What We Had for Lunch

While running some supplies up to the Frick Winery in preparation for our big event this weekend, we made a pit stop in beautiful Healdsburg. I've wanted to try the famous pork cheek sandwich at Bovolo Restaurant for the longest time, and it was well worth the wait.

The tender, rich cheek sat on a crusty toasted roll, slathered in an intensely-flavored salsa verde and roasted sweet peppers. We also shared a charcuterie plate, and Michele had a lovely fried green tomato BLT. Enjoy!

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Maple-Brined Pork Loin - Water Has Never Tasted So Good

I've always thought that more home cooks would try recipes that call for brining the meat, if it were simply referred to (incorrectly, by the way), as a marinade.

Marinating sounds easy, brining sounds complicated. When people see "marinade" they think oil, vinegar, and a few spices rubbed on some meat. Mmm… marinade.

But, when they see "brine" in a procedure, I think they anticipate formulas, ratios, and percentages. Mmm…math?

For all practical purposes, a brine is really nothing more than a water-based marinade. Molecularly-speaking there are big differences between brining and marinating, but as far as cooking skill, or amount of prep work, there is no difference.

This video recipe for maple-brined pork roast is a delicious way for you to experience just how easy a simple brine really is. What a brine does that a marinade doesn't do is force moisture and flavor into the roast. I love the way the meat gets infused with that subtly sweet maple flavor.

I paired this roast pork loin with the rocket beans side dish, which just recently aired, and it was perfect match. By the way, the leftover pork loin, sliced thin and served cold, makes a sandwich that's to die for. Enjoy!



Video won't play? Check out the Youtube version of Maple-Brined Pork Loin instead.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 lb boneless pork loin roast
1 quart cold water
1/4 cup salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3-4 slices fresh ginger
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the glaze:
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

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Pineapple Pork Al Pastor - A Very Americanized Version of a Mexican Recipe Invented by the Lebanese

My all-time favorite fast food in the whole world is a Taco al Pastor. I live right next to the "Mission," which is San Francisco's Mexican neighborhood, and there are literally three or four taquerías per block selling this amazing treat.

It's a huge stack of thinly sliced pork, marinated in chili, pineapple juice, and other secret ingredients, piled up on a vertical spit and cooked rotisserie-style. The tender, aromatic meat is then sliced off and served on tortillas, usually with onions, cilantro, and a little hot sauce. It's too good to describe.This pork recipe is NOT a true al pastor (fyi: shepherd-style), but simply a nice, easy marinade using some of the same ingredients to fairly delicious results. The main ingredient is the pineapple juice, which not only gives the meat a great flavor, but also has enzymes that makes it very tender.Of course, I decided to use some pork tenderloin I had, which sort of defeats the purpose, but this marinade really pays dividends when using the much cheaper, and more traditional pork shoulder.One of the key spices is cinnamon, which is no surprise since the origins of this recipe trace back to Lebanese immigrants living in Mexico City, where they were clearly showing off their shawarma-rich heritage. Lamb shawarma is a similar preparation, and you can watch me do a faux-version of that here.This is one of those recipe that I just happened to have the camera on as I cooked. I didn't measure things, I forgot to film the cinnamon addition, and never even added cumin, another traditional spice. Nevertheless, it was wonderfully tender and tasty, and I'm happy to share it with you, flaws and all. Enjoy!

Note: Vimeo is still having sound issues, sorry.



Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloin
6 oz pineapple juice
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp chipotle
2 dried chiles Pasilla, seeds discarded
3 dried chiles Guajillo, seeds discarded
cayenne to taste
cumin, optional
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp white vinegar
salt to taste
vegetable oil for grilling

View the complete recipe

Al Pastor Photo (c) Flickr user Alaskan Dude

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Kernel Porker's Barbecued Pork-Stuffed Corn Muffins

One of the comments I received on YouTube, for the beef slider video recipe said, "When I saw you put the meat into the muffins cups, I was hoping you were making some kind of meat muffins." My first thought was, "Have another bong hit." My second thought was, "Actually, I could go for a nice meat muffin." So, down to my secret lab I went.

A few hours and several adult beverages later, I was starring at a plate of barbecue pork stuffed corn muffins. This new American classic - part Chinese pork bun, part corndog - looked good, tasted great, and felt oh-so-right in my hand.

Not only did the warm muffin feel good, but also I was eating cornbread with barbecue pork and my fingers were absolutely spotless! Hundreds of years from now, I believe this will be considered the true genius of the recipe.

By the way, I can’t take credit for the brilliant "Kernel Porker" name. I posted this recipe on About.com and asked for some name suggestions from the other guides. The working title, "Memphis Meat Muffins" was a bit too disturbing, and sounded more like a Southern punk rock band.

My friend Barbara Rolek, About's Eastern European Food Guide, submitted this title. If you are ever looking for recipes from that part of the world, check out her great site. Also, if you can't find Jiffy, here is a cornbread recipe video. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 cup chopped barbecued pork
1 box (8.5-ounce) Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack, or cheddar cheese
non-stick vegetable oil spray
8 paper baking cups


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Tuesday Tease: Memphis BBQ Pork Muffins - Coming Soon

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Cassoulet - More than Just the Greatest Baked Beans Recipe Ever

I have several unpublished blog posts about my picks of the world's all-time top-ten recipes. The reason none have gone live yet is I can never settle on just ten, so I put it away and write something easier. While I may not be able to provide a final list yet, one recipe that will always be in my top ten is cassoulet.

This video recipe for cassoulet shows my version of the iconic French classic (it’s so delicious I meant for that to be redundant). Like America's mac and cheese, Spain's paella, and Italy's lasagna, this French baked bean and meat masterpiece has earned its rightful place in the pantheon of one-dish wonders.

There are hundreds of variations, but the basic formula is always the same; tender white beans, aromatic vegetables, flavorful broth, and fatty meats, all baked under a divinely crisp, garlicky, breadcrumb crust. As you'll see, this topping is usually built in two stages - the first a moist liaison between cassoulet and crust, and the second a crisp golden-brown climax to the world's sexiest casserole. Enjoy!

Note: I've linked to this duck confit recipe video I did a while ago, but most high-end markets sell, or can get duck confit already cooked and ready to use. I actually got mine at Costco.

Also, the panko breadcrumbs, which work so well for this, are now found in the Asian section of every major grocery chain. If you can't find them use plain fresh white breadcrumbs.



Ingredients:

For the beans:
1 pound great northern beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 onion
1 whole clove
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
10 cups water

For the rest:
1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp herb de Provence (or other dried herb blend)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 pound pork sausage
1 pound cooked duck confit

For the topping:
1/4 cup butter
4 cloves, crushed garlic
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

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Celebrate the New Year with the Black-Eyed Peas - Let's Get it Started!

I know I just posted an Italian alternative to the New Years' beans and greens, eaten to bring prosperity in 2009, but I figured I'd better do a more traditional version. I am the American food expert on About.com after all, and it would have been bad form not to post a real black-eyed peas recipe today.

This is a very old tradition, and I don't mean like pre-civil war American south old, I mean really, really old. There are records of black-eyed peas being eaten for good luck on New Year's Day all the way back to ancient Babylonia. For you kids out there, that's way before even cell phones were invented!

This video recipe you are about to visually consume is a variation on something called "Hoppin' John," which is black-eyed peas, rice, and pork stewed together, usually served with some kind of greens and cornbread. For your convenience, and my pageviews, I suggest also clicking on my cornbread recipe video and doing this thing right.

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year! May your 2009 be filled with happiness, new experiences, and exciting challenges. 2008 was a very hard year for everyone, but I have it on a pretty reliable source (a Chef's intuition is a powerful thing) that this coming year will be a lot better. Until then, I'll leave you with this thought - the tougher times are, the better food tastes. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
3 strips bacon, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound pork neck bones
6 oz smoked ham, diced
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
3 cloves chopped garlic
6 cups water
1 (10-oz can) diced tomato with green chilis
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
cayenne to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large bunch kale, leaves torn
cooked rice

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Pork Barrel Spending and Beans

In honor of the presidential inauguration, the title of this recipe, "Pork and Beans and Greens - Good Luck Making This," has temporally changed to this more Washington-esqe one.

As many of you foodies already know (it's on the entrance exam), a very traditional southern New Years meal is black-eyed peas, or some other type of bean, and greens. Eating this meager meal on New Years day is supposed to bring you great prosperity for the rest of the year.

This video recipe is a lighter and easier Italian take on the classic, and is topped with some crusty, caramelized roast pork. Speaking of the south, you'll see me use a spice rub (a wet rub, aka "wub") on the pork before roasting for a sort of Italian barbecue effect.

All in all, this is an odd recipe. The pork is not slow-roasted, but cooked at a higher heat for a crusty finish. The greens are not slowly braised, but just wilted. The black-eyed peas have been replaced with cannellini beans. And, I can't guarantee it will bring you the same prosperity as the traditional version. Having said all that, I thought it tasted excellent and I hope you give it a try.

By the way, I will also be doing a traditional version that - with any luck - you'll see before New Years Day. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
4 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast, cut in large pieces
for the wet rub:
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 rounded tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil

1 large bunch arugula
1 14-oz jar cannellini beans
1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves sliced garlic

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Taking the Scrap Out of Scrapple

I did this scrapple video recipe for my America food site on About.com, and decided to make a couple minor changes to the original recipes - like leave out the main ingredient.

Scrapple, a Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast staple from days gone bye, is basically a bunch of hog scraps (you don't want to know) bound together with a cornmeal mush. Once cooled, it's sliced, fried, and "enjoyed."

This more user-friendly variation uses polenta as the binding agent, and is studded with pieces of pork you can actually identify and would eat on purpose, like pork shoulder and ham. This is the perfect day-after-pork-roast breakfast.

Now that I've guaranteed a flood of email and comments from insulted Pennsylvania Dutchmen who swear by the heirloom recipes, I will say this slightly usual morning side dish is quite tasty with a couple eggs, and certainly fills you up for a long day of doing whatever they do all day in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Enjoy!

Click here for ingredients and recipe transcripts.

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Just For Making You Hungry (and maybe start a batch of no-knead dough)

The first photo is a lovely white pizza done by one of my protégés, Jairus. He sent it in with the name "no-knead lamb shank pizza," which would have been very cool, if it had been true. He admits this was actually done with leftover pork, which I have to say trumps lamb shank as a pizza topping any day.

The second photo is "awesome Ciabatta" as its creator Claude describes it. I can only assume he learned everything he knows from watching the site. I can see no visible signs of unnecessary kneading. Thanks fellows.

Lastly, a video disproving one of the great bread myths of our time - that you can eat a slice of Wonder Bread in less than 60 seconds.

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Sneak Preview: Bacon 333

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Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Plum Pan Sauce - An Exceptional Recipe

It's been stone fruit nirvana around here lately - peaches, apricots, nectarines, pluots, and plums stacked high in gravity-defying piles. Whether eaten outside, or over a sink, the sweet juices running down your chin a sign you've chosen well. A part of me thinks it wrong not to eat every one of these fruits raw because before you can say "Happy Labor Day," they'll be gone for another year.

But, cooking is all about exceptions and compromises. Just as in winter, when we convince ourselves that there's nothing wrong with using canned peaches - in summer there are times when we have to talk ourselves into sacrificing a few fresh plums for the sake of the roast. This video recipe for pork tenderloin, featuring roasted plums, is so good that any feelings of guilt will disappear like the butter we use to finish this delicious sauce.

When shopping for this recipe be sure to choose plums (or any other stone fruit) that are fairly firm, so they keep their shape after roasting. You know that selfish jerk that has to feel-up every piece of fruit before deciding on one? This time, be that jerk. I've also included some links below to other video recipes that use pork tenderloin - one of the best, and easiest, protein choices there is. Enjoy!



Ingredients for 2 servings:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin (not loin)
1 red onion
2 shallots
fresh thyme springs
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
2 firm plums
1 tsp cold butter

Check out these other pork tenderloin video recipes:
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Dijon Pan Sauce
Black Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Reduction

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Homemade Rub, Pork Ribs, and a Rhetorical Question

Is there any greater pleasure than eating perfectly barbecued, melt-in-your-mouth, pork spareribs, sitting on top of a fresh, cold, and crunchy coleslaw? These ribs were generously sprinkled with dry rub, cooked for 8 hours over very slowly-burning mesquite charcoal, and finally, glazed with a thick wash of homemade Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.

Click on the photo to enlarge. Warning: May cause uncontrollable salivation and intense barbecue cravings.

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Homemade Dry Rubs and the Dry Rub Paradox

If you've done any serious channel surfing lately, especially the foodie channels,you've probably noticed the same thing I have…it's all barbecue, all the time.

There are two common themes in all these shows; whichever town they're in, has "the best barbecue in the country," and if your dry rub is good, "you don't even need a sauce."
This video recipe for a basic barbecue dry rub, features my favorite all-purpose formula.

I really like this recipe because it works nicely on chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, and even salmon or tuna steaks. Of course, half the fun of making your own rubs is playing around with different spice blends, so I hope you'll use this video recipe as a just a starting point.

There are countless commercial rubs out there, but I can't see paying twice the price, and using something that is most likely made using the least expensive ingredients available, when blending you own is so fast and fun. Once you have your homemade rub in a tub, you may be surprised to learn that, paradoxically, it should be sprinkled on, and not rubbed. Why? Clumpification! Enjoy.

Click here for ingredients and transcript

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Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Dijon Pan Sauce - Déjà Vu to You Too

I've used pork tenderloin in several video recipes on the site, and I always say the same things; easy to cook, tender, tasty, fast, etc. So, I'm not going to bore you with why I love this cut of pork again. I'm sure you don't want to hear how it needs almost no trimming, and cooks in only about 20 minutes again. No need to explain about the delicious pan sauces that can be made once it comes out of the oven, like this amazing Apple Dijon Sauce. Deglazing, reducing, finishing with butter…you've probably been there and done that.

What I will say however is that if your planning on cooking a holiday dinner, and you're not the most confident cook in the world, you should consider this recipe. It's really hard to screw up, and believe me I've tried. Of course, that's assuming that by now I've convinced you to get a meat thermometer, and you use it on this pork to get a perfect internal temperature for maximum succulence. Teaser Alert: I also will be posting a great, health cauliflower and potato side dish video soon that will be perfect with this roast pork and sauce. Enjoy!
Click here for the transcript and ingredients.

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Black Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Reduction

This succulent dish has all the things I love in a recipe; an easy piece of meat to work with, a super simple sauce that tastes like something that took hours, and the classic flavor combination of hot/tangy with sweet/fruity.

Our meat choice, the pork tenderloin, is one of the most user-friendly cuts ever. It requires about 3 minutes of trimming and you’re ready to rock. The sauce is made in the pan after the meat is cooked and the sweet and tangy fruit sauce pairs perfectly with the spicy black pepper crust on the pork. Since most of these tenderloins are pretty standard size at about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each, 20 minutes at 375F after a good sear in the pan is going to give you a perfect medium almost every time.

By the way, you can use any vinegar and fruit preserve in this recipe and it will be great, although there is something about cherry and black pepper that’s magical. Enjoy!

1 pork tenderloin (not loin)
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup black cherry preserves
salt to taste
lots of cracked black pepper
2 tbl butter

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Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops – Somewhat, but not quite Blackened

The first culinary fade I can personally remember, was the “blackened” craze of the early eighties. Led by Paul Prudhomme, one of the country’s first “celebrity” Chefs, it seemed like everyone was coating every thing in Cajun spices and cooking it in white-hot cast iron pans until black. Now, this was a really delicious method IF done correctly, at very high heat, in a professional kitchen (which has powerful exhaust fans to remove the cloud of smoke that’s invariably produced).

The problem was that everyone was trying to do blackened fish, pork, chicken, and steak at home and the results varied greatly. The smart home cooks did this outside on the BBQ and made out OK. Many however tried to simulate this “looks great on TV” dish in the kitchen and the sounds of smoke alarms rang out across the land. If fact, I have a conspiracy theory that Chef Prudhomme was “on the take” from the Smoke Alarm companies. Of course, I can’t prove any of this.

This Chili-Rubbed Pork Chop video recipe is a kinder, gentler version of the “blackened” cooking technique. We start on high heat, but cook the chops on medium, and then finish the cooking by wrapping the chops in foil. This produces a very moist chop, as the meat has time to “rest” as it finishes cooking. Also, when you unwrap the boneless chops, there will be several tablespoons of the most wonderful natural juice (or Jus for our French friends). Almost any spice mix will work with this technique so take this method and make it your own. It was a great combination with the Sweet Corn, Shiitake Mushroom and Arugula Sauté recipe we already posted. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 7oz each, about 1 1/2 inch thick)
1 1/2 tbl vegetable oil
salt to taste
Spice Rub:
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ancho chili powder
cayenne to taste (optional)

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Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Glazed Peaches – A Perfect Pairing in 2 Parts

Ahh, the perfectly ripe peach. My momentary guilt for not just eating it raw was quickly forgotten as soon as I tasted this amazing sweet and savory summer combo. By the way, this was filmed last summer before I even thought about wearing a Chef coat while shooting (thanks mom). So, that’s me in the lime green Polo shirt cooking this truly delicious recipe. This was one of the first recipes I ever filmed for the web (insert standard lower video quality disclaimer here), and it’s still one of my favorites. This was actually posted here back in May, when I converted a bunch of older clips over to this blog, but since peaches weren't in season yet, I doubt too many people payed much attention.

Everything on this plate works so well together, and it’s also a very easy recipe with just a few ingredients. While I used a fresh, ripe peach, jarred or canned halves will work in a pinch. This juicy fruit is first caramelized with aged balsamic vinegar and then used in a salad sitting next to sliced, roasted pork tenderloin. As you’ll hear in the recipe I refer to another meat trimming demo (how to trim a butcher steak), as I remove the “silver-skin” from the tenderloins. Don’t bother looking around the site for that, as it no longer exists, although I plan re-shooting that one soon. I also prepare a very simple pan sauce to finish this amazing dish. This recipe demo is broken into 2 parts because of its length. In Part 1, we make our glazed balsamic peaches, and prep our pork tenderloin. We also “bruise” some rosemary …hey, that fragrant rosemary had it coming! In Part 2, we finish the pork, make our pan sauce, and “plate up” with our glazed peaches and salad. If you’ve only used peaches for summertime desserts, give this a try. You will think about our fuzzy friends in a whole new way. Enjoy!

Part 1:


Part 2:


Ingredients:
whole pork tenderloin (not loin)
3-4 rosemary sprigs
Black pepper and salt to taste
2 fresh peaches
2 tbl butter
2 tbl aged balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
olive oil
mixed greens
slice of toast to garnish

Note: If you are using fresh peaches make sure you get the "freestone" variety, not the "clingstone.” For more info on the difference, click this link to wikipedia.

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Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Soup

Whenever I get to travel back east in the summer I’m reminded how lucky we San Franciscans are to enjoy such amazingly pleasant weather. We just don’t get many of those hot and humid days that I’ve heard referred to as “the air you wear.” Our cool, grey city, with is natural air conditioning, always welcomes you with a breath of fresh air. While not as foggy a city as its reputation would have one believe, we do get a good layer of fog, especially as the sun goes down in the summer. Most of the time, however, we are treated to mild temperatures and clear blue skies. And that’s why the picture of the beautiful, puffy cloud in today’s post (the other reason for the cloud photo will be explained shortly). This photo was taken near my Mom’s home in Clifton Springs. It is very rare to see such big, tall, shapely clouds like this in San Francisco. Our skies come in three basic styles; blue and completely cloudless, blue with thin little wisps of clouds, or the thin layer of grey fog I already mentioned. That’s pretty much it. In fact, the first time I brought my wife Michele back to meet the parents; she noticed (and fell in love with) these impressive looking clouds right away.

Anyway, today’s video is a re-run of my wonton soup recipe that I posted back in March. One translation of “wonton” means “swallowing clouds” and has always been one of my favorite all-time food translations (and properly made a very accurate one). I’m also having the family over today and wonton soup is on the menu! I’ll be doing it with ground turkey instead of the pork you’ll see in the recipe clip. I’ll just post the video below, but if you click on this link you can go to the original post to get the ingredients and full article. Enjoy!

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Stuffed and Rolled Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Pan Jus

I've recently received several emails requesting stuffed and rolled meat recipes. Since I'm still getting set up here at my moms (and recovering from that cheeseburger) I thought I would re-post this dish that ran way back in February.

Sometimes you just have to show off. This is one of my many recipes that looks very impressive to your dinner guests, but in fact is quite simple and easy to prepare. The cut we’re using here is pork “tenderloin” NOT a pork “loin.” This is the “filet mignon” of the pork. Yes, it is more expensive, but it’s all edible, and as you’ll see, it’s a very user friendly cut of meat. They are usually sold two to a package and weigh just over a pound each. If you’re not sure ask the butcher.

Think of this demo as an idea generator, not a specific recipe. Pay attention to how the tenderloin is split and stuffed, rolled and tied, but as you watch you should be thinking of ways to customize this dish to your tastes. I’m using a very standard bread crumb stuffing with garlic, fresh herbs, and dried currants. By the way, I forgot to mention in the clip, when you sear the rolled and tied pork in the pan, place the "seam" side down first to seal this part first.

My next post will cover the Dijon pan sauce I served with this pork, and soon I’ll also demo the cauliflower mash that I used as the side dish. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pound)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbl olive oil
pinch of cayenne
4 tbl dried currants

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