WELL FED

SPICY PORK GOULASH

So I know I haven't posted in quite a while and with the 4th anniversary of this blog just around the corner (can you believe it?), I'd sort of wanted my return to be with beautiful, shallow depth of field, naturally daylit photographs of a gorgeous, elegant recipe perfect for a smart dinner party full of fashionable and interesting foodies.  But, I'm sorry to say, I STILL have not gotten a new camera and the recipe I'm posting is for GOULASH.  Just that name even sounds kind of tragic and seems more like something a sturdy hausfrau in a babuska would serve her hardworking husband after a cold afternoon spent chopping firewood.  But as I wrote in my mission statement on my about page, I only post recipes that I would make again, and believe me, this I make again AND again AND again.

For those unfamiliar with goulash, it originates in Hungary and is pretty much a very simple soup or stew consisting of little more than sauteed red onion, paprika and some sort of meat, be it lamb, pork, veal or beef.  Many recipes also incorporate bell peppers, tomato and additional spice in the form of the underused and underappreciated caraway seed.  Traditionally, the stew is served over egg noodles finished with a little sour cream.  What got me thinking about goulash was Jamie Oliver.

You see, I just downloaded the new Jamie Oliver app for the iphone and it's kind of fantastic.  Basically it's a list of recipes designed for a typical weeknight dinner, none taking longer than twenty minutes to prepare.  There are beautifully shot instructional videos, tips on what keep in a well stocked kitchen and a function that generates shopping lists based on recipe which can then be emailed to your loved one (or yourself) to pick up at the store on the way home from work.  I love it, but to be honest, a lot of it is a bit basic.  I know how to chop an onion or perfectly cook pasta and I'm not looking to get dinner on the table quickly.  At least not today.  But Jamie is so endearing and engaging that it got me thinking about his series, Jamie at Home and it's companion cookbook.  Both are so enchantingly picturesque and portray the ultimate foodie lifestyle that I'd love to have one day - rambling country estate, sprawling garden (with gardener to take care of it), outdoor kitchen with wood burning brick oven.  God, can you imagine?  

Anyway, Jamie made this dish in one episode that focused on chilies and peppers and for some reason, it's always stuck with me.  One day I'll make some recipes from his app, but I figured that since I had the time, I'd do this rather lengthy to prepare dish.

INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, off the bone and preferably with a thick layer of fat on one side
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
2 fresh chiles, finely chopped (depending on the heat level you like, either seed them or don't)
2 heaping tablespoons mild smoked paprika
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted lightly in a dry skillet and then coarsely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
1 heaping tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano, chopped
5 bell peppers (use a mixture of colors), cored and sliced
1 10-ounce jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes
3 or 4 cups low sodium, organic chicken stock
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

(to serve)
2/3 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon or so fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped plus a little for garnis
steamed basmati rice

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Score the fatty side of the pork in a criss-cross pattern slicing all the way down into the meat.  Season generously all over with salt and pepper. 

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 minutes.  Pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and gently
place the meat in, fat side down.  Reduce heat to medium and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, to render the fat.  Remove the pork from the pot, place on a place and set aside.    

 

Add the onion, chili, paprika, caraway seeds, marjoram or oregano and a pinch of salt to the fat left behind in the dutch oven.

Stir to coat and then cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.

Add the sliced bell peppers, the chopped roasted red peppers, the plum tomatoes with their juices, and the red wine vinegar.  Stir to combine then return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Nestle the pork down into the onion and pepper mixture.  Using a pair of tongs, heap some of the onion and pepper mixture on top of the meat.  Add enough chicken stock to nearly cover the meat.  

Cover the pot, crank up the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Once, the pot has come to a boil, place in the preheated oven and cook for 3 hours, until the pork is completely tender and falling apart.

When the pork has about 10 minutes left to cook, combine the sour cream or creme fraiche, lemon zest and parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine well.

When the pork is done, remove the pot from the oven.  Using a pair of tongs or a large spoon, remove the pork from the pot and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Using two forks, break the meat up into into bite-sized pieces. 

At this point you could return the shredded pork back to the pot, stirring to combine and then serve with the white rice, and the sour cream or creme fraiche mixture, which is what Jamie says to do. HOWEVER, I did the following with great results.  Yes it's more steps but it's totally worth it.

Set aside the baking sheet of meat.

Strain the onion and bell pepper mixture from the liquids using a colander set over a large bowl.  Transfer the stained vegetables to a bowl and set aside.  

Pour the liquids into a fat separating measuring cup and let the grease rise to the top.  

If you don't have a fat separating measuring cup, just go buy one.  You totally need it especially around the holidays.

Wipe any remaining grease out of the dutch oven and then pour in the de-fatted stock.  Place over high heat and bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.  

When the stock has gotten to your desired thickness, return the onion and bell pepper mixture to the pot and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be.  Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil.  Slide the pan of shredded pork under the broiler and cook until the edges have caramelized a little, about 5 to 8 minutes BUT be sure to keep an eye on the meat as it can quickly burn.

To serve, mound fluffy, steamed white rice in shallow bowls.  Spoon over some of the reduced juice, onion and bell pepper mixture and then place several chunks of the caramelized pork on top.  Drizzle with a little more of the reduced juices and then top with a dollop or the sour cream or creme fraiche mixture, a light scattering of parsley, and a grinding of black pepper.

Ok, first let's talk about this last method that isn't part of Jamie's original recipe.  Like I said, you don't HAVE to do it, but I strongly encourage you to.  The first reason is, pork shoulder is very fatty.  When it cooks, the fat melts and it becomes very very tender, but then it's also swimming around in all that melted fat.  Removing it makes the finished dish taste cleaner, more sliky.  Not a greasy mess.  Second thing you don't have to do, but I think you should is the trick of caramelizing the braised pork under the broiler.  This is something I picked up from a Suzanne Goin recipe.  If you don't do it, pretty much the whole stew has the same soft texture, which is fine.  But by broiling the braised meat for a few minutes, the edges crisp up again and then it has a really great contrast of texture.  It's fantastic, almost bacony!  And I believe that great food is just as much about texture as it is flavor.

So in addition to all the interesting textures this dish has, the flavor is fantastic.  Earthy and robust yet surprisingly light.  Traditional versions of this stew use sweet Hungarian paprika, but as per Jamie's instruction I used smoked (which Mark's mom actually brought back as a little souvenir from a layover in Spain during a trip to the Greek Islands).  The smoked paprika and roasted red peppers gives the stew a really smoky depth of flavor while the fresh bell peppers and red wine vinegar imbue a brightness, the latter also adding a fresh tasting "twang" as Jamie says.  The creme fraiche adds a nice richness but the lemon zest echos the bright flavors of the bell peppers and vinegar.

Although it does take quite a bit of time to prepare, much of it is hands off and if you were to serve this to friends, much of it could be done a day in advance.  

Serves 6

BOEUF A LA NICOISE: BRAISED BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE, OVEN DRIED TOMATOES, OLIVE & BUTTERED NOODLES

This past week, Mark's mom Dee Dee was in town for a little visit.  It was her first time seeing the house and she just adored it.  She and Mark spent the next several days catching up with old friends and neighbors from when they lived in Mandeville Canyon in the 60's, and then I'd join them after I got off work.  The first several nights were spent out on the town, first up dinner at BLD.  Then the next night to satisfy a prime rib craving, we all went to Lawry's (perhaps you know their famous seasoning salt) where we indulged in the famous Lawry's spinning salad prepared tableside, thick slabs of beef accompanied by a heaping mound of mashed potatoes, rich, creamed spinach, and Yorkshire pudding.  Friday night, although I'd planned to cook for us, after work I was a little frazzled and didn't feel like dealing with food, so we ended up going out for Indian, something Dee Dee never gets up in Santa Maria.  Saturday, the plan was for a small dinner party - Mark, myself, Dee Dee and Annie and Pierson.  Usually I like to spend several days conceiving the menu, but work has been crazy and I didn't have the time.  So upon my return from the gym that morning, I pulled out ol reliable, Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

The thing about Ms. Goin's cookbook, as I've mentioned before, is that the recipes are time consuming, often need to be started the night before and require trips to multiple supermarkets to track down all the ingredients.  However, this recipe was sort of unlike many of the others.  It require nothing terribly exotic that one can only find at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market, it was a bit time consuming (braising for 3 hours) but not terribly so.  It was totally something that I could put together that afternoon for dinner that evening.  Plus I liked the idea of doing one more slow-cooked, cozy meal before the weather gets too warm.

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef chuck, sliced into 1/2 to 2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 sprigs

6 cloves garlic, smashed

the zest of 1 orange, 1/2 of it grated, the other 1/2 removed in strips with a vegetable peeler

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 a small fennel, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

8 whole San Marzano canned tomatoes, plus 3/4 cup of the canning puree

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 cups beef stock

1/2 cup pitted Nicoise olives

1 pound pappardelle

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

In a large bowl combine the beef, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the thyme leaves, the crushed garlic and the grated orange zest.  Toss to coat and combine then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to over night.

Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking.  After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with about 1 tablespoon of salt.  Reserve the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes.  Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute or two until the pan is very hot and almost smoking.  Place 1/3 of the meat in the pan being careful not to crowd it.  You will likely need to brown the meat in 3 batches.  Sear the meat until well browned on all sides, adjusting the heat as necessary.  This is a very important step so do not rush it.  As the batches of meat are browned, remove to a plate or rimmed baking sheet while you continue with the others.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, fennel, and carrot.  Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the brown crusty bits in the bottom of the pan.  If it's too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.  Next add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, reserved garlic and the orange zest strips.  Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are caramelized.

Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables.  Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce to a glaze.

Pour in the red wine, turn the heat to high and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.  Add the beef stock and bring to a boil.  Add the meat to the pot, scraping in any juices that have collected on the plate.  

Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

While the meat is cooking, cut the whole canned tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Slather the bottom of a small baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then lay in the tomatoes, cut side up.  They should fit pretty snugly.  Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. 

Roast the tomatoes in the same oven for 1 1/2 hours, until they are shriveled and slightly caramelized on top.

Take the dutch oven out of the oven and uncover, being careful of steam.  Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the meat from the braising liquid and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.  Return the meat to the oven to caramelize for about 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, bring the braising to a simmer and reduce by half, or at least until it's thickened.  

Add the olives to the sauce and turn off the heat.  

Once the beef is caramelized, gently add it back to the dutch oven and stir to coat with the sauce.

Serve the stew with something hearty like mashed potatoes or noodles tossed with butter and parsley, which is what I did.  Top the noodles with the stew and tuck in a few of the oven-dried tomatoes.

So I made another Suzanne Goin stew recipe that was sort of similar to this one, in terms of process at least.  What I like is straining the meat from the braising liquid and then caramelizing it in the oven.  As much as I love stews, many of them really have very little to offer in terms of texture variety.  It's all kind of the same.  Soft and or mushy.  But by straining out the meat to re-caramelize in the oven it gets crisp on the edges and yet is fall apart tender.  It's pretty great.  It also then gives you the opportunity to reduce the braising liquid as much or as little as you'd like.  I hate spending hours on a hearty meal like this only to have the sauce to be runny and oily.  This way, you have more control.

I also love drying out the canned, stewed tomatoes in the oven.  What a great idea.  The slow roasting, dries them out and concentrates their flavor and the result is slightly chewy and gives the stew a really welcome hit of acidity.  The orange zest adds a bright floral layer of flavor and the nicoise olives impart an almost sour, brininess that cuts through the richness of the reduced wine and stock.

As I mentioned before, you could serve this with some lovely mashed potatoes, but at Suzanne's suggestion, I served it with buttered noodles, well, perfectly al dente pappardelle.  It's kind of better than your regular old mash.  I'm all about texture and the pasta gives the meal another interesting texture.

Serves 6

SPICED, BRAISED PORK WITH PAN-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES & GREMOLATA

As you would imagine, my kitchen remodel has sort of consumed me ever since we closed on the house.  Before, really.  It started when we first saw it.  I would day dream the day away thinking of cabinets, appliances, tile and faucets.  My co-workers over the last several months, Amber and Fern, had to put up with this, my running off in the middle of the day to meet my cabinet maker or electrician.  Having deliveries sent to the office (I wouldn't want my new hanging fixtures for over the sink and in the breakfast room to be just sitting on the front porch all day, would I?)  Spending lunch breaks looking at granite for the counters and debating drawer pulls.  The whole time this was going on, it was common that they would ask (well threaten, really) to be invited over for dinner once it was done.  I assured them that they would be, I just had a few more things to do to make it presentable for guests.  First the subway tile for the backsplash needed to be installed.  The hanging fixtures needed to be hung.  I wanted to get six matching dining room chairs and I needed to finish painting the cabinets.  

These last two seemed to be taking much longer than I anticipated.  Then, a few weeks ago, my job came to an end and so I thought I better just bite the bullet and have them over, even though the kitchen wasn't to the level of finish I'd hoped.  It was sort of good timing, actually.  Without work to get in the way, I could focus on coming up with the menu and making something that took time and care.  Of course I wanted to impress, sort of show off a bit, so where else to turn than Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  I wanted to make something sort of fallish and cozy while at the same time avoiding the sort of flavors that we'd all be seeing on Thanksgiving.  I chose this recipe, a slowly braised pork stew that Suzanne explains in the book is influenced by some of the Mexican spices so commonly found in Southern California.  Perfect.

