Being stuck in quarantine’s no fun, but for the time being, we really don’t have much of a choice since we’re in the middle of a quarantine. Thankfully, Angry Orchard is here to help with that with some of their simple recipes that you should be making instead of being super basic and making banana bread… or any bread, really. All recipe credit goes to Angry Orchard’s Head Cider Maker, Ryan Burk, and Chef James Rigato.
Cider all’ Amatriciana
Ingredients:
1/4 cup or so EVOO
1/2lb of pancetta or guanciale if not, a couple of slices of thick-cut bacon, cut in match sticks then cubed
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic (we like a lot of garlic, if you like less, then use less of it), smashed and roughly chopped
1/2 small can tomato paste
750ml (aka 25.4 ounces) Angry Orchard Stone Dry
16oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1lb bucatini (the best pasta)
1/2 cup Parmesan or pecorino to taste
Salt to taste
Crushed red pepper
Parsley to taste
Method: Cook pancetta (or bacon) on medium with a tablespoon or so of EVOO until crisp and fat is rendered, 15 mins or so, and remove with slotted spoon and reserve. Add shallot and cook a few mins until golden and soft, and then add garlic and continue cooking for a few minutes stirring often to prevent burning. Push ingredients to one side and add tomato paste, stir and fry for a few minutes to bring in some umami, stir everything together and deglaze with dry cider (half the bottle or more), making sure to scrape up all the good stuff. Add tomatoes and cook until falling apart, 10 mins or so down, then remove and reserve sauce. Turn heat to high, add enough water to cover the pasta, add pasta and a generous amount of salt, cook pasta until its almost al dente, pour off the water, reserving some to add back as needed, add reserved sauce + meat + remaining EVOO + cheese. Stir rapidly and add some pasta water if a creamier consistency is desired. Serve, add crushed red pepper to taste, and a little chopped parsley.
Cider-Braised Pork with Green Apple Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
1 3-5lb. pork shoulder
Salt, pepper, thyme, Garam Masala (optional – to taste)
2 quarts fresh cider/hard cider – can combine or choose, either or 1qt. chicken stock
Method: Place all ingredients into a crockpot and braise at 350 degrees for 4 hours until tender. Dinner is cidery and served.
Green Apple Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
4 tomatillos
1 small onion
1 jalapeno
2 Granny Smith apples
4 limes
1 small bunch cilantro
Olive oil, salt, pepper to taste
Method: Purée in a food processor. Season accordingly.
Ham Tartine
Ingredients:
A loaf of crusty bread
Garlic
Ricotta or mascarpone lightly seasoned and whipped
Shaved high-quality ham. We prefer 18 month aged Benton’s. Super smoky and salty.
Nice quality pickle like McClure’s. Or make yourself.
Bread & Butter’s make for a sweet note! If you’re feeling spicy, or even a spicy giardiniera would be great.
Fresh dill for garnish. A drizzle of olive oil
Method: Take your crusty loaf and cut it into thin slices. Rub with garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil, before grilling or broiled until crunchy. Schmear whipped ricotta or mascarpone onto toasts and top with shaved ham. Add pickles and drizzle with olive oil and fresh dill if desired. The easiest lunch is also extra delicious – served best with an Angry Orchard Unfiltered, of course, to pick up the tasting notes.
Now that you have a few recipes to make thanks to our friends over at Angry Orchard, it’s time to you know, go and make them. While I’m interested to see how they’ll all come out, I too will probably make these recipes at some point in time… whenever I get a second to breathe.