Braised Pork Neck Chili

4 T oil, divided
1 large sweet onion
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2-1/2 lb meaty pork neck bones
1/2 t kosher salt
1 c red wine or tomato juice
2 medium cans diced tomatoes (no-salt)
1 small can yellow corn
1/2 t black peppercorns, crushed
1 dried ancho chili, ground
1 dried guajillo chili, ground
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1-1/2 t sugar (to taste)
2 T vinegar (to taste)
1 can black beans
1 can small white beans

Heat 2 T oil at medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add the onions, peppers, celery, and carrots, and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Add the remaining 2 T oil to the dutch oven, and raise the heat to medium high. Place the meat in the dutch oven, meaty side down, and brown for 3 - 5 minutes. Salt the meat. Turn the meat, and brown for another 3 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate, and lower the heat to medium. (If necessary, cook the meat in two batches.)

Immediately deglaze the dutch oven. Add the meat and sauteed vegetables to the dutch oven. Stir in the crushed peppercorns, ground chilies, basil, and oregano. Add the sugar and vinegar to taste.

Cover the dutch oven and place in a 250°F oven for 2 hours. Take the chili out of the oven and remove as many bones as possible from the stewed meat. Add the two cans of beans, cover the dutch oven, and continue baking for another 2 hours or more.

Before serving, remove remaining bones, connective tissue, and gristle from the meat. Serve the chili over rice, or with cornbread.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the sauce:

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, pared and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 large can tomatoes, pureed or crushed
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 t salt (or to taste)
1/2 t ground pepper (or to taste)
1 or 2 chilis, crushed
2 t dried basil
2 t dried oregano

Heat the oil over low-medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute the onions and garlic for three or four minutes, then add the green pepper, carrot, and celery. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables soften and cook down. Stir occasionally to prevent the vegetables from scorching. The onions will caramelize a bit during the cooking.

Add the mushrooms to the vegetables, and cook for an additional three or four minutes. Add additional olive oil if the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add the pureed and diced tomatoes and the spices. Heat to boiling, then adjust the heat so that the sauce simmers gently, but maintains the simmer. Cover and continue to cook on simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

For the meatballs

1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper
1/4 t grated nutmeg
2 T olive oil for frying

Break up the ground meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, soften the bread crumbs and milk. Pour the bread mixture over the meat. Break the egg over the meat and bread, and sprinkle the salt, pepper, and nutmeg over the mixture. With your hands, thoroughly mix the meat, bread crumbs, and egg together.

Break off tablespoonfuls of the meat mixture, and form into meatballs, and place on a plate prior to frying them. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and fry the meatballs for a couple of minutes, then turn them and fry an additional minute or two. Add the browned meatballs to the tomato sauce.

Continue to simmer the sauce over very low heat for another couple of hours, stirring it occasionally. Serve over spaghetti or other favorite pasta.

Chicken in a Pot

This recipe appeared in the Washington Post Food Section, Wednesday, March 18, 2009, Chef David Hagedorn. This is chicken at its very best. I love this fowl. I made a couple of changes, noted below.

4 - 5 lb chicken, reserve the gizzard packet
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
dried rosemary
6 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
1 medium carrot, small dice
2 ribs celery, small dice
4 sprigs thyme
1 stem rosemary
1 bay leaf
homemade chicken broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 t cornstarch
1 T cold water
Chopped parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 275ºF. (The original recipe states 250ºF, but after my first experience with this recipe, that just seemed a little too low. 275º works quite well.)

Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Grind together 1 t kosher salt, 1/2 t peppercorns, 1/2 dried rosemary, and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Carefully insert some of the rub underneath the skin on the breast, being careful not to completely separate the skin from the breast. Season the rest of the chicken with the remaining rub. (This is my own rub, Chef Hagedorn is probably blanching at the thought of using something like this....) Tuck the chicken wing tips under the chicken.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a (covered) roast pan over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the chicken, breast side down, and sear undisturbed for five minutes.

Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken over. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Cook for about five minutes, then add the herbs, remaining garlic, and chicken neck and gizzard, if desired.

Press a large piece of aluminum foil directly over the chicken. Cover the pot and bake for about 1-1/2 - 3 hours (or at least until the internal temperature of the thigh registers 155º).

Turn off the oven. Remove the chicken from the oven. Loosen the foil and remove the lid. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Carve the chicken into ten pieces (see carving note, below). Put the pieces on a serving platter, and cover with the foil. Place the platter back in the turned-off oven.

Strain the pan juices into a measuring cup. Press the vegetables against the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the vegetables. Skim the fat from the liquid and discard. Add enough homemade broth, if needed, to the juices to make one cup liquid. Pour into a small saucepan. Add the lemon juice, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Mix the cornstarch with the cold water, and whisk into the boiling liquid. Stir until the sauce slightly thickens and is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the chicken, or serve at the table separately.

Carving Note: Hagedorn has a five-step method for carving the chicken. It's very easy:

1. Use a carving knife to cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast
2. Pop the thigh joint where it joins the bird, and cut through the skin to remove the leg and thigh
3. Cut through the joint separating the thigh and leg.
4. Separate the wings from the bird at the joint, and cut through the joint, leaving an ample amount of breast meat on the first joint. Cut off and discard the wingtips.
5. Remove each breast half from the carcass. (Begin slicing through the breast at the breastbone. You can then separate each breast half from the carcass.) Slice each piece in half.

Happy's Duck Pâté

Make this recipe the day after you roast a duck. Save the neck, giblets and the roasted carcass and make a rich duck stock to use in this recipe.

3 c shredded duck meat (neck, giblets, carcass)
2 eggs
2 T duck fat
1-1/2 c duck stock (brown stock)
1 c port
2/3 c breadcrumbs
1 t crushed peppercorns
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t dried sage

Combine 1 c stock and the port in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat until the liquid is reduced to 1 c.

In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded meat, fat, bread crumbs. eggs, and spices. Adjust to your taste. If mixture appears dry, add some additional stock.

When the stock/port mixture is reduced, remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir into the duck mixture. The result should appear moist, but hold its shape.

Grease a quart covered baking dish. Scrape the duck mixture into the baking dish. Set the baking dish into a larger baking pan, and pour boiling water in the pan halfway up the side of the dish. Bake in a 300° oven for 1 hour.

Yorkshire Pudding

1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 c milk
1/3 c shortening or beef drippings

Mix flour & salt. Add to beaten eggs & milk. This will make a thin batter. Set in refrigerator for 1 hour. Melt shortening in pan to be used for baking, to boiling hot. Pour batter into 9 x ll baking dish. Batter should be about 1/2 inch deep. Can be in muffin tins. Bake at 30 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve at once.

Note: You'll notice that Mother didn't specify an oven temperature. Try 400° for a metal pan or 375° for a glass pan. If you aren't using beef drippings, use butter. You can get by with 1/4 c.

La Guardia Spaghetti

Prudence Burlison

1 large can tomato juice
1 large can mushrooms
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 pint olive oil
2 medium sized peppers
2 garlic cloves (slivered)
5 red pepper pods
2 cups parmesian cheese
2 bay leaves
1 package spaghetti
2 slices bacon
1-1/2 lb. ground round

Brown garlic cloves in olive oil. Add mushrooms. Mix tomato paste and juice, add cut up green peppers, red peppers and bay leaves; add to first mixture. Make small meat balls of hamburger, egg, breadcrumbs and seasonings and brown in bacon fat. Add to tomato mixture. Simmer for 2 or 3 hours. Pour over cooked spaghetti. Just before serving add parmesan cheese.

