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[thechefbuddha-blog]

The Boston Butt

I took a trip to my local butcher in Port Credit Not Just Steaks and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had berkshire pork shoulders on sale. Pork shoulders, also commonly referred to as “the boston butt” is arguably the most tender part of the animal and lends well to slow cooking, especially braising. 

Pork butt is often used for pulled pork because of its fat content and the fact that it becomes incredibly tender when braised for long periods of time. Another thing that often gets forgotten about pork butt is that it is excellent for grinding up into ground pork because of the tenderness of the meat and the high fat content. I had just made a fresh batch of cavatelli, which is a small hand rolled pasta made from a semolina and ricotta based dough, and one of my favourite winter dishes is cavatelli with pork ragu and spinach. This special on pork butt was a gift from the pasta gods and I figured having about 1 kilo of pork butt as ground pork would be perfect.  

Berkshire pigs are known for their black colour and rarity. They are considered a heritage breed of pork originating from Berkshire county in England and is prized for its taste, tenderness, and high fat content which makes it great for high heat cooking and low heat braising. It is needless to say that I was incredibly excited to see this delicacy on sale and without hesitation I knew I would be able to use all of the meat if it were ground and still have some great bones to use in a stock at a later date. 

Today we will be making a fairly basic and straightforward pork ragu and then using that to make cavatelli with pork ragu, spinach, and parmigiano reggiano. I’ll provide my highly coveted cavatelli recipe but I don’t expect everyone to make pasta from scratch for this dish; suitable pasta substitutes are any short extruded noodle such as cavatappi, rigatoni, or even a longer noodle such as spaghetti or bucatini. I would avoid egg noodles as the ragu is quite rich and extra richness from noodles may be overwhelming. If using an egg noodle sautéing some broccoli rab or rapini and adding it might help to cut through all of the richness. 

For the pork ragu you will need 1 medium to large pot and a wooden spoon

Ingredients:

- 2lbs ground pork butt

- 1/2 pc large white onion

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste

- 750ml white wine

- 750ml chicken stock

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 1 bunch of thyme

- 2 bay leaves

-Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in your pot. Brown ground pork and remove from pot leaving approx 1-2 tbsp of oil in the pot.

2. Sweat onions over medium-low heat until soft and translucent. Using a wooden spoon move around the onions as their acids will lift all of the fond from the bottom of the pot. This will give your onions a brownish colour from the ground pork. Once your onions are soft add the minced garlic and allow to cook out for approx 1 min. DON’T BURN YOUR GARLIC!!

3. Add the tomato paste and allow to cook out for another minute. Deglaze with the white wine and then add your chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the browned ground pork back to the pot and then add your thyme and bay leaves. Allow the ragu to reduce until almost no liquid remains and make sure to season it. I personally like it on the dryer side as you can adjust the moisture level when using it in a pasta with the addition of pasta water or reduced white wine. 

I like to make bigger batches of this ragu and freeze some. It is incredibly simple but just as delicious and is a fairly blank canvas to build dishes upon.

For the cavatelli you will need: stand mixer, cavatelli board, bench scraper, spray bottle

Ingredients:

- 800g Type “00″ flour

- 500g ricotta

- 200g semolina (durum wheat) flour

- spray bottle filled with warm water

- 2 tbsp salt

- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

1. Add all of the ingredients except water to a stand mixer and mix on a medium-low speed. 

2. Spritz the mixture with the warm water every now and then to allow the dough to come together. Spritzing is a good way of hydrating your dough without adding too much moisture.

3. Once a dough ball has formed empty the stand mixer onto a clean surface and knead it for approx 10-15 mins. It is almost impossible to over knead pasta dough but very easy to under knead it so giving it an extra minute or two is never a bad idea. 

4. Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 mins before using.

5. Cut small 2 or 3″ sections off of your dough ball and roll them into long and thin snakes. Using your bench scraper cut small squares off of the snakes. Take each square and press and roll it on your cavatelli board. Here is a video by Molto Mario Batali hand rolling some cavatelli for reference: http://www.mariobatali.com/videos/cavatelli/

6. Fill a sheet tray with semolina and place your rolled cavatelli into the flour. I like to allow them to dry out for about an hour and then place the tray into the freezer until they freeze to make portioning easier. 

For the Cavatelli with pork ragu, spinach, and parm you will need a sauté pan, a medium pot, and a slotted spoon or spider strainer. 

Ingredients:

- Approx 200g of ragu

- 100-150g of cavatelli or whatever pasta you may be using

- 50g spinach

-15-20g parmigiano reggiano

-1 tbsp olive oil

Procedure:

1. Begin boiling water to cook the pasta. When water is almost at a boil salt it heavily. 

2. If using fresh pasta, begin heating your pan about 20-30 seconds before you drop the pasta. You want to time it so that the pork ragu will be heated up and have a bit more moisture in it than when it began by the time the pasta is done cooking. Begin heating your olive oil in a saute pan and then add the ragu. Add a bit of pasta water to thin out the ragu.

3. Add your pasta to the ragu. Adjust the thickness of your ragu with additional pasta water if necessary.

4. Add spinach and fold in until wilted. Turn heat off and remove pan from heat. Add parm to the pan and fold it in. If the ragu is greasy at all add a bit more cheese. 

5. Plate your pasta and top it with more parm. 

And there you have it! Fresh pasta and pork ragu! I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. This dish speaks to my southern Italian heritage and has become a staple dish in my repertoire. Good luck!

[thechefbuddha-blog]

Examining Oaxaca Cheese

Today while shopping in a latin american grocery store specializing in mexican and spanish groceries I came across oaxacan cheese.

Based on its resemblance to mozzarella but exotic sounding name I gravitated towards it and am very happy with my decision!

Despite looking rather bland this cheese is actually packed with flavour. It is somewhat salty and has an underlying layer of umami that comes through with bigger bites. It is lacking acidity and sweetness which I believe makes it fairly versatile product as it would pair well with a sweet fruit as well as something vinegar based and acidic.

Upon first bite I thought this was just mozzarella with a fancy name. It has an overwhelming resemblance to the italian cheese but is much firmer and stringier. It is also more flavourful and almost tastes like a mozzarella and provolone hybrid.

After baking a chunk of it in the oven at 350*F for about 15-20 minutes the oaxaca cheese melted down beautifully.

While it appears to be almost liquid it is still quite chewy and cools very quickly when touched to metal. The flavour isn’t much different but it is definitely more palatable when cooked.

I would say that the consistency of the oaxaca cheese is its most unique characteristic. It would work amazing as a cheese in quesadillas based on its texture and flavour. I think it would work great in poutine as well because of the fluidity of it when melted accompanied by the chewiness of it.

Reflections:

I learned that my palate tends to gravitate towards ingredients that I grew up eating, especially italian ones. The similarity of oaxaca to mozzarella instantly allowed me to connect with the ingredient. I very much so enjoyed this cheese and I will begin trying to incorporate it into my cooking regularly.

This experience has opened my eyes to trying out more unknown ingredients that I come across at various stores. I will definitely look at things with a more open mind. Oaxaca cheese will definitely become part of my arsenal and I highly encourage everyone try it out!

[thechefbuddha-blog]

How to: Making Ramen from Scratch!

Today we are going to be making a ramen broth and ramen noodles from scratch! You better be as excited as I am because these are a few serious skills every chef should have in their arsenal!

Before we begin I would just like to profess my eternal love for ramen. We are extremely lucky to live in a place like Toronto that showcases some of the best representations of the dish outside of Japan. Toronto has become such a mecca for the beloved dish that Konjiki Ramen, boasting the best ramen in all of Japan in 2016 and the best in Tokyo in 2016 and 2017, will be opening their second location in North Toronto. Being italian I have always held a special place in my heart for pasta and more broadly all noodles throughout various cuisines. I believe that growing up on italian style chicken noodle soups with homemade pastas explains my love for ramen. While watching Mind of a Chef on Netflix I noticed that David Chang, owner of Momofuku, had a rather simple recipe for ramen broth that with a few small tweaks I have made my own! I hope you enjoy it! The base of any good ramen broth is a dashi. A dashi is a japanese base stock used in a wide varieties of ways. Dashis are traditionally layered, and we are going to be doing a 4 layer dashi.

