Pork Chops with Braised Cabbage

Method

1 Cook the cabbage first. Heat the bacon fat (or butter or vegetable oil) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring only occasionally, until the edges of the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over the onions as they cook. Add the sliced cabbage and toss to combine. Cook for a minute or two, then add the celery seed, caraway, and stock. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered for 10 minutes.
2 After 10 minutes, remove from heat, but leave the cover on the pan. Wait another 5 minutes, then uncover the pan and mix in the mustard and vinegar. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
3 As soon as you cover the cabbage pan in step 1, heat a tablespoon of bacon fat or oil in a cast iron frying pan on medium high heat. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt and lay them in the pan, working in batches if necessary as to not crowd the pan.
Tip: Place the chops in the pan so that the thickest, boniest parts are near the center of the pan where they get the most heat.
As soon as the chops are nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes or so, flip them and sear them on the other side. If your pork chops are less than 3/4-inch thick, and you are using a cast iron pan, once the chops are seared on the second side, remove the pan from heat and let the chops sit in the hot pan until cooked through (you can use the finger test to check for the doneness of the meat). If you are not using a cast iron pan, just remove the pan from heat and cover the pan for a few minutes until the chops are done.
If your chops are thicker than 3/4-inch, and you are using a cast iron pan, remove the pan from heat and cover it, letting the chops finish cooking for about 5 minutes. If not using a cast iron pan, keep the chops covered on low heat for another 5 minutes after searing.
4 Remove the chops from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve alongside the cabbage.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons bacon fat, butter or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, sliced 1/4-inch, about 2 cups
• 1/2 head of cabbage, sliced 1/4-inch wide slices
• Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1/2 cup stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable) or water
• 1 Tbsp mustard, preferably Dijon
• 1 Tbsp malt or cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp bacon fat or high smoke point vegetable oil such as canola oil
• 4 pork chops

Pork Chops

Method

1 Pat chops dry with a paper towel, they'll brown better. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2 Heat a large, stick-free skillet on medium high heat. Lightly brown the pork chops on both sides, for a minute or two each.
3 While the chops are browning, mix the red jelly with the mustard. Once the chops are browned, reduce the heat of the pan to low. Dollop the sauce over the chops. Cover the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the pork is just cooked through (thick cuts may take longer).
4 Remove the pork chops from the pan. Add vinegar to the pan. Increase the heat to high and boil down the sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add any juices that have come out of the chops while they've been sitting back to the pan.
Serve the pork chops with the sauce spooned over them.

 

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup of red currant jelly (or any red berry jelly, not jam)
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar or white vinegar

Polish Hunter’s Stew

Method

1 Pour hot tap water over the dried mushrooms and submerge them for 20-40 minutes, or until soft. Grind or crush the juniper berries and black peppercorns roughly; you don’t want a powder. Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks, about 2 inches. Cut the sausages into similar-sized chunks. Drain the sauerkraut and set aside. Clean off any dirt from the mushrooms and cut them into large pieces; leave small ones whole.
2 Heat the bacon fat or vegetable oil in a large lidded pot for a minute or two. Working in batches if necessary, brown the pork shoulder over medium-high heat. Do not crowd the pan. Set the browned meat aside.
3 Put the onion and fresh cabbage into the pot and sauté for a few minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is soft. Sprinkle a little salt over them. The vegetables will give off plenty of water, and when they do, use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. If you are making the tomato-based version, add the tomato paste here. Once the pot is clean and the cabbage and onions soft, remove from the pot and set aside with the pork shoulder.
4 Add the mushrooms and cook them without any additional oil, stirring often, until they release their water. Once they do, sprinkle a little salt on the mushrooms. When the water is nearly all gone, add back the pork shoulder, the cabbage-and-onion mixture, and then everything else except the prunes. Add the beer, if using, or the tomato sauce if you're making the tomato-based version. Stir well to combine.
5 You should not have enough liquid to submerge everything. That’s good: Bigos is a “dry” stew, and besides, the ingredients will give off more liquid as they cook. Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pot and cook gently for at least 2 hours.
6 Bigos is better the longer it cooks, but you can eat it once the ham hock falls apart. Check at 2 hours, and then every 30 minutes after that. When the hock is tender, fish it out and pull off the meat and fat from the bones Discard the bones and the fat, then chop the meat roughly and return to the pot. Add the prunes and cook until they are tender, at least 30 more minutes.
Bigos is best served simply, with rye bread and a beer. If you want a little kick, add the mustard or horseradish right before you eat it. Bigos improves with age, too, which is why this recipe makes so much: Your leftovers will be even better than the stew was on the first day.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini or other wild mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp bacon fat or vegetable oil
• 2 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 head cabbage (regular, not savoy or red), chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms
• 1-2 pounds kielbasa or other smoked sausage
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 pound fresh Polish sausage (optional)
• 1 25-ounce jar of fresh sauerkraut (we recommend Bubbies, which you may be able to find in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket)
• 1 bottle of pilsner or lager beer
• 1 Tbsp juniper berries (optional)
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 2 Tbsp dried marjoram
• Salt
• 20 prunes, sliced in half (optional)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp mustard or horseradish (optional)

