Tagged Recipes
Super Bowl Pulled Pork
What could be better than walking your local farmers market on a balmy winter’s day? Here in NYC the temperature just hit 60 degrees & the Union Square Market is glistening in the morning sun. I have my favorite Saturday vendors and today I was on a hunt for a pork shoulder.
Nothing says a lazy winter afternoon to me more than a slow cooked pork roast. The aroma of the spices and the warmth of the oven as filling your home is as good as it gets. I usually make a traditional roast but next week is Super Bowl Sunday & I decided to try something different. This recipe takes a bit of planning – but is has the Sartor family seal of approval and that is good enough for me.
My dear friend Forrest Sartor recently shared this recipe with me. She is an excellent cook – who has taught me a thing or two about Southern Fried Chicken, Cheese Grits, Pecan Pie and Life. Raising her family in Monroe, Louisiana she continues a long-standing tradition of good food and Southern hospitality.
Forrest explained that she & her husband would get up at 5:00 in the morning to cook a pork roast on a smoker for her pulled pork sandwiches. Her mother in law passed on this recipe to her and as Forrest said, “It is just as good and so much easier and quicker. I thought you may want to try it. It is great to have for a crowd, and both the sauces are good for sandwiches.” I feel like I have the Pope’s blessing!
One note, the recipe calls for pork shoulder but Forrest suggest pork butt. I prefer an organic pork butt preferably from your local farmer’s market. I have never matched the flavor and quality of pork from Violet Hill Farms or Flying Pig Farms. Each is unique and their sausages are sensational.
Sartor Family Pulled Pork
Makes 14 cups of Pork
Total Time: About 8 hours plus Resting
¼ cup kosher salt – JF Natural Gres Salt even better
¼ cup Ground Black Pepper – JF Butchers Grind Black Pepper
¼ cup Chili powder – JF Rough Rider Chili
1 T Dried Oregano
1 T Dried Thyme
1 t Cayenne Pepper
1 Bone in Pork Shoulder – or Pork Butt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Combine salt, pepper, chili, powder, oregano, thyme, & cayenne in a bowl.
Place a large sheet of foil on a roasting rack, then layer another sheet on top of it perpendicular to the first. Place the pork in the middle of the foil; rub the spice mixture on all sides of the pork, crimping the foil closed at the top to ensure a tight seal. Crimp all sides of the foil closed
Roast the pork for 5 to 6 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Open the foil to expose the pork, roast until the crust is dark and crisp, another 20 minutes. Remove the roast from the oven. Let the pork rest until it is cool to the touch – about 30 minutes.
Transfer the pork to the cutting board and pull out the large bone from the roast. This should slide out easily with no resistance.
Using two forks, pull pork apart and discard any visible pieces of fat or gristle before serving. Serve pork with Mustard Sauce or Vinegar Sauce.
Mustard Sauce
Makes 1 3/4 cup
Total Time 15 minutes
1 cup Prepared Yellow Mustard – or Dijon
½ cup White Vinegar
1/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 T Unsalted Butter
1 T Molasses
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
½ Cayenne Pepper
To Make: Simmer Mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, butter, molasses, Worcestershire, & cayenne in a sauce pan over a medium heat stirring often.
Vinegar Sauce
Makes 2 cups
Total Time: 5 minutes
1 ½ c Cider Vinegar
½ cup Organic Ketchup
2 T Brown Sugar
2 T Molasses
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 T Ground Black Pepper – – JF Butchers Grind Black Pepper
Kosher Salt to taste – – JF Natural Gres Salt
Whisk vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire, pepper & salt until smooth.
Salmon with Pomegranate Seeds and Tangerine
Welcome 2012! And with the New Year comes a checklist of reflections and maybe a resolution or two. For me easiest way to jump-start 2012 is a quick salmon dinner that brings together healthy food and seasonal flavors. The bonus is that it is a cinch to make – perfect for a family dinner or a weekend dinner party
Choose a piece of Wild Salmon – if you are able to get Steelhead Salmon lucky you. The Steelhead season in the Olympic Peninsula starts in December and runs thru April and is definitely worth looking for. This dish also works perfectly with frozen salmon and if the Wild King Salmon from your fishmonger has been “previously frozen” I would encourage you to purchase that over a farm raised fish.
