Veal Chops With Portobello Mushroom Reduction Sauce

Sometimes a great meal is the result of my impulse shopping. I will go to the grocery store or market to pick up something specific and I see something else that I cannot resist. I hate to admit it but I am the target market for the person that the store brings in that has a degree in psychology, whose job it is to say "if we put this shiny object right here, the person with the screwed up brain is going to see it and they will have to have it.." I cannot tell you how many times I have gone in the store to pick up a package of dog treats and left with 20 bags and a $350 bill. 

Well this time I had a partner in crime. My dear wife called me from Costco and she says "baby they have a beautiful USDA Prime Bottom Round." I thought man this is great, I'm at work and can't shop but now I've kind of got this personal shopper thing going. This happens quite often and I always take advantage of it. So after a little explaining as to how I'm not sure how I would cut and utilize the whole Bottom Round  she responds, "there is a beautiful Prime NY Strip Loin, with excellent marbling." "How much is it?" "$8.69 a Lb." I tell her "that is a steal, it is normally $14.69 lb, you need to get that." She says it is $115 and I say great price!! Now comes my favorite part. She's walking down through the meat market and telling me what is pretty and how much is. I'm shopping vicariously through her, it's like she is my eyes. I see it all very vividly and she stops and says "oh, they have some beautiful Veal Chops, some are cut like a Porterhouse and some are cut like a Rib Steak." "How much are they, I ask." "$14.69 a lb she responds" Now I must transition back from shopper to salesman. "I've been wanting to try some Veal Chops, why don't you grab those and let's give it a try." And, that is how this meal began.

My wife and I love college basketball. We actually love all sports but basketball tournament time is very special to us because we use to always take vacation to go to the tournaments and had a blast doing so. The last several years I have been going to Las Vegas for the opening weekend of March Madness but I start getting the fever a week earlier when the conference tournaments are being played. This week I took off on Thursday to go with my normal Wednesday off to watch some basketball and get outside to do some grilling and fire the smoker up. I decided Wednesday would be the perfect day for the Veal Chops and that I would serve them with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles. Peggy found me a recipe for Veal Chops prepared with a Portobello Reduction Sauce. The recipe called for searing the chops in  a skillet and preparing the sauce in skillet around the chops. After considering that, I decided I would sear the chops and cook them to about 80% done on the grill, then finish them in the Portobello Sauce after it had reduced some. With a plan in place it was time to get started.

As I was beginning to prep things Peggy asked if we might go out for an afternoon drink and see friends for a while. I had planned on staying in and I wasn't sure if the timing would allow for time out in the middle of preparation. After going over what needed to be done I said we could probably go out for about an hour from 5 until 6 and it would be a late dinner. She said she liked that idea and with me being off tomorrow that a late dinner would be fine. So I got to work on all the things that could be done ahead of time. I love making my Garlic Mashed Potatoes with roasted garlic. I took the heads off of  the garlic and gave them a nice drenching with a good olive oil. I will cover an oven safe dish with foil and roast for one hour. The garlic will be super tender and mash beautifully into the potatoes and adding in some of the garlic infused Olive Oil will add a smooth silky finish and great flavor.Meanwhile, I go out and get my grills prepped. I will be cooking the chops on the Primo XL and I will do my Asparagus Bundles on the good ole Weber Kettle. Normally both things could be accomplished on the same grill but the process for the chops will keep the Primo occupied too late into the meal preparation to do the Asparagus on it as well.

 

I've snapped my Asparagus and will wrap it in the Prosciutto. From the "if something can go wrong, it will" analogy, the Prosciutto was too thin, not packaged properly and was tearing apart while trying to remove the slices. I work with this stuff quite often and it is always somewhat delicate but for $6 for 4 ounces you would think it would at least be usable. So while I'm going slightly nuts, screaming that I've got some $24 a pound crap that is screwing up my whole day Peggy calmly tells me there is more Prosciutto in the freezer and I might give it a try, instead of having a stroke. After a quick thaw on the Prosciutto from the freezer and getting great results wrapping my bundles, it would only be right if the voice of reason came down to the kitchen and made me admit I was overreacting and that she had saved the day. Very, very annoying but I still love her enough to cook her a nice meal.

