Pumpkin Pie Spice is a fall baking staple. All those warm sweet smelling aromatic spices bring a cozy element to muffins, pies, coffees and cookies.

I’m a fan of making my own spice blends, mostly because it gives me a chance to include some less frequently used jars from my already crowded spice cabinet.

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Char Sui is Chinese BBQ Pork.  Don’t let the word BBQ fool you.  This isn’t your typical southern pulled pork BBQ (albeit we love that).  No, the flavors and cooking method for Char Sui is quite different.  And the results…phenomenal.  Juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pork infused with a sweet & sticky marinade.  Let us not pass over what makes Char Sui dreamy good.  Crispy. Pork Fat. Rules!!

Our new pellet smoker has been fired up almost every weekend.  We’ve had some combination of meats/seafood slow roasting in the smoky love tank.  If Boston Butt Pork Roast is on sale, we’re buying it.  Just so happens, we scored an 11 lb. roast.  Mind you we are two people and that’s a lot of pork.  So we decided to divide and conquer.  One pound for me to make Char Siu, a 5 lb. roast for the smoker and a 5 lb. roast for the freezer.

Recipe Note: depending on what kind of pork roast you begin with, you’ll want to cut 3-4 slabs to put into the marinade.  We got three out of our roast that were each about 1-inch thick and maybe 3-inches X 5-inches in overall size.  Once fully cooked, we further cut each slab into 1/2-inch cross-sections.

Ingredient Note: Once we got home with our ginormous pork butt, we weren’t going back to the grocery store.  So when we realized we probably needed Hoisin Sauce and Chinese 5-Spice Powder…we improvised.  Our ingredient list yielded the right balance of sweet and spice.  Feel free to improvise.

You’ll want to serve your Char Sui with white rice or perhaps our Shrimp Fried Farro.

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Char Siu Roast Pork

Prep Time 8 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Boston Butt Pork Roast cut into slabs about 1-inch thick; about 3-inches X 5-inches.

Char Sui Sauce…

• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl. maple syrup
• 1 Tbl. ketchup
• 1 Tbl. sriracha sauce
• 1 Tbl. rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbl. honey
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. ground clove
• 1/8 tsp. ground star anise

Instructions

• Combine sauce ingredients and pour into a zip top bag. Add pork and marinate overnight in the refrigerator; or for at least 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line shallow rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack in pan and lay pork slabs on rack. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove pork from oven after 20 minutes; turn over pieces. Baste with char sui sauce. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and slice each slab into 1/2-inch slices.
• Delicious served with white or fried rice.

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I separated this Tandoori Spice Blend from the Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower post because it’s so versatile it’s worth a post of it’s own.  I can see myself using this in various dishes and thankfully the recipe made enough to for us and to share with Shelby.

I also learned that a coffee grinder is one powerful little gadget.  Yes, the cinnamon sticks go in whole and come out as part of this blend.  Pretty amazing.

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Tandoori Spice Blend

Author Sarah B’s Tandoori Spice Blend

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. chili or cayenne
• 1 Tbl. cardamom ground or seeds
• 4 Tbl. cumin seeds
• 2 Tbl. coriander seeds
• ½ whole nutmeg grated
• 2 tsp. whole cloves
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 Tbl. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbl. paprika

Instructions

• Place all ingredients except for turmeric and paprika in a spice mill, mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind until powder. Add turmeric and paprika. Store in a glass jar away from light and heat. Will keep for up to six months.

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I made scrumptious Pistachio-Chai muffins yesterday afternoon.  I sat down at my computer this morning, muffin by my side, to write about them.  I didn’t get two sentences in before I was stuck.  How do I describe the flavor of Chai Tea?  I love it.  I’ve had it many times since Shelby first introduced it to me several years ago.  I know there’s cinnamon, I think there may be ginger and clove, but it’s depth of flavor is far more than that.

Perhaps a little Spice Exploration is in order.  And so I did what I do….read at least a dozen Chai Tea recipes, researched the origin of Chai, and had a quick geography lesson.  What I’ve learned from this mini-research session is that Chai Tea blends are as unique to South Asian cuisine as are Curry Powders.

After doing all the research for my muffin post, there was only one thing left to do…make Homemade Chai Tea.  I followed a basic recipe from Whole Foods and only adapted it slightly to create a fuller more bold flavored tea.  Delicious and ever so perfect with a nice warm Pistachio-Chai Muffin.

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Homemade Chai Tea Latte

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 cardamom pods
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 cube crystallized ginger or 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 single-serve black tea tea bags
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 cups water

Instructions

• Place cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and ginger in a small pot with two cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep for an additional 10 minutes.
• Return pot to heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, discard solids. Return liquid to pot, add in milk and brown sugar. Heat over low 1-2 minutes until hot. Pour into mugs to serve.

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It’s hard to believe that just three short months ago I was harvesting my fresh herbs and hanging them by their toes to dry, as we began Autumn Thyme.  Now I can hardly wait for Winter Thyme ~ A Spice Exploration.  Shortly after Christmas, we’ll be unveiling our new Winter Thyme banner….but for now, I’ll give you a preview of what’s to come.  Presenting North African Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce.

Thinking about what to make for dinner earlier today, I had a little North African vibe swelling.  We’ve made a couple of dishes lately with the wonderful flavor influences from this region and I’ve loved each one equally.  A quick Internet search for North African Chicken brought me this fantastic recipe from City Kitchen on The New York Times Dining & Wine page.  This Tunisian one-pot dish brings together the beautiful flavor balance of toasted caraway, cumin, and coriander seeds.  Once I read the ingredients list I knew it would go perfectly with a Spiced Cashew Rice recipe we tried a couple months ago that features the subtle flavors of cinnamon and cloves.  The entire dish was amazing, right down to the Spicy Green Sauce.  Look out North Africa…we’re about to embark on a flavor exploration and you’re on our radar.

My Winter Thyme goal is to better understand, and therefore share, spices and seasonings and how they add wonderful flavor and character to dishes.

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North African Chicken {with Spicy Green Sauce}

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked in cold water overnight (or 3 cups canned chickpeas)
• 1 small onion peeled and stuck with 2 cloves, plus 1 medium onion, diced, about 2 cups
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp. caraway seed
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 4 chicken legs with thighs
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 inch long stick of cinnamon
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 pound carrots peeled, in 2-inch batons
• 1/2 pound small turnips peeled and cut in wedges (or substitute potatoes in cubes)
• Spicy green sauce for serving see recipe
• Cashew Spiced Rice see recipe

Instructions

• Drain the soaked chickpeas, then cover with 8 cups water in a large pot. Add the onion stuck with cloves and the bay leaf, bring to a boil, then gently simmer for 40 to 60 minutes, until tender. Season with salt, leaving the chickpeas in their broth. Chickpeas may be cooked in advance. (If using canned chickpeas, rinse and add salt to taste and cook with onion 25-30 minutes).
• While chickpeas cook, make the spice mixture and cook chicken: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander, cumin and caraway seeds until fragrant. Grind to a coarse powder with a mortar or in a spice mill. Stir in the cayenne.
• Rinse the chicken legs/thighs and pat dry. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and rub into the meat.
• In a heavy-bottomed enameled soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken legs/thighs and brown gently until golden, about 4 minutes a side. Remove chicken and set aside. In the same pot, add diced onions and a little salt. Let onions soften and color for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and scraping up any brown bits. Add cinnamon stick and garlic and cook for a minute more.
• When chickpeas are cooked, drain, reserving broth. Return the chicken to the pot and pour in 4 cups of chickpea broth (or water). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
• Add chickpeas, carrots and turnip or potatoes and cook, covered, for 15 minutes more. Let rest 5 minutes and skim excess fat. Serve with broth, spicy green sauce and cashew spiced rice.

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Today is Election Day and we will enjoy dinner tonight….squarely in front of the television.  We kicked around some menu ideas in honor of this important day.  Should we have a red, white, and blue Americana theme or perhaps good ole’ Georgia inspired southern food.  In the end we decided to focus on the ‘swing states’ who seem to hold the future of the country in their hands.  So in honor of the great folks of Ohio….here is our best attempt at your beloved Cincinnati “Skyline” Chili.

To me the main differences between Cincinnati Chili and a traditional Tex-Mex chili is that the meat and onions are very finely chopped (similar to hot dog chili) and the seasonings are certainly unique with unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, and clove shining through.  Oh and let’s not forget the Cincinnati ‘Skyline’ Chili Ordering Code:

1-Way:  just the chili

2-Way:  chili served over spaghetti

3-Way:  chili, spaghetti, and grated cheddar cheese

4-Way:  chili, spaghetti, cheese, and diced onion

5-Way:  chili, spaghetti, cheese, onion, and red kidney beans

All “ways” are served with oyster crackers

This is one of those dishes that met me as I stepped out of the car.  The aromas are intense and warm and sing of Autumn.  Generally when you eat something you relate it back to a dish you’ve had before or a flavor you’re familiar with.  I had never had authentic Skyline Chili.  So we will call on our buddies from Louisville to let you know how we did.  For now I can say with certainty…..this Swing State Chili did not disappoint.  It’s the perfect dish for this rainy cold evening, where I’ll be wrapped in a blanket, glued to election results.

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Swing State Chili {Cincinnati “Skyline” Chili Inspired}

The main differences between Cincinnati Chili and a traditional Tex-Mex chili is that the meat and onions are very finely chopped (similar to hot dog chili) and the seasonings are certainly unique with unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon, and clove shining through.

Course Chili

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 quart cold water
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 2 medium onions fine diced
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbl. cider vinegar
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt

Instructions

• Put your ground beef in a food processor and pulse several times.
• Add butter and onion to a 4-quart pot, saute until translucent.
• Add water and bring to a low boil, then add ground beef, return to a simmer while stirring until the ground beef is in very small pieces.
• Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 3 hours (longer is better, all day is best!). Add water as needed if the chili becomes to thick.
• If you can make the day before, once cooled skim fat off top. If serving the same day, use a cold spoon to remove excess fat.

Notes

Let’s not forget the Cincinnati ‘Skyline’ Chili Ordering Code:
1-Way: just the chili
2-Way: chili served over spaghetti
3-Way: chili, spaghetti, and grated cheddar cheese
4-Way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, and diced onion
5-Way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onion, and red kidney beans
All “ways” are served with oyster crackers

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