Jamie Waldron

Bavette with Herbed Butter

Jamie — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:56:16 +0000

Let’s get the first thing first here – the Bavette is a bavette. Not a hanger, not a skirt, not a flank. It is mistakenly made interchangeable with these other alternative grilling steaks, but in reality they all are completely different muscles that all have different functions in a living, breathing beef cow. The bavette is considered to be one of the most tastiest cuts of beef. It should be seared on high heat for a short amount of time (to blue rare or rare) due to its long muscle fibers that will become tough when cooked longer – rested, then sliced thinly against the grain.

This recipe is reminiscent of the classic French dish bavette à l’échalote, and is a great accompaniment to house-made fries.

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. bavette

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, minced

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Preparation

Place steak in a resealable plastic bag with olive oil and shallot and coat evenly. Remove as much air as possible, seal bag and chill until ready to cook, at least 1 hour and up to 24hrs.

Remove bag from the refrigerator and let steak sit at room temp 20 minutes. Heat grill over high heat. Remove steak from the bag, brush off shallots, and sprinkle both sides each with salt and pepper. Grill, turning only once, (about 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare – I would not cook this cut any longer than this). Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with tin foil and let rest 10 minutes.

Strip leaves from the thyme sprigs and roughly chop to release their aroma. Over medium heat, melt butter in a small fry pan, then add garlic and thyme leaves and cook until simmering and fragrant, 2 minutes. Slice the steak thinly against the grain. Pour warm butter mixture over steak. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pork Hock Ragu with Muscat and Porcini Mushrooms

Jamie — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:58:39 +0000

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled

10 shallots, peeled and halved

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 pork hock

1 cup fortified Muscat wine

10g dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup beef or veal stock

1 small bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh oregano

salt & freshly ground pepper

½ cup passata di pomodoro (strained, Italian tomato puree)

300 g dried pappardelle pasta

finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add garlic, shallots and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Add pork, Muscat, porcini, stock and herbs. Season with salt & pepper and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Cover tightly and bake in the oven for 3 hours, turning the hock every hour until the meat is falling off the bone.

Remove from oven. Gently lift out the hock and place onto a plate. Using two forks to shred meat, discard skin and fat and then return shredded meat to the Dutch oven. Add the passata and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, on medium heat, for 10 – 5 minutes or until thickened.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss with pork ragu. Serve sprinkled with parmigiano-reggiano.

Beer Pairing: By Mark Horsley

Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch

This 3000 year old recipe was recently resurrected from the tomb of King Midas to create a wonderfully complex and unique beer made from Muscat grapes, honey and barley. It is a sweet, fruity elixir that’s worth picking up a few next time you’re in the United States.

Poached & Roasted Pork Hock with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Jamie — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:55:28 +0000

Ingredients:

2 L water

1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning potatoes

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

1 large onion, quartered

1 head garlic, unpeeled & halved

3-4 fresh bay leaves

2 unsmoked pork hocks, around 2 lbs total

2lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into rough chunks

1/2 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, stems removed

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Using a deep pot, bring water to a boil and season with 1 tsp salt. Add peppercorns, onion, half of the head of garlic and bay leaves. Gently place pork hocks into the water (water should cover hocks), bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 1 hour.

After 45 minutes, pre-heat oven to 400°F.

When finished poaching, remove pork hocks from liquid and place into an oven safe ceramic pot with a lid. Reserve the poaching liquid. Cover hocks with lid and place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn hocks over and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 40 minutes. While the hock is roasting, wrap other garlic half in foil and place in oven.

Strain poaching liquid, draw off and reserve around 2 cups, and discard the rest. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, reduce the 2 cups poaching liquid by around two thirds. At the same time, boil potatoes until fork tender, drain and reserve in covered pot for mashing.

When hocks are ready to come out of the oven, also remove garlic in foil. Take hocks out of roasting pot and reserve on a plate to rest. Pour off excess fat from roasting pot. Place the roasting pot on the stove over medium heat briefly and deglaze it with a splash of the reduced poaching liquid (scrape up any delicious brown bits with a wooden spoon). Remove from heat and gently pour the deglazed liquid back into the rest of the reduced poaching liquid. Reduce this liquid by a half again and stir in lemon juice. Mixture should have the consistency of thin gravy. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Place 1 tablespoon of butter into a small, shallow bowl. Remove roasted garlic from foil, squeeze out of skin and into bowl. Discard skins. Roughly chop the parsley, add to bowl with butter and garlic. Mash with fork until well combined.

Mash potatoes, add milk, remaining butter and parsley-roasted garlic butter mixture and combine until evenly mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Plate hock with potatoes and gravy.

Beer Pairing: – by Mark Horsley

Style: Belgian Dubbel (or Double)

Examples: Dominus Vobiscum Double, Affligem Dubbel or St. Paul Dubbel (LCBO)

This abbey-style beer from Belgium is one of the most versatile of beers when pairing with food. The notes of raisins and solid malt backbone are both delightful and forgiving with all dark meats.

Chimichurri Flank Steak

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:08:20 +0000

Ingredients:

1 flank steak, about 3 lb

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Chimichurri:

1 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed

¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, packed

2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup water

¼ cup white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Pat the flank steak dry with paper towels and place in a large baking dish. Brush both sides with the olive oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Let the steak come to room temperature for about 45 minutes before grilling.

Combine parsley, oregano, garlic, sweet and red pepper flakes, olive oil, water and vinegar in a food processor and process until herbs are finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 3/4 cup chimichurri – cover and set aside.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Grill the steak, without moving it, for 4 minutes. Turn it over and grill for 4 to 6 minutes more for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.

Transfer the steak to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut diagonally across the grain into slices 1/4 inch thick. Divide the slices among warmed individual plates and top each serving with a generous spoonful of the chimichurri. Pass the remaining sauce at the table. Serves 4.

Asian Braised Pork Hock

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:57:40 +0000

About Pork Hocks

The hock is the lower portion of the shin bone in the leg, ending just above the trotter and is consequently tough and full of connective tissues. As with all such parts of the beast, slow cooking through stewing or braising is necessary for them to truly shine. Patience will reward you with a dish full of rich flavors and irresistible aromas. Most commonly found are smoked pork hocks, which are typically used to infuse dishes such as collard greens, soups and stews with their smokiness. The hocks in our shares are fresh, with no cure or smoke (allowing for greater versatility) and are typically difficult to obtain in the North American market. Now to get on with the recipies…

The melt-in-your-mouth texture of this dish is achieved by slow cooking until the meat until is literally falling off the bones. This Chinese inspired meal is traditionally served with steamed sweet buns (man tao) but can also eaten with rice. A trip to your neighbourhood Asian grocer will likely be required to source some ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 whole uncured pork hock, about 2 ½ lbs

½ cup of cane (red) vinegar

¾ cup of sugar

1 cup Shao Xing rice wine

½ cup of dark soy sauce

2 whole star anise

2 bay leaves

6 cloves garlic, bruised

2” piece of ginger, sliced thinly

2 shallots, halved

1 tbsp szechwan peppercorns

For garnish:

1 bunch of pak choi, blanched (may substitute baby bok choy)

1 carrot, thinly sliced and blanched

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

Preparation:

Rinse the pork hock, pat dry and place in a shallow baking dish lined with non-stick paper. Roast 45 minutes in a preheated oven at the highest temperature that your oven allows. This will seal in juices and prevent a scum from forming while the hock is braising.

Begin the braising liquid when about 10 min of roasting time is left. Pour the vinegar into a pot just large enough to hold the pork hock. Add sugar and boil until it melts. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture starts to thicken and turn syrupy. Add the soy sauce and rice wine. Lower the pork into the liquid. Add the star anise, bay leaves, garlic, ginger, shallots and szechwan peppercorns. If the braising liquid does not come up to 1/2 of the height of the pork hock, add water until it does. Simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, turning the pork hock over every 30 minutes. Check the flavor & level of liquid after an hour and add more soy sauce if necessary (or salt if you don’t want your braised pork hock to turn too dark). If too little liquid is left, add a cup or so of water. Do not, however, add more water during the last hour of cooking to ensure that the braising liquid thickens into a sauce and does not acquire a soupy texture.

When the pork is done (should be fork tender), carefully transfer to a serving bowl. Arrange the blanched vegetables around it. Strain the sauce and pour over the pork. Heat the sesame seed oil until smoking and drizzle over the pork just prior to serving.

Beer Pairing: by Mark Horsley

Style: English Nut Brown Ale

Examples: Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown, Black Oak Nut Brown, Newcastle Brown (LCBO)

The rich nutty malt sweetness of this English ale matches the robust soy sauce, to create a deep, hearty pairing. The moderate carbonation of this ale cleanses the palette to create contrast with every bite.

Basic Pie Pastry, Using Delicious Lard!

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:54:48 +0000

Perfecting Pie Crust Tips:

Make your measurements exact and do not pack your flour!
To ensure a tender crust, do not over blend the fat and flour. When your dough is rolled, you want to see flattened chunks of lard – these thin layers of fat will be what makes your pastry flaky
Always use ice cold water and gradually add just enough so the dough comes together easily (a little bit too much water is better than not enough)
If you love the taste of butter in your pastry, replace half the amount of lard with cold butter. Remember pastry made with a combination of butter and lard will produce a firmer crust than one made with just lard
Handle the pastry no more than necessary. Hands add warmth to the dough which can lead to over blending – using a pastry blender is your best bet
Keep your dough cool! It is best to refrigerate at least a 1/2hr before using
If making a sweet pie, add 1 tbsp sugar to salt & flour mixture

Ingredients:

For a 9-inch pie shell:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold rendered Berkshire Pork lard

3 to 4 Tbsp ice water

For a 9-inch double-crust pie:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cold rendered Berkshire Pork lard

6 to 7 Tbsp ice water

Preparation:

Combine the flour and salt (and 1 Tbsp sugar if using) in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Cut lard (and butter if using) into small ½” chunks and scatter over the surface of the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, blend the ingredients together, working quickly, until you have a mixture of tiny, irregular flakes and bits about the size of small peas. Sprinkle on the ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time (patience!), stirring gently with a fork after each addition. Add just enough water for the dough to come together and form a rough mass.

With floured hands, pat the dough into a smooth disk (if you are making a double-crust pie, cut this disk not quite equally in half and shape each into a new disk – the larger piece will be the bottom of your double-crust pie). Covered dough with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least ½ hr and up to 2 days, if making ahead. Dough can also be frozen for use at a much later time.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick, or about 2 inches wider than the top of the pie dish. Try to keep the dough as round as possible while rolling.

Gently fold the rolled-out pastry round in half and transfer to the pie dish, placing the folded edge in the center. Carefully unfold dough so it covers the whole dish. Pat the pastry in around the edges to fit the shape of the dish. If you are making a double-crust pie, add your filling of choice. Roll out the remaining pastry for the top crust and repeat the folding procedure to cover the pie. Trim any excess pastry from the edges – leaving top crust slightly bigger than bottom crust so it may be tucked under before fluting the edge.

Bake as directed in your recipe. If your top crust begins to get too dark, gently lay a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pie, over it as it finishes baking.

For a great video on how to flute or finish the edge of your pie, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOix5ueVOQw

Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:36:34 +0000

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 lamb shoulder or forequarter chops

Preparation:

To make the marinade: Combine lemon juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the salt together in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the marinade to a large sealable plastic bag. Place the lamb chops in the bag, seal, and shake to evenly coat the meat. Place bag in refrigerator and marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 12.

Remove the chops from the marinade and transfer them to a plate. Discard the marinade. Using a spoon, lightly scrape any bits of the remaining marinade off the chops and gently pat dry with a paper towel.

Preheat the barbeque on high heat. Season the chops lightly with salt. Place chops on the grill and decrease the heat to medium-high. Cook until the chops lift easily off the grill and show obvious grill marks, about 3 minutes. Rotate the chops about 45 degrees on the grill, and continue to cook about 3 minutes more. This will give them a lovely crosshatched grill pattern. Flip the chops to finish cooking the other side. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook the chops about 2 minutes longer for medium-rare, or longer depending on your preferred level of doneness. Remove chops from grill, cover lightly with tin foil and allow the chops rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Beer Pairing By Mark Horsley

Style: Wit Bier (Belgian Wheat Beer)

Examples: Dominus Vobiscum Blanche, Unibroue’s Blanche Du Chambly or Mill Street’s Belgian Wit Bier (all available at the LCBO)

This wheat beer is spiced with orange peel and coriander seed, giving it a light, spritzy aroma and flavour with a lively carbonation. The mustard grains, fresh rosemary and lemon will pair beautifully with the spices of this classic Belgian gem.

Moroccan-Style Lamb Shanks

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:34:50 +0000

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 meaty lamb shanks (about 1 1/4 pounds each)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon harissa or other chile paste

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 398mL can Aurora diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

A handful of slivered almonds, chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped mint

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 small shallot, minced

Half of a 10 ounce box instant couscous

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons dried currants

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. In a medium sized Dutch oven type pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper. Add them to the pot and brown evenly, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot and heat. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and cook, stirring until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and harissa and increase to moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and boil gently until mixture is reduced to a thick syrup, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Taste and season with salt and pepper and bring up to a boil. Nestle the lamb shanks in the liquid. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat is almost falling off the bone. Transfer the shanks to a platter and cover with foil. Leave the oven on.

Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet or pie pan in an even layer and toast for about 10 minutes, or until golden. (Watch them closely as it is very easy to burn them!)

Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables; skim off any fat. Return the sauce back to the pot and boil over high heat until reduced, about 10 minutes. Return the vegetables and lamb to the sauce and keep warm.

In a small bowl, mix the mint with the cilantro and almonds and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallot and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the couscous and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock, water and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the currants. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in half of the herb-almond mixture.

Mound the couscous in the center of a platter. Arrange the lamb shanks around the couscous and spoon the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining herb-almond mixture and serve.

Beer Pairing: – by Mark Horsley

Style: Pale ale or Indian Pale Ale (IPA)

Examples: Muskoka’s Mad Tom, Great Lakes Brewing’s Crazy Canuck or Nickelbrook’s Headstock Indian Pale Ale (LCBO)… when looking for a true Indian Pale Ale, stay away from Alexander Keith’s IPA!

Try a Pale Ale or (for the more adventurous) Indian Pale Ale. This hop forward beer is enjoying a resurgence lately as people rediscover the joy of hop flavours and aromas. Its spicy, fruity and piney profile can be backed by a hop bitterness ranging from moderate to brutal (for the true hop heads). If you are down in the United States, be sure to seek out some of the fantastic Indian Pale Ale’s currently being produced.

The spices of the Moroccan Lamb will be heightened by the IPA’s hop acids, increasing the intensity of the spice. Beware though, most IPA’s weigh in around 6 to 7.5% alcohol.

Pan Fried Lamb’s Kidneys

Jamie — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:30:34 +0000

Ingredients:

6 lamb’s kidneys

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

100 mL 35% cream

3 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Remove the transparent membrane covering the kidneys. Cut the kidneys in half crosswise and remove the core from the center.

Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. Put the kidneys in the pan, cut side down. Cook over a moderately high heat for 2 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes, pressing them flat with a spatula as they cook. Take care not to overcook the kidneys or they will be dry and rubbery. Remove the kidneys to a plate.

Pour the vinegar into the pan and scrape up any meaty sediment using the spatula. Turn your hood fan on and cook over a high heat until most of the vinegar has evaporated. Add the mustard and cream and bring almost to boiling point, stirring constantly. Stir in the tarragon and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Return the kidneys to the pan to reheat for a few seconds and serve immediately with the creamy sauce.

Beer Pairing – By Mark Horsley

Style: Belgian Dark Ale

Example: Unibroue’s Trois Pistole (9% abv – available at The Beer Store)

This strong dark Belgian ale with aromas of chocolate, brown rum and spice. The palette is sweet and malt-forward with hints of cocoa and ripe fruit with a smooth finish.

Keeping your beer pairing slightly sweeter than the dish is a fantastic way to complement the richness of the meat, while the medium-low carbonation lifts the fats and oils off the tongue to create a wonderful marriage.

Spaces opened up

Jamie — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:46:24 +0000

It’s been a crazy past couple of months.

The Shares have been moving incredibly well and with such great feedback and consumer demand we’ve decided to open up MORE spaces in all the Shares we’ve been offering up to this point.

Berkshire pork has just been added to a fantastic menu at Rino’s Kitchen (which I highly recommend you stop in and try). Rino is getting whole Berkshire animals and cooking his way through the entire offering. With menu items such as his take on ‘Bangers and Mash’ and a scrumptious Roasted Pork Chop that I sampled the other day, it’s already proving to be quite the news maker.

The Beef has been getting rave reviews and the Lamb Shares seen an incredible boost last month due in part to the incredibly mild and succulent flavour profile that only Ontario Lamb that’s been properly ‘set-up’ can offer.

And then there’s the Poultry. This air chilled chicken has exploded! Shares are being ordered at an alarming rate and with this much excitement it only stands to reason that we ‘open up the gates’ to more spots.

Thanks to all who’ve pledged their support to this effort to provide high quality, local meats to Windsor and Essex County. And we look forward to meeting many new faces in the near future.

Further information and to place orders is all done through our website, www.jamiewaldron.com

Shares and pricing are as follows;

20lbs Beef Share = $159.80 ($7.99/lb)

20 lbs Lamb Share = $179.80 ($8.99/lb)

20 lbs Berkshire Pork Share = $169.80 ($8.49/lb)

4 bird Poultry Share = $70.00 (approx $3.50/lb)