Hot Roast Pork Sandwich

Just in time for the Super Bowl! Make hot roast pork sandwiches for the game and no need to run to South Philly!

How good is Tony Luke’s hot roast pork? I mean, really? My mouth waters just thinking about it. I love John’s too, don’t get me wrong, but Tony Luke’s recipe was a little easier to come by when I wanted to make sandwiches. I’ve mastered it and I’m sticking with it. If it’s not broken ~don’t fix it! And so it goes….

For the big game on Sunday, there is no easier crowd pleaser than this pork. Trust me on this! My big disclosure, however,  is that when I made the pork with broccoli rabe, I forgot to take the picture. The next day when I was making myself a sandwich for lunch, and had no broccoli rabe left, I decided to top it with some fresh arugula instead. The picture above shows the pork topped with arugula. It is also not on the roll I would choose either, but we were having some technical difficulties which prevented me from getting to the bakery. On top of it, these pictures were taken from my cell, so they are not as clear as I may like. So, use your imagination, okay?

Hot Roast Pork with Broccoli Rabe

1 (5 lb)  pork shoulder

6 tablespoons garlic (chopped)

5  tablespoons fresh rosemary (chopped)

6 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

2 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

Broccoli Rabe

1 lb brocolli rabe

kosher salt

3 quarts water

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 garlic gloves, chopped

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

football or kaiser rolls preferably from Sarcone’s, Carangi’s or Conshocken Italian Bakery

1 lb extra sharp provolone

Make sure you buy a pork shoulder in netting like the picture below.

Turn your crock pot on high. Pull the roast out of the netting, but DO NOT cut the netting apart because you need to stuff it back in when you are done preparing the meat! Try to cut as little netting from each end as possible. I have actually learned from experience that if you can get half of the net off and dress one side of the meat, then stuff the prepared side back in,  then repeat on the other side, it is much easier.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. It should form a loose paste.

If there are any thick sections of meat, score them with a sharp knife. Rub 3/4 of the mixture on all exposed areas of meat, including the areas that have been scored and internal surfaces that are exposed. Return roast to netting. Rub the remaining mixture over the outside of the roast. Place the roast in the crock pot and cook on high for 20 minutes.

Turn down to low and cook for at least 4-5 hours. The longer it cooks, the better. The meat should be falling apart. Remove the roast from the netting by cutting it off. Please be careful not to burn yourself on the interior of the crock pot. With a large fork and knife, shred the meat into chunks befitting a sandwich. Mix the meat around in the sumptuous juices which have accumulated in the pot. Keep pot on a warm setting.

For the broccoli rabe:

Wash and cut about 1/2 inch off of the bottom stems. Cut the florets off of the top and set aside. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe leaves and stems and cook about 1 minute and a half. Then add the florets and cook until tender, about 6 or 7 minutes. Remove the broccoli rabe from the water, after reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a deep frying pan begin to heat olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic over med-high heat.  Once the garlic turns slightly brown, add the broccoli rabe. Saute 4-5 minutes and then add the cooking liquid. Season to taste with salt. This will look soupy, but it is done. Serve on the side of with the pork for guests to assemble on their own.

Assembly:

Add the extra sharp provolone to the roll first. This way it will melt when topped with hot meat. Top the pork with broccoli rabe.

Manja!!!!

I used to just steam or saute my asparagus and broccoli and that was just fine, but after a while you get tired of the same old, same old. I like to experiment a lot and sometimes good things happen and sometimes bad things happen. This experiment turned out pretty, pretty, pretty good.……

uncooked broccoli tossed with Dijon mustard sauce

I actually make asparagus most often, but this weekend made broccoli and would not have even thought about sharing, but one of our wonderful followers on twitter requested the recipe, so I am finally putting this together. The one problem with my experiments is that I don’t always measure my ingredients, as in, never.  This one is pretty simple, however.

Broccoli or Asparagus

Dijon Mustard

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine almost equal parts oil and mustard, with slightly more oil. The amount depends on the amount of vegetables being used. I would estimate 3 TBSP for 1 lb or so of veggies. Just keep in mind, the more Dijon, the more tangy the finish, but unless you have way too much sauce overall, a little too much of the  mixture won’t make a difference one way or the other. Using a fork or whisk, whisk together. Pour mixture over veggies in glass pan and toss with tongs until completely coated. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again. Cook 15 minutes for asparagus and 20 minutes for broccoli.

