Vox’s posts tagged pork

Roasted Pork Loin and Fennel

nobody@vox.com(JD) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:34:33 +0000

I'm craving pork tonight and Keith has never had fennel so I'm making a special meal before we leave town tomorrow for my reunion. I will be making this roast with fennel rather than veggies and such because it's all included and easy. This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa on Epicurious.com

I didn't grow up eating pork, so I was pleased to find out how lean and flavorful it was when I made this roast loin of pork. I cooked it the way I cook lots of meats — roasted with carrots, potatoes, and fennel. It's important to let meat rest after it's cooked; you'll find that all meats become juicier and more tender after 15 to 20 minutes. The rub on this comes from my dear friend Anna Pump and her wonderful Loaves and Fishes Cookbook.

Servings: Serves 6.

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Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 3-pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
10 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced diagonally
10 small new potatoes, quartered
2 onions, thickly sliced
4 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

With a mortar and pestle or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind together the garlic, salt, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard and combine. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs into thick wedges, slicing through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads exactly 138 degrees. Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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And She Shall Craft Her Diadem from the Unclean Flesh of Swine

nobody@vox.com(Kirk) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:21:36 +0000

I’m sure that there are some who feel the bacon-hat industry has turned a blind eye to the princess/beauty queen demographic for far too long and I do sort of feel obligated to inform certain individuals (I’m looking at you, LT and IG) whenever I learn of new advancements in bacon technology.

Fleshcrown

On the other hand, I wonder if there is a line that should be drawn and if that line might be best positioned somewhere prior to, say, oh I don’t know, considerable potential for agonizing death.

I guess some ~~barmy freak~~ imaginative person named Zabet, who evidently has ready access to dangerous chemicals, got really bored one day and decided her vast expanse of free time would be best spent making elegant headwear out of polymerized pig parts. This is clearly a response to another ~~weirdo~~ innovative woman devising a bra of bacon that cooks out in the sun while you wear it.

Anyway, if you’re the self-proclaimed Duchess of Pork or if you just enjoy tempting trichinosis, you can go learn how to crown yourself in crispy pigmeat as long as your desire for a bacon tiara outweighs your desire not to have your insides start melting together. The website issues the following warning:

You are going to be working with an enzyme that bonds protein. You are made of protein. Unless you want to glue your lungs together or glue your eyelids to your eyeballs, you absolutely must follow these safety rules.

Yeah, as much as I hate that glaring empty space in my tiara curio, I think I’ll pass.

Via BoingBoing

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All the cool kids are doing it...

nobody@vox.com(Sixbucksamonkey) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:13:53 +0000

It's your birthday. Pick your cut.

Pork

Birthday Cake

Cibo Matto

Eat a slice. Go hog wild.

*In accordance with new standards, this post is made with 98% recycled materials.

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Harbour view restaurant video in Causeway Bay: Bayview Cafe

nobody@vox.com(soutv) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:21:05 +0000

Bayview with watermark small version

BAYVIEW CAFÉ DESSERT RESTAURANT BAR is a top floor restaurant with an Elegant and Romantic setting, with a 180ﾟ Victoria Harbour view, near the yacht club in Causeway Bay. When you look East towards Tsim Tsa Tsui at 8pm, you can enjoy the light and laser show every night. http://www.so-u.tv/playVideo.php?contestid=&id=4531

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Late Summer Dinner

nobody@vox.com(Brent Buford) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:44:12 +0000

The weather's cooled down just enough to make dining outside a pleasant experience, so that means hitting the grill. Here's the rundown:

First Course: Wood-roasted gulf oysters with citrus, garlic, cracked red pepper. Totally stole this one from Cochon in New Orleans. Probably my favorite restaurant in the country right now.

Second: Grilled sea scallops with charred grapefruit, shaved baby fennel in a mint simple syrup. Coated the scallops with a little bit of sugar and peanut oil prior to grilling.

Main: Sage-brined bone-in pork chop, coated with a cane syrup and cider vinegar glaze prior to grilling, served with baby spinach sauteéd with guanciale.

Dessert (sort of): Black mission figs stuffed with Pure Luck chevre, toasted pine nuts and fresh oregano, wrapped in Speck ham, grilled over the waning wood fire for a few minutes, then drizzled in a port reduction just this side of burning up on the stove. Talk about timing....

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Stir-fried Pork Liver (姜葱猪肝)

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:25:11 +0000

Recipe courtesy of Fen Ying.

Stir-fried Pork Liver (姜葱猪肝)

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Steamed Minced Beancurd

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:42:41 +0000

Recipe from Bebe in the City - KL's blog. I omitted beancurd though.

Steamed Minced Beancurd

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Braised Pork with Bean Curd Sticks (腐竹焖肉)

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:33:03 +0000

Another recipe from Fen Ying's blog.

Braised Pork with Bean Curd Sticks (腐竹焖肉)

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The Palin Interview, So Far

nobody@vox.com(Scio, Scio) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:22:47 +0000

Apparently I was too high to notice that Sarah Palin had her first big solo interview with ABC and Charles Gibson. Wisdom teeth. But I found it online, so you won't be denied my impressions.
I have rather mixed feelings. While the questions being asked were certainly, certainly pertinent (earmarks, the economy, etc.) Charlie Gibson seemed to verge towards outright partisanship in this interview. "Holy Cow. Are you scared? Are you overwhelmed?" Please Charlie, I know you solicited questions online but really...
It is difficult to tow the line between being tough and inquisitorial, and I think Gibson came of as a bit hostile rather than expository. Among conservatives, as I'm sure you know, there is a perception that Barack Obama has gotten a bit of a free ride in the media until now. So we may just be more sensitive to it.

Part I
The Economic question was slightly loaded, or it seemed that way to me. What would you change about the Bush economic policy? Please, tell me you'd withdraw your support for the tax cuts! But she handled it well, despite the choppy edit to the question. Less taxes, less spending, more oversight. These principles, when applied, are a sure way to aid a struggling economy. From a conservative standpoint, any time you can put the people's daily business in the people's control and get the government to butt out is a great thing.
It sounds like she is calling for a real overhaul of our agencies, to look for ways to reduce waste. Can't argue with that. It's something a small government would do, and what they do every year.
The Wasilla question was enlightening. True, the town was in debt when she left office, but because of responsible government the people asked for it, agreed on how to pay for it and got it. It will be paid off in time, by the way.

Part II
Gibson brought up a good point about earmarks and Alaska. There is no denying that Alaska was and remains a major consumer of government pork. However, I think the thing to keep in mind is that Palin is a reformer, not a dictator. She has made efforts to reduce government waste and has been successful. Ted Stevens, the embattled Alaska Senator, has been around for longer than Palin's been alive. He's had plenty of time to establish corruption and a "good ol' boy" network. Palin may not have dismantled it entirely, but she's begun the effort. For doing that against her own party, I think her credentials as a maverick and reformer are unimpeachable.
Now, trying to turn the Bridge to Nowhere on her adds nothing to Gibson's credibility as a journalist. Let me explain. To some, this may seem like a perfectly fair comparison to John Kerry's flip-flop on Iraq. Palin worked for the money for that bridge. She "supported" the bridge before she opposed it. Gibson is just parroting a Democrat talking point here, rather than asking the better question. The better question is, "why did you decide to oppose the Bridge to Nowhere, after having worked for that money?"
John Kerry's vote in Congress is a bit different. First, he voted to authorize the war. But the essential thing is that he then voted to cut off funding for that same war. This is not the same as recognizing an inefficient spending habit and working to stop it. Kerry's flip-flop came off as a calculated posture, a betrayal of our soldiers...in the eyes of conservatives. Palin answered the question well, I think, making it clear that:
1. Congress approved the funds
2. Those funds were marked as infrastructure dollars
3. Her discretion as governor told her that those infrastructure dollars could be better spent
Here's a fundamental point: It is the job of the executive to oversee the government and help it to run better. All too often, our leaders sit back and work within the established system, even if that system is handicapped. Palin showed resolve and decisiveness when she chose to spend those infrastructure dollars where she and other citizens of Alaska thought they'd do more good.

