Category Archives: meat

Semi Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

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Two of the reason why we bought our cottage on the edge of nowhere was that the house was in range of the Internet and that our neighbor had sheep. Later on we found out that he had just enough lambs each year to feed himself and his two daughters’ families! By that time it was too late as we had started our long renovation of the house. We kind of love the place for other reasons too. However, I can’t help thinking how great it would be if we could get lamb meat that was that ultra-local. My neighbor doesn’t help as he keeps telling me about all the treats he’s been cooking over the winter. For example he makes slow cooked roasts, tasty stews and he salts and dries the leg of lamb (lammfiol). Sigh! Anyway I have to say I like his stories, they are inspiring. So in the end I’m very happy and just up the road from us I can get fresh eggs and chicken. And in my garden I grow flowers and vegetables.

Read the rest of the post and get my Lamb Shoulder recipe at Honest Cooking.

Beef Stew Diagram

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This diagram doesn’t really give you any measurements, its more a guide on what I like to feed my beef stew with. I have learnt that these ingredients work splendidly together and, by adding a small amount of cocoa at the end, really makes this dish into something complete. This Beef Stew can be served with rice or just a piece of bread and a salad. Sometimes I make it as a bolognese and use minced meat instead.

This Recipe Diagram is my submission for GOOD’s Redesign the Recipe project. If you like it you may vote for me. Thanks!

See more Recipe Diagrams here.

This image is also for sale in the SHOP.

Pea Soup (ärtsoppa)

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In Sweden you eat yellow pea soup and thin pancakes every Thursday, or at least its popular to do so. The tradition has its roots from the middle-ages, where it was a preparation for Friday which was a day of fasting at that time. Nowadays its common to serve the soup with hot Punch, a sweet arrack flavored spirit. Its one of those odd combinations that actually works.

To make the soup, use whole yellow peas* that you soak for about 12 hours. After soaking, cook the peas in some water together with a whole piece of salted pork** (or if you prefer, cut into smaller pieces), onion, bay leaves and plenty of thyme (marjoram can also be used). I don’t mind adding a carrot into the soup, its not essential but it give the soup a sweet touch that I like. Just before the peas are done (almost mushy) you take out the meat and slice it. The meat can be served on the side or in the soup. If necessary season with salt. Serve the peasoup with mustard and buttered hard bread (knäckebröd). And to my taste don’t forget the hot Punch.

I often skip the thin pancakes but for most Swedes this is the grande finale of this meal! They should be served with whipped cream and jam.

* in case you don’t find whole yellow peas, yellow split peas may be used, just skip the soaking and follow the rest.
** bacon or similar may be used if its impossible to find salted pork.

Nutty Bacon Quinoa

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kokblog_grassfed
I have some non-vegetarian friends who don’t eat bacon.  I have no problem with that, I have my own principals. For example I try not to eat any meat that has been fed hormones or antibiotics (tough here in the US). Anyway, I didn’t know about their attitude to bacon when I recently served them my nutty Bacon Quinoa. The funny part was they kept eating even when I told them that it contained bacon. I guess they liked my standpoint in cooking!

This recipe is perfect when you have some left-over Quinoa.

(serves 2-3)

8 slices of bacon
one onion
¼ – ½ fennel root
one cup brown quinoa (dried)
one teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
one teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted and ground
one teaspoon mustard seeds, roasted and ground
chili flakes
oregano
garlic, crushed
salt

fresh cilantro
toasted walnuts

Chop the onion finely and slice the fennel into thin strips. Sauté on low heat with butter until soft and almost transparent. If you want you can add some of the left-over bacon fat to the onion mixture. Slice the bacon and sauté in a separate pan until a little crisp. When ready add the bacon to the onion mixture. Feed the mixture with chili, cumin, coriander and mustard seed. Raise the heat and let cook for about 2 minutes and then add the garlic, oregano and finally the cooked quinoa (see below). You may need to add some olive oil or a splash of water if it gets too dry. Season with salt. Top with fresh cilantro and toasted walnuts.

I have also made this with other vegetables such as: celery, kale, spinach and cabbage

my way of making quinoa
I cook quinoa a little bit like I cook rice by using a 1:2 ratio (one cup quinoa gets two cups of water). Rinse the quinoa and put into a pot together with water and some salt. Cover and bring to a boil and then let the covered quinoa simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. The quinoa should start to “sprout” (not really but you should see their curly germs). Turn off the heat and let stand covered until all the water has dissolved. With this method your quinoa will not be over-boiled and can be sauted with the recipe above.

Boerum Hill (Pork) Sausage

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kokblog_sausage

Boerum Hill Sausage doesn’t really exist, I just named my pork sausages that because I happened to make the sausages there.  The ingredients don’t have anything to do with this lovely neighborhood in Brooklyn. And I don’t even live there!

5 lb (ca 2.25 kg) pork shoulder (keep all fat)
about 1 ½ lb (ca 0.70 kg) pork fat
(there should be about 30 % fat to meat)

3-4 ancho chilies
2 teaspoons dried chili flakes (I used mild)
5-6 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons salt
6 teaspoons whole cumin, roasted and crushed
6 teaspoons whole coriander, roasted and crushed
2-3 teaspoons whole fenu greek, roasted and crushed
1/2 cup fresh sage (or oregano)
(olive oil)

pork casings (at your butcher or online)

Rinse the casing and let soak in water and some white vinegar (the vinegar is not really necessary).

Cut the meat and fat into smaller pieces. Place the meat into the freezer. Its really important to keep the meat cold, in fact it’ actually good to have it a little frozen.

Prepare the spices: Chop the ancho chilies into small pieces. To soften the chilies, sauté them in some olive oil in a pan for a couple of minutes. Set aside and let cool. Roast the cumin, coriander and fenu greek together in a dry pan. With a pestle and mortar, grind the spices to a nice powder (it’s really worth doing this, the smell is divine). Place ancho chili, chili flakes, garlic and roasted spices into a small food processor/blender and blend to a fine mixture. You may need to add some olive oil. Chop the sage finely.

Ground the meat in a food grinder using the coarse die. If its a warmer day you can keep the meat cold by placing  it on top of a bowl of ice. Add the prepared spices, salt and sage to the ground meat. To be sure the sausage has enough flavor, I recommend you fry some up to taste before you start stuff the casing.
Place the meat in the freezer again while your are getting the stuffer ready.

Slip the casing onto the pipe and finish with a small knot at the end. Feed the stuffer (I use a hand grinder that has a stuffer kit) and gently fill the casing. At last, when all meat is stuffed, twist off into 5-6” lengths. If you see any air bubbles just prick the skin with a needle, the skin will seal again. Now you should really let the sausages hang in your refrigerator for at least a day before cooking them or freezing them. (but I can’t really wait…)

I prefer to BBQ the sausages with a twig of rosemary. I serve them with a tomato salsa and a fresh salad.

See also recipe for my venison sausage recipe here