Goat Stuffed Pig and a Cook's Christmas Wish List

After receiving over a dozen emails last week asking me to recommend the best cooking gifts, I decided to make an official list that can be passed directly on to Santa. I chose my favorite things, with a wide range in price and size (to fit in a stocking or in a box), that make cooking a lot easier and much more fun. 

It wouldn't be a proper Christmas list without a cookbook. We all know no one can have too many cookbooks, so a good book is always an easy choice for putting under the tree. Wrap up my friend Libbie Summers’ fabulous new book, The Whole Hog Cookbook. The book is breathtakingly beautiful and is a real education in all things pig. Libbie is not only Paula Deen's culinary producer and senior food editor, but is also a gifted story teller and teacher in her own right.  She knows her subject well. It's no surprise since Libbie was learning to butcher hogs while other children her age were playing games. Her knowledge and realness shows on each pretty page and in every recipe. Buy it, wrap it up, and become the best gift-giver in your family.

Read on for Libbie's recipe for Goat Stuffed Pig, a goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin with a pear gravy that practically screams Christmas dinner.

Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron Covered Casserole

Thermapen

Magnetic Measuring Spoons

 

Oxo Good Grips Meat Pounder

 

Goat Stuffed Pig

(with Pear Pan Gravy)

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin

Photo by Chia Chong

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 ripe pears, peeled and diced

1/2 cup chopped dried pears

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

2 firm pears, thickly sliced (skin on)

1 1/2 cups pork stock, divided (can substitute chicken stock)

1/4 cup pear brandy (can substitute apple brandy)

1 cup apple cider

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

To butterfly tenderloin, use a sharp knife and make a cut (lengthwise) down the center of the pork tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of the bottom. Open the cut meat and lay flat between two pieces of plastic wrap.

Pound the meat until it is of even thickness. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Lightly salt and pepper uncovered side of tenderloin.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together diced ripe pears, dried pears, garlic, goat cheese, parsley and pecans. Spread mixture over the top of the butterflied roast to within 1" of the edges. Roll up log side, removing plastic wrap. Tie with butcher's twine every 2 inches to secure. Salt and pepper lightly.

Place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan along with sliced pears and 1/2 cup pork stock. Roast until internal temperature reaches 155º F (approximately 12 to 18 minutes).

Remove from oven and allow tenderloin to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before removing butcher's twine and slicing into thick slices. Serve warm with Pear Pan Gravy.

For Pear Pan Gravy: makes 2 cups

With a slotted spoon, transfer the pears in the roasting pan to a bowl and keep warm. Pour off any fat from the roasting pan, leaving the meat juices on the bottom. Put pan over medium-high heat, add apple brandy and deglaze pan allowing the alcohol to burn off and being sure to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan (approximately 1 minute) . Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan. Whisk in remaining stock, apple cider and thyme. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Stir in cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in butter and pears. Serve warm, poured over Goat Stuffed Pig.

Recipe courtesy of Libbie Summers and The Whole Hog Cookbook, (Rizzoli 2011)

Copyright © 2011 Rebecca Lang Cooks, LLC. All rights reserved. 

www.rebeccalangcooks.com

Giving Thanks over Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Each and every one of us is blessed in some way. My sweet dad says a blessing at the table that includes, “Thank you for these and all our many blessings.” It’s a sentence I try to remember each time I sit down to eat.

Looking back on the year is bittersweet. It's been a busy time of excitement but also a tough year for us. We lost a family member this summer and needless to say, it's been a very long road. This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for every single day I have with those that I love. We are so blessed and I will be thankful for that every chance I get.

Take a moment to make a list of 10 things that make you thankful. I made my list and it's now on my refrigerator door.

1. My children are healthy and happy.

2. I have a husband I admire and love.

3. Mama's help that allows me to do what I do and my morning phone calls with my dad.

4. My home is comfortable.

5. I have a strong, good-to-the-core family.

6. I adore my job.

7. My church and all the people that work to make it such a blessing to so many.

8. My friends are so very supportive and caring.

9. I will always have my memories of those no longer with us.

10. Our table is always filled with food. This Thanksgiving, it includes my irresistible Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

4 Tbsp. ice water

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 Tbsp. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups pecan halves

1. Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles the size of peas. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball; cover and chill 45 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 450˚. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Fold edges under, and crimp. Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake pastry 3 more minutes. Remove pastry crust to a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350˚.

3. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat in a large saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and next 5 ingredients. Stir in pecans.

4. Bake pie at 350˚ for 45 to 50 minutes, or until set and slightly puffed. Cool completely before serving.

The Basic and Brilliant Virginia Willis

You will read countless words about Virginia Willis as an author and an authority on Southern cooking. The following words are about who Virginia Willis is.

