One of our favorite locals is Chef Ryan Hardy, Executive Chef of Montagna Restaurant in the Little Nell Hotel.    In addition to his incredibly delicious creations, here’s why we love him.  Ryan’s artisan style of handcrafted food uses local grass fed beef from the neighboring town of Carbondale, as well as local fresh eggs and herbs.   He cures his own prosciuttos, makes his own fresh fruit preserves, and even creates his own cheese.  If we could classify Chef Ryan Hardy as a ski run, he would surely be a double black diamond gem.

Chef Ryan was recently featured on The Today Show grilling a “Perfect Pork” recipe for Fathers Day, his own grilled creation featuring pork shoulder with chimichurri sauce served with a peach, tomato and basil salad.

Read on for the video and recipe

Grilled pork shoulder with chimichurri sauce
Ryan Hardy

Serves eight to 10

For the grilled pork shoulder
• 1 4- to 5-pound whole pork shoulder, boneless
• 1 tbsp cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tbsp paprika, smoked
• 1 tbsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsps salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

For the chimichurri sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp paprika, smoked
• 0.5 cup oregano, leaves only
• 1 cup parsley, leaves only
• 0.5 cup mint, leaves only
• 0.5 cup cilantro, leaves only
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsps lime juice
• 2 tsps red wine vinegar
• Salt

To make the grilled pork shoulder:
At least two days before grilling, chop the garlic cloves to a fine paste and combine in a bowl with the spices, sugar and salt and extra-virgin olive oil.

Rub the pork shoulder in the paste, wrap and let sit overnight in the refrigerator, or two hours if you’re rushed.

About a day before grilling, place the whole shoulder, uncovered, in a roasting pan and cook in a 275-degree Fahrenheit oven for six to eight hours or until the pork is fork tender.

Remove from the oven, let cool and store in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, slice the pork shoulder into 1- to 2-inch steaks, season with salt and black pepper again and grill over a hot charcoal fire for five minutes per side (sub gas grill if necessary), preferably with wood chips added to the coals.

Serve with the chimichurri sauce.

To make the chimichurri sauce:
Mince the herbs together with the garlic, add the paprika and cover with olive oil to make a loose paste. You may not use all of the olive oil.

Add the lime juice and vinegar, season to taste and let sit to marinate for at least two hours at room temperature.

Grilled peach, tomato and basil salad
Ryan Hardy

Serves 8

For the salad
• 4 peaches, ripe
• 4 tomatoes, ripe, heirloom variety if possible
• 32 basil leaves
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Moscatel vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the croutons
• 1 cup bread for croutons – see notes below
• Several cups extra-virgin olive oil

To make the croutons:
Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces.
Fry the pieces of bread. To do that, pour extra-virgin olive oil into a appropriately sized pan until the oil is about 1 inch deep. Warm it up, add the torn bread, and raise the temperature until the bread begins to fry.
When the bread is golden brown, remove from the oil to a towel and season with a pinch of salt.
Keep in a jar for two to three days on your counter.

For the salad:
Dice the peaches and tomatoes into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
Mix together with the extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar. Add the croutons.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Allow to sit and marinate for 10 minutes.
Add the basil and serve at room temperature.

via cc, flickr user ~Katiya~

Sadly, the UK Tv chef Keith Floyd passed away this week.

Floyd began cooking for the British army, and after several years of international chef/owner restaurant experience, moved on to BBC television, beginning with the show “Floyd on Fish” in the 1980′s. Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White said this: “a little piece of Britain has died with Floyd that can never be replaced.”
And words from Chef Heston Blumenthal included:  “I don’t know how he got away with what he did” and that Floyd “redefined cooking programs, and was great fun to watch.”   Read the full tribute from Caterer Search here.

Today our tribute to Chef Keith Floyd is is a video recipe where he prepares and shares  “Pork Normande” aka  “Pork in cider & calvados apple puree”  from his BBC tv show “Floyd on Food”.

Read on for the recipe

Chef Keith Floyd’s recipe, adapted from the video

Pork Normande, aka  “Pork in cider & calvados apple puree”
Ingredients

5-6 Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped and 2-3 Cox’s apples left whole (note: Cox apples are found in England, you can read more about them here. We’ve asked a chef friend for an acceptable substitute in the US, and he recommends the “pink lady”, “golden delicious”, or your “favorite baking apple” for Cox apples.)

