Pork Archives | Page 3 of 3

Filipino-style Pastured Pork Kebabs

July 4, 2011

It’s an interesting experience to view your country through the eyes of someone else. Looking back I’m not sure why I hadn’t considered what a highlight this would be during our time living abroad. We encountered people who were in awe of us and those who passed judgment on us, not after getting to know us, but simply because we were from the United States.

Both situations made me equally uncomfortable, and it made me very self-aware regarding how I was perceived by others. What stood out to me the most was how the US was truly seen as the land of opportunity among the majority of people we encountered.

While we were welcoming a new adventure and happily leaving the US for a while, it felt so strange to have people view my country in this way when I really just wanted to experience theirs. After you encounter these reactions time and time again it makes you begin to think – maybe I should appreciate my own country a little more.

That is exactly what happened. Although what I appreciate about it is something that I never really considered before.

Sometimes I think we fail to remember that unless we happen to be American Indians, we’re not from here. Somewhere along the line someone in our families crossed those waters and was allowed to enter this great country we now call home. That may have happened many generations ago for some, or last year for others.

Personally, I don’t wave my flag to say ours is better than others. It’s waved to say I appreciate those who fought for the freedoms of this very diverse country, a diversity that began long ago and continues to this day. What I appreciate the most is that I can live and work among people whose cultures and heritage make my life richer whether it’s rooted in the hills of Kentucky or brought with them from abroad.

All that being said you likely also know my appreciation for food culture in this country. So a 4th of July barbecue taking place at our house just had to have a bit of an international flare.

On Friday, we stocked up on a ridiculous amount of local, pastured pork from Marksbury Farm Market. The pork butt was rubbed down, smoked and served US-style with sweet and spicy BBQ sauces. The 6 lbs of pork sirloin kebabs, on the other hand, were headed in a different direction.

In college, my husband had a friend of Filipino heritage and his family would throw some amazing barbecues. I had the opportunity to attend one and the pork kebabs were simply incredible. My husband learned to make their delicious marinade and we thought it would be a great way to make our own barbecue this weekend a bit more international.

I stocked up on veggies from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. This included potatoes for my Mustard Chive Potato Salad (although chives were replaced with dill this time and I used a lot more Greek yogurt), and colorful cherry tomatoes really brightened up the Curry Wheat Berry Salad. Basil from the garden and a good bunch of heirloom tomatoes rounded out the meal with a Caprese Salad.

It all went over well, but the pork kebabs were definitely the star for us. I won’t hide my excitement that while most of the food was gone, there were a few pork kebabs leftover. Whether you use it for chicken, pork or beef, or what the heck, even tofu, the Filipino-style marinade is outstanding.

Filipino-style Pastured Pork Kebabs

6 lbs pork sirloin, cubed and skewered
3 heads of garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
Juice of 8 oranges
4 cups soy sauce
1 ½ cups white vinegar
½ cup brown sugar

Place the kebabs in a deep baking pan. It’s best to work the marinade in two batches so divide each of the ingredients in half. Add half the garlic cloves, the juice of 4 oranges (reserve the peels), about 2 cups of soy sauce, ¾ cup vinegar and ¼ cup brown sugar to a blender. Blend on medium to high until all ingredients are mixed and the marinade is somewhat foamy.

Pour the marinade over the pork and continue with the second batch of marinade. Once all of the marinade is on the pork, place the leftover orange peels among the kebabs. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to grill, once the grill is nice and hot, cook the pork to a temperature of 160 degrees F.

Pastured Sausage and Shrimp Rice

March 16, 2011

I’ve only had jambalaya a couple times in my life and I’m certain I’ve never had what could be considered the real thing. So I have no idea why I was craving it earlier this week. There was just something about shrimp, sausage and rice with a slight tomato-y flavor that sounded really good. Not to mention our temps dropped back to mild winter status so some warm comfort food was necessary.

Since my version follows no authentic recipe, I decided it really should be called by the official name. We’ll just say it is similar to some of the versions I’ve had before. Regardless of its authenticity, it did fulfill the comfort food craving.

I used local, pastured Italian sausage so that added a lot of the flavor to the dish. Except for the onion and garlic, all my veggies were thawed from frozen. I had a variety of frozen peppers from last summer so I used sweet banana and one red jalapeno for a kick. My tomatoes were Romas from last year’s garden as well. You can use raw or cooked shrimp. If you use cooked, just throw it in at the end and heat it through.

