Recipe for the Day

Lebnah.
It's basically a homemade yogurt cheese. I made it for the first time and it's yummmmmmy. It comes out almost like cream cheese, so it's great for bagels, crackers, stuffing peppers, etc. And so easy.

Take some full fat, whole milk yogurt with live cultures. Real yogurt - non fat "yogurt" is an abomination.

Anyway, take your yogurt and pour it into a bowl. Mix in whatever you want. I added chopped garlic, chives and garlic greens (or scapes) to make a garlic herb type of cheese. I've heard that honey and walnuts are great, cranberry and honey as well. Anything you want.

Wrap the cheese in a cheese cloth and put it in a strainer like a small colander you use for pasta. Put the strainer in a bowl to collect the whey that will drip out. Let it sit in the fridge for a few days and your done. Unwrap it and put it in a container and keep it in the fridge.

One tip: put something kinda heavy on top of the cheese cloth to speed up the draining. I put a saucer on top, then a can of tomato sauce or something on the saucer.

I dumped the whey, but I know it's super good for you. There must be a good use for it, I just haven't looked into it.

This came out really good. I can't wait to stuff some jalapenos and grill them.

I'll do some version with honey next. It just seems like it will be good with honey it it.

Sam's club has been stocking sliced side pork for a few months now. I actually dare hope this becomes a normal part of their meat inventory!

For those of you that have not yet had side pork, gather 'round.

Imagine, if you will, a slice of thick-cut bacon, friend up so that it is crisp, and it crumbles into your mouth as you bite into it. The meat is both chewy and yet bits of deliciousness sort of dissolve in your mouth; the fat is that velvety texture that gives only the slightest resistance as your teeth sink into it- it melts into a burst of flavor as you chew it.

Side Pork is bacon x 1000, when prepared right.

Even when it comes out not-quite-bacon, it is like a mix between bacon and pork chops.

This is how I prepare side pork:

The package you get at Sam's usually holds between 16-20 slices. Some slices will be thicker than others- they usually range between 1/4"-3/4" thick.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spread tinfoil in a tray, making sure to cover from side to side. Make sure your tray has edges, because there will be a lot of fat.

Lay each piece of side pork in the tray. Make sure they're not touching each other, for maximum crispness. You don't have to cook the entire package at once. It freezes just fine.

Liberally pepper the side facing up, and sprinkle it with seasoning (I use season salt, but you could use paprika or smoked salt.)

Put it in the oven for 1/2 hour. Pull out the tray (be careful, there will be a lot of fat sloshing around.) Flip the pieces over, sprinkle them with pepper and salt/seasoning, and put back into the oven for 35 minutes.

Make sure it is on the top rack, up under the broiler. Turn off the oven, and turn on the broiler. Broil on high for about 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye on it.

Warning- it will smoke like crazy. If your kitchen is like mine, you'll need fans and open windows.

Broiling it will make it crisp up on the outside. Don't skip the broiling.

Carefully remove it from the oven (again, far more fat than bacon creates.) Serve it as soon as possible from the oven, and enjoy!

Yay! Thank you. Im looking forward to trying this.

Do you bake it on the top rack as well?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheGrey

Sam's club has been stocking sliced side pork for a few months now. I actually dare hope this becomes a normal part of their meat inventory!

For those of you that have not yet had side pork, gather 'round.

Imagine, if you will, a slice of thick-cut bacon, friend up so that it is crisp, and it crumbles into your mouth as you bite into it. The meat is both chewy and yet bits of deliciousness sort of dissolve in your mouth; the fat is that velvety texture that gives only the slightest resistance as your teeth sink into it- it melts into a burst of flavor as you chew it.

Side Pork is bacon x 1000, when prepared right.

Even when it comes out not-quite-bacon, it is like a mix between bacon and pork chops.

This is how I prepare side pork:

The package you get at Sam's usually holds between 16-20 slices. Some slices will be thicker than others- they usually range between 1/4"-3/4" thick.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spread tinfoil in a tray, making sure to cover from side to side. Make sure your tray has edges, because there will be a lot of fat.

Lay each piece of side pork in the tray. Make sure they're not touching each other, for maximum crispness. You don't have to cook the entire package at once. It freezes just fine.

Liberally pepper the side facing up, and sprinkle it with seasoning (I use season salt, but you could use paprika or smoked salt.)

Put it in the oven for 1/2 hour. Pull out the tray (be careful, there will be a lot of fat sloshing around.) Flip the pieces over, sprinkle them with pepper and salt/seasoning, and put back into the oven for 35 minutes.

Make sure it is on the top rack, up under the broiler. Turn off the oven, and turn on the broiler. Broil on high for about 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye on it.

Warning- it will smoke like crazy. If your kitchen is like mine, you'll need fans and open windows.

Broiling it will make it crisp up on the outside. Don't skip the broiling.

Carefully remove it from the oven (again, far more fat than bacon creates.) Serve it as soon as possible from the oven, and enjoy!

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You had me at bacon x1000

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vanniek71

You had me at bacon x1000

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Exactly

Did some Google fu, looks like side bacon is just whole or chunk cut pork belly. Or is Sams club side bacon something different?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vanniek71

Did some Google fu, looks like side bacon is just whole or chunk cut pork belly. Or is Sams club side bacon something different?

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Nope, it's thick sliced pork belly.

Thanks for the guidance.
Now I know what to do when I forget to close my pork belly futures contract and they deliver 40,000 lbs to me.
(Trading in Pork Bellies ended in 2011, but are now traded as lean hogs futures)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

Do you bake it on the top rack as well?

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Do you?