I can’t wait to try this some time.

Update July 5, 2020: link replaced with Internet Archive, and then I gave it a more permanent home on AllTheBest.Recipes.

The neck was via Big Lou’s Butcher from Sloping Hills, and the cheeks were some of the last pork from Cutter Ranch that we prepped at Pete’s Meats. I grilled some neck in the summer and it was delicious.

Apparently, according to Roland, I came close to doing adobo.

The marinade was roughly as follows:

• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove minced garlic
• ½ finely chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp miso in ¼ cup water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp spicy vinegar
• salt & pepper

Served over rice.

These were tucked in the freezer and made a great winter meal. They weren't quite defrosted so I balanced them on the fat on the side in a cast iron pan in the oven. This melted away the lively fat on the side.

Then smothered in Dizzy Pig Jamaican Firewalk rub and seared on each side, with final finishing in the oven.

The sides were purple mashed potatoes and braised kale with mustard. Turns out Rachael doesn't like mashed potatoes when they are purple.

That well in the potatoes? Pan drippings -- delicious!

Anthony and I made Trotter Gear this weekend. Which are, of course, pigs feet, and from Fergus Henderson's "Beyond Nose to Tail" cookbook (which Anthony gave to me for my birthday). Here's a version of the recipe.

What does one do with trotter gear? Well, it features prominently as an ingredient in about a third of the recipes in that book. The pie described in the linked recipe is definitely something I want to try.

Now that the Olympics are over, Oyama again has guanciale. I picked some up to cook while on Bowen.

The "traditional" recipes for guanciale are all pasta dishes (Bucatini alla Amatriciana, Spaghetti alla Gricia, Spaghetti alla Carbonara - here are recipes for all three plus instructions on how to cure your own guanciale).

Here are some non-traditional recipes I found online:

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ponzu Fried Garlic, Guanciale, and Bonito Flakes - I have my own bacon + mustard recipe for brussels sprouts, so I know this would be yummy
• Whole-wheat pasta with cabbage, mushrooms, and caraway seeds - I'm not a fan of caraway seeds, but I can see how the whole wheat pasta would mesh with the smokiness of the pork
• Tiny potato dumplings with Tomato Onion Guanciale sauce - pretty similar to the pasta sauces, but done with potato dumplings aka gnochetti instead. Mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and guanciale would also be stellar, I think …
• Seattle Shellfish Stew with Kale and Guanciale - there are a variety of recipes that mix mussels with guanciale. Lots of bacon + mussel recipes out there, so this makes sense. The kale has a bitterness to it that goes with the smokiness, which is what I'm hoping for with my recipe.
• Sautéed Ramps in Guanciale - I've never had ramps, which are a sort of scallion/leek/onion/garlic - but are apparently wild leeks

My recipe? I'm doing pasta with a bunch of Red Boar Kale.

Spaghetti With Guanciale and Kale

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Trying for something vaguely like Anthony's ragout. I remember it had carrots and pork, and the nutmeg seemed a good direction to go.

Ground Pork Ragout