The Asparagus is wrapped, drizzled with Olive Oil and seasoned with Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. They can rest in the fridge and be ready to go on the grill when we return home. I will also season the Veal Chops. With this being my first experience with them, I take notice that they have an appearance more closely resembling a pork chop than beef. I will rub them lightly with Olive Oil, and season with Kosher Salt and Cracked black Pepper.

The chops are seasoned and I've got my potatoes peeled, cut up and soaking. Everything is pretty much ready to where we can go out for a while and when we return all that is left to be done is the cooking. It was a very nice visit to our favorite place for a drink. We were joined by our son and several friends for a very enjoyable but quick outing, returning home by 6:15 to get the fires going.

Upon returning home we got a visit from our favorite neighbor. He was coming with news that one of his great parties would be taking place on May,11th and the calender needed to be marked. He then informed me that I would have to leave before 5 a.m., maybe more like 4:30 this time. I told him someone needed to be there to run the party after he passed out and asked if there was anyone better than me for that job. Well that conversation was going to require a beer while he thought that over. Peggy and I were having a glass of the perfect white wine while I cooked. When I'm cooking a meal that is being paired with a red wine, I often like a light, crisp white wine while preparing the meal. The potatoes were almost ready and I will let them rest while I cook the chops and reheat them right before mashing them. The Primo XL has a hot fire going and is running 550 degrees, waiting to put a crusty sear on the Veal Chops. The Weber Kettle is fired up and the Asparagus will go on in the last 10 minutes of preparation

I leave the grill lid open leading up to putting the chops on. I want a flame that will be dancing right at grate level.  I like the flames to lick the edges of the meat to add the crusty exterior that I am looking for. Once I shut the lid the flames will subside and it will be a nice even heat. These are thick chops running probably 1 1/2" thick yet I will only cook them 3 to 4 minutes per side to give them a good sear and get them 75% to 80% done. I will then remove  them from the grill, let them rest while I prepare the mushroom sauce and add them to the sauce to finish cooking.

It is right through here where I would normally show you how I assemble the Portobello Reduction Sauce. Instead I enjoyed my wine, cracked jokes with my neighbor and tried not to cut my finger off.
The sauce starts with heating 2 tbs. of Olive Oil and 1 tbs. of butter. I take 8 ozs. of Baby Bella Mushrooms and cut them into slices between a 1/4" and 1/2 " thick, I add a good tbs. of chopped Shallots and once they have browned I add 11/2 cups of Chicken Stock, 1/2 cup of a good Cabernet Sauvignon and 2 tsp. of chopped fresh Rosemary. My chops come off the grill and come in to rest. Now I have a good hot fire to do my sauce reduction.

I put my Asparagus Bundles on the Weber and put my Cast Iron on the grill over the open fire. The smells are incredible as the Shallots, Rosemary, Red Wine and Mushrooms come together as one. I will reduce this down to a gravy consistency. The Mushrooms were intentionally cut thick to stand up to the high heat during the sauce reduction.

The sauce has reduced down to the point of adding my Veal Chops in. This will allow a little bit of the flavors to meld as the chops finish cooking. I will turn the chops several times and this will serve as a basting as the sauce thickens to its finish.

Sometimes you put in a lot of work and at the conclusion you have the feeling your work will result in a good dinner. Sometimes you put in a lot of work and you have the feeling that you nailed it and this will be a very special meal. I think this is going to be the latter.

The meal was paired with Edna Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Every single aspect of this meal came out perfect. It is rare that I prepare a meal and cannot be critical of the way something came out. This is one of those rare instances and this is why I love cooking. When you get it all right, there is not a single restaurant out there that you think could do it any better. Wow!! This was the first Veal Chop I have ever prepared or eaten and I must say it could very well be the best cut of meat I've ever eaten. The flavor was spectacular. The Garlic Mashed Potatoes were perfectly balanced with a rich but not overwhelming garlic infusion. The Asparagus was crispy yet tender and the Prosciutto added a saltiness that cannot be achieved by simply salting.

