Posole (Mexican Pork and Hulled Corn Soup)

So, I bought a very large pork loin for our New Year's day dinner and was thinking about what to do with the extra?  I am absolutely in love with Mexican cuisine and thought, "Let me use the loin instead of the classic shoulder cut and make one of the best things ever, Posole!"  Pronounced poh-SOH-lay, be careful with this one, it's very addicting.  It's best garnished with lots of cilantro, cheese, and lime.  Serve it with warm flour tortillas, OLE!

The recipe below has the shoulder cut in it, because this is how I would usually make this dish.  For the pork loin cut, I will season it the exact same way, but will roast it in a 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes per pound.  Then I will let the pork cool slightly and cut it into strips to be served on top of the soup. 

Pork:

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

(1) 2-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ red onion, sliced

Posole:

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 plum tomatoes, diced

6 C. low-salt chicken broth

      (1) 28 oz. can undrained pinto beans

      (1) 28 oz. can white hominy, drained

      (1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices, puréed in blender until smooth

      1 Tbsp. oregano

      2 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shredded mild cheddar

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Flour tortillas

For pork-  Do ahead!  Can be done up to 3 days before making the soup.  Just cover and chill the pork and juices separately.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Line a small roasting pan with foil.  Mix spices in a small bowl.  Rub spice mix all over the pork.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Place pork in the pan, cover with sliced onions and pour 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the pan.  Cover tightly with foil and roast until meat is very tender, 5-6 hours.  Let pork rest until cool enough to handle.  Using 2 forks shred pork into bite-sized pieces.  Skim the fat from the juices in the roasting pan; reserve meat. 

For posole-

Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes.  Add the diced fresh tomatoes and stir until softened, 2 minutes longer.  Stir in broth and the next 5 ingredients.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.  Add reserved pork to the soup.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes longer.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding reserved juices from the roast pork. 

Divide among bowls, garnish with shredded cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.  Serve with warm flour tortillas and enjoy!

Daulphinoise Potatoes

This was a staple side dish in the Grill Room at the Ritz Carlton.  Around the Holidays it makes a super side dish for roasts, lamb, steaks, etc.  It can be served family style in the dish or you can cut the finished potatoes into shapes.  I have had many friends ask for this recipe, so here it is, Enjoy!

4 medium russet potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped fine

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Grated nutmeg, to taste

1 C. heavy cream

1 C. whole milk

4 eggs

1 1/2 C. grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with half of the butter.   Sprinkle the garlic evenly into the butter dish.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Reserve the mixture (called a Royale) on the side. 

Divide cheese into 2 parts, a one cup measure and a half cup measure. 

Working quickly, so they don’t brown, peel potatoes and slice thinly using a food processor.   Pat slices dry using paper towel.  Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of the potatoes, overlapping the slices.  Using the one cup measure, sprinkle some of the cheese and repeat layering more potatoes and cheese until all of the potatoes has been used.  Pour the cream mixture, gently over the potatoes making sure the liquid has penetrated evenly.  Using your hand, press down on the potato mixture to compact the potatoes and liquid.  Top with the remaining half cup measure of cheese and dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Place baking dish into hot oven and cook for 50-60 minutes.   Check after 40 minutes, if top is over browning cover loosely with foil and return to the oven to finish.  Remove from oven.  The top of the potatoes should be golden brown and a sharp knife should pass easily through the layers of potato. 

Now, comes a choice, there are a couple of different ways to serve the finished dish.  The first is family style, let the dish rest for 15 minutes and serve.  Easy and definitely a crowd pleaser.   

The second way, if you want to “kick it up a notch” and it’s how we served them in the restaurant; you chill the fully cooked dish completely.  Obviously, this method of serving will require you make this the day before or earlier in the day you want to serve it.  Once fully cooled, run a very sharp knife around the edges of the dish and loosen.  Place a large cutting board on the top of the dish and quickly flip both, so the dish is now upside down on top of the cutting board.   Carefully, using your knife, remove the entire Daulphinoise, in one piece, onto the cutting board.  From here you can cut the potatoes into whatever shape you want (we did diamonds or rounds).   Flip the cut potato shapes so the golden brown cheese side is up.  To reheat, place in 400 degrees F. oven until hot through and through.  Serve and enjoy!

Chickpea Salad with Lebanese Spices

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses

1 tsp. honey

1 small clove garlic, crushed

Kosher salt to taste

Salad:

8 large spring onions, finely sliced

squeeze of lemon juice

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (or halved if very small)

(2) 15oz. can chickpeas, devided in half; drained and rinsed

3 Tbsp. Lebanese spice mix (recipe follows)

4 oz. soft,  goat cheese 

6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

leaves of baby gem, romaine or other crunchy lettuce to serve

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, honey, crushed garlic and salt to taste.  Reserve on the side.

Spread one half of the chickpeas on a baking sheet and place into hot oven.  Cook for 20 minutes, shaking tray half way through cooking time.  Remove tray from oven and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 3 Tbsp. spice mix.  Spread them out again on tray and return to oven for another 10 minutes until browned and crunchy. (These also make a wonderful snack, serve either warm or at room tempurature)

Add the spring onions to a salad bowl and sprinkle with a good squeeze of lemon juice. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas (both plain and roasted), goat cheese, cilantro, parsley and dressing to the salad bowl. Toss to mix. Add coarse salt and black pepper to taste.   Scoop spoonfuls of salad onto crunchy lettuce leaves, serve and enjoy!

Lebanese Spice Mix:

Allspice

Blk Pepper

Cinnamon

Cloves

Nutmeg

Fenugreek

Ginger

Buy the ingredients in powder form (or make into powder using pestel and mortar). Mix together equal quantities of all the above. Once complete, keep in a sealed jar or container and it will last for at least six months

Weekly Menu- Dec. 31st - Jan. 6th

Saturday- New Year's Eve Appetizer Party at Martha's
Indian Spiced Red Lentil Dip with Naan and Fresh Vegetables
Warm Flat bread with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Fig Jam and Arugula
Lamb "Lollipops" with a Roasted Shallot Reduction
Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon Zest and Thyme
Stuffed Mushrooms
Potato Latke's with Spiced Applesauce

Sunday-
Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Croutons
Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Potatoes and Root Vegetables
Baby Arugula Salad with Walnuts and Bleu Cheese, Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Monday-
Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini with Chicken and Dill
Chickpea Salad with Lebanese Spices
Brown Jasmine Rice with Sliced Almonds

Tuesday-
Mahi-Mahi Burgers with Smoked Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Curried-Carrot Slaw
Fresh Cut French Fries with Sea Salt

Wednesday-
Vegetable, Bean, and Turkey Burritos
Garden Fresh Salsa

Thursday-
Brown Rice Vegetable Pasta
Eggplant Ragu

Friday-"Smorgasbord Night" (clean out the Frig, make room for Sat.'s shop)

Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Potatoes and Root Vegetables

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/4 C. Dijon mustard

1 (3#) boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied

3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed

8 carrots, peeled, and thickly sliced diagonally

10 small potatoes (red or white-skinned), cut in quarters

2 yellow onions, thickly sliced

4 Tbsp. olive oil

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, grind together the garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and thyme leaves.  Using a rubber spatula, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the mustard.  Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs in thick wedges, cutting through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

Place the pork loin in a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes, carefully remove pan from oven and add all the vegetables around the loin.  Place pan back in the oven and cook for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads 140 degrees.  Remove loin from the pan and loosely cover with foil, reserve warm.  At a minimum the roast needs to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.  A fork should easily pierce the potatoes and the vegetables should be tender but not over cooked.  If any of the mixture needs to be cooked longer, return vegetable mixture to oven and continue to cook until desired doneness.  

Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Seafood Mofongo

Viva Puerto Rico!  We are just back from an absolutely fabulous trip to this beautiful island paradise.  While staying in the Porta Del Sol region (the north-western side) I had some of the best Mofongo and decided to make a version.  This is a staple food using plantains and can be made to complement a wide variety of meats, seafood, or vegetables.

1/2 C. vegetable oil
1# Mahi-Mahi (Called Dorado on the island)
1# mixed seafood (shrimp, calamari, scallops, octopus)
flour for dredging
1/4# thick cut bacon
3 plantains, peeled and sliced into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh cilantro,  to taste- chopped
fresh flat leaf parsley, to taste- chopped
1/2 C.+ hot chicken stock or broth
1 lime, juiced
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl combine fish and other seafood, add all but 2 Tbsp of lime juice and coat thoroughly.  Reserve cold.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan.  Once hot, fry bacon until golden brown.  Remove and reserve warm.  Add vegetable oil to pan and heat.  Once hot, fry the plantains in batches until tender and golden brown.  Place cooked plantains on paper towel to drain some of the oil.  Reserve pan with oil to the side.

Move all the cooked plantains to a fresh, large mixing bowl.  Add bacon, remaining lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and parsley.  Mash using the hot stock to form the consistency of thick potatoes.  (Traditionally, the plantains and other ingredients are smashed using a pestel and mortar.)  Season with salt and pepper, reserve warm.

Bring pan with the oil used to fry the bacon and plantains back to the heat.  Drain the fish and seafood, season with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.  Shake well to remove all excess flour and then flash fry, Mahi first in batches in the hot oil.  Once fish is golden in color remove from oil and place on baking dish.  Place in the oven and finish cooking.  Now flash fry the assorted seafood in batches and finish in the hot oven.  Do not overcook the fish, everything should be cooked through but moist.

Serve family style; put the Mofongo on the bottom of a large warm serving bowl and top with the mixture of fish and seafood, top dish with some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley, serve and enjoy!

Thyme and Cheese Strata

A Christmas morning staple.  This can be made with the addition of just about anything you'd make an omelette with.  This is a basic version, but I really like to add a good pork sausage or smoked bacon to the mix.  I cook the meat first and cool, then add it to the mixture.  I make the night before and just pop it into the oven while presents are being opened.  When everyone is ready for some breakfast, voila!

2 Tbsp softened butter
8 eggs
2 C. whole milk
1 1/2 C. shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend, but experiment, have fun with it)
fresh thyme, to taste
3 C. fresh French bread, cut into 2" chunks
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a glass baking dish with the butter.  Add the bread pieces and sprinkle half the cheese over.  In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk together with the milk.  Add thyme to your taste and the salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over the bread and top with remainder of cheese.

Place dish in the hot oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Once done, remove and let sit for 5-10 minutes, serve and enjoy!