Rancid Recipes #4: Wild Rice Stuffed Pork Chops

It's been a little while since I've posted a Rancid Recipe (such a delicious sounding title, to be sure).  Today's music selection was inspired by a dream I recently had that Tim Armstrong and I were taking a class on identifying Hollywood celebrities.  We both failed miserably, told the instructor that it was a bullshit class, and left to watch the movie "High Fidelity" with my brother.  I don't know what the dream means, but it put me into a Tim Armstrong music kick: Op Ivy, Transplants, Tim Timebomb & Friends, his solo stuff, and of course, Rancid.  Apparently, they knew from the very first show what it was all about.

The idea for this recipe popped into my head about a month ago, transformed a lot during late
nights of intoxication, Food Network, and conversation, and finally came into existence splendidly last night.  Do you have any idea how tickled I am when a recipe from scratch turns out perfectly with no need for alterations?!  Of course you don't, because you're not dining in my house (but perhaps you SHOULD be, Rancid members?)  The stranger in my head does a little dance when this happens and there was dancing last night, by glob!  It's a little time consuming (the recipe, not the dancing in my head), but well worth the time!  The combination of mushrooms, onions and apples was killer!

I think some of the ingredients in this recipe need a little explanation, though.  It does contain wild rice, as the title states, and I learned something - there is no correct way to cook wild rice.  I got mine out of the bulk bin at my local co-op and followed the instructions on the dispenser: 2 cups liquid to 1 cup wild rice.  I did exactly that, and the rice came out a little crunchy.  I loved it.  Justin didn't care for the consistency at all.  So researching wild rice, I found that different suppliers process it differently and you can't always cook two different brands the same way.  Basically, it's preference.  Do you like it crunchy or do you want to cook it until the rice bursts open and is softer.  Your call.  You have to just follow the instructions on the one you purchase and adjust according to your preference.

The lion's mane mushrooms are my next ingredient to discuss.  These obviously are not sold in your local supermarket (as Food Network often likes to tell its watchers about exotic foods).  We can sometimes find them in our co-op or local organic stores, but we mostly buy them in the summer at our local farmers markets.  And while you could use regular button mushrooms, crimini or portabello mushrooms for this recipe, there's no way you're going to get the same flavour out of them.  Lion's mane was first described to us as having a lobster flavour.  If you look them up on Wiki, it says when cooked, they have the consistency of seafood.  Well, I sort of agree and disagree with both.  Once that's in your head, that's what you think of (and now I put it in your head), but really, I'd just say they have a very rich, earthy flavour.  They're awesome.  If you like mushrooms and have never tried these, seek them out.  It'll be worth it.

And so we move on to the musical stylings of my favourite band, Rancid, bringing us their song, "Last One To Die".  As they wrap up their tour (which we very sadly don't get to see, again, because we're poor and live behind the Redwood Curtain) and prepare for a new album to come out, I think to myself - maybe they will be the last ones to die.  -jen

WILD RICE STUFFED PORK CHOPS
Time:  1.5 - 2 hours
Difficulty:  Medium
Serves:  6

Wild Rice:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons chicken base 
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• black pepper to taste (about 1/2 a teaspoon)

Chops & Stuffing:

• 6 thick pork loin chops (we like ours brined, recipe and how-to here)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups diced lion's mane mushrooms
• 3/4 cup oyster mushrooms (you can use all lion's mane if you like)
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 of a large onion)
• 2 cups apple, peeled and diced (about 2 medium apples of your preference - sour or sweet, either would be tasty)
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• salt and pepper to taste

Rinse wild rice to remove loose hulls and strain the water out.  In a medium sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat.  Add rice and brown, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.  Add water and stir in chicken base, sage, tarragon, celery salt and black pepper.  Bring just to a boil, then put a lid on the pan and lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook without removing the lid or stirring for 50 minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.  (If you don't like crunchy wild rice, you may want to use 1 more cup of water, 1 more teaspoon chicken base, and a little more of each herb) and cook until the rice grains burst, about 60 minutes, then drain any remaining water from rice.)

While rice cooks, in a large saute pan or skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over a medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onion, and apples.  Saute for about 7 minutes, or until the onion becomes slightly translucent.  Add sage, tarragon and salt and pepper (I used about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 a teaspoon black pepper), and cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and add mixture to wild rice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.  Carefully cut a pocket into the pork chops with a sharp knife,
making sure not to open the ends or the back side.  Place each chop into a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and pound flat.

Season the outside of the pork chop (both sides) with salt and pepper.  Drizzle a little olive oil on a sheet pan (we always cover ours with foil for easy clean up.)  Stuff each pork chop with as much of the wild rice stuffing as it will hold and carefully lay the stuffed chop on the baking sheet.  Place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chop.  Best to use a meat thermometer and cook until pork reaches 140 degrees F, then let rest.  The carry-over will bring it to a safe 145 degrees.

Tall Can Mexican Black Beans

I love when a recipe is actually inspired by a song, rather than coming up with a recipe and then searching for a song to go with it!  I'd been in a Tim Armstrong mood the other day (when aren't I?), but wasn't feeling like Rancid, so I pulled out both albums by the Transplants.  As soon as I heard the song "Tall Cans In The Air", I knew I had to do a beer recipe with tall cans!  I brainstormed a lot of ideas (and will still do more), but in the end, I decided going with a Mexican theme.  The black beans are Part 1 of my Tecate dinner, and they came out great!  I'm not even a big fan of beans, but seasoned with all these great flavours, I couldn't help but love 'em.

Justin and I actually were discussing whether or not we could taste the beer in the beans... 3 cups in a recipe is a hell of a lot of beer.  However, it didn't really seem to stand out.  There wasn't a super distinct beer flavour, but I'm sure after simmering for hours with a load of other flavours, it's just going to blend in with the rest.  I wouldn't change the recipe at all... though I might be inclined to try a darker beer next time, perhaps a Negro Modelo?

And so I present to you the Transplants (whom I've been listening to all week), doing "Tall Cans In The Air"... lemme see 'em!  -jen

TALL CAN MEXICAN BLACK BEANS
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: Overnight soaking
Cook Time:  3-4 hours
Serves:  6-8 

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 8 cups water

• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tall can (24oz) Tecate beer (separated)
• 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, chopped (de-seed for less heat)
• 3 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 can (4oz) diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• few dashes of Green Tabasco 

Sort through dried beans to check for small pebbles.  Soak in 8 cups of water overnight.

Using a colander, drain soaking water from beans.  Place beans in a large stock pot with 5 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of the Teacate beer.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to simmer for 1.5 hours.

Add tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, jalapeños, garlic, green chiles, cilantro, lime juice, bay leaves, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, Tabasco, and remaining 1 cup of Tecate.  Continue simmering with the lid off for another 1.5-2 hours.  Part way through the second simmer, using a masher, mash up some of the beans to help thicken the sauce.  Cook down until desired consistency.  Sauce should be slightly thickened, but they shouldn't be soupy.

Rancid Recipes #1: Great Athenian Stuffed Chicken; Vegetable Couscous Salad; Olive Tapenade Crostini

The last month or so, I've been listening to a lot of music by Rancid - a great punk rock band that bridged the dirty ditches between different genres/styles of music and brought them all together with an incredible, original sound. We were lucky enough to catch bassist Matt Freeman's other band, Devil's Brigade, in San Francisco recently - it was a complete fluke that we were in town the weekend they were playing, so we jumped on that!  Lars Frederiksen (guitarst) even showed up and sang a song with 'em.  Needless to say, I've just been in a Rancid mood, and they've been on a lot of the play lists I've been listening to while cooking... and working, and driving, and reading, and sleeping.  Sometimes I gotta wear a band out, set 'em aside for a while, and then bring them back out for a comeback.

So I got this idea in my head... what if I took a Rancid album, and made a recipe for each track of the album that somehow related to the song?  I started with their self-titled 1993 album... but found it a little difficult, as it's hard to come up with any ideas other than Ramen noodles when listening to a song called "Rats In the Hallway". :\  Instead, I decided to switch to the 2003 album, "Indestructible", thinking there was a lot of mentioning of worldly places in that album; surely it'd be easier to come up with some recipes.  Track 1 proved to be very inspiring and I had all these amazing ideas for Greek food and NY Deli style food... but once I got to Track 2, I had absolutely nothing.

Naturally, I came to this conclusion: Fuck it.  ("Fuck it! Yes! That's your answer. That's your answer for everything! Tattoo it on your forehead!")  I decided to just find kick ass songs that inspired kick ass recipes, from any Rancid album, in no particular order. 

You might ask what the point of this project is, to which I would reply... "I dunno."  I love punk rock, and I love cooking.  Why shouldn't the two come together... in a dirty, sticky, angry, buttery mess?!  Just like that porn movie you watched last night.

Of course, I expect soon after I begin the project, this blog will go global.  I'll be offered my own Food Network show, which I will snidely turn down, though I may be inclined to accept a cookbook offer.  The talented men of Rancid will no doubt start begging to come over for dinner on a regular basis and hang with us, because that's just how I roll.  Soon enough, my food will inspire punk bands everywhere, I'll have to start my own band, Tim Armstrong will have to produce it...

Or... I'll just be satisfied if I can get five people to read the damn blog, let alone find someone who will actually try cooking one of the Rancid Recipes (which is probably not the most appetizing title to use in relation to food, but it gets the point across, and there's even alliteration.)

Well... without further unnecessary rambling... here is the first installment of my Rancid Recipes.  -jen

 __________________________________

Song Title:  Indestructible

Album:  Indestructible (2003)

Lyrics: "the great Athenians, they're not even from Athens"

I love this album!  It got a lot of criticism when it came out, but it's still my favourite Rancid album - I liked listening to the way the band evolved on this one.  Thinking of recipes for this song was a no brainer!  Greek food is awesome, and I even went so far as to do a little research on Athenian dishes (which is where I got the couscous idea from).  Being that the internet is full of incorrect information, I don't know if couscous is really a staple in Athens or not.  But I knew from the start I wanted olives involved... a butt load of olives.  I'm not claiming it's totally Greek - I used mozzarella cheese, definitely not Greek.  So really, my Great Athenian Stuffed Chicken's not even from Athens.  But it's Greek and Punk Rock inspired!  So you know it's going to be killer!

 GREAT ATHENIAN STUFFED CHICKEN

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 head roasted garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped 
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 tesaspoon minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Chop the stem-end off of a garlic head and place on large square of aluminum foil, cut side up.  Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top, and fold the foil into a little pouch.  Roast at 500 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Let cool.  Gently squeeze the whole head to squish the roasted garlic out.

Empty ricotta cheese into a large bowl.  Add roasted garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, lemon zest, minced garlic, egg, and salt.  Stir to combine.  Mix in mozzarella and refrigerate 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chicken breasts dry.  Place single breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound out until about 1/2" thick.  Repeat for the next 3 breasts.  Scoop about 1/4" of the ricotta filling into the middle of the breast and roll.  Place chicken seam-side down on a lightly greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-40 minutes, until juices run clear.  Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Punk Rock Tip #1:  Don't spill food on your boots!

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS SALAD

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Caldo de Pollo (or chicken bouillon)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 roma or plum tomato, diced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon's worth)
• oregano
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3-1/2 cup Feta cheese 

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring water, Caldo de Pollo, and olive oil to boil.  Stir in couscous and turn off the heat.  Cover and let sit for five minutes, until all the water is absorbed.  Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until cool.  Once cooled, add cucumber, broccoli, tomato, and lemon juice.  Sprinkle oregano and black pepper to taste and toss.  Mix in Feta cheese and serve at room temperature.

OLIVE TAPENADE CROSTINI

• 1 loaf of French bread
• 1/2 cup of muffuletta**
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 heaping teaspoon capers
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Provolone cheese

**I used Granzella's Muffuletta.  If you can't find a good Muffuletta, you can always use equal amounts of kalamata olives, green olives, and giardiniera mix to make your own quick muffuletta.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice french bread into 3/4"-1" slices.  Place on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil.  Toast for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees, until tops are just beginning to turn golden and crisp.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Turn the oven up to broil.

In a food processor, combine muffuletta, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, and anchovy paste.  Pulse until it's large chunks.  Add lemon juice and olive oil and pulse several more times until the tapenade is in small, spreadable chunks (but don't process too much or it will turn into a paste!)  Spread tapenade thinly over toasted bread.  Top each crostini with a slice of provolone cheese.  Broil for 1-1.5 minutes until cheese is melted.