This was a near perfect day. I kept my eye on college basketball, did a few chores around the house and got to enjoy grilling out, a little over a week removed from the backyard having 3' deep snow drifts abound. I got to spend some quality time with some of the best friends and neighbors, man could ask for. I put time and love into preparing a meal for myself and my lovely wife and I got the reward of a lifetime. My wife said OMG, best meal ever and called me the Iron Chef of Lees Summit!! I would cook 1,000 meals to hear that once. Thank you to my beautiful wife for making me the proudest husband on earth. I love you with all my heart. Until I see you all again, enjoy one of the truly great times of the year, as we move from the cold of winter to the rebirth of all things green and the beautiful smells of  Spring. Viva Las Vegas!!!

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Smoked Chicken, Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo. A Gift From Louisiana.

I absolutely love ethnic foods, regional dishes and foods associated with certain events. My wife and I use to get to travel considerably more than we do at this time. One of the things we always loved about traveling was trying the foods of the region, discussing the cooking styles, herbs and spices that are used. Going back many years ago I discovered that if we couldn't go to the places we were yearning to visit, I could bring those places to us. 

It all starts with your memories and your imagination. When a memory is special to us, we have a way of remembering the most minute details. The lighting, sounds, smells, sense of history and the color of the day, that create the ambiance that makes the time and place special. I have found that I can make the day special by recreating the minute details and then letting the imagination take care of the rest. It can be as simple as this. I love baseball, I go to every opening day for my hometown team. To me opening day in baseball is as much of a reference point of the New Year, as is New Years Day. When my team opens up the baseball season on the road and I can't be there, I can recreate being there by opening up the windows in the sun room, putting the game on the radio, grilling hot dogs and enjoying a cold beer and some peanuts during the game. If you breath deep you can smell the fresh cut grass, if you listen closely you can hear the crack of the bat and the fans cheering. 

This past week I have just gone through many of my friends going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. I heard all the ads for my favorite Cajun Restaurant having Fat Tuesday parties. I kind of had that, wow I wish I was there feeling. I decided a good pot of Louisiana goodness was in order. The great dishes of Louisiana cuisine are a true treasure chest for all cooks, from celebrated chefs to kitchen amateurs using mixes from the bag. Today I will be making one of my all time favorites, Gumbo. I start getting excited when I get out two of the necessities for this dish, a cast iron skillet for my Roux and a big pot for the Gumbo! My basic Gumbo principles are add Okra, serve it over rice and of course the Holy Trinity. After that, the possibilities are endless, meats and seafood are like wild cards in a kids card game. With a beautiful day ahead on Sunday I decided on a Smoked Chicken, Smoked Andouille, Gulf Shrimp Gumbo. I will smoke my chicken and sausage on Sunday in preparation of making my Gumbo on Monday.

I have prepared the ceramic grill for some light smoking, using lump charcoal and some small chunks of hickory. I will run the cooker at 250 while the sausage is on and then kick the temperature up to 300 to finish the chicken.

I will use two Cajun/Creole seasonings. The more recognizable Tony Chachere's will be used as a dry rub on the chicken and my favorite local Cajun restaurant's spices,  Jazz A Louisiana Kitchen will go into the Gumbo.

Sunday is a perfect February day with the temperature in the low 50's and a sunny, blue sky. The Primo XL is running perfectly, as thin blue smoke tells me the cooker is burning clean and will produce a mild, clean, smoked flavor in my chicken and sausage.

I've got 1.75 lbs of  fresh Andouille Sausage made by one of our great local sausage makers. These are raw sausages that must be cooked but you can find fully cooked Andouille in most markets with the other sausages.   I will cook them at 225-250 with light smoke, to just done, leaving plenty of juices in the sausages as they will cook again in the Gumbo. This is a 4.5 lb Chicken and I have applied a light coat of Olive Oil and a good dusting of the Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.  I will smoke it in a pan to reserve it's juices and it will produce a well seasoned, smokey broth to add into the Gumbo.

