Pork Stew with Mushrooms and Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Seasoning Blend

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Seasoning Blend

Pork and mushrooms are naturals for autumn, and both are perfect mates for Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend. Here they all come together in a great stew for chilly autumn evenings by the fire. Serve it with lots of crusty bread for sopping.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds lean, boned pork shoulder
  • About ¼ cup canola oil or bacon drippings
  • Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
  • 1 cup Madeira or medium dry sherry
  • About 5 cups chicken or beef broth or about 2½ cups of each
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flatleaf parsley for garnish

How to make it:

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Trim the meat of excess fat and gristle and cut it into 1½-to-2-inch cubes. Wrap it well with paper towels and pat it dry. Put enough oil or drippings in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (preferably enameled iron) to cover bottom by about ¼-inch. Warm it over medium heat.
  2. Unwrap the meat and season it well with Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, then add enough pork to the pan to fill it without crowding. Raise the heat to medium high and brown it on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate or platter and repeat the with remaining meat.
  3. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons fat and adjust the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Sauté until the onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until hot. Turn off heat and return the meat to the pan and sprinkle it with the flour. Stir well and put the pan in the center of oven and bake 4 minutes. Remove, stir, and bake 4 minutes longer.
  4. Remove the pot from oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Add enough broth to just cover the meat. Cover the pot tightly, return it to oven, and bake half an hour, then reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and bake until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours.
  5. When the stew is almost done, wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth, trim and quarter them, and sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until they’re beginning to color at the edges. Season Savannah Spanish Moss Blend and turn off the heat.
  6. If when the stew is ready the sauce is too thin, remove the meat to a platter and put the pot over direct medium heat. Cook until reduced and thickened. Return the meat to the pan and fold in the mushrooms. Let it heat through and serve, garnishing each serving with parsley.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

Basic Sauté of Pork Tenderloin with Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Blend or River Street Cobblestone Blend

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Blend or River Street Cobblestone Blend

Pork Tenderloins are lean and always tender, so they’re perfect for a quick, simple sauté that’s ideal for those intimate dinners for two. The Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend really brings out the flavor of pork, but River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend are all great alternatives. To spice it up, try it with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blen

Serves 2

 

Ingredients:

  • 10-12 ounces pork tenderloin (about 2/3 large tenderloin)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt Table River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend are all great alternatives. To spice it up, try it with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blend.
  • 1 small shallot, split, peeled, and minced
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, oregano, rosemary, or sage, optional

How to make it:

  1. Trim the silverskin and any excess fat from the pork and cut it into uniform bite-sized chunks. Wrap in paper towels and thoroughly pat dry.
  2. Film pan with olive oil and put over medium high heat. When hot, add the pork and sauté until well browned (about 3 minutes), adjust heat to medium, and continue until done to your taste, about 2 minutes for medium/medium-well. Remove from pan.
  3. Add the shallot and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes, then deglaze with chicken broth and cook until reduced by 2/3. Stir in any accumulated juice from the meat and turn off the heat, return the pork to pan, add optional herbs, toss, and serve.

Wine Déglacé: Allow ½ cup dry white wine, dry white vermouth, dry sherry, or Madeira. After the shallot is golden in step 3, deglaze the pan with wine, bring to boil, then add the broth and boil, stirring and scraping pan, until reduced and syrupy, add any accumulated juice from the meat, and turn off the heat. Whisk in the River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend, or spice it up with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blend., if using, and if you want to enrich it, whisk in 1-4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into chunks, to suit your taste).

 

Suggested Seasonings

Savannah River Street Cobblestone Blend

All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend

Southern Italian Grinder Blend

Savannah Sizzle Seasoning & Rub

Pork Stew with Mushrooms and Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

With its blend of rosemary, sage, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper, Salt Table’s Spanish Moss Blend is ideal for pork dishes, especially in the fall, and makes the seasoning of this savory stew quick and easy.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds lean pork, preferably from the shoulder
  • About ¼ cup olive or canola oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
  • 1 large rib celery, washed, strung, and diced small
  • Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups dry white wine or dry white vermouth
  • About 2 cups beef or chicken broth or a blend of both (enough broth to barely cover the meat)
  • 1 bay leaf, optional
  • 1 pound small brown (crimini) mushrooms
  • 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced flat-leaf parsley, optional
  • Crusty bread for serving

How to make it:

