Oysters Rockefeller at the Coast

Recently on a vacation to the Oregon Coast, I was inspired to make Oysters Rockefeller with the fresh oysters purchased straight out of the Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon.  Literally pulled out of the water just hours before I purchased them, I knew these oysters were going to be spectacular.  And how better to celebrate them than to dress them up with spinach, tomatoes, garlic, butter, bacon, and cheese!  We grilled the oysters whole in their shells first, popped them open with a shucking blade, dressed them with Rockefeller toppings, then broiled them in the oven.  The result was truly divine, perfect oysters.

I forgot my camera that night, and had to make due with my iPhone.  Our indoor lighting was terrible, but I did the best I could to get some step-by-step photos for this post.

Ingredients Needed for Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with Bacon

• 1 dozen small oysters in the shell
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1 cup finely chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (mixed with spinach)
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely diced tomato
• 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 small lemon, juice evenly squeezed over oysters
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Oysters Rockefeller Ingredients

How to Make Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with Bacon

Place oysters, whole in shell, on a hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes, until shells begin to bubble and steam and slightly pop open.

Grill Oysters in Shell on Barbeque

Wearing gloves (to insulate hands), remove an oyster shell from grill, and while holding in gloved hand, place shucking blade into crack opening and twist to open the shell.  Pull open shell, and run blade on top of connecting muscle to release oyster from the top half of shell.  Reserve as much of the internal juices as you can, and place half shell on a baking tray.  Discard top half of shell.  Repeat with remaining oysters.  If you want to get fancy, fill the baking sheet with rock salt and place the oyster shells on the salt instead.

Shuck Hot Oysters From Grill

Grilled Oysters in the Half Shell

Now, you could just stop here and enjoy these perfectly steamed oysters with some butter, hot sauce, and squeeze of lemon, and I’ll admit, we ate over a dozen like that.  They were delicious, but the Rockefeller version put them to shame.

Top the oysters with a pad of butter (1/12th of the butter) and season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic and shallot, bacon, spinach and parsley, tomato, Parmesan, lemon juice, and panko.

Oyster Rockefeller Toppings to Bake

Place under a broiler on center rack of oven and broil until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are toasted, about 6-8 minutes.

Baked Oysters Rockefeller

Serve hot.  Enjoy!

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, April 19, 2013

The Bald Gourmet grills up some amazing Oysters Rockefeller with a touch of bacon while vacationing at a beach house on the Oregon Coast.

Janitzio Mexican Restaurant in Caldwell, Idaho

The place he sent me to was just a small 6 table establishment.  It seemed to be more kitchen than dining area.  Upon entering, I was greeted with amazing smells of deliciousness.  I took a seat and was handed a rather extensive menu by a very friendly server, whom I am suspicious was the owner, with his wife being the cook.  I looked over their enchiladas, burritos, soups, salads, platters, and different offerings like the traditional sauce smothered chips with melted cheese that I ate at Riu Palace in Puerto Vallarta.  I should have probably ordered one of their more extensive items, but I instead settled for quick and easy off the lunch menu.

Tamales and Enchiladas at Janitzio Restaurant, Good and Bad?

I ordered the Lunch Menu Number 3.

Janitzio Tamale Enchilada Lunch

As soon as this plate hit my table, I knew where some of those amazing smells were coming from.  The tamale sauce was the contributor and it was awesome!  It had heavy carrot and celery flavors in a tomato chili sauce base. Absolutely divine. The tamale itself was good, but different.  The masa was fluffy, almost like a cornbread.  It was filled with beef inside, even though I ordered pork. The meat was not great, and seemed lacking in flavor.  If it wasn’t for the amazing sauce, would I have liked this tamale?  I really enjoyed the after taste, though, once I was all done.

In contrast, the enchilada sauce was sweeter, almost reminding me of a mole. It was very good, and was rather thick and pasty.  I ordered a chicken enchilada, but they brought me pork.  Again, the meat just seemed to be lacking in wonderment.  It was good, but no where near the enchiladas at Tacos y Mariscos.

The rice was very good.  The beans were very beany and good.

Best Winning Salsa in Idaho at Janitzio Mexican Restaurant

Janitzio Best Restaurant Salsa

The best thing that Janitzio has to offer, at least from what I tasted, is their house-made salsa.  This is some damn good salsa folks.  It tasted just like summer made from garden tomatoes!  It was made with fresh tomatoes as well as canned crushed tomatoes. It had a good onion and garlic flavor, a mild heat from jalapeno peppers, a nice spice seasoning, a good black pepper taste, a touch of bright cilantro zing, and a bit of tangy-ness from some vinegar.  It also had a “secret” ingredient that they wouldn’t tell me about.  It was blended smooth, and went perfect with their house fried chips.  This was the best restaurant salsa I’ve had anywhere.  It surprised the hell out of me.  It was so good that I bought a pint for $4 to go home with me, which I have completely devoured already.  Anytime I go to Caldwell from now on, I will be stopping by Janitzio to pick up some more salsa.  I highly recommend that you do the same.

A Bloggers Thoughts on This Family Run Restaurant

All in all, it was a pretty good lunch, and not a bad recommendation.  Not the best Mexican food by any means, but the salsa was worth the dining experience alone.

The Bald Gourmet eats at Janitzio Mexican Restaurant in Caldwell and is surprised to find the best restaurant salsa anywhere.

Incredible Fresh Seafood on the Malecon Walkway

Puerto Vallarta Malecon Walkway

The Malecon Walkway way runs from new Puerto Vallarta clear through Veijo (old) Vallarta.  It runs along the bay shoreline, and is absolutely beautiful with it’s blue-water views, palm trees, and cobblestone path.  It is lined with shops, tourist traps, restaurants, and more tequila bars than you can imagine.  There are beautiful fixed statues, and even some live human statues, my favorite of which were the sand people.  These guys were a total trip sitting perfectly still, occasionally “cracking” as they’d adjust their positions.

Malecon Walkway Sand People

The Malecon is also home to the beautiful “The Crown of Our Lady” Catholic church.  Built in 1883, this church is a Puerto Vallarta landmark, and worth stopping by to see and reverence.

