Delicious Mistake

Continuing on the previous subject of Hunt 2 Table, it is time to explore the more delicate perhaps more intricate side of Charcuterie – condiments. This is the much less testosterone frenzied side of the platter and in my opinion includes everything that is not meat.

I have this consuming obsession (one of many) when I work with food to end up with as close to zero waste as possible while still producing an edible product. That to me is as near to cooking perfection as one can get. After all cooking is not only about applying heat, but also proper product usage and execution.

Not always is it a good thing, at times I should have stopped long before the no waste mark, hence- cider spiced frog legs. By far the most inedible dish I have ever concocted resulting from the cleaning out of an old spice rack. I urge you now, if you ever think of it a good idea to crust frog legs with allspice and cinnamon, you are better off eating fermented tofu. Strangely I am justly proud of that horrific dish as it taught me not to cook out of desperation.

Every once in a while there comes along a product that with a formula consisting of careful execution, purpose, and a touch of imagination proves to have no end in usage.

About six weeks ago I began to preserve some lemons, a process that usually takes about 3 weeks. Instead of the usual salt preservation I used sugar which resulted in an amazing delicate balance of sweet and that wonderful lemon sour. Honestly I forgot all about them, tucked in the back of the cooler they were lost amongst the other random culinary explorations. When I did finally remember about them, what I found set off a spark of imagination.

The water from the lemons had separated, mixing with the sugar and therefore dissolving some of it to create a syrupy sludge. I decided to strain the lemons out and allow this sugar sludge to sit in a coffee filter over the course of a day. Once all the liquid drained I found that the lemons had infused it in the preservation, resulting in lemon infused simple syrup. The sugar left over in the coffee filter also tasted of lemon. I spread the sugar out as thin as I could onto a baking pan and allowed it dry for a couple of days. Pleased that the lemon fragrance remained in the sugar crystals I placed them into a spice grinder producing what I called lemon infused caster sugar.

What to do with these separate components is now the next challenge. The lemons themselves can be used in spreads, baked goods or perhaps a fruit sauce. I find that they pair especially well with highly spiced pates, and are a great balance for savory cured meats. The syrup, maybe mixed with powder sugar could result into a lemon glaze. As far as the actual sugar, I have so far used it to rim cocktails and the crowd has found it quite pleasing.

Sugar Preserved Lemons

4 of the best lemons you can find
Sugar – enough to completely cover the lemons

Cut the lemon ends off and slice them in half so that they sit up. Place them in a container just big enough to hold them, and cover them completely in sugar. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the container and date them to help you keep track. Place them in the refrigerator.

Now literally forget about them, act as it they don’t even exist and in about 5 to 6 weeks you will find the same results with your lemons.

Enjoy

Pancetta - the bacon with an attitude.

Charcuterie; Taken from the French term for “cooker of meat.” Considered a French culinary art, referring to products of meat, particularly (but not limited to) pork specialties. This according to the Food Lover’s Companion.

I’m on a salt kick! Absolutely mad this time of year about salting and preserving anything fresh I can get my hands on. Perhaps natural instincts of winter coming on, maybe I’m just hungry for salty tad-bits of aged animal products. Once roaming the open range (or at least I hope so), but now hung neatly in a curing box waiting for their début. For the next few issues of H2T I will share recipes mainly dealing with Charcuterie.

But first let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

I’m not going to be the one to claim that American curing practices and understanding of charcuterie is inferior to countries where the products originate, but I am going to state that there is something wrong with the American public’s lack of appreciation for what is good in its natural form. After all this is a country where they tried to breed fatless pigs… pigs, fatless? The only creature who has the right to bask gloriously in its obesity and moreover adored for its fat and they tried to take that from it.

My point being- if one can’t understand the natural being of beasts and all other things food related, one cannot produce products of superior quality.

The over salting of American cured product I have always found a bit suspicious. Is it that something is known about the meat when it goes in for the slaughter? Ashamed that animals don’t taste of pig, beef, sheep, as they should and therefore attempt on making that up with disguises of smoke and over salting- perhaps so. Whatever the case, I’m not expecting my ranting to fix the problem, I just feel obligated by profession to state a disproval of certain practices (mainly all) within the meat industry.

