Beef Posole

I have decided that Hispanic Kitchen is a great website for recipes and here is another good one. There is a wide variety of recipes from all of the Central and South American countries.

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a dutch oven and simmer for 8 hours.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, diced
1½ pounds to 1¾ pounds of beef back ribs or short ribs (if the ribs are whole, I cut them down into individual portions)
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
3 large Roma tomatoes, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 serrano peppers, minced
1 large poblano pepper, diced
1/3 to 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cups hominy, cooked
5 cups broth (I used half chicken and half beef, low sodium)
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Garnish:

2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/3 cup diced onions
1 avocado sliced
1 lemon or lime, sliced into wedges
Chile limon seasoning or red pepper flakes, optional
*all garnishes are optional, according to what you like

Directions:

Layer all of the ingredients in the order listed in a 5 quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients taste for salt, garnish with your favorite toppings.

"Old School" Baked Ziti

This recipe comes from smitten kitchen. I think the posts are a bit verbose, but who am I to judge since my posts are really short. Regardless of the average post length, they are usually quality recipes.  I have to admit I'm not sure what is meant by "old school", because I have never made or had baked ziti with spinach in it until this recipe and it always includes ricotta which she is pretty adamantly against. Personally, I like baked ziti best without meat, but to each his own, no?

Glug of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, casings removed
28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juices, chopped by you, or crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente and drained
3/4 pound mozzarella, coarsely grated
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
1/4 pound (4 ounces) baby spinach or a few handfuls of another green, cut into thin ribbons

To serve: Dollops of your favorite ricotta and slivers of basil leaves, if desired

I put 15oz ricotta in the mixture instead of at serving time and did not layer the cheese - 8 oz mozz and pcheese right on top. Also, I used escarole instead of spinach.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook pasta until quite al dente, or 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time. (Please. It will keep cooking in the sauce, then in the oven and mushy pasta makes me sad.) Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Heat large sauté pan — if yours is ovenproof, you can even use it as your final baking vessel — over medium heat. Coat with glug of olive oil, and heat oil. Add meat and cook with onion, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and salt over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until meat is browned; stirring frequently. If you’re using plain ground beef versus sausage meat, you’re going to really want to season this well. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper.

Add crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. If it’s become quite thick, stir in reserved pasta water. Add spinach and cook until wilted, just another minute. Stir in drained pasta and heat together for one minute.

Pour half of pasta mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish, lasagna pan, or other 3-quart baking vessel (or divide among smaller ones, if you’d like to freeze some off). Sprinkle with half of each cheese. Pour remaining pasta and sauce over, and finish with remaining cheese. Bake in heated oven for 30 minutes.

Toasted Garlic Beef Stock

This recipe is from Camille Becerra in Bon Appetit. This is a great stock. It smells fabulous, looks gorgeous and tastes great. Even though Camille says that it's the roasted bones, I think the secret to the color is the tomato paste.

SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 2½ QUARTS

Ingredients

4 pounds beef bones
½ bunch celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 medium carrots, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, cloves thinly sliced
1 bunch herb stems (such as parsley, cilantro, and/or thyme)
4 bay leaves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon coriander seeds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°. Roast bones on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet 30 minutes. Arrange celery, onion, and carrots on sheet; roast 10 minutes. Spread tomato paste over bones and vegetables and roast 5 minutes more; let cool.


Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium and cook garlic, shaking pan occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; set aside garlic. Set aside oil for Ditalini Risotto and other uses.


Transfer bones and vegetables to a large pot; pour in cold water to cover. Add herb stems, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and reserved garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming fat and foam from surface, until caramel colored and flavorful, about 3 hours. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids.


Do Ahead: Stock can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.

Spring Beef Stew

This recipe comes from the Market Math cookbook by Food and Wine. It's a very straightforward stew which means that you must get the best ingredients possible. The dill is a welcome surprise and brightens up the flavors. Overall, this is a solid recipe.

Active: 30 min
Total: 2hr
Serves 4-6

2 T olive oil
2 lbs beef chuck cut into ~ 1 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 qt chicken stock
6 shallots halved
½ lb carrots cut into 2 inch lengths
1 ½ c frozen peas
5 oz spinach
2 T chopped dill

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add it to the saucepan in a single layer. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, the shallots and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about 1 ½ hours.

Add the carrots and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Add the peas, spinach and dill and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Ladle the stew into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Carne Guisada

I follow the Hispanic Kitchen on Facebook so recipes like this one appear in the feed regularly. For the past couple years I have purchased a cow with a bunch of friends to get grass fed, grass finished beef at a great price. I do have the luxury of living in a state where access to farmers and ranchers who sell directly to the public is normal but if you can find one in your area, I recommend it. As a result of getting about 80 lbs. of meat, I need recipes to use it. This recipe appeared just as I was deciding what to do with some round steaks. It's basically a Mexican-style beef stew with potatoes and it's a winner!