Pineapple Glazed Ham Balls

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 Put the bacon and ham into a food processor and pulse briefly 3-4 times to chop fine. Do not purée. Place the mixture in a large bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients and mix well to combine. Using your hands, form meatballs anywhere from 1-inch to 2-inches in diameter. The smaller diameter meatballs will make for easier eating if you are making them for an appetizer for a party. Larger meatballs will work well for a main course.
3 Arrange the meatballs in a casserole pan and put in the oven for about 1 hour for 2-inch diameter meatballs, or 30-40 minutes for 1-inch diameter meatballs.These meatballs are pretty forgiving, but look for an internal temperature of about 165° or so.
4 Make the glaze when you put the meatballs in the oven. Mix all the ingredients except the corn starch in a small pot and bring to a boil. Whisk in the corn starch and simmer 1-2 minutes.
5 Baste the meatballs once they have cooked for 20 minutes, then again at 40 minutes for larger meatballs or at 10 minutes and 20 minutes if you are making small meatballs, and then again at 5 minutes before they're done. 

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1 pound ham, diced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp pineapple juice

Glaze:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with 2 Tbsp cold water

Memphis-Style Pork Ribs

Method

1 Mix all the dry ingredients together. Rub them all over the ribs and, if you have time, set them in the fridge overnight.
2 Get your grill or smoker going. You want pretty low heat, about 200-220°F if you can measure it. Make sure you have a spot to put the ribs that is not directly over the heat source. Lay the ribs down. They should not sizzle. If they do, cool the grill down until the ribs no longer sizzle when placed down. Cover the grill or smoker and walk away for an hour.
3 Every hour or so after that, turn and rotate the ribs so they cook evenly. You should not have to baste them if you do this: The fat in the ribs will do the basting for you. Depending on how hot your set-up is and at what stage of doneness you like your ribs, they will be done in 4-8 hours.

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 St. Louis-cut or spare rib racks

Meatballs with Ricotta in Tomato Sauce

Method

1 In a large bowl, add the pork, Italian sausage, prosciutto or pancetta, bread cubes, parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt. Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not over-work.
2 Whisk the beaten eggs and ricotta together in a separate bowl until there are no more large clumps of ricotta. Pour into the bowl of the meat mixture. Mix with your hands until just incorporated. Again, do not over-mix.
If you want, to test seasoning, you can take a small bit of the mix, form into a patty, and heat in a small skillet on the stovetop until cooked through. Depending on how this test patty tastes to you, add more herbs, chili, or salt to taste to the meat mixture. Keep meat mixture in refrigerator while doing this.
3 Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil. Form meatballs in your hand, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, using about 3 Tbsp of the mixture to form each meatball. Arrange in pan so there is some space between them. If too crowded they will steam and not brown.
4 Roast meatballs in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the meatballs after about 20 minutes, until the meatballs are beginning to brown.
5 Remove pan from oven. Use a metal spatula to dislodge meatballs from being stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil (carefully because the pan is still hot!) Return the pan to the oven. Lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for an additional hour to 1 1/2 hours.
Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.
Makes about 24 meatballs. Top with grated Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces ground pork shoulder
• 10 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
• 2 ounces prosciutto or pancetta, minced (helps to put in freezer for 15 min first, before mincing, will make it easier to cut)
• 4 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed first.
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Italian Sausages with Ratatouille

