Bone-In Rack of Pork Loin (Chops)

I love the Holidays!  I love the Holidays for lots of reasons but chief among them is the variety of new offerings we have at the meat counter!  Holidays mean family gatherings and parties which, in turn, seeds a demand for larger cuts of meat like whole hams, turkeys, prime rib roasts (OH, so goooood), and one of my favorites... bone-in pork loin!

This glorious piece of meat is the antithesis of tofu!  It represents everything that vegans, PETA members, and part-time vegetarians stand against!  Imagine a full rack of rib bones, with three different muscle groups clinging to them, slathered with a spicy dry-rub, slow smoked to tender juicy goodness and finished with a chipotle raspberry bbq sauce.  This is the sort of dish that you would commonly see, lavishly presented, on the manliest of medieval banquet tables... So, stop drooling, and let's get started!

You will need:

• A whole bone-in rack of pork loin
• Yellow Mustard
• A generous amount of lump charcoal
• Your favorite dry rub.  For this recipe, I like equal amounts of:
• Homemade Chipotle Chili Powder
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• A bottle of Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Take your pork loin out of its package, drain the blood, rinse it in cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels.  Admire its beauty!  When it's done cooking, you'll cut it between the bones to present a single bone-in pork chop.  So, it's safe to assume that the number of bones will equal the number of portions.  I like a "Two-bone chop off the end," myself, so your portions may vary...

Slather the entire cut of meat in yellow mustard.  Get your hands all yellow and dirty, rubbing the mustard all over the place, then wash your hands and liberally apply your dry rub.  When your loin (the pig's loin, not your own, personal... nevermind), is all spiced and ready to go, let it rest on the counter while you build a fire.  Since you have an impressive cut of meat on the table, and since you're about to make fire, you might as well grab a manly adult beverage too, to complete the stereotypical imagery.  I suggest a rather hearty Winter Stout, or a single barrel Bourbon on the rocks.

When your fire is burning HOT and the coals have a nice gray ash over them, lay your pork loin across the coals (two minutes per side) and get a nice sear on the outside of the meat.  You can see in this picture that I took this opportunity to smoke some mushrooms, too.  Excellent choice!  Once you have a good sear, roll the loin off to the side of the coals, and close the lid to the grill.  What you want is an "oven" that reaches about 350 degrees, fueled by a wood fire.  The temperature probe that you have jammed into the center of the loin needs to come up to 140 degrees (You have a digital temperature probe, right?  We've been over this).  Laying the loin off to the side of the coals allows the smoke and heat to do their magic without the direct heat from coals having a chance to scorch or burn the outside of the meat.  I suppose you could do all of this in a 350 oven, in the comfort of your kitchen, but.... why?  So much more flavor outside.

Note; it was well below zero when I was grilling my rack of pork, so I was able to conveniently place my manly adult beverage into a lovely snow-koozy!  Nature provides....

When the internal temperature of the pork loin hits 140 degrees F, pull it off of the grill and cover it with foil, immediately.  Let it rest for ten minutes, then start slicing chops off of the loin, leaving the bones on for a convenient handle (should you opt to go all "Henry the VIII" style and shun your utensils).  There are several things to notice in this picture, delectable juices, white, as well as dark meat, the caramelized crust or "bark" on the outside, and the absence of yellow mustard (which glazed into a sticky awesome "glue" for the rub).  What more could you want?  Add a dollop of the bbq sauce and you're good to go!

My guests were a family of four from Texas who I consider "family."  My old buddy Andy and his beautiful wife Rayna, brought their two young boys, Kevin and Colby.  I like to think their boys took another step toward manhood that night, chomping their faces into some smoked meat goodness... I know Andy and I inhaled our fair share!

Fluffy Sticky Marshmallow Pie!

I have a love/hate relationship with marshmallows.  While I adore marshmallow cream, Rice Krispie treats, and a good S'More, I can't just sit down and eat a marshmallow out of the bag.  Maybe it's the cornstarch they use to keep them all from sticking together, but my mouth just doesn't like them "naked" like that, so I've never put any thought into marshmallow dishes until recently.  My friend Cindy actually prefers naked marshmallows to almost any other treat!  So, when she successfully defended her dissertation recently and became "Dr. Cindy," I knew I'd have to jump into the kitchen with a bag (or two) of 'mallows in hand, to help her celebrate.

You will need:

• A store bought graham cracker crust, or:
• 10 Graham Crackers
• 1/2 C. Shredded Coconut (lightly toasted) for sweetness (it's better than sugar)
• 6 Tbsp Melted Butter
• 1/2lb Large Marshmallows (That's 34 of them, by my scale)
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
• 1Tbsp Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 Cups Whipping Cream
• 1 oz. High Quality Dark Chocolate
• Another 1 Cup Whipping Cream + 1/4 Cup sugar
• Handful or two of mini-marshmallows

Optional "features:"

• Colored mini-marshmallows
• Rainbow Sprinkles
• Mini chocolate chips
• Toffee chips 
• Oreo cookies instead of Graham Crackers

I'm more of a "Cast Iron and Meat" guy than I am a baker, so I generally use a store-bought pie crust whenever and wherever possible, however, I believe a homemade graham cracker crust is far superior to store bought crusts so... it's worth the effort to make your own.  Suck it up and get to it! 

Spread the coconut out in a non-stick pan and bring the heat up to medium.  Watch it carefully, and stir/toss it around the pan until the little coconut nibs start to turn a light brown.  Take them out of the heat immediately to cool.  Meanwhile, crush 10 whole graham crackers in a food processor (or put them in a stout plastic zip-top bag and have your kids crush them by hand; Kids have much more destructive power than a food processor).  Add the melted butter and your coconut to the cracker crumbs, in a bowl, and mix them together.  Spread it out in a pie pan and press it evenly around the bottom and sides.   Bake it for 10 minutes at 375, and set aside.

For the pie filling, put the whole milk, and the Eagle Brand SCM in a 4qt non-stick sauce pan and add the large marshmallows.  Stir continuously over Medium-high heat until it's all melted together.  Turn it out of the pan and into a bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature (at least 30 minutes).

Fully Fluffed

Now, pour 1 and 1/2C of whipping cream into a bowl and beat the crap out of it with your stand mixer (or electric beaters).  Do NOT add any sugar or vanilla, this is not "Whipped cream" we're making, it's a base to fold the mallow-batter into!   Beat the cream into stiff peaks, being careful not to beat the cream until it turns into butter.  When you have good stiff peaks, gently fold the cream into the cooled mallow mixture.  Use a big spatula and carefully fold it together.  Don't beat it or stir too vigorously or you'll take the bubbles out and your pie won't be as "Fully Fluffed!"  Think light and airy thoughts while you fold, and don't allow your "inner mixer" to take over and start stirring!  The fluffier the better.

Once the two mixtures have been folded together, shred your 1oz of chocolate into fine shavings and gently mix it into the marshmallow cream.  Pour the mix into your pie shell!

Finally, pour your last 1c of whipping cream and sugar together into your mixing bowl and whip up a traditional batch of whipped cream.  Spread this whipped cream over the top of your pie, like frosting.  Let some peaks pop up here and there for appearances.  Finally, sprinkle the mini-marshmallows over the top of the pie, as abundantly or as sparsely as you feel is necessary.  Place the finished pie in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours to set.  You can leave it in your chill-box overnight if you like, with no loss of quality.  Embellish this pie with rainbow colored sprinkles if you like (I couldn't bring myself to look for sprinkles... having lost enough testosterone already, making this silly pie, I couldn't spare anymore to unicorns, sprinkles, or colored marshmallows), or with chocolate chips or anything you might like with marshmallows. 

It's not as sticky as you might think, and it's not too sweet, either.  It goes very well with a good Champagne, according to Dr. Cindy...

Beef Bourguignon... No More Excuses!!

Everyone talks about Beef Bourguignon like it's the "Holy Grail" of recipes.  Most folks take a glance at the recipe and declare it to be, "Not worth the trouble for a simple beef stew" but I assure you... it's well worth the trouble, and then some!  Beef Stew is similar to Beef Bourguignon in the same way that the banquet room at your local American Legion Hall is "similar to" the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria.

Note the Subtle Difference Between the Banquet Halls

To make the best "beef stew" that you, or anyone you've ever served have ever tasted, you'll need to crack your knuckles and jump into a deeply flavored, diversely textured, decadently seasoned Beef Bourguignon!

You will need:

• 1 "Strong Blurp" of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2lb of thickly sliced bacon, chopped into smaller chunks or bits
• 3lbs of Chuck Roast, cut into 1" cubes
• Salt/Pepper
• 1+ pound of FRESH carrots (not the "carrot nibblers" that you put in your kid's lunch pack), washed, peeled, and thickly cut on a bias
• 2 Small Red Onions, diced
• 4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, mashed and chopped
• 1/2 cup Quality Bourbon
• 1 Entire Bottle of excellent Pinot Noir
• 1 or 2 cups of Beef Stock (or Consume')
• 1/2 Small Can of Tomato Paste
• 1/2 Stick of Butter
• 3 Tbsp of Bread Flour
• 1.5lbs of whole Pearl Onions (blanched and peeled)
• 1lb of your favorite woodland mushrooms, thickly sliced

Before we get started, click the bowl of Beef Bourguignon shown here (from my kitchen) and look at the full sized image.  This dish is all about balance.  Trust me when I tell you that there is just the right amount of everything in this dish.  If  you start substituting, things can/will go downhill in a hurry and I think that's where people go wrong.  If you don't have a good Pinot, don't just toss in a bottle of Sutter Home White Zinfandel or (gag) a Rose'!  If you don't have the time to blanch and peel a bunch of pearl onions, then wait until you do.  I promise, you'll keep the first bite of this concoction in your mouth for a long time as your brain explodes trying to savor all of the different flavors here, and they work together like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so... to begin:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees (yes, TWO hundred fifty).

For this recipe, it will be well worth your time to chop/dice/prep everything ahead of time and to keep it organized. In other words, put your best Mise en Place skills to work here!

Get your big Dutch Oven out and put it on the stove.  Crank the heat to Medium High and pour in a couple of Tbsp of good Olive Oil.  Enough to just cover the bottom... now add your bacon and cook/stir it for about 20-30 minutes to render some bacon fat.  MMmmmmm, bacon fat!  Now, carefully take out the bacon, leaving as much fat in the pan that you can.  Keep the bacon safe in a separate bowl (you honestly didn't think I'd have you toss it out, did you?).

Open the Pinot Noir, to let it breath, and pour yourself a small glass.  Savor this glass because the entire contents of the rest of the bottle will ultimately go into the dish (more on this, later).

Season your Beef Chuck cubes, and add just enough of them to cover the bottom of your hot dutch oven.  Roll them around in the bacon fat until they're brown on all sides, then carefully remove them to the same safe-house where you stashed your bacon.  Repeat this until all of the beef is browned on the outside.

By now, there should be some smoky bits of bacon and beef stuck to the bottom of the pot; no problem!  Dump in your carrots and red onions and stir them together to cook and to add flavor to the fond ("Fond" means "bottom" in French, and refers to the sticky bits at the bottom of the pan).  Let them cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or so.  Add the garlic and stir it in toward the end so it doesn't burn.  Now; take hold of your Bourbon Whiskey.  Take a sip of the Whiskey, to fortify yourself for two things:

1. You're about to make fire.
2. You're about to pour an entire bottle of Pinot Noir into what is essentially a "Beef Stew" and you don't want to be caught crying about it!

Pour the Bourbon into the pot and stir.  Be careful,  because the alcoholic vapor may catch fire!  No big deal, just douse the flames with the lid from your Dutch Oven.  Do not skip the alcohol because there are gobs of "alcohol soluble" flavors here (particularly in the onions) and you'll lose a lot of flavor depth if you do.  Stir the Bourbon around to de-glaze the pot, and let it bubble for awhile until the alcohol has done it's work and has mostly evaporated from the pot.

Dump all of the beef and bacon back into the pot and give it a good stir.  Gird your loins and pour the entire remaining contents of your Pinot Noir into the pot.  Do it.  Don't argue, don't whine, and don't make excuses, just do it.  Julia Child would be proud!  Take your beef stock and pour in just enough to barely almost cover the tip-tops of the beef cubes.  Stir in the tomato paste and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Once you have it simmering, put the lid on and place the entire Dutch Oven into your bigger oven for at least 2.5 to 3 hours.  Great things will happen in there.

When you have about 20 minutes to go, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in a saucepan and slowly saute the mushrooms over Medium to Medium High heat.  Let them cook down for 20 minutes or so.  With 5 minutes remaining, melt the last two Tbsp of butter stir it together with the flour in a separate pan or microwave safe bowl.  Heat and stir them together until they're fully combined into a roux.  A roux like this is, hands down, the best way to thicken a dish or gravy!

Pull the Bourgy out of the oven and remove the lid.  It will be hot and it will still be simmering!  Stir in your roux, then stir in the mushrooms.  Add your Pearl Onions (you thought I forgot about those, didn't you)!  Bring the entire stew to a boil (again), then reduce to simmer for another 30 minutes or so, and stir it occasionally.

Serve it up in a nice ceramic bowl with a hunk of sourdough bread and a glass of good red table wine.  Personally, I like to go off by myself somewhere to eat this, in front of the fireplace with my fuzzy slippers on, the lights low, and some Mozart playing subtly in the background.  Every bite of this dish is one to be savored, and when you try it, you'll know why you spent 5 hours dealing with it earlier in the day!

Time for Pie!!

Ahhh, pie.  Is there anything more amazing than your favorite pie?  Americans have gone absolutely crazy, inventing ridiculous designer pies for all sorts of occasions.  I tend to enjoy the classic pies, Apple, Blueberry, etc, but once in awhile, a modern designer pie grabs my attention and I think, "Now, THAT sounds delicious!"

With that being said, I'll offer two different Southern pies for your consideration.  They're both relatively simple to bake and I think you'll enjoy them.  The first is a classic, "Sweet Potato Pie," and the second is a more modern designer, "Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie."

Sweet Potato Pie

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan

A quick word about pie crust; While I believe that a properly homemade pie crust is superior in flakyness, tenderness, and appearance, I do not believe that it is superior enough to go through the tedious process of creating one from scratch.  In my own personal blind taste tests, I pick the homemade crust every time, but I'm simply not prepared to invest the time and effort to "cube cold butter" and to "rest the dough in the refrigerator," etc.  These two recipes call for "Frozen 9-inch deep dish pie crusts" and I believe the filling is so fantastic, that nobody (except for perhaps your Grandmother) will mention your lack of pie crust effort.

Let's start with the Sweet Potato Pie!

You will need:

• 20 ounces (1.25lbs) of peeled sweet potatoes (cubed)
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla yogurt (or plain yogurt, if you prefer a "tangy" pie)
• 3/4 Cup packed, dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of FRESH GROUND nutmeg
• 5 egg yolks
• Pinch Salt
• 1 Cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon black strap molasses

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and get your frozen pie crust out of the freezer.  Let the pie crust thaw and rest on the counter for 30 minutes or so.  Place your sweet potato cubes into a steamer basket and steam them over boiling water for about 20 minutes or until they are fork tender.  I prefer this to boiling because I don't want the potatoes to pick up any extra water or moisture to bring to the pie.  Once they are nice and soft after a good steaming, mash them up with a potato masher.  They'll be super hot, so don't add the eggs yet!

Go ahead and add 1/4 cup of the pecans, the yogurt, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the potatoes in a bowl, and turn on your stand mixer.  If your mixer has a paddle attachment, that's the one you want.  Beat it until it's nice and smooth and not emitting any steam any more.  Finally, add the yolks and beat them in, until the mixture is a beautiful orange batter (with a few pecan lumps).

Pour it into your crust, and place the pie onto a cookie sheet (in case it bubbles over).  Top the pie with the remaining pecans, and then drizzle the molasses over the top.  Bake the pie for at least 50 minutes, I let her go for about 55 and to an internal temperature of about 175 degrees.  Take it out and let it "set up" and cool for another hour or so.  I think this pie beats pumpkin pie, hands down, every time!

For the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie, you will need:

• 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 Cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 Cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 Cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 Cups Pecan Halves, divided
• 3/4 Cup dark chocolate baking chips, divided

A word of caution about this particular recipe... Pecan pies are notorious for their ability to look perfectly set and awesome on the outside, while staying unset and gooey on the inside.  You'll notice the small amount of flour and the extra egg yolk to bring some protein to the mix that should help solve this problem.  In any case, you'll want to pay particularly close attention to the quantity of the ingredients here, do not use more or less than what is described, and be sure to bake it the full amount of time.

