Pork… Left… Over, or

Fabulous Pork and Vegetable Saute  

The pork wasn’t that great to begin with. It was a so-called Country Rib, which is the first two ribs from the top of the loin. Carol almost always rubs and roasts that, and there are always leftovers. It tastes more like a pork roast than a tenderloin or pork chop, and it’s fatty enough to be nice and moist and juicy. Yum. But this one seemed like a different cut, with a different texture, more dry and chewy. It was okay, but not Yum.

It’s Saturday evening, not much goin’ on, “What’s for dinner?”

“I want to make this lettuce wedge with Roquefort dressing I saw on TV,” Carol said, “and there’s that leftover pork, but I don’t know what to do with it.”

“I’ll do something with it,” I said, “give me 20 minutes notice before you want to eat.”
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(That would be Roast Beef, of course. I don’t know why we started calling it “Rose Beep,” it must have come from a kid or an Asian waiter or somewhere… anyway, it’s stuck on us.)

For Christmas 2001, Carol got me (as requested) a TempTime model DTTC digital thermometer & timer. It has a probe that you stick in the meat and a long sensor wire leading to the control module with a large digital display that I can read without my glasses! How have I gone so long without it???

To go with that, a four pound standing rib roast of beef. Wow.

So from Christmas until Saturday that big honker has been “dry aging” in the refrigerator. (Beef on a rack in refrigerator with dry towel on top… change towels daily for 3 days.) Carol saw a recipe on the TV [Alton Brown’s Good Eats] where you put the roast (canola oiled, salted & peppered) in a 200 ° oven until the internal temperature reaches 118 °… take out to rest and cover with foil. Rest until the internal temp is 130 °. Meanwhile turn the oven up to 500 ° and stick the meat back in for 10 minutes or so to brown. Deglaze juices with 1C water and 1C red wine and reduce by half. Crinkle 4 sage leaves, add to the sauce and cook for one minute, strain. (4# roast took 1:40 to 118 °)

We did that.
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Jan 5, 2006
Apples for Breakfast

I like apples for breakfast. With cheese.

I get the Fuji from the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building. The cheese: Fresh Cheese Curd from Spring Hill Farm.

Peel, core and cube apples, put in a small bowl.

Add some cheese curd. Eat with a small fork. Read the Sporting Green.

This week, back from the Georgia trip on Monday, I missed the Saturday market. Carol got me some kind of red, kinda mushy apple from Safeway, not suitable to eat raw. I also couldn’t get the Cheese Curd. I got Dry Jack from Leonard’s (It’s really Cheese + now, but I’m not sure I like the way its going, so I’ll call it Leonard’s).

Peel, core and slice the apple into four slices. Butter in the orange Le Creuset skillet. Fry the apple, put shavings of cheese on top. Good.

I’m thinking about a menu for my annual Super Bowl Party. Brother W sent me some North Carolina pulled pork for Christmas, and we saved it for the party, but I don’t think it’ll be enough.
So, I say to myself, “Brunswick Stew would be a perfect accompaniment.” We used to eat that a lot in Roanoke, and gosh, I know we’ve done it in Boston, but maybe not since we moved here. Carol always made it, though, not me. I think she got the recipe on a yellow index card from one of our neighbors in Roanoke, Virginia. What I remember is that it has chicken, tomatoes, corn and okra, and it is kind of thick.

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Peeling makes all the difference.

Sunday morning breakfast, I’m deciding what to eat. There’s a Roma tomato. I’ll slice that and make some egg salad.

Eating a fresh tomato in January? The tomato came from a meal last week where I used a sliced tomato under a steak with anchovy sauce. Bought two and only needed one. As a farmer’s market guy, I generally don’t do “fresh” tomatoes out of season, but when I do, I buy the Roma type — they’re meaty rather than mealy — but the skins are thick and tough. But peeled and covered with egg salad, the slices can be cut with a fork so easily you don’t know they’re there, except for the burst of tomato flavor in your mouth.
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from Julia at Mariquita Farm

Broccoli di Cicco is an heirloom, old-fashioned kind of broccoli. It’s sweet like ‘regular’ broccoli, it’s what they developed the giant broccoli heads from. But unlike the big-headed Globe variety, once harvested, the di Cicco plants just keep on growing, so it is available at farmer’s markets most of the year (in California, that is). All the stems and leaves and everything can and should be eaten.

Broccoli di cicco is one of my favorite vegetables. It doesn’t last very long in the refrigerator, not more than a week, so I’ve often found myself whipping up this recipe just to use it up before it spoils. Leftovers are good for a day or so, but there are rarely leftovers. I’ve done this many times, very fast and easy and tasty.

Asian Broccoli di Cicco

1 tablespoon olive oil (Just enough to cover the pan bottom.)
1 pound broccoli di cicco, chopped into 1 inch pieces, including stems and leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat a large frying pan until very hot. Add the oil and immediately add the garlic. Let sizzle for 15-20 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a quick stir. Without turning the heat down, cover the pan and let steam for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the broccoli is done. (I go for 4 minutes, if you like it crunchy, go for 3.)

Broccoli di cicco Chinese Style

Why do this instead of the lightening fast “Asian Style?”

This is more substantial and quite saucy and the onions play an important role, they are not cooked long enough to ‘disappear.’

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound broccoli di Cicco
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/3 cup stock or water
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Wash the broccoli and cut into 1 inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until golden. Add the broccoli and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and the sugar.

Blend the cornstarch, stock, and wine. Add to the broccoli mixture. Cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and sprinkle sesame oil over and gently mix in. Serve.

that’s all?

I thought I’d better write this down, since I spent much of Thanksgiving morning trying to figure out how long to cook this 19# bird in order to leave for Clay & Andrea’s by 2:30.
Cooks Illustrated (CI) Nov 99 suggested 5 hours, but that was in the oven, starting at 250 ° for 3 hours… Continue reading →