Happy Chinese New Year!
This sweet and lightly spicy glazed salmon is my own interpretation of more traditional Chinese fish presentations. I’ve included some classic flavors like white pepper and Chinkiang vinegar for a delicious East meets Alaska salmon dish.
Well it’s nearly that time of year again and whether you are hosting the party or heading over to someone else’s cabin you want tasty snacks that are shareable and crowd pleasing. Here I’ve made two dishes that are perfect for any game day spread.
For the first dish I couldn’t quite settle on a name. Queso con Carne de Alaska? Queso con Alces (moose)? Basically you can call this whatever you have sitting around in your freezer. I’m not a huge fan of wild game but I think the flavors of this spicy cheese dip help to mask the gaminess a bit. I used bison because that’s what I had on hand, but if you have ground moose, caribou, or venison that would be pretty fantastic too. Another thing to note is that in general I am always a big proponent of making cheese sauce from scratch (and just about everything else), but for Superbowl Sunday who wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking! So here I’ve opted to use Velveeta…it’s basically the only day of the year I do. Once you’ve put everything together I highly recommend keeping it warm in a crock pot, nobody wants to see this cheesy goodness congeal back into a yellow block.
Secondly we’ve got a delicious and uniquely Alaskan BBQ sauce with which to bathe cocktail sausages in. Cocktail sausages are one of my favorites on any party or potluck snack table, so I’ve made a recipe that can be made that day or ahead of time incorporating the Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter.
It’s late fall and that means it’s persimmon season. Although persimmons are a rare find in Alaska, they are delicious, and if you see them at the grocery store try to buy as many as you can. They are best when they are between ripe and very ripe so you may need to leave them out on your counter for a few days. I prefer Fuyu persimmons, which are the most commonly found. This simple, yet tantalizing dish is perfect for an elegant lunch or a romantic candlelit dinner.
Obviously one of the best things ever is to be sitting on a beach in Hawaii drinking a Mai Tai and eating some fresh Poke.
But hey! You can have that experience here at home!
Alaska has some gorgeous beaches (less crowded too) and fabulous seafood and for that one day a year…maybe July 28th…when the weather is perfect, you too can make your very own Poke and sit on a beach with a bottle of Alaskan Summer Ale. Knowing with absolute certainty that this is actually the best thing ever.
We are big eaters of all things smoked in my family. From my dad’s mouthwatering smoked salmon all the way to my husband’s fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. This is the recipe my husband used to use for pulled pork before we sold our smoker, but it’s just as good (if not easier) when made in the slow cooker.
Start off the night before with your thawed pork shoulder (pork butt). For this recipe we used two 1.5-2 lb. shoulders. Rinse them off and pat them dry with a paper towel. In a bowl combine all of the dry rub ingredients and then using your hands, rub that baby up. Don’t be afraid to really work the rub into all of the crevices. Once they are thoroughly covered, place them in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
If you are lucky enough to have a toddler wake you up at 6am, you’ll be able to put the meat in the slow cooker bright and early. We cooked this one on ‘low’ for about 9 hours, rotating the meat once half way through. No liquid was added to the crock pot, only the meat covered in the dry rub.
After your 9 hours are up, take out your meat and let it rest for about twenty minutes so it cools off a little. Using two forks, the meat will pull apart easily. Remove any large clumps of fat or connective tissue. Take your freshly pulled pork and place it in a baking dish. Now crank your oven up to 500°F, and let the meat broil for about 10-15 minutes. This allows you to get some wonderfully crispy bits on top.
Money shot. Look at all that meaty goodness.
At some point during the day you’re going to want to make the BBQ sauce. It’s pretty easy, just combine everything in a saucepan on the stove and let it cook on medium-low for about 20-30 minutes. Stir it often so that it doesn’t burn, and don’t let it reduce too much. Just cook it long enough to let all of the spices and powders rehydrate and dissolve. After you have cooked it and then let it cool put it into a storage container or a large condiment bottle and put it in the fridge. Leave it there for at least 4 hours letting all of the flavors meld together.
Serve the pulled pork by smothering it with BBQ sauce, with or without a bun (I like a crispy English muffin), and some creamy, tangy coleslaw on top.
We are both born and raised in Alaska, land of the midnight sun and fishing at 2am. We love to find new ways to use fresh ingredients or put a modern spin on an old Alaskan classic. We hope you will enjoy tasting Alaska.