British Banger

"British Banger" .. What would it be if I left out sausage on "Ground Meats Week"? Take heart .. I didn't! Of course I'm showing you the "pre-cooked" items, but I assure you, these tasty morsels will be even more beautiful when I cook them next week!

I chose to put my spin on traditional British Bangers by incorporating a couple twists into an otherwise regular British recipe. But first, a bit of history. The name "Banger" comes from the fact that the sausages used to "explode" or bang when they were cooking. Real pork casings often allows pressure to build up inside the skin leading to a minor explosion and there you have it.

My sausage recipe contains 4 pounds of lean pork shoulder and 1 1/2 pounds of pork fat. Pork Fat Rules! I use a combination of traditional spices including white & black pepper, mace, kosher salt, ginger, sage and nutmeg. For this recipe, I also included garlic and fresh oregano.

The key to any fresh sausage is to grind it cold twice and then whip it using a stand mixer. This gives the sausage that density to remain intact when cutting after cooking. It's the exact opposite of making meatballs and meat loafs where you don't over work it so that are light and airy.

I hope you get a kick out of seeing my house made Bangers! I know I love making and eating them!

Good Eating!

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Amish Hamburg Gravy

"Amish Hamburg Gravy" .. For this installment of "Ground Meats Week", I thought I would stay in Ohio. In particular, the part of Ohio I grew up in .. Amish Country!

The region of Holmes, Stark, Tuscarawas & Wayne counties have some of the largest Amish communities in Ohio and Ohio leads the nation in Amish peoples.

I had a lot of dealings with the Amish as I grew up. They would stop in the restaurant to grab a sandwich in their horse and buggies. I would hunt both game and mushrooms on their land and in return, I would let them fish in my pond. Barter .. that's the Amish way. One thing I bartered was a few of their great recipes.

I updated their time tested Hamburg Gravy with my own interpretation using both red wine and herb de provence. The end result is a silky smooth, divine sauce that when coupled with mashed potatoes, becomes a meal on it's own. Here's what I do ..

Simply melt butter in a cast iron pan until it's about to brown, then immediately add onions and slowly caramelize them. Once there, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground hamburger, I house grind my own using chuck, sirloin and brisket. 

Deeply brown the meat. That is the key to this sauce. each piece of ground beef should be caramelized. It takes a good 20 minutes on medium heat. But don't skip this step.

Next add the red wine along with the herbs and cook until the wine has completely evaporated. Add All-Purpose flour with a 1to1 on the amount of butter and fat still in the pan. In other words don't drain the meat and I prefer a good 75/25 ratio. This isn't for the weak of heart.

Cook the flour into a roux, til it's brown also. Brown food tastes good! Next, add beef stock and cook as it thickens, then add a touch of water, salt if needed and coarse ground black pepper. I finish the sauce with heavy cream and butter, then ladle it over mashed potatoes with several slices of bread handy to work on that leftover gravy .. see what I mean about faint of heart? 

This is without a doubt a fall-time workers' meal. It's super rich, super tasty and without a doubt as comforting a dinner that was ever created!

Cheers to great fall eating!

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Hackbratentorte

Have you brushed up on your German? Because today for "Ground Meats Week" I rendered up a little Deutsche with Farmlad's "Hackbratentorte mit Spaetzle und Cremige Rosenkoh" or "Pastry Wrapped Meatloaf with Spaetzle and Creamy Brussels".

This is a staple in many Bavarian restaurants utilizing minced pork and or beef wrapped in a pastry and smothered in some type of gravy. I chose to combine both pork and beef along with herbs, grated gruyère, fresh bread crumbs and egg. I carefully enveloped the meat in pastry and sealed it with egg wash.

To accompany the ground meat dish, I chose classic house made Spaetzle in a simple butter sauce and the Bavarian favorite .. Creamy Brussels.

I hope you enjoyed my little trip to Germany with a few classic dishes that I'm certain will be as big a hit with you and your family as they are in Munich.

Auf Wiedersehen!

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Spaghetti & Meatballs

It's "Ground Meats Week" and today I'm offering up "Spaghetti & Meatballs"! 

Classic really isn't the appropriate term to describe this dish .. Quintessential American possibly fits the bill with the origin of spaghetti and meatballs starting with Italian immigrants from 1880 to 1920.

Mia Piccola Cucina's take on meatballs includes frying and then braising the meatballs in my house made marinara and serving them with our own pasta. The result is a light and airy meatball, that simply melts in your mouth.

