Tag: pork

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Resolved to be Simple

By Fran Hill

It is a new year. Have you made any resolutions? Set any goals? Have you broken any resolutions?

So far, my 2017 has gone reasonably well. I haven’t quite shaken that overwhelmed feeling that has haunted me for the past year, but I do feel I am slowly gaining a more solid footing. But I didn’t make any grand resolutions. With my recent turmoil, it felt as if I might be setting myself up for failure. At this point, simple is best.

One easy goal is to make better use of my pantry and freezer staples. We often resort to takeout when I am busy, even when my fridge is overflowing. I always feel like I have”ingredients” rather than”food.”

But food doesn’t have to be difficult. Real meals can be simple enough for even a hectic day.

Spicy Pork and Rice Soup comes together from pork and stock in the freezer, rice and spices from the pantry, and the box of fresh spinach and bag of carrots that are virtuously tossed into my weekly shopping cart. The savory pork and rice are filling and satisfying in this brothy soup, while wilted spinach adds a much-needed vitamin boost for gray winter days.

This soup hits all my criteria: simple, warming, delicious and utilizing what I have on hand. That’s a 2017 goal met.

Spicy Pork and Rice Soup comes together quickly with just a few items from your freezer and pantry.

Spicy Pork and Rice Soup

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

1/2 pound ground pork

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger, divided

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus another sprinkle

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

5 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup long grain rice

3-4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 medium carrot, shaved

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Combine ground pork with garlic, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, cumin seeds.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sautÈ until tender. Add the pork mixture, stirring and breaking up into medium chunks, until browned and cooked through.

Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in rice, 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger and additional sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Simmer 10-15 minutes until rice is tender.

Add spinach and shaved carrot; stir to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Wessington’s Chili Wars

By Bernie Hunhoff

Pie bakers and chili makers are very different sorts. That’s plain to see in Wessington every July at the town’s annual Fun Day.

The festivities include a pie contest and a chili cook-off.”Some of the ladies won’t share their pie recipes easily,” says Lana Dannenbring-Eichstadt, a board member of the Wessington Development Corporation that sponsors the events.”But the pie contest is very polite, and there’s often some humor — like the time a mom entered a beautiful sour cream and raisin pie in her son’s name.” Confusion always makes for good-natured fun.

But the chili cook-off?

Dannenbring-Eichstadt winces.”The guys are pretty much out for blood in the chili competition,” she admits.”Poor Cowboy Jim has entered his pineapple chili as long as I can remember, and he keeps changing the recipe, or at least the name. He gets so mad each time he doesn’t win; last year he even went after some of the judges, who happened to be my two sisters and a niece.”

She’s referring, tongue-in-cheek, to Jim Major, a fellow board member and local promoter of Wessington. Majors have been raising beef at the northern edge of the Wessington Hills for 125 years. Jim has been perfecting his pineapple chili recipe for only a fraction of that time, but he admits he’s getting impatient with the outcome of the cook-off.

“I don’t know whether it’s because my chili sits at the end of the table and the judges have had their taste buds ruined by the beans, or just what it is,” he says. But he’ll be back this July.

The basic ingredients of Jim’s Hawaiian Chili include his wife Ruth’s canned tomatoes, homegrown beef and imported pineapple. No beans. That might be enough of an omission to warrant disqualification by some judges, but Major believes in pineapple.

One of Major’s top competitors is Lester Moeller, a St. Lawrence hog farmer who has been tinkering with a pork sausage recipe for some 40 years.”I started making chili for the kids. It’s a great protein source. I experimented with a lot of different things. That’s the thing about chili, it’s hard to hurt it.

“Now I mix a pound of pork sausage with a pound of deer burger, and mix it together with tomatoes, onions and I do use beans,” he says.”Add your spices and there aren’t many leftovers, let’s put it that way.”

Moeller, an erstwhile promoter of pork, is a past president of the state’s pork producers. When Hurricane Sandy hit the Atlantic coast, he and his wife Rosemary flew to New Jersey almost before the winds subsided and spent three days grilling pork loins and bratwurst for the victims and disaster workers.

