Posts Tagged ‘cooking’

CURING AND SMOKING BACON

Posted: February 28, 2026 in bacon, breakfast, Carnivore!, Food, frying, pork, smoking
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Let’s face it: there are few foods as magical as bacon. Add bacon to just about any dish you’re preparing, and it elevates it to incredible new heights of flavor. The BLT is possibly the greatest food combination ever invented: just a few simple, fresh ingredients, when placed together, transforming into one of the greatest sandwiches on planet Earth.

BLT wraps: home-cured and smoked bacon, local farmstead romaine, home garden tomatoes, always Hellman’s mayo.

If I’m buying bacon, I go on-line to Burger’s Smokehouse, a family run business in Missouri that has made great bacon for decades. The prices are good, and they include shipping. (smokehouse.com) I buy in quantity and freeze what I don’t need right away. My favorite is the thick-sliced country bacon “steaks.”

But nothings beats making your own.

Bacon comes from the pork belly, and they’re easy to find in any good butcher shop. But to get something a notch above, I’ll buy a heritage breed, like Berkshire pork, from Heritage Pork International. (heritagepork.com)  I follow the simple curing techniques outlined in “Charcuterie,” a great book written by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.

To cure bacon, all you really need is salt and sugar, and what they in the curing biz call “pink salt,” which is not to be confused with salt that happens to be pink, like Himalayan salt you would find in a gourmet store. Pink curing salt is bright pink to let you know that it’s a special salt that should only be used in small quantities for curing. The reason is: nitrites. Nitrites delay the spoilage of the meat, and help keep the flavors of spices and smoke. They also keep the meat nice and pink instead of an unappetizing gray. That’s good. However, nitrites can break down into nitrosamines, which have been known to cause cancer in lab animals. But let’s face it: you would need to eat a ton of cured meat to really worry about this. (I buy uncured deli meats and hot dogs at the supermarket, because processed meats are a different story. But since I know exactly what goes into my own bacon, I’m not worried about the level of nitrites.)

To make the basic dry cure:

1/2 lb. kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt)
1/2 cup light brown sugar or turbinado sugar
1 oz. pink curing salt

Mix the ingredients well. An important note: all salts do not all weigh the same, so go by the weight and not a cup measurement. (Morton’s Kosher salt, for example, is heavier than Diamond Crystal.) I keep this basic dry cure stored in my pantry, ready to use when I need it.

When it’s time to be makin’ the bacon, I combine this dry cure with other ingredients to make my bacon rub.

My bacon rub:

1/2 cup basic dry cure
1/2 cup brown sugar or turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion

Mix these ingredients well (yes, there’s quite a bit of sugar there, but I like my bacon a little sweet!) Rub it generously all over the pork belly.

I have a large plastic container with a lid that fits one average (4-lb.) slab of pork belly perfectly. I place the belly inside it, put the lid on, and place the container in the fridge. (Sometimes, I’ll season the belly and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before putting it in the container. Optional.) The pork belly stays there for at least a couple of weeks, maybe three. I flip the belly every few days. You’ll see that the salt will draw moisture out of the meat and form a gooey brine. This brine will continue to cure your pork belly, so leave it in there. Just flip it, put the lid back on the container, and back in the fridge.

In two or three weeks, you’ll be able to tell the pork belly has cured because it feels firm. Wash the brine off the meat well with cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the belly in the fridge for an hour or so and it will develop a tackiness to the touch. This is a thin layer of proteins known as a pelicle, and it helps the smoke stick to the meat.

Now it’s time to cook. You can simply cook the pork belly (without smoking it) at 200° for about 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160°. This isn’t bacon…it’s pancetta. Or you can simply slice it and fry it up in a pan. (Also delicious.) But it’s the smoke that makes it bacon.

Smoking foods can be a challenge to many, so a great alternative to the traditional charcoal smoker is an electric one. It allows you to control the exact temperature inside the smoker without checking on it constantly (a real luxury when you’re slow smoking brisket or pork shoulder for many hours), and it offers a tray where you place your wood chips or pellets to give your food that authentic smoky flavor.

My electric smoker has a digital readout, which allows me to set an exact temperature. I smoke my pork belly at 250° for 2 hours, using hickory chips. (I’m not a fan of applewood, the other commonly used smoking wood for bacon.)

Bellies in the smoker
Bellies in the smoker. A water bath underneath to catch any grease drippage.
Smoked bacon
A couple of hours later: beautiful bacon!
The reward is so worth the effort. Just remember that you still need to cook the bacon before you can eat it. Don’t eat it straight out of the smoker. That first slice you cut off your bacon and toss in a pan to lightly fry for a few moments will be the best bite you’ve ever had in your life!

