On Saturday night I did another pork roast in the clay cooker, a pork sirloin roast this time. It was perfect in every way. I wanted to do a pulled pork sammich, seemed likely. Needed a sauce that was doable out of the jar, thought I remembered this one doing well.
You can quote me on this one, “This shit sucks.”
Combine a cup of ketchup with a cup of sugar then a huge dose of Chinese Five Spice. “This shit sucks.”
It’s going in the trash.
Biggles
Category Archives: ingredients
Meathenge featured on The Perfect Pantry
I can’t remember when I started reading Lydia’s The Perfect Pantry. It wasn’t too terribly long ago, I don’t think. Not only does she know what she’s talking about, able to lay it down well, but she’s fun. So many attempt to write well about what they know, but it’s no fun. I like fun, fun is good.
On a regular basis, she’s got this thing she does. Readers send in their pantries to share, I’m #45 in that game. I wasn’t going to participate because my pantry lacks pretty much everything. But what the heck, eh?
Here’s a direct link to Other People’s Pantries #45 featuring my wonderful pantry.
Biggles
A pork, a salt and a blow torch. One of these things …
This was one of those meals when you only have 45 minutes to get ready, the sun is setting and the children want food now. The pork roast I bought was completely devoid of visible fat and figured just cook the damned thing and get dinner over with. I had originally purchased it for the smoker (was going to wrap it in bacon). All that, and I was tired, cranky and my back was a little sore, grrrrr. Get it? Grrrr?
It wasn’t until I turned the little gem over to reveal the reversed side was completely covered in a nice layer of fat! Um, make a u-turn Biggles and get back on track. And you know what? I did just that, and quite a bit more. I totally rule, come see why.
Poor little porky chops of love, or are they?
It was a sunny, yet brisk Thursday afternoon. We hadn’t had high roasted chicken in quite some time, my mind turned towards gravy. Chicken fat, translucent minced shallot, flour, broffs & a dollup of creme fraiche. Oh yeah baby, chicken and gravy for dinner!
After hairs cut, off to El Cerrito Natural for some Rocky Jr. feel good chicken bodies. Tiny E wanted to come in too, he’s a come-with kinda boy. At the meat counter he asked what was for dinner, roasted chicken of course. “Oh Papa, can’t we have delicious pork chops instead?” Even at $10.50 a pound, I conceded.
Tell me why my heart sank when I saw these chops in the butcher’s case?
Biggles
First Turning: Maters of 2007
We moved in January of 2000 and have been here ever since. That’s the most stable I’ve been since moving out in 1982 (gradiated high school). Watching a garden grow and change over the years hasn’t been in my reality and am now in awe every year. More so this year because I haven’t killed everything I planted. That and the sheer size of these ‘mater plants is insane!
MEAT ALERT !!! – Rosie Organic Chickens on sale !!!
I snuck in to EC Nat today to find a little something for dinner tonight, made my way back to the meat counter pronto. As I was ordering my pound of ground chuck, I looked straight down and noticed the Rosie birds were only $2.55 a pound. That’s nearly a buck off and only 14 cents more than the Rocky Jr. birdies. Aroo?
“Add a Rosie to that order, my good man!” Said Biggles.
The sale is going on until about the 16th of this mumf and could very well be going on at other markets. I didn’t ask why the lower price, sorry. I’m such a naughty reporter, BAD BIGGLES !!! No chicken leg for you!
Go now.
The Natural Grocery Company
10367 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
510-526-1155
Alejandro & Martin Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 case FREE !!!
Yes, you read that correctly. And no, this isn’t some huge-ass corporate mass marketing deal I ran across on the net. Meathenge has been hand selected by Alejandro through a kind mention from Elise of Simply Recipes. And it looks as though you only have until December 15th to order your 100ml case! The deal is you pay for the shipping, ooOoOOOoO. Can you handle it? I’m off to get mine right now.
Please click HERE for your special page. I receive nothing by spreading the good word. Only the warm knowledge that I’ve helped a friend of a friend further the promotion of their small company. I wish Alejandro, Michelle & Elise good tidings and superb health in the coming year.
UPDATE December 12, 2006: Woot woot! All 800 cases are gone. That’s it, all done in 48 hours. Jeez, that was a whirlwind, eh?
Biggles
Alejandro & Martin Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pork shoulder bacon from Oregon – A&B Market
Chilebrown’s adventure a while back has infected us all. This last weekend my sister and brother inlaw had their anniversary and decided to drive over a 900 mile round trip to buy bacon. Over the last two years you’ve gotten to know me, well? My sister is related and Meathead is right up there. This means having a Bacon Anniversary is okay. They got back in to town on Sunday evening, but it isn’t until just a moment ago that our booty showed up. Here is the smoked/cured pork shoulder!
The taste was amazing, outstanding and as Chilebrown remarks, the gold standard in bacon. Not salty in the least, sweet to a point and purely meaty to the end. Then the smoky love shows up along with the pork stamina. My sister says they Hawaiian which explains the complex sweetness that isn’t easily detectable for us mainlanders.
I’m calling in late for work tomorrow, I got eggs to scramble.
Hugs to you all,
Biggles
Bacon – A & B Meat Market in Bend Oregon
Alright class, settle down. I’m happy to see everyone made it because we have a special guest today. Let’s see if we can spot this mysterious person by asking a few questions. Question #1, who here really loves bacon? Show hands please, excellent. Question #2, who here doesn’t mind driving all over the darned place to buy special food treats? Show hands again, exellent. Yes Sam, I see ya. Question #3, who here would drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Bend Oregon to buy bacon? Yup, that’s right. Stand up Chilebrown.
Chicken Jello
Phew, what a weekend. My wife and I hosted a Meat Festival for some friends we hadn’t seen in years and years, plus some new friends. The pie making started this last Friday evening and continued in to Saturday. Thus, my posting had lagged a bit. I was able to knock out a load of chicken stock in my new 16 qt pot though. And this is it.
Piri Piri II – The Second Story
The piri piri is done! Well, okay it was done a few days ago. At first I was excited to see how it would come out. Then, after seeing it stew in its own juices for those seven days I was a bit apprehensive. If I didn’t do it right opening that jar could unleash some unholy brewness …
a rendering of lard
A friend had an extra plate from a hog and thought I would want it to render. Well of course I did, but you can get yours from a butcher. Just ask. They love that kind of stuff, getting meat products for you.
You’re going to want to partially freeze the meat. Otherwise it’s too dang slimy and tough to deal with. Then cut off the top skin, you just want the juicy fat.
After cubing it up into approximately 1″ cubes toss it into a large baking pan at 275 degrees for maybe two hours.
This batch went for maybe 1.75 hours and looks fine. A little toasty, but I like it that way.
Remove the puffy bits.
Oh my, don’t they look puffy? They’re puffy bits. I’m sure you could put salt on them and pop them into your mouth. But I chose not to.
Let it cool and strain it through something. I suppose you could use cheese cloff, but I used a wire strainer. Just to get the large bits, if any, out. Did I mention to let it cool? Yeah, do that. Then ladle it into smaller containers, one for the fridge, one for the freezer and THE REST FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVERS !!
HA !! Take a close look. That right there is a PORK BLISTER. Eh? What’s a pork blister? It’s a blister from slicing half frozen pork. Neat.
choppin herbs
Grow the herbs, harvest the herbs, chop the bastards and make food!
Artsty Fartsy Picture Alert!
Welcome to August, my favorite month. And what better way to welcome us all to August? A nice picture of Strawbeeries.
Stale Bread lives in the CRUMB !
Yeah, you know it’s one thing to let a loaf of bread go stale or get moldy. But it is quite another to do the same to a home made loaf. It seems a far higher shame. HA !!! Make crumbs! They good. Use for fried chicken man! Give that old stale bread new life. It’s because you care.