Radio Kitchen

Every Tuesday morning at 8:35 WYPR listeners are treated to a tasty serving of culinary advice on "Radio Kitchen".  Hosts Al Spoler and Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Waterfront Kitchen offer up-to-date advice on the best in local ingredients, cooking techniques, recipe ideas and gadgets for the kitchen.

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#1009 - Bacon In It's Glory

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Nothing makes that cool snap in the air smell even better than the aroma of frying bacon.   And few things make just about anything taste better than...bacon.   Just ask your dog!   We are living in something of a Golden Age for bacon, and if you can't find something out there that knocks your socks off, you just aren't even trying.


The Internet is loaded with bacon sites that will mail it to you, and different sites do offer different kinds of bacon, usually with an emphasis on the smoking wood of choice.   One strategy that doesn't seem to have occurred to many people is to make your own bacon.   Your butcher can provide you with the pork bellies you need, and if you have the means of smoking meat, you're golden. 

Here is Jerry's recipe for home-made bacon.

Homemade Bacon Recipe

5lb slab of good quality pork belly (Some people like to remove the rind. I prefer to leave it on.)
½  cup of salt
¼ cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup

Pat the belly dry with paper towels.
Mix the three ingredients together to form a paste and rub vigorously onto all the surfaces of the belly.
Put pork belly into a large Ziploc bag, and keep it in the fridge for 7 to 9 days.
Turn the bag over once a day.  There will be some liquid accumulating in the bag.  This is normal, don't remove it.
Remove the bacon from the bag and wash off any of the rub left on.  Pat it dry with paper towels.  You now have bacon!  Slice and cook as normal.


Smoking the bacon:

The smoking stage will make this bacon even better, but you'll be amazed at how good the bacon already tastes.   If you have a smoker, follow the directions that came with it.  If you’re going to try and smoke your bacon on your BBQ, prepare it as follows:

Let the bacon sit in the refrigerator on a wire rack overnight, uncovered, so it dries completely.

Choose your wood.  I like either Apple Wood or Mesquite chips, but you can use a variety of different woods.  Soak the chips overnight in water.

On one side of the grill, ready some charcoal briquettes until they are glowing red.  Put the chips over the coals and let them start smoking.  Place you slab of bacon on the opposite side of the grill and close the lid.  You’ll need to carefully monitor the temperature. You do not want it to get over 175 degrees, and you want to make sue there is a constant stream of smoke.  Allow the bacon to smoke for 3 to 4 hours or until you obtain an internal temperature in the bacon of 150 degrees.

Store it in the refrigerator and slice and cook as needed.

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#1007 - Sliders

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Football season is in full-swing, and a lot of us are looking for ideas to help feed that hungry huddle of fans that keep coming over every Sunday afternoon.   One of the most popular new foods is actually an updated variation of an American classic, and that would be the slider.   As Jerry can attest, sliders are showing up everywhere from street corners to the corner bar, to fine restaurants who want to have a little fun.

Exact origins are known:  The White Castle chain of restaurants, founded by Walter Anderson.   The 1906 novel "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair revealed grossly unsanitary practices in the American meat industry.   Gound beef in particular took it on the chin.    Anderson knew that if he could change the image of ground beef (which was very cheap), and feature it in a hyper-sanitary setting, he could make money.   So, he started White Castle in 1921.   His featured item was a 2 1/2" square burger on an equally small bun that he nicknamed the "slider".   You were encouraged to buy them by the bag, a half dozen at a time.

Today, the concept of the small burger has been revived with a vengeance.   Virtually any kind of protein that can be ground up and formed into a patty has staked a claim.   Ground pork, ground lamb, ground turkey, even ground tuna have been fashioned into sliders.   Complimenting the patty are a wide variety of condiments and flourishes limited only by imagination.

The White Castle method for cooking the thin 2 1/2" patties was to cover the griddle with a layer of moist raw onion.   As the onions cooked, the beef patties were placed on top of them to steam.   In addition, the bottom of the roll was placed face down to get that special treatment.

In Baltimore, we had the Little Tavern chain which opened in 1928.   My father somehow secured their secret slider recipe (or so he said) which makes sense and tastes authentic.   He used good ground beef, finely minced onion, garlic powder and a dash of Worcestershire Sauce.   I make them and serve them on a special Martin's Potato Roll that have been designed for sliders.   I like to top mine off with slices of tomato and cheese...and lots of catsup, of course. 