1 Piece of Salmon – preferably with skin
1 Tangerine
½ t sea salt
Pinch Black Pepper
1t Herbes de Provence
½ cup Pomegranate Seeds
Olive oil
One pat of butter (optional – I like the flavor)
Oil a cast iron pan with a light coating of olive oil to keep the fish from sticking
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Season the salmon fillet with salt and pepper – both sides
Zest the skin of the tangerine and hold aside
Juice the tangerine – a lemon juicer works best
Place the salmon in the center of the pan, you can add a scant drizzle of olive oil and or a pat of butter on the fish. (You can omit this step is you are watching your weight)
Pour the tangerine juice, the tangerine zest, the Herbes de Provence, and the Pomegranate Seeds over the fillet.
Place the dish in the 350-degree oven and cook 10 minutes per inch of fish. At least once during the cooking open the oven and spoon the juices over the fish. Let the salmon rest tented in foil for 5 minutes before serving.
I love the ease of this dish – and you can experiment with other citrus and herb combinations. Meyer Lemons and Dill or Grapefruit and fresh Chives also combine beautifully.
Sugar Plum Loaf
Sugar Plums at Prospect Park Market - Kristen Taylor
One of the most delicious cakes my sister-in-law Louise bakes every holiday is a Sugar Plum Loaf. It is one of those seasonal delights that she and her daughters – and now granddaughters bake throughout the holiday season. I believe the cake has it’s roots in British cookery, harkening back to a time of Mrs Bridges (Upstairs Downstairs) kitchen when candied fruits, exotic raisins and exotic spices filled the kitchen during the holidays. More of a sweet bread than a true cake the name alone has visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.
A rich quick bread, the Sugarplum loaf is not unlike an Italian Pantone or a Polish Babka. It is baked in a traditional round and is a perfect match for JF Sugarplum Preserves. I suggest you make two loaves – one for yourself and one to give as this recepie is easily doubled.
Fantastic Sugar Plum Loaf
For the Cake:
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2/3 c butter
½ cup sugar
4 eggs
8 cups flour
1 ½ cups warm milk
2 t salt
1 T ground cardamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped dried fruit – plums, apricots, apples and/or pears
½ cup candied peel – I prefer lemon or orange
For the Deliciously Fresh Lemon Glaze:
1 ½ cups of sifted confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 t finely grated lemon rind
Dissolve yeast in warm water to bloom. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter with sugar and add eggs. Add ½ the flour, salt, cardamon, warm milk and the second ½ of flour. Add the yeast. Turn off the mixer and stir in chopped nuts, raisins, dried fruit and candies peel. Cover the owl and let rise until double. Punch down, Lightly knead. And let rise again.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape into 3 large or 6 small round loaves. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
To make the glaze, combine the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind. This can be strained but it is not necessary
While the Sugar Plum Loaf is still warm, brush with the Delicious Fresh Lemon Glaze
Apple Sauce and Gingerbread Cake
It is that time of the year – the turkey is put away and the countdown to the holidays begins. If your not wading knee deep in markdowns – your probably making your list and checking it twice.
“The indulgence of a dime instead of the indulgence of a dollar ” quoting Daniel Bouloud in the NYTimes upon the opening of DBGB. This statement has resonated with me for the past two years. Especially this holiday. What to give?
I have always been cleaver enough to finish my holiday shopping by Thanksgiving weekend leaving some time to bake or make special treats for my friends and family. Here is a very quick and easy gingerbread recipe that is both delicious and nutritious. This makes a quick house warming gift or holiday desert.
Apple Sauce and Gingerbread Cake
1 16oz jar of organic apple sauce
1 cup light molasses
2 t baking soda
3 c all purpose flour
½ t salt – I use fine grain sea salt
2 T fresh ground ginger or 2 t powdered ginger
1 ½ t of cinnamon
½ t cloves
4 eggs – organic
1 ½ c organic sugar
2/3 c vegetable oil – I use grapeseed
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Mix the first three ingredients together in one bowl – applesauce, molasses & baking soda.
In a second bowl mix the flour, salt, fresh or powdered ginger, and spices.
In the bowl of an electric mixer begin beating the eggs until light in color then add the sugar. When thick add in the oil.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients alternatively.
Pour into two 9” loaf pans. This recipe can be used in smaller loaf pans or mini bunt pans when drizzled with jam. It makes wonderful cupcakes dollop with whipped cream.
Leftover Turkey Chili
It’s Thanksgiving and now that your turkeys are ordered and your shopping list goes on for miles – cauliflower, turnips, pearl onions, green beans, carrots and parsnip – my all time favorite. And then there are the pies – sweet potato, apple and pumpkin. I really love a Thanksgiving Feast!
But when all is said and done – after the table has been cleared – and the meal is enjoyed – the pies are mere crumbles of their former self, what do you do with all those leftovers? A roast turkey sandwich is great, with Cranberry Sauce or JF Hurricane Hot Pepper Preserves. But….
One of the best ways to extend your Thanksgiving meal is a pot of Roasted Turkey Chili. I love the fragrance of New Mexican chili and cumin on a cold fall afternoon. This is an easy and healthy meal that makes all those containers of leftovers simply disappear.
3 T olive oil
1 large onion – I like a sweet variety
4 cloves of garlic – there is a wide variety in your farmers market try a German hard neck if you can
2 stalks of celery
3 to 4 carrots
2 parsnip
1 to 2 pounds of Turkey
1T to 3 T chili mix – ( Try Josephine’s Feast Rough Rider Chili )
1 T cumin
1 can of organic tomato paste
2 quarts Chicken or Vegetable Stock – homemade or organic low sodium.
Sea Salt
Pepper
Start with a large pot and add 3 T olive oil and heat. Dice or slice the onions and garlic. Sauté in olive oil. Dice Celery, Carrots, Parsnip, and add to the sauté. Dice a 1 to 2 pounds of leftover turkey and add to the pot. Now the magic happens – add 1T to 3 T of chili mix and 1T of ground cumin. Continue the sauté until the mix begins to perfume your kitchen. Add the tomato paste – you want to cook off the raw taste of the chili & tomato with out burning the spice. Add sea salt & pepper to taste – Remember, “Less is more” you will have a chance to adjust the seasoning later. Add 2 quarts of chicken or vegetable stock. The better the stock the better the meal. And cook on a low simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. If the stock is cooking off too quickly – add some water. If the chili has too much broth raise the flame. If your adventurous you can add a plethora of leftover vegetables – cauliflower, Brussels sprouts – even diced baked potato. This chili is unique as the cook that makes it and is a mouth watering healthy meal that extends the Thanksgiving Feast!
Serve with a pot of black beans or over polenta for a wonderful autumn meal. It can also be frozen for a quick meal when you are too busy to cook.
Brining A Turkey
What strikes me most about Thanksgiving is that just a few weeks before – I get that urge to cook a turkey. Call it a seasonal urge, just like driving upstate New York to see the leaves change color. I can’t wait to cook my turkey dinner.
In anticipation I page thru a number of favorite cookbooks looking for ways to improve on my favorite recipe. This year my interest is brining. We have had a great summer barbequing brined pork ribs and chops – why not the Thanksgiving Feast!
I must admit that my all time favorite Turkey recipe is “Turkey with Two Stuffings” from the Theory and Practice of Good Cooking by James Beard. The bird is stuffed with a fresh herb bread stuffing and the neck is stuffed with a rich coriander scented sausage stuffing. I prefer to use an organic turkey – one from North Sea Farms but in the past I have also used a wild turkey and even a boned turkey breast – we’ll save that technique for another post.
Brining is simple, but it takes some planning – you’ll have to start 3 days before Thanksgiving if you are using a frozen turkey. Similar to a marinade – Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells before cooking, via the process of osmosis. There are no short cuts to brining; your turkey must remain in the brine for 16 to 24 hours. Simply stated this process makes a great piece of meat even better
The basic bring mix is quite simple – salt, sugar, and water. This recipe is an adaptation from Jeremiah Tower’s “New American Classics” Influenced by Elizabeth David, Richard Olney & Alice Waters – this is a cookbook that changed the way we thought about American food when it was published in 1986.
For the Brine:
1 cup of salt – I prefer grey sea salt
½ cup of brown or organic sugar
1 gallon of water – plus additional water
2 T black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 T whole coriander
3 T dried thyme or Herbes de Provence
3 days before cooking you will have to thaw your turkey – if it is fresh – all the better.
Combine one gallon of the water with all the ingredients above in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove the brine from the heat cool down and refrigerate
The day before cooking pour the brining mix into a 5-gallon bucket. Adding an additional gallon or more of water. Place the thawed turkey in the bucket and weight it down to insure the brining mix covers it. Cover and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.
Brining works by osmosis – if you cut the brining time you will result in an over salted turkey. If you allow the full 16 to 24 hours for the brine – you’ll have a delicious turkey with outstanding gravy.
This recipe can be reduced by half or quarters and used to brine organic chickens, pork chops, pork tenderloin and my absolute favorite barbequed ribs.
If you don’t want to make your own brining Mix, Then try ours. Enough for one Turkey.
Josephine’s Feast! Seville Orange Marmalade Cocktail & Breakfast Martini
I’d eat marmalade every day if I could. As a child I loved the golden strands of orange rind on my toast – even better if my grandmother made my breakfast.
But as I’ve gotten older my taste for breakfast has changed and perhaps a Marmalade Cocktail is one of the loveliest ways to start a lazy Sunday. Created at the Savoy Hotel in London in the 1920’s this is a fabulous cocktail that can be made with any flavor marmalade but as a traditionalist – I’ll make mine as it was made historically by the bartender Harry Craddock with a strong English style Josephine’s Feast! Seville Orange Marmalade
The Marmalade Cocktail
4 teaspoons JF Seville Orange Marmalade
2 Shots Bombay London Dry Gin
½ Shot Lemon Juice
Garnish with Orange zest
Ice down a favorite martini glass by filling it with crushed ice and water.
Mix the first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake or stir – your choice.
Empty the prepared glass of ice and water.
Strain the cocktail into the well chilled martini glass
Garnish with a a piece of Orange Zest
(Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass)
Interestingly this recepie is said to serve 6!
Another Variation on this theme is the Breakfast Martini. This cocktail is a bit sweeter due to the addition of Cointreau or Triple Sec.
The Breakfast Martini
2 Shots of Gin – I’m a Beefeater gal just like the Queen Mother
¾ Shot Cointreau or Triple Sec
¾ Shot of Fresh Lemon juice
1 Tablespoon full of Josephine’s Feast! Seville Orange Marmalade
Lemon Twist for a garnish
Ice down a favorite martini glass by filling it with crushed ice and water.
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake or stir – your choice.
Empty the prepared glass and strain the cocktail into the glass
Garnish with a Lemon Twist
This cocktail serves one and can easily be doubled for companionship.
Josephine’s Feast! Blood Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette
I go crazy at the farm when I see gorgeous heads of lettuce popping from the soil. The first weeks I am so content with a simple dressing of olive oil and vinegar. As the weeks progress I find myself looking for something new to balance a meal – and keep my interest. This is one of my favorite salad dressings – with the right mix of sweet and tart flavors that can show off tender baby lettuce or add zest to a bowl of bitter greens. In the fall it is simply divine on a bowl of shredded raw kale.
Josephine’s Feast! Blood Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette
Makes 3/4 cup
Ingredients
1/4 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Generous Tablespoon of Josephine’s Feast! Blood Orange Marmalade
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Large Bowl of Market Greens: I prefer Baby Spinach, & Arugula combined. This dressing is also delicious on Baby Bibb Lettuce or loose-leaf lettuce such as Deer Tongue or Lollo Rosso.
For the Dressing:
Whisk together the lemon juice, marmalade and olive oil. The vinaigrette will keep for a few days in an airtight container and stored in the fridge.
To Make the Salad
Combine all the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing – toss actively to make sure the dressing is evenly distributed over the market greens. Finish with an optional dash of sea salt and grind of black pepper.
Grilled Swordfish with Josephine’s Feast Meyer Lemon Marmalade
My everyday choice is a chunky thick cut marmalade – wonderful on toast and absolute essential to cook with. One of my favorites is a Meyer Lemon Marmalade that has a wonderful sweet tart flavor and a lovely fragrance. From salad dressings, to glazes for grilling, and even deserts & cocktails. A jar of this marmalade can go a long way.
Inspired by a friend at the Westhampton Farmers Market – I have adopted her sensational recipe for easy entertaining during these dog days of summer. Meyer Lemon Marmalade Glazed Swordfish serves along with a green salad and corn could not make for a better meal with friends!
Meyer Lemon Marinade for Grilled Sword Fish
6 swordfish steaks
1/ 2 cup of JF Meyer Lemon Marmalade
¼ cup fresh lemon juice – or vermouth, white wine or rum
¼ cup fresh chopped mint
salt & white pepper
One of the easiest meals for friends and family is a grilled swordfish with this delicious glaze. Combine the Meyer Lemon Marmalade with a whisk adding ingredients one at a time. Grill the swordfish flipping once on each side. Halfway through cooking glaze each side of the fish. Drizzle any leftover glaze over the swordfish streaks just prior to serving.
What to Cook when the Snow Falls and the Wind Blows.
I am always inspired by traditional cooking in the winter. The forecast of snow and the wind chill factor well below freezing has me yearning to slow roasting something wonderfully fragrant.
Today I am cooking in a Basque tradition, a piece of pork smothered in spices and slow roasted at 300 degrees. Slow roasting has its roots in rural cooking where few people had ovens and meats were placed at the back of the fire pit, fire place or bakers oven and heated all day long. When a roast is cooked in this manner, all the luscious fats render into the meat – self basting the roast. This is a rich and delicious meal, a guilty pleasure that brings friends and family together for a memorable feast!
Seek out the best piece of pork that you can find – I have made this with a supermarket pork picnic and is is delicious . But if you are lucky enough to have an organic or heritage pork producer the result is so much better. Here in NYC I shop at the Union Square Farmer’s Market and the gentleman at Violet Hill Farms or Flying Pigs have OUTSTANDING pork. Nothing comes close in my book. The end result exceptional with heritage producers. Here is the deal, the pork is more flavorful and the fat is well – out of this world.
Pork Roast
Josephine’s Feast Pork Spice Rub
Josephine’s Feast Natural Sea Salt
Pepper
Bottle of apple cider
Preparing the meat could not be easier. Unwrap the roast. Wipe it down. Cut slices of garlic and use the sharp end of a pairing knife to create a slit in the skin and push the sliced garlic into the skin. Rub the roast with a mix of fragrant spices – in my opinion , paprika is key, mustard, cumin, salt & pepper are some of my other favorites. Some of you have no problem playing with spices – others need a formula. I’d like to recommend Josephine’s Feast Pork Spice Rub. it has at it’s base Spanish Smoked Paprika, with Black Mustard Seed, Cumin, & Garlic. The rub has no salt – just before placing the roast in the oven rub it down with natural salt – also available at JosephinesFeast.com or in your kitchen shelf
When the roast is ready for the oven, place on a rack and pour 2 to 4 cups of apple cider in the baking pan. Just enough to cover the bottom but not touch the roast.
Slow cook for at 325 for the first 30 minutes then drop the temperature to 300 for the next 3 to 6 hours.
Check the roast every hour making sure there is enough apple cider under the roast to keep it from drying out
When the roast is ready the meat should pull away from the bone, there should be a crispy crust, and the internal temperature should read 160 degrees.
Tent the roast under foil for 10 to 15 minutes.
It is best served with roasted potatoes – I like to quarter organic potatoes – Yukon gold or other small sized spuds. Drizzle with olive oil, rosemary, whole garlic cloves, and salt. Roast in the oven with the pork for 2 hours. While the meat is resting – turn the temperature up to 350 for 15 minutes.
Garlicky greens or a wild arugula salad dressed with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil are a great addition.
As a condiment Josephine’s Feast! Apple Compote cooked with Dijon Mustard is the perfect match. Made with Organic Heirloom Apples it is a tradition accompanyment with roasted meat in Normandy.