Rancho Gordo Piquinto Beans & Carnitas

My Carnitas turned out super yummy tonight. I love Rancho Gordo beans, which are grown in Mexico and distributed from Napa. I put them in the crockpot this time...a first. Usually, I soak them 4-6 hours, or overnight, then simmer them for 3 or 4 hours. I will post the recipes later. I'm super tired....only up this late waiting for a blanket to dry so we can finish making the bed and go to sleep! :)

"Chile Verde" Chili

Typically, Chile Verde doesn't have beans, but I was shooting more for a chili with pork & green sauce. However, the red bowl kind of threw off the color, so it doesn't look as green as it should. Also, I added a can of stewed tomatoes, when I probably should have used 2 jars of salsa verde instead. Oh well. The bottom line is that it was delicious!!!



Chile Verde Chili
Ingredients:
2-3 pound pork loin roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 Anaheim chili pepper, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 large jar of salsa verde (I used Herdez brand)
32 oz chicken stock
1 t each: oregano, cumin seed, ground cumin
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
2 cans pinto beans, mostly drained, but keep a little bit of the liquid

Directions:
Put the flour and some salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add the pork, zip up the bag, and give it a good shake to coat the cubes. Heat 2 T of the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the pork for about 3 minutes on both sides, in batches. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 T olive oil and saute the fresh vegetables until softened, about 8 minutes or so. Add the spices and cook for a minute. Add the stewed tomatoes, salsa verde, & chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pork and simmer for an hour. Check your spices; I always add a little more cumin. Now add the beans with a little bit of the liquid and simmer very gently for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with diced onions, cilantro, jalapeno, & white cheddar cheese. Serves 4.

Cheese Ravioli w/ Peas & Prosciutto

Cheese Ravioli with Peas & Prosciutto

(Adapted from the Food Network magazine)

Ingredients:

1 lb cheese ravioli
4 oz chopped prosciutto
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 T tomato paste
1 cup reserved pasta water from ravioli
1/4 c half & half
1 c frozen peas
chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook for about 8 or 9 minutes until done. Reserve one cup of the water, set aside. Right before you drain the pasta, add the frozen peas and stir until slightly blanched. Drain, set aside.

Meanwhile, saute the prosciutto in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Stir in the garlic & tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add the water from the pasta and simmer for about 4 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half. Toss the sauce with the ravioli & peas, garnish with parsley & grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Cajun Jambalaya

(This recipe was adapted from a recipe that was featured in Bon Appetit's March Issue. This makes a lot...theres 3 of us and we had a ton of leftovers, so you might want to cut it in half. I will definitely cut it in half next time!)

Cajun Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 12 ounces bacon, diced
• 4 smoked sausages, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick semi-circles
• 4 andouille sausages, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
• 3 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3 cups (19 to 20 ounces) long-grain white rice ( I used brown rice, so it had to cook longer)
• 8 green onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Cook bacon in very large pot over medium-high heat until brown but not yet crisp, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes. Add smoked sausage, andouille, and ham. Sauté until meats start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Mix in chicken. Cook until outside of chicken turns white, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Mix in paprika, thyme, chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes with chiles and broth; stir to blend well. Add more cayenne, if desired. Mix in rice.
• Bring jambalaya to boil. Cover pot. Place in oven and bake until rice is tender and liquids are absorbed, 45 to 48 minutes. Uncover pot. Mix chopped green onions into jambalaya; sprinkle jambalaya with chopped parsley and serve. Garnish with Crystal hot sauce, if desired.
  

Pork Chile Verde

Is Pork Chile Verde a bit redundant? Because it does go without saying that there is pork in Chile Verde, right? I couldn't find a recipe that worked for me, so I made it up myself. I bought a 7 pounds pork shoulder and wanted to roast it and save half for another use. Basically, I just rubbed the roast with garlic, squeezed a grapefruit and an orange over it, drizzled some olive oil, and sprinkled it with a teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, & oregano. Cover the roast with foil and cook on 350 for about 4 hours. Set half of it aside for another use (tamales, carnitas, Cuban sandwiches, etc), and shred the rest for the Chile Verde.

