Chorizo and Pork Belly with White Beans

Farmers hide your piggies and vegans/vegetarians beware! This soup is all about the delicious, flavorful and juicy pig. Pig in 3 different ways: we have the Spanish chorizo (from wiki): Spanish chorizo is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with smoked pimentón (paprika) and salt. It is generally classed as eitherpicante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of smoked paprika used. Then we have my favorite part of the pig, pork belly, and dry cured form of pork belly called Pancetta. However, I can not find Pancetta here to save my life (Friends/Readers in Germany help a mama out, bitte?) I asked another food lover which subsitute is best, and found that Bauchspeck is a great replacement. Like Pancetta, Bauchspeck is from the pig's belly and  then dried, cured, but unlike pancetta, is smoked. To compensate for flavor, the friend suggested that I add more garlic, chili flakes and nutmeg to the recipe. It worked a treat! 





I am not sure when or why I stumbled across the recipe on the BBC Good Food's site, but I am so happy I did. We love chorizo and pork belly on their own in different ways, putting them together is perfection! I don't  have much experience with pancetta given that it's harder to find here from my own experience, but if the substitute bauchspeck is any indication of pancetta's awesomeness? I am a big big fan. 


This stew or pork convention-in-a-bowl is hearty filling and the beans adds a nice texture and believe it or not taste. You can use Cannellini beans or haricots (as the original recipe)I don't think I would love this as much without them! Even better it's simple, as it's delicious. Chop some aromatic/bellies/sausage and some aromatics add a good glug of wine, spices and water let it slow cook and infuse your home with lovely aroma and you're pretty much done until you add the beans at the end! This is definitely a man pleasing meal, but I could have ate the whole entire pot on my own. I love me some pork and beans. 






Chorizo & Pork Belly with White Beans
 Adapted  From BBC Good Food's site
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb piece of boneless pork belly , skin removed
1 T olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta or any dried cured belly meat (I used bauchspeck) thick bacon may work, too
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp hot smoked paprika

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 lb chorizo, roughly chopped
1 -14oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 14-oz cans of Great Northern Beans or cannellini, drained and rinsed
a bunch coriander

Directions
Heat the oven to 160C/310F. Cut the pork belly into large chunks. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, ovenproof casserole and fry the pork in batches over a high heat until browned all over, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden, then reduce the heat slightly and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the paprika and chorizo also nutmeg and chili flakes if using and cook for a minute or so. Return the pork to the pan and tip in the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and enough water just to cover - about 1 cup.

 Season, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Stir in the haricot beans and return to the oven, without the lid, for 20-30 minutes. 

Stir in the coriander

I served with a family favorite- Buttermilk Cornbread from All Recipes. I substituted 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 cup with a teaspoon on white vinegar for buttermilk. I also used 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of flour, then baked in 13 by 9 baking pan. Turned out delicious and went very well with stew. Serve with any bread you like, my parents would have used a slice of good ol' white bread. That's how we rolled. This stew and bread was enjoyed by my whole family.

Enjoy!!

Crispy Pork with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce AND Triple Chocolate Cookies

I had intended on making a blog post on just the Crispy Pork with Dipping Sauce last night, but when I was trying to set up the shot, my daughter knocked over my tripod and broke my new lens! I was gutted, but it was an accident and just material things. I seriously did cry (don't look at me like that) but I did forgive my daughter almost instantly. She was genuinely sorry and very apologetic! My husband was able to fix it, but the auto focus is kaput. Makes it a bit more difficult, but still doable :) Anyway, the photo isn't the best, but this recipe is damn good and easy. 

Crispy Pork with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce
Inspired by BBC Good Food
Can be doubled but I recommend you triple this- it's that darn delicious!!!
Ingredients
1lb pork belly
2t 5 spice powder (I made mine homemade)
Coarse Salt such as Kosher or Sea Salt
For Dipping Sauce
4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T honey (optional)
1 scallion finely chopped
Directions:
Rub the pork with the five-spice and 2 tsp sea salt then leave, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 2 hrs, but preferably overnight. When ready to cook, heat oven to its maximum setting. Lay the pork on a rack over a roasting tin, making sure the skin is exposed. Roast for 10 mins before turning down the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, then leave to cook for a further 1½ hrs. Have a look at the pork - if the skin isn't crisp, turn up the heat to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7, then cook for another 30 mins until crisp. Leave to rest on a board for at least 10 mins.

To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together with 2 tbsp water. Cut the pork into small pieces, then serve with the sauce, plus boiled rice and steamed greens, if you like.




