Crockpot Pulled Pork w/ BBQ Sauce

Many of times before I have taken country style ribs, let them simmer for a while in the crockpot, and made pulled pork sandwiches for nice and easy evening dinner. Tonight I decided to take it a step further and also create my own BBQ sauce in the crockpot at the same time. Here is what I needed and what I did:

Ingredients:
1 slab of country style ribs, deboned, cut one inch wide planks
2 Tbsp smoked paprika (divided)
half sweet onion
1.5 C ketchup
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
salt and pepper
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1.) a day before, pat dry the ribs and place them in a gallon size ziplock bag ... add a generous pinch of salt and pepper as well as 1 Tbsp paprika ... mix them together, pop in the fridge, and let sit overnight

2.) dice the onion and place in the crockpot with the country style ribs ... add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and dried spices to the pot ... put the crockpot on low and heat for 6-7 hours, until the meat is pull apart tender

ENJOY!

I enjoyed mine with some cheddar and a garden vegetable wrap!

Cast Iron Whole Chicken

I recently saw an episode of Guy's Big Bite where Guy made a whole chicken in a cast iron skillet in his outdoor wood burning oven. Well, I don't happen to have a wood burning oven, as much as I've asked Mama Zuri for one. Instead, I decided I'd use my grill to see if I would get the same quality as I would in my kitchen oven.

I was pleasantly surprised with the results but I still feel I can go a bit further with this recipe. I've decided to post what I've done tonight but but look for updates of this recipe as I perfect it. Here we go!!

Ingredients:
3.5 lb WOG Whole Chicken
1 stick of butter (softened)
2 lemons
1/2 red onion
1 fennel bulb
1/2 red pepper
2 small potatoes
1 ear of corn (optional, I used this as a means for our dinner)
Olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 C white wine (I used Chardonnay)
Salt / pepper

1) take the soften butter and add the zest of one lemon, the thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and generous pinch of salt ... once the butter and seasoning is mixed take the whole chicken and apply the butter mixture underneath the skin of the chicken, massaging the butter all through the chicken ... take the chicken and remove the spine with a knife or kitchen shears

2) chop the onion, fennel, red pepper, and potatoes and place them into the skillet ... place the corn in the middle of the skillet ... drizzle some olive oil over top of the vegetables and apply a good pinch of salt and pepper over top of the vegetables  ... slice the lemons and place them on top of the vegetables ... take the chicken and place it skin side down with the vegetables on top of the open cavity ... olive oil, salt, and pepper the inside of the chicken

3) heat the grill to 500 degrees (I have a four burner grill so I put the first two burners on high) and place the skillet over top of the grates of the burners that are off ... heat for 30 minutes then turn the chicken over, add the white wine, and heat again until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees (about 30 minutes)

ENJOY!

Bolognese

With yesterday's posting detailing my journey to my perfect sauce, I thought I would take today to bring you into my world of Bolognese. First off, I have to really thank Geoffrey Zakarian. It was after I saw his recipe on "Best Thing I Ever Made" that inspired me to this recipe. Let's get right into the recipe for my Bolognese:

Ingredients:
1/4 lb pancetta
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom
1 sweet onion (medium size)
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground beef (I use sirloin but the choice is yours)
1 C red wine (I use pinot noir)
2 parmigiano cheese rinds
1/2 C grated parmigiano
1 tsp dried thyme
salt / pepper
2 - 28 oz cans La Valle San Marzano tomatoes
butter and olive oil

soak the porcini mushrooms in cold water (enough to cover the mushrooms)

here I use two dutch ovens to prepare the sauce, one for the meats and one for the tomato sauce ... one dutch oven is smaller (roughly 4 quarts) than the other (roughly 6 quarts) let's talk about the meat first as that needs to be prepared first:

1.) in the smaller dutch oven melt a Tbsp of butter and some olive oil over medium to medium high heat ... once the butter has melted add the ground meats ... add the thyme, 1/2 T salt and 1 tsp of pepper to the meat and let brown ... be sure to break up the meat

