The PPLT - Pulled Pork, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

We invented a new sandwich last night, and it is awesome! I proudly present the "PPLT" - a pulled pork, lettuce and tomato sandwich.

The PPLT has everything I love about a BLT - smokey pork goodness, fresh produce and crunchy toasted bread. This one was made with leftovers from our last batch of smoked pork butt, homemade sandwich bread, lettuce from the garden and farmers' market tomatoes (we have a bunch of seedlings planted, but it will be a while yet before we have our own tomatoes).

We crisped up some of the darker outside bits of pork and left other bits soft and succulent. The result was heaven between two slices of bread. This may just be my new favorite sandwich.

Some Dishes With Fishes - Round Three

Another edition of our continuing "Dishes With Fishes" series.

You can find round one here and round two here.

Mano de Leon Sea Scallop with Red Curry Sauce


A fun idea we came up with a few days ago. The sauce is rich and intense and went beautifully with the flavor and texture of the scallops. We'll make this again for sure.


Corvina Sea Bass al Pil-Pil


We've been wanting to try the Basque "Pil-Pil" technique for a while now. The fish (traditionally salt cod) is cooked in oil and then the cooking oil is emulsified into a sauce by swirling the fish around in it.

Instead of using salt cod, we used fresh Baja corvina sea bass. I was worried that it would fall apart, but it held up fairly well and was very soft and moist. The sauce, which got some extra flavor from a quick stock made from the fish trimmings, was fantastic.


Asian-Spiced Kedgeree with Opah (Moonfish)


This Thai-influenced twist on kedgeree from Nigella Lawson is a go-to comfort food dish for us. Even when I'm in a "nothing sounds good" mood, it still always sounds good. Her version calls for salmon, but we just use whatever fish we have on hand.


White Sea Bass en Pappillote


Cooking fish in a parchment paper packet is super-easy, quick and results in a fun presentation. Tearing open the paper and smelling the aromas waft out is a great way to start a meal.


Grilled Mexican White Shrimp with an Ancho Glaze


Just simple grilled shrimp with a glaze made from Ancho chiles. To make the glaze I used the same technique I use to make Chile de Arbol Paste, and then seasoned it with a little vinegar, brown sugar and salt. Oh, and some butter...


Kung Pao Bay Scallops


We don't use bay scallops that often since the sea scallops we get are so wonderful. They work really well in Kung Pao, though.


White Sea Bass Ranchero with "Chile Relleno" Vegetables


Grilled fish goes really well with ranchera sauce, which we make by adding some stock and tomato to our Taco Shop Hot Sauce. The vegetables (cauliflower and zucchini) are coated with the same batter we use for chiles rellenos and then fried. Not the prettiest dish, but the flavors are great.

Pork Butt on the Smoker

Ahh, the first pulled pork of the season has arrived and all is well with the world!

The butt was rubbed and on the smoker first thing yesterday morning:



12 1/2 hours later, it was perfect:



For dinner, we feasted on pulled pork tacos:



Rub and cooking technique were pretty much what we've done before. You can find more info about that in our Smoked Pork Butt post from a few years back.