A meat lover’s paradise in Illinois, USA: Ream’s Elburn Market

Chicago, a poem by Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967)
Chicago, a poem by Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967)

I have written in the past about “Antica Macelleria Cecchini” in Panzano, Tuscany, where my good friend Dario Cecchini transforms butchering into the poetry of every living.

I like meat markets, I like butcher shops.

It is not only the products but the atmosphere.

Going west to Elburn
Driving west to Elburn

Today I want to share a totally different experience in a meat lover’s paradise in Illinois, USA: Ream’s Elburn Market.

Elburn is a small town, some 60 miles west of Chicago, in the middle of Illinois fields.

Ream’s Elburn Market is a family meat market that attracts meatlovers from the Chicago and suburbs area, also known as Chicagoland.

Randy Ream, (right) owner of Ream’s Meat Market, with his son, Joel (Elburn Herald, 2011)
Randy Ream, (right) owner of Ream’s Meat Market, with his son, Joel (Elburn Herald, 2011)

Lynn Meredith, of the Elburn Tribune, wrote in her April 2011 article:

“Ream’s Meat Market keeps on bringing home the bacon when it comes to making Elburn a destination for Chicagoland carnivores in search of the best in meats and sausages. Ream’s recently made the list of “Best Chicagoland Places to Eat,” by the LTH Forum, a Chicago-based culinary chat site whose 9,000 members make it their business to identify small, out-of-the-way eateries and resources for all things food.”

Ream's Elburn Market (Photo Credit: Bruce's 08 Daily Photo Blog)
Ream’s Elburn Market (Photo Credit: Bruce’s 08 Daily Photo Blog)

As you enter the store you are impressed by the awards on the walls, and some cans of lard from older days.

The meats, sausages, jerkies, smoked meats, fresh meats, and other products inside the store are more than a blog article can cover.

lard_awards

A lot more!

“I like to call it the shotgun approach,” Ream explains. “When you walk in the door, you are overwhelmed by so many meat selections that you don’t know where to go first.” (Source: Upbeat in Elburn, by Steve Krut)

By necessity, I will confine myself to some representative selections, starting with sausages.

I could not resist to start with the tailgater brats with bacon and blue cheese.

Tailgate parties are a staple of US food culture and fun.

Bacon and Blue Cheese Tailgater Brats
Bacon and Blue Cheese Tailgater Brats

In addition to the US style sausages, there are a lot of European origin, like the Hungarian style sausage.

Hungarian Sausage
Hungarian Sausage

No sausage tray would be complete without a white sausage from Bavaria.

True to their calling, the Ream family produce one of the best weisswursts outside Bavaria.

We prepared them with sauerkraut and they were delicious!

Munich White Sausage
Munich White Sausage

Italy has very strong presence in the US culinary scene. Here are some Mild Italian Sausages.

Mild Italian Sausage
Mild Italian Sausage

I conclude the sausage section with another American sausage: Jalapeno and cheese.

I wish I could have tasted them all on the spot, but I couldn’t!

Jalapeno and cheese stix
Jalapeno and cheese stix

Moving on to the smoked products, I would like to start with the salmon.

I bought some and was handsomly rewarded. It was juicy, moist and with a subtle smoky flavor.

Smoked Salmon
Smoked Salmon

Bacon is next.

Dry cured bacon
Dry cured bacon

Dry cured bacon and Hungarian style.

Hungarian dry cured bacon
Hungarian dry cured bacon

The bacon was so good, I cooked it for breakfast in a “Bacon and eggplant omelette”.

Bacon and eggplant omelette
Bacon and eggplant omelette

Jerkies are one of the reasons why Ream’s Elburn Market is so famous.

Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed. The word “jerky” is derived from the Spanish word charqui which is from the Quechua word ch’arki. which means to burn (meat). All that is needed to produce basic “jerky” is a low-temperature drying method, and salt to inhibit bacterial growth.”   (Source: Wikipedia).

Buffalo Jerky
Buffalo Jerky

In principle, jerky is similar to the Turkish and Middle-Eastern pastirma, although pastirma is not sliced in advance, but only before it is consumed.

California heat beef  jerky.

California heat beef jerky
California heat beef jerky

And – of course – Elburner beef jerky.

“In the competitive meats arena, Ream hasn’t excelled…he’s exceeded. He has directed Elburn Market products to grand championship awards in 15 separate product classes at the American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC), something never done by any processor. His small shop has garnered an incredible 235 awards in cured meat competition!”  ((Source: Upbeat in Elburn, by Steve Krut)

Elburner beef jerky
Elburner beef jerky

I now want to refer specifically to the cooked ham, which we bought and enjoyed on multiple occasions.

