Month: December 2011

Grilled Red Wattle with Apples, Onions and Sage

/ Ren

Thick-cut, locally pastured Red Wattle pork chops are marinated overnight in fresh apple juice, garlic, sage, sea salt and black pepper, then grilled over an open wood fire to medium doneness.  The tender, moist chops are served with a glaze of caramelized onions and apples with a side of roasted baby Brussels sprouts with croûtons..

“The Red Wattle hog is a large, red hog with a fleshy, decorative, wattle attached to each side of its neck that has no known function.  The origin and history of the Red Wattle breed is considered scientifically obscure, though many different ancestral stories are known.  One theory is that the French colonists brought the Red Wattle Hogs to the United States from New Caledonia Island off the coast of Australia in the late 1700’s.  As they adapted well to the land, the Red Wattle quickly became a popular breed in the US.

Unfortunately, as settlers moved west, the breed began to fall out of favor because settlers came into contact with breeds that boasted a higher fat content, which was important for lard and soap.  Red Wattles were left to roam the hills of eastern Texas, where they were hunted to near extinction, until Mr. H.C. Wengler came across a herd in the dense forest and began breeding them into what they are today. Five year later, in a similar incident, Robert Prentice located another herd of Red Wattle hogs, which became known as the Timberline herd, after its wooded origins in eastern Texas…

Red Wattle pork is exceptionally lean and juicy with a rich beef-like taste and texture.”  –Slow Food USA

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For The Love of Pizza

/ Ren

Homemade pizza, that is.  Roasted fresh red peppers, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and heirloom garlic, thinly-sliced Soppressata di Puglia, fresh mozzarella and Texas-grown Albahaca basil, all on a thin, crisp cornmeal crust.  Sea salt and cracked black pepper..

Shrimp à la Creole

/ Ren

A classic dish of wild-caught Gulf shrimp with lots of fresh celery, onions, garlic and green peppers in a base of tomatoes, shrimp stock, fresh thyme, parsley and oregano, cayenne, black pepper and sea salt..

Shrimp à la Creole (adapted from a recipe at nolacuisine.com)

2 pounds fresh shrimp (save shells to make shrimp stock)
2 tablespoons pastured butter
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-1/2 cups very ripe fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups shrimp stock
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 fresh bay leaves
cayenne to taste
sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup green onions, green tops thinly sliced, white part sliced into 1/4″ thickness
1/8 cup flat leaf parsley, minced

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan with the bacon grease over medium high heat.  When the butter begins to froth, add 1/2 cup of the onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown.  Add the remaining onions, celery, and bell pepper, reduce the heat to medium and season with 1 tbsp creole seasoning and a healthy pinch of salt.  Sweat the vegetables until soft.

Add the tomato paste mixing well, and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to brown, then add the fresh tomatoes and another healthy pinch of sea salt (this will help the tomatoes break down).  Stir well.

When the tomatoes start to break down into liquid add the white wine and bring to a low boil.  Add the shrimp stock, remaining creole seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne (to taste), oregano and thyme.  Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Add the hot sauce and Worcestershire and season to taste with sea salt.

Reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp, simmering until just cooked through.

Serve with boiled rice and garnish with the remaining green onions and parsley.

Our Gulf friends are still struggling to recover from last summer’s devastating oil spill.  Please support them at every opportunity!

Mediterranean-Style Olive Oil-Poached Grouper

/ Ren

Inch-thick filets of fresh grouper are gently poached at exactly 120 degrees in top quality Spanish olive oil, thinly-sliced Meyer lemon, fresh Italian parsley and imported caper berries.  Freshly-ground black pepper and crunchy sea salt top off this Mediterranean-inspired, velvet-textured dish..

Deceptively simple, the key to success in poaching fish this way lies in ensuring that the olive oil is kept at a constant temperature throughout the entire process (about 15 minutes to pre-heat, and another 10-15 minutes to cook over low heat).  Use an instant-read thermometer to keep the temperature as close to 120 degrees as you can;  if the oil is too hot the fish will be tough and the flavors will lose their delicate balance.

“…Groupers, widely distributed in warm seas, are characteristically large-mouthed, rather heavy-bodied fishes that tend to remain in discrete areas. Some are very large fishes, attaining a length and weight of about 2 metres (6 feet) and 225 kilograms (500 pounds)—in some instances reportedly much more. Groupers are often dully coloured in greens or browns, but a number are brighter, more boldly patterned fishes. Some, such as the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), are noted for their ability to change from one to any of a number of other colour patterns. Also, in many species, such as the blackfin and yellowfin groupers (Mycteroperca bonaci and M. venenosa), individuals inhabiting deeper waters are much redder than those living near shore. Groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites; that is, they first function as females and later transform into males. Groupers are prime food fishes and also provide sport for anglers and spearfishers…”  –Encyclopedia Britannica

Mac & Cheese with Smoked Ham and Roasted Poblano

/ Ren

Classic comfort food on cold and rainy day.

Organic macaroni, extra sharp Vermont white cheddar, extra sharp Wisconsin yellow cheddar, caramelized onions, heirloom garlic, smoked ham, roasted poblano peppers and local, pastured half & half.  Seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and Piment d’Espelette, topped with fresh breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly..