Directory of Recipes

An up to date list of all the recipes published!
Slow Roasted Pork (aka cheater bo ssam)
Make Ahead, Pork, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy Make Ahead, Pork, Sheet Pan Brooke Lewy

Slow Roasted Pork (aka cheater bo ssam)

This slow roasted pork is a revelation. Its real magic is that it can be anything. Above, it’s the topping for a rice bowl, but it shines just as bright as a taco with some avocado and salsa, in a lettuce cup, as a filling for empanadas, mixed with barbecue sauce for sandwiches, the list goes on. It takes about five minutes of prep and then a long, slow hang in the oven, and it comes out perfect every time. It keeps well for three or four days in the fridge and up to a couple of months in the freezer. It’s also kind of a cheater Momofuku bo Ssam. Rather than seasoning the meat 24 hours in advance and cooking the pork whole, I cut it into smaller pieces and season just before cooking (less planning required), so you wind up with a better meat to crust ratio. It cooks more quickly, and none of the pork is dry. Really, it’s great, give it a go. It’s a long cooking time (3ish hours), but it’s almost 100% hands off, it just takes two minutes to cut up the pork, season it, and stick it in the oven. From there you can turn it into anything–I’ll give you a bunch of suggestions below.

1 3-4lb boneless pork shoulder (or pork butt, it’s the same thing)
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 300. Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with aluminum foil. Cut your pork into 2-3 inch pieces. In a small bowl, mix together the salt and sugar. Using the salt and sugar mixture, liberally season all of the pieces of pork on all sides. Lay them out in a single layer and pop them in the oven. Roast for about three hours, turning the pieces half way through. When they’re done, the outsides should be mahogany colored and caramelized and the meat should pull apart pretty easily. If using right away, discard the fat and juice that collects in the pan.

This is a great make ahead recipe (I like to store it with the juice and fat then to keep the meat from drying out), and lasts for four to five days in the fridge or freezes for much longer.

Suggested ways to serve it:

-Tacos–just add the shredded meat to tortillas with your favorite taco toppings, i.e. salsa, cheese, avocado, shredded cabbage, black beans

-Lettuce wraps–use bibb or romaine lettuce to wrap pieces of meat along with sliced cucumbers, apple, carrots, or cilantro, dipping in chili crisp, if you like

-Asian burritos—similar to the lettuce wraps, but use flour tortillas and make a quick slaw with cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and apples dressed with sesame oil and rice vinegar and some Bachan’s BBQ sauce

-Serve over rice with any toppings you like for a quick rice bowl

-Pulled pork sandwiches–mix meat with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve on potato buns with bagged slaw or pickles

-As a topping for salad or baked potatoes

Read More
Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli
Quick, Pork, Pasta Brooke Lewy Quick, Pork, Pasta Brooke Lewy

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli

Somehow cooking with sausage feels like the ultimate shortcut. This pasta is so simple and so delicious.

Serves 4-5

Olive oil
1lb sausage–any kind will work–hot or sweet Italian, bulk with sage
3 cloves garlic 1lb broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, etc., cut into bite sized pieces
¼ cup white wine (optional–I would only use it if you have a bottle open already, if not, use water or broth)
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1lb pasta, any shape

Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage (squeeze out of casings if in casings), breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the sausage is cooked through and starting to brown. Add your broccoli or other vegetables. Add the wine or a splash of water, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Continue to cook for a minute or two, until the veggies are just cooked. Turn off the heat.

Cook your pasta one minute short of what the package says. When it’s a minute shy of done, scoop out ½ a cup or so of pasta water and add it to your sausage broccoli mixture. Add the cooked pasta, turn the heat to high and cook for a minute more, until the pasta is glossy. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and parmesan. Divide among bowls and top with more parm, if desired.

Read More
Bacon and Corn Pasta
Quick, Pasta, Pork Brooke Lewy Quick, Pasta, Pork Brooke Lewy

Bacon and Corn Pasta

This is my family’s favorite meal. It’s the one they request for birthday, or the night before they leave for camp, or when they’re just feeling wobbly. It’s a good one.

Serves 4-5

1lb spaghetti
1⁄2 lb bacon, cut into half inch pieces (I use kitchen scissors and cut the bacon directly into the pan because I am lazy)
4 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
1⁄2 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1⁄4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

Fill a large pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.

In a large skillet (you’re going to wind up combining everything, including the pasta, in here), over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl or plate. Pour off bacon fat until you have a thin coating in the bottom of the pan (I line a bowl with foil and pour it in there until it solidifies) and add the onion and garlic. If the bits on the bottom of the pan are starting to burn, add a quarter cup of water (or white wine if you happen to have a bottle open) and scrape up all the flavor. Cook until the onion is soft and browned in spots. Add the corn, give the whole thing a stir, and turn off the heat.

Cook spaghetti a minute or two short of the directions. When it’s ready, use a mug or ladle to transfer about a cup of pasta water in with the corn mixture. Then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and simmer together for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, parsley, and bacon to the skillet. Toss everything together until it is well combined.

Divide among bowls and eat immediately.

Read More
Polenta with Shrimp and Bacon
Quick, Pork Brooke Lewy Quick, Pork Brooke Lewy

Polenta with Shrimp and Bacon

Shrimp and Grits is a classic combination. This is not that, I don’t even pretend that it is, but it’s sort of loosely inspired by that pairing. This no-stir polenta is easy peasy to make (and a great canvas for other flavors) and the bacon and shrimp come together in twenty minutes or so. I like to serve this with some steamed broccoli or broccoli rabe with a squeeze of lemon and some salt, or a simply dressed arugula salad, something bright to cut the richness.

Serves 4

Polenta:

At my first restaurant job, I used to have to make a huge batch of polenta every day. It was always a thing to boil the water and then stream in the polenta in a steady arc, whisking constantly. The method I use now is way easier, requires minimal stirring and comes out smooth and creamy every time.

1 cup polenta
4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup grated parmesan In a medium pot, combine the polenta, water, and salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is bubbling, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer until the water is absorbed and the polenta looks creamy, about ten minutes. Give it a stir and a taste and see if it’s still grainy, or if it tastes smooth. If it’s grainy, add a splash more water and let it keep going for a few more minutes. Once everything is creamy, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Taste for salt. If your shrimp isn’t done yet and the mixture thickens up while you’re waiting, just add water a couple of tablespoons at a time and stir over low heat until it’s the right consistency again. You can also make the polenta in advance and reheat it adding water, milk or broth to smooth it out.

Bacon and Shrimp:

½ lb bacon, cut into half inch strips
1lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

While the polenta is cooking, set a large saute pan over low heat. This is one of my favorite tricks: I almost always use kitchen scissors to cut bacon directly into the pan. No need to separate the strips, they do it themselves in the heat as you stir things around. So cut your bacon directly into your pan, turn the heat up to medium, and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, about ten minutes. Once it’s crispy, add the shallot and crushed pepper, if using, and saute for a few minutes in the bacon fat until the shallot is translucent. Add the shrimp, season lightly with salt and cook just until it’s opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.

To serve, divide polenta between four bowls and top with shrimp and bacon mixture

Read More
Bacon and Squash Salad Kale Salad
Sheet Pan, Pork, Salad Brooke Lewy Sheet Pan, Pork, Salad Brooke Lewy

Bacon and Squash Salad Kale Salad

This whole meal comes together so easily, on one or two sheet pans popped into the oven. The salty bacon and sweet squash make this wintry salad (via NYT cooking) so satisfying. You can see from my picture that I often use delicata squash instead of butternut, and I swap the pecans for pumpkin seeds (we have a nut allergy in our house). I also keep the blue cheese on the side (kids). You could add more protein by adding a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas to the squash/bacon sitution (I split it all between two sheet pans to give everything crisping room) or most recently I made the salad as is and roasted chicken thighs on a second sheet tray in the same oven to serve alongside the salad, along with a baguette.

Read More