Tacos Al Pastor

Tacos Al Pastor

                Al Pastor Tacos are delicious.  Somewhat difficult to duplicate at home due to the cooking method.  Real deal Al Pastor tacos are cooked on a rotating spit (a la Gyros) with a chunk of pineapple on top.  I wouldn’t rule it out for the future, but for now I do not own a trompo, so I had to improvise. 

I used pork shoulder for the meat.  I cut it into half inch or so slices, then marinated it for about 4 hours.  After that, I stacked it, and cooked it over indirect head on the grill.  After it was cooked most of the way, over the coals it went to crisp up.  I also grilled up some onions and pineapple slices.  I was fresh out of olive oil so I had to brush them with lard, which was quite tasty.  After everything came off the grill it was chopped up and added to a hot cast iron pan with a pinch of salt and squeeze of lime to finish it off.  Severed with some roasted tomato and habanero salsa and chopped cilantro on yellow corn tortillas. 

Tacos turned out to be pretty tasty.  Marinade was good, I have some leftover that I think I’ll use on some fish or something.  Meat was tasty, but wasn’t as tender and juicy as I would have liked due my lack of trompo.  I know it’s not traditional, but a pulled pork type preparation could work really well here too.  Salsa was good with a nice slow burn.  I usually get my corn tortillas from the Mexican grocery.  The come in the refrigerated section and I think they’re way better than the ones from the Mexican isle and the grocery.  I’m already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. 

Marinade

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup water

Juice of 1 lime

3 cloves garlic

2 pasillia chilis

2 guajilio chilis

3 chipotles in adobo

4 small packets of achiote

1 tbls Mexican oregano

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ oil

Dump everything in a blender and turn it on.  Success!  You made a marinade!

Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa

5 roma tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

Juice of ½ lime

½ habanero chili (seeds and membrane remove)

1 small handful of cilantro

Salt to taste

Place the tomatoes and garlic under the broiler until blackened.  Throw everything in the blender and turn it on.  Congratulations!  You made salsa!

Bacon Butter

Yeah. Thats right. Bacon Butter.

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter; room temp
3 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
2 scallions, sliced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Process:

Add bacon to food processor and chop until consistency of bacon bits. Add all other ingredients and blend until combined. Keep at room temp for best spreadability.

Nachos Carnitas

I attended an all dude, nfl playoff, mariokart on Wii, beer drinking, food-fest on Sunday. I had been wanting to make carnitas but since, another buddy already had the entree covered, I made my carnitas into nachos by adding fresh jalapenos, red onion, sour cream, cilantro and queso fresco. Turned out pretty good, however, I zested the oranges and limes before I baked that carnitas, and the exposed pith made the braising liquid too bitter. I got the recipe off of this blog:

http://www.bakingbarrister.com/2010/12/party-pork-pork-carnitas.html

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Saw this recipe on thekitchn.com during last weeks "soup week." I made it a little healthier by using skim milk, light sour cream, light cheese. It was still awesome.

Baked Potato Soup With Bacon, Onion & Cheddar
6 to 10 servings (depending on how hungry you are!)

2 cups cooked and diced bacon crumbles
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
8 cups milk (whole milk, if possible)
2 cups sour cream
1 large bunch green onions, diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
5 large potatoes, baked and cubed
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

If you are using sliced bacon you'll need to start by preparing it. You can save the grease and reduce the amount of butter accordingly for a richer taste. Storebought bacon crumbles will also do just fine (Costco carries a large bag that comes in handy!).

Melt the butter in the bottom of a large pot over medium high heat. Add flour and stir to combine until thickened. Add milk and whisk to combine until mixture is smooth. Add remaining ingredients and allow soup to heat over medium, stirring occasionally until cheese is melted. You will want to keep an eye on the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn, but since all the ingredients are already cooked, you're really just waiting for things to warm up instead of coming to a specific temperature.