Here's a short list of some great slider ideas, all using the basic beef patty:

-bacon-guacamole
-sweet potato and caramelized onions
-bacon, garlic mashed potatoes and grilled peppers
-horseradish and grilled asparagus tips
-gorganzola and roasted portabello slices
-feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and tapinade

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#1006 - All About Meatballs

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When Hurricane Irene hit, I suddenly found myself with a couple pounds of ground meat that I had to use quickly.   My mind went in two directions, which provided me with ideas for two shows.   Burgers are too obvious, so I thought of sliders, which we'll talk about next week.   But looking at a few boxes of pasta in my cupboard made me think about meatballs.   These can be very simple to make, and offer endless variations.

One of the first hors d'oeuvres I ever learned how to make was beef meatballs simmered in a mixture of (get this) Welch's Grape Jelly and Bennett's Chili Sauce!   Sounds weird.   Tastes great!

According to Jerry, the classic Italian meatball is equal parts ground beef, veal and pork.   Seasonings include salt, pepper and garlic salt.   Finely minced onions and parsley are also added.   Larger meatballs are often baked slowly in the oven, and the juice is collected and added to whatever sauce is being used.   Smaller meatballs are often cooked right in the sauce, so they can absorb extra flavor while simmering away.   Here's a great recipe:

Classic Italian Meatballs

1 lb. ground chuck

1 lb. ground veal

1 lb. ground pork

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

4 whole eggs

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic powder, salt and black pepper

1.  Thoroughly mix the ground meats in a large bowl.   Add the other ingredients and mix well.   Place in a refrigerator for two hours, so the meat will be easier to work with.

2.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out well-rounded meatballs.   Arrange on a greased cookie sheet, and bake in a 350 oven for about 25 minutes.   Half way through, turn the meatballs so they won't overcook on one side or stick to the cookie sheet.   Keep the meat mixture chilled until you are ready to make the next batch.

3.  When well browned, remove the meatballs and place on a plate, and keep them warm. 
    (Note:  you can easily freeze the meatballs you don't immediately use.)

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#1005 - Gourmet Condiments

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Over the last several shows we've been talking about two of my favorite hand-made condiments, pesto and aioli.   Today we're going to look into the world of fancy store-bought condiments, which is the province of our guest, Adam Borden.   He has filed this report.

Ketchup

Ketchup, now the preferred American spelling to the British catsup, “was used on the British table long before tomatoes arrived there,” says the New York Times.   “It was described in print as early as 1690, having made its way to Europe either from China (the Cantonese ke-tsiap means, roughly, “eggplant juice”) or from Malaysia (where the Malay word kecap referred to fermented fish sauce).   Salty Indonesian soy sauce, tart tamarind chutneys and vinegary English sauces made with unripe walnuts have all been called by the name.”  Although we think of ketchup today as made with primarily tomatoes, the historical antecedents were made with many other ingredients including fruit, mushrooms and oysters to name a few.

Modern gourmet ketchups differ from the mass produced supermarket versions in several important ways.   Mass ketchups use a tomato concentrate – tomatoes that are strained without the skin, drained, dehydrated and then rehydrated – while specialty ketchups typically use crushed, whole tomatoes.   Another important differentiator is the sweetener.   Most specialty ketchups use brown sugar, white sugar or agave syrup while mass ketchups typically contain high-fructose corn syrup and in significantly more quantity.   Lastly, specialty ketchups often use apple cider vinegar, which imparts a tarter flavor than the white vinegar used in industrial ketchups.  Heinz and Hunt’s combined control 77% of the $400 million US ketchup market, while specialty ketchups amount to likely less than one percent of total sales.

Modern gourmet ketchup seems to come in two flavors: traditional tomato or spiced. 

Sir Kensington’s (http://shoppe.sirkensingtons.com/) is the premiere gourmet ketchup on the market.   Its traditional ketchup has a chunky texture with a strong tomato aroma and sweet taste.   The company’s spiced ketchup is also excellent, with a smoky adobo (roasted jalapeno) flavor and darker color.   Completely different is the Sweet Orange Chili ketchup from Dulcet Cuisine (http://dulcetcuisine.com/index.html).   This sauce has a slight heat with strong orange notes that would pair well with roast pork or duck.

Mustard

The name mustard comes from the Latin words “mustum ardens”, which means “burning wine” and refers to the flavor created by the spicy heat of the crushed mustard seeds mixed with the juice of unfermented wine grapes.   Although mustard is frequently associated with France, 90% of world mustard seed production comes from Canada and the US.   Americans’ taste for yellow and Dijon mustards are evolving into coarse, spiced mustards with world flavors.

