ASK A PROFESSIONAL CHEF…

Aug, Yes, I am adoptable on an hourly, paid basis. (Man, that sounded dirty.) A three way? That would be extra. Hands down my favorite recipe for both tequila and pork is puerco pibil. It’s so tender and flavorful. It’s best served with good tequila. Ingredients 5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2 inch cubes 5 tablespoons annato seeds 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 tablespoon whole black pepper 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves 8 whole allspice berries 2 habanero Peppers, fresh or dried, cleaned and minced (optional) 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup white vinegar 8 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons salt 5 lemons 1 shot of tequila banana leaves (optional) Preparation Instructions Grind the annatto seeds, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole cloves, and whole allspice in a mortar and pestle, molcajete y tejolote, spice grinder or coffee grinder. Blend the cleaned and chopped habanero peppers with the orange juice, vinegar, garlic and salt. Mix the dry spices with the liquid. Add the juice of 5 lemons and a nice splash of tequila. Place the cubed pork butt in a large zip lock bag and add the marinade. Soak 4-6 hours, in refrigerator, turning several times. Line (8x13) baking pan with banana leaves. Pour in pork along with the marinade. Cover with Banana leaves and seal the pan with foil. Bake in a 325 F degree oven for 4 hours.

Kristiana, A quarter cow? Where is the rest of it? Wow,I hope you got a part of the cute end. Yes, well I would suggest roasting the boneless chuck and marinating the sirloin tip in red wine over night with aromatics, like shallots, fresh thyme, fresh bay leaf, celery and garlic. Then dry it off the next day sear it and roast it. I would serve it with broccolini and roasted garlic mashed cauliflower. That is paleo heaven.

Just a couple of questions Chef Joel...Are you adoptable? Would you consider an open, three way relationship built on consumption? What is the best recipie containing tequila that you have run across? Thanks! Aug

Chef Joel - I'm working my way through a newly adopted grass-fed quarter cow. Some of the cuts are starting to look the same (boneless chuck and sirloin tip look similar, as to O-Bone steak and shanks). Would I end up cooking similar looking cuts of meat the same? What's your favorite Paleo-friendly Roast recipe? eeeeeeeekkkkk!!! I've been wracking my brain all day for a good question!!

Thank you Chef!

Christina D. Poaching an egg is always an intimidating thing to do but with some practice you can do it in a bathrobe and coffee in one hand. Check out this video of Alton Brown making a poached egg. He does this right and will explain it better than I could write it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-poach-an-egg/36905.html

Danette, Yes, the lingering fish smell sucks in a house. I got a window mounted fan that blows out and that seemed to help a little. To lessen the smell of fish I tend to roast fish when I am at home. When you pan fry it the fish smell connects to the oil that is flying out of the pan and creates a nasty mess that will stay in the kitchen for days. If you roast your fish with lemon and herbs in a 400F oven you will have good results and minimized odor du possion. I have two favorite for the grill. Salmon and Opah. Salmon is kind of a no brainer but I grew up on it, I am from Seattle, so it just works for me. You can blacken it, make a cilantro pesto for it or make a curry rub. It’s very versatile. Opah is also known as sunfish or moon fish and it caught right outside our door. If you go to the SB Fish Market at the harbor they will most likely carry it. I like it because it is a dense white fish and can hold up to high temperatures and seasoning. I mostly put dry rubs on my fish and it creates a nice crust and keeps the inside moist. Like I mentioned to @B Even, searing at a high heat then moving it over to a cooler part of the grill will work. Keep in mind that depending on the size of the fish it will cook quicker than you think. Have fun cooking!

HARVEY!!!! (shout out to Organ Harvester, not a question about cooking) sorry, I got excited...

B Evens, Pork tenderloin and the grill...Yum. There are two techniques that I can think of to help you with the pork. Pork tenderloin is notorious for drying out so I put it in a brine overnight. You can look up some basic brine recipes then tweak them to your preference. I put oranges, lime, shallots, and whole crushed garlic in mine. Give it a try. When I start my grill I make one side really hot and the other about 100F lower. This is so I can give it a good sear on the hot side then put it on the cooler side to finish cooking slowly. That should do the trick. Having two different temperatures on you grill will prevent item from drying out. This will help also in timing your meals as you can start an item that takes longer on the cooler side, and then when it’s almost done you can quickly cook asada or something on the hot side. The use of dry-rubs on your meats will also help in flavor and won't give you that super sticky mess when you use bbq sauce. One of the best things to using your grill better is to get to know it. Take it out for a couple of drinks and get to know it. Like if your grill has an even temperature over the whole thing or are there some hotspots that might thwart your cooking. Things like that. For spices I use toasted coriander seeds on most everything. It goes well with fish and red meat. It gives a nice exotic flavor.

Hi Chef Joel ~ wondering if you have any tips for poaching an egg. Last time I tried it didn't work out so well. Thanks!

Joel - I can't stand the smell of fish in the house - in your opinion what's the best fish to grill and how?

Joel-I typically cook pork tenderloin in the oven because I know exactly how long to cook it and it remains pretty juicy. However, I'd like to cook on the grill for the flavor; it seems to lose juices in the grill and comes out more dry. Any suggestions on being able to use the grill successfully? Bonus question - what is your favorite/most useful spice?

Frank, Your Dad is right and I do the same thing in my kitchen. the trick is getting your pan hot enough and using an oil that will take the heat. When I sear a steak i use cast iron or stainless steel and Canola or grapeseed oils. Both have a high smoke point so you can really get good caramelization. Your oven should be at 375F and leave the meat in there a shorter time than you think. Your meat will continue to cook for about 10min after you take it out of the oven so if you want a medium rare steak take it out when it is rare and let it rest. Do you have a thermometer in your oven? I make sure that if the dial says 350F that it is 350 in the oven. Good luck and tell me how it goes.

What's your preferred indoor method for cooking steak? I've tried every method under the sun, and never seem to get the right sear, or doneness. My dad swears by searing in a pan, and finishing in the oven, but I never seem to get the same crisp edge and pink center that I get from a steakhouse. Thanks!