To cook from Virginia’s books is a lot like really knowing her. Every bite of her food is just as wonderful as the last and the beauty of each dish is as equally delightful as the taste. What you see is what you get. She is the same joyous, charming woman in person as she is on stage or on screen. Her charismatic warmth is no public persona – it is truly who she is.

Virginia is one of the most sensitive people I’ve ever known. I’ve called her countless times for advice and not once has she ever said she was too busy or couldn’t help steer me in the right direction. She has listened to me cry, pepped me up in sticky times, and said, “Oh honey, I’m so happy for you,” in moments of my utmost joy. She is a friend like every woman needs.

Her relationship with her sweet mama says more about her soul than I can describe. As a mother to a daughter, I hope and pray that I can have that same relationship with my child when she is grown. I’ve watched Virginia hug her mama and hold on for a few seconds longer than expected. She loves that woman in an intense sense of the word. Not only are they mother and daughter, they are also beloved friends. Every mother should be so blessed.

In the last 24 hours, I’ve had the unique pleasure of cooking and tasting 5 of her recipes out of her brand new book, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all. Each and every one was more than excellent (including the Arugula with Country Ham and Pecans below). They are recipes that I will cook again and again. I curled up with her beautiful cookbook and my coffee this morning. Even if Virginia had never donned an apron, she could have made a fine living as wordsmith.

Just like Virginia’s gracious personality, she’s offering a special treat for my readers during the next 2 weeks. Buy Basic to Brilliant, Yall, and get your very own personalized bookplate. How fun is that?

She can cook with the grace God, write like we all wish we could, and is a friend that I’m thankful to have in my life.

Arugula with Country Ham and Pecans

Serves 4 to 6

8 cups arugula, dandelion, or frisée (about 6 ounces)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon firmly packed light brown sugar

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 thin slices country ham, cut into lardons (see sidebar)

1/2 onion, preferably Vidalia, thinly sliced

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup crumbled aged white Cheddar cheese(about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Place the greens in large bowl. Set aside. Stir together

the vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in small

bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until

crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer

the ham to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium

heat, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes;

add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to

60 seconds. Add the vinegar mixture, then remove

from the heat. Working quickly, scrape the bottom of

the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any yummy

browned bits. Set aside to cool just slightly.

Pour the warm dressing over the reserved greens,

add the ham, and toss gently with tongs until the

arugula is slightly wilted. Taste and adjust for seasoning

with salt and pepper. Divide among chilled

serving plates. Sprinkle over the cheese and pecans.

Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve

immediately.

Brilliant: Short Recipe

Crispy Deep-Fried Eggs

Green eggs and ham? How about Greens with Egg and Ham to take this Basic salad to Brilliant? 
Bring 4 large eggs to room temperature. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. In a small, heavy saucepan, pour in about 1 1/2 cups peanut oil to fill half full. Heat over medium heat until it reads 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working with 1 egg at a time, break the egg into a small ramekin, and then slowly and carefully slide it into the hot oil. It will spit and sizzle. Cook until the egg is crunchy on the outside and the yolk is still runny, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift the egg out of the oil and transfer to the prepared plate. Season with finishing salt and freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Serve immediately atop the wilted salad.  

Reprinted with permission from Basic to Brilliant, Y’all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
Photo credit: Helene Dujardin © 2011

Copyright © 2011 Rebecca Lang Cooks, LLC. All rights reserved. 

www.rebeccalangcooks.com

 

Girls, Get to the Grill!

You’ve seen your man get a testosterone rush with his spatula, hot grill and cold beer. Swap it up and get your own giggles. Grab a glass wine, your favorite apron and declare the spatula yours for the weekend. Your hair will smell like smoke, your food will be amazing and you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Who made the rule that women must stay in the kitchen and boil potatoes while the men fuel the flames outside? Isn’t it just as appropriate, if not more, that the women, who feed the mouths on every other day, also “man” the grill for the holiday meal? It’s fun, it’s empowering, and it’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and feed the flock at the same time.

If you’ve never grilled before, it can be a little intimidating. It’s like trying to find the treadmills on the first day in a new gym or changing the very first diaper on your firstborn. After just one time, you’re comfortable and know exactly what you’re doing. Give it a try and get out of the kitchen and live up the long weekend outside. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook with much less cleanup at the end.

Elizabeth Karmel is a Southern girl that has been leading the charge to get women to the grill all over America. She’s the founder of GirlsattheGrill.com. Just like every other woman in the world, she’s got countless irons in the fire each day. Elizabeth is an innovator in designing and creating grilling products. In addition to writing 3 cookbooks, she is the Executive Chef of Hill Country Barbecue Market in NYC and Washington, DC, and NYC’s Hill Country Chicken. After all, it takes a lot of energy and talent to be named “America’s Female Grilling Expert” by Stephen Raichlen.

Following Elizabeth’s lead can make any woman comfortable in front of an open flame. Knowing a few general rules before getting started is a huge help. GirlsattheGrill.com teaches women everything from lighting the grill to testing for doneness. Even tips like tying up long hair and using long handled tongs to preserve a manicure are included. Put your newfound skills to work and fire up the grill for Labor Day. You may never cook inside again.

Elizabeth Karmel’s Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwich

Barbecue is a noun. In North Carolina it is defined as pulled pork with a distinctive tangy vinegar sauce—no dark heavy, sugary sweet sauce allowed! The pork is either “pulled” into pieces or chopped with a meat clever and doused with the vinegar-rich “dip.” The thin sauce cuts through the richness of the pork and perfectly accentuates the sweet, smoky meat. In parts of South Carolina, the vinegar is mixed with yellow mustard for a sharper tang and a golden-hued barbecue, that is beloved by those who grew up with it and bemoaned by those who didn’t. Both sandwiches are served on a classic white hamburger bun topped with a simple slaw of chopped green cabbage dressed with the same vinegar sauce.

Grilling Method: Indirect/Low Heat

Hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes 1           

Pork Butt, Boston Butt or untrimmed end-cut pork shoulder roast, 7 to 9 pounds

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Lexington-Style BBQ Sauce (see below)

North Carolina Coleslaw (see below)

1 package plain white hamburger buns—no sesame seeds

Prepare either a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking.

Remove pork from wrapper. Do not trim any excess fat off the meat, this fat will naturally baste the meat and keep it moist during the long cooking time. Brush pork with a thin coating of Olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside on a clean tray until ready to cook.

Before placing the meat on the grill, add soaked wood chips. Place chips directly on white-gray ash briquettes or in the smoking box of your gas grill. For more tips on smoking on a gas grill, see sidebar. If using a charcoal grill, you will need to add charcoal every hour to maintain the heat.

Place pork in the center of the cooking grate fat-side up. Cook slowly for 4 to 5 hours at 325- 350°F, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork registers 190°F-200°F. The meat should be very tender and falling apart. If there is a bone in the meat, it should come out smooth and clean with no meat clinging to it. (This is the real test for doneness on the barbecue circuit.) Remember, there is no need to turn the meat during the entire cooking time.

Let meat rest for 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using rubber food-service gloves, pull meat from the skin, bones and fat. Set aside any crispy bits (fat) that has been completely rendered and looks almost burned. Working quickly, shred the chunks of meat with two forks by crossing the forks and “pulling” the meat into small pieces from the roast. Alternately, you can chop the meat with a cleaver if you prefer. Chop the reserved crispy bits and mix into the pulled pork. While the meat is still warm, mix with enough Lexington-Style BBQ Sauce (recipe follows) to moisten and season the meat, about 3⁄4 cup. The recipe can be made in advance up to this point and reheated with about 1⁄4 cup additional sauce in a double boiler.

Serve sandwich style on a white hamburger bun and top with North Carolina Coleslaw (recipe follows). Serve additional sauce on the side, if desired. Serves 10

Lexington-Style BBQ Sauce:

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1⁄2-1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (the more flakes, the hotter the sauce*)

2 tablespoons white sugar

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

1⁄2 cup ketchup

Mix all ingredients together and let sit at least 10 minutes or almost indefinitely in the refrigerator. (*Note, the longer the sauce sits, the hotter it gets since the heat from the red pepper flakes is brought out by the vinegar. Start with 1⁄2 tablespoon red pepper flakes and then add more to taste. )

North Carolina Coleslaw:

1 recipe Lexington-Style BBQ Sauce (see above):

1 medium head green cabbage, chopped or grated

Mix sauce and cabbage together until well mixed and not quite wet. Refrigerate. Let sit 2 hours or overnight.

South Carolina Mustard Sauce:

3⁄4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup prepared yellow mustard

1⁄2 cup molasses

1⁄4 cup honey

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 1⁄2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1⁄2teaspoon ground black pepper

3 dashes cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons fine-ground sea salt, optional

In a stainless steel or non-reactive saucepan, combine the liquid ingredients. Whisk to combine and bring to just under a boil, stirring well. Add spices and whisk again. Note: The most popular Carolina Mustard Sauces do not include salt in their list of ingredients, preferring a very sweet single note sauce. I think that the pork tastes a little bland without the salt so I add the salt, giving the sauce a little more complexity. Reduce to a simmer and let cook and additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before using.

Yield: 2 cups

South Carolina Coleslaw:

1 recipe South Carolina Mustard Sauce (see above)

2 medium head green cabbage, chopped or grated

Mix sauce and cabbage together until well mixed and not quite wet. Refrigerate. Let sit 2 hours or overnight.

Recipes and headnote © 2011 Elizabeth A. Karmel, recipes adapted from the cookbook, Taming the Flame: Secrets to Hot and Quick Grilling and Low and Slow BBQ (John Wiley & Sons).
Photograph courtesy Elizabeth A. Karmel.

Copyright © 2011 Rebecca Lang Cooks, LLC. All rights reserved. 

www.rebeccalangcooks.com

16 Tips for Proper Grocery Store Etiquette

I believe the two groups that frequent the grocery store the most are those that work in food and women with children. That leaves me in both groups and nearly qualified to receive mail at my local store. Shopping for groceries can be a relaxing, therapeutic experience when all goes well and nothing short of maddening when it doesn’t. If only all shoppers brushed up on their manners before filling up their carts, grocery shopping would be more enjoyable for all of us.

The amazing (and pillar of politeness) Central Market in Dallas, TX

1.  If you want to pass in front of another shopper while she is looking for an item, saying, “excuse me,” is absolutely necessary.

2.  Do not wander the store talking to friends using a cell phone earpiece. Every other shopper thinks you’re talking to her. No one is so important that they can’t make it through the store without communicating with the outside.

3.  When a mother is desperately trying to calm her crying baby, please be extra sweet to her. I promise, she wants the child to calm down just as much as you do.

4.  Control your children in the store. Running kids and moving carts do not go together.

5.  If a woman is shopping with more than one child, be overly courteous. Until you’ve shopped with small children, you don’t understand how much easier it is to buy groceries alone.

6.  Look before pulling out at the end of the aisle. It’s a crash waiting to happen.

7. Do not choose produce and then snack on it as you shop. When you're paying by weight, that's stealing.

8.  Do not begin unloading your cart on the conveyor belt until the person in front of you has completely emptied her cart.

9.  If someone is behind you in line with one or two items, be kind and let them in front of you.

10.  Do not write a check. If you don’t use credit cards, get cash out of the bank. Others behind you would like to check out in a timely manner.

11.  Clip all coupons at home. During check out is not the time to organize, clip, or choose coupons.

12.  For those with massive three ring binders of coupons that impressively turn saving money into a job (whom I have the utmost respect for), please tell those behind you in line that they may want to choose another line. It’s going to be a while.

13.  While in your car, give the right of way to those walking in and out of the store. It’s easy. Just stop your car and wait for shoppers to pass.

14.  As in any other parking lot, turn on your blinker when aiming for a spot. If you see a car waiting with a blinker flashing, that spot is taken.

15.  Put your cart in the designated place in the parking lot. I don’t want to go home with a ding in my door and neither do you.

16.  Offer to take another’s cart in as you pass by in the parking lot.

Last Minute 4th of July

If you're like me and life got in the way for a charcoal filled 4th of July celebration, it's not too late. It's one of my favorite holidays and always has been. No need to fire up the grill when time is short. Have barbecue in the slow-cooker and still have a few minutes to watch the fireworks. With my barbecue and my mama's barbecue sauce, you'll be set for a crowd.

Short-Cut Barbecue

Makes 10 cups

Serves 10

Slow-cooking time: 7 hours

Southern barbecue recipes are endless, with every serious outdoor cook making his or her own version and swearing it’s the best. Preparing a smoker (and learning how to work it) can take quite a lot of time. Save some time by plugging in the slow cooker and letting it do the work. Use the shredded meat to make barbecue sandwiches or combine it with a slice of white bread and slaw for a barbecue plate. If a 6-pound roast is hard to find, use two smaller ones instead.

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (6-pound) bone-in Boston butt roast

1 (12-ounce) pale ale beer

Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Lightly spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the dry rub, combine the sugar, salt, celery seed, chili powder, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Generously massage the dry rub into all sides of the roast.  Place the roast, fat side up, in the prepared slow cooker. Pour the beer around, not over, the roast and place the cover on the slow cooker. Cook on high for 7 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone.

Transfer the roast to a large mixing bowl, discarding the cooking liquid left in the slow cooker. Discard the bones. Use two forks to shred the meat. Stir in 1 cup Tangy Barbecue Sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Makes 4 1/2 cups

Mama always made her tangy barbecue sauce to go with my dad’s ribs or chopped barbecue for family get-togethers on the back porch. I’ll never forget the CorningWare saucepan she used with the removable handle. It’s a miracle that pot wasn’t dyed pink after years of holding the red, bubbling sauce.

1/4 cup butter

1 cup finely diced Vidalia onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups ketchup

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Cook for 10 minutes.

Keep the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Copyright © 2011 Rebecca Lang Cooks, LLC. All rights reserved. 

www.rebeccalangcooks.com 

Recipes from Quick-Fix Southern.