braised

“Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

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Pig’s feet  are not everybody’s cup of tea, but for those of us who love them, they are a special treat.
I prepare them quite often, in stews, steamed, braised, Asian style, Latin style, German style; any which way is fine with me 🙂
The following dish is Caribbean Style Souse, as I enjoyed it many moon’s ago a couple of times in Trinidad, at the home of my friend Lyron’s mother.
Very spicy and lightly acidic, with lots of vegetables, it was the perfect food on a hot day by the beach, spend in wonderful company and washed down with a few bottles of Carib Beer – nothing else was needed in those moments to feel happy and content 🙂
These meals (and times) are now in the distant past; all that’s left are the happy memories, vividly recalled by preparing the meals we enjoyed together then – Lyron and his wife Dorsey, my wife Maria, myself and Lyron’s mother, whose name eludes me after all these years but whom I always remember when preparing this particular souse………….
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !

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“Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

Caribbean Souse

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures:
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: pigs trotter, kosher salt, sriracha, lemon juice, grated ginger and garlic paste to taste

: simmer until very tender, but NOT ! falling part, 2-3 hours, remove the trotters and rinse, strain the broth

: hot, spicy pork broth with ginger and garlic – better than tea or coffee

: hot, spicy pork broth with ginger and garlic – better than tea or coffee

: for the garnish . lime or lemon (I prefer lemon, but original its lime), cilantro, onions, chillis, scallions, garlic paste

: put the trotters in a non-reactive bowl, add water, lime juice (I used lemon), kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste to taste (the flavor should resemble ceviche)

: add the garnish, mix, let marinade overnight

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

: “Pigs Trotters” (Part 1 – Caribbean Souse)

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Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions

When I have leftovers (meat, seafood, pasta, rice, veggies) in the fridge, rather than just reheat it the next day and have the same dish again, I prefer to create a new, different dish with it.
Therefore, the braised veal breast from the other day became today’s spectacular, highly satisfying “Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions”.
Although I used the same meat, it was a completely new dish which, taste-wise and in texture, did not at all remind me of the previous meal it provided me with.
This sandwich was so delicious, I almost padded my own proud and happy shoulder when I ate it. 🙂
While I was writing this, it just came to my mind that this sandwich satisfies a wide range of flavors – sour from the onions, spicy from the chilies, salty from radishes and umami from the veal – marvelous ! 🙂

Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !

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Click here for Pickled Onions (Cebolla En Escabeche) on ChefsOpinion

Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions

cut sandwich into pieces, serve with salted radishes

add a generous amount of pickled onions, chopped cilantro and pickled peppers/chilies of your choice

Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

: freshly baked focaccia and garlic confit paste

: cut the focaccia in half, brush generously on all four side with garlic paste

: grill/gratinate all 4 sides

: brush with plenty of good quality mustard

: sprinkle with finely grated asiago cheese

: remove all bones from the veal

: cut into “chunks”

: spread the veal on the bottom part of the focaccia

: add a generous amount of pickled onions, chopped cilantro and pickled peppers/chilies of your choice

: cut sandwich into pieces, serve with salted radishes

: Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions

: Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions

: Toasted Focaccia Sandwich With Veal & Pickled Onions

Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

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Beef Neck – probably the most underrated cut of beef overall. Simmered for soup or braised in red wine sauce, the texture and taste of this cut is only surpassed by beef shank. On top of that, since few people use it, it is the cheapest of all beef cuts, pound for pound. I hope it stays under-appreciated by most folks for much longer, so I can buy it often and in large quantities without breaking the bank 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

Bella’s Portion

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: simmer 3 lbs of beef neck in 4 qt of lightly salted water

: simmer until the meet is tender

: remove the beef from the soup, remove and discard the bones (at this point, there should be about 1 qt of stock left, if not, adjust by reducing the liquid or adding water

: cut the meat into bite size pieces

: add 4 small sliced carrots, simmer until the carrots are soft, add 1 ea diced avocado and 1 ea diced tomato to the soup, simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat, season with cayenne pepper and grated nutmeg to taste; check/adjust seasoning

: add blanched broccoli to a soup plate

: top with blanched cauliflower

: top with 1/4 of the meat, sprinkle with sliced scallions and grated parmesan (optional), place the plate with in a 200F degree oven to warm everything through (or use Microwave); to serve, add the piping hot soup; serves 4

: Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

: Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

: Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

: Beef Neck And Vegetables Soup

: Bella’s Portion

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE

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Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies (5/60 Dish)

Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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This is one of those dishes I call a “5/60 Dish“, which, especially for a home cook, are the most rewarding in terms of the ratio of time and effort to final delicious result.
It simply means that it will only require 5 minutes of preparation and 60 minutes of total time, from the start of prepping to having the dish plated and ready to enjoy.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: wash and pat dry one cornish hen per person, season with 1 pinch sweet paprika and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: to a ovenproof dish add 2 oz whole butter, 3/4 cup baby carrots, 1 small cubed onion and 8 ea grape tomatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: top the veggies with the hen, place on a rack and roast in a preheated 385F oven until the hen is fully cooked, 40 to 50 minutes

: when the hen is fully cooked (40 to 50 minutes, depending on size), remove from oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes

: strain the braising liquid into the northern beans

: while the hen is resting, heat 1/4 tblsp garlic paste with the liquid and fat from the braised hen and vegetables

: add 1 ea 6 oz can drained and rinsed northern beans, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro, leaves from 1 sprig of thyme, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute until beans are heated through

: plate the beans on a serving plate

: top with the braised vegetables, top with the roasted hen

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

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All chef’s, once in a while :
WTF did I come in here for ??? 🙂

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Once in a while, I come across an unbelievable food bargain that I just MUST buy; these ribs are a typical example.
I had to go downtown Miami this morning, so on the way back home, I stopped at my Argentinian butcher in Hialeah to get some empanadas for lunch. There I saw these beautiful beef ribs for $ 3.95, which is less than a pack of chicken wings of equal weight will cost me at my neighborhood grocery store – go figure 😦
So, I had the empanadas for lunch, then started the ribs for a full-fledged, big and yummy dinner 🙂
(My butcher’s empanadas are as close to Argentinian empanadas as can be, nothing like the crappy ones one can usually get around here. After all, he is Argentinian)
But now let’s talk a bit about today’s beef rib dinner.
If you look at the pics of the preparation below, you might notice that the ratio of onions to meat is very high, about 2 to 1 in quantity. The reason is that since I usually don’t use red wine (or any other alcohol) in my cooking anymore, I like to add additional flavor and color by increasing the amount of caramelized onions and add some apple cider. It does not replace the red wine taste, but rather substitute one great flavor with another one. Also, instead of using flour to thicken the sauce, once the meat is tender, I remove it and set it aside, then push the onions through a fine mesh sieve and simmer the sauce another few minutes to thicken it.
And there you have it – another day, another wonderful meal 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season beef ribs with cracked pepper and kosher salt to taste

: saute ribs in 2 tblsp peanut oil

: saute on all sides until nicely browned (maillard reaction)

: add 3 large corse-chopped onions, saute until onions are well caramelized

: add 1 qt of beef stock and 2 cup apple cider, 2 tblsp sweet paprika, 2 tblsp tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, 1 tblsp dried thyme, 1 tsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, simmer covered until meat is very tender but NOT falling apart, about 2,3 to 3 hours

: remove ribs into another pot

: strain sauce and push onions through a fine mesh sieve on top of the ribs, simmer another 5 minutes (if the sauce is too thick, add a bit of beef stock), check/adjust seasoning

: while the ribs are simmering, blanche 1 lb baby rainbow carrots in salted water, shock and drain

: saute 1/2 lb of small, cooked potatoes in 3 oz of whole butter

: add the carrots, saute another minute until carrots are heated through, season with cayenne pepper and kosher salt to taste

: plate the ribs, cover with the sauce, top with the carrots and potatoes; serves 2

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

: Braised Beef Back Ribs With Glazed Baby Rainbow Carrots

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Pig’s Feet Souse ( Love It Or Hate It )

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Pig’s feet are not everybody’s cup of tea, but for those of us who love them, they are a special treat.
I prepare them quite often, in stews, steamed, braised, Asian style, Latin style, German style; any way is fine with me 🙂
The following dish is Caribbean Style Souse, as I enjoyed it many moon’s ago a couple of times in Trinidad, at the home of my friend Lyron’s mother.
Very spicy and lightly acidic, with lots of vegetables, it was the perfect food on a hot day by the beach, spend in wonderful company and washed down with a few bottles of Carib Beer – nothing else was needed in those moments to feel happy and content 🙂
These meals (and times) are now in the distant past; all that’s left are the happy memories, vividly recalled by preparing the meals we enjoyed together then – Lyron and his wife Dorsey, my wife Maria, myself and Lyron’s mother, whose name eludes me after all these years but whom I always remember when preparing this particular souse………….
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Souse on Chefsopinion
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Click here for Escabeche on ChefsOpinion
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Pig’s Feet Souse

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cut 1 large cucumber, 1 bunch chives, 2 large carrots, type and quantity of chilies of your choice, 5 ea red radishes, 1 large onion; make a dressing of 1 cup water, 4 small bay leaves, 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, grated ginger, maggi seasoning and garlic paste to taste, mix all except the carrots and bay leaves, set aside

: rinse 4 lbs pigs feet , cut into large pieces, cover with cold water, season with 1 cup white balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice), 2 tplsp garlic paste, kosher salt and hot sauce to taste, simmer until tender but not falling apart, about two hours, add the sliced carrots and bay leaves, let cool to room temperature; drain the broth, add the vegetables with the dressing and serve either cold, at room temperature or hot; serves 4

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

: Pig’s Feet Souse

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Pied De Cochon

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ANYTHING sounds better in french ?! 🙂
I used to call my wife “Mon Petit Chou”, which sounds perfectly sweet and romantic in french. Translated, it’s “My Little Cabbage” :-(. Not as sweet and romantic, no doubt.
Same with my dinner today : “Pied De Cochon – which translates into “Pig’s Trotters”, one of my all time favorite second cuts.
Pigs trotters are very versatile, they are great fried, steamed, braised, and pickled.
The following dish was created today in my kitchen and, I must say, it was absolutely delicious (and pretty to look at, to boost).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More “Pig’s Goodies” on ChefsOpinion
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Wiki on Pigs Trotters
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More about Pigs Trotters
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Pied De Cochon

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: poach pigs feet in salted water, drain, rinse, cover with salted water, simmer until very tender but NOT falling apart (about two hours)

: meanwhile, blanch baby bok choy

: shock in ice water

: drain

: after 1 1/2 hours, add kosher salt, chili paste, garlic paste, grated ginger, sliced onions to the soup

: after 2 hours, add fresh shiitake mushrooms

: also add blanched, rinsed sliced rice cakes and blanched, sliced lotus roots

: simmer slowly until pigs feed are done,, check / adjust seasoning

: add bok choy and chili paste (optional) to serving plate

: add pigs feet, rice cake and lotus roots

: ladle soup over all ingredients

: Pied De Cochon

: Pied De Cochon

: Pied De Cochon

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” Geschmortes Rinder Herz ” (Braised Beef Heart)

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Tonight I cooked dish two of my “Offal Series” :
– Braised beef heart with steamed chili potatoes and garlic broccoli rabe.
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Heart:

Marinate the meat for the the Braised Heart in cider vinegar for 8 hours,
strain and dry the meat. Season with Dijon, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder,
and pepper. Sautee on high heat until golden, add onions and garlic and saute
until garlic becomes fragrant. Deglaze with plenty of good merlot, add demi glace
and simmer until meat is tender, about one hour. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Potatoes :

Peel potatoes, cut into wedges and simmer in salted water until almost done.
Strain. Saute chili flakes in plenty of butter on low heat until fragrant, add potatoes
and salt, cover. Leave on very low heat until heated through and fully done.

Broccoli rabe :

Saute Garlic paste until fragrant, add blanched rabe , salt, cayenne and
maggi seasoning and saute until heated through.

Serve with a good sized glass (or two) of the same merlot you use in the sauce 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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” Beer Braised Turkey Leg’s “

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Last night’s dinner brought out the very best one can get from turkey legs’s:
Tender, juicy, loaded with flavor, accompanied by a wonderful herbed rice.
In my opinion, turkey doesn’t get much better than that 🙂
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Turkey :

Ingredients :

Turkey legs, bone in
Morcilla, diced
Beer, a bottle or two of your favorite
Bell peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Garlic, paste
Scallions, sliced
Oregano “Litehouse” freeze dried
Basil “Litehouse” freeze dried
Chives “Litehouse” freeze dried
Maggi
Grape tomatoes
Tomato sauce canned
Oil, to sautee

Method :

Saute legs in oil until golden, remove and reserve.
Sautee peppers, remove, reserve.
Sautee onions and garlic until translucent, add Morcilla, tomato sauce
and beer, return leg’s and half the peppers to the sauce.
Add salt and pepper and simmer until legs are tender. Shortly before the
end of the cooking process, carefully remove legs into another pot.
Strain sauce onto legs, add remaining peppers, tomatoes and chives.
Bring back to simmer for one more minute and serve.

Rice :

Ingredients :

Jasmin Rice, soaked for two hours, washed repeatedly
Butter melted
Herbs fresh or freeze dried
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste

Method :

Cook rice in boiling plain water for approximately 4 minute, or until tender but not mushy (Polo Method)
Strain rice and with a fork mix in the butter, seasoning and herb’s.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Happy Bastille Day France ! (Coq au Vin )

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Let’s celebrate the day with a classic ” Coq Au Vin “.
But first :
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” Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on the 14th of July each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration) and commonly Le quatorze juillet (the fourteenth of July). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.”
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To help you celebrate at home (or just to have a great meal because it is saturday
or whatever day 🙂 ,
here is one of my old standby’s for a hearty meal. And just because there is a lot
of wine in the marinade and sauce does not mean you should not make the meal
even better with another bottle of grat red wine.
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Photo Credit: Hans D. Susser

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Marinade :

Chicken 1200 gr , 8 cut, Bone in
Bay Leaves 5 ea
Thyme Sprig 2 ea
Rosemary Sprig 1 ea
Cloves 5 ea
Mirepoix 1 lb
Garlic chopped 5 Gloves
Burgundy Red 1 ½ qt

Preperation:

Olive Oil 2 oz
Tomato Paste 2 oz
Sweet Paprika Powder 1 oz
AP Flour 3 oz
Salt & Black Pepper to Taste

For the Garnish :

Butter 1 oz
Bacon 3 oz
Button Mushrooms 5 oz
Silver Onions, parboiled 3 oz
Parsley, chopped 1 oz
Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
Heart shaped toasted bread wedges

Method :

In a stainless steel container combine the chicken and the marinade
ingredients for 24 hours.
Remove the chicken, pat dry and season liberally with salt and freshly
ground black pepper.
In a heavy cast iron pan, sauté the chicken in the olive oil until mahagony brown.
Remove the chicken, add flour and sauté until dark brown roux forms.
Return the chicken together with the stock, mirepoix , cloves, bay leaves, herbs and cover.
Place in a 300* oven until chicken is tender, approx. 30-40 minutes.
Remove chicken and strain the sauce in a saucepan. If necessary,
simmer and reduce the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.

Garnish:

Render the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon , add the butter, mushroom and onion and sauté for one minute. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

To serve :

Place the chicken on a platter, cover with sauce , garnish with mushroom and onion and top with toast’s.
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