Two superior mustards also come from Dulcet Cuisine.   Their Moroccan mustard is a smooth grind and has a balanced heat on the back end while their Creole mustard is coarse and chunky with a startlingly spiced complexity.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce was introduced to the US about 50 years ago post-WWII with the return of US troops from Japan and with the arrival of Japanese cuisine in Southern California.   It is made by fermenting soy beans and wheat with salt and filtered water.   While most mass soy sauces are aged for several months, Bourbon Barrel Foods (http://bourbonbarrelfoods.com/) ages its soy sauce for 12 months like other Japanese premium soy sauces.   The product is aged and fermented in used bourbon barrels with the same limestone filtered water preferred by bourbon makers.   While large makers produce hundreds of thousands of gallons a day, Bourbon Barrel bottles just 2,500 gallons a year.   Their sauce is thick and smooth with not nearly the saltiness of more conventional products.

Relish & Pickles

Most Americans are used to a sweet cucumber relish which is made with high-fructose corn syrup and guar or xanthan gum as a thickener.   American relish is frequently mushy, soupy and a muted green color.   McClure’s Pickles (http://www.mcclurespickles.com/) has a Garlic Dill relish that stands in stark contrast.    It is bright green in color with sweetness replaced by a tangy, crunchy bite.   The company presses water out of the cucumbers to reduce the volume and uses vinegar to acidify the pickle instead of fermentation.

Pickles are also usually thought of as green and sweet.   Pickles, however, are primarily a preservation technique rather than a technique that can be applied to any number of raw materials, not just cucumbers.  

Boat Street Pickles (http://www.boatstreetpickles.com/) combines sweet and savory ingredients in very unusual combinations.   Its hallmark product is pickled figs, or black mission figs cooked down in red wine, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, sugar and salt.   The figs are tangy, savory and sweet all at once, a perfect complement to roasted meat or creamy cheeses.

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#1004 - Aioli

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I've been spending a lot of time visiting farms this summer, and one crop that grows here in Maryland sort of surprised me - garlic.  But then again, why not?   It does really well here, and there is something appealingly quaint about seeing huge garlands of garlic bulbs hanging from the barn rafters, slowly drying out.

One of the most intriguing things you can do with garlic is to whip up a batch of that quintessential Provencal condiment aioli.   For those who haven't tried it, aioli is essentially a garlic mayonnaise, and it is delicious.   Furthermore, chances are you already have every ingredient you need in your kitchen, so you can whip this up at the drop of a hat.   Here is a tried and true recipe.

Traditional Aioli

2 cloves garlic (3 cloves if you like garlic)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
salt and white pepper
1 cup olive oil (you can cut it by 1/3 with a neutral vegetable oil)

Technique:

1.  Finely mince the garlic with a sharp broad-bladed chef's knife.  Sprinkle the garilc with coarse kosher salt.  Use the flat of the knife to grind and mash the garlic into a paste.  When this is done, scrape the garlic paste into a large mixing bowl.

2.  Add two fresh egg yolks to the bowl, along with the mustard and the acid (either lemon juice or white wine vinegar).  Whisk together thoroughly.

3.  While one person holds the bowl and works the whisk, a second person will slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture.  Whisk vigorously, and pour very slowly.  If oil accumulates on top of the mixture, stop pouring and whisk until it is incorporated.  Two egg yolks can absorb, or emulsify a cup of oil.

4.  When all of the oil is emulsified, the aioli should be a greenish yellow color.  At this point, check for seasoning, adding salt and white pepper as needed.

The aioli will keep, if covered and refrigerated, for about a week.

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#1003 - Our Great Pork Heritage

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Grilling aficionados know very well that pork is one of the best meats to work with during the summer.   Although its relatively mild flavor stands up to the grill, it blends extremely well with any number of rubs, sauces or marinades.   This much we all know.   What we may not realize is that there has been a quiet revolution in the pork industry with the appearance and acceptance of a number of so-called "heritage" breeds of piggies.   We think it's only a matter of time before we start seeing breed information on the packaging of pork products.

Here are some of the most popular:

Berkshire:  a British pig, with black body and white legs.  Prized for its highly marbled flesh which makes it the porcine equivalent of Kobe beef.

Gloucestershire Old Spot:  white with black spots, and big floppy ears.  Great fat to meat ratio, making it popular for aging.

Tamworth:  a small, challenged breed, originating in Ireland.  It is a reddish breed with upright ears and an active disposition.  It's ample belly makes it a prime "bacon breed".

