Ground Pork - The Other Ground Meat

Deliciousness

I am lucky enough to have lived in three great cities.  I spent the first 22 years of my life in Boston, MA.  It is my hometown, and always will be.  On just about every day, I'm wearing a T-Shirt at the gym that showcases one of their four major sports teams, or perhaps my alma mater, Boston College.  I have spent the last 20 plus years of my life in Chicago, IL.  It is my home, and I don't see that ever changing.  I've embraced the culture, the dining, the lifestyle and even the weather (although this winter is killing me).  Sandwiched in between those long stays in Boston and Chicago, was a year in London, England.  It's funny that for such a relatively short time in between these two long stays, I feel like I grew up more, and learned more in that year than in any other.  One thing I did learn was that the British, in general, don't put a huge emphasis on great food (at not least in 1992-1993).  Perhaps that has changed recently.  I hope for their sake that it has.

That all said, there are some significant highlights, food-wise that is, from my stay in London.  I learned about the wonders of the "bap", a round, dense roll for sandwich-making.  Takes the Kaiser Roll and brings it to new levels.  I learned that pudding is rarely what we in the states call pudding, take Yorkshire (another 'bread' if you will) for example.  I learned that baked beans are perfectly suitable for breakfast (along with bangers).  At some point in the future, I will pay homage to Paulina Market's sausage case, which for a brief time this winter held British Bangers, delicious little breakfast sausages that (for my memory) tasted like London if you know what I mean.  But I digress.  The learning of which I want to discuss in this blog today was the art of the meat pie, specifically the Pork Pie.  The British love to take a medley of meats and vegetables and put it into a delicious baked pie.  Yum.  Think pot pie.  Think Shepherd's Pie.  Today, let's think about Michael Symon's recipe for Pork Pie.  Again, yum.

For the third recipe in the ten I've done so far this year, I got to use Paulina's slab bacon as my starting point, Meat Candy if you will.  I diced it up and cooked it at the bottom of a dutch oven, removed it but left the bacon fat, and browned Paulina's ground pork in it, and removed that as well.  In went celery, onions, fresh savory, a little cinnamon, a little cloves, some diced up potatoes, garlic, celery leaves, parsley, some water for de-glazing and you have an aroma-filled kitchen that is the envy of the neighborhood.  In addition to this being the first time I've cooked any Meat Pie, this is also the first time I have ever cooked any Pie.  Can I get a little love for the fact that the first pie I've ever cooked (at the age of 44, almost) was not Apple, not Pumpkin, not Pecan, Squash nor Blueberry?  But a Pork Pie!  I must say I take pride in my love of meat, and prioritizing it over far more famous pie alternatives.  But again, I digress.

So, yes.  I also made the Pie Crust that Michael Symon recommends.  Buttery, flaky deliciousness.  The pie and all its filling went into the oven for 45 minutes, sat on the counter for 30 minutes to cool, which were no doubt the longest 30 minutes I've spent in my 2014 quest to cook everything in the Paulina display case.  And then we dove in.  The pie top creates a bit of an insulation for the filling, so it's still really hot.  And really good!  And did I mention this resulted in two dinners and one lunch for both my wife and I?  And we only made 1/2 the recipe?  I haven't met Michael Symon, famous Chef on Food Network and Cooking Channel, but I think he knows me.  Anyhow, make this recipe!  Highly highly recommended!  In one bite, mentally, I went from Roscoe Village, Chicago, IL to Leicester Square, London, England in a nanosecond.  And what a trip it was!

10 down, 47 to go!

Brisket - Dan, Daddy and the Sauce

My love affair with meat extends to my circle of friends.  Let me be more specific, I am not the only one in my circle of friends that shares a love affair with  meat.  And like the shampoo commercial from the 70's, "and they told two people, and they told two people, and so on, and so on, and so on."  So in a real world "Six Degrees of Bacon" (no need for Kevin here), I know a lot of people who know a lot of people who love meat.  And this story falls into that category.

