FIFTY-EIGHT & FIFTY-NINE : BRAISED PORK SHANK W/ GIGANTE BEANS

NOVEMBER 4 2011


FIFTY-EIGHT : BRAISED PORK SHANK WITH GIGANTE BEANS & ROSEMARY
FIFTY-NINE : GIGANTE BEANS

So far we have had such a lovely fall with crisp sunny days and very little rain (despite all the warnings that this is another La Nina year). It's making me feel a little better about summer being over and winter around the corner. Another thing helping me cope with the changing seasons is braised pork shanks! Talk about warm, comforting food. These babies are just what I need to survive the dark, dreary nights.

I will admit that not everything came together perfectly. I foolishly did not fully read the supporting Gigante Beans recipe so did not realize until there was about 2 hours to go that they were supposed to soak for 6 hours then simmer for 2 hours. Eep! Let's hope my trusty pressure cooker can save the day!

FIFTY-SEVEN : VEAL STOCK

OCTOBER 24 2011

Hypothesis : veal stock is indistinguishable from beef stock. Therefore it is not necessary to spend $13/pound on veal when $2/pound beef bones give me the same results.

Testing Method : prepare two pots of stock, one containing 2 pounds veal shanks and one containing 2 pounds beef bones, with all other ingredients being identical.

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It is very, very hard to justify spending $25 to make 4 cups of stock. It was actually painful. But I did, really, want to see what the fuss was all about.

veal shanks = expensive