Putting a pot of beans in the slow cooker overnight is a great way to cook a meal and have it ready the next day, and it’s also a good way to get the kids to help make the meal, too. Our son Hockey Guy, 9 years old, helped make a pot of Boston baked beans that cooked in the slow cooker, then we put them in the refrigerator and saved them for another day and reheated them in the slow cooker and they tasted even better after another couple hours of cooking.

Traditional Boston baked beans are cooked on low in the oven while covered for about eight hours, then you remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to brown the bacon and the top of the beans. With the slow cooker method you won’t get the same kind of browning, but you can achieve something similar by removing the lid for the last 30 minutes and allow some of the liquid to cook off. Serve with Boston brown bread or brown rice and a salad and you have a complete meal.

Here’s how to make it, as demonstrated by Hockey Guy.

After soaking and simmering the beans, slice the bacon (or salt pork if you can find it) and chop the onions. We used pork jowl bacon this time.

Put the onions and half the bacon in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the soaked beans in on top.

Sprinkle the rest of the bacon on top of the beans.

Stir together the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and pour it all over the beans and bacon, then pour in two cups of boiling water. Put on the lid and cook on low for 8 hours, then remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the liquid to cook down some before serving.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: measuring, stirring, pouring, chopping.
• Assign the simpler tasks, such as rinsing the beans and measuring the ingredients for the molasses mixture to the younger kids, and save the more challenging tasks for the older kids and adults.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knives alone. Make sure an adult or older child or teenager supervises, or does the chopping.

SLOW COOKER BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

large pot with lid (for soaking beans)
colander
4-quart slow cooker or Crock Pot

Ingredients

16 ounces (454 g) navy beans, rinsed well and picked over
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces (227 g) salt pork or bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups boiling water

Preparation

1. In the large pot, cover the navy beans with water and allow to soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water and add the baking soda. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the beans. (Quick soak method: Cover the beans with water, add the soda, and boil for 3 minutes. Then set aside tightly covered for 1 hour. Drain and continue to Step 2.)

2. Put half of the diced salt pork or bacon and all of the diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker pot, then add the drained beans. Sprinkle the rest of the salt pork/bacon around the top of the beans. Stir together the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper, and pour it on top of the beans. Pour in 2 cups of boiling water and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours and remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the liquid to condense a little before serving.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

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Chez Us – Homemade BBQ Baked Beans

Use Real Butter – Dinosaur-Style Bar-B-Que Beans

Dinner with Julie – Slow Cooker Guinness Baked Beans

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I grew up on pork, as did both my parents, though by the time my parents met and got married their families were no longer raising pigs. Dad’s family raised pigs when he was younger and did the butchering at Thanksgiving. They would salt the meat down for six weeks and then hang it for up to nine months. They continued raising pigs until the early 1950s when Grandma made Grandpa quit after a new church when up behind them and she didn’t want the pigs in front of their church.

Ham is still important to our family and integral to our Easter celebration. Mom always glazed it with a brown sugar and mustard sauce and served with green beans, country-style mashed potatoes, a relish tray with pickles, olives, pickled beets, and deviled eggs, and some rolls or biscuits. It was a simple meal that we always looked forward to, and one that I still enjoy.

I developed this recipe using maple syrup, brown sugar, whiskey, and brown mustard for a bone-in ham portion. The ham came with part of the skin still on, and you can leave it on for roasting or remove it, that’s a matter of preference. I like to roast with it on because the layer of fat and skin keeps the meat moist, but not wet. It also lends a little bit of smokiness to the flavor. Whether you leave it on or remove it, score the fat or the meat so that the basting juices can run over the meat.

If you prefer to have a spiral sliced ham, you can still use the glaze, just follow the directions for reheating the meat, toss the sauce packet that comes with it, and use the maple whiskey glaze instead.

(Print this recipe)

ROASTED HAM WITH MAPLE WHISKEY GLAZE

Serves 12 or more.

Equipment

roasting pan with a rack
oven proof meat thermometer
aluminum foil
small saucepan

Ingredients

10 to 12 pound ham portion with bone, with skin on or off depending on your preference
olive oil
black peppercorns
3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup
1/2 (55 g) cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) whiskey
1/4 cup (60 g) brown mustard

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. Place the ham on the rack in the roasting pan and rub it down with the olive oil. Score the surface in a diamond pattern about 1/2 to 3/4-inches (1.25 to 1.9 cm) deep. Place the peppercorns at the corners of the diamonds.