INGREDIENTS

(for the pork seasoning)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds

3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch chunks

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano plus 3 whole sprigs

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

(for the braise)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion (about half a large onion)

1/4 cup diced carrot (1/3 a medium carrot)

1/4 cup diced fennel (1/4 a medium fennel bulb)

2 bay leaves

1 chile de arbol, crumbled

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups veal stock

1 lemon

4 to 6 sprigs fresh cilantro

(for the pan-roasted root vegetables)

3 medium carrots, peeled

3 medium parsnips, peeled

3 medium turnips

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup shallots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

(for the gremolata)

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves (about 1 teaspoon) minced garlic

METHOD

Toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they release their aroma and are slightly browned.  

Place the seeds in a spice mill or a mortar and pulse or pound until coarsely ground.  The texture is better from using a mortar and pestle.  

Place the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle with the crushed cumin, coriander, and fennel as well as the cayenne, the crushed garlic and oregano leaves and sprigs and the thyme leaves.  Using your hands, toss well to make sure everything is coated well.  

Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.  After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and some black pepper.  Reserve the crushed garlic and the oregano sprigs.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Now the meat needs to be browned.  You will likely need to brown the meat in batches.  I did mine in 3 batches.  Heat a large Dutch oven over very high heat for 3 minutes.  Pour in the olive oil and wait a minute or 2, until the pan is almost smoking.  Place the meat in the pan, being careful not to over crowd it.  Sear the meat until well browned and caramelized on all sides.  Adjust the heat if it seems like the pork is getting too dark.  After the meat is browned remove from the pan and reserve on a plate while you continue with the rest of the pork.  

Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot, and fennel.  Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the brown crusty bits left in the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the bay leaves, crumbled chile de arbol, and the reserved garlic and oregano sprigs.  Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables start to caramelize.

Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.  Next, add the stocks and bring to a boil.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel off long strips of zest from the lemon.

Turn off the heat and add the browned pork to the pot.  Tuck in the lemon zest strips and cilantro sprigs. 

 

Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and place on the lid.  Put in the oven and braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

While the meat is braising, you can prep the root vegetables.  Cut off the stem and tip of the carrots and then slice in half lengthwise.  Place the carrot halves cut-side down and slice on an angle into 1/4 inch thick pieces.  Do the same thing to the parsnips.  To prep the turnips, cut of the stem and root ends.  Cut the turnips into quarters and then slice each quarter into small wedges approximately the same thickness as the carrot and parsnip pieces.

Next make the gremolata.  Place the lemon zest on a cutting board and top with the parsley and garlic.  Chop the whole mixture together until very fine.  Set aside.

Back to the pork.  To test the meat for doneness, remove the lid foil being careful of the steam and spoon out a piece of meat.  It should yield easily with the tip of a knife and almost fall apart.

Turn up the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan and place on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Return the pork to the oven to caramelize, about 10 to 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, place the Dutch oven over high heat and reduce the braising liquid to a thick sauce.  Taste for seasoning.

While this sauce is thickening and the meat is caramelizing, you should pan roast the vegetables.  Heat two large skillets over high heat for 2 minutes.  Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minutes.  Divide the carrots, parsnips and turnips between the 2 pans and season with 1 teaspoon of pepper 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and the thyme.  Stir the vegetables to coat with the oil then cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have just started to brown.  

Add the butter and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook until the shallots are soft and the vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes.  Combine the vegetables into 1 of the pans and toss with half the gremolata, reserving the rest for garnish.

Spoon the pork onto a large platter and pour over the reduced sauce.  Scatter the gremolata coated pan-roasted root vegetables over the top of the pork and then sprinkle with the remaining gremolata.  Serve with a hot bowl of creamy polenta.

Okay so observation number one:  It turns out that turnips are kind of really good.  More that beets, but not as much as rutabagas, turnips have such a geriatric reputation.  So not sexy.  And yet they are surprisingly great.  Especially when they are pan-roasted like this along with carrots and parsnips.  The edges get crisp and charred and the insides stay tender.  Glazed with butter and then tossed with the bright, fresh, garlicky gremolata, this trio of root vegetables prove themselves to be a worthy companion to the braised pork.  

I will tell you that the platter was passed around the table several times for more and more helpings of that pork.  Not surprisingly, the combination of the fennel, cumin and corriander spice the pork in a really earthy way, but what I particularly liked about it was the texture of the spices.  Not grinding them in a spice mill gives them a really great rustic feel.  They almost crust the pork, sort of like a steak au poivre and how the rugged bits of pepper coat the meat.  It's a great contrast to how fall-apart tender it is.  It seriously will melt in your mouth.  To be honest, I probably could have cooked the meat slightly less, because it was so tender, not that I minded.  And although it seems fussy to fish the meat out and put it back in the oven while you reduce the sauce, it really does elevate what would be a very typical stew into something more unique.  The meat dries out a bit in the oven and sort of gets re-caramelized on the edges, a great contrast to the moist interior.  Then you have the freedom to thicken the sauce however much you want.  I may have gotten mine a bit thick, but I think it still worked.  My guests could not get enough.  And I already want to make it again.

Serves 6

BONELESS PORK CHOPS WITH RADICCHIO SLAW

Okay, first a disclaimer.  I really dislike the above picture and normally I wouldn't use something so bad but I know I've not been posting many recipes lately so I just bit the bullet and did it anyway.  I have a myriad of excuses as to why the photo looks the way it does (the battery in my normal camera died so I had to use one that doesn't do well in low light, I'm trying to get used to the lighting in my new kitchen, etc.) but it's not very interesting and I don't feel like going into it.

Normally, on the thankfully rare occasions where I'm not pleased with my photography I'd just wait and make the dish again and redo the pictures, then post them.  But in this case, I had already made this dish twice in five days.  It was unlikely that I'd be making it again very soon.  Although I might.

Ok so anyway, my dad was in town from Missouri this past week.  He was here to help do a little work on the house, painting mostly.  Several weeks ago I suggested half jokingly that he should come out and paint the new kitchen cabinets and shelves we had built in the living room.  A few days went by and he called and expressed interest in doing it.  Soon he'd gotten a plane ticket, he packed his tarp and a few paint brushes, I borrowed an air mattress from Annie and Pierson (for me and Mark, not for him.  Don't worry) and the plan was set.

The first couple nights he was here, we took him out to eat.  But eventually, I wanted to make him a nice, home cooked meal.  As my work day was drawing to a close, I thought back to a recipe in Nancy Silverton's book A Twist of the Wrist.  From what I could recall, the ingredients list was minimal and would be quick and easy to find at any supermarket on my way home.  Mark and I swung by Ralph's and got what I needed and as soon as I got home, I dug Nancy's book out of a pile of chaos in our second bedroom and got to work.

INGREDIENTS

(for the pork chops)

4 6-ounce boneless pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)

2 teaspoons pork rub (I used a rub from Dean and Deluca made up of mustard seed, ginger, garlic, onion, corriander, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, cloves and cayenne pepper)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup canola oil

(for the slaw)

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup salt packed capers, rinsed and chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon or so)

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

juice of half a lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small head radicchio, shredded (about 4 cups)

METHOD

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper then sprinkle over the pork rub, rubbing it into the chops.  Set aside.

To make the dressing for the slaw, combine the olive oil, balsamic, capers shallot, rosemary, and lemon juice.  Season with the salt and pepper.  

To cook the chops, heat the canola oil in a large skillet over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is almost smoking.  Carefully add the chops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes until they are a rich brown.  Flip the chops, turn off the heat and let sit in the pan for 3 more minutes.  The pork will feel firm to the touch, but they should still be moist and juicy.  

Leave the chops in the pan while you finish the slaw.

Pour the dressing over the shredded radicchio and using a pair of tongs, gently toss to coat and combine.  

To serve, place a pork chop on each plate and top with a generous mound of the slaw.

The slaw is really interesting and unique and has a great contrast of flavors.  The radicchio has a slightly bitter flavor which is balanced out by the sweet balsamic.  The rosemary gives the dressing aromatic, woodsy notes and the capers a briney tang.  The lemon lightens the dressing and adds freshness.

Cooking the pork chops over high heat does a couple things.  First it gives the chops a nice crust and then the short cooking time makes overcooking the meat impossible.  It's very easy to overcook pork so be careful.  I have to confess, the second time I made this, I ended up overcooking them, although the meat was still very juicy.  So just be careful.  Note that the weight of each chop is less important that making sure that they all have the same 3/4 inch thickness.

Serves 4

JALAPENO, CILANTRO, CUMIN & LIME MARINATED SKIRT STEAK

"What are you doing for dinner tomorrow night?" I asked Annie over the phone.  "Nothing," she answered.  "Why?"  I explained that I had just been making a marinade for some some skirt steak I was planning on grilling for dinner for Mark and myself, but when I checked to recipe to see how long it needed to marinate, was mortified to discover that it needed 12 to 24 hours.  She burst into gales of laughter.  "So what are you going to do for dinner tonight?" she asked.  "Go out," I replied.  She asked why I couldn't just make it the next night.  "Mark already has dinner plans with a friend of his," I told her.  "Well then," she said, "I guess you're grilling me some skirt steak for dinner tomorrow."

What made my mistake particularly shameful is that I wound up doing what my dear friend, my cooking partner is notorious for.  You see, Annie has a habit of not reading recipes completely though before she starts making them.  I call this "pulling an Annie."  She will very methodically measure out ingredients and yet she almost never reads the recipe all the way through unless I remind her.  As such we'll be cooking and all of a sudden she yelps things like, "Oh (expletive) I wasn't supposed to add the lemon juice yet!" or "(expletive)! The custard has to chill for several hours before we put it in the ice cream maker!"  I just shake my head and sigh in an exasperated and condescending way.  

I on the other hand always read the recipe through, several times.  So why did I miss such an important instruction, you ask?  Well in my defense, this was a recipe that Annie and I saw demonstrated at a cooking class we recently attended at Border Grill in Santa Monica and during the demonstration, Mary Sue and Susan, the two women who own the restaurant, made this particular marinade and then a few moments later, were grilling the meat.  I guess I forgot the part when someone from the kitchen ran out a piece of skirt steak that had been marinating since the day before.  You can understand, right?  And now, the tables have turned.  And Annie is not the kind of person to take the higher road.

Anyway, the next afternoon, I packed up my skirt steak along with the ingredients for the sides I had been planning on serving with it and headed down to Annie and Pierson's house in Culver City.  Annie answered the door and just shook her head and sighed, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.  I was not proud.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup cumin seeds
6 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded (seeds reserved) and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 bunches cilantro
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat

METHOD
Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry medium skillet over moderate heat until the aroma is released, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the seeds to a blender or food processor.  Add the jalapenos, garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Puree until everything is finely chopped and the seeds are ground.  Add the cilantro and pulse some more until finely chopped and mixed well.  With the processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.  Taste the marinade and if you desire a little more heat, add some of the reserved jalapeno seeds and then pulse again until combined.  I used about half of the reserved seeds.  Set aside half the marinade in a separate bowl to use later as a sauce.

Using your hands slather the skirt steak generously with the marinade then roll each piece into a cylinder.  Arrange the steak rolls in a shallow casserole dish spooning over any remaining marinade.  

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove meat from refrigerator.  Heat a barbeque, grill pan or broiler to very hot.  One thing I didn't do but would recommend, is fold a paper towel into a small thick square.  Blot the paper towel with some olive oil and then quickly rub the grates of the grill.  This will help prevent the meat from sticking.  Cook the steaks until just seared on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare.  

Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice the skirt steak against the grain (very important to slice against the grain, otherwise the steak will taste tough) into thin slices and serve immediately with a small dish of the reserved marinade to spoon over.

This whole meal was incredible, not to oversell.  I'm just being honest.  The marinade is slightly spicy with a smoky subtext.  My food processor didn't completely pulverize the cumin seeds and as such the marinade had an interesting texture.  If you prefer, maybe grind the toasted cumin seeds in a spice grinder before combining them with the rest of the marinade ingredients.  The lime juice and cilantro imbue freshness, and even if you think you don't like cilantro, do give this a try.  The cilantro flavor is not at the foreground, rather it combines with everything else and the results are a bit more complex and interesting.  I sort of wonder what it might be like with some mint added as well.

I served the skirt steak with some sliced avocado, a mound of black beans that had been cooked with bacon, garlic and some earthy ancho chile powder, and some grilled corn on the cob, Mexican style, which is to say, slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, lime juice, and cayenne pepper, then showered with cotija cheese.  To drink, Annie made round after round of Blackberry-Thyme Margaritas.

This marinade is fantastic on the skirt steak although I used the leftover to marinate a couple pork loins with favorable results.  I would expect it working well with chicken too.  But do take the time to let whatever it is you choose to marinate really soak in the flavors.  It does make a difference.

