Cook like a Monger: Mandarinquat Mojo Pork

by Matt Gruber

After dipping my toes into chili verde and enjoying a taste of summer, I decided to take my pork adventures a bit farther east over to Cuba: Mojo, Pork Mojo (as one famous British spy maybe once said). Mojo in its origin means sauce. Typically it's prepared with some variety of pepper, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, and coriander. Traditionally you see a green or red take on this sauce being used on any variety of meat from sea to land. If you venture into other parts of the Caribbean you will find a similar Mojo with robust citrus, cilantro, and garlic, almost exclusively used on pork. Keeping it fairly simple and to the point I stuck to the heavy citrus with the addition of Mandarinquats. A funny small fruit being the result of kumquats and satsuma mandarins packs a nice tart pulp with no lack of juice- it was the perfect addition to this dish. An easy recipe for a lazy day slow cooker meal or a few hour dutch oven braise. Guaranteed to have your house smelling good and your belly nice and happy. Paired with Rancho Gordo black beans you cannot go wrong.

Ingredients

1# Pork shoulder or Boston butt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 lime zested and juiced

1 lemon zested and juiced

4 mandarinquats zested and juiced

1 qt chicken stock

1/2 bunch cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup orange juice with pulp

1. Brown pork on all sides for 3-4 minutes.

2. While pork is browning, mince garlic, zest lemon, lime, mandarinquat, and chop cilantro. Place aside in a bowl.

3. Get your dutch oven or crockpot ready by placing 1 qt of chicken stock, 2 tbsp ground cumin, citrus zest, and 1/2 cilantro inside. (leftover cilantro for garnish)

4. Take browned pork and place inside the preferred cooking vessel and let go for 2hr in a dutch oven at 375 or 4hr in a slow cooker on high.

5. Shred pork once it has reached 210 degrees or higher, plate over rice and beans with cilantro garnish and a spoonful of cooking liquid.

I really enjoyed this dish with black beans and white rice. A bean booster I have been doing adds bay leaf, a dash of cumin, oregano, lime juice, and a splash of white vinegar.

The Pairing: Carles Roquefort

Carles Roquefort + Nik Weis Riesling Kabinett

As cheesemongers, we love to wax poetic about our cheeses, about where they came from, what they mean to us, and why you’ll love them. It can be hard to keep all the information straight and sort through what we’ve told you, but if there’s anything to take away from this project or our shop, it’s this: Roquefort and Riesling are so darn good together. Maybe you have to be a blue cheese lover to enjoy Roquefort, but you only need to be a fan of crisp, acidic, delicious white wine to love Riesling.

Why we love the cheese

Maison Carles has been making Carles Roquefort since 1922. They are one of the smallest and most dedicated producers of this traditional cheese, using only delicious, herbaceous, buttery sheep milk from their own farm. Rich, slightly spicy, and speckled with crunchy crystals, this melt-in-your-mouth blue cheese is what blue cheese dreams are made of. If you’d like to learn more, click here.

Why we love the wine

Nik Weis Riesling Kabinett comes from the heart of the Mosel where it’s grown and crafted by a third-generation winemaker who’s been involved with the vineyards since he was a young boy. This Riesling has complex notes of tart lemons, sweet peaches, fresh melon and ripe tropical fruits. Right along the fruit notes are pops of minerality and earth, adding a lovely depth to this off-dry, acidic, gorgeous example of high quality Riesling.

Why we love the pairing

Riesling, especially when off-dry, is the perfect pairing for spice. Carles Roquefort has a surprising amount of prickly, zippy, spiciness. Not spice from chili, but piquantness from both the sheep’s milk and the strain of mold itself, Penicillium roqueforti. This Kabinett Riesling eases the cheese’s zip perfectly while the acidic richness in the cheese softens the Riesling’s acid just enough.

What else you should do with it

While we’re still in the throes of winter squash season, make an incredible roast squash dinner featuring Carles Roquefort crumbles, candied pecans, and spicy arugula, all paired with a glass of Nik Weis Riesling. Roast the squash for long enough to develop lots of caramelization and use some cumin and cinnamon to flavor. And don’t forget the flakey salt!

Fermier Jouvence

By Austin Coe Butler

To the despair of some of our customers, you can’t get a “real” French Camembert in the United States, and by “real” they mean a camembert made with raw, unpasteurized milk. Raw milk is hard to come by in the US, and currently the FDA has a federal prohibition on the sale of raw milk cheeses under 60 days of age. That’s why, with the very special exception of one cheese, when you look at our case all the soft cheese is pasteurized. But I’m convinced that the soft cheeses we carry from Ferme de Jouvence are the closest you can get to a “real,” raw French Camembert or Brie in the United States, and they’re a revelation to most people.

What sets these cheeses apart from others it the way they are made. The French have a unique classification system for cheese. Cheeses from Ferme de Jouvence are fermier, or farmhouse, meaning that the cheese is made on the same farm where the milk comes from. It’s generally regarded as one of the highest quality standards, signifying that everything from rearing and milking the animals to making the cheese and maturing it all takes place on the farm. But to call these cheeses fermier is almost an understatement, because Ferme de Jouvence is dedicated to a holistic approach to the whole process of agriculture.

Situated in the small commune of La Boissière-École alongside the Rambouillet forest, just 25 miles southwest of Paris, Ferme de Jouvence has been family run and operated for generations and is home to about 150 cows and 400 goats. The name of the farm, Ferme de Jouvence, translates roughly to “Farm of Rejuvenation” and they are committed to organic, regenerative farming practices. The landscape of the farm is dominated by chestnuts, oaks, and firs, providing shade to the animals in the summer. Fields of cereal grains, white mustard, daikon, alfalfa, and buckwheat are grown in succession to promote soil health and provide fodder for the animals. Their rich, whole milk is used within 12 hours of milking to make cheese. The farm also utilizes a “methanizer,” which resembles a large bladder that collects methane from the animals’s manure and converts it into biogas to power the farm and organic fertilizer to rejuvenate the fields, which in turn feeds the animals, is turned into milk, then cheese, and so on again and again. 

Ferme de Jouvence does not need to export their cheese. They could easily sell all their cheese locally, and importing such a small amount of cheese to the United States must be a legal and logistical nightmare for them. But by their mercy or beneficence they have decided to export cheese to us, and the difference in flavor and quality is worth it. 

If you’ve only ever had Brillat Savarin, Delice de Bourgogne, or Fromage d’Affinois, more modern, refined double and triple crèmes, I encourage you to try Ferme de Jouvence’s Brie Fermier or Camembert Fermier. (For those of you wondering what the difference between brie and camembert is, it mostly comes down to size: camemberts tend to be small rounds between 5-8 inches while bries can be large, shield-like disks.) They both have a rich, buttery paste like good French salted butter and, owing to the mold Penicilium camemberti on the rind, they have a distinct, complex aroma of freshly cut broccoli, snapped asparagus, or crimini mushrooms still with some dirt from the forest floor on them. Recently, when I included Brie Fermier in a class, the students' reaction to trying this cheese was marked by audible gasps and jubilant exclamations!

Ferme de Jouvence also makes three other cheeses. For those looking for a more mild entry point into the world of French farmstead cheeses, consider Ferme de Jouvence’s St. Jacques, a step up from Fromage d’Affinois in terms of flavor with a little bit of a cultured butter flavor. Ferme de Jouvence also makes a goat Camembert, Jouvenceau, which is one of the creamiest goat cheeses I’ve ever had and a great substitute for your typical Camembert. They also make an ash-rinded goat blue cheese called Persillé de Chevre, with a fudgey texture and a nice balance of blue spice and goat pepperiness.

Cook like a Monger: Gigantes Plaki

by Austin Coe Butler

Obsessions are difficult to explain. By their nature they defy explanation and reside outside of reason. So I will just tell you that I have become obsessed with Rancho Gordo beans, and that this obsession has turned me into the kind of person who eats beans at least three times a week, has a bean club membership, buys clay pottery and cazuelas exclusively to cook beans in, and has about thirty pounds of dried beans in my larder. And being bean obsessed, one of my favorite bean dishes has become Gigantes Plaki, a Greek baked bean dish packed full of vegetables; it has a delicious agrodolce sauce of tomatoes, vinegar, and honey, and highlights glorious, giant beans. Made on a lazy Sunday or afternoon, you can eat Gigantes Plaki throughout the week, though I doubt it will last that long. The Greeks use a bean called Gigandes (literally “Giant”), but we sell these incredible Royal Corona beans from Rancho Gordo that are a perfect substitute. Royal Corona beans are truly regal beans that demand to be the center of any dish they’re in. When cooked, they can reach the size of your thumb. Their thick skins and densely creamy interior make them perfect in soups, stews, and salads, or marinated, baked, and sauced like pasta. 

Ingredients:

1 bag (1 lb.) Rancho Gordo Royal Corona Beans 

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 leek, sliced

1 red onion, diced

¼ cup parsley, minced

¼ cup dill, minced

1 lb baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

250 g Bianco di Napoli tomatoes, crushed or blended 

2 tbsp Bianco di Napoli tomato paste

2 oz. honey, preferably a more savory type like pine, buckwheat, or chestnut honey

¼ cup La Guinelle Banyuls red wine vinegar

½ cup EVOO

½ lb. Essex Lesbos Feta

1. Check the beans for debris and rinse them. Soak them in plenty of cold, fresh water so that they are covered by at least two inches of water. Add a generous two finger pinch of salt to the water; this won’t make the beans tough. I don’t normally soak dried beans before cooking them, but because of the brobdingnagian size of these beans, a soak of at least eight hours, overnight, or even 24 hours helps them hydrate and cook more evenly and quickly. If you don’t soak them, expect the time it takes to parcook them to be anywhere from 1 to 5 hours. I choose to soak them for 24 hours and cook them in their soaking liquid with 1 bay leaf in an Instapot pressure cooker on high for 12 minutes. (If you choose to cook them in fresh water, add salt to the water again.) If you are using a traditional stovetop pot instead of a pressure cooker, the time to parcook the beans should take around an hour to an hour and a half. The beans need to be parcooked, though, otherwise they’ll turn to mush in the oven. Test them from time to time to see if they are still toothsome with a bit of graininess. A good indicator is to squeeze one and see if the cotyledons slip from the skin and easily split in half. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach by salting it in a large bowl or colander and massaging it until wilted. Allow it to drain for 10 minutes then squeeze as much water out as you can. Roughly chop the spinach and reserve it in a large bowl.

3. Prepare the remaining vegetables and herbs, placing them in the large bowl with the spinach. For the leek, use only the white and light green parts. Split the leek in half and then cut ribbons about an ⅛ inch wide. Rinse these in a bowl of water to remove any sediment and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. The sand should sink to the bottom and you can skim the clean, floating leeks from the surface. 

4. Once the beans are par cooked, remove them from their cooking liquid and place them in the large bowl with the vegetables. Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, crushed or blended tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and a generous pinch of salt. Fold them gently to combine and avoid splitting the beans. Pour this mixture into a 9x12 casserole dish. If there isn’t enough liquid to just cover the beans, add some of the bean broth or water. Place a sheet tray under the casserole dish to prevent any liquid from bubbling over onto the oven.

5. Bake in a 350º F oven and for an hour to an hour and a half. Test a bean for doneness. It should be creamy, buttery, without any graininess and a rich sweet and sour sauce should have formed.

6. Allow to cool for ten minutes before topping with feta, fresh parsley and dill, and, if desired, a long, golden thread of olive oil.

   
   Questions, comments, or concerns about this recipe or others I’ve written? Write to me at austin@france44.com. Did you make this recipe? Take a photo of it and tag us in it @france44cheese! #CLAM

Swiss Cheese: Beyond the Deli Slice

by Austin Coe Butler

When we think of Swiss cheese in the United States, we might think of a pale, thin slice of cheese with holes in it that tastes like plastic and is not that dissimilar from its parody on the receiving end of a mousetrap. We might also think of a bubbling pot of fondue or blistered raclette. We might even be able to name one cheese, Gruyère. This is the sum total of Swiss cheese for most Americans. The Swiss, though, have an august tradition of making a rich diversity of cheeses that rivals that of the French and were it not for the actions of a nefarious cheese cartel our associations with Swiss cheese would be much more bountiful.

The stark geography of the grand and imposing Swiss Alps led to the creation of hundreds of distinct, regional cheeses. Many of these traditional cheeses fall under the category of “Alpine” or cooked, pressed cheeses. The harsh winters and relative isolation of settlements required farmers to band together and pool their milk to create huge wheels of Gruyère, Emmental, and Sbrinz that could be eaten throughout the winter. During the Alpine cheesemaking process, the curd is cooked at a high temperature and cut finely to the size of a pea to drive more liquid whey out of the curd. Then the curd is pressed into moulds to drive even more whey out. Cheeses with high moisture in them spoil quickly and large cheeses especially can rot from the inside, bulge with gas, and then “heave” or explode! Some Swiss cheesemakers mastered this art though, as in Emmental or “Swiss,” which has a distinct bulge in its wheel and large holes or eyes from the gas produced by a specific bacteria, Proprionibacteria.

Another unique feature of Swiss cheese is the access to incredible mountain pastures in the summer. High on the mountainsides, when the snow has melted, vibrant meadows become accessible. Owing to a scarcity of farmland, shepherds took their flocks from the valleys onto the mountainsides to forage these wild, mountain pastures comprised of herbs, wildflowers, and grasses and found they produced some of the finest milk, butter, and cheese. This act of transhumance, the high altitude meadows, and the composition of pasture, all came to be known as Alpage.

The isolation of each each Alp or Alpage ensures that they have their own unique style of cheese with its own terroir. Speaking about terroir and cheese may sound farcical to some, but cheese is an incredibly dynamic food. We once carried two wheels of Gruyère Alpage from opposite sides of the same valley and the difference in flavor between them left some incredulous: one was deeply savory, like sugar cured bacon and caramelized onions, while the other was delicate in flavor, with a fruitiness and subtle tang like a fine alpine strawberry.

How then did this incredible tradition and regional diversity of cheese become so debased? The Schweizerei Käseunion (Swiss Cheese Union). Many refer to it as the Swiss Cheese Cartel because it operated like a cartel. It exerted total control over every facet of cheese production in Switzerland from marketing at home and abroad to quality control enforcement and price regulation. They benefitted from keeping prices high and competition low, producing and promoting primarily Emmental, Gruyère, Sbrinz, and Appenzeller, while actively discouraging the production of other lesser known cheeses, let alone newly invented ones. They purposefully mislabeled lower quality cheeses bound for the export market to demand a higher price. The Swiss Cheese Cartel is responsible for our associations with Emmental as “Swiss” cheese, as they had large stockpile of old Emmental they needed to move and in turn led an aggressive marketing campaign of fondue in Switzerland as well as abroad. Melting cheese in a pot is a very old tradition for many people, but what we distinctly think of as “fondue” is also the confabulation of the Swiss Cheese Union. (The proliferation of the term fondue also led to the creation of chocolate fondue which was made to sell, surprise, a Swiss chocolate, Toblerone.)

In 1999, though, the Swiss Cheese Cartel buckled under a corruption scandal and Swiss cheesemakers were free to return to their traditional cheeses and innovate new ones. Independent cheese makers like Walter Räss, Jumi, the Tschudi family, and importers like Caroline Hofstettler through her program Adopt an Alp, are all doing their part to restore and preserve the vibrant tradition of cheesemaking in Switzerland.

What better weekend to celebrate Swiss cheese than one where we’re buried in so much snow it feels like we’re on an Alp? Strap on your snowshoes and trudge into the shop this week to try some fabulous Swiss cheese, all 15% off through Sunday! 

Gruyere 1655 + Oberto Dolcetto

by Sophia Stern

Why we love the cheese 

Gruyère is well known and well-loved for a reason, and we think the 1655 Gruyère is the best example out there. Fruity, savory, nutty, 1655 Gruyère is an excellent table cheese or pantry cheese to use for all your melty cheese needs.  

Why we love the wine 

Dolcetto is one of the lesser-known grapes of Piedmont, but a great varietal to get acquainted with. Fabio Oberto Dolcetto D’Alba is pleasantly acidic and food friendly. This Dolcetto is balanced by fruity aromas of forest berries, medium tannins, and a fuller body 

Why we love the pairing 

Like any good duo, the cheese and wine smooth out each other's rougher edges- the wine draws out the fruiter notes of the Gruyère, while the butteriness of the cheese rounds off the wine's tannins and acid.  

What else you should do with it  

This pairing screams to be used for French Onion Soup! Comte, from the French side of the Alps, is the cheese traditionally melted atop a bowl of this classic French dish, but Gruyère works just as well. The earthy, bright qualities of the Dolcetto will balance the decadent sweet and savory nature of the famous onion stew, making for the perfect meal!  

Cook like a Meat Monger: Pork Chili Verde

by Matt Gruber

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” -Albert Camus.

Early in life I was inspired by Camus and his philosophies. While he isn't known for his passion for food, strong flavor, or cooking, he is known for absurdism and some cornerstones of philosophical thinking. For me, cooking is very philosophical, questioning things like why Thai sweet basil instead of purple basil? Should I leave my steak out to come to room temperature before cooking? Why do I want dried beans instead of canned beans? After cooking someone's recipe once, I always question it and begin to tweak it in my own way, seeking purpose for my changes and enhancements. Currently in the depth of winter, I am bringing you my take on a recipe I am deeply passionate about : Pork Chili Verde.

I remember my first few months as a Meatmonger in Saint Paul: the man himself, Nick Mangigian, was asking me what's something good I have cooked recently. In a slump, I honestly didn't have anything interesting or creative I had cooked outside of assembling a peanut butter and pickle sandwich (honestly you have to try it, trust me).  He recommended a simple yet delicious recipe - Chili Verde. I was intrigued, cooking dishes from Mexican origin was always a staple in my household. I gathered what supplies I could from the shop and was off to get my peppers and other ingredients from the co-op. After cooking the dish I was floored, such simple seasonings from the spice cabinet and most of the flavor coming from the peppers and tomatillos, it was a dish to cry for. I was hooked, cooking it with chicken, beef, and pork I just couldn't get enough. To this day its one of our favorite things we recommend to customers. This time around I am using the addition of Pork Osso Buco to add a bit of extra flavor and collagen. Strap in and buckle up, this recipe will warm your soul and open up your own invincible summer during these last cold winter nights.

My take on this recipe uses less poblano peppers, the addition of carrots and their green tops for a welcomed sweetness and earthiness, and the secret ingredient- Secret Aardvark Serrabanero. You'll just need a dutch oven and an immersion blender to replicate this dish.

Feeds 2 people with leftovers, 4 people one meal.

Prep time : 1hr

Cook time : 2hr

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cumin

4 cloves garlic

2 carrots with green tops

2# tomatillos with husk

1 green pepper

1/2 poblano pepper

1 jalapeno pepper

1 serrano pepper

1 onion, save 1/3rd for garnish

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1/2# Pork shoulder cubed

1# Pork Osso Buco

1/2 cup Secret Aardvark Serrabanero

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Dehusk your tomatillos, slice peppers, carrots with stems, and onion. Deseed peppers to preference of heat, and place all ingredients on a baking tray.

2. Place sliced ingredients from step one in the oven. cube up pork shoulder and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside pork until you've let step 1's ingredients cook for 15 minutes in the oven.

3. Turn the oven up to broil and cook ingredients for another 10 minutes or until a bit charred and soft. Preheat the dutch oven on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Place pork in a dutch oven with some extra virgin olive oil, brown pork then remove and set aside in a separate vessel.

4. Remove peppers, tomatillos, carrots and onion from the oven and place in the dutch oven. Add cumin and Serrabanero hot sauce. Place 2 cups chicken stock into the veggie mixture and use an immersion blender to blitz until all chunks are gone and consistency is that of a thick salsa.

5. Set the oven to 350. Place pork into freshly blended mixture and cook in the oven with lid half on for one hour. After one hour, stir and add 1/2 cup more chicken stock. Place back in the oven with the lid half on for another hour.

6. During this period you can cook your rice. I picked Jasmine rice because it's what I had around, any rice will do honestly. After your rice is cooked and the pork has braised for another hour, assemble and enjoy. Garnish with cilantro, diced white onion, and a squirt of lime juice. 

Cook like a Cheesemonger: Steak au Poivre

by Austin Butler

We have an incredible new product tucked away on our shelves—green salt-cured peppercorns from Cambodia. They are bright, salty, and spicy, with a vegetal kick that’s right at home in a bowl of green curry. But I wanted to try them in a bistro classic that’s perfect for a Valentine’s Day menu: Steak au Poivre. Nowadays you see Steak au Poivre made with black peppercorns, but traditionally it was made with brined green peppercorns. This dish sauce comes together quickly like most bistro dishes (bistro comes from the Russian быстрее or “quicker!”). Served alongside a simple salad and a potato dish like Pommes Lyonnaise or Fondant Potatoes, you have a meal to swoon over.

Steak of your choosing (I used 2 x 8 oz. New York Strips)

1 shallot, minced

200 g. crème fraîche (about one 8oz container)

3 tbsp unsalted butter

50 g/ 3 tbsp Mill Pepper Co. Ltd Green Kampot Salt Cured Peppercorns

3 tbsp Brandy / Cognac (I used Lustau)

1 c beef stock

Parsley

Tips: While the flambé is optional, I highly recommend it. Besides the impressive display, it gives you a visual cue when the alcohol has cooked off. Brace yourself for a WHOOSH! And be sure to have adequate clearance above the range and stand back lest you lose your eyebrows.

1. Lightly season the steak with salt and then generously season it with black pepper. The green peppercorns are cured in salt and will be our primary source of salt. Use unsalted butter and, if you’re using another brand of beef stock, be sure to use low sodium or no sodium stock.

2. Cook the steak to your desired preference. I allowed the New York Strips to temper for an hour and then pan seared them over high heat for about 4 minutes each side until the internal temperature read 135º (medium rare). Remove them from the pan and allow them to rest while you build the pan sauce. Remove any excess oil from the pan.

3. Return the pan to medium heat. Add a knob of butter and the shallots to the pan and scrape up the fond.

4. Add the green peppercorns.

5. Add the cognac or brandy. Flambé! Reduce the sauce to almost nothing.

6. Add the beef stock and reduce for several minutes until it is syrupy. You can use France 44 Demi instead of Beef Stock to speed this process up.

7. Add the crème fraîche slowly to prevent it from breaking.

8. Reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon and a clean line is left when you drag a finger across it. Taste it and adjust the seasoning accordingly. I usually add more freshly cracked black pepper. 

9. Serve over the steak and garnish with parsley.

Note: these NY Strips had a pretty significant fat cap, but that could be trimmed down per your preference.

L'amuse Signature Two-Year Gouda: An Unexpected Marriage

by Sophia Stern

Why we love the cheese 

 It’s rare for a gouda aged for as long as L’Amuse Signature to have such a wonderful texture without compromising flavor. The paste is full of satisfying, crunchy crystals, but isn’t too firm or too dry. The addictive flavors of caramel and butterscotch are balanced with the cheese’s acidity, preventing this gouda from eating too sweet.  

Why we love the wine 

Champalou Vouvray is an elegant and highly drinkable wine. Made by a couple who come from a long lineage of winemakers, this 100% Chenin Blanc Loire Valley wine is acidic and bright, with notes of pear and green apple. There’s just enough earthy complexity to round the wine out, offering a smooth and delicious drinking experience.  

Why we love the pairing 

A white wine and an aged gouda are not the most common pairing, but we promise this really works. The slightly surprising acidity of the gouda mellows the acidity of the Vouvray. The dry wine also rounds out the sweeter notes in the cheese, without erasing them. And most importantly, the body of the wine allows those craveable crystals to continue to crunch.  

What else you should do with it   

Our favorite way to enjoy this gouda is with a drizzle of caramel, preferably the Fat Toad Farm Goat’s Milk Caramel. If you want to go the extra mile, pair a bite of caramel and gouda with a spoonful of your favorite vanilla ice cream. 

Cook Like a Meatmonger: Bulgogi (St. Paul Style!)

by Matt Gruber

One month down, one fresh month loaded. The 28 days of all things love: February. Not only do we get to spend this month reinvesting in our various relationships, (I think) we should also spend this month rediscovering what we love about food. I cannot pinpoint when exactly my love for Korean food started, but I am sure I was too young to even understand the dynasty era techniques and history that were involved with what I was putting in to my little American stomach. Everything from kimchi to bibimbap, and all the instant noodles in between—I was hooked. Textural contrasts, depth of flavor, and spice all excited my palate in new ways, and continue to now in 2023. I decided to take a crack at a classic, bulgogi. I have had this dish in its most traditional form (usually skirt or tenderloin scraps pounded thin) all the way to the American gastropub burger take on it. Existing in one way or another for thousands of years, it made its place at the table during the Joseon Dynasty. While its origins date back to the Goguryeo era when it went by a different name, maekjeok, I am going off the beaten path to bring you an affordable way to spin this dish. During ground beef month, another thing to love during February, all the ground beef is discounted at our shops, making it a perfect time to test drive this recipe.

Ingredients:

8oz ground beef (80/20)

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1 tsp ground ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp soy sauce or ponzu (1tbs soy sauce, 1tbs hot sauce if you want some extra spice)

2 tbsp brown sugar (you can use white sugar and honey/molasses as a sub for brown sugar)

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 bunch green onions

2 pinches white and or black sesame seeds for garnish

2 tbsp shiitake mushroom powder

2 cups jasmine rice

1 tbsp olive oil

5 baby portabella mushrooms (can use more to replace ground beef for vegetarian option)

1 carrot, shredded (garnish)

Quick Pickle:

1 glass jar, I used old faithful (empty pickle jar)

2 small cucumbers, sliced thin

1 jalapeno, sliced thin

1 cup vinegar, such as white, apple cider, or rice wine

1 cup water

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp whole peppercorn

1 tsp mustard seed

You can add a sauce to garnish, mayo + sriracha + soy (optional)

1. Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Meanwhile, pack your vegetables into a clean jar. Pour the finished brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine. Prep up to 48 hours beforehand, minimum 1 hour. These will last up to two months in the fridge.

2. Add onion, ginger, garlic, soy / ponzu, brown sugar, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar to ground beef, thoroughly mix and refrigerate for up to 24hr.

3. Saute sliced mushrooms with a sprinkle of green onions in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

4. Start cooking your rice and get your favorite cast iron or heavy bottom pan ready for the beef.

5. Cook your ground beef until well browned. Remove from heat and plate over rice with pickled cucumber, jalapeno, shredded carrots, and mushrooms.

6. Step 6 (optional): Mix mayo + your favorite hot sauce + a splash of soy in a bowl for a creamy topping.

And there you have it! An American meatmongers take on bulgogi, ground beef style; trying to stay true to the classic flavors while adding a bit of personal flair.