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Blue Ribbon Pimento Cheese

16 May

Pimento Cheese

M: Pimento cheese is kind of a big deal here in the North Carolina. So much so, that locals are often surprised to hear that not only is it not a staple outside of the South, but many Northerners haven’t even heard of it. I’ve read that its popularity has spread in recent years (last year Bon Appetit declared it the hot food trend for 2011), but you ain’t got nothing on North Carolina’s dedication to the lightly spiced blend of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers.

With its origins right here in the NC piedmont in the early 1900s, it was considered a delicacy, served primarily in finger sandwich form. As its popularity grew, pimento peppers became a more commonly grown crop, lowering the cost and allowing the spread to develop into a food for the masses. Still popular in finger sandwich form, it is also enjoyed as a cracker spread, a topping for hot dogs or hamburgers and a go-to for a quick bite in sandwich form, both cold and grilled. Of course, as with seemingly all Southern staples, many restaurants have taken creative liberties, including it on menus as a nacho topping, rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried, used as a base for cheese straws and even served in pimento cheese cake.

As many twists on the standard as there are, pimento cheese remains a home made favorite. Practically anybody you ask here will either talk about their cherished family recipe or tell you whose pimento cheese you need to try, because it is the best you’ll ever have. In my office, that honor went to Beverly for quite a while.  She doesn’t work there anymore, but I still consider tracking her down.

As coveted as pimento cheese is here, this is the first time I’ve actually made it. What better place to start than with this Blue Ribbon recipe? It earns the title. Pimento cheese is a simple concoction made special with varied blends of spices. Everyone has their own perfect blend and this balances out very nicely. Left to my own devices, I might add a bit of cumin to the mix, but it does quite well as published. I wonder how it would stack up against Beverly’s.

What I like best about this recipe, though, is the author’s insistence that if you’re not going to make the mayo from scratch, you may as well not bother. My partner here at the Skillet taught me how to make mayonnaise nearly a decade ago and I haven’t bought a jar since. Even if you don’t try this pimento cheese recipe, if you’ve never done it, whip up some homemade mayonnaise.  It’s easy, it’s magic and it makes a humble condiment something special.

Recipe: Blue Ribbon Pimento Cheese

Summary: A versatile North Carolina favorite welcome at tea party, picnic or kitchen table. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 20 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated (about 5 c)
  • 1 (4 oz) Jar Whole Pimentos, drained
  • 1/2 to 1 c Lella’s Mayonnaise (recipe below)
  • 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • Pinch Sugar

Instructions

  1. Pulse cheese and pimentos in a food processor until pimentos are finely chopped.
  2. Add 1/2 c mayonnaise and pulse to combine.
  3. Add onion powder, cayenne, Worcestershire and sugar and pulse to mix until smooth. (color should be uniform and consistency should be that of thick paste).
  4. If too dry, add mayonnaise until desired texture is reached.

 

Recipe: Lella’s Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 c Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
  • Pinch Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

Instructions*

  1. Place egg, 1/4 c oil, mustard, onion powder, cayenne, salt and lemon juice in food processor.
  2. With processor running, slowly add remaining oil until mayonnaise is thick.

*M: I prepare mayonnaise by placing all ingredients except oil in a mason jar. Inserting a stick blender, slowly add oil while blending until thick. Pop a lid on the jar and it is ready for the fridge. No muss, no fuss.

 
1 Comment

Posted in Appetizers, Dairy, Sauces and Dips

 

Carnitas

11 May

Carnitas

M: There’s a lot of good Mexican food to be found around Raleigh. When taking my nieces out to dinner, the destination is (sometimes frustratingly) predictable, as El Dorado is the only choice.  A popular lunch option near my workplace is the very good Gonza’s. But my favorite places always seem to be the less… established, maybe.  I used to stop at a gas station with a little stand set up in the corner that served fantastic burritos.  That place is gone now.  Another favorite was promoted by a handwritten cardboard sign tucked in the window of their ramshackle building.  Also gone, but those quesadillas were stellar.

Some of the best tacos I’ve ever had were served through a take out window hand cut into the side of a single wide trailer parked in a gravel lot out on 401 near Fuquay-Varina.   Eight or nine picnic tables were set up out front under canopies. Most of the clientele conversed in Spanish, which is always a good sign.  A paper plate loaded up with tacos (beef, pork or tongue) and a can of soda was the specialty and never disappointed.  Then one day we pulled up for lunch.  Instead of a bustling business, we found just a deep set of tire tracks where the restaurant had been hauled away.  Doesn’t get much more closed than that.  Some of the locations may come and go, but South-of-the-border cuisine is a permanent fixture of modern Southern food culture. And to that I say hooray.

I’m a huge fan of pulled pork, but this recipe may change my first inclination on what to do with that pork shoulder in my fridge. I don’t often use lard, but there is no substitute here. Rich, crispy and incredibly flavorful, I was knocked out by this one. Pork simmered to perfection in lard and coca-cola, I’m not going to pretend this is health food.  I don’t care. It is spectacular. If possible, go with the pork stock option over water (it makes a noticeable difference). Carnitas is traditionally a special occasion food prepared at home.  That is soon to be my tradition as well. And now I don’t have to worry about my favorite Mexican food driving away.

Recipe: Carnitas

Summary: Pork simmered to perfection in lard, milk, pork stock and coke. This recipe is just the thing for your pig pickin’ leftovers. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 7 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
  • 1 tsp Whole Coriander Seeds
  • 2 T Salt
  • 5 Lb Pork Shoulder, cut into 1-1/2″ chunks
  • 2 Lb Pork Ribs, cut through bone into 2″ pieces
  • 3 c Lard
  • 1 c Whole Milk
  • 3 c Pork Stock or Water
  • Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
  • 1 c Coca-Cola
  • Warm Corn Tortillas, pickled jalapenos, raw onion and chopped cilantro, for serving.

Instructions

  1. Stir cumin, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander and salt together in a large bowl and toss meat in to coat.
  2. Melt lard in a dutch oven over medium high heat.
  3. Add meat and cook until well browned (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. Add milk and stock and reduce to simmer until meat falls from bones (about an hour).
  5. Remove bones and bay leaves and add zest, juice and cola.
  6. Increase heat to low boil and cook down until liquid is cooked off and meat becomes crispy and dark brown (30 minutes or so).
  7. Spoon off fat and serve with tortillas, jalapenos, onion and cilantro (M: I added sour cream to the topping options as well).

 

 
1 Comment

Posted in Main Dish, Pork

 

Creole Red Gravy

04 May

Creole Red Gravy

M: “One person’s tomato sauce is another’s tomato gravy,” states the submitter of this recipe.  Ain’t it the truth.  As my partner here at the Skillet will tell you, in the South, pretty much anything you put on top of food is going to be called gravy.  Now consider that the submitter is of Sicilian descent.   As much as we equate tomato sauce with Italian cuisine, many Italian-Americans don’t call it sauce. Right. They also call it gravy.  So in this case, one person’s gravy is going to be another person’s gravy. Now cook it up with a New Orleans sensibility and we’re talking Creole. Works for me.

I don’t want to get *too* bogged down on the language here.  We’ve got some cooking to do.  But I am going to acknowledge that I’ve never had a firm grasp on the difference between Cajun and Creole.  Both have an element of heat and roots in Louisiana.  I’ve always tended to think of Cajun food to be “food of the people” and Creole to be a little more fancy pants. Beyond that, it gets a bit blurry for me.  I suspect somewhere near Slidell, an email is already being crafted, demanding an apology for my ignorance. You’ve got it.

So Creole Red Gravy.  First and as always, you can’t go wrong building a recipe on a foundation of bacon grease. Second, tomato *anything* is a win in my book, so we are already ahead of the game.  This was not only a pleasure to eat, it was a pleasure to make. Each step felt like adding a new, distinct layer to both flavor and texture and finished off with enough heat to keep your attention. It has presence.  This is more than your run-of-the-mill pasta sauce, although it does great in that capacity.  It’s also good with pretty much anything else you can thing of.

Recipe: Creole Red Gravy

Summary: Sauce, salsa, sugo or gravy with a New Orleans sensibility.  Call it what you like, I’m on board.  From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

  • ¼ c Bacon Grease
  • ¼ cup Flour
  • 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  • 2 Stalks Celery, finely chopped
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 3 (15-ounce) Cans Tomato Sauce
  • ¼ c Parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Hot Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Whisk in flour until it begins to brown (5-7 minutes).
  3. Stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften (5 minutes).
  4. Stir in garlic, celery, bell pepper, and thyme and cook until all begins to soften (about 10 minutes).
  5. Stir in tomato sauce, reduce heat and cook, partially uncovered, until thickened (about an hour).
  6. Stir in parsley.
  7. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.
  8. Serve hot.

 

 
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Posted in Sauces and Dips

 

Killed Lettuce

23 Apr

Killed Lettuce

M: Why is it no matter how good the ingredients are in a salad I make at home it never seems to be as good as what I’m served in a restaurant?  My ingredients are, without question, fresher.  The dressing exactly to my taste.  Nothing lurking I’d prefer not be there.  So what’s up?  A few years ago I discovered a key issue which made a huge difference for me.  The salad I was eating at home was not just chilled.  It was *too* chilled.  Constructed straight out of the refrigerator, my salad was just too cold to really let the flavors come forth.  Apparently, the restaurant secret to good salad was letting it sit around a little until it made it out to the table.  Now I tend to let salads rest on the counter for a bit before serving.  This wilted salad cuts out the middle man and the world is better for it.

