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Sausage Rolls

This recipe is a childhood favorite of mine that my dad used to make around the holidays or for breakfast events. He usually made his biscuit dough from scratch, but I'm a big fan of biscuit mixes. If your feeling extra glutinous, you can also sprinkle some of your favorite cheese over the sausage rolls during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Sausage Rolls

3 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 rolls sausage

Combine biscuit mix and milk into biscuit dough. Roll out dough on floured surface until 1/4" think. Spread sausage over dough (about the same thickness as the dough) and roll dough tightly into a log. Wrap log in wax paper and place into freezer until hardened enough to slice (about 1 hour to overnight). Slice log into 3/4" slices and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes).

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

 
Last weekend I celebrated Halloween by watching a marathon of Halloweentown movies and eating some tasty and seasonal dinner eats. The movies were Disney's ill-conceived answer to Harry Potter movies (think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers). The recipe is Rachael Ray's and was well received by all.

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Grilled Pork Chops w/ Sweet Peach Barbecue Sauce

Sorry guys, I've been been taking a break from blogging for a few days, but here are the rest of my Oscar Night recipes. I've never been the biggest fan of pork chops, but some times you need a break from beef and chicken. This recipe, from Sara Moulton, is down home enough for any cowboy or country singer and elaborate enough for any gay or transexual. Special thanks to Colleen and Nilblogette for helping to prepare this dish. Grilled Pork Chops w/ Sweet Peach Barbecue Sauce

For spice rub:
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar

4 rib or loin pork chops, about 1 1/2-inch thick (12 to 14 ounces each)

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, peeled, sliced thin
3 peaches, pitted, cut into medium sized cubes
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into medium sized cubes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Build a multi-level fire in the grill: Leave 1/4 of the bottom free of coals, bank the coals in the remaining 3/4 of the grill so that they are 3 times as high on 1 side as on the other. When the coals are all ignited and the temperature has lowered to medium (hold hand about 5-inches above grill grid, over the area where coals are deepest, for 4 to 5 seconds), the grill is ready to cook.

Make spice rub: Combine the ingredients for the spice rub in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the pork chops generously on both sides with the mixture and set aside while making the sauce.

Make the sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 11 to 13 minutes. Add the peaches, ginger, and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, orange juice, sugar, allspice, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced by about 1/2 and thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for the seasoning, then transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (be careful with hot liquids). Reserve 1/4 cup sauce for basting the chops, then pour the remaining sauce into a small serving bowl.

Put the chops on the grill over the coals and cook, turning once, until desired doneness; 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium. During the last 30 seconds of cooking on each side, baste the chops generously with the sauce. Check for doneness.

Serve the chops hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side.

Baking Bacon

Tired of pan frying your bacon a few pieces at a time and splattering grease all over your kitchen? Why not bake it instead? Just preheat your oven to 400. Lay the bacon out on a sheet of nonstick foil in a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until it reaches your desired crispness.

Hungarian Pork Cutlets

Bloghungry has recently discovered the art of quick meat sautes. This is the process of finding boneless lean cuts of meat and pounding them thin so they can be quickly cooked on both sides and simmered in a delicious sauce. This Sarah Moultin recipe can use pork loin, pork tenderloin, or pork scaloppini depending on what is avalavable and affordable in your area. If you use pork loin, make sure you don't overcook it; it will be dry.

1 pound boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper

Sprinkle a small amount of water on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place half of the pork on top of the plastic and sprinkle again with water. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pork.

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper, to taste, in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Place the cutlets in the flour mixture and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Working in batches if necessary, saute until golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil.

Add the shallot, paprika and caraway seeds to the pan. Saute for 1 minute, then add the wine. Simmer, stirring to pick up and browned bits on the bottom, until almost dry. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer to warmed serving plates. Stir the sour cream into the pan juices and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the pork and serve at once.

Pork Public Service Announcement

There has been some confusion on the difference between bacon, pancetta, and prosciutto. A lot of cooking shows use them interchangably or as substitutions for each other. Well it's time we all gained a better understanding of our pork product friends.

Bacon

is side pork (the side of a pig) that has been cured and smoked. Because fat gives bacon its sweet flavor and tender crispness, its proportion should (ideally) be 1/2 to 2/3 of the total weight.

Pancetta

is an Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked. Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's used in Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, forcemeats, vegetables and meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks, or frozen up to 6 months.

Prosciutto is a term broadly used to describe a ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured (but not smoked) and air-dried. The meat is pressed, which produces a firm, dense texture. Italy's parma ham is the true prosciutto, although others are also now made in the United States. Italian prosciuttos are designated prosciutto cotto, which is cooked, and prosciutto crudo, which is raw (though, because of its curing, ready to eat)

For more quick and worldly life lessons visit the official website NBC public service announcement website.