Category: Pork

The Swedish Julbord…Christmas Around The World

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Jul (Christmas)  Bord ( Table)

I have been told since I travel a lot , I offer up and expose a lot foods and traditions that are new to some people. I take it all for granted, but if that’s whats my blog is known for, I love it.  I hate to see people living in a narrow closed world where food is concerned. You don’t have to buy an expensive ticket to travel in the culinary world. Your passport is your open mind and hunger.

Last fall , in Stockholm, I had the pleasure of accompanying Anne of Anne’s Food to an event given by Scan. Scan is a major Swedish producer of pork. They are most known for their meatballs (kottbullar).For those of you that don’t know what a Julbord is, think of it as a Christmas Smorgasbord consisting of cold and hot meats, herrings, and desserts.  After attending the afternoon event , I realized the Swedes take the whole Christmas Ham (Julskinka) very seriously. Many hams were on display  cooked in various ways. Scan’s own butcher in his metal chain mail mesh glove, demonstrated how he breaks downs hundreds of hams daily. It was all so effortless when watching him.

While the presentation was in Swedish, I got the total experience by sampling the many offering from Scan’s chefs of sausages, meatballs, hams, terrines, appetizers, cured meats and warmed by Glogg ( spiced wine). In my opinion the Swedish really know how to do Christmas. One of my favorite things is comparing how other cultures celebrate common holidays. So I  want to give you a glimpse of  Julbord offerings that will perhaps inspire you this Christmas. In a perfect world, I would love to throw my own Julbord party next party with Certain Someone. We shall see.

Some classic Julbord dishes:

  • Herrings
  • Cured Salmon ( Gravlax)
  • Cheeses
  • Breads
  • Pickled Vegetables
  • Head Cheeses, Terrines, Pates
  • Swedish Meatballs ( Kottbullar)
  • Pork Ribs
  • Fried Sausages and small Hot dogs (Prinskorv)
  • Jannson’s Temptation ( a potato casserole with anchovies)
  • Cabbage rolls
  • Assorted salads
  • Rice Puddings
  • Cakes
  • Schnapps and Aquavit
  • Glogg

Click here for Scan’s recipes

Or

here for Traditional Swedish Julbord Recipes from Scandinavianfood.com. Such as the classic mustard and bread crumb coated Julskinka ( Christmas Ham)

Salt Pork (Sidfläsk) and Onion Sauce…Classically Scandinavian Cuisine

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Some dishes are so simple and basic, they really don’t elicit the need for a recipe or a enthusiastic response from most. Yet that very simplicity, which some might disdain, is comfort for others. A simple man’s dish  can be regal and revered  for it’s pure minimalism. While in Stockholm, having lunch with friends in a swanky cafe off of Stureplan, I ordered the  lunch special. It was a basic hearty dish of fried salt pork served with boiled potatoes and a white creamy onion sauce.My friend rubbed her hands in glee in anticipation of this childhood favorite, and Certain Someone naturally leaned over to fork up a few of the tasty morsels. I knew this was a dish I had to replicate back home.

Growing up black, with a mother who cooked southern style, salt pork was normally reserved for greens or beans. I don’t think she ever fried it up for us to eat, although I know many do. As salt pork is cured and packed in salt , its essential to soak it overnight and even blanch it to lessen the saltiness. It’s poor mans food that cheap but adds a punch of flavor to any dish.Salt pork can be entirely fatty or lean with some meat. Its made from the pork belly, like bacon, yet cured in salt. Originally it was created as shipboard ration, much like the European cured cod in salt.

