4 March 2018

Petaluma Rye (Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book)

Whisk together; make a well:

750g whole wheat flour
130g rye flour
14g salt
43g buttermilk powder (calls for 300mL buttermilk, which would be added to the liquid measure)

Pour into well and mix in enough to resemble pancake batter:

175g hot water
45g honey (2T)
300mL water (because we use buttermilk powder)
26g oil (2T)
33g lemon juice (2T)

Mix in 5g instant yeast (7g active dry) and mix until dough comes together. Kneading will take a good 20 minutes. First rise: about an hour and a half, depending on temp. Second rise should take about half the time of the first rise. Shape and proof. Bake at 350*F about 45 minutes.

This was excellent.
Grapefruit Curd

Zest of one grapefruit (8g)
130g juice (from one grapefruit)
3 eggs
75g sugar
56g unsalted butter
pinch salt

Yielded 1 3/4c. I think grapefruit is best as marmalade.
Ham, Spinach, & Goat Cheese Crêpes (Classic Mary Berry, modified)

9oz teenage spinach, wilted & chopped (calls for 11oz baby)
4oz neufchatel cheese (calls for cream cheese)
150g goat cheese (calls for 100g)
2tsp whole grain mustard
100g diced ham
1/2tsp salt (calls for salt to taste)
pepper to taste

Green Chile Stew

1000g pork, cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2c posole, soaked
1c black beans, cooked
1# green chiles, chopped (medium hot)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small potatoes, cubed
14-oz can diced tomatoes
water to cover

This was one of our better ones.

20 December 2017

Slow Roasted Pit Ham brine (from Founding Farmers)

7 1/2c water (1800g)
4 1/2T kosher salt (Morton's, 65g)
2 1/2T pink (curing) salt (40g)
2T juniper berries (10g)
1/2c brown sugar (100g)
1/4c honey (85g)
2T caraway seeds (15g)
15 cloves garlic (used one head; didn't count the cloves)

Smash and toast juniper berries, dissolve salts in water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add a 9-10# boneless pork butt and refrigerate for three days.

18 March 2015

Ham test #2-3


Started 2 pork shoulder blade roasts brining. One is 3.26#, the other is 3.09#.


We smoked one, and just cooked the other. The smoke flavor pretty much took over the flavor, so this recipe is probably a non-smoker.

Slow Roasted Pit Ham Master Recipe

Slow Roasted Pit Ham, from The Founding Farmers Cookbook


2T whole juniper berries
7 1/2c cold water
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
1/4c honey
2 1/2T pink curing salt
4 1/2T kosher salt
2T caraway seeds
15 cloves garlic, minced
1 (9-10# boneless pork butt)


Smash and toast juniper berries. Place in 3-gallon lidded container that will fit in the fridge. Add water, brown sugar, honey, salts, caraway, and garlic. Whisk til salts dissolve. Submerge pork in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for three days.
Heat oven to 300*F. Remove butt from brine and place in roasting pan. Roast for 3-4 hours (12-15min/pound) until internal temperature registers 145*F. Remove ham from oven and rest (tented) for 30 minutes.

15 March 2015

Ham test #1




Recipe from the Founding Farmers Cookbook.


Slow Roasted Pit Ham
1T juniper berries, toasted and crushed
3.75ccold water
1/4c packed brown sugar
1/8c honey
1 1/4T curing salt (#1)
2 1/4T kosher salt
1T caraway seeds
7 cloves garlic, minced
4.5# boneless pork shoulder blade roast




Brined roast for approximately 36 hours (about 8 hours per pound). It was not quite long enough. Next test will be 12 hours per pound. We shall also smoke half of it.