Monday, November 1, 2010

Chile Verde anyone?

Ingredients:


Olive oil

5 cups diced onion

1/2 cup chopped garlic

5 pounds pork shoulder, cubed

1 quart chicken broth

15 to 20 Anaheim peppers


12 to 15 tomatillos

(FOR A NICE SHORTCUT, YOU CAN JUST USE CANNED GREEN CHILES AND CANNED WHOLE TOMATILLOS. IF DOING THIS, USE FOUR 7OZ CANS OF DICED GREEN CHILIES AND THEN HOWEVER MANY CANS OF WHOLE TOMATILLOS IT TAKES TO GET 12 TO 15 TOMATILLOS. IT IS GOING TO DEPEND WHAT SIZE OF CANS ARE AVAILABLE AT YOUR GROCERY STORE. I HAVE USED THE CONTENTS OF A 28OZ CAN AND THAT WAS PERFECT.)

3 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves (Mexican oregano if you have it)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup corn flour (NOT THE SAME as corn meal! Corn flour is also called Masa. It is most likely going to be down the ethnic food isle with the rest of the hispanic food.)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if using fresh chiles and/or tomatillos).

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the pork shoulder in a large heavy bottomed pot, coated with oil, over medium heat and sear until well browned on all sides. Deglaze with the chicken broth, and then add sauteed onions and garlic. Turn heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

(ok, now if you are using the canned chilies and tomatillos, skip the green instructions below.)

Meanwhile, place the Anaheim peppers on a sheet pan.


Peel the outer paper skins off the tomatillos, then coat with olive oil and place on another sheet pan. Place both pans in the preheated oven and roast until the peppers are nicely charred and the tomatillos are soft, about 20 minutes.


Remove pans from the oven and place the peppers in a plastic bag to let them steam for 5 minutes.


Peel and seed peppers.

Puree the peppers and tomatillos (drain the tomatillos! don't use the liquid) in a food processor. Add the puree to the pork mixture, stir, and then let simmer on low heat.

Combine the garlic powder, black pepper, ground cumin, oregano, ground coriander and salt in a small bowl, then add to pork mixture and stir well.

In a small saute pan, mix 1/2 cup olive oil (I have used less oil before... maybe 1/4 cup? Try it and see.) with the corn flour, stirring over low heat for 2 minutes to make a masa roux.

Let the chili mixture simmer for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours on medium-low heat, or until pork is nice and tender. Then stir in masa roux and simmer for 10 more minutes. The roux should work as a thickening agent.

SERVE THIS UP WITH SOME BEANS, RICE, SHREDDED LETTUCE AND TOMATOES, AND TORTILLAS. MAKE INTO A BURRITO OR JUST EAT IT WITH A FORK AND HAVE TORTILLAS ON THE SIDE.

DELICIOSO!

Slush


With the holidays approaching, it is time to start thinking about some of those recipes that, in my family, no holiday season would be complete without!

How about a holiday slush?

6 cups water
4 cups sugar
Boil and cool
Add:

1 12 oz can frozen orange juice (not diluted)
1 large can pineapple juice
juice of 2 lemons
5 mashed bananas (optional)
Pour into containers with lids. Freeze solid and thaw slightly to serve.  When serving, I usually scrape some out with a fork (to help get it to a slushy stage) then put it in a cup. Pour a little carbonated beverage into it-- lemon lime soda, or Fresca, or... whatever citrus-y soda. We like Fresca at our house. Slush together with a fork so it is one homogenous, slushy mixture! You can add as little or as much soda as you like, according to your preference. 

(Obviously, you could also slush a bunch of it in a punch bowl if you are doing it for a party or something. We usually just let people dish up their own individual servings when it is just our family.)