Pastured Sausage and Shrimp Rice

¾ lb pastured Italian sausage
20 – 25 shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped into pieces
5-6 small peppers (any variety), sliced
½ large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
4 cups cooked long grain rice

In a large, deep skillet brown the sausage over medium-high heat until fully cooked. If using raw shrimp, add and cook until just barely cooked through. Drain, rinse if needed, and remove from the skillet to set aside leaving a small amount of fat in the skillet for the veggies.

Add the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until all vegetables are slightly browned and tender and the tomatoes begin to soften and break up.

Add the paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, pepper and salt. Stir to coat all of the vegetables. Add the rice, stirring to incorporate it and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in the sausage and shrimp and cook for another minute. Serves 6.

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I know I’m a bit behind schedule and I apologize for the delay, but I finally selected the winners of my new book – The Everything Guide to Food Remedies. I stole a fun idea from Deb at Kahakai Kitchen and copied everyone’s name taken from the comments. I put them all in my cute cupcake bowl, shook it, closed my eyes and drew.

So here you go.

The three people who will receive a copy of my book are Joanne at Eats Well with Others, Aoife of The Daily Spud and Pearl! Please email me your address at lori (at) fakefoodfree (dot) com and I will send you a copy.

I will email you if you provided me an address and will give everyone one a week to respond, so by next Wednesday. After that I will select another winner.

Thank you for all the congrats and the thoughtful comments! I really enjoyed reading your philosophies on health and food.

Local Meat: Marksbury Farm Market

February 13, 2011

A little over a year ago, when we had finally found the house and decided we would move to a rural county outside the big city of Lexington, KY, an article in a nearby newspaper caught my eye. The article described a business that would be moving to the area soon, Marksbury Farm.

Considering that this came at a time when I was beginning my commitment to buy only small scale, humanely raised and naturally fed animal products, I could not believe my fortune.

You see, according to that article Marksbury Farm was planned to be a processing facility for just that. Local farmers from around the area could have their animals processed at a local facility where they could then sell these products to consumers in the area. This would eliminate the need to drive hundreds of miles to the nearest USDA facility.

That alone had me thrilled, but I was even more excited about the proposed market that was part of this project. The plan was to have a shop where grass-fed, pastured, humanely raised local meats would be sold to the public. A one-stop shop, a place that would mimic the old-fashioned butcher, but with animal products I could feel good about buying and eating.

Fast forward to last summer.

Our community was hosting a showing of Fresh: The Movie and I was asked to speak about the nutritional benefit of local food. It was here that I first met, Richard McAlister, one of the partners behind bringing Marksbury to the area.

It was a busy a time, as they were undergoing USDA organic certification with plans to open the processing facility within that month. The market was soon to follow. It was at that meeting that I realized this wasn’t just rumor or an idea. Soon I would have access to an incredible resource!

Last Saturday, myself and three other Kentucky Food Bloggers – Mindy from Mindy’s Mouthful, Samantha from A Teenage Gourmet, and Melissa from My McDonald Meal met Richard to tour the facilities. I’ve been frequenting the market since the end of December, but this was my first chance to get an up close look at the facilities.

Richard took us through the empty facility and each step of the process for cattle, pigs and poultry. He explained to us each and every precaution they take to ensure humane handling, during this process that, let’s be honest, we really don’t like to think about.

I was glad to hear him mention Dr. Temple Grandin when we took a look at the outdoor holding area. If you haven’t heard of Temple and her research, or haven’t seen the movie that aired on HBO, I highly recommend it.

I have toured a processing facility one other time. As part of my Food Science course at Purdue we explored the facility on campus, and it was interesting to compare the processes there (about 10 years ago) to what I saw at Marksbury. There were noticeable improvements with this facility compared to what I have seen before in terms of respecting the animal and the fact that they are giving their life to nourish us.

We withheld many pictures inside the facility because I know many don’t wish to see that. Then we entered the smoking room, and the storage room. Let me just say, it was a smoked meat lovers paradise.

To simplify, Marksbury processes animals for local farmers. Their guidelines explain the conditions in which the animals must be raised. This meat can be picked up by consumers from the facility who might be ordering a full or half of beef or pork from a specific farmer. In addition, Markbury purchases animals which they process and sell in their market.

Yes, let’s get to the market. Set in a gorgeous old farmhouse is a Kentucky food paradise. Not just meat, but foods of all kinds.

