Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Well I'm back from vacation, and Yellowstone and the Tetons were amazing! It was incredibly difficult to leave and I would seriously consider living out there someday. At least we came back home to my favorite time of the year here in the Northeast, and I'm happy to be home cooking again!

So this was pretty much the first thing I made when I came home. Fresh flavors combined in a good hearty sandwich seemed like a nice transition to fall. And this is what every great sandwich should be - messy, meaty, crunchy, chewy goodness. As always, you can adjust this to your palate and remove the seeds from the jalapenos and chop them or omit them entirely. The sriracha mayo adds a very mellow heat, but reduce the sriracha in it if you need to!

Also, just FYI, sandwiches are a gigantic pain in the ass to take photos of. Just letting that be known for posterity...

Pork Meatball Banh Mi
(makes 4 sandwiches)

Sriracha Mayo

1/2 cup mayo

1 heaping Tbsp sriracha 

2 green onions, finely chopped

Quick-pickled Carrot & Radish

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup shredded or julienne carrot

1 cup shredded or julienne shunyko or daikon radish

Pork Meatballs

1 lb ground pork

2 green onions, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

1 Tbsp sriracha

1 Tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp sesame oil

For assembly:

4 6-inch long pieces of baguette
fresh cilantro sprigs
thinly sliced jalapenos

1. For mayo: combine mayo, sriracha, and green onions in a small bowl. Cover and set in the fridge.

2. For pickled veg: combine vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Add the carrot and radish and toss until well coated. Cover and set aside for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

3. For meatballs: In a medium bowl combine pork, green onions, garlic, basil, sriracha, fish sauce, corn starch, sugar, salt and pepper and mix gently but thoroughly. With moistened hands, form meat mixture into about 1-inch sized meatballs. Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and cook, turning frequently, until brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate while you assemble the sandwiches. 

4. To assemble: Slice the baguette pieces in half and pull out some of the soft bread innards (save and dry out for breadcrumbs if you like.) Spread some of prepared mayo on the inside of each piece of baguette. Add some cilantro and jalapeno to the bottom halves, then top each bottom half with 1/4 of the meatballs. Drain the carrots & radishes and place atop the meatballs. Press on the tops of the baguettes and serve!
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

Savory Pork & Apple Hand Pies

 

Pie - it's not just for dessert!

I had never had a meat pie before, but I've been wanting to make one for a long time now. What is there not to love about a flaky crust filled with meat and veggies? Then I decided that this past weekend was the perfect opportunity to make some little hand pies for the Season 2 premiere of Game of Thrones. Those folks love themselves some meat pies!

I've had this recipe on my "to make" list for months now, so I decided to adapt it to make these hand pies. Maybe it's not authentic Game of Thrones fare, but they sure were delicious. The crust is exceptionally good and flaky with a hint of cheddar. The spices in the pork paired with the apples hints at sweetness without overdoing it. It all comes together into the perfect savory, sweet, cheesy, buttery bite.

Trust me, you need to make these. I love them as hand pies because they're cute! and easy to share, but you could certainly make this in a regular pie dish if you prefer. 

Pork and Apple Hand Pies

Makes about 6 hearty pies

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks/8oz chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 oz sharp cheddar, cubed

6-10 Tbsp ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

For the filling:

about 3 large apples, I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Gala, unpeeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4 inch thick wedges

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 small onion, very finely chopped

1 lb ground pork

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp allspice

a few good twists of fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbsp plain breadcrumbs

1. To make the crust, add the flours, sage, salt, cold cubed butter and cheese to the bowl of a food processor (you can do this by hand if you prefer of course.) Pulse the mixture about 5 times, or until the butter is cut into pieces the size of large peas. Drizzle in 6 Tbsp of water and pulse a few times, adding more water 1 Tbsp at a time if needed just until the dough holds together when you pinch it. Don't overdo it with the food processor - you want to see small chunks of butter in the flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple times until it holds together. Flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minuts.

2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat a large pan over medium low heat and saute the apples just until the soften ever so slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the oil to the pan, increase the heat to medium-high and add the onion. Cook for a minute or two and then add the pork, sugar, salt, pepper and spices. cook the pork mixture until no longer pink, using a spoon or potato masher to break up the meat, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add the breadcrumbs to the pork and pulse 5 times, or until the the pork is broken up and well mixed. Set this aside while you prepare the crust.

3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured counter and lightly dust the top with flour. Roll the dough out to slightly less than 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 6 pie shells with a 5 inch circular cutter if you have it, or find some other instrument like tupperware that's roughly the same size, or use a knife. Gather up the scraps and re-roll if necessary and cut out 6 more circles, slightly larger than the first - about 5 1/2 inches (I just rolled my cutter around into a wider circle.)

4. Arrange the smaller circles a couple inches apart onto a non stick baking sheet, or line a sheet with parchment paper. Arrange two layers of sliced apples on each circle, leaving about a 1/4 inch border all around the edges. Place a 1/6th of the pork mixture (about a good handful) in a mound on top of the apples. Don't be afraid to really pack it on there. Drape the larger circles over the pork and tightly pinch the edges together and seal by pressing a fork all around the edges. Lightly brush each pie with the egg wash mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and dig in!

Bacon and Leek Risotto with Poached Eggs

I've seen it! The first soldiers of spring are popping up everywhere - snowdrops, daffodils, tulips! I've watched robins pluck worms from the ground and splash around in rainy day puddles. It is finally in the 50's and not 30 or below. Spring is finally here and I'm making a very obscene gesture to Winter as it exits!

Today was a rainy April day... not terribly cool, but a bit raw. It's that time of the year where I still want something a bit comforting, but I crave fresh flavors and vibrant colors. Luckily, the first spring veggies will begin arriving within the next few weeks and they are some of my favorites - leeks, ramps, peas, fiddleheads, asparagus. All so green, fresh and yummy!

This month's Bon Appetit had an article featuring many of those spring veggies. One recipe in particular caught my eye - a bacon and leek risotto with poached eggs. Umm, hello?! That might be one of the best flavor combinations ever. And you know how I feel about runny egg yolks.  The idea of creamy rice with the oniony leeks mixed with some crispy bits of bacon all topped with a delicious, runny egg yolk was too much for me to handle. I had to make it ASAP.

Oh, and it was gooood. It's like breakfast and dinner and everything in between. And that egg... oh, that egg. It's like a big, bright, happy sun in the middle of your plate making all kinds of saucy goodness. Give it a go, I think it will make you smile on a rainy day too.

Bacon and Leek Risotto with Poached Eggs

(from Bon Appetit)

Makes 6 Servings

 

6 large eggs

5 cups low-sodium chicken stock (homemade is best!)

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 sliced thick-cut bacon, cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only), rinsed and dried

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp finely grated parmesan , plus more for garnish

1. To poach the eggs:  Bring a large skillet of water to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Lightly salt the water. Crack one egg at a time into a small bowl and gently slide each egg into the simmering water. Cook the eggs until the whites are cooked through, but the yolks are still runny, 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl filled with ice water. (Eggs can be made 1 day in advance - cover and refrigerate in the bowl of ice water)

2. Heat your broth in a medium saucepan and cover to keep warm. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the bacon and cook until it is crispy, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to drain on paper towels. 

3. Add the leeks to the pan with the bacon drippings and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooked leeks for garnish and set aside. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until fully absorbed, another 1-2 minutes. Begin adding 1/2 cup of warm broth at a time to the rice, stirring until the broth is fully absorbed before adding more. Continue adding broth and stirring until rice is tender with a slight bite and the sauce is creamy, 20-25 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add the bacon, butter, chopped parsley and cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. While the rice is cooking, heat a medium skillet full of water to a simmer to reheat your poached eggs. When the rice is done, gently scoop the eggs from the bowl and place them into the pan of simmering water. Heat for 1-2 minutes, just enough to warm them through.

5. Divide risotto among 6 bowls. Using a slotted spoon to drain the excess water, top each bowl of risotto with a poached egg. Sprinkle the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper, parsley leaves, cheese and reserved leeks. Serve immediately and enjoy!