trip already. I stumbled onto this tiny little place that specialized in traditional chili in Old Town Alexandria (the Hard Times Cafe on King Street). Lo and behold they had a "Traditional Texas chili" based on a genuine cowboy recipe that was 100 years old. It was slow-cooked and only made with spices...not a tomato in sight. Hallelujah! I had the option to add beans (blasphemy in some parts) and onions on top. It was rich, smokey and hearty.

I'm now on the search for a traditional Texas chili recipe. Anyone have one to share? I'll report back with pictures, hoping to recapture that tomato-less goodness. And get back in the chili saddle, so to speak. Yeeha.  (Recipe link in comments!)