Here in the Great Lakes, a local butcher is a good person to know. Let's say one day you walk in looking for something unique to throw on the smoker. No, not pork belly. We've done that. Beef brisket, done it. Most of the standard fare, we've covered. If you're a regular like Tom and [...]
Category: Recipe
In Praise of Cherries – Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Pan Sauce
The summer picking season has begun in the Great Lakes region for tart Montmorency cherries. Both Bing and Montmorency are grown extensively in Wisconsin and Michigan, thus the National Cherry Festival hosted in Traverse City, Michigan each year. On the festival website, they share this bit of history: French colonists from Normandy brought pits that [...]
Smoked Venison Pastrami with Black Currants and Cabbage
On a recent weekend, Venison Pastrami and Smoked Pork Belly became friends on the smoker together. The Smoked Pork Belly has been detailed here. Now we share the Venison Pastrami (hint: it's the one wrapped in bacon). The basics of preparing pastrami are fairly simple: brine a two to three inch thick slab of meat [...]
Smoked Pork Belly
Among the many blessings of friendship, I truly value the opportunity to create something together which brings joy to others. The mutual process of invention, from the spark of an idea shared through to final execution, bathes the whole process and product with a warmth and a glow. One of my favorite spice vendors, Penzey's Spices, [...]
Stuffed Pork Loin Roast
After making a batch of stuffed mushrooms, there was a healthy portion of stuffing left over. A pork loin roast in the fridge lay waiting. Serendipity. The recipe that follows assumes you will not be making a batch of stuffed mushrooms first. But please feel free to do so. Stuffed Pork Loin Roast 3 lb [...]