But not all is lost, the good guys are still out there – remember the scary butcher with the lazy eye out to kill anything cute and fluffy?- he’s out there and he is very much on the front lines. Bit by bit the American public is coming around to the idea of meat in its natural form. Perhaps much due to the obsession with the food profession chefs are now able to be heard and people are listening.

Now that that’s out, let us get on with Pancetta- bacon with an attitude.

She’s totally stuck up and frankly why shouldn’t she be. Made from only pork belly, pancetta is dry cured and spiced with anything from nutmeg to garlic and beyond, each region in the Italian country side clinging to their own version. Unlike the English and American bacon which are smoked for enhanced aroma, pancetta is often rolled and hung, gently developing flavor over the course of a few months.

The smell of this stuff hanging in a cold cellar is fantastic, reeking of cracked peppercorns and herbs. My mother’s father would hang it next to his fermenting wine, giving the meat a musky yet wonderful almost wine settlement like taste. Once fully cured, its uses are limitless.

Luckily, I had enough pork belly to make two separate batches. The first I decided to keep old school, seasoned with peppercorns and herbs such as parsley and sage (just so happened that was what I had on hand). The second batch, featured below, is a port and crushed chili pancetta which I first brined in port wine and later cured with the dried chili – I used dry as to not introduce any more moisture to the pork belly as it attempted to cure.

Port and Chili Pancetta

3 lbs. pork belly

For the brine:
¼ c kosher salt
¼ c brown sugar
3 qt port wine (don’t waste the top shelf stuff on this)

For the dry cure:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon pink salt (curing agent)
¼ - ½ cup crushed red chili

To prepare the pork belly, trim access meat and fat slabs that are hanging on, and square it off into a neatly trimmed rectangle.

Combine the port, sugar and salt into a pot and at medium heat stir until all the sugar and salt have dissolved completely. Keep cooking until the port begins to simmer. At this point with a great deal of caution, ignite the port to evaporate all the alcohol out of the wine. The reason I ask you to do this is because alcohol goes sour and over time will affect the pork belly. By igniting it and getting rid of the actual alcohol you are left with only pure port, all the alcohol has burned out when the flame subsides.

Remove the brine from the heat and allow for it to cool to room temperature, this is especially important as you don’t want to place the meat into hot brine, essentially cooking it.

Submerge the pork belly entirely into the brine in a container large enough to hold it. Place in the refrigerator and allow if to mingle for 24 hours. Meanwhile you may mix all of the dry cure ingredients together. When the brining is complete, remove the pork belly and discard the liquid (I am not a fan of using brines more than once, the brine gets cloudy with meat settlement and I find that they’re concentration weakens to a point where you’ll never get the same results) pat dry and evenly spread the dry cure over the whole thing on both sides.

Place in a non reactive container with a lid (one big enough for the belly to lay flat with the flesh side up) and store in the refrigerator for about a week or until the flesh feels firm throughout. Rinse the belly under cold water removing as much of the dry cure as possible, don’t worry you will not be able to remove every speck of seasoning and the belly will be stained from the brine and spice rub. Pat dry.

Now comes the hard part- Lay the pork belly flat and as tightly as you can roll into a cylinder, fat side out, securing it with kitchen twine. Hang it in a cool dry spot with a relatively good amount of humidity (Louisiana’s winter is great for this) for no less than 3 weeks and up to 3 months. The humidity level is important so that as your pancetta cures it does not become dry and brittle, but moist and firm.

I use an old restaurant wine chiller as a curing box, which I have gutted out and set on its highest temperature, but your refrigerator should work as well if you’re not feeling comfortable having cured meats hanging in your guest bedroom closet.

Enjoy.

Gin and Horseradish Cured Salmon

As chaotic and high speed life that we as chefs live, there is ironically something gratifying about watching food develop over time.

In a profession where one expects everything done now, fast and damned anyone that gets in my way, we somehow manage to sit back quietly to admire a process that takes months to complete, and at times after all that waiting the product may even be unusable.

