A Valentine’s Day Dinner in Pictures

King Cake

I was asked to bring a King Cake to the Mardi Gras party we attended this Friday.  This being my first King Cake, both making and eating, I took my charge seriously, did some research and decided that the basic milk bread recipe would be a great choice for this traditional offering.

King Cake:

Milk Bread:
1 package dry active yeast
3 Tbs warm water (105º to 115ºF)
1 cup warm milk (105º to 115ºF)
5 Tbs melter butter
3 Tbs sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbs softened butter

1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a large mixing bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Add the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg, and salt and mix to combine.
3. Gradually stir in the bread flour.
4. Gradually add in the all-purpose flour until the dough is no longer sticky, but still moist
5. Knead for 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
7. Gently punch down the dough, knead it a few times, return it to the bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
8. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.
9. Spread the softened butter on the dough, combine the cinnamon and sugar, and dust over the butter.
10. Roll the dough, from the long side, into a log. Pinch the seam, twist it several times and shape into a ring.
11. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled in volume.
12. Preheat the oven to 375º
13. Bake until the top is deep golden brown
14. Remove the bread to a rack and glaze while it is still hot. Dust with purple, gold, and green sugar.
15. Insert the trinket from the bottom before serving.

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup milk

Colored sugar:
Place drops of food coloring in a glass bowl and, using the back of a spoon, spread it around the sides. Add about 1/4 cup of sugar and stir rapidly to distribute the color. Purple – 3 drops red, 2 drops blue. Gold – 4 drops yellow, 1/4 drop red

Chili

Football and chili go well together. Chili and potlucks are equally well paired. Chili and cold weather? A perfect combination. Chili even goes well with jeans. This is my recipe, adjusted and developed over several years. Except, I never write anything down, so for this recipe (and as all chili recipes should be) you might see the words “some”, “a bit”, and “until done” a few more times than you might be used to in a recipe. My spice measurements are approximate. But, it’s chili and it welcomes impreciseness.

What makes this chili special is the thinly sliced pork butt. This is the same cut of pork used in carnitas and pulled pork. It’s delicious, and that’s why I put it in my chili. You can, of course, omit it (but why??!!) or substitute any other manner of meat you’d like. You can also omit the meat entirely, should that be your preference.

Chili:

1 lb pork butt, thinly sliced (1/8″)
1 lb ground chuck
oil
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans of beans (1 pinto, 1 kidney, 1 red)
3 cans of tomatoes (2 diced, 1 stewed)

Herbs & Spices:

Bay leaf (1)
ground coriander (1/4 tsp)
chili powder (1 Tbs)
dry mustard (1 tsp)
oregano (1 tsp)
cumin (1 tsp)
ginger (1/2 tsp)
garlic (1/4 tsp)
instant coffee (1 tsp)
kosher salt (1 tsp)
fresh cracked pepper (1 tsp)
whiskey (Old Forester, some)

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil on medium high. When hot, add in some of the pork and cook in a single layer until brown on both sides. Remove to a plate to drain. Continue to cook the remaining pork in small batches until done.
2. Cook the ground chuck until well browned and remove it to drain with the pork.
3. Reduce heat to medium and remove all but 2 Tbs of fat from the pan then add in the celery, green, pepper, and onion and cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
4. Add in the garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables just begin to caramelize.
5. Return the meat to the pot, along with the canned beans and tomatoes and add enough water to just barely cover.
6. Season the chili with the herbs and spices.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered until the chili has thickened, the pork is very tender and the flavors have melded. 2-3 hours is best. Add more water if chili gets too thick.

Notes:

Any combination of thin sliced pork butt, thin sliced beef chuck, ground chuck, ground turkey, or other meats can be used. I prefer the texture combination of both sliced and ground meat. Likewise, feel free to mix up the types of beans.

The herbs and spices listed are just the first round seasoning. Use your nose and your taste buds and season one or two more times throughout the cooking, usually with more chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.

Whiskey and instant coffee are two of the more unusual ingredients. If you don’t have whiskey, try about 1/2 cup of beer.

Customize the spiciness after serving by adding hot sauce. I think Cholula goes especially well. This chili tastes even better the next day.

Need corn bread to go with your chili? Try this:

Corn Bread:

1/2 cup sifted flour
1  1/2 cups corn meal
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar (or up to  1/4 cup, if you prefer sweeter)
1 Tbs baking powder

3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream

1/3 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF along with an iron skillet (I use a #8/10″ Lodge)
2. Sift dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
3. Add eggs and milk and beat with a wooden spoon
4. Beat in cream
5. When skillet is hot, add the butter and swirl to coat sides
6. Pour in batter and bake until top is cracked and golden brown