This Little Piggy--Take 5

As I've stated here before, I'm particularly fond of pork; bacon, chops, tenderloin, roasts and pork shoulder.  Berkshire pork is my all-time favorite, sold here in San Diego at Iowa Meat Farms and Seisels' meat, this pork is like nothing you've ever tasted before; bred for flavor (read that as fat) this piggy is delicious!  

 
Today I've got a Berkshire shoulder in the slow cooker slathered with Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Rub; we're having pulled pork sandwiches for dinner tonight. 

Pork shoulder is one of the easiest and most delicious cuts of meat to prepare, and yields enough for lots of left over meals: think carnitas tacos, pork ragu with pappardelle, sesame noodle salad with pork and spicy peanut sauce---they are all awesome and with such a large piece of meat you do get leftovers!  

We started with NO liquid in the cooker, and now have over 4 cups of liquid in the pan.

Expect to get 1/2 the amount of meat that you started with, so if it's a 5 pound shoulder, you'll get about 2 1/2 pounds of meat---enough for a small army, or the frat boys!  The slow cooker takes care of all the work, and in 6 hours on high, or 12 on low you'll have pork nirvana.    

Berkshire Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork BBQ
Serves 8

Two large sweet yellow onions like Vidalia, coarsely chopped
One 5 pound Berkshire Pork shoulder (not every shoulder is the same---anything from 4 1/2 to 6 pounds will work here)
1/2 cup Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Rub (or your favorite)
1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1. Lay the onions into the bottom of the slow cooker.  Lay the pork onto a cutting board, or a large piece of plastic wrap.  In a small bowl, blend together the rub and sugar, and massage into the roast.
2. Lay the roast over the onions in the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 10 to 12 hours, until the pork is fork tender. 
3. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before pulling the pork into pieces.  Serve the pork with BBQ sauce (see Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce) soft rolls and slaw. 
4. If you would like to pull the pork and add it back to the slow cooker, remove the onions and liquid in the pan, and transfer the pulled pork to the slow cooker and turn to the warm setting. 
5. The onions and liquid can be strained, fat removed, and used for pork stock at a later time. 
6. Slow cooker notes:  If you have a "Crock Pot" they are notoriously hot cookers, so cook on low for the amount of time that you would on high---you get what you pay for with electrics, so if you got TWO of these for $45 there is a reason.  My favorite slow cookers are:  Breville, Cuisinart, KitchenAid, and All-Clad--high end, yet heat evenly---you will be happy with any of these cookers. 

Phillips Championship BBQ Sauce
Makes 6 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil



2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, finely chopped


2 teaspoons garlic powder


1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1/4 teaspoon celery seed


1 1/2 cups ketchup


1/2 cup brown sugar


One 8-ounce can tomato sauce


1/2 cup beef broth


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, cayenne, and celery seed and cook for 2 minutes to soften the onions.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and maintain at a simmer for one hour.
3. If not using immediately, cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Take 5

Needing to get a quick meal on the table tonight, I decided to share our Take 5 early---I'm heavy into "Elf" work here, decorating, glue gunning, and baking, and so dinner was the last thing on my mind.  This recipe is simple, and can be made with pantry ingredients any night of the week.  

Nona's Chicken

Serves 6


6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1/4 cup good quality Balsamic vinegar
salt to tastes


In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp; remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet.  
Sprinkle the chicken with the pepper, brown the chicken adding the garlic and rosemary to the pan.  

Turn the heat up to high and add the vinegar, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, turning the chicken in the sauce. 

Cover and simmer the chicken for 10 minutes, until cooked through.  

Serve the chicken with roasted potatoes and a mixed green salad.

Enjoy your evening, I'm going to work on the recipes for the Farmer's Market Bag class on Friday--can't wait to share these with the students!  Love having a secret! 

Take 5

 

 
I went a bit crazy at Specialty Produce this week and bought a ton of cremini mushrooms; they were so perfect, and I love mushrooms, so rather than letting my good judgment get in the way, I overbought--let me rephrase that-I bought a little over a pound, but since it's only Dr. C. and myself, that's way more than I should have bought! Cremini are the brown mushrooms, shaped like button (white) mushrooms but with a meatier flavor---when they get big they are portobellos--just think of the portobello as a cremini on steroids.  I also bought gorgeous eggplants, broccoli rabe, and tiny yellow potatoes.  So today, I'm making a delicious Take 5 Chicken with Sherry Mushroom Cream Sauce; it's a great weeknight dinner, but you can also expand it for company and dress it up, too.

Chicken with Sherry Mushroom Cream Sauce
Serves 2
Remember, you can multiply this up to 4 times for company.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 organic chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or shallot
1/2 pound sliced cremini or white mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 
1/4 cup cream sherry (or you can sub. brandy, Marsala or Madeira)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley

In a medium skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, and saute the chicken until it is white on all sides, and begins to turn golden.

  
At this point, the chicken will not be cooked through. 
Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.

  
Add the onion or shallot to the pan, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is softened.  

Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until the liquid in the pan has evaporated.  

Add the sherry,bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes.  Add the cream, and bring to a boil. 

Add the Chicken back to the skillet, simmering the chicken until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

 
Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and adjust.  Sprinkle the parsley into the sauce, and serve the chicken over mashed potatoes, rice, orzo or mashed butternut squash.
 
To dress up the chicken, transfer the chicken to a baking dish that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. 
Sprinkle the chicken and sauce with 1/2 cup finely shredded Gruyere, or other imported Swiss cheese.  Bake the chicken for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown.      


If you are interested in learning more about Specialty Produce, join me at Great News monthly when I take apart that week's  Farmer's Market Bag and prepare dishes using the fresh produce.  The best news: it's a fun morning to learn about what's fresh, and how to prepare it, and you get to take home a Farmer's Market Bag!  We also raffle off a beautiful Scanpan saute pan!  The next class is December 17th @ 10:30 a.m.

Rainy Days and Mondays--Take 5

I woke up to rain and a cold wind this morning; gloomy days make me want to make soup to fortify our souls.  I didn't want to go to the store, and the fridge was quite empty, but I did have these goodies in the house, so I set about making a ham and corn chowder, which satisfies and soothes after a cold rainy day.

This is also a great Take 5 for tomorrow, if you are in the mood for soup.

Ham and Corn Chowder
Serves 6

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
One medium onion, finely chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups finely chopped smoked ham (you can leave this out if you want to go vegetarian, or substitute cooked chicken or smoked turkey)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups corn, either fresh cut from the cob, or frozen and defrosted
2 medium potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1. Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan, and add the onion, celery, thyme and ham, sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes. 
2. Add the flour,and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the broth, and bring the soup to a boil, stirring until thickened. 
4. Add the potatoes, and cook for 12 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. 
5. Add the cream and bring to serving temperature.  Serve in small bread bowls, or in soup bowls with crusty bread.    
6. If you would like a lower fat soup, omit the cream/milk, and add additional chicken broth.