Cooked Ham
Cooked Ham

In the US the prime part of leg of pork, the ham, is sold also cooked. You do need to add anything to it, just warm it gently, slice and serve. In case of a high quality product, like the one we bought at Ream’s, you do want to taste the meat, rather than all the spices, sauses, and so on.

Sliced ham
Sliced ham

This top quality ham is moist, sweet, tender, it melts in your mouth and leaves a very subtle aftertaste.

It is time to have a look at the fresh meats on offer.

I start with my all time favourite, the T-bone steak. Look at the marbling of the meat!

T-bone beef steak
T-bone beef steak

More steaks are on offer. The rib eye comes next.

Rib eye beef steak
Rib eye beef steak

And a bone-in rib eye, thick and marbled to perfection. I perfect the bone-in because of the added flavor and the thickness of the cut.

Gourmet rib eye
Gourmet bone in rib eye

I get hungry only by looking at the beautiful display.

Boneless pot roast (beef)
Boneless pot roast (beef)

There are also some prepared “composite” meat dishes, to cook and serve.

I start with a beautiful beef roulade, or pinwheel in American English.

“The word roulade originates from the French word “rouler” meaning “to roll”  Typically, a roulade is a European dish consisting of a slice of meat rolled around a filling, such as cheese, vegetables, or other meats. A roulade, like a braised dish, is often browned then covered with wine or stock and cooked. Such a roulade is commonly secured with a toothpick, metal skewer or a piece of string. The roulade is then sliced into rounds and served.”  (Source: Wikipedia).

Popeye Pinwheel
Popeye Pinwheel

The popeye pinwheel has – of course spinach.

The classic bacon wrapped pork filet is another temptation.

Bacon wrapped pork filet
Bacon wrapped pork filet

And another pinwheel, less colorful.

Beef flank steak pinwheel
Beef flank steak pinwheel

The emperor of meat cuts. the beef tenderloin concludes this representative sample of goods in Ream’s Elburn Market.

Beef tenderloin
Beef tenderloin

But may be not. As I was approaching the cash register, I saw the absolute delicacy, smoked porks ears. But they were not meant for human consumption. the sign clearly said: “For Dogs”. May be next time I will have my dog with me.

Pig's ears for dogs
Pig’s ears for dogs

Grilled aubergines and skinless sausage Italian style

Summer has arrived!

I can tell, not because the daily high temperature is steadily at 35 degrees Celcius, but because the aubergine are ripe and ready for the eating.

They sing their little song every morning when I open the door and face the vegetables garden.

Today I could not hear the song anymore. I had to make my heart stone-cold, and face the inevitable: I was going to have the aubergines for lunch.

Respect for the ingredients in ceremonies of this sort is mandatory.

The original flavours must dominate the experience.

The sweetness of the flesh must accompany the traveller for long after the meal is over.

So they were grilled with a touch of olive oil, and served on a bed of coarse sea salt.

The company the grilled aubergine demands is noble.

Noble in its extreme simplicity.

It had to be skinless sausage, Italian style.

Extremely good quality pork belly, deboned and minced coarsely.

Then garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well, compact in a container so that there are no air bubbles left in the mix, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Then grill in fierce fire.

The result is more than satisfying. The meat is extremely juicy and tasty, with incredible texture.

It accompanies well the protagonist of the meal, the sweet, tender, delicious aubergine.

A red with character, like a Rosso di Montalcino, paying tribute to the culture that created this sausage, should accompany the meal.

Cucina Povera (or why Synthesis is more than the addition of the parts)

This is an original recipe that was conceived and executed in Munich during my last visit to Manolis and Marion in November 2009.

Marion (Manolis’ wife for the uninitiated) who is an accomplished cook, had prepared among other dishes salt cod in a tomato sauce, and cheek peas in the oven. She had also bought a wonderful delicious sausage from Spain, the one with whole chunks of fat in it. They are very delicious, but require a robust stomach.

As we were discussing about food and tastes, it became apparent to me that the next day we will have a lot of leftovers, a little bit of each dish and a few pieces of the sausage (chorizo). One of the themes of the conversation was the combination of pork products with seafood in Catalonia and the Basque country.

I therefore thought of combining the pieces of sausage left with the cod, and add some cheek peas to the lot. The container of all of these would be a mix of eggs and thinly sliced peppers. I even created a drawing of the dish.

Please disregard the rather dramatic “Teufels Dreieck” which means “Devil’s Traingle” in German. It was the tentative name for the dish, but it was dropped after Athina commented that it was rather unsuitable for such a nice tasting dish.

The dish remains without name to date, but as it is a classical example of “cucina povera”, or “cooking with leftovers”, I decided to name the article accordingly.

Take a deep round baking dish and put the slices of the sausage in a way that they form a triangle.Put in a very hot over (250 Celsius) and let the sausage fat to soften for 10 minutes.

Add thinly sliced peppers, the more colors the better, and then the cod flakes and the cheek peas.

Whisk 6 eggs and pour them over the triangle. Bake in 200 Celsius for 20 minutes and serve piping hot.

The result was more than rewarding. The mix of the sausage and the salted cod worked beautifully, the fish standing up to the ferocious attack of the strong animal. The cheek peas acted like the buffer zone between the two war camps, while the eggs and the peppers softened the impact of the competing tastes. What a dish!

Therefore, in food as in life, we can safely conclude that synthsesis is more than adding things together. This is a good example of the case.

Λουκανικο με Φαβα – Sausage with Fava (Split Peas)

Ενα συντομο ταξιδι στη Βορεια Ευβοια στον αγαπητο μου εξαδερφο με κατεστησε κατοχο ενος φρεσκωτατου λουκανικου παραγωγης του.

I went on a  quick trip to North Evia to visit with my cousin. During the visit my cousin offered me home made sausage that he had produced three days before my visit.

Η θεα ειναι βορινη, οι ογκοι ειναι Φθιωτιδα
Η θεα ειναι βορινη, οι ογκοι ειναι Φθιωτιδα - The view is North, the hills are on Fthiotis

Το λουκανικο ειναι φτιαγμενο με σπαλα χοιρινη, κρεμμυδι, κρασι, αλατι και πιπερι.

The sausage is made with pork neck minced meat, very little fat, onions, wine, salt and pepper.

inhouse1
Στην καταλληλη θεση - The sausage in its drying position

Αφου το γευτηκα δεοντως στο σπιτι του, ψημενο στο τζακι, με την επιστροφη μου στην Αθηνα φροντισα να επαναλαβω την τερψη με διαφορετικο τροπο.

We tasted it grilled by the fireplace, and it was delicious, albeit a bit dry due to the fact that there is not enough fat in it.  So upon my return to Athens with a nice piece of sausage, I was determined to cook it in a slightly different way.

Στο τζακι
Στο τζακι

Το λουκανικο αυτο ειναι σχετικα στεγνο, αφου ο εξαδερφος δεν εβαλε πολυ παχακι, κ ετσι τοι κρεας κυριαρχει στη γεμιση. Παντρεψα λοιπον την υπεροχη φαβα της Σαντορινης με το φρεσκωτατο και υγιεινωτατο λουκανικο του εξαδερφου, και ιδου το αποτελεσμα!

My recipe is combining the taste of Santorini split peas (fava) with the sausage cooked in a tomato and green peppers sauce.

Φαβα Σαντορινης
Φαβα Σαντορινης

Η φαβα της Σαντορινης ειναι ενα αριστουργημα! Εχει πλουσιο αρωμα, υφη και  συμπυκνωμενη γευση, πολυεπιπεδη. Ειναι η πιο ακριβη, αλλα το αξιζει (περιπου 10 ΕΥΡΩ το φακελλακι).

Το σημαντικο στην ετοιμασια της φαβας ειναι να πηξει σωστα και να μην κολλησει. Θελει πολυ ανακατεμα προς το τελος και χαμηλη φωτια. Και καθολου βιασυνη!

The “fava” coming out of the island of Santorini is the best! Full of flavours, beautiful deep golden colour, and of course it is the most expensive of all!

fava_ready

Η φαβα της Σαντορινης εχει αυτο το βαθυ χρυσαφι χρωμα, που ταιριαζει απολυτα με τη γευση και τα αρωματα της!

In preparing the “fava”, we need to be very careful to stir the fava in the pot and keep the heat low. The reward is the brilliant texture and the aromas coming out of the “fava”!

sausageΚοβουμε το λουκανικο σε μετρια κομματια και το μαγειρευουμε με πιπεριες και ντοματα.

Slice the sausage in medium sized chunks and cook in a tomato and green peppers sauce.

sausage_cookingΘελει πολλη ωρα στην κατσαρολα, με σιγανη φωτια, για να διαπερασουν οι χυμοι τη γεμιση του λουκανικου και να γινει λουκουμακι λαχταριστο.

