The inspiration for my recent making-bacon-at-home fascination comes from this "My BLT From Scratch" post on Michael Ruhlman's blog. Last summer Ruhlman challenged his readers to create and submit their own interpretations of a completely homemade BTL. This included baking the bread, making the mayo, preferably growing the lettuce and tomatoes, and of course, making the bacon.
No ingredient makes people lose their minds like bacon, so let me be clear right from the start, this is not technically "bacon," so save the "this is not technically bacon" emails. My only goal here was to establish a homemade bacon baseline. Instead of trying to paint a masterpiece on my first attempt, I thought I'd start with a simple charcoal sketch.
The technique shown herein is very straightforward, and could be easily mimicked by anyone able to get their hands on pork belly. The idea was to rub the meat with smoked paprika, salt and cracked black pepper, before slowly roasting until tender. After an overnight chill, the belly would be sliced and fried crisp.
For a first attempt, I was very happy with the results. The texture produced by this approach was very bacon-like, although I sliced it too thick for it to get truly "crisp." Above and beyond textural considerations, it needed more salt. Next time I'd be much more aggressive during the dry rub application.
Stay tuned for upcoming versions, which will include brining, curing, and some kind of smoking. In addition to better flavor and texture, these future attempts will also be much more exciting as we substantially increase the odds for some type of serious food borne illness.
By the way, since this wasn't "real" bacon, I decided to show it as humble breakfast meat, and not displayed in its most glorious form, the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. Enjoy!
Ingredients (what I used here): 3 pound piece pork belly 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
I've never been obsessed with recipe authenticity. If you want to call your bagel half spread with sauce and cheese, a pizza, well, more power to you. I will, of course, make fun of you behind your back, but publicly I'll defend you enthusiastically.
I remember posting a ceviche recipe years ago, which had some diced mango mixed in. I received at least a dozen emails from Peruvian readers, not suggesting, but demanding that I change the name.
Their point was simple; true ceviche never features mango. My point was equally straightforward; mine does. So, while I normally don't worry too much about such matters, sometimes I do enjoy demonstrating a recipe in its original form, simply because I find it interesting.
Here I'm doing a spaghetti alla carbonara, as the recipe was made before people started "cheating," and started adding cream. Spaghetti alla carbonara's "creamy" sauce is simply a thin egg and cheese custard, spiked with pork and black pepper. People add cream because they're afraid of scrambling the eggs. But, if you follow the steps in the video, this will not be an issue.
By the way, there are many theories for where the name "carbonara" comes from. The one I officially endorse is that the name was inspired by the specks of black pepper in the sauce, which look like particles of charcoal. It just makes the most sense.
Speaking of authentic, try and find some pancetta or guanciale, which is cured like pancetta, but made from pork cheek. Those two products are not smoked, which works much better in this delicious pasta. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 portions: 6-8 oz dry spaghetti (or any pasta) 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 oz pancetta, guanciale, or in a pinch, a mildy smoked bacon fresh coarsely ground black pepper 2 eggs about 3/4 cup grated Italian cheese (a half Pecorino Romano and half Parmigiano-Reggiano blend is perfect)
This super simple prosciutto wrapped asparagus recipe sets a new record on Food Wishes for fewest number of ingredients. Some asparagus, prosciutto, and that is it. The fat from the roasting prosciutto provides numerous benefits.
It adds the perfect amount of saltiness. It imparts that rich meaty flavor that only pork can deliver. You'll even get a little pepperiness . I'm more than happy to enjoy asparagus in its natural, swine-free state, but once in a while I need to animal it up a little.
This is such a versatile dish. You can make it for a quick snack as I did, but image a little raft of these glistening spears as a base for a piece of grilled chicken, or tossed on top of a pasta, or salad. You can also break from the two ingredient plan and add lemon, parmesan, aioli, romesco…actually, it would be quicker to list what it doesn't go with.
Asparagus is plentiful right now, so next time you're at the grocery store, or better yet, the farmers market, pick up a few bunches and give it a go. You can really use any thinly sliced cured meat, and I've done this with Serrano ham, as well as smoked Black Forest ham with equally delicious results. Enjoy!
