pulling out all the stops!

So for a hearty Sunday supper, I decided something cooked low and slow was in order… a succulent pork shoulder caught my eye at the market so the decision was easy… pulled pork draped over a sweet, chunk of cornbread!
Seasoned only with salt, I started by simply browning the pork on all sides in a heavy pot. Once browned, into the pot went two bottles of root beer, along with a bottle of BBQ sauce! I used a pretty large bottle since this was a large hunk of pork shoulder, as well as two bottles of the root beer since I wanted to make sure there was enough liquid to cover about half of the shoulder…
The lid was popped onto the pot, and then into the oven for three hours on 350 degrees [turning the shoulder once halfway through cooking process]… for the last thirty minutes, the lid came off to help concentrate the liquid down and make it almost syrupy!
After everything was finished cooking, it was time to shred! The shredded shoulder was then tossed back into the sauce and stirred until completely coated… [I picked constantly while shredding, but shhhhh!!! don’t tell anyone].
Once it was time to eat, I couldn’t control myself! The flavors were incredible… salty and sweet, slightly spicy and almost gingery. The cornbread played a perfect balance to this whole story and made me want more than seconds [don’t judge!]
This is going to make one hell of a sandwich tomorrow for lunch…

at a low simmer…
-R

one pudgie lil’ piggie…

So tonight I felt like a thick, hearty pork chop! Not just any ‘chops’, but nice, thick-cut ‘chops’ stuffed with ground sausage, garlic, provolone, prosciutto and parsley. This beautiful stuffing was generously packed into each side pocket…
To start cooking, I began with a screaming hot cast iron skillet and a touch of olive oil. Into that pan went my beautiful ‘chops’ to get an insanely gorgeous sear! Once both sides were seared, it was into the oven for about forty minutes until the stuffing was cooked through. To prevent drying out the ‘chops’, a nice dash of white wine went into the pan and tight seal of foil on top.
After the cooking commenced, a quick transfer to our plates and all that was left to do was dig into these mammoth cuts of meat… boy not only were those ‘chops’ stuffed!

at a low simmer…
-R

a fall meal that’s fall-off-the-bone good!

Well today was officially one of the chilliest days this Fall season has offered thus far… So a hearty, slow cooked meal seemed highly appropriate!
Braised short ribs were the obvious choice and they truly satisfied.
These meaty delights were salted and seared till all sides were a gorgeous crusty brown… once the short ribs were browned they got a quick rest, while in the same pot went a slew of puréed veggies which were cooked till browned. After the veggies browned, tomato paste and a bottle of red wine were added. Once everything was incorporated and slightly reduced, the short ribs were nestled back into the pot, a bundle of fresh thyme and bay leaves were added, as well as some water. Next it was time to put a lid on it and bathe in the oven for three hours. Those three hours felt like an eternity, but the outcome was totally worth the wait!
Fall-off the bone meatiness coupled by a rich saucy goodness and this meal was an absolute winner in my book!

at a low simmer…
-R

Soggy outside, but a crispy dinner inside…

Today was a gloomy, wet day which lingered into the evening… to perk everything up a home cooked meal was the perfect remedy!
Boneless, crispy skin-on chicken breast served on a bed of wilted radicchio salad that was tossed with applewood smoked bacon.
I seasoned the chicken with just salt and seared them in an smoking hot cast iron skillet to crisp up the skin. Into the oven to complete the cooking process and it was time to move on to the wilted radicchio salad…
The radicchio was sliced up and tossed around in a pan of the rendered bacon fat until just wilted, but still had a slight bite to it.
The chicken was crispy on the outside; moist and flavorful on the inside, while the wilted radicchio salad was slightly bitter and had a hint of saltiness and smokiness from the bacon…
This dinner shed a bright light on an otherwise dark and soggy day!!

at a low simmer…
-R