More Mexican?

Apparently I haven't posted a new recipe in over four months... Oops.

I haven't been trying out new things in the kitchen all that much this winter... My creativity stores are low.

I think Dave's no. 1 complaint is that I cook too much Mexican. I can't help it - the bright sunny flavors of lime and fresh chiles, they keep me going through the winter months. It is also economical, as I find that I can use my leftovers in more creative ways when I stick within the Latin genre.

Here is a dish that you can use in Mexican dishes (tostadas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, dzik...) or you can use it in sandwiches (try it w/ BBQ sauce) or casseroles...

SHREDDED PORK

3 lbs pork shoulder roast
1 teaspoon salt
2 yellow onions, cut into chunks
8 cloves garlic, skins removed and left whole
2 quarts water

Trim the meat of all fat (when using a heavily marbled cut of pork, trim the excess fat from the cut's exterior). Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 9 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the cooker, allowing it to cool. Once cooled, shred the meat using your fingers or two forks.

The stock may be strained and frozen for later use in soups and stews (I did not save mine, but realized after the fact that it could be used in making posole).

* * *

If you'd like to make enchiladas with the pork, here is a smoky enchilada sauce that is ten times better than the canned sauce:

CHIPOTLE CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE

2-3 canned chipotle chiles
1 T. adobo sauce (from can of chiles)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice (I like to use Muir Glen fire roasted)
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper, ground
1 T. vegetable oil
2 c. chicken broth

In a blender jar, add chiles, adobo sauce, garlic, tomatoes w/ juice, cumin, and pepper. Blend to a smooth consistency.

Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a 4 qt sauce pan (trust me - go big to avoid splatters). Pour in the sauce, then cook 5-7 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to a thick consistency. Add the chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

* * *

While traditionally made with venison or beef, you may also use the pork in a traditional "salad" of the Yucatan - dzik. It is very refreshing on a hot day, and it can be served as a main dish salad (think along the line of Thai meat salads) or it can be used as a filling for tacos.

DZIK

2.5 - 3 c. shredded meat
1 c. tomato-habanero salsa (below)
2 T. fresh lime juice (try the tiny key limes for extra freshness)
1 t. salt

Stir the beef into the salsa. Add the lime juice and season with salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature until serving (not to exceed one hour). Serve.

TOMATO-HABANERO SALSA

1/2 small red onion, finely minced
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 medium ripe red tomato (or 2-3 Roma tomatoes)
3 radishes, sliced thinly
1/2 habanero chile, seeded and minced
6 large sprigs cilantro, finely sliced

In a strainer, rinse the minced red onion under cold water, then shake off excess water. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in one tablespoon fresh lime juice. Core the tomatoes, cut them in half, and scoop out the seeds. Chop them finely and put them into a large bowl (separate from the onion). Chop the sliced radishes into a small dice, and add to the tomato along with the habanero and cilantro. Add the onion-lime mixture to the tomato mixture.

Using Up Those Pot Roast Leftovers: Enchilada Casserole

Did you all take my advice and make the garlic studded pot roast? And do you have leftovers? In my house, leftovers are looked down upon. Not by me, but by that... other person who lives here (Dave!) I really struggle with throwing out leftovers, because it goes against my cheap-ass nature, so I try to come up with ways in which to utilze leftovers that don't give my boyfriend "yuck face" when he sits down to the dinner table... and last night was a success. I have the perfect easy-peasy relaxed recipe to use up all those leftovers.

Shredded Beef Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

Leftover shredded pot roast (I had about a cup and a half of leftovers)
1 can enchilada sauce
16 corn tortillas, sliced in half
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Queso Quesadilla, but you could use jack, colby jack, etc.)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 1.5 quart round baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a nonstick saute pan over medium heat, saute the onion until soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the beef, black beans and 1/4 of the can on enchilada sauce. Stir until beef is evenly coated with sauce.

Begin assembling casserole by layering tortillas in the baking dish, overlapping them so that they form a continuous layer (5 halves per layer). Spoon enchilada sauce onto the tortillas (I used two large serving spoonfuls), sprinkle with cheese (according to your taste/diet), add a spoonful of the beef mixture (spread it around a bit). Repeat. On the final layer of tortillas, add sauce and cheese only.

(I happened to have a wedge of queso anejo in the fridge, and grated some of that onto the top as well.)

Once the casserole is assembled, bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cool slightly, then slice into wedges (1/4 wedges if you're hungry, 1/6 wedges if you need to stretch this meal). Careful - you may want to use a big spoon when serving to catch all the saucy and cheesy goodness.

Serve with chopped romaine, sliced scallions, salsa, and if desired, sour cream. Chop lots of lettuce. Trust me. You'll want it to cut the richness of the casserole.

Tacos al Carbon

Tacos al Carbón
1 ½ lbs flank steak (or a comparable thicker cut)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
corn tortillas

Prepare the grill (med-high heat). In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together with a fork. Rub onto both sides of steak and let rest for 10-20 minutes. Grill meat 8 minutes per side, or until desired. (DLL grilled over a lower heat for a longer time, I think.) Prepare tortillas per package instructions – personally, I like preparing them in a skillet so they get a little crusty at the edges. After the meat is removed from the grill, let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices are retained. Cut the meat against the grain, and cut into smaller taco-sized bites. Add meat to tortillas and garnish.

Garnish ideas:
salsa (see below)
guacamole (see below)
grated cheese (I like Cotija)
sour cream (try crema mexicana – it’s so so so yummy)
grilled peppers and onions (see photo above)


Kate’s Guacamole
2 avocados, pitted and scooped out of skins
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
kosher salt to taste

In a bowl, mash the avocado with a large fork or a potato masher. Add the garlic, cilantro and lime juice and mix. Add the kosher salt to taste.


Salsa Fresca
1 lb ripe tomatoes
2 serrano peppers, stemmed and halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup cilantro, loosely packed and roughly chopped
1 large green onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
kosher salt to taste

Using a food processor’s pulse setting, add the garlic and peppers one at a time until finely mined. Take half of the tomatoes and set aside. Chop the second half of the tomatoes into quarters, add to the food processor with the cilantro. Spoon into a medium bowl. Chop the remaining tomatoes into a ¼” dice and add, along with the onion, to the processed mixture. Season with lime juice and salt to taste.

Pico de Gallo

I made some killer pico this week, and I’ve been using it as a garnish, as a salsa, as a topping for my scrambled egg whites, etc. I used Bay Produce tomatoes (from Superior WI’s Challenge Center) but since it is garden tomato time of year, this recipe would be extra-tasty with those. Mmmmm. Garden tomato time is my favorite time of year!

Pico de Gallo
5 large beefsteak tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (discard seeds & veins for less heat)
1 ½ T. finely minced fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ T. lime juice
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle the lime juice over the top and season with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, 60 minutes or more before serving.

Guaca guaca guaca!

In the spirit of summer, here is my top-secret recipe for guacamole. It’s really not top-secret, but my sister swears up & down that I make the best guac… Personally, I think it's good, but not the best. I pretty much just improvise every time.

Kate’s Guac
3 ripe avocados (I use Hass)
1 small white onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 diced jalapeno peppers, ribs & seeds removed
4 roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 lime
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Remove the “meat” from the inside of the avocados. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with a large fork until the consistency is evenly chunky. Add the onion, tomato, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno. Sprinkle the guac with a teaspoon of Kosher salt and about ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the juice of ½ ime. Taste. Season with additional salt and/or lime to taste.

Serve with chips, fresh veggies, fajitas, etc. A simple side dish that really tastes like summer!