I'm done! The cookbook is finally done! Well, at least the first phase of submitting all the recipes, and photographing all the plates. Pictured here is the last recipe I had to shoot, a lovely ham steak with caramelized apples.
I couldn’t video the recipe, but I have included the very simple written recipe below, since these apples would be great with that Easter ham. Especially after that amazing breakfast of coffee and warm, homemade Easter bread you're probably going to be enjoying.
Michele and I are getting ready to head up to Bodega Bay for Easter with the family, and a much needed break. I want to thank everyone who helped test recipes, and gave me such great feedback regarding the various dishes going in the book.
I'll have publishing details soon, and now that the bulk of the cookbook production is done, after this little break I hope to return to my normal routine of doing at least 2-3 new video recipes a week. In the meantime, I hope those of you celebrating enjoy your Easter meals, and that some of you find this apple sauce recipe useful and delicious. Enjoy!
Caramelized Apple Sauce Enough for 6-8
1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 cup apple cider or juice small pinch of cinnamon 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 4 firm apples (I like Granny Smith, but any good cooking apple will work), peeled and sliced into 16ths. Cut each apple into quarters, and then each quarter into 4 slices. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste fresh baked ham slices or pan-warmed ham steaks
In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cider vinegar, apple cider or juice, cinnamon, and Dijon mustard. Reserve until needed. Prep the apples as directed.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. As soon as the butter melts, wait half a minute and add the apples. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the edges start to brown slightly.
Pour in the reserved mixture, turn the heat down to medium-high, and cook until the apples are tender and the liquid has reduced down to a glaze. If the liquid begins to get to thick before the apples are tender, just add a splash of water and continue cooking.
Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. It may seem odd to add salt and black pepper to this apple sauce, but it's a very important flavor component. Serve hot, spooned over sliced ham, or ham steak.
Even though I've always found the name, "smothered pork chops," a little unsettling, it's one of my favorite southern recipes. A beautiful combination of dark, rich onion gravy covering pan-fried pork chops.
While the name may have some other more nefarious connotations, it really is quite appropriate. I mean, what else woud we use? "Covered pork chops," doesn't work. Swamped? Enveloped? Gravyfied? No, smothered pork chops is exactly what these are.
The secret to this very simple recipe is to take your time and really brown the onions well. Short of being totally black, you really can’t cook them too dark. This will give your gravy its deep, rich taste, and just as importantly, its mouth-watering color.
These are definitely going in the cookbook, so as always, if you give them a try, please let me know what you thought. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 4 large pork chops, about 1 inch thick 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 large yellow onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 rounded tablespoon flour 1 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup water 4 cups cooked rice, optional
Wow, what a crazy busy week this was! I tested and photographed 10 recipes for the cookbook, including the succotash recipe immortalized in the last video. The photo below is from the smothered pork chop recipe I did today, and I also had the video camera rolling, so stay tuned for that very delicious plate of pig soon. Have a great weekend!
UPDATE: I just posted the written recipe for this Smothered Pork Chops Recipe on my American Foods site. Enjoy!
One of the oldest culinary traditions in American cooking is serving beans and greens on New Year's Day. Tradition has it that eating "poor" on the first day of the year brings wealth and good fortune throughout the rest of the year.
The greens represent paper money, and the beans, usually black-eyed peas, coins. I've posted all my beans and greens videos below. You can also click the titles to read the original posting with ingredients. These recipes are so tasty, the fact that they may, or may not, bring prosperity won't seem to matter. Happy New Year, and enjoy! Black Eyed Peas with Pork and Greens
The inspiration for my recent making-bacon-at-home fascination comes from this "My BLT From Scratch" post on Michael Ruhlman's blog. Last summer Ruhlman challenged his readers to create and submit their own interpretations of a completely homemade BTL. This included baking the bread, making the mayo, preferably growing the lettuce and tomatoes, and of course, making the bacon.
For a first attempt, I was very happy with the results. The texture produced by this approach was very bacon-like, although I sliced it too thick for it to get truly "crisp." Above and beyond textural considerations, it needed more salt. Next time I'd be much more aggressive during the dry rub application.
