pork

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

Posted by on Nov 3, 2021 in Blog, Bready or Not, cheese galore, pork, quick bread, side dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

The holiday season is nigh, and these Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers are the perfect appetizer for a couple or an entire gang!

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

These really have three ingredients, plus some flour for dusting a counter. They take minutes to assemble. Stash them in the freezer for hours or days. They bake up fast. They make bellies happy.

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

Plus, I daresay, they are downright pretty. I love the layers in puff pastry! Here, those crisp buttery layers are fantastic along with shredded cheese and thin slices of prosciutto.

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

Honestly, these are dangerous. It’s hard to eat just one.

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

However, if you can exercise restraint, the leftovers are delicious. They can be eaten cold (the prosciutto is the prominent flavor then), but are better with a brief warm-up in the oven.

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

Make these your go-to game day, holiday event, or date night treat!

Bready or Not Original: Prosciutto-Parmesan Palmiers

This three-ingredient convenient and tasty appetizer can be prepared hours in advance and bakes up fast once company arrives. Plus, if there are any leftovers, they are still delicious!
Course: Appetizer
Keyword: cheese, pork, puff pastry
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • knife

Ingredients

  • flour to dust surface
  • 1 sheet puff pastry (half a box) thawed in fridge
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan packed
  • 2 to 3 ounces sliced prosciutto

Instructions

  • Hours or days before baking day: Sprinkle flour on a flat, clean surface. Roll out the puff pastry to make a 12-inch square. Cut in half. Sprinkle cheese over both halves. Place prosciutto slices to completely cover cheese; if there is extra meat, layer on the additional pieces. Roll the short sides of each piece of pastry together to meet in the middle–from the end, it will look rather like a number 3. Repeat this with the other half.
  • Encase both logs in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least an hour, but as long as several days.
  • Preheat oven at 400-degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pull out frozen logs to thaw for just a few minutes. While it is still mostly frozen, slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place spaced out on parchment. (Note that the end pieces may be sparse on filling and not presentable for company, but still worth baking up for private enjoyment.)
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until palmiers are golden brown and puffed. They are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated. They are okay cold, but better toasted briefly again in the oven.

OM NOM NOM!

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    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    Posted by on Apr 28, 2021 in alcohol, bacon, Blog, boozy, Bready or Not, cheese galore, gluten-free, main dish, pork, side dish | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    This Pancetta Risotto is a fantastic meal for two people, or a delicious side for a group. It’s time-consuming but very straightforward to make.

    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    I confess, I spent years being intimidated by the very idea of a risotto. I would see it done on cooking shows. So much stirring! When I finally got up the gumption to give it a try, I found risotto wasn’t hard at all. It really is about lots of stirring.

    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    This recipe here is my fancy occasion recipe, especially when I have some good pancetta on hand, such as the kind carried by Smoking Goose Meatery out of Indianapolis.

    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    As for the wine, I’ve tried this with fancier Sauvignon Blanc from Total Wine (Cloudy Bay from New Zealand) as well as a $6 Trader Joe’s Coastal Sauvignon Blanc. Both versions turned out great! You don’t need to go all-out, but get something that is (hopefully) drinkable with the finished meal.

    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    Bready or Not Original: Pancetta Risotto

    Homemade risotto requires time standing at the stove, but makes for delicious results. This recipe takes about 45 minutes to an hour to completion, depending on your stove. Note that a small amount of bacon can be substituted for the pancetta, but it is much stronger in flavor and colors the risotto brown.
    Course: Main Course, pork
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: alcohol, cheese, pork, rice
    Author: Beth Cato

