Pigs ears

Yum or yuck? Huell Houser, a reporter/all around nosey guy/Tennessee escapee on PBS, did a recent segment on pigs ears. He's done different series about California's parks, environment, and hidden treasures. I'm not sure pigs ears are a hidden treasure, but it is just the kind of quirky thing Huell would do a show on. It was pretty amusing to see people's reactions, especially Huell's, to the different forms of pigs ears. You can have them pickled, fried, and braised. I remember seeing pigs ears at the delis in Taiwan, along with pigs feet, pigs snout, and pigs tails. Obviously, nothing was going to waste. And I know you can buy pigs feet and the pigs head at the local Chinese deli, if you have a hankering for them.

If you want to see it yourself, you can purchase the video or DVD here (scroll down to the bottom).

Pork with Mushroom Gravy

This is a variation of one of my mom's standbys. Actually, I have two variations--same ingredients, different cooking methods. Ingredient amounts are vague because that's how I cook--I use what's on hand/on sale.

Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
approx. 3 lbs pork (I've used pork chops, pork cutlets, country style pork ribs)
1 to 1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dash of wine (optional)
Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

Directions, Version 1
1. Brown pork in large skillet (need not cook through, you're browning for flavor). Remove from skillet and set aside temporarily.
2. Brown onion in same skillet.
3. Deglaze skillet with wine or water.
4. Add pork back to skillet, along with the mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup.
5. Add a bit of water (I usually fill the can about 1/4 full) to the can of soup to get the last bit and add that to the skillet.
6. Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder and pepper.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms and pork are cooked.
8. Salt/pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6, depending on how much meat you started with.

Directions, Version 2
1. Place onion, pork, and mushrooms in crockpot.
2. Add cream of mushroom soup.
3. Add the wine or some water (I usually fill the can about 1/4 full) to the can of soup to get the last bit and add that to the crockpot.
3. Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder and pepper.
4. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
5. Salt/pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6, depending on how much meat you started with.
This version is more liquidy and the meat falls off the bone from cooking so long. I actually prefer the first version, but this version is good for weekdays.

Exploding Chili

That's what we had for dinner tonight. It started with a pound and a half of dried red beans, a huge onion, and a pound and a half of ground beef. Actually, it started with a can of beans I was going to put into a casserole, but decided they were too spicy. So since I already opened the can, I had to use it right away. Hence the chili.

The beans, onion, and beef filled my four quart stockpot so I moved to my eight quart stockpot. Added canned tomatoes, canned beans, and lots of spices. Filled the pot to within a couple inches of the rim. A calls this method of cooking, "Exploding Whatever" since I do this all the time to soups, stews, chili, etc. Good thing I stopped at the 8 quart pot. If I get desperate, I can always use my 16 quart stockpot, lol.

I oversalted the chili (something I rarely do) and tried the add-a-potato-to-absorb-the-extra-salt trick. It worked! I remember trying it before and it didn't.

Anyway, I don't really have a recipe for this, but here's the basics.

Cook dried beans (way cheaper than using canned, plus you can avoid the extra sodium)
Chop onion and brown with ground beef.
Add to cooked beans.
Add a couple of chopped carrots (for color and sneaking in a bit more veggies)
Add a can or two or three of diced tomatoes
Season with cumin, chili powder, lots of garlic (prefer fresh, but can use powdered), fresh ground pepper, a dash of soy sauce, and a bit of salt.
Simmer for an hour or longer to blend flavors.

I added canned beans to today's chili because it ended up being too spicy in addition to being too salty.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken, my version

I made my variation of this tonight. As usual, I made a few changes. Here's my version.

Ingredients
6-7 slices white bread
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ½ ounces)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Fresh ground pepper
4 pounds chicken thighs (approx. 9 small)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Remove crusts. Using a food processor or hand blender (which is messy), turn the bread into bread crumbs.

3. Stir together buttermilk, hot pepper flakes, thyme, and fresh ground pepper. Add chicken and coat all sides. I "marinated" the chicken for a few hours, which I think makes the chicken more tender.

4. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

5. Remove a piece of chicken and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. (I find it easiest to first coat the skin side, then the other side.) Place coated chicken pieces in a 10x15 rimmed baking sheet. If possible, leave space between pieces so they crisp better.

6. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 minutes. If you use chicken quarters or the pan is crowded, it could take more like 50 minutes to cook through.



Cook's notes:
I experimented tonight and added chicken hearts and gizzards about halfway through (you can see them in the middle of the pan in the photo above. I don't recommend gizzards. Too chewy. I think I'll try chicken livers next time. (Hope I'm not grossing you out, lol.)

I've always used my Pampered Chef stoneware pan. If you use a regular baking pan, you'll probably need to grease the pan first.