Despite their persistence, neither Moeller or Major has yet won the Wessington cook-off. Nor has Duane Casavan, a Wessington beekeepper who brings a crockpot flavored with his own honey.

Dannenbring-Eichstadt says another regular competitor reportedly”sneaks some chocolate” into his recipe — a trick frowned upon, apparently, but not outlawed.”There’s also a Cowboy Chili, a Hula Chili and some other popular repeats. And then there’s always that friendly debate over whether real chili has beans or not.”

That won’t be settled at Wessington, where the judges are more locally focused on pineapple, venison, pork and honey.

Editor’s Note: This story is revised from the July/August 2014 issue of South Dakota Magazine. To order a copy or to subscribe, call (800) 456-5117. This year’s Wessington Fun Day is July 16. It includes a 2.5K color walk & run, a parade at 10 a.m., softball and bean bag tournaments, a car show and the chili and pie cookoffs. Everyone gets to sample the pies and chili. Proceeds support the Wessington Development Corporation.

JIM’S HAWAIIAN CHILI

4 lbs browned ground beef

1 green pepper, cubed small

1 yellow pepper, cubed small

1 small can jalapenos

2 20-oz cans of tomato sauce

2 20-oz cans of diced tomatoes (or four quarts of home-canned tomatoes to replace the diced tomatoes and sauce)

2 20-oz cans of pineapple tidbits (drained)

4 cloves chopped garlic

2 T chili powder

2 T cumin

Salt and pepper

Cook altogether for 3 to 5 hours. You might add one bottle of dark beer an hour or so before serving. This is a crockpot-size quantity fit for a cook-off and community feed.

LESTER’S PORK CHILI

1 lb of fried pork sausage

1 lb of fried deer burger

1 large sauteed onion

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans of chili beans (may substitute kidney or black)

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp salt and pepper

Chili powder to taste

Mix all ingredients in crockpot and let simmer until hot or longer (for better flavor). Serve hot, makes enough for at least six hungry men. Leftovers can be frozen for later meals. Nice to microwave for quick meals.

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Just Grill It

By Fran Hill

Schools have dismissed and Memorial Day has passed. While neither the calendar (June 21 is the beginning of Summer Solstice) nor the weather (brrr; that rain has been cold, hasn’t it?) is yielding to it, the general consensus is that summer is here — and it is time to grill.

Many South Dakotans don’t heed the seasons for grilling. We fire up the propane grill and tend the glowing charcoal embers year round. But when summer approaches, the need to cook outdoors is overpowering.

We love nothing more than juicy charcoal grilled burgers, fire-charred hot dogs, barbeque sauce glazed chicken, cedar-planked salmon, skewers of shrimp, smoky pork chops, marinated lamb kabobs, and big, juicy steaks seared over the flames. Everything on our plates boasts grill marks: corn on the cob, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and colorful peppers. Even fruit gets tossed on the grill to bring out the delicious sweetness of peaches, pineapple, apples and bananas. If we eat it, we grill it.

Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa is a great meal that aside from a little chopping happens almost entirely … you guessed it: on the grill. I serve warm flour tortillas on the side, but this classic pork and pineapple pairing would also be great with some of those sweet Hawaiian rolls. Don’t be afraid to make extra salsa. This fruity side dish with a jalapeno kick is great to dig into with tortilla chips.

Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

(adapted from Cooking Light)

4 pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick (boneless center-cut, bone-in loin chops, or rib chops work best)

juice of 1 lime, divided

1/2 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick, about 4-6 slices

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

1/2 of a fresh jalapeno, seeded and sliced (leave the seeds, if you want more heat)

salt and pepper

Prepare the grill to medium-high heat.

Toss the pork with a couple tablespoons of the lime juice; let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush grill with oil and add pineapple and onion.

Cook 4 minutes on each side, until onion is tender.

Coarsely chop the pineapple and onion and combine with jalapeno, a tablespoon (or so) of lime juice, and salt (to taste).

Season pork with salt and pepper.

Add pork to the grill; cook 5-6 minutes on each side until done (145 degrees).

Remove from the grill; allow pork to rest about 3 minutes before serving. (serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Piggin’ Out On Pork

Editor’s Note: October is National Pork Month. Several years ago, South Dakota Magazine toured the state to see how families and restaurateurs were featuring the”other white meat.” Here’s what we found.