Preheat your oven to 350, and take the frozen pie crust out of the freezer to thaw.  Spray some "Pam" inside of your measuring cup, so the syrup will pour out quickly and easily.  Measure exactly 1/2 cup of dark syrup and 1/2 cup of light syrup into your mixing bowl.  Turn on your mixer and get the party started... While the mixer is turning and burning, add the bourbon, and the dark brown sugar.  Drink a shot of the Bourbon, you know, for... "fortification and courage."  Sprinkle in the flour.  Add the eggs and extra yolk.  Pour in the butter and a pinch of salt.  Turn off the mixer and use a silicon spatula to mix in 1/2 of the pecans and chocolate chips.

Pour the mix into the pie crust and then sprinkle or decorate the top with the remaining pecans and chocolate chips.  Place the pie onto a cookie sheet in case it boils over, and then pop it into the oven for 55 minutes to an hour.  Remove the pie and let it set up for another hour or so.  Here's my before and after pics of the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie:

Stuffed Pork Loin with Cranberry Cherry Chutney

You've seen those giant Pork Loins in the grocery store, right?  They sure do make some awesome boneless pork chops if you take them home and cut them up, but have you ever considered roasting one, whole?  On the Grill??  Stuffed with a lovely cranberry chutney!?!?!  It's easier than you might think!  One word of note, it could take as much as three days to cook this, so read the recipe first and plan accordingly... Your patience will be well-rewarded!

You will need:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 thick slices bacon, cut into "tiny bit-sized" portions
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup Bourbon
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 (4 or 5-pound) boneless pork loin
• Non-stick aluminum foil

Make the chutney first, because you're going to freeze it (I know, how exciting is that?).  Start by re-hydrating the cranberries in the Bourbon.  Mix them together and let them sit and "do their thing" for at least 4 hours (better, overnight). Then, coat a large saute pan with a bit of Olive Oil and dump in the bacon.  Bring the pan to Medium-High heat and render out the bacon fat while crisping up the bacon bits.  When the bacon is crispy, add the onions. Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent, then add the cranberries (Bourbon and all).  Be careful adding the berries,

the alcohol may flame up... just shout, "Flambe!" and let it burn out, or cover the pan with a lid.  Add the rosemary (things should start to smell really terrific right about now), stir it in and let it cook for a minute or two, then add the apples.  Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.  Measure the length of your pork loin (mine was about 20").  Tear off a strip of non-stick aluminum foil that is at least as long as your pork.  Pour the cool chutney into the foil and roll it into a tight "log." My chutney log was about 22" long and about 1.5" in diameter.  Don't let your log get too thick.  It's better to have a thinner log and some leftover Chutney, then to try to cram it all into a pork loin that isn't long enough to accommodate the lot.  Tighten both ends of the log and put it into the freezer overnight, to freeze solid.  Trust me, this is going to make things much easier when it's time to stuff the pork loin.

On the blessed day of consumption, pull your pork loin out of its packaging and make a hole in the center, for the stuffing.  This is the trickiest part of the whole darned procedure.  The hole needs to be able to accommodate the frozen chutney stick, so be "generous" with the knife. If your frozen Chutney stick is "two fingers" thick, then jam to fingers into your pork hole and make sure there is plenty of room in there... You may need to cut a portion out of the middle.  Make sure you come in from both sides of the pork loin and that the hole goes all the way through.

I'm doing my level best not to sound "dirty," so get your mind out of the gutter, people!

Now, unwrap your Chutney stick and lube it up with some olive oil.  Gently, but forcefully, twist and push the chutney into the pork's new cavity.  Work quickly, as the Chutney won't stay frozen forever!  Don't be afraid to pull the stick out and work the hole some more with a bigger knife.  Eventually, it will go in, I promise!  If you get it about half-way in, you can use your palm to firmly pound it the rest of the way home.  When you're finished, the pork loin will sit up, more round and firm, and you'll have a lovely Chutney filled center in the pork.

Season the top of the pork loin with your favorite dry rub, then cover it with your bacon lattice wrap (still optional) and wrap it tightly in plastic cling-wrap.  Let it sit, quietly, in the corner for awhile; after all, it's been through quite an ordeal... The meat needs time to adjust to it's new filling, and the Chutney needs to thaw before the whole ensemble needs to be moved to the grill.

When it's time to grill, get your coals going in the back of the grill space.  You're going to grill the pork loin over indirect heat, using some foil as a "heat shield" until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 135 degrees.  Be sure the tip of your temperature probe is NOT resting in the Chutney!  With the lid to your grill covered, you're shooting for a temperature of 375 degrees or so.  Note, the picture shows the pork nestled in a heat shield to keep it from getting too brown on the charcoal side.  Watch the pork's temperature during the cook, it won't take long; maybe 30-45 minutes or so.

Slice thinly and serve with a side dish of your choosing.  This is such a "Fall" dish, I suggest butternut squash, or roasted sweet potatoes.  Please disregard the hotdogs in the picture, they were for some kids who were over for dinner with their parents that night!  No adult in their right mind would want hotdogs when there's freshly grilled Cranberry Chutney stuffed Pork loin on the table...

Of Mussels and Marinara...

"Comfort food."  Those two words illicit all sorts of marvelous images for different people.  Comfort food can be as complex as a casserole full of Lobster Mac-n-cheese, or as simple as a bowl of chicken soup.  For Italians, most comfort food starts with a good Marinara sauce.  One of my favorite Italian comfort foods is "Mussels Fra Diavolo," or Mussels in a spicy red sauce!  A good marinara sauce should balance the acidic tartness of tomatoes with the sweetness of diced carrots and onions.  Building on the sauce, any spicy heat that is added should help complement something subtle, like the lusty faint aroma of the ocean that you get from fresh Mussel liquor... :)

You will need:

The Best Red Sauce Ever:

• 2 big cans (36oz) whole tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup good olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 entire head of garlic, smashed and chopped
• 3/4lb of sweet onions (1 large onion) diced
• 1/2lb carrots finely diced
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 6oz can tomato paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 Ingredients to Turn the Best Red Sauce into the Best Mussel Dish Ever:

• 6 Cloves crushed garlic
• 2-3 Teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 Dried Chipotle Peppers, cut in half or fourths
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 Cups of the Best Red Sauce Ever
• 3lbs Medium Sized Mussels, scrubbed, and de-bearded 
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

This red sauce is a great building block to making all sorts of things. Personally, I think it's almost too good to just ladle over pasta, it should be sopped up and eaten with some great bread, and your plate should be shiny clean when you're done!  To get the most out of the sauce, make sure you extract as much sugar out of the onions and carrots as you can; don't be afraid to brown the heck out of them!  Break out your biggest pot or dutch-oven and be prepared to store the bulk of the sauce in stainless plastic-ware or mason jars.

Sauce first!  Keep the Mussels on ice.  Seriously, as soon as you buy your Mussels, get them into a crushed ice bath and store them in your refrigerator.  You want to make sure you discard any that are already open, as they're dead and they'll just stink up the works.  Look for Mussels that are heavy for their size and that are sealed as tightly as little black rocks. 

Now, cook the sauce!  Dump the cans of tomatoes into a clean bowl, wash your hands and crush the bowl of tomatoes into a bowl of tomato mush!  This is a great job for the kids, if you can convince them NOT to make a mess!  In your big pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until it's good and hot, then add the onions and carrots.  Stir them together, then add the garlic and bay leaves.  Cook and stir until they're well caramelized and nice and brown (15 minutes or so).  Add the tomatoes, their juice, 1.5 cups of hot water, the tomato paste, oregano, salt & pepper.  Stir some more and let it bubble and simmer until it reduces by a couple of inches.

Keep two cups of the sauce for your Mussels and store the rest in an airtight plastic container (or mason jars).

Let's cook the Mussels!  With 2 cups of your new sauce in your big pot, bring it to a nice simmering bubble and add the additional Garlic, White Wine, Chipotle Peppers, and Red Pepper Flakes.  Simmer this mixture, just below a boil, for about 20 minutes.  This will rehydrate the Chipotles and allow the Wine to break out some alcohol soluble flavors from the rest of the dish.

Moments before serving time, drain your Mussels and add them to the 2 cups of sauce you have in your pot!

Let them settle into the sauce with it boiling and bubbling around them.  Replace the lid and leave the Mussels alone for about 5 minutes.  Take the lid away and stir everything together for another 3 or 4 minutes.  The Mussels will be done when they're fully opened and a little bit firm.  This should take less than 10 minutes of total cooking time.

Remove from the heat, garnish with the Parsley, and serve!

Grilled Salmon, YUM!

Grilled Salmon is one of things that restaurants have figured out, but that most people fail miserably at when they try it at home.  This is completely understandable.  After all, raw Salmon is a fragile and delicate thing, and grills are hot and mean and when the two of them get together, the result is often a broken mushy mess of burnt salmon, stuck to the grill grates to be burned to a crisp as the charcoal eventually fades.  Nobody wants that...

To grill Salmon properly, keeping the delicate texture together while infusing some sweetness, some spicy heat, and some aromatic citrus, is way easier than you think!

You will need:

• 1 or 2 full SKIN-ON whole filets of Salmon
• Non-Stick Aluminum Foil
• 1 Lime
• Olive Oil
• Salmon Rub, Equal amounts of the following:
• Fresh Chili Powder
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Chopped Cilantro 

First, some questions.  Question 1, "Is it that important to buy skin-on Salmon for grilling?"  Yes.  The skin is added protection against moisture loss and heat reflection.  You won't eat the skin, but it will serve an important purpose.  Question 2, "Non-stick foil?  Are you kidding me with this?"  No.  Non-stick aluminum foil is a marvelous invention, especially for grilling.  Always have some on hand, but know that it's more expensive than regular foil so you probably won't want to use it to replace all of your aluminum foil needs.

Roll out some non-stick foil onto a cutting board.  Lay your Salmon filets, skin side down, onto the non-stick foil.  Drizzle some Olive oil all over the top of the fish and spread it evenly around with your fingers.  Squeeze the juice from 1/2 of your lime onto the fish also, worth this around as evenly as you can.  Now, generously shake your new Salmon rub all over the fish.  Don't get too crazy, but don't be shy either.  Shake it on like you would shake on a liberal application of Parmesan cheese to a big plate of spaghetti.  Now, leave the fish alone on the counter to rest, while you get the fire ready.

Start a bunch of charcoal, then spread them in a big oval around the edges of your grill.  You'll be placing the fish on the grates over the middle, the idea being to make sure the Salmon isn't sitting directly over some super hot charcoal.  The foil and the skin will deflect most direct heat, but you don't want some of your fish to be over-cooked while the rest is perfectly done, so try to spread the charcoal to the back, or the front and/or sides of the grill.  Close the lid and let the grill pre-heat a bit.

The fun part begins...

You need to slide the foil off of your cutting board, and onto your grill (with the Salmon still on, of course).  The interesting part of this exercise is, the Salmon is slippery, and so is the non-stick foil, and you've added olive oil to the equation so... don't let it all slide onto the grill or it will all stick and gum together and you'll go hungry.  Your grill will be hot, but you should be able to slide the foil onto the surface, and then quickly slide it to position it so the fish is in the "middle" of the fire ring below.  Now, close the lid and let it "cook" in your new charcoal oven for ten or fifteen minutes before taking it's temperature.

A Word about Temperature and Doneness...

Our Food and Drug Administration says that Salmon is "Safe" at 145 degrees.  I agree, it's certainly safe at that temperature, but it's also dry, rubbery, and not something I'd be proud to serve.  If you purchase quality salmon from a reputable source, and you are grilling it within 24 hours of it's purchase, having kept it at a safe cold temperature prior to the cooking process, then 130-135 degrees is the perfect temperature for serving grilled Salmon.  Use a probe and take it's temperature in the thickest part of the filet.  If you want to use the whole filet for presentation, it should slide right off the non-stick foil and onto a platter.  When you cut the Salmon into portions, the portions of fish should slide right off the skin and onto your serving utensil!


Slice the other 1/2 of the lime for individual serving, and garnish the top of the Salmon with fresh chopped Cilantro and serve!