Yields up to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds top round or skirt steak, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin
Oregano * all the dry spices are “to taste”
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 medium white onion, peeled and sliced in half (dice half of the onion and reserve it for later in the recipe)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 to 2 serrano peppers, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
4 cups of water or chicken broth (I used broth)
4 cups peeled and diced Russet potatoes
1 large green, red or orange bell pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet for a few minutes. Season the sliced beef with a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Sear the beef in the hot oil until good and brown.

2. In the blender, combine the tomatoes, 1/2 of the onion, garlic, serranos, cilantro and 4 cups of water (or broth). Season with salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth.

3. To the beef, add the remaining diced onion, bell peppers and potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add in the sauce from blender, vinegar and tomato paste (or sauce). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for a good 90 minutes or until sauce reduces and meat is tender. I usually like to add more of the dry spices as the beef cooks down. Add to your liking.

Notes: The carne guisada can be eaten as is, or with rice, beans and warm tortillas.

Brisket Flomberg

This recipe is from a friend, Amy Flomberg. It's simple and delicious.

1 flat cut brisket about 3 lbs.
Salt
Onion powder (or garlic powder)
6 c vegetable broth
Olive oil
1/3 c flour (tapioca starch is a good gluten free choice)
1/3 c water
Large handful of mushrooms (whole or sliced)

Add olive oil to a large pot on medium high heat. Brown the brisket.

Add salt, onion powder to taste, and vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil and then let cook at a low boil for 30 minutes, whisk flour and water together to smooth out any lumps, add to sauce. Add mushrooms.

Cook for another 3 hours or so until the brisket is tender but not falling apart.

Take the meat out, let rest about 30 minutes, then carve into slices against the grain. Meanwhile, let the sauce cook down by boiling it uncovered to a desired thickness.

Serve while wearing an apron with Abraham Lincoln riding a velociraptor.

Fried Florentine Meatballs

Wow this recipe is a lot of work, but they are pretty amazeballs. Anya Von Bremzen contributed this to Food and Wine. I used ground pork instead of turkey and they were damn good.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 pound cooked turkey, shredded or chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Lemon wedges, for serving

In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool for 5 minutes, then mash.

In a food processor, pulse the turkey until finely chopped. Add the potatoes, cheese, parsley, garlic, nutmeg and half of the beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and pulse until well mixed. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, knead the turkey mixture into a ball. Cut the ball in half, then roll each half into a 17-inch-long rope, about 1 inch thick. Cut the ropes into 11/2-inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Put the 1 cup of flour in a shallow bowl, the remaining beaten eggs in a second bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Dredge each turkey meatball in the flour, then dip in the egg and coat with the breadcrumbs. Arrange the coated meatballs on a baking sheet.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 375°. Working in 2 batches, fry the meatballs, turning, until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt; serve with lemon.

Sirloin Steak

I only made the steak portion of this recipe. It was excellent, but you really need to have a great cut of meat.

Hands-On Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3/4 pound frozen French fries
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 1/2 pound sirloin steak (1 inch thick)
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

Cook the French fries according to the package directions.

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, horseradish, and pepper.

Rub the steak with the herbes de Provence; season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Cook the steak in the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.

Serve the steak with the fries and horseradish cream.

Barbacoa

This recipe is from Gimme Some Oven. Mmmm. Barbacoa tacos! As much as I liked the tacos, I had a problem with the recipe that almost ruined it. I don't have a slow cooker which turned out to be much more of an issue than I expected. I used my trusty dutch oven. So, the liquid burned off super fast and the meat almost burned. I had to add another 1 cup to save it and I should have probably even added another 1/2 c to bring the total to 2 cups of liquid. Other than that - the meat was fantastic, mildly spicy and juicy. 

PREP: 10 MIN COOK: 4 HOURS TOTAL: 4 HOURS 20 MIN

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped (or more to taste)
1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup beef broth or water

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork.

Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes. Remove cover and use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the barbacoa beef.

If not using immediately, refrigerate the barbacoa beef with its juices in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Pikes Peak Roast

I recently bought a 1/2 cow with some friends and one of the cuts was a Pikes Peak Roast. I had no idea what that is, so I did a little searching and found the following recipe. I think it's a winner. My wife loved the gravy! And it's gluten free. :) I was surprised that there are no herbs included so I added a nice bunch of fresh thyme and a bay leaf for the cooking phase and removed the thyme when blending the sauce into the gravy. 

Also, I would hold off on adding the extra water until you have blended the gravy. That way you can add water as you like to get the desired thickness.

