Good Fortune and Feasting for Winter Solstice.

“The boar's head in hand bring I, 

Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary.

And I pray you, my masters, be merry.   

As many as are at the feast.”

~The Boar’s Head Carol”, 15^th century British Christmas carol~

Calendar wise, we are still, technically in the season of autumn.  Outside though, there is snow on the mountains; occasional hail, rain or sleet falls (hey, Mother Nature has multiple personality disorder, just go with the flow of it), and temperatures cold enough to freeze a runny nose.  In other words, the weather is screaming, “Winter!!!”.

For 2025, the Pagan holiday of Yule, or what the common majority call Winter Solstice, will be on December 21^st.  This is the shortest day of the year which means the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night when the northern hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun.  As the days progress, more daylight will begin to show until the longest day of the year in June, or summer solstice.  Winter is a time for the earth to fall into deep slumber and regain energy throughout its time of sleep, and our ancient ancestors showed thankfulness with celebration.

Foods served during the feasting (dependent on regional location and timeline era) consisted of hearty, preserved, and spiced ingredients that symbolized warmth, and full larders for the harsh winter months.

Savory Main Dishes

Meats: Roasted pork (wild boar or pigs) ham, goose, beef, smoked fish, and sauce meatballs.

Sides: Root vegetables (potatoes, squash, carrots), stuffing, hearty breads, and pickled items.

Soups: Remnant soups made with leftover meats and vegetables.

Sweets & Baked Goods

Cakes & Breads: Yule log cake, gingerbread (Lebkuchen), fruitcake, spiced cookies (caraway, shortbread), saffron buns, and rich fruit breads.

Puddings & Pies: Figgy pudding, mince pies, and pumpkin pie.

Candies: Fudge, peanut brittle, peppermint bark, and chocolate truffles.

Drinks

Spiced Ales/Wines: Mulled wine, wassail (Lamb's Wool with ale, apples, spices), and spiced mead (honey wine).

Hot Drinks: Hot chocolate, hot buttered rum, and ginger tea.

Other: Eggnog, cider, and homemade fruit-infused spirits like Sloe Gin.

Fruits & Nuts

Citrus: Oranges and lemons.

Other Fruits: Apples, pears, cranberries, and dried fruits (figs, raisins).

Nuts: Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, often added into baked goods.

Which now brings me back to the Boar’s Head Carol that began this article.  Pork, namely wild boar and pigs, were an essential celebration meat, going back eons.  Pagan feasts sacrificed wild boars, and the roasted meat was then eaten to ensure good fortune and feasting during winter.  Ah, but what about God forbidding the consumption of pork by the Hebrews?  God forbade pork in the Old Testament (Leviticus, Deuteronomy) to set Israelites apart from pagan nations (all ancient cultures that worshipped Polytheism, or the worship of multiple gods).  This prohibition was a mark of holiness, cultural identity, and separation from the worship of false idols.

As Christianity emerged, many pagan beliefs, traditions and celebrations were incorporated to make an easier transition into this new religion.  So, the eating of pork became a popular tradition for Christmas, and even a traditional welcome for the New Year. The boar's head was the centerpiece at medieval Christmas feasts, symbolizing triumph over evil, presented with great ceremony with an apple in its mouth, and accompanied by the singing of the famous "Boar's Head Carol".  As wild boar began to become scarce, pigs specially bred to immense sizes, became the perfect substitute.

…and now for a pork recipe that would please the pagan souls of our ancient ancestors.  No!  Not how to roast and serve a pig’s head; had you scared there for a second, right?

 

Pork Chops in Barbecue Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

8 boneless pork chops trimmed of all fat

2 large onions, julienned

4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 bottle (18.5 oz.) Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Preparation:

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat.  Mix salt and pepper together and sprinkle over one side of pork chops.  Place chops in skillet, seasoned side down; sear for one-minute, flip chops and sear other side for one-minute.

 

Spread onions, then tomatoes over pork chops; pour barbecue sauce over all.  Let cook for 10 minutes, moving the ingredients around slightly to let the barbecue sauce seep downwards to the chops.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for another 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Serve with sides of potato and vegetable; however, number of servings is dependent on size of chops.