Okay, first the meat. There is every cut you can imagine and some products you might not, everything from pork tenderloin to beef tongue. They are also offering prepared dishes like steak pie and ready-to-cook meatballs. Did I mention that some of the partners are of Scottish descent? So you can imagine the good meats and sausages in the case.

A few things we’ve purchased include Italian sausage, chicken sausage, ground pork, ground beef, whole chickens, chicken wings, smoked brats, prosciutto, braunschweiger and hot dogs. One of the best parts is that because Marksbury purchases and processes their meats their prices are very competitive and affordable in the market of grass-fed and pastured products.

Each time I visit, there are more foods available that aren’t meat at all. There are Kentucky cheeses, including this delicious Asiago Peppercorn from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese.

Kentucky milk, cream, yogurt, granola, breads, produce, vanilla, flavored sugars, salts and soy sauce can also be found lining the shelves along with many more items.

There are still some farmers around the area whose relationships I value and I will continue to buy from them directly. However, I feel incredibly fortunate to make a short drive and have such variety at my finger tips.

The Marksbury Farm Market truly encompasses the local butcher. The kind of place where you go with no plans for your dinner menu, and leave with a gourmet meal planned based on fresh, local ingredients.

Several media outlets have published articles on Marksbury, so check out the links below to learn more. This coming week I’ll share what we did with the hotdogs we purchased. And of course, if you find yourself traveling through central Kentucky, don’t miss the opportunity to stop by and see it for yourself!

Marksbury Farm Market

73 Fisher Ford Road

Lancaster, KY 40444

Solving the Meat-to-Market Riddle – Edible Louisville
New Garrard operation provides market for local meat producers and consumers – Lexington Herald Leader

Disclaimer: I received no product or monetary compensation to tour or post about Marksbury Farm.

Good Meat: Cookbook Review and Pig Candy!

September 8, 2010

One word that seems to be synonymous with meat is slab. When I think of a steak, I think of a slab of meat. Similarly, when I received the cookbook – Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat – I had the exact same thought.

This is one slab of a cookbook! A thick, hardback of 400 pages that is filled with valuable information, delicious recipes and stunning photography from cover to cover.

Anyone else excited by this book simply by reading the title? I was, and the title pretty much says it all.

Inside you will find everything you wanted to know about grass-fed beef and pastured meat and eggs – what it is, definitions of common terms used when discussing it, how to cook it, and the tools you’ll need to do so. It is described not only as a cookbook, but as a guide and that is spot on. This book is as much a necessary reference for meat in general as it is a collection of recipes.

We don’t eat an overabundance of meat, in fact, I would say our diet is at least 70% vegetarian, but we do eat meat and enjoy it. With the exception of the occasional order while traveling, when we do include meat in our meals it is from local farms utilizing sustainable practices and those which treat the animals as humanely as possible. Fortunately we have a lot of options that fit these criteria here in Kentucky.

Despite my frequency of preparing meat, I always struggle with recipe ideas. It’s just never been my strong point. Well, that could all change after browsing this book. The author, Deborah Krasner, a James Beard Award winning cookbook writer, covers beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, poultry and eggs, and even provides a recipe section for side dishes.

A taste of the recipes include:

Beef and Lamb Meat Loaf
Baked Cured Ham Steak with Honey, Onion Confit, and Bourbon
Roast Chicken with Apples Sausage, and Cider
Sicilian Rabbit Agrodolce
And yes, if you are the adventurous type, there are recipes for sweetbreads, tongue and gizzards.

What I love about this book:

The book opens with multiple, homemade spice rubs that are used in many of the recipes to follow.
The recipes are clearly written with straight forward instructions, one recipe per page.
The recipes incorporate a variety of cultural cuisines including French, Indian, North African, Chinese and Cuban.
There isn’t a photo with each recipe, but the photography included is outstanding from farm scenery to completed dishes. There are also pictorial descriptions of meat cuts for each meat type.
The author touches on ethical topics for those of us who care deeply about animals, but still feel that some are meant to be a source of food. One example is her short section on the topic of naming animals.

What I’m not so crazy about:

I really like to make sure I look at cookbooks with a critical eye and mention the good with the bad. I have to be honest, though; there is nothing I don’t like about this cookbook.

If I had to stretch it, maybe I would go with the fact that it is really difficult for me to see a cute calf on one page and a slab of beef on another, but that doesn’t make the photography or the book any less spectacular. The book is also very large and difficult to keep open with the recipe in view while cooking, but I find that with multiple cookbooks in my collection.

