November 2009

In Good Taste: Thanksgiving Challenge

Simple Blessings: Hominy Grill chef Robert Stehling celebrates the holiday harvest family-style

Written By

Rob Young

Photographs by

Peter Frank Edwards

Photo gallery

Thanksgiving Challenge

In Good Taste

Hominy Grill chef/owner Robert Stehling has been at home in the kitchen since he was a boy in North Carolina, where he got an early start learning to cook from his mother.

As a child, long before opening his acclaimed Southern restaurant, Hominy Grill, Robert Stehling would help drag a big, wooden picnic table indoors for Thanksgiving dinner. His mother grew up on a farm, so his family—Grandma, Pa, and the rest of the bunch—enjoyed straightforward dinners, usually turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, and lots of pies and cakes for dessert.

His parents kept an organic garden at their Kernersville, North Carolina, home, supplying a fresh bounty for the Stehling children: Wendy, Robert, and John. Their mother cooked—always—until one Thanksgiving when Robert managed to nudge her out of the kitchen. He was back home from his first restaurant job at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, a cathedral of Southern cuisine, and he couldn’t wait to show off. “He wasn’t frying baloney anymore,” laughs John. “We all kind of sucked it up like sponges: my dad, me, and even Mom.”

Later, working in New York, Robert would play host to the “restaurant orphan club,” those who, like himself, had no money to return home for the holidays. The menu: occasionally turkey mole, but mostly turkey gumbo left to warm all day on the stove. “Everybody would bring something—usually cheese or booze,” Robert says with a grin.

He’s come a long way since then, establishing a nationally acclaimed Charleston institution and winning James Beard Best Chef: Southeast in 2008, but those simple occasions certainly made their mark as the young chef learned to work within his means. “Be smart, be grateful, make the most of what you have, and borrow what you may,” he says. Today, those tenets continue to hold true as Robert, his wife, Nunally, and their seven-year-old daughter, Carson, welcome John and his wife and children into their Wagener Terrace home for a relaxed, family-style Thanksgiving supper.

The Challenge

Chef: Robert Stehling, Hominy Grill
Goal: Prepare a family-friendly Thanksgiving meal using simple, fresh ingredients
Number of guests: 4 adults, 3 children
Per person budget: $15
Menu: Appetizers: Crackers with hot pepper jelly and goat cheese, oysters on the half shell Main: Grilled turkey with bacon stuffing Sides: Cabbage and fried apples, dirty rice, creamed mustard greens, sweet potato pone Dessert: Buttermilk pie and carrot cake

Appetizers

The meal brings John, wife Julie, and their young sons, Hank (age five) and Milo (three), to town from Asheville, where the couple owns Early Girl Eatery, a progressive restaurant named after a popular hybrid tomato. Known for its reliance upon locally raised produce and vegetables, Early Girl deviates from the usual Southern repertoire, offering vegan burgers and baked tempeh alongside shrimp and grits or biscuits and gravy.

Helping to keep the dinner economical, John and Julie unpack tidings from the North Carolina mountains: cabbage grown at Camp Celo in Burnsville and honey crisp apples from Hendersonville, the same fruit bought by the bushel for use in applesauce and apple chutney at Early Girl. “It’s nice stuff with the fall coming on,” says Robert. “The cabbage almost has a woodsy flavor to it, and the cool air really brings out the apples.”

The group settles in for appetizers: table water crackers layered with goat cheese and homemade hot pepper jelly. The warmth from the ancho and chipotle chiles balances the cheese in this creamy, robust snack that even draws the attention of young Milo.

John washes the oysters purchased from Crosby’s Seafood before passing them to his brother, who with the skill of a cat burglar easily unlocks a dozen or so. Brackish, mild, and buttery, the oysters contrast nicely with the sweet heat of the pepper jelly. Since they’ve opted for less expensive crackers, greens, and turkey, the Stehlings splurge on the selects and a bottle of sparkling wine to accompany the appetizers. “A glass of champagne and a couple of oysters go a long way to making you feel like you’re putting on the ritz,” says Robert.

The Shopping List

Dried ancho chiles $2.49
Canned chipotle chiles $1.99
Certo $3.69
Crackers $3.79
Goat cheese $3.99
Oysters $6.00

Final Cost: $21.95

From the Pantry

Sugar
Apple cider vinegar

see Hot Pepper Jelly recipe below...

