The Gold, The Rich, and a Duck Breast
The True Story of a Man Seeking His Fortune or
How Monterey Jack Received It's Name
(one of a few theories in existence)
Name: David Jacks
Origin: Crieff, Scotland
1822-1909
At the age of nineteen, a young man named David Jacks immigrated to the US from a very poor side of a town in Scotland named Crieff. He spent time with his brothers and worked for army contractors for a few years. Then the news hit. The gold rush...people were striking it rich finding gold in the hills of California. David traveled to try his luck at striking it rich but not before investing all he had to buy guns; yes, guns. He figured that at this time law abiding citizens and criminals alike would be in need of protection. So it was, he traveled far to California and more than doubled his money. But alas, striking it rich by actually finding gold nuggets was not in his fate.
Mr. Jacks worked in a store for a while and stayed with the storekeeper until he was able to support himself. Through a few questionable land deals that were made, one with the actual city of Monterey in which he acquired 30,000 acres of land, David acquired his fortune. He took advantage of properties in foreclosure and ones with delinquent taxes, paying them off and then charging interest on the loans. His fortune was vast but he wasn't very popular with his fellow Californians. Some put curses on him while others tried to actually kill him. Acquiring a fortune sometimes comes at a price. It was at this time he discovered the "gold" that would immortalize David Jacks name to this day and beyond.
Dairy farms at the time could not sell all of the milk their cows made. As you know, milk is a perishable item and back then much more so than now with the lack of Frigidare's, GE's and Samsung's. So, a particular dairy farm that was run by Franciscan Monks had come up with an ingenious way to preserve the surplus milk. They made a cheese that they called Queso Blanco. David Jacks owned quite a few dairy farms and decided that this was a great way to use his surplus milk. His farms made the cheese which became available across the region. It was referred to as Jack's Cheese and eventually, years later, Monterey Jack.
David Jack is immortalized not for finding gold nuggets, not for the thousands of dollars he gave to his church, not for donating to colleges to encourage education for everyone, but for a humble cheese he came across and made and distributed and is now popular everywhere.
(In Monterey, his reputation isn't as creamy and mild as his namesake though...For the history buffs out there, you can read more here.)
Loved or hated, benefactor or ruthless business man, however his story was told he never stopped taking care of his family in Scotland and helped them out financially throughout his life. True riches lie in the wealth of our families.
Monterey Jack can be semisoft, semihard, hard and grana. The one most common in stores today is semisoft, pale yellow and melts beautifully into a creamy mass of liquid gold. In the recipe below, it's paired with cheddar and a bit of mascarpone but it remains the dominant cheese in this mac and cheese dish. It lends it's beautiful creaminess, and mild delicate flavor to the front seat of this dish. I have struggled for years with discovering my own version of macaroni and cheese that I was happy with. I wanted a rich and creamy yet delicate sauce. I wanted a mac and cheese that brought back memories of childhood when my grandma would make me Creamettes...that was a true mac and cheese in my eyes. I have now discovered my own version of Creamettes and for me, it's truly liquid gold.
The Jack Mac
1 1/4 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack
3/4 Cup Shredded White Cheddar
3 Heaping Tbsp Mascarpone Cheese
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
2 1/2 Cups Milk
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1/4 tsp White Pepper
A sprinkling of Cayenne
1/2 tsp Salt
Shred the cheeses.
Heat 2 1/2 cups of milk in a small saucepan.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter.
Add flour. Whisk. Stir a few minutes until the color of your rue slightly begins to darken.
Slowly add warm milk a little at a time. Whisk.
Add more milk, whisk.
Add the paprika, mustard and white and cayenne peppers.
Turn down heat to low.
Add the shredded cheeses a little at a time, making sure each handful is melted before adding more.
Finally, add each tablespoon of mascarpone, one at a time, melting each one before adding the next.
Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and taste your cheese sauce to make sure it's cheesy creamy goodness.
Meanwhile, boil some well salted water and cook your macaroni until still slightly firm, al dente.
Drain macaroni and return to the pot.
Add the cheese sauce.
Stir.
It may seem like the sauce to cheese ratio is a bit off but worry not... the cheese will thicken up and everything will be fine.
Mmmmmm. Serve while it's warm and creamy.
With all of this talk of liquid gold and striking it rich AND a rich, creamy mac and cheese...what better dish to pair it with than a very rich meat, Duck. It brings to mind a very popular TV family that struck it rich by doing what they do the best...making duck calls (and being themselves.) So the duck recipe below lets the duck shine through for what it really is....duck. There aren't any glazes or reductions.
Sometimes, just following your path in life and being true to who you are, your life ends up richer than before. It may not be fame or popularity or money but there's a true richness in character that develops from being true to yourself. It may not be easy and you may not always be liked or popular but being rich always has it's drawbacks...
AND THAT"S A FACT JACK!
The Grilled Duck
This recipe lets the true flavor of duck shine through. It only requires a grill and salt and pepper.
The flame from the grill imparts just the slightest hint of smokiness and the salt and pepper help to awaken the taste buds to the flavor of the duck. By grilling over a low heat setting, the excess fat drips out and the skin crisps up beautifully. The breast stays moist, and can be cooked longer than the normal medium rare. The meat itself (flavor and texture) is slightly comparable to the meat of a turkey thigh with just a bit more gami-ness.
Although in this recipe, the grilled duck is paired with a wonderfully creamy macaroni and cheese, it would go very well with over a spinach salad with some balsamic vinaigrette (for a lighter option).
It would also pair well with some tangy, vinegary collard greens!
2 Whole Duck Breasts
Salt and Pepper
A grill
Separate the duck breast into 4 portions and trim off any excess fat.
Score the top of the breasts with a very sharp knife into a cross-hatch pattern.
Make sure not to cut down all the way to the meat of the breasts. Leave a small layer of fat to protect the breasts from grilling.
Season both sides with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Heat your grill over low-medium low heat (around 275)
Place the duck breasts fat side down and let the breasts slowly cook for about 35 minutes.
We didn't have any flare-ups but if that happens, move the breasts away from direct flame or turn down the grill slightly.
For the last 5-10 minutes, flip the breast over meat side down.
The breasts should be about medium to medium well and the skin should be nicely brown and crispy.
Slice and serve.
(Of course, if you like yours a little more rare which is common for duck and wild game, cook for a lesser amount of time. The key is using the majority of the time on the grill with the fat side down.)
Serve with some Jack Mac
A nice glass of wine, some sweet tea....
Oh...and..
"If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy."
That's a fact, Jack!
Eat well, my friends...Until, next time......
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