Pork and Me: A Love Story

My love affair with pork came late in my life. Growing up we didn't have much pork dishes because my parents specially my dad didn't like it. He didn't mind small portions of pork as a flavoring in vegetables, noodles, and in chicken pork adobo, and maybe once a year he was fine having grilled pork chops. I myself didn't cook pork very often and only have been cooking it more frequently since I started this blog 4 years ago. Better late than never in discovering its goodness, I guess.

I read in our local news here in Ashburn about a competition among chefs to prepare locally produced ingredients and this year pork is at center stage. The winner will be named King or Queen of Porc. Read more about the competition at their website: Cochon 555. I'd like to crown myself the princess of pork but I know there are many others who can out-pork me.^_^

Well, pork, how do I love thee, let me count the ways:

bagnet, lechon kawali, or pork belly confit

I made these bacon appetizers today. They are so porklicious specially the bacon candy.

Chestnuts Wrapped in Bacon

a few rashers thin smoked bacon, cut into 3 pieces
whole roasted chestnuts (or water chestnuts)

• Wrap the chestnuts in bacon pieces and place on a wire rack cut side down. Place the wire rack on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until bacon is golden and cooked through.

Bacon Candy

crrrunch!

thin smoked bacon rashers, cut into 1 inch pieces
brown sugar

• Dredge the bacon pieces in brown sugar. Place on a wire rack and put the wire rack on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until caramelized and darkish brown (do not burn). They will become crisp as they cool.

Candied Jalapeños

I found a new victim to candy: jalapeños. These small moderately hot but flavorful chiles are perfect candied to fill dessert flour tortillas or to garnish cupcakes. The sweet and spicy candied morsels are rather addicting, specially paired with chocolate paste made with dried chiles and dark chocolate.

I brushed 6-inch flour tortillas with melted butter, sprinkled a little sugar, then cooked in a dry hot skillet until the edges are crisp. A tablespoon or two of the chocolate paste is spread on the tortilla then topped with a few slices of the candied jalapeños. I stacked about 4 or 5 more tortillas before cutting into 4 pieces. Each wedge is served with whipped heavy cream and garnished with a piece of candied jalapeño. Sweet...spicy...sweet...Yummy.

Candied Jalapeños

6 jalapeños
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
sugar for dredging, optional

• Cut off both ends of chiles and cut into thick slices. In a small skillet or saucepan, heat 1/3 cup of the sugar and ¼ cup water. Let come to a boil, turn down heat, add the jalapeños and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer jalapeños on a plate, set aside to cool. Discard the syrup. Heat the rest of the sugar, the remaining water, and corn syrup. Let come to a boil, turn off heat, add the jalapenos and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove jalapeños and let cool. Repeat 2 more times or until the syrup has become really thick. Transfer the slices on a rack and let dry slightly. Roll on sugar if desired or leave overnight to dry completely.

Sweet Mole Sauce/Paste

2 chile ancho, washed and seeded
water
4 ounces panocha, piloncillo, or demerara
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place the chiles in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes or until chiles are very soft. Remove half of the water and reserve. Puree in a blender, return to the saucepan together with the sugar, cloves, and cinnamon. Simmer for 3 minutes or until of desired consistency, adding the reserved water if you want it saucier.

Dining with Sherlock Holmes

Sherry Syllabub

Sherlock Holmes's character in the movie with Robert Downey Jr. is IMHO so outrageously inaccurate I could only tolerate the first 15 or 20 minutes. I wouldn't mind the comic book idea of Sherlock but portraying him as an unwashed, unshaven, and prone to street brawl is too much for me. He's an expert boxer and swordsman but does not engage in fisticuffs; does not mumble incoherently with an unrecognizable accent; and he is meticulous as a cat in his grooming habits, clearly indicated in The Hound of the Baskervilles when he secretly stayed in a hut where he made sure his chin is always smooth and his clothing and linen are as clean as if he were in his own home in Baker Street. I guess the movie is not for someone like me and is catered to 12-year old boys and Transformers fans. The only amazing thing I found out about this movie is the director, Guy Richie made a great success in turning normally good actors into talentless amateurs.

Anyway, I watched one of the old Sherlock Holmes movies [which are not perfect either} and again borrowed from the library THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES. While browsing through the library's long list I came across the cookbook Dining with Sherlock Holmes by Julia Rosenblatt. Most of the recipes are simple and easy to prepare and I imagine Holmes and Watson having the dishes at home or in some inn.

Marrow Toast
4 two-inch center sections of marrowbone
4 slices bread, toasted
a pinch of salt
ground black pepper
lemon juice, to taste
chopped chives for garnish

• Push the marrow out of the bone and soak it in cold water for 20 minutes. Slice the marrow and place it on the slices of toast. Season with salt, ground pepper, and lemon juice. Put it under the broiler until the marrow has melted. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot. (I roasted the marrow and spread it on bread just like butter.)

marrow on toast

Sherry Syllabub
1 cup cold heavy cream
½ cup sherry
juice and zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons sugar

• Whip the cream until stiff. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Chill before serving.

Guyabano Lassi

I never knew guyabano and yogurt are meant to be together. Their flavors complement each other that they almost taste the same. I got a few cans of guyabano drink and combined 2 cans with 3 cups of thick Greek-style yogurt and half a cup of sugar. I put the mixture in ice pop molds and reserved a cup of the mixture to which I added half a cup of ice and put the mixture in the blender. Guyabano lassi, so good. The fruit pulp, if I can find it, I'm sure will taste even better.