By Jennifer Thom

Three years ago, Louise Albers’ father told her about a new cut of pork, prime rib, that would be a good entree for her restaurant, the Black Angus in Canton.

Intrigued, Albers went looking for it.

She quizzed the hog buyer at John Morrell and Company, the meat buyers at grocery stores and each of her food service vendors.

She finally found the cut her father described at Iowa Quality Meats in Des Moines. A phenomenal success for Iowa Quality Meats, pork prime rib is a Black Angus special, served one or two weekends a month.

South Dakotans are lucky that Albers doesn’t give up easily. Slow cooked at 150 degrees in a special oven called an altosham, Pork Prime Rib is gluttonous: tender, juicy and chock full of flavor.

South Dakota chefs like Albers are inventing sophisticated yet hearty ways to serve pork, an entree that satisfies”down home” diners as chops and bacon, but can be”dressed up” for dinner out.

Newer recipes for stay-at-home cooks feature pork that’s cubed, sliced and ground, and combined with fruit and spicy seasonings, such as Peachy Pork Picante. Because South Dakota produces 3.5 percent of the total pork raised in the United States we need a lot of ways to prepare pork.

“We’re receiving more requests than ever for pork recipes with hot peppers and hot and spicy flavors,” says Robin Kline, director of the Pork Information Bureau for the National Pork Producers Council.

“Pork is the perfect complement to spicy, bold seasonings. Its robust taste stands up to strong flavors rather than being eclipsed.”

“Pork is a menu maker, because you can go so many ways with it,” confirms Dave Casper, owner of Casper’s restaurant in Brookings.

Casper’s menu includes Pork Cacciatore, Pork Loin Cutlets, Twin Chops, Pork Saltimbocca, Smoked Chops and Pork Citron. Pork Robert is a special.

“Pork Loin Cutlets is everybody’s favorite,” he says. Casper’s prepares more than 400 pounds of boneless pork a month.”I serve the cutlets with braised red cabbage and apples, and browned spaetzle.”

One of the best ways to enjoy the newest pork dishes is the annual Taste Of Elegance contest, sponsored by the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. Chefs from the region compete for first place and the right to represent South Dakota at the National Pork Producers Council competition.

The Council sponsors the contest to promote boneless pork to restaurants and encourage them to feature pork as a menu entree. For a pittance, the public can attend the event, graze from the buffet, and taste the chefs’ entries. You can even vote for the winner of the People’s Choice award.

In 1992, Casper won the Taste of Elegance contest with Pork Saltimbocca. In 1995, he won with Pork Rattle and Roll, a pork version of Beef Wellington.

Back home in Brookings, Casper demonstrates a dish once or twice to his kitchen staff, then he becomes quality control chief.

“I garnish the dish, and if it’s not right, I throw it right back in their face. I’m the final inspector.”

Casper’s presentation is wonderful, and his”fill `em up” portions reflect another customer service philosophy:”Give `em plenty. South Dakotans are leery of leaving a restaurant hungry.”

Because they want a sure thing at mealtime, a lot of South Dakotans stick with the tried-and-true pork chop. It’s a staple on the Black Angus menu.

“Some people like pork chops, and that’s the only way they want pork,” Betty Fiegen acknowledges. Still, as an education consultant for the South Dakota Pork Producers Council, Fiegen demonstrates how to prepare new pork dishes that fit today’s lifestyle. She also talks to groups on how to fit pork into a nutritious diet.

“Pork is a different product than it was 10 years ago,” she explains. Pork is 31 percent lower in fat than it was a decade ago.”The tenderloin is the cut lowest in fat. It compares to a chicken breast. You can have pork in your diet and still have a low fat diet.”

Fiegen may get a touch of stage fright before a demonstration.”I’ve been known to have a few butterflies. If I do demonstrations more often, then I don’t get nervous.”

Fiegen was preparing three different dishes for a group in McCook County, on a stage equipped with an outdated electrical system. The breakers kept going, so she had to prepare one dish at a time.

“The women were so patient,” Fiegen recalls.”They made me very comfortable. They didn’t act like they were in a hurry to go anywhere.”