Next recipe!
Since we're trying to eat a bit healthier after a smorgasbord of cakes, cookies, cakes, rich meat and cheese, cakes, pies, drinks AND cakes I thought I'd make one of my favorite "healthy" or rather healthier than your normal cookie cookies. This recipe is courtesy of Ellie Krieger. I tried this recipe last summer and the whole family loved it. They couldn't believe it used whole wheat flour and canola oil for butter! Great if you have a sweet tooth you just can't kick if you're trying to eat a bit healthier. The addition of nuts and dried fruit is optional, but it gives the cookies a but body and crunch. I made them without nuts and fruit last year and they were still amazing....tasted like mini brownies actually.


For this recipe I recommend you use valrhona or natural cocoa powder :)



Triple Chocolate Cookies
Ellie Krieger
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour, as I did!)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1/3 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (2 ounces)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped milk chocolate (2 ounces)
2/3 cup chopped pecans, optional
1/4 -1/2 cup dried cherries, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash together the butter and sugars with a fork until well combined. Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. 

Stir in the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and the pecans and mix well. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

 Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Being Broke Brings Out the Best!

I am not really creative but when times get rough, I can get the creative juices flowing. This past week, the kids and I were holed up in the house with colds and $20 in the bank. Sick AND broke??? How fuuuuun is that??!!! All that matters is the bills were paid and there was some food in the fridge and pantry.  So I had to be creative in the kitchen and for Halloween. Recently we were hit HARD by our gas and electric company. Too much to explain, so long story short we're paying an equivalent of 1200 bucks a month until February! So that forces me to tap my creative side with our food budget and Halloween costumes. My daughter really wanted to be a cat, so I made her costume up myself..though I had to purchase some things. My eldest son was a 'cheap ass' ghost. Basically a sheet with holes. Luckily they are cuties so my creation didn't look too horrific!  And again, like my daughter's birthday cake, all that matters is if they're happy. So on that note,  next year, in March even, I will be purchasing their costumes online ehehe! My daughter loooved hers, my son likes the idea of being a ghost rather than being a ghost. My baby didn't care, he's 19  months old hehe.

My friend Becca made the cat ears for her!!

Now on to the cheap ass food.

Monday I made a simple but soooo delicious Pork Belly from Jamie Oliver. This is actually one of my husband's favorite meals, but it's a guarantee hit with the kids and pork belly is so cheap. I paid only 1 dollar for 1 lb which is enough for us!  My daughter LOVES everything pork and potatoes. She is a meat and potatoes kind of girl, who loves vegetables. On Tuesday she ate 5 large carrots.......in one sitting. How can I say no to carrots?? But yeah, any night I make beef or pork, she will be more than likely to eat almost everything!  Also my Ninja Baby, who didn't eat meat for 6 months until he rediscovered Bacon, enjoyed the pork belly. So now Bacon, pork belly, and chicken are the only meats he will eat! 

Add the delicious sauce or 'jus' made from veg roasted in the fats and juices of the belly, along with water or more flavorful chicken stock and you have a winner! It's simple and delicious. I paired it with super simple mashed potatoes, the veg in the roaster and those microwavable steamed veg (they're awesome!!!) and I had a cheapo winner. Must try fo sho!

Pork Belly Roast

From Jamie Oliver (I halved everything but the garlic!)

Ingredients

1lb pork belly

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 onion thickly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and halved lengthwise and then halved crosswise

1 celery stalk,  halved crosswise

1 bulb of garlic

small bunch of thyme, leaves picked

1 1/4 cup water or stock

Preheat oven to full blast. It needs to be at least 220C or 425F.

Place pork on a clean work surface, skin-side up. With a small knife, score about 1/2 inch apart though the skin into the fat, but not too deep that you cut into the meat. Rub salt into the scores, pulling apart a little. Brush any excess salt off the surface and turn over, then  season rest of meat lightly. Place in a pan big enough for both pork belly and vegetables.

Roast for 15 to 30 minutes until the skin of the pork starts to puff and you see LOVELY crackling beginning to form. Turn the  heat down to 180C/350F and roast for another 30 minutes. 

Take out of the oven and baste with the fat at the bottom of the pan. Carefully lift the pork up to transfer to a clean chopping board. Add all of the veg, garlic, and thyme to the pan and stir in them into the fat. Place the pork on top of everything and put it all back into the oven. Roast another 30 minutes. Carefully move meat to a serving dish, cover with foil, and leave to rest while you prepare the gravy..

Spoon fat from tray, then add water or stock and place it on the burner. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to scrape up tasty brown bits.  When you have a dark gravy,  pour it along with the veg and garlic through a sieve. PUSH down all the veg to get all the flavor from it as you can! Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with whatever you want. The crackling is AWESOME! My baby loved this the best hehe. I hope you all enjoy!!!!Save as Draft