A Wonderful Late Christmas Present !!!

All the thanks in the world to the staff at Trinity and our group of ‘Friends’ who have continued to encourage me. Obviously, Thank You to Art for a wonderful review.

http://blog.nj.com/artful_diner/

Winter…. UGH!!!!

Ahhhh…. Winter is here, and I hate it! Being from the south, I have never been much for freezing temperatures. Plus, spending close to 10 years in San Diego has me spoiled a bit. Not to mention, no more farmer’s markets, no tomatoes, no corn, squash blossoms, etc… Oh, and now I can’t wear shorts in the kitchen which really sucks! 

However, it brings out the inner “braiser” in me. Short ribs, lamb shanks, pork bellies, confit, veal cheeks, and on and on. There something about a braise…… As I have said many times before, taking a lesser cut of meat and turning into something special requires more skill on the part of the cook, not to mention time and effort. Any monkey can throw a steak on the grill, even a good hamburger is not that difficult. But a braise? ahhhh…..So many layers of flavor. Meltingly rich and satisfying, “Uber” comfort food. 

Its no secret I LOVE Japanese food. Its the purest form of food I know. I like to think a big part of my cooking comes from Japanese cooking, or lack thereof. But braising makes me , I don’t know, cozy, warm. If backyard BBQ’ing is it for summer, a huge pot of pork shoulder cooking away all day is IT! Some tortillas, some salsa and a bit of lime… I’m in heaven. Recently, I wanted to try a new dish out for the winter menu. I have played with pork belly a few times before but never got it quite right. This time, with the assistance of some Boylan’s root beer I think I got it. Sweet, succulent and oh so good with a sprinkle of sea salt.

The other is a lamb shank braised “Mole Poblano.” With close to 40 ingredients involved, there is considerable layers of chilies, aromatics, spices, and even a little chocolate. Its almost like eating a great big Bordeaux.The dish is soul stirring and completely satisfying.

I guess I will find some other foods to keep me occupied this winter. Maybe I will try lamb shoulder, marrow bones, sweetbreads, chicken livers, or some other underutilized and under appreciated cut of meat to enjoy while its cold outside.