Ham and Potato Chowder

We have a cafeteria at work and they make a ham and potato soup that is pretty good, but you can tell they are using some campbell's cream of ____ soup in there. I threw this knockoff together without using any of those pre packaged soups. Its one of my favorites now.




Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 can of corn
1 cup diced cooked ham (buy a ham steak in the deli section)
3 1/4 chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (go easy here, the ham is pretty salty)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk


Process:
1.Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, carrot, ham and chicken broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.

2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so that lumps don't form and until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

4. Top with cheddar cheese, chives, and bacon if desired. Serve immediately.

Egg Drop Soup

Inspired by Kenji's post on seriouseats.com, I decided to give egg drop soup a try. As usual, his recipe turned out very tasty and satisfying. Next up, hot and sour soup.

1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces chinese ham, chinese dried sausage, or slab bacon - I used 3 strips of bacon
6 scallions, greens thinly sliced, whites left whole
1-inch knob of ginger
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
Kosher salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 whole eggs

1. Combine stock, ham, scallion whites, ginger, and peppercorns in a small stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain broth, discard solids, and season to taste with salt.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and mix with a fork until homogeneous. Whisk into broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low.

3. Whisk together eggs and remaining teaspoon cornstarch until homogeneous. Transfer eggs to a small bowl and hold the tines of a fork or two chopsticks over the edge of it. Swirl the soup once with a large spoon, then slowly drizzle egg mixture into soup. Allow soup to sit for 15 seconds, the stir gently to break up the egg to desired size. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.

Texas Red - Chili Con Carne

Made some chili from my new bon appetit magazine subscription (thanks James and Maria). Although my senses were impaired because of a sinus infection, it still tasted pretty damn good. Romer can vouch for me, he ate some while we made our latest batch of beer. It needed a little more heat, perhaps a hotter chili would have helped. I also made Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread muffins (looks better than they tasted) Simpkins, this will help you get rid of all of those dried chilis in your pantry.....


Ingredients
•4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
•4 pounds well-trimmed boneless beef chuck (from about 5 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
•2 medium onions, chopped
•1 head of garlic (about 15 cloves), peeled, chopped
•1/2 cup ground ancho chiles
•2 tablespoons ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
•1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
•2 teaspoons dried oregano
•2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
•2 tablespoons tomato paste
•3 tablespoons masa (corn tortilla mix)
•Coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
•Chopped green and/or red onion
•Chopped fresh cilantro
•Diced fresh tomatoes (optional)
•Sour cream (optional)
•ingredient info


Preparation

•Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of beef; sprinkle with salt. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to large bowl. Repeat 2 more times with 2 tablespoons oil and beef.
•Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil and onions. Sauté until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add ground anchos, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beer; stir 1 minute, scraping up browned bits. Return beef and juices to pot. Add tomatoes with juice, 2 cups water, oregano, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt. Bring chili to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently until beef is just tender, 13/4 to 2 hours. Cool 1 hour, then chill uncovered until cold. Cover; chill overnight.
•Spoon fat from chili. Bring chili to simmer over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste. Sprinkle masa over; stir to blend. Simmer uncovered until thickened and beef is very tender, stirring often, and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick, about 30 minutes.
•Divide chili among bowls. Top with garnishes and serve.


Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/02/chili_con_carne#ixzz1CfWPzYZr

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

Asian Potsticker Soup

Beth's friend got her a Trader Joe's cookbook for Christmas, and this recipe came from there (with slight modifications). It turned out pretty tasty, but it will be interesting to see how the leftovers taste this week. I'm afraid the wontons will dissolve, but we shall see. It might be a recipe best served right away.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger (or 1 T fresh ginger)
2 Dried Thai Bird Chilies, roughly chopped
1/2 package of frozen Chicken Potstickers from TJ's
1 16 oz. bag frozen Stir-Fry vegetables
1/2 Cup Frozen Edamamme, shelled
1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots
4 Green Onions, sliced
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil

Process:

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add potstickers and allow broth to come back to a boil. Add stir-fry veggies, edamamme, and carrots and bring to a boil once more. Let soup simmer 5 minutes and finish with green onions and sesame oil. (This could easily become vegetarian by using veggie broth and vegetable potstickers)

Soup Sundays produced this delicious (and healthly) cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped leed
2 cloves of garlic
2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 teaspoons fresh dried dill
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup fat free milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream


Directions
1.Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions, leek and garlic in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the dill, paprika, and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2.In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, remaining dill and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Turkey Noodle Soup

I hope you didn't let your turkey carcass go to waste this Thanksgiving. Our new Thanksgiving Day tradition consists of having our big turkey dinner for lunch and then putting up the Christmas tree. (Yeah, it's Beth's thing) I have also started making my own turkey stock while we decorate the tree, which allows me to enjoy Thanksgiving a little bit longer. Just hack up some of the bones, add the aromatics you roasted with the turkey (you did use aromatics when you roasted your turkey, right?) cover with water, add a heavy dose of salt, and let it boil for a couple of hours. I usually have apples, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, sage, thyme, and rosemary leftover from my turkey so I just throw it all in there for the stock, you could also use all fresh vegies too.

Check out the sweet ladle Beth got me for my birthday this year.

Ingredients

1 pot of turkey stock or 8-10 cups chicken stock
1 T butter
2 large carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks of celery
3 cups left over turkey (I use the dark meat for this)
2 cups small egg noodles
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Process:

Heat stock in large pot. In a seperate skillet, melt the butter and saute carrots, onion and celery until soft. When stock starts to simmer, add vegetables, turkey and egg noodles. Once noodles are fully cooked, add parsley and serve.

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.

GARDEN GAZPACHO

Wondering what to do with all your fresh tomatoes?

I had a gazpacho recently at my parents' favorite restaraunt in Michigan, the River Crab. When my co-worker Rob gave me a bag full of tomatoes, I thought I would give it a shot. It wasn't as good as the River Crabs' but it held its own and is very refreshing in this late summer heat. It's also very healthy as it is primarily composed of all fresh and raw veggies. The only other addition I might make is some sliced avacado. (I have a feeling somebody is going to rip on me for posting 2 tomato soup recipes back to back....)

From The Columbus Dispatch
Makes 8 servings

Because a food processor (or blender) is used to puree the mixture, you need to roughly chop only a portion of the vegetables and dice the other portion for garnish.

2 pounds tomatoes, seeded
1 red bell pepper
1 green or yellow bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeds and white removed
3 salad cucumbers
1 large shallot
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon hot-red-pepper sauce
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium or no-salt-added tomato juice or vegetable juice
1 ear fresh corn, uncooked and kernels removed
2 teaspoons sugar
4 to 6 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop about three-fourths of the tomatoes. Place in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a blender. Dice the remaining tomatoes and set aside.

Roughly chop half of each of the bell peppers and add to the food processor. Dice the remaining bell peppers and set aside.

Remove seeds from jalapeno and roughly chop. Add to food processor.

Peel, seed and roughly chop two of the cucumbers and add to the food processor. Leave the peel on the remaining cucumber, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and dice. Set aside.

Add the shallot, garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar and hot-pepper sauce to the food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a glass bowl (or leave in the blender jar). Stir in the tomato juice, corn, basil, remaining diced tomatoes, sugar, half of the green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Chill for 2 hours. Serve in cups or bowls, garnished with a bit of the diced bell peppers, diced cucumbers, minced garlic and green onion slices. (I also added a splash of lime juice to this mixture to reduce the bite from the raw green onion)

Cream of Tomato Soup

"The New Best Recipe" cookbook is the bomb. I had a couple of cans of san marzano tomatoes sitting in the pantry and this was the best use of them I can think of. I served mine with a grilled bacon and swiss cheese sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained, 3 cups of liquid reserved
1 1/2 T dark brown sugar
4 T unsalted butter
4 large shallots, minced
1 T tomato paste
pinch of allspice
2 T all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 T brandy or dry sherry (I've also used vermouth)
salt, pepper, and cayenne

Instructions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat the oven to 450. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Seed the tomatoes and spread in a single layer (don't forget to reserve the juices and the solids in the strainer). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until all the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to color, about 30 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool slightly and peel them off the foil.

2. Heat the butter in a large saucepan and heat until foaming. Add the shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, 7-10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until thouroghly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth; stir in the reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, incras the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors, about 10 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture into a medium bowl, rinse the saucepan. Transfer the tomatoes and solids in the strainer to a blender, add 1 cup of the strined liquid and puree until smooth. Combine the pureed mixture and remaining straind liquid in the saucepan. Add the cream and warm over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the brandy and season with salt and cayenne to taste. The soup can be refridgerated for 2-3 days.

Escarole and Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

I've been trying to buy one new vegetable everytime I go to Giant Eagle and incorporate it into a recipe. This week it was Escarole. Tastes pretty good, kind of like kale or swiss chard, but not as bitter and it holds up well in soups. Also chilling the meatballs before dropping them in the soup was a good tip that helps them stay together.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 ounces extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1/2 medium head)

Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Bring 8 cups chicken broth to boil in large pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.)

Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Pappa al Pomodoro: Tuscan Bread Soup with Mussels (Guest Post by Leeann)

Ingredients:
2 cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes – lightly crushed by hand
2 loaves ciabatta - crusts peeled off and very, very stale
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped jalepeno
1 big can chicken stock
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Splash of red wine
Lots of basil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan – a chunk for grating and the rind for the soup (We omitted the grated parm because of my "Lenten promise.")

Preparation:
Have all your vegetables chopped and bread sliced into 1-inch cubes.

Heat about 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add onions, garlic and jalepeno. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender.

Add the tomatoes and remaining juice, salt and pepper, parm rind if you’re using one and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let it cook for a half hour or so.

Add ciabatta cubes and let the bread soak up some tomato, then start adding your stock. It’ll need a lot so just sort of eye-ball it. Continue adding stock to your desired consistency. At this point, we added a healthy shot of red wine, along with a ton of basil, and seasoned again with salt and pepper. (Also added thyme and oregano.)

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, then allow to simmer for a bit. Then toss in a pound of mussels, cover, and allow the mussels to open up, about 5 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and grate with some parmesan cheese if you didn't give up cheese for Lent (and regret it!). Top with some more basil and olive oil. Enjoy!

Chili Con Carne, aka Best Chili Ever

Chili Con Carne:

Seriously, best chili I have ever had. I made it a couple weekends ago, so I don’t have any pictures. But no joke, I now truly believe it is impossible to cook a better chili than this recipe produces. Toasting the whole chili pods in the oven and grinding them in your coffee grinder (spice grinder if you have a separate one) is a must. As a side note of caution, don't try and substitute chicken stock for the water. You will only mask the fresh chili flavor and be bombarded by me with angry emails reminding you of this warning. Also, with all the chili pods and fresh jalepenos, I thought it was going to be crazy spicy. Much to my surprise, the chili could have used more heat. Next time I make it I’m going to use all the seeds from the jalepeno (versus seeding half of them) or mix in some serranos, other hotter peppers, pinch of cayenne, or hot pepper sauce. I served it with sour cream and diced onions with cornbread as a side.

3 ancho chili pods (about ½ ounce), toasted and ground (see note)
3 New Mexico chili pods (about 3.4 ounce), toasted and ground (see note)
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons dried oregano
7 ½ cups water
4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt to taste
8 ounces bacon (about 8 slices), cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 medium onion, minced
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 to 5 jalepeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Ground Black Pepper

Note: Toasting/Grinding Chilis – place chilis on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and puffed (about 6 mins). Cool, stem and seed, tearing the pods into pieces. Place the pieces in a spice grinder and process until powdery, 30 to 45 seconds.

1. Mix the chili powders that you ground with the cumin, and oregano in a small bowl and stir in ½ cup of the water to form a thick paste; set aside. Toss beef cubes with 2 teaspoons salt; set aside.
2. Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat to render fat and get bacon crispy. Remove bacon w/ slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the fat from the pot into a bowl and set it aside. Increase heat to med-high and start sautéing the meat in batches until well browned on all sides, and add reserve bacon fat as needed. (remember, no one likes it when you overcrowd the pan) Set browned meat aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of bacon fat. Saute onion until softened (5 to 6 mins). Add garlic and jalepeno chiles and sauté until fragrant (1 min). Add the chili paste mixture and sauté until fragrant (2 to 3 mins). Add the reserved bacon and browned beef, the crushed tomatoes, lime juice, and remaining 7 cups of water. Bring to a simmer. Continue to cook at a steady simmer until the meat is tender and the juices are dark, rich, and starting to thicken, about 2 hours.
4. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Increase the heat to medium, stir in the paste, and simmer until thickened (5 to 10 mins). Adjust the seasoning generously with salt and pepper to taste. Serve!