Babi Kecap

The shortbread is almost gone this morning.  Irene says it's a good thing she has swim practice every morning so she can enjoy the desserts around here.  Allen and Bart are enjoying dinner ready when they get home after 8 every night.  Allen has been working such long hours, and then goes to pick Bart up, so Bart is working long hours too.  Allen got caught doing 65 last night, but the officer lowered the charge to disobeying a traffic signal, or something along those lines, since he's a college student.  At 24, he's a pretty old college student.  Irene said when she observed court in Lima for a class she was taking, the judge scolded someone for pleading guilty to a traffic charge when the officer wasn't present.  I guess it's harder to make a charge stick unless the officer is there?  Anyway, Babi Kecap is one of Allen's favorite dishes, and he's looking forward to dinner tonight.  This recipe is from Applehood and Motherpie, one of my favorite cookbooks.  I buy it for my children when they go out into the world "so they can cook like Mom."  This recipe is also at the Putzig.com website.  I don't often use the pork it calls for, since that is expensive.  I substitute venison, and it's delicious.
     I make notes in my cookbook about recipes I like, and the note on this one says terrific!! 4-11-91. Allen and Anna have a note in their copy that says to make it taste more like a satay, add a heaping tbl of peanut butter.  We had a "meat bonanza" at our Shurfine this week, and Bart got the roast beef, 3 steaks, and some stew beef in one package.  I grilled the steaks last night, and also fried red onions, slice mushrooms, and some green and banana peppers from our garden.  I put Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, and lemon-pepper on the veggies, and they were delicious.  We also had leftover mashed potatoes, which I whip in the electric mixer with butter, fat-free half and half, and some cream cheese.  Allen says he thinks we eat more meat on its own (rather than in a dish with other ingredients) than anyone else he knows.  He also says that he always has meat for a main dish, and would rather skip any other part of the meal than the meat.  I do non-meat meals about twice a week, plus leftovers about twice a week, so I'm only cooking a real dinner 3-4 times a week.  And when I start working again this fall, I'm sure the rest of the family will be taking more turns cooking and doing dishes again.
    Mollie suggested I offer a trade once in awhile when I ask someone to help out around here, instead of nagging.  So last night I asked if anyone would empty the dishwasher in exchange for my making them breakfast.  Bart, Irene, and Allen were in the room.  Bart took me up on it, and not only did he do the dishwasher, he put away the leftovers and did the "by hand" dishes!  So he got fried eggs, bacon, english muffin, half a grapefruit, and hot coffee this morning.  I did make a couple of extra slices of bacon for Irene, but nothing else.  That was hard for me - not making food for the rest of them.  But since I usually am still asleep when they all leave, it's not like they were accustomed to having breakfast made for them.  In their defense, Allen was exhausted, and hadn't spoken to Anna in Scotland yet, so he wasn't interested in the trade, and Irene had already cleaned the living room that day, plus she doesn't like to go to swim practice with a full stomach.  They work out so hard that she would get nauseous.  I'd have to offer her a lunch, I guess.

1 red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 slices fresh ginger, minced, or 1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp crushed red pepper
4 Tbl peanut oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cream of coconut (thin slightly with milk,
about 2 Tbl) - I use Lite Coconut Milk (250 cal. vs 600 for regular)
2 pounds boneless pork or venison

optional: 1 Tbl peanut butter - per Allen and Anna, who says that makes it taste more like a satay.  It is delicious.

1. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper in one tablespoon of the peanut oil for a minute or two over 
medium-high heat, stirring to prevent burning.
2. Add soy sauce and coconut milk.  Remove from heat.
3. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes and sprinkle with pepper.
Saute pork in the remaining 3 Tbl oil, until evenly 
browned.
4. Combine spice mixture with pork in a 4-quart pan.  Cook,
uncovered, over medium/low heat until meat is tender (about
1 hour).  Add more coconut milk if necessary.

I always just use 1 can of coconut and no regular milk.
We always serve this over rice, but you can put it over
egg noodles, according to the recipe.  
Pork is expensive, so I always use venison for this 
recipe.  It's a family favorite.  I am generous with my
garlic and ginger.  Make lots; the leftovers are great.