The craft of curing and aging protein and vegetables alike has been around for thousands of years. You begin to gather a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of ‘look at what I have created’, patiently waiting as salt and humidity magically preserve as time would on a well kept bottle of vino. Curing does the same thing a hot flame would - the process of searing, locking in the flavor and preserving. The difference being that it is a much longer practice but in turn stabilizes food for much longer then simply cooking it.

This is how it works: salt drains protein of water (moisture) therefore slowing down the growth of harmful bacteria.

Ingenious process in an era when your refrigerator was winter. Astonishingly delicious however when curing is not what may or may not keep you alive till the spring.

I deeply enjoy putting in time and effort into curing, whether it is fish, meat, or preserving fruits and vegetables. It’s a craft that demands respect, demands understanding and above all patience, a virtue that I am not too familiar with 12 hours each day. The rules are simple yet they must be followed thoroughly, and frankly if they’re not or you decide to skip a step somewhere along the way just remember you may kill someone with your E. coli spiked salami.

Invest in a jar of pink curing salt (fairly inexpensive and available on-line) cheese cloth, some strong kitchen twine, lots of kosher salt and whatever other flavorings you’re absolutely mad about. Raw protein is an excellent vessel for flavor so remember to use herbs and spices wisely, but most importantly have fun with it.

For ideas, recipes and guidance on everything about curing I strongly recommend Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, I keep a copy above my butcher block at all times.

Horseradish and Gin Cured Salmon

6 oz brown sugar (dark or light, depending on preference)
6 oz kosher salt
2 – 3 pound fresh salmon with skin removed
¼ c gin
¾ c horseradish, freshly grated

In a bowl mix sugar, salt, horseradish and gin into a well incorporated paste. Place the skinless salmon in a pan that is just large enough to hold it. When curing meat most instructions will advise not to use a stainless steel pan to minimize chemical reaction. However, because curing fish takes days and not months using a stainless steel pan is quite fine. Rub the paste on both sides of the salmon making sure there is an even coating throughout.

Place another pan on top of the salmon to weigh it down- this will speed up the process by helping the salt extract moisture from the fish. Place some sort of weight on to the top pan, typically I use sealed bags of rock salt, or plates work just fine. Place the entire set up into refrigerator and allow it to do its thing for 48 hours. When the 48 hours are up, check the salmon for softness, if it still feels soft and squishy give it another day. Once the salmon is firm, it has finished curing.

Remove it from the pan and rinse it well under cold water. It is best to use it right away or if properly wrapped it will last for a week or two in the refrigerator. If you do not plan to use it right away, remember that the longer you wait, the milder the gin and horseradish will become.

I simply slice it and serve it with good crusty bread and cracked pepper vinaigrette. But you may treat as you would smoked salmon, perhaps on a bagel with some good champagne for brunch.

Enjoy.

Nero di Seppia

This has by far been the hardest Item to get hold of so far on Hunt2Table.

Squid Ink is one of those things that although it may not look appetizing at all, once you taste it you realize it’s one of the most delectable delicacies you have ever enjoyed. The highest quality of which comes from the Mediterranean Sea, because of the water’s rich complexity.

Yes, it looks like crude oil in a jar but there’s a little more to this stuff than meets the eye. The ink’s delicate nature during harvest is what makes it incredibly hard to find, unless you know where to look.

I tried a couple of different stores and what I found did not even come close to comparing to the stuff I remember from my childhood. My father would go to the local fish market on holidays and buy the freshest whole squid he could find. I remember watching, barely able to look onto the counter without standing on a stool, as he gently pulled out the squid’s guts and with the precision of a neurosurgeon carefully sniped out the ink sacks without breaking them open. The dark, tar like substance smelling rich of salt from the sea that was squeezed out of those tiny sacks holds some of my dearest memories of summer from my younger years in Sicily.

The hunt was full of disappointment as I ventured from place to place in search of the ink. I found canned squid in “ink sauce”, a pathetic combination of sodium, food coloring and fish stock. I came across ink that although looked promising with all the content written in Portuguese, the back label stated in proud bold letters “made in china” – no thank you!

Even specialty markets did not seem to have any leads on where to find the stuff.

Realizing the impossibility of finding a local source for the ingredient, without going through a restaurant food purveyor, I decided to order it online. Let me tell you this stuff does not come cheap. A 500gram jar (just over 17 ounces), with shipping cashes in at about 70 dollars, but it’ll last you for a very, very long time due to its potency.

I guess the lesson here is that if you do ever come across it stop being such a mindless and pretentious numnut when it comes to food and try it. If it wasn’t good or edible they wouldn’t charge so damn much for it.

This is one of my favorite recipes using squid ink. If you ever get your hands on some I hope that you’ll enjoy making it as much as I do.

Enoy~

Risotto al Nero di Seppia

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 fresh red chili)
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
3 oz squid, cleaned and sliced (preferably fresh)
1 10oz can tomato filets
½ cup tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon squid ink
2 cups cooked Aborrio rice (which is nice and creamy, but not too thick - because you followed cooking instructions, RIGHT?)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a small heavy bottomed pot, allowing it to get really hot without reaching smoke point. Add the red pepper flakes and shallots, stirring with a wooden spoon as to not let them stick. Once the shallots begin to sweat and become a bit translucent add the garlic and the squid. Allow the flavors to mingle for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat, add the tomato filet along with the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the squid ink, and being careful not to splash any out your pot (as it will stain), gently fold the sauce till the ink is fully incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper, it is important not to salt your sauce before you add the squid ink as it packs a good bit of salt. Once you have seasoned your sauce, fold in your aborrio and allow it to rest for a few minutes.

Everything Is Better with Bacon... Everything

Bacon Ice Cream with Saffron Cream

I know, not exactly what you call a light and healthy summer treat. But its ice cream by god! And no summer should ever be endured without it. And as for the bacon part, I have absolutely no shame in saying that pork needs love too…

For this recipe you must have an ice cream maker. One of those cheap ones will do, just make sure to use crushed ice so that it doesn’t jam up on you.

Enjoy!~

Saffron Cream

Pinch of saffron
1 Cup whipping cream
¼ Cup confectioner’s sugar

Steep the saffron in about ¼ cup hot water and allow it to cool to room temp. Pour the whipping cream in a bowl along with the sugar and whip till you begin to leave streaks with your whisk. Pour in the saffron tea, enough to give the cream a yellow tint, and keep whisking till it looks like whipped cream.

Bacon Ice Cream

2 Cup Milk (skim… are you happy?)
1 ¾ Cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Cup Half and Half
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Cup Bacon Bits (freshly made, not that silicon flavored crap from the bottle. And if you want to use turkey bacon, that’s fine… just don’t tell me about it!)

This is the part where you read first and then make the stuff, listen carefully. Scald milk, not scorch, scald – that’s when there are tiny bubbles that form on the edge of the pot. At this point remove from heat, add the sugar and salt stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the half and half along with the vanilla extract and the cream. Bring the mixture to as low of a temperature as possible without freezing it, about 45 minutes to an hour in the freezer will do. Remove from freezer and pour into the ice cream canister of your machine. When the mixture begins to resemble ice cream that has been left on the counter too long, pour in the bacon bits and finish churning.

When complete, top off with a dollop of saffron cream and a sprinkle more of bacon bits… if you have any left over.

You should definitely follow your ice cream maker direction in using it. But as a general guide, close the canister before beginning to layer the ice and salt around it. I start with the ice (about a 3 inch layer), pour in the salt (a few hand full), more ice and finish the layering with more salt.

Pepper Jelly

I have entered a never ending love affair with anything that can be layered, spread or sandwiched onto a bagel. So when a friend suggested that I should go pick some fresh bell peppers from his garden there was no way I could resist adventuring into one of my favorite bagel condiments – pepper jelly.

There’s a favorite quote of mine by food journalist Marilyn Kaytor that says “condiments are like old friends- highly thought of, but often taken for granted.” I try to live by this and as product take great care and focus to do each ingredient justice.

I have never made the stuff before and to be honest I was unsure of how the final product would turn out. I did a little research on a couple of recipes and once I discovered exactly how to make it I scrapped all that knowledge and did it my way. Hopefully you will do the same with this recipe, learn it, maybe even test it out and once you get the hang of it put your own spin on it.

