Lentil & Sausage Soup

25 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by elmoeats in Chef's Secret, Original Recipes

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Bison, Carrots, Chicken Stock, High West, Leeks, Lentil, Lentil Sausage Soup, Lindy & Grundy, McCalls, Sausage, Sundance Film Festival, Sweet Onion, Whiskey Flight

LENTIL AND SAUSAGE SOUP

I just got home from the Sundance Film Festival, it was amazing, we watched 3 to 5 films a day with fun parties capping off each evening and networking with our peers it was an incredible, but an exhausting week. We were on the move all day so it’s difficult to eat anything but a power bar or banana from your bag during the day but I found a great little spot right off Main Street and saddled up to the bar for a hot bowl of soup and a little whiskey tasting.

The restaurant is called High West, at the base of the mountain behind the Lift in Park City. There I had a flight of whiskey with a steaming bowl of Lentil and Bison soup – it was amazing. The whiskey was surprising good and I would have bought a bottle if I could have carried it home that day. But the soup left me wanting more so I couldn’t wait to get home and make a giant pot of Lentil soup and invite friends over for supper. I didn’t have time to run to Lindy & Grundy across town to see if they carried Bison this time of year so I went to McCalls and picked up sweet and spicy sausage.

Last night, Chassidy and I enjoyed a piping hot bowl of soup with a simple arugula salad with shaved Asiago cheese, lemon, oil olive and honey vinegar.

1 Pound (16 ounces) Orange or Green French Lentils
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion
2 Leeks, white and the light green parts only
3 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
Kosher Salt, to taste
Cracked Pepper, to taste
Thyme, 5 Sprigs
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
3 Quarts, Homemade or Low Sodium Organic Chicken Stock
1/4 cup tomato Paste or 2 Cups tomato juice frozen from canning tomatoes
1.5 Pound of Hot and Sweet Pork Italian Sausage or Bison, remove the casing from sausage (or you can use Kielbasa)
3 Tablespoons of Dry Red Wine
Parmesan and Romano blend, for serving

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for 15 mins or until the veggies are translucent and tender.

Chop the rest of the vegetables.

Add the celery, red pepper and carrots and continue to saute for another 10 minutes.

Then add the chicken stock and tomato juice (I have frozen tomato juice from canning this summer) or use a can of tomato paste.

Add the Lentils and bring to a boil on a high heat.

While the soup is coming to a boil, remove the sausage from the casing and saute in a skillet.

Once it starts to brown, add the dry red wine (optional) and saute on a med to low heat until the wine cooks down.

Turn down the soup to a low simmer and add the browned sausage with red wine.

Cook on a low simmer for one hour.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and Romano cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Swiss Chard & Black Kale Tart with Goat Cheese and Cranberry Relish

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by elmoeats in Chef's Secret, Original Recipes

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Black Kale, Cranberries, Currants, Dufour All Butter Puff Pastry, Goat Cheese, Relish, Spring, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, Suzanne Goin, Swiss Chard, Tart

SWISS CHARD & BLACK KALE TART WITH GOAT CHEESE AND CRANBERRY RELISH, courtesy of Suzanne Goin

I love all greens cooked or raw and in most Italian cookbooks you’ll find a recipe for a side dish of cooked greens, currants and pine nuts. Here, Suzanne Goin, chef and author of Sunday Suppers At Lucques, created this flavorful Swiss Chard Tart, with the greens taking center stage. I love her cookbook because it’s beautifully written and very easy for the home chef to find the ingredients and follow the recipes. I’ve cooked and tested at least half the recipes in her book and majority of them are time consuming (including this one) but worth every minute of prep the minute you taste the festival of seasonal flavors in each dish. I’m planning to prepare a few more posts of her wonderful creations especially for Spring.

For this tart, I improvised and mixed in Black Kale because it was at the farmers market and looked divine and included dried cranberries instead of currants because I had them in my pantry and didn’t feel like running back out. I prepared this at home and traveled the tart uncooked to a friends party, so the last picture was taken on my iPhone after a few tasty cocktails so it’s a little blurry but wanted to show you a finished picture or something resembling it cooked.

