Please enjoy some of our favorite recipes.

Four String Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 3 to  5 pound fresh ham or picnic roast
• about 2 to 3 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
• aluminum foil

To prepare:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place pork roast in a 13×9 inch pan.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over ham roast.  Pour 2 to 3 cups of water into the pan (the water should come about one or two inches up the side of the roast).  Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for 2 hours.  The water steams the roast as it cooks, and keeps the roast very moist.  

At the end of 2 hours, increase the oven to 450 degrees and remove the foil from the pan. 

Place the roast back in the oven for 40 minutes to one hour (turn the roast over after 20 minutes to make sure both sides of roast brown evenly).  Ideally, the water will cook almost, but not all the way, out. 

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.   Spoon the juices in the bottom of the pan over the finished roast.  The roast is ready to serve.  To create “pulled pork”, simply shred the roast with your fingers, or cut the roast across the grain and then shred.  (Note:  See “Pulled Pork Sandwiches” for serving suggestions).

 

Easiest Ever Roast Chicken Recipe

The following recipe* is the easiest and possibly the best way to prepare a really good pastured chicken. 

Preparation time is less than 10 minutes.  Cooking time is one hour, or up to one hour forty minutes for a larger bird.

Cook it through.  Use a dependable meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked to the center.  Nothing is more frustrating than to put a beautifully browned bird on the table, hearing the oohs and ahs of the family, then cutting into the thigh and realizing you need another 10 minutes in the oven.  The thermometer should read at least 170 degrees in the thigh, and 160 in the breast.

A note about the weight of the chicken and cooking time:  For a 3 pound chicken, total cooking time will be around 60 minutes.   For a 4 pound bird, total time will be about one hour twenty minutes.  A 5 pound bird will take about one hour forty minutes.

Ingredients:

• one 3 to 5 pound chicken
• 2 or 3 tbls unsalted butter (helps the skin brown evenly and become crispy)
• sea salt and crushed black pepper
• roasting pan or V-rack

To prepare:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place a roasting pan or V-rack in the oven as it pre-heats.  Soften 2 tablespoons butter and brush over the entire skin of the chicken.  Generously sprinkle sea salt and crushed black pepper on the bird.

When the oven is ready, take out the roasting pan or v-rack, and place the chicken, wing side down, on the rack and put it in oven.  After 15 minutes, take out the bird and turn it to the other wing and put it back in the oven.  After another 15 minutes, take out the bird and place it breast side up on the pan and put it back in oven.  Turn the oven to 450 degrees, and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes.  (Turning the oven to 450 helps nicely brown the skin while finishing the bird.)

(Note:  If you are cooking a 5 pound bird, place it on one side for 20 minutes then the other side for 20 minutes.  Then, cook it breast side up for another 30 to 40 minutes before you turn the oven up to 450.  You may be able to cook a 5 pound chicken all the way through at 375 long enough to sufficiently brown the skin.)

Remove the chicken from oven.  Let stand ten minutes.  Serve.   

A note about v-racks:  V-racks are excellent for roasting perfect chickens because they keep the chicken from sitting in its own juices while it cooks, and also makes it easy to rotate the bird to cook evenly and thoroughly.

Why turn the bird during cooking?  Turning the bird allows it to cook evenly on all sides and in the center.  If you are cooking a large bird, 5 pounds or bigger, don’t leave it on the sides too long, to make sure the wing tips don’t dry out or burn.  Pre-heating the roasting pan or v-rack allows the chicken to start cooking immediately when you place it in the oven, instead of waiting for the pan to heat.

Ideas for Left-Overs

This roasted chicken recipe makes excellent left-overs.  Strip the chicken from the bones and save it for chicken salad, pasta,  stir fry, chicken tacos, or simply heated back up in a pan lightly coated with olive oil.  Some families can get up to three or four meals from one chicken.  It is a great value to divide one bird across several meals and only have to do the prep and cooking once—especially with this easy recipe.    

The meat from pastured chickens holds up extremely well to re-cooking.  I have reheated the same chicken meat four or five times with no significant degeneration or mushiness to the meat—a sure sign of a quality bird.  Strip the chicken meat from the bones, divide it into individual serving bags, and freeze it.  Thaw out the frozen cooked chicken for a quick easy meal. 

Go to fourstringfarm.com for recipes ideas.  You can also use the drippings from your roast chicken to make a wonderful wholesome gravy.  Finally, you can use the bones, back, neck, and other discards from the bird for high quality chicken stock.  If you have never tried to make gravy or stock, you will be amazed at how easy it is—and how delicious.

*I took this recipe, with only a few changes, from an old edition of the Cook’s Illustrated Best Recipes Cookbook.  If there was only one cookbook left in my kitchen, it would be my Best Recipes.

Four String Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• Four String Pork Chops (cut 1 ½ inches thick)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:  Follow your normal procedure to preheat your gas or charcoal grill.  Clean the grill grate.  On the grill, turn at least one burner to high heat.  For a charcoal grill, place the coals under the grill on one side of the pit.

Let the pork chops stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Brush the pork chops on both sides with extra-virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper the chops to taste.  Do not salt the chops until you are ready to place on the grill.

Place the pork chops over high heat with the grill lid closed for about 3 minutes on each side (until each side is crisply browned with good grill marks).   Move the chops to indirect heat with grill lid closed for another 20 or so minutes.  Internal temperature should register 160 degrees.  Remove from the grill and let stand at least 5 minutes.  Serve. 

Note:  Cooking the chops over high heat is meant to sear the chops and start the internal cooking process.  The olive oil helps the chops brown.  Very high heat for 3 minutes per side, and low heat for another 20 minutes creates amazing grilled pork chops. 

Four String Grilled Squash

Ingredients:

• Squash or zucchini (yellow, tatume, scaloppini, etc.)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:  Follow your normal procedure to preheat your gas or charcoal grill.  Clean the grill grate.  On the grill, turn at least one burner to high heat.  For a charcoal grill, place the coals under the grill on one side of the pit.

For yellow squash or zucchini:  Cut the squash in half length-wise.  For tatume or scallopini: cut length-wise into 1 ½ inch thick slices.  Brush the squash on bothsides with extra-virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  (Note:   Do not salt the squash until you are ready to place on the grill.)

Place the squash over high heat with the grill lid closed for about 2 minutes on each side—until there are good grill marks.   Move the squash to indirect heat for another 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

(Note:  The squash should be at least one and up to 2 inches thick.  The outside will sear slightly over high heat and take on grill marks and indirect heat will finish the squash and soften the inside.  Cut the squash into serving size after taking off the grill.) 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds “Four String Pulled Pork” (see recipe)
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sweet onions, sliced
• 2 Serrano or 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced
• homemade wheat bread (or tortillas)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• salsa or diced fresh tomatoes
• handful of chopped fresh herbs (oregano or basil)
• salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:  Heat non-stick pan to medium-high.  Saute the onions and peppers until softened.  Add the pork and saute until the pork is just getting crisp.  Remove pork/onion/pepper mixture to serving plate.  (Note:  Use fairly high heat in pan to caramelize the onions and get the pork slightly crisp.)

To prepare sandwich or taco, place pork mixture on the bread or tortilla.   Top with salsa or diced tomatoes, and thinly sliced cucumbers.  Generously sprinkle fresh herbs.  Salt and pepper to taste.   

Close taco or top with another slice of bread and serve. 

Wild at Heart Grape Jelly

Ingredients:

• a water-bath canner and canning jars
• 3 ½ lbs wild mustang grapes (rinsed, stems removed, not seeded)
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 package (1.75 ounces) premium fruit pectin

To prepare the jars:  Bring water to a boil in a water-bath canner.  Drop in the jars and boil for ten minutes to sterilize.  Pour boiling water over the bands and lids to sterilize.

To prepare the grapes:  Place batches of grapes into a food processor.  Pulse several times, but do not puree.  Place grapes in a sauce pan.  Add 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for ten minutes.

Strain the grape mixture through four-thickness cheese cloth into a large container–wring out as much grape juice as possible. 

To cook into jelly:  Pour 5 cups grape juice and one package fruit pectin into a sauce pan.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Dump in the sugar all at once; return to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Ladle the grape mixture quickly into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/8^thinch head space.  Wipe jar rims and threads, cover with lid, and screw on bands hand tight.  Bring the water used to sterilize jars in the water canner back to a rolling boil.  Place jars in an elevated canning rack, then lower the rack into the canner.  The boiling water must cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches (add more boiling water if needed).  Cover water bath canner and boil the jars for five minutes.  Remove the jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. 

Storage:  After jars cool, check to make sure the lids seal by pressing the middle of the lid with your finger.  If the lid springs back, the jar is not sealed and must be refrigerated.

Let jars stand 24 hours.  Store jars in a cool, dry place.

(Please note:  Canning fruit and vegetables is a lost art in America.  If you are not familiar with the principles of safely canning your food, please find some good literature on the subject.  If you are lucky, you will find a wonderful old-timer, who preserved the harvest out of necessity, to help you learn.)

Four String Frittata

A frittata is a hearty egg pie similar to quiche but without the crust.  To prepare, simply saute the vegetables in a pan, pour in whipped eggs, top with cheese, and put in the oven until the cheese browns.  With a little practice, you can prepare this dish from start to finish in about 20 to 25 minutes. 

This is one of my favorite recipes, because it allows us to use a  variety of fresh food from the farm.  For the herbs and vegetables, I use whatever I can freshly pick that day.  In the summer my frittatas have a lot of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and squash, and basil; in the winter there are carrots, spinach, greens, and cauliflower, and parsley.     

This dish can be a main course, or a meal in itself.  It is perfect brunch food, or a fast lunch on the go.  When the family needs a quick meal that is filling and delicious and healthy, try this frittata recipe.     

Ingredients (Serves 3.  Adjust ingredients and cooking time for larger frittata.  In general, there should be about 3 to 4 cups cooked vegetables for each cup of eggs.):

• 6 eggs
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, butter, or lard
• half an onion, diced
• half a bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium squash, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• salt and pepper to taste
• about one cup fresh grated cheese (cheddar or Gruyere work well)

To prepare:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Whip the eggs in a bowl with a fork until scrambled.  Stir the herbs into the egg mixture and set aside.  In a medium sized non-stick pan over medium heat, sautee first the onions and pepper until slightly soft, then add the other vegetables.  The vegetables give a nice body and texture to the dish if they are not over-cooked.  Salt and pepper the vegetables while sauteing.

When the vegetables are cooked through, turn off the heat under the pan and pour in the egg mixture and stir just enough to mix the eggs with the vegetables.  Spread the cheese evenly over the top of eggs and put the pan in the oven.  Let cook in the oven for about  5 or 6 minutes at 350 degrees.  Turn the broiler on high and cook just until the cheese browns (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook). Remove the pan when done, and don’t burn your hand on the handle!  Immediately slide the frittata from the pan onto a serving platter.  Cut the frittata into slices like pie.  Serve hot.

Breakfast Sausage Seasoning Packets

The “Hot” is not too hot, more spicy than hot–everyone likes this one.  “Sage” is the familiar breakfast sausage flavor that we love.

Ingredients of each packet:

Sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander

Hot
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander

To prepare:  Simply pour the contents of the packet over a pound of ground pork, and mix well.  For the pork into patties and fry until crisply browned.