Main Dish

“Turkey and bacon make a good combination,” notes Robert, “almost like a club sandwich.” Grilling is an apt method for preparing the bird, which emerges perfectly golden in hearty portions that serve as the feast’s showpiece. The meat is sliced to reveal the stuffing, and the chef carries the smoky-scented turkey to the table, where his family has gathered in bare feet and socks. Their Thanksgiving meal, like most, is a tribute to convention and comfort. And though he has slightly reinvented the turkey, Robert stresses that keeping with tradition is an important part of the celebration.

The Shopping List

Turkey $15.90
Bacon $3.79
Carrots $0.89
Celery $1.49
Onion $1.00
Garlic bulb $1.00
Fresh thyme $1.99
Caul fat $1.25

Final Cost: $27.31

From the Pantry

Salt and pepper

see Grilled Turkey with Bacon Stuffing recipe below...

Sides

Robert recently rekindled a love affair with his cast-iron skillets, returning to the frypans after many moons apart. He cooks the apples and cabbage together, creating a sort of hot sauté salad. A quick sear gives the dish its crunchy, crispy texture. He also fashions his sweet potato pone in a skillet, the potatoes peeled and grated to resemble matchsticks.

The dirty rice recipe has been passed down from the late Bill Neal, Robert’s renowned boss at Crook’s Corner. As for the mustard greens, Robert dresses them up his favorite way: with salty pork, ample chicken stock, and heavy cream for deep, essential flavor, simmering the greens until they are pillowy soft.

The Shopping List

Apples $7.00
Shallots $1.30
Cabbage $1.00
Sausage $2.69
Onions $2.00
Bell peppers $2.50
Eggplant $1.69
White rice $0.99
Red wine $7.49
Turkey stock $2.99
Tomato purée $1.05
Ham hock $1.01
Mustard greens $2.99
Chicken stock $2.59
Heavy cream $2.39
Sweet potatoes $1.88
Oranges $5.07
Lemon $0.43

Final Cost: $47.06

From the Pantry

Cooking and peanut oil
Apple cider vinegar
Fresh thyme (leftover from bacon stuffing)
Salt and pepper
Gizzards, heart, liver (leftover from turkey)
Celery (leftover from bacon stuffing)
Garlic (leftover from bacon stuffing)
Dried basil and thyme
Red pepper flakes
Bay leaf
Bacon fat (leftover from bacon stuffing)
Butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
White pepper
Ginger

see all recipes below...

Desserts

Robert was raised with a sweet tooth, his mother being a whiz with cakes, pies, and goodies. Today, Hominy Grill is known for its buttermilk pie, a dreamy dessert with custard and nutmeg. Thanksgiving at the Stehling home, like in Kernersville, also necessitates cake. Today, he has baked a triple-layer carrot cake with a filling that oozes from between layers and spills onto serving plates. Indeed, the Stehlings’ cake runneth over.

The Shopping List

Pecans $2.59
Cream cheese $1.65
Buttermilk $1.99
Pie shell $2.19

Final Cost: $8.42

From the Pantry

Butter
Brown, white, and powdered sugars
Soybean (vegetable) oil
Eggs
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Salt
Flour
Vanilla
Carrots (leftover from bacon stuffing)
Lemon (leftover from sweet potato pone)
Nutmeg

see Carrot Cake and Buttermilk Pie recipe below...

The Results:

CHALLENGE MET!

We give thanks to Hominy Grill chef Robert Stehling for successfully dishing out a Thanksgiving feast for seven on a budget of $105.

Amount Spent: $104.74

Hot Pepper Jelly

Ingredients

6 dried ancho chiles, rehydrated
1/2 cup chipotle chiles (canned in adobo sauce)
6 cups sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 box Certo (liquid fruit pectin)

Directions

Discard stems and seeds from ancho chiles. Purée in a food processor (should yield about one and a half cups). Strain through a coarse sieve over a large bowl. Purée chipotles with adobo sauce, then strain over ancho purée. Mix well.

In a stainless steel pot, combine sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling for five minutes. Add chile purée and simmer for one minute. Add Certo and cook one more minute. Pour into heatproof jars, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Grilled Turkey with Bacon Stuffing

(Serves 8 with Leftovers)

Ingredients

10-12 lb. turkey (reserve gizzards, heart, and liver for dirty rice)
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
2 cups carrots, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups onion, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Caul fat (tripe)

Directions

Cut turkey into quarters, removing the breasts from the cage and the legs and thighbones from the leg quarters. Render bacon three-quarters of the way crisp on low heat. Leave some fat in pan (reserve some for the mustard greens). Raise heat and slowly sauté vegetables with bacon and fat until they are tender. Season with garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Fold back the tenderloin on breasts and make a small incision in thick part to form shallow pocket. Smear a quarter of stuffing in each opening. Fold tenderloin back to close. Divide remaining stuffing between thighs, filling cavity left by bone. Wrap meat with caul fat. Grill over indirect heat for about 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest for five minutes before slicing.

Cabbage & Fried Apples

Serves

Ingredients

5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 shallots, diced
3/4 head cabbage
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Fresh thyme, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a cast-iron skillet, brown apples in oil on one side. Add shallots and cabbage and sauté until tender. Finish with vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Dirty Rice

Serves

Ingredients

Gizzards, heart, and liver from turkey
1/2 lb. sausage
2 cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, chopped
1 cup eggplant, skinned and diced
2 cups long-grain white rice
Peanut oil, as needed
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups turkey stock
1 cup tomato purée, divided
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Finely dice gizzards, heart, and liver, then combine with sausage in skillet on high heat until meat begins to pop. In a separate skillet, brown onion, celery, and peppers until tender. Add garlic and continue cooking for two minutes, then add eggplant and cook until tender. Layer vegetables on bottom of a skillet.

In a separate skillet, sauté rice, adding peanut oil as needed, until lightly brown. Then layer rice over vegetables and top with meat.

In a saucepan, reduce wine to a quarter cup. Add stock, half of the tomato purée, herbs, and spices. Bring to a boil, then gently pour over rice. Deglaze pan with remaining tomato purée, then add to rice. Cover skillet tightly with foil and bake for one hour.

Creamed Mustard Greens

Serves

Ingredients

1 small smoked ham hock, sides slashed
1 Tbs. bacon fat
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs. mustard greens, washed and trimmed
4 cups chicken stock
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Brown hock in bacon fat in a large pot, then add onion and sauté until golden brown. Add garlic and reduce heat. Fold in mustard greens gradually. Water from washing will wilt greens slowly. When almost wilted, just cover with chicken stock and add red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for an hour or more. Add cream and continue cooking until greens are very soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Pone

Serves

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1/4 cup softened butter, plus more for cooking
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel and grate sweet potatoes. Cream softened butter and brown sugar in a bowl. Add cinnamon, orange juice, zest, salt, pepper, and ginger and stir to combine. Fold in potatoes. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high and swirl butter to quickly coat pan. Butter should bubble but not brown. Pack sweet potato mixture into skillet in an even layer and cook until hot around edges, about two minutes. Place skillet in oven. After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and cook for 45 minutes. Do not allow cake to brown.

Test with a thin knife. If it slices smoothly, pone is done. Let cool 10 minutes. Invert onto a cutting board and slice like a pizza. Don’t worry if cake sticks a little to the pan—use a spatula to scrape it off and place on pone.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted
2 Tbs. melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

For the batter:

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups soybean oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. vanilla
3 cups carrots, shredded

For Cream Cheese Icing:

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs. vanilla

Directions

For the filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix filling ingredients and divide among three cake pans. For batter, beat sugar, oil, and eggs until creamy. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and carrots. Pour batter over filling. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and ice cake.

For Cream Cheese Icing:
Combine butter and cream cheese, then slowly add powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla.

Buttermilk Pie

Serves

Ingredients

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, baked according to instructions

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine butter and sugar until sugar is completely incorporated. Add egg yolks and mix well to combine. Add flour, lemon juice, nutmeg and salt. With the mixer running, slowly add buttermilk. Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Pour a small amount of the buttermilk mixture into the whites. Fold gently to combine. Gently fold egg white mixture into remaining buttermilk mixture until just combined. Pour custard into pie shell. Bake on the center rack until filling is lightly browned and barely moves when the pie is jiggled, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.