Pork Chop, Tomato, and Egg.

He was so ugly as a kid, we had to tie a pork chop around his neck to get the dog to play with him.—Saying from my youth

The above taunt was not directed at me, as far as I know. I may have used it a time or two, I confess.

I have a new love for the pig meat. My neighbor is a hog farmer…so endless supply. My son and his family live in a world where it is forbidden…so no supply. We load up on pork when they come to visit. There was more pork in this house than a congressional budget the last time they visited. This simple pork chop dish will be on the menu the next time they are here.

We had a left-over uncooked chop of decent size, so I wanted to use it for breakfast this morning. Now Mrs. Big Surf gets a little angst going whenever I ignore her Library of Congress-sized cookbook wing of the house. However I decided to make something simple because that is how my mind works best. This was not a ground-breaking culinary event here, just putting together simple ingredients for a good tasting dish, all the while knowing the missus could see there wasn’t an open cookbook.

I salted and peppered the pork chop and fried it in a skillet with a little olive oil. When almost done, I added some scallions to caramelize with it. In another skillet, I was frying two eggs, seasoned with EVERYTHING BUT THE BAGEL. The eggs should be over-light (or runny).

I divided the pork chop with the scallions between two plates and topped each with a slice of tomato. I placed the egg on top of the tomato with salt and pepper, topped the tomato with the egg and some green chopped scallions. To this I finished with some Maggi Hot and Sweet tomato chili sauce. This sauce is a favorite in the Big Surf house to eat with eggs.

Mrs. Big Surf was very pleased and so was I. She was so pleased in fact, that she is now in the mood for a dog. She thinks she has found a way to finally get a dog to like me.

Impossible (Some May Say Unthinkable) Burger Patties

Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food—Hippocrates

Due to some good fortune or bad Karma (you be the judge), I was presented with a bag of Impossible Burger Patties last week.

Now those of you in the carnivorous camp who eat only red or white meat and think the only veggies to eat are the onions, mushrooms, or peppers on top of your steak, probably never heard of these plant-based burgers.

To be honest, I probably would have never bought them. I would be thinking “Why Impossible? Impossible to like…impossible to enjoy…impossible to convince me I’m eating meat…impossible to convince me I’m saving the planet?”

Ok, that last one may have been uncalled for.

These plant-based burgers are “not unfortunate” in taste, as my blue-eyed darlin’ would say. They have the texture and shape of a meat-burger, but definitely not the taste or the juice dripping down your chin.

If I am hosting a plant-based-diet human in my abode, I would gladly serve up one of these burgers, they are tasty. However, I would never prepare one for a meat-eater, no matter how much you try to pretty it up with cheese and fixins’. You would never fool a meat-lover with this. I would be as nervous as a cocaine runner approaching a drug-sniffing dog in Miami’s airport.

Pre-cooked it looks like a regular burger, but maybe a little too perfect.

The Missus wanted hers disguised with cheese, a lame attempt at covertness.

Pretty it up all you want, still a soy burger. Good flavor, none the less.

Incidentally, I wander just how much less carbon is used up in producing this product. Based on the ingredient list, it looks like a lot of factory work here.

But then ol’ gassy Bessie can stop looking over her shoulder in the field.

Big Surf’s Poached Egg and Zhug with Spinach and Artichoke on Toast

I’m strong to the finich ’cause I eats me spinach—Popeye

When Daphne responded to George Costanza’s query about her eggs with “Eggs are eggs”, I cringed at this particular Seinfeldism. I, for one, value the importance of this often, taken for granted, ovate protein source. As stated in previous writings (that sounds so pretentious doesn’t it?), I love eggs and I am always trying to elevate the taste of them.

If I say the egg is my “muse”, does that mean I have to be artistic? No one has ever accused me of this. It is safe to say I will never cut off my ear if I break a yolk.

This past Friday morning, there was a smidgeon of something resembling a creative spark deep within me that was crying to see the light of the range hood. So the dish above was created.

I’m sure some of you will turn your nose up at this, but it really was a tasteful breakfast dish. If you can get past some of the biases that imprison your morning food choices, you may find this worthy of an occasional alternate start to your day.

This started with some delicious sourdough bread my blue-eyed darlin’ baked. It makes for a delicious toast canvas for my masterpiece. I spread some zhug (https://eat-with-big-surf.blog/2023/11/18/zhug-zhoug-sahawiq-schug-skug-mabooj/) on the toast. I sauteed some spinach with some store-bought marinated, grilled artichoke halves. I topped with a poached egg, salt and pepper.

Now Mrs. Big Surf and I loved the dish, though the missus felt like I used too much zhug and it overpowered her taste buds. I was surprised by this and when I verbalized my surprise, she said, “Your eyeballs are sweating”.

So the moral here is to know your audience. Based on a small sample size, the zhug can be a bit overwhelming to German and Irish palates, so go easy on this Yemeni originated condiment.

Show a little restraint like Van Gogh. He only cut off part of his ear.