The Cured Ham

The Cured Ham and TL Garden 2011

The Sun is Out and it's time to garden! We'll see what type of crop grows this year. 2010 was a little weak and a little cold. We're giving these plants a head start under the make-shift greenhouse. How do you like those old-school blue plastic weights from the 70's holding down the plastic?

Dick's Smoke Wagon, Big Pine, CA

 

Dick’s Smoke Wagon, Big Pine. While I didn’t get a chance to head to the East Side of California over the summer, I was lucky enough to break away during the winter. However, that means going “around the horn” through Mojave. There are benefits to this route, one being the Indian Wells Brewery in Inyokern the second includes driving through the towns of Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine and Bishop.

Big Pine, gateway to the Palisades Mountain Range and the Ancient Bristlecone Forest is home to one more local treasure, Dick’s Smoke Wagon. Driving North, on the East Side of Main Street in Big Pine is a large mobile trailer parked on a concrete slab. The trailer is familiar to me, but it’s out of place. This trailer has been parked in Bishop for as long as I can remember. So why is it parked here in Big Pine and why is it parked next to what appears to be a renovated commercial kitchen?

 

I approach the trailer, walk up the ramp and talk with the sole occupant. After a ‘hello’ the man in the trailer rolls right into telling me the finishing times of each of the things he’s smoking, ribs, ribs, ribs; all several hours away from tender completion. Not good for my time schedule. “But if you’re here for lunch, I’ve got all my sandwiches ready, along with beans, coleslaw, and home-made jalapeno poppers.” Oh yes, I’m ready for lunch.

 

I proceed to order the bbq pulled pork sandwich with bbq baked beans and a vinegar based coleslaw. But is this a sandwich? The bottom of a small white dinner roll is placed in the middle of the center island of the take-away container and covered with a heaping portion of pork, bbq sauce, and topped with simple slivered cabbage. The top of the bun is laid to rest on the mass of pork. It is as though Dali has influenced the construction and inspiration for the surreal pork sandwich. The perfect unblemished little bun riding on top of pork carnage, underneath, the bun’s other half, immersed in a sea of bbq sauce and pork. Technically a sandwich, meat sandwiched in between two pieces of bread, yet unworkable as a sandwich eaten with your hands. Adding to the total experience and scene, a converted mobile trailer with smoke billowing from the front, parked on an industrial concrete slab, with a view of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada range. A surreal masterpiece!

Normally, people get lazy when they pull pork and allow large hunks of fat to mix in with pure meat. Not at Dick’s Smoke Wagon. Pure meat in my sandwich. The sauce is tangy, not too sweet, with nice spice notes. It’s a balance moment, all the aspects of great sauce. The beans and slaw were very tasty. The coleslaw had more vinegar than mayo, crispy, well integrated and offered a bit of cutting acid to the sweet bbq sauce and the richness of the pork.

 

I chatted with the pit master a bit after eating my sandwich. We discussed who made the Smoke Wagon, the development of the commercial kitchen, and the upcoming trout season. Before I continued my drive, I figured I’d ask if I could take a bottle of his BBQ sauce.

“Excuse me. Do you bottle your sauce?”

“No, just make it fresh each day depending on what I think I need. If I bottle it, it wouldn’t be fresh would it?”

Now how can I disagree with that?! I hope my readers can make it to Big Pine and try Dick’s Smoke Wagon. They are also on FACEBOOK.

Three Home-Cooked Meals

While I've recently had a flurry of restaurant dining experiences, I've also had four remarkable home-cooked experiences that match any night out. While I rarely detail the experiences or the food of friends and relatives (I like be invited over for dinner as a friend, not a critic), I want to recognize great cooks, great meals, and great friends.

Dinner on The East Side: My friends and climbing partners, Lyra and Dave, hosted me for Dave’s birthday party. The menu included salmon, braised kale, various cheeses, salad and included a homemade Hollandaise and homemade vanilla ice cream. I haven’t had homemade Hollandaise in years and it’s not an easy sauce to make. Even though Lyra is a full time rock climber, she was joking about being “gripped” after using the whisk to make the sauce. Pretty funny to hear from someone who can pull herself up a rock wall with her fingertips. Bravo. I think I was a little selfish with the braised kale and the salmon that the Hollandaise paired with. And who can resist homemade ice cream? Check David and Lyra out at California Alpine Guides.

