Pork Belly Watermellon Salad With Balsamic Glaze

I must say, I really outdid myself on this dish.  I made this a couple weeks ago for a small dinner party and it was a mega hit.  I created the dish using a memory of a similar dish I ate at a restaurant about a year ago.  I have never made pork belly so I just never got to trying to recreate it.  Then, I came face to face with a beautiful pork belly and I decided it was time to go for it.  I cured it myself using a mixture of kosher salt, brown sugar and fresh herbs.  I cured it over night in the fridge and then cut the belly up into lardons and cooked them in a pan on the stove low and slow. 

While the belly was cooking, I put a small pot on the stove with 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.  I reduced the vinegar until it covered the back of my spoon in a medium thick consistency and set aside.  Probably took about 10 minutes and I whisked it as it reduced.  Then, I thinly sliced a jalapeno and marinated it with a juice of a lime in a ramekin.  Once the bacon was done, I cubed some watermelon and jicima and arranged it on the plate.  I added the bacon, sprinkled the jalapeno slices, drizzled in the vinegar and then topped with some mirco greens.  SO FREAKING GOOD!

Pork Belly Watermellon Salad With Balsamic Glaze

Maple-Glazed Peanuts & Bacon

I was just browsing on the Food & Wine website this afternoon and came across a recipe for this peanut concoction. Suddenly, it hit me...I've eaten these before! See friends, there are some great people out there that send me random foodie stuff in the mail. I've received books, cheeses, special sauces, bacon chocolates and much more. But probably my favorite package came from my friend in NYC about 2 years ago that sent me a jar of these peanuts. According to the article, these have become so popular that The Red Head Restaurant in NYC now sells these online. With this recipe, you can skip the shipping fees and make it right at home.

Maple-Glazed Peanuts & Bacon

1. 3 thick slices of bacon (3 ounces)
2. 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced
3. 1 tablespoon kosher salt
4. 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
5. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
7. 3 cups unsalted roasted peanuts (1 pound)
8. 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then finely chop.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the thyme, salt, Old Bay, cayenne and dry mustard. Add the peanuts, maple syrup and bacon and toss until the peanuts are evenly coated. Scrape the nuts onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once, until the maple syrup has thickened. Let the peanuts cool completely, stirring frequently to break up any large clumps. Transfer the peanuts to glass jars or a large bowl and serve.

The peanuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Maple-Glazed Peanuts & Bacon

The Pig Next Door

The best wedding gift that we've received so far is a membership to The Pig Next Door's Bacon of the Month club. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. We received our welcome kit in the mail a couple weeks ago, which included a mug that says 'Oink if you love bacon', followed by our first shipment. The shipment arrives on your door in a styrofoam cooler with an ice pack. I was pumped to open it and find a big slab of Hobb's.

Hobb's bacon is king. Some of the best restaurants in the world (including The French Laundry) use his cured delights on a daily basis. 76 year-old owner, Hobbs Shore, has mastered his craft on his ranch in west Marin, CA. His bacon has been long admired by San Francisco foodie circles. But back to the important stuff....

Do yourself a favor and join this club. What do you have to loose? It will be a cured meat adventure. Who knows what will arrive each month? Did I mention each shipment comes with a recipe and background about the meat? Come on, just go to the gym an extra day a month and you'll be guilt free. Happy baconing.

The Pig Next Door

Fig and Ginger Pork Rib

Often times we forget that making ribs doesn't always require a grill. This recipe only requires a sheet pan, store bought fruit preserves and a couple other things that you should have in your pantry. Fig is the in-season flavor here and nothing goes better with the sweetness of a fig than the saltiness of pork. If you have a fig tree in your yard or access to one, try making your own fig preserves from scratch.

Fig and Ginger Pork Rib
(The Hungry Mouse)

5-6 pork spare ribs (about 2 1/4 lbs. or so)
3/4 cup fig preserves
1 Tbls. powdered ginger
1 Tbls. apple cider
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbls. dried parsley

Serves about 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer.

Measure out your fig preserves and put them in a medium-sized bowl. Add the powdered ginger, apple cider, and kosher salt.

Whisk together with a fork to combine well. The apple cider will help thin out the preserves. Be sure to break up any lumps of ground ginger.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and/or aluminum foil.

