Rosemarried

Posts Tagged pork

On Meat: Urban Farmer, Sustainability, and Luce’s Pork Ragu.

Last week, I was invited to attend a special dinner at Urban Farmer, along with a few other bloggers. I gladly accepted the invitation, and was thrilled at the prospect of a really great steak dinner.

While the food was nothing short of amazing, it was the educational component of the evening that really stuck with me. I was floored by the purchasing philosophy, the butchery, and the dedication to quality and sustainability. Let me stop right there and rant for a moment: sustainability is a trendy and oft misused term in our society. The word sustainable actually means: “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” And yet, the word is so often used in marketing and and advertising for companies who are far from sustainable, which is why I find it so damn refreshing to come across people who are actually practicing true sustainability.

Which brings me back to Urban Farmer.

Take, for example, Urban Farmer’s whole animal butchery program: when they purchase a whole cow, they make sure to use every single part of the animal. They use the bones to make stock. They use all the trimmings off the steaks (and other cuts) to make ground beef and burgers. Oh, and Chef Matt Christianson uses the beef fat to make his own soap (!!!). (Fun fact: most of the candles on the tables at Urban Farmer are made from beef fat.) And, it should go without saying, that Urban Farmer sources their animals from the best purveyors who practice sustainable farming.

Urban Farmer

Really, the dinner at Urban Farmer just got me thinking about meat. I love meat, I really do, but I wrestle with consuming it. I am constantly shocked and disgusted by what I read about factory farming and its averse effects on humans and animals. Every day we are bombarded with news about our broken food system: e.coli outbreaks, antibiotics, Mad Cow disease, horse meat scandals, and the fact that Taco Bell’s “meat” isn’t really meat at all. It’s all very horrifying and unappetizing. But I truly believe that this is one issue where I can make a difference. By purchasing meat from farmers and producers who raise animals with care and respect, I am voting with my dollars. Sustainable farming isn’t just good for the animal, it is good for the environment and for public health.

As you may have noticed, I don’t cook a lot of meat. Most of my recipes are vegetarian, with the occasional meaty offering. Frankly, it’s because I can’t afford to cook a lot of meat. Good meat is expensive, because it costs a lot of money to raise animals on real food in real pastures. But good meat is worth the price.

That being said, it’s not all bad news. There are ways to purchase sustainable meat without breaking the bank. I highly recommend joining a food buying club (I am a proud member the Montavilla Food Buying Club) or buying a whole animal from a local farm or butcher. If you can’t afford a whole animal, see if you can split one with friends (or other interested buyers). I just bought 1/8 of a pig from Proletariat Meat and it was shockingly affordable. (The funny thing is, I now have a freezer full of pork and Orthodox Lent starts next week. The pork will have to wait until after Easter, I suppose!)

I’ll close out my meaty rant with a link to a recipe for Luce’s Pork and Beef Ragu. My husband made it for me for dinner this week, and it was phenomenal. I’m a lucky lady.

Luce's Pork Ragu

Potted Pork Rillettes & Apricot Mostarda

As promised, I am now finally getting around to posting a few of the recipes from my Cheese, Wine and Swine dinner party. To start off, I thought I’d share the recipes for the Pork Rillettes and Apricot Mostarda. I’ll keep the post short and simple, but I am going to leave you with the Wikipedia definitions for each item, in order to give you a better understanding of these two dishes.

Mostarda: (also called mostarda di frutta) An Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard flavoured syrup. Commercially the essential oil of mustard is employed, which has the advantage of transparency; in home cooking mustard powder heated in white wine may be used. Traditionally mostarda was served with boiled meats, the bollito misto which is a speciality of northern Italian cooking. More recently it has become a popular accompaniment to cheeses.

Rillettes: A preparation of meat similar to pâté. Originally made with pork, the meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste. They are normally used as spread on bread or toast and served at room temperature.

In short, rillettes is essentially a rustic paté (think: carnitas meets paté) and apricot mostarda is a mustardy apricot chutney.

And if I do say so myself, the combination of the two is absolutely dynamite. Fatty creamy pork spread + spicy sweet apricot goodness + crusty bread = party in your mouth. (Oh, and did I mention the pork is cooked in a slow cooker? It does the cooking for you! So this meal is fancy, tasty, and easy.)

Pork Rillettes
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2″ cubes
1 Qt. rendered pork fat (lard)*
4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons whole allspice
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Salt
10 thyme sprigs

*Note: I couldn’t find rendered pork fat so I bought a big piece of fatback and rendered down the fat. This process took awhile, but it a great option if you aren’t able to find pork lard/fat.

In a spice grinder or mortar & pestle, grind whole spices together into a fine powder. Once ground, mix in cinnamon and then combine with a 1/4 cup of salt. Spread mixture evenly over the pork pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (best if left overnight).

In a slow cooker, melt 1 cup of the pork fat. Add thyme sprigs, garlic and pork pieces and cook on low heat for 6 hours, or until pork is extremely tender. Allow the pork to cool slightly and remove to a bowl. Discard thyme sprigs. With 2 forks, shred the pork until the pork looks unison and there are no large chunks. Discard any gristle. Stir in one cup of the fat; taste, and season with salt if needed.

Pack the meat into jars, crocks, or other sealed vessels. Melt the last of the pork fat and ladle a 1/2 inch layer of fat atop each container of pork. Store rillettes in the fridge. With the fat seal still in tact, rillettes will keep for up to a month in the fridge.

To serve the rillettes, remove from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving. Rillettes is best served room temperature. Serve with crusty bread and apricot mostarda.

Apricot Mostarda:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Erath Pinot Gris)
1 Tablespoon whole mustard seeds
1 Tablespoon whole grain or dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes.

Add the apricots, sugar, wine, mustard seeds, mustard and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the onion and apricots are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. When the mostarda is finished, it should be thick and similar to a chutney. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before serving.