25g/1oz caster sugar (this is known as “superfine” sugar in the US)
½ lemon, juice only
4 pork chops
25g/1oz of butter, melted
salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Put the cored and peeled apples in a saucepan, add half the caster sugar, the lemon juice and three tablespoons of water.
• Cover with a lid and cook over a medium to low heat for 10-15 minutes until tender, stirring from time to time. The apple sauce can be very chunky or lightly whisked for a smoother finish.
• Pre-heat the grill.
• Brush the pork chops with a little of the melted butter, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Put the chops on a grill tray with a rack, and grill for 4-5 minutes on both sides.
• Peel and core the remaining apples. Cut into thin long slices, maintaining the shape of the apple.
• Spread the apple sauce over the chops and arrange the apple slices on top, slightly overlapping as you would for apple tart.
• Brush or drizzle the chops with the remaining melted butter, sprinkling with the
  remaining sugar and return under the grill. Cook for a few minutes and the apples are nicely toasted.  Plate and serve.

Note: The lemon juice can be replaced with a tablespoon or two of Calvados. (Calvados is a French apple Brandy)

Owner and Executive Chef of Lola and Lolita in Cleveland and Roast in Detroit,  Michael held the title of a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 1998, and is recently was named as a James Beard Best Chef in America in the Great Lakes Region for 2009.  He has also been a winner on Iron Chef America, and a host on the Food Network show Melting Pot, as well as Dinner Impossible.  An wrestler in high school, Michael’s strong presence is softened by his frequent high pitched laugh, and even the most timid of foodies are sure to feel comfortable after a few minute of hearing him speak.   I attended his cooking demo entitled “In Praise of Pork” (who could miss that one?) with Chef John of Food Wishes to my left in our prime 2nd row seats.  Chef John caught an amusing moment on video of Michael Symon describing his conversation with Tom Colicchio on how to rename “Pork Belly” on his menu for greater customer appeal in the restaurant.  This truly is a must see,  check it out!

In the demo, Michael prepared a braised pork belly with pickled green tomatoes.  Mr “meatcentric” admitted to loving all portions of pork, such as pork tenderloin, but said that he is  partial to the fattier portions of the animal such as pork belly for having the best texture and flavor.  Here is the recipe for you to make at home, courtesy of Michael Symon, thank you!

Braised Pork Belly

Ingredients:
2 lbs of pork belly, skin removed
2 tbsp of kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 red onion sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup of white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick

Mix together the salt, sugar, coriander seeds, crushed red pepper, ground cinnamon and orange zest. Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Coat the pork belly with the seasoned salt and place in a sturdy resealable plastic bag, and refridgerate overnight or for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 275F. Rinse the seasoning off of the pork belly, pat dry. In a large pot, combine the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, white wine, chicken stock and cinnamon stick, bring to a simmer. Place the belly in a casserole dish or dutch oven and pour the liquid over it. Cover and bake for 7 hours.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let the pork belly cool in the liquid, let cool until ready to serve.

In the demo he cut the pork into sandwich friendly slices, making a savory baguette sandwich topped with pickled green tomatoes.

I had several questions to ask him after the show, but had to put on my nursing hat for 10 minutes, ask Chef John about that one!    All and all a very memorable lesson in pork, and if you are lucky enough to live in Michigan or Ohio, absolutely pay a visit to one of Michael Symon’s restaurants.  Also be sure to  visit Amazon and preorder his new cookbook due for release in November, Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen.

For more delicious Michael Symon recipes, check out:

• His top 100 Food Network recipes
• Pickled Chilli Peppers
• Greek Meatballs and Tomato Salad from the Dinner Impossible show
• For Scallops with a Warm Ginger Vinaigrette, Roast Salmon with Ancho Chili Ginger Sauce and Couscous,Pork Shoulder braised in Ginger Beer, and Ginger Mango Rice Pudding with Thai Basil recipes go here
• Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings a must try recipe receiving 10 5 star ratings from food network reviewers
• Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup
• Creamed Corn
• Cheesy BLT’s
• Famous Mac and Goat Cheese
• And a delicious looking Sopressata, Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Egg, and Basil Breakfast Sandwich recipe.