Mangalista:  a "wooly" pig, and quite rare.  A very fine source for lard, and well marbled meat.  Much prized for its juicy flavor.

Hereford:  a rare breed from the US, with red coat and white face.  Notably trim in appearance it is a pig that does well turned on in pasture.  It is slow to grow, but produces a lovely dark rich meat.

Duroc:  a very popular breed, originating in America from African and European antecedents.  Bred first in New Jersey, this powerful red hog is also quite aggressive, and a foundation breed for cross-breeding with others.


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#1002 - Sorbet

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The heat of summer requires relief, and few dishes are as welcome as a cold bowl of sorbet or sherbet.   Sorbet, the source of all frozen desserts, is extremely old, dating back to Roman times.   Similar dishes of fruity, sweet frozen water appeared in the Orient, and the name sorbet is probably Turkish in origin.

In the US, sherbet is a frozen dairy concoction similar to ice cream, with fruit flavors and very low fat content (1-2%, whereas ice cream must exceed 10%).   Sorbet means a frozen dessert with no dairy component, flavored with fruit juices, often containing alcohol and sometimes herbal infusions.

The sorbet is very easy to make, and lends itself to tremendous creativity.   Because it is often used as a palate cleanser between courses, its ingredients can be adjusted to be complementary to the preceding or following course.

The classic sorbet requires only fresh pureed fruit, a sweetener and water.   A subtly flavored liquid like green tea can work marvelously with other mild mannered ingredients, whereas fruit juices will amplify flavors.

Alcohol can be added, which lowers the freezing point, and actually makes for a creamier sorbet.   A premium fruit liqueur like Merlet is an ideal component, and it adds sweetness, alcohol and fruit flavor simultaneously.

The incorporation of sugar and flavors is simple.   Sugar is added to boiling water to create a simple syrup.   Reducing the heat allows you to simmer other ingredients such as lemon peel, a piece of candied ginger, sprigs of lavender, mint leaves, cinnamon bark, or crushed rosemary leaves.   The effect can be either purely sweet or somewhat savory.   The amount of sugar can be adjusted to suit the mood of the dish.   A purely savory sorbet would require a lot less sugar than a dessert sorbet.

If you have an ice cream maker, you can easily make a sorbet.   Puree the fruit, and add it to the cooled down syrup.   Add any other liquids such as wine, liqueur, or more ardent spirits, and pour into the ice cream maker, and process according to the device's instructions.

The freezer method of chilling sorbets usually revolves around pouring the mixture into a pan or broad bowl, and stirring it periodically (say every 30 minutes) until it is frozen.   For a more integrated texture, some recipes recommend placing the frozen sorbet in a food processor, pulsing it, and then re-freezing the mixture.

The goal is to have the texture as fine and smooth as possible.   Large ice crystals will form, and for a sorbet, they need to be broken up.   Left intact, they are the basis for a Granita, a very similar Italian dessert.

Here's a recipe for a sorbet with a subtle but distinct flavor of Provence.

Lavender and Pear Sorbet - A Radio Kitchen Original Reicpe

Ingredients:
2 ripe pears, peeled and cored
2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs food grade lavender seeds
2 ounces Merlet Creme de Poire, or equivalent
1 tbs lemon juice

1.  In a processor, puree the pears and set aside.

2.  Bring the water to a gentle boil, and add the honey.   Reduce heat, and stir the honey in until it is thoroughly dissolved.   Add the lavender to the simmering water, and let it steep for about 15 minutes.

3.  Allow the sweetened lavender water to cool, then pour into the food processor with the pureed pears.   Add the liqueur and lemon juice.   Process until the mixture is quite smooth.

4.  Pour the sorbet mixture into a broad bowl, and place in the freezer.   When ice first starts to form, stir it vigorously with a fork.  Repeat this every 30 minutes, five or six times, until the sorbet is creamy.   Allow it to totally freeze.

5.  Serve scoops of the sorbet and garnish with a mint sprig.

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#1001 - Pears

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They say that in France there are over 400 varieties of pears, and I'm inclined to believe them.   The pear is one of my most favorite fruits.   It's demure and well-mannered; a fruit that values subtlety above flamboyance.   The flavors vary from variety to variety, as do the color, shape and aroma.   But they all have in common a sweetly, agreeable taste that is an easy partner with so many other foods.


Here is a great recipe we have borrowed from the web.   It was created by Chef Micah Willix of Atlanta's Ecco Restaurant.

