The Indian

Shortly before I moved to DC, I was working at this really amazing restaurant. It was a fusion concept of American, Caribbean, Latin, and Asian Influences. Though I have stated many times that this is not my style of cooking, this food was well prepared and never over done, simplicity in another form. But I digress…. While helping this place to open they brought in a painter to paint HUGE oranges, and this really tropical theme in the restaurant. When he arrived we brought him to the local home depot to buy supplies, and we were trying to push him to buy the name brand expensive brushes and paint. Finally he looked and said. “It is not the bow, nor the arrow…. It is the Indian!”

BRILLIANT! There is no better way to describe the way I am or how I cook! Yes we as chefs all love the GREAT and expensive ingredients. But time and time again I am drawn to the simplicity of the cheaper, less expensive stuff to draw my inspiration from. Being able to take chicken, lettuce, oil, vinegar, salt, and combine it in a way to where it taste good is a lot harder than being handed the best of the best.

Just like a pilot in an airplane, or a captain of a boat, it is great to have a million dollar GPS system behind you but what if that fails, you need to break out the map and know how to use the most basic of systems.

As a chef, “varietals” meats, or ingredients with less fan fare, such as pork belly, liver, beef cheeks, turnips, Brussels sprouts, lamb shoulders, all these ingredients are simple, inexpensive and have great flavor and are normally forgotten about, but with the right time and technique can outshine even the most expensive cuts of meat and fish that are more likely to adorn Haute Cuisine menus.

It comes down to the “Indian.” We as chefs, cooks, bachelors, and bachelorettes, must learn to take the simplest of things and create something beautiful with it, both in and out of the kitchen. This is the true mark of a really developing your craft.

Pork Cheeks Braised in Honey and Cloves! A great Fall dish!

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, finely sliced

2-3 sticks celery, chopped

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, whole

2 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

6 whole cloves

1 tea sp tomato paste

4 tblsp honey

4 pig’s cheeks, trimmed

4 cups chicken stock (pork stock if you have it)

1/4 cup white wine

Freshly ground salt and pepper

12 baby turnips, blanched until just tender

12 baby carrots, blanched until just tender

Heat the oil in a casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Add the leek, celery, onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the bay leaf, thyme, cloves and tomato purée. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the honey and cook for a further 2-3 minutes to gain some color.

Add the pork cheeks, stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes to coat. Add the stock and wine. Bring to the boil, season, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 2-3 hours.

Remove from the oven, lift the cheeks from the stock and reserve. Strain the stock and place in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow the mixture to reduce in volume by half. skim off any fat that rises to the top. once reduce by 1/2 check seasoning, i like th squeeze a hint of lemon in there!

Add the cheeks to the stock with the baby vegetables. Warm through for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to four warmed serving bowls. Serve with plenty of Mashed Potatoes.