The Crown of Our Lady Puerto Vallarta

The Crown of Our Lady Puerto Vallarta Inside

And though these different sights may be treasures, the real treasures for me were all the tasty little fresh seafood treats found along the way.  There were several different grilled shrimp stands and walking hawkers, grilled fish stands, and fresh oyster stands, all of which were exceptional!

Puerto Vallarta Fresh Beach-side Oysters

Our single biggest food regret of our Puerto Vallarta visit was not eating more of these oysters!  They were incredible!  Just pulled out of the bay that morning, they were sitting in ocean-water buckets, pulled out as needed, shucked right before you, and served on a plate of ice with fresh lime, a touch of salt, and hot sauce of your choice.  I’m normally not a big fan of raw oysters, but these were so fresh and clean that they were an absolute joy to eat.  The fresh lime juice balanced out the briny ocean taste, and the hot sauce added a great little punch at the end.  They were so clean, that chewing them rather than just gaggingly slurping them down was not an issue whatsoever.  Why did we only get 2 each?  Why oh why didn’t we each buy a plate of 20?  What fools!  Stupid stupid fools.

Puerto Vallarta Fresh Beach-side Grilled Shrimp and Fish

Also delicious were these fresh grilled shrimp.  They were grilled over wood coals, and had a great subtle smoke flavor because of it.  They were coated with a mild Mexican spice blend, were very moist, and were probably the cleanest briny tasting shrimp I’ve ever put in my mouth.  Plus they were the size of small cats.  Just enormous, and truly exceptional.  They didn’t blow my mind like the oysters did, but they were very good and well worth the couple bucks they cost us.

As we dived deeper into Veijo Vallarta, we decided to leave the walk way and head east into the streets.  Oh what happy little joys we found there!

Yarita Bakery in Old Town Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Sign

Our first discovery was the ever so amazing Yarita Mexican bakery.  Mexican pastries are not nearly as sweet as their USA cousins, and in many ways, that makes them more enjoyable.  As such, we were all excited to give Yarita’s a try.  Yarita’s is small, but their selection was very robust.

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Hand Pies

Upon walking in, we were overwhelmed with the smell of butter.  Baked butter with a little wheat dough and sugar.  “Oh my, what have we just got ourselves into?” I thought.  Everything was displayed in beautiful wooden shelves, and all looked amazing.  We selected a few things and headed back out into the street to enjoy them.  My favorite was the chocolate hand pie.  The crust was so flaky and buttery it was ridiculous, and it reminded me of my pie crust recipe.  And the chocolate filling was perfect, not overly sweet, with a great chocolate flavor and hint of cinnamon that left me wanting to eat three more.  Roll your eyes good.

Puerto Vallarta Yarita Bakery Amazing Chocolate Pie

Best Taco Ever, Wet Street Tacos in Puerto Vallarta

As we headed deeper into the streets, I spotted a little taco cart.  Street tacos were what I hit the streets to find, so I anxiously approached the little wheeled stand.  There were several people ordering, and there was a little sitting alcove behind the cart, but we were a bit unsure if it looked safe or not.  A lady in the line noticed our concern, turned to us, and said, “It’s really good and very clean.  Some stands aren’t clean, but this one is, and they have the best tacos in town.  Here, I’ll order you some.”  We were a little shocked at her taco offering, but gratefully accepted.  She knew just what to order, and we let her.  Oh my gosh!

All of their tacos were made out of slow cooked meats, which were then shredded/chopped and cooked in a chili based stewing broth.  The stand was full of these little stewing pots, each with a different meat in them.  I’ve never had a wet taco like these before, and now I don’t want to eat anything but them.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Wet Tacos Stand

We had chicken and pork, both of which were amazing.  They were served simply with some chopped cabbage and onion on fresh corn tortillas.  The chili broth flowed all over the tortillas.  Each bite was a succulent mouthful of Mexican mother’s milk.  I loved these tacos, and am working on duplicating their perfection at home.  If you ever see wet tacos anywhere, stop whatever you’re doing and order a plate of them.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Wet Tacos

Chocolate Sushi Dessert Shop in Veijo Vallarta

We kept walking, stopping in the occasional store or shop, and having a great time checking out the heart of old town Puerto Vallarta, never loosing site of our goal to eat everything we came across.  It was very hot and humid that day, so when the air conditioned dessert sushi shop was spotted, we happily headed in.  But I thought, “Dessert sushi?  This place is going to suck.”  How wrong I was.

Their dessert sushi was freaking delicious!  It was made with a very lite and fluffy chocolate mouse with little chunks of dark chocolate in it, all rolled up in a super moist striped chocolate and white chocolate cake.  It was served with a vanilla cream frosting (cream cheese based I think) to act as the soy sauce dip, and was eaten with chopsticks.  A little gimmicky for sure, but was very fun and quite tasty.   It was kind of like a Hostess Ding Dong on crack.

Veijo Vallarta Street Food – Dessert Sushi

Tacos el Pastor Street Tacos in Puerto Vallarta

Cooled and all sugared up, we head back to our gluttonous adventure.  In just a short couple blocks, we came across our 2nd street taco stand.  This one had a sign that said “Serving tacos since 1982″.  Yup, going in.  The owners were very friendly, asked where were from, made sure we knew they were the oldest taco stand in town, and happily answered any questions we had about their menu.  We selected the Tacos el Pastor, though I’m not really sure why they called them that because the pork was not cooked on a vertical rotisserie spit and the taco was not topped with pineapple.  Oh well, they were good anyway.  The seasoned pork was heated along side the corn tortillas on a dome-shaped grill.  They were dressed with some terrific pinto beans, onions, and cilantro.  A bit of fresh squeezed lime juice and their fresh made salsa verde finished it off.  Open mouth, enter heaven.  Not as good as the wet tacos (how could they be), but some of the best pork tacos I’ve ever had.  And, surprisingly, were some of the only beans I had while in Puerto Vallarta.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Tacos el Pastor

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Tacos el Pastor

El Calamar Aventurero Seafood Tacos Review

As we circled back in the direction of the bakery, we passed an open restaurant called El Calamar Aventurero.  The Squid Adventure.  How can you pass a place with a name like that up?  We really weren’t hungry, but come on!  The ceiling fans felt nice, and the seafood tacos they served us were pretty nice as well.

The Manta ray Taco was was cooked in a savory tomato, bell pepper, and carrot sauce until falling apart.  It was then shredded and cooked even longer,  Tossed on perfect fresh corn tortillas, sauce and all, it had a fishy flavor that wasn’t overbearing.  It was awesome!  If I would have had room, I would have had 4 of them.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – El Calamar Aventurero Manteray Taco

The Shrimp Taco was made with battered and deep fried shrimp.  They were kind of like the fried shrimp you get at cheap American Chinese restaurants, but much much better.  They were very moist and tender, and were topped with bag salad (an interesting choice that actually worked great) and a Baja type sauce that looked like thousand island dressing on the salad mix.  A squeeze of lime, and the deliciouness was complete.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – El Calamar Aventurero Shrimp Taco

The Marlin taco was nearly identical to the Manta ray taco.  It was cooked in the exact same broth, and had the exact same taste.  However, marlin is a more mild and meatier fish than manta ray, so it was a little less fishy and a lot more “steak” like in texture.  Very good, but I think I actually enjoyed the manta ray taco more.

Pie in the Sky Perfect Puerto Vallarta Pies

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Pie in The Sky Dessert Shop

I had heard about Pie in the Sky from a couple different food blogs, and knew I wanted to try it out.  We looked up their address to find them, but just happened to unexpectedly walk right by them.  With it’s bright colored paint and funky feel, it reminded me of something I would find in Seattle.  Yet here it was in the heart of Mexico.  It smelled very much of pies, which is always a good thing.  Again, the air conditioning was a huge welcome, as was the incredible mango pie they served us.

Mango pie?  I’d never even heard of a mango pie before.  Why the hell wouldn’t you make a pie out of mangos?  I love mangos, and I love pie.  I should have thought of putting the two together years ago.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Pie in The Sky Mango Pie

This thing was very nice, even though we ordered the sugar free version (for what reason I’m not really clear).  Mangos are so sweet on their own that I couldn’t tell it wasn’t made with sugar.  Great job Pie in the Sky.  But as great as it was, I think it would be even better with a bit of pineapple mixed in.

As we were eating our pie and wiping the sweat from our brows, the guy in the picture above turned and asked us what Kosher meant.  It was a little startling to be in Mexico and have a Mexican guy ask us suddenly in perfect English what kosher meant.  We proceeded to answer his question and he told us he spent several years in New York and was never clear on what Kosher was.  His name was Paco, and he was very friendly.  We asked him what he would recommend for a great dinner restaurant.  Without hesitation, he told us to go to Margarita Grill and to order one of their molcajetes.  We visited with him for a bit, thanked him for his advice, and started to say our goodbyes as we gathered up our things.  He told us that he owned a souvenir shop and that we should stop by and see him there.  We thanked him and parted ways.  Oh little Paco, I will forever hold you with love in my heart for your Margarita Grill recommendation.

But our afternoon eating and walking wasn’t done yet, so off we went to spend a a couple more hours before following Paco’s advice.

Shopping at the Street Market in Veijo Vallarta

Veijo Vallarta Street Market Shops

Veijo Vallarta has a large open-aired street market which sits at the banks of the Rio Cuale.  We crossed the swinging foot bridge and browsed the shops.  Mostly made up of silver trinkets, random worthless things, hand made carvings, baskets, and textiles, the market was interesting to browse, but didn’t bring much temptation to buy.  My girlfriend’s sister bought a poncho after she haggled the guy down by 70%.  Impressive, and better than I would have done I’m sure.  The constant harassment of the kids selling crap wares was more than we were in the mood to deal with though, so we pushed on back towards the Malecon walkway.

As we did, we passed a little wheeled cart with a pile of deep yellow sweet treats on it.  They were Cocadas; baked piles of sugar and coconut.  The guy wanted 20 pesos for one, which seemed like too much, so I passed.

Delicious Cocadas on the Malecon Walkway

Back on the walkway, we took a seat on the bridge over the Rio Cuale to enjoy the views of the bay.  It gave me a chance to take a few notes for blogging later.  But that cocadas cart was haunting me.  Why did I pass on them?

Food Blogging on the Malecon Footbridge over Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta

Thankfully, my haunting didn’t last long.  As I looked up from my writing, the cocadas cart was on the bridge heading my way.  As he approached, I waived him over and said “How much? 15?”  “No, 20,” was his reply.  “15?” “No, 20.” “15?” “OK”  Yes!  I handed him my 15 pesos and he handed me a pile of sticky sweet nirvana.  This amazing haystack of large shredded coconut and caramelized sugar was spectacular.  It was oddly yellow, I believe from egg yolks.  But boy was it freaking good!  We all loved it, and it was large enough to feed us all.  But again, like complete fools, we didn’t buy more.  I should have bought the entire cart, took them to the hotel, and stuffed them in my suitcase to bring home with me.  Duh!

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Street Food – Cocadas

Margarita Grill Puerto Vallarta Review

After our nice rest on the Malecon, we were ready for dinner, so we footed it over to Paco’s recommendation, the Margarita Grill.  If you ever go to Puerto Vallarta, and I highly recommend that you do, make sure you eat at Margarita Grill.  It is truly amazing.  Paco was true to his word that they offer some of the very best meals in town.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill

We were all roasting hot from spending all day in the sun, so the virgin margaritas sounded mighty good.  Mighty good….what an understatement of them.  These things were amazing, and large enough to serve 2-3.  We ordered a mango margarita and a lime margarita.  The lime was superb, and was extremely refreshing.  It was clearly made with fresh squeezed lime juice, and the crushed ice was more like snow than ice.  The mango was my favorite, however.  It was very sweet, but very refreshing at the same time.  It had the strongest mango flavor of any mango drink I’ve ever put in my face.  Truly exquisite.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Mango Margarita

Fresh table-side guacamole was on the menu, so we ordered some.  How can you resist fresh table-side guacamole?  It was perfect.  It was made in a stone mortar (a molcajete), and was nothing but the basics.  Here’s their exact recipe that I observed:

• 2 avocados
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 small serrano chili, finely chopped
• Salt to taste (they placed the salt in the molcajete before the rest of the ingredients, which I thought looked cool)

They then mashed it all up in the mortar and served it with the best fresh fried corn tortilla chips I’ve ever had.  The chips were very thick, super crunchy, strongly corn flavored, and perfectly salted.  They were the ultimate vessel to carry the guacamole to my mouth.  We should have ordered another round.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Table-side Guacamole

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Table-side Guacamole and Fresh Chips

But as good as all this was, it was not what Paco sent us to Margarita Grill to enjoy.  He told us that the best thing on the menu were their molcajetes.  A molcajete is a stone mortar, which gets heated in a hot oven to 500° or so, and then filled with meats and brothy deliciousness.  The spices and seasonings of that broth get in the nooks and crannies of the stone, and add to the tastiness of the next meal served in them.  The continuing “seasoning” of the stone is perhaps what helped make Margarita Grill’s so wonderful, or perhaps it was just the culinary genius of the chefs behind the scenes.  Whatever the cause, the magic of their molcajete offerings were better than the best David Copperfield show.

We ordered two:  the Mixed, and the Seafood.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Mixed Molcajete

The Mixed molcajete was filled with grilled, perfectly seasoned and super moist chicken breast, flank steak, shrimp, chorizo, pineapple, Nopal (cactus), fresh cheese (similar to mozzarella), and a chili relleno.  The sauce was a very succulent, well spiced/seasoned, lightly sweet, verde sauce.  It was ridiculous, and lasted only about 5 minutes.  But as good as it was, the Seafood Molcajete blew it out of the water.

Veijo Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill – Seafood Molcajete

A whole crab, tasty cheese filled chili relleno, tons of shrimp and white fish, and octopus that was literally as soft as butter, made up this mouthgasmic inspiration.  The red ranchero sauce was super savory, made from chiles, tomatoes, and tomatillos. And just in case the cheese from the chili relleno wasn’t enough, they threw a slab of more cheese on the top of everything.  My notes said “holy shit.  Now we’re getting somewhere.”  My memory says, “I’m about to cry just thinking about it.”  This was hands down the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, and is what I went to Puerto Vallarta to hope to find.  Long live the fatness and glory of Margarita Grill!

As we were finishing our meal, in walked Paco!  He couldn’t have timed that any better.  We were so filled with gratitude over the experience he just gave us that we all rushed over to thank him profusely.  He said simply, “come see me at my shop.”  I was prepared to buy half his store as a thank you.

Paco’s Souvenir Shop

Paco’s shop just happened to be near our bus stop, so we stopped in before heading back to our hotel.  The place totally sucked, and I’m guessing the only way Paco stays in business is by randomly asking white Americans what kosher means, telling them about the best eatery in town, and beguiling them to buying his crap trinkets as a means of thanking him.  No matter, I love the man all the same.

Veijo Vallarta Paco's Souvenir Shop

The Bald Gourmet eats the streets of Puerto Vallarta, and eats the best Mexican Food of his life.

Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa

I love home canned salsa, especially when made from fresh garden tomatoes and peppers out of my garden. But I’ve always been frustrated with these salsas always being runny and thin, even if the recipe calls it chunky. I’ve also been disappointed with the strong vinegar flavor that most home-canned recipes usually have. Comparatively, the store bought stuff is always really thick and chunky, and never has much of a vinegar flavor, but inevitably, it never has a really good fresh tomato flavor. It’s been a lose lose battle for me between store bought and home-canned salsas for years.

Well I’m proud to say that that war has finally come to an end. I recently found a recipe in a canning magazine which provided the best of home-canned and store bought salsas. They simply called it, “Chunky Homemade Salsa.” I’ve tweaked it a bit, added a little extra, and renamed it to be more appropriately named, “Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa.”

Ingredients to Make a Perfect Home-Canned Salsa

• 8 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped (seeds and all) fresh Anaheim chile peppers (roughly 3)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (for color)
• 1/2 cup seeded and chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (about 2-3 large), plus 1 whole pepper, chopped (seeds and all)
• 2 cups chopped onions (about 2 large)
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro (roughly 1/2 bunch)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 3 large limes)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (roughly 1/2 head)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely ground in a mortar and pastel or a coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika

How to Make a Great Thick Homemade Salsa

If I had any complaints about this salsa recipe (which I don’t), it would be how long it takes to make a batch. There’s about 1.5 hours of prep time, plus around 2 hours of cooking time from start to finish. Because of this, I strongly encourage you to double or triple the recipe and just make a day out of it.

Each batch makes roughly 5 pints of super flavorful and very thick salsa.

Once you’ve dedicated your day to this cooking task (so very worth it), here’s the steps to follow in making your salsa:

1. Wash tomatoes. Remove stems and cores with a knife. Bring at least 4 inches of water to a boil in a large kettle. Immerse tomatoes, a few at a time, into boiling water for about a minute, or until the skins start to crack and peel off the flesh. Immediately dip tomatoes into cold water, and drain in a colander. Slip off the skins, and discard. Coarsely chop the tomatoes; place in a large colander set in sink, and allow to stand for 30 minutes. This will allow much of the tomato juice to strain out. (place the colander over a large bowl if you wish to save the juice for something else)
   

   Strain Tomatoes

2. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a 7-8 quart stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1.5 hours or until tomatoes are at the desired consistency, stirring often. You’re looking for the same consistency as a thin marinara sauce.
   

   Boil and Simmer Tomatoes

3. Add tomato paste, lime juice, and vinegar. Stir until tomato paste is completely incorporated. The cooked tomatoes will thicken nicely from the added paste.
   

   Thickened Tomatoes

4. Add remaining ingredients. Return mixture to boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
   

   Add Remaining Salsa Ingredients

   

   Simmer Salsa

5. While salsa is simmering, prepare your pint canning jars and hot water bath canner.
   

   Making Salsa

6. Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean with a damp towel; adjust lids.
7. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes (start timer when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner, then cool them on cooling racks or on a towel on the counter.
   

   Salsa in Water Bath Canner

   

   Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa 3

Makes about 5 pints.

*This salsa recipe is somewhere between mild and medium hot. You can omit some of the jalapenos if you would like more mild, or replace one or two of them with a habanero if you would like hotter.

Best Home Canned Thick and Chunky Salsa 2

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, September 2012

The Bald Gourmet finds a great thick salsa recipe, and makes it better with a few bald modifications.

Proper Fish Pie with Egg

I’ve been watching one of my favorite cooking shows of all time recently, Two Fat Ladies.  It was a masterful British show from the 90′s that is an absolute riot.  Not only are they hilarious, but they cook some tasty looking treats.  They use anchovies in nearly everything, and fill their sentence structure with constant British slang and catch phrases.  Their methods and banter were the inspiration for this recipe.

You may think that a savory fish pie sounds a bit off, but it is surprisingly delicious.  I didn’t have any canned anchovies on hand, so I used their milder cousin, the sardine, instead.  You could use either, as I’m confident both would be delicious.  But if you’re more into milder tasting fish, stick with the sardines.  They blend perfectly with the spinach, shallot, capers, and herbs.  An extra buttery crispy crust holds it all together, and a cracked egg on top brings the whole thing together.  I challenge you to make this dish and to send me a comment if you liked it or not.  The Bald Gourmet loved it.

What You Will Need to Make Proper Fish Pies

4 cups spinach

1 large shallot, chopped (roughly 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large tomato, sliced, or some canned tomatoes which have been thoroughly drained

Capers, roughly 4 teaspoons

Fresh tarragon, chopped, roughly 4 teaspoons

Chives, chopped, roughly 1 tablespoon

4 eggs

1 can sardines packed in oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded Parmesan (or other hard cheese) for garnish

Pastry dough (2 cups flour, 1 cup cold butter, 1/2 cup cold milk, 2 large pinches of salt)

How to Make Proper Fish Pies

Start by making your pastry dough.  Follow the steps outlined in How to Make Perfect Pie Crust, using cold milk instead of the water.  The milk adds an extra savory element and makes for a crispier crust.

Once your dough is made and chilling in the refrigerator, move on to the fillings.

Start by heating the olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add the shallots and cook over medium-high heat until starting to brown.  Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, cover, and remove from heat.  Keep the spinach covered as you prep your other ingredients and wait for the pastry dough to finish chilling.  The idea here is that the spinach will cook from the residual heat, and will then cool as you wait for the dough.

Cook Spinach with Shallot

Cooked Spinach and Shallot

Open your sardines/anchovies and drain the oil.  If not filleted, gently lift the sardines from the tin, split down the gut with a fork or knife, and gently open them up to get two little fillets.  Remove the backbone and discard.  Set sardines aside on a plate.

Split Sardines into Fillets

Chop your herbs and set aside.  Slice your tomatoes (or drain them if using canned), and set aside.

Now that your pastry dough is chilled, remove from refrigerator, dust a work surface with flour, split dough into fourths, and roll out.  Each crust should be about 8-10 inches in diameter and about 1/8th inch thick.  Place two rolled out crusts on a sheet pan which has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, repeating on a second sheet pan.

How to Assemble Proper British Fish Pies

Now you’re ready for the fillings.  Place 1/4 of the spinach into the middle of each pastry crust, flattening into a center circle.  Top the spinach with a tomato slice (or small handful of drained canned tomatoes).  Spoon a teaspoon of capers over the fillets on each pie.  Then add two sardines fillets (one whole fish) to each pie, then top each with a teaspoon of the tarragon.

Fish Pie Fillings on Crust

Free Form Savory Fish Pies Galette Style

Now for the tricky part.  You need to top each pile of fillings with a cracked whole egg.  You could just whisk the eggs up, but the presentation of a whole egg yolk in the center of the pie is striking and well worth the effort.  I found that if you just crack the egg on the fillings at this point, it will just run all over the place and make an awful mess when you go to fold up the crust.  I found the most successful method was to fold up the crust loosely (fold the crust over itself every inch or so, making uniform folds all around the pie.  I detail this process fairly well in Elderberry Crostata with Lemon), gently unfold it a bit, and then cracking the egg in the center.  You can then season the egg with salt and pepper, sprinkle with a 1/4 of the chives, and then press the folds down more firmly.  However you do it, just try to keep the egg white inside the pie without breaking the yolk.  But if you do break the yolk, bake it anyway.  It’s still just as delicious.

Proper Fish Pie Wrapped and Topped with Egg

Bake Fish Pies in a Convection Oven

Brush the pie crusts with an egg wash or some milk so that they get a nice sheen on them as they bake.  This is optional though, and I didn’t do it on the ones photographed in this post.

Bake the pies in a convection oven at 375° for 20 minutes.  If you don’t have a convection oven, bake at 400° for about 30 minutes, or until the crusts are baked through (you’ll need to rotate your pans half way through without a convection so that they cook evenly).

Proper Fish Pie Baking in Oven

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each pie while hot.

Serve hot for dinner/lunch, or cold for a picnic treasure.

Proper Fish Pie with Egg

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, 4/2012

The Bald Gourmet creates a British inspired Proper Fish Pie recipe.

Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

I went grocery shopping today, and as I meandered around the store, my cooking wheels got to rolling as I spotted polenta and kale.  I’ll admit, my creation tonight was a joint inspiration of the grilled polenta dish at The Geiser Grand Hotel and the Roasted Tomato Sauce at Rupert’s Hotel McCall.  But my genius of combining the two concepts and flavors was all my own.  Some days it’s good to be me.

This dish is rustic Italian, and as such, I think it should be kept true to the fashion and just cooked from the heart each time it is made rather than following an exact recipe.  So that’s how I’m going to present it to you.  I’ll tell you basically what I did, but I’m going to leave it up to you to put it all together, tasting as you go, to create something delicious, healthy, and unique to you.

How to Make Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

To make this sauce, you need to roast some tomatoes over/under very high heat.  This heat source could be an open fire, a broiler in your oven, or on your BBQ grill.  I did mine on the grill.

1. Pre-heat your grill (or fire, or oven broiler) to high, as in 650°.
2. Place 5 medium-sized tomatoes in a pan (I used cast iron), drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place 1 garlic clove per tomato in the pan as well.
4. Place pan on the grill (or broiler, etc.) and close the lid.  Roast in this manner for around 15 minutes, or until tomatoes get soft and start to show signs of charring.
5. Mash the tomatoes with a spatula/spoon, spreading the juices all around the pan.  Close lid again and cook for another 5 minutes, or until juice has reduced thoroughly.
6. Remove from grill and scrape tomatoes and garlic into a blender.
7. Blend, adding water, to form a smooth, loose sauce.
8. Season sauce to taste with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.

Yum.  This will make a bit more sauce than you need, but the extra is awesome on pasta, eggs, or bread.

How to Make Balsamic Sauteed Kale with Garlic

If you’ve never cooked kale before, you really need to give it a try.  It’s sweet, very lightly bitter, and maintains a great firm texture, unlike so many other greens.  It’s terrific, and pairs with this polenta dish extremely well.

1. Chop a bundle of kale into bite-sized pieces, discarding bottom stems.  One store bought bundle will form about 4 cups or so of pieces.
2. Place into a saute pan with a bit of water (maybe a 1/4 cup or so), drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, cover and saute over medium high heat.
3. The kale will turn a beautiful bright green after a few minutes.  Season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper (optional).  You could serve it now with that bright color, but cooking longer will soften the stems and leaves more.
4. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar.  This will lesson the bitterness of the kale even more, and add a nice sweet and sour zing.
5. Add garlic slices, about 5 cloves thinly sliced.
6. Cook covered for another 10 minutes, or until the kale is dark green in color and the leaves and stems are soft (kale will keep it’s firm texture regardless, but you want to cook it until it is no longer crunchy)
7. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if necessary.

How to Make Madeira Mushrooms

You will need: 2 portabella mushrooms; 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped; roughly 2 ounces of Madeira wine; fresh or dried thyme to taste; about a 1/4 cup of chicken, beef, or vegetable stock; olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter.

• Slice the portabella mushrooms a little less than 1/4 thick, then cut in 1.5 inch pieces
• Heat olive oil in saute pan until hot.
• Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften (they will absorb all of the oil).
• Add the Madeira wine, garlic, and thyme.
• Saute until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Add the butter and cook until mushrooms start to brown, stirring/tossing to brown evenly.
• Add the stock and cook until the mushrooms are dark and soft.  You may need to add more stock or water to keep them a touch saucy.

How to Grill Polenta

Store bought cooked polenta is cheap, low calorie, and super easy to prepare.  You could make your own I suppose, but the pre-made polenta in 18 ounce tubes is just too simple to resist.  For this dish, remove the polenta from the tube, cut off the rounded ends, and slice lengthwise into 4 even thickness long rectangles (they’ll have round edges of course).

1. Drizzle both sides of the polenta with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. If you accidentally break the polenta at all, secure it back together with toothpicks.
3. Place the polenta on a very hot grill (after you removed your tomatoes for example) or inside on a very hot grill pan.
4. Polenta likes to stick, so be careful when removing it with a spatula to flip it.  Turn the polenta after about 5 minutes on the grill.
5. Cook on the other side for about 3 minutes.

How to Plate Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, and Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

Place the sauteed Kale on side of plate.  Pour Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce over rest of plate (re-heat the sauce first if not warm).  Take the polenta straight off the grill and stack 2 slices on top of the tomato sauce.  Top the polenta with half of the Madeira Mushrooms.  Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley, fresh thyme, or chopped chives.  Makes 2 plates.

It’s beautiful, healthy, so very delicious, and only about 580 calories per plate.

Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce, Sauteed Balsamic Kale with Garlic

The Bald Gourmet creates delicious restaurant inspired meals from everyday grocery store items, like today’s Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, and Sauteed Balsamic Kale with Garlic.

Malaysian Street Burgers

Directly across the street from Ian’s condo is a little hawker market with a couple food hawker stalls.  Ian recommend that I try the street burgers, so I thought it would make for a perfect lunch.  The other hawkers had a great selection of soups, curries, and fried fish dishes, but the burger stand was calling loud and clear.

Malaysian Street Burger Stand

You actually see these little burger stands all over Malaysia.  There was even one at the fireflies park.  They seem to be rather popular.  The menu looked straight forward enough…

Malaysian Street Burger Menu

I went with the 4th burger down option: Burger Lembu Special with Keju.  Basically, burger with egg and cheese.  Umm……ya.

Malaysian Street Burger

Look at this gooey monstrosity!   Buns grilled with mayonnaise, a “beef” patty with all sorts of seasoning in it which made it bright pink in color (the guy swore it was all beef, but I’m not so sure that was accurate), fried egg seasoned with bottled Maggi seasoning sauce (thus the gray color of the egg), sweet pickled vegetables (cucumber and onion), “American” cheese slice, lettuce, tomato, a very thick sweet mayonnaise, and a very sweet mild chili ketchup type sauce that reminded me a little bit of bad sweet and sour sauce with a kick.  Wow, it was good!

Malaysian Street Burger Bite

Mmm….hmmm!!!

I needed 10 napkins plus water just to clean up my hands afterwards.  Carl’s Jr. ain’t got nothing on this thing!!!

Dinner at Bombay Palace, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Well, if I was ever going to type a long list of profanities (positive, not negative) on my blog, this is where it would be.  Bombay Palace, HOLY (insert favorite expletive here)!

This is where my “mouthgasm” description was born.  This is were I first experienced complete sensory overload.  This is where I was incapacitated by the taste of food.  This is where you MUST go if you ever have the chance.

Bombay Palace Malaysia

Only 5 hours from India, I knew this was going to be good.  The meal started with the standard opening chutneys and sauces with crispy bread.  Delicious.

Bombay Palace Chutneys and Crispy Bread

The menu was very extensive.  Pages and pages full of deliciousness.  How to choose?  Ian and Hilary had more Indian dining experience than I, so they knew a few more favorites than I did.  After much deliberation, we settled on several tasty treats and placed our order.  Tasty….. complete understatement.

Bombay Palace Paradise Dinner

Bombay Palace Perfection on a Plate

Clockwise from top:

• Spinach paneer
• Tandoori chicken in a tomato, coconut, and mint curry (Butter Chicken)
• Some kind of tasty meaty sauce
• Lamb in a spicy curry with vegetables
• Biryani rice (spices, fruit, stuff, and basmati rice)
• (center) Cauliflower and potatoes with cumin (they had an awesome smoky flavor that I fell in love with)

So good!  Hands down the best Indian food I’ve ever had period.  My favorites were the spinach, cauliflower, and the chicken. Oh the chicken….

Bombay Palace’s Mouthgasm Butter Chicken

This chicken is indescribable.  A tomato and coconut cream sauce with mint, Indian curry spices, and some LSD to send you on a food trip you’ll never quite recover from!

Here I am scraping the remnants of it up with some naan.

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Scrape

Yes….put that chicken curry in your mouth……

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Bite

Bombay Palace Butter Chicken Mouthgasm

Don’t talk to me…..don’t bother me…..I can’t respond anyway.  I’m in complete sensory overload from this chicken curry and am completely unable to focus on anything other than the mouthgasm ecstasy happening.  I have been overwhelmed and consumed by the happy food fairies taking me to uncharted lands of glee…

The Bald Gourmet travels to Malaysia, eats Street Burgers, and has an indescribable mouthgasm at Bombay Palace.

Rupert's Hotel McCall

Situated right in the heart of downtown historic McCall, Idaho, you will find a quaint little 100+ year old hotel called Hotel McCall.  Hotel McCall has a long history of visitors and community recognition, and has gone through some very well done contemporary remodels in recent years.  Though I didn’t get a chance to stay overnight on my recent visit, it definitely looks like the kind of “rustic contemporary comfort” I tend to go for, and I look forward to a weekend getaway here soon.  But what I did get to enjoy on my recent passing through was the positive experience of dining at Rupert’s Hotel McCall.

Rupert’s is a newer addition to Hotel McCall.  A well done addition at that.  With stunning views of Payette Lake and the surrounding mountains, the dining scenery is hard to beat.  The hardwood floors, open beam ceilings, and wooden tables further enhance the charm.  The whole scene made me feel like I stepped into a world from 50-years ago.  I haven’t been alive for that amount of time, but for some reason I felt right at home at Rupert’s.

Rupert's Hotel McCall Interior

Rupert’s Hotel McCall French Asian Appetizer

Rupert’s had a couple of featured specials going on during my visit, and one of them sounded too good to pass up.  It was a Duck Confit Crepe.  If you don’t know what Duck Confit is, it is a classic French preparation, and is basically just duck meat which is completely submerged in, and then cooked in, rendered duck fat at very low temperature in the oven for anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.  Duck cooked in a pool of duck fat?  Sounds great to me!

What was surprising about this dish, though, was the fusion of classic French and Asian cuisines.  They took the duck confit, mixed it with some sauteed shiitake mushrooms, and rolled it inside of a spinach and scallion crepe.  The crepe was green, and reminded me more of a large won ton wrapper than a crepe.  It was cool though and I liked it.  The crepe was drizzled with hoisin sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and served with a side of “Thai” slaw.  The slaw was made of shredded cabbage and carrots, and was tossed in a slightly spicy peanut sauce.

This dish was not at all what I expected, but worked extremely well.  The very pungent duck went well with the sweet-spiced hoisin, and was tamed a bit by the cool crunch of the slaw.  Good appetizer, well done.

Rupert's Hotel McCall Duck Confit Crepe

Rupert’s House Salad

I normally wouldn’t make it a point to write about the included house salad, but Rupert’s house salad deserves mentioning.  Thank you for going a touch out of your way to deliver something to enjoy!  The salad was perfectly proportioned, and was made up of very fresh, crisp baby lettuce greens, some shoestring Granny Smith apples, high-quality bleu cheese, and a delightful cranberry vinaigrette.  The vinaigrette was tart, sweet, and lite.  I appreciate how the salad greens were not overdressed with the vinaigrette.  It was a great little salad, especially with fresh cracked pepper on it.  It could have benefited from a few walnuts or pecans, but was enjoyable as is.

Rupert's Hotel McCall House Salad

Rupert’s Hotel McCall’s Grilled Lava Lake Lamb Meatballs

This staple dish on their entree menu caught my eye.  $23.50 “Grilled Lava Lake Lamb Meatballs, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and served in a charred tomato sauce.”  Hmm.  I needed to try it.  And I’m fairly glad that I did.  I didn’t find it “knock my socks off” delicious, but I did find it enjoyable, and honestly, better than I expected to find in McCall.

The charred tomato sauce was great.  It didn’t have much of a “char” flavor, but I visualized it being made from oven roasted, olive oil drizzled tomatoes, roasted on high until they charred a bit.  Into the blender they go and then cooked with some paprika and a touch of cinnamon.  The resulting flavor reminded me of a Hungarian sauce, and was perfect with the lamb.

The lamb meatballs were made from ground lamb, bread crumbs, and, I’m guessing, mint.  They were grilled at least long enough to get some grill lines on them, and then, I’m guessing, were finished off in a pan with the sauce.  They were very moist and had a good flavor.  They were a touch grainy feeling though, either from the breadcrumbs or from the dry nature of lamb, but they sure felt good on a cold winter’s day.

Rupert's Hotel McCall Lamb Meatballs

Rupert’s Weekend Special:  Quail Stuffed with Couscous

Well this was the super star of the evening!  Good heavens.  Rupert’s, you’d better make this a regular menu item.  You have a real winner here.

Two succulent little quail were stuffed with couscous, pan fried, and served on a bed of a smoky charred tomato sauce.  The quail were perfectly cooked, very moist, and perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper.  They even had a nice subtle smoke flavor from the pan frying process.  The couscous inside of them had a faint spicy red pepper flavor, which I was told came from some chili flakes.  But what really brought the dish together was the smoky tomato sauce.

This sauce was awesome.  Smoky, salty, slightly sweet.  It was perfect.  And the pairing with the quail was inspired.  Every bite put a smile on one’s face.  I think I’m going to go rustle me up some quail to shoot and eat, but then I’d have to try to duplicate Rupert’s perfect preparation.  Might just be easier to go back to McCall and have the real thing.

Rupert's Hotel McCall Quail

Concluding Review on Rupert’s Hotel McCall

Rupert’s offers amazing lake views and a comfortable dining atmosphere.  Their staff is friendly and happy to serve.  Their menu has a familiar feel but offers several unique concepts and dishes.  The food is great, and makes lake viewing an even more pleasurable experience.  Ask for the quail, and tell them The Bald Gourmet sent you.

The Bald Gourmet visits McCall, Idaho, and discovers a little culinary gem called Rupert’s Hotel McCall.

Beef Tongue Street Taco with Chili Sauce

I know that for many of you, tongue tacos sound gross, but you have to get over the “ick” factor and give these tacos a try.  Simply amazing.

Most tongue tacos consist of plain tongue, usually boiled, sliced or cubed, and quickly sauteed.  Mine go a bit further into the gourmet by browning the cubed tongue first, and then simmering it in a delicious chili and tomato puree.  Served street style with cabbage, radishes, cilantro, and onion all on a corn tortilla, these tacos are addictive.  I had to stop myself at 6 of them.

Tongue has a very strong beef flavor.  It reminds me a bit of organ meet but without the strong iron/mineral taste most of us hate.  It has a soft texture, but is firm and slightly chewy at the same time.  If nobody told you that you were eating tongue, you’d just think you were eating a very flavorful pot roast.  This is one piece of cow I will never shun again.  Bring on the tongue!

How to Prepare Tongue for Cooking

Well, if there’s one part that is “gross” about cooking tongue, it is the step of removing the outer taste bud lining.  It’s easy to do, but might make some a bit squeamish.  Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil, then toss the tongue in it.  Let the tongue boil for about 20 minutes, then remove.  The outer lining will be bright white, and can be removed by pulling it off with your fingers as you run a knife between it and the meat.  Make sure to get all the lining off the tongue (on all sides) as it is very chewy and not very tasty. Also, remove anything on the underside of the tongue that doesn’t look like it will be good eating.

You may also want to remove the large veins in the underside of the tongue.  Just simply cut into the tongue about halfway between the center and edge, about the same place where you feel the veins on the underside of your own tongue in your mouth.  Cut them out and discard.

Now that you have a cleaned tongue, you can slice, cube, or do what you will with it.  For tongue tacos, simply cube the meat into 1/4 inch cubes.

Cubed Beef Tongue

Recipe for Tongue Tacos

• 1 medium size beef tongue, cleaned and cubed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 bunch radishes, sliced
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Chili Sauce (recipe follows)

Heat olive oil in large pan until hot.  Add tongue and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add Tongue to Hot Pan

As the tongue cooks, it will release a lot of juices in the pan, which will create what looks like a very tasty brown gravy.

Tongue Gravy

Cook on medium-high until the gravy evaporates and the tongue begins to brown.  Brown the cubed tongue on all sides, tasting to make sure you have seasoned it well enough.

Browned Tongue

Add 3/4 of the chili sauce (recipe follows), cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Tongue Simmering in Chili Sauce

After 20 minutes, most of the water will have evaporated and it should look like this:

Beef Tongue in Chili Sauce

Reserve remaining ingredients for assembly.

Recipe for Street Taco Chili Sauce

• 4 Dried California Chili Pods
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic gloves, smashed
• 1/2 jalapeno, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 cup water (preferably the water you softened the chilies in)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by steeping the chili pods in boiling water until soft, about 10 minutes.  I like to use the water I will be boiling the tongue in later.  Once the chilies are soft, remove the stems and place the pods in a blender along with all the other ingredients.  Blend thoroughly.  Place in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Chili Sauce

How to Assemble Beef Tongue Street Tacos with Chili Sauce

Heat corn tortillas over medium high heat by dry toasting on a griddle.  This will make them soft and pliable.  Place between some kitchen towels to keep warm prior to assembling tacos.

Warming Corn Tortillas

Place a small amount of tongue on the tortilla, then add chopped cabbage, cilantro, onion, radishes, lime juice, and some of the reserved chili sauce.

Street Taco Toppings

Beef Tongue Street Tacos with Chili Sauce

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, November 2011

The Bald Gourmet creates authentic Mexican recipes with traditional ingredients like beef tongue.

Pork Loin Chop with Tomato Chutney

This simple pork chop is seasoned only with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, plus the herb infused olive oil it is cooked in.  It could be dressed up with all sorts of delicious gourmet ingredients, but I am purposefully leaving it very plain and simple so as to accentuate the amazing Tomato Chutney which somehow brings out the subtle flavors hidden within the pork itself.  This, my friends, is a tasty little treat.

How to Cook Pork Loin Chop

You will need the following:

• 1 pork loin chop per person
• 2 sprigs of herbs per chop (I used a sprig of rosemary and a sprig of thyme)
• 2-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil per chop
• Small handful of green beans per chop
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saute pan on medium heat until hot.  Place chop in pan and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Place herbs in pan beside the chop.  Cook until bottom side of chop is golden brown, and chop is white about half way up the sides, roughly 7 minutes.

Saute Pork Chop with Herbs

Flip chop over to cook other side, and season again liberally with salt and pepper.  Place green beans in pan beside chop, and season them with salt as well.  Cook for roughly another 7 minutes, stirring beans now and then, until chop is cooked and firm to the touch.

Saute Green Beans with Pork Chop and Herbs

How to Serve Pork Loin Chop with Tomato Chutney

Plate the green beans in the corner of the plate first, then place chop in center of plate, partially overlapping the beans.  Serve the tomato chutney beside the chop on the plate.

Alternately, you could prepare some roasted baby potatoes, or your favorite mashed potatoes to serve beside the chop, and serve the chutney over the chop instead.

Tasty Bite of Pork Loin Chop with Tomato Chutney

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, September 2011

The Bald Gourmet combines unique home-canned goods, like tomato chutney, with perfectly prepared pork loin chops.