tony b Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 While there's a lot of downsides to living in Iowa (winters from Hell!), but when you live in a state where the pigs out number the people by like 10 to 1, it's a good thing! Recently been able to procure some pork from Black Swabian hogs. It's a German heritage pig being raised here in Iowa (www.swabianhall.com) and besides being super yummy, they are pretty cute as pigs go (see picture). So, I've now cooked both the pork chops and baby back ribs from these pigs and I can honestly say it's the best pork that I've ever eaten. The fat is actually tastier than the meat!!! So go online, right now!!!! and order you some of this yummy pork. Here's some pics of tonight's baby backs. 4 Hours on the KK @ 225F, indirect w/guru, smoker pot with peach and hickory chunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1 Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 I don't see on that site where full racks are? maybe I am missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Looks like all they have in the on-line store is the short ribs and chops. I got my rack of baby backs at the local farmers' market. I've had the pork chops - they are just as killer as the ribs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Thanks for the reference Tony. I ordered 6 2 chop packs. I thought the prices and shipping charges were very good for a specialty product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Susan, Let me know how you like them. I recommend that you try them the first time with just a little salt and pepper to really appreciate the flavor of the pork without embellishments of other rubs/sauces. My second set of chops and the ribs were both dry rubbed - chops with Dizzy Dust and the ribs with Billy Bones' Competition Rub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1 Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I actually called and have a pork shoulder on the way!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I actually called and have a pork shoulder on the way!!!! Oh boy!!! I think Swabian Hall is gonna get a lot of orders from us KK folk! I'm already thinking of my shipment as "cutie pie chops". I've spent a lot of vacations in Spain over the years and always used to buy the Iberico pork, which is from a special breed of black pig that has a natural diet of acorns. It was soooo delicious. I know how great pork can be and can't wait for my order to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Trust me, Susan, it will be every bit as good as the Iberico! These pigs are fed a diet of hydroponically raised barley and milk. Look for the Andrew Zimmern show when he came to Iowa. He went down to visit Carl at Rustic Rooster Farms and see the pigs (and eat them too!) Plus, you get to learn about our other little secret, La Quercia, where they make the yummy Prosciutto Americano here in Norwalk, IA. Here's a link to a snippet of the show - http://shar.es/BMfk5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Our Whole Foods stocks La Quercia prosciutto and pancetta and although I haven't tried the pancetta, favoring thick slices instead of paper thin, the prosciutto is some of the best I've ever had! We bought a 1/2 Iberico direct from Iowa a few years ago and split it amongst friends. It was super tasty...and none of that hybrid super lean "other white meat" pork food industry crap. I spent the first 37 years of my life in Omaha and we had several western small town Iowa butchers that provided us with incredible pork and beef. I intend to order samplings of the Swabian...thanks for posting up and 'turning us on' to it! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 While my local HyVee supermarket carries the prosciutto, I usually buy mine at CostCo - bigger packages and cheaper, too! But, the prosciutto is all I can get there, none of the other yummy pork products that La Quercia makes. Need to find a local source that carries more. The online links to Murray's and Zingermann's are a bit pricey, especially when you add on the shipping. Dan, de nada, always glad to turn other Foodies on to something tasty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Murray's included some La Quercia products when I had the cheese and charcuterie clubs. The prosciutto was wonderful!! I can't say I enjoyed the lardo spread as well. I don't have any fat phobias and truly appreciate chicken skin, rib eyes and other fatty cuts but neither my husband nor myself could get by the mouth feel of that product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Susan, have you ever had pork rillettes? Think duck confit, only pork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Easter dinner was a yummy swabian boneless pork roast. Injected/marinated overnight with Butcher's BBQ Injection for pork. Outside rubbed with 3 EYZ BBQ rub. Indirect on the KK with Guru and a smoker pot with peach and hickory chunks. Started out @ 225F for the first hour, but got a bit rushed for dinner, so I cranked it up to 325F - never got there because the meat hit my 145F target first, about an hour later. Guru was around 315F. Wrapped in foil while I made my sides and salad (about 20 minutes). Seriously yummy piggy. Sorry, forgot pics (I know the rules!) Leftovers are great too! Slice of pork roast fried up to crispy the fat, with sunny side up eggs for breakfast. Dinner will be pork fried rice and pork roast in black bean sauce. Update: Just finished dinner. Pork fried rice was some of the best I've ever done. Great balance of flavors. The "twice cooked" pork with black bean sauce was just OK. Tasty, but too oily. Between the extra fat rendering out of the swabian pork, the oil in the chile paste with garlic and the black bean with chile paste, it all added up at the end. That sauce was damned shiny though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Tony...I'd appreciate the general outline/recipe for your pork fried rice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Cooked the rice first, pilaf style* with chicken stock, so the grains stay separated. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Since it was just me, I only cooked a half cup of raw rice. I use basmati, but jasmine works equally well. Cooked my omelet first (until just set) and removed from wok - just a beaten egg (1) with a touch of salt and white pepper over medium heat in about a 1/2 TBL of vegetable oil. Added another TBL more oil and increased the heat to high to cook the white onion (about 1/2 cup chopped), garlic (2 cloves halved) and fresh ginger (about a tsp chopped). Once the onion was translucent and ginger fragrant, tossed in the cooked pork (1/2 cup, diced), chopped baby carrots and celery (1/4 cup each). Once the carrots started to soften, tossed in a 1/4 cup of frozen green peas. (Normally, I'd toss in a chopped scallion - green part only - with the green peas, but didn't have any in the fridge.) In went the cooked rice and cooked omelet (diced up). Season with a bit of ground Szechuan peppercorn (a big pinch), a 1/4 tsp sesame oil, and a TBL of light soy sauce. Toss until everything is coated with the soy sauce and the rice is warmed up. Serve it up! * Pilaf style - toss the dry uncooked rice in just enough oil to coat the bottom of your pot until the rice turns opaque white, stir frequently to avoid burning (it's OK if a few grains turn a light brown). Add your liquid (water, stock) in a 2 to 1 ratio. So, for my 1/2 cup uncooked rice, I added a cup of chicken stock. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes (until all the liquid is absorbed). Fluff with a fork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Thanks...I'm going to try it tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Let me know how it comes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Apologies for non-KK food photo...well not quite true as the diced pork baby back rib meat came from the KK Turned out great Tony...we like whole grain so used whole short grain brown rice...thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted April 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 Glad you liked it. I see snow peas in there too; nice addition! Did you do the rice pilaf style? Just curious as to how brown rice worked for that method, as I've never cooked brown rice that way before. I polished off the rest of mine last night with some yummy chicken leg quarters on the KK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstr8 Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 Yes...snow peas. Yes I did the rice pilaf style. I normally cook my rice this way just didn't realize it was called "pilaf style". BTW: If you like quinoa, sorry if you already know/do this, instead of rinsing to remove the bitter impart post cooking you can also achieve the same thing by toasting in a dry pan...instead of rinsing. Plus you get the benefit of enhanced flavor too! I probably would have preferred long grain brown rice, in one variant or another, but the short grain worked out fine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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