April 2005 Archives
Select fresh, juicey ears of corn. Shuck, desilk and wash the ears in cold water. With a deep pan and a very sharp knife, cut the tips of the kernels from the cob. When you have the entire cob detipped rake your knife over the cob to milk it of all the delicious juices and inner fillings of the kernel. This is a job that will create great splatters until you get the hang of it. It can be very messy and require much clean up, but it is worth your efforts!
In a cast iron frying pan melt a stick of butter, gently, do not let it melt too fast or it will burn. Whent he butter and pan are hot, pour in the creamed corn, juice and all. Keep the heat low and stir frequently so that the corn does not scorch and stick. Add salt and pepper to taste until the corn is tender and soft, not crunchy to the teeth.
If you follow the same process and cook that corn in drippings from fatback you will then have "fried creamed corn". Equally as delicious as it's cousin cooked in butter.
How to choose perfect ears of corn:
Do not be shy in your produce market. Be selective of the corn you choose. Old corn will be dry and not have much milk and it will taste like eating cow feed. With your thumbnail break the husk on the corn so that you can see the kernels. With that same nail push into the top of the kernel. It should break easily and give you a burst of corn milk. That is a good ear of corn.
When you get home with the corn, do not let it sit for more than a day in your refrigerator. The corn will dry out much too fast and your dish will not be tastey. When shopping at a farmer's market I always buy a bushel at a time. I take it home and get busy right then, shucking, desilking and creaming it for the freezer. Juicey corn waits for no man and will turn hard on you in no time.
There are also two schools of thought on corn.
1. Yellow
2. White
I prefer white with some yellow mixed in for creamed corn. For corn-on-the-cob, roasted on the grill or boiled, I prefer yellow. For corn-on-the-cob to be cook in the same pot as summer peas I like some of both.
For those who are health conscious and are gasping at cooking in real butter and fatback, you are missing out on some of the best eating you will ever partake of. It is the fat that lends great flavor. In my kitchen butter and pork fat RULE! It is good stuff and in moderation it is not bad for you! Fatback and butter are not causes for remorse!
Peel and slice the tomato thinly and arrange the slices on a plate, letting the edges of the rounds slightly over lap, a beautiful red circling of tomatoes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
Get yourself a mess of butterbeans. Sit on the porch in late afternoon or early morning and shell them into a pan. At the sink in cold water look the beans, searching for imperfections and flaws that would be evidence of insect feasting, throw those out. Once looked and washed place them in a pot of cold water, enough water to be twice as deep as the beans. They need lots of water to make good pot liquor. Add one thin strip of fatback or ham, NOT bacon!, and gently simmer until the beans are fork tender.
Marinade Ingredients:
1/2 c. dry red wine
1/4 c. olive oil
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp minces onion (I used dried)
1 bay leaf, crushed
2 tsp dried whole thyme
1 tsp whole marjoram
In a ziplock bag mix together well. Add one 3-4lbs boneless chuck roast. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 hours. Occassionally shaking up the bag and massaging the meat in the marinade.
Remove from the refrigerator and let stand 1 hour at room temp.
Drain roast and reserve the marinade.
On the grill, cook the roast over medium hot coals 30 minutes on each side. With a meat thermometer 140 degrees should be rare, 150 degrees should be medium rare.
Baste frequently with marinade.
This recipe is from the 1987 Southern Living Annual Recipes listed as a Summer Supper. Page 141.
