Chefs On A Southern Shoestring

Matt and Ted grew up in the South, where they learned to love the regional cuisine. Now, they've written their first cookbook, "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook," in which they share their favorite recipes.

As the Chefs on a Shoestring on The Saturday Early Show, they made a meal for four on a budget of $40.

Ted and Matt were born in New York City. But when Ted was 8 and Matt was 11, they moved with their parents to Charleston, S.C., the place they consider home.

When the brothers graduated from college, they both moved to New York. They didn't love their jobs and were homesick for the South. They made an old favorite recipe (boiled peanuts) and decided to try and sell the treat to some New York restaurants here in the city. That didn't work out, but they did develop a catalogue business, selling Southern food to people all over the U.S.

They went on to become food writers, traveling across the South and writing for the New York Times, Food & Wine magazine, Travel & Leisure, and others.

For much more about Matt Lee and Ted Lee, go to their Web site.

Here is their classic Southern meal for Saturday:
Butterbean Pate
Pork Chops with Pears & Onions
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Collard Greens
Pecan Pie

FOOD FACTS
Butter Bean: This is the Southern term for lima bean. The Lee brothers recommend buying "baby" lima beans for the starter, as these are more tender and flavorful.

Collard Greens: Collards are a variety of cabbage that doesn't form a head, but grows instead in a loose rosette at the top of a tall stem. It's often confused with kale and actually tastes like a cross between the two. The greens are available year-round. The Southern style of cooking them is to boil them with a chunk of bacon or salt pork.

RECIPES

BUTTERBEAN PÂTÉ
Makes 1 1/2 cup butterbean spread, enough for 12 people with crackers, for grazing
Time: 15 minutes

The Lees spread this versatile butterbean pâté, which laces the fresh flavor of the beans with a hint of sweet mint and the tang of lemon juice, on crackers or pita bread for a simple vegetarian-friendly hors d'oeuvre. It has a glorious color, and it's wonderful to have on hand for a variety of reasons. They also spread it between slices of Sally Lynn bread, with thin slices of red onion and a leaf of butter lettuce, to make an easy, delicious lunch. And they drop dollops into their Stolen Tomato Bisque to add intrigue to the richness of the soup.

They love lusty, flavorful olive oils, but in this recipe you want to use a mild-tasting one; otherwise the softer flavors of the butterbeans, mint, and parsley get muscled out. If you have only a brawny, fruity extra-virgin olive oil on hand, use half olive oil and half canola or peanut oil.
In July and August, when butterbeans are in season, we make a crock of this spread daily and keep it in the fridge. But there's no reason not to make it all year long. Frozen butterbeans or limas make a more than acceptable substitute for fresh ones, but use the baby varieties, which are more tender and more flavorful.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups fresh or frozen butterbeans (BABY LIMA BEANS); about 10 oz
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and dried
2 tablespoons whole or lowfat buttermilk or sour cream
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bag unsalted tortilla chips

Method

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add the butterbeans and boil until just tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water for about 2 minutes to cool. Shake the colander several times to drain as much water from the beans as possible.
2. Place the beans and all the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process to smooth, thick puree, about three 30-second long pulses. Between pulses, push any of the mixture that clings to the side of the processor toward the blade with a rubber spatula before pulsing again.
3. Season the pâté to taste with salt and pepper and transfer it from the processor to a small bowl or plastic container. Cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use, not more than three days.

Everyone needs a great recipe for spur-of-the-moment meals. You run into friends from out of town whom you haven't seen in ages and invite them to dinner, or you're craving a comforting late-night supper after a movie or a performance. This hearty main dish brings together the flavors of fresh pears and sweet Vidalia onions in a gravy for pork chops (think of it as a more compelling version of pork chops and applesauce). You can whip it up in a flash, and if you add a skillet of Creamed Corn and a leafy green salad, you've got an impressive meal.