Parkston pork producer Glenda Odegaard created a Pork and Pasta Salad that is popular with South Dakota Pork Producer demonstrators.

“I just threw it together,” recalls Odegaard. The salad won second place at a contest for salads using pork.”I’ve been making it four or five years now … I think I’ve worn it out.”

Jeff Tuschen has charcoal on his ingredient list when he cooks pork. The Salem resident cooks 2,000 to 3,000 pounds a year at community events across the state. He was part of the crew that cooked pork when Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign came to Baltic.

To cook for a crowd, Tuschen calculates he’ll get five sandwiches from a pound of meat; a bit more if there’s a lot of kids. For every 150 pounds of pork, he’ll use 50 to 60 pounds of charcoal.

He prefers charcoal to gas.”I have better control over charcoal, and I think the meat tastes better.”

He grills the pork loins whole (he can prepare 150 pounds at a time), slices and buns them, and adds a squirt of sauce. The sauce recipe is from a friend’s father.

“The biggest secret is when to take the meat off the heat,” Tuschen explains. He’s willing to spill all his secrets to someone who wants to go into the business: he can’t keep up with requests.

“I’d teach `em in a minute,” Tuschen says.”It’s a good way to promote pork”

While in San Diego, Albers visited”the” steak house on the West Coast. Anticipation built as she read the menu: Midwest corn-fed beef.

“It could’ve gagged a maggot at a chuckwagon,” she reports.”The grass isn’t greener. South Dakotans may lack fresh produce sometimes, but we do have the best meat. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

JEFF TUSCHEN’S BARBECUE SAUCE FOR PORK SANDWICHES

“This makes a little over two gallons,” Jeff says.”For the sugar, I use half brown sugar and half white sugar.”

2 10-pounds cans of catsup

3 to 4 pounds sugar

1/3 cup pepper

1 cup onion flakes or chopped onion 1/3 gallon vinegar

1 small bottle Tabasco sauce

3 tablespoons garlic powder

1 pint honey, optional

Mix together. Spread on pork sandwiches.

PEACHY PORK PICANTE

“Who’d have thought to mix salsa and peaches together?” Betty Fiegen asks.

1 pound boneless pork, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

1 8-ounce bottle chunky-style salsa 1/3 cup peach preserves

Coat pork cubes with taco seasoning. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook to brown, stirring occasionally. Add salsa and preserves to pan; lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over rice if desired. Serves 4.

GLENDA ODEGAARD’S PORK AND PASTA SALAD

1/2 to 1 pound cooked pork, cut into thin strips

1 7-ounce package rotini pasta, cooked and drained

Toss pork and pasta with raw, diced vegetables, such as celery, tomatoes, carrots, onions, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes. For dressing, combine one packet of Italian dressing mix with one bottle Italian dressing, creamy or oil. Toss with salad. Serve.

GLENDA ODEGAARD’S ROAST PORK

Chefs agree, do not overcook pork. Cook it to a maximum of 160 degrees, a medium temperature that’s safe.

Mix 1/3 cup garlic pepper with 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary. Rub the mixture over a pork loin or pork roast. Place fat side up and bake at 350 degrees, or barbecue on grill. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 150 to 155 degrees. Let set before slicing. For a 3 to 4 pound pork loin, cook 1 hour. For a 3 to 4 pound pork roast with bone, allow a little longer time.

Editor’s Note: This story is revised from the January/February 1996 issue of South Dakota Magazine. To order a copy or to subscribe, call (800) 456-5117.

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Tines of Thanks

By Laura Andrews

The pitchfork is sometimes used as a symbol of hard work, or perhaps as an indicator of an angry mob. At Jay & LeAnne Cutts’ farm near Mission Hill, it’s a sign of friendship. For the past 5 years, the Yankton County couple and their sons Frank, Robbie and George have hosted a pitchfork fondue party to show appreciation for friends, neighbors and acquaintances.”I invite people that have touched me or my family in some way, people I want to share with and say ‘Thank you for being my friend,'” LeAnne says.

