Recipes from James Ranch

Breakfast Strata with Sausage, Belford and Asparagus

This recipe doubles easily; use a 9 by 13-inch baking dish greased with only 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and increase the baking time as directed in step 4.

Serves 6

8 slices French bread (1/2 “ thick)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 medium shallots, minced (1/2 cup)
1 lb Garden’s fresh asparagus
8 oz Whey Good Pork bulk sage sausage
½ cup medium-dry white wine
6 oz Mature Belford cheese, grated (1½ cups)
6 large James Ranch eggs
1 cup half-and half

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.
Fry sausage in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage apart with wooden spoon, until sausage has lost raw color and begins to brown, about 4 minutes; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 1 minute longer. Add asparagus to skillet, and cook until asparagus is slightly brown about 6 minutes; transfer mixture to medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 60 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.

(Adapted via Cooks Illustrated November 1, 2001)

Hearty Beef Stew

This recipe makes a lot so you can freeze the rest and have on a rainy/snowy day when you don’t want to cook.

Serves 6-8

5 pounds James Ranch stew meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions , chopped medium
3 medium garlic cloves , pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 lbs. Russet potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ to ¾ cup all purpose flour
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Dry the beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Braise meat in two batches until pieces are browned on all sides using more oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.
Return the Dutch oven to medium heat and add more 2 teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red wine; scraping the browned bits off the skillet bottom. Stir the broths, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Add meat; return to a simmer. Cover and place in oven; simmer for about 1 hour.
Remove Dutch oven from oven, add potatoes and carrots, cover and return to oven. Simmer until meat is just tender about 1 hour. Remove stew from oven. (Can be cooled, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
Stir in the peas and parsley and allow to stand 5 minutes.
Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Sear-Roasted Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Sauce

Serves 4

4 Whey-Good pork loin or rib chops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil

Sauce

1 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth
3 T. Balsamic vinegar
¼ -1/3 cup finely chopped dried figs
1-1/2 T. honey
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into four pieces
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions

Brine the pork chops for 1-2 hours if desired. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chops dry with a paper towel. Season both sides generously with salt (less salt if you brined the chops) and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch, heavy-based, oven-proof, skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, swirl it around the pan. Add the meat, evenly spaced around the pan. Cook without touching for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, lift a corner of the neat to check that it’s both well browned and easily released from the pan, and flip it over. (If it sticks or isn’t well browned, cook for 1 to 2 minutes more before flipping.) Cook the second side for 1 minute and then transfer the skillet to the oven.
Roast until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven using potholders. Remove chops to a plate and let rest, covered with foil, while you make the sauce.
Still using pot holders (that handle is hot!), pour off any excess fat from the skillet. Return the pan to high heat and add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Cook, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate and browned bits, until the broth is reduced to about ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the figs, honey, and thyme and cook until the sauce in reduced by another 1 to 2 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Add the butter and swirl it into the sauce until it’s completely melted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, drizzled over the sear-roasted pork chops.

Baked Ham with Mustard Pineapple Glaze and Pan Sauce

This recipe is for a whole (approx. 16 pound) ham but may be reduced for a half ham. If you cut the recipe all the way in half, you will not quite have enough glaze and sauce to go around. Adjust cooking time as necessary.

16 lb. whole Whey-Good Pork ham

Glaze

2-3 cups water, chicken stock, or apple cider
½ cup Dijon mustard
1 cup finely chopped canned pineapple or other fruit
¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup gingersnaps or dried bread pulsed in a food processor to form crumbs

Sauce

Chicken stock
1 T molasses
1T dark brown sugar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2T water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Lay ham fat side up in a sturdy roasting pan. Place ham in the oven and roast until you reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees – about 2-1/2 hours (or 10 minutes per pound). When the ham reaches 130 degrees it is time to apply the glaze.
Remove the ham from the oven and turn the oven up to 425 degrees. Pour the water, stock, or apple cider into the bottom of the roasting pan to a ½ inch depth. The liquid will catch the melting glaze and prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pan as well as provide the base for a delicious sauce.
Brush the mustard over the entire top of the ham. In a small bowl, combine the pineapple and sugar and using a large spoon, spread a generous layer over the top of ham pressing down to make it stick. Return ham to oven. After 10 minutes, the sugar should begin to melt. Sprinkle the gingersnap crumbs over the ham. Press on with your hand. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until the surface has begun to brown and the ham as reached an internal temperature of about 140 degrees. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes or so.
Scrape up any baked-on bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the pan juices. Pour this liquid into a 4 cup glass measuring cup. Remove and discard any fat on the surface and add enough chicken stock to bring volume up to 2 cups. Strain these juices into a saucepan and stir in molasses, brown sugar and mustard and bring to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper and thicken with the cornstarch mixture. Serve with sliced ham.

Becca’s Macaroni and Cheese (The cheese maker’s wife)

This is a great recipe for winter, spring, summer and fall. If you’re looking for comfort food, this is one of those recipes everyone loves!

1 lb. pasta such as Fusilli or Penne
1 to 1.5 pounds of grated Young Belford James Ranch Artisan cheese
½ cup (1/4 pound) unsalted butter
½ cup flour
4 cups milk
½ to 1 tsp. salt to taste
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Dash cayenne
Pepper to taste

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al denté. You want it slightly undercooked to avoid mushiness in the final product.
Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly as it starts to thicken. This sauce will still be rather thin but will thicken more when baked.
After the sauce has thickened a bit, add nutmeg, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Remove from heat and add 2/3 of the cheese, reserving 1/3 for the top. Stir until the cheese is melted.
Combine the pasta and cheese sauce and pour into a 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It should be all bubbly.
Turn on the broiler for the last minute or two if the cheese on top did not get as brown and crispy as you like. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, if you can wait, and then serve.

Braised Brisket with Mushrooms, Carrots and Thyme

- Serves 12

A Warm Winter Recipe For When You are Tired of Turkey

2 Tbs. sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8-1/2 to 9 lb. James Ranch beef brisket (whole brisket), untrimmed of fat. This recipe can be cut in half and a half a brisket used.
5 Tbs. vegetable oil
6 large yellow onions, diced (about 12 cups)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 15-oz. can tomato purée
1 cup dry red wine
4 large sprigs fresh thyme
8 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 oz. cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered if large, halved if small (3 cups)

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1 Tbs. pepper. Rub the mixture all over the brisket. Let rest at room temperature for two hours or cover and refrigerate overnight (bring the meat to room temperature before cooking).
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and pale gold, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a large heavy-duty roasting pan and spread them in an even layer. Set the brisket fat side up on the onions (it’s okay if the pieces overlap), cover tightly with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil), and braise in the oven for 1 hour. As the brisket cooks, it will give off quite a bit of liquid.
Pour the tomato purée and wine around the brisket and add the thyme sprigs. Cover and continue to braise the meat for 2-1/2 hours.
Add the carrots and mushrooms and continue to braise, covered, until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour more.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and trim the fat. With a slotted spoon, move the vegetables to a serving bowl.
Skim the excess fat from the pan juices, strain 2 cups of the juices, and bring to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to about 1 cup; the sauce should be rich and flavorful.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Slice as much brisket across the grain as you need for the meal and serve with the vegetables and reduced sauce. Wrap the leftover brisket, vegetables, and juices separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with Ketchup and Brown Sugar Glaze

For all of you that love comfort food in the fall and winter, this recipe is one of the Stewart’s favorite! Make some buttermilk mashed potatoes and a side of green beans from The Gardens at James Ranch for a complete meal!

Brown Sugar - Ketchup Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup or chili sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar or white vinegar

Meatloaf

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup whole milk or plain yogurt
1 pound James Ranch 100% Grass-fed ground beef
1 pound Whey-Good Sage Sausage
2/3 cup Saltine crackers , crushed (about 16), or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6 - 8 ounces Whey-Good bacon (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

Instructions

For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan; set aside.

For the meatloaf:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)
Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.

Sautéed Whey-Good Pork Chops with White Wine Pan Sauce

- Serves 4

This is a simple and fast recipe to use in Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall with our Whey-Good pork loin chops. Add a nice rice pilaf and some sautéed snap peas from The Gardens at James Ranch for a delicious meal!

4 Whey-Good pork loin or rib chops, patted dry with paper towels
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbl. unsalted butter
1 Tbl. vegetable oil
2 large shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine or 1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-salt canned broth
2-3 Tbls. unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 lemon wedge, small

Instructions

Season Whey-good pork chops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10 to 12-inch skillet over a strong medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl skillet occasionally until fat turns nut brown and just begins to smoke.
Lay pork chops in skillet, bony side facing toward center of skillet; saute until browned on one side, about 1 minute. Turn chops with tongs and saute until browned on other side, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook chops 4 minutes. Turn chops; cover and cook until firm but not hard when pressed with a finger, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chops to a plate; set aside in a warm spot while preparing sauce.
Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet. Add shallots; sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute, scraping skillet with wooden spoon to dislodge brown bits. Pour in stock and accumulated juices from around chops; boil to a thin syrupy texture (about 1/3 cup), 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, scatter butter pieces over sauce; swirl skillet until butter melts and sauce thickens slightly.
Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over sauce and swirl in. Adjust seasonings. Spoon over chops and serve.