Roasted Mustard Glazed Broccoli

I am not kidding when I say my children literally fight over the last piece of asparagus in my house. I now have to make 2 pounds at a time. It’s that tasty!

Enjoy your veggies!

**** This simple combo is also great on chicken pieces. It creates a great crispy skin and a simple mid-week meal.****

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

A perfect dessert~fall or winter

Crust

1 1/2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 oz)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsalted

Filling

4 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

4 TBSP whipping cream

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

4 large eggs

Topping

1 TBSP purchased caramel sauce

1 cup sour cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

For Crust: Grind the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottoms and sides of 9 inch spring form pan with 2 3/4 inch edges.

Cheese Cake Crust

For Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to a small bowl and cover and refrigerate to use for topping later. Add pumpkin, 4 TBSP whipping cream, cinnamon, and allspice to mixer bowl. Beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time until just combined. Pour filling into pan.

Batter poured into pan prior to baking

Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 mins. Transfer cheese cake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake pan sides to loosen cake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Baked Cheese Cake Cooling avec Fall Decor

Bring remaining cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Combine with sour cream. Press down edges of cheese cake to smooth. Pour mixture over cake and spread evenly. Spoon caramel in straight, thin lines across mixture. Using tip of knife, without using pressure, gently draw a  line across the cake, perpendicular to caramel sauce. Drag the knife toward you then a line away from you and repeat until caramel design has been created.

Delish!

Almond Brittle

Add a little crunch to your cookie tins, or simply serve in a beautiful crystal bowl. This candy is simple to make and it is really tasty. I use it along with Peppermint Bark to accent my cookie tins and cookie plates during the holiday season. Kept in an airtight container, it lasts forever. (not exactly forever)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup chopped or slivered almonds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp butter

Butter a cookie sheet.

In a sauce pan, cook sugar, corn syrup and water until it reaches the hard crack stage. (Mixture will separate into hardened threads.)

Add almonds, stirring constantly. Cook until syrup is golden. Remove sauce pan from heat. Add baking soda, vanilla and butter.

Stir until butter melts. Pour onto prepared sheet. Spread out evenly with a rubber spatula.

Allow to harden and break into random pieces.

Enjoy!

Capers

Recently in our time-line on Twitter, one of our followers said she hated capers. It is our belief that she has not experienced them in a light, subtle, yet fabulous dish. Perhaps we are incorrect, but let’s find out!

The following recipe incorporates lemon and capers into a sauce tossed with angel hair  into this light, yet extremely flavorful dish. Enjoy as a light entree or as a side dish with roast chicken, or Parmesan crusted chicken cutlets.

Angel Hair in a Lemon Sauce

1/2 lb angel hair pasta

salt

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon plus 1 extremely thinly sliced lemon

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup capers

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 TBSP butter

5 oz baby spinach

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and a little olive oil. Cook until al dente 2-3 minutes. Reserve a ladle of the hot water and then drain pasta.

Coat a large, hot  skillet with the olive oil. Add the lemon slices (remove all seeds), garlic and capers and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and the parsley and cook until reduced, 1 minute.  Stir in the chicken stock. Stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the lemon juice. Add the spinach and cook until wilted Add the reserved cooking liquid. Stir the pasta into the skillet and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Toss with Parmesan Cheese and serve.

~Mangia!

Chocolate Truffles

Why on earth do we all pay exurbanite prices for truffles? I’m not talking about novelty works of art that are fun and whimsical like what they make at The Naked Chocolate Cafe. I am talking about basic truffles, like Godiva. Because it’s Belgian chocolate? Not so much. Godiva is made in Reading, PA. Truth.

Now, please understand, I do not believe that my truffles look like, or even taste like Godiva. They look homemade as you can clearly see.  As for taste, I honestly prefer the homemade  to the boxed candy that cost more than $2 a pop, per truffle that is…. Don’t get me wrong, I am not picking on Godiva. They provide that last minute, pick up gift when you are running late and need a hostess, hospital or office holiday gift. No one believes that they, themselves will happen to have a pocket full of beautifully wrapped truffles stashed!

For entertaining, it’s a different story. There is no reason to spend $50 to have a plate of candy available for that last minute visitor. They keep perfectly in the refrigerator in a sealed container. So, give it a shot, it’s easier than you might think!

2/3 cup whipping cream

2 cups chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring cream to a boil in heavy sauce pan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour into a medium bowl. Cover; chill until firm, about 3 hours.

Scoop out teaspoon sized chunks and roll into balls. Working quickly so chocolate doesn’t melt. Roll in any or a variety of the following:

unsweetened cocoa powder

shredded sweetened coconut (as is or lightly toasted)

chopped pistachios, pecans, walnuts or other favorite nut

Put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.You can purchase small box to gift as gifts or add to cookie tins.

Enjoy!

Russian Tea Cakes

These cookies are a huge favorite at the holidays! They are loaded with pecans and have a wonderful nutty flavor!

1/2 lb butter

4 heaping TBSP confectioners sugar

- cream together-

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups chopped pecans

Roll into a small ball and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until just golden brown.

While still warm roll in confectioners sugar. After cool, roll in sugar a second time.

Enjoy!

Christmas Dogs

I cannot think of anything more traditional than Spritz cookies at Christmas. My grandmother was German. So, she made these cookies every year. A few years before she died, the women in our family started making cookies together at Christmas time with her and included myself and my cousin. According to my mother, it was my grandmother’s dying wish that the cookie day tradition be maintained to keep the family together at least once a year doing something together. And so it goes.

Every year, my mother, my sister, my aunt, my cousin and my cousin’s wife get together for a no-nonsense, grind-them-out, cookie day. There are no children. We make cookies with the children separately for fun. This is about producing lots of cookies! We make Russian Tea Cakes and Spritz. Over the years we have perfected our production techniques. We now make batter at home and each bring it with us to my aunt’s house. It took too much time making it as we went along.

Bad picture alert….

The day begins around 9AM and does not end until we are finished with all of the dough. This year, in our first snow, we finished close to 7PM! We allow very little deviation from the traditional shapes and decorations. It could get ugly for anyone that comes to the table with a new idea. Although, oddly enough, there were new sprinkles introduced this year…..I think that slipped by under the radar…hmmm.

We make trees, wreaths, chocolate decorated flowers and the Jackson Family Christmas Dogs. That’s correct, dogs! These dogs are the most coveted of all the Christmas cookies served each year. Think about it, do you know anyone else that makes Christmas Spritz Dog Cookies? Probably not.  But, here’s the thing, they are a pain in the ass to make. Why? Because of the little collar, that’s why. Very annoying.

The collar is made from a candied cherry. The cherries must be cut in half and then sliced thin. It takes a lot of cherries to decorate these dogs. They are so sticky. A mess. So, we decided that we would make the newest member of the group cut the cherries. My cousin’s wife. We weren’t fans anyway, if you know what I mean. But then, they split up!! Not to worry, he re-married! Thank god! We like this one though, but she’s still stuck with those cherries! But, I digress…….

Spritz

Decorated Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter softened (original recipe calls for margarine but I refuse)

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream together butter and sugar; blend in egg and almond extract. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture. Mix well. Either use right away, or if you need to refrigerate, plan time to allow dough to warm to room temperature. Press and decorate. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

I always double.

You need a cookie press to make Spritz cookies the authentic way. Those new fangled cookie shooters don’t cut it, sorry. You need the old fashioned, break-your-arm, get-calluses-on-your-hands, cookie press!

Exhibit A – the Cookie Press

I had planned my standard, “good luck with that” answer, but actually, you are in luck!  I found just want you need on Ebay!

We decorate our cookies with the standard sugars and use a silver ball for the “star” on our trees. We also cook some of the cookies plain and then drizzle chocolate sauce over them and press them into crushed nuts.

Spritz with Chocolate and Pecans

Make sure you have plenty of cookie tins on hand for storage. Line the tins with wax paper and use wax paper to tighten the seal of the tin to keep the cookies fresh for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s that time of year again! Cookie baking time. Our first recipe is a classic chocolate chip meets oatmeal cookie. This cookie as well as regular chocolate chips are not only favorites, but they are so easy to make. Because of their large size, they make a nice foundation for your cookie tins this holiday season! I always double my recipes because I need many, many cookies! Enjoy.

Marsha’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chips

1 cup of butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Cream the butter and the sugars. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix.

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix the 3 dry ingredients together. Add slowly to creamed mixture.

3 cups of old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)

2 cups chocolate chips

Mix oats and chocolate chips into batter and blend.

Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes.

For new bakers: loosen cookies within 2 minutes of removing from oven and then let cool on a cooling rack or single layer on kitchen towels will work.

Perhaps I should stop using my red plates for photography!

I don’t care what they say, omelets are hard to make! ( I have no idea who they are! I have a friend who is always quoting “they.”) In this case, “they” may refer to chefs. Did you know that many chef/restaurant owners, when hiring prospective chefs for their restaurants, will ask them to cook  an omelet to test their skills as part of the interviewing process? True.

It is really difficult to make an omelet and turn out a finished product that is both delicious and beautiful. So many things can go wrong. The eggs can stick to the pan, and once that happens,  it’s impossible to flip over without tearing. Then it falls apart, and before you know it, you need to scramble everything together to salvage the mess. Now you are left with some odd looking version of scrabbled eggs instead of an actual omelet. There may have been one of those  “skillet” dishes at one of the breakfast chain restaurants accidentally developed this way!

It can end up overcooked, and brown on the outside. You’ve seen what I’m talking about. The edges are all dried out and flaky. The outside has a sheen of hard, brown crust on it. I have news for you, if the outside of the omelet  no longer has any sign of yellow showing, it is overcooked. Slightly browned is fine, but  there is a big difference between browned and brown. The only good news about the hard exterior on an overcooked omelet is that the cheese is usually completely melted on the inside! Now all you have to do is to cut off the crust. That’s pretty!

So, how is it done?

I was actually fortunate enough to have been taught how to make a perfect omelet when I worked at The Spring Mill Cafe when I was young. It is the ability to maintain the discipline required to follow the very simple steps,  instead of rushing through the process, that is the difference between success and failure! The disadvantage  for the home cook verses the chef in a  French restaurant is that most of us at home do not have a pot of clarified butter on hand at all times and we may not have restaurant quality pans.  But, lets play perfect world….

A 7 1/2 inch saute pan is ideal. This is a  stainless steel  All-Clad 7 1/2 inch Saute pan. At the cafe, as with many professional kitchens I have had the honor of spending time in, the cookware is not a sparkling brand name, but instead wonderfully worn from years of seasoning over hot flames.

Speaking of hot flames, that is the key to the process. It is essential that you have a hot pan from the start. As I stated previously, in many restaurants they will add clarified butter to a hot pan. At home, I add a large scoop as illustrated in the below picture. The amount is not measured and is, gulp, far less than would be used in most restaurants, however, I also use 2 eggs instead of 3. The reason for this is that it also makes the process easier! Yes, I am still a chicken! No pun intended!

It is important to note that when cooking almost anything, you should prepare all of your ingredients before you begin. When you are preparing an omelet everything moves very quickly, so have your eggs beaten in your bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. I did not add milk or cream, although you certainly can if you prefer.

For a simple cheese omelet, I suggest grating your own cheese. It is very easy to do, however bagged shredded cheese is faster.

Once your ingredients are all set to go and your pan is hot, add your butter to the pan. The butter needs to melt and start to bubble, but not brown before adding your eggs.

Then pour your eggs into the pan. The eggs will cook rapidly at the edges.

The eggs begin to bubble at the edges because of the high heat. The edges will cook immediately leaving uncooked eggs in the center. Take a rubber spatula and lift the edges lightly to allow the uncooked eggs in the center to seep under the cooked eggs at the edges.

The center will begin to look scrunched up as above. Allow to cook a few seconds and repeat. Once the egg liquid is 75% cooked, take a metal spatula and carefully flip over completely. Take your cheese and add to the center. Fold your omelet in half and slide off of the plate. The cheese will melt in a minute while it rests.

Voila!