The Cutts family provides the meat — this year, a case of pork loin and aged prime sirloin — and other fixings. Mission Hill residents Scott Olson and Keith Williams bring the setup, the fondueing know-how, and the clean pitchforks.”They’ve got it down to a science,” LeAnne says.

Williams also prepares”skinny potatoes,” shredded hash browns cooked in a Dutch oven with heavy whipping cream, cheese and two pounds of bacon. Raw vegetables, fruit and Dutch oven desserts fill out the menu.

Guests gather their lawn chairs around the fondue crew to watch them work. After the meal is served, there’s live music and dancing, outdoor films for the kids, and plenty of good conversation.

It’s hard for South Dakotans to come empty-handed, but Olson, Williams and the Cutts family provide everything needed for a pleasant summer evening.”People always say, ‘What can I bring? What can I bring?'” LeAnne says.”I tell them just to come and have a good time.”


Pitchfork Fondue Tips

  • Use a big pot. At the Cutts’ party, they use an old cast iron scalding pot, a relic of hog butchering days, which holds about 25 gallons of oil.”If you were using a smaller pot, it’d be tough to keep the temperature up where it needs to be,” says Jay.
  • Heat the oil to 325-350 degrees.
  • Cooking time varies by the size of the meat chunks.”The trick is to know when to pull the meat out,” says Jay.”It is so hot that it keeps cooking as you take it off the fork,” He recommends going by color.”The pork turns to a light tender brown and the beef is probably gray. You don’t want any brown to the beef.”
  • Season the meat with a bit of seasoned salt — no steak sauce or other condiments are needed.

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Don’t Give Dad the Gift of Food Poisoning

By Fran Hill

Neckties, golf balls, new shirts, gift baskets of candy, electronics, books, gadgets for the grill, accessories for the car, hammocks for the backyard, and a myriad of other items suited to personal hobbies make great Father’s Day gifts. Time spent together fishing, hiking, golfing or lounging on the deck while grilling steaks, burgers or simply hot dogs are also appropriate and appreciated ways to tell Dad how much you care. However, it should be noted that food poisoning is not a great gift for the leader of the pack.

Many of us will be hosting cookouts this weekend in honor of our fathers, fathers-in-law, husbands, uncles, brothers and all males in our lives in general. While the get-togethers will be laid back and good natured, keeping an eye on food safety is important. The weather is finally being kind to us and leaning toward summer with rising temperatures. The warm sun feels so wonderful, but isn’t a friend to the mayonnaise-based salads that often dominate picnic spreads.

Remembering just a few, simple, common sense steps can avoid the gift of food poisoning. Keep your finicky foods chilled until serving and then present on ice, if possible. Shallow storage tubs (the under-the-bed type) and kiddie pools filled with ice can hold the bowls of potato and macaroni salad on buffets and protect them from danger. Also, don’t tempt bacteria by leaving food out in the heat for extended periods of time.

Another way to avoid the mayo predicament is to prepare a salad without it. A Black Bean Salad featuring chili peppers, avocado, scallions, and cilantro is livened up with a citrus dressing that not only is delicious, but is less welcoming to tummy-troubling bacteria than creamy mayo. Paired with a spicy, grilled Chile-Rubbed Pork Loin this Father’s Day menu would never be the gift that keeps on giving with queasiness. Add some chips and salsa, possibly even a tossed green salad, and celebrate dad with healthy ease this Father’s Day.

Chile-Rubbed Pork Loin and Black Bean Salad

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Pork Loin:

1 teaspoon Ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds boneless pork loin

Black Bean Salad:

2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, cut into large dice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red chili pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving


Prepare the grill for indirect heat. With a charcoal grill, place coals in two piles on either side of the grill with open space in center; for gas grills with multiple burners, turn on one or more burners, but leave one off. Combine chile powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub the pork loin with about a tablespoon of olive oil and then the spice mixture to coat thoroughly. When grill is heated to approximately 350-375F, place pork directly on area above the heat. Rotate to sear on each side, then move the loin to grill space away from the heat to roast. Continue to turn frequently to ensure even cooking until internal temperature registers 145F, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from grill, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, toss together beans, avocado, cilantro, scallions, chili pepper, lime juice, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand while the pork roasts. (This salad is more flavorful at room temperature.) Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.



