Thursday, July 07, 2011

Success!!

So this is a lame-o post because I don't have any pictures to go with it and it's all about the success I had with my dinner adventure last night - which would REALLY benefit from pictures.

Instead, I was busy scarfing down my dinner.

Anyway, for my own records, I figured I would write down what I did. Especially since it totally killed two birds with one stone.

How, you say?

Well, in addition to our vegetable CSA, we also belong to a meat CSA. One of the things we get periodically is a ham steak and I never know what to do with it. At some point in the last year, I remember someone suggesting that they usually cook it and then chop it up and put it in other things - eggs, salads, bean dishes, etc. - and it is tasty and way more exciting than just eating a slab of ham.

So, last night, when faced with what-to-make-for-dinner, I decided to cook up TWO of those ham steaks. They broiled very easily for about 4 minutes on each side.

Then, I cut up and blanched my kale for four minutes.

While the kale was blanching, I thinly sliced four big shallots.

Then, I took a smidgen of the fat that had fallen from the ham steaks, poured it in my dutch oven and sauteed the shallots in it.

Lastly, I tossed in the blanched kale and the ham steaks, which I had chopped up into small pieces.

It was FANTASTIC!! My friend was totally right. Pork fat will cure anything! And now I am down two ham steaks and a bunch of kale.

Have you had any cooking successes recently?

2 comments:

  1. That sounds delicious - I don't know how big your dutch oven is or if you'd cut the ham up first, but I bet if you braised it in that pot and then cooked the shallots in there to scrape up all the brown bits, it would add one more level of depth. (I would like to pass legislation that would allow me to marry my dutch oven.)

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  2. I like to saute my kale in olive oil with garlic, then add whatever I have around--sometimes just refried beans, sometimes a veggie curry, etc. Last night (I should have taken pictures but, like you, was so busy scarfing it all up that I completely forgot) I sauteed kale, spinach, and asparagus in sesame oil (instead of olive oil). When it was ready, I cracked an egg in, then added cooked rice and soy sauce and made the most amazing fried rice I think I've ever had. Sesame oil is my new best friend.

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