Grab your ribs out of the fridge. Unwrap them and put them in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Pour the glaze in the bag and over the ribs. Seal the bag well. Smoosh it around between your hands to coat the ribs with glaze. Seal the bag well. Take ribs out of bag and lay out on pan. Sprinkle each rib with a little dried parsley. Cook for 1 hour.

Serve warm.

Fig and Ginger Pork Rib

Wild Boar Ragu

My brother has become quite the hunter these days so when he told me he shot a 200lb wild boar I wasn't too surprised. He had his kill broken down by a local butcher and he generously gave out cuts to family and friends. I was just home for Easter and my sister offered some ground meat that was in her fridge so I rushed home and made some homemade pasta and a ragu.

Ragu recipes are quite simple and you can play around with them a lot. The meat is the real star here so you want to make sure your sauce doesn't overpower. I made a homemade pasta that was a little wider than parpadelle to serve the sauce over. I let the sauce simmer for over 2 hours so the flavors would meld together. Before serving, I just sprinkled with some chopped parsley and Parmesan shavings.

Wild Boar Ragu

1lb ground wild boar (sub pork)

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
3 tbsp olive oil
chili flakes to taste
2 28-ounce cans tomato puree, Red Pack brand if possible
1 28-ounce. can crushed tomatoes, Red Pack brand if possible
1 tbsp tomato paste, Red Pack brand if possible
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken stock
red pepper flakes to taste
salt to taste

1. Cook the meat, garlic and onion in the olive oil in a sauce pot over a medium-low flame, about 10 minutes or until garlic is tender, meat is browned and onions translucent, not brown (this is called "sweating" because it will draw out a lot of moisture and flavor). Add the chili flakes to taste.

2. Add all the tomato products. Pour the chicken stock into one of the 28-oz cans. Fill it the rest of the way with water and add that and the sugar to the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with salt and cover. Simmer the sauce for about 1 hour. The sauce should be fairly thin, but not watery and very smooth. Uncover and simmer for 3 minutes if it is too thin for your taste; add a little water if it seems thick.

Wild Boar Ragu

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cider Sauce

I have really been in the mood for pork with apples. It's a classic combo that's very affordable and easy to pull together. Serve this dish with mashed potatoes or warm focaccia bread.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cider Sauce

• 2 (3/4-pound) pork tenderloins
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 (1/2-pound) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 16 wedges
• 1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 2/3 cup unfiltered apple cider
• 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot
  
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pat tenderloins dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown tenderloins on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes total. (If the handle of your skillet is not ovenproof, wrap handle in a triple layer of foil, shiny side out.) Transfer skillet to upper third of oven and roast until a thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 155°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes before slicing.

While meat is standing, heat butter in same skillet (handle will be hot) over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add apple wedges and sauté, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer apples to a plate, then add chicken broth and cider to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat and meanwhile whisk together arrowroot and water in a small bowl. Whisk arrowroot mixture into sauce and boil until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, measured salt and pepper, and any juices that have accumulated on platter.

Cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve topped with apples and sauce.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cider Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Bing Cherry and Balsamic Sauce

My little sister is a great cook. Her approach is California cuisine at its finest. Think fresh, think simple, think family style. That's her.

So when she came home the week before her wedding, we decided to pull a dinner together and eat outside to enjoy the long and warm Napa Valley summer nights we are so blessed to have and unwind before a week of madness.

My mom had a tenderloin in the fridge and knowing that cherries are in season my sister suggested a sauce of some kind. We went online and found this simple recipe on Epicurious. However, we decided to juice half of an orange into the sauce and that panned out to be a pretty damn good idea...

Pork Tenderloin with Bing Cherry and Balsamic Sauce

1 pork tenderloin
1/3 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette (we used our own balsamic dressing instead of the bottled balsamic. I would suggest this so it's not so oily)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dried Bing (sweet) or tart cherries, washed and pitted
1/2 orange, juiced

Preparation

Heat grill on medium. Cook tenderloin 12 minutes per side. Tent foil over so it 'bakes' it while it grills.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot to skillet; stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add broth, cherries and bring to boil and sauce is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pork to platter and top with sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with Bing Cherry and Balsamic Sauce

Pork Chops Stuffed with Gruyere, Green Apple and Walnuts with Sunchoke Puree

I saw that my local market had sunchokes and I have never used them in my cooking before so I gave it a shot. I went home and looked at my 'Produce Bible' to learn about these weird looking things. If they hadn't said 'Sunchokes' on them in big letters I would have easily mistaken them for fresh ginger. They look very simular. So, after reading up on my new friend, I decided that I would just wing it and puree it and serve something on top. I decided that stuffed pork chops sounded pretty good and I knew that Drew loved them so that's the genisis of last nights dinner...