Pikes Peak Roast (Heel of Round)

Prep time: 20 min.
Cook time: 2 1/2 – 3 h
Total time: 3- 3 1/2 h
Yield: 6

Ingredients:

3 lbs 8 oz pikes peak roast (Heel of Round)
2 Tablespoons oil
1 onion, large, chopped
3 carrots, big, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups red wine
3 cups water, divided (2-1)
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 F. 

Wash the roast and pat it dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a bigger dutch oven on medium-high heat, add the oil, and brown the roast from all sides really well. Remove roast from the pot and add the onions and carrots and cook until well done and browned.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Pour the red wine into the pot. Stir well to loosen all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of water and the tomatoes.

Return the roast to the pot and place the pot with closed lid into the oven. Cook for about 3 hours or until the roast is very tender.

Remove pot from the oven and the roast from the pot. Add one cup of water and mix the sauce with a stick blender until well pureed. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the roast against the grain into 3/4 inch slices. Return the slices to the pot and cover with the sauce.

Serve with some egg noodles and green salad.

Perfect Steak with Roast Pepper Salsa

There are lots and lots and I mean lots of videos about cooking great steak. And over time I noticed some themes. How to use salt, how to get a good sear, etc. Lately I have noticed that people are cooking steaks slower at first in the oven, letting them rest, and then searing them at the end on high heat. This produces a very evenly cooked steak all the way through with a thin seared "crust" around the edge. I must say, this method is pretty darn good. 

4 steaks

1 T vegetable oil

1 T olive oil
1 lb. sweet mini bell peppers
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 T capers, chopped
1-1/2 t adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo
White wine
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Roast peppers in the oven until they start to bubble and char.

Place the peppers in a ziplock bag or airtight container to let them steam for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, reduce the temperature of the oven to 275. 

Drizzle vegetable oil over the steaks. Cook steaks on a rack over a roasting pan for approx 45-60 minutes until 125 degrees.

While the steaks are cooking, peel the skins from the peppers and discard tops, seeds and skins. Sometimes cold water helps the peeling process. Don’t worry if every bit doesn’t peel.

Roughly chop the flesh of the peppers and set aside.

In a small pan, heat olive oil on medium. Cook the tomatoes until they start to break down. Add the peppers and capers and adobo. Mix well and simmer partially covered until it starts to thicken.

Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of white wine and let simmer again for another 5 mins or so.

Once the steaks are done, let them rest up to 10-15 mins while heating a cast iron pan on high heat.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear them for 1 minute per side including the edge. 

Serve the steaks immediately topped with salsa. 

Turkey - Spatchcock with Anise and Orange

This recipe is from Dawn Perry in Bon Appetit. It was easy and tasted great! Everyone loved it. Be careful if you have an old oven. You may need to extend the cook time. Make sure to check the temp with an accurate thermometer and make sure the turkey passes the "look" test as well.

Ingredients
5 teaspoons aniseed
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup finely grated orange zest, plus 4 wide strips orange zest
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, sprig reserved
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, sprigs reserved
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 12–14-lb. turkey (neck, giblets, and backbone removed and reserved)
2 medium onions, quartered
4 large carrots, peeled, halved
4 celery stalks
3 heads garlic, halved
½ cup olive oil

Preparation

Toast aniseed in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool; finely grind in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle. (Alternatively, chop with a knife.)

Finely chop salt, grated zest, sugar, chopped rosemary, thyme leaves, pepper, and 4 tsp. aniseed in a food processor.

Cut out the turkey's backbone using kitchen shears. It can be a little awkward, but good shears will cut through the ribs that join to the backbone. Place turkey, skin side down, on a cutting board. Use a knife to score down long oblong bone in the center of breast. Turn skin side up and press down on breastbone to flatten. You should hear a crack and feel the bones give way. Rub all over with salt mixture; place turkey, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and chill, uncovered, 6–18 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°. Arrange onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme and rosemary sprigs in a roasting pan. Rinse turkey, pat dry, and place, skin side up, on top of vegetables; let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil, orange zest strips, and remaining aniseed in a small saucepan until oil is sizzling, about 2 minutes; let cool slightly.

Brush turkey with oil, add ½ cup water to pan, and roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to roast, brushing with oil every 20 minutes, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°, about 1 hour longer. Transfer to a platter; tent with foil and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

Pork Chops

I never ate pork chops as a kid. Recently, a couple friends and I bought a half of a pig so we have a bunch of cuts that I have never really thought about before. So I googled "how to make pork chops" and found this recipe. It was good and now I like pork chops. Next time, I would let the chops cook longer in the pan to sear and get more browned so they look more appetizing when done.

Ingredients

For the brine (optional):

3 cups cold water, divided
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 2 1/2 tablespoons table salt)
Optional flavorings: 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf

For the pork chops:

2 to 4 pork chops — center cut, bone-on, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

Brine the pork chops (optional): Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil, add the salt and optional flavorings, and stir to dissolve the salt. Add 2 more cups of cold water to bring the temperature of the brine down to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over top. The brine should cover the chops — if not, add additional water and salt (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon salt) until the chops are submerged. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Heat the oven and skillet: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.

Remove the chops from the brine; if you didn't brine, remove the chops from their packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the chops aside to warm while the oven finishes heating.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop.

Sear until the undersides of the chops are seared golden, 3 minutes.

Flip the chops and transfer the skillet to the oven.

Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops, how cool they were at the start of cooking, and whether they were brined. Start checking the chops at 6 minutes and continue checking every minute or two until the chops are cooked through.

Rest the chops: Transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and pour any pan juices over the top (or reserve for making a pan sauce or gravy). Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ginger Grilled Chicken

This recipe comes from Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey via Saveur. It's a great grilled chicken. I was not able to find a 3 lb. chicken, so I used a 5 lb. chicken and just added more ginger. I grated the ginger so it was more pulpy which added some liquid to the marinade. 

INGREDIENTS

1 (2½–3-lb.) chicken, halved, backbone removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (1") piece ginger, peeled and minced
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Stir lemon juice, oil, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and ginger in a bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 2–4 hours.

2. Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high.) Grill chicken, turning as needed, until slightly charred and cooked through, about 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh reads 165°. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with melted butter.

Moroccan Chicken Brochettes

This recipe comes from Anissa Helou via Bon Appetit and it's a winner. I really like the garlic sauce, it will be easy to repurpose for other things. It's important to get the garlic crushed to a paste so it spreads out evenly and fully infuses the sauce. I think you can use a food processor as well.

GARLIC SAUCE

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt

⅓ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

CHICKEN

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2” pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil (for grilling)

Warm pita bread, labneh (Lebanese strained yogurt), chopped tomatoes, and fresh mint leaves (for serving)

GARLIC SAUCE

Place garlic in a mortar; season with salt and pound to a very fine paste. (Alternatively, place garlic on a cutting board, season with salt, and mash with the side of a chef’s knife.) Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and gradually whisk in oil.

Very gradually whisk yogurt into garlic mixture until emulsified. (Add too fast and sauce will break. If it does break, gradually whisk in 1 tsp. water just before serving.)

DO AHEAD: Garlic sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

CHICKEN

Toss chicken, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl; season with salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat and oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8–12 minutes. Serve with garlic sauce, pita bread, labneh, tomatoes, and mint.

DO AHEAD: Chicken can be marinated 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Coffee-cured Pork (Pulled Pork Shoulder Tacos)

This recipe by Linton Hopkins via Food and Wine is awesome! My whole family just loved it. Of course there are several ways you can serve this pork, what I did was to make tacos! Lime wedges, greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), salsa, finely chopped shallots, guacamole, and corn tortillas. This really completed the dish and made it special.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarsely ground coffee (½)
1/2 cup Kosher salt plus more for the glaze
One 4-pound, bone-in pork butt
1/3 cup sorghum or molasses
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, coffee and 1/2 cup of salt. Add the pork and rub the mixture all over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Rinse off the pork and set in a roasting pan. Roast the pork for 6 hours, basting with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 200°; cover with foil for the last 2 hours of cooking. Transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 500°.

In a saucepan, boil the sorghum and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until slightly reduced, 10 minutes. Pour the glaze over the pork and roast for 15 minutes, until glazed. Let cool, then shred the pork.

Bigos!

I love the word Bigos! I don't know why but it feels good to say. :) Bigos is a Polish stew made with sauerkraut and lots of meat. I made it with mashed potatoes and my whole family really liked it. We are not Polish but felt like it for the night. :) I found the recipe at the Wholesome Cook just searching for something to use up leftover sauerkraut. As you might guess, I did not use the full 1 kg of kraut because I had used some for another recipe - the beet reuben - but it seemed fine.

1kg sauerkraut 

200g diced pork

200g diced beef

100g speck or streaky bacon

100g dried pitted prunes

1 brown onion

1 chorizo

10g dried porcini

4 bay leaves

4 whole allpsice seeds (pimento seeds)

1 tsp ground pepper

4 cups water

1 cup red wine 

1 strip of lemon peel

1 tablespoon brown sugar

sunflower or canola oil

To prepare the ingredients: Dice chorizo and speck into bite sized pieces. Dice onion. Break up porcini mushrooms into little pieces.

To prepare the stew:  heat 1 tbsp oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Brown onion, chorizo and speck, mixing regularly. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat another 1 tbsp oil and cook both pork and beef for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add sauerkraut together with the cooked chorizo, speck and onion and all the other ingredients. Mix well.

Cover with a lid, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 1-2 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart to the touch.

To serve: spoon bigos into a serving bowl, serve alongside mash potato or bread.