Smoked Porchetta

About this time last year we went on our dream vacation to Italy. For those of you whom have not gone yet, I will tell you that it is a magical country. The people are friendly, the land is beautiful, and the food....oh God, the food. One year later found us reminiscing about the trip, tracking our day by day movements throughout the countryside. Towards the end of our journey we stopped in this ancient little town called Oriveto. Situated high upon a plateau, this unassuming town has played an important role in Western civilization since before the Roman Empire.  In modern times, the oldest part of the town has become quite sleepy during the day. Little shops are open for tourists to enjoy the local goods - mostly great white wine, leather products, hand carved olive wood, and ceramics. Just before leaving, we visited the weekly open air market to experience the local scene. Given the towns remoteness this market is how the locals get all of their goods from outside the town. It is quite the event.

Before visiting the market, we were advised to try a regional pork sandwich. After a little searching, we found a food truck selling the most delicious meat we'd ever seen: PORCHETTA! The traditional Italian porchetta is an entire pig, de-boned, filled with herbs and spices, and slow cooked to perfection.

As you may imagine, all of this reminiscing made us hungry and led to us thinking that there MUST be some way to re-create that delicious meal at home. However, we have neither the room in our bellies or in our refrigerator for an entire de-boned pig. After adapting some recipes online and using John's expertise with the smoker, we think we have found a delicious combination that imitates that heavenly sandwich we found on the streets of Orvieto.

Our rendition of porchetta requires just two parts of the pig: the lean tenderloin and the juicy skin-on pork belly. The combination of the two gives you a nice meaty flavor, a fatty bacon texture, and the crispy pork "cracklin" that ties everything together. Though the original recipe called for an oven, we opted to cook the entire thing on the smoker and grill. This gave us the ability to add a nice light, sweet, smoked flavor to the meat using apple wood (specifically some Ozark apple wood that we found at a local farmers market). The end result was nothing less than perfect delicious.

For tips on smoking meat and further details on the process, please see John's upcoming smoking post.

Smoked Porchetta
Yield: A lot of meat. Seriously, you're going to need to freeze some of this, or invite 8-10 people over.
Ingredients:

Salt Rub
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
2 Teaspoons toasted fresh Rosemary, Chopped
2 Teaspoons toasted Fennel seed, crushed
2 Teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 Teaspoons freshly ground pepper
zest of 1 lemon

Herb Rub
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary

The meat
12x12 inch slab of skin-on pork belly
1-2 lbs of pork tenderloin, about 3 inches in diameter

oil
string

Directions:
Score the skin side of the pork belly with a sharp knife (seriously, the skin can be very tough). Combine the ingredients for the salt rub in a small bowl. Lightly oil the inside of the pork belly and sprinkle half of the salt rub on it. Then sprinkle on the herb rub. Place the tenderloin in the center of the belly, and then roll the belly tightly. Secure the roll with kitchen twine and sprinkle the outside with the rest of the salt rub. Finally set it on a platter, cover, and then place in refrigerator for about 12 hours.

Heat your smoker (or charcoal grill if using an indirect cooking method) using lump charcoal to about 275°. Put the porchetta in the smoker for about 5 hours, checking the temperature of the smoker every 30-45 minutes. A light application of smoke is recommended for this recipe as you don't want to overpower the subtle flavors of the rubs. Your pork will be ready when the internal temperature reaches 160°.

At this point, remove porchetta from smoker and place on a hot grill (around 375°) for about 10-15 minutes to crisp the skin. Be careful during this step as the hot juices and fat from the pork will catch fire easily, spiking the temperature and burning the outside. You're looking for a nice golden, crisped outside.  You want to minimize the charring to the skin as much as possible.

Remove the pork from the grill and let it rest for 20-25 minutes before cutting. Serve on hard rolls or buns with your choice of sauce.  We like to use a jalapeno-vinegar sauce that is sold locally here.  You don't want to use anything like BBQ sauce on this.  Instead look for sauces like a salsa verde or something that you would typically put with Puerto Rican or Cuban-style roast pork.

Recipe adapted from: iamafoodblog

Orzo Salad with Mandarin Oranges

All right, I'll admit it, I'm using the term "salad" here very loosely. In reality this dish is a light and refreshing dessert that is perfect for spring and summer. After all, nothing can possibly use twelve ounces of whipped cream and still be served in the salad course. Or for that matter, served as a side dish for the main course (as it was for our meal).

