This comforting pork stew recipe is exactly the kind of homey dish you want waiting for you after a long, hard week…and maybe a 13-hour drive. Unfortunately, I made this last week, so I couldn’t actually enjoy it today, after a long, hard week and 13-hour drive, but just editing it made me feel better. It was that good.

This stew version is inspired by the classic Italian recipe, “maiale al latte,” or “pork in milk,” but instead of the usual moo juice, I decided to make my own with chicken broth and crème fraiche. I figured I’d get the same basic viscosity and fat content (okay, maybe a tad more), but also a little more flavor, and a better texture once reduced.

I topped it with some fried sage, which is an optional, messy, but delicious extra step, and makes this much more restauranty. Simply heat a 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a small pan, and toss in some (not wet!) whole sage leaves. Fry until crisp, about 10-15 seconds

The classic preparation involves braising and slicing a whole roast, but one taste and I think you’ll agree it translates beautifully to the stew delivery system. I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 1/2 pound pork shoulder, cut in 2-inch cubes (note: I only had 1 pound, but the recipe will work with another half, which will make four nice portions)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 strips bacon

1 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup crème fraiche

2 tbsp fresh chopped sage leaves, plus more for frying

salt and pepper to taste

red chili flakes to taste

*Simmer covered for 1 hour, and then uncovered until the meat is very tender, and the sauce is thickened. Adjust with more broth if needed.

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How great is Salad Lyonnaise? Lyon is considered the meat capital of France, and yet the city’s most famous, and reproduced dish is probably this simple frisee salad. Now that’s some delicious irony.

Don’t worry…this salad is far from vegan. The mildly bitter greens are dressed in a shallot and Dijon dressing, it’s spiked with a generous handful of crispy lardons, or bacon in my case, and topped with a runny egg.

By the way, unless you’re some kind of crazy person, you’re going to need some crispy croutons or crostini to finish this masterpiece off. Here’s a link to the ones I used for this, sans Parmigiano-Reggiano. You’ll also want to taste and adjust the dressing to your liking. I use a 2-to-1, oil to vinegar ratio, as I think you need some acidity to cut the richness of the bacon and egg yolk, but you may not want it as sharp.

As I joked about in the video, this is so tasty, it may be the only salad that has a chance to be picked as someone’s last meal. There’s good, and then there’s death row good. Anyway, I’ve been dying to film this old favorite, and I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 generous portions:

2 heads frisee lettuce, aka curly endive, or use arugula

8 oz bacon (or pancetta if you want to experience something closer to real lardons)

4 large eggs

1 tbsp chives

For the dressing (makes extra, about 3/4 cup total):

1 generous tbsp minced shallots

1 generous tbsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup lightly flavored olive oil

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One of my all-time favorite street foods in San Francisco is Roli Roti’s famous porchetta sandwich, served at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. For those of you not familiar with the perfection that is the porchetta, it's a loin, and possibly other cuts of heavily seasoned pig parts, wrapped inside a pork belly, which is then roasted until the inside is tender, and the outside is crispy and crackling. It’s then sliced and served on a crusty roll with salsa verde.

It’s insanely good, and something I've always wanted to try doing at home. Of course, a real porchetta feeds like 20 people, so I wanted a version that would be better suited for a smaller group. 

I decided to try using a small pork shoulder roast. The plan was to mimic the same flavors, but cook it more like pork loin, instead of the usual fork tender, falling apart state we associate with this cut. Pulled pork was not what I was after here.

It worked wonderfully, although you do need to slice it nice and thin. We’re only cooking this to 145 F. which is not high enough a temperature to break down all that connective tissue. All in all, I thought it was a very successful experiment, especially when you consider how much we scaled this down. 

What it didn’t feature however, was that crispy skin, also known as “the best part.” I wish I’d thought of it before I finished the video, but what I should have done was fried up some diced pancetta (un-smoked Italian bacon) until it was perfectly crispy, and topped the sandwich with that! That would have put this already fine faux-porchetta over the top! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 very large portions:

2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast, butterflied open, and slashes made all over the connective tissues

olive oil as needed

1 tbsp kosher salt (2 tsp for inside, and 1 for out)

1 tbsp black pepper

2 tbsp chopped sage leaves

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

6 cloves minced garlic

zest from a large orange

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

- Stuff, tie, salt, and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours

- Roast at 450 F. for 15 minutes

- Reduce heat to 250 F. and roast another hour, or until an internal temp of 145 F.

For the vinegar sauce:

1/2 anchovy fillet

1 tsp hot chili flakes or to taste

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley

Bonus How to Butterfly Meat for Rolling Video! 

 

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This grilled salmon with warm bacon and corn relish is another installment in our long-running series, “Salmon Recipes for People Tired of Salmon Recipes.” No one eats as much salmon as I do, and so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make it seem a tad more exciting.

In the business, this is known as “elevating” it, and as you may already know, nothing elevates like bacon. It’s the helium of smoked meats. Combine that bacon with sweet, almost raw corn, and you have a relish worthy of its verb. I mean, if your not going to relish your relish, what's the point?

I mention in the video that I like the taste and texture of white corn, but prefer the sunnier appearance of yellow corn. That trade-off is always an interesting discussion, with some saying taste always trumps looks, while others will insist that the appearance effects how the flavor is perceived, so even if slightly less sweet, the golden colored one may be enjoyed more.

Like most food-related arguments, both sides are right and wrong, and I tend to oscillate between the two schools, although when in doubt, I’ll generally lean toward taste. Anyway, no matter which color corn you use, you’re sure to enjoy this new, and hopefully slightly more exciting way to serve salmon. Give it a try soon, and enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Portions:

2 center-cut, boneless salmon filets (8-oz)

salt and pepper to taste

For the relish:

corn kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn, plus any juices

6 stripes bacon, sliced

1/4 cup green onions, white and light parts (reserve green for garnish)

1/4 cup diced red pepper

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

2 tsp olive oil (optional depending on how much bacon fat you had)

1 or 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or other vinegar, or acid like lemon, lime, etc)

*I didn’t have any in the garden, but a little fresh tarragon is great in this too.

View the complete recipe

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When I first do a version of a classic dish like paella, I try to use a minimum of number of ingredients and steps so we focus on the technique. So, while you experienced paella makers will probably find this quite unremarkable, it really is intended for the first-timer. 

Real paella is not baked, but cooked on top of a fire, which results in a similarly textured rice to what you see here, except a layer caramelizes onto the bottom of the pan, and those gloriously crunchy bits are considered the best part. So, basically I’m telling you we left out the best part.

The trade-off is that this method eliminates most of the finesse and monitoring required by the traditional method. Consider this a gateway paella, and the first step to a serious, lifelong addiction. Besides the method, ideally you’ll use a wider variety of ingredients; things like clams, mussels, squid, chicken are all very commonly used, and will make your rice that much more interesting.

No matter how you cook you paella, one thing you must try to include is the saffron. Besides the short-grain rice, this is probably the most key addition. Unfortunately, the flavor and aroma are almost impossible to describe, so you really need to experience it yourself to fully understand. I’ve heard it described using things like “earthy metallic honey,” and “rusty champagne,” but these really don’t do it justice.

Anyway, if you’ve never tried to make paella before, I really hope this inspires you to give it a go. The Arborio we use here is easy to find in the big grocery stores, and as long as you stick to the liquid/rice ratio, there’s not a lot that can go wrong. And like I said in the video, stay tuned for my future attempt at a more classic version. In the meantime, I hope you give this quick and easy paella a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

(best to use a 12 or 13 inch wide skillet)

For the saffron broth:

2 tsp olive oil

reserved shrimp shells from 1 pound of jumbo shrimp

1/2 to 1 tsp saffron threads, depending on how strong you want the flavor

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

*Simmer for 20 minutes, strain and reserve. Be sure to season generously with salt, or your rice will be bland.