I will let you in on a couple secrets so here's the skinny .. I take select cuts of beef, veal and pork and grind them to get the exact consistency for each meatball. I want substance, but not under ground. Then I combine all my ingredients and mix them without overworking the meat. Simply combine the ingredients and leave it be! Too much handling results in tough, dense and dry meatballs.

Once the meatballs are shaped, fry them golden brown on all sides in a Dutch Oven. Then pull them out and make your marinara in the dutch oven. All those brown bits (fond), really adds to the taste. Once the marinara is made return the meatballs to the sauce and bake for at least an hour.

Prepare your pasta al dente, then combine the sauce with the pasta over heat. This is called "marrying" the pasta with the sauce. The pasta releases starch, the sauce impregnates the pasta and boom .. 

"perfezione"! I hope you've enjoying seeing this basic American dish as much as I love preparing it.

Keep watching all week long for more "Ground Meat" recipe ideas!

Good Eating!

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Pennsylvania Dutch Apricot Ham Loaf

"Pennsylvania Dutch Apricot Ham Loaf" .. Being North East Ohio born and with roots DEEP into Stark, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties, I often herald back to recipes of my youth. My updated “Ham Loaf” recipe oozes comfort food and rural home cooking, relaying it's strong German, Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish and Mennonite Heritage in an more modern manner.

Basic Ham Loaf is an specialty dish that in rural NE Ohio area, finds many markets and butchers selling pre-made ham loaf meat that is already ground and mixed for you. However, if you're in So Cal, NYC or Atlanta, I've made it possible for all of you to create your own! Here's the trick .. Simply coarse grind equal parts smoked ham with pork shoulder. THAT'S IT for the meat. However I often grind a 1/4 pound of bacon into the mix for every pound of ham and pork shoulder. This gives me more smoke, more fat and more flavor.

For the rest .. In a large bowl combine eggs, fresh bread crumbs, onion, apple cider, mustard, pepper, and salt. Add equal parts ground ham and pork along with minced dried apricots. Mix well, but don't over work it. Lightly pat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf and bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.

You simply must give this recipe idea a try .. It's SO delicious! 

Guten Appetit!

PS .. look for this dish wrapped in flaky crust alla Wellington style .. coming soon!

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Farmlad's Bourbon Calico Cowboy Beans

"Farmlad's Bourbon Calico Cowboy Beans" .. Baked beans crafted in a cast iron dutch oven are perennial favorites at around the campfire, barbecues and social potlucks. My recipe uses a variety protein rich beans including Navy, Kidney, Black and Butter Beans. Combine that with ground beef and pork, smoky bacon, a hefty dose of Kentucky Bourbon, Farmlad's Spicy BBQ Sauce and you end up with a rich, sweet and slightly spicy meal that will have your crew begging for more.

My “Farmlad Original” is simply the BEST Cowboy Beans, you'll ever have. It's been a sure hit with our customers, family and friends! 

Good Eating!

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Capellini alla Papalina

"Capellini alla Papalina" .. This classic pasta dish is historically made with Prosciutto and Egg .. Legend says chef of a small “trattoria” in Rome, located close to the Vatican City, made this unique variation of the Amatriciana "carbonara" recipe, more appealing to his clientele. The "uncured" pancetta and pecorino cheese made the Amatriciana dish too salty for his tastes, and the traditional “bucatini” were considered too low class, he thought. Therefore he decided to substitute them with Prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and used freshly made fettucine instead. The dish actually turned out to be excellent.

As the story goes, an unknown cardinal of modest habits was ordering this pasta nearly everytime he visited the restaurant. That cardinal became later Pope Pius XII, and the dish was then dedicated to commemorate him .. hence the Papalina reference.

I altered the dish by utilizing Mia Piccola Cucina's "house made" Capellini Pasta, smoked pancetta, eggs and adding herbs with a touch of mascarpone cheese. This built a thick rich sauce which had an unbelievable depth of flavor especially when hand grated Parmigiano Reggiano was folded in.

I hope you get a kick out of my take on a classic Roman dish!

Mangia Mangia!

