5 years ago I hit the pause button on my career and, to be honest many of my interests to focus on our family. It's been an incredible journey being mom to two joyful, energetic kids, but I'm now at another new stage - finding me again, finding a new balance. Sound familiar? Prior to having children we loved to cook but I was told that having children would push me to premade meals and all the conveniences available to us at grocery stores and on line meal delivery companies. It didn't happen. I found a way to make it work. I recently re-entered the workforce and thought perhaps this would be the turning point, I would finally give in to the convenience of ordering my box of food on line, delivered to my door. I'm grateful that once again I've found a way to avoid hitting the send button. We never truly know what we're capable of until we are faced with a challenge, in all aspects of life. And somehow, someway, we always find a path worth travelling.
Working full time, running a household, kids schedules, family time and meal preparation … life is busy, but it's manageable, it just takes a little planning. I've definitely become more organized and efficient. How effective are you on those days you've not planned your work day? I'm pretty confident you'd agree that those days with a plan in hand are far more productive than those with no direction or focus.
Here are some tips to help you balance mealtime allowing you to enjoy a homecooked family meal:
1. Prepare a meal plan for the week and purchase everything required. We find meal planning keeps us on track during the week. Its doesn't have to be detailed, you just need to have a general idea of what you're going to prepare and have the ingredients on hand. Stick to what works for your family - use a whiteboard, notebook, chalkboard and involve the kids in the process. We try to rotate between meat/poultry, vegetarian and fish.
2. Plan easier meals for Monday to Friday or those days that you know will be long or challenging. Pan fried cod, steamed rice and French green bean salad is our go to easy meal that the entire family loves. In 20-30 mins, dinner is on the table. It's delicious, healthy and I love the fact that we have a local source of fish here. A shout out to our fish supplier, Barry. I'm so grateful we found you! And more often than not, the first thing to disappear off the kids plates....the green beans! Don't be fooled, kids love veggies, they just need to be prepared properly.
3. Prepare food in large batches - veggies, mashed potatoes, risotto, pasta - items that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week. Our kids really enjoy mixed vegetables of carrots, rutabaga and peas so when I prepare it, I make sure I have enough for at least one other meal. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, but it you boil potatoes and let them cool for 24 hours, they actually drop to medium on the glycemic index so there's an added benefit to making one batch of mashed potato for the week. Extra mashed potato can be used for topping to Sheppard's pie, fish cakes, veggie hash, potato cakes, and the list goes on.
4. Take advantage of rainy/stormy weekends or Sundays to prepare casseroles, stews, soups, roast meats or poultry. Pasta casseroles with sausage, vegetables and a cheese sauce are a hit among our kids as are soups and stews. And with soups and stews they always taste better reheated. We also find it helpful to make a roast chicken, pork or beef and have a plan for a leftover meal. Chicken, ham, fish, turkey and left over veggies all work well in an egg custard.
5. Find leftover recipes that work for your family and become familiar with them. We find eggs to be a fantastic companion to leftovers. Omelets, frittatas, timballs are a few options for us with a side salad and bread makes for an easy and satisfying meal.
Important to remember to store leftovers properly and eat within 3 - 4 days.
Make mealtime a family affair; enjoy the company, the conversation and the food!
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Monday, April 21, 2014
The Sirloin Flap
One of the finest things about being connected with your food is the inevitable "good stuff" that comes your way. The secret stashes, that special low-yield product only available to family and friends, the rare, the unique, you get the picture. That's what this post is all about.
The Good Stuff
The last time I collected my usual order of grass fed, dry aged beef from Highview Farms (incidentally the supplier of beef to the Queen of England whenever she is in town) LeRoy had a special cut of beef for me. A cut that doesn't sell that well around the Maritimes but is wildly popular in places like New York and Chicago. LeRoy wanted someone to cook one properly (someone who knows how to cook beef) and report back to him. The cut in question was a Sirloin Flap. And I was up for it.
The Sirloin Flap
This steak comes from the bottom sirloin butt, the same area as the Sirloin Tip. Ask someone Spanish or French and they know this cut as arrachera and bavette and they know exactly how good it is. Disappointing that us North Americans don't know steak outside of the T-Bone.
You will end up with three cuts of beef. The two flaps are similar to skirt steak and ideal for fajita or carne asada, or sliced up in a stir fry. But the inner steak is pure gold, and deserves to be treated as such.
The Perfect Steak
I have three different preparations for steak, depending on mood and equipment. Well actually more like two, this method is really a variation of one method. The basic difference is whether the steak is grilled or not. This is my "no-grill" method, but don't let that fool you. This will make you one of the best steaks you've ever had.
Step 1 - Season
Season liberally (as in lots and lots of lots) of kosher salt. Let the salt penetrate the meat for 15 mins or so.
Step 2 - Sear
Dry the steak thoroughly then sear both sides in a blazing hot, dry cast iron frying pan. Don't worry when you set the smoke detector off, this is normal. Also normal is involuntary salivation and the circling of neighbourhood dogs at this intoxicating "singed beef" smell.
Step 3 - Finish
Remove the steak and let the pan cool somewhat, then add some clarified butter. To the clarified butter add some shallots, garlic and thyme sprigs.
Finish cooking the steak in the flavoured butter, spooning the hot butter continuously onto the top of the steak to cook the top.
Step 4 - Rest
After a couple of minutes my steak was done (a thicker cut usually needs a spell in the oven.) All that was left was to let it rest for the juices to distribute and finish it with a little grey salt.
The Finished Product
This is a fantastic cut of steak. It reminded me a lot of flank steak and has a wonderful chewy texture and kidney-ish flavour. I cut it on a bias (as I also do with flank steak) to deal with the coarse grain.
This is a beautiful steak, plus you get the added bonus of two lovely skirt-like cuts. You gotta love the good stuff!
The Good Stuff
The last time I collected my usual order of grass fed, dry aged beef from Highview Farms (incidentally the supplier of beef to the Queen of England whenever she is in town) LeRoy had a special cut of beef for me. A cut that doesn't sell that well around the Maritimes but is wildly popular in places like New York and Chicago. LeRoy wanted someone to cook one properly (someone who knows how to cook beef) and report back to him. The cut in question was a Sirloin Flap. And I was up for it.
The Sirloin Flap
This steak comes from the bottom sirloin butt, the same area as the Sirloin Tip. Ask someone Spanish or French and they know this cut as arrachera and bavette and they know exactly how good it is. Disappointing that us North Americans don't know steak outside of the T-Bone.
This is the Flap Steak as-received. There is some beautiful steak there but there is also some sinew that needs dealing with. The first task is to expose the inner seam.
This removes the "flap" from the top. There is another flap on the bottom. Once exposed the sinew needs to be removed. This is a little time consuming but pretty easy, especially if you use a fillet knife.
The Perfect Steak
I have three different preparations for steak, depending on mood and equipment. Well actually more like two, this method is really a variation of one method. The basic difference is whether the steak is grilled or not. This is my "no-grill" method, but don't let that fool you. This will make you one of the best steaks you've ever had.
Step 1 - Season
Season liberally (as in lots and lots of lots) of kosher salt. Let the salt penetrate the meat for 15 mins or so.
Step 2 - Sear
Dry the steak thoroughly then sear both sides in a blazing hot, dry cast iron frying pan. Don't worry when you set the smoke detector off, this is normal. Also normal is involuntary salivation and the circling of neighbourhood dogs at this intoxicating "singed beef" smell.
Step 3 - Finish
Remove the steak and let the pan cool somewhat, then add some clarified butter. To the clarified butter add some shallots, garlic and thyme sprigs.
Finish cooking the steak in the flavoured butter, spooning the hot butter continuously onto the top of the steak to cook the top.
Step 4 - Rest
After a couple of minutes my steak was done (a thicker cut usually needs a spell in the oven.) All that was left was to let it rest for the juices to distribute and finish it with a little grey salt.
The Finished Product
This is a fantastic cut of steak. It reminded me a lot of flank steak and has a wonderful chewy texture and kidney-ish flavour. I cut it on a bias (as I also do with flank steak) to deal with the coarse grain.
This is a beautiful steak, plus you get the added bonus of two lovely skirt-like cuts. You gotta love the good stuff!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Crepes! It's About Time!
Where have you been, West End Epicure?
And more importantly, where have you been, crepes?
Crepes
That's right. Those sneaky little french pancakes you pay $8 for at the farmer's market. I'm going to show you how to make them. Not only are these little things easy to make, there are few things as tasty, or as versatile.
Equipment
That little wooden rake / smoother thing you've seen used to spread the crepe mixture into a perfect circle? The wide, flat surface the "crepier" cooks the crepe on? Please. All you need is that non-stick frying pan already sitting in your drawer.
Batter
If you can't manage to make this batter from ingredients already in your kitchen, there is something wrong.
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
2 tbsp butter - melted
This recipe is shamelessly reproduced verbatim from my copy of the Fannie Farmer cookbook. If you don't own a copy, there is also something wrong.
Blend the above ingredients until smooth. Then refrigerate for 30 mins.
That was difficult.
Cooking the Crepe
Heat your pan to medium heat and add some butter to film it. Then pour in about a quarter cup or so of the batter, and tip the pan to spread "evenly".
I say "evenly" because you will come to learn it is a little tricky to get a nice, round, circular crepe. But don't worry, no matter the shape they are still delicious. You want it thin, but don't worry if it seems a little thick. They somehow always turn out.
Except the first one, which inevitably screws up. Feed it to the dog or stuff it in your mouth when no one is looking. Take a learn from it and try again.
You only want to cook them a few minutes each side. I read somewhere that once they start becoming translucent, it's time to flip. I find it's flip-time when the edges start to curl up.
Err on the side caution - do not brown too much or you won't be able to fold or roll them around your delicious crepe filling. By the time you pour your last one, you should have it down.
As you make them, hold them in an oven at 200F to keep warm.
Here are my finished crepes. The above recipe yielded 8 this size.
Assembling the Crepe
The greatest thing about crepes is that they are so unbelievably versatile. In this case, I had a bunch of mushrooms in the fridge. So I browned the mushrooms in butter with some onion and garlic to make a savoury crepe filling.
Leftovers, anything you've got in the fridge. If it tastes good, it tastes better inside a warm fresh crepe.
Here are my assembled mushroom and onion crepes. Don't get too fussed about how they look. They might not make the cover of Crepe Monthly, but once you take that first bite you will forget all about how they weren't quite round.
Leftovers
"But what am I to do with all these leftover crepes?"
Are you crazy? For one thing, they freeze really well, stacked and wrapped in foil or plastic. Or, you can do what I did.
Dig some chocolate ice cream out of the freezer and serve with some raspberry jam and maraschino cherries.
You can put damn near anything inside a crepe and you will be eating like a king. Like I said, if it tastes good, it tastes better inside a fresh, warm crepe. And all this while your neighbour is taking a Lean Cuisine out of the microwave.
Enjoy!
Editor's note:
The following night for dinner I warmed the remaining crepes in the oven and wrapped them around sauteed wild atlantic salmon, a little tzatziki, sliced red onion, capers and some shredded nori.
And more importantly, where have you been, crepes?
Crepes
That's right. Those sneaky little french pancakes you pay $8 for at the farmer's market. I'm going to show you how to make them. Not only are these little things easy to make, there are few things as tasty, or as versatile.
Equipment
That little wooden rake / smoother thing you've seen used to spread the crepe mixture into a perfect circle? The wide, flat surface the "crepier" cooks the crepe on? Please. All you need is that non-stick frying pan already sitting in your drawer.
Batter
If you can't manage to make this batter from ingredients already in your kitchen, there is something wrong.
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
2 tbsp butter - melted
This recipe is shamelessly reproduced verbatim from my copy of the Fannie Farmer cookbook. If you don't own a copy, there is also something wrong.
Blend the above ingredients until smooth. Then refrigerate for 30 mins.
That was difficult.
Cooking the Crepe
Heat your pan to medium heat and add some butter to film it. Then pour in about a quarter cup or so of the batter, and tip the pan to spread "evenly".
I say "evenly" because you will come to learn it is a little tricky to get a nice, round, circular crepe. But don't worry, no matter the shape they are still delicious. You want it thin, but don't worry if it seems a little thick. They somehow always turn out.
Except the first one, which inevitably screws up. Feed it to the dog or stuff it in your mouth when no one is looking. Take a learn from it and try again.
You only want to cook them a few minutes each side. I read somewhere that once they start becoming translucent, it's time to flip. I find it's flip-time when the edges start to curl up.
As you make them, hold them in an oven at 200F to keep warm.
Here are my finished crepes. The above recipe yielded 8 this size.
Assembling the Crepe
The greatest thing about crepes is that they are so unbelievably versatile. In this case, I had a bunch of mushrooms in the fridge. So I browned the mushrooms in butter with some onion and garlic to make a savoury crepe filling.
