A few months ago my fiancé and I had pork with at least 3 times a week until we figured out that we could no longer eat it. There were many tears shed, it was the most horrifying feeling. NO MORE BACON!! Are you kidding??! If you don’t love bacon, you’re not human. Even vegans (don’t front, I know) can tell you that there’s something to the smell of freshly cooked bacon in the air–intoxicating.
Anyway, fast forward to now. We learned that the reason why Mr and Mrs Piggy were interfering with our well being was because of the care of the animal. What your meat is eating and how its treated while it’s still alive has a huge play on why you may have food allergies or adverse reactions to the food that you eat. So, we went on a search for organic pork.
Pork that is farm raised and kept in clean conditions produces a darker meat, akin to wild game. It’s more porky, sorry for the lack of a better adjective. It’s gorgeous.
Now that we’ve found this goldmine of fresh meat, we foraged through the pickings and found ourselves a 2+ Lb rack with just right amount of fat for cooking. 😁😁😁
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees (unless of course you have grill or smoker) I live in a condo oven is the best I can do.
2) Make sure your rack is cleaned and the membrane on the back where the bones are has been removed. (I had my butcher do this) Place rack on cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.
3). Season both sides of the rack liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder and brown sugar. Some will find in easier to blend all spices in a bowl first then apply :). I think that makes more dishes so I don’t do this.
4) Cover ribs with aluminum foil. You may need two pieces. Just make sure you to try to keep hot air in.
5) Place ribs in oven on middle rack for 2.5 hrs bone side up
6). After the 2.5hrs have passed flip ribs and uncover. Put back in oven for another 30 minutes.
6b) at this point you can sauce your ribs with your favorite BarBQ sauce. I like my ribs dry and serve bbq sauce on the side.
7). Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before cutting ensuring the juices reconstitute themselves. Your patience will be rewarded with the most juicy unctuous ribs that you’ve ever eaten.
Bon A Petit!
Ingredients
2.5 lb Farm raised Pork Rack (I prefer St Louis style membrane removed)
Rub
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 cup of Brown Sugar
Save the run for later use in a dry cool place
So the other day I made Green Chicken Chili for the first time. Being that I had never made it before and I was running short on time I decided to cut up what I thought was supposed to go inside and throw it into the crock pot.
Now, though you don’t know me please understand that I am passionate about a couple of things, but on the top of my list is cooking. If I do not feel like something comes out perfectly I feel like I failed.
So, because I was in a hurry and did not take pictures I’ll tell you what I did and also mention what you SHOULD do.
1. MAKE A SOFRITO. My fiance hates bell peppers and I thought that maybe I should leave them out and follow a recipe I found on the Food Network. EHHH…Wrong answer. Without the sofrito I left a very key hispanic flavor profile which is key in making this specific chili. A sofrito includes the following ingredients, green bell peppers, onions, garlic, culantro, and cilantro. Some recipes will tell you to add tomatoes and red peppers, but if you’d ever seen green chicken chili you know that red is usually not part of that equation.
2. Saute these ingredients together until onions are translucent. What I would do next is make a roux. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour and cook it for a moment so you’ve cooked out the taste of the flour.
2b. While the veggies are cooking down I would take a quartered chicken and season it. Then put them in a lightly oiled skillet and brown the skin on both sides. This will take about 4 minutes on each side.
3. In a heavy stock pot or crock pot load in the sofrito, and chicken with 4 cups of chicken broth. Add 2 cans of white beans (cannellini or navy)–if you decide to use dry white beans understand that the process will take some time. I used dry beans and the cook time was 6hrs.
4. After starting the ingredients in the pot, I would take the poblano peppers and broil them either over an open flame if you have a gas stove or under the broiler in the oven. It takes five minutes per flip for the skin to begin to char. Once they are done broiling on all sides, remove them from the oven and over them with foil. Let them cool for 5 minutes and then seed them by slitting one side and removing the seeds by scraping your knife along the membranes of the pepper. Then perform small dice and add to the pot.
5. Season the pot with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper, and hot chili seasoning to taste. Bring everything to a boil for 10 minutes then bring the temperature down and simmer the chili for another 30 minutes.
6. EAT! I dressed our bowls of chili with cilantro, sour cream, and avocado. However, if you want something more spicy, maybe you dice jalapeno and sprinkle over your bowl.
In my time away, devising a timeline as to how much to write, what I should write about in regards to the car business, I’ve decided to begin with the process of buying and selling.