For us, I added a side of mashed potatoes loaded with Vermont white cheddar, and I tend to use yellow (golden) potatoes as they are buttery in flavor, and come out ultra smooth in texture.  The vegetable was a flat or snap bean, called Romano or Italian green beans, which have a naturally sweet flavor, and firm texture to ordinary green beans.

Sleep well Earth, Sleep well Nature, and we look forward to your return in Spring.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Creamy Smothered Baked Tasty Casserole

In the past weeks I have seen, repeatedly, posted a recipe for Pork Chop and Potato Casserole featuring Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.  Usually, it is a photo of the completed dish with ingredients listed, just the names, not the amounts, and “Click on this link for full recipe”.  Clink on the link and you are taken to a cooking blog, or a Facebook page, that will not give the full recipe unless you become a follower.  While I would love to see folks click “Become a Follower” on my own food blog, I do not keep the recipes as secretive as a government agency.

Not everyone wants to join a blog, or page, just to access one recipe, and nowadays it is just easier to do a search, and find it printed elsewhere, intact with full ingredient list and directions. That is exactly what I did do, a search and read many a recipe describing the writer’s take on what the recipe should entail.  While many a recipe was quite simple to accomplish, some were so complicated, it went from comfort food to Michelin star status.  Well, my blog is about adventures in creating and enjoying comfort food, so that is the path I chose to create a dish of my own.  Also, while many a recipe had the same name, many others used a more descriptive word in the beginning, usually “easy”, “creamy”, “smothered”, “baked”, or “tasty”.; hence this article’s title.

The combination of pork with potatoes goes back centuries, to every country, and its culture, that had the two food products available.  Putting them both, into one pot, was merely a way to save time in the cooking process while other chores could be finished up.  Those working outside the home environment could come back to a hearty meal, spend quality family time, before heading off to bed.

So, how did cream of mushroom soup come into the mix?  Recipes for mushroom soups were made popular during the 16^th century, mainly in France and Italy, for the royals and rich.  It was 1934 that the American company, Campbell’s put out a canned version of a creamed soup.  Open the can, put contents in a pot, add milk, heat and enjoy a bowl of smooth, filling, comfort food.  Campbell’s went further in enticing housewives to buy their products by putting easy-to-make recipes on the labels.  However, the recipe for the pork chop and potato casserole was not one of their creations.  In fact, the only origin found was references to being influenced by French and Italian cuisines that used a smooth mushroom sauce that “smothered” the pork, and “scalloped” the potatoes at the same time, in one pan.  So, who did it first?  Ask anyone, and you will probably hear it was Grandma So-and-So, or Great Grandma What’s-Her-Name; and that Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup was the base for the sauce.

When it comes to the pork chops, bone-in or boneless, can be used, but cooking times must be adjusted, since bone-in takes longer to cook thoroughly.  Depending on the thickness of the chops, brining or soaking overnight in milk, will help loosen up the meat’s fibers.  Trimming away as much outside fat as possible ensures the sauce will not become greasy.  A little fat running through the chops will melt away during the searing process, so no need to add a fat to the pan.  Personally, I prefer using the boneless chops that about ¼-inch thick as they need no brining or soaking; they are thin enough to absorb the flavors and moisture of sauces.

Potatoes used can be any type, from the buttery golden to the hearty russet; and cuts can be thinly sliced, cubed or chopped.  However, the cut of the potato should be one that goes well with the chops being used.  A thinly sliced potato will bake up much faster than a thick, bone-in chop, so you will end up with mushy or burned potatoes before the chops are done.  You want the pork chops and potatoes to cook evenly, together.

After reading many a recipe, I came up with my own which pairs chopped potatoes, sliced mushrooms and boneless pork chops together.  It is a simple ingredient list, easy directions, and the end result is a “easy creamy smothered baked tasty casserole”.  That title is too long, so I simply call the recipe Pork Chops, Mushrooms and Potato Casserole.  Enjoy!

 

Pork Chops, Mushrooms and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

8 boneless pork chops, ¼-inch thick

2 Tbsp. oil (optional – use if skillet is not nonstick)

5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped (1-inch pieces)

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (2 oz.) packet onion soup mix

2 and ½ cups 2% milk

1 cup (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F, spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick buttery spray.

