Potato Frittata

I have made potato frittata before but this one is more of a "back to basics".  I have been thinking about this dish for quite some time and today was the perfect day to make one. We had stopped at Trader Joe's to buy some flowers for Passover dinner later tonight and I was admiring these beautiful little bags of assorted potatoes with a variety of russets, gold and purples that were calling to me. Because we are eating dinner so late tonight it seemed like a good little meal to tide us over.

Years ago I used to go to a restaurant in Royal Oak called Sangria which really did specialize in pitchers of liquid goodness but they also had a variety of tapas. They served their potato frittata cold, with a nice little Thousand Island dressing on the side. The restaurant has been gone for a few years now but I feel like we pay homage to it by having this dish every once in a while. It really was my favorite thing there besides the Sangria. I will probably try another go at a wine cocktail later this weekend that will be reminiscent of Sangria as well.

I sliced the potatoes pretty thinly, less than a 1/4 inch thick, and picked a few different varieties. I placed them in a heavy skillet that is also ovenproof, and sauteed them slowly with some olive oil. To begin with I carefully arrange them in a single layer which is a good way to gauge if I will have enough for the fritatta later when we add the eggs. I let these cook for quite some time, until browned, and then turned them over to cook again.

Once the potato slices were cooked, I placed them on a plate lined with paper towel. To the pan, I added a little bit of garlic and minced shallots with the leftover oil, cooking for just a few minutes on low. While this was going I quickly whisked 8 eggs in a large bowl. I added a little bit of butter to the pan before adding my mixed eggs. After the eggs set a bit I arranged the potato slices and cooked a little longer so the bottom would be closed to done. The top takes longer in this thick pan so I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top and finished it in the broiler. Once it cooled a bit I cut it into wedges.

This tastes great warm but I like it even better the next day chilled. I was hungry so I didn't wait, serving it with a quick little sauce of mayo and ketchup. I'm going to put the other wedges in a Pyrex for tomorrow morning's breakfast so I can enjoy it straight from the fridge. It really does taste good cold!

Potato Frittata Recipe

Ingredients:
5 small potatoes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced shallots
Pat of butter
8 Eggs
Salt to taste

Slice potatoes thinly, place in a heated pan with olive oil. Flip slices halfway through, when they begin to turn golden brown. Place on plate that is lined with paper towel.

Place garlic and shallots in the pan with remaining olive oil, cook gently. While this is cooking, mix the eggs quickly. Add a pat of butter to pan and let heat for a few seconds without turning brown. Add eggs.

Let eggs set slightly. Add potatoes in a single layer to the egg mixture. Cook a bit longer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on topPlace the pan in an oven on broil, far away from the top rack and cook until fully set.

Let frittata slightly cool and cut into wedges. You can also store in Pyrex overnight in the fridge and serve cold the next day.

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip

Well, you don't have to make it quite as spicy. . .

Just creamy goodness sometimes likes a little spice!

Years ago I had a dinner party and made a salad with romaine lettuce hearts and a homemade blue cheese dressing that became the basis for this dip that we serve at parties, or for a snack, now. Honestly I guess it is still also a salad dressing but since we use it as a dip, identifying vehicles to use to eat such as pea pods and other vegetables, crackers, chips and chunks of bread. . . Well it's a dip now.

This is a super easy recipe. Start with putting equal amounts of sour cream and mayo together in a food processor. I used a 16 oz. container of sour cream so I added about 2 cups of mayo with it. I have a Ninja and it works very well for this, although it is probably a hybrid between a food processor and a blender. A word about sour cream and mayo. Don't skimp. I use the full fat kind and I am very particular about my sour cream, using one brand that we have locally over all others (Breakstone's). I'm sure you have a favorite as well so I would encourage you to use it. After all this is the basis of your whole dip (or salad dressing) so you want to have a good foundation to build upon. Off my soapbox now. Just don't use reduced fat please!!!! Process it for a minute or so to get the ingredients incorporated.

