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Cheddar and Chive Crash Hot Potatoes

July 20, 2012 by 4 Comments

There are things that are worth leaving alone because they’re so good and then there are things that are so good that they demand you mess with them. Take, for example, crash hot potatoes. In their original form, they are boiled potatoes that are squashed, drizzled with olive oil and hit with a handful of herbs, then baked and then broiled to crispy perfection.

Based on that theory, I went and did this.

And it was great.

Potatoes plus cheese plus high temperatures plus herbs equals maddeningly wonderful, mouth watering goodness. Good begets good, so I went and did what you see above. Those are nothing less than crash hot potatoes with a sinful amount of extra sharp Cheddar cheese and a fistful of chopped chives. Hello, Gorgeous.

…or should I say, “Hello, Delicious.” Yes. That’s much more like it.

As I said before, I prefer to use leftover salt potatoes to shorten the already quick process of making these lovely, addictive little crispy morsels of potatoey heaven. (I’d fail English for that sentence if I were being graded. But I’m not. Ha ha! Fragments. Double ha!) If you’ve had salt potatoes before, you may be scratching your head in bewilderment. “Leftover salt potaotes? LEFTOVER salt potatoes? Que? How is this?” It’s true. This is an anomaly, but it is one for which I plan. I make  a triple or quadruple batch, let everyone eat a goodly amount, then I stand by the salt potato bowl with a fly swatter and thwack the hand of any child or husband who dares stand between me and my plans for crash hot potatoes.

Hyperbole alert.

The truth is, when I tell them that I made that many not so that they could gorge themselves into gluttony, but so that I could make crash hot potatoes the next night, they back off voluntarily. Such is the power of the crash hot potato.

With what would you serve this? I think the question is what WOULDN’T go well with these? Steak, chicken, fish, or pork off of the grill or roasted are a natch. I’ll tell you this, though. The last time I made these, I served them with a steak. Half of my steak was left and the potatoes were looooooooong gone.

Behold, my kryptonite.

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Cheddar and Chive Crash Hot Potatoes

Cheddar and Chive Crash Hot Potatoes

Leftover salt potatoes are turned into something heavenly when smashed, drizzled with olive oil and roasted until dead crisp. Then they become stratospheric when you top them with massive quantities of extra sharp Cheddar cheese, broiled 'til bubbly and hit with a shower of chopped chives right before serving.

Inspired by Ree Drummond, Krysta Guerrero, and Jill Dupleix.

Ingredients

  • 1 batch leftover salt potatoes, warmed slightly, about 20 potatoes (*See here if you don't have leftover salt potatoes )
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese (or more if you're especially fond of cheese. I am.)
  • a large handful of chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil evenly over a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter potatoes on the olive oil and use a potato masher or heavy mug to gently smash the potato until it is about two times as large in diameter as it was when you began. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil evenly over the potatoes. Grind black pepper over the potatoes to taste.

Pop the pan into the oven and roast until the potatoes are sizzling, brown on the bottom, and golden on top, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the broiler to High. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the hot potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese melts and gets just a couple little golden brown toasty bits.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the potatoes rest for 3 minutes before tossing the chopped chives over the top and serving.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/20/cheddar-and-chive-crash-hot-potatoes/

P.S. Do NOT throw out those crispy little cheese bits on the pan. You’re going to want to eat those. Those are classic cook’s tax items. In fact, you may want to lick them from the pan. I do advise letting it cool a bit before trying that. Not that I’ve ever done that. Ow-th.

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Gluten Free, kid food, Party Food, Potatoes, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Barbecue” Grilled Spare Ribs

July 18, 2012 by 5 Comments

There are some things that are meant to be eaten delicately; minute bites, dab the mouth gently, use flatware, and such.

This is -most emphatically- not one of those dishes. Tear into it with your hands and teeth. Get sauce all over your chin and halfway up your cheeks. Ribs demand pride-free commitment to the eating process. I dare you to try to eat ribs with a fork and knife. You’re going to end up looking a-fool. The rib bone will careen off of your plate onto the table (and heaven help you if you’re using a tablecloth.) It’s best just accept the mess is coming, tie your hair back and dive into it with gusto.

Meaty, smoky, full-body-eating-experience ribs are an American summer tradition. If you’re lucky, you live somewhere that people take the process of cooking ribs very seriously. If you’re seriously blessed, you live just up the way from a good rib joint. If you don’t? Well, don’t despair. You can turn out superb quality ribs using nothing more than an oven and a grill. The key is really in patience. You don’t do ribs every day, so do not be in a rush. You can’t hurry ribs just like you can’t hurry love. No. You’ll just have to wait. (Yes, I did just break into song. Don’t tell me you didn’t.)

You have to rub the ribs and let them sit for twenty four hours then cook low and slow and then finally you can slather them with barbecue sauce (if it floats your boat, and it does float mine) at the tail end of cooking. You don’t sauce it at the beginning because the sugars in the barbecue sauce burn when cooked for too long. A little char on a rib is a good thing, but a charcoal rib is not. Next you move those sticky, sweet, spicy, salty, smoky ribs to a cutting board and let them sit for a couple of minutes. I mean it. You let ‘em sit. Don’t rush those ribs. Cut them into one- or two-rib servings, depending on how meaty they are

After all that, you can finally dig in. And dig in you will.While you’re digging in, the dogs will look at you longingly. The cat will circle around the table none-to-discreetly. Neighbors you’ve never met will drift into your yard because the scent of just cooked ribs will have wafted down the street and onto their patio.

You’d better share. It’s the right thing to do. While you’re at it, give them a napkin because they’re going to need one.

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“Barbecue” Grilled Spare Ribs

“Barbecue” Grilled Spare Ribs

Sticky, smoky barbecue ribs are an All-American summer tradition. You'll want to plan ahead before cooking these as they need to sit in the refrigerator with a dry rub for 24 hours before grilling.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sweet paprika
  • 1/4 cup granulated or raw sugar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion (or onion powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 rack of pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)
  • 1 cup peach salsa (or substitute peach juice or nectar plus 1 peeled clove of garlic if salsa is unavailable.)
  • barbecue sauce for brushing on the ribs at the end of cooking time and for serving
    • Also Needed:
  • Heavy Duty Foil
  • 1/2 cup food quality wood chips (apple, cherry, hickory, etc...) soaked in water for 1/2 hour before needed

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the paprika, sugar, granulated onion, and cayenne pepper.

Remove the membrane from the rack of ribs and lay the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the ribs, rub in enthusiastically, flip the rack and rub on the remaining half of the spice mixture. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours before grilling.

Pull off a section of heavy-duty foil that is several inches longer than your rib rack on either end. Be sure the foil is wide enough to come up around the rib rack and close securely. If necessary, lay two pieces together and fold along the long edge three or four times, crimping, to form a wider piece. Remove the plastic wrap and lay the rib rack down on the foil. Spoon the peach salsa (or nectar and garlic) over the ribs. Pull the long sides of the foil up together over the center and fold down . Crimp up both ends of the foil and put in a cold oven on a rimmed baking sheet.

Set the oven to 250°F and let the ribs bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat half of your grill to 275°F. Form a ball of double layer of heavy duty foil up around the soaked wood chips, leaving am open space about the size of a half-dollar for smoke to escape. Place that on the heated side of the grill. Place the partially cooked rib rack over the cooler part of the grill, curl side facing up, using indirect heat to finish cooking the ribs.

When the rib bones twist easily in the meat, they are done. Before you pull them off of the grill, brush one side generously with barbecue sauce, flip the rack and brush the other side. Continue cooking until they are as caramelized as you like them. I like mine done with a bit of char on the sauce, so I left mine over the heat for about 5 minutes after they were fully cooked.

Transfer the ribs carefully to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes before cutting between the bones.

Tuck a napkin under your chin and enjoy!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/18/barbecue-grilled-spare-ribs/

P.S. Yes. I know that real barbecued ribs are done over the grill all the way. This is a great way to get mega barbecue flavour with half the work.

 

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Holiday Food, kid food, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice and Creole Seasoning | Make Ahead Mondays

July 16, 2012 by 25 Comments

I’m going to go ahead and say right now that I have absolutely zero idea how authentically “Cajun” today’s recipe is, having never actually been to the great state of Louisana. All I know is that it is very possibly one of the tastiest things to come out of my kitchen in recent weeks.

There are few things more satisfying than a big bowl of cooked rice topped with saucy, spicy, tender red beans and smoky sausage rounds then crowned with green onions and sour cream. Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot, as the saying goes, you can weather it better with a bowl of this under your belt. It is one of the few comfort foods that does hot or cold weather conditions equally well.

On a wild hare, I decided to throw my usual red beans and rice ingredients into my slow-cooker and see what happened. I figured that the worst case scenario would be a flavourful mush and the best case scenario would be the world’s easiest and wickedly economical dinner. I turned my best beloved slow-cooker to high, let ‘er rip, and walked away for six hours.

The next six hours were spent trying fervently not to eat everything in the pantry because it smelled so ever loving good in this house that I thought I might die. I repeatedly broke the cardinal rule of slow-cooking and crockpot-ery by lifting the lid and testing and re-testing beans to see if they were (oh please oh please oh please) done yet. After those agonizing six hours were up, I was rewarded with the easiest -and easily the best- red beans and rice I had ever made.

The facts that it didn’t heat up my kitchen and that the hardest part of the whole procedure was keeping myself from eating it before it was done were just gravy. My word, friends, it was so good.

So good, in fact, that I made a double batch again later that week and plan on making it for company when we receive a houseful of family for my brother’s wedding next month. It’ll be just thing; set it up and let it cook while running around for rehearsals, making the wedding cake, and trying to get five boys who’d rather not see the inside of a shower ready for their uncle’s wedding. Pray for me folks. It’s the getting the boys ready that’s giving me palpitations.

There is one grave danger attendant to making this recipe. It smells so good while cooking that there is a very real possibility that you will gnaw off your own leg of that of someone nearby.

I have just a couple of other thoughts to share about this recipe.The Creole Seasoning is wonderful to have on hand for recipes that call for it, to be sure, but we like to use it on other things, too. For instance, we love it on popcorn or homemade tortilla chips.

I like to make it really spicy and then mellow it out in my own bowl with a big dollop of sour cream. I think a fistful of grated Cheddar would do something similar if you’re so inclined. To do this, I tend to use the higher amount of cayenne pepper I specify in the recipe.

On the other hand, you could just keep the spice to a minimum in the first place. If you’d like to keep it on the milder side, cut back on or omit the additional cayenne pepper (above and beyond the small amount that is already in the Creole Seasoning) from the recipe.

I know andouille is the sausage darling of Cajun/Creole cooking, but it can be hard to find in these parts, so I most often make mine with smoked sausage. I absolutely love it this way, so do not feel like your ability to make this spicy, smoky classic hinges on the availability of andouille.

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Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice and Creole Seasoning | Make Ahead Mondays

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice and Creole Seasoning | Make Ahead Mondays

Whip up a batch of this handy Creole seasoning to add a little oomph to your every day dishes or reserve it for the most wonderfully tantalizing and simple red beans and rice you've ever had. The slow-cooker does the work so you can stay out of the kitchen on hot days. Be forewarned: this smells so good while it's cooking that you may feel ravenous by the time dinner rolls around.

Creole Seasoning adapted from Emeril Lagasse's recipe.

Ingredients

    For the Creole Seasoning:
  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
    • For the Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice:
  • 10 cups water
  • 3 cups small red chili beans (about 1 1/2 pounds), rinsed and picked over
  • 1 pound smoked sausage or andouille, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2-inch rounds
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium cooking onion (yellow or white), peeled, trimmed of root and blossom ends, and diced
  • 1 rib celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/8-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (according to heat preference)
  • For Serving: Hot cooked rice and green onions
    • Optional: Sour Cream

Instructions

To Make the Creole Seasoning:

Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl bowl and toss together with a fork or a whisk. Store, tightly covered, in a jar or other airtight container in a cool, dry place. This is good for about a year after mixing.

To Make the Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice:

Add the water, beans, sausage, red bell pepper, celery, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf to the bowl of a slow-cooker. Add the lid and turn the heat to "HIGH'. Let it cook for 6 hours, stirring once or twice. After 6 hours, use a spoon to fish out a bean to test. If it is tender, turn off the heat. If it is still underdone, replace the lid and cook for another hour or until the beans are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Gently stir the contents of the slow-cooker before ladling over bowls of hot, cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and -if desired- sour cream.

Store leftover beans tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze in individual portions for longer storage: up to 6 months.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/16/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice-and-creole-seasoning-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Comfort Food, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, slow-cooker, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Whole Cherry Clafoutis (Cherry Custard Tart) | Classic French Dessert

July 13, 2012 by 12 Comments

Plrb.

That’s the genteel version of ptooey. Which is what you’re inevitably going to have to do if you eat a clafoutis whilst in France. This brings me, rather quickly, to two very important points.

  1. Clafoutis -for the benefit of those who haven’t yet had it- is seriously good stuff. It’s a warm or room temperature custardy dessert that is usually studded with fresh fruit, usually cherries. It’s kind of a big deal in France.*
  2. In the aforementioned Belle France, cherry clafoutis are usually made with whole fruits. Translation: they leave les pits in les fruits.

*As in a really big deal. Clafoutis is to France as apple pie is to the U.S.A.

And this is why the spitting. As an American, born and raised, I was unaccustomed to cherry desserts avec pits. I was used to having the pits removed before they reached my plate and ploughing through cherry pies at lightning speed. Thankfully, a kind soul was aware that most Americans didn’t eat pit-intact cherry desserts and warned me, otherwise, I could’ve become intimately acquainted with the dental system in France. While I’m sure it’s a wonderful system, I’m really okay with not knowing it from the inside.

Why would you want to leave the pits in when you could remove them and be done with the whole thing? There are actually two very good reasons. (Today’s post brought to you by the number Two!)

  1. Leaving the pit in the cherries preserves the beautiful round shape of the cherries as they bake. It’s visually appealing.
  2. The cherry pit -believe it or not- brings a lot of flavour to the party. It contributes a subtle hint of almond. This is where the bells and chimes ring out. Yes. Cherry and almond. The pairing is not an accident! If you leave the pits in place, you don’t have to add almond for that classic flavour combination.

Negotiating the pits while eating dessert is not as disconcerting as you might think, speaking from personal experience. When the cherries cook in the custard-like batter, the pits free themselves from the fruit. As you bite down, the pits tend to slip right out of the cherries and you can tuck them into your cheek to be discreetly plrb-ed or ptooeyed (depending on the company) into a napkin or into the spoon and then deposited in a small bowl next to the dessert plate.

While cherries are still at their peak of availability, try a whole cherry clafoutis. Put a little Edith Piaf on the stereo. Throw in a Gallic laugh for good measure. And do summer like the French do: with style and great taste.

P.S. These are, like most custard-based tarts, at their very best when served fresh and at room temperature. They are quite good, though, cut into wedges when cold.

 

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Whole Cherry Clafoutis (Cherry Custard Tart)

Whole Cherry Clafoutis (Cherry Custard Tart)

A simple, creamy, custard-based classic French dessert made with fresh cherries. Enjoy with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of fresh, sweet cherries
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (DO NOT SKIMP ON THE FAT. You will regret it bitterly.)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • soft butter
  • powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Remove the stems from your cherries, but leave the pits intact. Generously butter the sides and bottom of a deep pie plate. Scatter the cherries as evenly as possible over the bottom of the pie plate. Set aside.

Vigorously whisk the eggs until they are frothy.

Add the sugar, salt and vanilla and beat well again with a whisk until the sugar is incorporated. Whisk in the milk and cream. Sprinkle the flour over the surface and -once again- beat enthusiastically with the whisk until you have a perfectly smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes at room temperature then pour over the cherries in the prepared pie plate.

Bake the clafoutis for 40-50 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown in the center (but still jiggly) and darker brown at the edges. A knife, when inserted in the center of the clafoutis, should come out clean. It may be damp, but it should not have uncooked egg clinging to it.

Let the clafoutis cool in the pan on a cooling rack until it is barely warm to the touch or room temperature. Dust the clafoutis generously with powdered sugar and serve in wedges with a small bowl or napkin for the pits.

Store tightly wrapped leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/13/whole-cherry-clafoutis-cherry-custard-tart-classic-french-dessert/

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Cakes, Comfort Food, Desserts, Eggs, Happy Healthy and Wise, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

July 12, 2012 by 8 Comments

 

I’m a Fritos kind of gal. It’s hard to go wrong with a salty, deep-fried corn chip, but there’s just something special about Fritos. I’ve loved them as long as I can remember. When I was younger, there was more than one time I polished off a whole bag of Fritos in one sitting. These days, though, aging dictates that I can no longer sit and plough through an entire bag unaccompanied. Something about heartburn, calories, moderation, setting a good example for my children, blah blah blah.

Now I use Fritos not as a stand-alone food group but rather a tasty, salty, crunchy eating implement. They hold up well to my favourite kind of dips; those full of vegetables, garlic, herbs and beans. This time of year, a vegetable/bean salsa is just about the perfect way to round out a meal. Heck, when it’s hot enough, a bowl of this IS a meal at our house. You don’t have to fire up the oven. It’s cool, flavourful, substantial but not heavy, and packed with nutrition. Don’t EVEN tell me the Fritos cancel that out because I will stick both fingers in my ears and ‘LAH-LAH-LAH’ until you get tired of trying to get past my incredible display of loyalty and stubborness regarding snack food.

I did tell you. I’m a Fritos girl.

But the dip -the salsa, if you will- is where it’s really at today. Sweet corn, black beans, crunchy red bell peppers, onions, garlic, lime, jalapeños and beaucoup cilantro are tossed together in a eye-catching salsa that can even stand alone as a salad. That’s right. I’m saying you can eat it *GASP* without the Fritos. It is that good. I still dip it up with chips, but I also serve with ribs (hint, hint… not so distant post), in tacos, over baked potatoes, or tossed in cooked and cooled grains for a nutritionally complete meal. Mix up a big batch of it on the weekend and eat from it over the next several days. Fritos are optional.

Maybe.

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Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

I love this Southwestern inspired, flavour-packed sweet corn and black bean salsa for dipping, certainly, but I also tuck it into tacos, on top of baked potatoes, use it as a stand alone salad with grilled meats, or toss it together with cooked and cooked quinoa or millet for a nutritionally complete summer meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound frozen sweet corn, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed and drained again (or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed and drained again.)
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 1 half of a sweet onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or pressed, according to preference
  • the juice of two limes
  • a large fistful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss all of the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/12/corn-and-black-bean-salsa/

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Condiments, Gluten Free, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tocino (Filipino Cured Pork) | Make Ahead Mondays

July 9, 2012 by 46 Comments

UPDATE: The National Pork Board has generously extended the deadline for The Foodbank donation partnership with you all because you’ve been asking such great questions! In other words, every question you leave for pork producers in the comments on this post, the Foodie With Family facebook page, or on Twitter with the hashtag #sustainablepork will translate to 1 pound of pork being donated to The Foodbank of Ohio. No strings attached!

Pork.

It’s what’s for dinner in one form or another in our house most nights of the week. We are a porkcentric household. That has probably been pretty obvious here with all my use of bacon, chops, roasts, Cuban Pork, Cola Pulled Pork, Hot Tex Mess, and more (scroll down for porky goodness.) So when the National Pork Board contacted me to see if I wanted to take a tour of a sustainable pork farm, I replied with a pretty quick ‘yes’.  Then they contacted me again and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

They are going to donate one pound of pork to The Foodbank in Ohio for every question you all leave here for me to ask them when I go on the tour up to 1,000 pounds. Holy cow. Or should I say holy pig?

Just think of how many people we can feed if you all are curious enough!

Let’s talk for a moment about what I’ll be looking at when I head out to Dayton. According to the information sent to me by the National Pork Board, within a 50 year time frame, pig farmers have reduced their carbon footprint by 35%, reduced water usage by 41% and decreased the amount of land needed to grow feed by 78%. Additionally, we are getting more meat from fewer pigs – which helps reduce the use of natural resources to raise pigs.

 The Pork Checkoff has been honoring the sustainability efforts of pig farmers for 18 years with the Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award. The farm I will be visiting on July 24 was recently honored with this award.

So where do you come in on all of this? Just leave me a question in the comment area below (or on Twitter using the hashtag #SustainablePork ) between now and July 13th. All comments and tweets that have questions for me to ask the farmers and the National Pork Board representatives will count and one pound of pork will be donated per question or tweet.

~~

Now I figure you all know me well enough to realize that I couldn’t talk this much about pork without giving you a great recipe for it. That would just be unkind. Without further ado, I present to you one of my favourite freezer pleasers; Tocino. (Pronounced toe-see-no.)

Tocino is a Filipino dish that I have loved longer than I can remember. Starting with a humble and inexpensive pork shoulder (about $1.29/lb where I shop), a little slicing and a quick cure in some sugar and spice in a resealable zipper top bag, you end with a salty but sweet, crisped pork that tastes like super meaty bacon. It doesn’t take much work, and once you’ve tossed the pork with your sugar and spices, you can stash the bag in the freezer for up to six months before frying or grilling. Low investment, mega-payoff.

The sugary salty cure that enrobes the thin slices of pork keeps the mixture from freezing totally solid, so you can scoop out what you’d like to serve for dinner and leave the rest frozen for future meals. The traditional accompaniment for tocino is garlic fried rice and a fried egg for the classic Filipino breakfast called Tosilog. Doesn’t that sound like just about the best possible way to start a day? I speak from experience when I say it makes one heckuva lunch, dinner or snack, too.

Tocino is traditionally cured with red food colouring or other agents (like the pink salt, or saltpeter, used in curing other meats). I’m not super keen on food colouring, so I use beet powder as recommended by Jun-Belen. That man is a genius. The beet powder adds an appetizing red colour without adding any funky insect or chemical colouring. Lest you fear the beet, let me assure you it does not impart any beet-y flavour to the finished product.

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Tocino (Filipino Cured Pork) | Make Ahead Mondays

Tocino (Filipino Cured Pork) | Make Ahead Mondays

Do you love meaty bacon? Give this traditional Filipino, quick-cured, pork a try. An inexpensive pork should gets a boost from the fast-curing sugar, salt and spice combination and yields salty, sweet perfection that is reminiscent of thick cut bacon. It stores beautifully in the freezer for whenever cravings strike.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, sliced into 1/8-inch thick pieces
  • 3/4 cup raw or granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons beet powder (you can substitute about 15 drops of red food colouring if you prefer.)
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
    • For Cooking:
  • Vegetable, peanut or canola oil for pan frying

Instructions

Combine both sugars, the garlic, salt, beet powder (or food colouring), and soy sauce in a very large resealable zipper top bag (2 gallons) or a stain-proof container with a tight fitting lid. Close the bag or container tightly and shake to combine ingredients evenly. Open the bag or container, drop the pork slices in and reseal. If using a bag, squeeze the bag to thoroughly coat all of the pork with the sugar and salt mixture. If using a container, use your hands to move the pork around to be sure it is thoroughly coated in the mixture then close the container tightly.

Put the bag or container in the refrigerator and let it cure for at least 2 days before using, but up to 4. Alternatively, you can put the container or bag directly into the freezer (letting it sit for at least a week before using) for up to 6 months.

To Cook the Tocino:

Whether using fresh from the refrigerator or directly from the freezer, remove the amount of tocino you want to cook and let it sit in a colander for several minutes to drain any excess liquid.

You may either grill the tocino over high, direct heat, or pan fry in batches. To pan fry, heat about 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pieces until cooked through and browned with little charred bits, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve, if desired, with garlic fried rice and a fried egg for a traditional Filipino breakfast.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/09/tocino-filipino-cured-pork-make-ahead-mondays/

Don’t forget to leave your question for the pork farmers and National Pork Board below. Every question you leave will provide a hungry family with a pound of pork!

From July 23-24, I will be attending a tour of an Ohio family’s pig farm with the National Pork Board (NPB) focused on sustainability efforts in the pork industry. NPB will cover the costs of my trip, but all opinions expressed are my own.

 

Filed Under: Accessible Ethnic, Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Charcuterie, Comfort Food, Filipino Food, Freezer Pleaser, Gluten Free, kid food, Make Ahead Mondays, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Crispy Chorizo Dogs

July 6, 2012 by 13 Comments

I am not going to talk about how hot it’s been the past few days. I just won’t. I will, however, talk about how due to things that I won’t talk about, all my best-laid plans for elaborate Independence Day foods went pfffft. I opted, instead, for hot dogs: and lots of ‘em.

Who here watched Matlock? I remember parking myself in front of the tube (not steak) every week to watch Andy Griffith defend folks who did nothing wrong. (Except for that one episode, but I digress.) One of the things I liked best about the show was when he would stop at the food cart in front of the courthouse and order a hot dog with the works. Matlock loved his hotdogs.

Ah, the much maligned humble hot dog or tube steak. My theory on why so many people diss hot dogs is because they began as a way to use up the nasty bits left over after the beautiful primal cuts had been taken. Then something wonderful happened. The nasty bits got a make-over and started getting attention for what they were: a cheap source of nourishment. In the tradition of most foods of humble origins, they threw in spices -and lots of ‘em- and then figured out that applying fire* improved the taste and texture. Hallelujah.

*No matter what my husband says or Matlock would’ve said,  I will not be swayed. I think the most horrific thing you could do to a hot dog is steam or boil it. Yeeeeeeee-uck! He maintains that a steamed or boiled “dirty water dog” is one of the wonders of the world. I think he is -while adorable- completely nuts. Come on folks. Take sides here. Weigh in. I promise I won’t brag if I’m right. Much.

I am personally in the “too much stuff on a hot dog is just about right” camp, much like Matlock. Unlike an expensive steak where I don’t want to overwhelm the intrinsic beefiness of the meat with extraneous flavours, I feel a-okay with loading a hot dog with all sorts of craziness. I’m no hot-dog purist. (Is there such a thing?) I see a hot dog as a blank canvas made for fun.

What goes better with meat than more meat? Nothing! Well, okay, more meat with mustard and onion. Specifically, crispy chorizo nuggets. When you add super crisped bits of spicy, Mexican-style chorizo to the top of grilled hot dogs, it elevates the simple meal from phoned-in to party-fare.

Do yourself a favour. Make some tonight. Do it to avoid the heat. Do it to defend and elevate the hot dog. Do it for Matlock.

May you rest in peace, Andy Griffith. Thank you for the memories!

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Crispy Chorizo Dogs

Crispy, spicy bits of chorizo top a grilled dog to elevate the summer classic to party fare!

Ingredients

Instructions

Place a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Break up the chorizo with your hands into the hot pan. Use a sturdy, heat proof spoon to continue breaking up the chorizo into tiny bits as it cooks. Continue cooking the chorizo past the point of fully-cooked, breaking it continually with the spoon, until it is deeply browned and the bits are crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate to drain, if necessary.

Place each hot dog in a bun, top first with mustard, then crispy chorizo, then onions and candied jalapenos.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/06/crispy-chorizo-dogs/

 

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Holiday Food, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

July 3, 2012 by 12 Comments

This one’s for my friend, Peg. Peg bakes magnificent bread and sells it at our farmers’ market in Angelica, New York. Peg pointed a baguette at me last Saturday and said, “Rebecca. You need to do Ranch dressing. Soon.”  When someone brandishes bread at me, I listen.

It didn’t hurt that Peg was doing a little mind-reading. I had just been thinking that Foodie With Family was sorely lacking in the salad dressing category and it is BIG GREEN SALAD season and we all know how I feel about BIG GREEN SALADS (if not, click here.) It’s dunking season, too. Don’t forget all the summer snacking possiblities. Carrot and celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets -oh heck- and breadsticks, and chicken wings, too. Just about everything is better with a little coating of Ranch dressing, isn’t it?

Remember that Ranch dressing doesn’t just come in packets. And good golly… that pre-made stuff in the bottle is horrific. Ranch dressing is -at the heart of things- a tangy buttermilk dressing loaded to the gills (were buttermilk to have gills, that is) with herbs. We all know fresh herbs taste better than dry ones, so why are we content to dress our salads with dry ones? This Independence Day, I call for a revolution. A Ranch revolution. A herby, garlicky, tangy, creamy, buttermilky dressing revolution.

Put pitchers of this out at your party! Put bowls of this out on your buffet for dipping! Celebrate your freedom from packets and bottled dressing!

Peg will lead the charge with a baguette.

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Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

Yield: 3 cups of dressing/dip

Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing

No need to buy packets of mix or bottles of the stuff, Fabulous Homemade Ranch Dressing is just minutes away. Tangy buttermilk thickened with sour cream and mayonnaise is the base for the classic herb dressing that kids of all ages love on salads or as dip. Once you try the homemade version, you may never go back!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cultured buttermilk (homemade, or storebought)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup, packed, finely chopped dill
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (flat-leaf or curly)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or green parts only of scallions
  • 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a canning jar or pitcher, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/07/03/fabulous-homemade-ranch-dressing/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Component Foods, Condiments, Gluten Free, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Salads, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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