How to Make Chicharrones

 

 Most people just consider turning pork belly into bacon. This isn't a tragic destiny for belly. There are few, if any, bad aspects of bacon that I can think of (perhaps that you shouldn't eat half a dozen strips for breakfast and hope to be entirely functional), but to autopilot belly into bacon is a travesty. In numerous cuisines around the world, pork belly is barbecued, stewed, grilled, and, as in this week's recipe, transformed into golden and crispy crackling pieces. Chicharron can refer to anything from fried pork skin with a little meat attached to fried pork rinds using just the skin, depending on the country of origin.

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 pound pork belly, skin side rubbed with 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt

Water to cover

Salt and pepper to taste

Spices of your choice such as cayenne, sugar, and paprika

 

To prepare the stomach: Rub the baking soda and salt all over the skin's surface, being careful to spread the powder equally. Place the pork belly on a rack in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but preferably overnight and up to a day.

The next day, rinse and pat dry the belly. Cut into 1-inch strips that are about a third of an inch thick. Place all of the belly segments in a wok with enough water to cover the beef.

 

Reduce the heat to minimal. Slowly make the fat from the belly for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the moisture content of your bacon, rotating the segments of meat every half hour or so. Maintain a low heat. The water will initially resemble pork supply, but as time passes, the water will evaporate, leaving only the lard in the tub.

 

Turn the heat to maximum and closely watch the bits of belly as they deep-fry in the lard until only liquid fat remains in the wok. This final deep-frying stage could take 3 to 5 minutes. Switch the chicharrones to a plate lined with paper towels, using a slotted spoon, to blot the excess fat. Toss with salt and seasonings of choice. The chicharrones will stay crispy for many hours.

Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce

 

Ragù bolognese is the undisputed heavyweight champion in the world when it comes to meat sauces. 

 

Lets Cook

 

1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 to 1 1/2 ounces powdered gelatin (4 to 6 packets

1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1/2 pound finely minced chicken livers

1/4 cup  extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef chuck

1 pound  ground pork shoulder about

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons  unsalted butter

1/2 pound finely diced pancetta

1 large onion, finely minced (about 8 ounces)

2 carrots, finely chopped (about 8 ounces)

4 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 8 ounces)

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, divided

2 cups dry white or red wine

1 cup whole milk

2 bay leaves

1 cup heavy cream

3 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce

 

To Serve:

 

Dried or fresh pasta, preferably pappardelle, tagliatelle, or penne

 

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with the rack in the lower-middle spot. Sprinkle gelatin over the stock in a medium bowl or 1-quart liquid scale. Place aside. Purée the tomatoes in the can using an immersion blender or in the tub of a countertop blender until smooth. Purée the chicken livers in a cup that only matches the head of an immersion blender.

 

In a big Dutch oven, cook the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the ground beef, pork, and lamb are no longer yellow, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the puréed chicken livers.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter and pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until the fat has largely made but the butter and pancetta have not yet begun to tan, about 8 minutes. Cook, stirring and tossing sometimes, until the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, sage, and half of the parsley are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Combine with the beef mixture in a Dutch oven.

 

Return the Dutch oven to high heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until much of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 10 minutes more. Cook, stirring constantly, until the wine has largely evaporated. Combine the reserved stock, onions, milk, and bay leaves in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Get the sauce to a boil, then place it in the oven, uncovered. Cook, stirring and scraping down the sides of the pot regularly, for 3 to 4 hours, or until the liquid has almost entirely reduced and the sauce is dense and deep under a thin layer of fat. After 4 hours, if the sauce either appears liquid or the fat has not dissolved and formed a dense crust, move to the stovetop and finish cooking at a brisk simmer, stirring regularly.

 

Skim off the majority of the fat, leaving only 1 cup overall. (For a more accurate calculation, trim entirely and then fold 1 cup of fat back in.) Combine the heavy cream, Parmesan, fish sauce, and remaining parsley in a mixing bowl. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bolognese can be cooled and refrigerated in sealed containers for up to 1 week.

 

In a big kettle, heat the sauce until it is just simmering. Place aside. Cook the pasta in a big pot of salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside 1/2 cup of the cooking oil. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with only enough sauce to coat, as well as some of the cooking oil. Cook, swirling and stirring gently over high heat for 30 seconds, or until sauce is thick and pasta is covered. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away, passing the Parmesan at the table.

 

 

Choux au Craquelin Recipe

 

Choux au craquelin may sound fancy, but they're just fancy cream puffs. The craquelin, a simple cookie-like dough made of sugar, butter, flour, and a pinch of salt, is rolled out, sliced, and perched on top of piped choux before being baked together to create pastry puffs with a crackly look, crunchy feel, and a buttery, sweet bite.

 

What to Grab

 

4 ounces (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and softened to about 68°F

4 ounces (about 1 scant cup) all-purpose flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

One recipe Choux Pastry (made with water), transferred to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip

One recipe vanilla, chocolate, or lemon pastry cream, or one recipe crème légère, transferred to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip

 

To Make the Craquelin Top by Hand: Mash together brown sugar and butter in a medium bowl with a flexible spatula, then stir until smooth and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Mix in the flour and salt until no dry flour remains and a damp, crumbly meal forms, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, to make the Craquelin top in a stand mixer, follow these steps: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar and butter on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy.

 

Using a lightweight spatula, scrape down the bowl and beater. Add flour and salt, then beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes, or until no dry flour remains and a damp, crumbly meal forms. Bring the dough together with your hands to form a disc (it will be a bit sticky but do not add extra flour). Set a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and place the dough on top. Shape the dough into a 6-by-8-inch flat rectangle.

 

Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a 1/8-inch-thick rough rectangle (it should be around 12-by-14 inches in size); reposition all sheets of parchment paper if required to avoid creasing. Transfer the dough, along with the parchment paper, to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes, or until it is cold (or refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes). Line a second baking sheet of parchment paper in the meantime.

 

Take off the top sheet of parchment leaf. Stamp 18 bits of craquelin with a 2-inch circular cutter. Working easily, place the craquelin rounds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and return to the freezer; you will need to slip an offset spatula under the cut-outs to remove them from the parchment paper. Scraps of craquelin dough can be re-rolled, chilled, and cut into fresh rounds if needed (see Make Ahead section for more on holding extra, uncooked rounds).

 

Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C), with one rack in the upper-middle position and the other in the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Under each corner of the parchment leaf, pipe a small amount of choux paste (the dough acts as a glue and keeps the paper in place as you pipe).

 

Apply steady downward pressure to the packed pastry bag when holding it at a 90° angle, and pipe a 2-inch-wide choux (see note). To end piping, release the pressure and swirl the pastry tip free. Continue piping choux about 3 inches apart until you have a limit of 9 choux. Rep for the second tray. Top each choux with a craquelin cut-out, make sure it's parallel to the baking sheet's floor, then gently press down to ensure it adheres to the highest point of the piped choux. Bake all trays for 30 minutes, flipping racks and turning trays front to back after 20 minutes, or until choux au craquelin are puffed, deeply golden brown, and feel hollow when removed.

 

Filling for Sandwich-Style Choux au Craquelin: Switch off the cooker. Enable the trays to sit in the oven for 30 minutes with the oven door partially open. Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes to cool fully. Slice each puff in half with a serrated knife to make a top and bottom "bun." Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip with your preferred filling (see notes section below for filling instructions). Start piping with steady pressure to generously fill the bottom half of each choux, one at a time. Top each choux with the top half of a choux. Repeat before all of the choux au craquelin have been completed. Serve right away.

Homemade Devil Dogs Recipe

 

If you've never seen a Devil Dog, imagine that as a hot dog–shaped whoopie pie, with two layers of soft chocolate cake sandwiched between two layers of fluffy whipped filling. To be honest, the filling may be anything from your preferred vanilla frosting to Homemade Cool Whip or even a batch of Cherry Pit Whipped Cream.

 

Ingredients:

3 ounces coffee or black tea (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon hot)

3 ounces dark chocolate (2/3 cup), finely chopped

1 ounce cocoa powder (shy 1/3 cup )

5 ounces unsalted butter (10 tablespoons)

4 ounces light brown sugar (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg, straight from the fridge

6 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cups)

Roughly 9 ounces Homemade Cool Whip, Cherry Pit Whipped Cream, or your favorite frosting (1 3/4 cups)

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two aluminum half sheet pans with parchment paper, trimming as required to ensure a completely flat surface. In a medium mixing cup, combine hot coffee or tea, minced chocolate, and cocoa, and whisk until smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and blend on low speed to moisten. Increase the speed to medium and continue to cream until the mixture is smooth and light, around 5 minutes, pausing halfway to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula. When mixing, apply the egg and begin to beat until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and add 1/3 of the flour, then 1/3 of the chocolate paste. 

 

Alter between the two to create a chocolaty batter. Fold once or twice from the bottom up to ensure no flour or butter streaks exist. Half of the batter should be placed in a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8- or 1/2-inch round top. Dab a little batter under each corner of the parchment, then firmly press it to the sheet pans. Pipe 15 2 3/4-inch by 1-inch "buns" onto each sheet pan, refilling the bag as desired. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the "buns" are puffy and firm. Place the parchment on the counter and leave to cool until no sign of warmth remains. Switch to an airtight container with a sheet of wax paper in each layer and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

 

To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8- or 1/2-inch circular tip with Homemade Cool Whip, Cherry Pit Whipped Cream, or your favorite whipped frosting. Half of the "buns" should be turned upside down, and 1 tablespoon of filling should be piped down the middle of each. Top with the remaining "buns" and gently press to hold. Refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 6 hours before serving.