Jambalaya (Rice and left-over meat)

Phyllis McAllister

1 lb. hamburger or ham (pre-cooked or fried). Fry 1 chopped onion and 1 minced clove of garlic in butter until golden brown. Add one green pepper, 1 large can tomatoes, 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste, and 1 can beef bouillon soup. Add meat. Cook separately, 1-1/2 cups washed rice. When tender, add to the above mixture. Keep at low heat and stir to prevent burning. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1-1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend thoroughly and taste. Transfer to well greased casserole. Bake in 375 oven for 45 minutes. Serves 6-8 people.

Lentils and Chicken

1-1/2 cups dried lentils
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 stick cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup raisins
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 large chicken breast (uncooked), cut in 1-inch pieces
1 chicken sausage (1/4 lb) sliced (or mild Italian)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup red or white wine (and a glass for the cook)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Rinse the lentils, and put in a large soup pot. Add the water, turmeric, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then boil over low heat. Check the pot from time to time. You may need to add more water.

While the lentils are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat, then toast the cumin and fennel seeds. In a grinder, grind together the toasted seeds, fenugreek, coriander, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Add the ground spices and the chili powder to the lentils.

In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and fry the onions until they are soft and slightly browned. Remove from the heat. Add the onions, salt, raisins, and cider vinegar to the lentils. Turn the heat down to very low heat. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. You may need to add some water to keep the lentils from sticking to the soup pot.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the cut-up chicken breast and the sliced sausage, and brown the meat. Just when the chicken breast loses its pink color, add the soy sauce and wine, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet, and leave on the heat for about a minute. Add the chicken, sausage, with their liquid to the lentils. Add the thinly sliced garlic.

Let the lentils sit for a few minutes, and serve in bowls as a very thick soup, or over rice.

Heart Attack Lasagna

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
32 oz jar pasta sauce
9 lasagna noodles
1/4 lb parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 lb mozarella cheese, grated
1/2 lb extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

In a large skillet, fry the sausage, and break it up into small pieces. Add the onion and green pepper, and continue cooking on medium heat until the veggies are soft. Add the pasta sauce, and season to taste. (I add some ground fennel, black pepper, and oregano.)

While the sauce is cooking, grate all of the cheeses. In a small bowl, combine and mix together the ricotta, parmesan, and eggs. Season (if you want) with some black pepper and whatever your grandmother would use.

In the bottom of a very large baking dish (13 x 9 inches or larger) spoon enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Lay three of the noodles over the sauce, so that the noodles are not overlapping. Top the noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Spoon some more pasta sauce on top. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozarella cheese. Continue layering noodles, ricotta, pasta sauce, and mozarella. Sprinkle the cheddar on top and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until the cheese browns.

This dish serves a lot of people. It's great for potlucks.

Sausage and Olive Polenta

1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 lb Greek olives, pitted and sliced in quarters
1/4 lb gorgonzola cheese
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 c instant polenta
4 c boiling water
1 t dried sage

Chop the onion. Pit and slice the olives. Mash the cheese, and separate it into curds about the same size as cottage cheese. Mince the garlic. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 cake pan. Start the water to boil.

Remove the sausage from its casings. Brown over medium heat in a 3 or 4 qt saucepan. When browned, remove the meat to a dish and drain all but 1 T of the drippings.

Add the onion and 1 T olive oil to the saucepan. Fry the onion over medium-low heat until it is cooked and browned. Add the boiling water to the onions. If necessary, bring the water back to a boil.

Add the instant polenta in a steady stream to the boiling water, keeping the water at a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly for 2-1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add the chopped olives and garlic. Return the saucepan to the heat, and continue to stir constantly for another two minutes. Remove the polenta from the heat, and stir in the cheese and sage.

Spread the polenta in the cake pan, and chill for at least a couple of hours. Before serving, slice into 8 or 10 squares. Remove the squares to a cookie sheet, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the tops are brown and crispy. Alternatively, you can heat some olive oil in a skillet and fry the pieces until golden on the bottom and top. Serve with a spicy tomato sauce. Serves 4 or 5.