Chorizo and Pear

This recipe combines the featured ingredients with a savory broth known as a pear "gastrique".

Ingredients:
3 Anjou pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin.
1 tbs butter   
1 1/2 pounds chorizo sausage links

For the gastrique:
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbs diced celery
2 tbs diced carrots
2 tbs minced garlic
1/3 cup pear cider
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 can beef broth

1.  Melt butter in a skillet and add the pears.  Stir occasionally until tender and slightly carmelized.  Set aside.

2.  In an oven-proof skillet, cook the chorizo on medium heat, and allow to brown.   Place the skillet in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to cook the sausage all the way through.  When cooked, remove the sausage, drain on a paper towel, and clean the skillet, leaving just a light coating of grease.

3.  For the gastrique, you will first saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the chorizo pan until they are lightly browned.   Stir in the pear cider and sugar.   Simmer over low heat until the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy.

4.  Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Cook until about 1 cup of liquid remains.  Strain out the vegetables, and reserve the gastsrique.

5.  Slice the cooked chorizo into 1/2 inch pieces.   Put them and the pears in a skillet and add the gastrique.   Cook over medium heat until the gastrique reduces a bit and it thickens.   Pour the entire mixture into a broad serving bowl and serve warm.

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#952 - Pesto and Pistou

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One of the features of summer in Maryland is the sheer abundance coming from our fields, gardens and orchards.   A very common sight these days is to check out someone's herb garden, and discover basil plants going hog wild.   So Chef JP of Corks, the classic question is:  what can we do with all that basil?

These are two closely related condiments or sauces that originated in the Mediterranean.   Pesto, which originated in Genoa, is a well known sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and grated hard cheese.   Pistou originated a few hundred miles to the west in Provence.   It is a blend of basil, garlic, grated cheese and olive oil...no nuts.

Both names harken back to the pestle and mortar that were used to grind the ingredients together.   Today, the mortar and pestle can still be used, but a food processor gives great results and is a lot easier.

Traditional Pesto is very easy to make.   Using a mortar and pestle, you would first work with the pine nuts and garlic cloves, grinding them into a smooth paste.   Chopped basil leaves and a bit of coarse sea salt are then added, and ground into the mixture.   Finally, the cheese and olive oil are added and the entire blend is worked over until it becomes a thick creamy sauce.

Because the ingredients are so simple, variations are natural.   Substitutes for the basil include parsley, broccoli, mint, arugula, and spinach.   Substitutes for the pine nuts include walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios and brazil nuts.   Parmigiano Regiano cheese is the standard, but pecorino romano makes frequent appearances.

Additional ingredients can elaborate the basic, simple pesto.   Roasted peppers, olives and sun-dried tomatoes are among the most common additions.   Kept in a tightly sealed container, and covered with a layer of olive oil, pesto keeps very well in the fridge for up to a week.  It can be frozen (if you omit the cheese) and kept much longer.

            Cuisinart Pesto  (this recipe allows you the convenience of a food processor)

Ingredients:
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup of fresh pine nuts (old pine nuts taste and smell rancid!)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the best you can afford)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Pulse the garlic and pine nuts until a paste is formed.

2.  Add in the basil leaves in, a bit at a time, and pulse them until they are incorporated into the paste.

3.  With the processor on a low steady speed, slowly pour the olive oil in, in a good steady stream.  Stop the processor, then add the   cheese, pulsing as you go.

4.  Finally, season to taste with the kosher salt and black pepper.

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#951 - Peaches

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The summertime avalanche of fresh food is hitting us right in the chops these days, and one of the most awaited items are at their peak.   I'm talking about fresh, sweet Maryland peaches, and any trip to the market will reveal abundance and variety.   Look for peaches with a well defined cleft, good color and aroma.

One idea of Jerry's is to cut a peach in half, de-stone it, and then wrap it in prosciutto, then grill it.   Here is a delicious breakfast recipe.

                Peaches and Blueberry Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 tbs unsalted butter
2 cups hot water
3 cups fresh sliced peaches
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1/2 cup de-stemmed blueberries
1/2 cup half and half

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and hot water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the peaches.  Simmer over reduced heat.  When tender, remove the peaches and set aside.

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and blueberries.  Add the half and half and stir well, forming a stiff batter.

3.  Drop spoonfuls of batter into the peach broth, bring to a good simmer, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes.

4.  To serve, spoon some peaches into a bowl, and pour the broth and dumplings on top.  Garnish with cinnamon.

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