2.) while the meat is cooking melt another Tbsp of butter and some olive oil in the second dutch oven over medium to medium high heat ... once melted add the diced pancetta to the pot and render out that fatty goodness (i remove the bits before they become too crispy) ... while the pancetta is cooking chop the onion, carrot, and celery (rough chop is fine as it'll all be pureed) ... with the pancetta removed add the onion, carrot, and celery and let those cook down with the onions becoming translucent (also a good pinch of salt and pepper) ... after about 5-7 minutes add the porcini mushrooms, the garlic, and the mushroom broth and let the water completely reduce down ... once the water has reduced down add the red wine and, again, let the liquid reduce down fully ... add the pancetta back to the vegetables as well as the tomatoes (as was the case with my tomato sauce and meatballs, strain the water from the cans sot he sauce won't be as thin) ... DO NOT ADD THE MEAT YET

3.) puree the vegetable and tomato mixture to a smooth consistency (I do this as Mama Zuri would prefer it best .... but I like it this way too) ... with the same portion pureed, add the ground meats and cheese rinds, reduce the heat to medium low to low, and let simmer for two hours

ENJOY!

Below are some dishes I've made using the meat sauce, including my Bolognese & Pesto Lasagna!

Tomato Sauce w/ Meatballs

The sauce. Being mostly Italian, this is one of the most important things that I could create. With a Nonna who immigrated from Ateleta, located in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and a mother who spoke only Italian as a young one, I grew up on some amazing sauce. The sauce serves as a family delicacy. It is something in which the creator takes extreme pride in. I knew that when I embarked on my own journey it would serve as a magical culinary ride.

I can recall the first time I made "tomato sauce". I'm not exactly sure you could even really call it tomato sauce. I would more or less call it a lukewarm, soupy mess. While my work was full of mistakes, it was also full of lessons. I learned first hand what was necessary and what was not, especially after my mother came home and asked me what the heck I was doing and if I made soup.

It took me quite a couple of years but what I eventually ended up with was something so wonderful that I have received acclaim from my mother and my Nonna, no higher praise in my eyes.

Here is how it's done:

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce

4 - 28 oz cans of La Valle San Marzano Tomatoes

2 carrots (larger carrots)

1 celery stalk (also, use most if not all of the leaves from the bunch)

1 sweet onion (larger)

2 parmigiano cheese rinds

6 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp dried oregano

salt / pepper

1/2 C red wine (I use Pinot Noir but it is your choice)

1 dried red chili

1 bottle Cento San Marzano Passata

1 - 28 oz can of Cento San Marzano Tomatoes

unsalted butter and olive oil

Meatballs

1 lb ground veal

1 lb ground beef (I use ground sirloin)

1 lb lean ground pork

1 red onion (medium size)

1/2 C red wine (again, I use Pinot Noir but it is your choice ... I would suggest you use the same as above)

4 slices wheat bread (no crust ... let sit to become stale)

3/4 C plain bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 C warm water

1/2 C grated cheese (parm. reggiano or pec. romano)

salt / pepper (1 Tbsp of each will go directly into the meatballs)

1 tsp nutmeg

1 floret roasted garlic

1/2 C fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp dried parsley

unsalted butter

Whew! That's a lot ... but it's worth it. Here we go:

This process starts early. First thing we will do is roast the garlic and cook the red onions for the meatballs.

1.) cut the top off of the garlic floret length wise and place on top of a piece of foil (enough so you can encase the garlic) ... use a generous (but don't drown!) amount of olive oil over top of the garlic and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper ... wrap the garlic floret in the foil (tent it, don't wrap tight) and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees ... also, melt about a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a medium pan (large enough to fit the red onion) on medium high heat ... chop the red onion and place in the pan (hear that lovely sizzle!) ... season with a pinch of salt and pinch of pepper ... once the onions become translucent add the 1/2 C red wine to the pan ... let the wine reduce completely before removing from the heat ... once both the onions and the garlic have finished both need to cool to room temperature as we'll be adding both to the raw meat ... when the roasted garlic is done squeeze it out on a cutting board and smooth out to nice paste like puree

2.) we'll start off with the meatballs as they'll need to bake in the oven prior to cooking in the sauce ... heat the oven to 375 degrees ... take the stale wheat bread, cut off the crust, and chop up prior to placing in the food processor to turn into a fresh bread crumb (do this first as the food processor is dry and the crumb won't stick) ... take the red wine onions and place them in the food processor and puree (you should get a lovely fruit fragrant from the wine) ... next, in a large mixing bowl add the ground meats, pureed onions, roasted garlic, both bread crumbs, egg, cheese, parsley, Tbsp each of pepper and salt, and nutmeg ... mix together in a folding method as if your were making bread (be gentle!) ... once everything is incorporated together add the warm water and mix to incorporate (for me, this makes a softer, more enjoyable meatball) ... place a piece of foil on a baking sheet, spray the pan with cooking spray, roll the meatballs to your desired size, and place them on the baking sheet ... bake the meatballs until they're firm to the touch in the oven (roughly 12-15 mins)

Fits Perfectly!

3.) okay, the meatballs are in, time to get started on that sauce ... heat a tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan with some olive oil over medium to medium high heat ... chop the sweet onion and throw into the sauce pot with a pinch of salt and pepper (I don't concern myself with the size of the chop as everything is going to be pureed in the end ... peel and chop the carrots and then add to the pot, lastly chop the celery and add it (with the leaves!) to the pot as well with another pinch of salt and pepper ... let that cook down until the onions are translucent ... next add the red wine and let reduce completely

4.) now it's time to add the La Valle tomatoes (above) ... I have found that the sauce is not as watered down if you first strain the canned tomatoes ... place a sieve over a bowl and empty the can into the sieve ... once the steady drip of the liquid stops add the tomatoes to the pot (do this for the three remaining cans) ... add the Passata to the pot ... it should look like this now ...

Look At That Beauty!

5.) add a nice pinch of salt and pepper as well as the oregano ... now it's time to get that immersion blender out and puree the heck out of this mixture as I prefer a nice and smooth tomato sauce ... once it's pureed throw in the red chili and the cheese rinds ... 

We're Getting There!

6.) by now the meatballs should be done and they too should be added to the sauce (I do not add the fat that comes out of the meat but that's up to you) ... lower the temperature to low and let sit for two hours on the stove being sure to stir every 15 minutes (make sure you don't burn the bottom!)

Once you're done you should end up with a sauce that tastes fresh and tomatoey ... taste to season ... ENJOY!

Just One Of The Possibilities!

Crockpot Roast

I can't count the number of times I used to come home and smell something my mother was preparing in the crockpot. As a working family it allowed her to have a meal ready for us when we all got home after a day at our respective jobs (or school in my case!). Those aroma's that would permeate the air as soon as you walked in the door immediately triggered the salivary gland and had you walking right into the kitchen to get a closer look. Now that I'm married, I always look to recreate those experiences for my wife (and soon to be son!!!).

Yesterday I decided it was a good day to put the crockpot to use. Using a nice chuck roast purchased from our local market, I was able to re-create an experience my mother gave to me for my own family! Here's what I needed and what I did:

Ingredients:

3 lb chuck roast

1 Tbsp butter

1/4 C AP Flour

3/4 C Red Wine
3 Garlic Cloves

1 Yukon Gold Potato

2 Celery Stalks

4 Purple Carrots

1/4 Red Onion

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 C water or low sodium beef broth
red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

(note: the vegetables are what I had on hand ... orange carrots would of been just fine ... also, I usually like to add porcini mushrooms but Mama Zuri (my wife) is not a fan of mushrooms)

Directions:

1.) Place the flour, thyme, a pinch of pepper and a pinch of salt (if using grinders I would suggest 4-5 turns) in a bowl big enough to fit the roast ... also, heat the butter in a pan on medium high heat

2.) flour all sides of the roast and then place in the pan with the melted butter ... you'll have some flour left over, don't discard it just yet! ... place the roast in a pan and be sure to sear all sides of the roast

3.) remove the roast from the pan and put the red wine into the pan ... also, take half of the leftover flour and place it in the pan too along with three garlic cloves ... wait till the wine reduces by half and then remove from the heat

4.) take the vegetables and cut to your desired preference (make it your own!) ... place the meat in the center of the crockpot and place the vegetables around them ... put the remaining flour on the vegetables ... add the beef broth and then the red wine and garlic from the pan ... lastly, I added a pinch of red pepper flakes (rubbed between fingers to get those flavors moving), big pinch of salt (not more than a tsp), and a pinch of pepper

Mine Looked Like This!

5.) set the crockpot to low and let simmer away for 6-7 hours or until the roast is fall apart tender

ENJOY!