Bitters Tasting and a Spiced Dinner

It's been 2 weeks. The Christmas decorations are all put away, snow has come and gone, we watched Avatar, my wife visited the National Western Stock Show, and I've hosted 2 seminars.

And the the anticipation is killing me.

2 weeks ago I blogged about making bitters, gave you 2 recipies to try and promised I'd give you the results.

Well . . . .

Spicey!!

Bold!!


Alright, here's the scoop. I think it will get even better when it's had a chance to sit for another week or two, but it already has a powerful rosemary and juniper nose on the front-end and a liquorice finish. It's just bitter enough (wormword was the right choice).

But I have to confess, like the orange bitters before, it lacks a certain depth. I'll let it rest for a bit and give final judgement down the road. And I'd like a little more experimentation. Perhaps in the next batch, I'll add the juniper berries after 1 week and reduce the star anise by half.

We've got time, however, and I have Manhattan's to make. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tonight's dinner:


Spiced Pork Roast and OJ Gravy

2 lbs Boneless Pork Roast
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 stars of Anise
1 stick Cinnamon
8 -10 Juniper Berries, lightly crushed
Smoked Salt
fresh-ground Pepper
1 California Bay Leaf (2 leaves if you're using Turkish)
1 cup Orange Juice

In a pressure cooker, heat the olive oil until hot. Salt the pork, lightly and evenly, all the way around. Brown the roast on all sides. Sprinkle with pepper, and then add enough water to ALMOST cover the meat. Add the rest of the spices, but NOT the orange juice.

Cook it under pressure (follow manufacturer's directions, because they are all fairly different) for about an hour. (Good time to start your bread!) This makes for a very nicely infused and tender roast. Remove the roast from the pot and let stand, covered, in a nice warm place.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the spice bits that you can, but don't worry about fighting it too hard--a little juniper berry in the sauce is OK and the meat bits are GREAT! Heat the remaining liquid until boiling and start reducing it. Add the orange juice and keep reducing it. Stir or whisk often. When reduced to 1/4 of what it was, turn off the heat, get the pork roast out, pour over the roast, slice and serve.


Cardamom Flatbread

2 cups Flour, plus more for kneading
1 and 1/2 tablespoons quick acting Yeast
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Cardamom
1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus more for the pan
1 cup very warm Water

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together well. Add the oil and water. Stir together until the dough comes together as a shaggy mass. Turn out onto a clean and floured work surface and knead it until it's uniformly smooth. Let rise, in a covered bowl in a warm, draft-free area for about 30 min.

When about half-again as large as it was, divide into 6 equal parts. Working one at a time (leave the unused portions covered until you're ready for them) roll or press out like a thick tortilla into a disk about 8 inches across. Add a little oil to the bottom of a hot skillet and lightly pan fry on both sides until golden brown and delicious.

Eat while it's hot!


Moroccan Carrot Salad

3 Carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1/4 cup Orange Juice
a fistfull of Raisins
a good dusting of Cinnamon (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?)

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. Let rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve.