Well, it's been another strange one. 2021 had a strange sense of "Lather. Rinse. Repeat." about it. The masks were on. The masks were off. The masks were back on again. The hospital was full. The hospital emptied out. The hospital is now full again. Don't get me wrong, there were glimpses of normal coming back. The summer was quite hopeful, and we almost made it through the holidays (I said almost, dang you Omicron variant!) without any new Covid fears.
At least it feels like 2022 is going to improve. It may be blind optimism and if I am deluding myself, I don't want to know. At least I have hope for a better year this year (or at least in the next few hours).
Don't get me wrong, these years have not been that bad for me. Personally, I can't complain. I'm not a great people person and I spend my days in front of a computer anyway, so this pandemic hasn't changed my daily routines very much.
For The Picky Eater it's been a different story. As I said, the hospital was very full - a lot. That meant a lot of strange shifts in addition to her regular patient load. Thankfully, we avoided the big covid boogieman all year. I'm not sure how, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it's because the vaccines work! Simple as that. Still means that The Picky Eater has had a really long and tiring year. I know she's ready for 2022.
As far as the masks go, I haven't really minded them that much. I think Westly in "The Princess Bride" summed it up best when asked about his mask said: "It's just they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future" and let's be honest folks, they're not all that bad. I mean, I don't have to wear one for 8+ hours a day, so I have nothing to complain about, and on colder days they're quite nice. The Picky Eater on the other hand does and she doesn't even complain about it. So, if you're complaining about 30 minutes of mask time, keep it to yourself until after hour 9 or 10. Besides, there's something strangely satisfying about going into a liquor store in a black mask, hoodie, and sunglasses and no one even giving you a second glance.
So, here's the year that was. You weren't as bad as you could have been, but you could have behaved much better. And here's to the year that is yet to come. Let's hope it goes better than last!
A New Years Day Feast
A southern tradition with a twist.
My Thoughts
The New Year's Day Feast might be an overstatement, but it is a lot of food. It has a nice big, bone-in pork chop with a creamy sweet potato (which keeps The Picky Eater on board). It also checks all the boxes for the southern New Year's Day tradition of having black-eyed peas, greens, and hogs jowl, of which The Picky Eater is very suspect (she actually really liked the A Bowl Of Happy New Year). There's really nothing special happening here as far as crazy ingredients (no, the bowl is not crazy if you live or grew up in the south - it's tradition). It's really a matter of seasoning properly and cooking it perfectly (which you will do if you follow the instructions).
Difficulty
Medium
Makes
2 Servings
Tools
Time
Prep Time 30 min.
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 min.
The How To Do It
This is a complete meal. Follow the instructions for each of the individual portions (they follow after this).
Bad Murphy Barbecue Sauce
Mince one medium shallot. I like shallots for this because they are a little milder in taste and a little sweeter, but you could use a quarter of a red onion if that's what you've got.
If you are using the completely optional hot peppers, dice them up now. If you are using the peppers be sure to wear latex gloves and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! The capsaicin (the chemical in a pepper that makes it hot) can make your skin burn as well as your mouth and I cannot even imagine getting it in my eyes (best to beware of touching ANY sensitive parts).
Another warning about the peppers. Be careful about leaning over the pot while sauteing. The capsaicin can be vaporized with the water and get into your eyes as well. It wouldn't be quite as bad as getting it directly in, but it still would not be fun.
Add the beer (I use something like a summer ale - light, fruity and not too strong of a flavor) and let cook for about five minutes.
Add the ketchup, molasses, honey, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, spicy mustard, and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.
Next, add all the dry ingredients and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. This is to let the dry spices heat up and release any stored-up oils into the sauce (it just tastes better when you do this).
Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, coat them in olive oil and a salt, and wrap them individually with aluminum foil.
Bake for at least 3-3.5 hours or until soft.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes, or until they are cool enough to take out of the aluminum foil.
Cut a slit into each one and add whatever topping(s) you like. I prefer just butter and maybe a little salt (if the butter is unsalted). The Picky Eater sometimes likes hers with honey, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Cut six strips of the hogs jowl into small cubes about 1/4 - 1/2-inch pieces and cook them over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, or until they are cooked through and a good portion of the fat has rendered off.
While the hogs jowl is cooking dice the onion and mince the garlic.
In a Dutch oven, place either 2 tablespoons of oil or 2 tablespoons of renderings from the hogs jowl, and heat it over medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot, saute the onions for 4-5 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add the champagne and cook it down until it is reduced by about half (usually about 5 minutes).
Add the black-eyed peas and mix everything.
Next add the cooked hogs jowl and chopped greens and stir until the greens are nicely wilted.
Add the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and barbecue sauce and mix thoroughly.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes over low heat (I have an electric range so I have to use another eye, simply reducing the heat keeps everything way too hot).
Coat the chops with olive oil and a liberal amount of the dry rub seasoning (recipe follows or use your favorite from the store).
In a 12-inch cast iron heat two tablespoons of oil (or if you're frying bacon for any other reason, use the drippings) over medium-high heat.
Sear the first side for 4 minutes or until the it is nice and brown on the outside and a nice crust forms.
Flip and sear the second side 2 minutes.
Place a thermometer into one of the chops and move the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the thermometer reads 155° (if you don't like the idea of see the recipe for Filet Mignon and the bit about thermometers).
Remove the chops from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
