If you ever find yourself in Santa Cruz California with nothing to do - after the beach Volleyball, surfing, all the Boardwalk rides and a visit to Bookshop Santa Cruz - you'll be fortunate if your laissez-faire meanderings deposit you at 204 Church Street, where you'll find the modern edifice that is the Birichino tasting room.
The Birichino Tasting Room features the winery's 12+ bottlings. Sometimes it also features music. And if you're truly blessed, John Locke's grilled cheese sammies with bacon-onion jam!
Pro Tips from John Locke:
- Use a good loaf of Levain (sourdough) from your favorite boutique bakery
- Grate three different cheeses - Gruyere, Point Reyes Toma and an aged Irish Cheddar
- Heat your griddle/panini iron to 285 F as measured by an IR thermometer or (carefully) by a hand-held instant-read thermometer.
INGREDIENTS - Bacon-Onion Jam
(Original Version)
- ¾ pound slab bacon, diced into cubes
- 4 medium-size white or Spanish onions, peeled and diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed
- 1 heaping tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2-3 glugs of nice sherry (Amontillado, if you have it)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Cheater's Version)
- ¾ pound slab bacon, diced into cubes
- 1 Jar of Divina's Caramelized Onion Jam
PREPARATION - Bacon-Onion Jam (Original Version)
- Heat a Dutch oven / heavy pot over medium for 3-4 minutes, then add the cubes of bacon. Stirring regularly, cook until the fat is completely rendered and the bacon has started to crisp, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot, and add the onions, mustard seed, brown sugar, vinegar, sherry and 3 tablespoons of water. Deglaze the pan and coat the 'Banion' mixture well, then tightly cover the pot, lower the heat and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir the mixture again and partly cover the pot, cooking the mixture for another hour or until most of the liquid is gone and a dark brown jamminess is achieved. (Add a few Tbsp of water as needed.)
- Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat, and cool slightly before removing into a jar or bowl to rest in the fridge until ready for use. If well sealed, will easily keep for a week in the refrigerator.
ALTERNATE (Cheater's Version)
Follow step one from above. Remove the bacon to a paper towel. Pour out the hot oil, reserving a tablespoon, and wipe out the unsightly brown bits from the pan. Heat the saved tablespoon of bacon fat and then add the jar of caramelized onions. When fully warmed, return the bacon to the pan and stir in until just combined. Remove from heat and save until ready to use.
"We have found that the ultimate bread for our cheesy sandos is Manresa Bread Levain. It's airy, light and very flavorful and shows a terrific toothiness."
John Locke: Gourmand, Renaissance Man, and Birichino co-founder
INGREDIENTS - John Locke's Grilled Cheese
- One loaf of Levain bread, sliced into thick sandwich slices of uniform thickness
- 1/3 pound of each cheese shown below, grated and combined well.
- Swiss Gruyère
- Point Reyes Toma (a semi-hard, Dutch-style cow's milk cheese)
- Aged Irish Cheddar
- Butter
- Bacon-Onion Jam (recipe, above)
- Freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION - John Locke's Grilled Cheese
- Butter one side of two slices of bread.
- On the buttered side, lightly sprinkle some of the combined grated cheese to cover as thinly as possible on what will be the "outside" of your sandwich. Gently press the grated cheese into the bread and turn over each slice.
- Combine a fair handful of the grated cheese with a couple/few tablespoons of the bacon-onion jam. Spread the deliciousness on the interior side of one of the slices of bread. Liberally apply some freshly ground black pepper and cover with the other slice.
- When the temp of your griddle reaches 285 F grill one side until golden brown, then flip and repeat! Or use a Panini Iron and remove when golden brown.
Pair with lightly dressed salad greens and your Birichino wine of choice!
