Recipes

February 2007	Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
photograph by Lara Hata	from A16, San Francisco Serves six 1 7-8 pound boneless lamb shoulder 2 bunches Italian flat-leaf parsley, ends mostly removed 1 sprig sage, leaves only 1 sprig rosemary, leaves only 3 ounces salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained well 2 ounces salt-packed anchovies, rinsed and drained well 2 ounces garlic 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1 cup extra virgin olive oil This recipe works best if prepared 2 days in advance. First, salt the lamb shoulder generously. Next, combine all the other ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a paste. Rub this paste into the salted lamb and refrigerate for 2 days. To cook, preheat oven to 300°F. Place the lamb in a casserole with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until tender and beginning to fall apart. At this point, you can serve the lamb immediately or allow to cool to serve at a later date. To serve, reheat (if applicable) and allow the surface to become brown and crispy. A16 serves the lamb with a simple salad of shaved fennel, thinly sliced radishes, and parsley leaf dressed with lemon and olive oil.

February 2007	Meatballs
photograph by Lara Hata	from A16, San Francisco Makes about 30 small meatballs 2 pounds pork, lamb and/or beef ¼ pound prosciutto ends or pork fat 1¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon chile flakes 1½ pounds bread, torn into rough pieces ½ bunch parsley, leaves only, chopped ½ cup ricotta 4 eggs 2 to 4 tablespoons milk 1 quart tomato sauce Cube the meats and prosciutto or pork fat. Add the salt, chile flakes and bread, and run through a meat grinder. (Or, have your butcher grind the meats; process the bread in a food processor until it's in rough crumbs.) In a large bowl, mix the parsley, ricotta and eggs into the meat mixture with your hands, mixing well. If the mixture is too stiff, add a bit of milk. Heat the oven to 425°F. Warm the sauce in a large pot. Form the meat into balls and place on a baking sheet. Roast until golden and cooked through (time depends on size.) Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Spoon into deep bowls and serve.

February 2007	Pulled Pork
photograph by Lara Hata	from Taylor's Refresher, St. Helena and San Francisco Serves 8 to 12 For Sauce: 3 cups tomato paste 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups red wine vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced ¼ cup ground coriander seed ¼ cup ground cumin ½ cup honey 2 tablespoons salt For Pork: 5 yellow onions, sliced 1 cinnamon stick 1 5-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce. Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a deep pan, spread out the sliced onions. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions with the fat side facing up. Pour the sauce over the pork and add the cinnamon stick. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is falling off the bone. Remove the pork from the pan. Remove the cinnamon stick and any bones, pieces of meat and gristle from the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce and onions into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside to cool. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the pork clean of the fat and bone. To serve, reheat the meat in a bit of the sauce and pile on top of a toasted bun with coleslaw.

February 2007	Pancetta-Stuffed Quail
photograph by Lara Hata	Serves 4 3 ounces pancetta 8 quail 16 sprigs thyme, leaves only 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary olive oil salt & pepper Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the pancetta thinly. Put it in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook until slightly crisp. Turn the heat off, remove the pancetta to a bowl but leave the fat. Toss the pancetta with thyme and rosemary and then stuff it into the birds. Rub the birds with olive oil, salt and pepper. Reheat the sauté pan and add the quail, browning on all sides. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish the quail, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the birds rest for five minutes, covered loosely with foil. Then serve with polenta or risotto.