Rooftop Gourmet

 Cooking is like therapy for me. Whenever I have a long, stressful day, I come home, turn down the oven and slow cook something for hours. Not only is slow cooking beneficial for the protein, but it’s also therapeutic for the mind and soul. The result is a tender and juicy piece of meat, along with a  home-cooked feeling of comfort and satisfaction. Last night, I made a slow roasted Porchetta, which is a culinary tradition in Tuscany.

 There are many variations of Porchetta but it’s basically a whole pig or boneless pork roast that is seasoned with garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds and other herbs, which is then slow cooked for hours; it was introduced to Americans as “Italian pulled pork”. In Italy, Porchetta is sold by pitchmen out of carts or vans during holidays and public gatherings; basically, the Italian version of an ice cream truck that pulls up to your little league games.

The slow cooking (225 degrees) process keeps the meat moist and gets the outer layers of fat nice and crispy. I bought an end cut of loin and liberally seasoned it with salt, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic, rosemary, sage and toasted fennel seeds that I pulsed in the food processor.

 If this wasn’t a last minute dinner idea, I would have marinated it for a couple of days in this mixture to really intensify the flavor. I was really screwing with my oven’s mind by cranking it up to 550 degrees to start in order to get a nice crust on the pork, then turning it down to 225 degrees for the remainder of the cooking process. The whole process takes about two hours, so I had plenty of time to relax and get everything else prepped. I made a rich sauce with a reduction of Calvados (Apple Brandy), beef broth, shallots and butter.

The light brown, silky textured sauce was reminiscent of a Cognac-laced gravy. I then sauteed some shaved fennel and celery to serve with the pork, along with some caramelized shallots and bing cherries for a touch of added sweetness.

I paired this dish with one of my favorite Tuscan wines, the 2006 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano because its flavors remind me of the ingredients I used to create this meal. The wine is jumping with acidity and emits tons of fresh cherry aromas on the nose. The tannins are smooth and the wine is rich with underlying hints of fresh herbs, licorice(fennel), and spice.

 It’s medium bodied and low in alcohol which pairs perfectly with the succulent roasted pig.

 The wine is made up of primarily Sangiovese (locally known as Prugnolo gentile), and a blend of a few other locally grown grapes, followed by minimum two years in oak barrels. After the internal meat thermometer read about 155 degrees, I removed the pork from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes, allowing the internal juices to recirculate.

Two thick slabs of melt-in-your-mouth-pork later and my day was instantly improved. The minced garlic on the outside of the meat slowly caramelized over the two hour stint in the oven and balanced nicely with the piney rosemary and mouth-watering pork fat. Plenty of leftovers made for an amazing Porchetta Panini for lunch today; maybe one day someone will start driving a Porchetta truck like in the old country. Forget the children, I’d be the one running down the street after it.

Imagine a football field covered in 75,000 flowers. Now imagine having to pick the three prongs out of the center of every single blossom. That is how many flowers it requires to yield only one pound of saffron; talk about tedious. Each Crocus, is an autumn flowering perennial plant that produces three strands, or prongs in the center of each blossom that must be picked and dried before selling.

They look like tiny, red clown eyelashes but they pack a ton of distinctive flavor as well as adding a deep, golden color to sauces. I wanted to put a little spin on one of my favorite Spanish dishes; paella, which uses saffron flavored rice as its main component.

Instead of rice, I used black barley for the grain component and made a quick chowder that was laced with saffron. Instead of piling the other classical paella components into the dish, I decided to keep it simple and stick to two. I pan roasted a beautiful, thick piece of Black Cod (otherwise known as Butterfish) until the top was nice and crispy and the inside was moist and flaky.

Black Cod tends to be a little meatier than regular Cod and its flesh has a pink hue to it before cooking. I didn’t want to leave out my favorite component of paella, the pork, so I made some crispy Prosciutto chips to garnish the plate with.

 Chorizo is the typical meat in paella, but I just happened to have some paper-thin Prosciutto de San Danielle in the fridge. All I did was spread them out on a baking dish lined with parchment and threw them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I had some Chantrelle mushrooms on hand as well which I simply sauteed in butter and thyme to top the fish with.

I have been sitting infront of the computer now for hours and I still can’t figure out how to describe what saffron tastes like; saffron tastes like saffron. I have heard all sorts of things such as bitter hay, burnt flowers, earthy, and medicinal but there really is no definitive way to describe the most expensive spice in the world.

I paired this dish with the 2007 Graff Family Vineyards Pinot Blanc. This is a unique wine because not many people grow Pinot Blanc domestically, but the Graff Family does an exceptional job with it. This wine is very versatile and complex; it has great acidity and minerality from the limestone rich soil, with flavors of peach and melon fruit.

The juice is aged in French Oak barrels which gives it an underlying flavor and aroma of toasted hazelnuts. It worked extremely well with the dish because it didn’t overpower the cod and it allowed the saffron essence to shine.

 The acidity helped cut through the creamy chowder and the rich finish was pleasant with the earthy mushrooms. After every bite I took of the chowder I thought about the poor workers that have the patience to pluck the saffron prongs out of the flowers and I was incredibly thankful.

I find it funny when people call pork the “other white meat”. First of all, pork is pink and if it becomes white that means someone cooked the heck out of it. Growing up I never wanted to eat pork because my mother would always serve it well done, only to mask the dry texture with loads of applesauce. I don’t blame her at all because her generation was fed this myth that pork needs to be cooked all the way throughout.

In my opinion, pork tenderloin especially, should be served medium with a moist, pink center. Give your jaws a rest and start cooking your pork like you would a steak. I decided to encrust a pork tenderloin with whole grain mustard, sage, and Panko breadcrumbs for some added texture.

In whole grain or stone ground mustard, the seeds are not crushed but rather mixed with other ingredients such as water and vinegar. The effect is a more mild mustard flavor without that strong, tear inducing, bite; more suitable for coating an entire pork tenderloin.

I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper, and sage before applying a thin coat of the mustard to the pig, followed by a sprinkle of Panko breadcrumbs. I roasted the tenderloin atop Yukon Gold potatoes so that the mustard crust would stay intact, until the internal temperature reached 150 degrees (allowing 5-10 additional degrees during the resting period).

The resting period is more important than you think; I know it’s hard sometimes because I have the patience of a hungry three year old, but it’s a key component to keeping your meat juicy. When the tenderloin is in the oven at full temperature, the juices rush to the center of the roast. If you slice the meat immediately, the juices will run out onto your cutting board, leaving you with a dry center.

Resting cools down the juices just a bit and allows them to redistribute throughout the entire roast, leaving you with an evenly juicy piece of meat. I served the pork with some roasted Poblano peppers and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Poblanos are relatively mild, but when roasted, they still bring a little bit of heat to the mix. The meat was succulent and juicy which contrasted perfectly with the crunchy Panko crust. The slight pungent tang of the mustard was a nice compliment to the wintry sage flavors and aromas. I chose to pair this meal with the 2007 Montgras Quattro red blend from Chile.

The Quattro is a blend of, you guessed it, four different grapes; 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Syrah, and 15% Carmenere. Each varietal gives this wine a distinct quality whether its body, fruit, spice, color, or aroma. The end result is a well balance, food friendly red blend. Medium in body, it displays black currant, cherry, and leather flavors, followed by some rich coffee and vanilla on the finish. The tannins are very smooth and the balance between oak and fruit is perfect for pairing it with pork. Next time someone recommends the “other white meat”, ask them if they are referring to tofu.

Shellfish, Pig, and Fruit… sounds crazy right? Trust me on this one;  the combination is absolutely delicious. After a long day at work I was in the mood for something quick and simple for dinner. As I strolled through the supermarket, the first thing that caught my eye were the bright red, plump strawberries. I threw a package in my cart with the intention of having a healthy dessert as opposed to the typical cheese plate or ice cream. After wandering around for another 20 minutes with nothing to show for it in my cart but a lonely box of strawberries, I got an idea. I still had some leftover Double Smoked Bacon in the fridge that I could pair with the fresh fruit.

 I don’t know where this idea came from, but if you still can’t grasp it… think about the strawberry jam you spread on your toast at brunch dropping  into your bacon. The marriage between the smoky, salty bacon and the sweet, and tart strawberries are a match made in heaven (very similar to a Hawaiian pizza: pineapple and bacon).

 I picked up some fresh shrimp and headed home to get started. My goal was to bring these three bold flavors to life by keeping the preparation simple and hoping that they would all come together as a complete dish. Each ingredient is typically eaten on it’s own anyway and I thought it would be interesting to combine all three.

After some tedious peeling and de-veining  of the shrimp, I threw them on the grill while the bacon was rendering on the stove. The entire apartment reeked of savory bacon which kept my brief stint on the deck even more brief. I simply tossed the warm shrimp, with a slight char on them, together with the sliced strawberries and the crispy bacon strips. A squirt of fresh lemon juice and a little salt and pepper completed the dish, creating a perfect harmony of all three ingredients.

The warmth of the bacon and shrimp elevated the natural aromatic essence that strawberries have, perfuming the room. Each bite was delectable and surprising, ranging from sweet and salty to briny and smoky.

The contrasting textures were a plus as well going from the crispy bacon, to the fleshy berry, and finishing with the pop of the shellfish. I decided to pair this dish with a wine that is just as simple yet complex as the food was. The 2008 Forefront Sauvignon Blanc is new project by Pine Ridge Wines, which offers more affordable wines with the same Pine Ridge quality. This wine is composed of 67% Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma, and 33% Sauvignon Blanc from Napa.

The blending of the grapes from neighboring appellations gives this white balance and complexity. The Napa Valley fruit brings the crisp acidity while the Sonoma fruit compliments it with a rich mouthfeel. This is a very approachable wine that has classic grapefruit flavors as well as some lime and honeydew melon. The subtleness and acidity was just what this complex dish needed as its counterpart. Unfortunately I ate all my strawberries with dinner so I was forced to settle with ice cream for dessert.

Most of the dishes that I create are packed with tons of intense, bold flavors which is why I love wines from the Grateful Palate. The Grateful Palate is a gourmet food catalog and wine importing company based in Oxnard, California. The founder, Dan Phillips imports tons of Austrailian wines that are loaded with jaw dropping intensity and extreme flavor. His goal is “to make food and wine culture more egalitarian– and more fun”; which he does with his clever names and wine labels.

Two years ago, I discovered that Dan and I had something in common… we’re both bacon fanatics! I don’t know where my obsession with pig came from, but not only do I ogle over artisanally smoked bacon products, I am also hoping to get a pet pig someday. A few years ago, I joined Dan’s “Bacon of the Month” club (www.gratefulpalate.com) and immediately I was hooked. Every month, I would get a shipment of bacon delivered to my door, straight from small farms and producers all over the country. I was fascinated at how each and every one was completely different and it reminded me of winemaking. There are so many different contributing factors that go into making wine, and creating bacon. Starting with the breed of pig, what you feed it, the cut of meat, what type of wood you smoke it with, how thick you cut it, and so on.

The other day, I came across a product that Dan claims to be the greatest bacon known to man…or pig; Mahogony Smoked Meats Double Smoked Bacon. I knew these slabs were going to pack a punch because I could smell them through the vaccum-sealed bag. I knew had to create a dish that wouldn’t get overpowered by the bacon…. or the wine; the 2007 Chris Ringland Barossa Valley Shiraz is a monster! Knowing that I really had to step it up in the flavor department, I chose to base the dish around three of my favorite ingredients… bacon, black peppercorns, and pungent Gorgonzola cheese.

It was a bold move, but assembling my first meatloaf was actually pretty fun. I started off with ground chuck meat, onions, red bell pepper, garlic-butter flavored croutons, eggs, and milk. Halfway through packing it into the loaf pan, I studded the center with tons of crumbled Gorgonzola, creating a sneak attack of flavor. I covered the entire loaf with the double mahogany smoked bacon and popped it into the oven to bake, letting the bacon fat render and weave throughout the meat.

While I was impatiently waiting for this colossal beast to come to temperature, I made a quick Bechamel sauce and stirred in another brick of Gorgonzola, followed by a handful of freshly cracked black peppercorns.

 Much to my girlfriend’s disgust, I store tubs of fat in the fridge for times like this. Why let something so delicious go to waste? While she covered her eyes, I spooned out two golf ball-size hunks of bacon fat and let them render in a small frying pan. When it was warm, I whisked in some dark brown sugar, creating a beautifully sweet, and glossy pork fat glaze to baste the meatloaf with.

When the meatloaf was done, the bacon was golden brown and crispy, shimmering with sweetness and ready to be devoured. I sliced it nice and thick, bisecting the Gorgonzola vein that ran throughout the loaf and plated it with some homemade cornbread and brussel sprouts. After a healthy drizzle of the racy, Gorgonzola sauce, we were ready to dig in.

 The meat was moist and well seasoned, while the bacon added some texture and smokiness. It was like the Pro Bowl for intensely flavored ingredients… the best of the best all coming together to create a meal that in my opinion could only be paired up with a Barossa Valley Shiraz such as this one. The wine was dark purple; almost inky black in color and delivered gobs of flavor and weight. Aromas of roasted coffee, cherries, and spice on the nose, followed by a surprisingly pleasant mouth feel.

This wine tasted like dark chocolate covered blackberries with a finish that lasted forever. My mouth was literally in shock. Between the wine and the meatloaf, my palate was getting bombarded with flavor. After tasting bacon this good, I decided that getting a pet pig wasn’t such a good idea.