Did I mention that there are dessert recipes in this meat cookbook? I got to test out the Pig Candy recipe and I absolutely love that name. Pig Candy is a peanut brittle-type candy that has the spiciness of crushed red pepper and the saltiness of pastured bacon.

I really wanted to make this recipe with brown rice syrup because I’ve heard that it is a good substitute for corn syrup. However, I couldn’t find it at the markets I went to so I stuck with corn syrup that did not also have HFCS in it. I’m not sure how much of an improvement that is, but I used what I had to work with. In addition, I used Demerara sugar instead of white sugar.

The result? Well, I think I burnt it a bit, and the Demerara did make it much darker. I am a true amateur candy maker and I need a lot more practice so I am going to chalk it up to that. However, despite the fact that I slightly burnt it and it isn’t perfect, we still can’t keep our hands out of it around here.

This recipe is brilliant, in my opinion. Add another one to your holiday baking list!

Pig Candy
Reprinted with permission from Abram Books

Peanut brittle made with crisp pastured bacon and a little red pepper—what could be bad about that? Try this with a glass of Bourbon or cocktails, or serve it at a Super Bowl party—either way, it’s memorable.

MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND BRITTLE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the baking sheet and spatula
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup light corn syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt or smoked salt flakes
1⁄4 cup water
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1⁄2 cup crumbled crisp-cooked pastured pork bacon (about 6 slices)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Butter a silicone baking liner or cookie sheet, as well as an offset spatula or icing knife, and set aside.

Using a 1-quart saucepan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves, stirring with a silicone spatula. Stir in the nuts, red pepper, and bacon pieces.

Cook the mixture until it registers 300 to 310 degrees on a candy thermometer—it will form a long thread when you pull the spatula out. Depending on the pan and the efficiency of the burner, this can take up to 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully but thoroughly stir in the 2 tablespoons butter and the baking soda (take care—the mixture will foam). Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared pan and, using the offset spatula or an icing knife, spread it into an even layer as thinly as possible. When the brittle is cool enough to handle (but still warm and pliant), use your hands (gloves can help) to stretch and pull it even thinner.

When the brittle is cool, break it into pieces and serve, or store in an airtight tin.

Disclaimer: This cookbook was sent to me free of charge. I was under no obligation to review it and received no compensation for doing so.

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Parmesan

August 13, 2010

Our local Farmer’s Market is small. We have about 20 members and an average of 5 to 8 sell on Saturdays and often only 2 or 3 on Sundays. Despite the size, it is amazing the amount of produce you can get your hands on by stopping by.

I’ve been helping out with media for the market this year and I enjoy heading out early when I can and chatting with the farmers and vendors. I have learned a lot about growing practices in Kentucky through my conversations. I usually try to help them get set up as we talk, which for me secretly means I get to go through their available produce first.

This led me to discover the small bag of Brussels sprouts one of the farmers had available on Tuesday. It was just a cup or two, and I immediately bought them as soon as I discovered the bag. I have only had Brussels sprouts on a couple occasions and have never cooked with them, but inspired by all the recipes on the web, I’ve had my eye out for some.

First of all, when you buy them from the farm, they don’t look like the ones in the supermarket. I wish I had taken a before picture, but let’s just say there was a ton of peeling off outer leaves and trimming stems involved. I ended up being very happy that my bounty included only a couple handfuls.

Once cleaned, however, they looked beautiful and I couldn’t wait to get cooking!

A few months ago I picked up a discounted pack of pastured heritage breed bacon pieces from St. Asaph farm. These are the little bits they trim off the pretty bacon. They are perfect for beans, or in this case, a pasta dish with Brussels sprouts.

I checked out a few recipes on the web and finally decided to modify the Braised Brussels Sprouts in Bacon and Shallots from White on Rice Couple. What I really needed from this recipe was the cooking method which worked out wonderfully.

I tossed the final dish with some whole wheat pasta and stirred in some freshly grated parmesan. The bacon was slightly crispy and the sprouts nice and tender. This is a dish I will be making more of as the Brussels sprouts become more available this fall!

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Parmesan
Modified from Braised Brussels Sprouts from White on Rice Couple

10 ounces dry whole wheat pasta
½ to ¾ cup bacon, chopped into small pieces
¼ cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups Brussels sprouts, halved if large
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup grated parmesan

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water, and set aside. In a deep skillet add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, you really want the fat to immerge in the pan.

