Practicing for the Audition

Last night Kitty and I had a couple of my oldest and best friends over to critique my "Audition" dish. Ken and Will are good enough friends that they can be honest without the risk of hurting my tender little feelings. I was planning to just cook the andouille stuffed tenderloin for the audition although I had been toying with the idea of also including Boudin as a tenderloin-stuffer. Ken brought a pound of Boudin and I decided to give it a shot. After all, who wants good Boudin to go to waste. It was a hit. I now feel certain that I should prepare both the boudin and the andouille stuffed pork. After we were about half way through the meal, I noticed that the hot spices in the boudin worked well with the sweetness of the fig gastrique. To keep this consistient throughout the dish, I went back in the kitchen and added some Indian chili powder to the gastrique. It worked so well that I have decided to add that to the audition recipe. I have also decided to forgo the chived basmati rice in favor of a dish that I call Grits Cochon. Essentially, the grits are cooked in a mixture of milk and ham stock and seasoned with a bit of pork fat and chopped green onion. So without further ado, here is the completed dish of Boudin and Andouille Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Fig Gastrique over Grits Cochon .
Bon Appetit!
~Tom

Why I Love "Poor People Food"

In any part of the world you can find some of the best dishes in the poorest of kitchens. Food writers like to dress it up and call it "Rustic" or "Country" cooking. What they mean is "Poor People Food." Usually there are some common threads that include a cheap cut of meat, a few aromatic vegetables, lots of spices and herbs and some form of inexpensive starch. The ingredients are usually cooked in a single pot over low heat for a long time. This allows all of the ingredients to do their magic and turn that cheap cut of meat into a soft flavorful thing of beauty. One of my favorites is White Beans with Pork. 
Bon Appetit!
~Tom

White Beans with Pork

1 lb. bag navy beans

1 lb. bag great northern beans

1 lb. cooked pork (ham, shoulder, tenderloin etc.)

4 stalks celery

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch parsley

4 carrots

2 medium yellow onions

1 whole garlic pod

3 qt. ham stock*

1 Tbsp. ground thyme

1 Tbsp. oregano

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. bacon grease

Salt

Pepper

Prep

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Chop celery, carrots and onions. Finely chop green onions and parsley. Slice ¼ inch through the top of the garlic pod, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and wrap tightly in foil. Chop cooked pork into small cubes, no larger than ½ inch. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook

Place foil wrapped garlic in the hot oven and roast for at least 20 minutes. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Put olive oil and bacon grease in hot pot until bacon grease is fully dissolved and sizzling. Add chopped yellow onions and cook until translucent. Add celery, carrots thyme and oregano. Cook until celery begins to soften. Add cooked pork and cook until meat is hot, stirring constantly. Drain and add beans and enough ham stock to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Remove roasted garlic from oven and squeeze pods into simmering liquid. Stir frequently and add liquid as it reduces. Cook for at least 2 hours. Stir aggressively and taste broth. Add salt and pepper as required. About ten minutes before serving, add chopped green onions and stir.

Plate

Serve with hot bread in a shallow bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley.

(Serves 10)

* there are several good commercial brands. I use Better than Bouillon.

Practice...Practice...Practice

To help get ready for my January 23rd audition for the new Gordon Ramsay show "Masterchef," I cooked one of my favorite dishes for one of my favorite priests. I figure, this guys has great beer, is bound by heaven to give me an honest opinion and besides, he and his wife are a blast to hang out with. Kitty and I went to the home of Bryan and Julie Owen and had dinner with them, the kids, the dog and the cats (who were terrified of me for some reason). Julie made a great salad with mixed greens, feta cheese and tart fruit. I did my go-to dish of Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Andouille Sausage, served with a Fig Gastrique.
Next Saturday, I will be making this dish for Gordon Ramsay. I picked this recipe because I don't know how long I will have to wait, with my food in a hotbox. The gastrique and the roasted pork will hold up well to the long wait. I think I will also serve Ramsay a Chived Rice Timbale and some Steamed Green Beans with my secret weapon seasoning. Here is a photo from last night. I'll post the recipe later.
Thanks to Bryan, Julie and the kids for a great night and an honest critique.
Bon Appetit!
~Tom