For the paella:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz sliced chorizo sausage, or any smoky, spicy sausage

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/3 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup green peas

1 tsp regular or smoked paprika, optional depending on how much was in the sausage

2 cups (exactly) hot saffron broth, or just plain hot chicken broth

1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips

salt and cayenne to taste

garnish top with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and freshly chopped Italian parsley

lemon wedges, optional (some love lemon, I prefer without, but give it a try and see)

*Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes, then finish over med-high flame until rice is just tender. It will be firm and slightly sticky. Don’t burn it, but you can leave it on the flame a little longer to try and get the rice to caramelize and crust onto the bottom of the pan, like the classic version. Be careful.

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One of the sadder side effects of the American culinary renaissance we’ve enjoyed over the last thirty or forty years, has been the chronic under-cooking of green vegetables. Sure, there was a time when we cooked everything too long, but now, if it’s not bright green and still crispy, it’s considered ruined.

That’s why every once and a while you have to enjoy something like these slow-cooked, southern-style green beans. These beans are cooked forever in a bacon-spiked, aromatic broth, and when they’re finally done, you’re almost shocked at how good they are. It seems so wrong, yet tastes so right.

I think two hours is perfect, but if your beans are fatter/thinner, you’ll have to adjust the time. What you’re looking for is something that literally melts in your mouth. Vibrant, quickly blanched green beans are many things, but “melt in your mouth” isn’t one of them. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 handful sliced bacon (6 oz)

1 sliced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup tomato sauce

3 cups chicken broth

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

View the complete recipe

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I love Twitter for many reasons, but stumbling upon recipe ideas is probably my favorite. I recently saw a picture posted by my friend, Mardi from eat. live. travel. write, for something called, “BLT Pasta,” and I immediately had one of those, “why didn’t I think of that” moments. By the way, I have four or five of those moments a day.

Since I get so many food wishes for pasta recipes, I figured I would give it a go. Plus, as luck would have it, I had some arugula in the fridge just begging to be used. I knew that this combination would taste great, but I wasn’t prepared for just how great.

I decided to use crème fraiche as the main sauce ingredient, and it worked beautifully. It was just rich enough, and the fermented cream’s subtle nuttiness was an excellent foil for the smoky meat, sweet tomatoes, and bitter greens. As I mentioned in the video, crème fraiche is pretty easy to find, but of course we’ll encourage you to follow this link and make your own.

If you can’t find or make some, just use heavy cream along with a squeeze of lemon juice to mimic that essential tanginess. Thank you Mardi (and Twitter) for the inspiration, and if you’re looking for a quick, easy, and very summery pasta idea, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz bacon

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp lemon zest

2/3 cup crème fraiche

2 cups halved cheery tomatoes

3-4 cups roughly chopped arugula or other salad greens

2 cups macaroni, cooked, drained
grated Parmesan

View the complete recipe

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This simple squash and sausage stew represents my idea of the perfect summer supper. It’s very comforting, relatively fast, wonderfully flavorful, and helps solve a problem that’s existed since neighbors started planting gardens; what to do with all that squash.

If you’ve ever planted squash, you know that there’s no stopping this force of nature once it starts producing. Just a single row of plants will yield enough for you, your immediate family, your extended family, your secret second family, your neighbors, traveling salesmen, and anyone else who happens to cross your path.

Far from simply hiding the humble vegetable, this recipe lets the squash be the star. As long as you follow my pleas to let everything get nice and soft and tender, a very fine bowl of food awaits you and your crusty hunk of bread. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 tsp olive oil

1 pound Andouille sausage, or other spicy, smoked sausage

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup crushed tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth, or as needed

2 pounds summer squash, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup diced green pepper

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
grated parmesan cheese, optional

View the complete recipe

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Someone sent me a video link last summer, showing someone spiral cutting a hot dog. The wienercision was done by Blake Smith from Chow.com, and I remember wondering if this technique would work with parboiled Italian sausage.

Oh, it worked. It worked real good. By the way, I was going to provide a link to the aforementioned video, but Blake ended the demo by putting ketchup on his hot dog, so forget it. Okay, fine, since I did steal his technique, here you go.

Not only does this look very cool, the technique also provides a significantly greater amount of surface area, and when you’re talking about grilling meat, it’s all about the surface area. You could brush barbecue sauce on an un-helixed Italian sausage, but here you’re literally flavoring the sausage inside and out. 

And if you're skeptical about how well barbecue sauce goes with Italian sausage, take it from someone who ate one; it’s a match made in backyard barbecue heaven. I’d like to wish all you a safe and very festive Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you “spring” these curly “Q” sausages on your guests. Enjoy!

View the complete recipe

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I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I’d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn’t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don’t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I’ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs 

 

View the complete Poached Eggs recipe

View the complete Monte Cristo Benedict recipe


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Many years ago, at a small neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco, a young cook got to do his very first menu “special.” It featured pulled chicken, Cajun sausage, and peppers stewed in a rich, spicy gravy; and was served over grilled French bread. 

Not sure what to call it, the inexperienced, but handsome cook described it as a, “sort of Cajun ragout of chicken,” which made it on to the specials board as, “Cajun Chicken Ragu.”

Yes, I was that young cook, and the following recipe is pretty close to that historic dish. While I did enjoy it over the grilled bread back in the day, a gravy this awesome really deserves to be served over a big pile of rice. These are the kind of things you learn as you mature. That, and make sure you spell out your specials to the disinterested waiter writing the chalkboard.

Anyway, since I’m not going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (I’m allergic to feathers and drunk tourists), I thought I’d dust off this old, personal favorite, which while not totally authentic, certainly celebrates those fabulous Cajun/Creole flavors.

As I mentioned in the video, this works with any kind of chicken, raw or cooked. As long as you simmer the gravy to an appropriate thickness, and make sure your meats are fully cooked, and heated through, you should be in bon shape. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions of Cajun Chicken Ragu:

6 slices of bacon, cut in 1/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

large pinch of salt

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3 cups cold chicken broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 oz andouille sausage, sliced

2 or 3 cups pulled chicken meat

1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more to garnish

*check for salt and seasoning, and adjust at the end!

View the complete recipe

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Like almost all the videos I do, this tutorial for how to butterfly, stuff, roll, tie, and roast a pork loin was inspired by a viewer’s request. However, this was NOT your typical food wish, as it came via Chris LaFrieda, from the celebrated Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors! 

That’s right. America’s most famous butchers are fans of the channel, and asked me if I wanted to do a video with some of their fabulous meat. After carefully considering the offer for two or three seconds, I agreed, and we decided to show their technique for a rolled, stuffed, caul-fat-wrapped pork loin.

Not only do the LaFrieda’s star in their own TV show, "Meat Men," but their client list is a who’s who of the country’s top chefs. Their custom burger mixes are legendary, with the most famous being the Minetta Tavern’s “Black Label Burger.” Basically, if you’ve not heard of Pat LaFrieda Meats, you need to turn in your foodie card right now.

I tried my best to adapt their technique for the home kitchen, and as you’ll see, there really isn’t anything that even an average home cook couldn’t accomplish. For example, the butterflying may not look very elegant with all those slash marks, but in the end it will look amazing, and is a bit easier than the pro method.

As far as the caul fat wrap goes, you’ll need to go past the supermarket meat case, and talk to a real butcher. Anyone that can get you a large pork loin roast, like the one we used here, will be able to get you a half-pound of caul fat. It really is one of the keys to this procedure.

Pork loin is so lean, and by covering it in a thin layer of caul fat, you’re adding lots of moisture, as well as another layer of flavor. I highly suggest you find some, and if you don’t use it all for your roast, it makes a perfect casing for some sausage patties.

Anyway, a very special thank you to Chris LaFrieda, and the rest of the LaFrieda family for the opportunity to share this great technique. I hope you enjoy the video, and it gives you the confidence to try this exciting technique soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
5-6 pound boneless pork loin roast, butterflied as shown

salt and pepper to taste (be generous, that’s a lot of meat)

3 cups any prepared bread stuffing recipe (ones with herbs and dried fruit will be particularly delicious)

caul fat, as needed

1 sliced onion for the roasting pan

Roast at 450 degrees F. for 15 minutes to sear.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees F. for about 1 1/2 hour OR until an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Pan Sauce Note: Once you remove the roast, you can add a splash of water to the pan, along with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar if desired. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, scrapping the goodness from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Season to taste, and spoon over sliced meat.

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I didn’t intend for this baked eggplant sandwich to turn into yet another Super Bowl party food post, but two bites in and I realized that’s what may have happened. The reason for this epiphany had nothing to do with taste or texture, but with temperature. I’d forgotten just how truly delicious these are served at room temp, which was always how the Italians I learned this from served it.

Of course, like any normal person faced with a warm, cheese-filled anything, I ate one as soon as possible, and it was great. Golden-brown and crisp on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. However, when I went back for seconds an hour later, I got to experience these in all their cooled-off glory.

While not as crispy, they were still crunchy around the edges and featured an entirely different flavor profile. Hot salami isn’t the greatest expression of the sausage maker’s art, and you really don’t appreciate the eggplant’s subtle sweetness playing against the cheese when hot.

I’m not sure exactly why, but Italians seem to have a thing for room temperature fried foods, especially vegetables. I’ve heard Mario Batali talk about this before, but there seems to be a long tradition of letting fried stuff cool down first before eating.

Happily, this practice works perfectly for entertaining, since you can bake these off ahead of time, and put them out on a tray anytime. Whether for your Super Bowl party, or not, I hope you give these addictive eggplant sandwiches a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for each eggplant sandwich:

2 thick slices eggplant (Note: some people salt the slices to draw off liquid, which they say is bitter. I’ve done this for other eggplant recipes, but not for these sandwiches. With the breading and filling, I actually think the slight bitterness is an advantage.)

3 thin, small slices of salami

1/2 slice provolone cheese

1 generous tablespoon olive oil, divided

seasoned flour as needed (flour with enough fine salt, pepper, and cayenne so that it tastes “seasoned” when you dip your finger in it)

beaten eggs, as needed (2 eggs is enough for about 4 sandwiches)

plain breadcrumbs, as needed
1 tsp very finely grated Parmesan cheese

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Chips and dips may be fine for regular season gridiron action, but when the playoffs roll around, and you need to go that extra yard to score a touchdown with your guests’ taste buds, these Italian sausage-spiced baby back ribs are a proven big game performer. 

If only I could’ve somehow added a few more forced football references into that intro.

Sweet and succulent pork ribs are never a bad addition to the game day buffet, but they can get predictable with the same old rubs and sauces. Here we have all the baby back rib-y goodness you know and love, but with the flavor profile of sweet Italian fennel sausage.

I know a lot of you wrap your ribs in foil for the initial slow/low cooking phase, as do I, but here we’re doing them uncovered to help achieve a slightly chewier, more toothsome texture. These are still quite tender and juicy, but just not too soft, and falling off the bone.

These really did have a wonderful flavor, which was further highlighted by the spicy, sweet, and tangy orange glaze. My only regret was that I didn’t have any hotdog buns around, as I would have pulled out the bones, and served these just like a real sausage sandwich. There’s always a next time.

Anyway, I enjoyed all that rich and fancy holiday feasting as much as anyone, but now all I’m craving is a couch, a cold beer, and a simple plate of ribs…that tastes like sausage. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 racks of baby back ribs:

2 trimmed racks of baby back pork ribs

For the rub:

1 tbsp fennel seed, crushed fine

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste

For the glaze (simmer until reduced by half):

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp hot chili sauce or to taste

1 tbsp orange zest

- Bake ribs at 275 degrees F. for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender.

- Cut, coat with glaze, and finish in a hot 425 degrees F. oven until caramelized.

View the complete recipe

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We’ve posted about this before, but there’s a great, southern tradition of eating beans and greens on New Year’s Day to ensure good fortune in the coming year. 

Apparently, by eating “poor” the first day of the year, you align certain cosmic forces in your favor, which results in prosperity and good luck the rest of the year. Sounds crazy, right? I know, you’re way too sophisticated to believe in such lame supernatural shenanigans. Hey wait a minute…don’t you watch all those ghost hunter shows on cable TV? Busted! Hey, did you hear that noise?

Anyway, whether you believe in this kind of culinary clairvoyance or not, this Brazilian feijoada is one of the world’s great stews. The traditional good luck bean is the black-eyed pea, but here we’re celebrating the delicious, and very nutritious, black bean.

I tried to be clear in the video that this is just my version, and not some attempt at true feijoada authenticity, whatever that is. As long as you have black beans, and LOTS of smoked, salted, dried, and/or cured meats, you are well on your way to some kind of feijoada-like awesomeness.

In case you’re wondering, all I did for the greens was boil some kale in salted water until tender, and then sauté briefly in olive oil and garlic. It pairs perfectly with the white rice and rich stew, and while I can’t guarantee a year’s worth of wealth and good luck, I can promise you a delicious bowl of food. Happy New Year to all of you, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 pounds dry black beans, soaked overnight
2 quarts water, plus more as needed (add more whenever stew looks too dry)
1 bay leaf
2 smoked pork chops
12 oz linguica
8 oz Italian sausage
4 oz smoked bacon
3 oz dried beef
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
For the crumbs:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Basic steps:
- Soak beans overnight, add to pot with bay leaf, beef jerky, and any bones
- Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are cooked, but very firm
- Add onion mixture and meats, and simmer for another hour, or until beans are very soft
- Add a splash of water at any point during the cooking if stew looks too dry
- Test and add salt near the end, depending on saltiness of meat

View the complete recipe


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I had been fantasizing for weeks about doing a whole, home-cured ham for the holidays. I always get lots of requests for this kind of thing, and was fully prepared to give it a go, but then a strange thing happened, I heard the word “Hamlet.” 

It was on TV, and completely unrelated to cured pork, but for whatever reason the word made me think of cute little, individually sized hams. That’s all it took, and off I went trying to figure out how to make this thing happen. I knew I wanted a process that wouldn’t require the pink curing salts used in commercially produced hams, not because they are unhealthy, they’re not, but because it would be hard for some of you to find.

I’ve read things in the past about using celery’s naturally occurring nitrates to accomplish the same thing, so that’s what I used, and as you’ll hear me say several times in the video, I was thrilled with the results! While not exactly like a classic city ham, this was very close. The firm, moist texture was great, the salt level was spot on, and since we used loin instead of leg, there’s even a little less fat.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to help much with questions about how to do this with bigger or different cuts, as this was my first foray into home-cured ham, so if you are going to attempt this, please go to a good butcher to get the exact same size “chops” that I used. If you do, and follow these simple steps, I think you will have a holiday meal “to die for.” Sorry, but you didn’t expect me to do this entire post without one forced reference to the play, did you? Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Hamlets:

4 thick-cut (10-12 oz) center cut, boneless pork loin “chops”

For the brine:

1/2 cup *kosher salt plus 1 tablespoon

(*if using fine table salt, you’d only need barely 1/3 cup)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 tsp allspice

1/2 ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups boiling water to dissolve salt and sugar

3 celery stalks (about 2 cups chopped)

1/2 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

2 cups cold water to puree vegetables in blender, plus add enough cold water to make 2 quarts total volume of brine

Brine for 48 hours before roasting

For the glaze:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

pinch of cayenne

whole cloves as needed

Roast at 325 degrees F. until an internal temp of 145 degrees F. is reached.

View the complete recipe 

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