Carnitas for the Dog

I cleaned out the freezer a few days ago, and in it I found a pork tenderloin. Thinking it was the pork tenderloin I'd placed in there about six months ago, I moved it to the fridge and commenced thinking about recipes.

The next morning I check the defrosting tenderloin and noticed the label:

"Use before February 8, 2002," it said.

Eeeeeew. I placed the loin immediately in the trash can.

But then Lawson reminded me that the dog can eat all manner of sketchy things with delight. So I pulled it out again and set about cooking the dog some 6.5-year-old pork.

I opened the package and drained the meat and cut away the only nasty-looking freeze-damaged area I could see. I decided roasting the pork would be good: get some hot air circulating around it to pull away any funky freezer odors. And I decided some fat and salt would help matters enormously. So I rubbed the tenderloin in a good amount of bacon grease and roasted it in a 450-degree oven for about half an hour.

The final product was super-tender and moist and smelled good. I'm guessing the long freezing damaged the meat fibers, making them break down and tenderize. Lawson tasted the pork and thought it was delicious.

I cut it into chunks. It looks exactly like carnitas. I have been feeding it to Patty over several days, mixed at various times with canned dog food, plain yogurt, or chicken broth.

Day 1: Carolina Food Only

The Eat Carolina Local Food Challenge crept right up on me: starting today, for one week, I've agreed to eat only products grown and/or processed in North and South Carolina.

So I'm going to post my daily updates here.

I went to Rosewood Market yesterday and found myself in the odd position of worrying how I would get enough fat this week. I'd intended to buy some local butter, but the Happy Cow Creamery's butter only comes in giant quantities, like five pounds or something. I probably should have sprung for it and made a few cakes later this summer, but it just seemed excessive. Funny, considering I had no problem buying the gallon jug of olive oil from World Market a few months back.

On a semi-related note, here is my dog inspecting a large garden zucchini.

Anyway, here's what I ate today:

• coffee - Sumatra Mandheling, roasted in our backyard
• whole milk - Happy Cow Creamery, Pelzer, SC

• peach - SC grown, from Rosewood Market
• cornmeal mush made with Anson Mills blue grits, City of Columbia tap water, and Celtic Sea Salt

• French rolled omelet with eggs from Wil-Moore Farms, goat cheese from Split Creek Farm, and basil from our garden
• Tomatoes from our garden
• Cucumbers from our garden
• Beer - Thomas Creek Pilsner and Multi Grain Ale -- the former of which is TOTALLY FOUL. Seriously, do not drink the Thomas Creek Pilsner.

For the omelets, which need just a tiny smear of cooking fat, I ended up rendering a little 1/2" square piece of Caw Caw Creek bacon -- we got a deal and bought far too much of it a few months back, so I guess I'm all set for fat for the week after all.

Tomorrow's dinner will involve ground pork. First I have to get through lunch, though. I'm dreaming about the leftover cornmeal mush fried in bacon grease, with cherry tomatoes cut up on top. Maybe some chives scattered over the whole business.

More on Dog Food

I've been making food for Patty more often lately. It's a good way to use leftover meat, and it's a good excuse for spontaneous experiments...spontaneous experiments that Lawson and I don't have to live with.

For example, recently I browned a pound of ground turkey, then added a handful of frozen raspberries and a dusting of steel cut oats to absorb the juices. I covered it. After it cooked and absorbed for 10 minutes, I turned off the heat and stirred in two eggs. Patty loved it. Eggy Raspberry Meatloaf...mmmm. It fed her for several days.

Today I diced some potatoes, microwaved them for four minutes with a little chicken broth, and then stirred in some canned salmon. I usually stay away from the microwave with her meals, though: I think even dogs appreciate the browning of meat. The only food she has ever refused was microwaved chicken livers. She ate some the next day after I sauteed them in olive oil.

Last week we gave her a raw meaty, marrowy beef bone from the supermarket (in the backyard, of course). She was ecstatic. She spent all Sunday on that thing.

She also eats good quality hard food, but it contains more grains than she needs, so I'm trying to mostly stay away from grains in these supplementary dinners -- just meats and veggies, mostly. No doubt I'll get an email from some raw-feeding evangelist, and I think that stuff is neat, but surely there's a happy medium here.

More Dog Food

Some of my most successful cooking lately has been for Emily. After she got sick from commercial dog food, we decided we would take the trouble to make homemade food for the rest of her life. It has been rewarding--Emily thinks I am a fabulous cook! She eats with obvious relish and admires everything I do in the kitchen.

I often make ground turkey/brown rice/frozen mixed vegetables; yesterday it was chicken/bulgur/peas/corn; but today's dinner reached new heights: salmon/oatmeal/grated carrots.

I make a batch of several meals and freeze it in pint Ziploc bags.

Tomato Toast

Here is this morning’s version of Tomato Toast, a breakfast I make almost weekly with whatever is in the house. Today’s layers: whole wheat toast, Brie, sliced tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, and Parmesan—all broiled until melty and brown.

Last night we had a simple meal of salmon, baked potatoes, and home-grown Swiss chard with garlic and jalapenos, followed by fresh strawberries and a piece of dark chocolate. Fresh wild fish is getting more rare and expensive every day. I have concerns about farmed fish and I don't know where to get any accurate information about safety--everything on the web about it seems to be written either by industry advocates or fringe food alarmists.

Tonight I’m going to experiment with a rolled, boned, and stuffed turkey breast. The stuffing will have bread and spinach, and I think it’s roasted on a bed of vegetables which are then used to make gravy. I’ll let you know how it is.

Lucky dog Emily will also get a turkey meal tonight. I’m sort of enjoying making dog food, since she so obviously relishes it. Bon appetit, Emily.