Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder

...Or how I branched out from my tried and true Pulled Pork recipe.

I think it's important to try new things, to take calculated risks.  It makes life more interesting and at the very least, one gets an interesting anecdote.  These are the things that keep us moving, keep us growing.  I'm all for it.

That said, I've been going back and forth about whether or not to try a new pulled pork recipe for months.  Part of me thought, Why mess with a good thing?  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush--or something like that.  But another part, the part that won, knew that it's just a recipe and if it doesn't work, or isn't as good, well then now I know.  Plus, braised pork is never a bad thing.  Ever.

That being said, I went through my file of recipe clippings from various magazines and found a recipe from the May issue of Bon Appetit for Chile-Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos.  Tacos.  Yes.  If all else failed, I would still have tacos.   Calculated risks, people.

I started making my braised pork by boiling some water, then pouring that boiling water over 6 dried Hot New Mexico Chiles.

I put a smaller lid on top and pushed down so that they were all submerged.  Those got a nice soak for about 30 minutes, until they were soft, and then I removed the stems and transferred them to a blender.  I blended the chiles with some sugar and lime juice and a little splash of the water in which they had been re-hydrated, then blended it all up.

Meanwhile, I took a whole pork shoulder, bone and all, and placed it in a large bowl.  With a very sharp knife, I trimmed off most of that fat you see there on top.

Then I poured the chili marinade on top and rubbed it all over the pork.

That went into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, while I started building the base of my braise.  In a large pot, I sauteed onions, garlic, some bay leaves, dried oregano, cumin, and all spice.

I let that cook until the onions were softened, then I added a 12 ounce bottle of beer.  The recipe calls for Negro Modelo, but I didn't have any, so I used the lone bottle of Harpoon IPA that had been sitting in the back of my refrigerator, waiting for an opportunity like this.  Once the beer had come to a boil, I lowered the pork down into the pot, poured on any remaining chili mixture, covered it with a heavy lid, and stuck it in the oven.

The pork braised for 4 hours on very low heat, and every hour or so, I took it out, turned it, and basted it with the braising liquid.  After it was done cooking, I removed the pork from the pot, and skimmed off as much fat from the top of the braising liquid as I could.  After the fat was (mostly) gone, I put the pork back in the braising liquid, then shredded it with tongs.

And voila:

Ok, so, pulled pork on its own isn't that pretty.

At this point, I tasted the pork and man was it bland.  I had a moment of panic thinking: THIS is why you don't mess with a good thing.  Four hours of cooking and what do you have to show for it???  Then I took a step back and realized it was probably bland because I hadn't used salt once in this recipe.  See, I overlooked the one part in the recipe where it says season the pork with salt liberally on all sides.  Oops.

Obviously this would not do, so I added some salt and a couple of pinches of chili flakes to up the spice factor.  I thought the chili rub would make it spicier, but I think all that cooking time mellowed them.  Once the seasonings were adjusted, and the spices and flavor was to our liking, we assembled our taco station.

It looked a lot like our taco station from the last time we ate pulled pork tacos:

Sour cream, guacamole, cheese, hot sauce; you get it.  This time, however, I found cojita cheese, and while K preferred your standard shredded Mexican blend cheese product, I thought this new variety was delightful.  It was salty, crumbly, delicious.

While the pork flavor on it's own wasn't knock-your-socks off like my other pulled pork recipe, the flavor paired perfectly with other Mexican ingredients.  While the original pulled pork is divine, it's flavor is pretty strong, which means it can overpower whatever it's on top of or next to.  This pork doesn't do that.  This pork has wonderful flavor, but still lets the rest of the taco ingredients do their thing.

The pork itself was tender and fell right off the bone, which, if you watch any Food-Travel-Extravaganza shows, is always their test for perfectly cooked pork shoulder.

Trying new things can be fun and delicious.  And who says a person can't have two pulled pork recipes in her rotation?

Not me.  Not anymore!

Here's the recipe:

Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder (adapted from the May issue of Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

• 6 dried chilis*
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• 1 7-pound Pork shoulder (i used bone-in)
  
• Kosher salt
  
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  
• 2 onions, chopped
  
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  
• 2 teaspoons cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon allspice
  
• 1 12-ounce bottle Dark beer
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled Cojita cheese
  
• sour cream
  
• Cilantro
• hot sauce

Method

1. Place chilis in a medium bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover, then place a plate or a smaller lid on top to submerge. Let soak for 30 minutes, until softened. Drain chilis, reserving about 1 cup of soaking liquid.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chilis, sugar, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid into a blender. Blend until a smooth paste forms. Add more soaking liquid if necessary.
   
3. Place pork in a large bowl and trim most of the fat off with a sharp knife. Season pork generously with salt on all sides and spread paste over pork. Cover and chill.
   
4. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and allspice. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Add bear and bring to a boil. Add pork to the pot, pouring on any additional chili paste left in the bowl. Cover with a heavy lid and transfer to oven.
   
5. Braise pork, turning and basting every hour, until fork-tender, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours (depending on the size of your pork)
   
6. When done, remove pork to a platter and skim off the fat of the braising liquid. Return pork to pot and shred, using two forks or tongs.
   
7. Heat tortillas either in the oven or in the microwave and assemble your taco bar. Serve pork and tortillas on a plate, and put all other taco ingredients in bowls. Make your own tacos!
   

*I don't know much about dried chiles, so I bought what I could find, which were "New Mexico hot chiles."  The recipe calls for 4 dried ancho chiles and 2 chiles de arbol or japones.  If you can procure these, or know what they are (or even better, what they taste like!) definitely go for it.

Enjoy!

Linguine All'Amatriciana

I have guilt induced writer's block.  I admit, I've been avoiding Two Recipes. I think it's because it's close to the New Year and my resolution is almost done and now I need to think about what's next.  This is not my strong suit, the "what's next."  Poor foresight; that's what they called it.

I know that I want to keep cooking.  I know that I want to keep writing.  But do you want to keep reading?  Does this continue to be a resolution?  Or is this a permanent gig I've got going here?

So while I think about these trivial things that I'm making into a big deal, here are some bacon and carbs for you.  Think of it as a little pick me up--everything you've come to expect from me and from Two Recipes.  Bacon. Pasta.  Done.

Linguine All'Amatriciana is just a fancy, albeit beautiful, Italian word for pasta with spicy tomato sauce laced with crunchy, salty, smoky bacon.  So, it's awesome, obviously.

It starts like all good things start, by frying up some bacon.

Now, I'd recommend doing this even you're cooking a recipe that doesn't call for it, because everyone in your building, or household, will think you're awesome.  You make bacon happen.  They want to be your friend.  Trust me.

After the bacon is crunchy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and drain.  Pour off all of the bacon fat, save about two tablespoons, then add chopped onion and some garlic.

I don't have a picture of this because the pan was too hot and I had to move fast.  Sorry.

To the onions and garlic, add 1 can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, salt, plenty of black pepper, a little bit of oregano, and a good helping of crushed red pepper.

Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes so the flavors meld and become nice and concentrated.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the linguine and cook until al dente.  When it's finished, reserve some of the pasta water, and drain.  Return the pasta to the pot, and pour on the tomato sauce.

Toss that around a bit, adding some of the starchy pasta water if needed, then add the bacon!

"Oh hello.  I'm your neighbor (husband, wife, child, sister, brother, etc), I just couldn't help but smell your delicious cooking (bacon). Would you like to be friends?"


That's right.

Toss all the glorious bacon and pasta and tomato together.  Serve it in a warmed bowl with plenty of Parmesan on top.

This pasta flirts with the edge of being a simple "red sauce" pasta, but the bacon saves it.  Not that simple red sauce is a bad thing.  It's actually one of my favorite things.  But I also like bacon, so.

I hope you all forgive me for being absent.  I made you bacon and pasta, so I think you should.  Bacon makes friends (see: everything I've been talking about so far).

I'm going to work on this foresight thing.  In fact, I foresee some exciting new things for Two Recipes, and I hope you'll be there with me!  It's working already.

Here's the recipe!

Linguine All'Amatriciana (adapted from Cooks' Illustrated)

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you like)
  
• 28 ounce can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1 pound dried linguine
  
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
  

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain and return to the pot.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and return to medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
   
3. Add diced tomatoes to skillet and season with salt, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, while pasta is finishing.
   
4. Add sauce to drained pasta and toss to coat, adding extra pasta water if sauce needs thinning out. Add bacon and toss again.
   
5. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
   

Enjoy!

Curried Sweet Potato Salad

Technically it isn't Fall anymore.  I mean, it's pretty far from Fall; it's below freezing outside and all of my Christmas shopping is finished.  (Yes!)  But Fall is my favorite season and a big part of that is the food--it's hearty and flavorful and colorful and delicious.  I see no reason why we can't keep celebrating the best parts of last season well into this one.

Enter sweet potato salad.  Potato salad, but with sweet potatoes.  And dried cranberries.  And toasted pecans.  It's Fall in a bowl.  

This is so simple but so interesting and unique.  It starts how most good things start: roasting sweet potatoes. 

