Recipes

The following need little explanation; they are recipes. I apologize for the format, but I have yet to find an acceptible recipe file format which I can easy present without a lot of work on my part. There are some XML formats out there, but none with much support or large user communities. If someone is aware of a good option, please, let me know.

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

• 5 lbs pork (butt or shoulder)
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed (regular please, no elephant garlic)
• ½ bunch cilantro
• 3 T ground cumin
• 3 T salt
• 2 T sugar
• 1 quart chicken broth (adjust salt above if using low sodium)
• 1 orange, quartered
• water

Preparation

• Trim as much fat off the pork as possible. Cut into cubes of side length 1-2in.
• Place all ingredients into large stock pot. Squeeze the juice from the oranges into the pot, but leave the peels as well. Make sure to add enough water to cover everything, plus at least another inch or two.
• Bring pot to a boil, then back off to a bare simmer. Simmer for 4-5 hours, covered.
• Preheat your oven to 500º prior to the end of the simmer. Fish the pork chuncks out of the braising liquid and place on a roasting pan. Put the pan in the over for 20 minutes.
• Serve, either chunked or fork shreded.

Notes

• Crust development is key for carnitas. The contrast between soft inside and crusty outside is what really defines the dish. You can up the sugar in the recipe for more crust, but I find it starts to affect the taste. Alternatively, you could replace the roast with some time under a broiler (which I will probably try next time I do this).
• Like all braises, the timing is rather forgiving, so don't be afraid to leave your pork on longer than stated above.
• Too much orange can overwhelm the pork, so one fresh orange is probably about right. If you don't have good fresh citrus, then two is probably okay. For reference, I use both Valencias and Blood Oranges, though the Bloods are a little sweeter and cause me to back off some of the sugar.
• Nothing calls for a Negro Modelo like braised pork.

Pork “Pebil”

Ingredients

• 5 lbs pork (butt or shoulder)
• 5 T. annatto seeds
• 1 T. whole black pepper
• 2 t. cumin seeds
• 1 t. cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 2 habanero peppers
• 2 T. salt
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ c. orange juice
• ½ c. white vinegar
• 5 lemons, juiced
• 1 shot tequila
• banana leaves (optional)

Preparation

• Toast the cumin, then grind the cumin, annatto, allspice, cloves, and pepper in a spice mill (read: coffee grinder).
• Mince the habeneros. Combine with OJ, vinegar, lemon juice, tequila, spices, salt, and garlic and liquify in a blender to create marinade.
• Trim pork of excess fat, then cut into 2 inch cubes. Transfer cubes to large ziplock bag and fill with marinade. Marinade time should be at least an hour or two, but overnight in the fridge (place in a pan in case of leaks!) is best.
• Line 9″ x 12″ pan with bananna leaves (or aluminum foil), pour in pork and marinade, and cover with more leaves (or foil), tightly.
• Cook at 325º for four hours.
• Serve shreded with tacos, burritos, etc. Given the spicyness of the dish, beans and rice are a nice match.

Notes

• The bananna leaves will give a subtle flavor to the pork, but are hardly essential, so if you don't live within a convienient distance of a mexican (or perhaps asian) market, don't worry.
• Annatto seeds can usually be found in the mexican/ethnic asile of the supermarket, typically as a prepackaged dried spice (I can get them for less than a dollar). They are hard little red nubs, and have an earthy flavor which really marks Yucatan cooking. The are also, oddly enough, the natural coloring agent used to color american cheddar, so don't be surprised if after refridgeration you have some solid fat at the top of your pan that looks convincingly like cheddar.
• If you want to moderate the heat level of this dish, make sure to take the seeds and membranes out of your habaneros. Also, given the heat of this dish, a bottle of tequila and a chilled cerveza are welcome additions while eating this dish.
• This recipe is a mash of various pebil recipes I have found floating around, and I make no claim as to authenticity.
• If you are using your one and only coffee grinder to grind spices, make sure to wipe down the bowl really well with a paper towel (to absorb essential oils). Also, doing a full grind of rice may help to cleanse your grinder of intense spice flavors.

Molasses Crinkles

Ingredients

• 3/4 c butter
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c molasses
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 2 t soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t ginger
• 1/2 t cloves

Preparation

• Mix together the first 4 ingredients (the wet).
• Mix the remaining ingredients and sift (the dry).
• Stir the dry into the wet.
• Chill.
• When chilled, roll into 1 1/4″ balls.
• Dot ball tops in sugar.
• Bake on ungreased baking sheet 350º for 8-10 min.

Notes

• This recipe is a family recipe of Nathaniel Eldredge.
• Remember, these are very sugary, so if left uncovered they will attract moisture and become very mushy.

Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 c AP flour
• 1 c cornmeal
• 1/4 - 1/2 c sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 c oil
• 1 egg beaten

Preparation

• Stir together the first 5 ingredients (the dry).
• Mix together the remaining ingredients (the wet).
• Stir the dry into the wet using as few strokes as possible.
• Pour into a greased and floured 8″x8″ cake pan or 9″ pie pan.
• Bake at 400º if glass, 425º if metal for 20-25 min.

Notes

• This recipe is due to Nathaniel Eldredge's great grandma Simonson.
• This is a basic muffin method recipe. In particular, minimizing the number of strokes to combine the wet and dry is key; it need not look pretty.

Red Quinoa Mex Salad

Ingredients

• 1 c red quinoa
• 2 c water
• 1 small red onion, diced (small)
• 1 hot pepper (jalapeno/serrano), diced (small)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, washed, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 large tomato or equivalent, diced (medium)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 T olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 T ground cumin (fresh!)

Preparation

• Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa, then cover and simmer. Just like cooking rice. 15-20mins until done, then let cool.
• Prep veggies, shred cheese, etc.
• Make dressing by whisking last three items.
• In a bowl, dump in cooled quinoa. Fold in all veggies—but not the cheese—then dress and toss. Store in fridge to let flavors mix.
• Right before serving, fold in cheese. Serve.

Notes

• Nothing particularly special about this recipe; I wanted to to make something with quinoa.
• The dressing quantity is kinda skimpy. If you want a wetter dish, increase accordingly.
• Quinoa has the complete set of amino acids! So, in order to reward yourself for eating so healthfully, have a beer!