To this, I add about a tablespoon of lemon juice to the mixture and blend again. Now it's time to add the flavors. I build upon these slowly and taste often because you don't want to put too much heat or salt into this. . . An important ingredient in this is the Sriracha sauce and you just don't want to add more than you want. . . I drip some on top and then blend, and then taste, until I get it right. I also add dill weed, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and a little cayenne for a bit more heat. Blend and taste, and then add more spices as you see fit. Depending on my mood, this can get real spicy, especially if I'm having an adventurous bunch over for a get together. In those situations this dip is often pink in color. For today's post, I was a little more cautious and make it tasty but not overall spicy. You may want to adjust to your taste when you read my recipe.

The final ingredient that we add once we have everything balanced the way we want it is blue cheese. Now I have bought expensive blue cheeses in the past but it's really not necessary for this dip as you have a lot going on here. I buy the regular run of the mill grocery store stuff, already crumbled. I typically add the whole container. When I mix it in, I pulse the processor and do this very slowly, not full power hog wild, because I want it to remain in chunks.

Once you have the blue cheese in, you really are done. Now it's wonderful freshly made but if you put it in the fridge it will set up and become a little thicker. The flavors also marry and there is a little more heat the next day. You won't regret letting it sit overnight.

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (or salad dressing) Recipe

1 16oz container sour cream
2 cups mayo
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 5oz container of crumbled blue cheese

Mix sour cream and mayo in food processor. Add lemon juice and mix again.

Add spices and hot sauce, mix and then taste, adjusting as necessary to suit your preferences.

Add blue cheese and pulse lightly.

Place in covered container in fridge overnight.

Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers or chips.

Awesome Chicken Salad

This chicken salad has many ingredients that make it tasty. 

How can you go wrong with green apples, capers, pecans and cranberries? 

I have been making this chicken salad for a few years now and have made adjustments throughout the years but it's always a hit. If I bring it for lunch to work, I have to bring a large bowl to share. It's often requested for potlucks as well.

The recipe originally started as a means to get rid of the chicken that was a byproduct of homemade chicken soup. I would have all of this chicken meat and it seemed to make sense to use it this way because boiled chicken on its own is not too appetizing. However, at some point, the roles were reversed. I started using a rotisserie chicken for the chicken soup and learned quickly that I could just take the good meat ahead of time and set it aside for the chicken salad, and then use the leftovers and carcass for the soup.

I buy a rotisserie chicken and carefully select the meat that I would like for the salad, pulling it apart by hand. The pieces that are not as "select" get placed in a freezer bag, along with the bones for another day when I plan on making soup. As you can see from this bowl of chicken, the majority of what I use is the breast meat but I do pick through the dark meat as well, looking for pieces without much fat or gristle.

I add about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup of mayo to start. You can always add more mayo later when you start mixing the other ingredients so I would rather begin with too little than too much. To this I add a little bit of lemon juice which adds some acidic balance to the dish but also helps to preserve the apples that I am going to add. After I have given it a quick mix with a fork, I add dried cranberries, a cut up Granny Smith apple, pecans, capers and spices. If there is celery in the house, I add that too, but since I only use one or two ribs, I don't buy celery just for this recipe. Between the green apples and pecans, you will have plenty of crunch.

Spices, you ask? Well now that's when the secret ingredients come into play. . . Salt and pepper are standard and probably not a huge surprise here. Cayenne pepper adds a little heat. . . But most importantly is Garam Masala. It's an Indian spice with cardamon, cinnamon and cumin and it just adds a little something to this dish that I have grown to love. I will put estimates for all of these ingredients in the recipe below but please know that this is to taste. you may like it a little hotter or a little tarter. It's entirely up to you.

Once I have mixed everything together and tasted it, I often choose to add a bit more of a spice or a little more mayo. Mayo in chicken salad is all about balance and it will depend on how dry the chicken is, and how the ingredients are coming together, for you to get it just the way you like it.

Awesome Chicken Salad Recipe

1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded and picked over (save other remnants and bones for soup)
1/2 - 2/3 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium size Granny Smith apple, cut into chunks
1/4 cup pecan pieces
3 Tablespoons capers
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (Red Pepper)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add mayo to chicken in a large bowl and toss. Add lemon juice and mix again.

