Pig Week: Reconstructed Pork Tenderloin

In cooking, the term ‘deconstructed’ means to take a dish, like a beef stew, and cook the ingredients separately, using techniques/flavors not necessarily associated with the parent dish. Finally the separately cooked items are then plated or combined for the final presentation. As a simple example, in the case of a deconstructed beef stew, you might slightly fill a bowl with a reduced beef stock, then place some grilled steak in a corner of the bowl, some glazed carrots and onions in another part of the bowl, and finally gratin potatoes in another part of the bowl. ‘Deconstruction’ is a nice, but maybe a little over used technique, and eventually, I’ll get around to doing some deconstructed dishes.

But what about ‘Reconstructed’? What could that mean? I thought about it for a while, and nearly everything I ended up with was some kind of soup, stew or casserole. Not bad, but not terribly cutting edge. And then I looked at it a different way – giving back to something that man had taken away. And I came up with this.

In the case of my reconstructed pork tenderloin, I am putting back in two things that pork should come with, and naturally does come with, but butcher-men, in collusion with homogenized American tastes have taken away : Fat and Skin.

Now I realize that not everyone will want to try this out. Even beyond that, not everyone will be able to try it out, as it involves a substance you will not find at the grocery store: Transglutaminase. Transglutaminase is an enzyme (naturally derived) which binds protein together. It is more commonly referred to as ‘meat glue’. If you have ever had Chicken McNuggets, or Turkey Loaf, or fake crab meat, you have eaten it. It what holds ‘mystery meat’ together. Now while none of the above probably sound very appealing, it is not the use of transglutaminase that makes it so. It is the fact that you are taking crap, and trying to make something better out of the crap – not the best plan for great tasting food. You will have to order transglutaminase from the internet, where it is available under the brand name Active RM. It is not cheap, and is usually sold by the kilo. But a little goes a long way, and properly stored in the freezer, it will last a very long time.

In this case, I am using the ‘glue’ to meld together the pork tenderloin and chicken skin. My idea is to use the skin to hold in juices and fat, while the pork cooks. And yes, it works !

I don’t blame you if you find the whole idea weird – my wife Julia did as well, and was not anxious to try it out. But when she did, she gave the final product a big ‘thumbs up’. If you try this, I think you will agree.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (about a pound)
• skin from 10 chicken thighs
• rendered fat
• 1 tablespoon transglutaminase enzyme (Active RM)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fine minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Start by preparing the tenderloin. You need to slice and trim it so that you end up with 2 evenly shaped sections, about 6 ounces each. Set them aside and refrigerate.

Now, in the oven or in a pot on the stove, render your fat. I used goose fat from a goose confit I was making, but a few ounces of rendered bacon fat will do just fine. You want fat with flavor, so don’t just render some lard, and for Pete’s sake, do not use vegetable fat or oil. Remove the tenderloin pieces from the refrigerator, and using a meat injector syringe, inject the rendered fat into the pork. Do not be shy ! When finished, return the pork pieces to the refrigerator to allow the injected fat to re-solidify, about 30 minutes.

Now take a long piece of plastic wrap and spread it out on a flat surface. Take about 5 of the chicken thigh skins and arrange them in the middle of the plastic wrap so they form a square large enough to ‘roll and wrap’ the pork pieces.

Prepare the transglutaminase. Mix one tablespoon of it with 4 tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the chicken skins throughly. Place a piece of pork on the skins and roll the skin up around the pork tightly. Make sure the ends are covered as well. Roll up the newly constructed meat in the plastic wrap, and twirl the ends of the plastic wrap until the whole concoction is firmly sealed. The objective is to make the skin and pork really stick together. Return the wrapped meat to the refrigerator, and allow the ‘glue’ to set up for at least 4 hours prior to cooking.

Whew ! The hard part is now done. After that, the rest is simple. Combine the olive oil, herbs and spices in a small bowl to form a paste. Remove the pork from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and slather the paste all around the meat. Place the reconstructed pork on a wire baking rack, and cook about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until the skin has turned brown and crispy.

