Dead to the Last Drop (46 page)

Step 3—Make glaze:
While the pork is cooking, make the glaze. Whisk the cornstarch and stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth, and set the bowl aside. Melt the butter in a skillet, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender but not browned. Add the allspice and cook for 1 more minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the port (or other sweet, fortified wine), cherries, and brown sugar to the skillet. Bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook the glaze until the mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add to the skillet the cornstarch mixture you made earlier. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.

Step 4
—
Glaze pork:
Drizzle this glaze over top of the pork roast (after you’ve roasted it for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size) and continue to roast for about 30 minutes longer, or until internal temperature gets to 160°F.

Step 5—Serve:
Once out of the oven, you must let it rest for a short time to allow the meat to recollect its juices. If you cut it right away, you risk dry meat. After 10 to 15 minutes’ rest, slice the tenderloin into servings about 1 inch thick.

Luther’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings

In a bit of culinary magic, Luther Bell caramelized bacon bits, Vidalia onions, red pepper strips, and green beans in a sweet-tart glaze using hard cider. (That recipe follows this one!) The first tangy bite made Clare Cosi swoon with its bright and colorful flavors and al dente beans.

But the balanced pairing wasn’t complete without a plate of buttermilk fried chicken wings—a deceptively simple dish that requires its own magic to prepare properly. Luther uses chicken wings exclusively. Unlike bigger pieces, which often end up burning on the outside before cooking all the way through, wings fry perfectly.

The buttermilk bath is the second key to success. The acid in the buttermilk is an excellent marinade, softening and sweetening the meat before it touches flour or oil.

Serves 4

3 pounds fresh chicken wings

1 quart regular or light buttermilk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pepper, ground very fine

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons McCormick Poultry Seasoning or your favorite chicken spice blend

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Canola oil for frying

Note:
This version calls for 3 pounds of whole chicken wings. That’s about 12 wings, or 24 when divided, yielding 6 pieces each for a family of four.

Step 1—
Cut the wings into 3 pieces, discarding all wing tips (or you can boil the tips with carrots, celery, onion, and spices to make chicken broth). Place cut-up chicken in a plastic or glass container. Pour buttermilk over the chicken wing pieces and marinate in refrigerator for up to 3 hours (but no more).

Step 2—
Mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, chicken spice, and cayenne pepper thoroughly in a paper or plastic bag.

Step 3—
Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk and discard excess liquid. Shake off loose buttermilk (do not rinse). Drop wing pieces into the bag 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Shake well until each piece is evenly coated.

Step 4—
Heat canola oil in a pan or pot deep enough to allow wing pieces to be submerged in oil (at least 2 inches deep). Shake off any excess flour
on your chicken wing pieces and slowly place pieces, one at a time, into hot oil. (Note: you know the oil is hot enough for frying when a dough ball made from a bit of buttermilk and flour sizzles when dropped into the pot.) Make sure your pan is not too crowded; otherwise, oil’s temperature will drop dramatically, and you will end up with greasy chicken.

Step 5—
Fry each batch for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until chicken is golden brown and cooked evenly. (Watch oil temperature. Keeping the oil hot enough is the key to good frying.) Place finished pieces on a metal rack over a cookie sheet pan to catch excess grease. Place rack in a 220°F oven to hold the chicken while the other pieces fry.

Luther’s Hard Cider Green Beans

Luther’s Hard Cider Green Beans showcase the bright tang of cider, which mingles perfectly with the bacon, onions, garlic, and red pepper to create a balanced dish that is smoky-sweet, slightly tart, with a bright, crunchy finish that dances on the tongue. As for the hard cider, that pre-dates America’s founding. Apple seeds arrived on the Mayflower, and within a century the fruit was ubiquitous. Because nothing was ever wasted, fruit that was deemed too bitter or acidic to eat was made into hard cider for imbibing, or cider vinegar for pickling and preservation. The popularity of hard cider grew with the nation. Barrels of hard cider, freely given, helped George Washington win his campaign for the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1758. And after the Revolution, President John Adams drank cider to encourage more Americans to consume “local products,” and hard cider quickly became the drink of “everyday Americans.” After Prohibition, beer replaced cider as the working man’s beverage, but today cider is making a comeback, both for drinking and cooking, and it works scrumptiously in this recipe!

Serves 6

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup Vidalia onions, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, cut into slivers

1½ pounds green beans, ends trimmed

½ cup hard cider

½ cup apple juice or apple cider

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the bacon and cook until well browned (but not crispy), about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, red bell peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the green beans and toss to combine with the bacon and onions. Increase the heat to medium high and add the hard cider and apple juice (or apple cider). As soon as the liquid begins to boil, place the lid on the pan and cook the beans for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the lid, season the beans with the salt and pepper, and toss well. Replace the lid and cook until the beans are tender, 1 or 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and transfer the beans to a serving dish or small platter.

Luther’s Alabama–Style White Barbecue Sauce

In North Alabama, this vinegar-and-pepper-based mayonnaise sauce is king. Invented in Decatur, Alabama, at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in 1925, it is traditionally used to dress grilled and fried chicken. It’s also a fine dip for chicken or other grilled meats and fish. It can also be used as a salad dressing or a pretzel or potato chip dip. “Everyone in Alabama has their own special version,” says Chef Luther Bell. “Start with the basics, and you can always improvise.”

Yield: about 1⅓ cups

1 cup of mayonnaise

¼ cup white or cider vinegar

½ teaspoon black pepper

Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Mix all the ingredients in a tight container, seal, and shake madly. Good right away, or chill. It will thicken a little in the refrigerator. Store refrigerated for no more than seven days.

Chef’s tip:
You can spice up Alabama White Sauce even more by adding, to taste, any or all of the following: garlic powder, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper or Tabasco sauce, white pepper, sea salt, dash of lemon juice.

Luther’s Carolina Mustard Barbecue and Dipping Sauce

Mustard sauce arrived on the American culinary scene in the 1740s, when the British paid thousands of German families to take up residence on free land in South Carolina. Carolina mustard sauce can be clearly traced to those settlers. Because it’s made with dark brown sugar (no substitutes!) instead of the corn syrup often used to sweeten ketchup and tomato-based sauces, the mustard sauce won’t roll off the hot meat when applied. It’s also great for dipping fried foods, mini-hot dogs, pretzels, and raw vegetables. You can even use it as a salad dressing.

Yield: about 1½ cups

1 cup yellow mustard

½ cup cider vinegar

8 tablespoons dark brown sugar (to taste)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a glass or plastic container and shake until well blended. Chill for an hour or overnight for the flavors to properly blend.

Luther’s Sticky Chicken Wings Glazed with Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

Here’s a happy alternative to tomato-based barbeque sauces that pretty much everyone enjoys. It has the sweetness Americans have grown to love, with a special tang that comes from the mustard. Don’t be fooled by this sauce’s “raw” taste when you first mix it up. It mellows and sweetens with cooking, but never loses the special bite that only comes with mustard.

Serves 4

10 to 12 premium chicken wings, cut into thirds, tips discarded

1 cup Luther’s Carolina Mustard Barbecue and Dipping Sauce (recipe above)

To cook in your oven:

Step 1—Prepare chicken and pan:
Prepare a shallow baking or roasting pan by lining with aluminum foil. (For easy cleanup). Coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. Place wings in the pan, at least an inch apart.

Step 2—Bake and baste:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place your prepared pan of chicken wings in the middle rack. After 15 minutes, remove the pan and generously brush the prepared mustard sauce on top of each chicken wing. Cook for another 15 minutes. Then, at the 30 minute mark, flip each wing and brush the opposite side of the chicken wing. Bake for another 15 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces one last time and generously brush on a final coat of mustard sauce. Return the chicken to your oven for another 20 to 25 minutes. Total cooking time is a little over 60 minutes.

To cook on your grill:

Step 1—Prep the wings:
Roll chicken wings in vegetable oil and shake off excess. You want a nice, light coating. Sprinkle salt on all sides. If you are using a charcoal grill, you must create a cool area where there are fewer coals.

Step 2—Grill:
Lay the chicken wings on the hot side and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how hot the grill is (you do not want the chicken to burn). Once you have a good sear on one side, move the chicken pieces to the cool part of the grill (if you are using a gas grill, lower the heat to medium low). Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Step 3—Turn and sauce:
Turn the chicken wings over and brush with mustard sauce. Cover again and allow to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat, turning the chicken pieces over, basting them with sauce, covering, and cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Clare Cosi’s Coffee-Glazed Barbecued Chicken

Like a complex premium coffee, this glaze brings many flavors together. The earthiness of the brewed coffee blends beautifully with the smokiness of the charcoal and the sweetness of the molasses and brown sugar. The lemon brings brightness and the cornstarch is the magic trick to make the glaze thick. This recipe can also be baked in the oven. This glaze is the “secret” the President of the United States asked Clare Cosi to reveal at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This one she was happy to give. The other secret, which she hid close to her . . . ahem, heart—would remain Clare’s.

Servings:
About 10 pieces of chicken. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are good with this recipe because dark meat tends to remain juicier during grilling, but it works equally well with breasts and wings. Because the cornstarch makes the glaze stick, you can use chicken parts with or without skin.

½ cup brewed coffee or espresso

½ cup molasses (unsulfured, and not blackstrap)

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch (for thickening)

To make the glaze—
Combine coffee, molasses, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a medium nonstick saucepan. Stir for a minute over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time until it disappears.

While continuing to stir the glaze, increase the heat and bring the glaze to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. When glaze thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about the consistency of honey), it’s done.

Troubleshooting:
If the glaze seems too thin, increase the heat and bring it to a full boil while continuing to whisk. This should do the trick. If it doesn’t, whisk in a little extra cornstarch (1 teaspoon at a time) and it should thicken up fast. If the glaze becomes too thick, simply whisk more coffee into the saucepan, a little at a time, and continue to heat and whisk until the glaze loosens to the right consistency for brushing.

To cook in your oven:

Step 1—Prepare chicken and pan:
Rinse your chicken parts, pat dry. Prepare a shallow baking or roasting pan by lining with aluminum foil. (You’ll want to do this for easy cleanup.) Now coat the foil with a nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken in the pan, skin side up (if your pieces have skin).