Serves 6 or so

BEEF BOURGUIGNON WITH ROASTED PEARL ONIONS & CRIMINI MUSHROOMS

Last weekend the weather in LA was in the 90's.  I was driving around with my air conditioner cranked to high and Mark spent the afternoon in the cool darkness of a movie theater.  It seems a bit soon for that kind of nonsense and the idea of this kind of heat starting halfway into April was more than a little disconcerting.  Concerns about global warming not withstanding, I'm just not quite ready for hot weather food.  Preparing for cooler weather last fall, I had put together a mental list of dishes that I wanted to make, dishes that only seem suitable when the air is chilly, or at least brisk, things such braises, roasts, slow cooking, rich meats, hearty vegetables.

Checking for forecast for the upcoming week I was elated to discover that the heat spell was indeed brief and temperatures were likely going to dip way down to the low 60's.  People, in California, that's a cold snap.  Despite the fact that the bounties of spring were starting to appear in full force at the farmers markets, I decided I needed to take this opportunity to make one last cold weather dish.  What could be more wintery than Beef Bourguignon?

This version of Beef Bourguignon is a combination of three recipes that I liked the sound of but couldn't decide between.  Part Ina Garten (the list of ingredients), part Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (the roasted pearl onions and mushrooms) and part Cooks Illustrated (elements of the technique).  I have to say, I'm really pleased with the results.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces thickly sliced pancetta or dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, sliced into lardons
2 1/2  to 3 pounds chuck beef, trimmed of fat and silverskin, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups beef broth (homemade or organic in a carton)
1 pound carrots, thickly sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves

(to thicken)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

(for the roasted mushrooms and pearl onions)
1 pound peeled pearl onions, tip and root end sliced off (to easily peel, toss the onions in boiling water and leave for 2 minutes.  Strain out and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Slice off the root and tip and then just peel off the papery skin)
1 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth and sliced in half
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

(to serve)
Italian parsley, chopped
mashed or boiled potatoes

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch skillet. Add the pancetta and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is lightly browned.  Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large plate lined with a couple layers of paper towels.  Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and reserve.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and brown half of beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes. 

Transfer browned beef to a cast iron Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup beef stock into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

Return skillet to high heat and add 2 teaspoons reserved fat and swirl to coat pan bottom. When fat begins to smoke, brown remaining beef in single layer, turning once or twice, until deep brown, about 7 minutes.  Transfer browned beef to Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup beef stock into skillet and scrape pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; when pan bottom is clean, pour liquid into Dutch oven.

Pour the remaining fat into the skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Toss the onions, carrots, thyme, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the skillet, stirring to coat.  If there isn't quite enough fat left, add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.

Scrape the onion and carrot mixture into the Dutch oven along with the pancetta, tomato paste, and bay leaves.  Pour in the bottle of wine.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.  Strain the meat and vegetables into a large bowl and set aside. 

Crank the oven up to 425 degrees F.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a separate rimmed baking sheets, toss mushrooms and onions with oil and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned, stirring halfway through, about 30 minutes.

While the mushrooms and pearl onions are roasting, combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew.  Simmer over medium heat and whisking occasionally to ensure the bottom isn't burning, until the sauce has reduced a little and thickened, about 5 minutes.  Taste and correct seasoning. Return the meat and vegetables and gently stir to coat everything with the sauce.  Keep warm over low heat.

Once the mushrooms and pearl onions are finished roasting, scrape them into the dutch oven, stir gently to combine.

Serve in wide, shallow bowls with boiled new potatoes tossed with butter, parsley, salt and cracked pepper.

Braising well browned meat in wine is such a great method of cooking.  If the beef is well marbled, during the long slow cooking the fat melts and the meat that's left behind becomes so tender you can just shred it with your fingers.  The technique I borrowed from Cooks Illustrated, that of browning the beef in a saute pan and then using broth to deglaze, is really great.  It seems to really intensify the rich, meaty flavor.  Plus since Dutch ovens are cast iron, they don't heat quite as evenly as a saute pan with the copper center and as such, I found that when I browned meat in a dutch oven, the cubes toward the center get significantly darker than those around the edge.  I really liked browning the meat in the saute pan and then transferring to the Dutch oven.

The roasted pearl onions add a pop of silky, sweetness and the mushrooms play off the braised meat, adding an earthy depth of flavor.  The carrots, which I was concerned might end up mushy, retain a really nice soft texture and, like the pearl onions, add sweetness but in more of a mild, subtle way.  The red wine cooks down and thanks to the butter-flour mixture, thickens and becomes velvety with a glossy sheen.  It's not super brothy, rather the sauce just coats everything and binds all the vegetables and meat together.  You'll totally want something carby or starchy to soak it up, be it the boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or as Ina Garten suggests in her recipe, buttery, garlic rubbed toast.

Since it takes a bit of time to put together (particularly trimming the fat from the meat, takes a surprising about of time) this is obviously not a weeknight meal.  As one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, it's a good candidate to entertain with.  Just reheat over low, stirring often and you're set.  You may have to add a splash of beef broth or water, if the sauce has thickened too much overnight.

Serves 6

BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROMESCO SAUCE & SAFFRON RISOTTO

As you know this past Thanksgiving, brining turkeys was all the rage.  I did not brine a turkey since we always go out to eat, although I have experimented with brining before, pork chops to be more specific.  It was a Tyler Florence recipe and I don't recall being very impressed.  Recently whilst leafing through one of my Christmas presents, Judy Rodger's obsessive Zuni Cafe Cookbook, I came across a chapter on brining.  She explains that this method is their everyday cure they use for pork, insisting that it reliably transforms lean pork into succulent meat.  Pork is one of those meats that I find so easy to over cook.  As such I tend not to make it very often even though I love it and it's healthy.  Looking at the recipe, I  was taken with Ms. Rodger's use of the word "reliable."  As in "we've done it this way over and over and over again and it WILL work."  I decided to give the brine a second chance. 

The decision to serve my brined pork loins with romesco sauce was inspired by one of the recipes on Sunday Suppers at Lucques, one in which Suzanne Goin uses it as an accompaniment to some thick pork chops (which she too brines).  I've always wanted to attempt romesco, after reading about it's versatility over at Immaeatchu.  Like seriously, Susan has found a way to work it into so many different dishes, and each one looks better than the next.  For those who don't know, "romesco" is a sauce that originates in Spain, Catalonia to be exact.  Like so many of these sort of sauces, recipes often vary, but the common ingredients are reconstituted dried peppers, almonds, hazelnuts, garlic, and lots of flavorful olive oil, all pureed into a thick sauce the deep color of red clay.  Many recipes also include roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar, paprika, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes and some chewy bread that has been fried to a golden brown.  Usually the sauce is spooned over seafood like shrimp and fish or with meats like chicken, beef, pork etc., although really, it seems like it would be good on pretty much anything.  There are a number of steps and components to the sauce (toasting the nuts, frying the bread, etc) but it's totally manageable.  In fact, you can easily make it days before you intend to serve it and by doing so, the flavors will the the opportunity to meld and deepen.

To go with the sort of Spanish flavors, I decided to serve the pork and romesco along with a big pot of risotto flavored with saffron.

INGREDIENTS
(for the brined pork)
not quite 1 tablespoon Juniper berries, gently whacked with the side of a knife to crack them a little
3 bay leaves, sort of crumbled
5 or 6 dried chiles de arbol, crumbled
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
5 cups water

(for the romesco sauce)
1/2 ounce raw almonds (about 12 nuts)
1 ounce hazelnuts (about 32 nuts)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 ounces (about 1 thick slice or so) thick slice chewy, white peasant style bread, crusts cut off
5 ancho or pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
1/2 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes, crushed in a large bowl with your hands
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon

(for the saffron risotto)
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, (about 20 not that I bothered to count)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup Parmagiano Reggiano, freshly grated
drizzle of olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

METHOD
First, brine the pork, since it takes the longest - 2 to 4 days in the brining solution.  Combine 1 cup of water, the juniper berries, bay leaves, and chiles de arbol.  Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes, to infuse. 

In a large bowl, combine the infused water along with the juniper berries, bay leaves and chiles de arbol, 4 more cups cold water, the salt and sugar.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.  Rinse the tenderloins and then place in the brine. 

Use a small place to keep the pork completely submerged.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days.

Next make the romesco.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Bring two cups of water to a simmer in a small pan.  Turn off the heat and add the peppers to the water and let them soak for 15 minutes, to soften.

Meanwhile, place the almonds and hazelnuts on a small, rimmed baking sheet, in separate piles and then roast in the oven until the skins of the hazelnuts darken, about 10 to 15 minutes.  While they are still hot, bundle the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel, gather up the edges and then scrunch and massage them to rub most of the skins off.  Pick out the nuts and set aside.

Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the 3 cloves of garlic and fry until soft and golden.  Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside.  Add the bread to the pan and fry until golden brown. 

Remove from the pan place on a paper towel to cool and drain, leaving the oil in the pan.  When it's cool enough to handle, tear the bread into chunks the size of croutons and reserve.

Remove the peppers from the water and place on a paper towel and pat dry.

Heat the oil left in the pan again, over medium-high heat.  Add the chiles to the oil and saute for a minute or two.  Be careful when adding the chiles, it may sputter and pop.  Add the canned tomatoes and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until any tomato juices have cooked off and the tomato has gotten a little color.  Turn off the heat and let cool slightly in the pan.

Place the hazelnuts, almonds, garlic, and fried bread in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.  Add the chile and tomato mixture and process until combined.  With the machine running, slowly pour in the 1 cup of olive oil until the mixture has formed a smooth puree.  Don't worry if it seems like the olive oil and the solids sort of separate.  This is normal.

Scrape the romesco into a bowl and add the parsley, paprika, cayenne and a spritz of lemon juice.  Taste and add more salt if it seems like it needs it. 

This can all be done ahead of time.  Just place in a airtight container and put in the refrigerator until you plan to serve your meal.  Just be sure to remove from the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before, so it can come back to room temperature.  You see, the olive oil sort of solidifies in the refrigerator.

And back to the pork.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Remove the pork from the brine and pat very dry with a couple layers of paper towel.  Drizzle with with a little olive oil and rub into the pork.  You DON'T need to season with any salt or pepper, thanks to the brining.

Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat for two minutes.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and place the tenderloins in the pan and sear on all sides, until golden brown.  I'd like to have gotten a little more color on mine.

Place the skillet in the oven and roast the meat for 22 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.

While the meat is roasting, it's a good time to make the risotto.  Heat the broth and saffron in a medium saucepan, cover and bring to a gentle simmer. In another heavy-bottomed pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add rice and stir thoroughly to coat with butter.

Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.  Continue stirring until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.  Add a ladle full of hot broth and stir continuously until almost all the broth has been absorbed. It'll go from being quite soupy to dry but creamy. 

Repeat the process of ladling in stock and stirring until combined.  Taste after 20 minutes. The rice should be tender, but still firm and intact. If not, continue adding stock, but be sure to keep tasting.  You may not need to use all the broth.  If you just continue adding the stock until it's all gone, the risotto could end up mushy.  (I had about 1 cup of stock left over)  Stir in the Parmagiano Reggiano, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Okay so I think I might be a brining convert.  I have to admit, it works quite well.  It not so much makes the pork really juicy so much as it makes it incredibly tender.  As in you can cut it with a fork.  That tender.  It's kind of amazing.  The aromatics, sugar and salt, give it a really interesting, sort of unexpected flavor that permeates every cell of the meat.  I next want to try brining some nice thick chops again and experiment with a different combination of flavors.  And then on to brining poultry.

The romesco pairs really well with the pork.  The flavors are bold and earthy with a slow moving, vaguely bitter heat that kicks in after you've swallowed.  The texture is thick and grainy but with a velvety slickness from the olive oil.  I really recommend giving it a try.  It brings to mind one of those sauces like charmoula, salsa verde, and chimichurri, versatile, capable of dressing up anything it's associated with, be it simple grilled chicken, roasted meats, fish and other seafoods or even slathered on a sandwich or used as a dipping sauce.

The risotto goes wonderfully with the pork and romesco, contrasting the textures and flavors.  The saffron tints the rice a beautiful pale golden color and gives it an unexpected sort of subtly floral flavor.  It's consistency is creamy and rich, thanks to the Parmagiano Reggiano.  I can imagine the risotto would be great formed into little balls stuffed with a tiny cube of Manchego, then dredged in egg, coated in Panko and then fried crisp.  A nice little Spanish take on the classic Italian Arancini.  Hmmmm, I might have to give that a try.

the pork and risotto serve 4 to 6
the romesco yields about 2 cups

PORK & TOMATILLO POSOLE

A couple weeks ago, my friends Jeffrey, Oz and I went to a cooking demonstration at one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Monica, the Border Grill.  Presiding over the demonstration were the two chefs/owners of the restaurant, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger AKA the Border Girls AKA Two Hot Tamales.  Every so often the women host these demos at the Border Grill and they're really a lot of fun.  A little elevated platform equipped with a little makeshift kitchen is built along one side of the dining room and as the women go through and prepare an entire menu starting with signature cocktails and appetizers going through dessert, servers bring out the same drinks and dishes for the audience to sample.  Mary Sue and Susan are totally laid back, full of information (lots of tips about knife skills and care), and clearly love what they're doing.  "Has everyone had a cocktail?" Susan shouts to the audience, as waiters carrying trays of cucumber mojitos and spiced sangria weave their way amongst the tables.  That's my kind of cooking class.  Free-flowing with booze.  Mary Sue and Susan have that kind of relationship where they rag on and tease one another other.  It's fun and lighthearted and the energy is infectious.  It's a great way to spend the afternoon and at the end you get a small booklet featuring the recipes of all the dishes they made.  This soup was the first course of the meal they prepared and when I tasted it at the restaurant I was blown away.

For those who don't know, "posole" is a Mexican soup/stew that is traditionally made with pork, hominy, and chiles and then garnished with cabbage and sliced radishes and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  It's as much about the garnishes as it is the soup itself, kind of like tortilla soup or even pho.  Very DIY.

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into bite sized pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 yellow onions, diced
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, cored and chopped
4 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (yes it sounds like a lot, but once they are seeded, they aren't that hot. As such, depending on how spicy you want the soup, seed only some of them)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon, dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
8 cups chicken stock
2 cans hominy
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

(To garnish)
1/4 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
10 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges

METHOD
Season the pork generously with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Brown the pork chunks on each side, making sure to get good, golden color.  Be careful not to over-crowd the pot.  As such, this will have to be done in batches.  Reserve the browned pork on a plate, while you continue browning.

Pour out the excess fat, then add the onions and a large pinch of salt.  Saute for about 5 minutes, scraping up the brown bits that are left in the bottom of the pot.  Add the tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic and oregano and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the reserved pork, any accumulated pork juices, the chicken stock.  Cover the pot, crank the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Remove the lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer gently until the pork is tender and starting to fall apart, which should take about 1 1/2 hours.  Add the hominy for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Stir in the cilantro and taste for seasoning.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the shredded cabbage, diced red onion, sliced radishes, and lime wedges.

I can't speak highly enough about this soup.  I'd have to go back through all the other soups I've made, but I think this is likely among the best.  The broth is rich and flavorful with just enough thickness to give it some body.  The slow-cooked pork is juicy and succulent, just on the verge of falling apart.  The hominy is almost like little mini dumplings, starchy and soft.  The combination of the tomatillos, cilantro, and lime juice lightens and freshens the richness of the soup.  Then the shredded cabbage and peppery, shaved radish give it a really nice, crisp contrasting texture.  As is often the case with this sort of dish, it's even better the next day.

It would be great to make on a Sunday afternoon for a casual gathering.  Maybe for a football game (not that I watch football).  Just set out the pot of soup, bowls of the garnishes and to round it all out, chips and guac, maybe some quesadillas, and lots of cold beer.  In fact the next time I make it, I may add some beer into the stock.  That seems like a good idea, right?

Serves 6 to 8

PAPPARDELLE WITH SHORT RIB & PORCINI RAGU

A couple years ago I was obsessed with developing a cooking show that was all about creatively repurposing leftovers.  As a kid I hated leftovers and with this show, I wanted to demonstrate how leftovers could be utilized in new ways, expanding on the flavor profiles of the original dish but taking them in a different direction.  But then came along a Food Network show called Quick Fix Meals, hosted by a glassy-eyed nutritionist/soccer mom named Robin Miller.  The concept was essentially the same, but propelled by the boring cliche that in today's busy society who wants to spend all their free time in the kitchen?  Soon thereafter, I lost interest in my project.  Not to say there aren't multiple versions and variations on the same thing all over television, but the more I thought about it, the show seemed to have a pretty limited potential.  I mean how many times can you chop up the remains of last night's dinner and toss it on top of a salad, tuck it into a quesadilla, or turn it into soup or whatever?

The idea of repurposing leftovers resurfaced last weekend as I was braising short ribs for the little dinner party I was hosting.  I purposely made twice the amount of meat that would likely be consumed by my guests and myself, with the intention of having plenty left over.  As I mentioned in my previous post, there are a number of ways one could go with the remaining braised meat, but that one that seemed most appealing to me was to morph it into a ragu to be served atop wide ribbons of pappardelle.

For those of us who only know "ragu" from the jarred sauce one might find at the supermarket, the real thing bears little resemblance.  At it's most basic, a ragu is a very slowly cooked sauce made up of onion, carrot, celery, tomato and some sort of meat meat, be it beef, pork, veal, turkey, or game. The most famous is probably Bolognase.  There is a great article in the LA times all about ragu's that can give far more information than I am capable of.  Do check it out. 

INGREDIENTS
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs of celery, sliced into large chunks
2 carrots, sliced into large chunks
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock
1/4 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup leftover braised short rib meat, stripped from the bones and shredded slightly
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 pound Pappardelle
Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

METHOD
Place the dried Procini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup very hot water and let sit for 15 or 20 minutes.  Once the mushrooms have softened, remove from the water and roughly chop.  Meanwhile, pour the soaking liquid through a strainer lined with 2 layers of paper towel, to remove any dirt or sediment that may have been on the mushrooms.  Reserve the strained soaking liquid.

Place the chopped onion, celery and carrot in a food processor and pulse several times until the vegetables have been finely chopped.

In a large sauté pan or deep pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the oil is glistening, add the chopped vegetables, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.  Add the chopped Porcinis and the soaking liquid, give it a stir to combine and cook until the soaking liquid has reduced down.  Next add the beef stock and continue to cook until it's reduced down.

While the stock is reducing, place the whole tomatoes and their juices in the food processor (you needn't bother washing it out first) and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.  Add the tomatoes and the short rib meat to the sauté  pan, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and bring to a simmer.  Remove the lid and continue to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in the milk or cream and simmer for another couple minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the pappadelle according to the package directions.  Always taste the pasta about 3 minutes before the package claims it will be finished cooking.  In my experience the pasta is always done way before they say it will be.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the sauté pan tossing with a pair of tongs to coat.  Serve in bowls topped with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese, a light scattering of chopped parsley, and a grinding of black pepper.

So, as much as I loved the short ribs in their original incarnation, I think I might like them better as a ragu.  Might, being the key word.  When combined with the sautéed vegetables, Porcinis, stock and cream, the wine-braised meat forms a robust, earthy sauce with an incredible depth of flavor.  I seriously couldn't stop eating it.  It's so right for colder weather.

Serve 4

CABERNET-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH GORGONZOLA POLENTA & THREE-HERB GREMOLATA

Just so you know, this past Sunday, Well Fed turned two years old.  I meant to do a special birthday post featuring a new version of a recipe I did on my previous blog that was sort of the inspiration for the formatting for this one, but I ran out of time.  I'll probably do it this weekend.  Look for it early next week.

And speaking of birthdays, this past Saturday I hosted a belated celebration for my friend Lauren.  A couple weeks ago she had a gathering at a really cool wine bar near her place in Santa Monica, but I was unable to attend.  Neither could our friends Heather and Jessica, who you might know as the Fug Girls.  They were out of the country on a special fug mission.  Upon their return I decided to have them all over for a low key dinner thing to celebrate Lauren's special day.  Better late than never, right?

As I've mentioned before, since my place is so small and there is no dining table, I usually try to serve dishes that can be eaten with a fork only, no cutting with a knife, since my guests will be either balancing their plates in their laps or holding them with one hand while eating the other.  I want whatever they eat to be easy.  As such I usually serve tender meats or fish.  One of my goals this winter was to do some more braising and this seemed like a good occasion to do so. I had planned on doing another one of Ms. Goin's recipes, a slow-cooked pork stew with roasted root vegetables, but it seemed a little complicated, a few too many steps that needed to be done at the last minute.  I have every intention of eventually giving it a try.  I thought back to an issue of Bon Appetite from October that featured this recipe on the cover.  Beef short ribs were an ingredient I've not ever worked with but have wanted to and I had just happened to have read a chapter devoted them in Bill Burford's captivating book Heat, an account of the author's time spent working under Mario Batali at his restaurant Babbo.

Over the last several years short ribs have been showing up on lots of menus at many of the more trendy restaurants, and with good reason.  First of all, they are relatively cheap.  Meats that are braised usually are.  They tend to be cuts that are usually tough and require long slow cooking.  However, these cuts also have lots of flavor, thanks to the ribbons of fat that runs through them.  Remember that people.  Fat = Flavor.  Short ribs come in two different styles, English cut and Flanken cut.  English are nice little rectangles, about 2 inches by 3 inches by about 1 1/2 inches thick, with a wide, flat bone running through them, longways.  Flanken cut are longer with two bones running through, shortways.  One of the nice things about them is that one short rib is pretty much a perfect serving, sort of like a shank.  Which might be why the chefs at Bon Appetite thought it appropriate to serve them with gremolata.  Made of parsley, garlic and lemon zest, gremotala is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian braised veal shank dish known as Osso Buco.  This version also has thyme and rosemary.  Two of my favorites herbs.  Wine, meat, garlic and fresh herbs, all served atop a creamy mound of Gorgonzola streaked polenta.  How could this not be great?

INGREDIENTS
(For the short ribs seasoning)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds meaty beef short ribs (10 ribs, English style)

(For the braising)
1/4 cup (about) vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 750-ml bottles Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour

(For the Gremolata)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

(For the Polenta)
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups polenta (not instant)
3/4 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

METHOD
Arrange ribs in single layer in 15x10x2- inch glass baking dish. Mix rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in small bowl; sprinkle all over ribs.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy wide oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ribs to pot and sear on all four sides (don't worry about the ends), about 3 or 4 minutes per side.  Don't rush this process.  The darker the meat, the more richness and flavor the finished result will have.

As you brown, you may have to add more oil to the pot if needed, although the short ribs will give off some fat. After all the ribs have been browned, pour off and discard the remaining oil and drippings.

Add the sliced onion to the pot and and add a little salt, cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes or so.  The salt will extract the juices in the onions which will help you deglaze the pan, using a spoon to scrap up any of the the crispy bits and color left in the bottom from the browning of the meat.  Add the garlic, carrots and celery, stir to combine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add wine and return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot and bring to boil.

(To properly braise, the liquid should not quite cover the meat.  I probably used too many short ribs for a pot this size, since some of them where completely submerged.  Oh well.)  Cover and then transfer to the oven and braise until meat is very tender and almost falling off bones, about 2 hours.

These next few steps might sound sort of fussy and overly complicated, but they really aren't.  Remove the short ribs, place in a baking dish and once they've cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Pour the braising liquid through a strainer, pressing gently on the solids.  The braising liquid will likely be very greasy.  A great way to skim the grease off is to cover the bowl of strained braising liquid with two layers of cheese cloth, criss-crossing one another.  To keep it from sinking into the liquid I use mini bull clips to keep the cheese cloth in place.  Place the bowl full of braising liquid in the refrigerator over night.

The next day, the fat will have solidified into the cheese cloth.  Simply remove the bull clips and lift off the cheese cloth.  All the solidified fat will come right with it leaving behind perfectly de-greased braising liquid.

I much prefer this method to using a spoon.  It's kind of like magic.  It could also be used for de-greasing homemade stock.  Isn't this a great trick to know?

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let sit for one hour, so they can come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish, spoon a little of the braising liquid over each short rib and then reheat in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes until the meat is heated through.

Meanwhile, pour the rest of the braising liquid into a pot and bring to a boil, reducing it to approximately 2 generous cups, which should take about 20 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, and 2 tablespoons of the hot liquid in small bowl and mix with a spoon until well blended. Whisk butter mixture into reduced braising liquid. Continue whisking over medium-high heat until sauce thickens very slightly, about 2 minutes.

To make the gremolata, mix all ingredients in small bowl. This can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

When it's getting within about twenty minutes of when you want to serve the ribs, make the polenta.  Bring 4 cups chicken broth and one cup of water to a boil in heavy 4-quart saucepan. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly. Return mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until polenta is tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes too think, add a little more water or chicken broth.  Remove from heat. Add Gorgonzola and cream; stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide Gorgonzola Polenta among plates. Top with one of the ribs and a couple spoonfuls of sauce. Sprinkle with Mixed-Herb Gremolata and serve.

Even though there seem to be a lot of steps, it's all totally manageable. With the exception of the seasoning the meat and letting it sit overnight, all of this could be done in one day, but it's so much easier if you spread it out making it great for entertaining.  A majority of it can be done ahead of time and then when your guests have arrived, it's totally laid back.  As was the case when my guests were present.  There were lots of offers to help in the kitchen but I assured them that everything was covered.  It's so satisfying.

Equally satisfying are the results of all the work.  The meat, having been braised for hours winds up perfectly tender, falling off the bone, not at all mushy.  Then reheating them in the baking dish it with just a little of the braising liquid spooned over sort of caramelizes the outside a little and gives it a really pleasing crust of sorts that contrasts nicely with the soft center.  The Cabernet sauce is thick and rich, sort of glazing the meat and then pooling in and around the creamy polenta.  The blue cheese melts leaving little pockets of pungent saltiness.  Blue cheese, of course, is fantastic with red meat and this is an unexpected way to do it.  Since so much of the dish it quite rich, the gremolata gives a nice juxtaposition - bright, fresh and light.

Be sure to make more than you think you'd need.  You will want leftovers.  Govind Armstrong, chef of Table 8, makes a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with some braised short ribs.  You could use it in a hash topped with poached egg.  I've seen a number of recipes that turn it into a hearty ragu to be served over pappardelle or gnocchi.  You might be seeing the short ribs make another appearance.

Serves 6 to 8