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Trim and cut the pork into 1½-to-2-inch cubes, wrap well with paper towels, and pat dry. Put enough oil or drippings in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (preferably enameled iron) to cover bottom by about 1/4-inch. Warm over medium heat. When hot, unwrap meat and add enough to the pot to fill it without crowding. Raise the heat to medium high and brown the meat well on all sides. Transfer it to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat. Remove the pot from heat.
  2. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and return the pot to medium heat. Sauté until the onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and season well with Spanish Moss Blend. Toss to blend, turn off the heat, and transfer the pot to the center of the oven (uncovered). Bake 4 minutes, remove it, stir well, and bake 4 minutes longer.
  3. Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300° F. Add enough liquid to just cover the meat, stir well, and add the bay leaf, if using. Cover the pot tightly, return it to the oven, and bake until the pork is fork tender, about 3 hours.
  4. While the stew is baking, wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth or paper towel, trim and quarter them. When the stew is ready, if sauce is too thin, put it over direct medium heat and boil until it’s reduced and thickened. Turn off the heat.
  5. When the stew is ready, heat the butter or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re beginning to color at the edges. Season them well with Spanish Moss Blend and fold them into the stew. Garnish with chopped parsley if liked and serve with crusty bread.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

Basic Sauté of Beef with Spanish Moss, Southern Italian, All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend, Cobblestone Blend, or Savannah Sizzle

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Spanish Moss, Southern Italian, All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend, Cobblestone Blend, or Savannah Sizzle

This simple, intimate sauté for two has all the flavor of a hearty, slow-cooked beef stew takes in just minutes from start to finish. The Salt Table’s seasoning blends make it especially quick and easy, and the flavor can be varied simply by changing the blend. Savannah Spanish Moss Blend lends a rich, autumnal flavor to the beef, but River Street Cobblestone Blend, Southern Italian Blend and All Round Good Grinder Blend would also be great.

For a spicy finish, try substituting Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blend.

Serves 2

 

Ingredients:

  • 10-12 ounces beef sirloin, sirloin tip, or filet tips
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt Table Spanish Moss Blend, River Street Cobblestone Blend or All Round Good Grinder Blend
  • 1 medium shallot, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and minced
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

How to make it:

  1. Trim any fat and gristle from the beef and cut it into uniform 1-inch cubes. Wrap in paper towels and thoroughly pat dry.
  2. Film the pan with olive oil and put it over medium high heat. When hot, add the beef and sauté until it’s browned and done to your taste, about 3-4 minutes for medium rare. For medium-well to well done, adjust heat to medium to keep outside from browning too much and sauté 2-3 minutes longer. Remove it from the pan.
  3. Add the shallot and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes, then deglaze pan with beef broth (¼ cup for 1 serving, ½ cup for 2). Bring to boil, stirring and scraping, and boil until reduced by 2/3. Add any accumulated juice from meat, stir, and turn off heat. Return beef to pan, add optional herbs, toss to coat, and serve.

To make it with a red wine déglacé: Allow ½ cup pinot noir or cabernet. After the shallot is golden, deglaze the pan with wine, bring to boil, then add broth and boil, stirring and scraping pan, until it’s reduced and syrupy. Add any accumulated juice from the meat, let it heat through, and turn off the heat. If you want it enriched, whisk in from 1 to 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into chunks). Whisk in the herbs, return the beef to the pan, toss to coat it, and serve.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Southern Italian Grinder Blend

Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

Savannah River Street Cobblestone Blend

All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend

Savannah Sizzle Seasoning & Rub

Beef Vegetable Stew

Beef Vegetable Stew

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring Salt Table Seasoning Blends: 

Totally Awesome Grinder Blend

Savannah River Street Cobblestone Blend

All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend

Savannah Spanish Moss Blend

 

This is a versatile recipe that varies simply by changing the Salt Table Seasoning and liquid. River Street Cobblestone Blend, Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, and All Round Good Grinder all pair well with it, but Savannah Sizzlin’ Blend gives it a heartier, spicier flavor that’s perfect for fall and winter.

You’ll need at least a 3-1/2-to-4-quart slow cooker for this.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast
  • Your choice of The Salt Table seasoning blend noted above
  • 5 small yellow onions
  • 2-3 tablespoons canola, olive, or other vegetable oil
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with their juice
  • 5-6 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 4 ribs celery, washed, strung, and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 3-4 tablespoons minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

How to make it:

  1. Trim and cut the beef into 1½-inch cubes. Dry well with paper towels. Trim, split lengthwise, peel, and cut 1 onion into small dice. Quarter the remaining onions.
  2. Film the bottom of a heavy skillet with oil and put it over medium heat. When it’s hot but not smoking, lightly season the meat with the Seasoning Blend of your choice and put enough in the skillet to fill it without crowding (you may have to do this in batches). Raise the heat to medium high and brown it well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a 3½-quart slow cooker.
  3. Add the diced onion to skillet and sauté until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with broth, stirring and scraping the bottom to release any cooking residue, add the tomato paste, and stir until dissolved and smooth. Add this to the slow cooker with a few dashes of Worcestershire. Add the tomatoes, then the carrots and celery around the edges and scatter the quartered onions over the tomatoes. Season liberally with Seasoning Blend. Cover and set the slow cooker to high.
  4. Cook on high 1 hour. Scrub the potatoes under cold running water and if desired, peel; cut into 1-inch chunks. Spread them over the top of the food in the cooker, sprinkle on more Seasoning Blend, cover, and cook until bubbling again, about half an hour. Change the setting to low and cook 5-6 hours, or leave on high and cook about 4 hours longer, or until the beef is fork tender.
  5. To serve, stir in 2 tablespoons parsley, then ladle the stew into individual bowls or soup plates and sprinkle each with a little more parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

 

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Salt Table River Street Cobblestone Blend

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table River Street Cobblestone Blend

Slow-cooker stews are a great way to meet that fall craving for heartier flavors without overheating us in our still-warm kitchens. The Salt Table’s seasoning blends, particularly River Street Cobblestone blend, are a fine shortcut to great flavor in those stews. Other great blends for this stew are Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, Southern Italian Blend, and, of course, All Round Good Grinder Blend.

You’ll need a 3½-quart slow cooker for this.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 pound with 1 pound boneless, skinned chicken thighs
  • Salt Table River Street Cobblestone Blend
  • 2-3 tablespoons canola, olive, or other vegetable oil
  • ½ cup dry white vermouth
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced large
  • 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 3 medium ribs celery, washed, strung, and cut in 1-inch lengths
  • 5 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and cut in 1-inch lengths
  • 3 large red-skinned or gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3-4 tablespoons minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

How to make it:

  1. Trim and cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Season it well with Cobblestone Blend. Film a heavy skillet with oil and warm it over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken and brown it on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a 3½-quart slow cooker. Deglaze the skillet with vermouth, stirring and scraping to get up any cooking residue, and pour it over the chicken.
  2. Scatter the onion over the chicken and add the tomatoes on top of them. Add the carrots and celery around edges and the potatoes to the center. Pour in the broth and season liberally with Cobblestone Blend.
  3. Cover and cook on high 1 hour, then low for 5-6 hours longer or cook the entire time on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken and vegetables are tender.
  4. Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley and ladle the stew into individual soup plates or bowls. Sprinkle each serving with a little more parsley and serve with crusty bread.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Savannah River Street Cobblestone Blend

Slow-Cooker Pork Stew Provencal with Mushrooms

Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

with Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt, Peppercorn Medley and Herbes de Provence

The Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt infuses this stew with deep mushroom flavor without the trouble of reconstituting dried porcini mushrooms and straining their soaking liquid to remove the sand. The Salt Table’s Herbes de Provence provides nicely balanced Provencal flavor without having a host of different condiments and herbs.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed well and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt Table Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt
  • Salt Table Peppercorn Medley in a mill
  • 1 tablespoon Salt Table Herbes de Provence
  • 1 large yellow onion, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and diced small
  • 1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and minced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • About 1-to-1½ cups beef broth
  • 1 recipe Sautéed Mushrooms with Porcini Salt (recipe follows)
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced flat-leaf parsley

HOW TO MAKE:

  1. Wrap the pork in several layers of paper towels and pat dry. Put the oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add enough pork to the pan to fill it without crowding and brown it well on all sides. Remove it to the slow cooker, and repeat with the remaining meat. When all the meat is browned, season it well with Porcini Salt and Pepper Medley and sprinkle the Herbes de Provence evenly over it.
  2. Adjust the heat to medium, spoon off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the onion. Sauté until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Slowly add the wine, stirring constantly, and bring it to a simmer, then stir in 1 cup of the broth. Bring it back to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until it’s lightly thickened, then pour it evenly over the pork in the slow cooker.
  3. Add enough broth to barely cover the meat, cover the cooker, and turn the setting to high. Let it heat until it’s bubbly, about 30 minutes, then reduce the setting to low and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 4-6 hours.
  4. The stew can be prepared to this point up to four days ahead. Let it cool completely, transfer it to a storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Reheat it gently in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, thinning the sauce, if it’s too thick, with a few spoonfuls of water.
  5. Prepare the Sautéed Mushrooms, immediately fold them into the stew, and serve hot, garnished with parsley and accompanied by crusty bread.

Sautéed Mushrooms

Serves 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound small brown (crimini) mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Salt Table Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced flat leaf parsley, optional (for garnishing if used as a side dish)

HOW TO MAKE:

  1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry paper towel and thickly slice them. Put the oil and butter in a deep skillet or sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium. When the butter is melted and the fat is quite hot, add the mushrooms, rapidly tossing. Raise the heat to medium high.
  2. Sauté, tossing often, until the mushrooms are beginning to color on the edges. Season well with Porcini Salt, toss, and cook half a minute longer. Turn off the heat. Taste and correct the salt. If serving as a separate side dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. If using in Pork Provencal, immediately add it to the stew.

 

Suggested Seasonings

Wild Porcini Mushroom Sea Salt

Peppercorn Medley

Herbs de Provence – No Salt