Photography by Steve Adams
The Boffo Barbecue
Chef: Gerard Craft | Menu: Pork shanks, watermelon soup, polenta cakes, peach buckle
Certain occasions require kicking it up a notch: Celebrating an engagement. Making a major announce-ment. You just won the lottery, and you want to go better than beer and brats. Crack out the crinoline, and fire up the Weber. We turned to Gerard Craft, executive chef of Niche, to dream up the sort of feast he’d create if that fancy fête were in his back yard. For a formal affair, consistent, artful presentation is key, so think “small and sexy” when serving this meal, Mr. Craft says. While traditional barbecue is verboten for guests dressed in their best, this entrée of polenta with smoked pork shank, braised for 8 hours, works. “This way they can eat authentic slow-cooked barbecue, but it’s not a big slab of ribs that will get your tuxedo all messy. It’s more refined.”
Watermelon Soup
1 pound watermelon
1/4 pound peeled cucumber
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 tablespoon muscatel vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
Heavy pepper
Light salt
Place watermelon, cucumber, tarragon, muscatel and lime juice into a blender. Purée until very smooth. Season the soup with a good amount of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve in chilled bowls with a drizzle of smoked paprika oil and some micro-tarragon (although any micro-greens will do).
Smoked Paprika Oil
1/2 cup canola
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
Place both ingredients in a small pot, and cook on low heat until hot. Take pot off of heat and cool. Be very careful not to burn the paprika. Remix before use.
Polenta Cakes
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 cup Parmesan, grated
2 cups water
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring water and milk to a boil in a large pot. Add polenta while whisking continuously to avoid burning. Taste carefully, and when it is no longer “gritty,” add Parmesan, salt and pepper. Pour the contents onto a quarter-size cookie sheet. Allow this to cool, then use a round cookie cutter to create four perfect circles. Twenty minutes before it is time to serve the dish, place the polenta on an oiled pan in a 400-degree oven until it is browned on the bottom. Carefully take the cakes off with a spatula.
Arugula
Splash of lemon juice
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked Pork Shanks for Six
2 smoked pork shanks
4 cups stock (can be pork, chicken or veal)
1 cup tomato paste
2 cups white wine
2 cups champagne vinegar
1 apple
1/2 cup honey
Fresh herbs
Black pepper
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, herbs and apple to a hot Dutch oven or large pot, and season with salt and pepper. After the vegetables become slightly caramelized, add the tomato paste. Add white wine, and cook off most alcohol. Add honey, stock and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and add the smoked pork shanks. Cover tightly with foil and a lid, and cook in a 300-degree oven for 4½ hours, occasionally flipping the shanks. Warm the shanks in the braising liquid. This can be done up to four days in advance. Take the shank meat off of the bone to serve. Serve with polenta cakes and an arugula salad.
Peach Buckle
For the cake top:
11/2 cups sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
21/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir or sift the dry ingredients together, and add alternately with the buttermilk and vanilla.
Optional Brown Sugar Crumb Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, cold
Mix all together with a fork until the butter is incorporated. Refrigerate.
Fruit Filling
6 to 8 ripe peaches
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
Roughly chop all of the peaches into ½-inch pieces. Place about half of the fruit, all of the sugar and the pulp from the vanilla bean in a bowl. Let fruit macerate for about 30 minutes. Place the contents of the bowl in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the fruit has cooked down and is tender. Purée. Bring back to the heat, and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Cook until thick. Fold in the other half of the chopped peaches.
To assemble: Place the fruit filling in the bottom of a ramekin. Top with the prepared cake batter. Sprinkle with the crumb topping if you’re using it. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cake batter is golden brown and set all the way through. Serve warm with ice cream.
The Out-of-the-Box Barbecue
Chef: Anthony Devoti | Menu: Pork shoulder burgers, grilled asparagus, blue cheese ice cream
Five in the Grove’s owner and executive chef, Anthony Devoti, is no stranger to innovation. For this out-of-the-box barbecue recipe, he’s gone all-out.
