I really enjoy baking bread. I've generally had great success with the breads I've attempted, but recently, my streak ended. I set out to recreate Iggy's Cranberry-Pecan Rolls, which I am currently addicted to. I couldn't find a recipe, but was able to track down the ingredients and pretty much infer the recipe. A basic sourdough with some cinnamon and sugar, cranberries, and pecans. What could go wrong?

I grew my own sourdough starter a few months ago, and have managed to keep it alive this whole time. So I began to make the dough just like a normal sourdough, but something went terribly wrong.

The dough never rose. It just sat there, doing nothing. For 2 days. I was crushed.

I immediately worried that my starter was dead, so I set out to make a standard sourdough loaf to check the status of my starter. Much to my surprise, I pretty much made my best sourdough yet.

The Recipe

For my dough, I followed the steps in one of my favorite baking book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart.

The first step is to use the starter to make a firm starter. This just involves mixing a bit of the starter with some bread flour and water to make a small amount of dough and grow a bit more yeast. Once the firm starter doubles, it sits overnight in the fridge.

The firm starter.

In an hour or two, the firm starter doubles.

I cut the firm starter into a few pieces to bring it up to room temperature faster, then added it to bread flour, water and salt, and kneaded it together in the KitchenAid Mixer.


After kneading for a few minutes, I shaped the dough into a ball, and let it rise.


Here's a trick: On cold days, turn your oven on for about 2 minutes then turn it off. Put the dough in your oven and it will rise more consistently.

I had a enough for two loaves. I wanted to make one to eat that night, but I find that retarding the dough in the fridge for a day or two results in a more sour flavor. Just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours or so before baking. So, half of the dough was shaped into a boule, which I prepped to bake immediately. The other half of the dough became a loaf, which I put in the fridge for two days.

I let the boulle rise again for a few hours, and then scored the top. While it was rising, I preheated my oven, with a dutch oven inside, to 500F. I let the dutch oven heat up for about an hour.

When the dough was ready to bake, I misted the top with some water, dropped it into the dutch oven, put on the cover and put it in the oven. I dropped the oven temp to 450F. The bread baked for 20 minutes with the lid on the dutch oven, then 15 minutes without the lid.





Keeping the lid on the dutch oven traps the steam, which approximates a steam injected oven. This is how to achieve a really nice crust.

The Result

The bread was amazing. I love the sound fresh baked bread makes when it comes out of the oven, the bread song. It crackles so loudly, it's fantastic. The bread had just a hint of the sour flavor, but the texture was fantastic. I mean... check out that crumb structure!



For the loaf, I still bake it inside of a dutch oven, and still mist the top with water. The loaf turned out beautiful. Probably the best looking loaf of bread I've ever baked. The extra time in the fridge results in a great sour flavor. I was really excited to turn this into toast the next morning.

Beautiful.

The Bottom Line:
Difficulty: 6/10 There's a lot to think about with a sourdough. And this recipe requires kneading.
Best left to professionals? There is nothing like baking bread. I actually hate buying bread now.
Cost: Pennies? Flour, water, salt.
Special Equipment? A dutch oven which can range from hundreds of dollars to under $30.



Sourdough

While out grocery shopping a few days ago, I stumbled upon a 7.5 pound pork shoulder for about $11.50. I wasn't sure how or when I would cook it, but sometimes you just need to take a chance, and invest. The next day my wife told me that our friend Angie would becoming over for dinner in few days. We have had a so many unforgettable meals at some high end restaurants with Angie, this would be the first time that she would come to our home for dinner. I immediately knew what to make - Bo Ssam.

Ssam are korean lettuce wraps served with several toppings and condiments. In Bo Ssam, a slow cooked pork shoulder is the centerpiece of the meal. Bo Ssam is the type of meal that just floods the table with little bowls of sauces and toppings, and is a really fun eating experience.

The recipe I used came from David Chang's Momofuku cookbook. At Ssam Bar, his Korean wrap restaurant, the Bo Ssam is a dish that must be ordered in advanced. It serves six people and costs $200. But don't let that intimidate you - this is actually a really simple dish to make at home. The pork is mostly hands-off and the time it takes to cook the pork allows you to make all of the condiments.

