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Whats_For_Dinner_Momofuku_Pork.zip (437 KB)

If you've ever eaten at Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City and you live in LA, you're probably praying that David Chang takes pity on us and opens an outpost here.  But since that hasn't happened yet, the Momofuku Cookbook offers some consolation.  After some hesitation, I picked this cookbook up last weekend so that I could make Momofuku's famous pork buns for my family for our Valentine's Day Dinner (Doug and I hate Valentine's Day and never celebrated it before kids--but they love it so much it's been a great excuse to start a family tradition.  Every year, we eat dinner by the fireplace and watch a movie while we eat Valentine's Day candy.  Maybe it's not such a bad holiday after all).  Why the hesitation?  Well, at first glance, many of the recipes in the book seem intimidatingly complicated and some of the ingredient lists are daunting.  But upon closer inspection, many of the recipes are also amazingly simple and besides, David Chang is actually a really funny guy--so the cookbook makes good reading too.

So on to the pork buns.  The pork buns have several components.  The bun, of course.  The roasted pork belly.  Pickled cucumbers.  Sliced scallions.  And, finally, Sriracha and hoisin sauce.  The buns are one of the more complicated recipes in the book, so instead of making them, I called up Hop Li, a local Chinese restaurant and asked if they'd sell me the buns they serve with their Peking duck.  For 60 cents a piece, they were happy to part with their buns.  So, now the pork belly.  I headed to Mitsuwa Market near Culver City, a local Japanese market where they sell pork belly in every incarnation possible (thinly sliced, whole, marinated, cubed, you name it) for a pittance of what you'd pay at Whole Foods (where you may have to special order it anyway).  Cucumbers, scallions, Sriracha and hoisin sauce--no problem--available at almost any grocery store.

So, my culinary adventure had begun.  My son helped me marinate the pork belly and we left it to its own devices overnight.  The next day, we roasted the pork belly, Doug picked up my buns, I made the quick-pickled cucumbers and set up my pork bun assembly line.  Doug said it's one of the best meals I've ever made and the kids were silent for most of the meal aside from the occasional "mmm" and "Can I have another one?"--overall, I'd say it was a success.

Pork Belly 

One 3 lb slab of skinless pork belly (I couldn't find a whole 3 lb slab, so I got four 3/4 lb slabs)

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar 

1.  Nestle the belly into a roasting pan or other oven-safe vessel that holds it snugly.  Mix together the salt and sugar in a small bowl and rub the mix all over the meat; discard any excess salt-and-sugar mixture.  Cover the container with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least 6 hours, but no longer than 24.

2.  Heat the oven to 450.

3.  Discard any liquid that accumulated in the container.  Put the belly in the oven, fat side up, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour (the book says one hour, but since I didn't have one whole slab, the pork browned a lot faster and I lowered the heat after 45 minutes), basting it with the rendered fat at the halfway point, until it's an appetizing golden brown.

4.  Turn the oven temperature down to 250 and cook for another hour, until the belly is tender--it shouldn't be falling apart, but it should have a down pillow-like yield to a firm finger poke (it really does feel like a down pillow!).  Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the belly to a plate.  Allow the belly to cool slightly.

5.  When it's cool enough to handle, wrap the belly in foil and put it in the fridge until it's thoroughly chilled and firm.  This really is an important step because it allows you to cut the pork belly into neat, nice-looking slices.

6.  Cut the pork belly into 1/2 inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long.  Warm them for serving in a pan over medium heat, just for a minute or two, until they are jiggly soft and heated through.  Use at once.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers 

2 meaty japanese or 4 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/8 inch thick disks (great time to bust out that mandolin)

1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Combine the cucumbers with the sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and salt.  Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and enjoy.  Can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

Momofuku Pork Buns

1 steamed bun

about 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

3 or 4 slices Quick-Pickled cucumbers

2 to 3 thick slices Pork Belly

1 scant tablespoon thinly sliced scallion (green and white)

Sriracha, for serving (a hot sauce available in the Asian section of most supermarkets)

1.  Heat the bun in a steamer on the stovetop.  It should be hot to the touch.  With my restaurant bought buns, this took a minute a two--not very long at all.

