This Is Hip

You Don't Get Old Being No Fool

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Ain't nothin' new under the sun. And I ain't got time for such newfangled nonsense. Let's just get on back to the basics. I was just sitting' here thinking about some good ole comfort food, some whiskey and some Blues... now that's hip!

So with all of that in mind, we're cooking up some Braised Pork, sipping on an Old Fashioned and listening to some Blues. 

Cause the best thing for the blues is the Blues... The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Milk-Braised Pork

Nothing new here. This is actually an old Italian classic. In Italy, cooks like to braise pork in milk because it creates a rich savory sauce. Not the best looking dish when it's done, but man it is good. 

What you need... 

1 3-4lb pork shoulder
olive oil
2 1/5 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1/4 lb pancetta / chopped
6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
1 bunch of sage
4 cups whole milk
1 cup white wine
1 lemon peeled and juiced

To finish the sauce-
3 tbsp butter / softened
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sage
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Get Cooking...

Season Pork by rubbing with olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cover and put in the fridge over night.

Next day, Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a Dutch oven, sear the pork over high heat on all sides then remove from the pan. 

Add butter, onion, and the pancetta to the pan. When the pancetta starts to brown add the garlic.

Stir in one cup of white wine to deglaze the pot.

Add the seared pork back to the pot and add the milk and lemon juice. 

Bring to a gentle simmer then cover and place in the oven. 

Cook for 4-5 hours until fork tender. 

Remove the pork and let cool. 

Strain the sauce and return to heat to reduce by half. 

Whisk in the softened butter and flour along with the sage and Dijon mustard. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Slice pork or pull apart with forks. 

Pour sauce over pork and enjoy.

The Playlist... 

This Is Hip

The best for thing for the blues is the Blues! Ain't nothing new here... well maybe some new covers, but all paying homage to the legends. If you think people like Led Zeppelin wrote songs like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Bring It On Home" you would be mistaken. Today we pay homage to the legends that started it all. 

So give a listen and tap a toe to some of the legends as they show you what the Blue is all about Baby... Cause this is hip!

         The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to   This Is Hip




The Bar... 
Old Fashioned
The classic Old Fashioned is made by muddling sugar and bitters and adding some whiskey.

What you need... 

2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

1 sugar cube

1 orange slice

1 maraschino cherry

Get To Drinking...

Muddle the bitters and sugar in an old fashioned glass

add one large piece of ice 

garnish with orange slice and cherry 

Turn up the Blues!

My New Year's Resolution...

Give Up Drinkin' Unless I'm Alone or With Somebody.

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!