Rack of Ribs Roast with Chunky Applesauce

It is late Fall, leaves are being swept up in front yards, trees are looking bare, the wind is whispy. Hot Spicy Apple Cider is a great option to toast up after raking leaves for ahwhile. So why not toss it in a roasting pan with a huge hunk of Pork. The results are sweet, savory, Porky, seasonal goodness.


Visit your local butcher or meat market and ask for a 6-chop Rack of Rib Roast. They’ll be happy to run it through the saw for you and give you a nice cut. I have found the rack to be between $2.99-$3.99/lb.

To prepare the Rack of Rib Roast, lets start with the Rub.

Sage, Rosemary, Garlic, crushed Red Pepper, salt, is combined with olive oil to make a paste.

Puree the rub to a pasty consistency and paint it all over the Rack of Rib Roast.

The Rosemary and Sage and Garlic gives the Rack a terrific aroma while the crushed Red Pepper with give it a little spicy heat.

Next, slice two medium to large onions and place in the deep roasting pan. Pour about 1/2 to 2/3 of a Pure 100%, no additive, U.S. Grown Fresh Apples, Apple Cider into the pan. Tie a bundle of thyme together and include three bay leaves and submerge in the cider.

Place the Rack into a preheated oven of 425 degrees. Roast for about 30 minutes to develop a nice brown crust on the outside. Stir the onion cider to prevent burning. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and roast until the internal temp of the pork is 150 degrees.

While the cooking aroma of the roast is dominating your kitchen, it is time to make the applesauce.

• 4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2” cubes

•3 tablespoons of butter

•pinch of cinnamon

•heavy cream

•Pure 100%, no additive, U.S. Grown Fresh Apples, Apple Cider

•1 1/2 cup of reserved onion-cider mixture

Melt the butter and add the apples, cook until softened. Add some cider and reserved cider and cook until it has reduced to half. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and cinnamon and cook until cream is reduced by half.

Check on that Rack of Ribs Roast.

Serve the Chops with the cider onions and Chunky Applesauce. It is a great finish to a day working in the yard.

Leeks and Loins

Another attempt at an Autumn appetizer. Leeks, a mild, sweet member of the Onion family, are slow-roasted until it reaches its most tender state. It serves well alongside the pork loin. It is braised in dry white wine and water for several hours. The tender leeks are a welcoming flavor on a cold October night.


Basically you want to use the white parts of the leeks. The roots and tough upper leaves are disguarded.

Cut the white part of the leeks anyway you want. I choose to cut it julienne style. Soak in cold water after cutting to loosen dirt from the leeks.

Combine the leeks, 1/2 cup of water, butter, salt, and pepper in a pot and cook until the leeks wilt. About 10 minutes.

After the wilting of the leeks, place in separate bowl and brown the pork loin on all sides.

After browning, add the leek mixture to the pork loin along with 1/2 cup of dry white wine and cover and simmer on a low setting for two hours.

Pan-roasted Pork Loin with Leeks is an easy dish to make. It takes some time but the result is worth the wait. The leeks braised in the wine tenderize the vegatable to an amazing flavor.

Fingerlings & Fennel

It is autumn in the Midwest. The leaves have turned to reds and yellows. Playoff baseball is on the set. Temperatures are lowering to the mid-40s. A warm and cozy porky comfort food is the perfect partner for a fall October day.

In this entree, the pork tenderloin takes a back seat to the side dish. Pork tenderloin medallions are paired with Fingerling Potatoes and Fennel, a marriage of flavor that would satisfy any food lover.

We start off prepping the side dish: Fingerling potatoes (about 7-8), one Fennel bulb, medium thinly sliced white onion, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 3 springs of thyme, and 1/3 cup pitted Nicoise olives.

Cut the Fingerling Potates in half and brown for about 7 minutes in a 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil. When finished, set aside in a bowl.

Place chopped fennel bulb in a pot and brown for about 7 minutes then add the sliced onion for another 2 minutes. Give it a constant stir to prevent burning.