In 1993, I moved to Chicago and met a friend, a college classmate in fact who I did not know in college, and so began what is now a 21 year friendship.  I was his best man in 2004, he mine in 2009 and the beat goes on so to speak.  In 1998, I became friends with a co-worker (she out of the NY office, me out of the Chicago office).  In 2000, she moved to Chicago, at which point I introduced her to a guy who she married four years later.  Yep, same guy.

So, what does all this have to do with meat, you ask?  Good question.  A couple of years after their wedding, I drove down to Cincinnati to spend a weekend with them, a cold January weekend.  Dinner was ready when I got there, a 10 hour crock pot recipe of BBQ Beef Brisket.  Yes, these friends love meat like I do.  And it was phenomenal.  I obtained said recipe on the spot, and it has been a staple in the King household ever since.  But, there is more!  Her brother was the maker of the BBQ sauce in the recipe!  Apparently, what was once a backyard hobby became a bit of an enterprise when he unexpectedly took 2nd place at Memphis in May and concluded that he HAD to do something with this little concoction.  And so he did.  And thus became "Fat Dan's BBQ Sauce".  Tag Line:  Dan's Fat, the Sauce Isn't.  Now, I know there are times when people say, "So and so makes the best <fill in the blank>".  Well, Dan made the best BBQ sauce I've ever had.  And that is a HUGE statement, given what comes later in the story!  Dan sent me home with a couple of cases of sauce, on several occasions, and it was always a crowd pleaser.  Not long after I was introduced to Fat Dan's, I learned that Fat Dan's was going to be no more.  Dan and his partners never viewed it as their "full time job", and none of them ever wanted to leave their full time job to make a real go of it.  So, they sort of packed up shop, and ended it there.  A year or two later, I flirted with the idea of buying the recipe and the name and giving it a go in Chicago.  But I never did, and now, the years have passed.

Since then, I have struggled to find the right replacement.  It had heat, to be sure, balanced with some sweetness that both pleased you and kicked you all at the same time.  Finally, I have now found my "go to", a best-in-city BBQ joint that just so happens to be owned by friends of ours (see what I mean about Six Degrees of Bacon?), Smoke Daddy.  Smoke Daddy on Division/Wood in Chicago is the penultimate marriage of great BBQ and sports bar.  And trust me, there aren't many of those.  Usually if you do one well, the other suffers.  These guys nailed the combination.  AND...they nailed the sauce.  They have several, and each are outstanding.  For this brisket, I used the Sweet & Smokey.

So, let's talk recipe.  Paulina's Beef Brisket (and I've got to put a little shout out to Paulina's Brisket...there truly is NO comparison), about a 3.5 pounder is perfect.  Set it at room temperature for an hour and give it a good rub of Kosher salt and ground pepper.  Layer the bottom of a crock pot with one thinly sliced onion, place the Brisket on top of it (fat side up), sprinkle one diced jalapeno pepper, one packet of onion soup mix, and one bottle of Smoke Daddy Sweet and Smokey BBQ sauce.  Cook on High for one hour, Low for 8 hours, and shred it and eat it.  Paired with my wife's homemade cole slaw and homemade mashed potatoes, and yesterday was Memphis in February!

Back to Fat Dan's.  There were two ingredients that I know made it a bit on the unique side, apple sauce and mace.  With those as my starting points, I will commence yet another quest.  This year, for Day of Meat in August, I will attempt to recreate Fat Dan's.  There will be a lot of trial and error, I am sure.  But I will pursue this goal.  Dan, if you see this, and you think to yourself, "I should throw this guy a bone", a) if you literally threw me a bone I might actually fetch it and b) please do so.  I will honor your recipe and if I can successfully recreate its incomparable deliciousness, let's talk about the launch of Fat Dan's 2.0.

9 down, 48 to go!

Honeymoon Pot Roast - Bringing Back the Dinner for Four Party

It seems as though nowadays, unless it's a holiday, when you eat-in, you eat-in alone.  And when you eat with friends, you go out.  Maybe it's just my circle of friends, but that seems to be the case.  A few years ago, my wife and I moved into our newly renovated home, and as a way to have folks come over and see the place, we had a series of dinner parties, usually for anywhere for 2 - 4 guests beyond ourselves.  And it was a blast.  And it achieved our goal of having our friends see the place.  We had nice meals.  And that was that.  And I have to say, I kind of miss those dinner parties.

