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Tonight we're going to make a very healthy pita sammich with the help of our Koster Nessmuck from Dan Koster. This particular recipe is one from the Fletcher Knives personal stash so use it wisely and don't abuse it. Normally, it is meant to have crispy grilled fatty lamb slices on it but A) I'm on a diet and B) I didn't have any lamb prepared. So, tonight, it's going to be an apple salsa and cheese pita. YAY!
This recipe is for one serving, so multiply as needed.
Let's get to it.
First, of course you'll need your Koster Nessmuck.
Then, you'll need your dry spices. This recipe calls for a pinch of black pepper and a good amount (approx. 1.5 tsp) of crushed mint
Yes, I do know that my hotdog pepper shaker is in fact the bomb diggidy.
Next, and possibly the most important step, is to realize that you are without beer, and promply remedy the situation. I know. What crap beer... if you can even call it that, but like I said, I'm on a diet so don't give me any shit about it please.
Now, it's time to start cutting up our ingredients for the salsa. You'll need roughly 1/2 cup of red onion and a little more than 3/4 cup of Fuji (or whichever you prefer) apple.
I'll be honest, the Koster isn't my favorite for food prep. I like to use a really thin blade most of the time, but I haven't used my Nessmuck in forever so that's what I picked for tonight.
Now, we throw it in a pan with our dry spices, about a half tbsp of Island Mojo (if you don't already have a good stock of Jimmy Parrish's hot sauces in the kitchen, you need to remedy that immediately as well), about a half tbsp of Tuaca (now this one isn't necessary. If you don't have it, no big deal. I made this recipe for years and years without it. I just put it in these days for a little of that bite and sweetness), and last but not least, about a tbsp of I Can't Belive It's Not Butter. Set the heat at about medium/hot and cook until the apples and onions start to caramelize. Another good way to judge the stopping point is when the apples and onions have absorbed all the juice in the pan.
When it's done, take it off the heat and transfer it to a small bowl to chill in the fridge.
Now time to get the pita ready. I use a whole wheat pita right now, not because I prefer it, it's the damn diets fault. Normally I like the real deal good pita bread. If you don't have a local baker that does pita, try to find a Greek eatery near you. Otherwise, you can settle for the stuff at the store.
Cut and pull the pita apart so you have a top and a bottom. A left and a right don't work as well for this recipe. The cheese I like to use is Laughing Cow Garlic Herb. It's decent and it's spreadable. Spread the cheese on the pita.
Get your pan back out and give it a shot of Pam. Set it at about medium heat.
Now, throw your bottom in the pan and spread on the apple salsa. Then, cover with the top. You want to brown the sammich on both sides, but don't burn it.
When it's done, throw that crap on a plate and get ready to chow down. Get ready for some new flavors and combinations that will blow your mind. If you chose to add the lamb, you'll need a change of undies after that first bite as you will have peed a little from the excitement.
Thanks for watching.
Opinions on the Nessmuck:
Not great for food prep in this particular case. (Like I said, I prefer a very thin blade in the kitchen and this one is just a bit too thick. It's an outdoors knife.) It will get the job done, but it's definitely more suited to other chores and outdoor activities. The handle is comfortable all around and in all grips. The knife is very easy to control. It stayed plenty sharp all the way through food prep, but then if it didn't, I would have had to throw it in the trash when I was done.
I've used this knife outside plenty and it's an awesome carver, slicer, etc. It's all you expect from an expertly executed Scandi grind and Dan Koster's knifemaking skill. Now an interesting little tidbit is that this is the ONLY Nessmuck in my collection. I waited a long time for just the right one to come along and this is it. It's my favorite of the Nessmuck variations from any maker and all the ergos, size, etc. is perfect as far as I'm concerned. I highly recommend them.
. I doubt he'll lose much sleep over a little ball breaking from me or anyone else on here.