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a large oven-proof pan over medium-high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.
2 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another large skillet over high heat. As soon as the pan gets hot, add enough zucchini cubes to form a layer on the bottom of the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.
3 Repeat process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked. Add more olive oil as needed.
4 Add the tomatoes (and their juice) to your large oven-proof pan with the rest of the vegetables, along with salt, black pepper, red pepper, thyme, rosemary and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Nestle the sausages in the pan.
5 Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 medium chopped onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound of zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 lb or less)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 pound of fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 pound of sweet or old fashioned Italian sausages (you can use hot, but if you do, don't add the red pepper flakes)
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Italian Sausage Spaghetti

Method

The Sauce:
Take the Italian sausage meat out of the sausage casings. Break up into pieces and mix the sweet and spicy sausage meats together. Brown the sausage meat in a large skillet on medium high or high heat with a little olive oil. In a separate skillet sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Purée the tomatoes in a blender, add to the skillet with the sausage meat. Add the cooked onions and garlic.
The Pasta
Fill an 8-quart or larger stock pot at least half full with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Slowly add the pasta, stirring to prevent clumping. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil again. Cook, uncovered, with a fairly vigorous boil, for as long as the directions on the pasta package say, usually about 10-12 minutes. When pasta is al dente (cooked but still a little firm), remove the pot from the heat. Add a cup or two of cold water to the pasta to stop the cooking. Drain the water from the pasta through a colander. Place the pasta in a serving bowl.
Serve immediately. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 large (7 to 8 inch link) Italian sweet sausage
• 1 large Italian hot and spicy sausage
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 large (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes
• Olive oil

• 1 lb (16 oz) spaghetti pasta
• Salt

• Grated Parmesan cheese

Herbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peaches

Method

1 Coat the tenderloin with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Roll the tenderloin in the herbes de Provence and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2 Prepare your grill for high direct heat on one side, and low heat on another side. A tenderloin is thick on one end and thin on the other. You will want to cook the thinner end on the cooler side of the grill while the thicker end is on the hot part o the grill.
3 Grill the tenderloin until until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest part reads 140°F, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let rest while you cook the peaches.
4 Paint the peaches with a little olive oil and grill on high direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side, just enough to get some good grill marks.
5 Slice the tenderloin into 1/4-inch pieces and drizzle any juices released from the cutting the meat over them. Serve hot with the peaches.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp herbes de Provence
• 1-2 yellow peaches or nectarines, quartered or cut into thick slices

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Orange Marmalade Glaze

Method

1 In a small saucepan, bring the soy sauce, marmalade, honey, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the flame and let cool to room temperature. Distribute the glaze evenly in 2 bowls. Marinate the tenderloin roast for a min of 1 hour in the glaze.
2 Heat the grill to 350°F or medium. Put on the tenderloin. Grill 8 minutes on one side (check at 6 minutes), depending on size of pork loin. Then flip it, baste it. Grill another 6-10 minutes. Start checking with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, at about 6 minutes on the second side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 140°F. Remove from heat.
3 If you have let the temp get above 140°F, you may need to slice the pork immediately or the meat will continue to cook as it rests and become overcooked. If you have taken it out in time, let the pork rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice, sprinkle with the remaining glaze and scallions.
Serve with rice.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free version)
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa

Method

1 Mix the chopped onion with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside. The lemon juice will help take the edge off the onions.
2 Coat the pork chops in olive oil and sprinkle salt over them. Set aside at room temperature.
3 Pit and de-stem the cherries. A cherry pitter is magical for this task, but if you don't have one, use a small knife. Double check for stray pits, they always seem to find their way into dishes that call for fresh cherries.
4 Put the cherries, onions and chopped basil into a food processor. Pulse a few times until you have a chunky salsa, with differing textures of cherry. Alternately, you can chop everything by hand.
5 Mix in the balsamic vinegar, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar. Add more of any of these ingredients to taste. Set aside at room temperature. You can make this salsa up to 8 hours in advance.
6 Prepare your grill for high direct heat. Grill the pork chops over high heat with the grill cover closed for 3 minutes. Turn them 45 degrees on the same side to get a pretty cross-hatch pattern, then close the grill cover and cook another 3 minutes. Turn the pork chops over, but this time keep the grill cover open and cook for a final 2-3 minutes. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve the pork chops with the cherry salsa.

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 pounds cherries, about 4 cups
• 4 pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon sugar

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs

Method

1 Prepare your grill for direct medium high heat.
2 Mix together the ketchup and mustard in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the sauerkraut with the chopped onion, set aside. Slice open the hot dogs, down the center, lengthwise, forming a deep pocket in each, but not cutting all the way through. Coat the inside of each hot dog with the mustard ketchup mixture.
3 Place a strip of cheese deep within the pocket of each hot dog. Top with sauerkraut and onions. Encapsulate the cheese at the ends with the sauerkraut mixture as well, so that no cheese is exposed (otherwise it will drip out when cooking).
4 Wrap a strip of bacon around each stuffed hot dog, securing with toothpicks at each end. Make sure you wrap tight enough so that the stuffing stays in, but not so tight so that when the hot dog expands will cooking the bacon would tear.
5 Coat your grill surface with vegetable oil so that the hot dogs don't stick. If you have a grill screen (a screen with smaller holes so that small pieces of whatever you're cooking don't fall through the grill), you can use it, just coat it with vegetable oil first and pre-heat for a couple of minutes. Place the stuffed hot dogs on the grill, stuffing side down. Grill for 2 minutes, until the bacon on that side is cooked, turn the hot dogs a quarter turn and grill for a couple more minutes. Continue to grill for a few minutes each on all sides until the bacon is cooked. Cover the grill in between turnings to help with the cooking.
6 During the last minute of cooking, open up the hot dog buns and place them open-side down on the grill to lightly toast.
7 Remove the hot dogs and buns from the grill. Remove the toothpicks fro the hot dogs, place them in the buns and serve.

 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 large hot dogs, knockwurst, or kielbasa
• 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese, cut into long sticks
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• 1 cup refrigerated sauerkraut, drained, roughly chopped
• 4 slices bacon
• Vegetable oil
• 4 long hot dog buns

Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce

Method

1 Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up the sausages a bit, about 5 minutes. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices. Add sage. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
3 Return pasta to same pot; add sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 pound spicy or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 Tbsp dried sage
• 3/4 pound fettuccine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Feijoada, Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Method

1 Pour boiling water over the black beans and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the stew.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When it has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside and add the onions to the pot. Brown them, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.
3 Add back the pork shoulder, and the other meats and add enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 1 hour. Drain the black beans from their soaking liquid and add them to the stew. Simmer gently, covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour and a half.
4 Add the tomatoes, stir well and taste for salt, adding if it's needed. Simmer this, uncovered, until the meat begins to fall off the ham hock, which will probably take 2-3 hours.
Serve with white rice and hot sauce. A classic side dish would be sautéed collard greens.

