Braisin' Hussy

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Smoked Ham Hocks and Cranberry Beans

(om nom nom)
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Rather Boring Pantry Pasta

3-4 oz. some kind of pasta (I prefer shapes)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (diced jalapeno pepper is also good if you're out)
~6 pieces of salami or pepperoni, quartered or sixthed
1/4 onion/2-3 green onions/1-2 shallots, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp assorted dried herbs- parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc. (Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle is nice)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional- I have occasionally used shredded cheddar cheese)

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta. While this is going on, prep the rest of the ingredients. Drain the pasta and leave in the colander while you make the sauce. (I use the same pot I used to boil the pasta- it's only like 2 quarts, so it's not really a pain to clean.) Put the pot/pan over medium-high heat and add the oil and red pepper flakes. Stir/swirl around for about a minute. Add the salami/pepperoni and cook another minute. Add onion and stir until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the herbs. Add the cooked pasta back to the pan and toss to combine. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt/pepper. Empty into bowl and add cheese.

Variations
3-4 Tbsp of toasted nuts can be added when you put in the herbs. They can be used in place of the salami/pepperoni if you're a vegetarian.
2-3 Tbsp vinaigrette. I'll do this if I have leftover salad dressing. I added it instead of the dried herbs. Dump it in and let it reduce a little.

A handful or two of baby spinach. Toss this in when you combine the pasta and sauce at the end and stir until it wilts.

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Slightly More Interesting But Still Rather Boring Pasta

3-4 oz. pasta
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 cup white wine (just finishing up a bottle, don't really know how much was in there)
2-3 Tbsp herbed cheese spread (some Boursin I had leftover after a party)
2 Tbsp cream or milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Boil water and cook pasta. Drain and keep in the colander while preparing sauce. Melt the butter with the oil, add red pepper flakes and onion, cook until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add white wine and turn heat to high. Reduce to 2-3 Tbsp. Off heat, add cheese spread and cream and stir to melt/integrate into the sauce. Add pasta back to pan and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning, dump into bowl and serve with parmesan.
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Monday, February 02, 2009

I took a picture of this dish, which I'll post when I get home. Delicious, although I'm not very good at dismantling ham hocks. If you cook the time-intensive beans, ham hocks, and onions in tandem, you can have this dish done in a morning. I overbrowned the onions a bit, but all that really did was make them more delicious. I did have to up the salt in the dish to compensate for their resulting sweetness.
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Smoked Ham Hocks & Cranberry Beans
San Francisco Chronicle

1 lb dried cranberry beans, or other white bean like cannellinis
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh savory + 1 tablespoon minced
2 tsp kosher salt
2-3 lbs smoked ham hocks
1.5 cups Onion Confit (see recipe below)
5 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme

In a large saucepan, combine the beans, 8 cups water, bay leaf and sprigs of savory. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans are just becoming tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add salt and continue to simmer beans until tender, adding more water if necessary, 1 to 1 1/2 additional hours. Set aside to cool in the cooking liquid. (You should have at least 3 cups of cooking liquid.)

In a large saucepan, cover the ham hocks with cold water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the meat is nearly falling from the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the hocks, and when cool enough to handle, remove the meat and skin. Tear or cut the meat into bite-size or larger pieces. Mince enough of the skin to make 3 tablespoons. Set aside. Discard the bones and save the remaining skin for another use.

In a Dutch oven (or similarly sized vessel) heat 1/4 cup of the Onion Confit over medium heat until it is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, pepper and about 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid. Stir, blending the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the beans, another 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid, the meat and minced skin, the thyme, minced savory, and salt and pepper to taste, and the remaining Onion Confit. Fold together with a wooden spoon, being careful not to mash the beans. Simmer until thickened and hot, about 10 minutes.

Serve alone or over rice.
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Onion Confit
San Francisco Chronicle

Makes about 4 cups- more than double the amount needed for the ham hocks. Halve, or use the extra to garnish pretty much any savory dish.

4 Tbsp butter
4 pounds yellow or red onion, cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick (about 7 cups)
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp chopped fresh savory
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 400.

Cut the butter into several chunks and put on a large baking sheet or roasting pan. Place in the oven to melt, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the onions on it. The layer of onions should be about 1 inch deep. If the layer is too thin, the onions will fry. Tuck the bay leaves into the onions, then sprinkle the onions with thyme, savory and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the top.

Put the baking sheet in the oven and cook the onions, stirring every 10 or 15 minutes, until they have turned a light golden brown and have reduced in volume by nearly half, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Transfer to 1 or more clean, dry jars and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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