Also be sure to feast on savory Food & Wine Classic in Aspen photos from our slideshow!

Alas, we digress! More importantly, he whips up some amazingly delicious recipes. In this video he shares with us his special recipe for a crave inducing pulled pork sandwich, complete with grilled pineapple and barbecue sauce.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Ingredients

* 1 4-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
* 2 red onions peeled and quartered
* 2 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 3 celery sticks cut into 1-inch chunks
* 1 whole garlic head split in half horizontally
* 1 c dry red wine
* 2 1/2 c chicken stock
* Small handful of fresh thyme sprigs
* 1 orange quartered
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
* Barbecue Sauce (see recipe) warm
* 6 thin slices peeled pineapple halved and cored
* 6 crusty rolls halved horizontally
* Homemade Coleslaw (see recipe)
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Sprinkle the pork shoulder all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a heavy large wide pot over high heat until it is very hot. Add the oil and then add the pork. Cook until the pork is golden brown on the bottom about 5 minutes. Turn the pork and continue cooking until it is golden brown all over about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pot.

Add the onions carrots celery and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are golden brown all over about 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pot. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot about 3 minutes. Add the stock thyme orange bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring the liquids to a simmer then cover the pot and place it in the oven.

Cook in the oven until the pork is fork-tender about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes to cool slightly.

Transfer the pork to a baking dish and pull the meat apart with a fork and knife. Toss the shredded pork with some of the warm barbecue sauce. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the pineapple slices until they are heated through and soften slightly about 2 minutes per side. Meanwhile grill the bread slices cut side down until lightly toasted.

Spoon the coleslaw over the bread bottoms. Top each with the shredded pork then 2 half slices of pineapple. Spoon more barbecue sauce over and cover with the bread tops. Serve warm.

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1/3 c finely chopped red onion
* 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
* 1 c ketchup
* 1 c peeled cored finely diced pineapple
* 1/2 c orange juice
* 1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
* 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 Tbsp chopped green onions
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, pineapple, orange juice, soy sauce, cilantro, green onions, cumin, and sesame oil. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat until the pineapple softens, the mixture thickens and the flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Homemade Coleslaw

Ingredients

* 1/2 c white wine vinegar
* 3 Tbsp sugar
* 2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1 small head green cabbage, halved, cored and thinly sliced
* 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
* 1/4 c crème fraîche (or sour cream)
* 1/4 c mayonnaise
* 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
* 4 green onions, finely chopped

Stir the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Stir the crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and mustard in a small bowl to blend. Drizzle over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine thoroughly. Mix in the green onions and serve.

Read on for the recipe

Cochon’s fresh hot sausage
Makes 5 pounds

5 pounds pork shoulder, partially frozen
½ cup ice water
5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon garlic
6 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fit a meat grinder with a fine plate (holes 3/16-inch or 5mm wide). Cut meat into chunks to fit into grinder. Grind the partially frozen meat, occasionally adding a little bit of ice water to cool down the blades. (If you don’t have a meat grinder and want to try this in a food processor, Stryjewski said he hasn’t tried it, but it might be possible. Pulse small cubes carefully to achieve a coarse grind.) In a spice mill, grind the salt, onion powder, paprika, sugar, cayenne and garlic until powdered. Mix the powdered spices, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes into meat paste. Stuff into 32mm hog casings and tie off into 9-inch (23 cm) links. Or, form into patties. Refrigerate immediately; sausage can be frozen for up to two months. Prepare by grilling, or use in your favorite sausage recipe. Serve with peach and onion salad.

Peach and onion salad
Makes 4 servings

4 large peaches
1 medium onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 sprig basil, torn into small pieces
Splash sherry vinegar
Splash extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Grill peaches over high heat until the skin chars and blisters. Allow to cool enough to handle. Rub the peaches with a clean towel to remove the charred skin; cut into eighths. Grill the onions over medium high heat until nicely caramelized and cooked through. Toss the peaches and onions with the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Serve with sausage.