Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu) � Take That, Take Out!

There are many unforgettable sights and sounds you experience walking through Chinatown for the first time, but I think it was seeing all those hanging chunks of florescent red meat that made the biggest impression. 

Sure, the Peking ducks were cool, but they actually sort of looked like roasted duck, where as the char siu looked looked like nothing I�d ever seen before.

So, it was a little disappointing to eventually find out that it was from copious amounts of red food coloring, which I�m pretty sure was toxic back then, and not from some ancient Chinese secret cooking method. Anyway, enough with the nostalgia; the important thing to remember is that in addition to its impressive, high-gloss appearance, and savory taste, this Chinese barbecue pork is quite easy to make at home, even if you don�t have a fancy ceramic grill.

If you happen to be using your standard, backyard kettle-shaped grill, push all your coals to one side, and place your meat on the other. To add an extra layer of protection, you can also put it in a roasting pan, and place that on the grill. Or, forget the great outdoors, and simply roast it in the oven. The only catch is, you�ll need to place it under the broiler at the end, to simulate the caramelization we get on the barbecue.

As long as you roast it between 275 F. and 300 F., and do so until you reach an internal temperature of between 185-190 F., the cooking method really does not matter, and you should have something that rivals the finest take-out in town. So, I really do hope you give this Chinese-style barbecue pork a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for six portions:

3 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 4 sections lengthwise

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Chinese rice wine (can sub sake, or dry sherry)

1/3 cup ketchup

4  garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon pink curing salt, optional

1 or 2 teaspoons red food coloring, optional

Kosher salt to season pork before grilling

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P�t� de Campagne � Finally, Something Complicated

Every once in a while, I get a food wish that has nothing to do with a specific recipe, but rather it�s a request to post something complicated, and challenging to do. Well, this country-style p�t� is about as close as we�re going to get.

Calling this recipe complicated is sort of a stretch; "involved� would probably be more accurate. There are many steps, and the ingredient list isn�t short, but none of the techniques are very difficult, or particularly time-consuming.

Coarsely grinding the meat is probably the most crucial step, but as you saw, if the meat is very cold, the attachment on your stand mixer will do an adequate job. If you don�t have one, you can pulse on and off in a food processor, and as long as your meat was partially frozen, this will work.

Another option is just to place your meat order with a real butcher, and ask them to coarsely grind it all together for you, after which you can simply process the rest of your ingredients, and add them to your already ground meat and fat. Speaking of fat, I used some chopped up bacon, but virtually any kind of pork fat will work. 

If you do use bacon, either in the p�t�, or to wrap with, I suggest using one that�s lightly smoked, so as not to overpower the rest of the flavors. Anyway, I realize this may seem like quite a production, but if you enjoy charcuterie, this would make for a very fun, beautiful, and quite delicious project. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one P�t� de Campagne (16 portions):

1 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (aka �pork butt�), cut into one-inch cubes

6 ounces duck leg meat (meat removed from 2 or 3 legs)

4 ounces fatty bacon, chopped

4 ounces chicken livers, roughly chopped

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

4 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

25 grams kosher salt (about 5 teaspoons)

1/8 teaspoon �instacure� pink curing salt

3/4 teaspoon *pate spice mix

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup cognac or brandy

1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs

2 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dried cherries, optional
1/2 cup pistachios, optional

8-10 sliced of bacon, or a few sheets of caul fat to line the **mold

* For the P�t� Spice:

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

** My bread pan was a little smaller than standard, but a regular 9 x 5 inch loaf pan should work perfectly here.

-- Cook in water bath at 350 F. until internal temp of 155 F. 

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�New Year�s Baby� Porchetta � Here�s to Being Happy, But Not Satisfied in 2017!

Since I�m not really working, I�ll keep this �baby porchetta� post short and sweet, and simply let you refer to the video for all the important stuff. Like how amazing this tasted; and how impossibly moist and tender it was.

Notwithstanding some overlapped bacon (which I�ll do in a single layer, in maybe a hotter oven next time), I loved how this came out! I�m not sure if it will bring you prosperity in the New Year, but this is so good, who cares?

I want to wish you all a very healthy, and bountiful, 2017! Happy New Year, and, as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 smaller portions:

1 boneless pork tenderloin roast, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds

about 8 strips bacon or enough to wrap

For the spice rub:

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

3 cloves sliced garlic

1 tablespoon finely sliced sage leaves

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

zest from one lemon

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

- Roast at 450 F. about 25 minutes, or until 134 F. internal temp, which should get you a finished, rested temp of 140-145 F.

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Tarte Flamb�e � Alsatian Bacon & Onion Pizza (Not Pizza)

The hardest thing about this amazing tarte flamb�e recipe isn�t the prep, or finding some exotic ingredient, it�s actually trying to explain to your guests why it�s not called pizza. I�m reminded of that old saying, �If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck, sometimes it�s a trout.�

That�s right, while this is a pizza almost everywhere else, in certain places on the German/French border, it goes by the totally dessert-sounding name of tarte flamb�e. Just tell people the name comes from the fact it used to be cooked in a fire, and then trail off.

Once your crust is pre-browned and topped, you have several options for bringing this to a successful, and hopefully crispy conclusion. Since the bottom is already browned, I usually just broil it on high, about 8 inches from the flame, for about 5 minutes, or until the top is looking just right.

The other method would be to pop it in a 500 F. oven, for about 7-10 minutes, or until you�re completely happy. Or, you can actually do both � start in a hot oven, and then give it a minute under the broiler to seal the deal. Either way, I really hope you give this tarte flamb�e a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 tarte flamb�e:

4 balls prepared pizza dough (about 5 ounces each) Note: Wolfgang Puck pizza dough recipe would would perfectly

12 ounces bacon, sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced, cooked with salt, until soft, but not caramelized

For the cheese mixture:

1 cup formage blanc

1/4 cup cr�me fraiche

pinch of nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

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Pork Osso Buco � Keeping it Real without Veal

I�ve never shared the same love for veal osso buco that most of my fellow Italian food fans profess, and it�s been the source of a fair amount of introspection. Was there something wrong with me? It�s a sticky, succulent shank, braised until fork tender; what�s not to like? Then I made it with pork, and figured it out.

It comes out too good with the veal shank. Because of their massive quantities of connective tissue, the sauce veal shanks produce is rich, sticky, and sweet; which I personally find overpowering. It�s great for a few bites, but then I�m over it, quickly. On the other hand, pork shank isn�t quite as rich, and gelatinous, and I personally enjoy it much better.  

For some of the same reasons, I don�t generally reduce the sauce too much. It�s not supposed to be a very thick sauce, and I�m generally happy to get to the coats-the-back-of-a-spoon stage. Anyway, whether you use veal or pork, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

six thick-cut pork shank sections

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon ground clove, or *one whole clove

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary

freshly chopped Italian parsley and freshly grated lemon zest for the tops

* if using whole clove, tie in some cheese cloth, along with the bay leaf and other herbs to create a �bouquet garni.�

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Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes � Name That Dish!

It�s kind of nice when the name of a recipe is simply what�s in it, as is the case with this pan of roasted chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes. As soon as you see the words, you know exactly what you�re getting into. 

The only problem is, �chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes,� uses up a lot of characters on Twitter, so if you did have an idea for a shorter and/or catchier name, I�m all ears.

By the way, the two most important things here are not on the ingredient list. That would include a large, heavy-duty roasting pan, as well as a very hot oven. Hopefully, you have something similar to what I used, but if not, you can divide everything up between several smaller casserole dishes; or even use those large, disposable aluminum pans.

I went with hot Italian sausage here, since it so highly-seasoned, but you can really tailor a dish like this to your personal tastes, by switching up what you use, as well as the herbs, and seasonings. No matter what you include, just be sure to season generously, and leave it in the oven long enough. We want everything beautifully caramelized, and our chicken fork tender. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

4 large Italian sausage links

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed

6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large handfuls, seeded and cut sweet peppers

1 sliced small red onion

1/2 sliced yellow onion

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered

2 generous teaspoons dried Italian herbs (I actually used an �Herb de Provence� herb blend, which included rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, and lavender)

fresh Italian parsley to garnish, optional

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Paper Pork Shoulder � It�s a Wrap

This �paper pork� was inspired by a technique for smoking beef brisket that involves wrapping the meat in parchment paper after a certain point in the cooking process, in an effort to keep the meat moist, and succulent. Turns out it works great for pork shoulder.

I decided to try it for an oven-roasted pork shoulder, wrapping it from the beginning, and it came out so perfectly tender, and juicy, I�ve been doing it that way ever since. Like I said in video, I�m not exactly sure how much better this comes out with the paper, verses just wrapping tightly in foil, but it seems to stay moister, and more importantly, it looks cool on the table.

We don�t get any kind of crust using this method, but it doesn�t lack for flavor, and if you�re going to use this for pulled pork sandwiches, along with your favorite bbq sauce, I don�t see how that�s going to be any kind of a problem.

Speaking of barbecue sauce, I�m going to show you an unusual one next week, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I really hope you give this paper pork a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast

for the rub:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne

- Wrap and roast at 225 F. for 1.75 hours per pound

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Baking Bacon for the Perfect BLT

If I had a dollar for every request I've received for a BLT video, I'd have enough money to buy a lot of bacon. I�ve never gotten around to doing one, mostly because do you really need a video to make a BLT? 

However, I have wanted to show this little trick for making bacon by baking; and it gave me the perfect opportunity to show off my vision of what the perfect bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich looks like.

I recommend using heavy-duty foil for this, as it�s a little easier to work with, but regular foil will do the job. Like I said in the video, as long as you create some kind of valleys for the fat to flow into, the technique will work as shown. The result is perfectly flat, perfectly crisp, yet still succulent strips.

Your cooking time is going to vary depending on how thick the bacon is, so I�d start peeking at about 15-20 minutes, and go from there. You can crowd the bacon more that I did, and it�s okay if it�s very slightly overlapping, since it will shrink as it cooks. Just check after about 10-15 minutes, and re-space the pieces if needed. I really hope you give this great bacon technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Bake bacon at 375 F. for 25-30 minutes, or until you reach your desired level of doneness.

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Bacon & Asparagus Dutch Baby, Baby!

I�ve been seeing savory, non-breakfast versions of Dutch Babies pop up on menus lately, and while I�m not sure that means it�s a hot new trend, I figured I would get in on the ground floor with this amazing bacon and asparagus version, just in case.

Above and beyond the ingredients, the most important thing here is using a cast iron pan similar to, or better yet, exactly like, the 12-inch example seen herein. These relatively cheap and indestructible pans are one of the best kitchen investments of all time, but if you don�t have one, there is a Plan B.

You�ll have to do the bacon and asparagus steps in a frying pan, and then transfer everything to a similarly sized casserole dish. Make sure the sides are coated with your bacon fat, and then pour in your batter, and bake as shown.

It will take a few extra minutes in the oven, but just simply bake it until it�s browned, and properly puffed. It won�t work as well, but you should get similar results. Either way, I really hope you give this wonderful bacon and asparagus Dutch Baby a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

3 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup if packed, but don�t pack it)

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup all-purpose flour *packed 
*push and pack as much flour as you can fit into the 1/2 cup measure)

1 tbsp olive oil

6 strips bacon

1 generous cup sliced fresh asparagus

- Bake at 475 F for about 12-13 minutes, or until browned and puffed

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Yucatan-Style Grilled Pork � Surrounded on Three Sides by Flavor

If the early feedback from the YouTube channel is any indication, this may not actually be �Yucatan-style,� and I couldn�t be less surprised.  I did no real research into the traditional foods of the Yucatan peninsula, and based the name of this dish solely on a pork chop I once enjoyed at a sports bar.

They called it �Yucatan-style,� and it featured vibrant citrus/chile flavors, as well as a beautiful orange hue, which I figured out was from ground annatto. This is the signature ingredient in the famous braised pork dish, cochonita pibil, and can be found at any Latin market, or your larger, fancier grocery stores.

As I mention in the video, I think this easy marinade would work on all kinds of pork cuts, but the tenderloin is very user-friendly, and it�s mild flavor really takes to these ingredients. I think 4 to 6 hours is plenty of time to marinade the meat, but I�m guessing that overnight would probably be fine as well.

Once grilled, you have so many options for enjoying these. Sandwiches, salads, and tacos are all wonderful choices, and I�ve also heard from a reliable source that diced, they make for an epic pan of nachos. This weekend is the official start of summer grilling season, and what better way to kick it off than this tasty, possibly Yucatanian treat? I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 to 6 portions:

2 whole pork tenderloin, trimmed

2 oranges

2 or 3 lemons

2 or 3 limes

6 cloves minced garlic

1 rounded teaspoon annatto powder, plus more to sprinkle on before grilling

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil before grilling

- I garnished with cilantro, and pickled onions. To make your own, thinly slice some red onions, and cover them with red or white wine vinegar. Leave to soak for 4 hours or overnight, and that's it! 

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Perfect �Dry-Brined� Pork Chops � Come for the Oxymoron, Stay for the Juicy Meat

I�ve wanted to do a video on �dry-brining� for a while now, and was reminded of that fact after recently seeing a friend�s blog post on the subject. That friend would be the lovely and talented, Jennifer Yu, who publishes the blog, Use Real Butter.

Seeing those juicy pork chops in her post inspired this video, which features one of my favorite getting-meat-ready-for-the-grill techniques of all time. If you can call sprinkling salt on pork chops, a �technique,� and for the purposes of this post, we will. 

By the way, if this looks familiar, it should. We�ve used this trick before in previous videos, but just never called it �dry-brining,� mostly because that�s not a thing. By definition, a �brine� is a liquid, but since this contains the same active ingredients, and has the same effect, we don�t let a minor detail like no water get in our way.

I could go into a long, scientific explanation of what exactly happens here, but instead I�ll provide a link to this great article on Serious Eats, by J. Kenji L�pez-Alt. Jen used his cookbook, The Food Lab, as a guide, and so we�ll send you his way for all the pertinent details.

While our friend Kenji will do a much better job explaining the science behind this magical method, I think I did a decent job in the video explaining how wonderfully this works. As long as you don�t horribly overcook your meat, this �dry-brine� technique will produce the juiciest, and most flavorful pork chops you�ve ever had.

So, a big thank you to Jennifer for inspiring us, as well as to Kenji for inspiring her. With peak grilling season right around the corner, I really do hope you give this amazingly simple trick a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large pork chops:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- Mix and apply generously to both sides of the chops. Let �brine� uncovered in the fridge for 18-24 hours. Some say you can do this in less time, but I�ve always let it go at least overnight.

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Cider-Braised Pork Cheeks � Eating with a Grin

Sometimes when I�m really bored, I�ll sit around trying to think up fake Mark Twain food quotations. For example, �The best beef stew I ever had, was pork cheeks in San Francisco.� That was inspired by the fact these delicious, easy to prepare clumps of pork really do taste like an extra-rich beef shoulder. 

You will have to speak with an actual real, live butcher, but they�re generally harmless, and if they sell fresh pork, I�m pretty sure they�ll be able to order you some cheeks. While I�m very proud of this recipe, and I think the hard cider makes for a perfect cooking liquid, feel free to simply take your favorite stew, or braised beef recipe, and swap in the pork cheeks instead.

Once everything�s in the pan, all you have to do is cook this until the meat is fork tender, and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the meat. Be careful not to use a too-salty broth, otherwise it may be too much once reduced. I really hope you give this cider-braised pork cheeks recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

* I used 6, but the amounts will work with 8, and give you 4 portions)

8 large pork cheeks (about 2 pounds)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

flour as needed

2 tablespoon clarified butter

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 cups hard cider

2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon finely chopped sage leaves

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 rib celery, diced

Note: if you want extra sauce, you can add an extra tablespoon of flour to the veggies when they are saut�ing. Then add an extra cup of cider and broth, and proceed as shown.

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