D'Artagnan Dares to Deliver Conscientiously Raised Meats & Delicious Farm to Fork Goods - AD

This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. TL:DR I’m working with D’Artagnan and earn commissions when you shop through my link.

For years D’Artagnan has been a leader in specialty meats and the only place to get duck, truffles, and foie gras shipped to your door. With the rise of many other services, D’Artagnan has persisted in its mission to consciously raise meats from independent farms to keep their practices transparent.

I was lucky enough to attend the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference in 2018 and caught a duck butchery demonstration with Ariane Daguin, the owner and CEO of D’Artagnan. She also happened to receive a Trailblazer award that year. She made herself available to the audience to ask questions about her landmark products and how hands-on she is in the production process. She is known for launching the first domestically made foie gras in the United States. D’Artagnan defines foie gras as “enhanced” duck or goose liver. It’s a fraught food because geese and ducks are typically force-fed to enlarge their liver. The practice was even banned in California and has been tied up in courts up through last year. At D’Artagnan, they make foie gras from Moulard ducks and explain their stress-free process:

“Waterfowl have a natural propensity to gorge themselves before leaving on long migratory flights. They store the fat in their liver, which serves as a gas tank, and under the skin, which protects them from the cold at high altitudes. Humans discovered this fattened and delicious liver while hunting migratory ducks and geese, and soon found a way to reproduce it when the fowl was domesticated. The first record of fattening ducks is in Egyptian tombs, where vivid paintings depict the special feeding. Since the esophagus of a duck is thickened to protect it from harm when swallowing whole fish, frogs, and other prey, it is impervious to pain. A small funnel slipped into the mouth of the duck delivers a quick burst of mashed corn directly to the gullet. This high-calorie diet reproduces the natural process of gorging and causes the liver to expand and grow fatty.”

To be honest, I rarely ate duck. My family never cooked it and it felt too expensive to splurge on Peking duck at restaurants. Duck was part of my culinary awakening in my late 20’s, I tore through Kitchen Confidential and visited Les Halles where Anthony Bourdain used to work. I ordered the duck confit and it clicked. How wonderful is it that duck can taste so good, get so crispy, and even better, you can use its rendered fat to roast potatoes. It’s lower in saturated fat and higher amounts of “good” unsaturated fats compared to beef and pork fat. Whenever I need duck, premium charcuterie, and ethically made foie gras, I look to D’Artagnan.

How do I use D’Artagnan?

Here is a running list of dishes that I’ve made with D’Artagnan products.

Foie Gras Butter

I ordered the foie gras chunks, which are offcuts of the larger pate and torchon. I trimmed them and tossed them in a dry cure. After curing overnight, I blended the foie one piece at a time into softened unsalted butter. The result is a luxurious smooth butter for biscuits, finishing steaks, and fancy floats for soup.

Cheese & Charcuterie Grazing Board

For Valentine’s Day, I created large grazing boards with cheeses, fruits, nuts, and homemade focaccia. I also featured D’Artagnan duck rillettes, the above foie gras butter, wagyu bresaola, wild boar lonza, and sliced Iberico jamon.

Jamon Iberico & Mushroom Nabe

Japanese nabe or hot pot is traditionally made with uncured pork belly. It is generally advised that bacon is too salty for this application, but a single slice of this otherwise vegetable forward dish gives it a savory, luxe finish when you dip it in ponzu and eat it.

FAQ

What is D’Artagnan?

D’Artagnan is an online meat and luxury food company. They are known for their free-range, natural production, and sustainable humane farming practices on products from organic chicken to grass-fed beef to lamb, heritage pork, and other meats. They are also a leading source of specialty mushrooms, foie gras, and finishing oils. Moreover, they partner with independent family farms and ranches. You won’t catch them using added antibiotics or hormones.

What is your relationship with D’Artagnan?

I am an affiliate partner. That means that I get compensated by D’Artagnan for every purchase made through my links on this post.

ButcherBox Makes My Biggest Cooking Dreams Complete - AD

This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. TL:DR When you use my link to try ButcherBox, I receive a commission.

After a long hiatus away from making random sandwiches (for which this website is named!), I walked every aisle of the grocery store and local farmer’s market for inspiration. Coming up with ideas is so fun for me, but even I hit a wall sometimes. I’ve always been an advocate for meal kits and grocery delivery services for folks who are new to the kitchen. I like to try out new services around the holidays or surrounding my birthday because I need a break from coming up with meals, too.

