recipe

Phyllo Bites: Pipe the filling from Quark and Bacon Deep-Fried Olives into storebought phyllo bites. Garnish with chives and bits of Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon.

Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives

Makes 18 to 24 olives

1 (6-ounce) jar Hemme Brother's Quark

2 slices Fantasma's Finest Shoulder Bacon, cooked to desired doneness

Snipped chives

18-24 jumbo martini olives, dried with paper towel

All-purpose flour

1 egg

Breadcrumbs, panko or Italian

Canola oil

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine quark, bacon and a tablespoon or so of chives. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Fill each hole in the olive with quark mixture.

Set up a trio of ramekins: In the first one, place flour. In the second, whisk and egg and a tablespoon of water. In the third, fill with breadcrumbs. Roll each stuffed olive in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs until well coated. Place olives in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat oil until it registers 350° F. on a deep-fry thermometer. Using a spoon, carefully lower six olives, or fewer (do not crowd), into the oil and allow to fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the olives from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels.

If you have quark filling leftover, try our Quark and Bacon Phyllo Bites.

Sticky, sweet, fatty and unctuous! These pork belly "lollipops" are a decadent, perfect to ring in the new year, and great chased by a flute of Champagne. Consider serving with Paradise's Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives.

Pork Belly Lollipops

Makes 36-40 pieces

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Belly

1 large yellow onion, cut into big chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 (2-inch piece of ginger, grated

Apple cider

1/2 jar Fantasma's Finest Apricot Preserves

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Place pork belly fat side up in a 9- by 13-inch oven baking dish. Add onions and garlic. Pour apple cider into dish about halfway to 3/4 of the way up the belly (don't cover completely). Cover dish with foil and bake for 6 hours.

Remove pork belly from the oven and allow to cool. Drain the juice and fat from the pan and return the pork belly to the baking dish. Place a piece of foil over the top and weight with heavy cans of food. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for the night.

Next Day

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a small saucepan, warm the apricot preserves over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

With a sharp knife, cut pork belly into 1- by 1-inch squares. Pour the warm preserves over the pork belly and brush evenly over the top. Place pork belly in the oven and rewarm for 15 minutes, or until the preserves are thick and bubbly.

Spear each pork belly square with a toothpick and keep warm until time to serve.

Meat & Cheese Sampler Gift-Box: (Shown) Summer Sausage, Assorted Cheeses, Jalapeño Summer Sausage

Pork Five-Bone Rib Roast

Makes 5 servings

1 (5-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Five-Bone Rib Roast

Rub:

1/2 tablespoon herb-seasoned salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

A sprinkling of rubbed sage

Glaze:

1/2 cup Fantasma's Finest Apple Butter, Pistachio Pumpkin Butter or Bourbon Pecan Butter (retail store only)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoon pork drippings

Garnish:

Chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the roast on a rack over a sheet pan.

To french the ribs(optional): Place roast on a cutting board fat side up. Use a boning knife, cut across the bones 2 to 3 inches from the end. Pull away the fat slab and continue to expose the bones by cutting a square tab in between each bone. Using the knife, remove any remaining meat scraps and sinew from each rib bone.

Place roast on the rack, fat side down, and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal thermometer inserted in the center reads 135° F. During the last 15 minutes, paint fruit butter glaze across the pork roast. Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the roast with parsley and slice. Serve roast with additional glaze.

Beef Boneless Prime Rib with Mustard and Herbes de Provence Crust

Makes 6-8 servings

1 (6-pound) Fantasma's Finest Beef Boneless Ribeye Roast

1/2 cup Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon seasoned kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

For jus:

1/2 cup meat drippings, reserved

1/2 cup red wine or broth

Preheat the oven to 500° F.

Place roast on a rack set on a sheet pan or a rack in a roasting pan fat side up. Use a paper towel to blot any excess moisture.

In a small mixing bowl, mix mustard, herbes de Provence, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, minced kosher salt, black pepper and parsley. Spread the mustard spice blend over the roast.

Place roasting pan in the oven and turn down to 325° F. Roast meat for 1 3/4-2 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135° F. on a meat thermometer inserted into the center for medium-rare. Remove the roast from the oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve.

Save the pan drippings and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Whisk drippings with wine or broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Leftover Smoked Turkey Salad in Phyllo Shells

Makes 15 shells (recipe can easily be doubled and tripled)

1 cup chopped Fantasma's Finest Sugar-Cured Smoked Turkey

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped finely or snipped with kitchen scissors

1/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup fresh grapes, quartered then halved again into small pieces

1 tablespoon snipped chives, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup mayonnaise

15 fully baked phyllo shells

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon the salad mixture into phyllo shells for a stunning and delicious holiday canape!

Smoked Turkey and Chipotle Black Bean Soup

Makes 8 servings

For the stock:

Meaty carcass from Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Smoked Turkey

2 stalks celery, sliced in 2-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and chunked

1/2 onion

1 bunch parsley

1 teaspoon whole mixed peppercorns

Water

Salt, to taste

For the soup:

1-pound package dry heirloom black beans, such as Rancho Gordo, rinsed and picked over

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle with adobo

1 large butternut squash, cut in 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 (12-ounce) frozen corn

1 cup Mexican crema, plus garnish

Leftover Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Smoked Turkey, shredded or diced, as much or as little as you have on hand, the soup base is delicious on it's own!

Garnishes:

Avocado, diced red onions, Mexican crema and parsley or cilantro

Tortilla chips of your choice

In a 12-quart stockpot, add carcass (break into pieces, if necessary), celery, carrot, onion, parsley, and peppercorn. Add water to cover and simmer the stock on low for 2 hours. Taste stock and add salt to taste.

