Today was pickup day for our CSA here in Brooklyn so my kitchen was fully stocked with fresh produce from our local farm. I had also set out some Broadview breakfast sausage in the fridge last night, not sure what I would use it for. One of my favorite dishes to use fresh veggies in is pasta primavera – just a mix of sautéed vegetables tossed with pasta. Tonight I decided to add a little pork into the mix. The result was beautiful!

After starting the pasta, I browned the sausage in a big pan and then added tomatoes, broccoli, and squash along with fresh basil, thyme and oregano. The pork gave off some wonderful fat in the pan and I just added a very light drizzle of olive oil to supplement. When the vegetables had softened a little I added the drained pasta to the pan and tossed the mix with a little salt and pepper. I can only imagine how delicious this recipe would be with our hot italian sausage!

Another great recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook which Josh already posted about earlier. This one for the absolutely perfect meatball using a combination of Broadview Beef and Pork, making the perfect combination of lean meat and flavorful fat.

Combine 1 cup of buttermilk with four pieces of white bread-torn into small parts with crusts removed. Let them sit until a paste forms. In a separate bowl, combine 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, fresh minced parsley, 2 tsp. of fresh minced garlic, 2 egg yolk, salt and pepper. Combine well. Add in the paste mixture of bread and buttermilk. Once everything is combined, make meatballs roughly 1 1/2 inch in diameter. While you are forming the meatballs, start to heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan. They recommend pouring oil until it is 1/4 inch thick in the pan. It worked pretty well with that much oil. Brown the edges of the meatballs, making sure they are cooked through. Use them in spaghetti, as we did or in meatball sandwiches. Enjoy!

Ever wondered how to get that Broadview pork belly into delicious bacon? Below is a great home cure recipe I saw demonstrated at a cooking class in New York. Its definitely intimidating to read, but surprisingly easy once you try it and well worth the effort.

Courtesy of Executive Chef Matthew Weingarten of Inside Park at St. Barts in New York.

Most commercial bacon contains saltpeter or nitrates to help preserve the meat as well as lend the finished product the characteristic and eye-appealing pink hue. For the home cook and those trying to watch their nitrate intake, I have found that celery salt works as a wonderful substitute as it contains naturally occurring nitrates at a safe and controllable volume.

Makes a 2.5 to 3 pound slab of bacon

• 3 Cups kosher salt
• 3 Cups brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup celery salt
• 1/4 Cup cracked black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons allspice berries, cracked
• 2 Tablespoons cloves, cracked
• 1/4 Cup chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 Cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Pound slab pork belly, skin on

Combine the salt, sugar, spices, rosemary and garlic. Rub the pork belly thoroughly with the mixture, and place in a large sealable plastic bag removing all air. Place on a large plate or roasting dish in the refrigerator. Liquid will draw out of the meat and fill the bag, flip the belly every 2 days for 8 days. On the 9th day, take the belly out of the bag and rinse off the excess cure under running water. Place the belly on a rack and put it back in the fridge for 1 more day to dry out slightly and form the pellicle (a thin skin).

Prepare a smoker with your choice of wood and smoke at approximately 180 degrees for 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 155 degrees on a meat thermometer. Alternatively, you can smoke this pork belly in a roasting pan over some wood chips set in a 225 degree oven.

Eat immediately or chill down to enjoy another day. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

President Fernandez tells Argentines they’ll have a better sex life if they eat more pork

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Argentine-president-Eat-pork-apf-13832280.html?x=0&.v=1

This article gives another great reason to eat Broadview Ranch woodland pork.

I cooked this for my new in-laws and my family for Christmas dinner this year using a Broadview Ranch ham and it was amazing! Highly recommended and surprisingly easy. Also, my mother in-law made an incredible stock from the ham bones and used it for a beef and butternut squash soup, recipe to follow here soon.

Brine:

• 8 quarts water
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 (8 to 10-pound) shank-end fresh ham, bone in and skin on

Rub and Glaze:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
• 1 heaping cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 9 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large Spanish onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1 gallon apple cider
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

One day before roasting: In a plastic container large enough to hold the ham, stir the water with the salt and brown sugar until dissolved. Add the spices. Score ham in a diamond pattern through the skin and fat, taking care not to cut into the meat. Add ham to brine, weight it with a plate to keep it submerged, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but no more than 8 hours. Drain, rinse, pat the ham dry, and refrigerate.

One hour before roasting, remove ham from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

For the rub: Pulse the olive oil, mustard, parsley, sage, garlic, red pepper, salt, and black pepper in a food processor to make a paste. Rub it all over ham. In a large roasting pan, toss the onion wedges with 1 cup of the apple cider and set the ham on top. Roast the ham for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, about 4 hours. After the first hour, loosely wrap aluminum foil around the bone to keep it from burning.

Meanwhile, for the glaze: Boil, then simmer, the remaining apple cider in a saucepan, skimming as needed, until syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.

During the last 1 1/2 hours of roasting the ham, brush it with the glaze every 30 minutes. Transfer the cooked ham to an ovenproof platter and let it rest in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes. Loosely cover the onions in an ovenproof bowl and put them in the oven as well. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, skim off any excess fat, and bring to a boil. Make a paste with the flour and butter and whisk a bit at a time into the juices. Boil until thick. Carve the ham and serve with the onions and sauce.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-fresh-ham-with-cider-glaze-recipe2/index.html