American Season's Recipes
These are one of the most popular items for fall they can be served with crushed potatoes and roasted winter vegetables or the barley risotto recipe works great with these, also the caramelized onion marmalade is a great accompaniment. These are delicious and so simple to make.
4 Berkshire Pork Shanks
1 Onion finely Diced
1 Carrot peeled and finely diced
3 sticks of celery finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic minced
3 cups of red cooking wine
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 quart of beef stock
3 fresh bay leaves
1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs, Rosemary, thyme and oregano
2 tablespoons Olive oil
• Place a large roasting pan large enough for all your ingredients on the stove top on a low heat.
• Heat olive oil in the pan, season the shanks with salt and pepper and place in the pan, browning the shanks on all sides.
• Turn the heat to medium and add the remainder of the ingredients insuring that the liquid reaches ≤ of the way up on the shanks.
• Bring shanks in the pan to a low simmer remove from heat cover with foil and place in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. Cook for four hours or until the meat easily slides from the bone.
• Remove from liquid and place on a heated platter for serving, spoon some of the reduced liquid over the shanks.
• Strain the remainder of the pan liquid through a fine strainer and use as gravy.
6 pounds beef soup bones
1 large onion
3 large carrots
1/2 cup water
2 stalks celery, including some leaves
1 large tomato
1/2 cup chopped parsnip
1/2 cup cubed potatoes
8 whole black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves garlic
12 cups water
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Slice onion. Chop scrubbed celery and carrots into 1-inch chunks. In a large shallow roasting pan place soup bones, onion, and carrots. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally.
• Drain off fat. Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and rinse. Pour this liquid into soup pot. Add celery, tomato, parsnips, potato parings, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic. Add the 12 cups water.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 hours. Strain stock. Discard meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
• To clarify stock for clear soup: In order to remove solid flecks that are too small to be strained out with cheesecloth, combine 1/4 cup cold water, 1 egg white, and 1 crushed eggshell. Add to strained stock. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain again through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.
Use this seasoned paste for any recipe that calls for canned tomato paste. This keeps for months.
4 lg. red or green bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 med. size onions, coarsely chopped
4 med. size carrots, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
In a blender or food processor, whirl tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic, a small amount at a time, until smooth.
Press through a wire strainer and discard pulp.
In a large pot, bring puree to boiling over medium high heat.
Boil gently, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 5 hours or until thick enough to mound on a spoon.
As mixture thickens, stir often, reduce heat, and partially cover.
Prepare 5 pint size canning jars, using the water bath method with a Canning Kettle, filling jars to within 1/4 inch of rim.
Place in a blender and Process for 30 minutes.
Makes 5 pints.
