A Busy Week-End
First it was dinner for 29 on Friday for a troupe of 16 student actors from Cambridge, England, and the families who were hosting them for the two nights they were in Washington, VA. On their annual touring of the US East Coast, CAST stopped at The Theater in Washington, VA, for two enjoyable lively and modern performances of Henry V. On the dinner menu: blue corn chips and homemade salsa verde, garden heirloom tomatoes & red onion salad, pesto and Italian pepper pasta salad, lamb kebab with mint-cilantro sauce, rosemary lemon chicken, butternut & buttercup gratin, Rusty’s Italian plum cake, maple vanilla bean baked custard, & garden watermelon.
Then on Sunday, in a 95+ degree weather (95 F or 35 C), there was a pig roast for the Washington Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, members, family and guests. While I did not get up at 4:00 AM to prepare and roast the pig (that care was left to the resident pit master), I was sure to be there two hours before the scheduled “done” time to offer various critiques and ensure that the pig was properly roasted by taking samples. Oh yeah, and to make 1 gallon of Vanilla Bean Philadelphia Ice Cream.
We got the pig from Belle Meade on F.T. Valley Road in Sperryville – where animals are pastured on good Rappahannock County grass. We use only cow-boy charcoal to slow roast the animal with our motorized spit over an outdoor fire. As we were told by several guests, each with a wondrous voice: “It tastes like pig!”.
It does.
When done, all that’s needed is a little salt.
My favorite morsel? The cheeks.
Then all the meat that I patiently picked off the ribs – which, with some finger-licking-good sauce, will make some nice pulled pork BBQ sandwich.
I think I need to eat lots of fruit and vegetables this week.
Note: read more about Roasting the Pig, in Keith’s three entries: