Winter Feast

Well, it had to be done. Every once in awhile we manage to cram a bunch of people around our table (realistically designed for 4) for a night of good food, loads of wine, friendship and a little trash talking about Wii Bowling.

Readers of the blog will probably have read recently that I purchased a water bath for cooking 'sous vide' (in a vacuum bag). We had brined pork chops before and then roasted them with great results. This time we tried brining and sous vide together to see what we could get out of that. Well, we were not disappointed.

My biggest challenge tonight was to get Jackie, a previously unabashed non-eater of pork, to not only try this, but love it. I think I have made a pork believer out of Jackie. Mission accomplished.

So there is a lot of work to be done here, and if you're lucky enough to live in America where people are fortunate enough to have a regular-sized refrigerator, you could do a good bit of this in advance.

So what are we looking at here?

BRINE - Brining works so well with pork to tenderize and flavor it. This is a 24-hour soak... and you really do need to give it a full day to sit in the brine.

ROMESCO - This is a Catalan sauce which eats quite a bit like a Mexican mole (pronounced 'MO-lay'). It is a sauce made with chiles, tomatoes, garlic and toasted nuts all pureed up with a little oil. It is a delicious, deep-flavored sauce, perfect for winter. It is also used as a fairly common condiment to meat in Spain.

SALAD - This was yummy. Toasty hazelnuts, fruity and crunchy persimmons, pomegranate acidity, peppery arugula. This was a really well-balanced salad with a lot going on in it for your mouth to think about. We had a few non-salad enthusiasts (who I guess don't get exciting salads much) go back for seconds.

PORK - What can I say? It was the crown jewel of the dinner. Cooked until JUST done (62 C, 145F) and still a touch pink in the middle, the combination of long brining and cooking it in the vacuum bag, searing it off just at the end and topping it with the romesco was a triumph. The oohs and aahs lasted well past the first few bites, which is always a good sign.

SWEET POTATOES - This was the perfect compliment to the pork and kept nicely with the winter theme. Sweet potatoes, bacon, sage, brown butter... all classic wintery flavors here.

CHURROS - This is a Spanish classic. Essentially, deep-fried dough rolled around in cinnamon sugar and dipped into hot chocolate. I have been wanting to do that for quite some time now and I was really pleased with the crunchy exterior and soft doughy middle.

HOT CHOCOLATE - This is the only part of the dinner I would change. It is made without any sugar added - the idea being that you want the bitterness of the chcolate to counteract the sweeteness of the churro. Well, it was quite bitter, and next time I'll either use a sweeter chocolate or simply get some sugar in there.

Here we go:

PREP: Brine

2 tablespoons juniper berries
2 tablespoons allspice berries
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup kosher salt
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
2 chiles de arbol
1 onion, sliced
½ bulb fennel, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Crush the juniper berries coarsely in a mortar. Repeat with the allspice and then the fennel seeds.

Dissolve the sugar and salt in 2 cups hot water (just hot enough to dissolve the sugar) in a large, very clean container. Add the juniper berries, allspice berries, fennel seeds, cloves, bay leaves, chiles, onion, fennel, carrot, thyme, and parsley. Add 3 quarts very cold water, and stir to combine all the ingredients.

NOTE: Soak the pork chops in the brine for 24 hours.

PREP: Romesco

5 ancho chiles
2 tablespoons raw almonds
2 tablespoons blanched hazelnuts
1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 slice country bread, about
1 inch thick
⅓ cup San Marzano canned tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ lemon, for juicing
A splash of sherry vinegar
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the chiles, and then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to soften. Strain the chiles, and pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they smell nutty and are golden brown.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute. Fry the slice of bread on both sides until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pan and cool. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and set aside. Return the pan to the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the chiles and saute for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato juices have evaporated and the tomato starts to color slightly. Turn off the heat, and leave the mixture in the pan.

In a food processor, pulse together the toasted nuts, garlic, and fried bread until the bread and nuts are coarsely ground. Add the chile-tomato mixture, and process for 1 minute more.

