Chef Harry's Blog
For just about any cooking question you haveHow to Cook an Excellent Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chop
We often receive many compliments on our famous pork chop dinner that is pecan crusted with a hint of sweet flavors and cooked over our famous coastal oak grill. The pork chop we offer is made to perfection during a very long process. However, I have a recipe that is excellent when you’re trying to replicate ours but don’t have the time. It isn’t going to be exact, but it is still excellent!
First, take a skillet pan and put a little oil in it over medium-high heat. Make sure it is nice and hot. Next, place your pork chops into the skillet and cook for about three minutes on each side. Then, you will take them out and put them aside while you make the brown sugar glaze. Keep all of the left over juices from the porkchops in the pan because they will compliment the sauce well.
Add a half-cup of pineapple juice, three ounces of brown sugar, one tablespoon of butter, a little salt and pepper and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir the mixture around until it is reduced by half (probably around two minutes). Then, pour it over the porkchops in a baking pan and cover it with foil. Place it into the oven heated at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, voila! You have an amazing dish that is simple and quick to make and everyone will enjoy it.
How to Properly Cook Scallops
Cooking scallops can be very tricky. You never know if they’re fully cooked, or if they are over-cooked. Well, no worries because I’m here to give some advice on how to cook your scallops so that they’re delicious and cooked perfectly.
First, gently pat your scallops dry with a paper towel. Next, sprinkle a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper. I like to add both a tablespoon of butter and extra virgin olive oil to a medium-skillet pan on medium-high heat. Tongs are best to use when placing the scallops into the pan, one-by-one (don’t just dump them in). Be sure to only let them cook for four minutes on the side they were placed in the pan on, then gently flip the scallops with the tongs and cook for one more minute. When the scallops are no longer translucent, they’re ready. That’s it!
One extra hint: If you like to spice things up with your scallops, try drizzling balsamic vinegar, sweet teriyaki sauce, or soy sauce on your scallops for color and full flavor.
Come in and try Yosemite Ranch‘s delicious scallops that are served with three secret sauces that add irresistible flavors to each perfectly sautéed scallop.
King Crab: No More Confusion
At Yosemite Ranch, we are known for our Alaskan King Crab. Our Alaskan King Crab dinner comes with 20 oz. of Alaskan King Crab that is steamed in a warm and savory lemon butter. However, unless you are a personal crab fisher, most are unaware of the three various types of crab and how to identify them. If you really want to impress your local fresh fish store, read on about the different types of king crab: Golden King Crab, Blue King Crab and Red King Crab.
Red King Crab:
This is what we would call the “creme de la creme” of the family of crab. They are mainly found in the waters of Bristol Bay and Norton Sound in Alaska. You can easily identify them through their dark burgundy color. However, once they are introduced to intense heat during the cooking process, they turn a fiery bright red. The meat is tender to an extreme and white as snow with an outer-coloring of bright red.
Blue King Crab:
This breed of Crab is also found in Alaska near St. Matthew island and the Pribilof Islands. This species is known for its long protruding claws and the ones that are specifically found in the Pribilof Islands are known to be the largest crabs in the world. When they are alive, they are brown with royal blue highlights. But, when they are cooked, they turn a bright orange-red color.
Golden King Crab:
Surrounding the Aleutian Chain are the smallest species of King Crab. Their shells are golden-orange in color. They are the most abundant type of King Crab in Alaska.
If you’re looking for fresh seafood in Fresno, California, please visit Pismo’s Coastal Grill.
Steak 101: How to determine a good steak
When you’re choosing a quality meat, the main ingredient you want to look out for is fat content. You may have heard the term “marbeling.” Well, this is typically a server’s nice way of saying that there is fat trickled throughout the steak. Now, it might scare you to hear that but in all honesty fat is what allows the steak to maintain a juicy texture. It also keeps the meat fibers from tightening up while it’s cooking – leading to a dry and flavorless steak. Fat is what gives the steak a “melt in your mouth” texture, which is often why restaurants will soak their steaks in butter prior to cooking it.
Above is the Ranch Steak dinner offered at Yosemite Ranch
Filet Mignon: This steak differentiates itself from others through its small size. However, this particular cut is considered the most delicious of all. It comes from a cut called the tenderloin. The filet is only slightly marbeled, so it is one of the leaner steaks that retains flavor and tenderness.
The New York Strip: This particular cut comes from the strip loin – hence its name “strip.” This steak is known to have a good amount of marbeling cut with a border of fat along one side. This steak is considered the best one to grill.
T-bone or porterhouse: This steak always confuses people because they don’t know if they’re getting a filet or a New York strip as most menus say they’re getting both. Here’s the deal: There is a bone in the steak that looks like a “T.” On one side of the bone is the filet mignon while on the other is the New York strip. So, in essence it’s like getting two steaks for the price of one.
Ribeye: This steak is extremely flavorful. The reason is because of its intense amounts of marbeling running through the center of the steak. When this steak is cooked as a roast, one would have prime rib.
Top Sirloin: This is sometimes referred to as a London Broil on other menus. This meat tends to retain full flavor, but it tends to lose its tenderness during the cooking process.
Examples of good steaks:
T-Bone
New York Strip
Rib Steak
Filet Mignon
Welcome to Chef Harry’s Blog
Hello everyone! I would just like to introduce myself. My name is Harry and I have accumulated quite a few years in the culinary field. I am here to help you learn how to cook in a different style. I have many years under my belt and would like to enhance everyone’s knowledge in the field of the culinary arts. Please feel free to leave comments regarding any questions you may have about cooking. I hope to hear from you soon!