Insert this crazy quest I have to cook everything in Paulina's display case in 2014.  Let's face it, some of these cuts are not for two.  Hell, some of these cuts are not for four.  There are two mathematical factors at play.  One, I have 57 cuts of meat to make in a 365 day year.  My wife loves to cook (so we can't count any of those meals towards my goal), and we love to travel (can't take Paulina cuts with you, at least not easily).  So the actual number of nights we are in Chicago from which I need to find 57 to make meals, is not that high.  Second mathematical factor is that we love to make plans with friends.  Traditionally, this meant going out to eat.  And in many cases, it still does.  But when one wants the proverbial "two kills with one stone", having guests over for the dinner party is the ultimate win/win.

Last night, we did just that.  Long term, great friends came over for a little French themed meal, if you will.  My wife made them Raspberry Royales, a little Chambord with Champagne with actual Raspberries.  I did what I do best and finished off a bottle of wine opened earlier in the week.  That's just how I roll.  In addition to the French themed cocktails, my better half also put together "Cheese Straws", which are essentially French bread twists with cheese to go with little Endives, Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Honey.  Yep, just that..set in the little Endive leaf.  Is one called a Leaf?  I don't know...I'm the meat guy.  I am kind of happy I don't know.  Anyhow, great apps, great drinks, great conversation, great time, right?

It got better!  Thanks to Anne Burrell from Food Network and an easy to follow recipe online found HERE, I put together a Honeymoon Pot Roast that had every one of us sign up for seconds.  Let's talk the cut first.  I learned yesterday at Paulina Market, that the Honeymoon Pot Roast is simply a smaller version of the Boston Rolled Pot Roast.  Both are boneless chuck roasts, but the Boston Rolled is just bigger/longer.  Well, I needed a 3 pounder.  And unfortunately, their biggest one yesterday came in just over 2 lbs.  So, combining Paulina's ingenuity and my useless pointing, we concluded that 4 Honeymoon Pot Roasts, weighing in at about 12 oz each would do the trick.  And did they ever!

Browning in olive oil, sauteing onions, celery and crushed red pepper, adding in garlic, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, chicken broth, star anise, thyme and bay leaves.  Baking for an hour, adding more broth, baking for another hour, adding more broth and butternut squash cubes, bliss potatoes (which I substituted for the Jerusalem Artichokes) and dried figs, baking for another 30 minutes and then removing the lid for the final 20 minutes.  The smells were out of this world.  Put everything on the serving platter, poured a Red Burgundy from Beaune, and ate in mostly silence.  I mean, the good silence, the kind that gets periodically interrupted with a euphoric satisfaction "mmm", and given the audience, the occasional "bleep yeah!"

After dinner, again my French loving wife busted out homemade Creme Brulee with which we opened a dessert wine (another French one, a Sauternes).  More "mmms" and "bleep yeahs".  More laughs, great conversation and an overall success.  So, it's final.  We are bringing back the Dinner Party for Four.  We hope you do, too!

8 down, 49 to go!

Skirt Steak - Orange Beef and the Mandarin Mission

I think I mentioned previously that I have a rather insane love of good, high quality Chinese food.  And because of that love, and the increasing lack of quality establishments that satisfy that craving, I purchased and have successfully replicated some of my favorite dishes.  Now, for this rendition of the Paulina quest, I made Orange Beef.  Now, I've made it before, truth be told.  But I chose to use Skirt Steak this time, which is different than my past attempts.  And I must say, it was an excellent choice.  Stir Fry is sort of a quick searing process, and Skirt Steak (being ultra thin and quick to reach Medium Rare status) was the perfect accompaniment.  More on the recipe later.

Having made the comment before (and again above) that there is a shortage of quality Chinese Restaurants, I thought I would list some of my all-time favorites, none of them still in existence, all of them leaving behind a set of memories and cravings never satisfied by the remaining competition.  Hence, my purchase of the Quick & Easy Chinese cookbook, and my ongoing use of it.  As I list these wonderful places of old, I hope some Chicagoans point me in the right direction for a present tense find or two.

• China Bell, VFW Parkway, Boston, MA (where I learned of the wonders of the Egg Roll)
• Hunan Pagoda, same location as above, yet still gone (where Bowling meant Scorpion Bowling, not 10 pin Bowling)
• Ho Sai Gai, Brookline, MA (where King Family Christmas Eves were celebrated, and where I ate more Sweet & Sour Chicken than any human being ought to ever attempt)
• China Sails, Rte 9, Boton, MA (where General Gao taught me the wonders of ginger)
• Dragon City, near Boston College (anything and everything deep fried)
• Ming Garden, same location a China Sails (where I sincerely believe that my involvement in their all-you-can-eat-buffet may have put them out of business)
• Shanghai Minnies, Broadway and Surf, Chicago, IL (my first Chicago Chinese food find)
• Mars, Broadway and Briar, Chicago, IL (Moo Shoo Chicken, nuff said)
• China Lite, Southport and Newport, Chicago, IL (Orange Chicken, Black Bean Chicken....man, I miss that place)
• For all the above, RIP...and someone please send me a new find!!!

OK.  Now, in the absence of these establishments, I now cook it.  So, let's talk Skirt Steak.  Paulina's skirt steak is wonderful.  I've used it for Chinese, Mexican (fajitas), Maple/Chipotle Marinades (yum) and a simple teriyaki/lime.  But let's talk Orange Beef.

Marinade the sliced steak (be sure to cut slices against the grain, very important!) in soy sauce.  While marinating, mix together in a separate bowl the zest of an orange, some fresh garlic, fresh ginger and red chili flakes.  In yet another bowl, mix together some salt, sugar, rice wine, dark soy sauce (different than regular), orange juice and corn starch.  Start a wok with some vegetable oil and the steak, add in the zest mixture, add in the orange juice mixture, toss in some green onion and a couple of drops of sesame oil, and you are good to go.  Throw it on a bed of steamed jasmine rice, and you are brought back to Ming Garden (or any of the above, or those in your RIP list).

7 down, 50 to go!

Butterfly Pork Chops - Pork Chopsh and Apricotsh

Alright, before you tell me that I misspelled Chops and Apricots, I know.  And if you are one of those closet Brady Bunch fans who lived in Boston in the 70's and watched re-runs on Channel 56 (gotta love the old UHF stations sans remote control), I know that in the episode Peter was saying Apple Sauce, not Apricots.  I too am a closet (now out) Brady Bunch fan who watched far too many hours of re-runs on Channel 56.  Not that I want to deviate too far from the point of this blog, but can I briefly discuss how awesome the UHF stations in Boston were in 70's and early 80's?  You had Channel 38, home of the Bruins, Red Sox and lots of Andy Griffith.  Channel 56 had the aforementioned Brady Bunch and the Celtics.  And we cannot forget the short but wonderful life of V66, Boston's flash in the pan rival to cable's MTV.  It was phenomenal, an all-music-video format dedicated to raising awareness to Boston's music scene.  The Del Fuegos ("Don't Run Wild") and New Man (can't remember their big hit) are two local favorites to whom V66 gave a nice boost.  OK.  I live in Chicago, and have now for 21 years, and I'm writing about a Boston TV station that hasn't existed since 1986, in a space dedicated to Meat.  Most readers aren't from Boston, probably aren't old enough to remember 1986 and couldn't care less about the Brady Bunch or New Man.  I digress.  I must move on.