ButcherBox has been the exception. I look forward to my big box of high-quality meats every month! Each package is a welcome cooking challenge. When you sign up, there is almost always a generous bonus. I lucked out and got 3 months of free salmon! Around Thanksgiving, you can get a free turkey (if you order fast). And before that, new subscribers got free ground beef for life.

SO, WHAT IS BUTCHERBOX?

ButcherBox is a meat and seafood delivery service where you can adjust the timing, size, and make-up of the contents. It’s all been hits, from filet mignon to pork loin, chops, chicken, ground beef, and even lobster. I haven’t been disappointed! It’s great for households that have ample freezer space and mouths to feed. I have a friend who tried it and said it was too much meat for her, but, thankfully, you can delay or pause shipments if that is the case for you. Everything arrives frozen in a nicely insulated box. Per food safety guidelines, it’s best to get the products right into the freezer or in the fridge on a lipped sheet pan if you’re going to defrost them for that day.

WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF THIS MEAT?

If you want to try it out and get free stuff when you sign up, use my affiliate link. Not sure what you’re going to do with all of that meat? Don’t worry, I made this post to round up what I’ve made so far (and will keep adding as I make more dishes).

Sansho pepper pork chops with shiso leaves

Replace your ground black pepper with Japanese sansho pepper, which in small amounts, provides a buzzy, citrusy flavor with every bite. I also marinated it overnight with crushed yellow plums. Prepare your pork chops as you normally do on the grill, in the oven, or on the stove. Then slice it all up and serve it with shiso leaves, a habit I picked up from Korean BBQ restaurants.

Beef chuck roast with capers and mustard

I tied up this beef chuck roast so it would cook evenly. Then I marinated it with lots of coriander, pepper, salt, and fennel seeds. It went into a sous vide bath for 6 hours (I wish I had longer!). Then I sliced it really thinly, resting the pieces in their juices, whisked with mustard and chopped capers.

Filet mignon with Christmas beans and mustard greens

I simply seasoned the filet mignon with salt and pepper before pan-frying it to medium doneness. I really don’t like to overwhelm such high quality meat! It’s so good that you don’t need to add much to it. When I was growing up I typically ate steak with rice and boiled veggies. These days I’ll throw on some warm beans tossed with salsa and fresh farmer’s market produce like mustard greens pictured here.

Click here to take advantage of ButcherBox and sign up knowing I’m part of the community of folks who will help you figure out your next meal. If you ever have a cooking question, comment on my Instagram account or sign up for my Patreon for personal cooking advice.

FAQ

What is ButcherBox? ButcherBox is a delivery subscription service for grass-fed & grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage-breed pork.

What is a #ButcherboxPartner? I am disclosing my business relationship with ButcherBox. I am an affiliate partner who provides links and deals to my audience and ButcherBox compensates me for every person who participates.

Luscious Pork Chops with Fresh Plums and Sage

I worked with Claire Matern to help Local Roots refresh their website for their fall CSA. Every season, their inventory changes, so we needed to showcase the latest offerings as well as a few simple recipe ideas.

Pork chops are pretty easy to master at home. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan (like it has a metal handle and not a plastic one), you can still complete this dish on the stovetop. Just watch the temperature! And if you do go the way of the oven, don’t forget the handle will be very hot.

In the case you can’t find fresh plums right now, a dollop of apricot jam or sweet chili sauce will do just as nicely.

Pork Chops with Plums and Sage

Serves 2

Things you'll need:
2 Local Roots pork chops Salt and pepper, to taste	2 plums, pitted 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 leaves fresh sage, stems removed

1. Pat the completely defrosted pork chops with a paper towel.

2. Drizzle the olive oil onto the pork chops and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe pan on high on the stove.

5. Sear the pork chop on both sides for 2 minutes to brown the outside.

6. Place the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Continue to cook the pork chop until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (for medium).

8. Transfer the pork chop to a plate to rest.

9. (Not pictured) Using the pan juices, saute the sage leaves for 1 to 2 minutes and pour onto the pork chops.

10. Serve alongside sliced plums.

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Let me know if you try this recipe out!

If you'd like a discount on Local Roots subscriptions, enter the code RANDWICHES at checkout.

