Southern Sides: Braised Collard Greens and Creamed Corn

Smoked turkey hock, a bunch of collard greens and Beck's Cajun spice

Despite the fact that Reading Terminal Market is firmly affixed above the Mason Dixon Line, it offers a respectable array of southern food and ingredients.  We are, of course, delighted to report this, given the fact that we recently hosted a Kentucky Derby Party as part of a charity fundraiser for a local school - none of us backed the winning horse, unfortunately...

Collard greens grace many a southern dinner table and are readily available from a number of the merchants at the Market.  What we needed, however, was a fail-safe recipe for how to cook them.  We scouted around for inspiration at the Market, settling upon the Down Home Diner, which carries them all year round on its menu.  As a Brit, I'd not eaten collard greens until about a month ago...and had no idea how to cook them. I tried them at the Diner and managed to grab its chef and owner, Jack McDavid, for tips on how to prepare this Southern staple.  

Jack grew up on a farm in Virginia, where he learned a healthy respect for fresh produce.  He  continues to advocate for the farm to table movement and wow his customers with authentic, fresh food from, as he calls it, "The Best Market in the World."  Jack was kind enough to share his collard green recipe with us, and it was truly a revelation.  He uses no water. 

Prepping the greens was a labor of love...one large bunch wilts down to a small pile of cooked collards.  For our dinner party of ten, I prepped five whole bunches of greens, which equated to an entire sinkful. 

That's right, all you folks who have been boiling greens for years, (my fellow hostess for the Kentucky Derby Dinner included) apparently it's just not necessary, as Jack counsels:  "The vegetables contain mostly water, so as they cook down, they bring out their own liquid and that enhances the flavor."  We discovered that this is absolutely right!

To make Collard Greens Jack's Way:

2 bunches rinsed collard greens, center ribs removed
1 smoked turkey neck/hock or leg
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey


In large stock pot,  heat oil, and add smoked turkey and any seasonings (I love onions, so I also included a large Spanish onion, which I finely chopped and threw in with the garlic cloves; I also like a bit of spice so added a little of the Beck's Devil Dust seasoning to Jack's recipe).  Saute briefly, 5 mins or so to release flavors.  Add greens, and turn with tongs to distribute flavorings.  Cover, lower heat, and braise for a minimum of 20-30 minutes, turning frequently with tongs so greens do not stick to pan.  When greens are completely cooked and wilted, add remaining ingredients to season.  Pull bits of smoked turkey from the bone and add them to the greens if desired. 

A number of the merchants at the Market stock smoked turkey.  We bought ours from Giunta's

Another insider tip Jack shared with us..."The greens are good today, but even better tomorrow."  If you let the greens sit in the fridge for a day or two then the flavors intensify and blend beautifully with the greens - you can then reheat them either on the stove or in the microwave.
Keri has also used this 'no-water' technique successfully with kale, and substituted ginger/garlic/soy for the turkey neck to accompany Asian dishes with beautiful results.  Never again shall we adulterate any of our greens with unnecessary water... 

Rice and corn:  southern staples.

Married to a Southerner, Keri is well versed in Southern cuisine, she takes over here:

Corn is another staple of southern cooking, used in virtually every form:  ground corn meal for bread; hominy for grits; fresh off the cob as a favorite summer vegetable; and the list goes on.  With that in mind, we couldn't very well host a Kentucky Derby Party without showcasing corn in a supporting role.  Hence our visit to Pennsylvania General Store for their super sweet Copes Dried Corn, which we used to make creamed corn with rice for our southern dinner.   

To make this carb-alicious dish, simply follow the directions on the package for the creamed corn, and separately, make an equivalent amount of long grain white rice.  When both components are done, mix them, add some salt and pepper, and voila:  carb heaven!

And this is just the side dishes.  Wait 'til you see the mile-high dessert!

Philly Food Lovers' Pulled Pork

Animal Kingdom, the winner of the Kentucky Derby may have been a long shot at 30-1, but this dish is a sure bet.  Pulled pork is the perfect dish for a crowd.  It is shockingly easy to prepare, can be done ahead, and is quite versatile.  This version has a southern bbq slant, since it was the centerpiece for our Derby Day Party Menu, but you can use the same cooking technique for a variety of flavors.  Go Mexican with salt, cumin, chili pepper,  lime juice and beer and serve the pulled pork on tortillas.  Douse it with garlic, salt, pepper and white wine for an Italian version and serve on chunky rolls with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone.    But whatever your preference, this foolproof method will produce tender, delicious meat every time.

Pulled Pork for 10

6 lbs boneless pork loin (or 9 lbs bone-in roast)
3 Tbsp Rub-a-dub-dub, or your favorite barbecue spice blend
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup beer (any variety)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 large, oven-proof, covered roasting pan

Heat oven to 225.  Place pork in large roasting pan and drizzle pork with liquid smoke and vinegar, then rub with spice blend to coat.   Drizzle bbq sauce over top, and pour beer into bottom of pan.  Cover pork and place in oven for 8 hours.  Turn and baste once or twice during cooking.  (Cooking can be done overnight).  When pork is done, it will fall apart easily when a fork is inserted into it.  To "pull" the pork, take two forks and gently tear the meat apart.  Serve on rolls with your favorite barbecue sauce.  We recommend Down Home Barbecue Sauce, available at the Down Home Diner in Reading Terminal Market

For our Kentucky Derby Party, we plated the pork and served it with braised collard greens and Creamed Copes Corn with Rice.  Copes corn, a dried super-sweet corn, is available at the PA General Store in Reading Terminal Market, (see recipe in upcoming post).  Our party was on the formal side, so we served everything for knife and fork consumption.  But for a casual party, we recommend serving the pork on rolls with a side of potato salad or cole slaw.   In parts of North Carolina, the slaw goes right on the sandwich--and it's delicious.   Potato chips are also a traditional accompaniment in some areas; I recall a long ago visit to a friend's home in rural Tennessee when her Mama, who we all called "Miss Bonnie" served us pulled pork.  I started to eat my sandwich and she stopped me, horrified.  "Honey," she said, "we don't eat barbecue without chips down here!" and she dumped a generous pile of Ruffles on my plate.  Life was good.

A Tall Tale: Mile-High Chocolate Cake

Yep, my cake turned out looking just like this!

As Keri will tell you, I am a reluctant baker; baking doesn't suit my personality in the slightest.  I like to innovate, switch out ingredients, and I rarely - if ever - follow a recipe in chronological order, which is disastrous when it comes to baking.  By comparison, Keri is one of the world's most accomplished bakers and is reknowned for her brownies, caramel sauce, pound cake...the list goes on.

To challenge myself, I opted to provide the dessert for our Kentucky Derby Dinner and followed a recipe from the January 2008 issue of the late, lamented Gourmet Magazine.  Keri had saved this particular issue which featured Southern food, and its wrinkled, spattered pages reveal just how much use it has gotten over the years.  Leafing through, I settled on a luxurious chocolate cake called a "Mile-High Cake".  I liked the sound of this one.

Scanning the list of ingredients, I noted that the recipe called for 'cake flour'.  Not being a baker, this was the first time that I'd come across this ingredient, so I jumped online to research a little deeper.  Cake flour has a higher protein content than standard all-purpose flour and is much more finely milled.  It has the airiness akin to cornstarch.    First stop then, Reading Terminal Market, to grab supplies. 

Whilst I was at the Market, I was lucky enough to secure an interview with Elizabeth, the owner of Flying Monkey Patisserie, who shed some light on the dos and don'ts of baking.  Her cupcakes are DIVINE...if you haven't tried them already. 



Photo credit: Mike Persico

 According to Elizabeth, a key rule to remember when baking is to take both the eggs and butter out of the fridge a good 10-15 minutes before you need them.  In order for the eggs and butter to emulsify properly with the flour and other dried ingredients, it's imperative that they are at room temperature when added. 

Elizabeth also explained the differences between cake flour and all purpose flour.  The choice of flour vastly influences the texture of the final cake.  If you want a light and airy cake, then use cake flour; for a denser, more substantial cake, you need all-purpose flour.
 
I went in search of cake flour and I have to confess this is the first time that I couldn't find an ingredient in the Market. I stumped the lady working in Jonathan Best, but she promised to add cake flour to her next order of dried goods!  I did manage to secure a box of cake flour elsewhere...

This recipe is pretty complicated, but worth the investment.  The cake uses sour cream and many ounces of rich dark cooking chocolate to give the cake its moistness.  The cake lived up to its name.  Once complete it comprised four storeys of layers, a mixture of chocolate icing and chocolate sponge.  Now I know why it is called a "Mile-High" Chocolate Cake.  An identical recipe is published on epicurious.com.see Mile-High Cake  Thanks.  That's saved me a lot of typing.

One word of advice...

Do check your pantry before embarking on a recipe involving baking.  Another character flaw of mine is that I don't always read ahead when following recipes.  Hence I found myself in a pickle...

The bain marie is on the stove, the chocolate has melted perfectly.  All I need to do is add 1 cup of granulated sugar and we're off.  The problem is I don't use sugar.  I keep packets of sugar for guests, but because  I don't bake, I don't tend to keep a box in the house.  My neighbor is out at work, can't borrow from her, so what to do?  (Meanwhile my chocolate is over-heating on the stovetop.)  In desperation, I turn to my packets of guest sugar and at great speed start tearing up half teaspoon sachets.  I think that one sachet = half a teaspoon; I'm guessing I tore up at least 50 or so sachets to get my cup of sugar...Mission accomplished, lesson learned.  Repeat after me:  "I will set up my mise in place, I will set up my mise en place, I will set up my mise en place....."

My mile high mountain of sugar packets....

Flank Steak Recipes for the Shore

Keri and I seem to be using the term "quick and easy" way too frequently in our recipe posts - but then again it is Summertime.  The lazy hazy days of Summer are upon us so marinading, grilling and flank steak are the order of the day...

Flank steak is a wonder cut of meat, as any of the knowledgeable butchers at Reading Terminal Market will testify.  It's inexpensive - for it comes from the underside or belly of the cow - and very tasty when cooked properly, but it's oh too easy to spoil if you take your eyes of the grill for a moment.  Much to my chagrin,  I found this out the first time I let my husband cook a flank steak (he likes all his meat well done, horror of horrors).  Irrespective of how interesting the marinade is, this slender cut of meat benefits from being cooked medium rare - cook it for any longer and it tastes like shoe leather. 

Your best bet is about 2-3 minutes per side, then leave the steak to rest for a minute or two.

Some 9 million people visit Wildwood per year.  Wouldn't you rather be here than slaving over a hot stove?

We're fans of the Down Home Diner's barbecue sauce, but couldn't resist trying to copy a whisky-based grilling sauce we enjoyed at our recent Kentucky Derby party.  You only need a couple of teaspoons of whisky to infuse the bbq sauce with a memorable kick.  We marinaded the flank steak overnight, grilled, then sliced thinly and assembled a tostado.  Only wish I'd remembered to take the photo...if you prefer fajitas, then try this recipe for courtesy of the FoodNetwork.

Flank Steak is also delicious eaten cold next day in a jumbo sandwich. 

Try a ciabatta roll laden with meat, fave salad veggies and get this, an acceptable substitute for wasabi mayonnaise; wasabi paste or powder is not always readily available in stores at the shore - so I improvised.

1 tablespoon mayo
1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard of your choice (sweet, mild, kid-friendly...you decide how hot you want to make your sandwich.)

Ker-pow.  You're good to go.

Cinco de Mayo Lime Coconut Tart

Mexican desserts....what a glorious topic.  As you know from our previous post, we're celebrating Cinco de Mayo this weekend.  Each year, we donate a thematic dinner party to a local school, which is auctioned off as a fundraiser--remember last year's Kentucky Derby 'Do?--and this year's winners are getting a Mexican feast. 

I have been tasked with making dessert, and in keeping with the dinner's flavor motif,  I'm going with something lime.  I have to admit, I was torn; Mexican chocolate pulled at me (remember our love squares?) as did flan or something  featuring Mexican vanilla.  I even toyed with the idea of cotija caramel (made from goat milk)  but ultimately I opted to keep with the lime theme.

So I am making a coconut lime tart.  Here's how:

For Crust:
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup flour
1/2 stick melted butter

Mix all ingredients, and press into bottom and up sides of a fluted tart pan with removable bottom.
Bake 10 minutes at 350--watch it carefully, coconut burns!  Leave oven on.

While crust bakes, make filling:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1 cup plus 4 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp grated lime zest

Whisk all ingredients together until mixture begins to thicken.  Pour filling into baked coconut shell and bake another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool completely, and chill for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, remove tart from side of pan,  slice and top each piece with a scoop of fresh whipped cream.  Take a bow.
 Speaking of lime and coconut...sorry, couldn't resist.