For the Ramen Broth:

2lbs Chicken bones

2lbs Pork bones

4pcs Carrot roughly chopped

4pcs Cellery roughly chopped

3 pcs Leeks roughly chopped

2pcs White onion roughly chopped

2bu Scallions roughly chopped

10pcs Honey crisp Apples halved

3pcs Kombu (dried, approx 4″x6″)

3 cups Dried Shiitake mushrooms

1 cup Bonito Flakes

6-8 quarts Water

Yield approx 8-10 quarts

For the Noodles:

3 cups AP flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 whole eggs

1/2 cup warm water

Procedure:

Making the broth: Using a thermometer heat water to 60-65*C and maintain this heat. Add kombu for 45 mins and then remove. Repeat this step with the shiitakes, then the apples, and finally the bonito flakes. 

While the various layers are being simmered, add the pork and chicken bones to a 400* oven to begin browning.

Once you have completed layering the dashi add all of the aromatics and the roasted bones. You may also add the apples used in the dashi back into the broth at this point. 

Bring it up to a boil, skimming any scum that may form at the top with a ladle. An important thing to note is that if you are trying to achieve a creamier thicker base you shouldn’t skim the broth. If a clear broth is your goal then be sure to skim the scum. Once at a boil reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for a minimum of 12 hours, up to 2-3 days. You may top off your broth with water up until 6 hours before you plan on straining it.

Once your broth is finished, strain it using a ladle and cheesecloth. Season your broth now! It is recommended to use salt, pepper, and soy sauce to season your broth. Your ramen broth is now done!

Making the noodles: Add the flour salt and baking soda to a stand mixer and combine. Add the eggs and water and stir on low until the dough begins to come together. Knead for 5 mins on a medium-low speed. 

Once done, vacuum seal your dough ball. This will aid in the moisture distribution process ensuring your dough is evenly moisturized.

 Leave your dough ball in the fridge vacuum sealed for at least 1 hour. 

Divide the dough ball into 4 equal parts. Make sure to cover whatever dough you aren’t working on with a damp cloth. Flatten one of the quarters and roll it through a pasta machine until desired thinness is achieved, approximately level 6 on most machines. Once thinness is achieved fold dough back up into a square and roll through the machine so that the crease is perpendicular to the roller of the pasta machine. This will help create a noodle with a firmer bite to it. Use the thinnest noodle cutter on the machine to cut the noodles. It is recommended to use a clothes hanger to dry the noodles, but if you are in a pinch you can skip this step.

You now have your ramen noodles and ramen broth! Prepare them however your heart desires! It is recommended to use braised pork belly, and soft boiled egg, bean sprouts, and scallions together for a traditional ramen presentation.

 A configuration that I particularly enjoy is called “spicy tan tan”. This is comprised of soy, sake, and mirin marinated ground pork and the addition of spicy chilli oil to your ramen broth. The bowl is then completed with blanched bok choi and chopped scallions.

Sensory Evaluation:

This broth has a great balance of umami, sweetness, and saltiness. It is amazing that even after days of simmering the distinct taste of the dashi still shines through the finished product. The layers of kombu, shiitake, apple, and bonito flakes shine through every spoonful as well as the roasted flavour of the chicken and pork bones.

The smell is one of the best parts of making this soup; your house will smell like a ramen house for about a week! It is difficult to pinpoint precisely what the smell is as there is such an excellent blending of flavours, but kombu and apples are definitely some of the more pronounced aromas. 

The building of a ramen bowl is imperative to its final delivery. It is important to use the noodles as a raft to layer the rest of the ingredients on. This also helps greatly with presentation. 

The richness of the broth really comes through once you put it in your mouth. The extraordinary mouth feel of the broth is complemented by the excellent chew of the noodles, creating what I consider a perfect dish. Having some crunch from fresh chopped scallions is also a big part of a properly constructed bowl of ramen. The springiness of the noodles is attributed to the use of whole eggs and baking soda, making the noodles alkaline. This allows them to hold up in the heat of the broth rather than disintegrating or overcooking. Albumin is a very alkaline substance and dislike italian pasta doughs that use mostly egg yolks, you need the extra albumin in ramen noodles for their alkalinity. 

I have had many people over to try my ramen, most of whom are as passionate about the dish as I am (or so they think...). I have received nothing but great reviews even from some of the toughest critics. The one thing that I would like to try next time is not roasting the bones to see the difference in end product. I have also been constantly tinkering with my ramen noodle dough trying to develop the perfect noodles, which I believe will take a very long time. I believe this endeavour was a great success and with a few simple variations I will continue using this recipe. I particularly like the addition of apple and in the future will experiment with different varieties of apples and even various fruits. 

This experience has taught me to have a great deal of respect for top ramen makers throughout Toronto and even the world. This is no easy task and it is extremely time consuming. Perfecting noodles on a commercial scale seems like a daunting task but it has inspired me to work diligently on adjusting my noodle recipe. This has also showed me the importance of dashis and their versatility in the kitchen. Making a dashi is much quicker than a stock and some may argue that you are able to pull even more flavour. I have been using dashis instead of stock in many dishes recently and I have been very happy with the results.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Good luck and happy noodling!

[thechefbuddha-blog]

INTRODUCTION

My name is Alex Congiusta and I am an aspiring chef. I am 25 years old and studied political science and sociology at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. I worked as a junior research associate at Sussex Strategy Group, one of Canada’s leading lobbyist firms. I was approached with the opportunity to open an art gallery in Denver around that time and because I absolutely dreaded my job and career path I jumped at the opportunity. 

I have always had a passion for cooking and food in general and always thought in a perfect world I would have went to culinary school after high school. A friend of mine is the executive sous chef at Montecito and has always been someone I looked up to for culinary advice. After talking with him about the industry I decided to dive in headfirst. I do not regret my decision one bit and hope that in the next few years I will be able to offer more to the kitchen I work in than simply recreating other chef’s dishes. I love food and my passion for food has led me to begin culinary school and working in a restaurant at the tender age of 25. 

My personal philosophy of cooking is that you must use good ingredient to create a good dish. By good ingredients I don’t necessarily mean expensive but local and fresh. The thing I love most about Montecito is that we serve local farm to table food which forces our chefs to come up with dishes based on the seasonal availability of ingredients from the select farms we deal with. I usually do not share much personal information with people and I hope to break out of that shell with the use of this blog. Hopefully this blogging experience can help me open up about my likes and dislikes and share my culinary journey with whoever is interested!

One culinary quote from Bobby Flay, a celebrity chef I grew up watching on Iron Chef America on the food network that has always stuck with me is: “cooking is a subject you can never know enough about. There is always something new to discover". That is a very interesting concept to me and almost Socratic in nature as if to say that the wisest person (or chef) is the one who understands how little they know. Very deep Mr. Flay, very deep. 

This is a picture of my favourite pasta dish in Toronto that I often recreate at home. It is a carbonara made with duck yolk in lieu of the tradition chicken’s egg yolk. (https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwir6Ian_cHWAhVBxmMKHXy7CXcQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogto.com%2Ftoronto%2Fthe_best_pasta_in_toronto%2F&psig=AFQjCNGSXcA0u4pXIw0SfLxSRxZbbq_GsQ&ust=1506485318020259)

This is my recreation of the dish from a few months ago. The next step would be making the bucatini/spaghetti from scratch and if I ever have a day off maybe I will do just that!

A culinary blog I enjoy and would like to emulate is https://smittenkitchen.com. Deb Perelman is a very talented chef and her recipes are second to none! One thing I love is the never-ending supply of amazing recipes that she shares. One thing i dislike about the blog is the arrangement of the recipes; I feel that the organization makes it harder to find new things you wouldn't necessarily search for and shows buzz words that you would already be familiar with instead. 

I truly hope you have enjoyed my first blog post and I haven't lost you by now! I promise a lot more pictures of various homemade noodles to follow from all cuisines!