Your reconstructed pork is now ready to serve. Serve with about anything you would normally serve pork with, but be prepared to enjoy the explosion of tender flavor that comes from this technique !

Pig Week: Crispy Jerked Pigs Ears

As a child growing up, I remember my maternal grandmother making pig ears in her rural Virginia home. Still being too young to be squeamish about such things, I embraced them readily. They were boiled ‘until done’, and simply served on a plate with salt and pepper. It was only a few years later that I became sensitized to eating ‘gross food’, and it took a good number of years after that before I came back around to realizing there were no ‘gross foods’, only good ones!

This dish modernizes the ears in a way my grandmother would not have known, by bringing Caribbean jerk flavor to the party. The additional touch of deep frying yields a nice crunchy texture, that makes the ears a great snack. If you really want to try something different, which, I swear, tastes great, then give these a go.

Ingredients

• 4 pigs ears
• oil, for deep frying

• 2 quarts water (for the cooking liquid)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (for the cooking liquid)
• 1/4 cup coarse salt (for the cooking liquid)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (for the cooking liquid)
• 2 hot peppers, halved (for the cooking liquid)
• 1 cinnamon stick (for the cooking liquid)
• 2 star anise (for the cooking liquid)
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (for the cooking liquid)

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for the jerk seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel or anise seed (for the jerk seasoning)

Start by putting the ingredients for the cooking liquid, as well as the pigs ears, in a pot and bringing the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 1/4 hours. Make sure the ears are completely covered by the liquid. You also want to make sure the cartilage in the ears is plenty soft, but you do not want the skin falling off of them. When done, drain and allow to cool. When the ears are cool, slice them into 3/4 inch strips and set aside.

While the ears are cooking, assemble your jerk seasoning. Comibine all the ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl and mix well.

Now you are ready to go. In oil heated to about 350 degrees, begin to deep fry the sliced pig ears. If you are not using a deep fryer with a lid, you will need somthing to cover the pot or pan you are using, to prevent splattering. Fry for about 10 minutes, or until the outer skin of the ears begins to ‘bubble up’ and get crispy.

When done, drain on paper towels and, while still hot, coat throughly with the jerk seasoning you made. Serve while still hot.

The Pork Explosion

OK. If bacon makes everything taste great, then certainly adding not one, but two more types of pork to it will make it transcendentally better ! You end up with the wildy popular (at least on the internet) Bacon Explosion. In my version, I substitute pork tenderloin for the core, instead of using more bacon, and use Italian sausage instead of country sausage, to add nuance to the dish, and, frankly, reduce some of the fat. Hence, the Pork Explosion.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean center cut bacon
• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
• 1 8 oz. pork tenderloin
• salt
• black pepper
• Coarse grain brown mustard (for serving)

Perpare the tenderloin. Trim it down until it is about 7 inches long, and about 1 inch in diameter. This is very important, so that your pork explosion does not actually unravel and ‘explode’ ! Salt and pepper, to your taste, the tenderloin, and in a samll amout of butter or oil, in a hot pan, sear the tenderloin until it is browned, about 5 minutes. This will add to the flavor, and ensure that your pork is fully cooked at the end.

Next, thightly weave, in an over-under fashion, strips of the center cut bacon to form a mat. Make sure the weave is very tight, so the bacon, which will shrink during cooking, does not alow the rest of the meat to pop out during cooking.

Now spread the Italian sausage over the bacon mat, about 1/3 inch thick, covering all but about the last inch of the mat.

Center the seared tenderloin on the mat.

Carefully roll up the mat, keeping the tenderloin in the center of the roll. Use the bacon which was not covered with sausage to overlap and help seal the roll. The roll should be very tightly wrapped to prevent the roll from coming apart whnhe cooking. Wrap in plastic wrap very tightly, and refrigerate about an hour to help all the meat bind together.