Fantasy Kitchen: Pears & Sausage in Oil from the Lies of Locke Lamora

Eric Molinsky hosts the podcast Imaginary Worlds, a bi-weekly broadcast about science fiction and fantasy. My friend and fellow Kickstarter Creator in Residence  Fran Wilde introduced me to Eric for an episode titled "Fantastical Feasts." He and his helper Stephanie came over to record a food demo where we used the sound effects of cooking in the episode.

I chose to cook pears and sausage in oil from the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (!!!), who was later interviewed in the same episode. When Locke joined the Gentlemen Bastards gang, his welcome dinner is a double portion of pears and sausage in oil. You can substitute the sausages with fresh chorizo or longaniza. Slightly under ripe pears are preferred because they roast up like potatoes.

It isn’t mentioned in the book but I added arugula and szechuan peppercorn to the dish. They both have unique peppery qualities that I think would resonate with Locke. When the Thiefmaker punishes Locke at Shades Hill, he forces him to drink fire oil, a sensation that he remembers later on as he drinks a ginger scald.

Things you'll need:
2 Anjou pears 2 hot Italian sausages 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn	1 tablespoon flour 1 cup broth 1 cup of arugula

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and core the pears.

Heat a cast iron pan on high heat.

Add the oil to the pan and sear the sausages for a minute on each side.

Add the pears to the pan and cook for another minute.

Turn off the stove and transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn off the oven.

Place the arugula in a heat-safe bowl or platter.

Transfer the pears and sausage to the arugula platter.

Put the pan juices back on the stove on low heat.

Whisk the flour into the juices. If there aren’t any sausage juices, add a pat of butter.

Whisk the broth and peppercorn into the juices to make a gravy.

Strain the gravy and serve alongside the pears and sausages.

St. Patrick’s Day Brunch: Kale Salad with Lomo Chips

My salad dressings aren’t very complicated. Half a lemon, a count of one-two pour of olive oil, a pinch of salt and maybe 5 turns of the pepper mill (course, of course). Hefty, handful of green, in this case, baby kale. I find delight in the added flourishes which yield variation in my salads: a nice cheese hidden at the bottom, candied nuts or a roasted vegetable. I bring you, the lomo chip!

Lomo embuchado is cured pork loin, sliced super thin. Akin to its cousin prosciutto in that is part of a pig and cured, but small circular discs. I took advantage of the low oven setting from the tomato confit I had going already and placed a single layer of lomo slices on a rack nested in a sheet pan. It doesn’t have much fat to drop off like bacon, but it lets the hot air circulate in the oven, crisping both sides. You’ll know they’re done when they are still a deep red and crunch like a chip with no gummy chew. 

Pastrami Turkey Breast to Cure What Ails You

You don't have to wait a whole year to make this turkey breast for Thanksgiving. Pastrami turkey is great for sandwiches, kicking up your minestrone or seriously, snacking on when you're wrapped up in your blanket watching Netflix. The brine was adapted from Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie. 

Things you'll need:
5-pound turkey breast Brine: 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 cups kosher salt 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp coriander seed 1 dried chili pepper 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp cinnamon 2 whole cloves 2 tsp fresh ginger 1 cup of honey 1/2 cup brown sugar 5 garlic cloves	For the butter: 1 stick of softened butter 1 bunch of chives 2 cloves of garlic For the rub: 1 tbl black peppercorn 1 tbl coriander seed For smoking: 2 handfuls of maple wood chips (or pecan) 1 chimney of coals 1 fennel bulb

Make sure you have a container and lid large enough to fit and submerge the turkey breast. Unwrap the turkey and remove any organs from inside the neck or breast cavity. Pat it dry with paper towels and let it come to room temperature. Wash your hands.

Soak the wood chips in water and set aside.

Heat a quart of water in a pot and whisk in the salt, honey and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and make sure to stir the salt and sugar until they dissolve. Turn the heat off and add the rest of the brine ingredients. Let the spices steep for 10 minutes as it cools. 

Add the brine and the turkey to your container. Add enough ice to cover the turkey. Cover and store in the fridge for up to two days. Check that the meat is submerged, add cold water if the ice wasn't enough.

While you wait make the butter. Leave a stick of butter on the counter for a couple of hours to soften or if it's rock hard, use a grater to quicken the process. Chop chives finely with the garlic and fold into the butter. If you want a less chunky and bright green butter to go under the turkey skin, pass the butter through a couple pulses of the food processor (but not necessary).

