Sunday dinner

Pork rack. It's absolutely one of our favorites.

For some reason, we really only like the pork rack from Star Provisions. The meat just seems better, tastier, juicier, all on its own. So Josh asked when he was there before the holidays what their source was. Eden Farms.

Amazing. Eden Farms is where Dekalb Farmers Market sources their pork. But DFM only does pork in chops, not racks. So when I was at the pork counter, I asked the man at the counter if I could get a rack, uncut. Six bones. He seemed disbelieving, but he did it, much as the fish counter folks react when I say I want a fish uncleaned and uncut. Doubt, as he held up the pork rack for me.

But I got it!

Triumphantly, I brought it home. I needed to do some cleanup for it. First, there were little bones (chine bones?) at the end of the bone that later made it hard to cut the chops apart. I needed to french the rack and then slice them into two-bone sections, vacuum seal, and freeze.

We still had our tomatoes left over from the CSA. So I picked up a bufala nozzarella and a bunch of fresh basil. Slice, compose, top with Il Bel Cuore evoo and fleur de sel. Delicious.

I had a bibb lettuce in the fridge since before the holiday. I made my normal vinaigrette, mixed, and finished off the last of the cherry tomatoes.

For the cauliflower, I cut it all up, then added s+p, olive oil, and lemon juice. I tossed it all together and put it into the oven to roast at high heat. It's not as good as Tim's, but it was still good.

The composed dinner plate. The pork came out pretty well but not perfect. Certainly it was not as juicy and tasty as the Star Provisions pork. It took time and a cleaver to separate the bones.

Star provisions pork rack is (or was according to the last online price list I can find) $12/lb. I actually think it's higher than this now. It is divine. The DFM pork rack is roughly $6.50/lb, just over half the price. It takes a lot of manual work and is good, but not awesome. Half the price. Worth it? It's an ongoing debate. We still have two more packages in the freezer.