PORK CHOPS AND APPLESAUCE my way...

 This morning I could not decide if I wanted to make a pork roast or gumbo.  My darling husband was the tie breaker.  He wanted pork.

I started off thinking about marinating my rib roast in red wine, then I started thinking about the sweetness level and soon was thinking about what fruits I could use instead.  Eventually I ended up go to the classic that everyone loves...

PORK CHOPS AND APPLE SAUCE

Well, not quite.  I think it was a 6 lb rib roast.  I  rubbed it down with a mix of: garlic, dijon mustard, rosemary and pepper.  Then I grated onion and mixed it with applesauce and poured it over the top.  I cooked it at 225 for about 4 hours.

There was so much amazing juice from it that I mixed flour into the sauce to make a gravy.

To accompany this, I wilted some thin sliced leeks with butter and used liquid from yogurt I was draining for the potatoes.   

This will be done again.

Ingredients:

RUB

2 T garlic

2 T dijon mustard

2 T rosemary fresh chopped, or 1 T dry

1 T pepper

TOPPIING

2 c applesauce

1 c sweet onion, grated

POTATOES

2 leeks

1/4 c butter

3 2/3 c yogurt liquid ( you could also use half yogurt or buttermilk and half water or make them normally, substituting 1 c sourcream for 1/2 milk. 

1 pkg Honest Earth mashed potatoes

COOKING DIRIECTION-for those needing more guidance  tee-hee

1) mix the rub and smother your roast with it

2) put it baking dish

3) mix applesauce and onion and pour over pork

4) cover and bake at 225 for 3 hours covered

5) uncover and bake for an additional hour to form a crust.  

     for more crust, uncover sooner, or don't cover at all

***Once you pull it from the oven, drain the juice into a sauce pan and whisk in 2 T flour for every cup (for a thick gravy, or 1 T flour per cup of juice for a thin gravy), bring to a boil, wisking until it becomes glossy and translucent.

Below is a link to the potatoes I use.  Freeze dried without any preservatives:

1) put leeks and butter in  covered sauce pan on medium, stirring occasionally until wilted

2) add half of liquid and bring to boil

3) stir in potatoes

4) add remaining liquid and stir until well combined

5) turn off heat and let sit until ready to serve.

***  Though I made this with a rack roast, in the future I would use a standard pork roast, as I lost the beautiful crust in the cutting.  We still put the sauce back on for eating.***

https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Earth-Creamy-Mash-Potatoes/dp/B09XSTKHQL/ref=sxin_17_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?cv_ct_cx=mashed+potatoes&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-3-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

Beef simmered in red sauce over a bed of polenta with gorgonzola

Last nights supper was inspired by a recipe I saw for Polenta with Gorgonzola which I immediately decided needed to be cooked with Steak.  Unfortunately, I was unable to pull up the original recipe as we had some harsh weather.  Here it is, it was so drool worthy that my husband and our friend both licked their plates.

INGREDIENTS

Polenta with Gorgonzola

1 3/4 c polenta
1 qt chicken stock
1 1/2 c water
4 oz gorgonzola

Steak in red sauce

2 lbs Beef(see note below)
1 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
2 T crushed garlic
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 t oregano
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c white wine
4 oz Asiago

DIRECTIONS

1S)  Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper

2S)  Make marinade of garlic, parsley, oregano, crushed red pepper and olive oil

3S)  Rub marinade on beef and let sit for 1 hour to three days

4P)  Bring water and chicken stock to a boil and slowly whisk in polenta until it starts to thicken

5P)  Lower heat to simmer, cover and stir occasionally

6S)  In a separate pan, preheated to high, brown steak on both sides

7S)  Mix remaining marinade, tomato and wine and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook until tender

8S)  Remove steak from pan and let rest before slicing

9P)  Stir gorgonzola into polenta

9)   Pour polenta into bowls or onto plates, top with sliced steak, red sauce then grate asiago over the top.  Serve while it is hot.

NOTES
1* Beef-  I used London Broil.  I think a Flank, Flat Iron, Eye of Round or any other mediocre steak would work.  You could also use cheaper cuts of meat, like chunks of stew meat or a chuck roast, if you chose to freeze them in the marinade and thaw, or cook longer.  This could definitely be done in the crock pot.

