COOKINGWITHCAMPICHE
A birthday potluck
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
I just celebrated another birthday. Let’s not
mention numbers. Friends and my wife, Lau-
rie, decided on a potluck. It was joyous, at
least by my standards.
Laurie baked up some slider buns. I
smoked meats: sirloin, pork and — give it a
chance — tongue.
These were all inexpensive cuts of meat,
but slow smoke revealed all the taste of an
expensive roast. Adding to the party were
Nancy Main’s superb cookies and a neigh-
bor’s baked beans, along with potato salad,
second bean salad, Scandinavian cucumbers
and stuffed mushrooms.
We drank cold beer and a lovely couple of
bottles of Oregon wine. Of particular interest
was a barrel-fermented Pinot gris, fully alive
in bouquet and taste. I can’t recommend these
wines enough. What have I forgotten? Den-
nis’ pate, of course. He is a master, and his
appetizer gladdened the day. And then the sun
appeared.
Preparing the tongue
I boiled the offal in homemade beef stock
for nearly three hours. While warm, I peeled
off the outer skin, dry-rubbed the meat and
then smoked it, as well as the beef and pork
for better than four hours at 170 degrees
Fahrenheit in my small smoker until all was
smoky, tender, and super-rich with flavor. I
would later concoct a mushroom sauce from
the leftover stock to cover the meats for those
who are gluten-free.
Laurie’s slider buns
Photos by David Campiche
ABOVE: A pate, accompanied by toppings. RIGHT: Homemade slider buns made a great
addition to any potluck.
18 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Yields 16 buns
Starter
• 3 ounces water
• 6 ounces whole milk
• 4 ounces bread flour
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce-
pan and whisk until no lumps remain. Place
the saucepan over low heat and cook the mix-
ture, whisking constantly until thick, about 3
to 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a mixing
bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Dough
• 5 cups bread flour
• 4 tablespoons dry milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon dried or finely chopped
fresh rosemary
• 1 cup whole milk
• Two large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
Preparation
Combine starter with the remaining
dough ingredients and then mix and knead
by hand or mixer until a smooth dough
forms. Shape the dough into a ball and let
it rest in a lightly greased and covered bowl
for 60 to 70 minutes.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it
into 16 equal rounds. Then place rolls into
a lightly greased pan. Cover the pan and let
the rolls rest for 40 to 50 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush the rolls with milk or egg wash (con-
sisting of one egg yolk and 2 tablespoons
milk), then bake for 30 minutes, until golden
brown on top and the interior of the rolls is
at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Allow the rolls to cool in the pan for 10
minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool
completely.
David’s spice rub
• 1/4 cup whole black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon curry, optional
• Salt and brown sugar to taste
Throw all into a shaker and sprinkle lib-
erally over the meats. I keep this mix on the
shelf and use it in many preparations.
David Campiche is a potter, poet, writer
and lifelong resident of the Long Beach
Peninsula with a keen interest in adventure,
fine and culinary arts. Find more about his
work at davidcampiche.com.