We decided to host one last Sunday Dinner before 2009 winds down. A small dinner for the few nearest and dearest friends who’ve attended loyally the whole year through, in order to ensure plenty of good food and comfortable seating for all.

My plan was to create a traditional and comforting meal for a rainy late-fall evening in NYC, and to keep things simple so I could spend more time with my friends and less time in my currently dishwasher-less kitchen. (Hint Hint Santa)

~The Menu~

To begin…
> Mom’s Sweet Pepper Jelly over Creamed Cheese
> Bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with Manchego (the crowd-pleaser)
> Venison Meatballs in Brown Gravy

To Feast…
> Roast Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cider Vinegar
> Company Potatoes
> Chestnut Dressing
> Cranberry sauce
> Roast Pork Shoulder (Prochetta-Style)
> Pork Gravy

To finish…
> Ginger Snaps, Boobie Cookies and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
> Peppermint Bark
> Irish Coffee with Real Whipped Cream

Venison Meatballs
———————–
Meatballs
1 lb ground venison (beef or lamb are fine if you can’t find Deer)
1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Dry Sherry (not cooking Sherry)
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp mace
Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy
1 can double-strength beef broth (Campbell’s)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp flour
Salt & Pepper to taste

To make meatballs, combine all ingredients in a bowl and roll into bite-sized balls.  Bake on a lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until browned.

To make gravy, add broth and bay leaf to a medium sauce pan.  Do not turn on the heat or you will get little balls of dough in your gravy. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to mix.

Whisk milk/flour mixture into broth until combined. Turn heat on medium and continue to whisk until gravy comes to a boil and thickens. After bubbles appear, turn off heat and whisk one minute more as gravy cools slightly.

Combine baked meatballs and hot gravy in a serving bowl or chaffing dish.

Serve hot with toothpicks.

Company Potatoes
———————–
2-3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes (I leave the skins on, but you can peel if prefer)
1 8 oz package of cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 16 oz container of sour cream
4 tbsp diced fresh chives
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika and Cayenne to garnish
1 tbsp room-temperature butter

Dice potatoes into roughly 1 inch cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water and 2-3 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes and poke with a fork to confirm potatoes are cooked through.

Drain potatoes and move back to the pot, or to the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer if you’re lucky enough to have one.

Add cream cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper to the potatoes and mash to desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

Stir in chives and pour into an oven-safe casserole dish.

Distress the top of the casserole with a fork to create uneven peaks and valleys. This will help to brown the top of the casserole as it bakes.

Sprinkle paprika and a pinch of Cayenne (if you like a kick) over the top of the potatoes and dot with small pieces of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (1 hour if you’ve refrigerated over night) and serve.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies
———————–
Wanting a simple sweet and salty compliment to the ginger and peanut butter cookies I already had baked, I made these up.

1 cup margarine (2 sticks) at room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup roasted, salted macadamia nuts, chopped into pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor, pulse margarine and 2 sugars until creamed. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse till combined. Add salt and baking soda and pulse to combine. Finally, add flour and pulse until just combined.

Turn dough out into a large mixing bowl and stir in white chocolate chips, nuts and berries.

Drop 1 1/2 tbsp scoops of dough on to cookie sheets lined with parchment  (2 1/2 inches apart) and bake 8-10 minutes until puffed but still a little moist.

Set on racks to cool before serving.

The Results
———————–

Carlos, our one new attendee, has been watching his carbs lately.  This was obviously a night to cheat as he polished off 3 helpings of stuffing, and at least 15 cookies before we lost count.  Sadly I can not report on the winning cookie, as he made sure to eat them in full cycles of all three each time he got more.

I’ve made it a tradition of going home to my mother’s house every year for Thanksgiving.  Some families fight, and some families dread all the cooking.  My family fights over who gets to cook what.  We do our feast over the weekend giving us more time to prep and enjoy every minute of the process together.

For my contribution this year I asked to take on two of the most iconic courses; beloved in theory and typically  underwhelming in practice – the Turkey, and my nemesis, the Apple Pie.

Turkey – the recipe that will change you mind about white meat
———————–

I’ve done a considerable amount of research.  A class on roast birds at ICE, conversations in bars with anyone who mentions they like food, Alton Brown… and I’m happy to say this bird proved my efforts have paid off.

My mother bought a 20lb bird for the three of us (mom likes left overs).  We invited 5 friends for the the Thanksgiving feast (giving us 8 total) and ate half the bird.  By Monday when I returned to NYC, we had about 1 lb left, and I nearly extended my vacation to keep eating.

The main secret – Brine It.

Thaw your Turkey, if its frozen, and using the largest pot you own (or a few clean garbage bags) cover your Turkey in brine and let cure a full 24 hours.  I used Tom Mylan’s head cheese brine this year to impart as much flavor as possible.  I also added 2 tbsp of smoked paprika and some fresh sage from mom’s garden.

Secret #2 – Season It.

The morning of your feast, take the Turkey out of the brine and rinse.  Place the Turkey in a roasting pan and very gently run your hand under the skin of the breast to dislodge from the meat.  Take care not to tear the skin (it looks bad).  You can also get your hand down the lower sides around the leg and thigh as well with a little maneuvering.

Using room temperate better (no margarine)  mix in your favorite aromatics and some salt and pepper to season the bird as it cooks.  I wanted a very earthy flavor this year so I made the following compound butter.

Combine:
4 tbsp room temperature butter
1 tbsp finely diced shallot
1/2 tbsp finely diced fresh sage
1 tsp truffle oil (it’s the holidays!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Spread butter evenly under the Turkey’s skin with hands.  Wipe any extra over the outside surface (never waste truffle oil).

Secret #3 – Do Not Stuff.

When you stuff your bird, you have to cook it until the stuffing reaches 165 (meaning your bird is already over-done).  Bake your stuffing on the side, or take Alton Brown’s advice.  [If you must have a stuffed bird, stuff it after both have baked separately and finish it with a blow torch]

Instead, stuff the cavity with  aromatics to help season the bird as it cooks.  My brother Will apparently is anti citrus and poultry, so I decided to stuff the bird with classic carrot, celery, and onion.  I also added a full head of garlic, cut in half, and a large handful of fresh sage leaves from the garden.

Truss the bird to keep the smaller appendages close to the body (this is key to even cooking) and place in a 450 degree oven, for 20 minutes.

Secret #4 – Low and Slow.

After 20 minutes the heat should have started to brown the outside of the bird.  It’s important to then lower the heat, almost to braising temperatures to bring the meat up to temperature slowly and carefully.  We got nervous about being ready for our guests (had a bit of a late start) so started at 290 for 2 hours, then 300 for an hour, 325 for 40 minutes and then 350 for the last 20.  If you can wait it out, not need to increase from 290.

As soon as the bird’s internal temperature reaches 165 remove from the oven.  Cover with foil and let sit at least 20 minutes to allow all the moisture to redistribute.

The result is an incredibly moist bird with an almost stock-like flavor of poultry garlic and onions.  The truffle oil comes through as added richness rather than as a strong mushroom flavor, which keeps you tasting the Turkey itself.

The Results
———————–
Our side dishes, usually the star of Thanksgiving, were hardly touched as the 8 of us continued to devour Turkey until we were uncomfortably full.

Mr. Will pulled a 4-bagger, completing a full plate at 3am to top off the night.

Dessert – A.k.a the first edible Apple Pie I’ve ever made
———————–

My last…20 attempts have been bland and under-cooked, and really not worth eating. But after watching Alton Brown make his Apple Pie, I suddenly became overly confidant that I should try just one more time.

~The following recipe is adapted from Alton Brown~
NOTE before you begin.  This Pie takes 2 days.  It’s worth it, but make sure you have the time to commit.

Crust
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 oz vegetable shortening (Crisco), also chilled and cut into cubes
5-7 tbsp brandy, chilled
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Filling
3-3 1/2 lbs mixed apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (my own adjustment)
3 tbsp flour (Alton says tapioca flour, I had none so used all-purpose and it was fine)
2 tbsp apple jelly (I used mom’s crab apple from our tree in the back yard)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Brandy
1/4 tsp kosher salt
I also added some spice (Alton does not)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
Fresh grated nutmeg

To make crust, pulse flour, salt, sugar, butter and shortening in a food processor till it’s the size of little peas.  Pour in 3 tbsp chilled Brandy and pulse.  Add more brandy as needed until the dough forms a nice ball.  Divide in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate over night.

To make the pie

Peel and core apples and toss in a bowl with 1/4 cup white sugar.  Move apples to a colander and let drain over a bowl for at least an hour.  Reserve liquid.

Pre heat oven to 425

Toss apples with brown sugar, lemon, Brandy, apple jelly, flour, and spices.

Pour reserved liquid into a sauce pan and reduce by half over medium heat.

Take dough from fridge and roll out into two large circles between 2 pieces of wax paper or parchment.  Place one round of dough in the bottom of a deep pie plate and set a vent in the center (looks like a ceramic bird.  You can just cut vents if you don’t have one, but the bird is a nice touch…).  Arrange apples tightly in concentric circles starting at the out side of the plate.  Cover with second dough round and crimp the edges to seal, trimming excess dough as needed.

Brush top of crust (avoiding the crimped edges) with the reduced apple liquid and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar if you like.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the crust is browned and you can small the apples.  Let cool completely before serving.

The Results
———————–
Mom was spotted stealing bites from the left-over pie the next two mornings. This wouldn’t be strange, except that mom never snacks, especially not on sweets…

After the practice round in New York, I took my Spanish feast de camino last week to my family in Rochester.

Pintxos Dos proved to be a more relaxed and casual affair than the first round, as I was able to scale back the menu for 5 – Mom, Mom’s boyfriend Paul, Mr. Will (brother) and Miss Tao (cat).

Even though Upstate is not known for its vast selection of ethnic foods, Wegmans did not disappoint, providing duck, iberico bellota, rabbit, calve’s liver, salt cod and manchego.

I was amazed that Morcilla was the only item to stump “the Roc,” and I have a feeling that if I had only known the right hunter I could have come through on it anyhow…

Carta Dos:

~Entrantes~
Olives, home-curred with lemon
Gazpacho
Illegally imported Spanish sausage (ssssshh, don’t tell)
Jamon Iberico Bellota
Queso Manchego
Anchoas en aceite con ajo (thank you Olindo’s)

~Pintxo~
Tarta de Chorizo con huevos de codorniz (thank you Lee’s Oriental Food for the Quail Eggs)
Croquetas de jamon (Wegman’s Parma, I was saving money)
Croquetas de bacalao
Atun con aji picante
Paté de hígado de Calvé con balsámico

~Platos~
Paella Pais

~Postres~
Creme Catalan con frambuesas

~Bebidas~
Cava y Vino Tinto
A fine Yellow Tail Merlot, courtesy Paul

After a slow start – some general nervousness about the spread of potential “bait” and offal, the Paella arrived to the relief of all.

Mainly Paul’s relief that there were only identifiable foods included, and my relief that after 3 failed attempts, I had finally managed to create something edible.

Paella Pais (Country Paella)
———————————
To make this correctly, a Paella Pan is required. These can be bought inexpensively at Sur La Table (the pans pictured were only $11!)

If no pan is available, a well-seasoned cast iron skillet can suffice. Most important is the low/wide-surface shape. Trust me, high sides ruin everything.

This recipe assumes a 4-person paella pan,* or standard 12″ cast iron skillet.

2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp pureed fresh tomato (peeled)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb game meat, like duck breast, rabbit, chicken (whatever you like), diced
1 piece Chorizo Picante, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
1 & 1/2 cups rice (traditionally Spanish Bomba, but Arborio is a fine substitute)
3 cups chicken stock (heated to boiling)
1/2 tsp saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat chicken stock on the stove in a small pot, once it boils, turn off heat and drop in saffron to steep.

Pre heat oven to 350.

While stock simmers, heat Paella pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil.

When oil is hot, add tomato and allow to fry a couple of minutes.

Add garlic and fry till you can smell the garlic cooking.

Add Chorizo and game meat and cook until well browned on all sides.

Pour dry rice into pan and toss gently until the rice begins to toast and pop.

Add hot chicken stock and cook until the pan comes to a boil. To avoid over-stirring rice, use a spatula to scrape under rice and loosen from the bottom without disturbing the top too much.

Once boiling, place pan in oven and bake 30-40 minutes until rice is cooked through. You can top the dish with a few peas or green beans on the way to the oven if you like, to add a bit of color. (The Spanish leave the pan on the burner to cook through, but with less than perfect equipment, the oven cheat will avoid ruining you dinner like my 3 attempts – raw and burnt are not so tasty)

To serve, bring pan to table and dig in.

*Mom and Will, your pans are 6-person 1.5x this.

The Results:
———————————
From failure to 4-banger!

Honorable Mention:
Miss Tao of course prefers the finest Iberico Bellota to any other nutrient, but managed to eat her weight in poached chicken left over from my stock.

Cat, you are a pleasure to feed.

After spending 2 weeks in Spain last month, Danielle and I returned to New York with a new found love for Spanish finger food, “Pintxos,” and a strong desire to subject our Sunday Dinner crowd to our attempts to recreate. The menu became more and more ambitious as we thought through all of the amazing things we ate on the road, so I will post a digestible amount of recipes this week, followed by additional recipes in 2 weeks when I stage Pintxos Domingo Dos for my family in Rochester.

But first, to show-off my new culinary Spanish ability:

Carta:

~Entrantes~
2 types of Olives, home-curred and Spanish Imports
Gazpacho
Illegally imported Spanish sausage (ssssshh, don’t tell)
Jamon Iberico
Queso Manchego
Anchoas en aceite con ajo

~Pintxo~
Chipirones y tinta
Morcilla
Tarta de Chorizo con huevos de codorniz
Croquetas de jamon Serrano
Atun con aji picante
El hígado de oca con balsamic
Queso de cabra con miel y los higos

~Platos~
Tortilla con pan con tomate

~Postres~
Creme Catalan con los higos

~Bebidas~
Cardenal Mendoza Brandy / Solera Gran Reserva

~

Tarta de Chorizo con huevos de codorniz
(Chorizo Tarts with Quails Eggs)
——————————-

Pastry:
* It’s best to make pastry the day before baking and chill over night
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter (1/2 lb), very cold
3oz Cream Cheese, very cold

Filling:
2-3 links Chorizo Picante (spicey)
24 Fresh Quails Eggs
2 tbsp butter for frying eggs

Equipment:
1 24-slot Mini muffin tin

To make dough:
In a  food processor fitted with a metal blade, add flour and salt and pulse to mix. Take butter and cream cheese directly from the fridge and cut into cubes. Add to food processor and pulse until just combined.

Turn dough out on a floured surface, and as quickly/with as little handling as possible, form the dough into a 2-1/2 ” x 6″  log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Over night is best.

To make tarts:
Spray mini muffin tray with cooking spray to ensure that tarts come out after baking.

Take dough from the fridge and using a sharp chefs knife, slice 1/4″ slices to make 24 even disks. Warm each slice for a few seconds between your hands until the dough bends without breaking apart. Gently settle each slice into the muffin tin slots to form a rustic looking crust cup.

After filling all slots, place tin in the freezer for a half hour to firm up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Chop chorizo into a fine dice, about the size of bacon bits. Take tin from the freezer and spoon Chorizo into each cup until even with the top of the pastry.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crusts begin to brown. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then remove tarts from tin and arrange on a serving tray.

