Chile Verde

Chile Verde is a dish with a somewhat spotty history. While it’s most likely based on the Mexican dish Carne De Puerco En Chile Verde (pork with green chilies), it’s taken twists and turns as it made its way across the border. At its core, this is a pork dish that’s braised for hours in green things like tomatillos and green chilies. The tangy fresh flavours of the green stuff juxtaposes the richness of the tender slow cooked pork making this a favourite at taquerías all over the South West.Unfortunately many of them take shortcuts, using canned veggies or leaner cuts of pork. Since moving out east I’ve yet to even see it on a menu, much less have a good bowl, so I started on a quest to make the perfect Chile Verde.I won’t lay any claim to authenticity here, but I will say that this is the best Chile Verde I’ve ever had. I know you’re probably thinking “Well of course he’s going to say that about his own recipe”, but I think my claim is justified. Here’s why:1) Everything is either browned or roasted which gives the dish a concentrated sweet, smoky flavour. 2) I hand chop everything which makes for a nice chunky texture that you don’t get with blended preparations 3) While there’s no wrong way to make Chile Verde, for me, this strikes the perfect balance between tart, sweet, savoury and spicy.I also made my own corn tortillas which is so simple, and the results taste so much better, there’s no reason why anyone should buy the packaged ones. You can rehydrate a big batch of Masa Harina and leave it in the fridge, pan grilling only what you need at each meal, so they are fresh.Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to make a big batch of this is what you can do with the leftovers. Shredded and stuffed into masa, it makes for a sublime tamale and as you can see from the photo above, Chile Verde con Huevos makes for an awesome breakfast.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. To Marinate the Pork:
2. =======================
3. 2 lbs fatty pork butt cut into large chunks (2″+)
4. 1 Tbs olive oil
5. 1 Tbs kosher salt
6. 2 cloves garlic minced
7. 1 tsp cumin
8. .
9. For the Roast:
10. =======================
11. 2 Anaheim chilies cut in half lengthwise
12. 4 Serrano chilies
13. 1.5 lbs tomatillos scored so they don’t pop
14. 4 large cloves garlic
15. 1 large onion cut into 12 wedges
16. .
17. For the Chile
18. =======================
19. 2 C chicken broth
20. 3 cilantro roots with about 5″ of stem attached
21. 1 tsp dried oregano
22. 1 cinnamon stick
23. 1 tsp honey
24. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Marinate the pork butt in the oil, garlic, cumin and salt for at least an hour.
2. Move the oven rack to the top position. Put the chiles, tomatillos, garlic and onion on a baking sheet and put under a hot broiler. Allow everything to char on top then flip and char the other side. Remove and allow to cool.
3. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat until very hot then add the pork (no need for oil). Leave the pork undisturbed until it is golden brown. If the pan was hot enough, the pork should not stick to the pan when it is ready to flip, if it sticks, leave it there longer.
4. Once the pork is browned on both sides, add the chicken stock , cilantro roots and stems, oregano, cinnamon, and honey. Destem and seed the roasted peppers (leave the seeds in the Serrano chilies if you want it spicy), core the tomatillos then roughly chop all the roasted veggies and add them to the pot along with any juices on the baking sheet.
5. Turn down heat to medium low and partially cover the pot with a lid (leaving room for steam to escape). Simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat falls apart when a fork is inserted. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, simmer with the lid off allowing the chile to thicken (should be about the consistency of salsa). Salt and pepper to taste and serve with warm (preferably home-made) tortillas.

Notes

Tacos Al Pastor

Like the Mexican food in NYC, Cinco De Mayo is a bit misguided here in the US. Most people think it’s the Mexican equivalent of July 4th, but it’s actually not even a federal holiday south of the border (Mexican Independence day on September 16th however is). I suspect its prominence in the US has a lot to do with the marketing engines of big tex-mex chains looking for a way to sell more burritos (ironically, this is a food item that doesn’t have the wide popularity in Mexico that it does here). Still, it is a good excuse to cook Mexican food especially something a bit more elaborate that takes about a day to make.One of my favourite taco’s, Tacos Al Pastor (”shepherd style”) likely originated from Lebanese immigrants who made their way to Mexico and brought with them Shawarma. Like any food that emigrates from one place to another, changes are made to include locally available ingredients and to suit local palettes. In this case, the meats were flavored with various chiles and then topped with a pineapple while roasting.The pineapple, aside from adding some sweetness and acidity, also has an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down proteins making the meat very tender. Since we don’t all have shawarma spits at home, I’ve adapted this recipe to work in an oven or on a cooler grill. The pineapple goes into the marinade which gets layered into the roast and is then left to marinade for a short amount of time.The meat is stunningly tender with a distinct earthy-smokey flavor coming from the dried chiles and a nice balance of sweetness, tartness and salt. I like my taco’s simple (like they serve them at taquerias in Mexico) and load up a double layer of corn tortillas with meat then add a bit of minced sweet onion, cilantro and salsa verde on top.