If you have a dedicated spice grinder, pulse the peppercorn and coriander until you don't see whole seeds anymore. I like it coarse but if you prefer you can make it fine. If there be no spice grinder in your kitchen, simply crush the seeds with the handle of a wooden spoon, bash a ziplock bag or even empty your pepper grinder and pass the seeds through--though I understand that might take a while to grind out. 

Once the turkey is brined, drain the container and dry the meat with paper towels. Take the butter out of the fridge to soften. 

On a cutting board, carefully lift up the turkey's skin and run your hands as best as you can underneath it. Like, get in there but don't rip it. Spread 2 to 4 tablespoons of chive butter under the skin. If you can't get it to distribute evenly, at least prioritize the top because the butter will melt and cascade down. Sprinkle the rub all over the turkey breast and place on a pan that will fit in your grill or smoker. Stuff the fennel bulb into the empty cavity.

Prepare a chimney of charcoal until they turn gray. Turn them out on one side of the grill and place the turkey on the cold side of the grill. Throw a small handful of wet wood chips on the coals and cover the grill with the lid. Make sure the vents are open. Smoke for 1 hour and turn the breast 180 degrees before you throw more wood chips onto the coals. Continue for another hour and baste with the remaining chive butter. Do not brush it on, but drizzle so you don't wipe off the pepper crust.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Once the turkey is done smoking, roast it for an hour until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Let it cool out of the oven for 15 minutes.

Slice it up and store in the fridge all week for sandwiches. 

Don't know what to do with the turkey carcass? I've got some ideas on my guest post for Dear Kate..

Going to try this recipe? Let me know by tagging @Randwiches on Instagram or Twitter. I want to know how to improve it.

A Christmas Dream Come True with DIY Pepper Bacon

This past Christmas, I went down to Tampa to hang out with Eric's family. We met up with his brother Jeff, who was transporting a bunch of cooking tools to their parents' house. One of the hefty packages was a smoker! I couldn't contain myself. We set out a plan of smoking every since thing, from cheese to tomatoes, the Christmas beef roast and breakfast bacon. I've made bacon before and used nitrate salt (which can be controversial). This was my first opportunity to have a truly smokey hunk of meat for Christmas. 

First, we obtained a quality slab of pork side with the skin on. Three days before we would have Christmas breakfast, I put the slab in a large zipper plastic bag with the salt, sugar and pepper. I then placed the bag in a small sheet tray in case it leaked anywhere. When you have a lot of food to prepare, dad or mom can mistakenly stack things on top; so it's good to take the precaution.

Every 8 hours, I'd flip it over and massage the meat so the brine got all over. It starts dry but after a couple of hours, it starts to release water.

The day before Christmas breakfast, I drained the bag and patted the pork dry with paper towels. We stuck it in the hot smoker for about 4 hours, until the outsides were a little red and the internal temperature read 150 degrees F. 

Here it is, skin side up:

And the under side!

The side! Look at the stripes!

I let it cool in the open air and then wrapped it to rest in the fridge. The next morning, I cut thick slices and we par-cooked them in a cast iron on the range and finished them in the oven. It was a little too salty, but nothing a little egg and toast couldn't fix.

It's not crispy "commercial" bacon because it's cut so thick, but it does have this addicting cracklin rind that is fun to chew on.  My original brine proportions were 1:1 ratio of salt and sugar (measuring 1/2 cup each). I've adjusted the salt in the ingredient list below but if you fry up a piece and it's too salty, you can boil the other slices in water for 5 minutes to tone it down. Pat dry and store for up to a week (if it'll last that long). Or if it's not salty enough, add some in the frying pan.

Don't use any oil to cook these. It will have its own natural fat. You can also save the fat for frying other things later on!

Things you'll need:
2lb slab of pork side with skin 1/3 cup of kosher salt 1/2 cup of sugar Freshly cracked pepper	Large zipper plastic baggie Sheet pan Smoker (optional)

If you don't have a smoker, don't fret! The bacon is most of the way there after curing in the fridge. If you aren't against liquid smoke, you can brush a little on each slice before frying. Otherwise, it's still perfectly satisfying to slice up and cook without the smoking part.

What proportions do you use for bacon brine at home? Let me know so I can try it and adjust.