Now it is time to cook. Place the roll on a baking rack and place in a 350 degree oven. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, until the bacon is golden brown and a little crispy, as much of the fat cooks out of the dish.

Your pork explosion is now ready to serve. I can be sliced and eaten hot, but I have found that I prefer to let it cool, then refriferate it, and then slice it into 1/2 inch slices. It serves more like a terrine or country pate when done this way. Serve the slices as an appetizer, with some coarse grain brown mustard on the side.

For a Friend : Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

“They got tater in them”?

“Yes  sir” !

“They fried”?

“Yes, Sir” !

“Well then, get going”!

These were lines from a TV show I watch, which sum up most of the essence of something good. Add bacon, which we know never hurts, and you end up with these flavorful nuggets. A friend asked me what I was cooking to go along with my steak last night, and I told him I was thinking about this. Thought became action, and these were the result. Of course, they may be served as a tasty snack, rather than a side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen Tater Tots
• 1 pound fatty bacon
• 1-2 hot peppers, finely julienned
• Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
• Green onion (for garnish)
• Oil for frying

Start by pre-cooking the tater tots. Either by frying or cooking in the oven, prepare them according to package instructions. You pre cook them, so they will be crispy all around, when wrapped with bacon and cooked.

Cut each strip of bacon into 2-3 parts, each part long enough to wrap a tater tot fully. You want to use fatty bacon, as this will stick to the tot better during frying. Take each pre-cooked tot, and a slice of the pepper, and tightly wrap it with a piece of the bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Do this until you run out of tots or bacon !

Drop the tots into hot oil (350 degrees) and cook until the bacon is golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and remove the toothpicks. While still hot, grate some parmesan cheese, to taste onto the tots. Garnish with finely chopped green onions (in the picture, I used leeks, because I had them).

Bacon Scotch Egg

This is a play on one of the bastions of English pub food, the Scotch Egg. The key difference here is that we are soft boiling rather than hard boiling the eggs, and substituting bacon (‘skinny bacon’ for my English friends) for the sausage meat. I posted a picture of this a while back on Facebook, but never really explained how to make it. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients (for 1 egg)

• 1 large egg
• 2 strips bacon
• 1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Start by soft boiling the egg(s). Get a pot of slightly salted water up to a full boil. Carefully add the eggs, making sure the shells do not break. For 1 to 4 eggs, let boil for 7 minutes. For 5-8 eggs, let boil for 8 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs from the boil, and immediately transfer to a bowl containing ice water, to stop the eggs from cooking any further.

When the eggs are cool, peel the shell from the eggs. Be very careful about this. Since the eggs are soft boiled, the yolks will still be liquid. Too much pressure while peeling the egg will cause the egg white to crack, and the yolk will ooze out – that would be bad !

Now wrap the eggs in the bacon. The bacon you should use for this should NOT be the thick cut variety. It should be thin and have lots of fat. Now is not the time for lean bacon. Wrap one strip of the bacon lengthwise around the egg, again being very careful not to crush the egg as to break the white. Take the second strip of bacon and spiral it around the egg. Make sure the egg is fully covered and the bacon is wrapped very tightly around the egg – this is why you should use really fatty bacon – it sticks together better.

Now bread the egg. Mix the panko and the parmesan cheese together, and begin coating the bacon wrapped eggs. Try to get as much of the coating to stick to the bacon as possible.

Now to the deep fryer. With the oil at about 350 degrees, carefully drop the egg into the oil and fry for about 5 minutes, until the bacon is golden brown and crisp. This is key, as a soggy bacon wrapped egg is no good. Don’t worry about the egg yolk becoming fully cooked – the bacon and the egg white will insulate it enough during the cooking process.

When the eggs are done, remove them from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels. Serve them as hot as possible.

These eggs are really good served over a crisp green salad, as shown in the picture. Lightly dress the greens with balsamic vinegar. When the eggs are cut into, the yolk will ooze out, and finish dressing the salad. Yum !

