'Dangerous' shortcut pressure-cooked pulled pork

A new year and a new resolution! This year, I resolve to experiment with more dangerous techniques that endanger my safety and those around me, but make my food even more delicious. The Mayans were wrong and now, to reap the benefits!

Wimps, such as Gabe who constantly asks me how to cook stuff, however, are scared of kitchen implements that actually facilitate food preparation for busy home cooks. In this case, pulled pork made not in an oven, nor in a slow cooker, but rather in a pressure cooker.

[Pulling the pork. You can do it!]

Pressure cookers, as we know, when use improperly, can explode and maim, which is why one should follow all precautions when using them.

(The subtitle for this entry should be Why Gabe does not own any sharp knives. The answer to that question, folks, is because he is a wimp. The smirk on his face just says "Can't I just use scissors?"...)

[Gabe the meat-lover and carnivore wimp]

For a 4.5lb (3kg) chunk of pork butt, I would say a good hour and half (vs. 4 to 8 hours on a grill or in an oven or slow cooker). The only downside is that any amount of sugar (be it from the brine, the spices, or the BBQ sauce) will likely burn at the bottom of the pot while the meat cooks.

[You reading this caption probably took longer than this pulled pork sandwich topped with some random coleslaw existed IRL.]

I probably should have read Miss Vickie's pressure cooker tips on how to avoid scorching my food before trying this the first three times; she recommends lowering the temperature to the lowest temperature required to maintain pressure as soon as your pressure is attained. Also her PIP (pan-in-pan) technique might come in useful; perhaps I shall try AlfoillingingIP (aluminium foil in pan) technique next attempt (soon to be patented if it works).

(Meanwhile, check out these fab recipes for pulled pork from Amazing Ribs, Chefs George Siu & Park Heffelfinger from Memphis Blues (VAN), or BBQ guru Steve Raichlen.)

Fun with bacon crafts

Ideal for a casserole/savoury pie topper or camping blanket, try weaving bacon.

[A bacon weave, soon to be the next girl scout achievement badge.]

(Inspired by craftster.)

Hanging out with my pal Char Siu

Everyone who knows Char Siu knows that there's no fooling around when it comes to barbecue. Steve Raichlen doesn't hold a candle to char siu (sorry, Mr. Raichlen).

Char siu, or Chinese barbecue pork 叉燒 (literally "fork roast" but can also mean "stabbing burn"*) is scientifically proven to be everyone's second favourite meat, and is eaten year-round, in steamed buns (bao 包), in sandwiches, topped on ramen, or stand-alone (not only at Chinese New Year).

Contrary to tradition, the beautiful roast red colour on char siu is often a result of red food colouring, the CHEATERS way of getting that awesome colour. Cheaters, as we know, get turned into pillars of shame, and end up on Jerry Springer with illegitimate twins.

The REAL way of getting the red is using red fermented bean curd which lends to the flavour and the red colour without artificial colours. You can also be a lazy doof and buy the jar of char siu marinade which doesn't taste as good. Up to you if you want to be a doof.


[This is how I roll. The medium-fatty pork loin version of char siu.]

As is customary for enterprising Asian food mart merchants, CNY foodstuffs prices are jacked up prior to the holiday. I wasn't about to pay $10/lb for a sliver of delicious barbecued pork, so I made my own from pork loins. The loins were, IMO, not fatty enough for my taste but plenty good on flavour. Opting for more of an authentic roast, I hung the char siu to roast in the oven, just like the big boys do!


[Suspended animation: char siu roasting on makeshift hooks in my convection oven. Looks weird, but so do bodybuilders.]

Chow's Char siu 
Marinade (for ~3 lbs pork)
1 Tb (15ml) light soy sauce
3 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic
1 Tb (15ml) chopped ginger
2 stalks green onions
1.5 Tbs (22ml) five-spice powder
3 Tb (45ml) honey, corn syrup, or maltose
2 cubes red bean curd
1 Tb (15ml) rice wine


Glaze
1 Tb (15ml) honey

1. Salt your meats and let it sit at least 30 min. This is always important
2. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the marinade.
3. Score your meats (optional) by making very shallow slits perpendicular to the grain of the meat, as so.
   [I was told that scoring cross-grain on one side of the loin would keep it from curling. Who cares about it curling when it all goes into your stomach!]
4. Marinade your meats in the marinade (minimum 4 hours, recommended overnight in fridge, while letting warm up to almost room temperature prior to cooking).
5. If roasting in a tray and rack, first cover the rack in aluminium foil, pierce a few holes in the foil, and then lay down a few chopsticks at intervals on the foiled rack. Lay the meat over the chopsticks so that it is basically propped over the foiled rack.
   If you roast them hanging, make sure you place a tray at the bottom of your oven to catch the delicious char siu drippings which will be lost to you forever because it's no longer edible.   
6. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in total for a 3lb roast, testing at 20 minutes for doneness. When near done, paint the honey glaze all over the meat (flip if required). 
7. When done, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and eat while your gluttonous family members are still watching television. 

* When I was subjected to Rorschach tests, I always saw demon dophins. 

The butcher did it, with the cleaver, in the kitchen

It's a shame that offal meats are still not widely accepted as they should be, and for no good reason! It's tasty, tasty stuff -- there's no reason to be squeamish! When you think of it, meat is animal muscle, and if the animal devoted its life to becoming food, we respect that and use it as much as possible.

Offal meats (pork intestines and knuckles, chicken hearts, beef tongue, etc.) seem to be more readily sold at Asian butcher counters (Kim Phat, T&T, Marché Orientale, etc) but even then, there's items you can only get by special request.

Sometimes called "fifth quarter" meats by butchers (abat en français) are still even more rare on restaurant menus -- and especially in our fair city where restaurants outnumber inhabitants, we should be seeing more creativity with these meats.

Charcuterie Chez Vito is my favourite neighbourhood butcher (though a tad pricey, the quality is consistently superb). In addition to being dapper in their butcher garb, the butchers are knowledgeable and friendly -- so friendly, you don't mind giving them extra money for their goods!

[Grilled lamb liver à la Vito]

Chez Vito have a few offal meats on hand but they'll be happy to get you whatever you fancy. Since liver is a tad dry when cooked (and can be worn as a shoe when overcooked), Vito recommended an Italian method for grilling liver: wrapping it in caul fat.

Grilled lamb liver à la Vito
2lb (~1kg) liver, rinsed and pat dry
Caul fat* (ask your butcher for some; they might just give it to you)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Few bay leaves

1. As always when cooking meat (unless otherwise instructed), let it warm up to at least close to room temperature. Season the liver with salt, pepper.
   
   
2. If the caul fat is bunched up, run it in some cold running water to loosen it. Lay it out flat on a surface. 
3. Place the liver on top of the caul fat and then top it off with a few bay leaves.
   
4. Completely wrap the caul fat around the liver.

5. Grill it on medium-high (or barbecue it) for 3-4 minutes on the first side, and then another 3-4 minutes on the other side. It should be somewhat rare in the middle.

6. Slice it up and then serve with something tasty, such as an English ale or aranciata. Or both. 

We can rally together and get out the message that offal is not awful!

(Why am I so ranty these days?)

* Goz says that they sometimes call it la pella (skin) or buccia (layer) in Italian. He could also tell me that "La cadavere della cameriera è nascosto nella dispensa" means "The cake is wonderful and another glass of wine is not out of the question," and I'd still believe him.

fashionistas, make way for headwear made of meats!

don't know if it would eat one (maybe take a nibble or something), but i would wear one...


http://www.hatsofmeat.com/frame.html