The Recipe

To make the pork, start with the whole shoulder and cover it in equal parts sugar and kosher salt. The recipe calls for 1 cup each of sugar and salt, but that is way too much. This time I used about 3/4 cup of each, and that was surprisingly still too much since I had significant leftover. Once the shoulder is coated in the salt and sugar, cover it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge over night. The next day you should drain any juices in that have accumulated in bottom of the pan and then put the pork in a 300F oven for 6 hours. All you have to do is baste the pork about every hour and wait while your home starts to smell amazing.

While the pork roasted I set out to make the accompanying condiments.

First up was a scallion ginger sauce. I thinly sliced a big bunch of scallions and finely minced about a 1/2 cup of ginger. Then I added 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil, 1.5 tsp of light soy sauce (not low sodium... (This stuff), 3/4 tsp sherry vinegar and a pinch of kosher salt. I mixed it up and let it hang out in the fridge.

A very fragrant ginger-scallion sauce.

Next I made the actual ssam sauce. The ssam sauce includes an ingredient called ssamjang, but I couldn't find ssamjang at the Super 88, so I set out to make my own. I used equal parts Korean chile paste and miso paste, only about 1 Tbs total. Then I added another 1/2 Tbs of chile paste and 1/4 cup each of sherry vinegar and grapeseed oil. The sauce was fairly sour, so I added another 1/2 Tbs of miso paste and really liked the results.

The last condiment that I needed to prep was the kimchi. This was simple, 1/2 cup of kimchi, mixed with a 1/2 cup of pureed kimchi. I mixed this up, put it back in the jar, and stored it in the fridge.

After six hours, I tested the pork by twisting the shoulder bone. The bone moved pretty easily, so I figured the pork was done. I took it out of the oven and covered it in foil. I also made some short grain white rice, and waited until Angie showed up for dinner.




Once Angie arrived, I cranked the oven to 500F and coated the pork in a mixture of 6 Tbs of brown sugar and 1 Tbs of kosher salt. After 15 more minutes in the oven, the brown sugar glaze was bubbly and smelled amazing. This pork was ready to eat.

The crispy brown sugar crust added great texture to the ssam.

Last but definitely not least, while the brown sugar was lacquering the pork in the oven I prepped the final condiment... 30 oysters. 18 Island Creek (my favorite) and 12 WiAnno oysters. This was the part of the meal I was most excited for. Oysters and kimchi actually compliment each other really well, and I couldn't wait to top my ssam with a fresh oyster.

I was pretty good at shucking by number 30.

The Result

The assembly is easy. Start with a lettuce lead, add a little rice, then some of the pork, the ginger scallion sauce, the kimchi, the ssam sauce, an oyster and a touch of Maldon sea salt. It's an amazing mix of flavors and textures. Everyone really enjoyed the whole experience of assembling and eating the wraps. I especially loved what the oysters did to this dish.

The full spread.

A fully assembled ssam... note the oyster!

We ate until we were stuffed, and it looked like we barely made a dent in the pork shoulder. I think I'll be eating leftover pork for the rest of the week.

The Bottom Line:
Difficulty: 5/10 The pork is easy, keeping track of the sides is not.
Best left to professionals? No, this is a really fun dish to make for a group of friends.
Cost: About $20 before you add the cost of the oysters.
Special Equipment? No special equipment, but a few random korean ingredients.



Pork Shoulder

"Is there anyone in the blogospheric world who's yet to hear about Marcella Hazan's amazingly simple and delicious Tomato sauce with Onion and Butter?"

Tomatoes, onion, and butter simmering away.

I was looking for a meal that would be both quick and warm - perfect for a damp and dreary work day. Little did I know, I would end up satisfying only one of these requirements.

I stumbled upon the recipe for Ramen in a Cook's Illustrated book a few months ago and noted how simple and quick it seemed. Besides the apparent ease of the recipe, two other aspects of the recipe stuck in my head after all of these months: 1) I had most of the ingredients already in the kitchen and 2) it used boneless country style pork ribs.

Why This Recipe?

I was out getting some groceries a few days ago, and even though I'd seen them before, for some reason the marrow bones really caught my eye this day. Bone marrow is one of those foods I usually associate with really good, often expensive, restaurants. It's not a typical dish you'll find on the menu at your neighborhood bar, unless you have a really awesome neighborhood bar. Maybe it's better that way, as I do consider marrow to be a luxury item that really shouldn't be eaten frequently. I've always been interested in trying to prepare marrow at home because it just seems like such a simple dish. A few roasted bones, some salt, some bread. There were 4 decent sized bones for just over $3. I figured it would be ample as an appetizer for two people.

Some Research

When I got home I did a bit of research about bone marrow. First, I went to the wikipedia page, and while it was mostly about the biology/anatomy of marrow, there was this great line: "Though once used in various preparations, including pemmican, bone marrow has fallen out of favor as a food in the United States, though bone marrow is used in many gourmet restaurants and is popular among foodies." (Also, from the foodie link, I learned that the term "foodie" was coined by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who wrote The Official Foodie Handbook in 1984.)

Brining… again

I found a very simple recipe in the NY Times, adapted from Fergus Henderson that seemed like a good place to start. The only decision I had to make was whether or not to soak the bones in salt water over night. One site said this was a completely unnecessary step and one site said this was the most crucial step… both probably a bit of hyperbole. Since I was in no rush, I decided to soak the bones in salt water for about 24 hours, changing the water 4 times. There was a pinkish hue to the water after the first few changes, but by the last one, the water was running clear.

Roasting

Next I placed the bones in a foil lined baking dish. I positioned them so that the larger marrow opening pointed up, as I thought it would be easier to eat that way. I added a grind of black pepper and then put them in a 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. I used a toothpick to test the doneness, pretty much waiting until the toothpick went in with very little resistance.

Serving

Since bone marrow is very rich, the recipe suggested serving it with a mixture of parsley, lemon juice, shallots, and capers. This was a bit last minute, so I didn't have the shallots, and decided to just make a mix of parsley and lemon juice. This little dressing really added a nice acidity to the marrow, and helped cut a little of the richness. I also served it with a bit of truffle salt, which really makes almost everything taste better.

I had a day old bagel that was just sitting around doing nothing, so I sliced it very thin, and put it in the oven for a few minutes. This bagel chip made a really nice crunchy vessel for the marrow.

We were able to harvest the marrow from 3 out of the 4 bones. For some reason, we couldn't get the marrow out of the 4th bone, which had a very small opening. Maybe we need to buy a marrow spoon for future meals.

The marrow had a really nice, roasted flavor, and is very subtly meaty tasting. But for me, it's more about the texture which is very smooth warm gelatin. This would make a really great first course for a winter meal. The cleaned and roasted bones make for a very nice, vertical, presentation too.

The Bottom Line

Difficulty: 2 out of 10… If you can turn on an oven (and turn it off afterwards) you can make this.

Best left to professionals? Absolutely not. This is easy and inexpensive to make at home. It's also easily scalable for 1 person or 20 people.

Total Cost? $3.50 for 4 bones.

Special Equiptment? None, unless you become a bone marrow junkie. Then you can invest in a nice Marrow Spoon.

The Recipe ( From the NY Times):

8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total

1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons capers

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Coarse sea salt to taste

At least 4 1/2-inch-thick slices of crusty bread, toasted.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)

2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.

Yield: 4 servings.

Why this recipe?
I really wanted to share a great recipe to start this blog off the right way, so I decided to make one of my absolute favorite dishes, Pulled Pork. Despite having a grill, the best recipe I've found for pulled pork is actually made in the oven. As a side note, the cooking method used in this recipe is the same method I use to make my 5-Spice Pulled Lamb that won a 1st Place and 2nd Place at the Lamb Takedown a few months ago.