Now for the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
1 each: red, yellow, & orange bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin & cumin seed
salt & pepper to taste
32 ounces chicken stock
10 tomatillos, hulled, and quartered
2 bunches cilantro, plus a handful chopped for garnish
3 1/2 to 4 pounds of cooked pork, shredded or in chunks. (see above)

Directions:
Using a large Dutch Oven or sauce pan, saute the onions & bell peppers in oil (I used corn cuz I am low on olive oil) until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, cumin seed, salt, & pepper and give it stir. Add the chicken stock and the tomatillos and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cilantro and very carefully blend the ingredients with an emulsion blender, being careful not to splash yourself with the hot liquid. If you don't have an emulsion blender, run out right now and get one or order on Amazon asap! In the meantime, you could use your regular blender and then return the sauce to the pan. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the shredded pork and simmer for at least 15 minutes, but longer is ok. If it gets too thick, you can thin it down with more chicken stock or water. Check for salt & pepper before serving.

Serve with corn tortillas and these suggested garnishes: sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, avocado, pickled jalapenos & pinto beans. You can eat it as a stew or in tacos. Enjoy!!

Carnitas

Ingredients for Carnitas:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, mashed

3 - 4 lbs pork shoulder roast

1 grapefruit

1 orange

1 lime

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tsp each: cumin seed & oregano

salt & pepper

Corn Tortillas

Cilantro, red onion, & avocado for garnish

Directions:

Saute the onions & garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the pork roast and sear on all sides on high heat. Carefully squeeze the citrus over the top of the roast and add in the spices. Turn down heat, cover the roast with water, bring to a boil. Simmer on high for 15 minutes, then turn down to a low simmer for 2 hours, or until the water starts to evaporate and the pork becomes tender enough to shred apart with two forks. This could even take 3 hours, depending on the size of the roast. I like my pork to have a crispy outside, so I do it low and slow.

Serve the shredded pork with tortillas, cilantro, red onion, avocado and hot sauce. I also like to serve Rancho Gordo Pinto Beans on the side. (Recipe can be found on my 10/26/10 blog post for Chicken & Black Bean Tostadas...just substitute Pinto Beans for the Black Beans).

Grandma's BBQ Pork

I am so thankful that I had the good sense to ask my grandma for her bbq pork recipe a few years before she passed away! I still have her handwritten recipe that I cherish. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas that I ever spent with my dads side of the family included this delicious appetizer. I try to make it at least Thanksgiving or Christmas, if not both! I've got 4 pounds marinating in the fridge since last night (16 hours and counting!), but this recipe calls for 3 pounds and marinate overnight. I'm taking it to my brothers for Thanksgiving (an 8 hour drive!!) and I wanted extra meat and extra flavor. I tweak it a little bit..like add more of each ingredients...and mix the marinade in a small bowl first, but here is my grandma's recipe word for word:

Grandma Tillie's Barbequed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

4 TBSP ketchup
3 TBSP Hoisin sauce
1 tsp 5 Spice
5 slices of fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 TBSP Mirin (or sherry)
1 TBSP sugar
3 pounds pork tenderloin

Garnish:
Chinese Hot Mustard
Ketchup
Toasted sesame seeds


Directions:

1. In a large glass dish, mix Hoisin, 5 Spice, ginger, garlic, ketchup, & salt. Add the pork, and smother.
   
2. Marinate overnight.
3. Put water in bottom of roasting pan. Arrange pork on rack. Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees, for one hour and 15 minutes. Turn once during roasting and baste with extra sauce.
   
4. Cool, then chill. Serve thinly sliced with hot mustard, ketchup, and toasted sesame seeds.