Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Small Plates - September 11, 2009

BACON GREASE IS GOOD - A couple of years ago, I came across this post about rendering bacon fat on Simply Recipes. The ensuing discussion in the comments brought back many fond memories for me. I still remembered the bacon grease containers both my Grandma and Mom used to keep near the stove. You opened the top and it had a strainer inside to catch the bacon bits and the nice pure (or almost anyway) grease would go through the holes to the bottom of the can. It sat out on the counter and was used anytime a little flavor was needed in a dish. 

Where these days most of us will usually reach for some olive oil when we need to grease up a pan, back then...Mom reached for bacon grease. It always made everything taste better. Frying eggs? Use bacon grease. Cooking a pork chop? Use bacon grease. My fondest memory of Mom using it was when she made a Filipino dish called Pansit. She would reach into the bacon grease container with a big spoon and scoop out a big glob of grease to fry everything up with. Yum.

These days I have a container (more of a Tupperware thing) that I keep in the fridge with bacon grease. I've looked high and low for a container like my moms, but I guess they don't make them anymore. So imagine my surprise when Mom and I were going through some of her stuff in storage and I came across the famous bacon grease holder! It's a bit dented on the outside and a bit pitted on the inside, but I'm sure someone might need it in their collection of old kitchen equipment. I swear every time I look at it I start to drool thinking about some bacon goodness. It definitely brings me happy memories and reminds me to use more bacon grease!

TACTICAL CANNED BACON: Seriously folks, I don't make this stuff up. Go here. And before you laugh, I think this would go great next to my SPAM and Nutella in my earthquake emergency kit.

BACON PHOTO CONTEST - Yep, get out your camera and take photos of the lovely pork goodness. You might win some free bacon. Check out Mr. Bacon Pants contest here. Check out  MrBaconpants.com where you can find out about Bacon Beer and all things bacon. No, Mr. L is not Mr. Bacon Pants!

Grilled California Avocado BLT Burgers with Caramelized Chipotle Onions

Yes, I ended up making the burger on the cover of the Build A Better Burger cookbook, but I honestly didn't realize that fact until afterward. Come on, you know I made it because it had bacon in it. This recipe was the grand prize winner in 2004 and was from Clint Stephenson of Texas.

This was really tasty.

This was also a heck of a lot of work for a burger.

The recipe was probably the first "gourmet" burger I've ever put together...where you  not only add ingredients to the meat mixture but you spend time fussing with toppings (since usually for me it's just a slice of cheese, mayo, pickles and tomatoes). Though the end product tasted pretty good, it was a bit of work for "just a burger". (Okay, why is it that I consider a burger something that should be quick and simple? This though, was not).

There were many parts to this recipe...the caramelized onions, the cheese spread, the meat mixture and the avocado slices. The caramelized onion mixture was great. It's something I'd make in a heartbeat to put on burgers in the future. I also really enjoyed the flavor of the patties. I didn't notice a big difference in basting the avocado slices with the vinegar and sprinkling them with seasoned salt. I'm sure in the big picture this made a difference but I probably wouldn't go through the trouble to make the avocados like that next time.

As for the Point Reyes Blue Cheese Spread, I have to admit, neither Mr. L nor I are fond of blue cheese. In fact, we are very not fond of it. But we tried it in the burger. And didn't like it. Next time I would just use more of the garlic and herb spread or add some other kind of cheese. We only prepped two burgers with the cheese mixture then threw the rest out. We used more of the Rondele garlic and herb mixture. Yes, I realize Point Reyes Blue fans are reeling in horror.

I realized this was a "contest" burger, which meant pretty precise measurements, but next time I don't think I'd be that precise about anything (I'd add more bacon of course and maybe just a tad of mayo and some salt).We also didn't grill the burger, I'm sure that would have upped the flavor quite a bit. I still think the recipe ended up making a damn good burger.

GRILLED CALIFORNIA AVOCADO BLT BURGERS
WITH CARAMELIZED CHIPOTLE ONIONS

CARAMELIZED CHIPOTLE ONIONS
1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon beef broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

POINT REYES BLUE CHEESE SPREAD
6 1/2 ounces light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese
4 ounces Point Reyes blue cheese or other favorite blue cheese, crumbled

PATTIES
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground sirloin
1/3 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup Zinfandel
3 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, thyme, and basil (any combination)
1 tablespoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons spicy seasoned salt

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
12 Hass avocado slices
Balsamic vinegar, for brushing on the avocado
Spicy seasoned salt, for sprinkling on the avocado slices
12 precooked bacon slices
6 (4 1/2-inch) soft Kaiser rolls, split
6 romaine lettuce leaves
6 (1/4-inch-thick) large tomato slices

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the caramelized onions, combine the onion, pepper sauce, broth, vinegar, oil, garlic, and brown sugar in a 10-inch nonstick, fire-proof skillet, cover with a lid, and place on the grill rack. Cook the onion mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the pan from the grill and set aside.

To make the spread, combine the cheeses in a fire-proof saucepan, cover, and set aside.

To make the patties, combine the chuck, sirloin, onion, Zinfandel, herbs, pepper sauce, and seasoned salt in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Meanwhile, place the saucepan with the cheese spread on the outer edge of the rack to warm the cheese mixture just until it reaches a very soft, spreadable consistency. Remove the saucepan from the grill and set aside.

During the final minutes of grilling the patties, brush the avocado slices with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Arrange on a rimmed nonstick perforated grilling pan coated lightly with oil and grill alongside the patties for 1 to 2 minutes, turning as necessary. During the final 30 seconds, add the bacon slices to the pan. When the avocados are nicely grilled and the bacon is crisp, remove from the grill. When the patties are cooked, remove from the grill, stacking to keep warm. Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast slightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture over the cut sides of the rolls. On each roll bottom, place a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, a patty, an equal portion of the caramelized onions, 2 avocado slices, and 2 bacon slices. Add the roll tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers.

Note: I used Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Rondele Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread, Oscar Meyer bacon (cuz that's what we had on hand, yeah, sad...better bacon would have been, well, better).

Note: I forgot to buy lettuce so I just left it out.

Note: We didn't grill this. We did everything on top of the stove (we used a cast iron grill pan).

Note: The recipe asked for "spicy seasoned salt". I'm sure the recipe required some specific blend, but I just kind of made my own with Lawry's and cayenne pepper.

Note: The patties were cooked closer to medium rare than medium.

This was a really good tasting burger. I can see myself doing a simpler version of this next time I have folks over for burgers and want to impress them (without the blue cheese of course).

Roasted Salmon with Crumbled Bacon and Arugula

As I've mentioned before I'm not a fish eater, but we are trying to incorporate it into our weekly menus. I find that if I have a good "sauce" to go over the fish, I can usually eat it no problem. And no bones. If it has bones, or I find one while eating, my throat tends to close up, my fork goes down and I'm finished eating.

I chose this dish out of the Williams-Sonoma Salad cookbook because it sounded healthy and didn't seem to take a lot of work to make. And it had bacon so I figured it would make the salmon easier to eat. Since I didn't have any bacon handy I ended up using some pancetta which I had. The pancetta was sliced pretty thin. Pancetta is pretty salty so regular bacon might be better. I had a little less than a third of a pound of the stuff so I put it all in.

Though I liked the spicy touch the arugula gave the salad and thought it went well with the balsamic sauce, I wouldn't go out of my way getting it next time to make this dish. I 'd just use salad greens I had on hand.

Mr. L really liked this dish. It wasn't heavy and made a perfect summer salad. We used it as a main dish. Truth be told, I really liked this too. The salmon wasn't fishy, the "sauce" went well with the lettuce. I ate the whole thing and didn't even flinch (okay, not too much anyway) when I found a bone towards the end of the meal (trust me, if there was a bone in a fish, it would end up in the fish that was on my plate).

ROASTED SALMON WITH CRUMBLED BACON AND ARUGULA

4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 salmon fillets, each about 1/2 lb and 1/2-3/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups young, tender arugula (rocket) leaves
2 cups torn red-leaf lettuce leaves (bite-sized pieces)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. In a frying pan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool, then crumble and set aside.

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the Bacon drippings and return the pan to medium-low heat. Add the shallot and saute for 1-2 minutes, then raise the heat to medium-high. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for a minute or two. Whisk in the olive oil. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Cut the salmon fillets in half and rub the pieces on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to accommodate the salmon fillets in a single layer and place them in the prepared dish. Roast in the oven until just opaque when pierced at the center, 13-15 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, divide the arugula and lettuce among individual salad plates, and drizzle with all but 2 tablespoons of the balsamic mixture. When the fish is ready, place a portion on each plate, drizzle with the remaining balsamic mixture, and top evenly with the crumbled bacon. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.

Variation Tip: For an Italian accent, instead of bacon, use snippets of crisp prosciutto, accomplished by barely sauteing thing strips in a little olive oil.

Note: I used Coho wild caught salmon which was about $12.99 a pound. I used pancetta instead of bacon.

This was actually very good and would make a nice summer brunch salad.

Small Plates - July 2, 2009

BACON FLAVORED LIP BALM- Why? Well because it's bacon flavored lip balm! Can't say it's something I'll use on a regular basis and Mr. L said he loves me and he loves bacon but he's not sure he wants to kiss me when I wearing this. On the other hand, my kitten thinks I'm The Bomb when I have this on! To find out more about it go here. And yes, I already own all the flavors of Bacon Salt and Baconnaise is on it's way.

PEZ - Over the years, I've collected my fair share of Pez dispensers. I don't think I've ever held a garage sale either, without selling a few of them as they are more of a 'fun for a bit' kind of item. I still think I have the Yoda one around somewhere though, hard to get rid of that one. I've always said I needed to get up to see the Pez Museum in Burlingame, but alas, have not found the time. Maybe I should find time soon. It seems Pez has taken umbrage because they think the use of a piece of art outside the museum (a giant Pez dispenser with a snowman head) is trademark infringement. Pez already had forced the museum to change their name so that folks wouldn't think that it was run by the Pez company. For more info go here. I think I need to visit the Pez Museum on the same trip I visit the Barbie Museum!

FANCY FAST FOOD - Okay, if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that I enjoy fast food just as much as I enjoy gourmet food. Now someones gone and made my fast food gourmet. No, I'm not talking about an overpaid chef making their own version of a Taco Bell burrito. I'm talking someone actually taking a Taco Bell Burrito and making it into Tacobellini. Serious Eats led me to this awesome blog, Fancy Fast Food. We are so going to try to make Spicy Chicken Sushi from some Popeye's chicken!

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE HEADED TO MY THIGHS?  - Of course next time I go into a Popeye's for some chicken, the cold hard reality of just how many calories that meal will cost me will be smacking me in the face. In California, a law went into effect yesterday that requires food chains with more than 20 units to either offer a brochure when you walk up detailing nutrition data on all standard menu items, or they must post calorie counts for those items on menus and menu boards. By the start of 2011, all chains with 20 or more places must post those calories on menus and menu boards. The first time someone in line with me at KFC makes a comment that the two Extra Crispy Chicken Breasts I just ordered with a biscuit and mashed potatoes will put more than 1290 calories on my butt because it says so on the menu board, will find themselves dipped in chicken batter! For more info go here (more info on having calories listed on menus, not on my butt). Several other states will be following suit soon so don't think staying away from California will spare you the embarrassment of everyone knowing your quick fast food chinese meal of Fried Rice, Orange Chicken and one Egg Roll cost you 1190 calories! (Calories from Panda Express nutritional info).