Leftovers, anything you've got in the fridge. If it tastes good, it tastes better inside a warm fresh crepe.
Here are my assembled mushroom and onion crepes. Don't get too fussed about how they look. They might not make the cover of Crepe Monthly, but once you take that first bite you will forget all about how they weren't quite round.
Leftovers
"But what am I to do with all these leftover crepes?"
Are you crazy? For one thing, they freeze really well, stacked and wrapped in foil or plastic. Or, you can do what I did.
Dig some chocolate ice cream out of the freezer and serve with some raspberry jam and maraschino cherries.
You can put damn near anything inside a crepe and you will be eating like a king. Like I said, if it tastes good, it tastes better inside a fresh, warm crepe. And all this while your neighbour is taking a Lean Cuisine out of the microwave.
Enjoy!
Editor's note:
The following night for dinner I warmed the remaining crepes in the oven and wrapped them around sauteed wild atlantic salmon, a little tzatziki, sliced red onion, capers and some shredded nori.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Canada Day Ribs!
For Canada Day I decided to make some ribs.
The first challenge in making great ribs is finding great pork, which is sadly becoming near impossible. Pig farming has evolved (or devolved) from a livelihood into business into big business. Today's commercial, commodity market pig is bred to be as lean as possible and is raised on a farm that operates like a factory, probably never even seeing the light of day or a bit of mud to root around in.
Sure, you can buy a nice looking rack of ribs from the supermarket. Take them out of that styrofoam tray, slather them in a store-bought barbeque sauce and grill 'em up; they will probably taste okay. Not much different than what you might get at your local TGI Friday's or Outback Grill. Of course, you have no idea what age the pig was slaughtered at. Or what breed the pig was. Or what it was fed. Are you eating ribs from a single animal, or were there a couple different pigs in that tray? Where is the pork from? Did it travel across the country in a transport container from Alberta? Is this pork from one of those farms you hear about, where the animals are jacked up on antibiotics to prevent them from getting ill from the squalid, festering conditions they live in? Maybe that rack of ribs on your plate starts to look a little different. Or the ribs on your children's plates.
It wasn't always this way. And thankfully it doesn't have to be today. There are plenty of farmers around producing natural, healthy food. Food you could feel good about serving to your family.
Heritage Breed Pigs
You may be astonished to learn there used to exist different, distinct breeds of pigs (I know I was). They were bred over generations for various qualities. Hardiness. Grazing ability. Mothering ability. They looked different, sometimes very different, from the pink stereotypical "commercial" pig of today. Some were black. Some were spotted. Some were really hairy. All of these traits, of course, are of no use to a "big business" commodity farmer. He wants an animal that is disease tolerant, grows fast on minimal feed, and it extremely lean (the pork industry thinks everyone wants lean pork, for some deluded reason). The unique characteristics of those old breeds have been bred out of today's commodity pig.
Thankfully, the bloodlines of those old breeds have not been entirely lost. Known today as "heritage breeds", small scale farmers continue to raise the traditional breeds. Tamworth (a descendent of the wild boar). Berkshire. Large Black. British Saddleback.
Grass Roots Farm
One such farm that raises heritage breed pork is Grass Roots Farm. Located in Mt. Uniake, they raise Tamworth, Large Black and Berkshire pigs. The pigs are free range pasture raised and feed on natural green pastures.
They are able to roam freely, root up grasses and farrow naturally. Basically living like pigs are supposed to. These pigs are free of drugs, with no antibiotics or growth hormones used. The pastures the pigs graze are are free of synthetic inputs of any kind.
The first challenge in making great ribs is finding great pork, which is sadly becoming near impossible. Pig farming has evolved (or devolved) from a livelihood into business into big business. Today's commercial, commodity market pig is bred to be as lean as possible and is raised on a farm that operates like a factory, probably never even seeing the light of day or a bit of mud to root around in.
Sure, you can buy a nice looking rack of ribs from the supermarket. Take them out of that styrofoam tray, slather them in a store-bought barbeque sauce and grill 'em up; they will probably taste okay. Not much different than what you might get at your local TGI Friday's or Outback Grill. Of course, you have no idea what age the pig was slaughtered at. Or what breed the pig was. Or what it was fed. Are you eating ribs from a single animal, or were there a couple different pigs in that tray? Where is the pork from? Did it travel across the country in a transport container from Alberta? Is this pork from one of those farms you hear about, where the animals are jacked up on antibiotics to prevent them from getting ill from the squalid, festering conditions they live in? Maybe that rack of ribs on your plate starts to look a little different. Or the ribs on your children's plates.
It wasn't always this way. And thankfully it doesn't have to be today. There are plenty of farmers around producing natural, healthy food. Food you could feel good about serving to your family.
Heritage Breed Pigs
You may be astonished to learn there used to exist different, distinct breeds of pigs (I know I was). They were bred over generations for various qualities. Hardiness. Grazing ability. Mothering ability. They looked different, sometimes very different, from the pink stereotypical "commercial" pig of today. Some were black. Some were spotted. Some were really hairy. All of these traits, of course, are of no use to a "big business" commodity farmer. He wants an animal that is disease tolerant, grows fast on minimal feed, and it extremely lean (the pork industry thinks everyone wants lean pork, for some deluded reason). The unique characteristics of those old breeds have been bred out of today's commodity pig.
Thankfully, the bloodlines of those old breeds have not been entirely lost. Known today as "heritage breeds", small scale farmers continue to raise the traditional breeds. Tamworth (a descendent of the wild boar). Berkshire. Large Black. British Saddleback.
Grass Roots Farm
One such farm that raises heritage breed pork is Grass Roots Farm. Located in Mt. Uniake, they raise Tamworth, Large Black and Berkshire pigs. The pigs are free range pasture raised and feed on natural green pastures.
They are able to roam freely, root up grasses and farrow naturally. Basically living like pigs are supposed to. These pigs are free of drugs, with no antibiotics or growth hormones used. The pastures the pigs graze are are free of synthetic inputs of any kind.
These are some happy looking Tamworths on Grass Roots Farm. Tamworths are on the Canadian Endangered Species "Critical" List. Farms like Grass Roots are helping to save the breed from extinction.
The black & white pig above is a Berkshire on Grass Roots Farm.
Pork
Kelly and I recently bought our second pig from Grass Roots Farm. Our first was a Tamworth, and we really enjoyed it. The meat is quite dark and has a distinctive flavour, different from any pork we were used to. For our second pig we chose a Berkshire. As they had not been slaughtered yet we were able to have the animal butchered to our specifications. Among other cuts I was able to get some "double-cut" chops and fresh pork belly, both unavailable at your local supermarket.
Ribs
Getting back to my ribs. These are two racks, halved, of Berkshire spare ribs. The animal was a little on the smallish side when it was slaughtered, but they typically dress at a smaller size anyways.
Berkshire has a wonderful marbling of fat and is prized in Japan, where is known as "Kurobuta" (black pig). The fat, I hope I don't have to remind you, is where the flavour is. Why does bacon taste so good? Fat. Why are your porkchops always dry and flavourless? Commercial pork producers have bred their pigs to be extremely lean. Berkshire is interlaced with beautiful, snowy, tasty fat. Berkshire, incidently, is crossed with commercial "commodity" pork bloodlines when they get a little too lean even for the mass market.
Canada Day Ribs
Canada Day in Halifax, 2011 was a beautiful day and I decided around noon that I would smoke these ribs over apple wood for the afternoon, as I had done with great success a couple weeks ago. However, the weather meant that everyone on the block had their clotheslines out. While I personally have no objection to bed sheets redolent of smokey pork (and Whistler actually prefers it) I don't think the neighbours share my enthusiasm for slow smoked barbeque. There is, however, no chance these ribs aren't going be slow-cooked, so that means the oven.
Despite what you may think, you can make some fantastic ribs in the oven.
Oven "Smoked" Ribs
I started by slicing up a Nova Scotia apple and put that with some sage leaves from the garden into a shallow pan. I filled the pan with the water that had been soaking my apple wood chips, which had turned the water a tea-like colour.
Over top of that I placed my four demi-racks of pasture raised Berkshire ribs, that had been seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. The oven smelled incredible as these slow cooked for about 3.5 hours.
