Hello all! 👋🏼
Welcome to Episode 87! I guess I made Poutine, technically? lol
I saw some leftover pork chops and couldn’t imagine eating another round of chops—in two days. So I stripped those bi*ches and chopped them up. I had every intention to make pork tacos, and couldn’t work up the mustard to make tortillas.
After a quick pivot—I added some onions and made some gravy. The Jojos were just too perfect to pass on (I had them started first). And isn’t Poutine just gravy over French fries? I did at least have all of that. Needed to add cornstarch to thicken the gravy; what would I have done without it!?
Also in the works of making some tomato soup, it just might be the next episode….maybe. Haha. 😆
Annnd, the bones can and are going to be made into a pot of beans or chili! Right? Yeah. There is a hamhock in the fridge just waiting for me.
So, being the broke college student I am—I literally cannot afford wordpress(pro), which allows storage for photos and such. Unfortunately, this particular blog is running out of storage. I was grandfathered in with the 3gb plan; nowadays they only provide 1gb! They are still allowing to upload media, so that is a plus!
To combat this: I will continue to post here as long as they allow me to upload the media.
Otherwise I will be opening another blog, to continue the journey! Stay tuned for Daniel Eats Food 2! I am attempting to at least upload 100 posts before the transition!
Anywho…I took a rad rainbow photo this morning. If you look closely, you can see the moon peaking behind the trees.
That’s my time folks!
Daniel out! 🫶🏻
Ingredients
The Fries / Jojos
- 4 large russet potatoes (or wedges of your choice), cut into thick wedges
- 2–3 tbsp oil (or your preferred cooking oil)
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of paprika
The Gravy
- 2 tbsp butter (or drippings/oil)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.5 to 2 cups broth (beef, chicken, or pork broth all work great)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with a splash of cold water to ensure a smooth, thick finish)
- 1 small onion, finely diced (optional, for extra depth)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional protein add-in: Shredded leftover roasted pork, beef, or chunks of sausage.
The Assembly
- 1.5 to 2 cups fresh cheese curds (the signature element—look for that classic “squeak”)
Instructions
1. Make the Jojos (Fries)
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C)—or fire up your air fryer.
- Toss the potato wedges in oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until evenly coated.
- Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
2. Whip Up the Gravy
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. If you’re using diced onions, sauté them here until translucent and tender.
- Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste (creating a quick roux).
- Slowly whisk in your broth a little bit at a time to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in your cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy up to your liking.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you’re folding in leftover shredded pork or meat, toss it right into the warm gravy now so it absorbs all that savory flavor.
3. Assemble the Poutine
- Pile a generous serving of hot, crispy potato wedges into a bowl or deep plate.
- Scatter a handful of fresh cheese curds over the hot fries so they just start to soften from the residual heat.
- Ladle the hot, bubbling gravy generously over the top, making sure it hits every curd and fry.