Once bacon is browned, quickly stir in the onion, garlic and Brussels sprouts. Stir well and lower heat as necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer on medium heat, stirring often, until the Brussels sprouts are tender about 5 more minutes.

Add the pasta to the skillet along with the reserved pasta water. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serves 3, for us anyway.

Mexican Tapas in Geneva, IL

July 9, 2010

It wasn’t until this past weekend that I realized there are some really enticing small towns that reside along the river outside Chicago. With their boutique shops and attractive landscaping, the main streets are overflowing with restaurants. It was on one of these streets in the small city of Geneva, IL that we had the pleasure of experiencing Bien Trucha.

My brother-in-law and his wife had told us about the place prior to our arrival so the anticipation had been building for a while. This little restaurant and its Mexican tapas are in high demand. Apparently the restaurant began with about six tables and has since expanded to twelve or so.

Lunch service began at noon and we arrived early to avoid a line which we’ve heard is the norm. Surprised to be the first ones at the door at 11:45 am, it took a mere 30 seconds before others started filing in. By the time the restaurant opened the line was long enough to fill every table inside.

The atmosphere was an inviting mix of quaint, cute, rustic and authentic. The dining room gave hints of a romantic evening ambiance, but at the lunch hour it was bustling with couples, friends and families, loud conversation and few cocktails round the tables.

I was still trying to soak everything in, with my camera in hand of course, as we were quickly asked for our drink order. I barely had time to look at the menu as the waiter rattled off several margarita selections. A quick glance and three were ordered at our table – Pinasada with grilled pineapple, Pepino or cucumber, and the Flor de Jamaica with hibiscus flower extract. The water of the day was also ordered which was mango.

My drink was the Pepino and the rim came adorned with a chili-type salt that melded the flavors together. It was refreshing with that familiar tequila kick. Yes, cucumber is a wonderful ingredient in a summer cocktail.

The menu boasts a creative list of appetizers, soups, salads and tortas, but the real draw are the tacos. Each order comes with four, tapas-style, served on a wooden platter.

Before we took on the tacos, we began with the guacamole of the day. What distinguishes the guacamole of the day from the traditional guacamole is that it is topped with fresh fruit. Ours had grapes and apparently watermelon has been the fruit of choice on other visits. For me, the texture was perfect as far as guac goes. Creamy, but still slightly chunky and the sweet grapes added a nice contrast with the slight heat of peppers and tart lime.

Still not done with starters we continued to look over the menu. My husband immediately noticed the ceviche. We weren’t sure how our hosts would feel about it, but fortunately they were game. I say fortunately because the ceviche was delicious, not to mention beautifully plated.

While the standard selection on the menu was with tilapia there was a special the day we were there. Our choice was the ceviche with shrimp, strawberry and melon with an avocado mousse. I’m not extremely experienced in ceviche, but this creation was outstanding.

We chose three different varieties of tacos, and with four people at our table this meant that we all got one of each. The Pescado came highly recommended by our family and included beer battered, fried tilapia topped with a red cabbage slaw made with chipotle-morita aioli. Crispy, crunchy, spicy, creamy – these tacos had it all. The red cabbage really added to the presentation as well.

As a side note, I was unfamiliar with morita. It turns out that Chile Morita is a small reddish-purple chile. It can literally be translated too small blackberry pepper.

Next up were the Pastor tacos with ancho-guajillo marinated pork, morita salsa and a piece of grilled pineapple. As you can imagine the sweet pineapple tasted wonderful with the mildly spicy flavor of the meat and salsa.

The grand finale was the Bien Trucha taco. These had both grilled skirt steak and homemade chorizo. The salsa was roasted tomatillo-serrano. What a way to end our meal! The chorizo really made this one for me. There was just a little bit added, but the flavor took over in a very good way.

To be honest, there is no way I could pick a favorite. Each item we sampled had its own appealing characteristics and individual flavors. Visiting Bien Trucha reminded me how much I crave authentic food which we tend to have very little of where we live unless you want a southern favorite.

There is little if anything on the menu that has been altered to appeal to the US American palate. Even the style of service from the refilling of water to serving sodas in a can was incredibly Latin American.

Bien Trucha is the type of place where you adapt to the food, the food doesn’t adapt to you. The type of place that makes this former expat think – perhaps this whole repatriation thing isn’t so bad after all.