3. Insert the meat thermometer into the deepest part of the ham, not touching the bone. Cover the top of the ham with foil.

4. Roast in the preheated oven, and baste the ham with some of the glaze when the temperature reaches 120° F/49° C and place the foil back on top. Continue cooking the ham until the temperatures reaches 148° F/64° C, about 3-4 hours total. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. If roasted with the skin on, remove it and the top layer of fat before slicing. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

5. GLAZE: While the ham cooks, stir the maple syrup, brown sugar, whiskey, and mustard and cook in the small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until the glaze reduces by one-third. Remove from heat and set aside

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Amanda’s Cookin’ – Tie Dye Easter Eggs

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

When I think of ham I’m reminded of how my mother and grandmothers added a leftover ham bone and chunks of ham to a pot of beans for flavor. The saltiness of the meat infuses a simple water broth with a flavor and aroma that reminds me of my grandmothers’ kitchens, and so every time we prepare a ham, I always freeze the bone and larger clumps of meat to go into a pot of soup at some future date.

This is an easy soup because the lentils cook quickly and it doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, so it’s also easy on the budget. I like the flavor of the parsnips in it, a slightly sweet balance to the ham, though you can use yellow potatoes if you prefer. Serve it with real Southern buttermilk cornbread, either on the side or crumbled in the bowl with the soup where it will soak up all the goodness of the broth.

HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

Makes about 6 quarts.

Equipment

8-quart pot with lid
medium bowl

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) dry brown lentils, rinsed well
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 parsnips, peeled and diced (or 3 yellow potatoes)
1 ham bone
1 pound (454 g) cooked ham, diced
4 quarts water

SERVE WITH
Southern buttermilk cornbread

Preparation

1. In the medium bowl, cover the rinsed lentils with clean water and let them soak for about 10 minutes.

2. In the large pot, sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil until they soften and glisten, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the parsnips, ham bone, diced ham, water, and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a simmer until the parsnips and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the ham bone and serve the soup with cornbread.

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Kalyn’s Kitchen – Curried Lentil Soup with Cilantro

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

We are hosting family Thanksgiving this year, and we’re so happy that our family is making the trip to spend a few days together. Like any family we all have busy lives and don’t get to see each other as often as we would like, so it makes holidays all the more special for us. It means cooking for 15 this year instead of 5 and making sure we get everyone’s favorites on the table. It’s going to be a busy, crazy couple of days, and we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

It also means paying more attention to ingredients so my sister can safely enjoy the meal with all of us, so for the first time I’ve been doing some gluten-free baking to get ready for the big feast. My family eats stuffing cooked outside the bird, and the dressing my family made when we were growing up was shaped into small patties and baked. I prefer to bake it casserole-style because I think it retains moisture better and becomes a perfect palette for the gravy.

Because I’m new to gluten-free baking and just learning about all the gluten-free flours, I chose to use the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix for this recipe, though of course you can use your own GF cornbread recipe. The mix made a 9×9 pan of cornbread, and about half of that was enough for this stuffing recipe, so the extras can be eaten with another meal. Making the cornbread a day ahead allowed time for it to dry a little before mixing into the stuffing.

The celery and all the fresh herbs came from our garden. Looking out at the garden and seeing the herbs and some of the greens still growing on a chilly November day always makes me smile, and we’ve found that most of the herbs continue to grow throughout the winter, giving us fresh garden flavor during cold months.

This recipe is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Whether it’s autumn or spring wherever you are, we hope you’ll join us this month, and if you have holiday recipes to share that will make it even more festive. Send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com by November 30. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

(Print this recipe)

GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD AND SAUSAGE STUFFING WITH HERBS

Serves 12.

Equipment

large skillet
large mixing bowl
9×13 pan, lightly coated with nonstick spray

Ingredients

16 ounces baked gluten-free cornbread, cooled completely (We recommend making it a day ahead.)
12 ounces gluten-free sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled
1-1/3 cups chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup (80 g) dried cranberries
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup (20 g) chopped flat leaf parsley
2 to 3 cups (480 to 720 ml) gluten-free turkey or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

2. In the large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until it’s browned and fully cooked. Add the celery and onion and cook while stirring until they have softened but still have a slight crunch. Remove from the heat and stir in the cranberries.

