Slow Cookin' Soul Cookin'

Warning: The following post is not politically correct.

Back in December, I received the following email from Leigh, a former co-worker and friend of mine, chastising me for a wrong I was committing weekly at Crockpot Mondays - a wrong I have since rectified.

Subject:  Crockpot Mondays....  a request


Hey Jen,
I know we don't work together any more but.....I still eat and I still like new foods and flavors.  I see you are having brown people at Crockpot Mondays...........where are the BLACK PEOPLE!?!?!?!? I promise not to yell in the kitchen like "we" do at the movies. I will sit down and quietly enjoy the meal. You don't have to make any "soul food" like collard greens and ham hocks in the crock pot, anything you come up with will be fine with me.  So with that said, and the fact that you have had Al-n-Val(white) and Bindi and Amish(brown) for CM (Crockpot Mondays) I feel it is time for me and Mandy(black - light black) to participate. I know that the holidays are around the corner so we can wait.  We will be patient, if it takes until after the holidays that is fine.  But I want to see some black folks on the blog!!!!!


Despite the subtlety of her message, I picked up on the fact that I needed to diversify my blog. And, I'm more than willing to except her challenge. So, for this week's meal we're having SOUL FOOD.

Which one's not like the others? A virtual United Nations.

In preparation for this challenge I flipped through my trusty crockpot cookbooks, but I didn't really find anything that suited Leigh's request. Instead I decided to attack this challenge Iron Chef-style. I am going to choose a random soul food ingredient and let that inspire me. My ingredient of choice? Ham hocks. Nothing says sould food to me like ham hocks. The ham hock is the joint that connects the pig's foot to its leg and is an essential ingredient in soul food. Because it isn't the choicest selection of meat on the pig, it's cheap and therefore, perfect for the slow cooker.

Soul food originated in the 14th century when slaves infused their West African cooking techniques and food staples with new types of foods in the Americas. But, the name "soul food" really came about in the 1960s. This is a work-with-what-God-gave-you cuisine. Every part of the animal is used and reused. Whatever produce that is in season is what ends up on the table. Soul food is often times synonymous with Southern food. So, as a displaced midwesterner, I felt the pressure, but I rolled up my sleeves and tried my hand at a few dishes.

For tonight's meal we had:

Ham Hocks and Beans in the crockpot

Fried Chicken

Stewed Okra, Squash and Tomatoes (made by Bindi)
Corn Bread
Green Beans
Red (not cherry) Kool-Aid - Mandy's contribution :)

The consensus? Pretty darn good.

The ham and beans had a great flavor due to the tomatoes with jalapenos and a great texture. This was the first time I've ever made fried chicken - or anything in a half-inch of hot oil - and I was pleasantly surprised. However, there is a learning curve involved with making sure the oil is hot enough to cook the chicken through and yet, not burn it, so some chicken pieces ended up a little burnt. Fried chicken is a lot of effort - what with the soaking overnight in buttermilk, dredging in flour and frying messily in batches, but it is quite tasty. Bindi's okra stew was excellent and spicy and crunchy - as opposed to the gelatinous snot-like texture that okra can often take. The cornbread was to die for - sweet with kernels of corn interspersed throughout. 

At the end of the meal my black dinner guests inducted me into the unofficial soul food cooking club. While my fair complexion prevents me from repeating their exact comments, I feel honored nonetheless. A culinary and cultural accomplishment for Jenny from the block. (Actually I think by quoting that song, I just revoked my privileges.) FYI - Jiffy cornbread and shortcut fried chicken won't cut it in this club.

We finished the meal off with wonderful cupcakes from Cami Cakes, thanks to Leigh.

So, now I've done brown and black, and, obviously white. Does this mean I need to go yellow next Crockpot Monday with Char Su Pork? Or perhaps go red and make Borscht?  We'll see what hits my inbox this week...


Here are the recipes

Ham Hocks 'n Beans

Ingredients:
2 cups dried beans
2 ham hocks
3-4 garlic cloves, optional
14 oz can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Rinse 2 cups dried beans and pick out any unsatisfactory beans. (I had Great Northern beans in my cupboard).
Soak in water overnight.
Place beans in slow cooker with just enough water to cover and 3-4 garlic cloves. Cook on low for 2 hours.
At the same time, boil 2 ham hocks for 2 hours.
Remove bones from ham and add ham and water into slow cooker with beans and cook for 5 hours.
Add 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos and garlic salt and pepper and cook on low for an additional 2 hours.

Servings: 6


Fried Chicken - from thegutsygourmet.net

Ingredients:
   Chicken pieces (selection of drumsticks and thighs)
   2 cups buttermilk
   1 tsp pepper
   1/4 tsp salt
   1 1/4 cup flour
   1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt (I used Emeril's seasoning, you can also use Lawry's)
   2 cups lard (I was all out of lard (?), so I used vegetable shortening)
   1 stick butter

1.) Rinse the chicken pieces and blot with paper towel. In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. Stir to combine
2.) Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3.) Combine the flour, seasoned salt and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper in a shallow baking
dish and blend well. Line a baking sheet with three layers of paper towels and place it near the stove.
4.) Put the shortening and butter in a large, deep frying pan. Melt over medium-high heat. The fat should be about 1/2-inch deep.
5.) Heat until it registers 365 degrees on a candy thermometer or until a small cube of bread dropped in
the oil browns in about 1 minute.
6.) Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, draining well. Dredge them in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess flour. Place them in the pan. Do not crowd the chicken pieces.
7.) Don't move the chicken for about 5 minutes or until the coating is set and looks firm. Check the
underside by lifting with the tongs--it should be deep golden. Cook the pieces between 8 and 20
minutes (depending on size), turning them periodically until crispy brown and cooked through.
8.) Remove chicken from pan and place on paper towel-covered baking sheet. Repeat with more batches.

Cornbread - (I wish I could call this my own because it was ridiculous but it's Maryanne's recipe)

Ingredients
3 cups biscuit baking mix
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (make sure it's fresh)
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups frozen corn kernels

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, baking powder and cornmeal. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and butter. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Fold in frozen corn. Pour into prepared pan.
3.) Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.