You know how bacon makes everything better?  Well, pour bacon *drippings* on top and you’ve really got something.  I wondered if this was just going to be a soggy bowl of lettuce in bacon grease, but the ratio of dressing to lettuce is right on the mark.  Just enough to appropriately wilt the lettuce without making it a sad thing.  Oil and vinegar dressing for the bacon lover.  Heck yes, says me.

The only change I’ll make next time around (and there will be a next time) concerns the onions.  I do love me a spring onion, but you know what I like better than a spring onion?  A *sauteed* spring onion.  I think I’d give them a quick pass though the pan full of drippings before taking it to the bowl.  This is a matter of taste, of course.  But then, what isn’t?  Besides, I was right about that cold salad thing so I consider myself an expert on what I like.

Recipe: Killed Lettuce

Summary: Whether you call it killed, kilt or wilted, this bacon bathed salad finds common ground for your nutritional sensibilities. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 12 c Baby Leaf Lettuce
  • 4 Spring Onions, sliced thinly
  • 4 Slices Bacon
  • 1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper

Instructions

  1. Dry lettuce and combine with onions in a large serving bowl.
  2. Fry bacon in a cast iron skillet at medium heat until crispy and fat has been rendered out.
  3. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside.
  4. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to drippings in the skillet and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.
  5. Pour mixture over lettuce and onions and toss to coat and wilt lettuce.
  6. Top with reserved bacon and serve immediately.

 

 
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Posted in Salads, Vegetables

 

Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad

18 Apr

Potato Salad

M: Potato salad has been around a long, long time.  First introduced in sixteenth century Europe by Spanish explorers, it was a blend of potatoes, vinegar, spices and… Yeah, OK, I enjoy researching the history of the food on my table.  But I’m just going to trace this back to a block party back in 1976 or ’77.  Hot summer.  Might’ve been 4th of July.  Picnic tables were set up at the end of our street.  After the water fights and watching older kids set off M-80s, we scurried over to the tables to load up paper plates with hot dogs, chips and a variety of summer sides.  I skipped the cole slaw and the bean salad and dove right into a massive bowl of potato salad.  Thinking back on it, it was probably not much more than potatoes, sweet pickle relish and mayonnaise.  A lot of mayonnaise.  But to my young palate, it was a gourmet delight.  But then, I was the same kid for whom sneaking a spoonful of butter was a gourmet delight as well.

As an adult, my tastes have become more selective.  Perhaps inconveniently so.  These days, many if not most of the mayo based potato salads jut don’t do it for me.  Almost always for the same reason I liked that block party side as a kid.  They are little more than potatoes and too much mayonnaise.  Not so with this aptly named take on the picnic favorite.  The mayo is there, sure, but an aggressive blend of strong flavors come together here in a wonderful way.  This doesn’t just lay on your paper plate.  It does indeed stand up and shout hallelujah.   I’ll also mention that it is a good *looking* potato salad. Colorful, like culinary confetti. Pretty means almost as much as flavorful when competing against other pot luck picnic dishes lined up in tupperware display.

I’d have skipped this one back in ’77.  A little too grown up perhaps. But then, I don’t sneak straight butter anymore either.  You know, I haven’t thought of that in years.  Gross.

Recipe: Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad

Summary: A blend of attention getting flavors (especially for potato salad) makes this something out of the ordinary.  And that is very good indeed. From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 5 Lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 4 Eggs, hard boiled
  • 4 oz Pimentos, diced
  • 4 drops Hot Sauce
  • 2 tsp Celery Salt
  • 2 T Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 T Lemon Juice
  • 1 c Sweet Salad Pickle Cubes, drained
  • 1 T Olive Oil
  • 1 c + 2 T Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c Yellow Mustard
  • 2 Jalapenos, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 c Red Onion, chopped
  • 1/2 c Green Bell Pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 c Celery, chopped
  • 1/4 c Flat Leaf Parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika

Instructions

  1. Boil potatoes ion a large pot until a knife pierces easily (about 20 minutes).
  2. Rub skin from potatoes, cut into large chunks and place in a large bowl.
  3. Cut eggs into chunks and add to potatoes.
  4. Add pimentos, hot sauce, celery salt, vinegar, lemon juice, pickles, olive oil, mayonnaise, mustard, jalapenos, onion, bell pepper and parsley.
  5. Mix well with hands, mashing potato chunks a bit.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and place in serving bowl or form into mound on serving platter and dust with paprika.
  7. Chill before serving.

 

 
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Posted in Salads, Sides, Vegetables

 
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