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Mexican, Pork, Recipes

Pork Chile Verde

September 7, 2012

Chile Verde is a dish you want to cook on the weekend when you’re puttering around the house and have a few (5) hours to spare.  It’s not that you’ll be standing over the stove the entire 5 hours.  In fact 4  of the 5 hours is allotted for simmering the green chile stew.  You will be ever so happy that you decided to make it.

Tomatillos are part of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) little green orbs tucked inside papery husks.  I lucked out and was able to find all the ingredients for this dish at one store; Foodland in Kahului.  Mahalo Foodland.

Cut the tomatillos and peppers in half and turn the broiler on.

Once the peppers cool peel off their skin.

Place roasted tomatillos in a bowl to cool slightly.


I prefer to trim off as much of the fat as I can which eliminates having to spoon it off later as the stew simmers.

Brown pork in three batches.

 

Pork Chile Verde

Ingredients

4 1/2 pounds pork butt trimmed well and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos

2 poblano peppers

1 large Anaheim pepper

1 serano or jalapeño pepper

1 large onion (about 2 cups finely diced)

3 garlic cloves minced

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

4 oz. can of Ortega diced jalapeños (optional)

Preparation

Trim pork well and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Place pork in a large bowl and sprinkle on oregano, cumin and salt and mix to coat pieces of pork.  Add flour and mix again distributing seasonings and flour evenly.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the papery husk from the tomatillos and rinse well.  Slice tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a large baking sheet (line pan with heavy-duty foil for easy clean up).  Wearing disposable gloves cut the peppers in half and remove their seeds.  The poblanos are a bit larger than the other peppers so cut these in quarters.  Place all the peppers cut side down on the baking sheet with the tomatillos.

Place the baking sheet on the highest rack of your oven or about 4 inches below the heating element.  Broil until the tomatillos and peppers are charred.  I find that the tomatillos are ready prior to the peppers so I remove them with tongs and place them in a bowl to cool slightly.  It will typically take about 10 minutes before the peppers are ready, watch closely removing pepper pieces as they become blistered.  Let peppers cool slightly then remove their skin.

Place tomatillos in a food processor.  Coarsely chop peppers and add to the tomatillos.  Pulse until blended but still a bit chunky. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) add a tablespoon of canola oil and heat on medium.  Add diced onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the onions and garlic and place in a small bowl.

Add more oil to the pan and sear pork in 3 batches until browned on two sides but not cooked through.  Once you add the pork to your pan, leave it alone for about 5 minutes without turning so that it has time to form a nice crust.  If you attempt to turn the pieces over too early you will notice they will stick to the pan.  Wait a few minutes and when the pork is ready you will be able to easily turn them without resistance.  Remove browned pork to a bowl as you continue with the other batches adding additional oil as needed.

Add broth to the pan and scrape the bottom to release browned bits.  Add pork, onions and garlic, tomatillo and pepper mixture back to the pan.  Cover and simmer for about 2 hours, checking the heat occasionally.  Continue to simmer for approximately one more hour.

Remove the cover from pan and continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour.  Add cilantro and additional salt.  The chile verde is ready when the pork is fork tender.  Total simmering time is approximately 4 hours.

***If  you prefer more heat, roast additional serano or jalapeño peppers.  Sometimes I add a small can of Ortega diced jalapeños to the stew at the same time I am adding the cilantro if I want a little extra kick.

The chile verde is delicious served with rice and beans or in a soft flour tortilla.  Leftovers freeze well for a quick dinner on a busy work day.

Beans, Mexican, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cuban Style Black Beans

September 1, 2012

I adapted this recipe from one that I saw in the beautiful Saveur magazine many years ago.  You make a big pot of beans, have some for dinner, leftovers the next day, and freeze the rest in containers for another time.  As the article mentions, the secret of these tasty beans is the sofrito of green onions, garlic and green pepper.  A sofrito consists of aromatic ingredients which have been cut into very small pieces and slowly sautéed in oil. It is used to flavor many types of dishes and the ingredients vary depending upon what country you visit.

Green onions, Anaheim pepper, garlic, olive oil and a sprig of fresh oregano.  The original recipe calls for a small green pepper but I substituted an Anaheim which I prefer due to its milder flavor.

Chopped Anaheim pepper, garlic and green onions.

Cooking the sofrito.

Sofrito after 10 minutes of cooking.

Cuban Style Black Beans

Updated 5/13/16

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

4 cups dried black beans

1 sprig fresh oregano

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium Anaheim pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Sort through the beans and remove any small stones or broken beans.  Rinse under cold water.  Place the beans, oregano and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot.  Cover the beans with cold water by 3 inches.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium so that the beans are just simmering (uncovered).  Stoves may vary in temperature settings, adjust the heat as needed.  Set the timer for 1 hour. Check the water level and add more hot water as needed to keep the beans covered.  Set the timer for another 1/2 hour.

Check the beans to see if they are done.  If they need more time, check them again in 15 minutes.  It typically takes about 2 hours for the beans to be the right texture.  Stir in the sofrito (directions below) and adjust seasoning.  Beans need to be seasoned well or they will be bland so now is the time to add additional salt,  about 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.  Taste the beans and adjust seasoning as needed.  The beans should not be dry, they should “soupy.” As the beans cool they will absorb more of the liquid. Continue to simmer the beans with the sofrito for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Make the sofrito

While the beans are cooking, make the sofrito.  Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the cumin, green onions, garlic and pepper and sauté for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often.  If your heat is too high, turn it down to medium-low to avoid burning the garlic.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.

For the Pressure Cooker:

Place 4 cups rinsed beans in your pressure cooker.  Add 8 1/2 cups water, a sprig of oregano and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for 35 minutes.  Check the beans by using the cold water release method.  If the beans need more time, return to the stove and cook for another 5 minutes.  Once beans are fully cooked, place the uncovered pot on the stovetop over medium heat and add the sofrito.  Cook for a few minutes (or longer if you want to reduce the liquid a bit) to blend flavors.

*The beans freeze nicely and come in handy on a busy workday and they make a delicious filling for a vegetarian burrito.

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