Add apples, pecans, capers, cranberries and spices. Toss ingredients together. At this point you may want to add more mayo or spices. Adjust to taste.

Serve with crackers or on toasted bread.

Cheesy Shrimp Dip and Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

It's Time to Experiment with Small Plate Treats!

The weather is getting warmer and I want to be ready for eating and entertaining on the deck. While it's not quite hot enough today to me to sit outside there without physical activity to keep warm, we are getting ready.

I decided to try this Paula Deen recipe for cheesy shrimp dip I found on Pinterest. Of course there had to be a few changes (less red pepper as I live with carnivores, no green onion at all) but for the most part we stayed true to the original post. I did use frozen shrimp, jumbo red ones, from Trader Joe's as I didn't want to search for fresh ones. We also used blue corn tortilla chips instead of crackers which we get at Trader Joe's.

I do think next time I make this I'm going to add a little heat, with a couple doses of Siracha!

Here is the recipe as we made it:

 

Cheesy Shrimp Dip 

Recipe:

1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup chopped fresh red bell pepper
1 tsp of chopped shallots
1 pound frozen jumbo shrimp, thawed and drained, then chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozeralla cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Melt butter in large saute pan and add bell peppers and shallots. Saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp to pan and cook until pink.

Add sour cream and cheeses and stir until melted. Place in a casserole or over proof dish and put in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown and bubble.

Serve with chips.

Monte Cristo Waffle Sandwich

Sometimes Dinner should just be something easy. . . 

I got the original recipe for these Monte Crisco sandwiches from Foodie Crush through my wanderings at Pinterest. I had some Eggo Nutrigrain Waffles already in the house, as Target recently had them on major sale. We actually have quite a variety right now but since that particular flavor is my favorite I had a box stored in the chest freezer downstairs and when I saw this recipe I figured I had most of the ingredients already in the house with the exception of shredded Swiss cheese.

Quite honestly, while the concept  waffle sandwich is not exactly new in our house but this was a little more elaborate. My kids have been having waffles with butter and syrup but then adding a slice of Muenster cheese on top and melting it in the microwave for a few seconds for years. Sweet and savory all in one. Sometimes if there's bacon in the house they add that as well. We did this years before McDonald's McGriddles.

Back to the sandwich. . . We used honey ham in one of those packages and I already had some Trader Joe's raspberry jam in the house from a previous recipe. I like when we can make more than one thing from packages so we have Chicken Cordon Bleu schedule on the menu for this week to use the rest of the ham.

I made our sandwiches in our cast iron skillet that I was given by a friend when her mother was downsizing to an apartment. It's been in use for years and really seasoned and I think it's my best new gadget in the kitchen. I just put a lid from a pot on top as they cooked. 

Feedback from the family was mixed (it typically is in most instances). 2 out of 4 Hendrens liked it just the way it was, 1 may have said that she would have even liked a little more jam on that sandwich (she will remain nameless). The balance of Hendrens wanted more meat and less jam as they thought it made it a little too sweet. We will customize them next time. No sugar was sprinkled in this house during the dinner.

So general recipe - based on the original - to make 4 sandwiches:

8 Eggo Nutri Grain Waffles
Honey Ham, thinly sliced
Shredded Swiss Cheese
Raspberry Jam
4 Eggs
1/2 cup 2% Milk
Butter pats for skillet (4)

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl. Set aside.

Spread a thin layer (adjust to taste) of jam on one waffle, top with ham and cheese. Add another waffle on top. Repeat with remaining waffles so you have 4 sandwiches.

Heat up skillet with one pat of butter on medium heat.

Dip first sandwich in egg mixture and place in heated skillet. Cover with lid and monitor closely. Flip when browned. Put on plate to cool when both sides are browned and repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Eat while warm!

Roasted Chickpeas with Thai Peanut Butter Sauce

Crunchy Goodness with a Little Bit of Sweet Heat

I recently tried roasted chickpeas for the first time, courtesy of a wonderful lady we all fondly call "Aunt Sally". While at a Christmas ornament swap, I tasted all three of the flavored snacks. Aunt Sally had made a wonderful ranch/parmesan and this sticky honey that caramelized the crunchy tidbits. There was a third flavor that I can't recall right now but they were all very addictive. I kept thinking about how I was going to make some myself.