While the words “Kobe beef burger” instantly make a mouth water, Mr. Devoti makes a strong case for using pork instead. “People really love it,” Mr. Devoti says. Basically it is a version of classic meatloaf formed into a no-fuss burger, wrapped in bacon and pan seared. While the pork shoulder burger is already a conversation piece thanks to its incorporation of the pig instead of the cow, if you really want to step outside the box and set heads turning, try what Mr. Devoti uses when he serves pork burgers at Five: pig’s head.
Mr. Devoti’s suggestion for the burger’s perfect complement? Ice cream. Of course, not just any ol’ Ben & Jerry’s will do here. He opts for Stilton ice cream. “If you think about it, these flavors go together perfectly,” Mr. Devoti says. “Bleu cheese with bacon is great, and bleu cheese and honey are amazing together.”
Pork Shoulder Burgers Wrapped in Bacon, Braised in Spicy Barbecue Sauce
3 whole shallots, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
3 cups shredded pork shoulder
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Thinly sliced bacon
Combine vegetables over medium heat in a small sauté pan; cook until translucent.
In a separate bowl, combine meat, cooked vegetables, eggs and bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper lightly throughout the mixing process. This mixture should resemble the consistency of a meatloaf: it should be slightly dry, not wet, but should have a nice sheen.
Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, make the mixture into balls. Wrap these individually in bacon. In a hot sauté pan, sear each side until the bacon is crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to catch any remaining grease.
Spicy Barbecue Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups reserved broth
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and cayenne; stir 1 minute. Add ketchup, beer, vinegar, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until flavors blend and sauce is reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
To finish: Add seared bacon-wrapped burgers to the spicy barbecue sauce, and braise for about an hour. Serve.
If you’d rather venture further outside the box and use a pig’s head, follow these boiling instructions to prepare the meat:
1 whole pig head, split
3 cups onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 4 to 5 hours, skimming any foam that rises to the top.
Remove the head, strain and reserve the liquid and head. Remove all meat from the head, especially cheeks and jowls. Set meat aside. Continue the recipe using this meat in place of the pork shoulder.
Grilled Asparagus
1 pound fresh asparagus, washed, trimmed and peeled
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Preheat grill. In a bowl, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and vinegar until coated. Spread asparagus out in a single layer on the grill, if possible. Grill asparagus for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on size and until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish.
Stilton Bleu Cheese Ice Cream With Black Truffle Honey and Fried Salt-Cured Bacon
4 ounces Stilton bleu cheese
6 tablespoons honey
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Black truffle honey
4 thin slices of salt-cured bacon
Blend the cheese and honey until smooth.
Set aside.
In a separate pot, bring the milk and cream to a boil, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, and temper with a little of the hot cream. Pour the tempered eggs into the hot cream mixture until thickened slightly and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Off the heat, whisk the cheese and honey mixture in slowly. Strain through a fine sieve, chill and then process in an ice cream maker.
Scoop the ice cream, and drizzle with the truffle honey; top with crispy, fried salt-cured bacon.
The Backyard Barbecue
Chef: Josh Galliano | Menu: cochon de lait, potato salad, green beans, sweet corn, coleslaw
Josh Galliano, chef de cuisine at Larry Forgione’s An American Place, has spent the past year researching barbecue in the Midwest for the prestigious Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation. “The beauty of being asked to eat and study an indigenous culinary art is a dream come true,” Mr. Galliano says. So when we asked for a typical and classic dish, he came up with the traditional pig roast—the same one he cooked at his own wedding last September. Making this dish properly requires investing in something called a caja china (lacajachina.com). At nearly $300, it’s a little pricey, but it can be used for other dishes as well—like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Cochon de Lait
Serves 12 to 20
1 60- to 80-pound pig*
2 heads garlic
spice rub
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons white pepper, ground
1 tablespoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cayenne
1/2 cup paprika
brine
1 quart water
1/2 cup salt
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup crystal
Sprig thyme
Bay leaf
1 clove garlic
*Ask for a pig with the head removed. The butcher can also prepare the pig so it will lie flat on the grill.
