Fall
Comfort Food
Comfort Food
Comfortfood is a loosely defined concept in our culture but is almost always
associated with a nostalgic feeling towards food the early fall
through the late winter. Comfort food usually implies a few basic
commonalities, the food is usually relatively easy to cook, hearty
and high in calories and almost always inexpensive to make.
We
take the time to cook more as we spend less time outdoors as the days
get shorter and nights get longer and cooler in the fall. The idea of
having your oven on to cook something for 3 hours after work seems a
more reasonable proposition when it’s not 80⁰ out and light until
9pm. We also naturally gravitate to more substantial meals, the
simple good things that are warm and filling.
take the time to cook more as we spend less time outdoors as the days
get shorter and nights get longer and cooler in the fall. The idea of
having your oven on to cook something for 3 hours after work seems a
more reasonable proposition when it’s not 80⁰ out and light until
9pm. We also naturally gravitate to more substantial meals, the
simple good things that are warm and filling.
Fall
and Winter cooking is my favorite food season, not only because of
the nostalgic joy of comfort food, but because of the more
inexpensive cuts of meat that make their way into so many different
low and slow dishes this time of year. The cheaper cuts need more
effort and finesse to get right than say grilling a steak in the
summer would and provide their own unique set of culinary challenges,
but are well worth the time and effort to get right.
A
great local outlet for the cheaper cuts is Joes Meat Market, a family
owned and operated market that also has an outlet on weekends at the
Rochester Public Market.
great local outlet for the cheaper cuts is Joes Meat Market, a family
owned and operated market that also has an outlet on weekends at the
Rochester Public Market.
Joe’s Meat
Market
Market
6845 Slocum
Rd, Ontario, NY 14519
Rd, Ontario, NY 14519
(315) 524-8252
Schweinhaxe with Potato &
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Schweinhaxe or just “Haxe” for
short is an old Bavarian classic with many different variations. This
hearty and inexpensive meal is very simple to prepare. Properly
executed this dish has a perfect balance of unique flavors and
textures. It all comes together in one large Dutch oven and is
perfect for those cool early fall nights where you still have a
little bit of daylight on your side before dinnertime.
short is an old Bavarian classic with many different variations. This
hearty and inexpensive meal is very simple to prepare. Properly
executed this dish has a perfect balance of unique flavors and
textures. It all comes together in one large Dutch oven and is
perfect for those cool early fall nights where you still have a
little bit of daylight on your side before dinnertime.
You will need:
- 2 large pork hocks
- 2lb Sauerkraut (drained)
- 1 ½ LB Potatoes (any kind, skin on or
peeled) - Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Paprika (to taste)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- German Mustard
- Fresh Parsley (fine chopped for
garnish)
Place pork hocks, potatoes and bay leaf
in a large Dutch oven evenly spaced apart. Add a dash of salt and
pepper and fill with water until all the ingredients are submerged.
On your stovetop bring to a boil uncovered on a medium high heat.
Once boiling reduce heat to medium and gently simmer 20-25 minutes.
While this is cooking preheat oven to 400⁰F.
in a large Dutch oven evenly spaced apart. Add a dash of salt and
pepper and fill with water until all the ingredients are submerged.
On your stovetop bring to a boil uncovered on a medium high heat.
Once boiling reduce heat to medium and gently simmer 20-25 minutes.
While this is cooking preheat oven to 400⁰F.
Remove the hocks and potatoes from the
cooking liquid (now a light pork stock) and set to rest on a cutting
board. Pour the stock from the Dutch oven through a mesh strainer
into a separate container. Spread out the drained sauerkraut evenly
along the bottom of the Dutch oven forming a bed, then add in just
enough of the strained pork stock to keep the sauerkraut moist (about
1-2 cups*).
cooking liquid (now a light pork stock) and set to rest on a cutting
board. Pour the stock from the Dutch oven through a mesh strainer
into a separate container. Spread out the drained sauerkraut evenly
along the bottom of the Dutch oven forming a bed, then add in just
enough of the strained pork stock to keep the sauerkraut moist (about
1-2 cups*).
Season the pork hocks on all sides with
salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Place the hocks upright in Dutch
oven on top of the bed of sauerkraut along with the potatoes. Bake
for 1 hour or until the pork is cooked internally to 165⁰F and the
skin is dark and crispy. Plate each hock with the potatoes and
sauerkraut, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a generous
dollop of German mustard.
salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Place the hocks upright in Dutch
oven on top of the bed of sauerkraut along with the potatoes. Bake
for 1 hour or until the pork is cooked internally to 165⁰F and the
skin is dark and crispy. Plate each hock with the potatoes and
sauerkraut, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a generous
dollop of German mustard.
Note*
The pork stock used to flavor the
sauerkraut can be substituted with any light German beer.
sauerkraut can be substituted with any light German beer.
Sharpen your blades
and chew the fat:
and chew the fat:
About:
J.Nevadomski is an
accomplished musician, artist, art director and gallery curator from
Rochester NY. He has recorded with musicians from all over the world
for his project “The Fragile Path” and is a veteran artist whose
paintings have been featured in galleries, newspapers and exhibitions
throughout Western NY. In 2012 he was the “artist guest of honor”
at RocCon: Rochester’s Anime, Sci-Fi and comic book convention. He
is on the board of directors for Flower City Comic Con (FC3) serving
as art director, is the resident curator for the art gallery at Bread
& Water Theatre. He lives in the Park Ave area of Rochester,
keeps a yearly urban vegetable garden and regularly cooks and hosts
dinner parties for friends and colleagues.
accomplished musician, artist, art director and gallery curator from
Rochester NY. He has recorded with musicians from all over the world
for his project “The Fragile Path” and is a veteran artist whose
paintings have been featured in galleries, newspapers and exhibitions
throughout Western NY. In 2012 he was the “artist guest of honor”
at RocCon: Rochester’s Anime, Sci-Fi and comic book convention. He
is on the board of directors for Flower City Comic Con (FC3) serving
as art director, is the resident curator for the art gallery at Bread
& Water Theatre. He lives in the Park Ave area of Rochester,
keeps a yearly urban vegetable garden and regularly cooks and hosts
dinner parties for friends and colleagues.