Today was the perfect day to start my first experiment. We are all awaiting the blizzard to end all blizzards based on everything in the media and I had to go to the store for some staples today anyways. Soup had sounded appealing and with two different kinds on simmering all day on the stove (Chicken and Walkabout) there was plenty of time to do other things in the kitchen.

I started with two cans of chickpeas, draining them and then letting them dry. I stuck them in a roaster pan, lined with paper towels and then covered them with a couple of more sheets and let them sit for about an hour. I then moved them around with the paper towel and rubbed them dry again before placing them in a glass Pyrex dish. Some of the outer coatings, shells, came off which probably helped the coating to stick when I covered them.


While they were drying, I combined natural peanut butter, Thai red chili paste, brown sugar, and some cayenne pepper in a saucepan, tasting it to get it to the right level of hot and sweet. In the end, I used about 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the paste, and a 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. It made enough sauce for 4 cans of chickpeas in all reality. Since chickpeas are really cheap next time I will make more.

I added about two tablespoons of good olive oil to the Pryex containing the chickpeas.I tossed them to make sure they all got a dose of the oil and then placed them in the oven at 425 degrees for a few minutes to get them hot before I covered them with the sauce. I figured because the peanut butter was thick, to really coat them they had to be warm. I then stirred in the  peanut butter sauce while it was hot, and set the timer for 15 minutes.


After fifteen minutes at 425, I tossed them again to that they were evenly coated, and let them roast for another fifteen minutes. In total they spent about 5 minutes in the oven without the sauce, and then a half hour with the peanut butter. I tossed them once more as they cooled. The sauce was thickly coating each bean and it took about fifteen minutes or so before I transferred them to a Pyrex bowl for safe keeping. They were just the right combination of hot and spicy but sweet. Good stuff.

Crunchy Chickpeas with Thai Peanut Butter Recipe

2 cans of chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans, drained and dried
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup of natural peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place dried chickpeas in a pyrex pan or lined cookie sheet and toss with olive oil. Place in preheated oven at 425 degrees for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, combine ingredients for the sauce in a pan and stir until combined. Toss the warm chickpeas with the sauce and roast for 15 minutes. Toss and roast another 15 minutes, for a total of 30 with the sauce.

Remove from oven and toss before allowing to cool. Transfer to a dish for eating!

Braised Pork Belly with Cherry Cola and Hoisin BBQ Sauce

So I admit I seem to have a little obsession with Cherry Coke right now when it comes to cooking. 

I can tell you that there are a couple people who live in this house that think that's just fine because when I use it in a recipe and I buy a two liter there are leftovers and that means soda is readily available around here. No one is complaining!

This new line of inquiry began at Baconfest this year. Root featured some of the best pork belly I have ever had and when I asked what they did to it they mentioned braising in Coca Cola. My mind began weaving new ideas and this is the culmination of what I came up with for now. I thought that if Coke worked, Cherry Cola might be better. I thought that adding some Hoisin might add a little smokiness.

I wanted to get the braising right and found this technique that was cleverly delivered to me through an email from Food52. I was not really interested in the compote that they topped it with but I thought that the instructions to braise would be helpful. Here is what I came up with.

Pork Belly - Better than Bacon

I purchased about 1.75 lbs of Pork Belly at our local grocery store. They have a fine meat counter which is extra fine to me as it's the only local place that I know of where they have this cut of meat available for sale. Believe me I checked elsewhere. So shout out right here to Hollywood Market. I always feel a little devious when I walk up the meat counter and ask for some of the "pork belly in the back" but they always come through. Shhh don't tell. I don't want them to run out.

Scored Pork Belly with Seasonings

I placed the pork belly in a Pyrex dish and scored the fat side with a knife, probably an inch in depth, criss crossing the lines. I gave the pork belly a little bit of a belly rub in the form of some spices. . . Old Bay, sea salt, Herbs De Province, and some cracked rainbow peppercorns. I then mixed a small bottle of Carbarnet Savigon with some soy sauce and poured it into the Pyrex and covered the dish. I let it marinate for about 12 hours, flipping it once to make sure it all bathed in the juice..

