1 pound pork liver (beef, veal, venison, goat, or lamb will work)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tart, firm apples, cored and finely diced, but not peeled
1 large onion, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices bacon
¼ cup hot water
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
Slice the pork liver into strips, about ½” wide. Place the strips in a small bowl, soak in the lemon juice, adding more in necessary. Cover the bowl, and marinate the meat several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mix the apples, onion, salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and sauté the mixture until the onion is translucent and the apples are crisp-tender, about 5 to 6 minutes; set aside.
Remove the liver from the lemon juice, pat dry, and place in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Pour the apple and onion mixture over t he liver. Arrange the bacon slices on top, and pour in hot water. Sprinkle with the paprika. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is bubbling and the apples are soft. Serve immediately.
4 pork shoulder chops or country-style ribs
Mustard Sage Rub
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 leek, finely sliced, white part only (optional)
3 to 4 carrots, scraped and finely chopped
½ cup pitted prunes (dried plums)
½ cup dried apricots
¼ cup dry sherry
1 cup beef or chicken stock
¼ cup brandy
2 bay leaves
Coat the pork chops with the Mustard Sage Rub. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or allow them to sit for 2 hours at room temperature.
Place the onion, leek, and carrots in the bottom of a large slow-cooker. Ser the shoulder chops on top, then cover with the prunes and apricots. Pour in the sherry, stock and brandy; add the bay leaves. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat falls from the bones.
1 smoked ham or smoked picnic ham, preferably bone-in, any size
1 ½ cups maple syrup or honey (you will need only 1 cup if your ham is 4 pounds or less)
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Bring ham to room temperature, place in a roasting pan, and bake until heated through (the internal temperature need not be more than 130˚F). As a guide, a whole ham (about 14 pounds) will take about 2 ½ hours, and a half ham (about 7 pounds) will take about 1 ½ hours. Remove the ham from the oven, and increase the heat to 425˚F.
Using a knife, score the outside of the ham by making a series of crisscross cuts. Brush on ½ cup of the maple syrup (if you are using a ham that is 4 pounds or less, use ¼ cup syrup), return the ham to the oven for 20 minutes, and baste 2 or 3 times with the pan juices.
Remove the ham from the oven, set it on a cutting board, and brush with another ½ cup of syrup (again, if your ham is 4 pounds or less, use ¼ cup). Tent loosely with foil, and let rest while you make the raisin sauce.
*Maple Raisin Sauce:
1 cup water
½ cup raisins
1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
¼ cup ice water
To make the sauce, place the roasting pan on two burners over low heat. Pour in the cup of water and the remaining ½ cup maple syrup and simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add the raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the mixture by about a third, and lower to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch or arrowroot and ice water until smooth, and slowly pour into the sauce. Continue to cook, and stir 1 to 2 minutes longer, until the sauce has thickened. Carve the ham, and serve the sauce separately.
2 to 4 pound pork shoulder roast (Boston butt, pork shoulder butt, rolled tied boneless butt, or any
boneless shoulder roast will work)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon powdered mustard
½ teaspoon rosemary, crushed
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 sweet potatoes, peeled
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Bring the pork roast to room temperature. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side; finish browning with the fat-side up. Whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, rosemary, salt, pepper, and pour over the roast. Cover tightly, and bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally.
Meanwhile, cut each of the potatoes into 8 wedges. After 1 hour, scatter the potatoes in the sauce around the roast. Cover, and continue roasting until the potatoes are tender and the internal temperature of the meat registers 150˚ to 155˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes before serving (the temperature should rise to about 160˚ to 165˚F).
To serve, move to a warm platter, slice the meat, arrange the potatoes alongside, and spoons the sauce on top, allowing some to dribble over the potato wedges. Serves 4 to 8.
5 tablespoons Moroccan Spice Rub*see below
1 pork tenderloin, about 3 to pounds
Pear-Raisin Chutney**see below
Rub the Moroccan Spice Rub into the meat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 325˚F. Put the pork in a shallow roasting pan, and cook for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145˚ to 155˚F. Meanwhile, prepare the chutney.
Remove the roast from the oven, tent with foil, rest for 10 minutes, and serve with the Pear-Raisin Chutney.
**Pear-Raisin Chutney:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
4 pears, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup honey
½ cup cider vinegar
1 cup golden raisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon Moroccan Spice Rub
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add the diced onion, and sauté until translucent. Add the pears, and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the honey, cider vinegar, raisins, garlic, ginger, and Moroccan Spice Rub. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste, and add more honey if desired. Continue to simmer, uncovered a few minutes longer to allow the chutney to thicken.
*Moroccan Spice Rub
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds link sweet Italian pork sausage or 2 pounds bulk sweet Italian pork sausage, formed into 8
large patties
6 tart apples, cored and quartered, but not peeled
¼ cup maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over medium heat. Brown the sausages, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat, and add the apples. Drizzle the maple syrup on top, cover, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the apples can be pierced easily with a fork. Serve in shallow bowl with the apples and the pan sauce spooned on top. Serves 5.
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 large-link pork sausages (or veal)
¼ cup coarsely chopped onion
8 medium-size baking potatoes, cut into large wedges
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup dry white wine
4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven (as long as it is not cast iron). Brown the sausages for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove and cut into large chunks about the same size as the potatoes, and set aside. Pour off the fat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onion, and sauté until transparent. Add the potatoes, and cook for about 5 minutes on high heat, stirring frequently to be sure the potatoes do not stick.
Return the sausages and their juices to the pot, and add the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the wine and rosemary, cover, and bake for approximately 1 hour, until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.
4 pounds beef bones
2 large carrots, cut in very large chunks
3 ribs celery, cut in very large chunks
2 onions, peeled and quartered
7 quarts water
3 to 4 sprigs thyme
3 to 4 sprigs oregano
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled and crushed
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Place the bones and the vegetables in a large roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes, or until the bones have thoroughly browned. Periodically turn them over, and baste the bones and vegetables with any accumulated fat drippings. Pour the bones and vegetables into a very large stockpot.
Set the roasting pan on the stovetop, and pour in 2 cups of the water. Over medium heat, bring the water to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits, and add to the stockpot with any drippings. Tie the thyme and oregano sprigs together, making a bouquet, and add them to the pot along with the garlic, tomato, salt, the remaining 6 ½ quarts of water, and vinegar. Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes.
Bring the mixture to a boil, skimming off any scum that raises the surface. Reduce the heat to low, and slowly simmer the stock for a minimum of 6 hours. The longer you cook your stock down, the richer it will be. I often simmer stock all day, store it in the refrigerator for the night, and then continue simmering it for several hours the next morning.
Remove all the bones, vegetables, and herbs. Completely cool the stock before pouring it into freezer containers. If you wish, skim off any fat that has risen to the surface before you pack it away. Makes 4 to 5 quarts.
*Lamb broth can substitute for beef broth.
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 7 pounds short ribs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, scraped, finely chopped; plus 3 carrots scrapped and sliced into narrow, 2” strips for
later use.
2 medium onions, finely chopped
16 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fennel
1 teaspoon dried lavender heads (optional)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups cabernet sauvignon
3 cups beef broth
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
¾ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
Preheat oven to 300˚F. Combine the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Spread mixture lightly on each of the short ribs; set aside on a large platter.
Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart oven proof pot that can be covered later, add the seasoned ribs in batches, and brown. Set aside.
Add the finely chopped carrots and onions to the drippings, and cook until tender. Toss in the cloves of garlic, the herbs, and flour. Stir well to incorporate the flour. Add the wine and beef broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and the bay leaves, and return to a boil for 1 minute. Add the ribs and any lingering juices, cover the pot and bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours; or until the meat is fork-tender.
Remove the pot from the oven. Remove ribs from sauce and set aside. Add the carrot sticks and black olives to the sauce, and let simmer, uncovered for an additional 15 minutes; or until the carrots are tender. Return ribs to sauce and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
*These ribs go well with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Slow-Cooker Version:
As describe above, coat the short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown in olive oil. Place the ribs and all ingredients (except the carrot sticks and olives) in a large slow cooker, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. Remove the ribs, and keep warm. Add the carrot sticks and olives to the pan juices, and cook on high, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
¾ cup tamari
1 tablespoon ground ginger
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
3 cups water
2 tablespoons cider or rice vinegar
1 large head garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
3 pounds beef short ribs
4 tablespoons sesame oil
In a large Dutch oven, whisk the tamari, ginger, honey, chives, water, and vinegar; add the whole cloves of garlic.
Add the short ribs. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, turn the heat to low, and simmer while covered for 2 ½ to 3 hours; or until meat is fork-tender. If you start to run out of liquid, add 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup tamari. Remove the ribs and keep warm, but continue to allow the broth to simmer, uncovered.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450˚F. Place ribs on a roasting pan, meat side up, and brush with sesame oil. Roast for 15 minutes, or until edges become crispy. Serve in warmed shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of broth poured on top. Serves 4-5.