During our meal planning this week, I was looking for a nice light side dish to go with a smoked porchetta (details coming soon!) that had caught our eye on another food blog.  In a moment of what appeared to be inspiration, my husband told me "Oh, my mother used to make a great orzo salad! We should find something like that!". Now, my husband does not often eat salad willingly, so that should have been my first red flag. Not realizing his true intent I agreed, and we set to finding a recipe. Most of the ingredients sounded perfect: Mandarin oranges, pineapple, pasta...delicious! However I was slightly suspicious when the recipe also included whipped cream. "Surely it couldn't actually be a dessert, could it?", I thought cautiously. Not wanting to disappoint him, I created this wonderful dish in hopes that it would work anyway. At first taste, I was hooked on the combination of the fruity filling mixed with the starchy orzo. It actually reminds me of the tapioca salad my grandma loved from the grocery in Decatur, Indiana. Unabashedly, I threw it on the table with the meal and declared it a salad. We're adults now! We can call our dessert anything we want!

Orzo Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Yield: about 12 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 box orzo pasta
20 ounce can crushed pineapple (in juice)
2 small cans mandarin oranges (in juice or light syrup)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
12 ounce container of whipped cream topping
Maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Cook the orzo until tender, around 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the orzo under cold tap water and set aside. Drain the fruit and reserve all of the juices. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, and flour, and then add the fruit juices. Cook slowly in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring frequently until thickened. It will have the consistency of a thin custard. Pour the mixture over the orzo, mix evenly, and let stand overnight.

The next day, mix together the orzo with the saved fruit and whipped cream topping. Garnish with cherries if desired (Not pictured, as my husband hates maraschino cherries).

Adapted from Cooks.com

Tropical Popsicles

I've come to dread the summer here in Florida. I hate feeling sweaty day and night, forcing me to stay cooped up in the house with the A/C blasting. On those hot, sticky days I crave refreshing and icy treats to help cool me down. Today was one of those days. After coming inside from doing some yard work, I searched the kitchen for something cold. The result was making up this recipe using what we had on hand.

It was a lucky accident that we had both pineapple and mango in the house at the same time. It is mango season here in Florida, so they are plentiful in stores and in gardens. I have learned over the years that it is better to have a friend with a fruit tree rather than owning one yourself. The reason for this is that a mature mango tree can produce 200-300 mangoes a year. That is a lot of mangoes to give away quickly before they turn into a gooey, sludgy mess. Our friend Daniel has a mango tree, and recently gifted us with a beautiful ripe mango. Coincidentally, we had also bought a fresh pineapple at the store that day. Through a stroke of ingenuity, I blended them into a sweet, tropical treat to beat these blistering Florida summer days.

Tropical Popsicles
Yield: about 6 popsicles, or 4 popsicles and one tasty smoothie/mixed drink
Ingredients:
1 small-medium fresh mango, cubed
1 cup fresh pineapple
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup unsweeted coconut water
1 teaspoon honey (optional, if additional sweetness is needed)
splash of white rum (optional)

Directions:
For additional instructions on how to cut a mango, please see this erm....instructional video. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours. To remove the popsicle from the mold, place the bottom of the mold for a few seconds in lukewarm water until the popsicle releases.

If you are like me and can only make 4 popsicles at a time, you may optionally chill the extra liquid for a delightful drink. You can even add a bit more white rum to your taste, add a cocktail umbrella, and sit outside (preferably by the pool) to enjoy.

Caramel Pecan Dream Bars

I've been a food blog connoisseur for many years now, seeking out the next bold and flavorful dish to grace my tabletop. Now, with an in-progress bathroom remodel, I decided to try out food blogging as a hobby to pass the time while I'm stuck here at home.

This recipe is a family favorite of ours. As a child, these bars were only made for special occasions such as holidays or group potlucks. The smell alone while these were in the oven were enough to usher back memories of days in the kitchen with my mother. Although this is a dreadfully simple recipe, it always seems special when shared with friends. What makes this recipe so irresistible is the duplicity of tastes and textures between the base and the filling. The sweet, caramel-y, nutty filling is a delicious contrast to the soft, fluffy, buttery yellow cake base. I'm just sad that I now have to share the whole tray with my husband!

Caramel Pecan Dream Bars
Yeild: about 36 squares 
Ingredients:
For the base:
1 Package Yellow Cake mix (I recommend Pillsbury Plus)
1/3 cup Butter or Margarine (softened)
1 egg
For the filling:
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup Heath "Bits o' Brickle" baking chips

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 13"x9" pan.

In a large bowl combine base ingredients and mix at medium with mixer until crumbley, with a mostly uniform color and texture. Press this mixture into the pan to form a crust at the bottom.

In a small bowl, beat the milk, egg, and vanilla until blended. Stir in "Bits o' Brickle" and pecans. Pour over base. Spread the mixture thinly and evenly over the base.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.