Cure-All

One of the easiest ways to tell that summer is leaving is to look around, and you'll probably see a bunch of sick people.  Or you could be like me, and look in the mirror to see a single sick person.  This weekend I devised the perfect cure-all to accompany your drug cocktail of choice.

When figuring out what to make, my first requirement was that I wouldn't have to leave the house, and that it wouldn't be labor intensive.  Rummaging through my freezer I found a huge smoked ham hock, and immediately knew that soup was going to be the main course.  Dried split peas in the pantry followed, and the last thing I had to make sure of was that the couch be ready for me.

Click to read more ...

Red Redemption

Last time, I made lamb neck rillettes that I tried to model after merguez sausage.  While the product was good, it wasn't as I intended it to be, oozing red goodness.  In hindsight, folding in harissa would have been a good idea, but I've been too eager to try my next idea, which is chorizo rillettes.  It sounds scary, but I really want to make a red, eye-catching product of infinite desirableness.

To achieve the color, I decided to develop the same kind of chile paste that is used for fresh, Mexican chorizo sausage.  Don't let the dried chiles be intimidating, they're already dead.

Click to read more ...

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

A couple months ago I embarked on my first big dry curing venture; to create a Spanish masterpiece known as lomo [pork loin].  I'm usually not for giving away the ending so soon, but I'm happy to report that after eight weeks of curing my pork remained edible.  The process is simple, and I recommend the treatment to anyone hoping to make an otherwise boring piece of meat more interesting.

To start, a pork loin, about 4ish pounds, is required.  Traditionally, the fat should be removed, but leaving it on will yield something far more special.  Pat the meat dry, then rub it with your favorite spice blend with salt for the first stage of curing.  Leave it covered in the fridge for a week, then rinse and repeat for another week.  After the second week in the fridge, remove the cure from the meat for the last time.

Click to read more ...

Upscale Dining

This weekend I came upon something very special in my cellar, a 2006 Sutter Home cabernet sauvignon.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was the last of its kind.  Despite its rarity, I twisted off the screw-top on the small bottle for my friends, because they deserve the best.  I always try to bring something special to the table when entertaining.

The cab is just what I need to make onion gravy for the popular peasant dish, Toad in the Hole.  Not to be confused with eggs in a basket, toad in the hole is a dish of sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter.  It's very Brittish and can be very bland, but with the proper ingredients and care, it can be an inexpensive hit dish at brunch.

Click to read more ...

Meadow Haven Rillettes

The Green City Market opened for the first time since the Holidaze this weekend with a snout-to-tail themed market.  To properly honor the market and its theme, I set out to do a pork liver pate to pick up the slack for the less adventurous market-goers.  Unfortunately for me and you, there was no liver to be found.  Not being able to revise plans very well on early Saturday mornings, I spent a lot of time gazing across the market while munching on an apple galette from Floriole (no market venture is complete without one).

Perhaps a terrine of thymus would have been good, but in my panic I decided to stick with what I know, the pig.  This decision was made infinitely easier by the great folks from Meadow Haven Organic Farm out of Sheffield.  Buckets of lard, pig parts, farm fresh eggs, chickens and ducks lay prized in their cache.  Pork necks selling for $2/lb?  Why yes, I know what to do with these often overlooked parts: spend the rest of my Saturday making rillettes.

Click to read more ...