It’s a little food and photography all for fun contest. We had to pick an entry from this October, I chose one with Madamoiselle Crepinette!
Please visit this link and get an eyeful of all the beautifully yummy entries!
Biggles
Wild Boar Bacon Tasting – Oh happy day !!!
The boar bacon is the one in the center there. It isn’t a great image, I took this in someone else’s kitchen on the fly.
Given the sheer volume of bacon that Chilebrown and I have on hand, we thought maybe it would be good to sit down and have a taste. The catalyst for this particular meeting was a delivery of yet another kind of bacon, Wild Boar Bacon.
It’s just that, belly bacon taken from a wild pig. I’ve always wanted to go boar hunting with someone. George used to do that while he was still in California. I asked him about tagging along one day, I really wanted to go. He said I was welcome, but I had to have a side-arm. Those wild boards are huge and can take you down in a second. That means I had to have a good sized pistol with me, one with real bullets. There are many things I can do well and being safe with something with bullets isn’t one of them. I’d come back with a hole in my foot or without one of my digits. It doesn’t scare me, it’s just a fact. Armed with this knowledge, I let others do my wild pig killin’ for me. I needs me fangers.
The wild boar came in a slab, it needed to be sliced. The texture of this bacon was wiggly. The meat was loose, not firm like standard belly bacon. The smell was light and fresh, not heavy in cure or smoke. Not gamey. Along with the wild bacon, we did Fatted Calf’s belly bacon and Morants Canadian Bacon. 3 bacons for the 2 Meat Brothers.
Each bacon got its own pan. Since wild piggies get to run around, the bacon is quite lean with a high meat to fat ratio. We could have added a little oil to the pan. All 3 cooked up just fine. The Canadian bacon was too salty and we left it for CB’s pot of chile he was going to make that day. Fatted Calf’s bacon was a fine contender, but this was Taylor’s milder version. The smoke was light, the cure was even and the cut was a standard belly cut. There were no huge wangly country slices in there with rinds and heavy smoke action.
The boar bacon had a light smoke, light cure and had the texture of a chewy beef roast. Hence, wiggly meat. It wasn’t a bad chewy, it gave way pretty quickly. But I don’t think we expected the heavy, chewy texture of the pork belly. Both CB and I enjoyed it immensely. I would absolutely love to put slices of this in my smoker for a few hours, oh yes. All in all I’d like to see more of this Wild Boar Bacon. The possibilities for it should be quite huge. I’d like to see a far heavier smoke to it along with a cure that’s on the sweet side. Just a tad mind you, just a bit. What a way to start a Saturday morning !!!
Biggles
Heritage Red Wattle Smoked Pork Chops – Fatted Calf Newsletter
Guess what? The smoky, brined pork chops are here this week! The above image is from a while back, but nearly the same product. I wanted to let ya’ll know cause I was lucky enough to work a day at the Fatted Calf stall in Berkeley a few weeks ago. There were 2 people that came up to see if we had any chops this week? Nope, and they left! While I was pretty taken aback considering what that day’s menu had to offer. I thought it was pretty cool that they wanted that specific one thing and nothing else. A Meat Shark.
Fatted Calf’s customers are generally a nice lot. I’ve seen them each week making their way up and back through the market with their sacks bulging with swag. They’re interested in what’s what and always willing to buy one new thing they haven’t tried. There was a woman and her husband or boyfriend that were clearly newbies. They asked questions about this and that. I laid it down best I could. I don’t make the stuff, so individual spices and procedures elude me from time to time. They felt bad for holding up the line, but I urged them on with juicy descriptions of the completed food stuff. I didn’t mind taking time with them because they liked hearing about the meat as much as I enjoyed talking about the meat. I know they’ll return for something new each week. I could see the twinkle of pate and sausage in her eyes.
There were a few who wanted a lean product. One poor woman wanted “lean” bacon. I presented her with 4 packages and she noted quickly, “These are NOT lean.” I deal with the public from time to time, so I smiled and dug a little deeper. It was at that moment I turned and mentioned to her, “You know this is ‘bacon’, right?” There was nothing lean enough and she left. A few hours past and while there were probably 7 customers poking about, a young woman with her “doctor” (read: Grampa) asked for something made without so much fat. Everyone within ear shot chortled. I turned around and looked at the Charcuterie sign just to make sure I was at the right stall. She left with beef jerky. See! Something for everyone!
And that’s just about where we are going to be for this coming Saturday morning. A place where you can find something for everyone, the Berkeley Farmer’s Market. Please come out and enjoy the changing seasons and fill your grocery sack with fresh goodies. Let me take you out with a pretty picture of Fatted Calf’s lamb brochettes grilled while covered with their smoky bacon.
Don’t eeeven ask me if they were any good. Cause they were, nyah. Please read on to the newsletter not written by me.
xo,
Biggles
Chowhound – Bye bye
Well, here’s my second draft. The first draft was a pretty well crafted rant about Chowhound. But I think it’s all been said before and recently by Sam and Fatemeh and a few others here in the SF Bay Area.
Suffice it to say, “Good bye Chowhound. It was fun for a while, but your lack of thoughtfulness to your posters has caused me to remove you from my bookmarks. And the grief you’ve caused to chefs and restaurant owners is unforgivable.”
Biggles
ps – It’s easy to criticize and I thought maybe I should offer up a suggestion or two. If an entry needs to be removed or edited, the poster should receive and email letting them know what’s going on and why it should be removed or edited. Offer some support, some ideas, assist your posters in becoming better at what they do. There needs to be some way the restaurant owners, cooks and chefs and/or staff can have a venue too. Why does there have to be such a gap between us and them? It doesn’t seem right. There needs to be an open communication so service and food can improve. Instead, it’s a bitter chew for the owner who can’t stand up for their establishment. Why is this important? Diners can be nitwits too and expect too much or have the concept completely wrong.
There, that sets it right for me.
Happy Hallowween !!!
Happy Halloween and to everyone a Merrry Pumpkin !!!
Uh, Haddock? My pumpkin carving didn’t quite match up. I’m okay with that though.
xo – Biggles
Where’s your root cellar and do you have stinky garlic fangers? Meathenge Lab’s Helpful Hints
Chapter 1
Not everyone has some fancy root cellar that keeps our tubers and garlic fresh for the future. Some of us are relegated to use whatever we have handy. This could be, the floor. A bin in a pantry, under some stairs or wherever we have room. Up until semi-recently, I was among you. Today? Times have changed.
Chapter 2
How many times have you gone to bed with garlic hands? Every few hours you’re all woked up by the pungeant smell of garlic on yer hands. Need solice?
Venture within to have a little project and hint time with Biggles.
Eat your breakfast hunney, it’s the most important meal of the day.
Blah blah and double blah. I never believed that crap and neither did you. We’re 22 right? Hit the clubs all weekend, wind up in 3 different beds and get to work Monday morning at 7am with your shades on and you’re doing fine. Right? Riiight. You can do that for only so many years before your grandmother’s advice starts to kick in. Then a visit to the doctor and he takes one look at you and says, “Do you eat breakfast?”
High Roast Cauliflower – Redux
That was a most outstanding meal and I had to share it with the world. Veggies and I have been at odds for years and I think cauliflower has won my heart over. I smile when I prepare this and can’t wait for the roasty smells to start. If you search Meathenge you’ll run in to this preparation method with a few different recipes and experiments. This vegetable dish is so good you can eat it as a meal and it’s good reheated the next day. Plus it’s easy and takes no longer than 35 minutes to cook. Here we go!
Smoked Pork Picnic Roast – A Sunday Happy that didn’t quite make it.
I just knew this last Saturday, that Sunday morning I’d fire up the smoker and get that 5 pound picnic portion of a pork roast in there. I wanted a pull-apart roast with my go-to rub. This grass fed fancy roast needed the best and I was just the Biggles for the job.
Yeah well, after 8 hours of smoking, I’d had enough and pulled it. I could tell it wasn’t ready, it needed another 4 hous in there. I got a late start in the day and it was time. That was okay, I’d figure it out tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow.
And figure it out I did, all in about 10 minutes.
Morants Old Fashioned Sausage Kitchen – A Meat Adventure
Been feeling itchy lately, wanting to get out of town. This paired with the need for taking a day off spelled nothing less than a Meat Adventure. And to be honest, I’ve been on a bacon jag for the last month or so and the chance to try a new bacon really give my spine a tingle.
While I don’t feel the urge to drive to Sacramento very often, Morants seemed like a good idea for a sunny October morning. Interested to see what bacon Morants gots?
Prelude to a Meat Adventure: Beautiful Meat Photograph
Happy Saturday !!!
Listen up, yesterday Chilebrown and I headed out for Sacramento to visit Morants Old Fashioned Sausage Kitchen. While I only expected a drive up, raid of their smoker and a quick return home, we ended up with a nice morning spent with some sidetracking. What do I mean by this? Well, you’ll have to wait until I can find a computer to sit down to and compose my entry.
But Biggles, you’re typing this up, right now. Yeah, well see, this is a laptop mounted over the TV and I have to stand at a funny angle to use it. So, any longer than a few minutes and I’m done with it. I moseyed out to the garage to fire up my PC and it don’t even turn on anymore.
Surely Biggles with your mad PC repair skills you should be able to get that sucker up and going. Yeah, I can. But it’s 84 degrees, sunny with a cool breeze and I have 35 pounds of fresh sausage to tear in to. Not to mention 5 pounds of first class bacon to fry up. Plus I have a nice pork butt roast in the fridge awaiting my attention for an all day smoking session on Sunday. I’m busy! Besides I still have about 280 pounds of Custom Charcoal to use up.
Whatcha all up to today?
xo Biggles
Today’s music is brought to you by Carly Simon and Judy Collins.
Baking Class: Shuna of Eggbeater steps up and offers baking classes
I’m so excited I’m bouncing up and down in my chair. EEeeEEeeEEeee !!!
It’s no secret anymore, Shuna’s classes are no less than stellar. I’ve attended a handful of them ranging from Knife Skills, Baking and Pate a Choux. And this time she’s offering up a handful of goodies to learn. And you know what? This is perfect timing. Want to know why? Because the holidays are coming up and this would be the perfect time to master your pie dough technique.
Shuna’s classes are a hands on and 1 to 1. If you’re a wall flower, too bad. You’re going to come away with a wonderful experience, inspired and full of mad baking skills. If you’re a pro, she’ll be able to clear up any misconceptions or hone your ability to perform. Or if your a Homer Simpson (read here: Biggles) in the baking department, she’ll at least give you the opportunity to not screw it up. This is key because you’ll get to see feel, smell and touch what it’s supposed to come out like. Heck, until last year I didn’t know what live versus dead yeast looked like when introduced to warm water.
And I swear to Bacon, if I hear anyone say, “Ya know, I’d love to. But, I think maybe I’ll catch the next class.” That’s all very well and good, but time flies fast pal. You could very well lose out, again. Aren’t you tired of being a loser? Step outside your box and make the effort to actually leave your home and have fun and learn something at the same time. Won’t you? If I can do it, you can too.
The details on these upcoming classes haven’t gelled yet. So, I’m not able to give you the concrete low down at the moment. Except maybe they’ll be held in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Please visit Shuna’s Eggbeater for details and contact information.
Go now.
Biggles
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“Can you hold please? I need to flip the bacon”
Busy doesn’t even remotely come to describe what I’ve been up to lately. And when I do have time? I’m so exhausted I sit down for my pre-bed nap. So, Monday I took the day off. I owed some friend a load of meat and I wanted to hit the road, do some travlin’.
It was finally time for me to visit Bud’s Custom Meats in Penngrove California. But that was Monday Biggles, how come it’s Thursday morning and you still haven’t tried the bacon? No time, that’s why. I thought I just got done telling you that. You did, but then how come this entry? Well, because I had a great idea. What’s that Biggles? Since I spend all day at work, why not just fry up the bacon here in my office.
Products & Technology: Woodflame’s Wood Burning, Portable BBQ
I heard rumors about this grill a while back and ever since it’s been rattlin’ in the back of mind. It wasn’t until the other day when CB sent me the link to Woodflame’s web site that I said, “THAT’S IT !!!”
Why am I so excited about a portable grill that I don’t own and have never seen or used? It’s because it uses wood and not propane. Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Weber and the likes have been making portable charcoal fired grills for more than a million years. So why is this different from your humble Smokey Joe?
It’s got this little “stove” that jets air UP through a few small chunks of hardwood and cooks your food this way.
You can cook an entire meal with just a few small hunks and get this (listen up propane lovers), you’re ready start grilling in just 2 minutes. I’m not sure, but I’ll bet a propane grill ain’t even ready to cook that fast. The owners manual says the Delecto model has 9 fan settings, so you can go from just a little fire (designed for smoking) up to a flame that’ll deliver you over 60k btu’s, that’s a lot by the way. It’s enough to deep fry and boil water and apparently this little rig does just that. So, not only do you get a wood burning grill & smoker, but you also get a very powerful portable stove.
That all sounds so good, what could possibly be the downside to this little rig? Well, you’re tied to electricity. The Delecto uses 4 D cell batteries and you can get an AC adapter for it. But after thinking about it for a few days I don’t think that’s a deal breaker. Modern electric motor technology has come a long way and I’ll bet you get some decent life out of those batteries. And besides, what would you rather lug around? 4 extra batteries or one of those steel propane tanks? I’d vote for the batteries and real smoke flavors.
Why don’t I buy one cause my grill is nearly ready to fall over and die? Why did I not hit BUY NOW the other day? It isn’t large enough for my needs. I need a grill about 3 to 5 times that size for my yearly needs. So, my search continues. But yours doesn’t have to. If I didn’t need such a large grill, I’d buy this in a second. Woodflame looks to be a small company attempting to make it out in the big scary world. I say Kudos to the geniuses that brought us this little grill. Thank you so much for not making another damned propane grill.
Biggles
ps – Please visit their web site for a far better description, user manuals and dealer locations.
Woodflame
6155 Des Grandes-Prairies Blvd.
Montreal (Québec), Canada
H1P 1A5
Telephone : 514 328-2929
Tol free: 1 888 664-6966
Fax : (514) 328-0029