At first check everything is going well. The sausages are browning and the chicken is rendering fat. The Andouille will cook 45 - 60 min being careful not to overcook and the chicken will cook to 165 internal.

The Andouille and the Chicken have come off the smoker in great shape. I let the sausage rest and bag them up to be ready for the big event tomorrow. The chicken has beautiful color and tempting aromas. It is all I can do to not get out a carver and have a thigh/leg quarter for dinner. It is probably a good thing that I am also preparing dinner for tonight or this chicken might not have made it to the Gumbo. I will pull the chicken tonight while it is still warm, as it pulls much easier warm than cold.

Once the Chicken has rested I move it to the cutting board. I pour up the juices and will put them in the refrigerator over night, making it easier to remove the fat, leaving the broth and spices to add into my stock. The extremities of the Chicken show nice smoke penetration and the flavor is outstanding. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It will be a gray, cool, damp day that should be very good Gumbo weather.

It was time to do some chopping. I will be using Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Celery, White Onion, Green Onion, Parsley, Minced Garlic and Bay Leaves. While I am at it, I will also slice my Andouille that I smoked yesterday. To make my stock I will use the Chopped Vegies, Minced Garlic, 4 Bay Leaves, fresh Chicken Legs and Necks and a link of the Andouille. I add Cajun Spices, Cayenne Pepper, Salt and Cracked Black Pepper.

While the stock is doing it's thing I start on my Roux. I will use 1 cup of Canola Oil and 1.5 cups of Flour. I use medium heat and slowly add the flour stirring constantly to prevent burning. I will let my Roux reach a paper bag brown then reduce the heat and add some reserved Chopped White Onion, Bell Pepper and Celery. I will let it simmer slowly until the vegetables caramelize. We don't like our Roux real dark, I will let it simmer to a dark caramel color. Roux is one of my favorite parts of the process. When you only do this a time or two a year you find yourself treating the Roux as you would drive a brand new car, very carefully. You can say when on the Roux, cooking longer leads to a darker Roux, a darker Gumbo and a richer flavor. I found a color I'm comfortable with that reduces my risk of burning the Roux, creates the flavor we are looking for and doesn't take too long to prepare. For someone very experienced with Roux this is a walk in the park, for the occasional Roux cook we celebrate each success.

Once the Roux reaches the desired color, I will remove the chicken from the stock. I will then add my Roux, Smoked Chicken, Smoked Andouille Sausage and I will skim the cup of Smoked Chicken Drippings from yesterday and add the remaining broth and seasonings. After simmering for an hour I do a taste test and make any adjustments necessary, more Creole Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Splashes of Tabasco.

Sometimes the best made plans meet with resistance. It turns out the fresh okra I had put up in the freezer had a little bit of frost bite going, so I went to plan B. I had a bag of frozen okra and  I will give it a try and use a little trick a fellow cook told me to try. I cooked the okra to 90 % done and added a tbs of vinegar to try and cut the slime that cooked okra produces. It seems to have worked well. I add the okra to the Gumbo and it will finish cooking as the Gumbo finishes. The Okra and the Roux both add flavor as well as act as thickening agents for the Gumbo. We love Okra so this is a must in all of our Gumbo.

Last but not least I have 1.5 lbs of Gulf Goodness!! I add these last to prevent over cooking. Five minutes of handy work has them shelled and nice and clean. When I'm cooking a Shrimp Gumbo this is like "putting the topper on the tree". Now you can step back and begin to admire your work. Peggy has the griddle going and is making some Crunchy Garlic Butter Bread. This is one of those dishes that is a labor of love but worth every minute.of it. This dish started yesterday with the Chicken and Sausage going on the smoker on a beautiful afternoon and is wrapping up on a cool, gray, rainy evening.

I wanted to go down that road of feeling like I was in Cajun Country. There is no better way to do that from home than the smell of the Holy Trinity of Cajun/Creole Cooking, resonating throughout the house. This dish looks and tastes like a celebration of food. It is a gift from a culture that is second to none in the food world. It is loaded with complex flavors and ladled over simple white rice, Uncle Ben's White Rice that is. I've paired it with an old favorite that I first had on a trip to my favorite Cajun joint 20 years ago with my niece, Blackened Voodoo Lager. I will drink this beautiful beer that pairs so well with this dish with a heavy heart. The Dixie Brewery established in 1907, resides in the 3rd Ward of New Orleans and was one of the many, many casualties of Hurricane Katrina. But as in so many cases in the Great City of New Orleans this beer lives on and is currently being brewed by a brewery in Wisconsin. I will hope that the Dixie Brewery can someday return to it's rightful place in New Orleans. It was a great afternoon and evening, as I did one of my favorite things, prepared a nice dinner for my family. My son, my wife and I broke bread, had good conversation and I had that little bit of Mardi Gras that I was yearning for. Until I see you again just remember, if you can't travel to where you want to be, you can bring where you want to be to you. All it takes is some memories and a little bit of imagination.

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The New Year and Soul Food. It's A Family Tradition

Going back as far as I can remember I always woke up on New Years day with a hop in my step. To a football junkie it was the ultimate smorgasbord of football and food, all packed in to one day. Over the years there has been variation in the peripheral details of the day but there have always been 4 constants. Football, Greens, Black Eye Peas and Cornbread. This year was no different!!

  

New Years Eve was rather tame for us this year. I worked a 12 hour day and arrived home at 6:45 in the evening. My wife wasn't feeling well so it was decided I would go get carry out Chinese. Lucky for me there is a bar just down from the Chinese place and I can have a couple of Sam Adams Winter Lagers while I wait. I called in my Chinese as I walked in the bar and heard the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.   I don't really understand how a man that spent his life communicating with thousands of people weekly and dealing with some of the most difficult people on earth can have an anxiety attack over calling in an order of Chinese food but it happens every time she answers. It  shouldn't matter that she was a General in the Peoples Liberation Army before coming here, she now owns a Chinese place and I go there of my own free will. It all started when she asked "how long til you be here mister!?" I meagerly said 15 minutes and she shouted back in question form "10 minutes!?" Now I know she knows, I can always be there in 10 minutes but I thought she might give me a break since the roads were getting bad and the snow was coming down. I repeated 15 minutes and she says "OK, I see you in 10 minutes!!" My first thought was, man I can't even drink 1 Sam Adams in 10 minutes and I was wanting 2, after all it's Happy Hour and they are 2 for 1. Well I sit down at the bar and get my beer and several of my buddies are there and I'm beginning to feel like it is New Years Eve. All the folks are asking where Peggy is and are expressing concern that she isn't feeling well. I tell them I'm waiting on Chinese from just down the sidewalk and we are having a good ole time. About the time I order my 2nd beer one guy looks at me with concern, I mean real concern and says "aren't you suppose to be picking up Chinese?" At that moment I knew he had been there and had dealings with the General. I said, it's all good man I've only been here about 10 minutes and we agreed on 15 minutes. He says, no man you've been here like 25 minutes. So I start drinking fast and with about 1/3 of a beer left my phone rings and I answer to a, WHERE ARE YOU?? I stutter 3 or 4 times and say, " I got stuck in a ditch but I'm almost there, I'll be there in 1 minute, I promise!" I left my beer on the bar and headed out to my truck to drive the 3 doors down so she wouldn't question my story. As I walked towards the counter she was staring at me and I felt like I was going in front of a military tribunal. As I paid for my food and got my hands inside the handle on the sack,I smiled big and tell her, "I wasn't stuck in a ditch, I was stuck in a bar!!" Then I asked one of my normal questions like, "are you going out partying tonight? You work to much, let your hair down and have some fun!!" Then she hisses like an old mad cat and I say, see ya soon and I'm on my way.