Cool stock, but while warm remove carcass and discard, then pass stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove vegetable matter. Place stock in the fridge and allow to cool overnight. Skim any fat from the top in the morning.

In a 6-quart slow cooker, add stock, beans, squash, chipotles in adobo and allow to cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the beans are soft. During the last hour add corn. When the beans are done, remove the peppers with a slotted spoon. Allow the soup to cool slightly and stir in crema and leftover smoked turkey.

Serve garnished with your choice of avocado, red onions, cilantro or parsley, more crema and tortilla chips.

Steak au Poivre

Makes 2 servings

2 Fantasma’s Finest KC strip or Filet of Tenderloin steaks

Fresh ground coarsely cracked black peppercorns

Salt

Olive oil, to season the cast-iron skillet

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1/3-1/2 cup Cognac

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1. Set steaks out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Season steaks with salt and a generous coating of pepper.

2. Preheat cast-iron skillet over medium-heat and drizzle olive oil in skillet. Stir garlic cloves into olive oil. Place steaks in skillet and cook to just under desired temperature. (Remember, steaks will raise 5-10° F. after they are pulled from the heat!) 

3. Remove pan from the heat and add cognac and more freshly cracked pepper; cook until most of liquor is gone. Reduce heat to low and add cream to pan, using whisk or wooden spoon to stir in cream to mix well with pan juices in skillet making sure to scrape up the bits from the pan. Remove sauce from the heat and garlic cloves with a slotted spoon.

4. To serve, place steak on a plate and spoon pan sauce over top of steak.

Paradise St. Patrick’s Charcuterie Board

Paradise Patê (1/2 tube braunschwieger whipped until smooth and fluffy with 1 (6-ounce) jar Hemme Brothers Quark), brown mustard, fig and almond crackers, Fantasma’s Finest Tri-Tip Corned Beef Roast (cooked in a slow cooker with beer and sliced), 1 pound of Fantasma’s Finest Deli Peppered Beef, Fantasma’s Finest Sauerkraut, Fantasma’s Finest Rueben & Swiss Cheese Brat, pitted dates, dried figs, pickled red onions, dried apricots.

Paradise Cubano Pork Smash Burger

Makes 8 servings

1 (1-pound) package Fantasma's Finest Sugar Cured Smoked Bacon

1 (11/2-pound, 4 6-ounce patties) package Fantasma's Finest Pork Burgers need link

Salt and pepper

4 slices Swiss cheese

Butter

8 slices sourdough bread or 4 brioche hamburger buns

4 thinly sliced pickles

4 tablespoons Boys Grow Jalapeno Honey Mustard (available at Retail Store)

1 (1-pound) package Fantasma’s Finest Shaved Deli Ham

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a half-pound of bacon strips on broiler pan and place in oven for 20 minutes. Drain bacon or blot on paper towel to absorb excess grease and set bacon aside.

Season pork patty lightly with salt and pepper both sides. Preheat skillet or flattop griddle to medium high heat on the stove.

Place pork patty on skillet/griddle and smash out with heavy metal spatula. You want patty to be thin (approximately ¼-inch thick). Fry patty for 3-4 minutes, flip patty with a spatula and add cheese slice (or grated cheese if you prefer a more even melt) to each burger. Continue cooking patty 1 to 3 minutes, or until desired temperature, but no less than 145 degrees F. on a meat thermometer.

Butter one side of 8 slices of sourdough bread or 4 hamburger buns. Place bread in skillet or on the griddle and toast to desired toastiness.

To assemble: Spread mustard on unbuttered side of both pieces of bread. Split burger patty in half with spatula to build a double-decker masterpiece. Place half cheeseburger patty on first slice of bread, stack remaining burger patty on top, add ham, three strips of bacon, a few pickle slices on top and finish and finish with remaining slice of bread. Press top slice of bread with the spatula to compress, if desired. Repeat the burger making process three more times. Serve burger and enjoy! (You can thank us later! J)

#MeatGeek P.S.: You may have a few slices of bacon or ham leftover. Not a problem, right?!

50/50 Firehouse Meatball Sub

Makes 8 servings

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Pork

1 pound Fantasma's Finest Ground Beef

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil

1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano

Salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil, for frying

2 (16-ounce) jars Fantasma's Finest Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

8 sub rolls

8 ounces Hemme Brothers Pizza Cheese, shredded

On a baking sheet, pat out the ground pork and beef to an even thickness. Season the mixture with garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add eggs, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese and, using hands or a paddle attachment of an electric mixer, combine thoroughly. Continue mixing the meat for several minutes to create a good bind and form into 2-ounce meat balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (To test, hold your hand upside down; the meat mixture should stick to your hand. Kneading and mixing is important to get enough protein extraction, so that the mixture stays together when fried and is not crumbly.)

Pour oil a third of the way up the sides of a 10- to 12-inch frypan. Bring the oil to 350-375° F. on a deep-fry thermometer.

Working in batches, carefully place the meatballs in the pan to fry, flipping once to create a crispy exterior and a soft, moist interior (approximately 5 minutes each side, to an internal temp of 155). Remove the meatballs and allow to drain on paper towels.

In a large saucepan, warm the spaghetti sauce over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and stir to combine.

Using a bread knife, slit the sub rolls, making sure not to cut all the way through. Place rolls on a clean baking sheet. Into each sub roll, ladle 3 meatballs and sauce into sub roll and sprinkle with cheese. Place the subs under a broiler until cheese melts and rolls are lightly toasted.

Eat with your hands or a fork!