The Bloated Belly

Test Kitchen Chronicles, v. 1: Dry-aged pork. Really!

By The Hack

Question: When is the last time you have seen hunks of pork quite like this:

One does not usually couple the term “marbling” with pork, but look at them. Look. At. Them. Especially the porterhouse pictured at the top. Marbling. It makes The Hack want to sing.

Commodity pork, for the last 20 plus years (at least) has been bred to be lean, so the pork industry could sell it as “The Other White Meat.” Lean meat means lean flavor, and a tendency to dry out during the cooking process.

But heritage breed piggies are bred to be…well, pigs. They eat like pigs eat, muck around and get a little rotund in the process. Names out there include Gloucestershire and Tamworth, and perhaps the most commonly known is Berkshire. Another breed rising in popularity is Duroc, and one of the leaders in producing them is the Minnesota-based Compart Family Farms.

The Hack will let readers discover all the details about that company from its Web site, and cut to the chase. For his day job, The Hack in June wrote about meat being increasingly—and unashamedly—featured in all forms on restaurant menus thanks in part to the resurgence of age-old preparation and preservation methods. Part of the article included Compart’s dry-aged pork. It’s the first company to dry age pork in the country, possible because the Duroc breed has enough marbling to allow the natural tenderizing process to occur.

While the Hack wrote the story, Bill Norton, a fine Compart fella, dropped these fine cryovac-ed samples for him at the office. The Hack didn’t have a chance to cook them before the article ran, but oh, he certainly made the time afterward.

Because the meat can be cooked like beef—read rare—it was suggested to The Hack by FireLake Grill house and Radisson Hotel Executive Chef Paul Lynch to not do too much to the meat. Just enjoy the flavor. His directions:

“When you get home, please cook it over charcoal, don’t use a gas grill. Simply crush garlic and some chopped rosemary—if you have some Montreal steak spice, put olive oil rosemary and garlic together, rub it on the steak, sprinkle on some Montreal steak spice. If you want to give it another layer of flavor, it does benefit from a little quick rub—as I think all steaks do—with soy sauce because it provides that outer caramelization that gives you just that touch of umami.

“So when you first get your grill hot, rub (the steaks) with soy sauce, let them sit for four or five minutes, then rub it with the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and a sprinkle of Montreal spice, and you are going to be in for a piece of heaven.”
 
That’s it. The Hack followed those directions precisely, although, in place of Montreal spice mix, he used Kosher salt and pepper. The soy sauce is a nice trick: The Hack agrees fully it gives grilled meat just a little something extra that folks don’t quite grasp, but know something is going on. It’s also a reason to use less salt. But, like a good hunk of beef, this-dry aged pork stands up well to seasoning.
 
The Hack fired some natural hardwood charcoal in his chimney starter, dumped a load into his wood grill/smoker, let the grill heat up and slapped cooked the pork. Again, cook it as one would steak. A few minutes a side, and done. (The Hack prefers medium rare, his better half medium, but he kept it more to his liking.)
 
Never prone to effusive praise, The Hack was nonetheless more than slightly blown away by the texture and vibrant flavor of his dry-aged pork porterhouse and chop. The meat was half devoured before being plated with the rest of the meal. The porterhouse, as expected, had a richer flavor, but the chop was, as chops go, at the top of the heap that The Hack has cooked and consumed.
 

Order up, and enjoy.

Test Kitchen Chronicles: Tomorrow!

By The Hack

Loyal readers of this fine blog might remember back when The Hack wrote that coming soon was a feature to be known as the Test Kitchen Chronicles. Well, the first installment will finally will arrive...tomorrow. Starting with something he cooked back in September (The Hack, ashamed, slumping in his chair, asks to be cut a little slack. He's been a busy little bee).

How are these different from other cooking posts? Simple. Some part of the experiment uses a product that has been given to The Hack—often, but not always because of his day job—to try out in his home kitchen. 

Thanksgiving, post-game

By The Hack

The Hack is not one for tradition, for a variety of reasons. But a few have snuck upon him, if only because he rejected some and joined or inadvertently started something else, which then repeated as annual events. In his dim mind, he can grasp now how traditions start.