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Spiced Bourbon Cider Sangria

"Spiced Bourbon Cider Sangria" .. It's "Thirsty Thursday" and time for one of my fabulous fall sangrias on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks

Farmlad's Hot Buttered Chicken

"Farmlad's Hot Buttered Chicken" .. I literally grew up in restaurants .. back in the day, my father started a "mini-chain" of 3 drive-in chicken and burger joints called "Farmlad". It was based on farm fresh produce prepared daily for the "Average Joe" as he put it. 

There were loads of innovations at our drive-ins .. Fast "Fried Chicken" before Colonel Sanders ever ventured north .. Double, Triple and Quad Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers with "the works" .. and a meal called a "Wing Ding" which offered up 6 wings and french fries for $.29! Of course, that was back in the 60's.

One of our most popular sammies was one that was born in this German influenced region of NE Ohio .. the "Hot Buttered Chicken Sandwich". For those who've never heard nor seen one of these .. imagine a "sloppy joe" with shredded chicken and butter sauce instead of ground beef and tomato sauce. Is it tasty? Well .. once you have a good one, you'll toss rocks at sloppy joes!

The "Hot Buttered Chicken" sandwich has been a mainstay of poor people that stretched the protein by utilizing "picked" chicken carcasses and creating a substantial sandwich that is the heartbeat of anyone in our area over 40 years old. A mainstay of this sandwich is the hot peppers served on the side. Traditions rule!

Early today, many of you witnessed my preliminary cooking process of slow roasting the seasoned and quartered chicken in one of our many "Cast Iron Pans". It's truly the only way to get consistency. The remainder of the recipe is a family secret. But with the right coaxing, I might give you a few pointers!

I hope you enjoy my trip down memory lane .. even if you haven't ever tried this dish!

Good Eating!

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Miso Chilean Sea Bass

"Miso Chilean Sea Bass" .. One of my favorite fish species is the Chilean Sea Bass. It's flaky flesh and mild flavor melds perfectly for almost every cooking style .. and the style I chose tonight was borrowed from Japan.

I took "Shiromiso" or "White Miso" and made a marinade which included other deep Japanese flavors. Wrapped it up and let it soak up the "umami-rich" broth.

I pan-seared the fillets until they were browned on each side and popped it into a hot oven until the flesh was moist and flaky. I reduced my unused marinade into a glaze and ladled just a bit to further bolster the flavor of this delicious dish.

I chose to pair my sea bass with "Acorn Squash & Goat Cheese Puree". This slightly sweet and acidic side balanced the savory sea bass near perfectly .. hey who am I kidding .. it was perfectly balanced! 

I hope you get a chance to try your hand using "Miso" .. You will be satisfied!

Good Eating!

"Miso Hungry"! See more on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks

Tagliatelle alla Harvest Bolognese

"Tagliatelle alla Harvest Bolognese" .. Frequent readers of my blogs know that traditional Bolognese is one of my culinary passions, but every once in a while I like to stir things up in non-traditional ways. On the menu this week is a "Harvest" version of my white wine bolognese.

The basis of most Italian sauces is the "mirepoix", a mixture of chopped celery, onions, and carrots. In this dish I swapped out the celery and carrots with chopped golden beets, butternut squash and parsnip, which changed this classic meat sauce into a sweeter, lighter, and I'd like to think, tastier version of the original. 

Paired with "Mia Piccola Cucina's" house made "Tagliatelle" and you've get a dish that is chock full of fall colors and flavors!

Good "Autumn" Eating!

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Poulet Rôti aux Herbes de Provence

"Poulet Rôti aux Herbes de Provence" .. "Roast Chicken with Herbs de Provence". It's Autumn .. cool temperatures scream for comfort food and nothing screams comfort louder than a succulent roast chicken!

This is one of my favorite of all dishes. Crispy, buttery skin with the aroma of the herb blend. If you could be in the kitchen today, you would be addicted. Speaking of the herb blend .. The French "Herbes de Provence" is a blend of thyme, basil, lavender, marjoram, rosemary and summer savory. 

Lavender is iconic of Provence, and it is a major component of the distinct flavor of this herb blend. Thyme has a light mint flavor and blends well with other spices as it helps to balance the different tastes. Marjoram is also a mint and is characteristic of most all Mediterranean cooking. Other aromatics include carrot, celery, onion and lemon.

Serve this with your favorite potato side and "voila" dinner is served!

Bon Appétit!

It's time for comfort food on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks

Agnolotti di Zucca

"Agnolotti di Zucca" .. "Agnolotti Pasta stuffed with Butternut Squash". One of my favorite "stuffed" pastas comes from the Piedmont Region of Italy in the northwest part of the country.

The rectangular shapes are "plin" means "pinched" because you pinch with thumb and forefinger between each mound of filling to close and seal the little pasta packets/ True agnolotti are almost always made by hand. Which was what I did. Yes, it's a tad labor intensive, but the flavor and texture of these handmade little pasta packets are simply divine!

To stuff my agnolotti, I chose one of my favorite fall vegetables .. "butternut squash". The filling was a mixture of the butternut squash, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, cinnamon and egg. The sauce's main component was also butternut squash, but that's where the flavor comparisons ended. Pancetta, garlic, butter, house made chicken stock and sage. 

Ever wonder what to do with all the squash or other ingredients that are seasonal? Turn it into Agnolotti!

Mangia Mangia!

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Autumn Red Sangria

It's "Thirsty Thursday" and time for my "Autumn Red Sangria" on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks 

Berbere Hash

"Berbere Hash" .. I've been in a hash kinda mood lately, so I decided to boost the menu with seasonal root veggies along with one of my favorite spice combinations "Ethiopian Berbere". The result was a spicy and sweet (from the root veg) hash that is simply addictive.

Berbere Spice blend contains .. chilis, garlic, ginger, dried basil, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek. The ingredients are ground together in my mortar and pestle and sprinkled periodically on the main ingredients as they come together for a spicy hot, yet aromatic delight that is pleasing to all the senses.

The hash part of the dish includes uncured bacon, ground pork, roasted golden and red beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes .. plus yellow and green bell pepper, red onion, garlic, green onion and a dash or too of toasted almonds for texture.

This is a marvelous dish and I hope you gain inspiration and try a taste of Ethiopia in this dish!

Good Eating!

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Pasta e Fagioli

"Pasta e Fagioli" .. Nothing is heartier on a cool fall evening than a hot bowl of "fazool" as some people call this classic! Pasta e fagioli simply means "pasta and beans" and is a traditional Italian dish. 

Like many other Italian favorites including pizza and polenta, it started as a peasant dish, being composed of inexpensive ingredients. 

Mine includes pancetta, cannellini beans, house made ditalini pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, house made chicken stock, peperoncini and of course olive oil.

There are many variations, but usually not ground beef. That is more of an American chain restaurant concept. 

The dish can be thin based or thickened by pureeing some of the beans before adding the pasta.

Buon Appetito!

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Spicy Spaghetti Squash

"Spicy Spaghetti Squash" .. Autumn, especially October, is the time of pumpkins, gourds and of course squash. I thought it would be fun to take "Spaghetti Squash" and jazz it up beyond typical sauces or simple butter and salt.

What I came up with was a twist on a traditional "Black Bean & Corn" dish, but incorporate the squash along with red onions, jalapeno and red bell pepper. Cooking them all with olive oil, house made chili powder and sea salt.

I hope you enjoy and try my take on spaghetti squash!

Good Eating!

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Tomato Bisque

"Tomato Bisque" .. Rich, smooth, creamy, highly seasoned and simply delicious .. those are the adjectives that immediately come to mind tasting this fall favorite!

My "Tomato Bisque" includes slow cooked tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery,garlic, chicken stock, parsley, thyme, bay leave and basil which is then pureed, then strained to give it that super smooth consistency. Then comes the cream which builds a velvety richness that .. well .. you're just going to have to try some! Garnish it with creme fraiche, pancetta and chive and you move into a whole new world of flavor!

Fall means hearty meals and this one is one of my best!

Bon Appetit!

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Pork & Bacon Potato Hash

"Pork & Bacon Potato Hash" .. Sometimes you just want good ole' comfort food. That was my thought for today, because in my book (cookbook that is) nothing is more comforting than an "American Hash" dish!

Ingredients are simple and include Bacon, "House Ground" pork, potatoes, carrots, onion, peas, corn, garlic and butter! Render out your bacon .. reserve .. and brown the ground pork in the bacon fat. Add the remaining ingredients and saute until browned and tasty!

Next time you're looking for a great meal that warms not only your tummy, but your heart and soul as well, think of my Pork & Bacon Potato Hash!

Good (home cooked) Eating!

Sometimes you just want good ole' comfort food. See it on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks #LetsEat

Autumn Spice Sangria

"Autumn Spice Sangria" .. Yep .. you'll be hooked! See the recipe on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks #LetsEat