Results for category "Oink Oink"

Cinco de Mayo? Pork in Green Sauce

Anamaris 8 Comments

The Hubbz hates the use of the word ‘juxtapose’, he says it has become all trendy and overused. I laugh every time I hear the word and look at the disgust on his face as he rolls his little blue eyes. That said, this dish is a perfect juxtaposition of flavors. Creamy, tart, spicy, hot, and a cooling sweetness. Perfect! Just pair it with a Margarita and you have the makings of an excellent 5 de mayo celebration.

Puerco en Salsa Verde (pork in green sauce) is a very popular Mexican dish that marries chiles and tomatillos with pork meat, usually the shoulder. You’ll find a few variations, with or without corn and at various degrees of heat = picante. One element that is always present, is that zingy tang of the tomatillos.

To contrast, or juxtapose, the tang, I added a radish and red pepper raita–of sorts. Raita is an Indian or Pakistani sauce or condiment, usually prepared with yogurt, cucumbers and various herbs. My version, with a Latin flavor, used crema fresca instead of the yogurt and some colorful Easter radishes and red peppers. This made for a deliciously fresh, cool and ever so slightly sweet topping for the tomatillo and chile sauce. It is juxtaposition perfection and tastes GOOD!

Pork in Green Sauce with Radish and Crema Fresca Raita

For the pork:
1 lb pork shoulder or butt, cubed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, whole
6-8 tomatillos
1-2 serrano peppers (to taste)
1 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cp onion, chopped
2 cps fresh corn, shucked
1/2 cp cilantro, chopped

I like roasting tomatillos, this intensifies their flavors and brings out more rounded aspects of the fruit. Spread them on a baking sheet with the onion slices, serranos and garlic cloves, and broil them for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them as they brown.

Once browned, dump the whole thing (there will be plenty of juices from the tomatillos) into a blender vessel and puree with the cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Set aside.

In the meantime, season the pork with salt & pepper; in a medium-sized pan, heat the oil and then brown the pork pieces. Remove the excess fat from the pan, leaving enough to saute the extra cup of onions. Once the onions become translucent, add the pork, followed by the pureed tomatillo & pepper sauce.

If necessary, add enough water to ensure there’s enough liquid to cover the pork. Once it comes to a boil, bring the temperature to low, just so it is slowly simmering. Put a lid over it and allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the pork is tender.

Once the pork is fork tender, add the corn and cilantro, check the seasoning and adjust as necessary. Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes or so, just long enough for the corn to soften. To serve, top with some radish raita and enjoy!

For the Radish and Red Pepper Raita

1 cp radishes, julienned
1/4 cp red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cp crema fresca (creme fraiche)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients and keep cool until ready to serve.

Where’s my Margarita?!!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Tamales Mexicanos… I did it my way

Anamaris 5 Comments

Even though Mexican food is readily available in Houston, that doesn’t mean you get good tamales. For years I enjoyed the Rolls Royce of tamales, but most restaurants here serve tamales that are closer to a Yugo. My ex-mother-in-law made the best tamales I’ve eaten to date. She made them every year and would give each of her sons a few dozens to enjoy. I cherished those days, they only came around once or twice a year, so I had a lot of time to think and dream about them. Alicia was a generous woman, but she kept her method and recipe for tamales very close to the vest.  Fast forward some 15 years, you’ll find me trying my hand at recreating the coveted tamales.

Off to the interworld I went looking for recipes and tips. I found lots and lots of them, all calling for chili powder as seasoning. For some reason, I can’t picture my mother in law dumping chili powder to season her pork or chicken. So, I’m going to make this up as I go, combine some of the ingredients I saw her utilize in other dishes and see what happens. It all begins with the chilies. I used 3 different dried chiles:

  • Chile Ancho is pretty mild by comparison to other dried peppers, it has a smoky fruity flavor. This isn’t surprising when you realize that Anchos are dried red poblano peppers.
  • Chile Guajillo also a mildly flavored chile, that seems to bring out the best in its companions. Fruity, but with sweeter undertones than other peppers. Interestingly, guajillos are also used to make Harissa paste, a condiment popular in North African dishes.
  • Chile Pasilla are very dark and wrinkled like a raisin, they’re also pretty mild heat & fruity.

I used all three chilies a few different ways. First, to braise the pork and chicken. Yes. I made 2 different types of tamales, I had to. Both meats were cooked separately and slowly with onions, garlic, cumin, cilantro and 1 or 2 of each chili. I made sure to add plenty of water for braising, because that very broth flavors the masa later. Once the meat is fork tender, I allowed it cool before shredding.

I also made additional chili sauce. One thing I remember about Alicia’s tamales, is that the dough was always very flavorful and colorful. For the chili sauce, I cooked the same aromatics: cilantro, chilies, onions, garlic, cumin and added tomatoes. Once everything had softened, I pureed and seasoned the sauce.

Now let’s talk about the masa. I opted to use premixed masa instead of starting off with the dry corn stuff. But first I made lard. Yep, there’s a LOT of lard in tamales. The lard helps flavor the masa and makes it lighter, fluffier. So, I got some pork fat trimmings and rendered that fat down.

Before combining the lard and masa, I beat the lard until it was fluffy and added salt, pepper and pinch of cumin. I then worked the masa in and worked on its consistency by adding chile sauce and broth until it was about  the consistency of softened ice cream.

The tamales are cooked in corn husks, these are sold in packs and need to be rehydrated before use. Once they are pliable again, you can begin the exciting task of stuffing or making the tamales. Its not a difficult process, but it is a tedious one, which is probably why it is customary to have a few friends or family members pitch in at this point.

Once your tamales are stuffed, you can stack’em into a steamer pan. I took a vegetable steamer and placed it at the bottom of the pan, built a few layers with empty corn husks, this prevents the water from seeping through and ruining the tamales at the bottom and it also add to the flavor of finished tamales.

After about 40 minutes, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked, delicious tamales. Look at that gorgeous baby.

I also made some salsa and we sprinkled some queso fresco on top. I’m not offering a recipe here, I really kept adding and tasting things until they were right. I will say these weren’t quite Rolls Royce tamales, but I think I made it to Benz status.

 

There are lots more pictures, you can see them here.

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Mangalitsa and a secret

Anamaris 9 Comments

Just before Xmas one of my recipes was chosen by the folks at Marx Foods as their favorite use of cured Mangalitsa ham. To my surprise, they sent me more Mangalitsa goodness! Only, this time, it was a fresh, not cured, piece of meat. A neck roll, to be precise. This was a gift from Marx Foods and Heath Putnam Farms (they raise the piggies).

After some research, I learned that this cut is known as Secreto (secret) in Spain because it is the butchers’ best kept secret and I can understand why they keep this cut to themselves. Per Heath, this cut is known as pork collar or coppa and it is all the rage at the  fancy eateries these days. He suggested preparing the roll in a couple different ways. First, I should slice a few pieces and sear them in a pan, then roast the rest. I listened and took his advice to heart; boy am I glad I did.

Since it arrived just around the holidays, my intention was to prepare and share with you another dish rooted in my Panamanian heritage , but, alas! I was so busy towards the end of the year, I never got around to posting it, though I did cook and eat it. Oh yes we did! I kept thinking about lomo relleno (stuffed loin), which is a dish typically served around the holidays. It can be beef or pork loin and it is generally stuffed with carrots, olives, raisins and many variations after that. Let’s talk pig!

Stuffed Mangalitsa Pork Collar

I wanted to make sure the meat itself was seasoned, so I made a nice rub for it. I combined Spanish paprika, pureed garlic, sea salt and black pepper with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and rubbed onto the pork collar, allowing it to marinate for a few hours.

For the stuffing I chopped and rendered the fat out of some bacon, then cooked in some chopped onions, garlic, cilantro and prunes. I did allow this to cool completely before stuffing the pork. I didn’t go fancy butterflying route, instead, I simply sliced the pork collar, just shy of about an inch from the opposite end and piled it with the stuffing*.

A little twine helped keep everything even and in place for searing and roasting. You can opt-out of pan searing and simply cook it at 450° for the first 15 minutes, then lowering the temperature to 300° for the remainder of the roasting time.

I placed it on a roasting rack with some carrots, onions and garlic strewn about the bottom of the pan. This was a 4-lb piece of meat an it roasted for about 3 hours or so, until the thermometer read 145°. I then removed it from the oven and allowed it to rest for about 15 minutes covered with foil. Believe me, we had a REALLY tough time staying away from it that long.

*Following Heath’s suggestion, and to keep us at bay while this baby roasted, I sliced off a few pieces of the collar before I made the cut for the stuffing. I heated a saute pan and added just a dab of olive oil and seared those little collar cutlets, they were about 1/2-inch thick and cooked for 2 minutes or so on each side, we still wanted them to be pink. That’s how we like our piggy. And…Oh.eM.Gee!!! We thought we’d died and gone to heaven.

Let me just try to explain something about Mangalitsa pork. It is obnoxiously delicious! I mean, I just know those little pigs trot around the pen mocking the other pigs and telling them how much better tasting they are. And you know what? THEY ARE!!! The Hubbz said this was better than beef tenderloin, yep. THAT good. The fat in the Mangalitsa is almost creamy buttery.  And the meat has a slight gamey sweetness to it. I don’t know what to say or think about it, all I know is this is some really good sh#t!

Back to the roast. Once it rested and all the juices had redistributed around, we snipped off the twine and began slicing the roast.

Undoubtedly, the prunes added a delicious sweetness to the meat, just a hint, don’t worry. We feasted on this roast for a couple of days. By the time we were down to just a few bits and ends, I pan fried them to get a bit of a crust on the meat and used it to topped toasts points that had been toasted with olive oil and gotten a light spread of a fig & olive tapennade. JOOOOOOOOOYYYYY!!!! Sorry, no pictures of that madness.

I will admit that we are completely in love with Mangalitsa and with the Secreto cut. I also have to admit this will be one of those things we purchase once a year for VERY special occasions, but purchase it we will! I’d like to thank Marx Foods and Heath Putnam Farms again for such a generous and DELICIOUS treat. You can see all the porky shots here.

Mangalitsa longingly yours,
Anamaris

Pigging out on Pork Roast

Anamaris 2 Comments

Here it is again. Pork. Pig. Porky. Oink. I know, I know. I cook a lot of pork. But it IS the other white meat, remember? Besides, I find that it is incredibly easy to cook and almost impossible to mess up. It is also inexpensive, but can still look impressive. So why not abuse it?!

Pork butt or shoulder roasts are very versatile. You can get them boneless or with the bone in. You decide whether you want to cook it whole or in pieces. It’s all up to you. For this recipe, I went with a whole boneless piece. I’ve posted other roasts, some stuffed, some traditionally roasted, and some belly love, this time it was rubbed and roasted with a different set of spices.

The truth is, you can use pretty much any spice and herb combination you love. That’s the beauty of pork, it is very forgiving and not at all prissy. I hope you love this one as much as we did, I think you will, particularly because it is so easy to put together. Make sure to give at least 2 hours to marinate in the spices, it will enhance the flavor a great deal.

Roast Shoulder with Orange and Spices

Pork butt/shoulder roast, approx 4-5 lbs
Juice and zest from 1 orange
2 tsps cumin powder
2 tsps thyme
2 tsps Spanish paprika
2 tsps sea salt
2 tsps black pepper

Combine all the spices and juice together and rub it all over the roast. Allow it to marinate for no more than 4 hours, but at least 2.

Preheat oven to 325°. Place roast on a roasting pan, make sure the fattier side is on top. I would usually put it on a roasting rack, but this time I wanted to make sure the juices didn’t evaporate, so I used the roasting pan that came with my oven. The kind that looks like 2 shallow pans and fit over each other: one is flat with slats and the bottom one is about 1-inch deep. 

Roast it for approximately 2-1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reads between 160° and 170° depending on the level of doneness you prefer. Once done, cover it loosely with foil and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes to give the juices a chance to redistribute.

In the meantime, drain the cooking juices into a small saucepan to make a quick sauce. Add the juice of 1 orange and bring it to a soft boil before adding 1/4 cup of Sherry. You can flame it or allow it to boil briskly to cook off the alcohol. Adjust the seasoning as needed, but more than likely, it will be perfectly salted already because of the drippings. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp of cold butter.

Slice the roast and serve it with the sauce over top or on the side. This went beautifully with some Arroz con Coco!

If you’d like to see the rest of the pictures, follow this link.

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Carnitas, Mexican confit?

Anamaris 6 Comments

Sort of, but not exactly. See, confit is a French cooking and preservation method. The idea is to salt and flavor meats that are then slowly cooked in their own fat (or added fat) and later preserved in said fat. Carnitas are not preserved in the fat, though I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t be, except for the fact that they wouldn’t last that long at the Price household.

I’ve had incredibly beautiful and delicious duck confit in Paris. They usually use the leg and thigh portions of the duck because these are fattier cuts. When they bring it out, the duck skin is slightly crisp and glistening, almost see-through. The meat is super tender and flavorful, enhancing the duck’s earthiness to the umpteenth degree. It is very aromatic, you can pick up the scents of garlic, thyme, sometimes ginger and clove.

Similarly, carnitas are made with a fatty cut of pork, most often a butt or shoulder roast. It is seasoned and slowly cooked in its own fat. The resulting meat is fall-apart tender and flavorful. Some places will serve it slightly crisped and topped with grilled onions and peppers.

There are many reasons I love making these at home. It’s super cheap: pork butt/shoulder roasts can usually be found for as low as $1/lb. It’s incredibly easy to make: once the pork is sliced, there’s very little fussing about. It feeds an army and works well as an entrée, a taco, or pretty much anything you can dream up. And finally, I love pork. Do you need more reasons?

Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands of versions and recipes. But I find that the simpler, the better and over the years I’ve come to figure out how I like ‘em. I use just a few aromatics and pre-mixed fajita seasoning. If you can’t find the fajita seasoning, just use equal parts salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Here’s my super secret recipe…, yah. not really.

Carnitas (little pieces of meat)

1 Pork butt or shoulder roast, boneless (about 5lbs)
2 tsp fajita seasoning
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp oregano
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 poblano pepper, seeded & sliced
1 tbsp olive oil

Cut the roast into pieces that are about 1-inch thick and season with the next 3 ingredients (don’t discard too much of the fat). Place the seasoned in a dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan, trying to keep it on a single layer. Add about 1 cp of water, just enough to have it come up around the pork, but not necessarily cover it.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. It will simmer for about 45 minutes before the liquid evaporates and it begins to render the fat. At this point, remove the lid, lower the temperature and begin to brown the pieces of pork. Turning them a few times for the next 15-20 minutes.

You can cook cook the onions and peppers in a separate saute pan, just until softened. Serve with tortillas, rice and/or beans.

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

The grill is calling. RIB IT!

Anamaris 5 Comments

Summer is the time when people start thinking about firing up their grills. When you have block BBQs. When you picnic. Depending on where you live, Summer may be on its way out. For me, living in Hell’s Waiting Room aka Houston, TX, Summer is still in full swing and will be for another 3 months or so. No kidding.

The Hubbz is in charge of the grill in our family. That’s because I’m unwilling to stand in the heat and then take on the heat and smoke from the grill. I don’t enjoy smelling like hickory or maple or any kind of smoke, for that matter. So he does it because he loves, but mostly because he loves grilling. And since I love him, I try to keep him from the grill while Hell’s Waiting Room is in the triple digit range.

I’ve rambled on. Heat does that to my brain. So do delicious, falling-off the bone, tangy sweet pork spareribs. Yep. That’s what this is all about. Pork. Isn’t that what it’s always about? I’ve shared other recipes for spareribs: oven-q’d and tamarind glazed. This time we’re talking grilled and basted with my Dad’s secret recipe. It won’t be secret after this post, sorry Dad.

Spareribs tend to have more meat and fat than baby back ribs, they’re also not as tender but they ARE much less expensive than the skinny little baby ribs. Besides, who wants to be accused of eating baby parts? I say, if you’ve not tried spareribs, give them a chance.

Dad’s BBQ Spareribs

For the ribs
1 spare rib rack, fat trimmed (approx 5 lbs)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients into a dry paste, and rub it into the ribs. Allow them to marinate for a few hours or overnight if you have the time. Keep them refrigerated until 30 minutes before cooking. In the meantime, prepare the bbq sauce.

Dad’s Awesome BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, pureed
3 thyme sprigs, chopped
1-1/2 cp ketchup
1-1/2 tbsp English dry mustard
1 tsp allspice
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cp water
Salt & pepper
Hot sauce, to taste

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the onions, cooking them until translucent. Then add the garlic and thyme, cook for just a couple of minutes, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the next 7 ingredients and stir well. Allow them to simmer for about 20 minutes or so, until it thickens nicely. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, to include some hot sauce for a bit of a kick. Set aside to cool.

Cooking the ribs:
The secret to great spareribs is to cook them slowly, at low temperatures. We use one of those Lil Smokey grills, nothing fancy, but gets it done every time. The Hubbz builds the fire and let’s it cool down to low on the Lil Smokey gauge. You want to cook them at a temperature no higher than 325. While your grill reaches the right temperature, get the ribs ready for their tan-time.

Create a steam tent by measuring out 2 pieces of heavy foil paper to the length of the rib rack. Align both pieces together and fold the seams together to about 1/2-in wide. Then fold again, the objective is to seal it so you have no leaks. Now you should have one long and wide piece of foil.

Place the ribs in the middle of the foil tent, then join the edges together and seal them closed. Carefully place the foil-wrapped ribs over your preheated grill, put the lid over and let them cook undisturbed. You’re looking at about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, so keep an eye on the heat and add a bit more charcoal as needed.

At the end of 90 minutes, remove the tented ribs from the grill, don’t panic, they’re not done cooking. It’s time to heat up the fire a bit. Add more charcoal and, if you like the smoky flavors of bbq, add some wood chips–hickory, apple, maple.

Remove the ribs from the foil and baste both sides with the sauce. Once the heat has come up, place the ribs back on the fire. You will need to stay close by, because the sauce will begin to caramelize and can burn if you’re not paying attention. Give the ribs a flip and baste. If you do this at about 5 minute intervals, you’ll be able to bake on that sauce after 2 or 3 flips. Believe me, you want to bake it on. 

Notice how the meat has shrunken away from the bones? That’s prove positive you’re about to eat some ‘fall off the bone ribs’. Alternatively, you could cook the ribs tented in the oven for the first 90 minutes, then transfer to the grill to add some of that smokiness and char marks. This goes great with potato salad and roasted corn on the cob!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Here piggy, piggy… Pork Chops!

Anamaris 6 Comments

Remember a few months ago I posted about sofrito and about how it is the backbone of Latin cooking? Have you noticed how it seems to come up in most recipes I’ve made lately? I wouldn’t lie to you, now would I?

These yummy pork chops remind of Sunday afternoons when all my mami’s family would gather at one of the aunt’s homes for a big family-dinner-catch up session. These or the stewed chicken would show up together with some arroz con guandú and the best potato salad in the universe. YUM! Or as my bloggie Shutterboo would say, nomnomnomnom!

This is a really easy dish to put together. I used regular, bone-in pork chops, but you can use boneless or center cut chops. I like to have the fatty bits, it’s where the good stuff comes from, even if my Doc disagrees. Sidenote–this past weekend I caught one of Nigella’s Express episodes, she was making pork chops. They were similar cut as the ones I used, except they were thicker and she suggested trimming the fat. The funny thing was that she couldn’t help but explain that she would normally not trim them, but needed to for that recipe. She then said she would have to save that fat and fry it up for a late night snack. You know how they always show her sneaking to the kitchen in her jammies after she’s done cooking? Well, she did. She cooked up that fat and had it as a snack! I love that woman!

OK, back to my chops. Another non-recipe-recipe. Who needs all that structure anyway?!

Chuletas Guisadas (Stewed / Smothered Pork Chops)

6 pork chops
Sea salt
Black pepper
Crushed garlic
Olive oil
Onions, sliced
Bell peppers, sliced (I prefer red)
Tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro and Italian parsley, chopped
Habanero paste or hot sauce
White wine (optional)
Ketchup

First thing, season the pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic. Set them aside while you chop the onions, peppers, tomatoes et al.

Brown the chops in a large skillet over high heat, use about 1 tbsp of oil to keep them from sticking. Flip them around 3 minutes or so. Then drain and set aside.

