Pork Roll Egg and Cheese... as Jersey as it gets.

Good Sunday Morning Readers!

This week off of work was totally needed for me to recharge, look around and enjoy life.

Sunday Mornings greet me with the urge to be creative in the kitchen.

Today however, I just wanted to keep it old school and make a sandwich that I haven't had in quite a while.

For those readers who don't know what pork roll is, then sit back and enjoy.

Pork Roll is a breakfast meat found in New Jersey and in some cases Philadelphia.

Also Known as Taylor Ham, It is sold in tube form or sliced.

The sandwich is simple:

2 Fried eggs seasoned with salt and pepper (yolk broken or not.. dealers choice.)

1 Fresh Kaiser roll or hard roll

3-4 slices of Taylor ham. ( also fried. The edges get nice and crispy and that makes the sandwich pop)

1-2 slices of American Cheese ( Thank you Wes for pointing out me missing this critical element)

You can toast the roll if you like. ( I just put mine in the drippings of the pork roll to get the added flavor.)

adding salt pepper and ketchup (or SPK as its called in the diners) enhances the flavor too)
Coffee is always a great accompaniment.

Readers I highly recommend this sandwich. It is a meal that is missed highly when I am out of state.

Last bite?
Its little things like this that make me proud to be a native to New Jersey.

Till next time readers. ( I just might make another one........)

Follow The way of The Fork

God Bless.

Candy Bacon added to a vanilla gelato.

If candy bacon is wrong, then my friends I don't ever want to be right.

I had a week off of work (finally) and I decided to use my time wisely.

I spent countless hours noodling on my guitar, went to my sons graduation, and
drank like a fish.

I also took my bike out for a couple of rides. (I love my bike).

Today I felt a need to do something in the kitchen......

So there I am, home alone eyeballing this pound of thick cut bacon.

I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and focused on the light brown sugar in my pantry.

That's it!! Candy Bacon!!

Oh I have heard tale of this sweet salty creation but only around the fire pit after a few beers.

Today my friends that tale was greeted with open arms....... and empty belly......and my undying passion for bacon.

The recipe is simple.

Pre Heat oven to 325.
you will need a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.

Take 1 pound of thick cut bacon and lay it out on a cutting board.

Take 1 cup of light brown sugar and dredge each strip of bacon through sugar.
( you can pat it in to the strips too. make sure its fully covered on both sides.)

(Note: recipe calls for cinnamon to be added to the sugar. I decided not to do this. you can if you want..it wont hurt my feelings.)
Lay the strips on to cookie sheet. ( you may have to do two batches)

Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a clean parchment paper covered plate.
Place in refrigerator to cool. About 15-20 minutes.
Take out of refrigerator and break into pieces to share (yea right! more like to hide incase of a zombie apocalypse. )

Now I just happened to have some Tahitian Vanilla Gelato in the freezer, and I couldn't ask for a more perfect pairing.

I crumbled some Candy Bacon and topped my Gelato.

OH MY OH MY OH MY!!!!!!!

I found a new favorite thing to welcome into my bacon arsenal.

Grab a Spoon!! Before I eat it all!!!

Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

Stay true to The Way...

Onion Mushroom Omellette with Sweet Potato and Kale Hash

Last weekend I was catching up on Top Chef episodes and one of the Cheftestants belted out this sweet potato and kale hash! I thought hell, I can do that so here ya go.

Following the visual inspiration from the show I ventured off to try and pull something together.

This is what I came up with. 

2 sweet potatoes skinned and rustically cubed, par boiled in salted water for about 10 minutes.

2 cups of Kale chopped (it will shrink down in the cooking process)

5 strips of bacon cut with kitchen scissors into thin strips.

1 large onion diced

 

 

 

I saute'd bacon in a 12 inch pan with a pat of butter

 

 

When bacon was crisp, I removed it from pan and added half the onion and all the Kale to cook in the bacon fat.

 

I then added the sweet potatoes, salt and pepper.coveres and cooked on medium low for 10 minutes

adding the bacon back in at the last minute to warm up

 

 

While that is happening I took 6 large eggs, a splash of milk and beat the eggs to a nice consistancy.

I also seasoned egg mixture with pepper and salt. 

 

In a cast iron skillet I cooked the remaining onion and the mushrooms to a light brown.

 

reserved the mixture next to my omellete pan and went at it.

 

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

Take care.

 

Keep up with The Way Of The Fork!

Ratatouille and Pulled Pork sandwhiches

First of all, I'm Sorry I haven't posted in a while. But don't worry, I will make up for it today.

A few weeks ago I was asked to make Ratatouille. 
My honey had come home from the farmers market with a huge Eggplant, a couple of zucchini squashes a rather large tomato and a green bell pepper.

"I would like you to make Ratatouille for me" she said.

My reply? "Challenge accepted"

I hit up my ipad and food network for this recipe.
It's Emeril's, (I bow to you sir).

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups diced onion

2 cups medium eggplant skin on and diced

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups diced bell pepper ( he asks for red and green  i just used green)

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced yellow squash

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes

1 tbs basil leaves sliced in thin strips

salt and pepper to taste.

Now, you need a 12 inch saute' pan over medium heat. add olive oil.

Once hot, add onions and garlic (smells good already)

Stir occasionally till wilted and lightly browned. (about 5-7 minutes).

Add Eggplant and thyme and continue to cook (5 more minutes).

Add the green peppers and squash and zucchini cooking for another 5 minutes.
( Now its Smelling Ace in here).

Add tomatoes basil and parsley season with salt and pepper cooking again for 5 more minutes.

Stir to blend and serve. This dish is universal, it can be served as a hot meal as a hot side,
or as a room temp or cold dish. enjoy!

Now while this dish was in its infant stages, I had already planned on doing my first pulled pork.
I picked up a nice 41/2 pound butt and had seasoned it with Nadias' awesome rub which consisted of.

1/4 cup of smoked paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs crushed black pepper
2 tsp of dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne
 
combine all ingredients into a bowl then divide in half

Rub your butt...... (LOL!!!)  all over with half the rub put in a ziplock bag and refridgerate over night

Set oven to 270 degrees

Take the butt out of bag and rub again with other half of rub..

Wrap in aluminum foil and place on a shallow roasting pan. keep in oven at 270 for 7-8 hours.

This is the finished product

Take out of pan and put in a deeper pan.

Start running a fork or two over the roast it will start to shred and look like this when done.

I also used Nadias' recipe for a vinegar sauce to go with the pork.(this was a great add)

3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup minced pineapple
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dijon ( I used a whole grain dijon  )
1 tsp sea salt

Mix and chill.

Serve on a potato bun with a spoon or 3 of the vinegar sauce
accompanied by some chips and some Ratatouille.

Enjoy!!

Two more posts to come  one for a sweet potato bacon kale hash
and chicken francaise.

Till Next time. Be well and God Bless