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 grams) dry black beans
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound (450 grams) pork shoulder, cut into chunks
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound (450 grams) carne seca or corned beef, cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound (225 grams) fresh sausages, such as chorizo or Italian sausage
• 1 pound (450 grams) smoked sausage, such as linguica or kielbasa
• 1 smoked ham hock or shank
• 3-4 bay leaves
• Water
• 1 14.5 ounce can (411 grams) of crushed tomatoes
• Salt

Cochinita Pibil

Method

1 The night before or the morning before you plan to serve this, mix the orange and lime juice with the achiote paste and salt in a blender until combined. Be sure to rinse the blender soon afterwards, as the achiote stains. Cut the pork into chunks of about 2 inches square. Don’t trim the fat, as you will need it in the braising to come. You can always pick it out later. Put the pork in a non-reactive (glass, stainless steel or plastic) container, then pour over the marinade mixture. Mix well, cover and keep in the fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
2 Cooking this takes 3-4 hours, so plan ahead. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large casserole with a double layer of heavy-duty foil, or a triple layer of regular foil – you want a good seal. (Traditionally, cochinita pibil is wrapped in banana leaves, which add a wonderful flavor to the pibil. So, if banana leaves are available—you may be able to get them at the same store as the achiote paste, or at an Asian market—consider using them. Just heat the leaves first to make them more pliable.) Pour in the pork and the marinade and close the foil tightly. Put the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 3 hours. You want it pretty much falling apart, so start checking at the three-hour mark.
3 When the pork is tender, take it out of the oven and open the foil. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then shred it with two forks. You don’t have to shred the pork, but I like it this way. Pour enough sauce over the meat to make it wet.
To serve, either use this as taco meat or eat it the way we do: Over rice, garnished with cilantro, lime wedges and queso seco, a Mexican dry cheese a little like Greek feta. Pickled red onions are a traditional garnish, and if you like them, they’re good, too.
 

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if possible
• 1/2 cup lime juice, juice of 4-5 limes
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 3 ounces of red (rojo) achiote paste, available in Latin markets
• Pickled red onions (optional), for garnish
• Dry Mexican cheese (queso seco), for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Chipotle Meatballs

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well with your clean hands for a minute or two. You want the mixture to be well integrated, but you don't want to overwork it or the meatballs will be tough.
2 With wet hands or an ice cream scoop, form meat into about 16 plum-size balls and space them out in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or, if you have one, a mini-muffin tin. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
3 While meatballs bake, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they just start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the minced chipotles, the can of tomatoes, oregano or mint, and beef broth. Mix well and add salt to taste. If you want more chipotle flavor, add the reserved chipotle sauce spoonful by spoonful, mixing and tasting between spoonfuls. Boil the sauce uncovered as the meatballs cook.
4 When meatballs are ready, put them into the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thin for your taste, continue to boil it down for a few minutes. Otherwise, serve with rice, tortillas or polenta. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 2 slices bacon, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or finely chopped fresh mint
• 1-2 teaspoons chipotle powder (or a couple teaspoons of adobo sauce)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-3 chipotles chiles in adobo (canned), minced fine and sauce reserved
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

Carnitas

Method

1 In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine pork, broth, and salsa. Add enough water to completely cover the meat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 3 to 4 hours (or longer) until meat pulls apart easily. Add salt to taste if needed.
2 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove meat from liquid in pot (discard the liquid) and spread the meat out in a roasting pan. Break the meat into small chunks. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
3 If you are using store-bought tortillas, heat the tortillas one-by-one either in a microwave or on a hot skillet. If you heat them on a skillet you may need to use a little butter or oil to help soften them. When air pockets form in the tortillas they are ready. To heat them in a microwave, place a paper towel on the floor of the microwave. Lay one or two tortillas on the paper towel (whatever will fit so there is only one layer). Microwave on high heat for 10 seconds per tortilla (some brands of tortillas require 20 seconds each). Keep warm tortillas wrapped in a clean cloth towel for serving.
To serve, double up the tortillas and place a few spoonfuls of the carnitas on them. Top with salsa. Serve with grated lettuce (that has been lightly salted and sprinkled with vinegar), beans, avocados, and/or grated cheese.
To eat, remove half of the carnitas from one tortilla to another. Take one tortilla at a time with the carnitas and salsa, fold it over and enjoy. Or, keep them doubled up. Your choice.
 