Having hosted Thanksgiving twice by no means registers as a tradition, but if it becomes one, The Hack wouldn’t mind at all. It probably started back here in 2005, when a friend hosted a T-day “Festivus” of sorts, during which an assortment of stragglers and left-behinds assembled, collaborated on a meal, and, through the success and failure of the cooking process, had a great and truly merry occasion. The Hack and his better half then went elsewhere the next two years, adhering to more “traditional” obligations. But they missed the camaraderie of that 2005 celebration and its unforced vibe. Last year, the Hack and his better half decided to stay home for the holiday, and send out a general invite that basically said, “We’re not going anywhere. You’re welcome to come here to eat, drink and relax without any other expectation.”

 It worked. The better-half’s parents came up and were shocked they had nothing to do in the kitchen—likely a first. The Hack’s sisters, nieces and nephews, brothers-in law showed up. The Hack roasted a bird and all was good. This year, the same procedure was repeated. Sister and nieces and two friends showed up. The Hack did the bird again (with a twist—recipes coming) and all good. No pressure, just a come-as-you-are hangout. To The Hack, Thanksgiving is the most unique of Holidays. Family not required, just people who want to gather—whether it’s just two or 20—and be thankful for what they have, be it a little or a lot.The Hack and the mighty staff at Bloated Belly HQ hope everyone had a pleasant, relaxing holiday.

UP Show cancelled

By The Hack

In somewhat big news for restaurant industry insiders, Hospitality Minnesota President and CEO Dave Siegel announced minutes ago that the organization's board of directors voted to cancel the Upper Midwest Foodservice & Lodging Show. The event had been an annual tradition for 51 years. The Hack, for his day job, had attended the last six years, and witnessed its slow decline, even before the economy tanked. Grumblings were heard about its relevance, but supporters could also be found: even last year, the Hack heard good things from enough vendors getting leads that he thought the show would muddle through. Visit the Hack's day-job blog for Siegel's announcement.

Carrot and tarragon soup

Welcome a new Bloated Belly correspondent.—The Hack

Carrot and tarragon soup

By Rhonda Valentine

This is a light, delicious, and beautiful soup. It freezes well and is a good way to use up carrots from a large fall harvest. This recipe was inspired by my mom :)

Ingredients:
 
10-12 carrots, cut relatively thin into circles

1 large yellow onion, cut in small pieces

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh tarragon (about 6 sprigs, leaves only)

5 cups milk (pick your “percent”, depending on the richness you desire. I use 1 percent unless I am cooking for a party)

Olive oil

Salt to taste
 

Directions:

Boil water and chicken bouillon in a large soup pot
 
Cook onion and tarragon in skillet with 2 TBS olive oil until the onions are mostly clear (cover pan if you wish). Blend in food processor or blender and add to the pot of chicken broth.
 
Cook carrots and garlic in skillet over med heat with 2-3 TBS olive oil until soft, cover the pan if you wish. Blend carrots and garlic in food processor or blender until fairly smooth. You may have to add some of the milk to help the blending process. Add this to the broth.
 
Add the remaining milk and season to taste with some salt. For a vegetarian version consider using vegetable soup broth instead of chicken.

Saffron's Sameh Wadi launches 'Spice Trail'

This press release just in from the man himself, Chef Sameh Wadi, who co-owns Saffron Restaurant & Lounge with his brother, Saed. Sameh has been nominated for the James Beard Award-Rising Star Chef a coupla time now. The Twin Cities is lucky to have him, and now lucky that they can have a bit of the restaurant in their own homes. —The Hack

Spice Trail leading to the Heart of Minneapolis; Chef Sameh Wadi Launches “Spice Trail," a Gourmet Spice Collection  
 
(Minneapolis, Minn.)—After two and a half years of business and numerous accolades and awards, Chef Sameh Wadi is exited to unveil his first line of gourmet spices, “It’s always been on my mind to share the culture and culinary history of my ancestors. The basis of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine is in the spice blends, I’m pretty sure we have the biggest spice collection of any restaurant in the cities.” When guests approach him about how their home cooking can taste similar to the things they order at his restaurant, Wadi tells them it’s all about the spices. And now, he’s going to make it easy on those guests by offering spice blends for sale at the restaurant, the restaurant website, online and hopefully in some specialty stores soon.
 
“When you buy ground spices and spice blends off the shelf at supermarkets, they could have been sitting there for over a year, shipped from god knows where, they have anti-caking agents and additives to extend shelf life, they lose most of their aroma and that just doesn’t compare to the real thing.” 
 
The Spice Trail blends are authentic recipes, hand crafted in small batches from carefully chosen ingredients, salt free, MSG free, most of which are organic and all natural. “We seek out the highest quality spices such as the Iranian saffron that we have imported directly to us, hand grind and blend with about 25 other exotic and hard to find spices to produce Ras El Hanout.”  He’ll also offer Garam Masala; a special spice blend used in Indian cooking, The Exotic Spice Blend; a blend adapted from his mothers recipe and a Tagine Blend; which packs robust flavors from North Africa. 
 
The blends are packed in an airtight tin, which measures 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 1-3/4 inches in height and will range in price from $8-$12 for two ounces.
 
The Spice Trail will be available by October 31, 2009 for shipment or pick up from Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis at 123 North 3rd Street.
 
For more information, please contact Sameh Wadi at 612.746.5533 or via e-mail at sameh@saffronmpls.com

Beans & rice (and chicken with cilantro gremolata) on the fly

By The Hack

The Hack, in his life of action and adventure, has discovered a few truths. One that might not be considered integral to planetary function, but nonetheless true, is this: If one is reasonably literate, one can read a recipe, assemble ingredients, and produce something edible. No culinary school, hours watching Food Network, or reading a fancy pants glossy food magazine required.

And those that enjoy the experience and repeat it become reasonably skilled and efficient, and can impress friends and family. Which leads into another of the Hack's truths (his brain, supposedly, can hold four): Part of becoming an effective home cook is using what’s on hand. This requires at least two things: A pantry stocked with a somewhat broad array of essentials (if one has attempted some ambitious cooking from recipes, one should have that), and a willingness to fail. The Hack has both items, the latter in spades (a character trait well-developed from many other failures).

One of the Hack’s favorite simple pleasures is beans and rice in all its global formulations. But he’s particularly interested in Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Perusing The New York Times Web site a while back, he found this story with these two recipes, which sent his eager stomach to hearty rumble mode. But, to the original point of using what’s in the pantry: Take a close gander at the ingredient list.
 
For the chicken, the Hack had no chicken legs, but he did have leftover rotisserie chicken. Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, olive oil, cumin, garlic: check, check, check, check, check. Two limes? No, but he did have some lemon juice in the fridge. Cilantro? Check—by the truckload in the garden.
 
The beans part: he had an onion, the olive oil, the garlic, red bell pepper, cumin, coriander, orange juice, salt and pepper. Beans? No red kidney beans. But a one can (15.5 ounces) of white ones (cannelloni in some circles) and he wasn’t looking to make a ton anyway. He had some precooked bacon he keeps around for various uses, and a jar of reserved bacon fat (a must!) in the freezer.
 
So, the Hack had everything he needed for the beans. Really! He chopped the recipe into 1/3 (since he only had the one can) and rolled, eyeballing it, rather than getting all in a tizzy with measuring implements. For two, it would be plenty of grub.
 
The Hack’s method: Cook the onion and all the other stuff in the reserved bacon fat, then add the cooked bacon. Don’t have pineapple juice? Who cares. The juices are for a bit of sweetness and acidity. It’ll be a little less sweet with only OJ, but it turns out just fine. If you need more moisture in the mix, add more OJ instead of water to amp the flavor. You won't miss the pineapple.
 
For the chicken leftovers, the Hack sautéed them in a pan with a bit of oil to crisp up the skin. Then he made the gremolata pretty much to how it’s listed, sans the fresh squeezed lime juice. That's where the litlle jug of real lemon juice came in.
 
With all due respect to nutball foodies out there, busy folks like the Hack often keep a one of those little jugs of store-bought lemon or lime juice in the fridge, rather than a few limes or lemons that he might not get to for a while. It works, and the Hack thinks all those folks feeling guilty about their little jug of juice when their crazed foodie friends come over to the house and stick their nose in the fridge should just stop feeling that way. Acidity and citrus-y zest is what’s wanted here, jug lemon juice is just fine when that's all you've got. Dinner was a hit, the Hack was a hero to his significant other for at least five minutes.

The Hack thinks it’s a wonderful sauce to drizzle over chicken, which brought forth an idea from his soggy brain: It would be just dandy with this, no? (For the record, the Hack reports, yes, it is.)

St. Paul without Russo? That's crazy talk.

By The Hack

The Hack has semi-regular conversations with Lenny Russo at Heartland, and knows him to be funny, extremely smart, and extremely passionate about professional path he's chosen. His rants are never without a succinct point. This issue is a big one for restaurateurs in St. Paul.

Great Waters Brewing Co. beer dinner: Good food, beer, scenery

By The Hack

The Hack has a question for you, dear readers: What is this photograph’s subject? The Hack grasps that most ladies don't like to be "objectified," but when attire like this (with directions posted) is worn, what's a healthy heterosexual male to do? Snap a picture, pretending to be aiming at food, that's what. Then post it on the Internets.

Anyhoo, the Hack, for all his socializing, had never attended a beer dinner. He’s had several beers with a dinner, of course, but never food/beer pairings. His judgment of the Great Waters Brewing Co. beer dinner on Monday, August 17: Neat-o.

A bit about the Hack: He’s no beverage expert, but he has had some formal training. He can reasonably navigate a wine list, and pick something that won’t be terrible with the food. He also grasps that good beer varieties are complex enough to be paired nicely with particular foods.

Five courses, five beers. Beers were served in eight-ounce glasses, meaning there was no stumbling at the finish, and no one got too filled to enjoy themselves. Highlights on the food and pairing side were an arepas chicken tinga drizzled with cilantro aioli paired with the Golden Prairie Blonde (a light golden ale) and a pork tenderloin with fried polenta and chorizo and corn salsa paired with the Brown Trout Brown Ale. Also interesting (and tasty) was a pistachio encrusted walleye with corn fritters and a yellow pepper and orange sauce paired with the Kaizerweizer Hefeweizen.

The Hack’s never been a huge fan of hefeweizens (wheat beer), and still isn’t, but the one that poured down his gullet that night at least got him thinking. First, it was nearly transparent. Hefeweizens are traditionally not filtered. This one wasn’t either, explained Great Waters master brewer Robert DuVernois, it was just not moved when stored and any particles just went the way of gravity. The flavor, while tasting like a hefeweizen, was also unique for its overall lightness, and in the way it fell away (at least it did for the Hack) on the palate, almost like a fino sherry.

It was a very tasty, inventive meal, and the Hack was impressed that it was pounded out from a small kitchen that still served the regular crowd without missing a beat. Owner Sean O’Byrne was there, hustling plates and mingling. Visit the Great Waters site for info on upcoming dinners.

 

The Citizen Café: Yes, it really is great food for the people.

By The Hack

How often would you describe a ham sandwich as “savory”? Um, never. Unless, of course, you try the ham sandwich at The Citizen Café, the restaurant opened by former Sample Room executive chef Michael MacKay. I’ve eaten fine dinners at this restaurant, and always meant to give it the big thumbs up, but, alas, never got to typing. It’s that damn day job. Which reminds me, I wrote about it for the day job just prior to its opening.

But anyway, the sandwich I ate yesterday. Or, rather, my half sandwich and cup of French onion soup. Grilled ham and brie cheese with roasted pear mustard on brioche. It’s the little details that make this place go—such as the brie and roast pear mustard that turn an everyday sandwich into something memorable. Pops ordered a half BLT with hand-cut bacon, which also looked and smelled fantastic.

You’ll find that throughout the menu. There’s nothing outwardly that sounds revolutionary, but the innovation is in the details, like that roast pear mustard. All that stuff—and everything else (including the gravlax)—is made from scratch, in-house. Serves breakfast faves like a fried egg sandwich, steak and eggs or healthful choices like yogurt smoothies, house-mixed granola and fresh seasonal fruit. Lunch is a variety of sandwiches and salads; dinners include roast turkey breast, a sumptuous three-day pork roast, seafood and vegetarian options.

MacKay has the skills to do whatever restaurant concept he wants. But he found a great location in a working-class neighborhood a short walk from the LRT on Hiawatha. He looked around and built what works—what the neighborhood needed, rather than inserting an ego-driven restaurant that might make a short-term splash, but have no long-term life.

It’s food made with care by knowledgeable hands that’s a perfect neighborhood joint. Funny thing, though. It’s that care for the details that also make it a destination restaurant.