When I think about barbecue, I think about two things: pulled pork and ribs. And, in my opinion, what makes barbecue different from just cooking at a low temperature is the addition of smoke. So I was a bit skeptical as to how this pork would taste at all smokey after it's cooked in the oven. Turns out the trick to replicate the flavor of smoking a pork shoulder on the grill for hours is liquid smoke added at a few key moments.

Brining the Shoulder
I start with a boneless pork shoulder that weighs about 4.5 pounds. Since I'm an avid fan of Good Eats, when I cook pork or chicken, I always brine when I have the chance. If you're not sure what brining is, or why you would want to brine a pork shoulder, watch this video:





For this recipe I use Alton Brown's pulled pork brine, which substitutes molasses for the sugar, since it will more easily dissolve in the water. It's a fairly standard brine - salt, sugar, and water - but this is the first place to add some smoke. I add 2 Tablespoons of liquid smoke, but think that I'll probably add 4 Tbs next time.

The secret ingredient.

I add the pork shoulder, but find that it isn't really staying submerged, so I weigh it down with a bag of lentils. Then I brine the pork overnight in the fridge.

Lentils, Nature's weight.

The Indoor "Barbecue"
The next morning I slice the pork shoulder in half (which increases surface area, creating more crust on the outside). Then, I rub the surface of the pork with a mixture of yellow mustard and more liquid smoke and then season liberally with a rub made of smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne and cumin.

The pork goes onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking pan and is covered with parchment paper and aluminum foil. The parchment paper prevents the mustard from reacting with the aluminum foil, which is used to created a tight seal.


After three and a half hours in the oven at 325F I remove the foil and parchment. A huge benefit of cooking in the oven, with the wire rack, is that you can save all of the juices that accumulate during cooking. This is usually not possible when making pulled pork on a grill, and it really adds great flavor to the BBQ sauce. But, you really need to let it separate to avoid adding the fat. Another benefit of cooking in the oven is that your house smells amazing while all this is cooking away in the oven.

The pork goes back in the oven, uncovered, for an hour and half to two hours. When I take it out, the crust has developed nicely and the pork is ready to rest for about 30 minutes.


While the pork is resting, I make the BBQ. I use a mixture of ketchup, worcheshire, hot sauce, molasses, salt, pepper, and the reserved juices from the pork. If you're not interested in making your own BBQ sauce, you can add the juices to any bottled sauce, and it will really up the flavor.

I grab two forks and start shredding. Add a little sauce, and we're ready to eat. I like my pulled pork on a potato roll with some coleslaw right on top.


Trust me, this will rival any pulled pork you've had. It's incredibly easy to make, and can be made a day or two in advance.


The Bottom Line
Difficulty: 4 out of 10
Best left to the professionals? No, this recipe is really easy to replicate at home, especially because it's done in the oven.
Total cost: About $20
Special equiptment? Wire rack, gravy seperator


The Recipe
Brine (Adapted from Good eats):

• 8 oz. Molasses
• 12 oz. table salt
• 4 Tbs liquid smoke
• 2 quarts cold water

Rub (Use your favorite, or this one):

• 2 Tbs black pepper
• 2 Tbs smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground toasted cumin seed

Pork:

• 4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tsp liquid smoke

The method (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated):

• Combine the brine ingredients, and submerge the pork shoulder. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but 12 hours is best.
• Remove the pork from the brine, pat dry, and cut in half (parallel to the counter).
• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Combine the mustard and 2 tsp of liquid smoke and rub all over the pork (latex gloves are a good idea). Sprinkle the rub over the pork.
• Place the pork on a wire rack, set in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pork. Cover tightly with aluminum foil (the foil should touch the paper, not the pork). Cook for 3 hours.
• Remove the pork, discard the foil, and carefully pour the juices that have accumulated in the pan into a gravy separator.
• Put the pork back into the oven and cook until it reaches 200F. 1.5 - 2 hours.
• Let the pork rest at least 20 minutes, while you assemble a BBQ sauce (remember to add the defatted juices to the sauce).
• Shred the pork with 2 forks, add the sauce (a little at a time) until it's where you want it. Serve!

Boston Butt Pork Roast