Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Three Little Pigs



A sandwich titled Three Little Pigs from its layers of everything Pig. Its my adaptation based off of the Silver Palm Restaurant in south side Chicago, IL.

The sandwich features a ground Ancho pepper-breaded thin-cut Pork chop, smoked ham slices, melted Muenster cheese, two strips of Cast Iron pan-fried Side Pork (similar to slab bacon without the added nitrates), topped with a fried egg.

This sandwich should be reserved for days/nights of total self-debauchery, served with a hefty beer, and consumed without remorse. This sandwich is all about guilty pleasure and should be enjoyed with pure and utter restrain from porky, fatty, greasy goodness.

Serve on a roll of your choice. In this case, a Grebe’s Dutchy Crusty Roll.

Pan Roasted Bone-In Pork Chop with Yellow Pepper Mole Sauce (with Smoked Red Pepper Sauce and Cilantro Oil)



This is my version of Bobby Flay’s recipe from his book Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen.

It is complex with a lot of preparation but worth the effort. The Smoked Red Pepper sauce adds a spicy touch. The chipotle chile puree, the sweetness from honey and red wine vinegar, are a perfect accompaniment to the pork chop.

The Yellow Pepper Mole is a unique addition to the abundance of flavors in the dish. White chocolate, honey, ground cloves and cinnamon are added at the end of Mole Sauce to preserve the golden color of the Roasted Yellow Peppers.

Note: Your kitchen (and clothing) will smell of roasted peppers for days!

The Cilantro Oil adds color to the dish and the taste of fresh cilantro.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Pork Picnic Shoulder

The Pork shoulder arm picnic contains arm bone, shank bone, and a portion of blade bone. The shoulder muscles are combined with a lot of fat making it a real tasty portion of the pig. The shank and part of the lower area are covered with skin. The skin can become one of the most tasty parts of the picnic when roasted. Crunchy outside with a 'melt in your mouth' fatty underside.

The picnic is an economical cut of pork. It is usually very cost effective in supermarkets and butcher shops. The most used method of cooking is by roasting.

The Picnic was marinated for about a full day in a combination of Red Wine Vinegar and Menudo Spice Mix.



The Picnic is placed in the oven to cook lo and slow. The skin is starting to crisp and sizzle while meat is begining to melt and tenderize.



During the roasting process, I basted the picnic with the Red Vin-H20-Menudo mix as well as pan drippings, to keep the skin crispy and meat tasty.

After 5 hours of roasting in oven, i reached a 190 degree internal temp. While letting it rest for 15-20 minutes, I prepared my tortillas, onion, cilantro, and limes.



The Best Part of the Picnic Shoulder, the crispy spicy skin, oh gawd, Pork Skin, wow, mama!!!!



After letting it rest it is time to cut the Picnic. It took some time to splice around the bone but my goodness, did it smell good. Porky Vapors interrogated my nostrals.



The Final Dish, Pork Tacos, Carnitas, El Taco de Puerco. My favorite dish in the world. PORK DRUNK.