As I'm watching some football New Years Eve I asked Peggy if the Black Eye Peas are soaking and she says no, she had let it slip her mind. So I get my tray out to cull through the peas and start my first preparations for New Years Day, while watching various awful New Years Eve Celebrations and thinking man, this is perfect. Peggy and I decided 11:30 was a good time to sign off on this New Years Eve as we will welcome in the New Year tomorrow. I put the peas to soaking over night and it was off to bed to watch TV until probably 11:35. Of course I opened my eyes to see a shot of 12 midnight on the TV and a shot of 1 a.m. so I probably took in and remembered just as much as I did on some previous New Years Eves where I partied til 5 a.m.

This will be a collaborative effort with my wife being in kchawgskitchen. Why you might ask? She makes the best Greens on this planet. Normally Peggy makes her Greens using a mixture of 4 fresh greens. Spinach, Collard, Mustard and Turnip Greens. This year being special, it will be a 5 green mix as she is adding Kale. The greens have to be washed good and cleaned by hand. Initially it looks like there are enough Greens to feed an army but they cook down so don't be alarmed by the sheer bulk if you are doing a mixture of several kinds of greens. The great thing about good soul food is it is relatively simple with basic seasonings and patience being the only thing that needs to be added. There will be no 2 page recipes here. Peggy's Greens will cook in approximately 1/3 of  the pan of water, be seasoned with a Sliced Salt Pork, Burgers Smokehouse Black Pepper Seasoning Pork, a couple of pinches of salt and approximately a 1/4 cup of sugar. They will start wilting instantly under the steam and eventually all settle into the simmering liquid. They simmer until tender. We like to simmer very slow and for extended time to let all of the seasonings and flavors meld together.

Meanwhile Peggy is allowing me to fix her Black Eye Peas. We both have Black Eye Pea recipes and we both like each others recipe but certain occasions call for certain recipes. Peggy's recipe is simple and relies strictly on the merit of a good piece of seasoning meat and salt. I had a nice small, meaty chunk of ham bone from a ham I smoked this fall that will be perfect. The peas have been washed, soaked over night and are ready to go. Some kosher salt, some cracked black pepper and they will babysit themselves while I watch football. Once again that is the shear beauty of soul food, once the prep work is done all you have to do is come up to the glorious smell of the kitchen, pick up a wooden spoon, glance at the pans to make it look labor intensive, grab a beverage of your choice and go back down to the couch!

When I plan a meal I always take into account the activities of the day and how the meal preparation is going to fit around the centerpiece of the day. I've planned meals that took a wrong turn due to the logistics of preparing the meal. You don't want 3 things requiring the oven at 3 separate temperatures in the last 45 minutes of preparation. Likewise, I don't want to be in the kitchen for an hour and a half during the best game of the day with my son screaming come here, you've got to see this play. The beauty of this meal is, by  the 10 a.m. kickoff of the first game we've got our Greens on, have our Black Eye Peas going and I've prepared my ingredients for my dry brine for a Rack of Pork. The Green and Peas will be done long before the meal will be served and can sit in their pool of flavors and be reheated in the last 15 minutes before dinner.

My dry brine will help the pork retain moisture and it will impart a nice subtle flavor. I have 1/2 cup of Kosher Salt, 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup of Cracked Black Pepper and 1/4 cup of Herbs de Provence. It is a wonderful mixture of herbs commonly used in French cooking and readily available in grocery stores. In this case we were out so I made my own. It has marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary, sage and fennel seed. I would highly recommend it on one of your next herb roasted meat dishes.

As things were going on in the kitchen I saw the absolute perfect picture. Maggie the smaller of the two and the matriarch of our Animal Kingdom at age 15 + had laid down to get a peaceful nap and Lily, the big baby of the bunch had curled up behind her with her paw resting against her back and looked over her with a watchful and protective eye as she drifted off to sleep. Three weeks previous we thought we would not have Maggie for this New Year due to a light stroke or neurological event that at first appeared much more serious than it turned out to be. For this reason in itself, this is a very special New Years Day!

Halftime of the early games have rolled around and I can prepare my pork for a quick dry brine. This will be a very short brine of around 2.5 hours. This could easily go overnight, even 24 hours but this is my first experience with this recipe and I will keep it short, aiming for a subtle flavor infusion. I wash the Rack of Pork, dry it well and then rub the 1.5 cups of dry brine into all exposed surfaces. I will put it in the refrigerator unwrapped and turn it halfway through the brining time. If this was an overnight or longer brine, I would wrap the pork in plastic wrap as the brown sugar will turn to a heavenly syrup.

After 2.5 hours I remove the pork from the refrigerator and see the results I was hoping for. There is syrup dripping off of the bones and I should get the flavor profile I was anticipating. I will wash the brine off and pat it dry for the next stage of preparation.

This will be a very simple seasoning to compliment what we have already done. Minced Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper with a very light dusting of Sea Salt are all that will be necessary.  A nice cut of meat can be absolutely outstanding in flavor and texture without having a perfect appearance. The key to overwhelming your guest with the cut of meat you are serving is for it to be love at first sight as well as being full of flavor with perfect texture. I rub on a light coat of grape seed oil to help me get that dark caramel color I will be looking to achieve. I rub in my Minced Garlic, hit it with the pepper grinder and make a quick pass with the sea salt grinder and it is ready for the oven. The other variable in achieving my color is some high heat. I have the oven pre-heated to 475 degrees for convection roasting (475 for non convection ovens as well). The Rack of Pork is placed bones down in a roasting rack with a remote thermometer probe inserted into the thickest part. The 475 degrees is extremely high heat,  being used for initial browning of the roast. We don't want to overcook it or dry it out so at the 15 minute mark I reduce the temperature to 275 degrees to quickly get the oven temperature down. I will be using a variable temperature cooking method while watching my internal temperature on the remote thermometer to make sure it doesn't cook to quickly. I never cook by time, I use time as a general reference. The general time reference here is 15-20 minutes per lb @ 350 degrees so I will use the 15 minutes per lb as my reference because under cooked can be corrected, over cooked cannot. I only use this to target the time for dinner to be served and I never sweat being 30 minutes late. I have trained diners at my house that you show up early and wait on good food. This is not a restaurant, we are on the foods time schedule, the food is not on your time schedule. Have a beverage and relax. My plan after the initial 475 degree segment is 20 minutes at 275, 20 minutes at 300 and turning the the roast bone side up and finishing at 350 until the internal temperature is at 150 degrees. This cut of meat is safely cooked at 145 degrees. We prefer ours at 155 which is tender, juicy and has a nice texture.

The stars of this show have been done for quite some time and soaking in their flavorful juices. As dinner time approaches I turn the heat on low and let them start warning back up to serving temperature. I will need the oven for one finishing touch to this meal and the timing will be perfect. Approximately 10 minutes before the Rack of Pork comes out of the oven I start my cornbread. Long ago I settled on a simple cornbread recipe that I find very hard to beat. My Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread  Muffins are a Jiffy Cornbread Mix followed to instruction, chopped seeded jalapenos to taste and a large handful of Mexican Cheese Blend whisked very well. It fills 8 muffin cups about 85% full and makes for a moist, rich, flavorful cornbread.

The roast comes out of the oven and the cornbread goes in. The roast will be tented while the cornbread cooks and the internal temperature will rise to that 155 degrees I am looking for. The resting will also allow the juices to redistribute throughout the roast. Always rest a cut of meat for an appropriate time.

The cornbread is out of the oven, the Rack of Pork has rested and is ready for carving. All the work is done and it is dinner time. Today it is a very small family gathering with my wife Peggy, my son John and myself. The Rose Bowl is on and they call it the Granddaddy of Them All. That is the way I feel about this meal!

Being a Southern Boy transplanted to the Midwest I'm ringing in the New Year with 3 things that were core in my upbringing. Family, football and some good ole soul food!! 

2012 was a very trying year for my family. We have gotten stronger as a family and we are more united than ever, more Thankful than ever. As we sat down to dinner we all thought about all the things we are Thankful for going into this New Year. That list is very long and one of the important things is Family Tradition. On this New Years Day there is nothing better than Family, Football and Soul Food. There are never enough Family Traditions, so until I see you all again, don't only carry on your Family Traditions, start some new ones!! See you next time.

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