Keep the heat low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for a long time, so that all the flavours get inside the sausage mix.

Το μαξιλαρακι της φαβας
Το μαξιλαρακι της φαβας

Η φαβα πρεπει να εχει κρυωσει οταν σερβιρεται στο τσερκι.

Απλοχερα σκορπιζουμε απο πανω τα λουκανικα και την αχνιζουσα σαλτσα με τις πιπεριες και τις ντοματες, κι εχουμε το πιατο μας!

Before serving make sure the “fava” is cool and be generous with the serving of the sausage and the sauce on top of the “fava”.

Σερβιρισμενο απλοχερα

Σερβιρισμενο με απλοχερια

Προκειται περι συνδυασμου γευσεων που απαιτει σεβασμο και αυτοσυγκρατηση!

Απολαυστε με ενα ξινομαυρο κρασι.

Enjoy the dish with a well bodied red wine!

Ramon Freixa, Barcelona – Tradition, tradition, tradition!

This is a quick note on my visit to Ramon Freixa’s restaurant in Barcelona, El Raco d’en Freixa.

I wanted to taste the traditional Catalan cuisine, so I got the “Menu Tradicion” and hoped for the best. In what follows I will present the dishes, their photos and the impressions that have stayed with me after this visit.

Amuse bouche (literally)
Amuse bouche (literally)

It is absolutely wonderful to walk into a two-Michelin star restaurant (according to some Spanich critics Freixa should have three stars) and see normal people, enjoying themselves, having a wonderful time at very reasonable prices! But this is Barcelona, this is Cataluna! I would have expected nothing less!

Every little bite of the amuse bouche  was delicious, while the sweet potato chips were superb. The little drink is now erased from my memory.

Bread and butter
Bread and butter

Bread and butter that by themselves can feed  you in the best way! The quality of the butter combined with the crispy delicious bread, put everything at risk, as the stomach can easily be filled.

Pan con tomate - Bread with tomato
Pan con tomate - Bread with tomato

The incredible Catalan delicacy that unites the rich and the poor: bread with tomato!

Llonganissa de Vic
Llonganissa de Vic

Long, thin dry-cured Catalan sausage. Please note that this is the first dish of the menu!

Raviolis de patata
Raviolis de patata

Potato Ravioli  stuffed with blood sausage  and white soft beans of the ganxet variety. Amazing combination of tastes, the soft succulent beans break into the intensity of the blood sausage while the crispy potato ravioli skin provides the variety in texture that entertains even the most demanding palate.

Fishermen's soup with garlic toast fingers
Fishermen's soup with garlic toast fingers

Fishermen’s soup, with hake and bacalao, served with delicious garlic toast fingers. It is a soft, smooth, low key dish, that prepares you for the upcoming storm of flavours.

Canelones
Canelones

The caneloni that came next were made with three different roasted meats, and were divine! Full flavour, smooth texture, soft and juicy skin!

Bacalao +
Bacalao +

This dish was the absolute masterpiece of the menu. A juicy and fleshy chunk of bacalo served with snails and pig’s trotters! Unbelievable subtlety and softness in a dish that combines the sea and the earth.

Fricando +
Fricando +

It if were not for the “bacalao con pies de cerdo y caracoles” (the previous dish) I would happily declare this beef stew as the champion! Wonderful flesh, superbly cooked slowly until it becomes soft and delicious, with the tasty mountain mushrooms “moixernons”. It was served with garlic cloves (like candy) and the green stuff that was absolutely amazing: bitter, crunchy, full of flavour!  This dish is like a volcano of flavours!

Thousand leaves pastry with double cream
Thousand leaves pastry with double cream

I could easily eat ten of these, they were divine, light, puffy, while the smell of butter emerging from the leaves has not left me to date! At this stage the chef, Ramon Freixa started going around the tables. A low key polite man, made an excellent impression on me.

Coffee sweets
Coffee sweets

As expected, the restaurant offerred a superb “armonia de vinos” with the menu, so that the guest can enjoy a different wine with each dish, without having to order 5 bottles!  Just for the record, the price of this “degustacion” per person is lower than the price of an average bottle of wine! This is what I call civilization!

Mercat de la Boqueria, Barcelona: Κρεατα και Πουλερικα

Αυτη η αναρτηση ειναι η πρωτη μιας σειρας που αφορα τη φημισμενη αγορα Μποκερια της Βαρκελωνης. Το πρωτο μερος αφορα κρεατα και  πουλερικα.

Η επισκεψη στην Μποκερια ειναι μια εμπειρια που ξεπερναει την αγορα τροφων, μιας και μπορεις να φας, να διασκεδασεις χαζευοντας το αμετρητο πληθος και βεβαια να δεις τα εκλεκτα τροφιμα που προσφερονται. Το μονο προβλημα ειναι οτι στο τελος παντα θελω να αγορασω και να παω σπιτι να μαγειρεψω!

 

The Entrance
Η Εισοδος

Με τνην εισοδο στην αγορα, αντικριζω τα γουρουνακια γαλακτος, σα να κοιμουνται.

Piglets
Γαλακτος

Εκτος απο το εκλεκτο αυτο προιον, υπαρχουν και τα ταπεινοτερα, οπως ποδαρακια και αυτακια, και κοκκαλακια με ιχνος κρεατος επανω. Στην αγορα υπαρχει κατι για ολα τα βαλαντια! .

Trotters and Ears
Ποδαρακια και Αυτακια

Και ενα κατσικακι γαλακτος!

Κατσικακι
Κατσικακι

Και τι θα ηταν η αγορα χωρις το χαρουμενο αυτο προσωπο!

Meat Seller
Meat Seller

Και ολιγον κυνηγι μας προεκυψε λιγο παρακατω, λαγουδακια και κατι πουλακια που δεν τα γνωριζω. Το διχτυ στο βαθος ειναι γεματο υπεροχα σαλιγκαρια.

Rabbit, Pigeon, ...
Λαγοι και Πτηνα

 Κια μια και ο λογος για πτηνα, παρε κοσμε κοτοπουλα, φραγκοκοτες, ορτυκια, και αλλα!

Κοτοπουλα, φραγκοκοτες και αλλα
Κοτοπουλα, φραγκοκοτες και αλλα

 Και μπολικα κουνελια αραδιασμενα ετοιμα προς μαγειρεμα!

Conelio
Κουνελια

Πεναμε στα πιο βαρεια κρεατα και δη το βοδινα, και αρχιζω με τις γλωσσες!

Tongues
Γλωσσες

Και οχι μονο! Υπεροχα νεφρα για μαριναρισμα και μαγειρεμα, αμελετητα για τους μερακληδες, η αγορα τα εχει ολα! 

Kidneys, Testicles,...
Νεφρακια, αμελετητα

Στο βαθος θα δειτε πνεμονια και πατσα!

Morcilles
Λουκανικα

Ερχομαστε τωρα στα υπεροχα λουκανικα, με κορυφαια για μενα αυτα στο κεντρο, που ειναι με αιμα και πλαισιωνονται απο πικαντικα λεπτα και χοντρα λουκανικα. Δεν υπεισερχομαι σε ονομασιες, γιατι στην Καταλωνια (οπως και σε καθε περιοχη της Ισπανιας) οι ονομασιες ειναι αφθονες!

Χοσελιτο
Χοσελιτο

 Και για να μη ξεχνιομαστε, στη χωρα του χαμον, οπως λεγεται το αντιστοιχο προσιουτο στην Ισπανια, κυριαρχει ο παμμεγιστος Χοσελιτο, ο αρχοντας της παγκοσμιας αγορας, που η Γκραν Ρεσερβα τιμαται περιπου 100 ευρω το κιλο. Το συνιστω ανεπιφυλακτα, σερβιρεται στα καλα εστιατορια σαν ορντεβρ.

Παπιες
Παπιες

 Οι Παπιες σε καθε ειδους συσκευασια δεν θα μπορουσαν να λειπουν, αλλωστε η γειτνιαση με τη νοτια γαλλια το επιβαλλει!

Beef wrapped in lardo
Μοσχαρι τυλιγμενο σε λαρδι

Και μια αλλη διασταση, εκεινη της απολαυσης ανευ οριων! Μοσχαρι τυλιγμενο σε λαρδι για ψησιμο στο φουρνο!

Γλυκαδια
Γλυκαδια

Κοιταξτε αυτα τα λαχταριστα μοσχαρισια γλυκαδια!

Πικαντικο σαλαμι
Πικαντικο σαλαμι

Στην αγορα υπαρχουν και πολα προιοντα απο μικρο- παραγωγους. Αυτο που βλεπετε στη φωτογραφια ειναι ενα πικαντικο σαλαμι που σπαει κοκκαλα!

Λεω εδω να σταματησω, σας εδωσα μια εικονα για τα κρεατα και τα πουλερικα, και επεται η συνεχεια!