In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp butter and gently crack 12 quail eggs into the pan.

Fry 2-3 minutes until yolk is set, but sill runny.

Top each tart with one egg and repeat with the remaining dozen eggs (melt tbsp butter, then crack and fry).

Serve warm or at room temperature. Danielle recommends stabbing your egg before eating to maximize yolk-sausage coverage.

~

Croquetas de Jamon Serrano
(Serrano Ham Croquettes)
——————————-

Filling (Bechamel):
5 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
2 cups room-temperature or slightly warmed 2% milk
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt, Pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese
1/4 lb Serrano ham, minced

Breading:
1 cup flour
2 eggs, scrambled
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
kosher salt
2 cups peanut or grape seed oil (for frying)

Make filling 2-3 hours before frying to allow time to fully cool.

Croquetas are best served freshly fried, and can be kept warm for a few hours in the oven prior to serving. However, we have had luck reheating in the oven by baking for 10 minutes at 350 if you prefer to make a day ahead.

To Fill:
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir for a about a minute until you can small the flour cooking. Using a wire wisk slowly wisk in milk. Continue to stir, scraping the bottom of the pan as you do, until mixture boils (don’t walk away and leave it or it will burn and you’ll need to start over).

After about 1 minute of bubbles remove the pan from heat and mix in ham, cheese, and seasonings to taste. Let stand about a half hour on the counter to cool, then chill in the fridge at least 2 hours. Mixture should be thick like dense mashed potatoes.

To Fry:
Add oil to a dutch oven or large cast iron pot. You can also use a deep fryer or crock-pot with a fry setting if you prefer.  You should have about 1.5″ of oil in the pan, depth-wise.

Heat oil on medium while you form the croquetas.

Add flour to a wide, shallow bowl (Tin foil pie plates work nicely). Add panko to a separate wide, shallow bowl. Crack two eggs into a 3rd wide, shallow bowl and scramble.

Place wax paper on a large cookie sheet.

Working in batches of 4 or 5 at a time, place about 2 tbsp of filling in the palm of your hand and shape loosely into a ball or oval shape (like a fat mozzarella stick). This does not need to be prefect, just approximate, as you can fix the shape more easily while applying the panko.

Roll shaped filling in first flour, then egg mixture, then panko and set on wax paper to rest. Try to use one hand for flour and panko, and the other hand for the egg to avoid mixing gooey egg in the dry ingredients.

After all croquetas are formed (you should get about 20-24), place cookie sheet in fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.

Toss a piece of panko into the oil to test the heat. The crumb should immediately sizzle and begin browning. Once the oil is hot, add 4-6 croqueta at a time . Avoid over-crowding as this will drop the temperature of the oil and result in a less crisp crust and more oil retention in the dough (yuck).

After a few minutes check for a nice golden color and flip croqueta to fry the second side. When the whole croqueta is golden brown remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt to taste.

Serve warm.

~

Creme Catalan con los higos
(Creme Catalan is like a Creme Brule – we added figs)
——————————-

6-10 ripe figs (optional)
6 tbsp corn starch
6 cups 2% milk
6 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of one whole lemon
Sugar to brule on top (optional)

Equipment:
6 heat-safe ramekins or cazuelas

Peel figs and slice into small pieces and arrange in the bottom of cazuelas.

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and 1/2 cup milk. Stir slowly until starch absorbs into a gluey, but even paste.

In a large pot, away from heat, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until they form a creamy consistency. Whisk in milk until thoroughly combined, then add a cinnamon stick and the zest of one whole lemon.

Place pot over medium heat, stirring constantly.  After a few minutes, re-stir corn starch and slowly add to pot while stirring the custard. Continue to stir until custard boils. (If you stop stirring the lack of movement will cause the egg yolks to cook too quickly, resulting in scrambled eggs. Medium heat and an attentive stir will prevent this every time.)

At the first sign of bubbles remove custard from heat and continue stirring a few minute until partially cool. Custard should to be thick and creamy.

Pour custard into prepared cazuelas over the figs and let stand until dessert. These are best served at room temperature and should not be made in advance of the night they will be eaten.

To serve, sprinkle 1-2 tbsp sugar evenly over the top of the custards one at a time and torch until sugar bubbles brown. (If you sugar all custards before torching, the sugar can dissolve into the custard and not caramelize correctly, so do it one at a time.)

~

Results
——————————-

While delicious to eat, Pintxo are a poor choice for Sunday Dinner.  Helpings are nearly impossible to define. I have instead included quotes,which are non-scientific, and should be used directionally.

JL (napping after large amounts of food):

“you are the pintxos master of the universe”

Nick (eating his first anchovy):

“Still in awe about the awesomeness of Sunday
Dinner with @keresch. Fantastic food and a
great time.”

Brad (picture not taken at our dinner party):

“in case i wasn’t clear on sunday: that was the best meal ever.”

A Thought by Tom Dever

As I settle into the new week, I find myself unable to stop thinking about last night’s meal.  So moved am I, that I decided to put fingers to keyboard, and type a haiku celebrating…

Two cheese-topped patties,

Bed of mac, taters, HOT SAUCE

I LOVE KATIE PLATES.

And so we finally made it to dinner after 4 weeks of prep.

In my estimation I nailed 80%.

The Porchetta was perfection. I may have to buy another shoulder next weekend as there wasn’t nearly enough and it was so perfectly moist and delicious.

The pork buns, while not perfectly uniform, tasted delicious and the pork belly melted in your mouth.

The banana pudding was made even better by the bourbon whipped cream I added on top.

Even the pigs ear fried up nicely to compliment my blue cheese dressing.

Sadly, the headcheese was a fail. Possibly I didn’t boil it down enough, and maybe it was the heat, but what I managed to make was cosume de tete, rather than fromage. I suppose it’s just a sign I need to intern with Boulud after all.

Brad, my pleasure to feed, did not seemed phased by the texture and created his own masterpeice of lardo + headcheese crostini.

All in all I am well-fed and exhausted. I’m unable to report actual results, as aside from some beans and consume, there isn’t a spec left. 9 people, 6 boys, 9 lbs pork, 0 left-overs.

Preparation for Memorial Day Pig Feast: May 25, 2009

Pig Butchering at The Brooklyn Kitchen, 4/28

After being lucky enough to attend one of this year’s final pig butchering classes taught by Tom Mylan of Marlow and Daughters in Williamsburg, I have decided to embark on my most ambitious feast to date. A meal so ambitious that the prep has required 4 full weeks of planning. Through the inspiration of Tom’s suggested applications for each piece of pig he elegantly butchered to Leonard Skynard (I believe we enjoyed Free Bird twice), and the generosity of my bacon-loving guest photographer, Joe, I managed to secure over 14lbs of local upstate pork and the menu to do it justice.

The menu for Memorial Day will be roughly as follows, with last minute changes according to my whim:

Headcheese
Home-curred Lardo
Porchetta-style Pork shoulder
Salad of creamy blue cheese and pig’s ear cracklin’
Assortment of pickles
Deviled Eggs
Elvis-esque Banana Ice Box Pie (with bacon garnish)

Week 4:
———————–

Monday

Ive made it, it’s the big day. This morning I inhaled a big cup of coffee and some nova from Zabar to give me strength and am now embarking on the final prep.

Step 1: Start dough for pork bus
Step 2: Start Porchetta
Step 3: Make sun tea (who doesn’t like iced tea on a hot day)
Step 4: Deviled Eggs
Step 5: Banana Pudding (mom’s recipe of course)
Step 6: Make green onion wraps (now deemed meat shafts by JL)
Step 7: re-bake beans with BBQ sauce
Step 8: greet guests (whew!)

Pork-Belly Buns (Courtesy Brooklyn Kitchen)
Adapted by Surly from David Chang, Gourmet October 2007

For pork
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups water, divided
2 1/2 lb skinless boneless pork belly, cut into quarters
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

For buns
1 cup warm water (105-115°F), divided
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar plus a pinch
2 tablespoons nonfat dried milk
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Canola oil for greasing and brushing

Equipment: a deep 12-inch skillet with domed lid or a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok with lid
Accompaniments: hoisin sauce; thinly sliced cucumber; chopped scallions

Brine pork:
Stir together kosher salt, sugar, and 4 cups water until sugar and salt have dissolved. Put pork belly in a large sealable bag, then pour in brine. Carefully press out air and seal bag. Lay in a shallow dish and let brine, chilled, at least 12 hours.

Make dough for buns while pork is brining:
Stir together 1/4 cup warm water with yeast and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) Whisk in dried milk and remaining 3/4 cup warm water.

Stir together flour and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl, then stir in yeast mixture (do not add baking powder yet) with a fork until a dough forms. Knead dough with your hands in bowl until all of flour is incorporated. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth but still soft, about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball.

Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.

Roast pork while dough rises:
Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in middle.

Discard brine and put pork, fat side up, in an 8- to 9-inch square baking pan. Pour in broth and remaining 1/2 cup water. Cover tightly with foil and roast until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 450°F, then roast until fat is golden, about 20 minutes more. Cool 30 minutes, then chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.

Cut chilled pork across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Chill slices in pan juices, covered, while making buns.

Make buns:
Punch down dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and flatten slightly into a disk. Sprinkle baking powder over center of dough, then gather edges of dough and pinch to seal in baking powder. Knead dough with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking until baking powder is incorporated, about 5 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then let dough stand 30 minutes.

Cut 16 (3- by 2-inch) pieces of wax paper.

Form dough into a 16-inch-long log. Cut into 16 equal pieces, then lightly dust with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 6- by 3-inch oval, lightly dusting surface, your hands, and rolling pin. Pat oval between your palms to remove excess flour, then brush half of oval lightly with oil and fold in half crosswise (do not pinch). Place bun on a piece of wax paper on a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Make more buns with remaining dough, then let stand, loosely covered, until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.

Set a large steamer rack inside skillet (or wok) and add enough water to reach within 1/2 inch of bottom of rack, then bring to a boil. Carefully place 5 to 7 buns (still on wax paper) in steamer rack (do not let buns touch). Cover tightly and steam over high heat until buns are puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate with tongs, then discard wax paper and wrap buns in kitchen towels (not terry cloth) to keep warm. Steam remaining buns in 2 batches, adding boiling-hot water to skillet as needed.

Return buns (still wrapped in towels) to steamer rack in skillet and keep warm (off heat), covered.

To Serve:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Heat sliced pork (in liquid in baking dish), covered, until hot, 15 to 20 minutes.

Brush bottom half of each bun with hoisin sauce, then sandwich with 2 or 3 pork slices and some cucumber and scallions

Porchetta

20 fresh sage leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves only
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fennel pollen (available at Whole Foods)
1½ teaspoons medium-coarse sea salt
1½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
One 3¾-to-4 pound boneless pork shoulder (skin on, not tied)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white or red wine

1. Heat oven to 250°

2. Finely chop the sage, thyme, rosemary and garlic together (you can do this by pulsing the herbs in a food processor or chopping them by hand). Place the mixture in a small bowl, add the fennel pollen, salt and pepper, and stir together well.

3. With a sharp knife, score the pork skin in a crosshatch diamond pattern, making 1/2-inch-deep cuts about 1 inch apart. With a paring knife, make about 10 incisions (about ½ inch deep) all over the pork and stuff it with about a third of the herb mixture. Tie the pork into a compact roast with kitchen twine, brush the olive oil over the skin and rub all over with the remaining herb mixture.

4. Set pork skin-side up in a roasting pan. Roast for 2 hours.

5. Pour wine over pork and baste with wine and accumulated juices. Continue roasting, basting once every half hour, until skin is well-browned and meat is spoon tender, 2½ to 3 hours more.

6. Remove the pork from the oven; let the meat rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Sunday

On Saturday I also started brining some pork belly in a 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup kosher salt, 4 cups water brine . I’m giving firetruck (my new cast iron le creuset casserole) his dinner party debut at the pig feast as host to the belly for our pork buns.

This morning I got up and began roasting the (skinless) belly fat -side up in 1/2 cup reserved stock from the headcheese and 1/2 cup water for 2 1/2 hours @ 300 degrees covered, I will follow this with 20 minutes at 450 until the fat browns. Will cool, slice and chill in the fridge overnight in it’s own juices.

That just leaves deviled eggs, pork bun dough and the Porchetta for Monday. Fingers crossed that Whole Foods does have fennel pollen (as the recipe suggests). It’s like the upper west is a waste land. No squid ink, tenderizing salt or fennel pollen???

Saturday

Trotter post brine and braising.

After spending the better part of 8 hours in the kitchen today, I can proudly confirm that the feast is on and delicious at that.

I started about noon today, putting head and trotter into my soup pot with celery, onion, carrot, pepper corns, fresh thyme and parsley, a clove, bay leaf, and a couple allspice. Wilbur spent 4 hours tightly covered at 300 degrees prepping to be pulled.

While waiting on Wilbur to finish up I threw together a batch of Julia Child’s cole slaw (aways better after marinating a day or two) and Joy of Cooking’s Honey-Baked Beans. I also threw together a batch of cous cous salad for a picnic in the park tomorrow.

A quick check of the lardo proved to be deliciously sweet and delicate.

Cole Slaw courtesy Julia Childs
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (sorry Julia I bought mine)
1/3 cup sour cream or creme fresh (I used sour cream)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cider vinegar
fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Toss with shredded green cabbage, julienne carrot, and sliced green onion.

Honey-baked Beans

1 lb bag pinto beans (dried)

Pick over beans to make sure there are no rocks and cover with boiling water in a bowl (2″ above height of beans). Let stand 1-2 hours until beans are plumped and water is absorbed. Drain and add to pot with 10 cups water. Boil for 45 minutes.

Strain beans, reserving liquid.

Add 1 red onion diced, 1/4 lb bacon (cut into lardon) and 2 cloves garlic minced to beans.

To cooking liquid add, 1 tsp powdered mustard, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup molases, fresh cracked pepper, 2 tsp salt and a splash of hot sauce (my addition). Stir to dissolve honey and pour over beans and onion etc. till covered. Bake 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.

The beans are okay, but a little on the bland side for my taste. For the big day I’m planning to mince some green pepper and more onion, and add along with some BBQ sauce and brown sugar to fix it up. Luckily there’s plenty of time left to keep baking the beans

Headcheese molding

After completing my braise, I skinned and pulled all meat off the totter and head and discarded the bones. The teeth still freaked me out too much to keep as a souvenir. I strained the stock and returned to the pot to reduce by half (remember don’t salt till the end to control the final amount).

While reducing I tossed chopped (pulled) meat with a quarter cup finely diced celery, the zest and juice of one lemon and a lot of fresh chopped parsley. In retrospect some fresh cracked pepper would have been nice too. Maybe next time…

Once the stock was fully reduced, I tasted for salt, then combines with meat in the mold. All I have to do now is refrigerate and hope it tastes good on Monday.

I think I’ll go out for dinner tonight as there’s no dishes left in my kitchen or room for leftovers in my fridge.

The headcheese is now molded and chilling in the fridge. Fingers crossed I reduced it enough to gel properly…

Week 3:
———————–

We’re now 7 days out from the Memorial Pig Feast and it’s time to get serious about the headcheese.

Today is the 5-day mark before it’s time to braise and that means brining. At Tom Mylan’s suggestion I am going to attempt to corn Wilbur’s tongue (as in corned beef) and set it in the center of my headcheese like a pork Twinkie.

Tom’s Headcheese brine:
———————–

1 pig head (or half a head in my case)
1 trotter
1 box (2lbs) kosher salt
1 tbsp pepper corns
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp allspice
5 cloves
1 lb box brown sugar
2 gallons water
1 tbsp paprika and 3 bay leaves (my addition, sorry Tom)

Heat all contents but the pig parts in a large pot until dissolved. Let stand to cool to room temperature (I went to the movies). In the biggest non-reactive container you have (I use my canner) combine pig, brine and weight down. Leave in fridge covered for 5 days.

After a skim of the internet, Julia Childs and Joy of Cooking I was unable to locate a reputable recipe for corning my own meat. A quick call to Mom saved the day (as usual) she happened to have a recipe from her office-mate/hunter friend Gene sitting on top of her microwave just waiting to share.

Gene Clark’s Corned Venison (or whatever meat you have):
———————–

1 tongue (in my case half a pig’s)
2 quarts distilled water (not tap)
1/2 cup pickling salt (non-iodized)
1/2 cup Mortons tender quick tenderizing salt*
3 tbsp sugar (I used brown)
2 tbsp pickling spice (I used Zabars)
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (my addition, sorry Gene)

*Apparently tenderizing salt is in a blue bag at your grocery store, but like squid ink, it is unheard of on the upper west side. A quick consult with the butcher at Zabar confirmed they use Kosher salt to corn their beef, so I have substituted (fingers crossed).

Combine all contents but tongue to boil in a large pot, let cool to room temperature.

Combine brine with tongue in a double-lined (one inside the other) ziploc bag and seal. Place in fridge. Turn once each day to ensure even salting , for 5 days total.

Rinse thoroughly before cooking.

Week 2:
———————–

With the help of my house guest, Ferocious, this week’s Sunday evening was spent pickling additions to my current stock (dilly beans (2008), bread and butter pickles (2007)).

We made refrigerator-pickled Okra and Crocked Half Sour pickles

Fe suggested spears over whole pickles and I hope she doesn’t steer me wrong.

Crock-Cured Dill Pickles, courtesy Joy of Cooking Canning & Preserves:
———————-

2 – 4 lbs fresh Kirby cucumbers, washed and blossom ends trimmed 1/16″ from the end of the cucumber
4-6 sprigs fresh dill
6-8 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 dried hot chili, crushed in your fingers
8 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white vinegar

Combine salt, water and vinegar and stir to dissolve.

In a 1-gallon crock (any un-chipped ceramic, enameled, glass or food-grade plastic container), scatter half of the dill, mustard seed, celery seed and chili pepper. Layer in cucumber spears allowing for air pockets and top with other half of dill, seeds and pepper. Pour brine over top and allow to completely cover crock contents. Weight cucumbers down under water (I use a pie plate with a jar of water, and cover loosely with plastic wrap to protect from dust.

Let cure on counter 1-3 weeks, stirring every three days. Remove any scum daily if it appears (not to worry there’s been none on mine), and begin tasting after the first week.

After 2-3 weeks pickles can be refrigerated or processed in water bath to store.

Lardo has now been removed from salt and hung to dry from the bottom shelf in my fridge.

Week 1:
———————-

Needing maximum curing time, I began curing my lardo immediately after the butchering class concluded, then discovered that my original dinner party date needed to move out one week to accommodate the guest list, oops…

After quickly checking with Mom to see if her Country Ham-Curring prowess had any thoughts on how to slow down the process, we decided we’d better check with the expert (sorry for all those email’s Tom). My plan is to extend the drying time one week, fingers crossed.

Tom Mylan’s Lardo Recipe:
———————–

Make a cure of 1 cup Kosher salt to 2 tablespoons sugar and add a couple tablespoons each of crushed red pepper flakes, whole black peppercorn and 5 sprigs of fresh thyme. Rub the fat back in the cure and leave in a plastic container uncovered in the fridge for 5 days then reapply the rub and cure for 5 more days. after that remove from the cure and let it air dry for another 5 days on a plate in the fridge.

I used the above recipe, but included fresh thyme in my first weeks cure, followed by fresh rosemary the second week which the internet says is more traditional (I couldn’t find my rosemary the first week. It was hiding in the back of the fridge).

I also got my pig’s head (Wilbur) out of the fridge and prepped for a week or two in the freezer. I am not a squeamish person, but when the Myth Busters team uses pigs as human analogs they are not joking. Wilbur’s teeth and eye-ball are almost identical to mine, and it took a few deep breadths before I was ready to stick him on the cutting board and remove his ear and tongue for separate freezing…

My platonic better half boarded a plane for Korea this morning, leaving me home alone for the week. I thought this would be a nice time to cook for myself for a change. Inspired by the beautiful spring weather we’ve had this weekend I opted for something light and fresh, as well as nice and simple.

Seared Sea Scallops with risotto, truffle oil and shaved Parmesan
——————

Risotto:
1 large shallot, finely minced
1 dried chili pepper, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry vermouth, or drinkable white wine
1/2 cup arborio rice
1-2 cups seafood stock (I picked some up at Fairway)
1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 piece of good Parmesan cheese at room temperature

Scallops:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large sea scallops
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp truffle oil

To make the risotto:
If your stock is room temperature you can pour it right from the container as you make this dish. If your stock is fresh, and therefore cold, heat it up on the stove to avoid dropping the temperature of the risotto as it cooks.

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute a few minutes until it becomes translucent. Add dry rice and stir occasionally until you can smell the rice beginning to toast.

Away from the flame, add vermouth to deglaze the pan. Set back on heat, add hot pepper, bay leaf and stir until all the vermouth is absorbed by the rice.

Add stock a third of a cup at a time, again stirring until all liquid is absorbed before adding more. Once about one cup of stock have been added try rice to test consistency. Continue to add stock if needed until rice is cooked through but still has a good bite to it. Remove from heat.

Add old bay and salt/pepper to taste and cover with a lid to keep warm while making scallops.

To make scallops:
Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium high heat. Place scallops in pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden around the edges. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, plate risotto with a few large shavings of the Parmesan cheese (a vegetable peeler works well for this). Set scallops on top of risotto and drizzle with truffle oil to finish.

I also roasted some asparagus and tossed with olive oil, sea salt and fresh lemon to balance the richness of the risotto.

Results:
——————

Sadly one problem with dining alone is the lack of judges. You’ll just have to take my word for this one.

I was cornered at the annual Superbowl Party and reminded about my promise to update the blog more often this year. Not wanting to disappoint I decided it was time to throw the first dinner party of 2009. Its been a particularly cold and snowy winter so far in New York City so I thought comfort food was absolutely in order.

Stuffed Pork Loin
——————

1 4lb Boneless Pork Loin
1 1/2 cups croutons
1/2 cup chestnuts, finely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 small celery stalk, minced
1 -2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, plus more to coat top of loin
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder

In a medium mixing bowl combine all ingredients except pork and garlic powder and let stand a few minutes until croutons have absorbed stock.

Meanwhile, butterfly pork loin and season inside with salt and pepper. Place stuffing down the center of the loin, then wrap up sides to reform the loin’s original shape. Secure with kitchen twine.

Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and season top liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little balsamic vinegar.

Roast 1 1/2 – 2 hours at 350, let stand 15 minutes before carving

Gravy
——————

2 cups beef stock
4 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed

In a medium sauce pan bring stock to a simmer

While stock is heating, add all other ingredients to a jar with tight-fitting lid and shake until well combined.

When stock begins to simmer, slowly whisk milk mixture into stock and continue whisking until gravy has thickened and begun to boil. Remove from heat.

Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
——————

6-8 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed in 1/4″ pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
Cayenne pepper to taste

Toss potatoes with olive oil and 1 tsp salt and spread out evenly on a cookie sheet. Roast at 350 degrees 30-45 minutes until tender.

In a large bowl mash potatoes with butter, cream, remaining salt and pepper. Add 1/2 tsp cayenne or more as desired.

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse Pie with Pretzel Crust
——————

1 regular bag of thin pretzels, with salt
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tbsp heavy cream, plus 1 cup whipper
Strawberries and raspberries to top pie

Run pretzels through a food processor until fine crumbs are formed. Combine  2 cups pretzel crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9″ pie plate to form a crust. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until crust is set. Set aside and let cool.

Heat 4 tbsp cream in double boiler and pour over chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth, setting over a double boiler as needed. Let chocolate cool to room temperature and  gently fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly in pie crust and put in freezer 1-2 hours to set.

1 hour before serving move pie to the fridge. Cover with berries and more whipped cream to taste.

Results
——————

We had 5 boys with healthy appetites in attendence, and they managed to finish off the full 4lbs of pork.

Last week’s organic shipment left me with a stock pile of eggplants.

Bored of the usual eggplant-over-pasta I make every time, I decided it would be fun to put my new culinary school training to work and try braising the eggplant. Apparently I’m the only one who thought of this, as there are no recipes out there. Rather than make something bland with chicken stock, I hypothesized that I could replace the lamb in tagine with eggplant and make a healthy vegetarian version.

(sorry for the crap image, damn you camera phone!)

Eggplant Tagine over Cous Cous
—————–
1 large eggplant, diced into 1/2″ cubes (bite sized)
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 pinches cayenne
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2″ cubes
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups couscous, cooked per directions on package, in well salted water
1 small package of plain yogurt (I prefer Fage) to garnish

1 9X11 baking dish and foil to tightly cover.

Preheat over to 325 degrees

Combine eggplant and all ingredients through salt and pepper in the baking dish and mix thoroughly to coat.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

While eggplant is baking prep all other ingredients.

After 30 minutes of baking have passed. Remove dish from oven and carefully remove foil. Add in all remaining ingredients through vegetable stock (not the cous cous). Replace foil and bake 45 minutes to an hour.

Make cous cous and set aside.
(Mid-week Bonus!)

To serve, spoon tagine over a bed of cous cous and add a tbsp of yogurt to garnish. You could add a bit more fresh mint if you like.

Results
——————
Not only did my eggplant tagine work, it worked so well I ran out and had to make a new batch just to make it through the week.