Slowly add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Nestle the Fingerling Potatoes in the pot and add the sprigs of Thyme. Cover, turn to low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Add the Nicoise olives near the end of cooking time, uncover and cook off any remaining broth.

Time to prep the pork tenderloin. Cut medallions and season with salt & pepper.

 
I pan-fried the medallions for about 2-3 minutes a side on a smoking hot cast iron skillet. The outside will be crispy but the inside of the tenderloin will be slightly pink and tasty.
 

Garnish the pork with chopped thyme and reserved fennel fronds. And don’t forget to also garnish the meal with a Autumn seasonal Micro Brew.

Roasted Fennel is usually paired with fish but this time of year, Pork and Fennel and Fingerling Potatoes are a perfect combination for any special occasion and it won’t leave you unsatisfied.

Ham it Up (before it hits the plate)

I love oven-roasted and/or grilled ham. It is easy to prepare and it provides you with many menu options after it has been cooked. Everything from soup to sandwiches to pasta dishes to fried rice. I prefer to pick it right off the bone as I’m cutting it up.


Set your oven to 325 degrees. While it is heating up, score the ham in a diamond pattern. Place a whole clove in the cross sections.

Place ham on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for 3-3.5 hours. That’s it.

After 3-3.5 hours and a beauitful hammy aroma in the kitchen, you’ll have a juicy, ready-to-munch on ham.

The outer layer of the ham is great to taste right out of the oven. Start picking off edges and lets the juices roll down your chin. Don’t worry about making a mess. Be selfish!

And my most guilty pleasure about oven-roasted ham……

That is right, the bone marrow. Suck it in or spread it on bread. Either way it is all delectable and great.

It may be a little selfish but the best way to feast on this ham is to steal the best parts before it hits anyone’s plate. You will thank yourself!

Venezuelan Pernil con Arepas

This is my version of Venezuelan-style of slow roasted pork. It is served with Arepas, which are small Venezuelan corncakes. Arepas can be stuffed with all sorts of fillings, but in this version, they are stuffed with aromatic pork.


The pork shoulder was placed in a brining mixture for 72 hours. Brining is basically water saturated with salt, which is used to perserve foods. The brine was a combination of water, vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf, rosemary, chipotle sauce.

Simply mix all the ingredients together and place the pork in the pot and refridgerate for three days.

After the 72-hour brine, the pork is almost pickled. You can really sense the biting aromas of vinegar and rosemary.

Seasoning the shoulder follows the brine. I used toasted cumin, garlic and onion powder, black and white pepper.

Season all sides of the pernil generously. Place it in a roasting pan and add water to the bottom.

The pernil should be in the oven for about 6 hours. Starting with an oven temperature of 250 degrees, I covered the pan with foil and roasted for 3 hours. Then i removed the foil and roasted for another 3 hours. You want to gage your roasting time based on the temperature of the thick, middle part of meat. 180 degrees internal temp seems done to me. You can see the pork fat has rendered out and the meat is rip apart ready.

Let the Pernil sit and rest for 10 minutes or so to let juices redistribute. The brine solution is still aromatic, the sweet smell of vinegar, earthy whiff of rosemary, smokiness of toasted cumin.

It is time to prepare the AREPAS! The key ingredient for making arepas is Harina Pan cornmeal. It is a precooked cornmeal type. It is also called masarepa or masa precocida. It can be found in Latino Markets but I purchased my Harina Pan on Ebay. Masa Harina, other type of cornmeal, can not be used as a substitute.

All you need is Water, Salt, Pepper, and Harina Pan cornmeal.

i just eyeballed the measurements of each ingredient. You want enough water to mix with the cornmeal to create a mushy, moist dough. Too much dryness, just add more water.

The Venezuelan corncakes are small, about a 5” disc. Form a ball between your palms and compact it to make a disc.

Arepas can be cooked in many ways, placed in a deep fryer, baked, pan fried, grilled. I choose to start cooking them by a quick cast-iron pan sear to create a crispy crust on the outside of the cakes. About 4-5 minutes per side on a hot pan.

After the pan-searing was completed, I threw them in the oven and baked at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. The Arepas came out smelling fresh similar to hot-served cornbread.

To fill the Arepas, split them in half like a bagel, or what I like to do, is cut out a nice pocket, scoop out a little of the soft dough middle, and stuff it like a pita sandwich.

Pernil-Venezuelan Roast Pork served in Arepas with a side of salsa verde.....done.

A true tasty adventure, one that is pleasing to the mind, heart, and soul (and belly)!!!

Summer Grillin': Pork Ribs

There is nothing better to do during summer than hanging out on the back porch with friends, drinking beer, listening to music, and eating great food. The grill is the perfect centerpiece to it all.


St. Louis-style Pork Ribs with grilled potatoes and grilled corn-on-the-cob will leave no one unsatisfied.

There are many ways to prepare ribs. I started with a simple, basic, dry rub paste to marinate the ribs. The combination of garlic/onion/chile powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper, with lime juice and apple cider vinegar gave it a good base to flavor the meat. The ribs were marinated for four hours.

 
It was time to prep the grill. Use a charcoal chimney starter to get a jump start on the burning of coals. Add some crumbled newspaper in the bottom and layer coals to about an inch from the top. Ignite the paper in a few spots.
 

 
Let it get hot and burn for about 10 minutes. When it is good and smoky, its ready.
 

When the coals are fiery red hot, dump the coals in the grill and spread them around the perimeter of the grill. The ribs should be placed in indirect heat.

Basting the ribs while grilling is important. It keeps the ribs nice and moist and adds flavor. My basting juice was a thrown-together mix of water, beer, apple cidar vinegar, lime juice, ready-made BBQ sauce, and a tablespoon of the dry rub. Baste every 20-30 minutes.

After about an hour, the ribs should be tender and juicy. The temperature was kept around 350 degrees.

Prepare grilled potatoes and corn to finish at the same time as the Ribs.

The Pork Ribs should be fall apart ready while the bark, the charred outside of the ribs, is crispy and crunchy. The aroma is perfect for a summer evening on the backyard porch.

St. Louis-style grilled Pork Ribs with potatoes and corn-on-the-cob=the Perfect Summer Beer-Drinking Meal!

Cabesa Puerca: Pig's Head...Roasted

The roasting of a Pig’s Head is a joyous culinary adventure. It takes a certain thrill-seeking eater to venture into this type of meat. The head offers a different taste and texture than a pork chop or rib would. Those who let down their pre-conceived feelings will be greeted with a special and pleasurable foodie experience.


The head was purchased at a local Mexican mercado. It was priced very reasonably.

Please use surgeon’s gloves when cleaning the head and be sure to wash it carefully. Rinse out the nasal cavities, wash behind and in the ears. Pat dry.

Rub the head gently with crushed garlic cloves and coat lightly with olive oil and salt and pepper. Add any other seasoning if you like. I shoved the garlic and sprigs of rosemary into the mouth and other cavities. I placed a lime in its mouth.

I set the oven at 375 degrees and roasted for 1. 5 hours. Every 30 minutes I basted the cabesa with a honey/water mixture. After the first roast, I lowered the temperature to 300-325 degrees for an additional two hours to cook meat all the way through. I wrapped foil around the ears and nose to prevent burning.

If you are cooking for the first time and have never tried Cabesa Puerca, it is smart to make a backup meal. I slow-cooked some boneless pork spare ribs for 6 hours on high, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and menudo.

After roasting the Pig’s Head, cover with foil and let sit for 30 minutes or so. When that is completed, time to cut it up.

The aromas are quite pleasing! I couldn’t help but pick at the skin and munch on the crispy delight of pig’s skin.

The Pig’s tongue was also a delight. Meaty and firm, much like a pork chop.

After the meat was removed from the head, I prepared standard Pork Tacos. The meat of the face and cheek is quite different from other cuts of pork. It is more moist and tender. It literally melted in your mouth. It may not be for the occasionaly pig eater but a special experience nonetheless.

All in all, a roasted Pig’s Head is for a special occasion. Maybe not for daily/weekly consumption. It takes a little gall to clean and handle a Head but the flavors are worth it in the end!