In the Hands of a Chef (51 page)

S
weetbreads are easy to love.
With a texture like silken dumplings and a mild flavor reminiscent of nuts or mushrooms, what’s not to like? Sweetbreads are the thymus glands of young animals. In this country, they almost always come from calves, but in Europe it’s not unusual to find lamb and even pork sweetbreads. They take to the same rich sauces that the French and Italians typically reserve for their finest cuts of veal—wine, cream, Cognac, wild mushrooms, and truffles. In this recipe, the sweetbreads’ own flavor contrasts with the tastes of balsamic vinegar and pecans, instead of drowning in a pool of luxury.

Preparing sweetbreads seems complicated because several different steps over several days are involved, but the process is simple: soaking the sweetbreads to remove any residual blood, poaching, weighting (see box), marinating, and then searing them in a sauté pan. Poach the sweetbreads a day ahead of serving. On the day of serving, marinate the sweetbreads for 2 to 3 hours before the final sauté.

MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS

2 pounds fresh veal sweetbreads

POACHING LIQUID

1 celery stalk, chopped into ½-inch pieces

1 small white onion, chopped into ½-inch dice

2½ cups water

1 cup dry white wine

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon dried thyme

10 black peppercorns

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Kosher salt

MARINADE

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped white onion

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

SAUCE

1 medium red onion, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups dry sherry

½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

4 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or 8 cups high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 4 cups (see page 32) 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 4 thin slices Black Forest ham (or good-quality smoked ham), sliced into 1½-inch-wide strips

¼ cup pecans, toasted and chopped in half crosswise

2 to 4 teaspoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
A couple of days before you intend to serve them, soak the sweetbreads in cold water for 8 hours to remove any residual blood, changing the water 5 times. With each change, the water should become less cloudy, until the water in the final soaking remains clear. They are now ready to poach.

2.
To make the poaching liquid, combine the celery, onion, water, white wine, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt. Taste the liquid—the salt should be evident. Add the sweetbreads and poach until semifirm, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the lobe. Drain. Discard the poaching liquid.

3.
After the sweetbreads have cooled, use a paring knife to remove the exterior membrane. Don’t try to remove every speck of membrane—if you’re too meticulous, the lobes of the sweetbreads will fall apart. Cut the peeled sweetbreads into 8 pieces and refrigerate until ready to marinate.

4.
Two to 3 hours before serving, marinate the trimmed pieces: Mix all the marinade ingredients in a nonreactive container large enough to hold the sweetbreads. Add the sweetbreads, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator.

5.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic releases its aroma, just a minute. Add the sherry and cook until it reduces to a glaze, about 20 minutes. Add the rosemary and chicken stock. Continue cooking until it reduces to ¾ cup, about 30 minutes.

6.
Add the capers, ham, and pecans to the sauce and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm.

7.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Dry the sweetbreads and season with salt and pepper. Brown the sweetbreads on all sides until crispy.

8.
Transfer the sweetbreads to the pan with the sauce to heat through. Serve immediately.

A
t Red Clay, our second
restaurant, we wanted to offer a menu of classic comfort food from around the world baked in glazed clay pots. In this recipe, four simple preparations—roast pork, black beans, bitter greens, and plain white rice—are cooked separately, then assembled and heated together. Latin cultures bring beans, rice, and pork together in dozens of different ways. For me, nothing beats the combination of black beans, lime, and rum, and I adore pork butt. Although much has been made of the health benefits of lean pork, pork butt is one of the few parts of today’s lean pig that tastes the way pork should taste—rich, flavorful, and tender.

The most challenging aspect of the recipe is simply remembering you’ve got to get started on this dish a day or two before serving it. If I’m planning a midday Sunday dinner, I marinate the pork on Friday night. Sometime on Saturday, I roast the pork. While the pork is roasting, I make the beans, greens, and rice, all simple preparations. On Sunday, all I have to do is assemble the dish and heat it.

Just remember that you’ll need a 3-quart glazed clay pot or ceramic casserole. The recipe is easily doubled, but use two 3-quart casseroles for the final assembly instead of trying to heat everything in a single large pot. This is a joy for leftovers. Everything will keep for a couple of days if refrigerated. Cover tightly and reheat in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes.

MAKES 4 ENTRÉE SERVINGS

SPICE RUB

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

PORK

One 2½-pound pork butt (Boston butt) roast

Kosher salt

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 lime, scrubbed and cut into quarters

½ cup Chicken Stock (page 31), or high-quality, low-sodium canned broth, as needed

BLACK BEANS

1 cup dried black beans, picked over for stones and broken beans and rinsed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

½ cup crushed tomatoes, canned or fresh

3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ cup dark rum

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

GREENS

2 pounds mustard greens or broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed of tough stems

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups cooked white rice

GARNISH

1 cup Fresh Tomato Salsa (page 331)

1 lime, cut into quarters

4 sprigs cilantro

DO AHEAD:
Marinate the pork for at least 12 hours; longer is fine.

FOR THE PORK

1.
Toast the coriander, cumin, fennel, and mustard seeds in a dry pan over low heat until they start to pop and are aromatic. Remove from the heat. When they are cool, grind them in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle.

2.
Combine the ground toasted spices with the remaining spice rub ingredients. Rub the spice mixture over the entire pork butt. You will have a good deal of leftover spice rub; set it aside until needed. Cover the pork and allow to marinate for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

3.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

4.
Sprinkle the pork all over with salt and rub with the lime juice. Place the butt in a small baking pan (about 9 × 9 inches). There should only be 1 to 2 inches of space between the pork and the sides of the pan. (A small pan will help prevent the water and accumulated pork juices from simply boiling away. You want the pork to braise, not dry-roast.) Add ⅛ inch of water and the quartered lime to the pan. Cover with foil, crimping the edges over the sides of the pan to form a tight seal. Cook for 2 hours.

5.
Remove the pan from the oven. Carefully peel back the foil and flip the pork. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the extra spice rub, and sprinkle the remainder over the pork. Sprinkle with salt. Replace the foil, return the pork to the oven, and braise for 2 more hours, or until the meat is very tender and falls apart when prodded with a fork. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.

6.
Remove the pork from the pan. Discard the limes. Pour the braising juices into a nonreactive container and skim off the fat. You should have about 1 cup braising juices; if you have less, make up the difference with chicken stock. Refrigerate the juices until needed.

7.
Return the pork to the pan and roast, uncovered, until the exterior is a crispy brown, another 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then cut into 1-inch slices.

FOR THE BEANS

8.
Put the beans in a large pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 1 hour. Drain.

9.
While the beans are soaking, toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over low heat until they start to pop and are aromatic. Remove from the heat and set aside.

10.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, cumin and coriander seeds, and oregano. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the beans are tender, about 1½ hours. Make sure the water level stays ½ inch above the beans until the end of the cooking time nears. Stir regularly.

11.
By the time the beans have finished cooking, the water should be almost all absorbed. Add the rum and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and allow the beans to cool in their cooking liquid. When cool, drain (there won’t be much liquid), taste, and add more salt if necessary. Season with black pepper, then add the lime juice and cilantro.

FOR THE GREENS

12.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Drop the greens into the boiling water. If using mustard greens, cook for 3 minutes; if using broccoli rabe, cook for 4 minutes. Drain, plunge the greens into the ice water to stop the cooking, and drain again.

13.
Combine the oil and garlic in a small sauté pan over medium heat and cook until the garlic becomes aromatic, about a minute. Add the greens and toss to coat with the garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH

14.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

15.
Spread the rice in the bottom of a 3-quart clay pot or casserole. Spoon the beans over the rice, then top with the greens. Make a final layer of the sliced pork. Pour ½ to 1 cup of the reserved braising juices over everything. The object is to use enough liquid to moisten everything and provide a firmer-than-soupy consistency without everything literally swimming in braising juices. Sprinkle the pork with salt and the reserved tablespoon of spice rub.