Bien Trucha
410 West State Street
Geneva, IL 60134-2104
(630) 232-2665

BLT Pizza with Spicy Chipotle Mayo

May 20, 2010

The Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich is a symbol of summer for me. Growing up, when the lettuce was ready in the garden and the tomatoes perfectly ripened this sandwich was on the menu. It is quick and easy with both protein and vegetables, not to mention some fat to help you absorb the veggie vitamins. I will admit that often my sandwiches were bacon and cheese as a kid, but fortunately I now appreciate the fresh vegetables so I’ve graduated to full BLT status.

Last week I was looking through one of my cookbooks and found a recipe for a BLT pizza. I thought it was a great idea for spicing up the traditional and decided to give it an even greater twist with a little chipotle mayo.

I bought the bacon from St. Asaph Farm not too far from the town we live in. I’m really excited to be finding so many natural farms around central Kentucky that implement the practices of Joel Salatin and Polyface Farm. In addition, I enjoyed talking with the owner, Rachel. She has lived abroad in the Dominican Republic and her husband in India and then they moved to India together after they were married. I’m always amazed at the international experiences I encounter here at home.

The bacon is jowl bacon from pastured pork and has a delicious flavor. It cooked up nicely. I like mine crispy and my husband likes his chewy so I usually cook a few slices of bacon longer than the others.

The lettuce came from my Dad’s garden which we got when we were visiting over Mother’s day weekend. The tomato, from a hydroponic grower at the farmer’s market.

I made this Focaccia recipe from Tyler Florence, split it into four loaves and sprinkled on some shredded parmesan before baking. I used the chipotle salsa from the Shrimp Taco Dorado I posted recently. It is really just a chipotle mayo. To make it, combine some mayonnaise, one to two chipotle peppers in adobe (based on how spicy you want it) and a squeeze of lime juice and blend it up.

Summertime BLT Pizza with Spicy Chipotle Mayo

Adapted from Weight Watchers Dining for Two

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 individual rounds of baked focaccia or your favorite pizza crust

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped1 large tomato, chopped

4 cups lettuce, chopped
½ cup chipotle mayo (more or less to taste)*

Prep

In a large bowl, combine the bacon, tomato and lettuce. Pour over the mayo and toss to coat all the ingredients. Divide into four servings and place on top of each pizza. Cut into slices with a knife and serve.

*See explanation in text above the recipe.

Pastured Sausage and Jalapeno Pizza

April 23, 2010

When we were in Antigua last December our resort had a lunch restaurant with a wood-fire pizza oven. Well, it wasn’t just a lunch restaurant it was actually open until about 5:00pm. The pizza was delicious, and I’m not going to lie, there were some fourth-meals consumed in the afternoon between lunch and dinner.

A few days before we departed we decided to try the Messicana pizza. This is a bit of an inside joke because everything supposedly Mexican in nature is “Mexicana” in Brazil, which is actually pronounced “meh-sh-cona”. So it is interesting to see what some cultures associate with Mexican cuisine. Trust me, we aren’t the only ones who completely screw it up. For example, the Mexicana pizza where we lived in Brazil often had Doritos on it. I rest my case.

This pizza in Antigua was topped with sausage, and jalapenos. At first I wasn’t incredibly motivated to try it, but once we finally did (very late in our trip) we were beating ourselves up that we hadn’t ordered it sooner. Such a simple combo, but it is so good.

This past weekend when my parents were in, I made my Brown Biscuits with the pastured pork sausage I got from Pike Valley Farm. I held some of it back to use later in the week for this pizza. Fortunately I also had some pizza crust in the freezer so it was a quick meal.

I don’t have a favorite crust at the moment. I typically use the recipe on the back of the Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat flour bag and substitute White Whole Wheat Flour to make it a little lighter. Turns out great.

For the sauce, I use tomato puree in my basic marinara and usually add a little more crushed red pepper to spice it up a bit. Although with the jalapenos on this pizza, that wasn’t really necessary.

Sausage Jalapeno Pizza

2 pizza crusts, about 8 to 9 inch
½ cup pizza sauce
¼ lb. pastured pork sausage, browned
1 cup cheese, shredded (I like cheddar with this combo)
½ cup sliced jalapenos

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. I know I’m a bit odd with this, but I don’t like my pizza dough to be uncooked or soggy in the middle. The only way I’ve been able to master this with at-home pizza is to bake it for about 5 to 7 minutes before adding the toppings.

Divide the sauce and spread on each pizza. Top with the sausage (with pastured you won’t need to do any draining or rinsing), then the cheese. Next spread your jalapenos evenly on each pizza. Bake 7 to 10 minutes more until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Apple Cheddar Brown Biscuits

March 18, 2010

You know those moments when you taste something incredible? Not just good food, but something that could quite possibly be the best version of a dish or an individual ingredient you’ve ever put in your mouth.

I had that experience this week and with something that was unexpected – sausage.

I wouldn’t say we eat a lot of sausage. Although, German sausage is in my top 5 of all time favorite meals, and I have to say a piece with waffles or an omelet can really complete a breakfast. However, it has been a long while since I’ve had any.

I’ve been steering clear of ordering meat out at restaurants and buying meat from the supermarket since the beginning of the year. It’s just a personal choice I’ve made. I want the meat I consume to come from grass-fed, pastured and humane (as possible) sources. The last time I tried to order sausage from the farm that has become our regular resource, they were all out. A restaurant had completely wiped them out of all their pork sausage. Bummer.

But a few weeks ago, I placed an order for eggs and Teresa let me know that there would be sausage available in a week, so I signed up and waited patiently. This week, I finally got around to trying it.

I took one nibble from the skillet after I browned it up and I knew. This is what sausage is supposed to taste like! Not greasy, not dry and overcooked, not so salty and seasoned that you can barely taste anything else. This was perfection.

The lack of fat, I’m sure, has to do with it being pastured meat. The seasoning, perhaps it was their processor, but somebody is doing something right. The meat was tender and that familiar sausage flavor was there, but mild and there was just a tiny bit of heat that lingered.

Seriously, I can’t believe I’m going on about sausage like this, but this is some good stuff.

Since I really don’t think it is a good idea to sit down to a bowl of sausage I needed something with which to eat this tasty meat. I love the way apple and cheddar cheese go together, so I thought why not put them in a biscuit.

However, you know me; it couldn’t be just a plain white biscuit, so I decided to combine white whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour for some lesser refined brown biscuits. The sausage pairs up with them nicely and I love the tiny bits of sweet apple I get among the salty flavors.

Next up? Bacon. I’m on the waiting list, though, so the anticipation will be building until May!

Apple Cheddar Brown Biscuits

1 cup white whole wheat flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp butter
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup apple, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, parsley and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Mix using a pastry blender until the butter is transformed into pea-sized pieces. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the milk. Stir to combine.

Add in the cheddar and apples and gently mix in. It is easier to use your hand for this. Place the dough on a floured surfaced and roll it out to about a 1 to 1 ½ inch thickness. Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut into biscuits and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool to touch, slice open and place a sausage patty inside. Makes about 12, 2-inch biscuits. (Mine made 11, but I think they were slightly bigger than 2 inches.)

Pastured Pork and Black Beans

March 10, 2010

Sometimes I think I try so hard to get creative with recipes that I forget just how simple a good meal can be. For example, this past week I picked up an order from Pike Valley Farm. A small order since it is the time of year where the selection is low until the spring season. They did have some pastured pork chops available, though, so I decided to get a pack for something different.

I was trying to decide what to do with them. I was a bit stuck because they were the type of chops that looked to be best slow cooked, not a lean center cut chop for grilling. I showed them to my husband and he said, “Why don’t you just throw them in a crockpot with some beans. Then serve it with rice, kind of like a feijoada.”

I couldn’t help but wonder to myself – now I’m the cook in the family, why didn’t I think of that?

It turned out to be a great suggestion. Throughout a day of simmering, the fat melted away allowing me to easily remove any bones, leaving tender pieces of meat. Not to mention the soft and smoky black beans.

A heavier, filling meal I’m glad I got it in for the season. The weather is turning warmer here and the trees out front are beginning to bloom. However, I think the leftovers will be perfect for the rain that is predicted for the next few days.

Pastured Pork and Black Beans

16 oz bag of black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
¾ to 1 lb. pastured pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the pre-soaked beans, onion, garlic and spices in a Crock-pot and add the water. Place the pork chops on top of the beans and cover the pot with the lid. I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then on low for 2 more hours. This had it finished by about 4:00 pm so I kept it on warm until dinner. If you are gone all day, cooking it on low for 8 hours would likely work out fine. Add salt and pepper to taste near the end of cooking. I added about 1 ½ tsp salt and ¾ tsp of black pepper. Serve with rice and/or some greens and hot sauce, of course.