Henrys Ponas Recipes

Steps:

• Cook 4-5lb Boston Butt Roast in a heavy pan with lid and place 2 quarts of water in pan. Slow cook for several hours. I usually cook at 250 overnight!
• Save the broth and grind the meat.
• Boil the broth but you need to know how much volume you have!
• For each 3 cups of broth you boil, you will add 1 cup of yellow corn meal slowly while stirring. Add to fast and the cornmeal will clump! In this case I used 24 cups of water and 8 cups of cornmeal. Add 3 Tablespoons of salt, 1 Tablespoon of pepper. You will also want to add about 1 cup of flour slowly! Mix and cook until mixture is done! It takes about 20-30 minutes of constant stirring to keep mixture from burning and to get cornmeal to soften. Once it is thick, you pour into pans. This makes 2 large pans about 3 inches thick.
• Cool overnight and then slice and fry. Maple syrup and butter makes a great meal.

Steps:

• Shred potatoes into a large bowl filled with cold water. Stir until water is cloudy, drain, and cover potatoes again with fresh cold water. Stir again to dissolve excess starch. Drain potatoes well, pat dry with paper towels, and squeeze out any excess moisture.
• Heat clarified butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Sprinkle shredded potatoes into the hot butter and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
• Cook potatoes until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir until potatoes are browned all over, about 5 more minutes.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water). Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet or pot over medium. Add the pancetta, if using, and fry until crispy, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the vodka and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes and then fill the can halfway with water and swish it around to loosen up any leftover tomatoes; add a quarter to half of the water to the pan. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. If you prefer your sauce a little looser, go ahead and add the remaining water and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more. Reduce heat to low, add the cream and cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes an even pinkish-rust color, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup cheese; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, top with additional cheese, if desired, and sprinkle with the oregano and parsley.

Steps:

• Bring the vegetable broth, 4 1/2 cups of water, the allspice berries, black peppercorns, and kosher salt to a boil in a large pot, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove the brine from the heat, and set aside to cool. When the brine is cool, place the Cornish hens into the brine and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the game hens from the brine, and pat dry. Discard the brine.
• Place the cut-up grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, rosemary, and thyme into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 2 minutes; with tongs, stuff the fruit and herbs into the cavities of the Cornish hens. Slather each hen with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the stuffed hens into a roasting dish, breast sides up.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). For extra-crispy skin, turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Allow the hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Separate pig head into halves.
• Remove eyes and brains.
• Scrape head and clean thoroughly.
• Place in a large kettle, cover with water and simmer gently for 2 or 3 hours (or until meat falls off the bone).
• Skim grease from the surface; remove meat, chop finely and return to broth.
• Season with salt, pepper and sage to taste.
• Sift in corn meal, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened to the consistency of soft mush.
• Cook very slowly for one hour over low heat.
• When sufficiently cooked, pour into greased loaf pans and store in a cool place until ready to use.
• To serve, cut into 1/2" slices and fry until crisp and brown.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan and allow it to rest out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes, to bring the meat to just about room temperature. Combine seasonings to make rub. Rub the meat all over with this mixture, patting it into the meat -- particularly on top. Place the roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the meat starts to brow (the high heat will sear the roast, sealing in the juices.) Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to cook 12-15 minutes per pound, depending on the desired degree of doneness. Remove roast from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Before carving, slice a piece of the exterior rosemary-scented fat from the meat and rub it into the carving board to further season roast.
• Gravy (optional). For gravy, thicken the pan juices with enough flour to make a paste (start with 1/3 cup.) Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the flour has browned and thinned slightly. Whisk in enough stock for a smooth sauce (about 2 cups for the average roast.) Simmer 10 minutes and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, rosemary and/or parsley.
• DEGREE OF DONENESS Roasting Time / Internal Temperature:.
• Rare, 15 minutes per pound - 125°F.
• Medium Rare, 17 minutes per pound - 130 to 135°F.
• Medium, 18 minutes per pound - 140°F.
• Medium Well, 19 minutes per pound - 150°F.
• Well Done, 20 minutes per pound - 160°F.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a 9 inch cast iron skillet on the center rack.
• When the skillet is hot, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Pour the canola oil into the skillet and gently swirl the pan to coat the bottom and the sides. Return the pan to the oven for ten minutes.
• While the oil is heating, mix together the cornmeal and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and buttermilk and mix together to make a thin batter.
• Carefully pull out the rack with the cast iron skillet and pour the batter into the preheated skillet.
• Bake the corn pone until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. If desired, turn the oven to broil for the last few minutes of baking to brown the top.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and shake the pan to loosen the corn pone from the skillet. Serve the corn pone warm from the skillet or turn out onto a plate.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown hens in oil. Place the potatoes in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with the hens and bacon. Sprinkle with lemon-pepper and garlic powder. , Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° and potatoes are tender. Thicken the cooking juices if desired. Sprinkle the hens with parsley.