Buy–obtain in exchange for payment or accept the truth of.
1. Buying a vehicle is a difficult concept for most red blooded, hard working Americans. You know in your mind no matter how necessary, or unnecessary (if you have disposable income you need to throw it my way) it is for you to make a large purchase, such as a vehicle purchase IT HURTS every fiber of your being. The thought of it sends your mind into unparalleled tail spin, making you extra dizzy by the time you’ve sit down in the Business Manager’s office. In short, it truly sucks to let go of your blood, sweat and tears in less than 3 hours for something that you know will constantly demand something of you (ie food, check ups, baths, a place to sleep–yes, I’m still talking about your car).
2. Buying into what you’re being sold. Smh…yes, I know that face. The one with an eye brow raised, squint, with your index finger perfectly placed on your chin. You’re wondering what the hell is she talking about, this car will do that much for my life and it only has one owner, with a clean Carfax? Why is it still here then if it’s so great? Should I trust her? It’s a lot of money, and the guy down the street had one that was two years newer. What do I do? She’s cute and friendly. She looks honest. SMH…! After a little bit of back and forth I sell you the car, because FINALLY after an 1 hour and half, three days, a week, 2 months of pleading, bringing you down from a tree, and showing you every known fact that I know about this car you finally trust me enough to make your purchase. This step is the predecessor for the actual exchange of funds, but it is the most overlooked by all salesmen. We call it rapport.
The purchase of an automobile is not the villainous process that everyone has been led to believe it is. Now a days it’s truly very difficult for a dealer to pull the wool of a client’s eyes. There’s so much information about the brands. Furthermore, the manufacturers are so pro-customer that car dealers really don’t have a choice but to stream line the process and give you a great deal to make sure you stay happy. Websites like TrueCar.com, Edmunds.com, and Autotrader.com have revolutionized the industry putting the buying power in your hands. The days of getting manhandled by some sleez-ball salesmen, wearing too much cologne and a pinky ring are over. (The salesperson in me mourns the days of making profit and it not being a dirty word) So, why are customers still fearful? I believe it’s because it’s they themselves are not educated enough in regards to the buying and selling process. Ignorance teaches you to listen to everything that you’ve been taught and regurgitate it verbatim without thought. Intelligence forces you to take what you’ve been taught and formulate you’re own conclusion using guidelines that may be in place. As a customer understand not everyone is out to get you. Yes, we see your wallet, but we are not going to steal it. We may borrow it for a while, but we’ll give it back. I digress, before you walk into a dealership take a day or two, no more than a week, to research your vehicle online–if you go any longer you’ll become one of those people who believes everything off of the internet is true and you’ll never buy a car. DO NOT DRIVE everything out there, talk about confusing yourself, drive your top 3. An insider tip: technology is least expensive upgrade that a vehicle can have. If you’re easily impressed by the dooh dads in a Kia, buy it. Do not go to Acura or Lexus and tell your salesperson that a K900 has a double sunroof and it’s so cool, and dare you say better, because they’ll want to slap you. Just don’t do it! Buy a car with substance, a great reputation, and something you can’t live without. As I wrote above, you’ve introduced another being into your life that you’ll need to tend to so make sure you’re in love. Lastly, understand your credit limitations and be prepared to be surprised a couple of times. Surprise: Yes, we offer lower rates than your bank. I promise I wont tell your bank that you’re cheating on them, if you promise to get your crazy kids out of the most expensive vehicle in the showroom. Conversely, you may have lived life through rose colored glasses and think your credit worthiness is that of a diplomat. Surprise: glasses off and you’re blinded by the light. Do not fret, I’ll help you find your way through, but remember that every purchase is subject to third party approval. If you don’t like their answer, take it up with the bank.
Selling–give or hand over (something) in exchange for money or persuade someone of the merits of
Selling is an art. Everyone alludes to this fact, and it couldn’t be more true than in car sales. Sales people are born, they generally aren’t created. It’s too hard to take someone without the innate charisma to charm the pants off your 90 year old grandma to be forged. Salesmanship is a dying profession. What I mentioned earlier about manufacturers forcing their hand and agenda on dealers has weeded out most sales people who could sell and replaced them with order takers that earn a salary, who posses no sales acumen. Being a product expert does not turn you into a top producer, the coupling of product knowledge and charm is how you move units.
I love selling. I love cars. I love selling cars. The practice of selling cars in the 21st century has changed immensely due to communication. Though we have the ability to text, email, Snapchat, tweet, Facebook, etc we still fail to communicate with our customers that we are trustworthy, fair, knowledgeable people that you should entrust $30,000 with. Selling is all in presentation. How one presents himself/herself, how they present their product, and how they present the options to purchase. A great presentation should take no longer than 3.5 hours. Anything longer and your risk both the customer and the salesperson becoming anxious and deteriorating. Be fair throughout the process. Feature and benefit presentations are key, as inequity aversion occurs to the best of us and if the client feels they are getting shafted you wont be a selling anything to anyone. Make a friend, not just another commission. They will know the difference instantaneously. I mentioned the difficulties in making profit in this business already, but there are ways to surprise yourself. Play nice and generally your client will play nice too. Pay attention to the details, and you may sell something to help pad your wallet.
Being that there have been times where I was a consumer, I know that I want to be sold. I want someone to prove to me that I must have what they are pitching not only because it is the ‘best’, but because they come with the purchase. There haven’t been many times were I’ve truly been sold, but the times that I have been I appreciated it. I think that large purchases such as a vehicle or home purchase should be rewarded with higher recognition for the person that coached you through to the finish line. It isn’t easy. We are therapist, businessmen, mathematicians, and eloquent speakers all wrapped into one individual who is at your beck and call at any given moment. I think sales people deserve more recognition. They deserved to be treated with a bit more like a confidant when you find a good one. After all, customers, honestly lie more than salesmen do…lol We ALL know this. 😉
In the last posting I quickly went over a bit of the genealogy that landed me in the kitchen. So, how in the world did I end up in the stressful, unrelenting, unforgiving, yet satisfying, and invigorating brotherhood there is? My dad.
Yes, I know it’s cliche. Daddy’s little girl follows in his footsteps etc, but it’s really not how it seems. My dad isn’t a salesman. If someone held a gun to his head and told him to sell sand to an Arab, he’d take the gun and either pistol whip ’em or take it apart in 20 seconds and walk away. He is not a salesman. My dad is a technician, an engineer, a comedian, and genius to boot.
When I was four years old, my dad came into my room he told me, “common little bit, I’m going to show you what daddy does on the weekends.” My dad used to go out on Saturday morning with his best friend Bill and not come home until dusk. He was always filthy and I didn’t understand what he could be doing to make him so dirty.
Dressed in his uniform and work boots off we went. He took me to the junk yard. We were looking for parts for a car that I had never heard of, something American–I was born and raised in Sicily (more on that later). After finding the right part we went to the Hobby Shop. Bill and my father owned their on automotive shop for American cars. One would start on one end, then cross the other and double check their work before they released the vehicle. I watched in awe and listened to the drills and ratchets. Dad made me in charge of the hand jack that day, and a car girl was born.
Over the next couple of decades my dad made sure to buy me my own coveralls, my own Homak tool box, and orange hand scrub. He taught me how to change my oil, tires, brakes, clutch–yes I can drive a stick, spark plugs, fuses, and engine. I love the inside of a car as much as I love the outside. So, when I was given the opportunity to work for Audi a few years ago I jumped right in. Learning the truth in engineering was compelling and I took to selling the product like fish to water. I loved the sounds that the cars made, the feel of the steering wheel, the curves, and I would not rest until one of these beauties were sitting in your driveway.
That’s how I got my start in the Brotherhood that is called the Car Biz. It’s the most fun and torturous profession known to man. Maybe akin to working in a successful restaurant. Throughout these posts I’ll let you further into the businesses that I love and maybe dish out some advice…wheels down…
Lancia…watched my dad weld this car hood on accident
Thank you for taking the time to read and stop by. Welcome to my blog and my attempt to give a little bit of insight to the world of cars and food. As the title states, I am at a point in my life where I’m concentrating all my energy on doing what I love to do and doing it well.
I have two passions in life–not true, I’m a Gemini I have many passions in life, but that’s another post–cars and food. I’ve been in love with the restaurant industry and the cooking and preparing of food for most of my life. My grandmother had her own bakery. My aunt carried on the business after her passing. My uncle runs a company in the Philippines named Baby Ruth that sells Filipino sweets. So, naturally as my life progressed I fell back onto something that is instinctual to me, the kitchen. I soon opened my own catering and baking business called Made to Share. Being in the kitchen brings a sense of piece after a day out on the lot and this blog will be a mild meld of both.
With all that said, I wanted to keep this intro just that, a short opening into my life, my business, and the industry that I love. Until next time everyone Happy Labor Day!
Car Biz Girl 