Yes, I ate a butt, and I liked it!

In this month's Esquire, Ted Allen writes about the under-appreciated pork butt. I'm not sure where the term "butt" comes from, but this cut actually comes from the shoulder, and is probably the least expensive part of the pig you can pick up at the butcher shop. However, it's also supposed to be the most flavorful given the high fat content marbled throughout.

Those of you unfamiliar with Allen may know him as the food and wine connoisseur from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and is frequently one of the judges on Iron Chef America. But he's also been a contributing food editor to Esquire for many years, and probably knows a thing or two about a good meal.

The article briefly describes a Puerto Rican style of preparing a traditional pork roast dish called pernil by stabbing a bone-in pork butt all over with a knife, slathering it all over with olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper and oregano, marinating it for a day, and slow roasting it in the oven.

Sounded easy, so I gave it a try. Cooked it at 250 degrees for around eight hours overnight in a pan to let it roast in it's own juices while I slept, turned off the oven when I went to work, and turned it back on for an hour when I got back home to reheat it. The aromas that filled my condo that night had me salivating in my sleep, and really did a number on my wife's REM stages--she apparently had this dream of wild animals invading our home to get to the delicious meat cooking in the oven. What resulted was exactly as described in the article: "wondrousness" and "succulent, crispy-on-the-outside, fall-off-the-bone roast."

Give it a try if you're trying to impress your woman, and don't want to sit on your porch by a smoker all day long. She'll think you're a gourmet genius. I was mighty proud of myself after this one, yet it was so simple to do. Now that's what I call a man's recipe.

Oh, and the total cost of the 6 pound slab of meat I roasted? $5.80--that's cheaper than the meal I bought at Subway for lunch.

Sure beats another boring jar of Prego...

I can't say I'm really that into many of the celebrity chefs on the Food Network. Wolfgang Puck has always seemed a bit too Hollywood, and I can't stand guys that have to sign off their shows with some stupid phrase. Emeril scares me out of my seat everytime he yells out, "BAM!" Tyler Florence is just a wee bit too much of a pretty boy, and really ruined his reputation after starting his own menu at that poor excuse for American cuisine, Applebee's. Bobby Flay makes some good food, but always looks smug on his show. And Mario Batali? Crocs. Really bright orange Crocs. End of story.

I've always enjoyed watching Jamie Oliver (formerly known as The Naked Chef), though, who always comes off as being a hip dude without coming off as fake or trying too hard. His old shows were fun, and his recipes are typically easy enough for a novice like me to have some amount of success at making. Oh yeah, and they're pretty tasty to boot. Add to that, he seems to be a stand up guy with his efforts to help out disadvantaged youths with his Fifteen project, and his crusade to make school lunches healthy (and a bit more edible).

Anywho, I've been using this recipe for spaghetti bolognaise out of one of his books on my shelf, and have prepared it a couple of times over the past week. With the power of Google, I found it posted on some random person's blog, too. Good eats, men. Good eats.

Kinda Spaghetti Bolognaise
Jamie Oliver: Happy Days with the Naked Chef

"As far as I know, no decent Italian cook has any real recollection of what we know as Spaghetti Bolognaise. However, every region in Italy makes its own Ragu Sauce which very often features leftover stewed meats and game. For a great bolognaise it is worth whizzing up some chopped chuck steak to make your own minced meat. Here's my version." Serves 4.

10 slices Pancetta or smoked streaky bacon rashers, sliced
1 handful of rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
455gr/1 lb chuck steak, minced, or best minced beef
1 wineglass of red wine
1 level teaspoon dried oregano
1x 400gr/14oz tin of tomatoes
1 x 200gr/7oz tube tomato puree, or 1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
455gr/1 lb dried spaghetti
1 handful of fresh basil
2 handfuls of grated Parmesan or strong Cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/gas4.

In a large hot pan that can go in the oven, fry the pancetta and rosemary in a little olive oil until lightly golden. Then add the onion and garlic and fry for a further 3 minutes until softened before adding the minced beef. Stir and continue frying for 2 or 3 minutes before adding the wine. Reduce slightly, then add the oregano, all the tomatoes and the tomato puree. Season well to taste, bring to the boil, cover with greaseproof paper or a lid and place in the pre-heated oven for an hour and a half. Towards the end of the cooking time put your spaghetti into a large pot of fast boiling salted water until al dente (check the packet for cooking time. When it's ready, drain it in a colander.

Just before serving, add some ripped-up basil to the sauce. Serve with your spaghetti and some grated Parmesan or strong Cheddar. A green salad is also nice with this.