Mr. Bijoy Writes

Gumbo isn't hard to make. However, it's hard to make well. So, I took an old gumbo recipe I learned in Mississippi and modified it for you guys to get the best product with the least amount of time involved to "perfect" it.Your first batch will be good. Your second batch will be better. Every consequent batch will only get better until you've played with it to make it yours and, in hand, make it perfect. What ya need: 1 pound of pork loin, cubed 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 1 cup of beef broth (homemade is best, but bouillon will do in a pinch) 1- 15oz can of stewed tomatoes 10oz of okra (frozen is fine) 10oz of succotash (frozen is fine) 1 teaspoon of hot sauce 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon of salt  1 bay leaf Cooking spray Ok, so: Spray a medium-sized dutch oven or a large pot with cooking spray. Heat it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the beef and cook for 4 minutes, stirring oc...

Candied bacon. I don't think I really need to elaborate anymore than necessary here. Make it, eat it, be happy. What ya need: 1 pound of somewhat lean bacon, sliced 3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons of finely ground black pepper Nonstick cooking spray Ok, so: Preheat your oven to 325ºF. In a large bowl, incorporate all of the pepper into the brown sugar with a whisk. A whisk will break apart the clumps in the sugar and allow for the most even mix with the least effort. So use a whisk. Now, grab a large baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Then set an oven-safe cooling/wire rack, that you've liberally coated in nonstick spray, on top of that. Slice-by-slice, dredge the bacon in the sugar mixture and set it out on the wire rack in one layer. You may need two baking sheets and you may need to do more than one batch, that's ok. Bake this for 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and promptly remove from the wire rack. Set aside to cool on a larg...

**NOTE: The use of a smoker is highly recommended for this recipe. The results are not nearly as delicious without it.** Here's the deal, pulled pork is delicious. Another thing, pulled pork takes time to be delicious. So, this recipe takes at least one day, and likely better to start one night and finish for dinner the next night. Don't worry, it's not a solid day of work, but it will take one day from start to finish. Ready? Ok, let's do this- The meat: 8 pound Boston Butt  What ya need for the brine: 8 ounces of quality molasses 12 ounces of pickling salt, or fine ground sea salt (make sure it's non-iodized salt) 56 ounces of clean water  8 ounces of Merlot What ya need for the rub:  1 tablespoon of onion powder 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika 1 teaspoon of whole fennel seed  1 teaspoon of chili powder 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes 3/4 teaspoon of ground coriander 3/4 teaspoon of ground cumin Ok, so:      In a large...

Ok, so most people look at a crock-pot, or "slow cooker," with really simple, unimaginative glares. Well, let's stop doing that, ok? I dare you to try this out. It's a tasty Moo Shu Pork recipe that benefits from the ease of a crock-pot. What ya need: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless pork loin, cut into thin strips 16 ounces of quality hoisin sauce 3 tablespoons of quality soy sauce 4 scallions, finely chopped 2, 16 ounce bags of cole slaw mix 10 flour tortillas 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt Ok, so: In a large bowl, toss the pork with the salt and pepper. Add this to your crock-pot (you'll need a 5qt cooker, at least) with the hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Stir this all together. Set the crock-pot to "high", cover, and cook for 90 minutes. At the end of 90 minutes, add 1/2 of the scallions, and the cole slaw mix and stir. Cook, covered, for another 90 minutes. When that's done, transfer to a large dis...

Yeah, you read that right- Pork Gumbo. It takes about an hour from start to finish, so it's quick. It tastes wonderful, so there's that. Give it a shot! What ya need: * 1 pound pork loin, cubed * 1 tablespoon butter * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour * 1 cup beef broth or homemade beef stock * 1 15oz. can stewed tomatoes * 10oz sliced okra * 10oz frozen succotash * 1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot sauce * 1.5 teaspoon black pepper * 1 bay leaf Ok, so: You're gonna want a dutch oven for this one. If you don't have one, a large pot works too. So, spray your Dutch oven with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Heat up the oven over medium heat and as soon as the pan is hot, add the pork. Cook the pork for about 4-5 minutes, or until it's lightly browned on all sides. Now, using tongs, take the pork out of the oven and set aside. Then add the butter to the oven. Once the butter is half-way melted, add the flour and start stirring. In a ...