For the Tart

1 Frozen sheet of All Butter Puff Pastry – Dufour is my top choice – you can order it online or check to see what store near you carries this brand.
1 Egg
1 Large Bunch of Swiss Chard, cleaned and ribs removed, chopped
1 Small Bunch of Black Kale
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Shallots
1 Teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1/2 Cup Whole Milk Ricotta, drained if wet
1/4 Cup Creme Fraiche
6 ounces creamy goat cheese
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Current Pine Nut Relish

1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 or 2 Sprigs of Rosemary
1 Chile de arbol (optional)
3/4 Cup finely diced red onion
1/3 Cup dried currants
1/4 Cup Balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Defrost the puff pastry slightly and unroll it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/4 inch border around the edge of the pastry.

Make an egg wash by whisking one egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon water, and brush the egg wash along the border. Save the rest of the egg wash, you’ll need it for the ricotta spread. Chill the puff pastry in the freezer until ready to use.

Remove the ribs from the swiss chard and black kale and chop into thin slices, it’s much easier to eat when it’s fresh from the oven. It’s difficult to bite a large piece of cooked kale when it’s covered in cheese and piping hot. It may seem odd but I love to eat food lava hot - I actually have to pay attention and be careful not to burn my lip or roof of my mouth!

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the shallots and thyme. Saute for a few minutes until translucent, then add the swiss chard and black kale until it wilts, be careful not to over cook.

Cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are tender – remove from heat and allow to cool in the refrigerator.

Whisk together (or put into a food processor if you want to clean the damn thing) the ricotta, remaining egg yolk, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk until smooth.

Gently fold in the creme fraiche and season with a healthy pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. For my everyday salt, I use Tangerine and Pink Pepper Italian Salt Flower – You can find it at Eataly in New York, which is the best option or if you speak Italian you can order online from company who imports – Elika Italia. It truly makes a big difference in the profile of flavor when you use the highest quality salt, pepper, spices, olive oils, vinegars, jams, etc… And when you can try to jar or pickle your own fruits and vegetables.

Spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry inside the scored borders. Crumble half the goat cheese over the ricotta, arrange the greens on top and sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the tart. At this point, I refrigerated the tart, then baked it at my friends house. It smells amazing when it’s cooking so it’s perfect for entertaining and greeting people as they arrive.

Bake the tart for 20 – 25 minutes, until the cheese if bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and toast the pine nuts for about 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Heat a small saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium, and add the olive oil, rosemary, and chile if you choose to use one. When the rosemary and chile start to sizzle add the chopped red onion and season with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Turn down the heat to low, and let the onions stew gently for about 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a small bowl to cool and discard the rosemary sprig and chile. You’re just using them to flavor the oil.

In a small food processor or you can chop it with a sharp knife – chop the toasted pine nuts. And chop the parsley.

While the onion is cooling, place the currants or cranberries in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let the currants soak for 10 minutes, and then drain well and chop.

Combine the pine nuts, parsley and cranberries.

Add balsamic vinegar to the pan the onions were in, and reduce it over med-high heat to a tablespoon. Stir the reduced vinegar into the onion mixture.

Sprinkle the cranberry relish over the cooked tart.

Here’s the cooked tart – I’m hungry just writing this post!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie for a New Years Eve Party!

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by elmoeats in Chef's Secret, Uncategorized

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Art and Soul of Baking, Banana, Broguiere's Milk, chocolate, Chocolate Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Cookie Pie crust, Guittard Chocolate, New Years Eve Party, Pastry Cream, Vanilla Bean

CHOCOLATE BANANA CREAM PIE, Courtesy of the Art and Soul of Baking

I went to Margo and Eric’s house for New Year’s Eve party and had a wonderful time surrounded by fun and creative people – great way to start what I know will be a great year! Their love for each other is contagious, you can feel the warmth the minute you cross the threshold of their beautiful and smartly decorated home. Then it happens, you’re greeted by licks and grunts from the two sweetest dogs – that is once they take a break from wrestling with each other. I love those fury kids – Stella and Lily. And I’m hoping my dear friend Shanti, professional personal chef, will guest blog a recipe soon! She’s amazing, strong and super funny – She makes me giggle and that’s what I look for in lasting friendships!

photo copy

This is one of my favorite sweet treats to make and share with good friends – it’s a little tricky to get the cinnamon pastry cream to the right consistency. And I’ll share what to be careful of to ensure you whip up the perfect pastry cream. The cream needs to be thick and hold it’s shape in the pie crust when it’s sliced and served or it’ll be runny and look like a giant pile of bird shit – I’m not kidding it can go from fabulous to flat mess with one swift slice.

CHOCOLATE COOKIE PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
1 Tbs sugar
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted

CINNAMON PASTRY CREAM

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) whole milk (Broguiere’s Dairy Farm)
1 Large egg
2 Egg yolks
6 Tbs sugar
1 Whole Vanilla Bean
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs cold unsalted butter

BANANA CREAM PIE

1 1/2 ounces semisweet, dark or bittersweet chocolate (Guittard Chocolate)
1 Tbs (1/2 ounce) plus 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) heavy whipping cream
2 or 3 Large firm-ripe bananas
1 Tbs (1/2 ounce) sugar
1/2 Tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate chips, chopped or Chocolate bar grated for garnish

For the Chocolate Cookie Pie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the chocolate cookie pieces in the food processor and blend until finely ground. For this pie I used left over Christmas cookies, you can use whatever cookies you like, preferable chocolate.

In a medium bowl stir in the sugar and melted butter, stir until all the crumbs are moistened.

Press the crumbs into you pie plate, moving up the sides and level to the rim. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly colored and fragrant. Transfer to a rack to cool completely or put in the refrigerator.

For the Pastry cream:

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water – set aside. Pour the milk into a med sauce pan and make sure the measurement of the milk is exact, too much milk will cause the cream to be loose and runny. Heat the milk to just below the boiling point and remove from the heat. Slice a single vanilla bean down the center and use the back of a knife to remove the seeds. Add the seeds and empty bean to the milk as you slowly heat it.

In a med bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, sugar and cinnamon until well blended and smooth. Add the flour and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very smooth. Pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the hot milk, whisking all the while.

Heat the mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the flour from lumping – this is the most important step. Pay close attention until it reaches almost a boil, then quickly turn down the heat and continue to cook and whisk for another minute, until the pastry cream is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain the pastry cream through the strainer set over a medium bowl to remove any lumps or tiny bits of egg, if any.

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream, then set the bowl into the bowl of ice water. Once the pastry cream has completely cooled, store in the refrigerator until it’s time to combine with the bananas and fill the pie crust.

For the Banana Cream Pie:

Place the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of cream in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir to blend – pour chocolate into the cooled pie shell and use the offset spatula to spread a think layer across the bottom of the shell and as far up the sides as it will go. Chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator to set the ganache.

Cut the bananas into 1/4 inch thick slices and gently stir into the chilled pastry cream until they are completely coated. Scrape the filling into the prepared pie crust and spread evenly to the edge. Chill while you make the topping.

Place the 1 1/4 cup of cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of the stand mixer and whip on med speed until soft peaks form. You can use a hand mixer if that’s what you have in your kitchen.

You can scrape the cream onto the top of the pie or use a pastry bag to pipe the topping. It’s really simple and looks beautiful!

I piped little balls of cream, then chopped dark chocolate chips and sprinkled on top.

Refrigerate at least for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

White Bean and Kale Soup Day!

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by elmoeats in Original Recipes

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Homemade Chicken Stock, Kale, San Marzano Tomatoes, White Bean, White Bean and Kale Soup

WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

Woke up early this morning and didn’t feel like going to my intense dance class at Tracy Anderson Method because it was cold and raining out – the perfect day to sleep in and make something delicious. Plus, I haven’t gone to my class for a week and know it’s going to be brutal the first day back, will dance my ass off tomorrow (literally), for today I’m making soup!

