Pork
Wed Feb 9, 2011
Spicy Roasted Poblano Sausage
I don't understand what's with all this bitchin' about mother-in-laws. I have no qualms with the in-laws—time spent with them are always occasions I look forward to. Not only do I get to go down to Texas and indulge in some of greatest Tex-Mex and barbecue known to man, I also sometimes return with gifts that are meant to win my heart. This year really took the cake though when I received a 5 lb vertical sausage stuffer. Know that I really meant what I said about loving the in-laws and that there is no need to buy my love, but c'mon, how freakin' sweet is it that my mother-in-law got me the sausage stuffer of my dreams. (Oh god, that sounded bad, didn't it?)
More and recipe after the jump >>
Wed Dec 15, 2010
Ham I Am
Last week I was exalting my ability to relish in sweet Christmas swine. Now a stuffed, glazed pork loin is pretty awesome, but there is nothing, nothing, that can hold a candle to a holiday ham. If there was one thing that made me resent keeping kosher more than anything else, it most certainly ham. Smoked, glazed, cured...there has never been a ham I haven't fallen madly in love with. Out of them all, it's the sweet Christmas time variety that holds the most special place in my heart. That flavorful pink meat with sugary, crunchy edges made we swoon as a kid, and still holds as strong a grip on me to this day.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Dec 7, 2010
Sweet, Shiny Christmas Swine
Being Jewish and all, my idea of the Christmas meal growing up came mostly from the pages of magazines and whatever sitcoms were delving into humorous Christmas follies that holiday season (where was all Chanukah hilariousness...oil + fire seems like comedy gold to me). What I could gleam from those detached encounters was that Christians loved pork, and loved even more to make it look shiny and sickeningly sweet, and I knew that I wanted it. Forget Santa, Christmas trees, and presents, it was the honey hams, crown roasts, and glazed pork loins that made me long for a taste of the other side. With 13 years now between myself and my kosher past, I've found out that I can have my cake Christmas pork and eat it too, and boy is it fantastic.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Wed Aug 11, 2010
The Most Divine Swine
Compared to ribs, pulled pork didn't take me long to get it to a place I was happy with. In just about one and half Meatwave seasons, I felt my recipe for a smoked pork butt was pretty top notch. I actually preferred my homemade pork to most I got in restaurants and at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, with one big exception, Big Bob Gibson's. To this day, I have not eaten a barbecued pork shoulder that is as juicy, tender, and flavorful as the ones that pitmaster Chris Lilly churns out. I figured that I could never match such a seasoned pro, and was perfectly fine with my own pork, so never bothered trying to match it.
Having a chance to sit down and talk swine with Chris Lilly the day prior to this year's Block Party, then getting some pork making tips the following day, and having eaten another one of his fantastic sandwiches, I thought I really should be shooting for the stars and decided to amp up my pulled pork game. After this resolve, was there any place else to start except for the recipe that I aspire to?
More and recipe after the jump >>
Thu Jul 31, 2008
Ribs Gone Tropical
I have to thank the barbecue gods for Mike Mill's Apple City Ribs. That recipe has provided me with rib perfection, leaving no good reason to stray, but for the sake of diversity, I decided to go out on a limb and try something a little different. If I was going to venture into the new, I wanted it to be in uncharted Meatwave territory, leading me to a recipe that featured different flavors (pineapple, honey, garlic), different method (braising), and a different pitmaster (the great Chris Lilly).
