Rillettes – Wee Pots of Porky Goodness!

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Budget Friendly Recipe, Charcuterie, Linga Longa Farm, Paleo, Pork, Rillettes, Slow Cooking, Stephanie Alexander

(Image by TSL)

You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I’m concerned. (Lewis Black)

Do you ever wonder which genes you got from your Mum, and which you got from your Dad? Physically, it’s a toss-up whether I am more a product of one over the other. I resemble both my parents. But, my taste buds – they are ALL my Dad’s. He’s coming to visit in a couple of weeks (with my Mum). And, as so often happens before he crosses the ditch, I start thinking of foods that he might particularly enjoy…

This week, I was inspired by my recent ox tongue experiment. It was so easy, not to mention budget-friendly, that I thought I should continue to expand my culinary horizons. And, while my Dad was impressed with my ox tongue exploits, this week’s recipe may hold slightly wider appeal – none of that ‘ick-factor’ sometimes associated with cooking tongue!

In my recent search for suitable tongue recipes, I came across Stephanie Alexander’s recipe for pork rillettes. And, the seed was firmly planted. I love rillettes. And, frankly, the recipe looked so easy.

If you can’t have your rillettes melting on freshly toasted sourdough (sigh!), celery sticks are a pretty tasty alternative!
(Image by TSL)

Actually, too easy. So, I started researching…

What are rillettes?

Rillettes are potted jars of meat confit, slow cooked in fat, and then shredded and packed in more fat. Rustic, unctuous and SERIOUSLY scrummy. Best of all, because of the richness of rillettes, a little goes a long way. It’s a very budget-friendly option.

The process was originally used before refrigeration to keep meat from spoiling. The fat, while providing an incredible flavour, sealed the meat in the pot keeping it fresh and delicious for weeks longer than would have been possible otherwise.

Often made with pork, duck or goose, or even salmon, the savoury quality of rillettes comes from using traditionally fatty meats and a generous quantity of salt. Nigel Slater says it keeps for weeks if covered with a layer of fat. So, it must be true!

Rillettes are great with homemade kraut, too…
(Image by TSL)

If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be pork. (James Beard)

Rillettes have a very high fat content, so it is even more critical that you know the quality of the produce before you buy. You want to know your animal has been pasture-raised and is free of any potential nasties that will settle in the fat. The absolute best pork I have tasted in my life comes from Lauren and Greg at Linga Longa Farm. They take great care of their happy pigs – and, it is SO noticeable in the taste of their pork.

Greg & Lauren from Linga Longa Farm
(Image by TSL)

I’m not on a commission from Linga Longa (yet!), but I did pick up a kilo-and-a-half of pork belly from their stand at Eveleigh Market last week, especially to give my inaugural rillettes-making experiment a go.

I decided to keep things very simple, for my first attempt. And, because I am limited in the spices I can currently eat (thanks to the Autoimmune Protocol) that means really simple…

I gotta tell you – this ‘rillettes a la TSL’ experiment exceeded all expectations. Seriously good. These babies are about to become a staple here at Casa TSL. And, for those of you on the AIP who need a wee pick me up every now and then, may I suggest a spoonful of homemade rillettes. YUM! – Sure to satisfy!

Pork Rillettes

• Time: about 4 hours
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

You will need to start this recipe the day before

Ingredients:

1.5 kilos best quality happy pork belly, skinned and boned
Himalayan sea salt
1 x large sprig thyme
1 x bay leaf
2 x cloves garlic
freshly ground black pepper (optional, leave out if on the autoimmune protocol)
1/4 x cup water
1/4 cup verjuice

Method

1. Cut your pork belly into 2 cm pieces and place into a bowl. Massage in 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt. cover with cling film and pop in the fridge overnight.

2. Heat your oven to 150°C/300°F.

3. Pop your meat into a cast-iron casserole (I used my le Creuset). It is best if it is a snug fit.Add your herbs. Push the garlic cloves down into the centre. Grind on fresh pepper (if using). Pour over water and verjuice. Cover and cook for 3 1/2 – 4 hours, until the pork is swimming in its own fatty juices.

4. Strain through a fine sieve over a bowl (and making sure to reserve the fat). Discard the thyme and bay leaf.

5. Using two forks, shred the meat into a bowl and check for seasoning. Spoon meat into sterilised pots or jars. Ensure you press the meat down well so there are no air pockets. Strain leftover fat over the meat-filled jars.

6. Refrigerate until required.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

E N J O Y !

In extravagant moments I stuff baked potatoes with pork or duck rillettes. Scoop out the cooked potato, mash with the rillettes and pile back into the potato skin and bake until the top crisps. (Nigel Slater)

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable.

SUPER SIMPLE Ox Tongue with Green Caper Sauce

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Fergus Henderson, Offal, Ox Tongue, Paleo, Slow Cooking, Stephanie Alexander, Tongue

(Image by TSL)

I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates’, food, for me, has always been an adventure. (Anthony Bourdain)

There’s a back story to this post.

Back in June of this year, my lovely blogging buddy, Petra from over at Petra8Paleo posted about how she mistakenly bought some bison tongue (thinking it was heart) and totally wimped out about cooking it because, well – if you’ve ever cooked a tongue, there’s just no escaping the reality of what it is. It looks like a ginormous tongue. It was too much for Petra.

It reminded me of how my Mum used to prepare pressed tongue for us, when we were little. Actually – it was probably mainly for my Dad. He is a big fan of things offal and secondary cuts.

I determined that it was about time I gave preparing tongue it a go myself…

I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue. Now, if only I could do the same with my shoelaces, I wouldn’t have to banana pudding my way to success.
 (Jarod Kintz, This Book Has No Title)

Now, tongue is still technically a muscle meat, so it has a nutritional profile that is similar to that of other beef muscle meats. It’s a good source of iron, zinc, choline, vitamin B12, other B vitamins, and trace minerals. It’s also a pretty fatty cut of meat, which means it is just about one of the most tender cuts of beef you can find. SUPER tender, in fact.

It’s actually a really easy cut of meat to cook – just a wee bit time-consuming (like many good things!), and it lends itself to many accompanying flavours. And, it’s a very budget friendly cut, too.

Ox Tongue with Green Caper Sauce
(Image by TSL)

The bigger challenge, it turns out, is sourcing happy tongue here in Sydney. That is – tongue from a pasture raised animal with no added hormones or antibiotics, not to mention grains.

Here in Australia, it is relatively easy to source happy meat. There is a growing awareness that we eat whatever what we eat, eats… But, unfortunately offal is more of a challenge. While premium cuts of meat are separated into grass-fed versus ‘standard raised and supplemented’ as a matter of course at the abattoir, the same cannot be said for offal. In the case of beef and pork, it is all mixed together (pretty much all lamb is pasture raised). There is not yet enough of a market to justify keeping the grass-fed offal separate for retail sales. Here’s hoping that will start to change. Soon!

I sourced my lovely ox tongue from the good peeps at Feather and Bone. If you don’t happen to have a local farmer as your best friend, here in Syders, they are the next best thing because they buy whole animals and break them down, rather than using an abattoir. But, don’t think that means there are spare tongues waiting to be snapped up – they are hard to come by!

Any-who, once I had my ox tongue in my hot little hands, I needed to work out the best way to cook it, not to mention serve it. It seems to be universally accepted that the only way to cook tongue is long and slow – you want a meltingly tender result, not one that’s tough-as-old-boots!

Two Very Useful Cookbooks
‘The Cook’s Companion’ by Stephanie Alexander
‘The Complete Nose to Tail’ by Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly
(Image by TSL)

I have been itching to try out a recipe or two from Fergus Henderson’s GORGEOUS ‘The Complete Nose to Tail’ for quite some time. If you haven’t got a copy in your house, it’s worth acquiring it just for the delightful way he writes. He makes me want to experiment with food. Here’s an example:

Do not be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know, and misbehave. Enjoy your cooking and the food will behave; moreover it will pass your pleasure on to those who eat it. (Fergus Henderson, The Complete Nose to Tail)

The thing is, it was my first time preparing tongue. And after all the effort I went to in sourcing it, I didn’t want to screw it up. So, I also checked in with the Australian oracle of cookery, she who knows EVERYTHING, Stephanie Alexander.

Both Stephanie and Fergus agree that a pickled or brined tongue is preferable. While it is possible to cook ‘fresh’ tongue, it will apparently be a less appealing grey-brown colour. Often your butcher will sell tongue already pickled. Mine wasn’t. Fergus suggests brining your tongue for 7 days. Stephanie says 2 is enough (although up to a week is fine). I went with Stephanie’s two days! I was ready to cook my tongue!

I prepared a simple green caper sauce for my first tongue meal. And, I received the LM seal of approval. He later confessed to being a little nervous about eating tongue, until he worked out that it really is just a muscle. And of course, it tastes fabulous.

Next time around I’m going to press my tongue… Watch this space!

• Servings: 4
• Time: about 4 hours
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

If brining your tongue, you will need to start this recipe at least two days ahead.

Ingredients:

For the brine*:

2 x litres water
200g coconut sugar
300g sea salt
1 x bay leaf
1 x sprig thyme
1/2 teaspoon juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon mace
3 x cloves
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

For the tongue:

1 x ox tongue
2 x carrots
2 x leeks
2 x onions
1 x bay leaf
1 x sprig of thyme
Parsley stalks
2 x Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

For the Green Caper Sauce:

1/2 x cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 x bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup capers, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Himalayan sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional, leave out if on the autoimmune protocol)

Method

For brining:

1. Pop all your spices into a piece of muslin or a spice bag and tie firmly. Heat your water, coconut sugar and salt together in a large non-reactive pot (I used stainless steel) until your sugar and salt have dissolved. Bring to the boil. Drop in your spice bag and turn off the heat.

2. Cool the brine completely. Transfer to a large glass bowl. Immerse your ox tongue completely in the brine, using weights to ensure it is fully submerged. Pop into your fridge for 2 – 7 days. When ready to cook, rinse and dry the tongue. Discard the brine.

For cooking:

3. Place your tongue in a large pot with the carrots, leeks, onions and herbs. Just cover all the ingredients with filtered water and bring to the gentlest of boils. Immediately lower the temperature to a low simmer and add the apple cider vinegar. Leave for 3 – 3 1/2 hours.

4. While the tongue is slowly cooking, make your green caper sauce by mixing together your EVOO, parsley, capers, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. Put aside to allow the flavours to marry until your tongue is ready.

5. You will know when your tongue is cooked because the skin will peal away easily. You should also meet with little resistance when you pierce the tongue with a sharp knife. Wait 10 minutes for the tongue to cool before carefully removing the outer skin. It should come away easily.

6. Slice the tongue and serve with the green caper sauce. We served mixed salad greens on the side.

*If you are strict Autoimmune Protocol, eliminate all spices except mace.

E N J O Y !

This recipe featured in the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Roundtable.

Luke Mangan’s SERIOUSLY GOOD Osso Bucco

Tags

Anthony Bourdain, Cook, Jamie Oliver, Luke Mangan, Marsala, Osso Bucco, Ossobuco, Recipe, Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks, Slow Cooking, Slow Food, Winter Recipe, Winter warmers

Osso Bucco
(Image from here)

My most popular post ever, by a considerable margin, is the one about Jamie Oliver and his best ever pukka spiced slow-cooked lamb shanks. Thousands of people have clicked on this one. Lovely-jubbly Jamie. His recipes work. I can’t recall ever having had a dud.

But, a girl can only eat so many spiced shanks. And, we can’t turn to Jamie every night of the week, can we?  So today, I bring you another recipe that works. Every time.

Luke Mangan is the Michael Corleone of Sydney. A colossus. Don’t go drinking with him. Last time I hung out with him, I crawled home like a whipped dog. (Anthony Bourdain)

Luke Mangan is a Sydney-based chef, and up there as one of Australia’s best known celeb’ chefs. I know him best as the man behind Glass Brasserie at the Sydney Hilton, but he has his fingers in lots of pies around the Asia-Pacific region and is currently working on cookbook number 5.

Luke Mangan
(Image from here)

This recipe for Luke Mangan’s Osso Bucco is so good, it’s even LM’s current go-to number for the nights that he’s cooking. He always doubles the recipe. And, if it’s good enough for LM…

Osso Bucco with Sweet Potato Mash & Broccolini

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg veal Osso Bucco
½ cup flour
seasoning
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 cup dry Marsala
2 cup veal stock
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
8 pieces broccolini
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra seasoning to taste 

Mashed Sweet Potato
3 large sweet potatoes
¾ cup cream
½ cup butter
¾ cup maple syrup

Gremolata
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

For the gremolata

For gremolata, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

 
Method

Season flour and coat the veal shanks in the flour mixture; tap off any excess.

In a large heavy pan, heat the oil and butter and sear the osso bucco pieces on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow and add more oil and butter if needed.

Remove the browned osso bucco and set aside.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened, season to taste.

Turn heat up to high and add the dry Marsala to deglaze the pan.

Return the osso bucco to the pan adding the stock and tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender, basting the meat a few times during cooking. (LM cooks it longer – until the meat is falling apart)

While the osso bucco is cooking, wash the sweet potato and pat dry.

Place sweet potato in individual tin foil pieces, adding a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning.

Place in a pre-heated oven on 180 degrees and cook for 45-50 minutes. (sweet potato will be cooked if a knife can go straight through each piece)

Remove sweet potato from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

When the osso bucco is cooked remove from stovetop and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato and place it into a sauce pan adding the cream, butter and maple syrup.

Place saucepan back on the stove to re-heat and season to taste.

In a pot of simmering water add 1tsp salt. Place the broccolini in pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, remove with tongs and place on absorbent paper. Drizzle broccolini with extra virgin olive oil and season to taste.

To serve

Place a large spoon of sweet potato on each plate, followed by the osso bucco and sprinkle with gremolata. Arrange broccolini next to the osso bucco and serve.

Bon appetite!