Pork Belly on a bed of onions

The next day I sliced a large sweet onion and created a "bed" for the pork belly to rest on in the Pyrex so it wasn't just sitting in the liquid. I placed the pan, uncovered in a 250 degree oven for three hours. While the pork belly basked in the warmth of a low temperature oven, I began to make a BBQ sauce.

All Sauce Ingredients in a Pan Simmering

I used 1.5 cups of Cherry Coke and added a 1/3 cup of Hoisin sauce, stirring together in a heavy saucepan. I added 2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup and 3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce. No spices. I set this on the stove bringing just to about a boil and then reduced to a simmer and let it go while the pork belly braised.

Sauce Ingredients after Simmering for 3 plus hours on a very low temp

After three plus hours you can see the sauce really reduced and became sticky sweet goodness. It smelled delicious too.

3 Hours of Braising

After 3 hours the pork belly was ready for the next step. I tested it by using a fork and piercing the fat. It was pretty darn soft.

I transferred the meat to a new Pyrex dish that was smaller as the meat had shrunk and then covered it with the new BBQ sauce. I placed it back in the oven at 400 degrees and let it brown for about 20 minutes.

Now this might look burnt to you but I can tell you it's not. The fat was able to crackle and that is one of the things that makes pork belly so darn good. The meat inside was tender and almost buttery. Mmmmmmmm.

The true test is that my husband asked if there was any more the next day. He told me he had been looking forward to it. That really is a testament. He is not a foodie like me.

I would have liked this on arugula to balance it with some peppery bitterness but we didn't have any. I cut little wedges on top of brown rice the next day and it was good with the extra sauce.

 

Braised Pork Belly with Cherry Cola and Hoisin BBQ Sauce

1.75 - 2.00 lbs of Pork Belly

Seasonings to taste
1.5 cups red wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 large onion
1.5 cups Cherry Coke
1/3 cup of Hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup (Grade B preferably)
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

Score fat side of pork belly with criss crossed lines, about an inch deep. Rub spices on fat side, pushing into the scored lines.

Pour the red wine and soy sauce on top of the pork belly and let marinate, covered, for about 12 hours, flipping at least once.

Remove from fridge and add sliced onions to pan to create a bed for the meat to lay on. Place in a 250 degree oven for about 2.5 - 3 hours, checking for tenderness.

While braising, mix the ingredients for the sauce,  place in a heavy saucepan and bring to almost a boil, then down to simmer. Simmer until reduced significantly and sauce thickens.

Remove meat from oven, transfer to a new clean dish without liquid or onions. Smother in the sauce and return to 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. The fat on top will crackle and turn brown.

Cherry Coke and Hoisin BBQ Tofu

Okay I didn't really grill these but these flavors remind me of BBQ. . . 

I did it all in a Frying Pan

Fried Tofu Bites with a Final Sauce in the Skillet

I was getting ready to start a pot roast today and found a little pack of tofu that was going to go bad. You might wonder what the pot roast has to do with the tofu, it might even seem contradictory to put a meat dish and a vegetarian dish in the same sentence. But as I contemplated what to to do with this little package of tofu that had a flashing red expiration day (earlier this week), I thought that the Cherry Coke and the hoisin that I was planning on using in my pot roast would also be delicious. Sometimes it's all on the fly and I was hungry for a quick lunch!

First I cubed the tofu. Super firm tofu (well all tofu actually) is really a blank canvas, pretty boring and plain without a little help. We are going to add some pizzazz with color and flavor to this stuff.

First I made a coating for the tofu, I mixed about 2 parts Panko crumbs to 1 part corn starch, adding some ground rainbow colored peppercorns and some sea salt. I gave this a light little stir.

I took an egg and gave it a quick little beating to make an egg wash. I think placed half of the cubed tofu in that bowl and gave it a quick dunk. I then transferred those cubes to the coating we made above and tossed them around. I hate dipping each piece individually - it gets old. I repeated this until all the tofu was coated.