The finished product. These went over the neighbour's to be warmed on the barbeque with a little homemade BBQ sauce as part of a neighbourhood Canada Day potluck, to be served with copious amounts of craft beer. Happy 142 years Canada! And what better way to enjoy it than with friends and some natural, ethically raised, local, top quality pork.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Homemade Butter
Do you fall on the butter or the margarine side of the debate? There's no question where I stand, butter is the better option as it's natural, saturated fats that one's body needs. The French are well known for their diets high in fats, yet they have very low incidence of heart disease. Or perhaps you are a margarine user believing what the marketers have filled your head with, that margarine is healthy for your heart. If that's the case, do a little experiment: place a tub of Becel in a garage and let it sit there for an entire year. You'll be astounded with what you find. Looks the same as the day you put it there. Is that something you really want to consume? If you are a margarine consumer you may want to do some research and reconsider your choice. Trans fats, polyunsaturated fats, hydrogenated oils, not exactly something that you could make yourself at home.
Butter, on the other hand, is something you can easily make in your own kitchen within minutes. Have you ever whipped whipping cream in a mixer for a dessert or perhaps an Irish coffee and over whipped the cream? If you have, than you've already started the butter making process. That simple!
To make your own at home all that is required is whipping cream at room temperature, a mixer, salt, cheese cloth and cold water. Pour the cream into a chilled sterilized bowl and begin to whip.
The cream will become light and fluffy. Continue to whip until the cream starts to resemble scrambled eggs.
The buttermilk will begin to separate from the butter and if you're not watching closely you'll also find yourself having to clean up a big mess.
Once the cream has taken on a solid form, strain off the whey using cheese cloth and submerge in ice cold water and knead your butter squeezing out any excess buttermilk.
Continue this process, kneading and changing the water with fresh water as needed. Using butter pats or your hands shape the butter. You can add salt at this point; we opted for no salt and placed the extra butter wrapped in wax paper in the freezer.
We enjoyed our homemade butter on a baguette with a little sprinkle of salt. The bread was merely a hold device for the butter. Heaven!
Butter, on the other hand, is something you can easily make in your own kitchen within minutes. Have you ever whipped whipping cream in a mixer for a dessert or perhaps an Irish coffee and over whipped the cream? If you have, than you've already started the butter making process. That simple!
To make your own at home all that is required is whipping cream at room temperature, a mixer, salt, cheese cloth and cold water. Pour the cream into a chilled sterilized bowl and begin to whip.
The cream will become light and fluffy. Continue to whip until the cream starts to resemble scrambled eggs.
The buttermilk will begin to separate from the butter and if you're not watching closely you'll also find yourself having to clean up a big mess.
Once the cream has taken on a solid form, strain off the whey using cheese cloth and submerge in ice cold water and knead your butter squeezing out any excess buttermilk.
Continue this process, kneading and changing the water with fresh water as needed. Using butter pats or your hands shape the butter. You can add salt at this point; we opted for no salt and placed the extra butter wrapped in wax paper in the freezer.
We enjoyed our homemade butter on a baguette with a little sprinkle of salt. The bread was merely a hold device for the butter. Heaven!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
"It is a slow roasted pork...
"It is a slow roasted pork, nothing fancy, just happens to be my favorite."
Those were the words spoken by Johnny Depp playing Agent Sands in the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". One night I decided to check out the DVD Special Features and found a short where the director (Robert Rodriguez) shows you how to make the dish. I was hooked.
Puerco Pebil
I have made this dish many, many times. Every time, I am asked for the recipe, so here it is. One should exercise caution when approaching this dish as in the movie a chef is killed (whacked) for making this dish too well. Consider yourself warned. I have very slightly modified this recipe from the one Rodriguez provides on the DVD.
Spices
You will need to make a trip to a specialty grocer as I know you don't have annatto seeds in the pantry.
You can find them at Pete's Frootique. All the other spices are standard issue.
You should use whole spices, and grind them in a coffee grinder. As Rodriguez points out, you'll need one dedicated for spices otherwise your coffee will start to taste like spices.
Grind the following into powder, as fine as you can get it:
2 tbsp annatto seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorn
8 allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
The Secret Sauce
In a blender, mix:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
8 cloves of garlic
Couple habanero peppers (seeds removed)
Then add:
Juice of five lemons
A splash of the finest tequila you can find
Add the ground spices to the mixture on the blender.
Puerco
Cut up a good sized pork roast into cubes. Shoulder, butt, whatever you can find. This dish, incidentally, is also really nice with beef. And could also be made with chicken, although I've never done that. Put the pork into a large ziploc bag, and pour the liquid mixture over it and coat it well.
Line an overproof pan with banana leaves.
Pour in the pork, then top with more banana leaves. Use tinfoil on top of that to seal it.