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The Head Cheese

By Laura Andrews

My beloved spouse is fond of describing his years of single living by saying,”Bachelor life is not for the squeamish.” Married life may not be much better — especially in the culinary department.

When Mike picked me up for lunch the other day, he was in a snit. He’d seen post-Christmas bargain fruitcake at a local big box store and bought four to sample. When he went back for more, he was disappointed to see that someone had beat him to the clearance rack. He was only able to bring home 36 fruitcakes. Why, that’s less than one a week for the rest of the year! He felt somewhat better when he glanced over the receipt and realized that they’d failed to charge him for one. I feigned awe over his bargain-hunting skills. “Buy 39 clearance fruitcakes, get the next one free? That’s a heck of a deal, dear.”

Given his passion for the notorious holiday treat/gag gift (he wants to start an Fruitcake Anti-Defamation League), I shouldn’t have been surprised that he could handle all the challenges that my family’s Scandinavian-American Christmas feasts had to offer. Pickled herring — no big deal. S¯dsuppe, a Danish fruit soup, was downed with glee. I even heard Mike whisper to my father that the lutefisk was delicious. Clearly the man has an iron stomach.

So when I had a chance to bring home a bit of free meat, I didn’t hesitate. Heier’s Meat Market in Hosmer had been nice enough to send John Andrews (no relation) a box of delicious meats in appreciation for the article he’d written for our November/December issue about the cuisine of Germans from Russia enjoyed in Hosmer, Eureka and other places around the state. When I eyed the head cheese, John was kind enough to share. I was eager to try it. I remembered Laura Ingalls Wilder writing about it in her Little House series…and let’s be honest, the faces people make when the subject of head cheese comes up was another powerful incentive.

But what does one do with head cheese? If you google “head cheese recipes,” you learn how to make a stock using a pig, cow or sheep’s head. The gelatinous broth is cooked down, mixed with meaty bits from the animal’s skull, onions and spices and refrigerated until firm. But then what?

I asked Ruth Steil, South Dakota Magazine’s Administrative Assistant and food expert, if she knew any good ways to eat head cheese. Turns out she grew up on it fried with blood sausage and topped with white Karo syrup. Too bad I didn’t have any blood sausage. Other sources suggested treating it as a luncheon meat. Office Curmudgeon Roger Holtzmann overheard our conversation and remarked, “The whole question is an oxymoron. There is no good way to eat head cheese — it belongs in the compost pile.”

Nonsense, Roger! As it turns out, head cheese is rather tasty. After a small sample, Mike & I decided it’d be good sliced it up thin and served on pumpernickel with a little lettuce and mustard. Mike thinks it tastes like ham, so he took to it right away. I was surprised by its firm texture and hint of onion flavor. The head cheese sandwiches have made a fine accompaniment to our lunchtime bowls of soup. I’m thinking of trying the leftover luncheon meat as a pizza topping this weekend. We’ll see what that does to my stalwart spouse’s stomach.

To try head cheese yourself, check with your local butcher or pay a visit to Heier’s Meat Market of Hosmer.

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Post-Christmas Pork

By Fran Hill

I am among those that leave Christmas decorations up through January 6, Epiphany. I enjoy the sparkle of the lights on cold, dark, winter nights. And, admittedly, I am a little lazy. Pulling decorations and garland out of totes is always easier than trying to put them back for storage.

This year, our fresh tree was extremely dry from the day we brought it home. By Christmas, if you looked at it, needles dropped. The summer drought was not kind to Christmas trees (or anything, for that matter). Just after the New Year, I decided that even though the Wise Men hadn’t yet made their appearance, the Tannenbaum had to go.

It took an entire afternoon to delicately remove the glittery snowflakes, sparkly glass balls, handmade lace stars, and string after string of twinkly lights from the tree. Moderation isn’t part of my vocabulary when I decorate a Christmas tree, even though I always swear to practice simplicity as I face dismantling each year. When I had finally shoved the tree out the door and placed it strategically in the driveway to force Hubs to haul it away, I sat down with my laptop and a beverage to relax.