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Salt Pork with Onion Sauce

serves 2-3

  • 1 lb slab of salt pork( streaky with meat and fat)
  • oil or leaf lard for frying
  • small red skinned potatoes ( enough for 2-3) peeled
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 1/2 white onions minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cup of milk
  • white pepper
  • sea salt
  • *pinch of nutmeg optional
  1. Soak the salt pork overnight in water. Refrigerate, changing water periodically.
  2. Boil peeled potatoes in water with a pinch of salt until tender.
  3. Heat a pot with boiling water. Black salt pork for 1 minute to leech extra salt after soaking.
  4. Remove from water and cool.
  5. Slice salt pork .
  6. In a frying pan with oil or leaf lard, fry salt pork until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
  7. Check potatoes, drain , and toss lightly in butter when done. Cover until ready to use.
  8. In a frying pan melt 1 stick of butter.
  9. Add minced onion.
  10. Saute on med heat until onions are translucent .
  11. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  12. Add flour to butter and softened onions. Mix until you form a roux.
  13. Continue to cook for one minute to slightly brown the roux.
  14. Add milk and* nutmeg.
  15. Mix briskly to incorporate onions, roux and milk.
  16. Sauce will start to thicken.
  17. If sauce is too thick add more milk, adjust.
  18. Plate potatoes with sauce ladled over them. Top with a few slices of salt pork per person.
  19. Serve hot.

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Homemade Pork Scratchings aka Pork Rinds

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In the carnivore realm there are two groups. Those that eat pork and those that don’t. In our household we love the Swine. Sausages, bacon , chops, loins, roasts,etc.Need I say more? Pork really is a tastier and a more versatile meat.Religious reasons I get and respect.Even those restrictions were an early form of food safety. But,I hear a lot of people for various reasons profess why they don’t eat pork, is that it’s dirty. That excuse  is dated, period. Nowadays eating poultry, fish, and eggs can out you at more risk than eating pork. There are fewer cases of Trichinosis out there and reported than Salmonella or E Coli. I’m not here to convert but I’m just saying….

Not believing in waste, I had a whole large piece of pork skin left over from the belly used to makeChorizo. The perfect crispy skin has always eluded me. Close but not perfection. Then I came across some references to the famous English Chef Fergus Henderson, who is known for his nose to tail style of cooking. Nothing is wasted and respect is shown to animal  without waste. It seems his pork scratchings( pork rinds) are a huge deal and a superior recipe. A total of a five to six day process, the skin is lovingly salted for five days to confit and swathed in duck fat andconfited .Once tender and jelly like after the confit, the skin is then racked in the oven and puffs and bubbles to a beautiful golden brow, It really is the perfect recipe. Your next cocktail party, football game, or holiday gathering , offer up these nibbles and your swine eating guests will bow at your feet. You can purchase pork skin in most Latin markets, or save it from when you buy whole roasts.

I did make a little error with these nibbles. I didn’t soak the skin after salting. Fortunately I didn’t use loads of salt, so a nice cold beer washed it away. That’s my second salt accident this month.When doing the final baking , rather than keep the skin intact, cut it up into smaller pieces to aid crispiness, I find the smaller pieces puff more. Then you break it up even more when complete.

You know this isn’t  health food and should only be made on special occasions. But it is way better than deep frying the rinds in my opinion like the Mexican Chicarron,but its wickedly good. Enjoy!

I did feel like Hannibal Lecter while making this. Carefully tending to large swathes of skin. My refrigerator looked like a lab.So this recipe isn’t for the squeamish, if things like that bother you. You know, the type that likes their meat all neat and packaged in Styrofoam and wrapped in plastic. Kidding!

Be sure check out the Duo Dishes , who posted their own version of pork rinds this week too.

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Pork Scratchings

adapted by Fergus Henderson from Beyond Nose to Tail


 

 Ingredients

  • Pig’s skin  with a little fat on the underside
  • Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
  • Duck fat (about 1 cup or more to cover the skin)
  1. Spread a layer of sea salt on a glass , plastic or non reactive tray.
  2. Apply sea salt on top of the pork skin liberally( approx about 1-2 tbsp. Depending on size of skins.
  3. Cover salted skin and leave in  the refrigerator for five days.
  4. Remove skin and soak in cold water overnight for several hours or overnight.
  5. Dry skin and place on a lipped baking sheet.
  6. Rub duck fat on both sides of skin .
  7. Cover with foil.
  8. Bake  in a medium oven( about 220-225 F) for 2½ hrs.
  9. Take out to cool.
  10. At this point you can make sure fat solidifies over skin and keep covered with fat until ready to use at alater date in the fridge.
  11. Or…Place a rack on a lipped baking sheet, then lay your skin on top.
  12. Turn oven to approx 350-375 F and roast. Skin should  slightly puff up  and turn golden and crispy.
  13. Do not overly brown or burn
  14. Remove from the oven  and cool.
  15. Place the crispy skin on a board and  break it up with with a heavy knife.
  16. Serve

* skin can be chewy and tough in some parts so be careful with sensitive teeth or dental issues.

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Chorizo Rolls Made from Fresh Homemade Chorizo

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I like to grind my own meat and make my own bread, I confess. Nowadays with ever increasing food safety issues and economy, its a sure bet to make your own ground meat. So having purchased a 9 lb pork belly and having some packs of LEMS Cured Sausage Seasonings,I did.After removing the skin and ribs from my whole pork belly , I put it through the grinder, and added their Chorizo mix, and let sit in the fridge overnight to meld the flavors. The end result was approx 7lb or so of ground sausage. Half went into the freezer for later use ( see economy!) , an the other made tray of our favorite stuffed vegetables and stuffed rolls.

Certain Someone and I love these, and with the seasons turning, there is bounty of wonderful vegetables to stuff . These stuffed vegetables make great leftovers and save me from cooking for a few days.

What I really wanted to do was make some soft rolls stuffed with the sausage and cheese. Sandy , the creator of BYOB, gave me a recipe for a soft roll,a while ago when I was working on some bread ideas for Chef at the caterer. I wanted a soft , time effective roll . Loving her recipe , I decided to add sausage and cheese to it. I can imagine so many uses. I actually made about 22 rolls with this recipe as I was stuffing them. They are pretty quick and easy and can be made in an hours time. Serve them up for entertaining while watching football games, to go for lunch, outings, etc. If you are not up to making your own sausage use store purchased fresh chorizo or other sausage.

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Chorizo Rolls

  • 1 /2 lb Chorizo cooked and drained
  • 3 balls of fresh Mozzarella cut into cubes
  • Dried Thyme for dusting

The Dough from Sandy

  • 2 cups warm milk, about 115 degrees F
  • 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/4 cup warm water, about 115 degrees F
  • 2 – 4 tablespoons white sugar, to taste
  • 2 packages instant yeast (about 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
  1. Combine milk, butter, water, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth; add flour if necessary until no longer sticky.
  2. Roll into rope and divide into 25 pieces; form into balls.
  3. Flatten each ball with hands and stuff with 1 tsp of cooked drained choirzo and 1 piece of cheese.
  4. Seal ends with finger tips and gently shape roll.
  5. Place on parchment with sealed side down.
  6. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and press down to flatten slightly. Let rise about 20 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 375 F.
  7. Brush rolls with egg yolk and dust with Thyme, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Cool on rack.

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I submit these rolls to BYOB.

Kentucky Pulled Pork

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I like to call this Kentucky Pulled Pork. The recipe was given to me by a genuine Kentuckian, Mel Doerr. Now Mel is what I would like to call my spiritual adviser, who I have consulted with for years. His intuition and instinct are always been dead on, so naturally I trust his recipe. He gave me this recipe for a crock pot style slow cooked pulled pork ,handed down from his grandmother.What makes it true Kentucky Pulled Pork is that shot ( or two ) of Bourbon you are going to add.Yes sir, Bourbon! No need to slave over an open pit barbecue, turn on that crock pot this summer and save some electricity while staying cooler in the process. Mel also mentioned his coleslaw, but didn’t provide a formal recipe. The draw to his coleslaw was pineapple. Pineapple and Pork are always delicious. This recipe is really easy. Yes it takes approx two days with marination and cooking, but it’s worth it and wont cause you a lot anxiety in preparation. It practically cooks itself!

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Kentucky Pulled Pork

*time preparation approx 2 days. 10 hours slow cooking.

  1. Marinate all ingredients over night in a non reactive food grade container with lid.
  2. Place in Crock Pot with a little extra liquid (water) and set for 10 hours.I also added an optional few drops of liquid smoke toward the end of cooking.
  3. Serve with coleslaw.

Coleslaw With Pineapple

  • 1 head of cabbage shredded
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 small can of crushed pineapple with its syrup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 carrot grated
  1. Mix all ingredients together. Start with the 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise and add more as needed. You don’t want your slaw too runny.
  2. Adjust to taste
  3. Chill and let set for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator

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