Cilantro Cucumber Tzatzki Sauce For Red Hot Chile Rubbed Pork Skewers Food

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the cucumber.
• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthways; scrape out all the seeds. Grate cucumber with a cheese grater into a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Strain out as much liquid as possible by pressing down in the sieve with the palm of your hand. Alternately you can wring cucumber out in a clean tea towel. Add cucumber and yogurt to the garlic mixture. Mix until well combined and season with salt to taste.

TZATZIKI SAUCE (YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP)

Steps:

• Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a medium bowl. Place the yogurt on the cheesecloth and cover the colander with plastic wrap. Allow yogurt to drain overnight.
• Lay grated cucumber on a plate lined with paper towel; allow to drain 1 to 2 hours.
• Combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

RED HOT CHILE-RUBBED PORK SKEWERS

Steps:

• To make the marinade, heat the chile de Arbol powder, ancho chile powder, cayenne, and cumin for 45 to 60 seconds in a small saute pan over medium-low heat. Transfer the spice mixture to a small bowl, and whisk in the orange juice, water, garlic puree, cane syrup, and oregano. Gradually whisk in the oil in a steady stream.
• Season the meat with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and the jerk seasoning. Place pork into a plastic resealable bag, add the marinade, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the pork from the plastic bag and discard the marinade. Slice the tenderloin into 12 equal portions. Working with 1 piece at a time, place a piece of pork between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Complete with remaining tenderloin pieces. Combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning with the salt, pepper, and chile de Arbol powder. Lightly brush both sides of the meat with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Thread each piece of pork onto a skewer (for stability, use 2 skewers for each piece of meat). Grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve immediately with Cilantro-Cucumber Tzatzki Sauce (see separate recipe).
• Preheat the oven to300 degrees.
• Place the garlic in a small ovenproof container and pour in the oil. Use additional oil if needed to completely immerse all the garlic cloves. Cover the container with aluminum foil and roast 1 hour, until garlic is soft and light golden brown.
• Strain the garlic and place in a blender along with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Puree to a smooth consistency, adding a small amount of oil if necessary. Pour into a container and cover the top of the puree with a thin layer of the oil. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Store in an airtight container. The spice mix keeps its best flavor for about 2 months.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container. The mix can be kept for up to 2 months.

CILANTRO HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients together in a small glass (nonreactive) bowl. Stir to mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for half an hour for the flavors to mix. Serve at room temperature.

RED CHILE FIRE AND ICE SAUCE

Steps:

• Add 4 cups of water to a medium pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Put the ancho chiles in a medium bowl and pour in the boiling water. Use a plate to weigh down the chiles so they remain submerged. Soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Add the chiles, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the chile soaking water, and the sour cream to a blender and blitz until smooth. Add more of the soaking water, if needed, for consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a bowl or jar and store covered in the refrigerator.

RED CHILE RUBBED SALMON WITH TOASTED CORN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Red Chile Rub: Preheat grill to medium high. Combine ancho, cumin, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub 1 tablespoon of the spice rub on 1 side of the salmon and grill, rub-side down until lightly golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes for medium doneness.
• Toasted Corn Vinaigrette: In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the corn about 5 minutes. Place the ears on the grill until slightly charred on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and with a sharp knife, scrape the kernels into a small bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, jalapeno and honey until combine. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the corn, onions and cilantro.

HOT CHILE GRILLED PORK ROUNDS WITH AVOCADO-MANGO SALSA OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine mango, avocado, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, and cumin. Mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
• In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous, stir and cover. Remove from heat. After 5 minutes remove cover, fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, set a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat to preheat. Brush both sides of pork slices with hot chili oil and season with salt and black pepper. Add slices to hot pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
• Serve pork over couscous with salsa spooned on top.

CILANTRO-CUCUMBER TZATZKI SAUCE FOR RED HOT CHILE-RUBBED PORK SKEWERS

Steps:

• To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Cover and refrigerate until needed.

CHEF JOHN'S TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to draw out juice.
• Place yogurt into a separate bowl. Dump cucumber and its juice onto a sturdy, dry paper or cloth towel and squeeze as much moisture as possible from the cucumber. Mix cucumber into yogurt. Add garlic, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice; mix thoroughly.
• Stir dill and mint into yogurt-cucumber mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Adjust all seasonings to taste.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours (or overnight). Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of dill and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for color.