Quick Hot Italian Sandwich

When I was growing up, my mother used to bring home the ‘frozen po boy sandwiches’. They were really nothing more than bread with cold cuts and cheese, sandwiched together and wrapped in foil. The product was baked, and when done, unwrapped and served. Inside was steamy, gooey goodness – not of the fancy variety, but if the “who does not like meat and melted cheese” variety.

So it was much later on that I finally tested an idea which I thought would be similar – and it worked. The secret is to use pre-made frozen garlic bread. I use the Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread, so readily available at your grocery store.

Take the frozen garlic bread from the package and force it open length wise. Then begin layering on the meat and cheese. In the example pictured above, I used pepperoni, prosciutto, mortadella, capicola, dry salami and provolone cheese – in effect, an Italian Sub. You could, of course, use just about anything, for instance, something as simple as ham and cheese.

There are a couple of keys when assembling the sandwich. First, do not overhang the edges of the bread, as the naturally tendency will be for things to ooze out anyway when cooked. Secondly, layer skinny strips of cheese in between the meat layer so the whole thing will ‘stick together’ when cooked. Besides, who doesn’t like more cheese anyway?

Here you have a choice. First, when I normally make these, I make more than one at a time. This is because it is cheaper to buy the ingredients in bulk (say, at a wholesale club), and because the resulting assembled sandwiches can them selves be frozen. If the sandwiches are to be frozen, I cut them in half (believe me, 6 inches of one of these is plenty), wrap each half tightly in aluminum foil, and pop them in the freezer. There they are ready to go anytime. The other way is to bake the whole sandwich, then when done, cut it into as many pieces as you wish. I find that cutting the sandwich into six pieces or so, yields a nice appetizer/snack/munchie for tailgates or other sports themed parties.

Regardless of the method you choose, baked the foil wrapped sandwiches accruing to package instructions, but cook for an extra 5 to 7 minutes, to allow full cooking of the interior.If the assembled (bread, meat and cheese) sandwich was frozen whole for later use, defrost the sandwich and cook for 5 or 7 extra minutes to ensure all element are cooked and ready.

Note: In addition to filing this under the category of “Cheating”, which it certainly is, I have also listed it under “Extreme Food”, because it so obviously high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Bacon Fat Candle

Ah, bacon ! When I was growing up, my mother kept a container on the range, into which she poured rendered bacon fat, to be used as shorting and seasoning for many dishes. This was not only common in the south, but pretty much everywhere in the 50’s and 60’s. Not without reason, however, it has fallen out of favor due to health concerns. But food and cooking are like most things – all’s well in moderation. So it was with awe and amazement that I discovered the Bacon Fat Candle. I was watching a food show on TV which featured a fancy steak restaurant, and there, on the table, was the candle. I was shocked, as were the restaurant patrons, when the proprietor poured the ‘wax’ out of the candle, and onto the steak ! When he announced that it was bacon fat, I relaxed, and said to myself, “Yes, yes I can”!

Well, it turns out that you can buy bacon fat candles on the internet, but most of these are just ‘bacon scented’, and may not be edible. No worry – they are easy to make.

First, you will need a few candle supplies: A wick, a wick base, and an empty votive candle glass. All are readily available at art and craft stores, such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. Make sure you get wicks that are not wax coated, or that have metal cores.

 

Attach a candle wick to the wick base, and place it in your votive candle glass, making sure it is centered. I did this by using excess wick, wrapped around a toothpick, and suspending it into the glass.

After that, all you need is a pound of bacon. Simply chop up the bacon, put it in a pot (easier for pouring) and begin to cook it over medium low heat. The object is to render the fat, without fully cooking the bacon, and potentially burning it.  When you have enough bacon fat, pour it into the candle, and then refrigerate it, so the fat congeals. Of course, you should continue cooking the bacon, so you end up with a nice supply of fresh bacon bits.

When done, all you have to do is light the candle, wait for the fat to melt and enjoy the melted fat poured over a steak, as shown below. The candle will last for at least a month, covered and refrigerated.

xxxx