Part III
The third part of the interview dealt with social issues. First, Abortion. Palin gives what I believe to be the only workable, American solution to the problem of abortion in this country. That is: leave it to the states to decide. As a Catholic, I oppose abortion. I don't make an exception for rape and incest, believing it only creates one more victim. I do believe, as Palin seems to intimate, that we need to promote a culture of life in which the perceived "need" for abortion is eliminated. Support for women, emphasis on responsible fatherhood...perhaps less taxes from the government so it's easier to raise children. Bear in mind that child tax credits are a pretty recent development in our history! And they were raised under our current President.
Embryonic stem cell research is also a problem, because if you believe in life at conception then you believe that this practice is nothing short of ghoulish. Recent scientific developments have shown that we can regress adult skin cells to an embryonic stage...an instance in which President Bush deserves recognition for a bit of wisdom. Palin again makes a commonsense point that her opinion is her opinion, and policy may or may not reflect that. Why are her personal feelings such an issue? I think it has a lot to do with the expanded powers of the Executive branch in the past few decades. For some reason we've gotten it into our heads that a President should be proposing legislation based on his or her own agenda, rather than in a limited form to serve the people. Palin likely thinks that social issues boil down to individuals being allowed to vote on the matter. That's what we are debating here, anyway...if the federal government will give this or that effort money.
Homosexuality is always a touchy subject. Many are concerned that Palin's religious beliefs might make her an outright enemy of homosexuals, coming to sequester them at Straight Camps and beat a desire for the opposite sex into their heads with faux leather bibles. From her answer, she doesn't seem to think it's her place to tell them what to do. It would be nice if the sentiment were reciprocated, but I don't want to get into all that "forced to accept your lifestyle and keep hidden my own beliefs on its sinfulness from the public" thing.
On guns, Palin had the NRA answer, with which I heartily agree. I also like the way she says NRA...ENN-er-ay? Love her voice, as I've said. If you put laws on the books banning guns, then only law-breakers will have them. It's as simple as that. A man who will steal my car, or break into my house, or rob a convenience store will only view it as one more law to break...and he won't be deterred in the slightest.

Ah, the baby question. To her credit, Palin did not say that questions about her time management skills regarding her job and her children were sexist. I liked her answer, saying instead that they were irrelevant and that she'd do it the same way other people in her position had done it. With a supportive spouse and a certain amount of accountability and independence instilled in the children. I read over on NRO that the sexism charge, while technically correct, undercuts the Republican brand. Republicans run on the notion that a culture of victimhood leads to less success and less happiness...and more government, incidentally.
I think that part of this disbelief about Palin's abilities stems from the fact that more than 50% of marriages end in divorce. Divorce, I believe, is a consequence of a lot of different issues, but in large part I think that lack of commitment to the ideals of marriage and the promises you make is central. Todd Palin seems to be a supportive, helpful father who has not stood in the way of his wife's goals in life. And he isn't a stay at home dad either, he's a hard working fella. Having a real partnership in marriage is crucial to the success of both spouses.
Now granted, not everyone is as well off as the Palins. Do they hire babysitters? A nurse? They may, and in that respect they'd be no different than just about anyone with consequential work to do. Not everyone has Sarah Palin's responsibility. Suffice it to say that she isn't going to play the victim. She's everything the feminists have been agitating for, lo these many decades, and if they want to deny her accomplishments then it is to their own discredit.

On to more interesting topics. Actually, the last one I'm going to write about, since I am fading fast here.
National Security: the most substantive issue regarding Palin's selection. As with most governors, Sarah Palin has had little foreign policy experience. In their role governing the states they will sometimes meet with foreign representatives, especially when it comes to trade and that sort of thing. But they are not policy wonks by any means. So the question can rightly be asked of Palin, "What do you bring to the table?" Gibson did manage to lose his smirk for this question, and I appreciated it.
Gov. Palin cited her knowledge of the energy industry as one of the main things to add to McCain's extensive knowledge of foreign relations. She is the governor of a resource rich state and an understanding of energy policy is a necessary requirement for her.
Let alone the fact that energy demands are both a foreign and domestic concern. We may be putting money into the hands of Russian and Middle Eastern business men, some of whom don't like us, but we're also feeling the pinch ourselves. It's not like when Budweiser was bought by InBev. I can still get a crappy beer for the same price. I don't believe there is an oil equivalent to Miller High Life. We need more energy independence and we need it yesterday. That issue will resonate and McCain would be wise to push it.

Okay, one last thing: The fact that Gibson is bringing up the Internet rumors is a bit lame. As fast as these things came up they were debunked. Just because the media reported on them without doing an...ahem...proper vetting is no reason to pretend they are actually newsworthy. Even "Troopergate" is overblown and symptomatic of the partisan fury of our country today. We just need to get over it...focus on real issues, like her foreign policy experience, and leave the Daily Kos to stew in their own excrement. But at least he is giving her a chance to give her side on national television. I always think of rumors like this: Everyone remembers the first headline, not the retraction.

So, apparently there are more of these on the way, to be shown on Good Morning America and 20/20. I will hopefully be able to put together a more coherent analysis when I don't have to cover so much ground while so high on prescribed drugs. But it looks as if she is most comfortable on the important energy questions and hewing pretty close to the campaign's rhetoric on the foreign policy.

Is she ready? More on that later.

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Wanton Noodle with Char Siew & Fried Wanton

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:35:27 +0000

Wanton Noodle with Char Siew & Fried Wanton

The filling for the wanton I followed Lee Lee's recipe for Guo Tie (锅贴) but I omitted the prawns.

Wanton Soup

Honey Char Siew (蜜汁叉烧) recipe is from Fen Ying's blog

Honey Char Siew (蜜汁叉烧)

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Ribs with Orange Sauce Pork

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:20:25 +0000

Recipe from Pork Ribs by Tang Phaik Cheng (Novum Organum).

Ribs with Orange Sauce Pork

Ingredients :
400g short ribs
70ml orange juice
3T honey

Marinade :
¾T dark soy sauce
2T light soy sauce
¾T wine
1T sweet potato flour
A little sugar

Seasoning :
2T orange liquor
A little salt
A little sugar

Method :
(1) Wash short ribs. Marinate for abt 15 mins. Rinse oranges & extract juice. Cut some orange peel into shreds & set aside
(2) Heat 500ml oil & fry short ribs over low heat for 3 – 5 mins. Then fry over high heat for abt 1 min. Drain oil
(3) Heat another 1t of oil. First, pour in the orange juice. Then add Seasonings & mix well. Stir in the short ribs. Lastly, scatter orange peel shreds & combine well. Serve

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Chris Rock, Religious books and pork

nobody@vox.com(xmangerm) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:03:34 +0000

Chris Rock, Religious books, and pork.

Hello all, Chris Rock is in rare form with his plain talk about how holy books are not relevant today---well, at least as it concerns eating pork. Please take a minute to exprience a reality check brought to you with a bit of humor.

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Minced Pork with "Tung Choy" (猪肉蒸冬菜)

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:37:45 +0000

Ma used to steam this dish together when the rice is cooking in the rice cooker to save time & electricity. This recipe is available at Lily's blog.

Minced Pork with "Tung Choy"

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Shepherd's Pie

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:17:19 +0000

Dad & Mom will be arriving late tonight. Thought of baking this so that they can have some warm food on arrival. Can't find the BBQ sauce anywhere in Pek Kio. Called Leonard to pick one up one during his lunch.

Leonard liked the one we had at Peng's place. I substituted the beef with pork. Somehow it didn't brown like Peng's. Wonder where it went wrong? Put too much potatoes & too little meat. Lesson to be learn.

Took out my new Corningware for this pie. Recipe courtesy of Peng's Kitchen.

Shepherd's Pie

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Chin Kiang Spare Ribs

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:08:56 +0000

Recipe courtesy of Y3K Free recipes. So much ingredients needed for this dish. Was only average in taste :(

Chin Kiang Spare Ribs

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Braised Pork Ribs with Chestnuts

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:25:21 +0000

Recipe from Pork Ribs by Tang Phaik Cheng (Novum Organum). Nothing to shout about :(

Braised Pork Ribs with Chestnuts

Ingredients :
300g pork ribs
300g fresh chestnuts
2 stalks spring onions

Seasoning :
1t Hua Tiao wine
1T dark soy sauce
A little sugar
¼ cube chicken stock seasoning
A little salt

Method :
(1) Wash pork ribs with boiling water before rinsing with cold water. Boil chestnuts for 10 mins then remove the skin & membrane. Cut spring onions into sections
(2) Heat 2 T of oil. Fry the white portion of the spring onion till fragrant then stir in the pork ribs to fry briefly. Add some water & cook for 10 mins. Add chestnuts to cook over medium heat for 15 mins
(3) Add wine, dark soy sauce, sugar & chicken stock seasoning. Cook for 10 mins before seasoning with salt. Scatter the remaining spring onion on top before serving

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Meatball with Onion

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:04:21 +0000

Meatball with Onion

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Imperial Ribs

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:32:50 +0000

Recipe from Pork Ribs by Tang Phaik Cheng (Novum Organum).

Imperial Ribs

Ingredients :
400g short ribs
2t potato starch

Marinade :
3/4 T minced garlic
1/2t salt
1t sugar
1t wine
1T light soy sauce

Seasoning :
1T Worcestershire sauce
2T tomato sauce
1t sugar
2T water

Method :
(1) Wash ribs & cut into sections. Marinade for abt 30 mins. Then mix well with potato starch
(2) Heat 500ml of oil & fry ribs over low heat for 3-4 mins. Then fry over high heat for abt 1 min. Drain oil
(3) Combine seasoning, pour into another pan & bring to a boil. Then add the ribs & stir well till the gravy is fairly dry

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Minced Pork Noodles with Char Siew

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:24:45 +0000

Minced pork noodles with char siew

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Minced Meat Noodles, Fried Wantons & Winter Melon with Dry Scallop Soup

nobody@vox.com(Yew Yen) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:19:53 +0000

Minced meat noodles, fried wontons & winter melon with dry scallop soup

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