Pork and squid, that’s the opposite of kosher!

Why?
Because Gene got me a new Spanish cookbook for Christmas; it is Jose Andres’ Made in Spain. It has some delicious recipes and some wonderful descriptions of Spain. Also because it was cold out and we needed something hearty to eat!

What?
I came across a very interesting recipe for pork meatballs with squid. It’s basically garlicky pork meatballs braised in tomato sauce with squid, potatoes, cinnamon, thyme, and more garlic. Pork and squid sounded like a very odd pairing to me, but it was delicious.

I’ll admit, that once again, I didn’t read the entire recipe through before I started. I didn’t catch the sofrito part. Andres’ sofrito is a kind of vegetably-tomato sauce; I made my own using canned chopped tomatoes cooked down with sautéed onions and paprika. But in a pinch, you can probably substitute a little decent quality, mild, but chunky, pasta sauce.

How much? (This assumes you have the basics of little milk, a crust of bread, an egg, some flour and such.)

Ground pork - $3.49
Squid - $5.99
A potato $0.59
One head garlic - $0.69
Parsley - $0.99
Thyme - $0.99
Sofrito (est) - $3.50
Total - $16.24

The Recipe:
Pork Meatballs with Squid

Sauerbraten with a Twist

Why?

My friend Shawn sent me a recipe for Sauerbraten. I’ve never had sauerbraten before and after reading the recipe, I am embarrassed to admit that I had always assumed it was a kind of sausage (you know, …braten …’brats on the grill and all that. Work with me here!) Anyway, as you may or may not know, sauerbraten is actually a big hunk of braised beef. So after going for so long with my misconception, I had to try this recipe.

What?

Traditional sauerbraten is a beef marinated and braised in vinegar, wine, and spices. This recipe replaces the wine and vinegar with a Belgian lambic beer, which has a slightly sour aftertaste. This recipe takes a little planning in that the beef marinates for 3 – 4 days! I started it on the weekend and then cooked it for a weeknight dinner. In the interest of full disclosure, I could not find a lambic beer. So I used a domestic Belgian-style beer and added a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the marinade.

Also the recipe calls for pickling spice. I don’t have premixed pickling spice so (after a little research) I made my own with black and red

peppercorns, coriander, cardamom, cumin, juniper berries, and fenugreek. (…and yes I do have juniper berries and fenugreek in my pantry, I’m a food-geek, what can I say?) Lastly, I forgot to buy sour cream, so I didn't make the sauce, though it sounds delicious. We just ladled the juice over the meat.

How Much?

Boneless Top Round Roast ($4.99/lb) - $14.42

Onions (3 lb bag) – $2.99

Garlic (1 head) - $0.69

Pickling Spice (2.6 oz, premixed) - $2.99

Total - $21.09

The Recipe:

Sauerbraten with a Twist

Ingredients

For the Meat

24 oz Gueuze or Lambic

8 each garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp pickling spices

2 each yellow onions, peeled and sliced into thin wedges

2 each bay leaves

1 tsp sea salt

4-5 lb top sirloin roast

For the Sauce

¼ cup olive oil

2 each garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 each leek, washed and sliced

1 each bay leaf

2-3 tsp all-purpose flour

½ cup sour cream

Directions

In a stainless steel pot, bring sour beer, garlic, spices, onions, bay leaves and salt to a boil and

cook for 3 minute to combine the flavors. Turn off the heat and let rest until marinate is room

temperature. Place into either a large sealable container or Ziploc bag and add roast. Remove as much air as possible and seal, placing in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. At least once a day, flip the bag to distribute the marinade equally over the meat.

In a Dutch over medium-high heat, add oil and brown the roast (first removing from the marinade, patting dry and reserving the marinade) on all sides. After the meat has formed a nice crust, add onions, garlic, leeks, bay leaf and reserved marinade liquid only, discarding other spices and

vegetables.

Bring to a simmer and place into a 250 F oven for 4 hours. Remove the roast from the liquid, sprinkling with flour and whisking to prevent any lumps. Bring to a low simmer and thicken for about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add sour cream. Adjust seasoning. Slice the roast against the grain of the meat and serve with the sauce over buttered egg noodles tossed with chopped parsley, thyme and savory.

About: Happy New Year!

What a meal, what an evening! I think we really outdid ourselves; Gene and I got together with our friends Joanie and Lawrence and Chris and Nancy. The idea was that we would get together to cook small bites; think tapas and amuse bouches. Oh and don’t forget the wine and champagne! We all love good food and Chris really knows wine.
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Each course was accompanied by different wines, each one spectacular. I don’t feel able to do justice to the wines and adequately discuss them so; I will limit myself to describing the food. We started with my French Onion Soup that was inspired by one we had at a restaurant in Jupiter, Florida. In addition to the Swiss cheese I used our favorite blue cheese, Societé, It was great. I served the soup in demitasse topped with a puff pastry “lid” which was embellished with a “09.”
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Soup was followed by a flight of salads; Chris made a lightly dressed salad of Grilled Baby Octopus on Radicchio and Endive and a Black Eyed Pea salad. We just have to get those black eyed peas in on New Years!
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Next up, Joanie and Lawrence prepared Foie Gras Three Ways. This dish consisted of two disks of a traditional foie gras flecked with truffle, a foie gras mousse, and a “brick” of rustic country pate of foie gras and duck. The dish was served with three delicious breads.
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Our final antipasto was Spicy Grilled Shrimp and Spanish Chorizo with Smoked Paprika. I skewered the shrimp and chorizo on toothpicks and marinated them in garlic, smoked paprika, and white vermouth. Quickly grilled, they were delicious!
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Next, a pasta course; a triumvirate of pasta! Chris and Nancy provided Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli topped with Fried Sage, Grated Biscotti and Parmesan Cheese. Joanie and Lawrence made Orecchiette with Baratta Cheese and Ragu. Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear (in Italian, "ear" is orecchio). Gene and I contributed Ravioli filled with Homemade Ricotta Cheese and Lemon Zest served alongside Mushrooms Two Ways (roasted mini portabellas and sautéed oyster mushrooms).












And now, on to the main courses!
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Lawrence prepared Lamb Chops with baked Brussel Sprouts as a first main course. Then, Gene made Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Hollandaise Sauce as the second main.

Time-wise, we hit 2009 between the lamb and beef! Last but not least: desserts! Four flights of dessert included: Mini Palmiers, Mini Pastelitos de Guayaba, Belgian Dark Chocolates, and Homemade Candies. By this point, we were all so full that we could barely get up from the table! Happy New Year!