JBug's Kitchen Antics

Baked Brats and Sauerkraut

There's something about cool weather that makes comfort food mandatory. You know what I mean? Of course it doesn't hurt that we have a local store that produces the most amazing fresh sausage of which I'm determined to take advantage since I'm only here in Tucson for another 2 weeks. Can you believe it? Ten years of plotting, scheming and dreaming of being somewhere else and our dreams are finally coming true. Now that's progress!

Last night's dinner effort was really no effort at all. Simply onions seasoned with a little rosemary and sauteed in a Dutch oven until translucent, followed by browned brats, drained jarred sauerkraut (I used Libby's crunchy) and a touch of white wine and chicken stock. That's it. One hour in a covered pot in a 325 oven and Bob's your uncle. 

Delicious with grainy mustard and sweet applesauce on the side, the whole shebang would be fabulous with some boiled potatoes glammed up with butter and parsley, but we went another direction. We enjoyed our German style feast with crispy sauteed potato/cheddar perogies courtesy of Mrs. T's and Safeway's freezer section. Hey, I had every intention of making them from scratch but you know how it goes, right?

All but 3 of my 300 or so cookbooks along with darn near every bit of kitchen equipment's already in Oregon waiting to be unpacked and placed into our new kitchen that hasn't been built yet. There is progress to report in that respect though. Mike and Rob at Alsea Bay Granite and Interiors have the kitchen ripped out down to the studs and the electrician, plumber and sheet rock guys'll be doing their thing during the next week or so before the new cabinets go in. It's killin' me being here while all the work is going on, but I bet they're thanking their lucky stars. At least I'm not there to change my mind every 20 seconds. 

Baked Brats and Sauerkraut (adapted from finecooking.com) 

4 large fresh bratwurst sausages

2 tablespoons butter

2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 – 32 ounce jar sauerkraut, well drained (I used Libby’s Crispy)

1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Mustard as garnish

Applesauce as garnish

Heat a Dutch oven or large oven proof skillet with lid over medium high heat. Add butter and when melted add sliced onions. Cook until softened and just beginning to turn golden – about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.  Add olive oil to the pot and when oil is hot, add sausages. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate when done. Return onions to the pot, add sauerkraut and place sausages on top. Sprinkle evenly with white wine and chicken broth. Bury bay leaf in the middle of the pot, cover and place in 325 oven for 1 hour. Serve with mustard and applesauce on the side. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Grilled Chicken Salad with Tzatziki Sauce

Two year's ago - Buttermilk Cheese Scones and Kicky Kumquat Marmalade

Three year's ago - Spicy Chicken with Apricots and Olives

 

Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Talk about an unlikely combination and a very unusual slaw. Three simple ingredients make up the basis and the title tells the tale. 

Shredded red cabbage combined with crispy crunchy salty bacon and smooth creamy goat cheese - ya, imagine that. The warm dressing is the thing that ties the whole shebang together with some of the reserved bacon drippings, vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar combined,  and mellowed out a tad with some white vinegar. Minced garlic and lots of coarse ground black pepper finish the story. 

Not exactly in the low calorie department, it is however lower in carbs and well worth the binge we enjoyed last night. Served on top of some quickly cooked chicken paillards, it's another fabulous quick and easy weeknight dinner.

We can thank Idaho a la CArte for this recipe too - bet you're wondering if there's anything in this cookbook that I haven't shared with you yet . I can only say stay tuned because there's more coming but once again I encourage you to purchase a copy. It's a fabulous collection of recipes put together to benefit the Boise Museum of Art. I have a suspicion that it may be going out of print because they no longer offer it for sale in the Museum store, but you can still find it on Amazon. 

Incicidentally, the salad's rather addictive and its siren call entices one to go back for more. It would be a great addition to a buffet because it holds beautifully, but not forever because the goat cheese requires some refrigeration. Also, there's a lot of oil in the dressing so you may want to cut it back a bit. I didn't but next time I make it I will. Also, the addition of chopped apples and a few toasted walnuts might just put it over the top, but it's fine the way it is too. Just sayin'. 

Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

8 ounces sliced bacon

1 – pound red cabbage

5 ounces Montrachet or other goat cheese, crumbled

 

Dressing:

1/4 cup reserved bacon drippings

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Coarse ground black pepper

Cut bacon into quarter inch pieces and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon drippings. Shred red cabbage and move to a large bowl. Combine with cooked bacon and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with warm dressing, garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Makes 6 servings.

For dressing combine bacon drippings, vegetable oil, vinegars and garlic. Heat dressing in microwave for 30 seconds or until just warmed through.

A year ago - Italian Stuffed Anaheim Peppers 

Two year's ago - Shrimp Salad with Orange and Tarragon

Onion and Bacon Tart

The consensus of last night's kitchen antics - "Totally different and absolutely delicious". We all know there's a ton of different ways to put onion and bacon to good use be it in a pasta, risotto, quiche, pizza or even just a lowly sandwich but this particular effort just made a direct trip to the top of our list.

A cross between yorkshire pudding, a Dutch baby pancake and toad in the hole it's made from ingredients most of us have on hand on a regular basis - eggs, milk and flour. Top that with 2 kitchen staples (at least in JBug's Kitchen) crispy bacon and golden caramelized onions and you've got the makings of a perfect dish. 

I guess I don't have to describe the flavor because we're all familiar with the dulcet notes of bacon and onion, but the crust is not to be believed. It plays a crunchy, tender and puffy light as air like supporting role to the simple filling and there's not an ounce of cheese to be found in the whole darn thing either.

As we wolfed it down along with a fresh green salad, I couldn't help but think it would make a fabulous appetizer all cut up into little wedges, or as a luncheon dish along with a glass of dry white wine. A sincere thanks to Saveur.com - we'll be having this again soon!

By the way, the only change I made to their recipe is that I baked the crispy crunchy flavorful wonder in a large 12 inch cast iron skillet rather than an 9 x 11 inch casserole which made for a super crunchy crust in a lot less time.  I kid you not - you absolutely have to try this!

Onion and Bacon Tart (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Saveur)

6 ounces bacon, diced

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1-1/4 cups whole milk

3 eggs

In a large heavy 12 inch skillet, fry bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to drain. Reserve bacon fat in a small dish. Return pan to medium heat and add butter. When melted add onions. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Sauté onions until golden brown and lightly caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425. Return reserved bacon fat to skillet and place skillet into oven to heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile whisk together flour, mustard and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. In separate bowl whisk milk and eggs together, then add liquid to dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth then allow to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes. Pour into hot skillet. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and onion and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. 

Other dishes you might enjoy!

Toad in the Hole                                 Dutch Baby Pancake

  

 Date and Gorgonzola Pinwheels

Ravioli in Sherry Mushroom Alfredo Sauce

We've kind of overloaded on meat over the last couple of weeks so I was looking for something that didn't leave it out entirely but made a vegetable the star. Last night's creation met the mark and satisfied the resident carnivore. After all, I had to show some kindness toward him since I still can't stop laughing about the events of the other night. It's remembering his cute little very surprised and sleepy admission -  "I fell out of bed" that cracks me up every time.

Last night's pasta dish married the flavors of pancetta, garlic, mushrooms and sherry with a little cream, grated asiago cheese and some fresh ravioli courtesy of Trader Joe's and really satisfied all the senses. It would have been fabulous with a nice glass of wine, maybe a pinot gris to cut the richness of the dish but unfortunately we're on the wagon at the moment. I mean obviously we're not giving up food, so we had to resist the calories somewhere.

Accompanied by a luscious pear and gorgonzola salad with the rest of the shallot vinaigrette leftover from Christmas, dinner was ready in a flash. By the way, feel free to substitute Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano for the Asiago but I happen to love the stuff. The flavor is much like the others but it's easier on the budget.

Also if you're short on time and tempted to substitute one of those jarred alfredo sauce concoctions, please don't do it. Alfredo sauce is about as easy to make as applying a little heat to cream in a pan, and there's none of those ugly sounding "unpronounceable" chemicals in it either. Just sayin'.

Ravioli with Mushroom Sherry Alfredo Sauce an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces pancetta diced

1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup medium dry sherry

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces grated Asia go or parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Grated fresh nutmeg if desired

1 – 12 ounce package fresh ravioli cooked per package directions

Heat a large sauté pan over medium low heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add pancetta. Cook until pancetta has released some of its fat and pieces are brown and starting to crisp. Remove from pan and set aside, leaving accumulated fat. Add onion and cook until onion softens, stirring constantly. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for a minute until garlic starts to release its aroma, then add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Stir in dry sherry and cook until sherry has completely reduced. Add cream and return the browned pancetta to the pan. Bring to a high simmer and cook until cream is reduced slightly and sauce thickens. Add parmesan cheese, parsley and cooked ravioli. Heat ravioli briefly so it absorbs some of the sauce. Serve garnished with additional chopped parsley, a dusting of nutmeg and more grated cheese.

A year ago - Leg of Lamb Provencal  Two years ago - Pork with Mushroom Madeira Sauce

Makin' Bacon - Revisited

Way back in April I bragged about the fact the Big Guy and I were making our own side and back bacon because the price of the ready made stuff has skyrocketed and we're too darn cheap to pay it. Before we started, we did a lot of research to find the best methods and since then we've had a lot of practice. I think we can say in all probability we've perfected the stuff so it's time to do a re-write on our methods.

1. Source out and buy pork bellies. Now since we've started this little project our local source has increased his prices by $1.00 a pound but what the heck, it's still the steal of the century. Just make sure it's the best quality you can find and more important, while you're doing it you might as well buy more than 1. The pork bellies we buy come in pieces between 2.5 and 3 pounds each so we're doing about 10 to 12 pounds at a time.
2. Wash and dry the bellies well, leaving the skin on. Coat three sides (2 ends and the side without the skin) in a mixture of 1 tablespoon Morton's Tender Quick mixed with 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar PER POUND of meat. Rub it in really well then wrap each piece in its own gallon size zip bag, squeezing out all the air that you can.
3. Stack the wrapped bellies into a plastic container with a tight lid and refrigerate for 10 to 14 days, moving them around and flipping them over every day to redistribute the juices that are collecting. Don't pour off any accumulated liquid, just make sure the seal of each bag is completely closed.  
4. After the curing period, remove the bellies from the zip bags and discard the bags and accumulated juices. The bellies will be firm to the touch, more compact and a deeper color than when you started. Wash them off well under cold running water and dry with paper towels. Place on wire racks on a sheet pan and leave uncovered in your refrigerated for 24 hours so they have a chance to dry out.
5. Prepare the smoker with your choice of wood chips. Our favorite is maple, but apple works well too as well as hickory, alder or mesquite but for us maple is the best. Place drapery hooks or S hooks onto one short end of the bellies, attaching the hooks through the skin so the bellies can hang off a rack in the smoker or alternatively lay the bellies flat on the smoking rack, leaving as much room as possible between each slab.
6. Smoke them for a minimum of 2 hours or anywhere up to 8, depending on how much smoke flavor you prefer. Our last batch went for 4 hours and quite honestly, it is perfect.
7. Remove the bellies (now bacon) from the smoker and cool to room temperature, then wrap well and refrigerate for 24 hours. They'll become even more solid which makes slicing a lot easier. Then remove the skin and save it (freeze) for making crackle or for the next time you make a big pot of beans. The flavor's incredible.
8. Slice and package the bacon, wrap air tight and freeze. The Big Guy even saves the iddy biddy pieces for me and cuts them into a small dice, perfect for crisping up for salads or in omlets or carbonara or just about anything, actually.

You'll notice a huge difference not only in the flavor of your bacon but the lack of fat as well. I've found that when you're cooking it up, be sure to spray the skillet with a little cooking spray first and start cooking the bacon in a cold pan on low heat, gradually increasing the heat as the bacon releases fat. You'll find that not only is it leaner than the stuff you buy, but it also browns a lot faster.

I had some last night on this Bacon and Blue burger and now that the fur kiddies and I are finally up and at 'em today, it's likely I'll have more with some eggs this morning. Are you jealous yet?

 

 

Weinies and Bacon Maple Beans

With all the cookin' that goes on in JBug's Kitchen, there are times the Big Guy screams for something very ordinary which is rather hard on my ego. I mean there's not much one can do to jazz up a request for weinies and cheater beans except maybe to add a little maple syrup to the beans so that's what I did.

Thanks to some inspiration from Tasty Kitchen, I sauteed maple smoked bacon pieces until they were just starting to crisp up, then added a chopped onion, garlic, minced jalapeno, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and a cup of tomato sauce to some canned baked as well as great northern beans. Topped off with a touch of water and given 1-1/2 hours in the oven, they looked and tasted almost like scratch beans.

Topped with a crispy grilled good quality wiener sausage and garnished with red onion and cheddar, it rather took care of you know who's craving for "simple" and satisfied my need to add a little somethin' somethin' to everything I do.

By the way, the beans would be a great thing to have going in the oven on the day you're putting up your Christmas decorations or hitting the ski slopes. Add a pound or two of good ole' Jimmy Deans maple cured sausage to the mix and some biscuits and you'll really satisfy the restless natives.

Bacon Maple Cheater Beans (inspired by Tasty Kitchen)

6 ounces bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, minced

1 – 28 ounce can baked beans

1 – 14 ounce can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup tomato sauce

Water as required

Minced red onion, jalapeno & grated cheddar for garnish

Preheat oven to 300. In a large Dutch oven cook bacon over medium low heat until fat is rendered and bacon starts to crisp. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until onion is softened, stirring often. Add baked beans, rinsed and drained great northern beans, salt, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and tomato sauce. Add just enough water so beans are covered in liquid. Bring to a boil, and then place in oven, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours. Garnish with onion, jalapeno and grated cheddar. Makes 4 - 6 servings. Download Bacon Maple Cheater Beans

A year ago - Pork Tenderloin with the BOMB Sauce

Pasta Carbonara with a Twist

You know that Michael Smith quote I laid on you the other day - the one that said "A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise." Well, the Big Guy took it to heart last night and turned a traditional spaghetti carbonara like one we've had here before into a masterpiece all his own.

He added chopped onion and threw in some sun dried tomatoes and sliced mushrooms too, then patiently put it all together with some of his own home cured pancetta in a rich sauce of egg, cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Not only that, he served it all to his dizzy wife (I said dizzy, not ditsy) who is still working her way through the annual bout of Octoberitis. It was superb! Spoiled aren't I?

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes (a Big Guy original )

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked to al dente per package directions

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, cut into quarter inch cubes

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pasta cooking water as required

Freshly grated black pepper

Flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil in large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp and golden. Add garlic and onions, and sauté until onion is soft. Add mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. In a small bowl, beat together eggs with parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions to al dente stage. Drain and immediately add hot pasta to skillet. Remove skillet from heat, add eggs beaten with parmesan cheese and toss well to coat. Add cream and pasta cooking water as required to make a creamy sauce. Season with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.  Download Spaghetti-alla-carbonara with mushrooms

A year ago - Pasta with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

The real test in judging any particular food item or product is to try it in something simple. Point in fact, a chicken shows its true feathers when it is simply roasted with minimal herbs and spices and comes out of the oven all juicy and tender with a crisp golden skin. How about a slice of warm home made bread slathered in unsalted butter, or a bowl of perfectly cooked garden fresh peas glistening like little green jewels? Ok so that last one just made the Big Guy go "ewww" but I really wanted to see if he was actually reading this. Ha.

Well, the same premise was necessary in trying out our home cured wine fridge pancetta that we talked about the other day. What better way to have it than in a simply cooked carbonara.

Pasta carbonara is my favorite go to dinner as witnessed by the fact it's shown up several times during the two plus years we've been blogging; however I have to admit I've never tasted anything quite as good as the one we had last night. Talk about break my rubber arm patting myself on the back, right?

Chunks of perfectly spiced pancetta sauteed till crispy, along with freshly minced garlic, eggs, parmesan cheese and a touch of cream mixed into perfectly al dente spaghetti - well it was unbelievable. There's absolutely no substitute for the "savory-sweet unsmoked flavor of pancetta", particularly this home made version. Considering so little time and effort goes into its creation, there is no way I'll be parting with another $4.99 for 4 ounces of store bought stuff when I can have my own with its incomparable flavor and quality for less than 20 cents an ounce, never mind the satisfaction that comes from having created something so darn good in your very own kitchen!

So listen - get off your duffs and put that wine fridge to even better use this summer. I mean, what's the big deal anyway? You get to drink all the wine in it to make room for pancetta, and then you get to enjoy truly exceptional pancetta AND fill your wine fridge up with wine all over again. I ask you - what could be better than that?

Now - I'm off to buy a combination lock for our freezer in the garage just in case. I mean if anyone wants to help themselves to whatever they want in the house they can just go ahead, but I'll be darned their gonna' take our bacon. MMM wonder if I can get the insurance company to cover it. 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara (a JBug’s Kitchen version of the real thing)

8 ounces spaghetti, cooked to al dente per package directions

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, cut into quarter inch cubes

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pasta cooking water as required

Freshly grated black pepper

Flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil in large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp and golden. Add garlic, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t scorch. Cook for 2 minutes or until garlic releases its flavor. In a small bowl, beat together eggs with parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions to al dente stage. Drain and immediately add hot pasta to skillet. Remove skillet from heat, add eggs beaten with parmesan cheese and toss well to coat. Add cream and pasta cooking water as required to make a creamy sauce. Season with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.  Download Spaghetti alla Carbonara

A year ago - Mongolian Beef

Making Bacon Episode 3 - Pancetta

Do you own a wine fridge? Does it happen to be one of those two sided jobs like the one we were gifted from our friends, Dev and Diana? I know - we're truly blessed. Well not only does this gem of electrical ingenuity store some good and not so good wine when the resident wine drinker isn't making a pig of herself, but it also holds some great pig in the form of home cured pancetta.

You see, in case you haven't noticed, we're really serious about making our own cured pork products but one of the many problems with living in the desert is that 60 percent humidity and fairly constant temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees are darn near unheard of and unfortunately both are required when making pancetta. Thus the wine fridge comes into play.

Pancetta is a salt cured Italian bacon used widely as a flavoring agent in Italian cooking. We love the stuff and buy it in little 4 ounce packages at our local Trader Joes. There's absolutely nothing quite like its savory sweet smoky flavor and other than a few spices, it only takes time and patience to create.

If you recall when we were making porchetta for Easter several weeks ago (here's the link), we needed some skin side pieces of pork belly to surround our rolled roast. The big guy very wisely sliced some bellies horizontally and we got full use of our hog by making the rest of it into pancetta. Yup - not much goes to waste in this household..at least not that waste.

To make a long story short - pork belly with the skin removed is coated in a mixture of salt and spices, wrapped in a zip bag and cured in the refrigerator for a week or so until it's firm to the touch. Then rinsed under cold water and dried, it's rolled tightly like a jelly roll and hung to dry at optimum temperatures - and therein comes the wine fridge.

Made humid with a pan of water and set at 50 degrees, it was the perfect piece of equipment for making pancetta. Our rolls of pure gold hung in there for two weeks and yesterday the Big Guy sliced up the goods. It is an absolutely beautiful thing!  Now you just wait and see what's coming at ya' next!

Home Cured Pancetta (adapted from Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing)

2 slabs pork belly –5 pounds total

Dry Rub:

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons Morton Quick Cure

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons juniper berries, crushed

4 bay leaves, crumbled

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper (divided)

Remove skin from bellies and trim edges of belly so it’s neat and square. Combine dry rub ingredients together including only 2 tablespoons of black pepper. Rub mixture evenly on all sides of bellies. Place in large zip bag and remove as much air from it as possible, and place in a well sealed plastic container. Refrigerate for at least 1 week, checking belly after 7 days. If it is firm at the thickest point, it is cured. If it’s squishy, cure in refrigerator for another few days.

Remove from zip bag and rinse well under cold water. Pat dry. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper. Roll up very tightly from long side and tightly with butchers twine in 1 to 2 inch intervals.

Hang rolled pancetta in a cool humid place (50 to 60 degrees, 60 percent humidity) for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep checking the pancetta and if it gets too hard, wrap well and refrigerate. Slice and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 4 months.   Note – pancetta is not to be eaten raw. It must be well cooked before eating or you'll get mighty sicky. Capiche?