 

Trim outside fat from pork chops; heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; sear both sides of chops, two minutes per side; remove from skillet and set aside.  If using a skillet that is not nonstick, then heat the oil before searing. 

 

 

 

 If not already done, peel potatoes and cut into one-inch pieces; cubes, triangles or mix of both shapes.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together creamed soup, soup mix and milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In baking dish, spread out potatoes, cover potatoes with pork chops leaving space between chops, spread mushrooms over chops.  Pour soup mixture over all.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake additional 20 minutes.  Chops will be cooked thoroughly, potatoes and mushrooms softened with a smooth, bubbling sauce.

 

Makes 6-8 servings depending on size of chops.

 

Note: The creamed soup and soup mix have salt, so that is why I did not add any.  There are also low sodium brands available, if you want even lesser salt.

Mary Cokenour

Pioneers Celebrate with Pork

Welcome July! In Utah, there are two holidays that are celebrated with much revelry, food and fireworks.  July 4^th starts out the month to celebrate the American colonies declaring independence from Mother England.  The end of month celebration is July 24^th, Pioneer Day, which commemorates entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into Utah's Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

Perusing through my collection of Utah state, and Mormon influenced, cookbooks, there was one recipe that seemed to be a popular Pioneer Day dish, Pork Stew.  Salt pork was the main ingredient, if not available, then thick cut bacon was the secondary option.  Now the question is, “Why the use of salt pork?”

First, we have to understand what salt pork is, how it is processed, and why was it so important to the pioneers?  Cut from the pork belly, is resembles uncut bacon, but much fattier.  The excess fat allows for the salt, in the curing process, to be absorbed fully, and preserve the meat.  Layers of salt and pork belly are covered in water and soaked for up to three hours.  The meat is removed and hung to dry before being wrapped carefully.  During the 17^th to 19^th centuries, and mainly used by the military, salt pork could last up to 18 months, so it kept men fed during the worst circumstances.

For pioneers traveling to the untamed West, salt pork was a necessary item on the list of provisions; along with dried fruit, vegetables, spices, grains and a variety of long-lasting food items.  Travel was by wagon train, horses, or on foot; there were no restaurants along the way to feed weary travelers, and no stores to buy more goods.

The Brigham Young caravan left Iowa City to make a 1,300-mile trek to the Great Salt Lake Valley.  They were known as the “hand cart pioneers” as they did not have the benefit of wagons, nor oxen.  Each person was allowed to carry only 17 pounds on their person, while the carts were loaded up from 400 to 500 pounds of food, bedding, clothing and cooking tools.  The carts were pushed and pulled by “people power” only.  Now this is a reenactment I would like to see!

In The Mormon Pioneer Cookbook (page 85) and Utah Cook Book (page 33), there are two very similar recipes, both giving credit to the 1847 pioneers.  Salt pork, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, water, pepper are the ingredients listed.  Salt?  There was already an abundance of salt preserving the pork, so adding would have made the stew inedible.  Basic preparation was to add all ingredients to a pot, place over the fire and cook until the potatoes were tender.

Nowadays, we have available a huge variety of foods, spices, and cooking gadgets that surely outshine those simple recipes from long ago.  To make my updated version of pioneer pork stew, pork, potatoes, onions and tomatoes were a must; adding beans, garlic and chili powder gives it a deeper southwestern flair.  Oh, and instead of salt pork or thick cut bacon, I cheated and used boneless pork chops which are leaner.  Come now, you know how I do not follow rules when I can get away with it.

 

Pork Chop Stew

 

Ingredients:

6 (2 lbs.) boneless pork loin chops

5 small potatoes, peeled, cubed and parboiled

1 medium onion, chopped

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 cups red kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

5 plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups beef broth

Preparation:

Spray a 4-quart crock pot dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Begin placing layers of ingredients inside:  pork chops; potatoes and onion mixed together; sprinkle spices evenly; kidney beans; tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

In a small bowl, whisk flour into the beef broth to create a slurry; pour over all ingredients in the crock pot dish.  Cover, set on low and cook for 6-8 hours; potatoes, beans and pork should be fork tender.

Makes six servings.

Perhaps, when celebrating this year, you might consider cooking up some of those recipes from the pioneers, and get the full effect of what their first celebration was like.

Mary Cokenour