Serve when warm and enjoy!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/soup/recipe-baked-potato-soup-with-bacon-onion-cheddar-136303

Roasted Vegetable Chowder with Bacon

I didn't take a picture of this one, but it was really good. Romer had a bowl while we bottled our most recent homebrew. By the way, who has tried my homebrew? Anyway, I really enjoyed this soup, and am becoming a huge fan of roasting veggies to bring out there flavor. The squash brought some sweetness to the table and I hadn't used parsnips before but I liked the flavor a lot.

ROASTED VEGETABLE CHOWDER WITH BACON
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
From Columbus Dispatch Robin's Picks

Makes 4 to 6 servings

While the veggies take a while to roast, they don’t require your attention while they do. And once they’re roasted, the soup takes little time to get to the table. Serve it with crusty bread and a green salad. To make the soup vegetarian, leave out the bacon and use vegetable broth.
1 medium-size butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, cut into chopped
4 bacon slices, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Spread the squash, onions, parsnips, carrots and bacon in a deep roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and brown and the bacon is crispy, about 45 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the garlic, wine and sage. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents to a Dutch oven.

Add broth to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables begin to break apart, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.


PER SERVING: 222 calories; 5 g protein; 32 g carbohydrates; 7 g fiber; 8 g fat (1 g saturated); 6 mg cholesterol; 734 mg sodium

Cubano

I know Simpkins is a fan of Cubans, and I'm not talking cigars or women here. I'm talking sandwiches. Even though I hate communists, the Cuban sandwich is one of my favorites. It is the perfect combo of oozy cheese, crunchy pickles and bread, salty ham and delicious pork tenderloin. Here is my version............

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Another great Good Eats recipe by Alton Brown. It's awesome. The roux trick is a great idea if you have the extra time, and it allows you to prep all the other ingredients while you wait. The only thing I might do is cut back on the salt because I used chicken stock for the rice cooking liquid (also added red beans into the rice with some old bay seasoning.) which made it a little saltier than normal. I'm looking forward to the leftovers.


Ingredients
•4 ounces vegetable oil
•4 ounces all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 pounds raw, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp
•2 quarts water
•1 cup diced onion
•1/2 cup diced celery
•1/2 cup diced green peppers
•2 tablespoons minced garlic
•1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
•1 tablespoon kosher salt
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 bay leaves
•1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned
•1 tablespoon file powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.

Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

Apple Cider Brine for Turkey/Pork

I used a half recipe of this for two pork tenderloins and two turkey tenderloins before I smoked them for an hour and half with some apple chips. They were both so good, we ate it before I could get a picture. Romer was here, he can vouch for me that it was awesome. I will definately brine again and the apple cider was a very nice touch. Recipe courtesy of Food.com


Ingredients:

2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 slices fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed ( in mortar or spice mill)
2 teaspoons allspice berries, crushed ( in mortar or spice mill)
8 cups unsweetened apple cider ( or juice)
4 cups of ice

Directions:

In a 3-4 quart saucepan, combine cider with salt, sugar, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and allspice; stir to dissolve salt.

Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 3-4 minutes; remove from heat, add 4 cups of ice water and set aside to cool.

Let sit overnight and make sure meat is patted dry before cooking.

Cuban Style Pulled Pork with Mojo Sauce

I smoked some pork the other day on the ol' Weber grill and it turned out great. Made a spice paste out of freshly ground cumin and black pepper, salt, garlic, olive oil, and oregano. I let it marinate over night and then smoked it for about 3 hours, followed by a bake in the over for 2 hours (wrapped in foil). The mojo sauce is composed of one cup freshly squeezed orange juice, one cup freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, 6 cloves of garlic mashed into a paste, and freshly ground cumin (about 2 tablespoons). Put the mojo ingredients into a sauce pan and reduce for a bit, until you get a good consistency sauce. Shred the pork once it is ready (after it rests for an hour wrapped in a paper grocery bag to steam the meat further). Serve with rice and beans and pass the mojo sauce.

Great recipe. I loved the citrusy sauce with the pork. I get tired of traditional pulled pork condiments/sauces and this is a refreshing change for the summer.

Post CFA exam Smokefest 2010

Click on this pic for a close up!

After studying my brain off for 8 months I needed 3 things:
1. Beer - Growler of Barley's Ivan Porter
2. Pork - Boston butt*
3. Wet Hickory Chips

*ribs and salmon were also part of the smokefest but those were not made by me.

