Yup, October is like, RIGHT THERE. See it? No, right THERE. Now do you see? Our Native American Summer (sigh) is giving it a shot, but falling short. Quickly our hearts and tummies are growling for richer, heartier faire. Soups, stews and beautiful roasts. And I can’t speak for everyone, but there are those times when you don’t have time to make a demi glace (meat jello) or glace (meat syrup). It’s just easier to use good store bought stock & wine, then cross your fingers. And you usually get something delightful. However, if you pick up a good cookbook and actually READ it, delve in to how a real soup, stew or roast is put together? It’ll more times than not mention making your own glace, demi or otherwise. Okay, let’s make it! Oh wait, it takes time? Yeah, I’ll get to that. Maybe this summer when I’m not so damned busy!
HEY MOOCH HEAD !!! Fatted Calf has demi glace & glace de viande ready made for ya. All nice and glistenny. Give them a call and reserve yourself a jar for this coming Saturdays Farmer’s Market in Berkeley.
Looks like they sportin’ some fancy Lemon & Herb sausage links this week, I’m going to get me some of those.
Now, please click on to read Kim O’Neill’s Fatted Calf Newsletter.
Author Archives: Biggles
Meathenge hosts a D.O.G. – Gluttony exprienced first hand
What is a DOG? It’s a Dutch Oven Gathering, foo. A gathering of people who enjoy cooking with a camp style dutch oven. These fancy ovens are just like the ones we use in our kitchen, but they have 3 little stubby legs that allow coals to be layered underneath and a large lipped lid that assists in the same. And since you’re using coals, this is all done outside. You know? Where the bugs and leaves are? There’s even a Dutch Oven Society. It’s a club type thing you can join and get newsletters and they sanction events, such as the one in La Pine Oregon where Abram and E took 2nd place in early August. Heh, they’re winners. And I’m lucky because they live in the next city over and they mentioned some interest in getting together for some fun. Shuna wanted to come too, but ended up with tummy problems and wasn’t able to attend, feh. As soon as Chilebrown heard of the news, he was in. And his wife Ms. Goofy wasn’t to be left out. This put us at 6 adults for 5.5 hours of cooking, eating and relaxing. How’d it turn out? Click through to be stupified and drawn through about 16 images of mad craziness. It’s taken me 2 days to get my appetite back!
The Trouble With Trivets or Fun with Meat v2.0
Just when I thought I’d run through my bag of tricks, just when I figured I’d done it all. I roasted meat, veggies & tubers in a new and vibrant way. That’s right, I brought two roasting techniques together all in one meal and in one pan no less. The results you ask? Click on brother, or sister …
New Scandinavian Cooking – Tina Nordstrom
Where the hell did Andreas go? Over the last few years anyone who is anyone has fallen in love with this man and his love for his country’s cuisine. Even the sponsor’s commercials in the beginning sent shivers down my spine, who can forget the chug chug of the King Oscar sardine boat?
Recently I heard a rumor that Tina Nordstrom had taken the wheel. I was in shock and wanted to know, “Yeah, okay, but where the HELL DID ANDREAS GO ?!?” and “Why are networks so closed mouthed about what goes on and why?” Dammit.
Last night Tivo left New Scandinavian Cooking with Chef Tina Nordstrom for me and I set aside the time to give the show a shot. It was then clear that Andreas was gone and New Scandinavian Cooking was about Scandinavia and not specifically Norway and Andreas. They gave him a few seasons, now it’s Tina’s turn. Tina is to share with us her culture and cuisine, which happens to be Sweden. Hot, tall blonde women, Volvos and some episode of Sponge Bob comes to mind. Remember, I’m keeping an open mind. Tina starts out kinda awkwardly talking about a Midsummer nights meal. They have a big celebration and apparently have a maypole, cool. She does her first meal on a little folding table and I figure, “HA, Andreas got away with his kickass Ikea-like portable kitchen!” Score one for Andreas. Nope, the portable kitchen showed up for her second course. Score one for Tina.
It’s painfully clear why the she was chosen. The woman can cook and she does it better than well. Once she gets in to cooking mode, she loosens up a bit. The name of this episode was and is, Midsummer Nights Cream. Given the abundance of fish in Scandinavia, I’m sure some salted fish will be going in to that cream. And probably some dill and a few other things such as berries. And I was right, two of her main dishes had just that. I’m sure they’re wonderful, but I’m not interested. Heavy cream and herring? Shudder. However, she did finish off with this huge creamy strawberry cake. I can dig that baby, strawberries are good with creamy love.
I miss Andreas a lot and hope he surfaces soon on a well produced PBS series in the coming season. At least I have the first two seaons, but I’ve seen them all and was hoping for new ones. Tina Nordstrom is a new one and they’ve plopped her directly in to the New Scandinavian Cooking model. I don’t think that was fair for Tina, she has some big shoes to fill. I believe it would have been a better move to rewrite the show for her, who she is and her ways. Kinda like sharing your neighbors underwear, it’s wrong on an odd level.
That being said, Tina is a very capable chef and I wish her all the best. I’m sure in the following episodes she finds her crease and does really well, Good Luck Tina!
Biggles
Fatted Calf Newsletter – Lamb Leg w/ Tapenade & Pork Crepinettes with Pistachios, Caramelized Onions, Duck Liver and Marsala
Emil came to work Wednesday morning and urged me to get the SF Chronicle’s Food Section featuring “Going whole hog …“. An article that goes in depth about our local Charcuterie masters and all the wonder that is Salumi. And don’t forget the wily photo ninja Craig Lee who brought us the images, you go Craig. In any case, this is a wonderfully put together article by Carol Ness. Why is it wonderful? Cause Fatted Calf got a mention and Taylor got a quote and Toponia got her name in the paper. It’s nice to get some validation for all the hard work and time you put in to your own business. Fatted Calf is not a division of Ford or Armour, they own it, it’s them. Congrats!
Blah, blah, blah, but where’s the meat? Don’t sweat it, the interview probably took 24 minutes and then it was time to get back to work. This week’s special is a Little Lamb Leg Roasts with Olive Tapenade. I’ve had this and it’s at least 3 times better than you’d think. And speaking of thinking, if you want one I would really suggest you contact Fatted Calf directly and have one reserved for you at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market this coming Saturday morning. Next are the beautifful Crepinettes, the flavor this week? Pork with Pistachios, Caramelized Onions, Duck Liver and Marsala, YEAH !!! Read it again, go. Get the lamb roast for Saturday’s dinner and the crepinettes for Sunday’s grilled lunch. As for the rest of the batch? You go ahead and click on to read Kim O’Neill’s Fatted Calf Newsletter (the real one, I’m just rambling).
Sunday Morning Breakfast Includes Homemade Bacon
How do you know you’ve made it in life? When you have friends that share their homemade bacon. The image above there is Paul “Chile” Brown’s first attempt at shoulder bacon. You remember him don’t you? He’s the one that drove to Oregon just to pick up a load of world class bacon. He’s been talking about making his own for quite some time and a handful of weeks ago, he gathered the info and ingredients to make it go. Here’s the recipe and cure he used, Buckboard Bacon Cure. It’s pretty straight forward, get your meat, rub cure on it, set it to rest in a 40 degree fridge for 10 days or so. Soak and rinse the sucker to get the cure off and out, smoke. While I dearly love belly bacon, I’m enjoying the shoulder bacon more often these days. Why? More meat.
How does it taste? Here’s how that went. I decided not to mention anything about the bacon, just serve it to family and see what they say. This way I am assured of an honest response. Uncle Steph showed up early, he was to watch over the kids for the day, so we had 3 adults here all real hungry. I fried it gently in a cast iron skillet until just barely brown, served with scrambled eggs n’ toast. Both Mama and Steph remarked that the ham was really quite good and where did I get it. “Damned fine”, is how I believe it was phrased. And to be honest with you, it does sit on the Ham side. I suppose the difference between ham and bacon is that ham is traditionally from the hind legs of the piggy. So, this is considered bacon. In any case, the texture was firm and pulled apart nicely. The saltiness (present but not overpowering) hit you first, then it was off to the sweetness and finally some smoky love. All three of us confirmed this batch of homemade shoulder bacon a success. What to improve upon? For me, I like a deeper, firmer smoke. Nothing bitter, but more pronounced.
Not bad for a first run, eh?
Biggles
Fatted Calf Newsletter – Basque Sausage Coils, Sausage Stuffed Quails & Rabbit Pate
If I were you, I’d start doubling up on the effort enjoy this last little bit of light and ‘warmth’ we have left in the year. Face it, summer is over and going fast. Personally, I grill and smoke through most of the year. But not everyone does, so stop what you’re doing and make a point of doing some grilling this coming weekend. Fatted Calf is sporting some fine grub this coming Saturday. The Basque Sausage Coils are a special treat, they aren’t always available. They look so darned pretty on the grill and their easy to flip over too. They’ve also got listed the rabbit pate, one of my all time favorite pates. Just think of it like chicken, but with flavor. Holy cow, look at this! A Pork Cheek Terrine, Cheek Pate! The cheek portion of the pig is extremeley tender and flavorful, a real gift when you can find it. There’s even Boudin Noir and the list of Salumi goodies is full.
Take this weekend off and relax a bit before the wily evils of holiday depression sets in. There’s nothing that kicks the blues like pork.
Please continue and read Kim O’Neill’s Fatted Calf Newsletter …
Wet Roast Chicken or Fun with Meat
I have to admit, I’ve been in a decent mood over the last few days. Been day dreaming about what’s next, what new meat concoction can I toss in to my smoker? Counting the little lambs dancing in my head and thinking how wonderful the olive tapanade stuffed lamb roast was. You know, those kinds of day dreams.
Last night I found myself with a whole chicken. Everyone who loves a good roast chicken, raise your hands. Excellent. Now everyone that loves a rich and savory chicken stew, raise your hands. Teeerific. That’s about where I was last night. You see, our summer temps never rose above 78 degrees. The other night I considered turning the furnace on, it was that chilly. Keep in mind, this time last year it was 94 degrees outside.
The flavors I wanted for our dinner was a crispy, bright, roast chicken, but I also wanted that rich broth and stewed veggies that a stew comes with. I had an idea and it was bone simple.
You’ve probably already figured it out.
Preheat oven to 375, bottom rack.
Cut the back out of your chicken, lay cavity side down. Whack breast so it lays somewhat flat, doesn’t have to be real flat. In fact, it helps if it has half of its curve remaining. Olive oil it lightly and install kosher salt evenly over all. Set aside.
Get your dutch oven heated up with a bit of oil and toss in your sliced carrots (it’s gotta cook fast, so slice them about a quarter inch thick or so), celery, onion, mushrooms and smooshed whole cloves of garlic. Get all those sizzling along for maybe 10 minutes. Pour in not quite a quart of good chicken broth, you want to just more than cover your veggies. Get this to a rolling boil and let it run for 5+ minutes, good and hot. Lay in your chicken, you want the broth to just come up over the sides, no more.
Put in to oven for an hour or hour and twenty, no lid. Pull and let rest for 10 minutes.
It’s really damned cool. When you put the chicken on your carving board, the skin is all crispy and bright and salty. Yet, the meat is fall off the bone tender from sitting in liquid. THE CHICKEN WINGS ARE CRISPY !!! The breast meat was flavorful, tender and had a nice texture. The dark meat was fully cooked and juicy as always and it picked up the stew flavor from the broth & veggies!
So, here you have, “Wet Roast Chicken” and trust me, it tasted twice as good as it looks.
Biggles
Fatted Calf Turns 2 with 2nd annual Picnic!
September 11th, 2005 was the long anticipated 2nd annual Fatted Calf picnic. Mama and I attended last year’s picnic. A beatiful day filled with beaches, grassy knolls, sausage and vast quantities of cool refreshing beverages all within view of Tomales Bay. This year was like that, only there was more …
Smokey’s Bar-B-Q, Denver Colorado
Looky what I found in my inbox the other day. A restaurant review from Joe Bob in Denver, a barbecue joint no less. This is a good thing, it’s nice to see what others are up to in other cities and get Smokey’s on the map. Please read forward what Joe Bob brings us today.
Chef Stephen Gibbs makes appetizers while we drink wine
It’s like going to the movies, cept you get to drink wine, eat far better food and you’re encouraged to talk and ask questions. Mama and I don’t get out much and these little outtings over to Macy’s of San Francisco are a nice breather during the week. The trip over was kinda uneventful, no disasters or run-ins with anyone interesting. We wound our way down to The Cellar and found the kitchen, easy. There were a few places up front and we grabbed em’. The table was all set with Hummus, Eggplant Caviar, red & orange little maters, bread, water and here came the wines !!!
Lamb Crepinettes with Nicoise Olives, Pork Loin “Porchetta Style” – Fatted Calf Newsletter
I would like to think Mr. Warhol would have really enjoyed Crepinettes.
Ya know, I’m kinda surprised these people that handle The Nobel Prize only cover physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and peace. There’s so much more to life. I spent a while perusing the site reading all about Alfred Nobel and what he was up to over a hundred years ago. While I’m sure physics and medicine are important, what about sausage? The fine high art of making every part of a piggy succulent and perfect? The Nobel group are missing the obvious category, Charcuterie. I feel so weak & powerless not being able to nominate Fatted Calf for Alfred Nobel’s Charcuterie Prize. I’ll have to drown my sorrows with a Pork Loin “Porchetta Style” with garlic, lemon, rosemary, salt, pepper, fennel. And maybe a few Lamb Crepinettes with Nicoise Olives, snurf. Woe is me to suffer the slings & arrows of the little Fegatelli snack treats, what to do?
Tinker & Tanker knew what to do! They got their lazy asses to this coming Berkeley Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Share the bounty of what is around you, Pork & Lamb & Bunnies.
Please read on to Kim O’Neill’s Fatted Calf Newsletter …
Hugs
Meathenge is … Food Site of the Day
Hey, neat. Meathenge has been chosen Food Site of the Day for Today, Tuesday September 6th. Go check it out !!!
Torchbearer Sauces – #42 Slaughter Sauce Review
The 3 Habaneros are a wily group, Vid, Ben, and Tim. They’ve been known for their condiments and hot sauces for years. The cool thing is they’ve finally got some backing to they can head forth! Here is my review of a few of their sauces the other day. If you haven’t read it, suggest you do because it lays some ground work as to this and that.
Creston Valley’s Fine Meats – Bacon Review
I picked up a 1.21 pound package of Creston Valley’s Fine Meats Shoulder Bacon on Saturday morning. I hadn’t tried it before and have been loving the shoulder style cut (more meat). This isn’t to say I don’t love the standard American streaky bacon with its 80% fat to 20% meat ratio. Hell, how would we make cornbread without it? But after trying A&B Meats’ version, count me in to the shoulder bacon.