• 5 LB chicken leg quarters
• 1-2 LB carrots (sliced)
• 1 LB mushrooms (sliced) (optional)
• 4 TBS olive oil
• 1 MED onion (diced)
• 12 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 TBS dried rosemary (ground)
• 2 TSP paprika
• 1½ TSP kosher salt
• 1 TSP freshly ground pepper
• ½ C chicken broth
• ¼ C white wine

Optional

• 2 LB fingerling Yukon gold potatoes (halved)
• 1 TSP olive oil
• 1 TSP kosher salt
• ¼ TSP freshly ground pepper

NOTE: This recipe assumes you can put your slow cooker insert over direct heat for browning and sautéing, making this a “one pot” meal. If not, use a heavy skillet for sautéing and browning, and build the layers outlined below in your slow cooker insert as you go.

1. Remove the skin from the chicken and trim excess fat. Stir together the dried rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture over the chicken. Set aside.
2. If using potatoes, toss them with the oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBS of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and clear. Set aside and toss with the carrots.
4. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic until golden brown. Set aside using a slotted spoon, reserving the oil in the pan (which now has a nice garlic flavor).
5. Allow the pan to pre-heat over medium-high heat, then brown half of the chicken in the reserved oil in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown. Set aside, reserving drippings in skillet. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Do not be tempted to skimp on the browning step.
6. Add broth, wine and set aside garlic to the reserved drippings in skillet and cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the skillet. Pour all out and set aside.
7. If not using potatoes simply add the carrot and onions with the fresh rosemary to the bottom of pot, layer the mushrooms over the carrots, layer the chicken on top and pour the broth/wine/garlic mixture over the top of all. Cover and cook over low for 6-7 hours (4 hours on high if time is a factor).
8. If using potatoes add them in a layer between the mushrooms and chicken.

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1½-2 LB smoked sausage (diced or cubed)
• 1½ LB ground beef or turkey
• 1½ LB ground pork
• ½ C green onions (~1 bunch) (chopped)
• 1½ LG onions (chopped)
• 3 LG bell peppers (chopped)
• 3 jalapeno peppers (chopped)
• 12 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 LB mushrooms (sliced) (optional)
• 1 LB carrots (sliced) (optional)
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 2½ TBS chili powder
• 2 TSP paprika
• 2 TSP cayenne
• 1 TSP ground pequin chili peppers
• 1 TBS dry rub (Barbecue Dry Rub — Lear)
• 3 TBS dried parsley
• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TBS BBQ Sauce
• 2 TBS ketchup
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 60 OZ petite diced tomatoes
• 30 OZ crushed tomatoes
• 6 OZ tomato paste (1 SM can)
• ½ LB dried kidney beans (rehydrated before cooking) (or 2 cans cooked kidney beans)
• ½ LB dried black beans (rehydrated before cooking) (or 2 cans cooked black beans)

1. In a heavy pot brown the sausage in the oil and set aside.
2. Brown the ground meats and set aside.
3. Sauté the green onion, onion, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers until the onions are mostly clear and soft, then add the garlic and continue to sauté for a few minutes more.
4. Return the meats to the pot along with the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer over medium heat for at least 1½-2 hours… longer if using rehydrated dried beans and they are not tender enough.
5. The chili will be ready to serve at this point, however the longer and slower you cook it, the better it will become. Reduce heat to very low and cook this for several hours, stirring frequently. 6 hours of slow cooking makes a thick, hearty, flavorful chili.
6. If it is becoming too thick, add chicken or beef broth to adjust the consistency, but not until near the end if possible. If it is too thin, allow to simmer without the lid to cook off some of the moisture. Check seasoning near the end and add salt or other flavors as needed.

Yields 6+ QT.

Dry Cure
The recipes below make enough for several uses and keeps indefinitely if stored in an airtight container. There are two recipes, one that uses standard sugar and one that uses powdered dextrose (typically found in the bulk/”health” isles of grocery stores, or at a home-brew store). They are both adequate, but the dextrose is preferred as it is less sweet and has a much finer texture, allowing it to dissolve more easily and provide a uniform distribution. The sugar recipe is being provided as a fallback in case dextrose is unavailable. Measurements are provided by weight for greater accuracy. Pink (or “curing”) salt can be found in the bulk/”health” isles of grocery stores, most likely the upscale ones.

These cures are perfect for what is called the “salt box method” of curing. This method means simply dredging the meat in plenty of dry cure on all sides, then gently shaking off the excess so that it has an even coating of cure.

Dry Cure – Dextrose (measurements by weight)
1 LB (450 GR) kosher salt
13 OZ (425 GR) powdered dextrose (aka “corn sugar”)
3 OZ (50 GR) pink salt (aka “curing salt”)

Dry Cure – Sugar (measurements by weight)
1 LB (450 GR) kosher salt
8 OZ (225 GR) sugar
2 OZ (50 GR) pink salt (aka “curing salt”)

 

Tasso

5+ LB pork shoulder butt
~2 C (450 GR) dry cure

Seasoning (measurements by weight)
3 TBS (30 GR) white pepper
1½ TBS (15 GR) cayenne pepper
3 TBS (6 GR) dried marjoram
3 TBS (24 GR) ground allspice
3 TBS (25 GR) granulated garlic

If using a bone-in pork shoulder, remove the bone and save for later use… great for adding flavor to a pot of beans! Slice the shoulder across the grain into 1″ thick slabs.

Add some dry cure to a shallow, narrow pan. Dredge the pork slabs in the dry cure, pressing into the cure to make it adheres to all surfaces, and shake off the excess. The surface of each piece should be coated with an even layer of cure. Add more dry cure to your pan as necessary, but dispose of any unused cure from the pan when done.

Place the dredged slabs into a deeper narrow pan in a single layer if possible. The cure will draw out a lot of moisture, so be sure your pan is deep enough to accommodate that without spilling over. Refrigerate, covered, for 4 hours.

Rinse the pork under cold water, brushing off any remaining dry cure, and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the seasoning ingredients in a shallow, narrow pan, mixing well. Dredge the meat on all sides in the seasoning so that the pieces are uniformly coated.

Hot-smoke the pork at 200°F to an internal temperature of 150°F. The tasso will keep for several weeks refrigerated, and for up to a year if vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer. It is recommended to divide the tasso into ½ – 1 LB portions before vacuum sealing and freezing for ease of use.

Tasso by itself will be very peppery and spicy, but it is not intended to be eaten as is. Instead, it should be used as an ingredient in larger “wet” dishes like gumbo, red beans, etc. Cut into small pieces, added to these dishes and allowed to cook for a while, tasso will give up a nice smoky pork flavor as well as diffuse its pepperyness into the mix, diminishing it to a nice, interesting tingle.

A general guideline for use is 1 LB of tasso per 2 LB of red beans, or 4-5 QT of gumbo.

These recipes are adapted from the book Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, and are included here for my own personal ease of reference, as well as to add my own notes as I see fit.

• ½ MED sweet onion (halved, then Frenched into ⅛” slices)
• 2 LB pickling cucumbers (sliced ⅛” thick) (Kirby variety if available – small and bumpy)
• 8 whole garlic cloves (smashed)
• 1¾ C white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1¾ C cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 3 C sugar
• 1⅓ TBS (⅓ per PT) yellow mustard seeds
• ½ TSP (⅛ per PT) turmeric
• ¼ TSP (1/16 per PT) ground cloves
• 1⅓ TSP (⅓ per PT) chili flakes
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) Pickle Crisp (optional)
• 4 (1 per PT) dried hot chilies (arbol, cayenne or tobasco)

1. Divide the Pickle Crisp, garlic, onion, cucumber and dried chilies evenly into 4 sanitized PT jars with tight-fitting lids. Pack as tightly as you can, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.
3. Slowly and gently pour the hot brine over the vegetables, evenly distributing spices, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
4. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 5-7 days before eating. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.
5. Alternatively, you can use a standard hot water bath canning method to preserve them further.

Yields 4 PT.

NOTES:

• Use 1 regular sized dried arbol, cayenne or tobasco pepper per PT jar, or 2 smaller if available. Use ?? pequin peppers per PT jar.
• If canning you can simplify the process as follows: divide evenly and add to the bottom of each jar the mustard seeds, turmeric, ground cloves, chile flakes, Pickle Crisp and dried chiles before adding the garlic, onions and cucumbers. Combine the water, vinegar and sugar then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat then add to the jars. Once canning is complete (after the lids ‘pop’), shake each jar to thoroughly distribute the spices.

• ½ MED sweet onion (halved, then Frenched into ⅛” slices)
• 1 LB pickling cucumbers (sliced into quarters lengthways to make spears) (Kirby variety if available – small and bumpy)
• 1 LB very slender carrots, or mini carrots
• 8 whole garlic cloves (smashed)
• 1½ C water
• 2 C cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1½ C sugar
• 2 TSP kosher salt
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) mustard seeds
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) celery seeds
• 1⅓ TSP (⅓ per PT) chili flakes
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) Pickle Crisp (optional)
• 4 (1 per PT) dried hot chiles (arbol, cayenne or tabasco)

1. Divide the Pickle Crisp, garlic, onion, cucumber and carrots and dried chilies evenly into 4 sanitized PT jars with tight-fitting lids. Pack as tightly as you can, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.
3. Slowly and gently pour the hot brine over the vegetables, evenly distributing spices, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
4. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 5-7 days before eating. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.
5. Alternatively, you can use a standard hot water bath canning method to preserve them further.

Yields 4 PT.

NOTES:

• Use 1 regular sized dried arbol, cayenne or tabasco pepper per PT jar, or 2 smaller if available. Use ?? pequin peppers per PT jar.
• If canning you can simplify the process as follows: divide evenly and add to the bottom of each jar the mustard seeds, celery seeds, chile flakes, Pickle Crisp and dried chiles before adding the garlic, onions, cucumbers and carrots. Combine the water, vinegar, salt and sugar then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat then add to the jars. Once canning is complete (after the lids ‘pop’), shake each jar to thoroughly distribute the spices.

• 2 LB pickling cucumbers (sliced ⅛” thick) (Kirby variety if available – small and bumpy)
• 1 MED sweet onion (halved, then Frenched into ⅛” slices)
• 1 LG red bell pepper (stemmed, seeded, sliced into ⅛” strips)
• 8 whole garlic cloves (smashed)
• 2 C cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1½ C water
• 2 C sugar
• 1 TBS (¼ per PT) yellow mustard seeds
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) turmeric
• ½ TSP (⅛ per PT) celery seeds
• ¼ TSP (1/16 per PT) ground cloves
• 1 TSP (¼ per PT) Pickle Crisp (optional)

1. Toss cucumbers, onions and bell pepper together. Divide the Pickle Crisp and garlic evenly into 4 sanitized PT jars with tight-fitting lids. Packing in as tightly as you can, add the vegetables to the jars, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
2. Bring vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seeds and ground cloves to a boil in a non-reactive heavy pot over medium-high heat and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors. Slowly and gently pour the hot brine over the vegetables, evenly distributing spices, again filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
3. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 days before eating.
4. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.
5. Alternatively, you can use a standard hot water bath canning method to preserve them further.

Yields 4 PT.

NOTE: If canning you can simplify the process as follows: divide evenly and add to the bottom of each jar the mustard seeds, turmeric, celery seeds, ground cloves and Pickle Crisp before adding the garlic, onions, bell pepper, and cucumbers. Combine the water, vinegar and sugar then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat then add to the jars. Once canning is complete (after the lids ‘pop’), shake each jar to thoroughly distribute the spices.

2 C cooked chickpeas (or canned)
2 TBS tahini
4 TBS olive oil
¼ C chicken stock
1 large head of garlic
1 OZ lemon juice
¼ TSP sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°F Cut off the very top of the garlic clove (about 1/4″) so that the tops of most of the cloves are exposed slightly. Coat with a little olive oil and wrap securely in tin foil. Roast garlic in oven for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool.

Using your fingers, squeeze the soft, roasted garlic out of each clove into food processor. Rinse and drain cooked or canned chickpeas. Add them, and all other ingredients, to the food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Scrape ingredients off sides of food processor to make sure it blends evenly. If you find that the hummus is too thick, you can add additional olive oil at this time. Add it very slowly, allowing the mixture to combine fully before adding more liquid.

Roast Beets:

• 6 MED beets (cleaned with 1-inch stem remaining)
• 2 large shallots (whole, peeled)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 TSP olive oil

Canning:

• 1 LG red onion (frenched)
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 12 OZ tarragon wine vinegar
• 2.25 TSP Kosher salt
• .75 C sugar
• 12 OZ cup water

Equipment:

• Large oven safe pot with lid
• 2 1-QT mason jars with new lids and rings

Oven: 400° F

Roast Beets:

1. In a large bowl toss the beets, shallots and rosemary with the oil to coat well.
2. Place into a foil pouch or lidded oven-safe pot of sufficient size and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a knife tip can pierce the beets with slight resistance.
3. Remove the pot/pouch from the oven and allow the beets to cool, covered for ~30 minutes.
4. Peel the beets. Slice into ⅛” slices and discard the stem.
5. Discard the rosemary, keep the shallots.
6. Strain the juice form the pot/pouch and put aside.

Canning:

1. If canning, boil jars and lids to sterilize.
2. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the bottom of each jar and distribute the roasted shallots between the jars.
3. Arrange the beets in 1-QT jars, alternating layers with the onion, packing tightly, filling to within ¼” of the top of the jar.
4. In a small pot combine the remaining ingredients with the reserved juice from roasting. SBring to a boil, then pour over the beets.
5. If canning, lid the jars and return to the canning pot and boil for 35 minutes, then rest in the warm pot for 10 minutes to seal. Allow to cool and store appropriately.
6. If not canning tightly lid the jars and place in the refrigerator.
7. Allow 3 to 7 days for flavor to develop before serving.

Yields 2 QT.