3. Break up the cornbread into large chunks and put it into the mixing bowl. Add the sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley and toss.

4. Pour 2 cups of the broth over the cornbread chunks and stir. The cornbread should soak up most of the liquid and look wet, not dry. Add more broth 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is wet but not soupy and has a little liquid pooled at the bottom of the bowl.

5. Add the sausage mixture and toss well. Add salt and pepper to the mixture and stir. Add the melted butter and and eggs and stir well.

6. Spread the stuffing in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned on top, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes (May or may not be gluten-free.)

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101 Cookbooks – Sage, Walnut, and Dried Fig Stuffing

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Hunter Angler Gardener Cook – Chanterelle Stuffing

Baking Bites – Bacon, Pumpkin, and Pecan Stuffing

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Check out my latest cooking episode up on GoodBite.com, part of the new Easy Entertaining series which has tips for making holiday entertaining tasty and easy. This time I’m sharing our recipe for roast pork tenderloins with maple pomegranate glaze, a flavorful dish that you can have ready in about 30 minutes.

The pork comes out tender and juicy and is always a hit with the family, even our young boys ask for seconds. Serve it with roasted potatoes and brown butter green beans, and you’ll have a delicious meal.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

One of our favorite things to do during our German honeymoon 10 years ago was to try local specialties in each city: Kölsch beer in Cologne (Köln), lebkuchen in Nuremberg, schneeballen in Rothenburg, and brezels in Munich. Currywurst is certainly a memorable local specialty, a favorite of Berliners for over 60 years. It’s simply a German sausage topped with tomato-based curry sauce, and they sell tens of millions of these in Berlin every year. The popularity of the dish spread throughout the city and now there are currywurst stands everywhere and even a currywurst museum that opened in 2009. Apparently this is fast food that anyone can learn to love, even if the combination doesn’t sound quite appetizing at first.

The story goes that a certain enterprising Berlin housewife traded some alcohol for curry powder from British troops in the time after World War II when the city was still in ruins, and she began selling sausages topped with a spicy tomato-based sauce to local construction workers in 1949. The price was right and the spicy dish sold fast.

There is no such thing as a definitive currywurst recipe because it’s different all over the city, and the locals are passionate about the subject. If you want to start a casual conversation with a Berliner and don’t know what to say, ask about their favorite currywurst stand. Sausages might be fried or grilled, with casing or without, and the variations on the curry sauce are limitless. You could theoretically visit every single currywurst stand in the city and taste a different dish every time. Our recipe is simple, relying on the curry powder and sautéed onions for flavor. I am particularly fond of S & B Curry Powder, which seems to have a bit more punch than other brands, and you can find it in most Asian grocery stores or online. The amount of curry powder can vary depending on how much spice you like.

GERMAN CURRYWURST

Makes about 2 cups of sauce, serves 8.

Equipment

small saucepan

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder, depending on how spicy you like it
1 (15-ounce/425 g) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 bratwursts, cooked and sliced

Preparation

1. Warm the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions until they are soft. Add the curry powder and stir until the powder absorbs the oil and the heat releases the fragrance.

2. Add the tomato sauce and sugar and stir. Continue cooking at a simmer until the sauce is heated through. Spoon over the sliced bratwursts, sprinkle on some more curry powder if you like, and serve hot.

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Hunter Angler Gardener Cook – Venison Landjaeger

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

The summer heat has hit hard this year with temperatures well into the 90s and higher, and with the humidity factored in it’s downright unbearable some days. Though we use the slow cooker much less in the summertime, on days like this it’s actually a lifesaver. No hot stove, hot oven, or hot grill, just the slow cooker working its magic. Michael’s mom has used this recipe for years and doesn’t know where she got it, but it’s an easy recipe for pulled pork. It’s slightly sweet, not smoky like our chipotle sauce, and a hit with the kids. During our last visit, she had both slider and regular size buns, and the sliders were perfect for the boys.

The original recipe is as simple as it gets, just dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on, though you can deepen the flavors by sautéing the onions, peppers, and pork before slow cooking. Either way, you’ll have some tasty sandwiches later.