With the machine running, slowly pour in the remaining 1 cup olive oil and process until you have a smooth puree. Don't worry, the romesco will "break" or separate into solids and oil; this is normal. Add the parsley, and season to taste with lemon juice, sherry vinegar, and more salt if you like.

Starter: Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts


⅔ cup blanched hazelnuts
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hazelnut oil
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot, plus 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice (from 1 to 2 pomegranates), plus 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced
¼ lemon, for juicing
½ lb. arugula
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they smell nutty and are lightly browned. When the nuts have cooled, chop them coarsely and toss them with 1 teaspoon hazelnut oil and a generous pinch of salt.

Place the diced shallot, pomegranate juice, both vinegars, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil. Taste for balance and seasoning.

In a large salad bowl, toss the persimmons, sliced shallots, and pomegranate seeds with the dressing, and season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Gently toss in the arugula and taste for seasoning. Arrange the salad on a platter, and scatter the hazelnuts over the top.

MAIN: Cured Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes, Bacon, and Romesco


6x10 ounce pork rib chops
1 recipe BRINE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
SWEET POTATOES WITH BACON AND SPINACH
1 recipe ROMESCO
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Submerge the pork chops completely in the brine, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before you're ready to cook, and take the pork chops out of the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature. If they're wet from the brine, pat them dry with paper towels.

When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, brush the pork chops with the olive oil, and place them on the grill. Cook the pork chops 5 to 7 minutes on the first side (depending on how thick they are), rotating them a couple of times, until they're seared and have a nice color. Turn them over and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or so, rotating them often, until medium-rare to medium.

You can peek inside, near the bone; they should be a little pink. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a large warm platter, and drizzle about 1/4 cup Romesco over them. Place the grilled pork chops on top, and slather each one with a generous spoonful of romesco. Serve the rest of the Romesco on the side.

Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Spinach

4 lbs. sweet potatoes, Jewel or Garnet
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 cup sherry, reduced by half
8 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sliced sage leaves
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
¾ lbs. slab bacon
½ lb. young spinach, cleaned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into , 1-inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and reduced sherry.

In a medium saute pan, cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, until it's brown and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes. Add the sage and thyme to the butter and pour it over the sweet potatoes, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula to get all the brown bits. Toss with a large spoon, being careful of the hot butter. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large roasting pan and bake in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are caramelized and tender. Stir with a metal spatula every so often to coat the potatoes evenly with the butter and sugar.

While the potatoes are cooking, slice the bacon lengthwise into 1/4"-thick slices. Stack them in two piles, then cut the strips crosswise into 1/4" even-sided rectangles or lardon,. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the bacon and cook about 5 minutes until it's tender and lightly crisped. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a plate.

When the sweet potatoes are done. remove the pan from the oven and toss in the bacon and spinach. Taste for seasoning.

DESSERT: Churros y Chocolate


1 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
3 extra-large eggs
1 extra-large egg yolk
2-3 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
HOT CHOCOLATE

Bring the milk, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and add all the flour at once. Stir together with a wooden spoon, and return the pan to the stove over low heat. Work the batter back and forth, stirring with a wooden spoon, to dry the batter. When the dough begins to roll away from the sides of the pan, cook another 5 minutes.

Transfer the batter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer running at low speed, drop the eggs and egg yolk in one by one, waiting for each to be incorporated before adding the next. Let the batter rest at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before using.

Heat the oil to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer, over medium heat, in a heavy wide-bottomed pan.

Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a number-4 star tip. (You may have to do this in batches.)

Combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl.

Squeeze 4-inch-long pieces of dough into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan; the churros shouldn't be touching. Fry the churros 2 to 3 minutes, turning them gently with tongs once or twice to brown all sides. Test one to make sure the center is done. It should be cooked all the way through and have a crisp exterior and soft center.

Drain the churros on paper towels, and pat to remove any excess oil. While they're still hot, roll each churro in the cinnamon sugar, and serve right away with cups of the hot chocolate for dipping.

HOT CHOCOLATE

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Place the chocolate in a double boiler and melt over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup hot water to incorporate.

Sift the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in about 2 tablespoons milk, to form a paste. Whisk in the rest of the milk, the cream, vanilla, and salt.

Whisk the milk-and-cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, whisking continuously.