Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
Oh yes. A couple notes:
- Don't get lean pork — stick with pork butt as recommended.
- This dish doesn't keep — eat it all in one sitting.
Sam Sifton's Brussels Sprouts
Anna has ensured this dish will make regular appearances at Thanksgiving — what a crowd pleaser. The recipe is from Sam Sifton's Thanksgiving and, with the exception of the final bread crumbs, can be made days in advance; don't be afraid to overcook the sprouts, since this all turns into a deeply caramelized delicious mess. The vinegar adds an absolutely killer sweetness.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed (cut larger ones in two)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
6 to 8 ounces pancetta cut into small dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup rich stock, ideally veal or chicken, and more if needed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
How To
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs and thyme with 4 tablespoons olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet. Toast, tossing frequently, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Heat butter and remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the butter begins to foam. Add Brussels sprouts, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing frequently, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add diced pancetta, and sauté, tossing frequently, until sprouts are well browned and softened slightly, and pancetta is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes more. Reduce heat, add shallots and garlic, and cook until fragrant, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes to taste, if using.
Increase heat to high, add the vinegar and stock, and cook, tossing frequently, until the sprouts are glazed and tender, adding more stock if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Transfer to a warm serving bowl or platter and scatter bread crumbs on top.
Braised pork ragu
Anna came home a few weeks ago with Random House cookbook full of recipes contributed by employees. I think it's actually going to become one of our most-used recipe sources -- cooking as it really is at home, rather than as cookbooks often pretend it to be. This one has immediately entered the regular rotation.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast (or more if bone-in)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large can of whole tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 tsp each of thyme, oregano, and red chili flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds
How To
Preheat the oven to 325.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the bubbles from the butter subside, brown the pork shoulder on all sides, 10-15 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes, spices, and wine and bring to a boil, then cover and put in the oven for 3-4 hours, turning roughly every hour.
Once the pork is falling apart, remove it from the oven and shred the pork with a fork. Return the meat to the pot, stir it all together, and serve it over pasta.
Chicken soup with leeks and dinosaur kale
First real fall weekend always calls for soup. To call this a recipe is a bit of an overstatement, it's just what we had.
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
3-4 leeks, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb baby Yukon potatoes, quartered
1 bunch dinosaur kale, sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons
6-8 cups chicken stock
How to
Over high heat, brown the chicken pieces in olive oil. Remove the chicken and cook the onions and carrots until they begin to soften. Stir in the leeks and garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken, and broth, plus any spices (bay leaf, thyme, parsley) or spare parts (parmesan rinds) you have on hand and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked though.
Corn soup
This is one of those magic recipes. There appears to be nothing to it -- until you eat it and taste how sweet and creamy the result is. I told a dinner guest this week how I made it and she didn't believe me.
Ingredients
10 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
2 yellow onions, diced
2 tbsp butter
8 cups water
How to
In a large pot, saute the onion in butter until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the corn and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil; cover and cook for now more than 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then blend it in a blender or food processor and strain the liquid through a medium mesh. The solid left behind should look like damp polenta; just throw it out.
Serve warm or cold, optionally garnished with herbs or pesto.
Roast chicken with fennel and baby artichokes
After what felt like three endless months of Polar Vortex, a momentary jolt of spring came this weekend. Sometimes unusual weather is all it takes to spur creativity. If the weather doesn't have to be the same today as it was yesterday, then why should my food be? So, spring cooking earlier than expected.
Whereas full-sized artichokes rightfully have a reputation as ornery -- threatening teeth outside and itchy, hairy hearts inside -- working with the babies is a breeze.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. baby artichokes
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup chicken broth (or water or white wine)
Juice of 2 lemons
Peel of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse the artichokes under cold water; peel off the first couple layers of tough, dark green leaves to reveal the gentler ones inside; chop off the top half inch of each choke; and halve or quarter the tender remains. Keep the halves in a bowl with a tablespoon of the lemon juice to prevent browning.
Over high heat, brown the chicken thighs in olive oil with salt and pepper. Remove them from the pan and add the fennel and onion, scraping any brown bits off the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook the fennel and onion until soft and semi-translucent, no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Clear a small space on the pan and add the chili flakes, allowing them to brown for 30 seconds before stirring them in. Then add the lemon peel, remaining lemon juice, chicken broth, and artichokes. Fold it all together, place the chicken thighs on top, and roast in the over for 15 to 20 minutes. The thighs should be a golden brown and the liquid almost full evaporated into a nice sauce. Serve over rice or Israeli couscous.
Short rib and barley soup
A great recipe from Whitewater Cooks at Home. The balsamic vinegar at the end is inspired. Leave the beef in big chunks.
Momofuku ramen broth
One cold weekend is all it takes to get me thinking about soup, so here we are. This is a recipe that looks much more intimidating than it is. And the ingredients that you may have to go slightly out of your way to get -- dried shiitakes, pork neck bones, konbu -- are well worth the extra effort. A few (okay, maybe more than a few) hours later you'll have a stock so restorative it could bring a zombie back to life. And it'll taste good that you'll be happy to have a some of the leftover ingredients already in hand so you can make another batch.
As is usually the case, this recipe has already been reproduced online. I'll save myself the trouble and just point you there.
A couple notes:
- Don't skimp on the meats. Sure, the numbers look a little ridiculous -- 4 lbs. of chicken, 5 lbs. of pork bones and a pound of smoky bacon for just 8 servings of soup? -- but the result is 8 very, very flavorful servings.
- Don't feel constrained by the toppings. Use what you've got on hand, softboil and egg or two, and be creative.
- But do save the shiitakes from the broth for pickling. These are incredibly easy and absolutely fantastic. See the bottom of the page at the link above for details.
Turmeric chicken kebabs
A classic Bittman recipe: Fast, painless, sparse, and delicious. (The super-simple Persian salad was a winner too.) I had yellow fingernails for the next 3 days thanks to the turmeric but well worth it.
Leeks vinaigrette
Elegant, from The Art of Simple Food.
Ingredients
6 medium leeks (about 3 lbs)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
How to
Trim away the tough dark green tops and outer layers. Trim the roots while still allowing the leeks to hold together at the bottom. Wash repeatedly under cold water to remove all the grit between the leaves.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the leeks whole. Cover and cook until the thickest part of the leeks are tender when pierced with a knife, about 7-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the leeks.
When the leeks are tender, carefully remove them to a bowl of ice water and allow to cool. Then drain them and gently squeeze out any excess water. Cut the leeks lengthwise into halves or quarters and place them on a platter.
Mix the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 cup of olive oil until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Pour over the leeks and garnish with some chopped parsley.