(Print this recipe)

ANN’S SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK

Serves 8 to 10.

Equipment

4 to 5-quart slow cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.362 kilos) pork shoulder or picnic roast, trimmed and cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
3 green peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup (55 g) brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1. In the large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the pork cubes until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, reserving the pan drippings. Add the chopped onion and green peppers, and sauté until the onions glisten. Transfer the onions, peppers, and the drippings to the slow cooker.

2. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, chili powder, mustard, salt, and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or set it on Auto for 6 to 7 hours.

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Homesick Texan – Texas Pulled Pork

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Use Real Butter – Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

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Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Each afternoon when the boys come home from school, they have one thing on their minds: food.

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

“Mommy, when are we going to eat?”

“Mommy, what’s our snack today?”

“Mommy, I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”

“Mommy, I don’t like that.”

“Mommy, I just want a lollipop for dinner.” (When Monkey Boy said that, I had to look away so he wouldn’t see me giggle.”)

Yes, we’ve heard it all, and some days trying to plan a dinner that all my picky eaters will eat makes me want to pull my hair out. Fortunately a recent experiment with pork tenderloin in the slow cooker turned out very well and all three boys ate that meal with gusto. I mixed up some Cajun spices and rubbed it all over the tenderloins, browned them, browned the onions, then slow cooked it all with white wine, potatoes, and carrots until the meat was fork tender. Michael and the boys went back for seconds and we have enjoyed the leftovers for lunch, too.

As Michael and I talked about how good the dish tasted we also bounced around ideas for different rubs, and I listed some of our ideas below. As for the vegetables, I used what we had on hand while doing a little vegetable bin clean out, but I think this could also be terrific with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or parsnips.

One of the great things about this preparation is the extra flavor that comes with using white wine to deglaze the pan after browning the tenderloins and the onions, and you’ll need to use a standard skillet to get that beautiful brown, crusty coating (fond) on the pan. Nonstick pans typically inhibit the development of fond, though some manufacturers of higher end nonstick pans claim their products don’t. I think it depends on the pan and type of nonstick coating used, though admittedly I don’t have an arsenal of nonstick cookware to test that theory, but it would be a fun project sometime.

[Updated January 18, 2011.]

(Print this recipe)

SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN

Serves 9 to 12.

Equipment

large skillet (not nonstick)
6-quart slow cooker
instant read thermometer

Ingredients

2 pounds (~900 g) pork tenderloin
canola oil
spice rub (Your choice, see ideas below.)
3 medium onions, halved and sliced
3 pounds (1.3 kilos) Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1 pound (454 g) baby carrots (or carrots cut into baby-size pieces)
1-1/2 to 2 cups (360-480 ml) dry white wine

Preparation

1. SPICE MIX: Pour ingredients into a shaker jar, put on the lid, and shake well. Store with other spices in a dark place.

2. PORK: Trim the pork tenderloin of any silver skin. Sprinkle some Cajun seasoning all over each tenderloin, rubbing it into the meat. Heat the skillet and pour in a few tablespoons of canola oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Place two of the tenderloins in the pan, keeping them slightly apart. Brown over medium to medium-high heat (heat level 6 on my cooktop), turning the tenderloins as they cook. Place the browned tenderloins in the bottom of the slow cooker, add the potato chunks and carrots and cover with the lid.

3. Cook the onions in the hot skillet until they are browned around the edges, but not fully caramelized, and add to the slow cooker.

4. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the white wine, then pour the drippings into the slow cooker. Add another half cup or so of white wine to the slow cooker, making sure there is enough in the bottom to keep the meat moist while cooking.

5. Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. For even cooking, about 2 hours before serving I pull out the tenderloins with tongs and let the vegetables fall into the bottom, place the tenderloins atop the vegetables, then recover. (Our slow cooker has an auto setting, which starts on high then automatically switches to low once cooking temperature has been reached, thus reducing cooking time by an hour or so.) When fully cooked the largest piece of tenderloin should register 160° F/71° C with an instant read thermometer (safe cooking temperature). The last time I made this the thermometer registered 165° F/74° C, and the meat was tender, juicy, and fell apart with a fork.

6. Slice and serve with the vegetables and broth.

Spice Rubs

CAJUN
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons ground white pepper
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder

CREOLE (Emeril’s Essence)
2-1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

MEXICAN
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

MOROCCAN
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

INDIAN
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or seeds from about 8 pods, crushed
3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

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Simply Recipes – Chipotle Citrus Marinated Pork Tenderloin

White on Rice Couple – Grilled Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Swiss Chard and Pineapple

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

The boys start back to school today and Michael went back to work after a well-deserved holiday break, which means we have returned to our weekdays full of drop-offs, pickups, multiple schedules, homework, and little time for preparing dinner. Tackling big cooking projects on weekdays is out of the question, so we are making easy weeknight meals such as this achiote-marinated pork.

I found the recipe for cochinita pibil in Rosa’s New Mexican Table by Roberto Santibañez and was immediately drawn to it. The traditional preparation calls for rubbing a whole pig in adobo, wrapping tightly in banana leaves, and roasting the pig in a large pit in the ground. Since we don’t have a pit in our backyard (or anyone else I know, for that matter), the easy oven method works just fine for us. The pork is marinated for up to 24 hours, then wrapped in banana leaves and baked slowly for a couple hours.

A few of the ingredients may not be common in your area: banana leaves, achiote paste, and bitter oranges (Seville oranges). The banana leaves add flavor and keep the meat moist during cooking. Achiote paste is a blend of ground annatto seeds, garlic, spices, and some vinegar. It has a deep red color and will stain anything it touches, so wear an apron when working with it. The bitter oranges are just that, not sweet like the oranges we’re accustomed to eating out of hand. In the DC area you can find frozen banana leaves and achiote paste at Hispanic grocery stores, some of the larger international grocery stores such as Lotte Plaza, Grand Mart, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and some other grocery chains. I even found the banana leaves at Wegman’s. I’ve not found bitter oranges, so we use apple cider vinegar. If you can’t find banana leaves, just wrap in foil instead. And if you cannot find achiote paste, try making your own (Note: Omit the orange juices if using the Global Gourmet recipe.)

The achiote paste adds a musky flavor, and the marinade isn’t full of heat so it’s easy for the kids to eat as well. The dish is very easy to prepare, just cut the pork, blend the marinade and toss with the meat, refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then wrap in banana leaves and bake. The meat cooks for a couple hours, so make sure you start it in time for dinner. You can also make it ahead and reheat, and the meat is delicious wrapped in tortillas and topped onions, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro.

SLOW-COOKED ACHIOTE-MARINATED PORK

Adapted from Rosa’s New Mexican Table, by Roberto Santibañez. (review)

Makes about 6 cups of meat, enough for about 15 tacos.

Equipment

blender
large mixing bowl
11×9 baking dish (or other large baking dish)
heavy duty aluminum foil

Ingredients

3-1/2 pounds (1.588 K) pork butt or shoulder, cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces
1 (10-ounce/284 g) package banana leaves (You’ll use about half of it.)

MARINADE
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh squeezed bitter orange juice (or cider vinegar)
1 (3-1/2 ounce/99 g) package achiote paste
2 limes, juiced
5 teaspoons salt
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon allspice

ACCOMPANIMENTS
tortillas
refried beans
caramelized onions
salsa
cilantro
lime wedges
guacamole
rice

Preparation

1. Add all the marinade ingredients to the blender jar. Blend at low speed until the achiote breaks into small pieces, then increase to high and blend until smooth.

2. Put all the pork pieces into the mixing bowl and pour the marinade over it. Toss the meat until it’s thoroughly coated with the marinade. (I used my hands, wearing gloves of course.) Refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

3. Lay the banana leaves flat and cut any thick edges away. Gently rinse the leaves under cold water and wipe away and white spots. The leaves split easily, so handle with care. Pat dry. Turn on a gas or electric burner. Using tongs, carefully pass each leaf over the heat, until the top of the leaf turns shiny and softens. Do this quickly, in about 5 seconds, so it doesn’t scorch. Flip the leaf and repeat. Use a damp kitchen towel to wipe both side of the leaves to remove any remaining dirt or spots.

4. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

5. Line the baking dish with banana leaves, overlapping them as necessary to completely cover the bottom and sides. Some of the pieces may hang over the sides, and that’s fine.

6. Transfer the pork and all the marinade into the dish, spreading the pork into an even layer. Fold overhanging leaves onto the pork and cover the top with more leaves, tucking them between the baking dish and the leaves in the dish. Cover dish tightly with foil.

7. Bake for about 2-1/2 hours, checking at the 2 hour mark. The pork should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Remove from the oven and let stand covered for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and top layer of leaves. Transfer pork and juices to a serving bowl. Coarsely shred with two forks, and serve hot.

Make Ahead

Prepare the pork and bake according to directions (do not shred). Cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Reheat in a 350° F/175° C oven for 20 to 30 minutes, then shred.

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No Recipes – Tacos Al Pastor

Homesick Texan – West Texas Asado

The Perfect Pantry – Posole

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I remember first tasting Chinese dumplings and potstickers when I lived in Saipan, and I always liked ordering them in restaurants, but then I visited Hong Kong and southern China and got hooked. It was so fun to see the dim sum trays in the restaurants, taste different things, and try to figure out what was in all the fillings. Though I have enjoyed Chinese potstickers and dumplings all these years, I’ve never made them from scratch—getting bags of gyoza from Trader Joe’s is just too easy—so I felt a huge amount of excitement when I saw Jen of Use Real Butter had challenged the Daring Cooks to make her family’s recipe for Chinese dumplings and potstickers.

The challenge had quite a bit of flexibility. The only requirement was that we had to make our own dough, but we could choose to mix the dough by hand or with a food processor, we could chose our own fillings and how we wanted to cook the dumplings. The filling was very easy, just took a lot of chopping. Rolling the dough just right proved to be a bit of a challenge as mine stuck to the counter and the pin no matter how much flour I threw at it. I’d get a circle rolled out then would have to peel it off the counter, turning it into a misshapen pile of dough, so that took me a while. Plus I don’t have the best fine motor skills, so shaping perfect pleats in the dumplings was a challenge, but all my dumplings held together and none broke apart, so I counted that as a success. I pan fried the potstickers in a small amount of oil because I like the crispy bottoms.

Though my oldest son and husband really enjoy potstickers, my other two boys don’t, so I used half the filling to make potstickers and then stir-fried the rest and used it to make lettuce wraps for the other boys. The potstickers were a hit and only a couple were left after dinner. We really liked the pork filling and will use it again for potstickers and lettuce wraps, though I look forward to trying the shrimp filling, too.

Thanks to Jen of Use Real Butter for hosting this month and for giving us such a fun challenge. Visit her site to get her full recipe with all the variations, complete with beautiful photos.

To see all of the dumplings, visit The Daring Kitchen Blogroll and the Daring Bakers Gallery at Foodgawker.

CHINESE DUMPLINGS AND POTSTICKERS

Adapted from Use Real Butter.

Makes about 40 dumplings.

Equipment

1 (4 to 5-quart) mixing bowl
1 (3 quart) mixing bowl (or food processor)
rolling pin (dowel type, not tapered)
plate or pan covered with flour
damp tea towel
large fry pan (or wok with steamer insert)
small bowl

Ingredients

PORK FILLING
1 pound (450 g) ground pork
4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced
7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried, rehydrate and rinse carefully)
1/2 cup (75 g) bamboo shoots, minced
1/4 cup (55 g) ginger root, minced
3 tablespoons (40 g) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (28 g) sesame oil
2 tablespoons (16 g) corn starch

DOUGH (Enough for about 40 dumplings. Make 2 batches for a full batch of filling, or cut the filling in half.)
2 cups (250g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113 g) warm water
flour for work surface

DIPPING SAUCE (Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, amounts of optional ingredients to taste.)
2 parts soy sauce
1 part red wine or black vinegar
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. FILLING: Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to a day but preferably within an hour or two.

2. DOUGH: In the medium bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch. (Food Processor Method: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.) Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water. Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.

3. SHAPE THE DUMPLINGS: Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1-1/2 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch (2 cm) pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc, about 1/16th inch (2 to 3 mm). Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in Jen’s post for how to fold pleats). Place the shaped dumplings on the floured plate. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

4. COOK: Choose any of the following methods:
BOIL: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

STEAM: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

PAN FRY (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Previous Daring Challenges

You can see all of my previous Daring Challenges in the the Daring Challenges tag list.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.