Cannellini Beans with Chicken livers

Whoa, I wasn't sure if my account and password would still work or not. Its been forever since I've been on here. I'd like to begin by saying "congrats" to my man Colesif Hoelsherton (cole's amish name) on his recent graduation from THE University of Missouri. It was an amazing journey but sadly they decided it was time for him to be a grown up and join the real world...you will be sorely missed haha. Congrats buddy. But now on to this bomb recipe I formulated a couple days ago. This recipe is super simple and yummy. HERE WE GO KIDS!!

Cannellini Beans with Chicken Livers

2 cans Cannellini Beans
5-10 chicken livers (depending on how much you like liver)
2-4 trips of bacon
1/2 of a small onion
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Balsalmic Vinegar
1/4 cup Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Begin by dicing the bacon and fry it in a medium sized skillet. Once bacon has rendered its fat, remove with a slotted spoon. Add the onions to the pan and cook on medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant but be careful not to burn it. Clean and trim the livers and carefully cut into large chunks. Add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Open the cans and wash the beans. Add to the pan and toss to incorporate the onions, garlic, and liver. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Oregano, Vinegar, and Cream. Stir and turn heat down to low and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste. Plate the beans and top with fresh grated Parmesan before serving. Yes this recipe is dope and I recommend you try it.

We be SMOKIN!!! (salmon of course)

^^^

Tylor's actually just thinking about getting White Castle

After the 24 hour curing process

The filets after being smoked

               Now that its beginning to warm up outside, It's time to fire up the smoker, baby! These pictures are from some salmon filets I smoked last fall. Smoking food is one of the oldest techniques used to preserve food. Many people know smoke makes things taste fantastic, take bacon for instance. However, many people have no idea that the components of smoke actually have antimicrobial effects. Also, before smoking, many meats are cured. This has two purposes. First of all, curing meats helps decrease the microbial load on the surface of the food, keeping the food safe for consumption longer. Smoking alone isn't enough to ensure food is properly preserved. Curing penetrates all the way through the food where as smoking adds an extra layer of protection to the outside which many people call the smoke ring. Salt, Sugar, and nitrites are the three main ingredients used in a cure. Covering the meat in curing agents greatly increases osmotic pressure. This high osmotic pressure inhibits microbes from moving nutrients and water through its cellular membranes and disrupts many cellular activities. Secondly, curing adds a great deal of flavor. When the meat is covered in the salt and sugar, it very quickly absorbs the flavorings used in the cure. Curing also makes meats more tender. Many meats contain salt soluble proteins (SSP's). These proteins break down very easily in the presence of salt, which luckily for us, is the main ingredient in our cure. When these proteins break down, the meat becomes much more tender, versus if the meat had not been cured and the proteins were still intact. After the curing process, it's time to hit the smoker. A smoker works by filling a chamber (the smoker) with smoke and heat from burning wood chips. The most commonly used woods are hickory, maple, oak, mesquite, cherry, or apple wood. Each wood imparts its own unique flavor profile but they all induce the same chemical changes. Phenols, phenolic compounds, acetic acid, and other organic components found in smoke act as antioxidants as well as antimicrobial agents. Now, when I say antioxidants, I'm not addressing the main stream connotation that has formed around their new found health benefits. Antioxidants keep things from oxidizing. Rusting metal is a form of oxidation and when it happens to food its about as yummy as a rusty piece of steel. The antioxidants prevent oxygen from binding to fats in the meat, thus slowing the rancidification process. No one will want to eat your smelly beef jerky, and no that was not a euphimism. The smoke also causes color changes in the meat, as you can see from the pictures. Now that we know a little of the science behind smoking, lets put it into practice. RECIPE TIME!

Ingredients (Cure)
1 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon crused black peppercorns
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 large salmon filets or sides, pin bones removed

In a bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, brown sugar, peppercorns, and soy sauce. Next lay out a peice if aluminum foil a little longer than the fish. Place a peice of plastic wrap of equal length on top of the foil. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cure on to the plastic wrap. Lay one of the filets skin side down on to the cure. Take another third of cure and sprinkle on top of the filet. Place the second filet, flesh side down, on top of the first filet. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 of the cure. Fold the plastic over the fish and then tightly fold the foil over that, closing the edges and crimping to seal tightly. Place the fish onto a sheet pan and then place another sheetpan on top of the fish. Weigh with a heavy phonebook or brick or two. Refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. After the second 12 hours, remove the fish and rinse with cold water to remove the cure. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towl and allow to sit in a cool, dry place (not the fridge) until the surface is dry and matte-like. Smoke the fish over woodchips at 150 to 160 degrees F until the thickest part of the fish hits 150 degrees. Time veries greatly depending on the smoker so you will just have to keep a close eye on the temp of the smoker and the fish.

Happy Eating,

Tylor

          I've been away from the blog for far two long, so here is a new dish. This delicious little morsel is a deconstructed pork tamale...at least thats what I call it. The round on the bottom is cornmeal mush (polenta) that his been cooled overnight. The pork is cooked in a traditional mexican fashion. The sauce is my version of a 5 minute mole. Mole's traditionally are sauces that simmer for several hours and, in many cases, contain over 20 ingredients. This sauce contains a 70% cocoa dark chocolate. The red onions are pickled in vinegar with sugar and coriander. It is topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Mexican Orange and Milk Stewed Pork

       I know what you're thinking...Milk? It does sound weird at first but when you try it, you'll understand. We're going to infuse this pork with orange and mexican spice and after it's done cooking it will be fall apart tender. Here we go...

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon Lard
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 orange, well washed
1 cup Whole Milk
About 2 cups of Water
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the meat into about 6-8 large pieces. Melt the lard in a heavy dutch oven large enough to hold the meat in one layer. Brown the meat on all sides and season with salt. Squeeze the orange over the meat and toss in the rind. Pour in the milk and add enough water to cover the meat. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover the meat and bake for about 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Uncover, remove the orange rind, and break the meat into large pieces. Bake, uncovered, until most of the liquid had evaporated, about 20 minutes. Remove the pork from pan and shred. This recipe can be made on the stove top if a suitable oven proof container is not available. The flavor of the meat, however, will not be as good. RESERVE the left over cooking liquid for the 5 minute mole, which is up next.

5 Minute Mole

This is a very quick recipe for a classic Mexican sauce that takes several hours to make and can have over 20 ingredients.

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon Mole paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
Juice of 1 half orange

Saute onions in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the chocolate has melted. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Pickled Red Onions

    These little gems are packed with flavor. They add a bit of a crunch and a sweet, acidic component to the dish and play very well with the pork and sauce. They're super easy to make, too. P.S...wear gloves when handling the habanero. They are extremely spicy and can be substituted for jalapenos for those who aren't into the whole crying and sweating at the dinner table thing.

2 whole red onions, cut into strips
1 habanero, seeded, deveined and very finely chopped.
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon ground or whole coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Combine all ingredients into large sealable container. Give it a stir and place in the refrigerator for a day or two. The longer they sit the better they get. If you notice the vinegar becomes too strong, add an equal part of water and that should tone it down.

Polenta Rounds

  I used polenta rounds to mimic the corn flavor you get from a classic tamale filling. You can actually buy premade polenta at the store, which comes in tube form and is a big time saver. The flavor isn't as good and you can't jazz it up like we will here.

1 1/2 cups cold water
1/3 cup yellow corn meal
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt.

Whisk together all ingredients in a 1 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Drop the heat to low and continue cooking until very thick, about 15-20 minutes. Spread the polenta out onto an oiled baking sheet. We want about 1/4 inch thick rounds. Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour. Cut out 2 1/2 inch rounds from the polenta with cookie cutter. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet and broil for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.

Once all of the components have been made it's time to construct our dish. We begin by placing a polenta round on the plate. Next we add some pork and then the mole. We finish the dish with the pickled onions, sour cream, and cilantro.

Happy Eating,

Tylor