You want the seal to be as tight as possible, so no moisture escapes.
Cook at 325 F for 4 hours.
Serve on a bed of white or Spanish rice. I've also used a fork to pull it apart and served it on tortilla chips. I've also served it in soft tortilla's with guacamole, salsa and cheese. I've also served it on top of a cornbread biscuit topped with a poached egg and guacamole (a fall out of your chair good eggs benedict). This stuff is durable, versatile and very, very good.
A dish so good, you might get whacked just for making it. Enjoy!
Those were the words spoken by Johnny Depp playing Agent Sands in the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". One night I decided to check out the DVD Special Features and found a short where the director (Robert Rodriguez) shows you how to make the dish. I was hooked.
Puerco Pebil
I have made this dish many, many times. Every time, I am asked for the recipe, so here it is. One should exercise caution when approaching this dish as in the movie a chef is killed (whacked) for making this dish too well. Consider yourself warned. I have very slightly modified this recipe from the one Rodriguez provides on the DVD.
Spices
You will need to make a trip to a specialty grocer as I know you don't have annatto seeds in the pantry.
You should use whole spices, and grind them in a coffee grinder. As Rodriguez points out, you'll need one dedicated for spices otherwise your coffee will start to taste like spices.
Grind the following into powder, as fine as you can get it:
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorn
8 allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
The Secret Sauce
In a blender, mix:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
8 cloves of garlic
Couple habanero peppers (seeds removed)
Then add:
Juice of five lemons
A splash of the finest tequila you can find
Add the ground spices to the mixture on the blender.
Puerco
Cut up a good sized pork roast into cubes. Shoulder, butt, whatever you can find. This dish, incidentally, is also really nice with beef. And could also be made with chicken, although I've never done that. Put the pork into a large ziploc bag, and pour the liquid mixture over it and coat it well.
Line an overproof pan with banana leaves.
Pour in the pork, then top with more banana leaves. Use tinfoil on top of that to seal it.
You want the seal to be as tight as possible, so no moisture escapes.
Cook at 325 F for 4 hours.
Serve on a bed of white or Spanish rice. I've also used a fork to pull it apart and served it on tortilla chips. I've also served it in soft tortilla's with guacamole, salsa and cheese. I've also served it on top of a cornbread biscuit topped with a poached egg and guacamole (a fall out of your chair good eggs benedict). This stuff is durable, versatile and very, very good.
A dish so good, you might get whacked just for making it. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A Bloody Valentine to Local Eating
This Valentine's Day dinner included a rack of Bill Wood's lamb. Bill Wood, of Wood 'N Hart Farm in Tatamagouche, needs no introduction. His is the lamb on the menus of the best restaurants in the region. But this isn't a story about Wood 'N Hart Farms. It's my Valentine's Card to Nova Scotia food.
The preparation of this lamb couldn't be simpler. I seasoned it with salt & pepper. I browned it quickly with butter in a saute pan, sprinkled it with rosemary & thyme from the window box, then finished it in the oven.
That's it. When I carved the rack, the lamb was a beautiful, blushing shade of pink (I like my lamb rare, in the British tradition of my family). A glorious juice which reminded me of pinot noir spilled out onto the cutting board. I served it with mint sauce made from my grandmother's recipe.
I'm not a proponent of local eating per se. I'm a proponent of eating the best quality food I can find. It just so happens that the best you can find, in Nova Scotia, is what is produced right here. Cooking this rack of Nova Scotia lamb and making it part of a special family meal was my way to send a Valentine's Card to all of the Nova Scotia food producers out there. Keep up the great work!
The preparation of this lamb couldn't be simpler. I seasoned it with salt & pepper. I browned it quickly with butter in a saute pan, sprinkled it with rosemary & thyme from the window box, then finished it in the oven.
That's it. When I carved the rack, the lamb was a beautiful, blushing shade of pink (I like my lamb rare, in the British tradition of my family). A glorious juice which reminded me of pinot noir spilled out onto the cutting board. I served it with mint sauce made from my grandmother's recipe.
I'm not a proponent of local eating per se. I'm a proponent of eating the best quality food I can find. It just so happens that the best you can find, in Nova Scotia, is what is produced right here. Cooking this rack of Nova Scotia lamb and making it part of a special family meal was my way to send a Valentine's Card to all of the Nova Scotia food producers out there. Keep up the great work!
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