I recently received this wonderful gift from my buddy, Dr. Chezwick. I’ll be using the same techniques that I would for a regular slab of bacon, only I’ll cure it for less time, since it weighs less, and is thinner. I’m thinking it will be delicious!

PICKLED BEETS

Posted: December 10, 2025 in beets, Food, pickling, Recipes
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Growing up in a Lithuanian family, there was a small group of foods that I had to love to survive, since they constantly appeared on the dinner table: potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, herring, and beets. Fortunately for me, I loved them all, despite my Mom’s desire to boil everything to death.

One of the many uses for beets, besides a cold summer soup and a hot winter soup, was pickling. Pickled beets are an excellent side dish for any hearty meat dish. (I love ’em with kielbasa!)  Store-bought pickled beets pack way too much sugar in every jar, so it was time to make my own.

A real time saver is a product called Love Beets, which you can find in any supermarket. If you use them, you can skip the roasting and messy peeling of the beets altogether.

This recipe makes one large Mason jar’s worth of pickled veggies.

 

beets

 

4 to 8 beets, scrubbed (your favorite variety)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 onion, sliced (or more, if you love ’em like I do!)
cauliflower pieces (optional)
fresh dill (optional)

 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 450. Wrap the beets in foil and roast them for about an hour, until tender. When they’re cool enough, carefully peel and quarter them. (If you’re using Love Beets, no cooking is necessary. Just open the package, and halve them, quarter them, or slice them…whatever is your preference.) 

In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, peppercorns and salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Let the pickling liquid cool to warm, about 15 minutes.

In a heat-proof glass jar or container, layer the beets, onions, and optional cauliflower. Pack them down a bit so there’s not a lot of air between them. Pour the pickling liquid in the jar, covering the veggies. Seal the jar tightly. Let it stand at room temp for 2 hours, then place it in the fridge overnight.

 

 

They stay fresh for a week, but they won’t last that long!

 

MY HERRING HACK

Posted: June 28, 2025 in Uncategorized
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Back from a trip to Poland and Lithuania with my daughter, where I literally ate my weight in herring.

I know a lot of folks aren’t as crazy about herring as I am. But I was raised in a Lithuanian home, and it was everywhere. Growing up on Long Island, outside of New York City, there were dozens of great Jewish delis that served herring in white cream sauce, one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

These days, I don’t need to go home for it when the craving hits me. Instead, I go to my herring hack.

I buy a jar of Blue Hill Bay herring in wine sauce, available at Whole Foods. Blue Hill Bay is distributed by what I consider the best salmon/herring/smoked fish company in the country: Brooklyn’s own Acme Smoked Fish.

I grab a couple of sweet onions, like Vidalias, and I peel them and slice them as thinly as possible.

I take a quart-sized container with a lid, and I line the bottom with some of the onions. I then pour some of the contents of the jar of herring into the container. I then take a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream (gotta be Breakstone’s–I’m a New Yorker) and place it on top. Then I keep working in layers: onions, herring, sour cream…until it’s all gone and jammed into the container.

I place the lid on the container and shake it vigorously to combine the ingredients. Then I place it upside-down in a dish (in case of spills) and put it in the fridge.

A few hours later, I’ll turn the container right side-up and let it sit in the fridge some more.

The wine sauce will blend with the sour cream to make a delicious cream sauce, and the onions will slowly break down and soften.

Of course, you can combine everything in a large bowl and then move it to a container, but it gets messy. My layering method avoids the need for clean-up.

After a few hours–if I can wait that long–it’s time to eat! A slab of bread is always good on the side.

I have to say my herring hack is good. Maybe not New York Jewish deli good. But good enough to satisfy my craving!

CHAR-GRILLED OYSTERS

Posted: June 1, 2025 in Uncategorized
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It’s been a few years since I visited New Orleans, and it was great to see that many of the old food destinations were still there: the Napoleon House, Café Dumonde, Acme Oyster House, and across the street from it: Felix‘s Oyster House.

My friend, Rick, told me I had to try the char-grilled oysters at Felix‘s. He hadn’t been there, but he read a lot about them and they were supposed to be amazing.  Well, that’s all the encouragement I needed, and I made a beeline to Felix’s that very day.

When you think about it, it’s no great culinary feat to grill an oyster. But yet, I never thought of doing it on my own. The dozen oysters I devoured that day were buttery, garlicky, with a hint of char and smoke that made them absolutely delicious, quite easily the best oysters I’ve ever had in my life.

I knew that as soon as I came home from this trip, I would have to try to make these myself. I have to say I came pretty darn close!

If you don’t use a charcoal or wood fire to make these, you’re simply leaving out one of the most important ingredients to the entire recipe. A gas grill or a kitchen stove can cook an oyster, but the only way you can take it to the next level is by putting it on open flame, a wood-burning flame.

This recipe is good for about a dozen oysters. Using gluten-free breadcrumbs makes this recipe gluten-free.

The first step is to get your hardwood charcoal fire started. I use a charcoal chimney and newspaper–never any lighter fluid.

Once the coals are lit, head to the kitchen…

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs






Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, and cheese in a sauté pan over medium heat. All you’re looking to do is to melt the butter, so once it’s melted, take the pan off the heat and this mix is ready to use.

Shuck your dozen oysters. Remember: they will shrink a little bit while cooking, so don’t be afraid to go for bigger ones.

Lay the opened oysters in a pan, carefully trying to preserve as much of the oyster liquor (liquid) in each shell as possible.

When the hardwood charcoal has heated up, and you’ve spread the coals evenly on your grill, you are ready to cook the oysters. You want the grill to be hot.

You don’t need to put the oysters directly on the hardwood charcoal. Putting a grill over the coals is fine, and it keeps the oyster shells from tipping over.


Before placing the oysters on the grill, sprinkle each one with some of the breadcrumbs. Then place the oysters on the grill, being careful not to burn your hands! 


Using a spoon, pour some of the butter mixture into each oyster shell. It will flame up! That’s OK. Use up the entire butter mixture for all 12 oysters.


The oysters are ready when you see that golden brown color all around the edges of the oyster shell, when most of the liquid in the shell has evaporated. Don’t let them dry out completely.

Using tongs, remove the oysters from the flame and enjoy! Just be careful…they can be lava hot!

ONE TON OF WONTON

Posted: April 20, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I love wonton soup. So every once in a while, I make my own version of it in large batches at home. The great thing about wonton soup is you can put whatever you want in it. After all, it’s your recipe.

I use whatever homemade stock I happen to have in the freezer. I’ll go out and buy some veggies, but I also use whatever veggies I might happen to have in the fridge that need to be used up. And I use a LOT of them.

I always have Asian spices and seasonings in the fridge or on the shelf, so that’s never a problem. And then it’s a matter of meat or seafood, or in this case, a little bit of both.

I had homemade chicken and pork stock in the freezer, so those went into the pot. I had a couple of pork chops in the freezer, so I decided to use those. I also had some frozen shrimp. And my cheat is frozen chicken dumplings, which add great flavor and pasta to the soup.

I found these at my local store, but any dumplings you like will work.

There are no exact measurements for this, because it really is based on what you have, how much you want to make, and what flavors you like. But this is the basic rundown of how I made my last batch…

16 ounces homemade chicken stock
8 ounces homemade pork stock
24 ounces water
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 head of a medium cabbage, finely sliced
2 6-ounce boneless pork chops
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
Chinese garlic sauce
rice vinegar
sesame oil
oyster sauce
frozen peeled and deveined wild-caught American shrimp
frozen chicken and vegetable dumplings

I thawed the chicken and pork stock and poured it into a large pot along with the water. I put it on high heat.

I diced the onions and the carrots and put them in the pot. I chopped the broccoli and put it into the pot. I prefer to slice the cabbage thinly with a knife, so that it still retains some texture. I put that into the pot.

I let the pot come to a boil and let it roll until the veggies started to get tender.

Meanwhile, I thinly sliced the two pork chops into strips and placed them in a bowl. I added the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili, garlic sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to the pork and tossed it around it to marinate.

While the veggies were boiling, in a frying pan, I added some oil and stir-fried the marinated pork. Once it was nice and caramelized, I poured it into the pot with the veggies.

It’s very easy to overdo the salt with this recipe, so I seasoned as I went, adding a little more soy sauce, hoisin, and oyster sauce, tasting all the time.

Once the veggies became tender, but still had a bite to them, and the liquid in the pot had reduced a bit, the soup was officially done. It was at this point that I decided what else I wanted to add to it.

For this particular meal, I decided I wanted the shrimp and the dumplings. So I took a handful of frozen shrimp, cutting them into smaller pieces, and put them in the bottom of a sauce pan. I also took about a dozen of the frozen dumplings and added them to the same sauce pan.

Because there is a lot of soup in the large pot, I ladled out the amount I wanted into the sauce pan with the frozen shrimp and dumplings, and brought all it to a boil over high heat. The dumplings cooked in just a few minutes, and the shrimp even more quickly than that. The soup was done.

Because the dumplings cook so quickly, as does the shrimp, I chose not to add them to the large pot, because reheating the soup would make all of that mushy. When I reheat the soup, I can add new batches of dumplings and shrimp, so that they are perfectly tender and flavorful. (Or simply leave them out altogether, depending on my mood.)

I put some of the leftover soup in containers to freeze, and some in the fridge to enjoy the next day, reheating it with whatever ingredients I chose the next time.