In the same pan/skillet brown the onions and bell peppers, you may need to lower the temperature to medium to keep them from burning. Once the onions have softened, add the tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Continue cooking to allow the tomatoes to soften before adding the wine. The wine will help loosen all the yummy bits stuck to the bottom. If you don’t want to use wine, you can opt for a lager beer, broth or even water. You’ll add enough liquid to cover the onion-tomato mixture.

This is a good time to season the broth, since the chops will braise in it. Add about 3 tbsp of ketchup–yes, trust me. At this time add the habanero paste, and about 2 tsps of sugar. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt & pepper as necessary.

When this comes to a boil, add the chops back in and don’t forget to include the juices that ran off from them while resting. Reduce the temperature so that it comes to a slow simmer. You want to make sure all the chops are in the liquid, even is they’re not covered by it. Allow this to simmer covered for 30 minutes, flipping them over to make sure all sides benefit from that sauce.

Once the chops are tender, remove the lid and raise the temperature to medium high to help the sauce reduce a bit and thicken. That’s it! Hurry, go eat!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Get in my Pork Belly!

Anamaris 11 Comments

I admit it. I just had an Austin Powers/Fat Bastard flashback. “I’m higher on the food chain. Get in my belly!” LOL

Ok, I digress. Pork belly seems to be all the rave these days. It is another cut of meat that used to be reserved for the commoners, but that the elite have found out about and want to claim as their own. It’s ok, we’ll share because we, the people, are generous that way.

This preparation method may not seem Latin inspired, but believe me when I tell you we love our fatty piggy. In Panama we eat chunks of pork that have the crunchy, crisp skin/rind, the ooey gooey fatty butter, and lightly seasoned meaty parts. It is often fried into chicharrón or cooked in its own fat, preserving some of its moisture. That’s what I did with this baby. I was so excited about it too. I did  my happy piggy dance. Yep. I did.

I opted to roast it in the oven because I’m chicken and I’m afraid of the angry stove top piggy. It sizzles, sputters and splatters everywhere, me included. Not wishing to sport third degree burns, I ovened it. I started out a day ahead with a dry rub to infuse it with flavors. There isn’t a ‘recipe’ here, you can really add just about anything you like and you will end up with crazy deliciousness. Look at him, ain’t he a beaute?

Rubbed Pork Belly

Pork belly slab (this was about 4lbs)
Allspice
White pepper
Sea salt
Sugar
Rosemary sprigs
Fresh ginger, slivers
Garlic cloves, whole
Onions, halved
Carrots

Day before prep: Since this cut includes the outer skin of the pig, you’ll want to check it for residual whiskers. I usually take the flame from a lighter to any hairs that may still be around. Trust me, you want to get rid of these, they’re not pleasant to find when you’re eating. Rinse and pat dry.

Take a pairing knife and score the slab ever so often, about 2 inches apart. Do this on both, the skin and meaty sides. Piercing the skin will allow it to stretch instead of puffing up like a balloon.

In a small bowl, combine the allspice, pepper, salt and sugar. Sprinkle half of the rosemary sprigs at the bottom of a sealable container large enough to hold the belly in a single layer.

Now rub your belly. Your pork belly, I mean. Use that salt mixture and work it into the rind and meaty sides. Don’t be afraid of the salt, you will rinse it off before cooking, so be generous. Place it rind-side up into the container it will marinate in. Then top with the remaining rosemary sprigs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day of prep: Preheat oven to 375°. Instead of using a rack, I used the vegetables to elevate the slab from the bottom of the baking sheet. I halved the onions, cut the carrots in 2-inch pieces and left the skin on the garlic cloves. I spread all of these, including more rosemary and the ginger slivers, on an aluminium lined sheet, I was thinking ahead to the cleaning stage.

Remove the pork belly from the fridge and rinse under cool water. Pat dry and lay it over the vegetables. Place it in the preheated oven and forget about it! After about 30 minutes, you’ll notice that the skin begins to develop bubbles.

I roasted this one for about 1-1/2 hours, before turning up the heat to 475° to crisp the rind. I allowed it to cook at this temperature for another 15 minutes or so, or until the skin was nicely golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Slice and see if you’re able to stay out of this. Oh my. I want more!

GET IN MY BELLY! It’s like bacon on steroids!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

Spareribs with Tamarind Glaze

Anamaris 57 Comments

I love tamarind. In Panama we make a drink with it, this isn’t exclusive to my little country, of course. We also process the pulp, mix it with brown sugar and  make it into balls that are then dipped in sugar and sold. It is an incredibly good snack, just thinking about it is making my mouth water.

Speaking of tamarind balls…, when I had just moved to Houston, I had probably been there for a little over a year, I was yearning for Panamanian treats. I used to go to a little store called La Michoacana, it was (is) a primarily Mexican store, but it was the only place I could find ‘some’ of the products and produce I needed for home-cooking.

On one of my visits to the store, I noticed they were selling tamarind balls. Oh Joy!!! I was so excited. A little piece of home…, or so I thought. I got back in my car, heading home after picking up all the essentials, unwrapped the little ball and took a nice, healthy bite of it. . . I almost threw up! They like the tamarind balls in Mexico too, but like many of their treats, they add chili peppers to it. Totally ruining that fix for me, just be happy you weren’t in the car with me that day. I sounded like a sailor.

In any case, I’ve had some tamarind pulp sitting in the pantry for a few weeks now, planning to get to it. The wait is over. I decided to cook with it, instead of limiting it to sweeter applications. These pork spareribs turned out finger-licking OHMYGAWD good! I recommend you plan ahead for these so you can marinate the ribs as I did.

Day Before Prep:

Dilute the tamarind paste in water. I used about 1/2 cp of the pulp and diluted it in about 3 cps of hot water. Let it sit there for a bit to help the pulp separate from the seeds. Once the water has cooled, strain it and use a spoon to help remove more of the pulp from the seeds. Discard the seeds and reserve the concentrated juice.

For the marinade:

In a bowl or large ziploc bag combine
1 cp tamarind concentrate
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp habanero paste (or habanero hot sauce)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp fresh ginger, slivered
2 tsp garlic paste (crushed garlic)

Mix all these ingredients well, then add the pork spareribs. For the recipe I used about 3 lbs. of bone-in pork spareribs. Make sure all the ribs are coated and refrigerate at least 12 hours, preferably overnight. Turn the ribs a couple of times to make sure they all soak up the marinade.

Day of – Cooking:

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and lay out the ribs in a single layer. Make sure to remove any chunks of ginger you see. Cover with foil and bake the ribs for 1-1/2 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Once the ribs have cooked for the first 90 minutes, remove from the oven and drain and reserve the liquid. Return them to the oven uncovered.

Tamarind Glaze
2 cps tamarind concentrate (whatever is left, plus some water)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, crushed
1/3 cp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed (garlic paste)
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cp green onions, diced (greens & whites)
1-1/2 tsp habanero paste or hot sauce
Cooking juices from the ribs
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Heat a medium saucepan, add a bit of oil to coat the bottom, then add all the white pieces of the green onions and half of the greens. Allow to cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just long enough to soften, then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt.

Stir well and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Allow it to simmer over medium low heat, stirring every so often until it begins to thicken. Once the glaze thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, add the rest of the green onions and remove it from the heat. Set aside.

After the ribs have cooked through and begin to get tender (about 90 minutes), raise the oven’s temperature to 450° and generously brush the ribs with the glaze on one side. Return them to the oven and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Flip the ribs, glaze the other side and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Finally remove them from the oven, flip and glaze them once more, but just let them sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I sprinkled a bit more of finely chopped green onions just before serving and accompanied them with some Bacon Potatoes.  They were tangy, sweet and sticky good!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris

P3 ~ Pickles, Pork, Pasta

Anamaris 4 Comments

I need your help. I still don’t know what to call this dish. It all started as a challenge posed by Cindy, my friendster. Apparently there was competition not long ago, for which the contestants had to submit a dish using pickles as a main ingredient. She extended the challenge to me and being the competitive sucker that I am, I accepted.

It was an odd ingredient for me to work with because I’m not all that crazy about pickles. I don’t crave them as a snack. I asked they be skipped on sandwiches. I eat them very seldom. But I had to do it, I just had to take a swing at it.

It took me a few days to settle on an idea. I envisioned raviolis, pickle ravioli topped with pulled pork. My thought was a play on a pulled pork barbecue sandwich. I would sub the pasta for bread and instead of bbq sauce, a tomato ragout.

On my first attempt, I chopped pickles and sliced carrots very thinly and used that to fill the ravioli. I made about 3 ravioli, it was a test after all. That was OK and I imagined that once it was together with the pork, it would all come together. However, I wasn’t wild about the textures. The pickles were chewy in a weird way. I gave the whole thing a bit more thought and by the time I was ready to make the final version, I had tweaked the original version to what I’m sharing here.

Note: You’ll need to plan ahead for this one as the pork will need to cook in advance. Slow-cooked even. However, you could use leftover meat instead of the pulled pork. I used wonton wrappers to make the ravioli. I really like the lightness of the dough and how incredibly easy it makes the task. This recipe made 25 ravioli, enough for 5-6 servings.

For the Pulled Pork
1 Pork butt roast (this one was about 5-6 lbs, but I used less than half for this recipe)
8-10 garlic cloves, sliced
Sea salt & black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 medium tomatoes, seeded & chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cp Italian parsley, finely chopped

Cut slits into the meat and fatty side of the roast and insert slices of the garlic into each slit. Sprinkle generously with salt & pepper and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.

Place the roast into a crock pot and cook overnight on low. It took about 10-12 hours for a 5-lb roast to be done. I put it in Friday around midnight and it was ready when I woke up Saturday morning.

Remove the roast from the liquid and allow it cool. Reserve the liquid to use in the ragout. If it has cooked enough, it will LITERALLY fall off the bones. Pull the meat apart, you’re essentially shredding it. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and add the onions; cook them until translucent, then add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes break down and the chunks are unidentifiable, about 12-15 minutes.

Add about 3 cps of the pulled pork and a bit of the pot juices you reserved. Lower the temperature and simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley and turn off the heat. Adjust the seasonings by adding a sprinkling of salt and pepper, if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Pickle and Onion Ravioli
For the Pickle Filling:
1-16 oz jar of dill pickles, drained
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cp cheese, something like Gouda
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pkgs wonton wrappers (25 per package)

To prepare: Drain the pickles completely, by laying them on paper towels for about 30 minutes. This will not only drain the moisture, but also help remove some of the pickling.

In the meantime, heat a medium skillet with the oil and cook the onions until they are translucent. Set aside to cool. Put the pickles and onion into a food processor and pulse until they’re minced. Mix in the cheese and enough of the cream to make it into a paste. Set aside.

Lay out a few wrappers at a time and brush one side with water, then place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper, then top with another wrapper. Be careful not to put too much filling.

This time I decided to use a biscuit cutter to make them into rounds. Make sure you pinch the edges very well once you’ve trimmed them. This will ensure the filling isn’t lost in the boiling water. Continue until you’ve used all the filling. I froze them overnight, but you can proceed to cook them right away.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add about 2 tbsp sea salt and a bit of oil. Drop the ravioli into the water and immediately lower the temperature to medium. You don’t want the water to be boil too hard once the ravioli are in, otherwise they will split open. Cook the ravioli for about 8 minutes, they will begin to float once ready. Carefully remove them from the water onto a colander or strainer and then to the serving plate. Be careful, they’re very delicate.

I topped the plates with fried pickles. Originally, I did it for presentation’s sake, but I have to admit they added another lovely dimension to the dish.

For the Fried Pickles I used about 15 spears, I removed the seeds and drained them on paper towels for about 15 minutes. Then I cut each spear into 3 sections, set aside.

In a small bowl combine 1 cp flour and whisk in about 1/2 cp of beer, you want the batter to be thinner than pancake batter. Dip the pickles in the batter, then roll them in breadcrumbs or panko before deep frying at 375°.

Plating: Place 4-5 ravioli at the bottom of the plate, top with a mound of the pork ragout and crown with the a few pieces of pickle.

I will let the judges: Cindy, Dorothy and Lindsay, give you their input. They judged the dish on 4 areas: Creativity, Taste, Use of the Ingredient, and Presentation. I will say that I found it to be an unexpectedly delicious and interesting dish. But I still don’t know what to call it. What do you suggest? The components are: Ravioli filled with pickles and onions, pulled pork in a tomato ragout and fried pickles. HELP!

Cookingly yours,
Anamaris