2.  Grab the bun from the steamer and flop it open on a plate.  Slather the inside with the hoisin sauce, using the back of a spoon.  Arrange pickles on on side of the fold in the bun and the slices of pork belly on the other.  Scatter the belly and pickles with sliced scallion, fold closed and voila:  pork bun.  Serve with sriracha.  

www.momofuku.com

Mitsuwa Marketplace:  3760 South Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90066

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Whats_For_Dinner_Pan-Seared_Ba.zip (173 KB)

My daughter's best friend's favorite cut of meat is a filet mignon. So, by the transitive property, Kaya's favorite is filet mignon. This causes a bit of a family debate because I like my meat a lot more marbled than a filet. I'm more of New York strip or rib-eye kind of person. And, since I'm the cook of the family, I usually win.

However, since we were celebrating a little something for Kaya tonight, I decided to give in to her request. But not without a little additional fat. Yep, if something is too lean for your taste, why not wrap it up in bacon?! And then maybe add a pan sauce with some port, shallots, thyme and butter (the result of rummaging around the kitchen for impromptu ingredients). What could be wrong with that? Nothing, apparently. Kaya polished off her entire filet in between a lot of "yums" and I even enjoyed my little filet. I served the steaks with French green beans sauteed with shallots, shitakes, thyme and a little white wine and a simple butter lettuce salad. A nice end to a strangely exhausting day.

Pan-Seared Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon (courtesy of Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe)

4 center cut filet mignons 1 1/2 inches thick (7 to 8 ounces each), patted dry with paper towels
4 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place oven rack to the lower-middle position, put a rimmed backing sheet on the oven rack and preheat oven to 450. Meanwhile, rub each side of the steaks with 1/2 teaspoon oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap 1 slice of bacon around the circumference of each steak, overlapping ends and securing them to the meat with a toothpick. I let the steaks sit like this for an hour at room temperature to let the flavors meld.

When the oven reaches 450, heat a heavy-bottomed 10 inch skillet (not non-stick) over high heat on the stovetop until very hot. Place the steaks in the skillet and cook, without moving the steaks, until well browned and a nice crust has formed about 3 minutes on each side. Afterwards, hold the filets to or three at a time on their side with tongs in the skillet to crisp the bacon slightly all the way around the filets. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer each steak to the heated baking sheet in the oven.

General guidelines for roasting:
2- 4 minutes for very rare
4-6 minutes for rare
6-8 minutes for medium rare
8-10 minutes for medium

Keep a close eye on the filets as it is very easy to overcook them. Better to err on the side of taking them out too early because of the leanness of the meat. Transfer steaks to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Pan Sauce

Skillet fat
2 shallots minced
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup port
Thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon butter, cold
After transferring the steaks to the oven. Keep the heat on about medium for the skillet. Sautee shallots and thyme in the skillet fat until they soften slightly. Do not scorch or else the sauce will be bitter. Deglaze with chicken stock and port. Reduce to about half. Whisk in the cold butter until it is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Simple Butter Lettuce Salad (inspired by Ashley--this salad is great for balancing out a heavier meal--it irefreshes the palate and everyone in the family loves it)

1 head of butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn to pieces
2 Meyer lemons
Olive oil
Honey
Maldon salt
Freshly ground pepper

This is a very loosey-goosey recipe. Zest the lemons into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of both lemons into the bowl. Add a 1/2 teaspoon or so of honey (to taste). Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in about a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Keep tasting until you like it. I like it on the tart, acidic side. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.

Cheers.

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Whats_For_Dinner_Winter_Comfor.zip (185 KB)

It's been surprisingly chilly in L.A. Perfect weather for roasted chicken, white truffle potato gratin and roasted asparagus with meyer lemon zest. I had actually never made a gratin before last night. Wow. Simple, elegant and unbelievably easy. Great for a dinner party because it makes it look like you've been slaving away all afternoon when, in reality, you've been sipping a glass of wine, flipping through a magazine, waiting for your gratin to come out of the oven. Plus, I got to use my mandolin which my kids thought was super-cool.

I served a dry Venetian Pinot Grigio with dinner--a nice Barolo would have been great too, but I have a new fondness for white wines these days. I LOVE red wine, but, lately, for some reason (hmmm...maybe it's that darned 40 year old thing again), I've been getting more headaches when I indulge in red wine. Is anyone else experiencing this? But, I digress. Here are my recipes from last night. 

Fool-Proof Roasted Chicken
1 4-5 lb whole chicken (I like Mary's air-dried organic from Whole Foods)
1 or 2 Sweet Onions sliced into 1 inch rings (any thinner and they'd disintegrate)
Handful of Herbs (thyme, sage and rosemary are my usual standbys)
1 or 2 Lemons (I used Meyer lemons last night--even better if they are in season)
1/4 stick of unsalted butter, melted
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange onion slices next to each other in a roasting pan, creating a "bed" for the chicken. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry inside and out (making sure to remove the giblets, etc... inside the cavity). Place the chicken on top of the onions in the roasting pan. Squeeze lemon juice all over the chicken, inside and out. Season generously with salt and pepper, inside and out. Use a pastry brush to brush butter all over the skin of the whole chicken. Place herbs (and used lemons, if you'd like) inside the cavity. Tie the legs together (I find this works just as well as trussing the whole bird). The chicken can be covered with plastic and refrigerated for up to a day after this point--just make sure you bring it back to room temp before putting in the oven. I love things that can be prepared in advance--a great way to look at ease when your guests arrive!

Place chicken breast-side up in the oven. If you have a convection oven, turn it on--the chicken will cook more evenly this way. For a 4 lb bird--figure about an hour. Anything bigger, an hour for the first 4 lbs, plus about 8 mins per additional pound. The thigh will exude clear juices and the thickest part of the thigh will register about 170-175 on a meat thermometer when the roast is done. I personally don't use a thermometer for chicken--I just use the time guidelines and take the chicken out when the skin is nice and golden brown all over.

Let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Pour caramelized onions and pan juices on top of carved chicken and serve.

White Truffle Potato Gratin (this recipe originally called for regular butter and garlic--I omitted the garlic and replaced the butter with white truffle butter)
1/4 cup white truffle Butter, at room temperature (available at Surfas and waaay better than white truffle oil--less metallic and more...errr...truffle-y)
6 Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 lbs), peeled and thinly sliced (bust out that mandolin!)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Use 1 tablespoon of truffle butter to grease a 12 inch (1.5 quart) oval gratin dish. Layer one-third of the potato slices, slightly overlapping, in the prepared gratin dish. Sprinkle the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Repeat with another one-third of the potato slices and another 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of paper. End with remaining potatoes, taking care to arrange in a nice pattern ("Why does it have to be pretty, mommy?" "Do you like to eat ugly things, Zade?" "No!"). Season with remaining salt and pepper. Pour the cream over the top and dot with remaining truffle butter. Place the gratin on a sturdy baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bakeuntil potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the top is a dark, golden brown--about 1 1/2 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Asparagus
1 bunch of asparagus, washed and bottom tips broken off
Olive oil
Maldon salt
Pepper
1 Meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Place asparagus on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to distribute oil and seasonings.

Place in oven. Turn convection on if you have it. Roast about 15 mins. Take out of oven, season with meyer lemon zest and juice. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cheers!

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Every year, I look forward to The Saveur 100.  It is a list of all great things gastronomic—from obscure kitchen tools to hole-in-the wall food courts in Thailand.  What could be more fun to read on a rainy night?  Well, how about a Reader’s Edition?  This year, Saveur has decided to let the readers weigh in on the Top 100.  And the result is eclectic, global and downright homey.  If you simply love food, you are just like any of these readers and it’s super-fun to read what they have to say. 

I especially love #27, which gives a shout-out to the much maligned, under-appreciated (at least by my husband and a certain beloved half-Indian man I know) cuisine of the Philippines.  That’s right, crispy pata, baby.  If you love yourself some pig, then you would love crispy pata.  Meaty, piggy foreshanks braised until tender, then rubbed with fish sauce and deep fried until the skin becomes oh so crunchy.  Crisp on the outside, tender, melting and succulent inside—perfectly paired with an acidic sauce of vinegar, garlic and soy sauce and washed down with a San Miguel. 

Continuing on the pig theme, I will definitely be making #58 for a big group of friends soon.

Other highlights.  #79 is a great tip on drying lemon zest for later use.  #51 a cute story about how food inspires and a good looking, simple recipe for roasted radishes.  #84 suggests a great sounding, inexpensive wine that I’ll be scoping out.

Like I said, worth a read if you think of food magazines as porn.  

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