Ingredients

• 4 pounds boned pork shoulder, cut into large cubes (remove as much fat as possible)
• 1 quart beef broth*
• 2 cups chunky tomato salsa either prepared or homemade
• Water
• Salt
• 2 cups fresh tomato salsa (pico de gallo)
• 16-24 corn tortillas

*If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free broth.

Bacon-wrapped Pork Roast

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat pork roast dry with paper towels. Season pork roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat.
2 Rub pork with chopped rosemary; wrap with bacon, overlapping strips slightly. Tie pork roast wih kitchen string.
3 Roast in oven, basting occasionally with cooking juices, until internal temperature is 145°F on a meat thermometer, 35 o 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer pork to a serving dish.
4 Make pan sauce. Place the roasting skillet on the stove top over low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrap up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Skim off the fat. Reheat to serving temperature if necessary.

Ingredients

• 1 pork loin (1 1/2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 lb bacon, thinly sliced
• 1 cup white wine

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast

Method

1 Before starting on the pork, put the pork roast in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut. While the pork is chilling, you can make the filling.
2 Bring all the filling ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Use a rubber spatula to press against the apple mixture in the sieve to extract as much liquid out as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and reserve this liquid for use as a glaze. Pulse apple mixture in food processor, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F or prepare your grill for indirect heat. You will be "double-butterflying" the pork roast. Lay the roast down, fat side up. Insert the knife into the roast 1/2-inch horizontally from the bottom of the roast, along the long side of the roast. Make a long cut along the bottom of the roast, stopping 1/2 inch before the edge of the roast. You might find it easier to handle by starting at a corner of the roast.Open up the roast and continue to cut through the thicker half of the roast, again keeping 1/2 inch from the bottom. Repeat until the roast is an even 1/2-inch thickness all over when laid out.If necessary, pound the roast to an even thickness with a meat pounder.
3 Season the inside of the roast well with salt and pepper. Spread out the filling on the roast, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the edges. Starting with the short side of the roast, roll it up very tightly. Secure with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Season the outside of the roast generously with salt and pepper.
4 Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan, place in oven, on the middle rack.
You can also grill the roast, using indirect heat either gas or charcoal. If you are using charcoal, use about 5 pounds of coals, bank them to one side. Preheat the grill, covered. Wipe the grates with olive oil. Place roast, fat side up, on the side of the grill that has no coals underneath. Place the lid on the grill, with the vent directly over the roast. If you are grilling with gas, place all the burners on high for 15 minutes to heat the grates, brush grates with olive oil, turn off the middle burner, place roast fat-side up on middle burner. If you are grilling, turn roast half way through the cooking.
Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until the internal temperature of the roast is 130 to 135 degrees. Brush with half of the glaze and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove the roast from the oven or grill. Place it on a cutting board. Tent it with foil to rest and keep warm for 15 minutes before slicing.
5 Slice into 1/2-inch wide pieces, removing the cooking twine as you cut the roast. Serve with remaining glaze.

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large shallot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups dried apples (packed)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pork Roast

• 2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (short and wide - about 7-8 inches long and 4-5 inches wide)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

White Chili

Method

1 Combine beans, chicken broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very soft, 3 hours or more. Add additional water (or watered-down broth), if necessary.

2 In a skillet, sauté remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add chicken and continue to simmer 1 hour. Check seasoning, add jalapeno or serrano to level of desired hotness.
3 Serve topped with grated cheese. Garnish with cilantro, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole. Serve with fresh warmed flour tortillas or tortilla chips.

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb large white beans, soaked overnight in water, drained
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium onions, chopped (divided)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken
• 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, chopped (optional)

Tomatillo Chicken Stew

Method

1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut-side down on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blackened in spots. Let cool enough to handle. Place the tomatillos, any juice they have released, chile peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender, and pulse until well blended. If you make ahead, refrigerate until needed.
2 Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high heat until almost smoking. Pat dry the cubed chicken parts with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and adding more olive oil when necessary, brown the chicken pieces on two sides. When you place the pieces in the pan, make sure there is room between them (otherwise they will steam and not brown), and don't move them until they are browned on one side. Then use tongs or a metal spatula to turn them over and don't move them again until they are browned on the other side. Do not cook through, but only brown. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and lower the heat to medium. There should be a nice layer of browned bits (fond) at the bottom of the pan.
3 Add the onions to the pan, and a tablespoon or two more olive oil if needed (likely). Add ground cumin and coriander. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and the browned bits from the chicken have been picked up by the onions and are no longer sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
4 Add the browned chicken, the tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, and oregano to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the cilantro to the stew in the last minute or so of cooking.
Serve over white rice, accompanied with sour cream if needed to offset the heat from the chiles. The stew will thicken as it cools.

Ingredients

Tomatillo Sauce

• 1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
• 1-2 jalapeño chile peppers, or 2-3 serrano chili peppers (include the seeds if you want the heat, remove them if you don't want the heat), stems discarded, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp lime (or lemon) juice
• Pinch of sugar

Stew

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups tomatillo sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro (about one bunch, rinsed and chopped, stems and leaves)

Teriyaki Chicken Breasts

Method

1 Mix the grated ginger, sugar, soy sauce, sake and mirin in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, return to a simmer, then lower the heat to the lowest possible setting (warm if you can), on your smallest burner, and cover. The idea is to cook the chicken as gently as possible, below a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. If you are working with somewhat large chicken breasts, you may need to cook them longer, or cut them in half before cooking.
2 While the chicken is poaching, toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they begin to brown. Move to a small bowl and set aside.
3 Remove the chicken breasts from the teryaki sauce, set on a plate and wrap with foil. Bring the sauce back to a boil and boil vigorously until the sauce is reduced to a syrup, about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce, stirring it occasionally.
To serve, slice the chicken breasts, cover with the teriyaki sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds on them. Serve with plain white rice.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup soy sauce* (or mix tamari** and water in equal proportions to make 3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup sake
• 3/4 cup mirin
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• A 1-inch piece of ginger, grated fine
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total (set out for 30 minutes to come to room temp)
• 2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds

*Use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free version.
**If you are using tamari instead of soy sauce, use half as much, as tamari is more concentrated than soy sauce.

Tandoori Chicken

Method

1 Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, then cook the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala and paprika, stirring often, until fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes). Let cool completely.
2 Whisk in the cooled spice-oil mixture into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice, garlic, salt and ginger.
3 Cut deep slashes (to the bone) in 3-4 places on the leg/thigh pieces. Just make 2-3 cuts if you are using separate drumsticks and thighs. Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and chill for at least an hour (preferably 6 hours), no more than 8 hours.
4 Prepare your grill so that one side is quite hot over direct heat, the other side cooler, not over direct heat. If using charcoal, leave one side of the grill without coals, so you have a hot side and a cooler side. If you are using a gas grill, just turn on one-half of the burners. Use tongs to wipe the grill grates with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off the excess. You want the chicken coated, but not gloppy. Put the chicken pieces on the hot side of the grill and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes before checking.
5 Turn the chicken so it is brown (even a little bit charred) on all sides, then move it to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, up to 40 minutes (or longer) depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the grill. The chicken is done when its juices run clear.
Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. It’s also great at room temperature or even cold the next day.
Serve with naan, and Indian flatbread, or with Indian style rice, with yogurt-based raita on the side.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 Tbsp sweet (not hot) paprika
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 whole chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs), or its equivalent, skinless, bone-in

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Method

1 In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2 In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
3 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
4 Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger