The Dish: Mike Randolph

Chef Mike Randolph’s start in the industry was strictly entry-level, beginning his career as a soda jerk at a Michigan resort. 

He loved the restaurant world, though. So after studying political science, he went on to culinary school and then to top restaurants in Chicago.

But where he really hit his stride was in St. Louis with Half and Half, which specialized in breakfast and brunch, Randolfi’s for southern Italian and the Latin-inspired Público which earned Randolph a James Beard semi-finalist honor for “Best Chef in the Midwest.” 

Here are some of Randolph’s signature recipes:

Chili-roasted pork coppa with apple glaze

Ingredients

1 Pork coppa (shoulder) 

½ gallon apple cider

2 cups apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup ground guajillo chiles  

Directions

1. Rub pork loin with salt.

2. Roast at 225 degrees until the temperature reaches 142 degrees. Then turn oven to 500 degrees and roast into roasted color.

3. Reduce apple cider and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan into about 1 ½ cups. Add butter and stir to incorporate.

4. Rest pork for 10 minutes, slice, arrange on platter and brush on glaze.

Roasted mushrooms with taleggio cheese and baby arugula

Ingredients for roasted mushrooms

2 cups shiitake mushrooms

2 cups hen-of-the-woods mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallot

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3.5 ounces taleggio cheese

2 teaspoons picked thyme

Directions

1. Clean and slice mushrooms finely. Sear in hot pan with olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

2. Once rich color is achieved, add 3 tablespoons of butter and minced garlic and shallot, cook 2-3 min and deglaze with four tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

3. Serve mushrooms with sliced taleggio cheese and picked thyme.

Roasted brussels sprouts with honey and pecorino

2 pounds brussels sprouts

5 tablespoons butter

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons honey

¼ cup grated pecorino

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cut cleaned brussel sprouts into quarters.

2. Sear at high heat in a cast iron skillet with butter until caramelized, add salt and juice of lemon to taste.

3. Place on platter drizzle honey and grated pecorino.

Radish Romaine Salad

Dressing ingredients

1 cup mayo

12 brown anchovies

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon

3 heads of romaine (cut into quarters and only using the hearts)

10 red radishes

Directions

1. Cut romaine in quarters using just the hearts. Brush with oil and salt. Grill at a high heat for until charred.

2. Cut radishes into quarters.

3. Purée all dressing ingredients together.

4. Serve the grilled romaine hearts topped with the raw radishes as well as the anchovy dressing.