I don’t know about you, but sometimes no matter how hard I try, a recipe that looks promising just doesn’t work out like you wanted it to. This has happened to me recently with opposite results, one good and one not so good. Let’s start with the bad results.

How Not to Braise Pork Chops

I had purchased some fresh pork chops on the bone at the farmers market and wanted to braise them rather than go out in the freezing cold and grill them. I did a search on the Internet for braised pork chop recipes and found one that looked good from a reputable site. It was for braised pork chops with apples.

Now I realize that center cut loin pork chops may not be the best cut of pork to braise because they are a lean, tender cut, but I have been served braised pork chops in restaurants and they have been fine. This recipe had me start by seasoning the chops with a few seasonings, searing them in a hot pan, removing the chops, deglazing the pan and braising the apple wedges in some cider and rum.

I added the pork chops back to the pan, covered them with the apples then covered the pan and stuck it into a 350 degrees F preheated oven for “10 – 15 minutes until the pork chops are juicy and succulent.” Problem was, the pork chops came out dry and tough as nails. Not inedible, but not the juicy, succulent results I was hoping for.

Trust Your Gut

When I was preparing this dish, my instincts told me something wasn’t right, but I didn’t trust my own experiences and figured the professional who posted this recipe must be right. I’m here to say if something doesn’t feel right when you are preparing a dish from a recipe, trust your gut and do some more research. I was in a hurry and didn’t stop to really check out several recipes before deciding on this one.

What Went Wrong?

I immediately emailed Chef Todd Mohr the recipe and what happened and asked him what went wrong. Here’s what Chef Todd Mohr whose incredibly informative cooking videos are now featured on my site said:

“ Keep in mind that you’re asking the chef who thinks we should all burn our recipes because of their inherent flaws and variables, to analyze a recipe.  Cooking is most enjoyable and most often successful when you combine your own creativity with basic cooking methods.  It’s no fun to follow someone else’s opinion as to how something should be cooked.  You’re naturally set up for disappointment when you try to duplicate someone else’s rigid set of instructions.

With that in mind, the basic cooking method of braising is to cook in a small amount of liquid usually after browning.  The protein product is only partially covered in liquid so that in a covered pot, it steams in the liquid.  Braising is most often used for tougher cuts of meat that will benefit from long, slow, moist heat.  More tender cuts of meat aren’t the best candidates for braising, nor are thinner cuts, as the combination cooking process can ultimately make the product moist, but over-coagulate proteins, making it tough.

As for your pork chop, I think you have two possible issues with this recipe.  The first exception I take to a recipe is anything that mentions time.  "…about 4 minutes each side."  I get the feeling that this recipe is made for a 2-inch thick chop.  If your pork chop is 1/2 inch cut from the local grocery store, it’ll be fully cooked after 8 minutes for sure.

Next, I always think of braising as "low and slow".  I would never braise something above 300 degrees, usually about 275.  Again, times mentioned in recipes can be fatal to the cook.  With variations in oven temperatures, thickness and make up of pans, and types of heat, I can’t imagine how anyone can tell you exactly how long something will take to cook in your kitchen.  Also, "…10 to 15 minutes" of braising is kind of an oxy-moron.  ANY braising dish I know of is for about an hour.  Braising for 15 minutes is really called poaching.

So, what I think might have happened with your chops is that you have a thinner cut of pork than the recipe was written for, the chop was fully cooked in a saute method, then cooked in liquid that was at too high a temperature for too short an amount of time.

I’d remedy the recipe by using a thicker chop, searing it only until it browns slightly and the fat reaches smoke point in a VERY hot pan, then deglaze and braise at 275 degrees for an hour or more.

Ultimately, I’d stick with veal shank or oxtail or tongue for braising.  A nice pork chop should probably be sautéed with pan sauce anyway.  That’s my opinion.”

Spaghetti and Meatballs – Well sort of……

This weekend we were having some friends over for dinner and we thought it would be fun to make homemade fresh pasta and serve it with homemade meatballs. We have a great recipe from the mom of one of my wife’s best friends. Whenever we go to her friend’s house, we always request that she ask her mom to make some of her fabulous meatballs for us to take home.

One weekend, years ago, her friend came to Philly with her mom for a visit, and we asked her to show us how she makes these tasty delights. My wife quickly wrote down every step so we could duplicate the recipe ourselves. What happened when we tried to make the meatballs this weekend? We found out a critical step in the process was missing. The method includes browning the meatballs in olive oil and letting them cook in the sauce until done.

Our problem was the meatballs fell apart while we were browning them. It was a disaster. They were flattening out and sticking to the pan and then pulling apart when we tried to turn them. It was a mess and we were so disappointed with what was happening.

We managed to salvage more than half the meatballs and get them into the sauce but the first time we stirred the sauce we knew they weren’t going to hold up very long.

What Went Wrong

I immediately called my wife’s friend who I knew had made these meatballs with her mom many times and asked her what she thought went wrong. We went through every step of the recipe only to find out we were missing a small but consequential step.

One of the ingredients for the meatballs is day old crusty Italian bread that you cut up into small cubes and soak in milk. We didn’t have any day old bread on hand, so I figured we could use breadcrumbs. And that would be just fine, if you don’t skip the step we missed: squeezing the excess milk out of the bread (crumbs) before adding the rest of the ingredients and combining with the meat.

Our meatballs looked good but, since they were loaded with so much moisture, when we starting to brown them, they fell apart. We were left with these wonderful globs of chopped meat combined with other delicious ingredients that were half browned and didn’t look anything like meatballs.

The Show Must Go On

We decided to cook our non-meatballs in the sauce anyway and make a meat sauce to go with our fresh pasta and I can honestly say, it was the best meat sauce I’ve ever made. The combination of the other ingredients with the browned meat combined to produce a wonderfully thick and delicious meat sauce that our guests couldn’t get enough of. I can’t wait to have leftovers tonight now that the flavors in the sauce have had time to meld. It’s going to be amazing.

Conclusions

So here are two instances in which the recipes I started with didn’t work but the results were completely different. Although the pork chops were dry, they still could be eaten and were nourishing. On the other hand, the disaster with the meatballs turned out to be a new way for me to make meat sauce in the future.
So don’t give up if a recipe doesn’t seem to be working out. It’s like that old saying – If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

My wife sent me to the Ardmore Farmer’s Market with instructions to come home with a "delicious, creamy, goat cheese that can be spread on crusty French bread." With mission in hand I immediately checked in with my my favorite cheesemonger, Jack who turned me onto Chabichou du Poitou, a soft, unpasteurized goat’s milk cheese made in the Poitou-Charentes region of France.

This is a delightful cheese that you may be able to find if you have a great cheese shop near you but if not, I’ve listed a couple of online sources at the end of the post.

The Short Story

Type: Goat’s milk
Origin: Poitou-Charentes region, France
Process: Barely ripened (10 days to three weeks)
Texture: Firm and creamy
Shape: Cylindrical to slightly conical
Color: Bright white
Rind: Thin and white with some yellow and blue mold
Flavor: Sweet, goaty, salty, slightly acidic

The Rest of the Story

Chabichou du Poitou, like many other famous cheeses, is only produced in specific regions. In the case of this cheese, it is made in the Poitou-Charentes region. For those of you who, like me, aren’t very familiar with French geography, the Poitou-Charentes region is located about 100 miles north of the city of Bordeaux and about 30 miles inland from the west coast. It is halfway between Paris and Bordeaux.

About the size of a wine tumbler, it is made from whole goats’ milk, and as such, has the characteristic “bright white” color in its interior. What makes this cheese so special is that it not only has an edible rind, but right beneath the rind is a thin buttery layer before you slice down into the firm, creamy, white center. It’s these three flavors and textures that give this cheese such complexity. It is very “goaty,” but in the best way possible. It also tastes somewhat sweet with a bit of a salty/tangy edge at the end when you swallow.

You can eat Chabichou du Poitou when it is young (up to 3 weeks) with a white paste that may be a little chewy, ripe (up to 6 weeks) with a spreadable texture and sweet flavor or dry (2 months) with a nutty flavor. Each will offer you a slightly different taste. The Chabichou I tasted was perfectly ripe, spreadable, mild and melts in your mouth.

A Little History

I was surprised to find out that the first goats were introduced to France by the Romans. Much later, the Saracens continued the practice of raising goats in and around the Loire Valley until they were eventually pushed out during the Battle of Poitiers. When they left, they left behind their goats along with the recipes they used to make goat cheese. So, the Chabichou du Poitou, named for the Arabic word for “goat,” has a history that begins back in the 8th century!

How It Is Made

While there is some industrialized production of Chabichou du Poitou, the best are still made using traditional methods. The process starts with whole, unpasteurized goat’s milk. It is slightly pressurized for a brief period, and then the curd is left to set up for a day or two at a specific temperature.

Afterwards, the curd is packed into molds that are perforated. The perforations allow the whey to drain and for the curd to become more solid. After a period of draining and turning, they are turned out of their molds and packed either in brine or with crystalline salt. Then, it is further drained, dried and then aged for at least ten days or up to three weeks. Some of the cheeses are even aged up to three months for a much more pronounced flavor and firmer end product.

Food & Wine Pairings

Like many goat cheeses, Chabichou pairs nicely with white wines. It is particularly nice to have with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc. If you can find a wine from the Loire region in France, that would be ideal. I like to enjoy Chabichou du Poitou just spread on a crusty baguette, but you could even serve it as a light end to a springtime meal.

I would not, however, sprinkle it on a salad. It is much too wonderful and complex on its own, and a “lesser” goat cheese would work just as well, and perhaps even better because it would be milder and would pair better with a vinaigrette. For the same reasons, I would never melt it into a sauce.

I did find one classic preparation that reminds me a little of a Caprese salad: put alternating slices of Chabichou du Poitou, cornichon (pickle) and tomato on a bed of cooked rice in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with a little oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and then drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350° F for half an hour and serve warm.

Where to Buy Chabichou du Poitou Online

Gourmet Food Store	Artisanal Premium Cheese

The Importance of Good Service

I always say that a mediocre meal can be saved by great service, but mediocre service can ruin even a great meal. I’m more likely to revisit a restaurant where the service is spectacular but the food is merely good than I am to revisit a multi star restaurant that offers lousy service. And it starts with first person who greets you at the restaurant especially the maître d’.

I specifically remember an experience here in Philly at one of the top rated restaurants where the maître d’ was a jerk and said he couldn’t find our reservation and treated my wife and me like second class citizens. When he finally took the time to check his book more closely and found our reservation, there were no apologies. Almost like he was doing us a favor to be able to eat at the restaurant.

Even though the food was fantastic and our server was perfect, I was so annoyed by the rude maître d’ my evening was ruined. I emailed the owner and told him about my experience and to his credit he made the rude maître d’ call and apologize. Didn’t matter, I have never been back to that restaurant since. There are just too many great restaurants out there who want our business, especially in this economy, we shouldn’t stand for mediocre service.

Being a Waiter Is Not An Easy Job

There are many distinguished culinary schools and restaurant management schools around the country but have you ever asked yourself where do restaurant waiters and servers learn their craft? Most of them learn by experience and are taught by the various establishments where they are employed. Many higher end restaurants require their wait staff to have a number of years of experience before offering them a position so I guess we can say waiters and servers work they way up with on the job training.

I can imagine that being a server is not easy, but I often wonder why there aren’t more good servers or more restaurants that demand good service. So, when “Sarge”, a young man who is a server trainer joined The Reluctant Gourmet Cooking Forum, I asked if he could tell me what it takes to be a great server. After reading his response, it is now clear to me that being a good server takes a lot of time and attention. Just like a football player must memorize the playbook, a server must know the menu and all the ingredients in all the dishes. He must know the numbers assigned to each table and be able to perform every server function in the manner prescribed by his/her restaurant.

I do not know where Sarge works, but based on the server training, I would bet that it’s a great restaurant. I was amazed at the thoroughness of the training. Demanding a 90% competency rate ensures that only the best servers stay on, and I can bet that it shows in the service. Sarge, I will happily eat at your restaurant any time. Next time I’m in Texas, I will look you up!

Here’s what Sarge has to say about the training that servers and server trainers must go through at his restaurant.

Day 1 - Get Acquainted

Servers at the restaurant I work at go through several days of training before they ever hit the floor.  The first day is devoted to learning the way the Host Stand works, the rotation, and learning the map (the table numbers and how many guests can sit at each table). After several hours of this, the trainee is given a detailed tour of the kitchen by a manager, then a brief rundown of the rest of the building.  

Days 2 & 3 - Plates

The next two days are called Plates.  During the first Plate training, the trainee is in the kitchen with a plate trainer (I am one of three in the restaurant) learning the various items we serve, how they are prepared, and how they are correctly garnished.  The trainee has, at this point, a very basic idea of ingredients and such, as they are provided with lists of each item.  

The trainer points out each item as it comes up on the line (all training is done during an actual shift) and describes each one, demonstrates the way to garnish each correctly, and if time allows runs the tray out to the floor with the trainee.  We have three items that require special table-side service, so if any of these items come up during the shift, the trainer will either go out with the trainee, or send the trainee out with the server who ordered the item in order to demonstrate the correct service.  The second Plate shift is a reversal of this process - the trainee will name, describe, and garnish items as they come up on the line.  

(more…)