It all happened so fast, I didn’t take any pics except for the finished bowl, so you’ll have to imagine the ingredients and those of you who follow my blog, which I can count on my hand because you’ll all my friends, you know the drill – fresh ingredients, organic free range chicken, low or no sodium stock etc… I ran to my loyal and trusted Saturday farmers market at Silverlake Junction few blocks away, open even when it rains on the rare occasion, and grabbed the essentials for the soup.

It’s super easy to make and I suggest that you make your own chicken stock if you can – it doesn’t take that much longer and you’ll have leftover beautifully boiled chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches, pressed chicken sandwiches with pesto, mix in salads, chicken and steamed broccoli for lunch etc… Or you can always use vegetable stock and make that from scratch.

SIMPLE CHICKEN STOCK INGREDIENTS

1 Roaster Chicken – Organic Free Range
1 Med Yellow Onion
4 Carrots, cut into chunks
4 Celery Stalks, cut into chunks
1 Leek, cut into chunks
2 Bay Leaves
20 peppercorns
Parsley, Half a bunch
1 Box of Low Sodium Organic Chicken Stock
Sea Salt to taste

WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP INGREDIENTS

1 Can or Jar of San Marzano Tomatoes (I used a jar from the san marzano tomatoes I canned this summer!)
1 Bunch of Kale, trimmed and chopped
3 Cans Organic Great Northern Cannellini Beans
3 Cloves of Garlic
10 Sprigs of Thyme
3 Sprigs of Rosemary
Pecorino and Parm Grated Cheese

In a stock pot, place the cleaned chicken and pour in one box of low or no sodium organic chicken stock and the rest water to top of the chicken. Add the onion, carrots, celery, leek, parsley, 4 sprigs of the thyme, bay leaf and whole peppercorns and turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil then turn down to med low heat and cook for one hour. You can use two boxes of stock if you want or season with sea salt after it boils down.

While the stock is simmering, prepare the beans. Be sure to clean them thoroughly and rinse until the water runs clear. Next the kale, remove the center stem and chop the leaves so it’s easier to manage with a spoon.

Once the stock is finished, remove the chicken and let cool before you remove the meat. It’s much easier to do it while it’s still warm instead of waiting til later or after it’s refrigerated. Then strain the stock into a sieve if you have one or just skim the soup for the cooked vegetables until it’s only broth. Turn up the heat and add the white beans, tomatoes (jar or canned san marzano), garlic (I add the whole cloves but you can finely chop), 4 sprigs of thyme, rosemary (I add the entire sprig but you can remove the leaves and chop) and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a low simmer and allow to cook for 20 – 30 mins until the soup starts to thicken and the beans break down. At the end, add the kale and sprinkle with cheese – put the lid on and allow to cook until the kale is no longer crispy.

Serve immediately while it’s hot, with more grated pecorino or parm cheese and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust & Wild Mushrooms

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by elmoeats in Chef's Secret, Uncategorized

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Chine, Christmas Eve, Eataly, French, Horseradish Crust, Mario Batali, Prime Rib, Prime Rib Roast Beef, Roast Beast, Rock Salt, Rosemary, Seven Fishes, Thyme, Wild Mushrooms

CHRISTMAS ROAST BEAST, Courtesy of Tyler Florence

I grew up with the Italian tradition – Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve and savored every delicious and nostalgic bite. Brings me back to my childhood, Aunt Lena and Uncle John’s house in Philly where all the families would gather to celebrate Christmas Eve surrounded by wood paneling, season appropriate music and traditional Italian food. It was a wonderful and simple time but what I didn’t realize then is that with the passing of time things would forever change but the flavors and traditions would stay with me the rest of my life. For the most part, I’ve kept the tradition in my life but this year I wanted to try something new and different. Well, three days before Christmas I contracted the most hideous stomach flu, wow that was intense, and decided not to cook anything fish in the house or I would projectile vomit all over my friends, tree and dog. So, I decided to roast a beast, as my Dad would say on a loop during this time of year, and see how that went – it was wonderful!!

I’ve decided that roasting a prime rib is the special occasion – don’t wait for something fun to happen to celebrate this amazing cut of beef. Invite the people you love to dinner, buy the highest grade of beef from your local butcher and try this recipe – you can totally pull this off and blow people away! Ask your butcher to remove the chine (backbone) to make it easier to carve and french the rib bones. I usually shop at Lindy and Grundy for my meat but didn’t have time to drive across town so I went to my neighborhood butcher in Los Feliz, McCall’s Meat & Fish Company – superior cuts of meat and fish.

This year I prepared a small 2 rib roast because it was just for me and Chassidy, a dear friend, and I wanted to honor the evening with something special. I don’t have a picture of it fully cooked because it smelled so amazing that I had to try it immediately and soon nothing was left.

1 (3 Rib) Prime Rib Beef Roast, 6 lbs
5 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 Cup creamed horseradish sauce
2 sprigs of Rosemary
5 springs of Thyme
1/2 cup Rock Sea Salt
1/4 Crackled Pepper
1/2 Cup Olive oil
3 Carrots, cut into chunks
2 Parsnips, cut into chunks
1 Red Onion, quartered
1 Head of Garlic, Halved
1/2 Cup Beef Stock

This cut of meat has the chine removed and the ribs have been frenched. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the ribs pointing down, they act as a natural roasting rack.

I was given this Italian rock salt as a gift this year by someone very special – we are working with Mario Batali on a show concept and he picked this out for her from his store Eataly in New York – thank you Laura! It’s truly a treasure.

Make a paste with the following ingredients: Garlic, Horseradish Cream Sauce, Rosemary, Thyme, Sea Salt, Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper.

Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. Surround the roast with the vegetables and add a little olive oil over them and pour the half cup of Beef Stock into the pan. Roast the beef for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for med rare (about 20 mins per pound, depending on your oven). The internal temperature of the roast in several places should register 125 degrees for med rare. Remove the beef and allow to sit for 20 mins before carving. Remove the vegetables and pour the juice from the roasting pan into the pot with the sauteed mushrooms.

WILD MUSHROOMS

1 Tbs Unsalted Butter
Olive Oil
2 Pounds Mixture of Mushrooms: White, Cremini, Bella, Oyster, Shiitake, Chanterelle
4 Sprigs of Thyme, leaves
1/2 Cup Pinot, Cork Dancer by Hitching Post
1/4 Heavy Cream, Optional

In a separate saute pan, heat the butter and two count olive oil over med-high heat and start to saute the mushrooms and thyme with salt and pepper seasoning. Stir and add the red wine, scrapping up the bits and cook until the alcohol evaporates. You can prepare the mushrooms while the roast is cooking and add the juice from the roasting pan to the mushrooms once it’s done.

I opened a bottle of my favorite Pinot Noir, Cork Dancer from Hitching Post in Santa Barbara County. You might remember it from Sideways when they have a steak dinner at the Hitching Post restaurant with the best Pinot Noir and they were right! It offers a bright berry fruit, exotic spice and supreme character. It’s adds a rustic touch when paired with Prime Rib Beef and Mushrooms.

And this salad that I literally tossed together.

GREENS, BLUE CHEESE AND PECAN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Baby Chard, Baby Kale and Baby Spinach
Endive, chopped
Spicy Pecans
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Dried Cranberries
Granny Smith Apples, chopped

I chopped and tossed this together and dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and seasoned with orange fused Italian rock salt and cracked pepper. Very simple and packed with flavor that all compliments this dish nicely!

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash, Spinach and Feta Casserole

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by elmoeats in Original Recipes

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Acorn Squash, Acorn Squash and Spinach casserole, Casserole, Feta, Spinach

ACORN SQUASH, SPINACH & FETA CASSEROLE

I made this dish right after Thanksgiving with left over frozen organic spinach. It’s super easy, low calorie and filled with flavor. I was craving spinakopita, greek spinach pie, but didn’t want the filo dough or eggs. This is a very basic recipe that you can make and have as a side dish or as a meal with a salad.

2 Bags of Organic frozen Spinach
1 Med Red Onion
3 Tablespoons of Feta – Stored in Brine
1 Acorn Squash
Sea Salt/Cracked Pepper
Parmesan cheese, sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 and prepare to roast the acorn squash. Cut the acorn squash in half and roast for 30 – 45 mins, or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the spinach mixture.

Saute one medium red onion with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach (defrost under cold water and drain on paper towels to absorb all the water) and turn down the heat to low. Add the feta cheese and remove from the heat. Fill the bottom of a casserole dish or a giant Lecruest ramekin like this one. I collect cookware and love to create new dishes for different pots, especially those that can go from the oven to the table.

Spoon out the acorn squash, removing the skin.

Spread on top of the spinach mixture.

Top with Parmesan cheese. And return to the oven for 20 – 25 mins and serve.

Enjoy!

Pork Posale, Perfect for a Chilly Rainy Day

03 Monday Dec 2012

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Hominy, Pork Posale, Pork Shoulder, Taco Zone Truck

PORK POSALE

I fell in LOVE with this soup when I moved to Southern California. The Mexican Mom & Pop restaurants and food trucks in my neighborhood, and around the city, are out of this world. The Taco Zone truck parks down the street from where I live in the Von’s parking lot, they open at 8pm and serve the most incredible Mexican food – burritos, carne asade, tacos etc….with fresh homemade sauces til 2am. You have to wait in line with the rest of the drunk hipsters, at times it provides the best entertainment while waiting. And it’s certainly worth the wait – just ask my brother. I took him to the Taco Zone truck while he was visiting and just so happened the cops were raiding a house across the street and closed down all the streets, while we were standing there waiting, in a 6 block radius. I pretended it wasn’t happening and my brother kept asking – “what the hell is going on Tina”. “Joe they are fixing the traffic light, don’t worry about it, we’re up next, what do you want?!”. Within minutes, we were handed a warm foil covered burrito the size of a football, right around the time the ghetto birds descended, we took off. I peeled back the foil and chomped that baby as we passed the last of the police barricades and will continue to go back — If your curious, you can read about the time Taco Zone truck was attacked by the other trucks Because they rule!

Here’s the recipe for Pork Posale that I’ve been making at home – it’s delicious! Especially on a day like today, when it’s chilly and rainy.

4 pounds of Pork Shoulder – Have the butcher cut into pieces
2 cups Chopped Onions
1 Can of Whole Plum San Marzano Tomatoes or 2 Cups of freshly chopped
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
Pinch of Marrakesh or Red Pepper
Pinch of Cumin
4 Quarts or Pork Stock or 2 Boxes of Chicken Stock – low or no sodium
2 cans of Hominy or 2 pounds of fresh Hominy
1 Bunch of Cilantro
Salt and Pepper
1 Bunch julienned Radish
2 Cups julienned Onions
2 Cups julienned Green Cabbage
2 Tablespoons of Dry Oregano
2 Limes

First, chop and prepare all the vegetables. I used a mix of sweet and red onions.

Next, rinse the Hominy if you’re using them from a can.

Be sure to trim the fat from pork shoulder. You can also include the pork bone from the butcher – I forgot to ask for it for this batch but it would have been awesome! The bones always add more flavor. Saute the pork, in a tablespoon of olive oil, until brown on each side with the cumin and red pepper flakes. Then add the onions and continue to saute on a med-high heat for 5 – 7 mins. Add a pinch of Salt and few turns of cracked pepper.

Add the can of chopped tomatoes, garlic and chicken or pork stock.

Reduce the stock to a simmer and cook for about 40 mins.

Add the hominy and cook for 30 mins or until the meat is tender, and stew thickens. Stir in the cilantro.

Garnish each bowl with the dry oregano, cabbage, radishes, onions and several limes for each person to add to their taste.

Enjoy!

elmoeats

~ my food story, one ingredient at a time

Lentil & Sausage Soup

Swiss Chard & Black Kale Tart with Goat Cheese and Cranberry Relish

White Bean and Kale Soup Day!

Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust & Wild Mushrooms

Acorn Squash, Spinach and Feta Casserole

Pork Posale, Perfect for a Chilly Rainy Day

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