One of the things that inspired me in Rome was World Cup Soccer. As a melting pot of humanity, the entire city was World Cup crazed. Everyone was talking football. The cab drivers were listening to the games, the bars and restaurants were filled with fans, the one television at Casa Lasalle was permanently tuned to the games.
On our last night in Rome, Mary and I were having dinner at a lovely restaurant on Piazza Navona. Suddenly a wild cheer went up from a little bar across the Piazza. Waiters ran from the restaurants surrounding the Piazza to the little bar to see who had scored. Picture men in white waiters jackets dodging street performers, artists and jet lagged tourists as they ran full speed across the Piazza.
So, today on my first day home I'm watching football. After watching Mexico play Uruguay this morning, I decided to do a few days of World Cup cooking. While Mexico lost to Uruguay, both teams advanced.
I had no Uruguay recipes, so I decided to do some research. According to Wikipedia:
"Due to its strong Italian tradition, all the famous Italian pasta dishes are found in Uruguay: ravioli, spaghetti,lasagna, tortellini, fettuccine, cannelloni, fusilli, agnolotti, tagliatelle, capellini,vermicelli, penne rigate, fagioloni,cellentani, rotini, bucatini, farfalle and the traditional gnocchi. Although the pasta can be served with a lot of sauces, there is one special sauce that was created by Uruguayans. The Caruso Sauce is a pasta sauce made from double cream, meat extract, onions, ham and mushrooms. It is very popular with sorrentinos and agnolotti. There is also a huge variety of pizza, as well as calzone, fugazzetas, figazzas, fainás, and cheese fainá."I guess I'll salute Uruguay when I'm back to cooking pasta and pizza. Today's country of choice is Mexico. This is Mexican food from an American kitchen, so don't get twisted about the authenticity factor. Just sit back and pretend I know what I'm doing.
Salsa Verde
Let's start with the classic salsa verde. This is the miracle sauce. It makes so many dishes better and is wonderful by itself with taco chips. It's also ridiculously easy.
The ingredients: tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, lime and garlic. What are tomatillos you ask? They look like green tomatoes only they are coved in a papery husk.
Here's a better shot of the tomatillos.
The first thing you do is remove the husks. They pull right off.
Next you need to wash them. They feel sticky. Hold them under luke warm water and scrub them a bit. The stickiness washes away.
Next roast the tomatillos and one jalapeño. I put them on an old cookie sheet that I keep around just for this purpose. Then I put them under the broiler until they start to turn brown.
This is the remaining two tomatillos and the jalapeño.
Drop the roasted tomatillos and jalapeño into a food processor. Be sure to pour any juice on the pan into the food processor. Add one clove of garlic and a bunch of cilantro.
Then turn that bad boy on and let it blend all that goodness into a puree.
Next you will want to add some lime. It serves two purposes. It adds a nice flavor and it helps to keep the sauce from turning brown. Notice that I'm rolling the lime before I cut it to loosen up the juice a bit.
Ahhhh, at last. A juicy lime.
And here is the beautiful finished product in all its spicy, limey goodness.
You could stop right here and grab a corn chip and dig in. However, I want to show you how to make the best guacamole on earth using this beautiful green salsa.
Guacamole with Salsa Verde
You start with avocado and salsa verde. If you have an onion, you could add that as well. I, unfortunately didn't have one.
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. I usually just stick the tip of my knife into the pit and it comes right out. Except on the third avocado when I managed to stick the knife into my hand. Notice how I'm holding the knife and the avocado to give the camera a good view. It's a recipe for disaster. Don't even think about doing it this way if you need an opposable thumb.
Scoop out the avocado.
Mash it slightly. I like my guac a little chunky. Note the towel. Always have one handy for avocado pit removal accidents.
Now the secret part. Mix in about 1/4 cup of the salsa verde. More if you dare. Don't you love my fashion choice for today's cooking lesson. We have a strict "no pictures of anything but the hands" rule. But apparently someone thinks rules are for other people.
Dip in a chip and enjoy. Don't worry about it turning brown. The acid in the salsa verde will prevent that.
Carnitas Tacos
The ingredients: pork shoulder, onion, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper. Yes this is what happened to the onion for the guacamole.
First, mix the spices: 2 t. salt, 2 t. black pepper and 2 t. Mexican oregano.
Cut up the meat in 1 1/2 inch pieces. Remove the large pieces of fat.
Toss the meat pieces with the spices. You don't have to stick your finger out. I just do that to look dainty. Or something like that.
Put in in a crock pot.
This is what 2 lbs of pork shoulder looks like when it's cut up and most of the fat removed.
Add one onion cut into quarters. Don't worry about making them pretty. You're going to remove them when the cooking is done. They are just there to flavor the meat.
Put the crock pot on high and let it cook for 4-5 hours. Be prepared for strangers to come knocking on your door as the delicious fragrance from that crock pot fills the air.
When it is done, slightly shred the meat, and put it on a warm corn tortilla with a slice of avocado, a slice of red pepper, a sprig of cilantro and a drizzle of salsa verde. Serve with lime wedges and rice and beans. Of course, I like a little sour cream too.
What's not to love?
And, here's a free endorsement. Zatarans makes the best beans and rice. Actually any of their side dishes is wonderful. And quick.
Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos (Bon Appétit | April 2008)
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Corn tortillas
Salsa Verde
Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers, shred pork; transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.
No comments:
Post a Comment