Cola Ham Hocks with Miso Glaze (SP)

• 4 ham hocks (about 1 pound each) [I used slices since I thought they would be easier to sear off.]
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• one 12-ounce can cola
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 star anise
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

MISO GLAZE

• 1/4 cup red miso
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons sorghum
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mise en place.

Soak hocks in cold water for 30 minutes.  Then pat dry.

Brown hocks.

Saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes.

Add in everything but glaze ingredients and braise for 2 hours.  I considered letting this go and braise while I went out for karaoke which would've amounted to 4 hours.  I tried contacting Aly Lopez about whether or not this was a good idea but had already left the house when she answered.

I should've done it.

When hocks are almost done, heat glaze ingredients until dissolved and syrupy.

Glaze the ham hocks and broil for a couple minutes after being pulled from the braising liquid.  They are accompanied here with a side dish that is also in Edward Lee Jr's cookbook but was sourced so poorly that I rather not talk about it.

Ha, I guess the ham hocks could've been more tender, but they were pretty good.  The braising liquid was awesome.  I wonder if the flavor would have altered much if I used Coca-Cola rather than Whole Foods cola.

Japanese-Spiced Roasted Beets with Honeyed Walnuts (FM)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 pounds beets (about 4 large), peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan or black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• Salt
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey

Smear baking sheet with oil.  Put beets on pan, drizzle with sesame and vegetable oil, and toss to coat.

Roast undisturbed for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Then turn every 10 minutes until just tender.

Should've used my half-sheet pan.

Mise en place.  I didn't have honey to toss the walnuts in.  I figured sorghum was better than molasses.

Toss everything together with a sprinkling of salt and bake for a 1 minute or 2 just to toast the spices.  There was a ton of seasoning left so I typically just re-seasoned the dish every time I ate it.
I figure you can easily double or maybe even triple the number of beets you use and have enough spice.

A really nice dish.  The basic recipe frankly didn't require enough beets, but I figure four servings could be construed as the amount needed for a side dish.