Some Like it Hot

     Ever wonder what to do when your garden surprises you with 50 habaneros at the end of the season?  No…?  Probably not.  The answer: make habanero mango hot sauce!

     Homemade hot sauce is another one of those DIY things that makes a great gift for any friends or family who like the heat.  Aside from kicking up dishes and drinks, this sauce can be used to make spicy mustard dip, sweet-spicy corn relish, or as a sauce base with coconut milk over shrimp and rice.  About ½ teaspoon is enough to give nice heat to a pint-sized bloody Mary or about a two-cup serving of whatever dish you’d like to add it to.  If it turns out too spicy for your taste, you can dilute it as much as you like with more mango and bell pepper.  Or, rather than make large dilutions, you can also start by seeding the peppers, should you happen to have that much spare time.  And, if you can find it, I’ve been told that frozen mango puree works just as well as making your own.

     This recipe requires multiple uses of a food processor for mincing and pureeing, so make sure you have one on stand-by.  Also, be careful of vapors when taking the lid off the pot.  You may even want to open the windows for this one.
 

  Habanero Mango Hot Sauce

   Makes ~8 Cups

• 40-50 Ripe Habanero Peppers
• 1 Lg Onion, minced
• 6-8 Cloves Garlic, minced
• ½ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 3-4 Lg Carrots, minced
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 5 Tsp Honey
• 5 Tsp Lime Juice
• 1 ½ Tsp Salt
• 4 Ripe Mangoes, pureed
• 3 Orange Bell Peppers, minced

   Directions:

1. Combine habaneros, onion, & garlic in saucepan.  Reserve ½ cup of this mixture.
2. Add vinegar, carrots, sugar, honey, lime juice, & salt to pot.
3. Simmer 20-25 minutes, to soften carrots.
4. Turn off heat and stir in mango, bell pepper, and reserved sauce.

Apple Infusion, Take: 1

     Through mostly trial and error, I’ve been learning how to make delicious homemade liqueurs and infusions.  It’s been a side hobby for a few years now, with several of my experiments just finishing the infusing or aging process recently.  I’ve had great success with my simple pear infusion, a combo of fresh pears and grain spirits.  I buy the fruit at peak season when it’s on sale, slice, and cover with high-proof liquor.  The hardest part is leaving them alone to infuse, so I’ve taken to hiding the jars in the basement where I can forget all about them.  After about two years, I have a mellow, high-proof liqueur that tastes as fresh as the fruit that went in.  After straining the pulp, I’m free to adjust with spices, honey, and other flavorings, should I wish.  I’m currently waiting on the peach and cherry versions from 2014, and put up plums this summer.

     With bags of Macoun apples sitting on the counter, my mind started to wander to the delicately sweet and exceedingly fresh flavor of apple schnapps.  No, not that cheap syrupy crap we make here in the US, but good German Obstwasser.  Since I don’t have a still (yet), and with real schnapps being exceptionally rare here, I wondered if I could capture the flavor of fresh apples in an infusion.  Same time, same place, 2017?

Garlic Update

     Got back from a short trip to the homeland (New Jersey) to find the garlic I planted a few weeks ago popping up like crazy!  We've had a stretch of unseasonably warm weather for the last week or two (T-shirts in November?!).  I'm hoping this means that the bulbs-to-be got a strong jump on the impending New England winter.

Braised Cabbage & Pork

     Cabbage is an underrated, underutilized vegetable.  High in vitamins, phytonutrients, & antioxidants (read: really healthy shit), it’s also a good source of fiber, which is lacking in the diet of most ‘muricans.  Cabbage is low in calories and, thankfully, quite inexpensive.  Often, large heads are for sale, which may be challenging to new cooks not knowing what to do with all that greenery.  However, cabbage is versatile; I could (and probably will) do 10 posts on slaw alone.  I think some of the common aversion to cabbage comes from the last generation’s tendency to overcook all their brassicas, rendering them squishy and releasing smelly sulfides.  It’s a food-crime akin to ordering a porterhouse steak well-done.

     I’m sharing this recipe mostly for its warm, hearty flavors that shake off the first chills of the season.  The apples and cabbage make it perfect for those in this region who try to eat fresh and locally.  And another great thing about cabbage, it pairs well with pork.  For the carb-aholics out there, I imagine this dish would go nicely over some wide egg noodles.  Serving this “rustic” style means I chop, rather than dice the veggies.  Also, remember: the brown bits (called “fond”: French for “base” or “foundation”) that form when frying meat and veggies in oil = flavor-town.  You can either make this in a cast iron or enamelware Dutch oven, or in a crock pot.  If using a crock-pot, just transfer everything to the crock between adding the cider and chicken broth.

  Braised Cabbage & Pork

   Serves 3-4

• ~2 lb Pork Loin (or pretty much any other cut of pork)
• Salt & Pepper
• Ground Coriander
• Paprika
• 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil of your choice
• ½ Large Onion, chopped
• 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 3 Large Carrots, chopped
• 2-4 Red Potatoes, chopped
• 1 Apple (any variety), chopped
• Small Head Cabbage, outer leaves & stem removed, cut into 1/8ths
• 12 oz Dry Cider
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 ½ Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

   Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250°
2. Rub pork with spices.  Cover in as much or as little as you'd like.
3. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (or large pan if using crock-pot) over med-high flame, and sear meat on all sides until golden-brown.
4. Remove meat, add onion & garlic.  Sauté ~5 mins.
5. Add veggies & apple.  Keep up heat & Sauté for another 10 mins.
6. Add cider, then broth, bay leaf, & vinegar (before the cider, I added a splash of Laird’s Applejack, an apple brandy from NJ).
7. Return meat to pot, cover and move to oven.
8. Optional: if you love autumn and have 9999 apples, add a layer of sliced apples and ginger now.
9. Let cook for 2 hours, uncover & cook another hour.
10. Add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Hoping Everyone had a Happy Halloween!