I cubed some sweet potatoes and tossed them in olive oil, then roasted them for about 40 minutes until they were cooked but still pretty firm.  While those were roasting, I mixed up the dressing and prepared the rest of the ingredients.

The dressing is a mayonnaise based mixture, to which I added some curry powder and course ground mustard.  I whisked that until combined, then I added some chopped toasted pecans and chopped scallions.

Then a whole bunch of dried cranberries.  I adore dried cranberries.

When the potatoes were finished, I added them right into the dressing, still warm, and mixed to combine.  I tossed the potatoes in the dressing until well coated, then popped it in the refrigerator to cool.

I took this side dish to a "friendsgiving" potluck and I have to say, it was a hit.  It's everything people love about fall, but in a unique way.  The curry powder gives it a wonderful warmth, even though it's a cold side dish; the cranberries and pecans add just the right texture, and the sweet potatoes--well sweet potatoes are the best.  The end.

I suggest bringing this to your next holiday party.  It is easy to whip up and I promise, everyone will love it.  

Here's the recipe!

Curried Sweet Potato Salad (from The Homesick Texan)

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Sweet potatoes
  
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Curry powder
• 1 teaspoon Course ground mustard
  
• 2 Scallions, sliced
  
• 1 cup Dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup Chopped pecans, toasted
  
• Salt and Pepper
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil then spray lightly with cooking spray. Place cubed sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes, until cooked but still firm.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder, and mustard. Add scallions, pecans, and dried cranberries and stir. Set aside until the sweet potatoes are ready.
   
3. Add cooked sweet potatoes when still warm and toss until completely combined. Add salt and pepper if needed, then cover and cool for at least 3 hours.
   

Enjoy!

Portobello and Bleu Cheese Panini

In high school, I went through a phase where I didn't eat red meat at all.  My mom is a vegetarian and has been for years so this wasn't much of a stretch, since we were never the family that sat down to a nice steak dinner.  The only red meat I really missed, and by that I mean pined for, was a hamburger, which actually is the reason I started eating beef again.  I adore hamburgers.

But in my beef-free days, I would always get jealous of the "black and bleu burger" or the "steak with bleu cheese butter/sauce/brick" and the like.  Why couldn't they put bleu cheese on chicken?  What about on a nice veggie sandwich?  Bleu cheese was and remains to be my everything, so I didn't think it was fair that it seemed to be reserved for a juicy steak.  

This is my payback.  A portobello mushroom panini with gorgeous hunks of bleu cheese.  It's flavors mimic steak, but it's completely veg!  Except for the bacon grease, which isn't veg, but is easily interchangeable with butter or oil.  Wonderful.

It's also super easy.  

I started by heating some bacon grease over medium heat.  I feel the need to whisper bacon grease.  That's what small font means.  Whispering.

When that was melted, I added whole portobello mushrooms, gill side up, and cooked until browned.  

Then I flipped them over and cooked them on the other side until the mushrooms were nice and brown and delicious.  At this point, I seasoned with salt and pepper, then added a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Just a touch!

I removed the mushrooms from the pan, then added two pieces of buttered bread, butter side down.  To the bread I added blue cheese, then the mushrooms, then I put it all together.

I don't have a panini press so this is more classic grilled-cheese style, but if you have a panini press and the counter space to use it, by all means!  Press!

I flipped the sandwich a few times until each side was perfectly golden brown, then I transferred it to a plate and sliced the sandwich in half.  

The mushrooms give this meatless sandwich a distinctive meatiness and the blue cheese is everything I've ever asked for and more.  

The cheese is creamy and sharp; the mushrooms are delicious; the bread it toasty and crunchy and buttery.

Who needs steak anyway?

Well, I do actually.  But that's neither here nor there.

Here's the recipe!

Portobello and Bleu Cheese Panini

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat (or butter)
  
• 2 portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
  
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  
• 4 ounces bleu cheese
  
• 2 slices bread
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  

Cooking Directions

1. In a large skillet, melt bacon fat or butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms gill-side-up and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip them over and press down so that the gills are flat on the skillet. Cook for another 3 minutes. flip over again so the gills are facing up and season with salt and black pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes, until the vinegar has cooked off some. Transfer to a plate.
   
2. Reduce heat to medium and butter two slices of bread and place them in the skillet, buttered side down. Add blue cheese to both slices and let toast for 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted slightly. Add mushrooms to one slice and top with the other slice of bread. Using a spatula, press down so the sandwich has that pressed panini quality. Flip and press again. Remove to a plate and slice in half.
   

Enjoy!

Ragu Bolognese

Last Monday, the day before I went home for Thanksgiving, I was hurrying down the crazy ladder-like stairs in my tiny loft apartment and wiped out, somehow managing to break a toe.  So, let me paint this picture.  I slipped, bumped down the stairs, somehow got thrown forward, and landed on my face.  I'm laying on the floor and my cat is like, "what are you doing down here?" and I'm trying to figure out if I can move, much less walk.

Like, how does that happen?  I hobbled through Monday and Tuesday, then hobbled through the airport, then hobbled back to Texas and put my foot up for a week.  No problem.  My foot was black, but fine.  I wasn't even going to tell you.

Then, that last night, I was also in a hurry, and somehow managed to get that injured pinky toe caught on something else that I didn't notice because I was in a hurry, and I collapsed.  Fell on the ground.  I may have screamed.  A lot.  People.  Broken toes are not something to be taken lightly.  And!  It's so annoying because this toe is so small and insignificant, except that you try to wear shoes without them touching your pinky toe.  You can't!

So, here's a little window into my life.  There's a cat that doesn't know what boundaries are, a whole lot of pasta, and when I'm in a hurry, I hurt myself.  Every, single, time.

Alright already.  Let's talk about something better, something infinitely more enjoyable than a bum pinky toe.  This Ragu Bolognese is slow cooked, rich, meaty, comforting, and perfect.  It's everything.

The actual Ragu needs to simmer for over 2 hours on the stove, so I started making this in the morning so I wouldn't have to eat dinner at 10pm.  I started by sauteing some onions and garlic in a large dutch oven until soft.

Then I added the meat; I added ground beef and chopped pancetta to the onion party.

The meat browned for about 15 minutes, then I added wine, scraping the bottom of the pan while it boiled.  Next came the chicken stock and tomato paste.

That looks awful.  It gets better, I promise.  Anyway, I seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper then reduced the heat to low and let it simmer on the stove for about an hour and a half.  When it was done simmering, it looked like this:

See what a difference time makes?  In both cooking and toes, it makes all the difference.  When the ragu had simmered for about 90 minutes, I added some milk, then covered it, but not all the way, and let this simmer for about 45 more minutes.

When the milk was incorporated and the sauce had thickened, I removed it from the heat and let it cool, then stored it in my refrigerator until I came home that night.  Refrigerating the sauce also made it a bit easier to skim off some of the fat.  When I got home that evening, I heated the ragu and boiled some water for fettuccine.

I cooked the pasta to al dente, then added it to the ragu and tossed until each strand of pasta was coated in the sauce.

I served the pasta with a little bit of grated Parmesan on top, because I can't not.  

As much as I whined in the beginning of this post about my stupid broken pinky toe, I want to sing the praises of this wonderful, not broken, Ragu.  I don't know what I was expecting; I'm the one that cooked it and I know very well that the only tomato product I put in the sauce was tomato paste, but I expected Ragu to be, well, kind of like that jarred stuff--bright red and laced with oregano.  This ragu bolognese was nothing of the sort.

It was luxurious and rich and had a wonderful, deep flavor.  It felt like a special occasion eating this.  It's special occasion pasta!

It also made wonderful leftovers, as the flavor of the sauce just seemed to get better as time went on.  We ate this the next night, bumping whatever recipe I had lined up, and couldn't have been happier.

So, although I can't seem to figure out how not to hurt my toe, I feel a little better knowing that I do know how to make ragu, and a pretty awesome one at that.  Careful planning and two hours is all you need, and if you don't have the luxury of cooking in the morning, make this a weekend meal.  Maybe for a special occasion?  Maybe for a holiday dinner party?  Hmm?

Just, please be careful with your toes.

Here's the recipe!

Ragu Bolognese (Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup red wine
  
• 2 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock (I used chicken because I had it on hand)
  
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 pound fettuccine (or tagliatelle if you can find it!)
  
• Grated Parmesan for serving
  

Method

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and let soften, about 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Add ground beef and pancetta. Cook until browned, about 15 minutes.
   
3. 
   
4. After the sauce has simmered for 1 1/2 hours, bring milk to a simmer in a small sauce pan, then gradually add it to the sauce. Cover the pot with a heavy lid that is slightly ajar and simmer for 45 minutes, until milk is incorporated. You can add more stock if it seems to thick. (at this point, you can let it cool and refrigerate it up to 2 days. Just rewarm it before going on to the next steps!)
   
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add fettuccine. Cook according to package instructions, to al dente. Drain and add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss for 2 minutes until each strand of pasta is completely coated in sauce. 
6. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
   

Enjoy!