Enjoy~

Pepper Jelly

4 Bell Peppers …any color but green or your jelly is going to look like mash peas!
3 Good Size Jalapenos
½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Water
2 Small Red Apples … or 1 really big one.
1 16oz Jar of Apple Jelly … jelly, not marmalade. You want the stuff without the chunks.
Salt to Taste
Cayenne Pepper to Taste

Slice all your peppers in half and remove the seeds and stems. Cut them into smaller manageable pieces and place in a food processor. Please use gloves when it comes to the jalapenos, and wash your hands before you touch yourself especially guys… I do not want to have to say I told you so.

Core your apple(s) and do the same. Process everything to a smooth puree, using a bit of water if you need to help out. Move the puree into a heavy bottomed pot along with the sugar, vinegar and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Add the apple jelly and stir till it is all incorporated into mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place a touch of the, what is now (hopefully), pepper jelly on a plate and place it in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. Once it’s cold examine it to see if it is at your desired viscosity, if not turn the heat back on and keep cooking till you get there.

Assuming you’re happy with how jelly your jelly is, add salt to taste and if you desire it to be spicier, add cayenne as well. Place in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. It should last about 2 weeks, or more if you’re feeling adventurous.

Wonderful Nasty Bits

When I first began writing this issue of Hunt2Table a week and half ago there were two things I wanted to stress the importance of: a close relationship with one’s butcher, and the role of offal on our table.

What exactly is offal? It is what as chefs we are very careful of keeping secret. We guard it as best we can and try not to let you know just how good it all can be. Think: foie gras, monk fish livers, skate wings, sweet breads... as soon as you (the customer) begins to crave it the price shoots through the roof and we are no longer capable of keeping it in house.

I’m talking about all the wonderful nasty bits, the entrails, organs, and outer extremities that most of us turn up our nose at. We tend to shy away from offal as food, while in other cultures it has become delicacy, as it once was here too part of standard American fare.

In every profession kitchen this is what is sought of after as treasure; treasure which although absolutely inexpensive we take great pleasure in charging you a week’s wages for what would otherwise be processed, canned and fed to your pet poodle.

But what if I told you that you did not have to pay what we charge for it. There is an easier way to obtain these little packages of joy and happiness… become friends with your butcher!

I know, he can be a rather frightening character at times. Covered in blood, holding a clever, perhaps sporting a lazy eye, with the look of a somewhat deranged man out to kill anything fluffy and cuddly. But the truth of it is that butchers are just pissed off.

No, not at you!

At the big companies who have turned their art and passion into a mindless assembly line operation where at some point someone inserts a needle into your meat and pumps it full of chemicals so that it may look fresh and appetizing till the next ice age.

The few who have been able to hang on to their nearly extinct profession are looking for you; a sensible and adventurous seeker of what is still good about meat. At first he might be a bit defensive, slightly arrogant but if you insist upon demanding the good stuff he will respect you and who knows you might even get a little smile out of him.Think of the butcher as your friendly neighborhood bartender. He’ll remember your name, he’ll memorize what you like, and when something good comes along he will stash it away just for you.

Back to the offal thing: God knows I love the stuff, and in my opinion no beast is the greatest provider of it than the noble pig. The belly, hocks, hears, snout, tongue, liver, heart, cheek, and by far my favorite - the tail.

Enjoy! –

Pork Tails Confit

Dry cure per # of pork

4 c pork fat
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot
6 sprigs thyme
3 tbsp salt
2 bay leaves
Gentle alcohol to cover (optional)
Pepper to taste

Grind all dry cure ingredients, and toss pork to cover evenly. Place in a non reactive container (plastic will do) and submerge with gentle alcohol such as vermouth. Store for 24-36 hrs. Rinse and pat dry. Cover in fat, and place in 225 degree oven for approximately 3 to 4 hours. Store covered in the same fat for up to 2 months.

Pork Tails Rilletes

Confit pork tails
Pork fat
Whole grain mustard
Radishes
Kosher salt
Good crusty bread

Take your confit pork tails and debone them. Place all meat in food processor and pulse to an almost smooth mixture, adding a bit of pork fat from the confit if needed. Spread on good crusty bread with a touch of mustard. Slice up the radishes and sprinkle a bit of salt on them as an accompaniment.