Dinner in The City: I was down in San Francisco recently with long-time friends, Emi, Bob, and Lee for a casual dinner party over several bottles of wine. Emi was in charge of the kitchen this round and put together a simple and delicious caldo starter and braised chicken. Well incorporated and complimentary flavors typical of the region where Emi was born, Acapulco. This is the continuation of the dining roundtable I hosted a couple months ago. Looks like we're coming to your house next Lee!

Dinner in Wine Country: A little closer to home, the famous crab feed, hosted by Ray Lewand of The Camellia Inn, was served along with butternut squash soup and bacon wrapped asparagus. An all-star meal to be sure. But rewind to the start of the evening; three simple but remarkable focaccias were introduced when guests arrived. Prepared by Christina, Ray’s daughter, these herb and seeded focaccias were brilliant. I could have easily eaten focaccia, cheese, and wine for the entire night.  I think I’ve got an idea for my next dinner party: Christina’s Focaccia and Red Wine.

Dinner at The Super Bowl: My childhood friend John hosts an annual Super Bowl party in Fresno. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends, drink some beer, and collaborate on food.  There is usually a heavy food and beverage industry crowd at John’s house, so there is also a little friendly competition. I think there were three secret family recipes for salsa available that day, a quarter wheel of Parmesan, two grilled tenderloins of beef, bacon wrapped prawns, a killer 7-Layer dip, a pizza bread with bacon, fresh fried chicken, and probably 8 different craft and premium beers. Even better, there was leftover tenderloin for sandwiches the following night.

Thanks to everyone over the last several weeks. I appreciate the meals, the conversation, and the friendships.

The Mad Duck, Fresno / Clovis

Mad. When one looks at the dictionary definitions of "Mad", the words Harebrained, Uncontrollably Foolish, Mentally Disturbed are all possibilities. I must have been a little mad that day to have suggested dining at The Mad Duck.

So let's start the review off with some basics about The Mad Duck:

Plastic utensils, plastic trays (I'm sure they're high quality plastic), no coasters for drinks, no greeting either upon arrival or departure (problematic when there is no host station at the front door, only awkward empty space and a distracted bartender who eventually greeted us when we sat down at an available table), no explanation or menu indicators that sides do not accompany the main dishes (such as fries or onion rings), no additional offer of condiments such as ketchup, mustard, or mayo with our onion rings (just in case I may not care for the onion ring sauce provided, I shouldn't have to ask), and no break in between our appetizer and main course arrival. The room temperature was cold enough for me to keep my jacket on. On the upside, our beers were served in glass pints, not red plastic cups used at fraternity parties and tailgates and all of the flat screen TVs were working.

We ordered deviled eggs to start (and at this point no utensils or napkins on the table) Simple and classic, The Mad Duck version were classically seasoned, however the eggs were topped with tiny pieces of bacon, real tiny pieces, that tasted like over cooked bacon crumbs rather than a garnish that was additive. Remove the bacon and the deviled eggs were good, not earth-shatteringly good, but certainly good.

As for main courses, I ordered the LuLu burger while my colleague ordered the spicy shrimp baguette. The baguette's center was hollowed out and shrimp was stuffed in the open core of the bread. No incisions to the sides or the top, just a hollowed out bread core. The shrimp were seasoned with a very heavy hand of black pepper and accompanied by a sauce labeled as a brown butter. The resulting shrimp and loose sauce were then shoveled into the baguette's visually unappealing cavernous hole, creating a dirt-brown hole filled with pepper shrimp. The flavors and textures were equally unappealing to my guest, with the black pepper overwhelming the flavor of the shrimp. The sauce consistency was that of near water rather than a constructed brown butter sauce, thus secreting the brown liquid into a pool underneath the bread, turning it soggy and wet. This was labeled as a Mad Duck specialty.

My LuLu burger was cooked as requested medium-rare, a bonus. The burger was good, each individual element was fine, but like the day before at Pismo's and their Ahi Tower, flavorful yet uninspired, bordering on simple crude assembly of ingredients placed in a plastic tray lined with wax paper...wait, that's exactly what it was.

When I think of hand made onion rings, I think of my early childhood and those formative years in the kitchen under the watchful eye of my mother. Armed with safety scissors, I would run to the freezer to pull out a plastic bag filled with onion rings, industrially crafted to perfection. Each perfectly golden onion ring was thinly sliced, slightly frost-bitten, looked suspiciously similar to the other onion rings in the pile with a minimal amount of variation in color or texture. My Dad told me each onion ring was ISO compliant, whatever that meant. With my juvenile hand, I would cut the plastic bag with care and reverence just prior to my mother dropping them in the hot oil. 100% hand made. I cut the plastic bag by hand and my mother placed each ring by hand into the hot oil. Ah, the fond memories of childhood.

We ordered a side of hand-made onion rings at The Mad Duck since we were not aware that neither fries nor rings came with our sandwich or burger. We were presented with our hand-made onion rings within 3 minutes after we ordered them. I love hand-made onion rings.

For this level of attention and food quality, I'd rather go back to a food stand at the bus station in Arequipa, Peru. For a more local example, there's no great expectations at Dog House Grille or grandiose statements that lead you to believe you're going to be ordering anything but inexpensive human fuel in a very casual environment and as a reminder, I like Dog House Grille.

If you really want food served in a plastic tray lined with wax paper, wait for the Big Fresno Fair and buy a corndog or a soft taco...And you don't have to ask for condiments at the Fair.

Al Grano, Cuzco, Peru

When global backpackers are tired of local cuisine after a grueling 6 weeks in a foreign country they go straight for fusion food. Hailed as a great place for Asian rice dishes by the guidebooks, nothing of the sort was found at Al Grano. I couldn’t figure out if the food simply wasn’t good or if there is laziness in the kitchen. We ordered a plate of mixed vegetables, a lamb curry dish which came with vegetables, some steamed rice, and a bowl of cilantro soup.

As Cuzco is part of the ‘backpacker scene’ I understand that vegetarian and world fusion restaurants have their place. Al Grano is no exception. The aire of backpacker permeated the place. I’ve done enough sleeping in my car and camping around the US to know a backpacker place when I step into one. Remember readers, I don’t stay exclusively at posh resorts and hotels. Bargain Global Backpacker Restaurant shouldn’t be synonymous with poor quality, vegetarian, and bulk human fuel. Unfortunately, it often is.

Lamb curry isn’t that difficult to make and at the very least, it should be flavorful. Bland is the easiest way to describe the dish. And look at the pool of water in the plate! Flavorless. I even tried to enhance the color in my photo with online photo editing software to bring something other than a brownish-grey hue into view. I poured the two condiments offered all over my dish and was begging for some spice to go with it (condiment 1 below). The vegetables were a horrific tragedy, steamed to anemic paleness. The white rice was fine, at least it was cooked properly. The soup certainly tasted of cilantro, but was thin and once again underseasoned. As expected, lower quality was compensated with high volume. There was a lot of food delivered for 30 soles. Drinks comprised the bulk of the bill, with water and beer costing more than the food.

So I have a concept for a restaurant in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, think Fuzio combined with Panda Express, and Olive Garden…Fusion Panda Garden and we love less discriminating vegetarian budget global backpackers who are really tired of eating tasty local cuisine but have a huge budget for beer and cigarettes!

I’d rather eat McDonald’s. If you’re in Cuzco, skip Al Grano and go eat somewhere that serves local food.

Colca Canyon Garden

While not specifically food related, this flower was growing in the same garden that our food was prepared from during our time in the Colca Canyon. I have no idea what the flower is, only that it was photogenic.

The Cured Ham in Peru

I have been distracted with other attentions lately (most of December actually), but The Cured Ham is back before Christmas with a quick Buenas Noches from Peru. 

Ceviche has been the standout so far. The oxtail stuffed peppers were also delightful. Wine consumption is down, but Pisco consumption is up (Pisco is in many ways like grappa). I have been in the kitchen cooking with a 24 year old chef, youngest chef in the Orient Express Hotel Group. Cool guy. Picking up a thing or two along the way.

I am trying to upload pictures via Flickr and Facebook as I can, but connections are not as fast as I would like them.

Merry Christmas from The Cured Ham. I will try to post again before the New Year!! 

Gleason Ranch Un-Smoked Bacon

Gleason Ranch Un-Smoked Bacon with no nitrates/nitrites vs. Ambrosio Market Pancetta, Florence, Italy 

 

What am I thinking? Italian pancetta is different in style than American bacon, I know, I don’t need a lecture. But the Gleason Ranch bacon survived a critical test, it stayed crunchy and had texture in my risotto. The added benefit of not being smoked brought back the flavor memory of cooking in my tiny kitchen in Florence over a year ago.

Something to consider when frying Gleason Ranch bacon, it doesn’t have the water content that store bought bacon has. It doesn’t shrink much at all and it doesn’t curl up in the cast iron skillet. The fat crisps up more like crackling with barely any resemblance to the whitish fat on commercial bacon. So watch your cooking time and watch the color as it cooks. The lack of water, thickness and meat to fat ration all effect the outcome

I chopped and fried the bacon in a small pan, the same pan I added my rice to. I decided on a more heavily wine based ‘stock’ than normal and chose a local Veritas Ridge sparkling wine as my base adding roughly 2 cups sparkling wine to 1 cup water. I’m pleased to say both the bacon and the wine are two local products. No pepper and only a dash of sea salt. Yes, I kept all of the fat from the rendered bacon in the pan for cooking. I finished my risotto with parmigiano reggiano and a dash of butter.

Rather than incorporate the chantrelles into my risotto, I decided to cook them separately in butter and parsley and circle the plate in decadence. This left a nice area to spoon my risotto into. I paired the meal with a Tandem Sangiovese 2004, as Sangiovese would have been appropriate in Florence.

The result was excellent (not arrogance, confidence). I’ve tried 100% wine based risottos before and don’t always care for the results. I wanted some acid in the base considering the amount of bacon, butter, and cheese incorporated into the dish.

Meal two with my Gleason Ranch bacon challenge was the American Classic, Bacon and Eggs. No need to explain anything here. Just look at the picture.

So where can you find Gleason Ranch products?

Oliver's Market (Santa Rosa & Cotati)
Planet Organics (Sonoma)
Valley Ford Market (Valley Ford)
Willowside Meats (Santa Rosa)
Bi-Rite Market (San Francisco)
Canyon Market (San Francisco)

Handwritten Recipes or Italian Hieroglyphics

Some of you may need the Rosetta Stone from ancient times to read this, but there are two recipes on this return envelope. There isn't even a title for these recipes. Can anyone guess what these make? Does anyone want to try and make either recipe? Talk about a great Top Chef Challenge, "Italian Aunt and Niece UnTitled Recipe Challenge."

Yes, these recipes were written on the only paper available on that day in June of 1997, a return envelope. Now you know this is authentic. Trust me, I couldn't make this up. And I've got some other winning recipes form the family.

 

Sous Vide Bacon?

Sous Vide Bacon...WTF?!

From Wikipedia: "Sous-vide (pronounced /suːˈviːd/), French for "under vacuum",[1] is a method of cooking that is intended to maintain the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period at relatively low temperatures. Food is cooked for a long time, sometimes well over 24 hours. Unlike cooking in a slow cooker, sous-vide cooking uses airtight plastic bags placed in hot water well below boiling point (usually around 60 °C or 140 °F)."

The Cured Ham's definition of Bacon: A crispy and delicious combination of pork fat and meat from the belly area of the pig. Bacon can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bacon is good and good for you. There's always room for Bacon.

I've been eating lunch and dinner at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco for years. It's a staple for me and many colleagues for the Business Lunch. I'll continue to eat here.

However, one thing last week challenged my palate, Sous Vide Bacon! As part of the One Market Heirloom BLT, sous vide bacon acts as the base to a creative interpretation to an American classic. The heirlooms were varied and delicious, the greens were fresh, and the ring of bread was crisp. But the bacon was never intended to be crispy. Bacon when cooked under sous vide becomes gelatinous. The bacon tastes the way it's supposed to taste, but the texture is unfamiliar, think thin slices of bacon flavored Jello.

As someone who likes all things pork, I may have found an exception...Sous Vide Bacon. But I'm glad I tried it and it made for good conversation at lunch.