BLOW TORCH COOKING RECIPES

Steps:

• First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast. Preheat the oven to 275˚. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).  Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.  Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.  With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.  When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Put the lid on, then roast in the oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Steps:

• First you must slice your ham, if it is not already sliced.
• Use a very sharp knife to cut the ham into very thin slices around the bone.
• Do not cut all the way to the bone or the meat may not hold together properly as it is being glazed.
• You want the slices to be quite thin, but not so thin that they begin to fall apart of off the bone.
• You may wish to turn the ham onto its flat end and cut around it starting at the bottom.
• You can then spin the ham as you slice around and work your way up.
• Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.
• (I like to make double this recipe for a nice large ham).
• Lay down a couple sheets of wax paper onto a flat surface, such as your kitchen counter.
• Pour the sugar mixture onto the wax paper and spread it around evenly.
• Pick up the ham and roll it over the sugar mixture so that it is well coated.
• Do not coat the flat end of the ham, just the outer surface which you have sliced through.
• Again, I like to stuff some of the sugar mixture INSIDE the slices.
• Turn the ham onto its flat end on a plate.
• Use a blow torch with a medium-size flame to caramelize the sugar.
• Wave the torch over the sugar with rapid movements, so that the sugar bubbles and browns, but does not burn.
• Spin the plate so that you can torch the entire surface of the ham.
• Repeat the coating and caramelizing process until the ham has been well-glazed (don't expect to use all of the sugar mixture).
• Serve the ham cold (don't put the sugar between the slices if you plan on doing this) or re-heat (THEN put the sugar between the slices BEFORE you caramelize it) just like the real thing!
• Don't be frightened to use the torch!
• You can to it outside, if you wish.
• Just set it on something fire proof and have fun blazing away!