Culinary School: Braising pork, Smoking Sausages, Making Panna Cotta

Pork braises (left); Curving smoked ham (right)

This week in culinary school we braised pork, cooked panna cotta, made sausages, stewed vegetables and baked hand pies. Let me tell you all about it :)

Pork braises

We started off the week by making braising tough cuts of pork with four different recipes. By the end of the day I was “thanksgiving full”. All braising recipes basically follow the same format: prepare meat -> optionally sear -> cook aromatics -> make braising liquid -> braise -> add post braising aromatics.

1. Pork and Kimchi Stew (top right): Cut 1lb of pork belly in 1/2" X 1/2" X 2" strips and lightly sear. Sautee onion and garlic. Make braising liquid from shiitake mushrooms and their soaking liquid, kimchi, kochuchang, kochukaru and soy sauce. Braise for 20–30m. Braise for another 10m with drained cubed firm tofu.
2. Burmese Pork Curry with potatoes (bottom left): Cut fatty pork in 1.5" pieces. Sautee onion, garlic. Make braising liquid from fish sauce, turmeric, paprika, chili powder, burmese masala. Braise pork until soft. Add potatoes during pork braise so they’re soft.
3. Pork w/ Poblano Cream sauce (bottom right): Cut 3lbs pork shoulder into 2" pieces and sear. Sautee onion, garlic and make braising liquid from 2 cups of water. Braise until tender 1–1.5h. To make sauce: puree braising liquid, chiles, cilantro and aromatics. Sautee puree mixture and add 1cup of cream.
4. Tender pork ribs (top left): Cut 1.5lbs pork ribs to 2" individual rib pieces and sear. Sautee shallots, garlic, chiles and ginger. Make braising liquid from caramel sauce (.5lbs palm sugar + 2tsp fish sauce), stock and coconut water. Braise 50m until tender. Garnish with hardboiled eggs braised for an additional 10m.

Making sausages (left); Sausage and potato salad (right)

Last week we made and smoked andouille sausages. This week we made a salad with them.

Making sausages was pretty straightforward. Start from a 1:3 ratio of pork fat : pork meat. Marinade overnight with a spice mix. Ground up the next day with cold meat grinder and add garnish aromatics. Case the ground up mixture in sausage casing. Hang for a few days. Smoke sausages until temped at 140°F.

Sausage and potato salad: Make vinaigrette with shallots, white wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, S&P and Yukon potatoes boiled until tender and cut in 1" pieces. Let sit for 30m. Add sliced sausages and arugula.

Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sorbet

This week we made this Panna Cotta with Rhubarb-Strawberry Sorbet. Delicious and really attractivly plated.

How to make Panna Cotta: Bring to boil 3cups heavy cream +1/2cup milk + 1/3cup of sugar + pinch of salt + vanilla bean. Add 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Soak 2 sheets of gelatin until soft and add. Stir until thickened, pour into molds and refrigerate for 3h.

How to make Rhubarb-Strawberry Sorbet: boil rhubarb, strawberry and berries in water until tender. Strain liquid and poach 1cm diced presentation rhubarb in it for 1–2m. Puree boiled fruits and combine poaching liquid until BRiX is 25–32% in a refractometer. Fridge for a few hours and then spin in an ice-cream maker until sorbet consitency.

duck breast w/ black lentils and gastrique

We cooked this beautiful duck breast w/ black lentils and gastrique. I love using sweet sauces on meat.

For black lentils: boil 1cup black lentils with bay leaf and chunk of carrot until tender. Add 1/4" presentation dice of mire poix.

How to make that gastrique: combine caramel + sherry vinegar + chicken stock and spoon over and around duck breast. The type of vinegar and diluting with stock is optional.

Spring Vegetables Stew

This Spring Vegetables Stew had this vibrant “green taste” I really liked and went back for third helpings :)

Making this stew: Sautee to soften the onion and not-green vegetables (halved cleaned artichokes, halved baby turnips). Add water & stock mixture until vegetables are tender with some crunch. Add green vegetables (shelled fava beans, shelled spring peas, baby zucchini) and reduce until 1cup of poaching liquid remains. Serve with sliced cheese.

You guys, we made Hand Pies.

Assembly instructions for hand pies: roll out pate brisee and cut out circles using plate as a template. Put 1tbsp of jam in the middle, fold and crimp. Egg wash and cut vents. Bake on 375°F for 25–30mm until golden brown and bubbling.

Read more about my experiences in culinary school by reading about last week’s classes:

Culinary School: Pig Butchering, Charcuterie and Italian Cuisine