Yield:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1. For Al Pastor
2. ================
3. 1 4 lbs pork “butt” roast
4. 1/4 pineapple sliced into long 1/4″ thick strips
5. .
6. 2 ancho chiles
7. 1 guajillo chile
8. 1 bay leaf
9. .
10. 3/4 C fresh pineapple
11. 1/2 onion
12. 1 Chipotle chile (in adobo sauce)
13. 1 Tbs adobo sauce
14. 1 Tbs vinegar
15. 5 cloves of garlic
16. 1 Tbs + 1 tsp kosher salt
17. 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
18. 1/2 tsp oregano
19. 1/4 tsp achiote paste (or 1/2 tsp paprika)
20. .
21. For Serving:
22. ================
23. small white corn tortillas
24. minced vidalia onion
25. minced cilantro
26. lime wedges
27. salsa verde

Directions

1. Put the pork in the freezer until its firm enough to cut (about 30 minutes).
2. Put the the ancho and guajillo chiles along with the bay leaf in a put of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow the chiles to steep until they are rehydrated. Discard the seeds and stems and toss the chiles in a food processor along with all the other ingredients.
3. Take the roast out of the freezer and orient the roast how you’d have it sitting in the roasting pan (fat side up). The idea here is that you want to slice the meat into 3/4″ thick slices that will stack on top of each other in the roasting pan. I don’t slice all the way through which helps when you’re trying to put the roast back together.
4. Slather the marinade between each layer until every nook and cranny is covered. Tie the roast back together. Cover it and allow it to marinade for no more than an hour. Fresh pineapple has a powerful enzyme that breaks down proteins and if you let it sit too long you’ll end up with mush. If you’re using canned pineapple let it marinate overnight as most of the enzyme is destroyed in the canning process.
5. When the roast is ready to go in the oven, set the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the roast on a rack in a roasting pan and add water to the bottom of the pan (this is to keep the drippings from smoking). Roast for 30 minutes at this temperature then place the pineapple slices on top of the roast and turn down the heat to 300 degrees F. Roast until the meat is tender (about 3 hours).
6. After removing the meat from the oven, cover it with foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes. When you’re ready to serve, just cut the meat up into small cubes. I like to pan fry it at this point to give the pieces a bit more caramelization but it’s up to you.
7. To assemble the tacos just heat up a pile of tortilla’s in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for about 30 seconds. Using 2 tortilla’s per taco, fill with meat, then top with minced onions, cilantro and salsa verde. Serve with a wedge of lime for squeezing.

Notes

Char Siu - BBQ Pork

Take a stroll through any Chinatown in the world and you’re bound to see restaurants with strips of red char siu hanging from hooks in the windows. Char siu literally means “fork burned” which is a reference to the traditional preparation, skewered and barbecued over a fire. While you may not have had a chance to try it over rice or in noodle soup, you’ve probably had it chopped up in pork buns (char siu bao) at one point or other.At its best, char siu is moist and flavorful on the inside and caramelized and slightly chewy on the outside, with a sweet aroma redolent of five-spice and garlic. Unfortunately, at many establishments (in the NY Chinatown), it’s overly sweet, grisly, artificially colored meat that’s been hanging under a heatlamp for hours.Char siu is great on top of some rice with the remaining marinade boiled down into a sauce. It’s also fantastic on top of noodle soups and in fried rice. If you feel daring, you can chop it up and make your own char siu bau (pork buns). What’s your favorite way to eat char siu?

Yield:

Serves 6-10

Ingredients

1. 4 strips of pork belly (about 1″ wide)
2. .
3. For the Marinade:
4. =================
5. 1 tsp 5 spice powder
6. 2 Tbs shaoxing cooking wine (or sherry)
7. 2 Tbs maltose (or honey)
8. 1 Tbs hoisin sauce
9. 1 Tbs thai chili sauce
10. 1 Tbs Chinese dark soy sauce
11. 2 Tsp oyster sauce
12. 2 cloves garlic pressed

Directions

1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in a tupperware, ziploc bag, or other container that’s just big enough to hold the pork. The maltose is a little tough to incorporate but it’s okay if there are some lumps as these will eventually dissolve, just make sure there are no big clumps.
2. If your pork belly has skin, use a sharp knife to remove it. Add the pork and skins to the marinade and make sure everything is covered in marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for 2 days, shaking things up a couple times in between.
3. When the pork is ready, preheat the oven to 275 and move the rack to the upper middle position. Set an elevated wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and lay the pieces of pork on the rack. Put the pan in the oven and let it roast for 1 hour. Remove it from the oven then flip, the pieces of pork and baste generously with the marinade.
4. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip, then baste again with the marinade. Return it to the oven for another 30 minutes or until most (but not all) of the fat has rendered out.

Notes

For the pork belly, try to get pork belly that’s leaner that what you’d get for braising. Ideally you’ll have thick layers of very marbled meat with thin strips of fat in between. You could also use pork shoulder, but I prefer pork belly for the extra fat content. Whatever you do, please don’t make this a pork loin (you’ll end up with pork jerky).Shaoxing is a dark brown cooking wine you can pick up in most asian groceries, but if you can’t find it, sherry makes a pretty good substitute.I’ll admit that Thai chili sauce isn’t exactly authentic, but I like the mild sweet garlicky heat it provides.Chinese dark soy sauce is actually a key component (I used Pearl River Bridge brand). It is much darker than the more common Japanese dark soy sauce and is more viscous. I’m fairly certain that this is were the red color comes from, so it’s probably not a good idea to substitute in something else if you can find it.Maltose is a malt sugar that’s made from barley. It is extremely viscous and sticky with a smooth texture like very cold honey. It’s not as sweet as honey, but because of its viscosity it helps make the marinade stick to the pork and imparts a malty flavour. You can usually find it in asian groceries, and I love just sticking a clean chopstick into the jar, twirling it around until I have a little lollipop of maltose and sucking on it.

Siew Yuk - Chinese Roast Pork

Whenever I go to Chinatown to pick something up, I almost always have to stop at a place to pick up some crisp skinned roast pork. This is often confused with the more well known bbq pork (char siew), which has the telltale red exterior from the sweet bbq glaze.Both are good, but when faced with a choice, my vote goes to the simple roast pork if for no other reason than the crispy cracklin’ skin. Because it’s roasted at a low temperature for hours, the meat is basted with the rendered fat and the tougher connective tissue breaks down into soft gelatin making the meat even more moist.

Yield:

Serves 10

Ingredients

1. 1 skin-on pork shoulder or picnic roast
2. 3 cloves grated garlic
3. 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
4. 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper
5. 2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
6. 1 tsp kosher salt
7. 2 tsp oil

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Wash and dry your roast thoroughly. Score the skin about 1″ apart.
3. Mash all the other ingredients together to make a paste. Smear the paste all over the roast working it into the skin and meat. Put the roast in a pan that will let the fat drain through (a wire rack over a baking sheet will do in a pinch), and stick it in the over for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, the skin should just be turning brown (if it’s getting too dark, turn down the heat sooner). Reduce the heat to 250 degrees F and let it roast for about 8 hours (for a 2-3 lbs roast). You’ll know it’s ready when most of the fat has rendered out and the meat has started pulling away from the bone.
5. When it’s ready, take it out of the oven, transfer it to a different pan (you could do it in the same pan, but the fat that’s collected in this pan will smoke and set your smoke alarms off). Put it back into a 450 degree F oven to crisp the skin for 15-20 minutes. The skin should be puffed up, crisp and golden brown.
6. Take it out of the oven and let it rest of a bit. You’ll probably want to take the skin off and break it up by hand, slicing the slabs of tender pork seperately. I make a dipping sauce out of scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and salt to dip the meat in and have it over rice. One other thing… the skin doesn’t stay crisp in the fridge, so enjoy it all the night you make it.

Notes

Clay Pot Pork

Cooking meat in caramel sauce is a popular technique in Vietnam; the sweet/bitter sauce makes a perfect foil for slow-braised pork. This is traditionally made in a clay pot, but a heavy saucepan or small Dutch oven also works well. The relatively large amount of fish sauce is important for the flavor of the dish. Serve the pork over white rice.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup sugar
2. 3/4 cup chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium broth or water
3. 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese
4. 3 shallots, thinly sliced
5. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6. 3 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally, white and green parts kept separate
7. 1 lb trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
8. 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cook sugar in a dry 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar has melted into a deep golden caramel. Carefully add stock and fish sauce (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Add shallots, garlic, and white part of scallions and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.
2. Toss pork with pepper in a bowl and stir into sauce. Bring to a simmer, then cover pan, reduce heat to low, and braise pork, stirring once or twice, until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Stir in scallion greens and serve with rice.

Notes