Christmas season is upon us and I am pretty sure that most of us are already thinking and searching for new dishes for Noche Buena celebration. I have already prepared my list of dishes to cook. It has been a tradition in our family to cook 12 different dishes every Christmas to represent the prosperity we all hope to have on the next 12 months of the coming year.
Rule of thumb is, everyone in the family who is knowledgeable enough in the kitchen must have a dish of their own to prepare and it should be something new or with added twist. So our family is pretty much enthusiastic when it comes to coming up with exciting dishes.
Rule of thumb is, everyone in the family who is knowledgeable enough in the kitchen must have a dish of their own to prepare and it should be something new or with added twist. So our family is pretty much enthusiastic when it comes to coming up with exciting dishes.
Last year, I went crazy over chestnut that I created a 3-course menu with chestnut as the main ingredient of the dishes. Now for Christmas 2015, I am putting my trust to our traditional Cheese Ball. And my secret is the ever reliable Danes Cheese Ball!
As with most Filipino families, our family’s Christmas is not complete without cheese balls. It is only during this season that we get to enjoy this kind of cheese so it is impossible not to have it on the table. Sometimes, we just pair it with a good bottle of wine and eat it as it is, but more often, we include it in most of the dishes we prepare for our celebration.
Now, why Danes Cheese Balls you might ask - well, because Danes Cheese Ball is creamy, absolutely cheesy, delicious, and most of all, reasonably priced. I love the fact that it is versatile enough to be used in any different kind of dishes whether it is appetizer, entrée, and even dessert.
Danes Cheese Ball comes in different sizes hence it can fit the budget of people from all walks of life. Sizes and prices are as follows; Php190 for 350g, Php261 for 500g and Php395 for 750g. We love giving away our favorite food products; Danes Cheese Ball is a perfect gift to your family, friends, relatives and even co-workers which will make them surely happy.
Now going back to the dishes I will be preparing this Christmas using Danes Cheese Ball, this Pork Belly with Bourbon and Cheese Ball sauce is one of those.
While wine and cheese pairing has always been popular, bourbon or whiskey can be a great accompaniment to cheese as well. My affinity to this combination is my inspiration for this recipe.
While wine and cheese pairing has always been popular, bourbon or whiskey can be a great accompaniment to cheese as well. My affinity to this combination is my inspiration for this recipe.
The main star of this dish is the Bourbon and Cheese Ball sauce. The meat, you can always change depending on your preference. I’ve tried using chicken fillet once and it came out good as well. But since I favor pork belly most of the time, I used it instead for this particular instance.
INGREDIENTS
Pan Fried Pork Belly:
4 pcs. pork belly
salt and pepper for seasoning (for pork)
oil for frying
Pan Fried Pork Belly:
4 pcs. pork belly
salt and pepper for seasoning (for pork)
oil for frying
Bourbon and Cheese Ball Sauce:
1/2 cup grated Danes Cheese Ball 350g
1/2 cup grated Danes Cheese Ball 350g
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup sliced button mushroom
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup cream
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper for seasoning
crisp bacon bits for garnish.
Procedure:
1. Season pork belly with salt and pepper to taste, then pan fry until cooked.
2. Sauté onions, garlic, and mushroom in canola oil on medium heat until the mushrooms are browned.
3. Add wine and increase the heat to high. Boil down until the liquid turns into glaze.
4. Add chicken stock and bourbon. Boil to reduce the liquid depending on how saucy you want your sauce to be.
5. Add cream and simmer until the sauce thickens.
6. Add beaten egg yolk and mix to the sauce thoroughly then add the grated Danes Cheese Ball. Simmer for minutes depending on how thick or curdled you want your sauce to be.
7. Season to taste.
8. Pour the bourbon and cheese ball sauce on top of the cooked pork belly then sprinkle with crisp bacon bits before serving.
1. Season pork belly with salt and pepper to taste, then pan fry until cooked.
2. Sauté onions, garlic, and mushroom in canola oil on medium heat until the mushrooms are browned.
3. Add wine and increase the heat to high. Boil down until the liquid turns into glaze.
4. Add chicken stock and bourbon. Boil to reduce the liquid depending on how saucy you want your sauce to be.
5. Add cream and simmer until the sauce thickens.
6. Add beaten egg yolk and mix to the sauce thoroughly then add the grated Danes Cheese Ball. Simmer for minutes depending on how thick or curdled you want your sauce to be.
7. Season to taste.
8. Pour the bourbon and cheese ball sauce on top of the cooked pork belly then sprinkle with crisp bacon bits before serving.
Notes:
1. Please take note that this recipe, just like all the other recipes I have shared here on the blog, is very flexible. You can adjust as needed.
2. The egg yolk, I intentionally included since the kind of sauce I am going for is not the usual saucy type - I want some curdled stuff on it for added texture. But if you want just straight up saucy and creamy, feel free to omit the yolk.
3. I simmered the sauce up to the point when there's very minimal liquid left. In other words, I want it to be "nagmamantika"
4. Another way of cooking this dish is adding the cooked pork belly on the sauce itself before turning the heat off. Whatever floats your boat, it will all end up just the same – cheesy, creamy and delicious, thanks to Danes Cheese Ball!
1. Please take note that this recipe, just like all the other recipes I have shared here on the blog, is very flexible. You can adjust as needed.
2. The egg yolk, I intentionally included since the kind of sauce I am going for is not the usual saucy type - I want some curdled stuff on it for added texture. But if you want just straight up saucy and creamy, feel free to omit the yolk.
3. I simmered the sauce up to the point when there's very minimal liquid left. In other words, I want it to be "nagmamantika"
4. Another way of cooking this dish is adding the cooked pork belly on the sauce itself before turning the heat off. Whatever floats your boat, it will all end up just the same – cheesy, creamy and delicious, thanks to Danes Cheese Ball!
So this Pork Belly with Bourbon and Cheese Ball Sauce is very easy to prepare, not to mention flexible, so you could adjust and have fun with it. One bite and you would know that the Danes Cheese Ball played a very vital role to this dish by adding flavor and color to the whole dish.
There are still plenty of recipes one may come up using Danes Cheese Ball so I highly recommend to celebrate Christmas season with Danes Cheese Ball. As we all know, young or adult, everybody loves cheese since we all grew up with this. So, we should definitely not miss the chance to enjoy Danes Cheese Ball this season. It is very reasonably priced so you may buy to your hearts’ content and come up with several delicious recipes you may serve for your loved ones.
There are still plenty of recipes one may come up using Danes Cheese Ball so I highly recommend to celebrate Christmas season with Danes Cheese Ball. As we all know, young or adult, everybody loves cheese since we all grew up with this. So, we should definitely not miss the chance to enjoy Danes Cheese Ball this season. It is very reasonably priced so you may buy to your hearts’ content and come up with several delicious recipes you may serve for your loved ones.
Aside from this recipe, you can find several other delicious way to enjoy Danes Cheese Ball by liking and following Danes Cheese Ball on Facebook (facebook.com/danescheeseball) so be sure to check it out.
