caraway seeds

A Marvel of Balance & Proportion- Pork Belly and Braised Endive Sandwich

27 Apr 2011
Pork Belly and Braised Endive Sandwich

Sandwich. Panini. Grinder. Hoagie. Submarine.

Do you sense a theme here? Yep, my brain is stuck in sandwich gear. You can blame the Saveur Magazine sandwich issue if you want, or maybe the Tom Colicchio cookbook ‘wichcraft. Both of which are living on my desk this week.

But in truth I have been a sandwich fan since I was a kid. Because one things kids know about sandwiches is this: less is more. And today that adage is truer than ever.

I realize Jared Fogel and the rest of the Subway franchise are looking at me askew right now. But I am sorry it’s true. Nobody needs a 12-inch sandwich loaded up with 16 ingredients to be happy. I don’t care how much weight he lost eating those things. That sandwich doesn’t pass the muster in my opinion.

It’s the super-size mentality that has destroyed so many great foods in the past few generations. Did you realize that a standard bagel used to be about  3-inches in diameter and contain about 140 calories? Today they have more than 350 calories with out the schmear!

Remember when McDonald’s introduced the Quarter Pounder? (Yeah, well I do…)

A quarter pound of meat seemed obscene at the time. But a quarter pound of beef no longer shocks anyone. In fact you can hardly find a 10-inch dinner plate anymore­– ‘cuz a burger won't fit on it! 12-inches is the new norm in plate size.

Well these behemoths are not sandwiches. They shouldn’t even be food.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Pork Belly and Braised Endive Sandwich

Pork Belly and Braised Endive Sandwich
By jgreghenry Published April 27, 2011
Prep time: 180
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lb boneless pork belly, skin on
  • 0 salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 T canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 leek, white and light green parts washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 clv garlic, peeled
  • 3 c chicken stock, approximately
  • 1 t caraway seeds
  • 2 heads endive, leaves separated
  • 2 t sugar
  • 0.25 c balsamic vinegar
  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 0 dijon mustard, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet set over medium heat. Lay the meat, skin side down, in the skillet and cook, undisturbed for about 15 minutes. The key to crispiness is to not disturb the meat while it cooks. It will stick at first. But it will unstick itself when ready. At that point transfer the meat to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Reserving the excess for later. Add the onion, carrots, celery, leek and garlic to the hot skillet. Cook stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet, skin side up this time, and add about 2 cups of chicken stock. Just enough to surround the meat with out submerging it. Bring to the stock to a simmer, then transfer the skillet to the oven uncovered. Cook the meat about 1 hour, then add more stock to adjust the level in the skillet. Continue cooking until the meat is fork tender, about 30 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the meat cool somewhat it the liquid. Once cool enough to handle, gently peel off the skin, cut the meat into 3/8-inch thick slices and return it to the skillet. Set aside in a warm place, but don't cover the skillet so that the meat will stay crisp. In a separate skillet heat about 2 tablespoons of the reserved fat over medium heat. If need be add a bit of oil to get the proper amount of fat. Add the caraway seeds and toss, heating them until fragrant. Add the endive leaves and saute them until they are wilted and beginning to brown. Add the sugar, vinegar, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the liquid is reduced and the endive leaves get very soft. Remove from heat and set aside. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half, spread the mustard on the bottom half. Top with pork belly slices, followed by the endive. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Notes:

serves 4 Source: Adapted from 'wichcraft

Sup! Loves Cookbooks: Nirmala's Edible Diary

12 Dec 2009
Nirmala's Edible Diary

There are a lot of cookbooks out there. Too many of them come from expected sources and feature too many of the same recipes highlighting whatever ingredient du jour is making the Iron Chef circuit.

I tend to skip right past those books when I am choosing a cookbook to bring to you here. That’s because I love the cultural aspects of food and cooking as much as I do the eating! There is so much to learn about other parts of the world and other people’s lives and food is a great avenue towards understanding other cultures.

These are the reasons I was drawn to this book, Nirmala’s Edible Diary. This book is satisfying to me on many levels. It is colorful and simply laid out. There are (almost) enough great photos of interesting dishes and beautiful places to keep me glued to this book for long stretches of reading pleasure.

What makes this book special though is the adventurous spirit that weaves it’s way through the pages. The author herself, Nirmala Narine, personifies that spirit.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Caraway Seed Cookies with Dulce de Leche

caraway seeds cookies
By jgreghenry Published December 11, 2009
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.25 c super fine sugar
  • 7 T unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 t lemon zest, grated
  • 3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 T whole caraway seeds
  • 1.25 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1 cn (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 0.25 t vanilla extract
  • 0.25 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl or cake mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and caraway seeds and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Sift the flour and baking soda into the butter mixture and stir until just combined. The dough will be quite soft. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Twist the ends of the plastic securely, then place in the freezer until hard. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until just golden, about 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then slide them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. To make the dulce de leche: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pour the condensed milk into an oven proof pie dish, add the vanilla and nutmeg, and mix well. Cover with foil, place the dish in a hot water bath, and bake until the mixture thickens and begins to caramelize, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and let cool. Refrigerate in a glass jar until ready to serve. To assemble the cookies into sandwiches: Use a spatula to spread about 2 tsp of dulce de leche onto the flat (bottom) side of a cookie, then place another cookie on top.

Notes:

makes 10 sandwich style cookies Source: Nirmala's Edible Diary