Receta Spicy Ham and Red Beans; dead animals in the meat case; Weekly Menu
Fall is here.
One can find big baskets of wild mushrooms In the supermarkets as well as small baskets offered for sale by the side of the road.
The crack of gun-fire announces the dawn as the hunters are out in droves, searching for deer, boar, birds and bunnies.
And there are dead animals in the meat cases at the supermarket.
Not butchered animals; whole animals in all their mortal glory.
I would have taken a photo but then I would have been a wide-eyed tourist gawking rather than a jaded Frenchwoman passing by.
But this is what it looked like:
Starting on the left are the joints of beef, huge chunks that the butcher will cut bits off to order. One can sometimes see half of a rib cage or entire tongues. Yesterday there was a basket of hearts. There are also small cuts, rolled roasts, steaks, etc.
Next to the beef is a similar display of veal and, occasionally horse. Oh yes, and the 'abats' or offal: livers, tripe, brains, whatever is on hand.
Pork is in the middle, complete with chops, roasts, trotters (feet) and ears.
There is a smaller display of lamb and mutton, but with the same variety.... Lamb's kidneys are always a popular item.
Finally, the birds and bunnies. I only recognized the pheasants, but there were 3 or 4 other types in the case - complete with head, feet and a full compliment of feathers. Next to them were the rabbits, also complete: heads, long ears, tails and fur.
On the far right of the case, rounding out your selection, were the chickens. They were at least plucked, although still retaining heads and feet.
Oh, and a few 'boneless, skinless chicken breasts'... and turkey breasts.
Can you imagine a supermarket in the US having uncleaned game? Let alone feathered birds and furry rabbits leaning on the pork roast and plucked chickens?
That's why we're healthier here - more exposure to.... stuff. LOL
The ham is kept in a separate case.
You can add jalapeños or other hotter peppers if you like; or finish it with Tabasco or other hot sauce.... I'm a wimp.
- Spicy Ham and Red Beans on Brown Rice
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 rib celery
- 1/2 green pepper
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 15oz (450gr) whole or crushed tomatoes
- 8oz (250gr) ham either type, a thick slice
- 15oz, 450gr red kidney beans
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 4oz (125gr) chopped green chilies
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
anything else you would like to add to make it hotter - jalapeños, red pepper flakes?
Chop onions, celery and pepper. Finely chop garlic. Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chili powder and sauté 1 minute. Add onions, celery, pepper, garlic and sauté 7 - 8 minutes. Trim ham and cut into bite-size pieces. Add ham and sauté briefly. Drain and rinse the beans. Drain the tomatoes then roughly chop. Add beans, tomatoes, juices, Worcestershire, and herbs. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add green chilies and simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and add anything you like to make it hotter. Serve over brown rice.
In addition to this, for the week of October 22 we have Spanokopittas, Scallops Provencal, Roast Chicken, Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms, Pork Tenderloin with White Wine and Mustard....
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