Mother’s Day Brunch Recipe

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and you’re in a panic because you haven’t taken the time to plan for a thoughtful gift that requires time to create or ship or both. During normal, non-COVID-19 times, you could just take Mom to your local City Works or Old Town Pour House, treat her to brunch and shine like the good kid you are. But in these times of shelter-in-place, your procrastinating may have put you in a bind. No worries, there’s still time. This Mother’s Day brunch recipe isn’t an easy one, but it’s one that the novice home chef can tackle.

With a trip to the grocery store and some will to follow a recipe, you’ll impress her like you haven’t before…turning a Mother’s Day disaster into one for the ages. Your Mom deserves a little effort anyway. After all, she wiped your butt for many years…making her a memorable dish is the least you can do. So dust off your chef’s hat and let’s get after it! You got this.

Mother’s Little Helper

The essential “hangover bowl.”  This dish is a twist on the Southern classic pork and grits. The stick-to-your-bones smoked cheddar balances well with the braised pork belly and sausage links. To tie it all together, a smoked tomato charred scallion relish and over-easy egg balance the entire dish, leaving you satisfied but still wanting more.

This is a fun one to make at home because it’s challenging enough for the home chef, but not too challenging to where it’s out of reach. It’s rewarding to bring all these flavors together in one comforting dish.

 

 

Smoked Tomato Charred Scallion Relish

First things first, start with the relish.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, 1/4 ” dice – 1 LB
• Scallions (green onions) – 6
• Canola oil – 1/2 oz
• Kosher salt – 1 TSP
• Ground black pepper – 1/2 TSP

If you want to try smoking the tomatoes at home:

1. Place wood chips at the bottom of a deep hotel pan. Place a perforated hotel pan inside of the other pan with wood chips.
2. Dice tomatoes. Place diced tomatoes inside the perforated pan and cover with foil.
3. Place pans on stovetop and turn on high for 15 minutes to smoke. Turn off burners and let sit for 1 hour.
4. In a mixing bowl add scallions, toss with 1 TBSP of olive oil, 1 /2 tsp salt, and black pepper; mix well
5. Place scallions on a grill until charred, remove from grill and let cool (the grill or an open flame is the only way to get a nice char)
6. Once cool slice 1/4″ thick, place in mixing bowl
7. Add smoked tomatoes to mixing bowl, mix well. Season with salt and black pepper.

If you don’t want to try smoking the tomatoes at home:                  

1. Dice tomatoes into 1/4″ squares, set aside
2. In a mixing bowl add scallions, toss with 1 TBSP of olive oil, 1 /2 tsp salt, and black pepper; mix well
3. Place scallions on a grill until charred, remove from grill and let cool (the grill or an open flame is the only way to get a nice char)
4. Once cool slice 1/4″ thick, place in mixing bowl
5. Add diced tomatoes to mixing bowl, mix well. Season with salt and black pepper.

 

Braised Bacon

Onto the braised bacon (or pork belly). Before we get to this though, may we offer a tip for the not-so-adventurous home chef. Buy regular bacon and make it on the stovetop. We won’t lie, braising bacon is not for the novice. But for those of you up to the challenge, have at it!

Ingredients:

• Slab Bacon – 7 pieces
• Yellow onion, rough chop – 1 LB
• Carrot, peeled, rough chop – 1
• Celery, rough chop – 1/2 stalk
• Garlic, whole – 3
• Black peppercorns, whole – 1 TBS
• Water – 6 QT

Recipe:

1. Score the fat of the slab bacon in a diamond pattern 1/2” apart
2. In large sauté pan on high heat, heat oil and sauté carrots, onion, and celery together for 5 minutes
3. Add garlic and peppercorns and sauté an additional 2 minutes
4. Place bacon and sautéed mirepoix (carrots, onions and celery) in a 6″ deep full hotel pan, cover with plastic wrap and again with foil
5. Put in a 300-degree oven for 1.5 hours until tender but still holds its shape when sliced.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cook in braising liquid for 20 minutes. Remove and cool completely on sheet pan fitting with a rack.
7. Cut portion into a 5 oz square and slice into 5 (1oz) EVEN slices and portion reserve for later.

 

Mother’s Little Helper Recipe; serves 4

Ingredients:

• Instant grits – 6 oz
• Heavy cream – 24 oz
• Butter – 4 TBSP
• Smoked cheddar cheese, shredded – 6 oz
• Braised bacon, from recipe above
• Pork sausage links – 2 oz or 8 links
• Smoked Tomato Charred Scallion Relish, from recipe above
• Fried egg – 8

Recipe:

1. Place sliced bacon in sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear on both sides to get crispy. DO NOT ADD ANY EXTRA OIL TO PAN; pork has enough fat.
2. Place pork sausage links on same platter with bacon – cook until heated through
3. While the meats are cooking, in a sauté pan over medium, heat heavy cream and grits portion, cook until milk is absorbed into grits, add cheese and butter and mix well until hot.
4. While all of the food is cooking, cook 2 eggs over easy, season with salt and pepper, set aside and keep warm for plating
5. Transfer grits to the center of your serving dish/bowl, place breakfast sausage links side by side in the center of grits.
6. Place the bacon over the sausage links
7. Top with fried egg
8. Top with smoked tomato charred scallion relish
9. Serve (and impress)

Best of luck with this Mother’s Day brunch recipe! We’ll be rooting you on. If you try making this dish, share your photos and let us know on social media. Happy Mother’s Day.