Sunday, May 31, 2009

 

Pennsyltucky venison

There's alot of talk in the foodie world about local foods, sustainable practices, homegrown and DIY techniques. Often these ideas lead to some good habits but in the end, it's very difficult to take these to heart for each and every meal of your life.

Last fall, I took this to heart when I went with my uncle on a deer hunt. He's been hunting for years and is pretty good at it, judging from the amount of venison in his freezer. He also absolutely loves it. When I asked to come with him, he was psyched to finally have a family member go with him after all these years. I was equally happy to have someone so eagerly guide me and provide the gear and expertise.

I wanted to hunt for a couple of reasons. One is that I understood what it takes to harvest an animal and I wanted to test my will to do so. The second is that I wanted to have a freezer full of meat that I could call my own. When people asked, I had them consider it like apple picking, but for meat.

We hunted land in Buck's county, Pa belonging to a friend of his. The private land, which we hunted, abuts state land so there's lots of free space for the deer but also a lot of hunters. The woods were filled with random gunfire all weekend. Most of the time, I sat in a tree stand trying to keep warm and hope a buck walked past. When one finally did, I couldn't get him in target and get a shot off before he went out of range.

Luckily, my uncle had better luck. He took two in as much time as it takes to fire a shot, reload and take another. It was an unlikely way to get deer but that's another story, for our purposes, all you need to know is that there were two animals that needed to be field dressed and butchered. Since I had nothing else to do, I helped out. My reward was meat from one of the deer. Next year, I hope to get my own.

If you're really, really curious about how to field dress a deer (aka gut it so the meat doesn't spoil,) you can see a brief video clip my uncle made while walking me through the process. It's not for the squeamish but is kind of funny!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

 

Book list

I received Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn, and Thomas Keller as a gift from my dearest mother. Though I'm not sure she shares my passion for taking so much time to make food, I know she appreciates the result. Thanks mom!

The book is a lovingly devoted and thoroughly explained volume describing how to make and enjoy everything from pate to lox, soppressata to chorizo, bacon to guanciale. I've only gotten through the introduction but I'm already excited.

Whether you have a desire to try making it yourself or you just want to enjoy eating it more than you already do, I recommend the book. It covers a lot of ground, it is written by two authors who are fully devoted to the topic and the food porn will have you hungry in no time.



 

I worked for food

Setup: Last November, I took a charcuterie class taught by Jamie Bissonette, the chef at Toro. A few months later, I was at Toro and asked the floor manager if Jamie was around because I wanted some of his recipes. We struck up an email conversation and as school was ending and I had spare time, I asked if I could work in his kitchen to get some practical experience in the industry. A few weeks later, I show up for my first day at work.

Now, you need to understand that Toro is a high level restaurant. It's tapas and Spanish food with a commitment towards quality ingredients and handcrafted flavors. Jamie is also very interested in charcuterie and makes use of space in the restaurant's walk-in and wine cellar for curing, storing and ageing hams, pates, rilletes, sausages and whatnot. These are then prominently featured on the menu.

Back to me. Apparently, it's common for restaurants to have outside cooks (or, in my case, civilians) come in for a short while to observe, learn and help out. So when I sauntered in, it was MUCH less of a deal to them than it was to me. They gave me a jacket, a knife, directed me towards a work area and a binch of parsely and I got to work.

Either I chopped the parsely very well or they figured they might as well use me while they had me but the tasks kept coming. I sliced roasted poblanos for a halibut special that night, fried churros for dessert, very finely chopped a variety of zests and finally, shelled about 5 pounds each of fava beans and sugar snap peas. It was mostly prep work, or nothing that couldn't be undone by someone else later, but it still felt good to be part of the process and a member of the team.

At this point, dinner service was beginning, the kitchen kicked into high gear, and I went from participant to observer. I watched as the line went into action, handling the first rush of the night with the experience and skill of professionals. I had to leave before long but I enjoyed the experience and hope to go back sometime soon.

Thanks to Jamie for letting me do it, Thanks to Greg for taking care of me and thanks to Kathryn, Paige and Jason for putting up with me.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

 

my pancetta

Did I mention I made my own Pancetta? I did, its name was Vinny and it was pretty good.

It all started last November when I took a class on charcuterie at BU taught by Jamie Bissonette, the chef at Toro and an expert in curing, salting and preserving meats. In the class, we made sausages, rendered fat for duck confit, made a terrine, talked about curing hams and as a grand finale, made head cheese from a pig's head that had been boiling in a large pot all day.

This class really brought home how simple it is to make some of those delicious cured meats we all know and love. My first effort was a pancetta for two reasons: it required the least amount of specialized equipment and ingredients; and I frickin' love it.

Vinny took about 3 weeks total to cure and age. It was surprisingly simple: take pork belly, cover in stuff, cure for a week, roll it tight and hang it for another two weeks. For a good basic recipe adapted from the book "Charcuterie" click here.

The result was a slightly more crude version of the stuff you get in the store. The ends were gnarled and dry because I didn't round them very well but it was quite good overall. At a couple of points, I realized that I didn't tie it well enough so the middle was a little funky but that was a good learning point.

I ate a lot of pancetta and eggs, gave a lot away, wrapped lots of things in pancetta and added it to all sorts of dishes. Within 2 weeks, my five pounds were all gone. Vinny, it was a good time, thanks for the memories. I look forward to meeting you again as you are reincarnated again and again.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

 

wood fire grilling

This article reminds me of how we cook on our camping trips and how my uncle Kevin cooks his venison. He has a legless weber that fits in his pickup that he brings around when its needed. He'll stack some hardwood, light the fire and wait for it to turn to embers. Meanwhile, the venison has been marinating for a half day or more. Once ready, it's a great combination of earthy, smoke flavors and tangy garlic/citrus. The marinade tenderizes the meat and provides a counterpoint to the gamey venison flavors and aggressive smoke flavors.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

 

Wine tasting tips

As a wine guy, I've done a fair amount of wine tasting in wine countries around the world. It's a great way to taste new things, learn about the process and take up time during a relaxing vacation. For those of you out there who may be planning your first trip to a winery, I want to share my wisdom and help you have the best experience possible.

Visiting wineries can be exhausting if you don't do it right. You may end up too drunk to finish your day, too tired to appreciate the wines you encounter later in the day. However, if you plan right and follow a few simple guidelines, you can have a great time.

I put together the following list and then added some suggestions from my friends Allison and Jeremy who moonlight in the tasting room at Panther Creek winery in McMinnville, Oregon. This is Allison's parent's winery where they make some tasty Pinot Noir from the Willamette valley. If you'll be in that area, you should check them out.

Planning:
  1. don't over-reach--you should leave yourself at least half an hour per winery but probably more like an hour if you want to taste slowly and fully appreciate the wines.
  2. Consider driving time--I've been to wineries in Sonoma, NY, Central Coast California, Argentina, Chile and Napa and one thing (among many) that they have in common is distance between wineries. You'll spend a fair amount of time going from one stop to the next so factor that into you plans.
  3. Give yourself breaks--whether for lunch, for a walk or for a beer, you'll want some time to relax, drink some water and refresh the palate.
  4. Provide a buffer period between tasting and dinner. This will let your palate recover and make sure you can actually enjoy the meal.
Tasting room etiquette:
  1. Fees: most wineries charge a tasting fee, if not for the basic tasting than at least for the premium wines. Pay the fee if you're at all interested in the wines and realize that often, if you buy a bottle of something from the premium list, the fee will be waived. So basically, if you have any inkling you may buy something, don't hesitate to go for the premium tasting.
  2. Gently chat up the person pouring if they aren't too busy. From them, you can find out alot about the wines and the winery (beyond what they provide as part of the routine,) what other wineries in the area are worth visiting, where to go for a good meal and other useful information. If they are helpful, please tip them to show your appreciation.
    I've had pourers call ahead to other wineries to make appointments for me, call restaurants for reservations and pull the really good stuff out for a taste for free.
  3. Show interest in wines you are actually interested in rather than just throw back what they offer. Once you make it clear that you're interested in the wine, not in drinking, you may get better treatment than you would otherwise. These people like wine and if they can share their passion with you, they're more likely to treat you right.
  4. Don't get drunk. Remember, tasting doesn't necessarily mean drinking. Use the spit bucket to either spit the wine you're tasting or to empty your glass for the next wine. You don't need to drink every drop--no one will be insulted.
And now, for the perspective of the people behind the counter, thanks to Jer and Allison:

1. Don't wear perfume or cologne
2. Ask if a bucket is the spit bucket before you spit into it (if it's not obvious)
3. If you're too drunk to taste, don't bother the staff by going in and tasting
4. Kids are fine, but if you bring your kids make sure that you have things for them to do and keep your eye on them (don't let them wander around a dangerous winery)
5. This is dependent upon the person, but don't tell me your life story. I don't care.

Finally, a few words about getting it home:
  1. The winery isn't interested in undercutting the retailers who sell their wines so their prices aren't better than what you pay at home in your local wine shop. Don't fee like you should buy their basic wine because you're there.
  2. If you live in a state with a good wine market, be very selective about the wines you buy. If you can get it at your local wine store, there is no need to get it at the winery. Limit your purchases to those wines that don't get far beyond the tasting room. Ask for small production cuvees, limited edition or single vineyard bottlings that they only sell at the winery.
  3. If you're lucky enough to have the wine shipped home, put together a case or more before you send anything. Ask where there may be a shipping center if the winery can't do it for you.
  4. If not, put your purchases in a shipping box and check it as luggage when you fly home. Check with your airline regarding extra baggage fees and make your ship vs. check decision accordingly.
  5. If you either live in the are or live in a free shipping state, inquire about wine clubs if you really like the wines. These give you a few bottles a few times a year and you get first dibs on some of the smaller production stuff.

Monday, May 18, 2009

 

Italian toasting

Recently I've been hanging out with a number of Italians who were in the US to visit my Special Lady Friend Mary. While spending time with them, I've learned a bit more vocabulary, noticed a few Italian specific quirks and was clued into a particularly dangerous method of toasting your companions.

Apparently, it is traditional in Italy to toast another person, or all the people in your present company, by looking them in the eye as you toast them, tap your glass to the table and then you can take a sip. According to custom, if you fail to make eye contact or tap your glass, you will be cursed to seven years of bad sex.

Now, I drink a fair amount and ideally, I drink with other people. So, unless I observe these rules very carefully, I run the risk of cursing myself to years of bad sex. At my age (nearly 33), that could be the difference between fathering children or not. Or it could be the ruin of relationships. Or it could just be a crappy way to end my 30's.

Whatever it is, what on earth compelled the Italian race to come up with this custom? And once it was established, why on earth did anyone in Italy ever decide to toast one another and take on that risk? You're talking about serious repercussions for a minor discrepancy. I, for one, now refuse to toast anyone even remotely resembling an Italian.

 

My triumphant return

After two and a half years, I'm back to blogging. Why?
Mostly because I'm finally done with school, I'm underemployed and have the time to do it. Also, I see this as a way to build my personal brand and get myself thinking about the things that are important to me and that might very well pave the way to a brighter future.

Anyway, I'll have more updates on what I've been up to in terms of cooking, eating and drinking coming in the next few days. I have some good ideas and plenty to talk about so I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers and good eating,
Matt

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