The day before you roast the pig, create the spice rub and the brine. Mix together all the ingredients for the spice rub, and store in an airtight container. To make the brine, bring all the ingredients to a boil, transfer to a container and refrigerate overnight.
On the day of the pig roast, make slits in the shoulder and the legs, and insert a peeled garlic clove into each slit. Using a syringe, inject brine into the meat all over the pig. Rub the spice mix all over the pig, inside and outside. (This can be done while the pig is in the caja china. And with the exception of preparing the brine and rub, this dish should be prepared outdoors.)
Prepare the caja china: Place pig into the racks, belly side up. Place the lid on top of the box. Pile
10 pounds of charcoal in the middle of the lid. Let the lighter fluid soak into the charcoal for 10 minutes, then set on fire. After the charcoals are glowing red, spread them over the top of the lid.
Cook for 4½ hours. For the last hour of cooking, flip the pig over so that the skin side is facing up. Using a knife, cut slash marks on the skin.
When the pig has finished roasting, allow to rest for 15 minutes. Carve.
Green Beans the Way Audra (Josh’s Wife) Likes Them
Serves 8 to 12
21/2 pounds green beans
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 medium white onion, sliced
1/2 pound baby carrots, cut in half
1/2 pound Ozark Forest shiitakes, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons bacon fat
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Separate the beans into two batches. Blanche each batch for one minute, and then shock in the ice bath. Keep the boiling water.
When done blanching the green beans, return the water to a boil. Blanch the halved baby carrots for 30 seconds, then shock in the ice bath. Drain and dry the carrots and the green beans.
Melt the butter and bacon fat in a large pot. Sweat the onions and the garlic. Add the shiitakes and green beans. Season with salt and pepper; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Check occasionally in case water needs to be added to the pot.
Add carrots and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
German Potato Salad
Serves 8 to 12
21/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium red onion, diced
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 pound slab bacon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Water
1 tablespoon canola
Salt and pepper
Peel the potatoes, and cut them into large dice. Store in water until ready to use.
Chop the bacon, and render it in a large sauté pan with the canola. When the bacon begins to crisp, add the red onion. Sweat the onion, and when it is translucent, add the sugar and vinegar to the pan. Stir to combine. Add the diced potatoes. Pour in enough water to the pan to almost cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer.
Simmer the potatoes until they are tender. If the potatoes cook before the water turns into a syrup, remove them from the pan, and continue reducing the liquid until it forms a syrup. Then return the potatoes to the pan, and coat with the syrup.
When the potatoes are cooked and coated with the syrup, slice the egg whites, and add them to the potato salad. Season with salt and pepper.
Sweet Corn
12 ears sweet corn, husked
4 tablespoons butter
Water
Salt and pepper
Make sure all the silk is removed from the ears of corn. Cut the kernels from the corncobs, and place the kernels in a pot. Using the back of your knife, scrape the corn milk from the cob, and add this to the corn in the pot. Season the corn with salt and pepper, and add the butter to the pot. Add water to the corn until it almost covers the top of the corn. Bring the pot of corn to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Coleslaw
Serves 8 to 12
2 heads green cabbage
4 carrots
1 cup canola
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Salt and pepper
To make the dressing, add the honey, white wine vinegar and poppy seeds to a mixing bowl. While whisking this mixture, slowly add in the canola. Season with salt and pepper.
To slice the cabbage, cut the heads in half from top to bottom (through the stem). Then cut each half in half again. Remove the core from each quarter. Working across the grain of the leaves, thinly slice the cabbage with a large chef’s knife. Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
Peel the carrots, then grate them using a box grater. Add the carrots to the cabbage.
Season the cabbage with salt and pepper. Working in three increments, add the dressing to the cabbage while constantly stirring it. Continue mixing until all the dressing is added.