Sunchoke Puree
1 bag of Sunchokes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1 shallot, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sage

Scrub sunchokes with vegetable brush. Boil in hot water for about 20 minutes, strain. In a seperate pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, shallots and garlic and saute until they are translucent about 2 minutes. Add garlic, shallots and sunchokes in food processer and puree in batches while adding chicken stock and dried sage. Season with salt and peper. Can be made ahead and reheated.

Pork Chops
1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
1/2 cups of walnuts, chopped
1/4 of gruyere, chopped
2 pork chops
2 fresh sage leaves

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cut slit in the side of the pork and create a 'pocket' in the meat. Stuff each with equal parts apple, walnuts and greyer. Sear on high heat on each side about 3 minutes until brown in over safe pan. Pop pan into oven and bake chops for 12-14 minutes. You want the meat to be a little pink but not too pink. Juices should run clear.

Ladle hot sunchoke puree on plate and place pork chop on top. Garnish pork with left over walnuts, apples and cheese. Enjoy!

Pork Chops Stuffed with Gruyere, Green Apple and Walnuts with Sunchoke Puree

Recipe of the Week: Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

I made this recipe last night and served it with a side of butternut squash risotto. Using store bought chutney (I used Stonewall Kitchen's Apple Cranberry) made this dish very easy to execute. I added a little extra wine and cider and a 1/4 cup of dried cranberries for extra sauce. The leftovers make great sandwiches.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

2 1- to 1 1/4-pound trimmed pork tenderloins

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 cup purchased apple chutney

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves plus sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Rinse pork and pat dry. Place in shallow bowl. Mix cider, wine, chutney, garlic, and thyme leaves in small bowl. Pour mixture over pork; cover and marinate at room temperature 1 hour or chill up to 3 hours.Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade. Add pork to skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until light brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total.Pour reserved marinade over pork. Transfer skillet to oven; roast pork, basting occasionally, until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145°F, about 20 minutes for medium (temperature will rise about 10 degrees). Transfer pork to cutting board. Tent with foil; let rest 5 minutes.Slice pork; transfer to platter. Pour pan sauce and juices over. Garnish pork with thyme sprigs.

Recipe of the Week: Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

Pork with Poached Plums

I decided to try this recipe when I came across a plum stand at the St. Helena Farmers Market last Friday. However, in a very rookie move, I chose plums that were too ripe to serve as you see above from Epicurious.com. I ended up straining out the skins, pits, etc and just serving it as a sauce on top. We quickly made a peach and blackberry cobbler to add fruit back to the menu which ended up being an overall success on both ends.

Per my mom's request, I didn't use star anise and used cheap dry wine I had on-hand because I didn't want to drive 15 minutes down the hill to the valley floor to buy different wine. No one seemed to notice...

Pork with Poached Plums

Bon Appetite

At 26 Brix in Walla Walla, Washington, chef Mike Davis takes plums to the savory side—where they bring a bit of acidity to a spicy sauce for pork.

Servings: Makes 6 servings

ingredients
sweet firm red or black plums (such as Burgundies, Satsumas, or El Dorados; about 2 pounds), quartered, pitted

2 cups Pinot Gris or Viognier

1 cup dry red wine

2 whole star anise*

§ cinnamon stick

1/4 cup plus 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar, divided

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

5 fresh thyme sprigs plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme, divided

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

2 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloins

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

Chopped fresh chives

Preparation
For Plums:Combine first 5 ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar in heavy large saucepan; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat; simmer until plums are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer plums to platter. Strain wine mixture.Return strained liquid to same saucepan. Add broth, thyme sprigs, and shallot. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes. Strain sauce; stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar and chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper.DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover plums and sauce separately; chill. Bring plums to room temperature; rewarm sauce over medium heat.

For Pork:Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush pork with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until brown on all sides, turning often, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and let pork stand 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with poached plums and sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives.*Available in the spice section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Asian markets.

Makes 6 servings

Pork with Poached Plums

NASCAR Pulled Pork with Garlic Cheese Jalapeno Grits

Everyone seemed to enjoy this dinner at our family gathering in Northern Michigan after an active day on the beach, wake boarding, golfing, or spending the day visiting Mackinac Island. In other words, everyone was hungry and appreciated the generous family style presentation. The menu was billed as a NASCAR Special of Oven Baked Pulled Pork with two BBQ sauces on the side, Garlic Cheese Jalapeno Grits, and Arugula Salad with Mango and Creamy Chive Vinaigrette. The meal was enhanced by the fresh baby arugula and chives from Bill's Farm Market in Harbor Springs and an outstanding Shoulder Roast from Tannery Creek Meat Market in Petoskey.

Oven Baked Pulled Pork




The 7 to 9 pound Pork Shoulder Roast was baked fat side down for four to five hours at 325 degrees covered in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and placed in a roasting pan. Before wrapping in the foil, the roast was rubbed with three crushed garlic cloves and generously sprinkled with Lawry's Seasoning Salt and cracked pepper and then a large Vidalia onion was sliced and placed on the top. A baking dish filled with water was also placed in the oven to provide a moist baking environment.




You can tell if the pork is ready to fall apart and pull into shreds when you are able to easily remove the bone from the cooked roast. There were about two cups of hot pork fat in the foil wrapped roast that had to be removed. After the pork was pulled apart, it was kept warm on the stove top and a little water was added for moisture. The pork was left unseasoned by sauce because two styles of BBQ sauce (North Carolina and Memphis Style) were served with the pork, so everyone could select one or both with their meat. I think the crock pot and BBQ versions of cooking the Pork Shoulder Roast sound great too, but this method was sure successful in producing succulent, tender and moist pulled pork. Fresh buns and a crusty country bread along with dill and bread and butter pickle chips were also served with the pork in case anyone wanted to make sandwiches.

Easy North Carolina Barbecue Sauce (From Cooks.com)
1 stick butter
1 c. cider vinegar
1 lg. sour pickle, minced
1 tbsp. onion, minced
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. molasses
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Heat over low heat just long enough to melt butter, stirring frequently; add salt and pepper to taste.

Another BBQ Sauce was served that was a store bought tomato based sauce (I used "Sweet Baby Ray's") with molasses, sauteed finely chopped Vidalia Onions, and vinegar added. Both sauces were served from the stove along with the pulled pork that was warming on the stove top.

Garlic Cheese Jalapeno Grits

Saute one-half of a small finely chopped Vidalia onion on the stove top with a half stick of butter until translucent. Add three or four minced garlic cloves along the way and set the mixture aside to be added to the grits.

Cook the grits according to the recipe on the box. I used two cups of grits to serve twenty people and they were gone at the end of the meal. Generally you combine water and salt; bring to a boil. Stir in grits; cook until done, following package directions.

After the grits are ready, stir in the butter and sauteed onions and garlic. Add twelve ounces of sharp Cheddar cheese cut into small cubes so they melt into the grits. I added one chopped up roasted fresh jalapeno pepper and that was plenty. (More Pickled Jalapeno Peppers and Gardiner were served separately for those heat freaks). Four fresh eggs were then beaten and folded into the grits.

Pour the grits mixture into a lightly buttered 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish; sprinkle with some Paprika and Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour .

Arugula and Mango Salad with Creamy Chive Vinaigrette (This Bon Appetit, August 2007 recipe called for Peaches and I substituted a fresh Mango and no one seemed to mind)



ingredients

2 large ripe peaches
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
12 cups (loosely packed) arugula (about 6 ounces)

preparation

Wash peaches, rubbing to remove fuzz. Cut in half; remove pits. Thinly slice peaches. Place peach slices in large bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice; toss. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and olive oil in small bowl. Whisk in cream, then chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add arugula to bowl with peaches. Add dressing and toss. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.
Bon Appétit, August

NASCAR Pulled Pork with Garlic Cheese Jalapeno Grits