I have never cooked with Butterfly Pork Chops before other than simply grilling them.  Insert new recipe.  I put a rub of curry, salt and pepper on the chops and left them in the fridge for a few hours.  Took them out, and got them to room temperature (a new trick I learned that is now a staple in all my cooking now, but just an hour is all you need), and pan-seared them with olive oil for a minute or two on each side, then for 3 minutes per side while covered.  Got them to an internal temperature of roughly 150 degrees, and took them out and let them rest under loosely covered foil.  Into the pan goes 1/2 cup of diced onion along with turmeric, salt, ginger and a touch of cinnamon.  Once the onions were softened and coated in the seasonings, I added chicken broth, sugar, salt and pepper and sliced dried apricots.  Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes until it turns a bit syrupy, and pour it over the pork chops.  I rested the chops on a small bed of couscous, with the sweet, middle eastern sauce poured over it.  It was amazing.  The other day, I wrote about the enigma of cooking good Indian food.  This wasn't Indian, but I used several of the same seasonings, and this enigma was undoubtedly solved.

Regarding my quest to cook the Paulina display case, I encountered a minor hiccup in that they are closed this week for their annual winter break.  These Pork Chops were bought and cooked on Saturday (I really want to keep my pace of 5 per month), along with a Skirt Steak currently in the freezer, which I have sized up for Orange Beef Thursday night.  Those guys are great.  For a good month leading up to their break, they let you know about it.  Saturday at Paulina was like the day before a forecast blizzard, carnivores lined up to make sure they had enough meat to last during Paulina's winter break.  Thanks to them and their strong communications, I am well fed, and well prepared.

6 down, 51 to go!

Lamb Stew - The Indian Enigma

As you can imagine, by starting an endeavor like this, my wife and I love to cook.  It started with the fact that we love to eat food.  And as our relationship evolved, we got more and more compelled to try to make the very food we loved to eat at restaurants.  One category of food that became an absolute necessity (for me) to learn how to cook was Chinese Food.  Great Chinese restaurants, for whatever reason, are a dying breed in Chicago (in our humble opinion).  And prior to the loss of some great Chinese landmarks in Chicago (i.e. China Lite, Shang Hai Minnie's), I grew rather addicted to the likes of Lemon Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan and Mongolian Beef.

We got married in 2009, and had the good fortune of having a treasure chest's worth of gift cards to Crate & Barrel.  While there, seeking to spend said fortune, I stumbled across Quick & Easy Chinese, a cookbook that became my favorite for the next year or so.  I made over half the recipes, many of which are now staples in our dinner rotation.  Because of the success, we branched into other ethnicities, and bought the comparable versions for Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian.  And across the board, we have had everywhere from modest to resounding success.  Except for one, Indian.  For whatever reason, there is always something not quite right.  Maybe it's the quality of the spices, the duration of time spent on each phase, etc.  Never far off, but never quite right.  So, in a way, I am in the midst of two quests as we speak.  First, the quest to cook all the meat in Paulina's display case, and two, to nail one of these Indian recipes.

The recipe on deck was Lamb Vindaloo, and called for 1.25 lbs of cubed Lamb Shoulder meat, which upon asking at Paulina, I learned that the Lamb Stew meat was in fact Lamb Shoulder.  Check.  But here is where my intermediate cooking skills (note: not expert) left me high and dry.  If you think about stew, you think "slow cooking".  So, stew meat is usually heavily marbled, to allow it to melt into the stew and add flavor.  My recipe was not a "slow cooked" recipe, just a 70 minute simmer.  You can probably predict the error of my ways.

Cumin, turmeric, mustard, red wine vinegar along with onions and garlic made for an extremely aromatic kitchen.  In went the lamb and the 70 minute simmer.  The result was "ok", certainly not bad and certainly not great.  The reason?  I didn't trim the fat.  Across the board, when we took a bite of lean Lamb Vindaloo with the aromatic spices and the basmati rice, it was delicious.  But the cubed stew meat truly required a much longer slow cooking experience.  Had I trimmed the meat, and only used lean lamb stew meat for this recipe, the result would have been undoubtedly delicious.  But the way I prepped it, I left us with too much tough in a dish that craved tender.

I now stand on the precipice of Indian food success.  I know what I need to do next time to nail it.  But when will I get the chance?  I have 52 more recipes to cook and 11 months to do them.  The Indian Enigma may need to wait a bit longer.

5 down, 52 to go!