    Equipment

    • large stock pot
    • medium saucepan

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz pancetta diced
    • 1 Tablespoon dried shallots or fresh shallot, finely minced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
    • 1 cup dry white wine Sauvignon Blanc works well
    • 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock, equal to a 32 oz box or 2 cans
    • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano, plus more to top rice
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • In a large stock pot, cook the pancetta for 10 to 12 minutes, until it starts to turn brown and crispy. At the same time, on another stove burner, use a medium sauce pan to bring the chicken broth to a very low simmer.
    • Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Add dry shallots and garlic to the fat in the big pot. Sauté for two minutes. Add the Arborio rice and a pinch of salt. Sauté another 2 minutes, until the rice looks glossy with translucent edges.
    • Add the white wine and stir until it is absorbed. Add chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring well after each addition until it is absorbed. After about 12 to 15 minutes, when most of the broth has been added, begin to taste the rice. The goal is a chewy, al dente consistency. Add more broth as needed, and remember to turn off the burner for the broth pot when it is empty.
    • When the rice is creamy and al dente, stir in the pancetta and cheese. Taste the risotto again, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with the remaining white wine.

    OM NOM NOM!

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      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      Posted by on Feb 24, 2021 in beef, Blog, Bready or Not, cheese galore, main dish, pork, yeast bread | Comments Off on Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      Today’s Bready or Not is a 2-for-1 deal: a recipe for fast and easy pizza dough, followed by the process I use for  divvying up that dough to make small but thick cast iron pan pizzas.

      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      The basic dough recipe is modified from the great book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. [Affiliate link] Yes, this dough really comes together in 5 minutes. It also keeps for up to 2 weeks AND can be frozen.

      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      The method for making mini pizzas in a skillet is one I practiced a few times several years ago, then made a LOT during 2020 as my husband was working from home more often. I perfected it to the point where I had to write it down–and share here.

      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      The pan pizza recipe is pretty much an outline to show the timing on the shaping, rise, and crust-cooking, but the ingredients are all up to you!

      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough and Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

      Bready or Not: 5 Minute Artisan Pizza Dough

      This makes enough pizza dough for a large pizza or 3 10-inch ‘pan’ style pizza. The dough is ready to use after only a few hours, and will keep in the fridge for as long as two weeks. Modified from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoe Francois.
      Course: Main Course
      Cuisine: American, Italian
      Keyword: pizza, yeast bread
      Author: Beth Cato

      Ingredients

      • 1 1/3 cups warm water
      • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
      • 1/2 Tablespoon white sugar
      • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
      • 3/4 Tablespoon kosher salt
      • 2 teaspoons pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional
      • 2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast or one packet store-bought active yeast

      Instructions

      • Place the water, olive oil, and sugar in a big mixing bowl, stand mixer, or food processor. Add the flour, salt, and seasoning, if using. Start mixing together, then sprinkle in the yeast. Mix until just combined.
      • Keep in same bowl, if desired, or transfer to another bowl that is greased. Loosely cover top with plastic wrap or towel and let dough rise at room temperature until it flattens out on top, about two hours.
      • Dough can be used now but is much easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a non-airtight container and use within two weeks. Dough can also be frozen in freezer bags, for up to a month, and defrosted later in the fridge.

      OM NOM NOM!

        Bready or Not Original: Cast Iron Pan Pizzas

        About a 2-pound batch of dough, such as the 5 Minute Artisan Dough recipe on Bready or Not, will make three hearty personal pan pizzas in a 10-inch cast iron pan. This process takes about 45 minutes. The remaining dough can keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
        Course: Main Course
        Cuisine: American, Italian
        Keyword: beef, cheese, pizza, pork, yeast bread
        Author: Beth Cato

        Equipment

        • 10-inch cast iron skillet

        Ingredients

        • handful pizza dough
        • olive oil
        • desired toppings and seasonings

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 450-degrees. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and place the pan in the oven to heat up.
        • Grab a good handful of pizza dough, or as much as desired to bake today. Oil a small space of counter or table as well as hands, and gently stretch and press out the dough to a rough circle. If it tears, patch with other pieces of dough as best possible. Let dough rest for about 20 minutes.
        • By this time, the oven should have preheated. Use a potholder to pull out the skillet. Carefully swirl the hot oil in the pan to coat the bottom and set pan down on a safe surface. Carefully, again, place the dough in the pan.
        • Bake crust for 6 to 10 minutes, until it is set. Pull out of oven and add desired toppings.
        • Put pizza in oven for another 6 to 10 minutes, until crust is golden and toppings are cooked to desired level. Let pizza cool for about 10 minutes, then slide onto a plate or other surface to slice and eat.
        • OM NOM NOM!
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        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        Posted by on Mar 20, 2019 in bacon, Blog, Bready or Not, chocolate, cookies, pork | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        Bacon, chocolate, and toffee complement each other in these incredible Bacon-Toffee Cookies.

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        Fact: My Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies (originally shared at the Holy Taco Church lo those many years ago) is among my most popular recipes.

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        This recipe is different. The previous take makes a crisper cookie, while these are chewier with some extra sweetness and crunch from the Heath toffee pieces.

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        This recipe makes a lot, too: about 70 cookies if you use a teaspoon scoop!

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        That sounds like a lot, but my husband’s co-workers inhaled them, so I don’t know how well they keep beyond a day. One of those good/bad problems to have.

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        Modified from Fall Baking 2016 by Better Homes & Gardens.

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

         

        Bready or Not: Bacon-Toffee Cookies

        These cookies mix salty and sweet in a chewy cookie. Using a teaspoon scoop, the recipe produces about 70 cookies.
        Course: Dessert, Snack
        Keyword: bacon, chocolate, cookies
        Author: Beth Cato

        Ingredients

        • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
        • 1/2 cup shortening
        • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
        • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1/2 teaspoon salt
        • 2 eggs room temperature
        • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        • 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
        • 1/2 cup Heath bits
        • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
        • 6 thick-cut bacon slices chopped up

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Ina large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until turning fluffy. Add brown sugar, baking soda, and salt, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour.
        • Stir in the Heath bits, chocolate chips, and bacon. Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to dollop dough onto baking sheet, spaced out to allow for minor spreading. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are just turning golden. Cool for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
        • Store cookies in a sealed container.
        • OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

        Posted by on Feb 6, 2019 in bacon, Blog, blondies, Bready or Not, chocolate, pork | Comments Off on Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

        These soft, chewy blondies are savory, sweet, and amazing–and my original creation.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        The year 2018 was awful in a lot of ways, but it offered one bonus: frequent sales on bacon at my regular grocery stores around Phoenix. I developed quite a strategic stockpile.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        I then realized, hey, I should try baking bacon into more sweets. After all, my bacon fat chocolate chip cookies are among my most popular recipes.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        I didn’t have a lot of free time, though. I wanted something to bake up fast, without a lot of fuss. Therefore, cookies were out. I wanted bars.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        To my surprise, I couldn’t find an existing recipe that appealed to me. I decided that if I wanted soft, chewy bacon and chocolate chip bars, I needed to develop my own recipe.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        That’s exactly what I did.

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Bars

        This is a recipe that utilizes sweet and savory together, and it’s a must-bake for any bacon lovers.

         

        Bready or Not Original: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

        These soft, chewy bars combine sweet and savory by using bacon and bacon fat along with loads of butter and chocolate chips.
        Course: Dessert, Snack
        Keyword: bacon, bars, chocolate
        Author: Beth Cato

        Ingredients

        • 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
        • 2 Tablespoons bacon fat
        • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
        • 3/4 cup white sugar
        • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
        • 2 eggs room temperature
        • 3 cups all-purpose flour
        • 3/4 teaspoon salt
        • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips divided
        • 4 slices thick-cut cooked bacon chopped

        Instructions

        • Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and grease with butter or nonstick spray.
        • Cream together the butter and bacon fat. Mix in the sugars until pale and fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs.
        • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet, until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips along with the chopped bacon.
        • Press dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.
        • Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool until room temperature. Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board for easy slicing. Keep stored in sealed containers at room temperature or in the fridge.
        • OM NOM NOM!

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        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        Posted by on Jan 3, 2018 in bacon, Blog, Bready or Not, breakfast, gluten-free, pork | Comments Off on Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        We’re kicking off a breakfast theme for a month with a recipe that will step-by-step teach you how to cure your own bacon.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        I guarantee this will be among the best, if not THE best, bacon you will have in your life. Fresh really makes the difference.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        This recipe is not difficult. In all honesty, the greatest challenge is that the curing bacon takes up a lot of fridge space for about 10 days.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        I completely modified this from a Michael Symon recipe featured in Food Network Magazine, March 2014. The only way that I can buy pork belly locally is from Costco (for about $2.69 a lb!), so this is a Costco-sized recipe.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        If you can buy a smaller pork belly slab, then just halve the ingredients. Otherwise, buy the big belly and follow all of the steps I provide… which means you’ll have another slab of frozen bacon already seasoned and prepped to cure in a few weeks or months.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        After the meat is smoked, slice it up and use it however you want. I find that home-cured bacon cooks much faster than the store stuff, though it can be much thicker, and the bits that look burned aren’t usually burned.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        The smoked meat also freezes and keeps for weeks or months. Just thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready, and use it however you wish.

        You’ll wish to eat every last morsel. Trust me.

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        This recipe does require some supplies that you likely don’t have in the cupboard, and might be hard to find locally. Amazon, of course, has everything. I recommend them for buying 2-gallon zipper bags as well as pink curing salt (plus, you get enough salt to last through the apocalypse). Note that pink curing salt is essential here because it has salt and sodium nitrate, which keeps the meat pink and kills bacteria. Normal salts don’t pack that wallop.

         

        Bready or Not: Cato Home-Cured Bacon

        This recipe uses a 9-10 lb pork belly slab like those found at Costco, and cutting that in half to cure part now and the other part later. If you have a smaller pork belly, halve these ingredient amounts and go from there. Note that you need 2-gallon re-sealable plastic bags to hold the meat, and pink curing salt; neither is likely found in local grocery stores, but they are on Amazon. You cannot substitute other salts for the pink curing salt! The pink type is necessary for the curing process. Full preparation time on this includes about 9-10 days in the fridge: about 7 days to cure, and 2 days for it to dry, followed by the day of smoking.
        Course: Main Course, pork
        Cuisine: American
        Keyword: bacon
        Author: Beth Cato

        Ingredients

        • 9 to 10 lb pork belly
        • 1/2 cup kosher salt
        • 4 teaspoons pink curing salt
        • 2 teaspoons cumin
        • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
        • 1/2 cup honey
        • 1/4 cup red pepper flakes
        • 1/4 cup paprika sweet or smoky

        Instructions

        • Cut the pork belly slab in half and rinse and pat dry both pieces. Place them in separate re-sealable 2-gallon plastic bags.
        • Mix together the spice rub. It'll form a thick paste. Roughly divide it into quarters, and use a quarter on each side of a pork piece. The rub will be very lumpy. Don't worry about a perfect, even coating; the pork will release juices and the flavors will seep in during the curing process.
        • Close both bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Freeze one bag for later; as a precaution against holes getting torn in the bag, wrap it well in plastic wrap, too. When ready to start the curing process for this half, add another day or two to the curing time in the fridge to account for thawing time.
        • As for the ready piece of pork belly, set that bag in the fridge for the next 7 to 10 days, until it feels firm. Flip the meat once a day.
        • Remove the pork belly from the bag. Rinse it well and pat it dry. Set it on a rack on a small cookie sheet in the fridge and let it dry for another two days. No need to flip it at this point.
        • Set up your smoker at 200-degrees. Applewood chips are a great choice, but maple and hickory are fantastic as well. Smoke the pork belly for about 3 hours, until the bacon reaches an internal temperature of about 150-degrees.
        • From this point, slice and cook the meat as you would regular bacon, but note that this fresher, homemade variety will cook much faster. Use plastic wrap or plastic bags to store the sliced meat in the fridge for upwards of a week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
        • OM NOM NOM!

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