"Vidalia" is a trade name referring to the standard Yellow Granex variety of sweet onion when it ís grown in the rich, loamy soils of fourteen counties in and around Vidalia, Ga., in the state's southeastern corner. You can grow a Yellow Granex anywhere in the world, but you can't call it Vidalia, because in 1986 the state of Georgia trademarked the name. No matter. Vidalias have become so popular that they're available in most of the nation's supermarkets and by mail-order from a number of sources. But any sweet onion works perfectly in this recipe.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon peanut oil
Four 1 1/4-inch-thick bone-in pork loin chops (6-8 ounces each)
1 1/4 cups Vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced (about 1 jumbo onion)
1 cup Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 large pears)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Astica Torrontes (Argentinian white wine)
1 teaspoon white wine vinega
1 bunch scallions, sliced on the bias, for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and H teaspoon flour. Using half the mixture, sprinkle one side of each pork chop.
3. Place the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or ovenproof saute pan and heat over high heat until the first wisp of smoke rises. Grasp the handle and tilt the skillet gently in a circular motion so the oil coats the bottom thinly and evenly. Place the chops, seasoned side down, in the hot skillet and sprinkle the remaining half of the seasoning mixture on the sides facing up. Sear the pork chops until they are a rich golden brown, turning when the first side is done, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Turn the chops so the first side faces down again and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 2 minutes for rare, 4 minutes for medium-rare, and 6 minutes for well-done. Remove the skillet from the oven and place it over an unlit burner. Transfer the chops to a large plate or platter and tent them with aluminum foil.
5. Add the onion, half the pears, and the butter to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any caramelized pork bits off the bottom, and saute, stirring, until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 4 minutes.
6. Pour the broth into a small bowl and whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon flour into it until no lumps are visible. Add the broth mixture, sherry, and vinegar to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the liquid comes to a simmer, add any juices that may have collected on the plate of reserved pork chops and continue to stir and simmer vigorously until the liquid has reduced by one half, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the remaining pears, and stir until they are evenly incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Place a pork chop on each of 4 plates, ladle a generous quantity of gravy over each, and garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (4 6-ounce potatoes; orange-fleshed varieties only)
2 limes
1 cup sour cream
kosher salt to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. "Prick" each potato with a fork (about ¼ inch deep) about eight times all over its surface. Place the potatoes on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 35-40 minutes, or until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
2. While the potatoes bake, zest both limes, preferably with a microplane grater, and reserve. Juice the limes. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the lime juice into the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and the remaining lime juice.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and with a sharp knife, slice each potato into rounds about 3/4-inch thick. Fan them on a plate and spoon the lime sour cream over them. Garnish by scattering pinches of lime zest over the sour cream.

When it comes to collards, there's a divide between the Ancients, who believe that collards have to be simmered for many hours in water to be digestible, and the Moderns, who claim to have invented braising collards lightly in a skillet. The Ancients, the Moderns say, are wasting time, and cooking the life (and the nutrition) from their greens.

Both claims are specious. There are numerous ways to cook collards, and each method coaxes different flavors and personalities out of these wondrous greens. Sometimes the Lees crave the dense, murky, turnip-like flavor of their slow-simmered Sunday Collards, but they also love these vibrant, skillet-cooked Tuesday Collards, which take half as long to prepare. They slice the greens thinner, so they cook more quickly, and they come out only slightly less tender than slow-simmered collards. And they don't take the time to remove the ribs from the leaves; since they're cutting the collards so thin, they just trim the toughest stems from the bunch with a single stroke of the knife. The flavor of collard greens (a bit like broccoli, and virtually irresistible when you're washing them) plays off the smoky heat of chiles and bacon. They're a welcome pick-me-up at the end of a long day's work.

Ingredients
1/4 pound slab bacon or 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds collard greens (about 48 leaves, or 2 large bunches), stemmed, washed, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Scatter the bacon in a 12-inch skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat and cook until just firm, about 3 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to medium and add 2 handfuls of collards to the skillet. Using a slotted spoon, turn them in the bacon fat for a couple of minutes until they wilt; just steam them in the small amount of water that clings to them, but don't let them brown. Add more collards, 2 handfuls at a time, and turn them until they wilt, until all the collards are wilted in the pan.
3. Add the chicken broth and the red pepper flakes, if using. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the broth comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the greens have turned dark, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and sugar to the greens, toss to distribute, and cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes more to let the cooking liquid reduce and concentrate.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

The secret to the most delicious pecan pie you've ever tasted is to retire that bottle of pallid corn syrup and replace it with sorghum molasses or cane syrup, whose deeply nuanced flavors, with notes of dried fruit, caramel, and nuts, are a superb match for the richness of pecans. Honestly, using anything less than a great syrup would be an insult to your pecans. Serve this pie warm, with scoops of buttermilk ice cream.

Ingredients
1/2 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup pure sorghum molasses, cane syrup, or molasses:
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans:
1 Sweet Pie Crust pre-baked

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar with the eggs using a hand mixer or a whisk until they're just incorporated, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the butter, the cornstarch, and the salt and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour the sorghum and pecans into the bowl and stir to incorporate (the pecans will float on the surface of the filling, which is fine).
3. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake on the middle rack until the center has risen and is quivery, like gelatin, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour.
4. Serve warm, topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream or with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream. Alternately, let the pie cool to room temperature, about another 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator (if you do, heat it in a warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes before serving). It will keep for several days.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sifted cold all-purpose bleached flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Method

1. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse in five-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter mixed throughout. Add the ice water and continue to pulse, in five-second pulses, until the mixture begins to come together in clumps and comes together when pinched, about 3 to 4 pulses. Turn the mixture out onto a clean, dry, floured surface and gather into a round disk about 3/4 inch tall and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap, and set on a clean, dry, floured surface. Sprinkle flour on the top of the dough, and with a dry, floured pin, roll out the dough until it is about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to an eight-inch pie pan and fold any excess dough that hangs over the rim of the pan on top of the rim. Crimp the edge if you wish, cutting any excess to patch any meager areas, and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Let rest in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a sheet of foil over the pie shell and tap it in the middle so it sits on the bottom of the shell. Add pie-weights or beans to the shell so that they fill out the sheet of foil in an even layer. Bake on middle rack until the edge appears dry, about 15 minutes. Gently remove pie weights and foil, and continue to bake until the bottom of the crust appears dry, about 10 minutes.