Sunday pork sause

Also with Wells Farm pork I made this sauce with pig skins, sausage and ribs.  The skins gave it a very smooth, silky gelatinous mouth feel. 

This was done a bit off the traditional family recipe, but I didn't have the pignoli nuts, or parsley.  I used currents, parmigiano reggiano, jalapeno, walnuts, salt and pepper.  They were my favorite thing in the pot....sweetness from the currents, texture and big flavor from the walnuts...really good.  Plus I think it is more "traditional" to use what is in the house at that moment.

But first we ate a nice pasta salse with fresh parsley, a splash of olio santo, and parmigiano reggiano.

First sausage of the year

With a ham and a shoulder from the Wells Farm Pig I made a fresh sausage with salt tellicherry black pepper, sweet paprika, and red wine.  The lighter sausage is made with Turkey, (Teresa only bought the breast......), Pork Fat, clove, all spice, black pepper, salt, and cranberry's.

Porchetta di Testa

After I shaved and cleaned this head it was deboned. 

I had rosemary, sage, thyme, parley, and oregano growing in the garden so I Finley chopped them with garlic and lemon zest.  This marinated for 2 days in the refrigerator.

Following Chef Cosentino's video to the T, I tried to tie this thing up as best as I could.  The ears were folded in the tung was left in the middle to add more meat.  It took forever and a few blisters but It was tight. I then vacuum sealed it in plastic, then put the whole thing in a stock pot for 14 hours to poach at 190 degrees F.

It was put directly in the refrigerator and chilled for 2 days.  I was sure I did something wrong, when I cut in to it and saw this beautiful mosaic of pork, I must say I was proud. 

The two big fatty parts with light pink running through are the jowls, the dark pink peaces are the toung, the squiggly white lines are the ears and you can see the herbs throughout along with the gelatin kind of like head cheese.  The smell of this thing right out of the fridge was awesome.  but tasting it cold with some olive oil and parmigianoreggiano and basil was unctuous porky heaven.  The mouth feel was so silky.to the bread it also was excellent.

Fresh Ceci and eggplant Tortellini

Made with flour and egg pasta, these tortellini where beautifully delicate.  The filling was a bit too rustic for some of my family.  I still do not own a food pro so the ceci, eggplant and pignoli nuts were mashed by hand.   flavor was good but the pignoli nuts over powered most of the other flavors.

We made a stock with the back bones, neck bones and other offal from the Wells Farm pig.  The tortellini swam nicely in it.

Fresh Ham

I marinated this fresh ham with garlic, oil, herbs from the garden-sage, rosemary, oregano, parsley, salt and black pepper over night.

This thing was out of sight!  The skin or as I like to call it, pork candy was the best part, thin, unctuous porky heaven.  The meat was moist and very flavorful.

Fist Bite

By the time my father and I returned home from the farm it was already 10:30am.  All week I couldn't wait to use my freshly sharpened knifes, and brand new hack saw so we jumped right in.  By the time noon rolled around we were only half way done breaking down the pig, and STARVING.  I had just found the first tenderloin and it was very small... so I said, "Ma...lets crust this thing with some garlic and herbs from out side and...You got lemons right?" We pan seared it and finished it in the oven until it reached 165 degrees F. 

My mother whipped up a quick tomato salad, with red onion, garlic, basil, good extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.

I de-glazed the pan with some Pino Grigio, and it made a nice sauce.  The meat was very flavorful, we argued whether it was gamy or not.  I thought it was a little but i was smelling fermented blood at the farm all morning.

Cooked perfectly if I don't say so myself

Here's the break down

Since it was my first time butchering a whole pig, I didn't want to break the bank so 150lbs looked big enough for nice muscle development, but small enough to handle easily.  Well worth the money and now I have a new found respect for the meat I always loved. 

Sorry... I'm leaving out the whole dressing of the pig.

I didn't weigh it, but we ended up with enough meat to last my mother and I at least 2 1/2 months.  Not much went to waist we ended up with 2 nice hams, 4 trotter/hocks, 2 butts, 2 picnics, 1 belly for pancetta, 1bonelsess loin attached to belly to roll for a porchetta, 2 racks of ribs (spare, and baby back attached), soup bones, tons of back fat, and some nice t-bone pork chops.  I gave the offal to my father in law who has some old Calabrese recipe that I am fearful of.  But I look forward to trying.

 

Labor Day weekend pork project

The morning after the BIG EARL scare... It was beautiful out, crisp cool air, no humidity really the perfect day to go out east.  My first time at Wells Farm i didn't know what to expect.  Is he going to shoot it, stun it, hit it with a bat...who knows?  Will there be blood everywhere, what's the innards going to smell like when he cuts open the belly? Well I can tell you it was weird, awkward, but the best thing I have ever done gastronomicly.  It wasn't nearly as dramatic as everyone thinks. 

His face explains the smell of the farm.