This is when I noticed the article on NPR touting turning abandoned Christmas trees into beer. It seems that spruce beer was once a treatment for scurvy during long voyages. With the increasing popularity of craft brewing, this once-forgotten beer is once again making use of the spruce.

My tree was a fir, but that didn’t stop me from considering it for beer brewing…for just a minute. I don’t brew my own beer, or make my own wine. Honestly, it scares me. What if I put all that effort into it and resulted with swill? Brewing and fermenting are a lot more complex and precise than my methods of cooking. I will leave spruce beer to the Vikings and the courageous craft brewers.

While I won’t venture into beer brewing, I will bring some beer into my meals. No, not just guzzling a brewsky with some pizza or wings. Beer can be a great flavor addition to stews, sauces, and for marinating or brining.

Pork is notorious for being dry if not carefully prepared. It is bred to be lean, and therefore, a pan of chops can be unforgiving when overcooked. However, if brined in a flavorful beer with salt and seasonings, the meat can be moist, and tenderly delicious. Sweet onions make a great addition to the plate alongside any green vegetable. Try the recipe with spruce beer, if you find (or brew) it. I haven’t, but woodsy rosemary pairs great with pork, so I don’t see why a Christmas tree brew wouldn’t work just as well.

Beer Brined Pork Chops with Onions

Adapted from Sunset Magazine

4 boned center-cut pork loin chops, about 1 inch thick
2 12-ounce bottles of flavorful beer (I used an ale)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed — divided
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 red onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Rinse pork chops. Over medium heat, combine beer, salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and garlic. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Allow mixture to cool completely. Place chops in a large zippered plastic bag and add brine. Seal and chill for 4-6 hours. (It’s an excellent idea to prepare this before work and leave in fridge all day.)

Remove chops from brine. Rinse and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chops and cook until well browned on each side, about 6-10 minutes total.

Transfer chops to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add onions to pan. Stir and cook until onions are very soft and browned. Low heat is best for caramelizing the onions — it takes about 20-25 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Allow liquid to mostly evaporate.

Place chops on top of onion mixture and cover pan. Cook until chops are cooked through, 6-10 minutes. Serves 4.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their dog, Ace, reside near Colome.


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What a Crock

By Fran Hill


There are recipes for all kinds of dishes to be prepared in crock pots. Breakfasts of slow-cooked oatmeal, lunches of soup, pot roasts and even the mashed potatoes to serve with them, cobbler-like desserts and just about anything in between can magically simmer in the crock pot while you cut the apron strings to the kitchen and get on with your life.

That isn’t to say that I believe that everything can or should be prepared in a crock pot. It is kinda like Speedos…just because they are there doesn’t mean they’re a good thing. A successful crock pot meal requires common sense and most of all attention to your own tastes. Don’t like a roast chicken that isn’t browned? Don’t attempt the crock pot recipe. Making a dip that includes mayo, which separates into an oil slick when overheated? Probably best to avoid the crockpot. Want a chili with the blended flavors of chiles, seasoned meat, and beans bubbled all day? The crock pot could be your perfect tool.

My crock pot isn’t used a lot. Honestly, I am not happy with the texture of many foods after cooking for hours. But I love the ease of tossing in a few ingredients and not giving dinner a second thought, except to appreciate the aromas drifting through the house. Trial and error has provided a few chosen recipes for the crock pot that I turn back to time and again.

One of those tried and true recipes is a flavorful and spicy method for preparing shredded meat for tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, nachos, casseroles, and even soups and stews. The original recipe called for beef roasts, and I can attest that it is fabulous. I have also prepared it with lamb and deer roasts with equal success. Eventually, I swapped out a few ingredients from the original recipe to create Chipotle Pork. Hubs and I loved it, swooned over it, ate like little piggies and couldn’t get enough of it. It is not a crock to have Chipotle Pork in your crock pot.

Chipotle Pork

3-5 pounds pork loin roast
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
3-5 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
1 (7 ounce) can salsa verde
1-2 cups slice onion
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

Place roast in crock pot and season with pepper, chili powder and cumin. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Shred the meat with a fork and simmer in the sauce on high for additional 10-15 minutes. Serves 8. To make the original Chipotle Beef (or lamb or deer), replace the chicken broth with beef broth.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.