I made a simple dry rub (no measuring involved)consisting of:
Chili powder
Hot Hungarian Paprika
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Brown Sugar
Cayenne
Dry yellow mustard
Cinnamon

I also sacrificed a PBR into the smoker for some moist heat. Don't hate on PBR.

I smoked the Boston Butt (I'm going to capitalize that from here on out), and then wrapped the Butt in foil with a half a PBR and sealed in the juices for a 4 hour braise. The temp in the smoker is 225-250 degrees, and it produced some uber-moist (thank you simpkins) pork Butt.

Cook time on the ribs was 4 hours, all exposed to smoke. The Bark on the ribs was awesome, but I think next time I will use the partial smoke/partial braise method to add some moisture. The salmon only took 25 minutes and took on some nice smoke flavor in that short amount of time. Smoke On!

Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin/Cuban Sliders

I made a pork tenderloin for dinner tonight, which made me realize that I never posted my Cuban Sliders from the Super Bowl. They are awesome and this pork is a tasty recipe all by itself or made into one of my favorite sandwichs of all time (see below for Cuban Sliders recipe). The key to the pork tenderloin is not to overcook it, I pull it when its at 148 degrees for medium (and yes people, pork can be cooked medium and you won't catch any diseases).

Pork tenderloins, Cuban style:
Adapted from a Rachel Ray Recipe

1 2/3 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, 2 pieces, the average weight of 1 package, trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, zested
1 large orange, zested
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili flake
1/2 teaspoon cayenne peper

Method:

Rub tenderloins with oil and combine the rest of the ingredients in a large dish. Coat tenderloins with rub mixture and let marinade for upto 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Heat large cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear tenderloins on all sides, about 2 minutes per sided. Slide skillet into oven and cook until internal temp is 148 (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from pan, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice on a bias and serve.

Tonight I opted to seared the tenderloins on one half of a preheated grill, then I killed the heat on that side and allowed them to finish on indirect heat until they reach 148. Its helpfull to have an oven thermometer for this method.

For the Cuban Sliders (makes 12):

1 recipe Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin
1 package of Hawaiian sweet bread (I used the dinner rolls for the sliders)
1/2 pound of smoked ham
1/4 pound of swiss cheese slices, cut into 4 squares (about the size of the rolls)
1/2 of mayonaise
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
Clausen pickle sandwich slices (halved)

Method:

Preheat 2 cookie sheets in a 400 degree oven. Slice the dinner rolls in half before seperating them. Mix together mayonaise and mustard. Spread mixture on both halves of the dinner rolls. Layer slider bottoms by adding, cheese, tenderloin, ham, more cheese, and a pickle. Finish with top buns and place sandwiches on one of the preheated cookie sheets. Place other cookie sheet on top and put a heavy object on top to press the sandwiched town. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted.

Mexican Pork Chops

Apparently it was a pork weekend but I just kind of made this up and it turned out well. I call them "mexican" because I breaded them in crushed up tortilla chips (we always have the bottom of the bag that can't be used) and it gave the pork chops a mexican taste. The chips gave it a great crust.

I pounded out the pork chops into half inch thick pieces and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dipped in flour, egg wash, and then covered in the crushed tortilla chips.

In an iron skillet, bring oil to medium high heat and cook each pork chop about 3 to 5 minutes per side until they have a nice golden brown texture on each side. Add sour cream and salsa on top and enjoy.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops (boneless)

Tortilla Chips

Flour

2 Eggs

salt

pepper

garlic powder

sour cream

salsa

Pork Spare Ribs with Cider Vinegar Sauce

I decided to make spare ribs this weekend with a dry rub and cider vinegar sauce. It turned out well, the rub and sauce could be used for pulled pork also if you wanted to use pork shoulder. I added the dry rub and let it marinate overnight. Then I wrapped the ribs in foil and cooked on 300 degrees for 3-4 hours (until they are tender). Make the sauce over medium heat, mix ingredients, continue to stir until it comes to a boil and cook on low for about 10 minutes.

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse salt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Add pan drippings for flavor

POZOLE ROJO WITH HOMEMADE FLOUR TORILLAS

This pulled pork and hominy stew from Mexico is one of my favorites. I order a turkey version from a local joint here in Indy called "Yats." No need to worry for you out of towners because this version is better than any pozole I've ordered out. Pulled this recipe from my go to cook book: "The Best New Recipe" by Cook's Illustrated. It turned out excellent! I recommend a nice margarita to wash it all down. This was also my first attempt at making homemade flour tortillas. I watch a lot of PBS these days, and Rick Bayless has a superb mexican cooking show. He made his with pork lard, but much to my dismay I couldn't find any at the store, so I had to substitute crisco. Once I find some lard I will cook them again and post the recipe. (fyi: they were still very tasty using crisco, but I'm predicting they will be out of this world with pork lard)

POZOLE ROJO

STEW:

1 Bone-in Picnic Shoulder Roast (about 5 lbs.)
Salt / Pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium-large onions, chopped coarse
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 oz. dried ancho chiles (about 3 large)
1 ½ cups boiling water
3 (15-oz) cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

GARNISHES:

Lime
Romaine Lettuce, sliced into thin strips
Radishes, sliced thin
Onion, minced
Cilantro
Hot Sauce

Serve with flour or corn torillas, warmed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Move oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Trim the thick skin and excess fat from the meat and cut along the muscles to divide the roast into large pieces of various sizes; reserve the bones. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
2) Heat oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat; add the onions and some salt. Cook until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3) Add the meat and bones and stir often until it is no longer pink on the outside, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, broth, and some salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. With a large spoon, skim off any scum. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
4) Meanwhile, remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles; soak the chiles in a medium bowl with the boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the chiles and soaking liquied in a blender until smooth. Pour the puree through into a bowl.
5) Remove the pot from the oven and remove the meat and bones to a cutting board. Stir in the hominy and the ancho chile puree. Cover and bring the stew to a simmer on top of the stove over medium-low heat. Cook until the hominy is hot and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes.
6) When the meat is cool, shred it using your fingers or the tines of 2 forks; discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat and simmer until the meat is hot. Adjust the seasoning. Ladle the stew into individual bowls and serve immediately with the garnishes.

Southern Hospitality

Southern Hospitality

Snow day number two for me today, well, yesterday work was open, but I took a personal day, but today the agency was closed J Anyway, here’s a straight southern meal for ya. I made Bobby Flay’s Ribs from this video- http://www.foodnetwork.com/indoor-grilling-guide/package/index.html They turned out pretty good, not great, but good. And for my sides I made Tyler Florence’s Collard Greens from here- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/slow-cooked-collard-greens-recipe/index.html Except I used bacon instead of ham hocks and I added some crushed red pepper. Really delicious greens. And rounded it off with some of the leftover mac and cheese I made for the super bowl which was bacon, roux, milk, about 5 cups of cheddar/Monterey jack, 4 eggs, some butter, 1 lbs of macaroni all added into a casserole dish and topped with more Monterey jack and parmesan. Pretty tasty, but I think I prefer some creamy stove top mac and cheese.

Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Braaaaaaaaising

So as Jeff has gotten addicted to making pizzas, I have a new found love for braising. This low and slow cooking technique produces moist and tender meats and also pairs well with drinking a couple of beers (what else would you do for 6 hours as you wait for your dish to finish?). Thanks to the great Dr. King, I had the day off, what a perfect time for some Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Braaaaaaaaising!!!!!

I decided to make Alton Brown's Good Eats rib recipe after saving on my DVR for the better half of a year. The ribs are braised in a foil packet, but they only take about 2.5 hours. (When I use my electric smoker, they take about 5-6 hours.) Below is Alton's recipe, I switched up the rub a little by adding more cayenne peper, crushed red pepper and I also applied mustard before putting on the dry rub.

I will be making this again.

Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Braaaaaaaaised Indoor Ribs
Ingredients

2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:

8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:

1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

*This recipe makes several batches of dry rub. If more rub is needed, it can be extended by any amount, as long as the ratio of 8:3:1:1 remains the same.