Faux Pancetta

I made pancetta last year and it was a great item to have for various dishes so I wanted to make some again. Pork bellies are sort of a pain to get ahold of and pretty expensive. Since I've been boning out and cutting up 6-10 pork butts a week for the last 6 months I noticed the fat cap on a butt looks alot like a pork belly with the mix of fat and lean so i decided to try faux pancetta by substituing the fatcap for belly. I made a rub with lots of good penzey's Extra Bold black pepper, cure #1, ground bay leaves, salt and a bunch of other stuff. After rubbing the mixture into the meat it was placed in a ziplock and put in the fridge for a week.

After a week it was rinsed, patted dry and hung in the cool garage for another week to dry.

The final product looked like pancetta (I didn't roll it in classic style this time) and after dicing a little bit and frying it up then wilting spinich in the fat I was completely happy with the results.

Presents Under The Tree

I didn't get a picture of them but I got this picture after they had been opened...it wasn't pretty...lol. We had a great holiday with just the four of us playing board games, checking out everyone's loot, and a nice prime rib dinner and cheesecake dessert. I got a pressure cooker to play with.

First You Make a Roux....

...actually first you prep your ingredients. When the moment of truth comes and it's time to stop the roux from cooking by adding the veggies you don't want to have be chopping anything.

Getting close. Need to be totally focused at this point. If even one tiny molecule of flour get scorched the roux is no good....trust me.

The veggies go in for a couple of minutes and then the homemade andouille. All that's left to do is add the stock and the chicken. I've had this to serve at the brewery the last two times and it's a big hit.

The Stone Coyotes---"American Child"

Thank You Lord....

....for another beautiful sunset and allowing me to be here another day to see it.

Sicilian Christmas Sausage.....

....with Peppers, Peas and Mushrooms. I made a bunch of this sausage, which is sort of an "uberitalian" using white wine and pecorino romano cheese, at the butcher shop this morning. Couldn't resist the urge to use a link for a quick lunch.

Due to the change of seasons the Brat booth outside the brewery is now the brat counter INside the brewery. Tonight's menu will have the ever present brats but I made up some andouille yesterday and I'm getting ready to make up a pot of Smoked Chicken and Andouille Gumbo to serve. Cold with a mix of rain and snow on its way so the gumbo should move well if any customers show up.

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like....

....a bomb went off in the kitchen. That means it's Christmas cookie time. You can always tell its getting near when extra bags of flour and sugar show up in the cupboard, and you always know its imminent when you see the butter and margarine warming on the counter. Yesterday Mom and the girls started baking nonstop and soon a boy in the US Navy, a Dad in Florida (they all end up there), 2 school teachers and a school bus driver will all be enjoying the treats. Me too, but the greatest pleasure I get is feeling the warmth of the always on oven, taking in the aromas of the baking goodies and watching the family join together in the kitchen on a cold December day.

Eating the cookies ain't bad either.