In two batches, I fried the tofu in a skillet with canola oil, flipping them ocassionaly so they were evenly golden brown.

I drained the tofu on a paper lined plate and rinsed out the pan. Now these tofu are really good just like this but for more of a barbeque feel you would want to complete the next step.

Mix equal parts Cherry Coke and Hoisin. Add a little corn starch to thicken. Place in the rinsed out pan and add the tofu, tossing on a medium heat. The sauce will thicken onto the cubes and make them extra delicious.

Now, I could have plated them on a bed of arugala but honestly this wasn't planned and I just dumped them in a bowl. Good stuff!

Cherry Coke and Hoisin BBQ Tofu

Ingredients

1 15 oz. pack of super firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/2 cup of Panko crumbs
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup Cherry Coke
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

Cut tofu into cubes, set aside.

Beat egg in bowl for wash, set aside.

Mix Panko, cornstarch and seasonings.

Dip cubes into egg and follow with toss in the crumb coating.

Fry in batches in a skillet with canola oil, heated to medium high heat. Toss to make sure the cubes are evenly browned.

Drain finished tofu on a paper lined plate. Rinse out pan.

Mix Hoisin and Cherry Coke with cornstarch, place in the rinsed out pan and heat on medium. Toss tofu into mixture until thickened.

Happy Passover!

Matzoh Brei

Spring Holiday Food Edition #1

Matzoh Brei with Strawberry Blueberry Jam

It's no coincedence that Passover (Pesach) and Easter fall around the same time. In an interfaith house that means the best of both worlds when it comes to food. Later today I will be posting Easter Dinner - a not so fancy affair around here but a showcase of delicious foods. Therefore it's only fair I post our breakfast yesterday of Matzo Brei.

What's Matzo Brei? It is Matzoh broken up in scrambled eggs. Think of it as the Jewish equivalent to Migas, a Mexican dish of tortillas and eggs, or an unleavened version of French Toast. I really like Matzo Brei but should note that every family probably has their own version or recipe. Ours is definitely scrambled, rather than an omlette.

I start with the eggs, whisking them in a bowl and adding a little bit of salt. To this I add the Matzoh but run each sheet under water on both sides and then break it up into the eggs in small pieces. Matzo is very dry as it is an unleavened bread basically made out of just wheat and some water, and baked without the time or ability to rise. I usually use one more egg than sheets of Matzoh but noticed this time an extra egg was needed. For this dish, I used 5 sheets of Matzoh and 7 eggs for three servings of brunch.

I let Matzoh soak in the egg mixture for about five minutes to really absorb the egg mixture. I then placed it in a pan with melted butter on medium high heat. Just like with scrambled eggs I let it "sit" for a minute before scrambling with my wooden spoon. This way it sets up very nicely and gets browned a bit. Some folks skip the scramble all together, flipping the whole kit and caboodle to make an omelette. I have also seen this as a more savory dish with onions and garlic. I'm more of a purist, adding very little to this dish.


You don't want to overcook this. Just like with scrambled eggs, you turn off the heat before it's really dry, you want some glistening egg. . . I plate it and add a nice genorouse heap of jelly to eat on the side. I don't know how that started but that's how I ate it as a child and I think it gives it a French Toast kind of feel. I guess you could use maple syrup too if you wanted to. . . That might be worth a try.

Pork Belly is the "New Bacon"

 It's a homage to Baconfest!!!

Okay so technically pork belly is the cut of meat that is used from the butchered pig to give us delicious bacon but it's a good thing all onto itself without the curing and smoking. If you have read my blog in the past you will remember that I spoke about "Bacon with a Side of Bacon" at one of my favorite local spots, One Eyed Betty's in Ferndale, Michigan. They give you bacon in the traditional sense, along with a juicy succulent piece of roasted pork belly. Once you have had pork belly you will see what I mean.

So yesterday I bought a piece but since it was a little over two pounds perhaps I should say I bought a "hunk" of pork belly. Pork belly is something you have to ask for at the local meat counter, they have it hiding in the back and if you have to be in the know. But it is actually cheaper than bacon, much cheaper actually. I paid $7.75 for this slab and it's a blank canvas for me to work with. I get to flavor it just how I would like it.


I should note that the young man behind the counter told me that he wanted to come live at my house after I also bought a pound of slab bacon (that stuff is delicious too) and two 1 lb. packages of ground beef. Yes, I know that this is a ridiculous amount of meat but while I grocery shop other areas in town I like a specific butcher counter at a local supermarket (Holiday Market). There are a few reasons: 1. They have pork belly and they are the only ones in town that do, 2. Their Holiday Market Slab Bacon is some of the best bacon I have ever had, at a reasonable price, and it's super fresh, 3. Their ground beef is ground on the premises which I trust better than pink slime the major grocery stores carry, or meat that comes from out of the country, and 4. Fresh chicken breasts. I am scared of frozen ones and since I really like don't like chicken at all I feel better if it's fresh.

Kosher Sea Salt on Pork Belly - Oxymoron?

Spices for dry rub

So back to our pork belly. . . This was a two day process. The first day I had to get the pork belly ready. If you google recipes on line you will find a lot of complicated processes and marinades. Simple is best and will let the pork belly shine. So I made a little dry rub from basic ingredients. For spices I used ground pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and some garlic salt (new find at Trader Joe's where you grind the garlic and the salt together, brilliant!). To this I added some sugar and some kosher salt. I think the main idea is that you use some spices and balance it with some sugar but the choice of what you use would be your preference. I know a lot of people who really like rosemary but I am not a big fan of that particular herb so I rarely use it. Thyme, to me, is less overpowering.

Pork Belly dressed and ready to go

I rubbed the pork belly all over with the rub and placed it in a covered Pyrex dish overnight. Technically it was closer to 12 hours because it's Sunday and I have other things going on. Really this whole process is easy. . . it sits in the fridge and the rub adds a new dimension to the meat. You could use a plastic bag to store it overnight (or my 12 hours) but really I am weary of plastic bags that sometimes add a whole new flavor dimension that I'm not really interested in. No added flavors with Pyrex.

Before Rinsing

Now here is where it gets interesting. . . when you actually take it out of the fridge to move on to roasting you rinse off the rub. I know, I can't believe it either but the spices have done what they need to do an we can move on to roasting. If you look closely, you will see that it actually marinated even though we call it a "rub". There were juices in this pan that had developed and I have to tell you it was already smelling good. So I rinsed it under cold water and patted it dry with a paper towel before transferring this lovely pork belly to a roasting pan.

A roasting pan is really your best bet. I lined the bottom part that catches the fatty juices with foil for less mess. We just don't want the meat sitting in fat that may burn and char this dish.

Rinsed and Ready to Roast - Cover with Foil!

I then placed the pork belly on the slotted part but covered it with foil as it baked. I put it in the oven at 350 degrees, covered for a total of an hour and a half, turning every 30 minutes and recovering with my foil tent. After 90 minutes of this care (need I tell you it smells divine in this kitchen?), it is time to finish this off.

I added a bit of hoisin sauce on the top of the fat to give it a little more flavor. I didn't overdo it - just a light glaze to mix with those fatty juices.. Hoisin is like an Asian BBQ sauce, giving some of that smokey flavor but with undertones of teriyaki sauce. Good stuff. I just brushed on a thin layer.

Make sure the pork belly is fat-side-up and place in an oven at 450 degrees. You will hear a cacophony of sound as the fat actually sizzles and pops as it browns.

 

Glaze of Hoisin Sauce brushed on. . .

 

Roasted Pork Belly

Ingredients

2 lbs of fresh pork belly
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce

Directions:

• Combine spices to make a rub and cover the pork belly liberally. Place in covered Pyrex dish and marinate overnight in the fridge. 

• Rinse the pork belly and pat dry with paper towel. Place on a roaster pan and cover with foil. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 90 minutes, flipping meat every 30 minutes and recovering with foil.

• Glaze, fat side up, with hoisin sauce and place back in oven for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees.