East Indian-Style Samosas

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Similar to empanadas, traditional samosas are conical shaped filled pastries that are a popular snack throughout the sub-continent. Although they are typically fried, I prefer the filling in a baked empanada pastry. Potatoes and peas are common ingredients in samosas and I like to add a little yogurt so the mixture isn’t too dry.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 3 serrano chiles, stems removed, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/3 to ½ cup plain yogurt

  • 2 small potatoes, boiled and cut into ½ -inch cubes

  • ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted or if using fresh, cooked

  • 1 tablespoon curry powder

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh preferred

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, serrano, and ginger until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the yogurt. Add the potatoes and peas, curry powder, fennel seeds, cayenne, and cumin seeds and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mint and lemon juice, stir well and salt to taste.

Cool slightly before filling the samosas.

Kansas City Long Ends

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Long ends are the lean, thin bones of spareribs, while short ends are the shorter, fatter, meatier hind sections. The combination of the rub and finishing sauce is traditional in Kansas City-style barbecue. The sauce is sometimes slathered over the ribs during the last half hour of smoking and is always served on the side. Why not serve these ribs with french fried, corn on the cob, spicy baked beans, and hot peach cobbler for dessert?

Ingredients

  • Kansas City Dry Rub

  • 6 to 8 pounds pork spare ribs, long ends only

  • Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce

Instructions

Place the rub in a shaker. Sprinkle evenly over the ribs and let them marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Prepare a fire and place the ribs on racks in the smoker. Smoke with approximately 200 degree F. for 4 hours. If desired, baste with the sauce during the last ½ hour of smoking. Serve with the sauce on the side.

Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw

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Instead of limiting this recipe to the ‘southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,’ we have made a universal Carolina sandwich that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauce.

Ingredients

Boston Butt pork roast, kaiser rolls, coleslaw, cabbage, green bell pepper, slaw dressing

Instructions

Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Carolina Pulled Pork
Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Photo by Jeff Tucker and Kevin Hossler

Notice that we have not limited this recipe to the “southeastern corner of Western North Carolina,” but rather have made a universal Carolina recipe that you can sauce up with two or three styles of Carolina BBQ sauces. Even the coleslaw can go north or south. There is a minor debate about whether or not to use a rub, with purists generally preferring to salt the pork roast–a practice most smoking chefs don’t approve of. If you wish to use a rub, use the Memphis Rib Rub, p.00, which is quite similar to Carolina rubs.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

  • 3 to 4 pound Boston Butt pork roast

  • 6 to 8 Kaiser rolls

  • Carolina Cole Slaw

  • 3 cups shredded cabbage

  • 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

  • Slaw Dressing

  • 4 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

  • ½ teaspoon celery seeds

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce Choices

  • North Carolina Barbecue Sauce, recipe below

  • South Carolina Mustard Sauce, recipe below

If using a rub, sprinkle it thickly over the roast and allow to sit, covered, at room temperature, for 3 hours. Start a fire and place the roast in the smoker on a rack. Place a drip pan beneath the grill as this roast will drip a lot of fat. Smoke the roast with 200 degree F. smoke for 4 or more hours, or until it is falling off the bone, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.

Mix together the ingredients for the salad in a bowl. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in another bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove the roast from the smoker, transfer to a cutting board, and allow to sit for 20 minutes. With your fingers, remove any skin and fat from the roast. Pull the pork into thin pieces about an inch and a half long. This is slippery work and
tedious, so if you get frustrated, take out a knife and chop the pork into ½ inch pieces. Then change the name of this recipe to Carolina Chopped Pork Sandwiches.

To serve, place the pork on the buns, spread the sauce of choice over the pork, and then add coleslaw to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

Kansas City Dry Rub

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From another center of the barbecue universe comes one of the dry rubs that made the Kansas City Royal cook-off such a highly competitive event. Try this rub on turkey and chicken too.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons ground paprika

  • 1 tablespoon white sugar

  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt

  • 1 tablespoon celery salt

  • 1 tablespoon commercial chili powder

  • 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile

  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer.

Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce

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Here is the way sauce is made for the famous American Royal cook-off in Kansas City–or at least this is our take on the subject. It is truly a finishing sauce and should not be used as a marinade or a basting sauce. Of course, spread it liberally over ribs just off the grill and serve plenty on the side

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 cup catsup

  • 1/3 cup molasses

  • 1/4 cup distilled vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons commercial chili powder

  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard

  • 1 teaspoon celery salt

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne chile

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup water or more if needed

Instructions

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for ½ hour until thickened.