2*  Polenta, when you are simmering polenta it needs to be on the lowest setting available.  If it should happen to get too stiff you can add small amounts of water to loosen it up.  It will loosen up when you add the gorgonzola.

Creole Sausages Andouille vs Chaurice

By the time you read this, we will have made authentic Andouille and Chaurice.  



Having been in the Gulf Coast region for over a year I have had to perfect the food.  It would not be me if I did not.  I have made some amazingly authentic food that has locals questioning exactly where I hail from.  Sausage is an integral part of much of the food down here and the part of the local cuisine that has yet eluded me as my recipe geek requires historic recipes to find the true essence.  The most commonly called for sausage is Andouille.  I have yet to make any recipes that call for Chaurice and Budin is eaten by itself as a snack. 

When locals speak of the difference between Cajun and Creole they universally bring up the French and African influences.  The thing no one mentions is the German influence.  The only reason I know about his is because of this cookbook.   Memere's Country Creole Cookbook is where I finally found a recipe for Andouille.  My other reference cookbook is The Picayune's Creole Cookbook which is the from the French influence and has the Chaurice recipe.  I have yet to find a proper Cajun cookbook.  

I digress...

When my Lovely husband and I first got into sausage making and were mere Northerners, ignorant of what Cajun and Creole food actually was we made what we *thought* was a good and proper Andouille.  Not so fast.  It is a good sausage that has a lot of the local flavors but is *not* Andouille.  It is actually closer to Chaurice.

Memere's Andouille recipe is very mild and heavily smoked.  It is definitively German.  I know there are many recipes that have thyme in them, but they are more likely based in the French.  Unfortunately Picayune does not give me an Andouille recipe.

4 1/2 lb pork butt
1/2 lb pork fat
5 t salt
2 t black pepper
2 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne
casing

In contrast we have Picayunes Chaurice recipe:

4 lb lean fresh pork
2 lb fat fresh pork
2 large onions-minced very fine
1 clove garlic-minced very fine
1 t Cayenne or other very hot chili pepper
1 t red pepper (hot Paprika)
1 T salt
1 t black pepper-finely ground
1 sprig of thyme-well minced
2 bay leaves-chopped or minced fine
1/2 t allspice-very fine


Now for the sausage formerly known as Andouille.  It is definitely more closely related to the Chaurice than the Andouille and has many of the flavors popular down here, but it is neither.  It is still a fine sausage and will be used in the future.  It is never to go near my Red Beans and Rice again. 

6 lb pork
3 T salt
3 chipotle
1 T cayenne
1 T sage
1/2 T nutmeg
1 T allspice
1 t black pepper
3 bay leaf
1/2 t thyme
3 clove garlic
* this is great smoked

Hamburgers "the Feast Hall Incorporated Spice or Bar-B-Que Rub"

I love me some good meat.  I love it even more all grilled up to perfection!  One of my favorites, and I think most popular due to fun and ease is a Hamburger.  If you are not seasoning your patties they are going to be bland.  Please season you beef to make it nice and sumptuous, I am begging.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb 88%lean beef
1 T either Spice Rub or Bar-B-Que Rub

DIRECTIONS
1) mix beef and Rub of choice
2) shape into 3 patties, or 6 for sliders
3) cook until they reach desired doneness

NOTES
I prefer the 88% beef because it does not make the burgers dry or cause many flare ups.
The Spice Rub gives a more traditional flavor, where as the Bar-B-Que Rub give more of a rich, spicy, smokey flavor.
If you want to try an inside out burger, sauté some mushrooms and red onions, make the patty extra thin and wrap it around the onion and mushroom, or cheese.  It is great fun.

Hot Wings "the Feast Hall Bar-B-Que Rub"

Hot wings are a delicious, naught treat that most of us do not make at home because we just do not know how to make them.  Some people fry them, others bake them in a *really* hot oven.

INGREDIENTS
Chicken Wings & drumets
Bar-B-Que Rub

DIRECTIONS
1) thaw chicken wings and drumets
2) preheat oven to 500
3) coat chicken in desired amount of Bar-B-Que Rub
4) place on an oiled wire rack in a sheet pan
5) bake for 15 minutes at 500, turn off oven and leave in closed oven for 15 minutes more
6) remove from oven and serve

SUGGESTED ACCOMPANIMENTS
Ranch  or Blue Cheese Dressing, celery, carrot sticks, Bar-B-Que Sauce or hot sauce

Bar-B-Que Sauce "the Feast Hall Bar-B-Que Rub"

Whether you just ran out of it, do not have the space for it, rarely use it or just want better ingredients, it is quick and easy to make Bar-B-Que Sauce with the Feast Hall Bar-B-Que Rub.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c molasses
3 T Bar-B-Que Rub

DIRECTIONS
1) mix all ingredients in a pan
2) bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, stirring frequently, then remove from heat and use or serve

Sloppy Joes "the Feast Hall Bar-B-Que Rub"

Awesome "Sloppy Joes" can easily be made using "the Feast Hall's Bar-B-Que Rub".

INGREDIENTS

1/2 red onion-diced

1/2 lb hot italian sausage

1/2 lb hamburger

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 T Bar-B-Que Rub

4 rolls

DIRECTIONS

1) put onion, sausage, hamburger and Bar-B-Que Rub in saute pan and cook over high heat, crumbling meat, until meat is all cooked.

2) add tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached.

3) Serve on rolls or sliced bread

SUGGESTED CONDIMENTS:  grated cheddar

Chimichurri

From my research it appears to me that in Argentina they only use salt to season their red meat because they top it with a flavorful sauce called chimichurri.  Like many things chimichurri is highly regionalized.  I have found numerous recipes for it.  The things they all have in common are; an acid which is usually red wine vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and herbs and spices galore.  Tonight between Aurora and myself we came up with a keeper that, hopefully, will bring tears to any native Argentinians eyes.

INGREDIENTS
6 clove garlic
1 shallot
1/2 bunch parsley
2 lemons
1/2 t salt
1 t crushed red pepper
2 T olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1)  zest 1 lemon and juice both

2)  combine lemon zest and juice with all other ingredients in a food processor and chop until minced

3)  refrigerate until served



I hope this brings new life to your grill.

                                                     Anthoinette

garlic smoked pork...Charming approved "the Feast Hall" Spice Rub

I have heard different ideas of things to insert into your meat, including lardons (matchsticks of bacon) and garlic.  The other night I decided to put it into practice.  It turned out quite well.  As the title of this post says, it is "Charming approved".

Garlic Smoked Pork

INGREDIENTS

 2 lb pork loin or other pork roast
1/4 c Spice Rub
6 clove garlic

DIRECTIONS

1)  peel garlic and cut cloves in halt to make splinters

2)  pierce the roast 12 times a little more than halfway through, with a paring knife and insert half a clove of garlic into each, pushing it in as far as you can

3)  coat roast in as much Spice Rubhttp://www.thefeasthall.com/our-spice-rubs.html as you can get to cling to it

4)  Smoke it at about 200-250 for 2-3 hours
     ***If you can not smoke it I would recommend using a small amount of liquid smoke or a smoked seasoning like smoked paprika to help make the flavor richer***

4) ALTERNATIVE  If you do not have the capability of grilling the roast I would cook it at 225 for 2-3 hours, until it is done to your liking.

It will be worth the wait.

I hope this inspires you to try stuffing your meats.

Anthoinette

Figgy Balsamic Porty Pork

Tonights menu was:

Crusty French Bread

Greek Salad

Butternut Ravioli with burnt butter and sage sauce

Figgy Balsamic Porty Pork  

Canolis for dessert

The part of this menu that I am going to focus on in this post is the pork.  Pork makes everything better, or so I am told.  If you do not eat pork this could most definitely be done with beef or lamb.  I think it may be too heavy for chicken.

Figgy Balsamic Porty Pork

Ingredients

4-6 10-12 oz pork loin chops 

1 t salt

1 t chipotle

6 dehydrated smyrna figs(light colored)

1/2 c balsamic vinegar (I used a black walnut balsamic)

1/2 c port wine

2 T grape seed oil

Directions

1)  mix salt and chipotle and lightly rub onto all sides of pork chops

2)  put oil in a large oven safe fry pan on high

3)  preheat oven to 325

4)  when pan is hot sear pork on each side for about 1 minute

5)  when you are done searing pork put pan in oven until done

6) quarter figs and put in sauce pan with port and balsamic and simmer to about 1/2 c, stirring occasionally

7)  when pork is done pull from oven and rest

8)  finish sauce with drippings from pan

9)  after pork has rested pour sauce over to serve

This dish is sweet and rich with a slight tang and a touch of heat that balances out well.  The texture from the figs is the icing on the cake.  

Anthoinette

a delightful finish for steaks

Have you ever had a steak hot off the grill and thought to yourself that it was missing something?

I recently learned what that something was....

Recently Auroras husband, Prince Charming, for perpetuity known as Charming, was let loose with the grill.  When he was done a beautiful spoonful of savory butter suddenly appeared on top of the steaks.  I was so wowed by this that I forced him into my kitchen in servitude to recreate this masterpiece and teach me how to recreate it myself.

Steak Butter

Ingredients
1/4 c butter
2 T garlic
2 T fresh basil
1/2 t salt

Directions
1) roughly chop garlic and basil

2) put garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle and pulverize until a lumpy paste forms

3) add basil and bruise it

4) add butter and mix thoroughly

5) serve at room temperature, a large teaspoon per steak is plenty

NOTES:
This can be used anywhere you use butter

You can use any fresh herb for this

Adjust the garlic to your liking

I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as I did.

Anthoinette

Sweet Hot Proofed Steaks

Tonight I decided to splurge and cook up a nice NY Strip steak for my honey and myself. Knowing me, you know it can't be plain. I started wanting to just do a whiskey, pepper steak, but at the last minute I added some honey and a special salt. Here is how it plays out... 1 NY Strip steak, lightly sprinkle on both sides with 1/4 t cracked black pepper 1/4 t your favorite sea salt. I used a Porchini Mushroom Sea Salt, let it sit for at least 10 minutes Preheat pan on med-hi and put a little oil or fat of choice in.  Reduce Heat to Medium and cook steaks on each side for 5 minutes, give or take, depending on desired doneness. When you turn the steak over drizzle 1 t honey on the top. About 3 minutes into cooking the second side pour 1 shot (2 Tbsp) of whisky over the steak and let reduce to syrup while steak finishes cooking. When you serve this make certain to pour the syrup over the top and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting to retain moisture. A few point here are: if you don't have a fancy sea salt just use kosher salt. You could also add a little paprika, chili powder or coriander to give it the earthy quality. The larger the grind on the pepper the bigger bang you get. I chose to use cracked black pepper instead of ground just because I wanted the big contrast.

Brined Chicken

The hardest part with poultry is getting the legs done and not drying out the breast. Last night I thawed out a large chicken by brining it in 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 c kosher salt, 1/4 c raw sugar, 1/8 c chipotle, 1/4 c pickling spice, 1/8 c garlic, 1/8 c onion. I left the chicken in this overnight, in the fridge, in a sealed container. Today I was able to cook it on a very hot grill in about 2 hours, charring the skin. The beauty of it is that the chicken was so moist and flavorful that the breast could be mistaken for the legs and thighs. That is an "Enhanced" meat that I can get behind:)

Beef Stuffed with Cabozola

I have been cooking here in "the Valley". There is a cheese here called "cambozola". It is a cross between camembert and gorgonzola. It is wonderful. I have also continued playing with balsamic vinegar. The other night I had some Beef that I stuffed with a thin slice of cambozola, lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper then topped with a light coating of balsamic. I cooked it over medium heat on the stove top, covered, until the steak was done to medium. It was a very nice balance.

Oven Fried Chicken

Everyone who knows me knows that I DO NOT fry. But, every once in a while I have that deep carnivorous craving for fried chicken. Unfortunately it has eluded me for over 2 decades. I finally conquered fried chicken. CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Oven Fried Chicken Ingredients: 1 Qt plain full fat yogurt 1 T Chipotle 1 T Mustard Powder 2 c Flour 1 T Kosher Salt 1 T Pepper 5 lbs Chicken pieces, skin on 1/2 c Butter 1/2 c Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil Steps: *Mix Yogurt, Chiptle and Mustard Powder. *Coat Chicken with mixture and refridgerate over night. *Pull Chicken from Yogurt mixture and put on on baking racks to dry for 1-4 hours in the refridgerator. *Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper * Pretheat your oven to 425 *Put Butter and Oil in an 11x17 cookie sheet and place in oven until butter melts and can be easily combined with oil *Gently coat Chicken in Flour mixture and place skin side down in cookie sheet * Bake 20-30 minutes on each side Flip the chicken to its second side when the top has achieved a nice golden brown *Once you remove the Chicken from the oven it should be allowed to rest on a bed of paper towels for 5 minutes on each side before serving NOTES: *When you remove the chicken from the yogurt do not wipe it off. This will leave a good portion but all excess will drip off *Baking time varies. If you have wings, 20 minutes per side is good, small legs and thighs with get 25 minutes and large legs and thighs or breasts will get 30. *This chicken can be fried using any method you desire or even oven baked on a rack.

Papaya Garlic Chicken and Andouille Meatballs

CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Papaya Garlic Chicken Ingredients: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken 1 c papaya juice 1 c pear juice 1 T garlic 1 T ginger root 1/2 t salt 1/2 t pepper pinch cayenne Steps: * season chicken with garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and cayanne * bake at 350 for 30 minutes * boil juice down to 1/2 c * drain juice from chicken and coat with juice then return to over for 15 minutes or until done CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Andouille Meatballs Ingredients: 1 lb pork, ground 1/2 T salt 1/2 chipotle 1/2 t cayenne 1/2 t sage 1/4 t nutmeg 1/2 t allspice 1/5 t black pepper 1/2 bay leaf 1/10 t thyme 1/2 clove garlic 1 c rice Steps: * prepare rice as usual with 2 c water then cool * mix rice with all remaining ingredients * form into meatballs * smoke until cooked NOTES: * This would also make a great meatloaf. * If you are unable to smoke this or cook it over a wood fire baking will work but miss some of the depth of flavor. Perhaps a small amount of liquid smoke could be added. * I prefer brown rice for this because it's mouth feel is more like meat. Though any other meat will work, to include wild rice

Beef Wellington

Y'all probably know that I love to experiment and try to recreate the classics as they were originally intended. As we have seen things like fusion food and product availability we have seen serious bastardizations. With this menu I kept things mostly classic, but made a few minor changes. Here is the menu: Beef Wellington Asparagus Duchesse Potatoes Hollandaise Scotch Sauce Pumpkin Log I will start by saying this menu is not for the underlie ambitious or the feint of heart. Including shopping this menu took a solid 8 hours to get to the table. The upside is that much of the preparations can be done a day or 2 in advance. I still think that components of this meal can be used for special occasions. The Beef Wellington was definitely the most challenging. I started by making a mushroom duxelle and a "mock" pate foie gras. CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Pate foie gras *mock* Ingredients: 1 pound chicken livers 1-1/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1 red onion Steps: * rinse chicken livers and trim them by pulling out connective tissue. * put chicken liver in a small sauce pan with 4 c water and bring to a boil. * reduce heat to a simmer, add salt and simmer for 20 minutes * cool chicken livers in water to room temperature * mince onion in food processor and put in a coffee filter over a cup to drain juice, until you get 2 tablespoons. Reserve onion for other use. * drain chicken livers and put in a stand mixer or food processor with remaining, butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and onion juice into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. * mix until it forms a smooth paste. * press into a crock lined with plastic wrap. * refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Chicken liver pate may be stored under refrigeration up to 4 weeks. NOTES: Though I have made some minor changes to this recipe I do not feel I can call it mine. The original recipe can be found at the link below. Link (URL): http://homecooking.about.com/od/appetizerrecipes/r/blapp31.htm CATEGORY: Vegetables Recipe Name: Mushroom Duxelle Ingredients: 12 oz Crimini Mushrooms 8 oz White Button Mushrooms 2 T unsalted butter 1/4 c Shallots 1 t Garlic 1/2 t Salt 1/4 t pepper 1/3 c dry white vermouth Steps: * mince shallot and garlic in food processor * mince mushrooms in food processor * saute shallots and garlic in butter over medium high heat for 1 min * add mushrooms, salt and pepper to garlic and shallots, mixing well * reduce heat slightly and move mixture to the side of the pan to allow moisture to evaporate. Occasionally stir and push to side of pan again. * when mixture is dry stir in vermouth and evaporate as above * let cool to room temperature * use as called for in recipe NOTES: This recipe can be used in things like beef wellington, chicken wellington, added to a cream sauce or used with cream cheese for a dip. CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Individual Beef Wellington for 9-12 Ingredients: 3-4 lb beef tenderloin 1/3 lb per portion 1 t salt 1 t pepper 1 t garlic 2 packages puff pastry 1 mushroom duxelle 1 pate foie gras ( or 3/4 lb braunschwager) 1 jar english mustard (colemans) 1 egg Steps: * trim tenderloin and cut it to desired portions * season each piece with salt, pepper and garlic * sear on all sides then cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour *make Mushroom Duxelle and Pate Foie Gras * Thaw puff pastry * mix mushroom duxelle and pate foie gras together and portion equally * rub beef with english mustard on all sides * cut puff pastry sheets along folds and roll each piece to twice it's width and 1 1/2 times it's length * in the middle of the rolled puff pastry place duxelle/pate mix and then beef on top of it * fold the sides of puff pastry in first, then then the ends, overlap is preferred * repeat assemble for all pieces * place completed beef wellingtons, seam side down on a rack on a cookie sheet * return to refrigerator for 1-24 hours or freezer for 30 minutes * When you are ready to cook the beef wellington preheat your oven to 425 * scramble egg and brush over beef wellingtons * When oven is preheated put the beef wellingtons on the top shelf until the puff pastry is golden brown * immediately remove and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving NOTES: If you want to make this recipe but don't have a big block of time this can be made over several days. The Pate Foie Gras can be made up to 2 weeks in advance, the Mushroom Duxelle can be made 1 week in advance, the beef seared 24 hours before assembly and assemble can be done 24 hours in advance of baking. I think that stretching any of these time lines further would deteriorate the quality of the product. This recipe can be simplified by making one beef wellington instead of individual. To do this use 1 box of puff pasty, overlapping the two sheets by 1" before rolling it out. Then spread the duxelle/pate mixture to all but 1" of the edge, instead of only having it on top. Leave the tenderloin whole and cook it for longer when you sear it. When you are done cooking it let it rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting. This also makes it easier to serve if you don't know exactly how many people will be at your table. This conclude part 1. More to come...

Enhanced Meats

Anyone who knows me knows I like my food in its god given natural state until I start making it into a tasty meal. I even by pigs and cows from farmers if I am able. One of the things that helps keep the budget from busting (too badly) is frozen meats. I have no issues buying things near expiration, or anything with a good price of a suitable quality and freezing it. Ideally you can buy things already frozen as to avoid the slight textural breakdown. ********************************************************************** Quick lesson: When food is professionally frozen it is I.Q.F. or Instant Quick Freeze. They freeze it at such a low temperature that ice crystals don't have time to form in the cells of the meat, or what ever else you are freezing. When you freeze it at home it is a much slower process so crystal from from the liquid in the cells and essentially tenderize the meat. This is why I freeze my briskets before using them. ********************************************************************** I have noticed that it is next to impossible to buy frozen meats that don't have some kind of "added natural solution" that is usually up to 15%. Is that 15% by weight or volume? Did you discount the price by 15% so I am not paying for your natural solution? Exactly what is in your natural solution? The answer that the percentage is by weight and no they did not discount it by that amount. You are paying for that extra percentage of meat you are not getting. To me it's just one more way for food manufacturers take food one more step from nature. Anyone out there that reads labels knows exactly what I am talking about. More importantly it takes control of your food out of your hands. After you have learned to rely on the enhanced meat for cooking you won't be able to properly cook real meat, it will always seem dry because you are used to over cooking it. I was able to find an excellent link on this subject: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/enhancedmeat.html I encourage you to read the whole article as the really good information is near the bottom. Anthoinette

Breakfast Sausage

In some earlier messages I discussed sausages; the process and different recipes. I have finally come up with a good breakfast sausage and here it is. This recipe received favorable reviews at a recent event. People loved it on Scotch Eggs. My husband feels that more sage would be nice, so next time we will take the sage up to 1 1/2 T. CATEGORY: Meat Recipe Name: Breakfast sausage Ingredients: 3 lbs pork or other meat 1/2 t allspice 3/4 t caraway 1/2 T marjoram 1 T white pepper 1 T salt 1/2 T garlic 1 T sage Steps: mix all ingredients and leave loose or case NOTES: We use boneless pork rib ends for our sausage but you can use ground chicken just as well. This would probably require more spice or less meat if you used ground beef.

Fresh Herb Marinade for Meats

All winter long I use dried herbs. Then spring comes, I plant my garden and my herbs magically appear, beckoning me to use them. In most cooking it is fun to just add fresh herbs whole or chopped in place of dry. Though my favorite use this year is to make marinades for meat. The other night we grilled some chicken that had marinated for 24 hours in mint, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, grape seed oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It got rave reviews and I have been requested to post the recipe. Unfortunately I can not give the exact recipe, only the ingredients, technique and suggestions. I believe I covered this before, but just in case. When I season food I try to think of it like music. The flavors fall into 3 basic categories, base, or earthy, mid tones and treble or bright tones. I will try to give you a better idea. The base tones are things like meat, oregano, salad greens, smoke flavor. These are the flavors that act as a platform that all the other flavors build on. The mid tones are flavors like thyme, rosemary, and tomato. The high tones are the high lights that you want to be ever so gentle with as to not overpower the dish. This would be things like citrus, vinegar, salt, fennel, basil, garlic, and peppers. A good way to establish where seasoning fit in this palette is to taste them and see how they feel to your taste buds. Does it feel earthy, then it is a base flavor. Does it make your mouth zing, then it is a high tone. If it lies somewhere in the middle then yes it is a mid tone. When I am seasoning a dish I taste it and search for proper balance, but if it is not balanced then I can discern what tone I need to adjust and start searching for the appropriate flavor to add. But, I digress. The reason this is so important is because with marinades it is equally important to find the right balance. If you are using a stronger meat like lamb, game or beef you can use more of the stronger herbs, or highlights to cut through the flavor. Though if you are using meats like pork or chicken you need to use more of the earthy and mid tones and be careful with the high lights as to not overpower the meat. When I go my herb garden I already know the flavor of the meat and may or may not have an idea for the finished flavor. I usually see what herb call out to me first. One of my favorites is Lemon Balm because it has a light citrus flavor that goes well with almost anything. Rosemary, sages, and thyme are equally as versatile and used in many cultures foods. Mint is very Mediterranean and middle eastern and should be used with caution. I am not saying don't use it, only to use it in small amounts as it can overpower quickly. Fennel, dill and oregano also need to be used with caution. For me a little oregano can really add to a dish. If you add too much it tastes burnt to me. Fennel and dill work best with Chicken and fish and you can use the fronds as well as the seeds. I would never discourage experimentation but if you choose to use these herbs with other meats, use them sparingly. Now that herbs are selected and cut bring them in the house, wash them and put them in your blender or food processor with a little garlic, salt, pepper and grape seed or other high temperature oil. When this is mixed marinate the meat for 5 minutes to 3 days. If you are concerned about a long marinade because of the potential for the meat to go bad, remember that bacteria needs air, water and protein. When you coat a meat in oil it makes it so the air can not get in. Also if your fridge is closer to freezing than not proteins will last longer. I hope this inspires a love of fresh herbs. If you absolutely can not get the fresh herb you can do the same with dry herbs but it will need to sit longer.