I Have No Idea What to Call This One

This is the best name for this dish I could think of, so far. 

Hide the Sausage
1 boneless Pork Loin Roast (about 2 1/2 lbs)
4 Bratwurst Sausages
1 Onion, sliced
2 tablespoons Butter
1 bottle Cheap Beer (do NOT use a lite beer--you'll just embarrass yourself)
Salt and Pepper
2 more tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons AP Flour
1 sheet Puff Pastry

Make the bratwurst, beer, butter and onions according to this recipe. 

Lay the loin fat-side down on a cutting mat.  Using a long knife, start a cut about an inch and a half from the top edge of the loin and continue cutting parallel to the cutting mat.  When you get about an inch and a half away from the edge of the loin, unfold that flap and turn the knife to slice toward the mat. When you get about an inch and a half from the next edge of the loin, continue to unfold and slice.  You ulimately want to unroll the entire loin into an inch and a half thick scroll.  Season with salt and pepper. 

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium high heat.  When completely melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk.  Keep whisking/stirring until the roux starts to darken but before it turns a deep brown.  Remove the brats and onions from the beer bath and pour the golden liquid into the roux, whisking thouroughly and constantly.  When the sauce has thickened to a very thick gravy, remove from the heat.  Let it cool for 10 minutes. 

Spread about 1/2 of the gravy evenly in the center of the unrolled loin, stopping about one and a half inches from the edges. Lay the brats latterally 2x2 and end to end at what was the center-most part of the loin (the part that will be the center when you start re-rolling the loin).  Add the onions on top of the brats.

Roll the loin back up.  You can try tying it, but honestly, everything is going to goo out.  Instead, I wrapped the whole thing tightly in two layers of aluminum foil.  Place the package on the hot part of the grill.  Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes.  Turn the package over and cook the other side for about 8 minutes. 

The loin will now hold it's shape but the goo inside will come pouring out, so I unwrapped the top of the loin and left the bottom still sit in foil.  I moved the loin to the cool part of the grill, added cherry wood to the coals and then closed the lid to smoke for about 20 minutes. 

Bring the loin in and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Roll the puff pastry out into a sheet large enough to wrap the loin.  Place the loin, smoke-side down on the center of the pastry and wrap it up, sealing the seam on the bottom.  Trim away the excess dough from the ends.  Flip the package over and lay it in the center of a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Poke a lot of little holes in the top of the pastry to let the steam out and pop it into the oven. 

Cook for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  The interior temperature will read about 170 degrees.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve!

I know the name implied a post more hilarious.  Sorry to let you down. 

Penis. 

Does that make up for it?

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.