The Final Night: Tacos al Pastor with Jicama Slaw

All good things must come to an end. After 3 years and over 170 posts, my time in Houston had reached its conclusion. Despite the mad dash to get everything finished and loaded up in time coupled with my predisposition to worry (thanks, Mom!), I still needed one last (slightly scaled back for our standards at least) cooking adventure with Kevin.

Our final night of culinary bliss (I'm gonna miss my kitchen husband) was a laid back affair with one final order of tacos, some Scotch, and several Mario scores being settled.

This bottle of Blue Label was opened to celebrate starting my job in Houston. We finished it three years later to mark my last night. The picture is made all the more sentimental by the odd sock in the background and the Netflix envelope from when I finally mailed in the DVD I had for an amount of time I'd rather not specify.

There was a lot going on, and I wanted to enjoy everything. As a result, I didn't really chronicle the recipes (nor did we really attempt to adhere to any), but if you'd like to try to make these I suggest the following:

Tacos al Pastor

I'm gonna miss you, HEB, and your never-ending supply of fantastic meats.

We cheated a little for this one. As we did not decide until the day of that this is what we were going to make, we did not have time to properly marinate the pork overnight to achieve optimal tenderness. Instead we got some always superb HEB pre-marinated pork and added a spicy blend based on this Food Network post. Let that marinate in the fridge for another 1-2 hours then grill. Top with grilled pineapple, onions, and cilantro.

Whether meat, veggies, or fruit, Kevin's grilling skills are second to none.

The tacos were amazingly tender and grilled to perfection with a great kick. I love the pairing of pineapple and pork, and this really hit the spot for a final, fairly easy to put together dinner.

Jicama Slaw

The basis for our jicama slaw came from this Cooking Channel recipe. In our haste, we did not buy any red cabbage, so it was left out, which I think helped the jicama stand out even more. For the dressing, just add enough so that it wets all the ingredients in the slaw. You don't want it soaked. The result was a wonderfully refreshing side that went well with the pineapple component of the tacos.

Thanks to a belly full of deliciousness (and some of Dennis' Mandarina Wheat) I was able to sleep surprisingly well before my semi-cross country excursion. I can only imagine that Kevin broke down in an avalanche of tears as my car pulled away. The next few days featured stops back home for my mom's amazing milanesa and Hi-Do Bakery's otherworldly croissants, being super bored driving through Alabama, getting free food at the world's fanciest hotel in Atlanta (yes, I will take a peppermint mocha while I wait to check-in), and finally arriving home to the world's happiest dog and girlfriend.

Stay tuned as I eulogize my time in Houston with my Best of Texas rankings.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Bánh Mì School with Cafe TH's Minh Nguyen

The grand teacher was so proud of his pupil's accomplishment

Everyone kept asking me if there were places I had to visit one last time before leaving. What was I going to miss the most? The only place that came to mind (and that I visited at least twice a week this last month) was the char-grilled Vietnamese wonderland known as Cafe TH.

The story of how everyone falls in love with TH seems to always be the same. A friend brings them along after months of raving about it, and in short time the new TH fan is repeating the cycle and bringing in even more friends to succumb to owner Minh's unparalleled spirit and food (it's quite the grand pyramid scheme).

While I never got my name on a menu item like my TH-sires Trey and Scotty (of Trey Way and Gluttonous Ellis fame), I had a lot of great memories and meals there these past 3 years. Every Thursday, our friends would gather together for one of Minh's unbeatable 4-course prix fixe dinners (which we turned into 5 courses thanks to the Trey Way), but my fondest food memories involve the grand Saturday tradition I used to have when I lived a mere 2 minutes away for a year.

Each Saturday, I would wake up, work out, and travel to TH for the greatest bánh mì known to man, The Heart Throb, and then take the most glorious nap on the couch in front of the TV. This behemoth took everything that made bánh mì great and turbo charged it beyond safe levels. Double char-grilled pork combines with bacon, fried eggs, and the freshest ingredients in the best baguette this side of Paris for a satisfaction your stomach will never forget.

Before I left Houston, I wanted only one thing- to make my own Heart Throb. But in order to do that, I was going to have to learn the art of the bánh mì.

Bánh Mì School

All I was expecting from my bánh mì making request was watching Minh masterfully make sandwiches while telling me what makes them so damned delicious, but he had much greater things in store. I was going to learn about bánh mì by getting in the kitchen and making them myself. First up was watching Minh's padawan Maria assemble 6 sandwiches before I had time to blink. The skill was evident, and I had lofty expectations to meet.

Next up, we traveled to the kitchen where I got to live my dream of cooking like a professional chef. We needed fried eggs and bacon to complete our sandwich, and this hairnet wasn't gonna wear itself. I was a little worried that I overcooked the eggs as the pan was quite hot (and that I would commit some unforgivable health code violation), but the bacon came out perfect.

Minh knew better than to let me play with the majestic fire for the char-grilled pork, but he did let me play with his sharp knives and cut up the greatest food item known to man. It took everything in my power not to just shove it all in my mouth.

Now it was time to survey our ingredients- char-grilled pork, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, French butter (which every sandwich should be lucky enough to be graced with), pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapenos- all of which were fresh perfection. 

But we were going to need a vessel to transport all this goodness to my mouth, and a toasted French Baguette was just the ticket.

Maria was quick to let me know when I made a mistake. I could tell my uncanny natural abilities had her fearing she would be replaced. Too much pork, not enough carrots, and misplaced cucumbers were quickly corrected.

Exhausted, but relieved after 30 minutes of intense training, it was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Thanks to Maria's pointers, it looked so perfect. I almost didn't want to touch it, but since I knew what it was going to taste like, I was willing to destroy this masterpiece.

At last, I got to enjoy that first earth-shattering bite of my Heart Throb. As you can see, my fear of having overcooked the eggs was unwarranted. Not Pictured: me devouring it then laying back in my chair with my stomach hanging out, unable to move and making the other patrons uncomfortable.

Yet again, Minh had found a way to give me another memorable experience at his little oasis of awesome. Thanks so much for the years of good food, great times, and ruining my expectations for every restaurant I visit in the future. I'll be lucky to find another place with half the heart in Charleston.

And now, it's time to get to know the man himself (although the best way is always walking in those welcoming doors).

An Interview with the Prime Minhister of Bánh Mì

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you end up here today?

In short, I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit but really had no mastery of any skilled labor. So, when an opportunity knocked where I could work next to where I live, help grow in an area w/ potential, and become self sufficient then I seized it. I went with a ‘gut’ feeling vs. a sensible one.

What's the best part of owning TH?

The best part is definitely greeting & meeting new and regular customers w/ good energy. Connecting w/ ppl some how some way makes my soul more complete.

What's the secret to a good bánh mì? Is it love? I'm betting it's love. 

It’s the love! hmmm… Quality ingredients made fresh in a timely manner.

What's your favorite bánh mì? Favorite menu item? 

Generally speaking, I really like simple foods. This constantly changes but if I had to stick w/ a tried and true one, I’d say the char-grilled chicken and tofu w/ a hint of kim chi. Wait, that seemed to be complex. Again, my favorite menu item changes day to day, but I’d have to go with the pho. It’s incredibly nutrious and can do wonders for your soul.

How were my bánh mì making skills? 

Your skills were top notch. I’d have to say that you were valedictorian of your class.

Any big plans for the restaurant in the coming year?

I always have plans but how much of it gets accomplished is another. We shall see bc if it happens, I’m sure you will notice.

What does Houston's most eligible restaurateur look for in a mate? (from Kevin and probably every single woman who has ever set foot in TH)

.

I'm pretty sure this is what heaven looks like

Hmmm…where did you get these questions from?..lol…... other than the typical traits ppl look for, I’d add: empathy, competent, assertiveness, there’s an endless list but I feel like if you know, you know. Some sort of feeling you have and it’s somewhat explainable in a few words but not really.

When will you be expanding to Charleston?

Whenever you and Robin are ready. Gimme the green light.

Anything you'd like to add?

I’d like to say that this anchorman persona is quite impressive and should put your engineering career away. Thx for being a good pal, and I hope that Houston finds you again.

Cafaux TH: Entree 1: Ground Pork with String Beans

Dinner specials at Cafe TH always feature two options, so Kevin and I each took charge of one. For my entree, I decided to go with everyone's favorite (and Christina's enthusiastic request) Ground Pork with String Beans. I knew that there was no way I could hope to duplicate Minh's version because I was never going to figure out the impeccable blend of spices he used, so I decided to put my own spin on the dish . Minh is well known for his superior fusion abilities (be sure to try his fusion Viet tacos or sliders), so I decided to turn this into a Mexican-Vietnamese dish.

Ground Pork with String Beans
Servings: 7-10
Time: 40 minutes (counting prep)

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 -2 lbs string beans, ends removed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Lemongrass, minced and lots of it
Ginger, minced and lots of it
Cilantro, chopped
Sriracha to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 lbs ground pork 
Red Chili flakes to taste
Soy sauce substitute or soy sauce
Jasmine Rice

1. Steam the string beans for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
2. In another pan, brown the ground pork with a healthy amount of lemon grass and ginger, red chili flakes, sriracha, and soy sauce subsitute.
3. Saute the bell peppers, jalapenos, and onion with olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until tender.
4. Add the string beans, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and soy sauce substitute to the veggie mix and let the string beans cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Combine the browned pork with the veggies and serve over jasmine rice.

Christina was quite pleased with her requested dish and made sure to acquire the leftovers exclaiming, "Chef Terrence is amazing! The ground pork was simply delicious!"

This definitely veered into far different territory than the original, but it was a dish that I was incredibly proud of. The bell peppers, jalapeno, and cilantro added a new Mexican sensation to the meal, while the powerful punch of lemongrass and ginger (seriously, you can't put too much of those two) kept it true to its Asian origin and played nicely off the heat from the sriracha and chili flakes. The pork added a rich, saltiness to the dish, while the string beans provided freshness and a welcome crispy crunch. My only regret was not having enough pork to keep the rice to pork ratio in check (stupid cooking for 9 people!).

Coming up next, see Kevin try to follow-up what was essentially a cooking mic drop with Stir-fried Flat Rice Noodles with Beef and Baby Bok Choy.

Cafaux TH: Appetizer- Bánh Bột Chiên the Trey Way

The Cafaux TH experience began the same way every Thursday night does with an appetizer unlike anything else you have ever had- The Trey Way (whoever makes it to the restaurant first is required by friend law to put in the order). Bánh Bột Chiên was already absurdly good on its own, but one fateful day, our friend Trey (who sadly was out of town for a wedding and could not partake in the gloriousness), in his infinite wisdom, decided it would be even better topped with the single greatest creation in Minh's house of awesome- char-grilled pork. One reprinted menu later, an unstoppable force of deliciousness was officially born. If the night had any chance of being a success we had to nail this dish.

The Trey Way

Servings: 2-4

Time: 25-30 minutes (active)

Proper batter consistency

Rice Flour Cake

10-12 tbsp rice flour

3 tbsp tapioca startch

Salt to taste

White Pepper to taste

Red chili flakes to taste

Sriracha to taste

Soda water

Char-grilled Pork

Baked just right

Soy sauce substitute or Soy sauce

Brown sugar

1 lb Pork belly

The Rest

1-2 tbsp Olive oil

1 small red or yellow potato, diced

Pickled radish, sliced thin

2 eggs, yolks broken and lightly mixed in

Sriracha to taste

White pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Garlic powder

Pickled carrots

Scallions, chopped

1. Marinade the pork belly in a mix of soy sauce substitute and brown sugar in the fridge for at least an hour (but we'd recommend 2-4).
2. Grill the pork belly for about 3-4 minutes per side (you want it a little charred).
3. Now make the rice flour cake. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
4. Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, white pepper, chili flakes and sriracha together. Add in soda water until you have a slightly thick batter (you don't want too runny, but you don't want solid either). 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just solidified. Let cool then cut into ~1inch pieces.
6. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 
7. Fry the rice flour cakes (use ~6 per batch), diced potatoes, and pickled radish. Flip once they start to brown. 
8. Lightly mix the sriracha, white pepper, salt and garlic powder with the eggs (you don't want to scramble the eggs).
9. When both sides of the rice flour and potatoes are crispy, pour in the egg mixture, making sure to distribute it all around the contents of the pan, and let cook for 1-2 minutes until it is mostly done.
10. Flip like a boss and let the other side finish cooking for 30-60 seconds.
11. Transfer to a plate and top with pickled carrots, scallions, and char-grilled pork to serve.

Looking good, but could it (and Kevin's floor) survive the upcoming flip?!!?

At first, I was extremely intimidated by the prospect of replicating the Trey Way (and super nervous about the night in general), and our trial attempts with food guru Michaela the night before left much to be desired. The authentic version requires preserved turnips, and, given all the other dishes we were planning, we did not have a chance to make or find such mythical creatures. Instead we'd have to settle for pickled radishes (which you may recall gave us earlier heartbreak with these Fail Fries). Many online recipes also involved complicated, lengthy procedures with the rice flour, which only added to the worry. But then I realized that it was just batter that I could bake and then fry (because nothing is better than fried dough). By combining the fried rice flour cakes, thinly sliced radishes (so if they failed they'd at least barely be there!), and last minute potatoes (because fried potatoes are pretty much a given to win), we were able to pretty closely approximate the unmistakable taste and texture.

The naked, perfectly flipped Trey Way

As soon as I somehow managed to flip the first order perfectly, I knew we were in for a special night. When the second helping was flipped just as effortlessly, I knew far greater forces were at work here. Everything came together beautifully. The fried/lightly scrambled egg hybrid created the perfect fluffy flavor blanket to go with the crunchy fried goodness and sweet pickled carrots, while Kevin's expertly char-grilled pork belly made us feel like we were sitting at our favorite table at TH. We did have to skip out on the ridiculous, practically maple-y sauce that accompanies the Trey Way, but it was so delectable that people were too busy devouring it like human vacuum cleaners to notice.

Here's a picture of Trey dressed as a ninja turtle. He's married and has a kid!

Early reviews were in, and the appetizer was a success. "The Bánh Bột Chiên was equally as good as the original at nonfaux TH. Chunkier, and with a sweeter taste to the char-grilled pork--stellar," declared Scotty, namesake of the amazing Gluttonous Ellis bánh mì.

The night was just beginning, but we were off to an even better start than we could have imagined. Up next Round 1 of my entree dance off with Kevin- Ground Pork with String Beans.

Labor Day Root Beer Pulled Pork or the Time I Learned to Use a Pressure Cooker

For Labor Day, I promised myself I would find the time and energy to get some quality cooking in. Thanks to rediscovering Final Fantasy VII and having spent the weekend being social with an old friend in town, this energy and effort was gonna have to be minimal, so slow cooking pulled pork seemed like the natural way to go. But when hunger (and Kevin) came calling, slow cooking just wouldn't suffice. We were gonna have to brave the feared pressure cooker.

Would we end up with melt in your mouth BBQ sandwiches, or would our day be ruined by something resembling baby food and a giant hole in my kitchen?

Root Beer Pulled Pork
Modified from Food Network
Time: 90 minutes
Servings: 8-10 sandwiches

Soon you will be delicious

Pulled Pork
3 lb pork tenderloin, cut into large pieces
1-2 tbsp salt
Ground black pepper
Red chili flakes
12-16 oz root beer (I used Barq's)
4 oz liquid smoke (I used mesquite)
1 small onion, diced
Whole garlic cloves
Oil for browning

Sauce and soda: together at last

Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup molasses
1-2 tsp garlic powder
4-8 oz root beer
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp liquid smoke
Ground pepper to taste
Salt to test
Cayenne pepper to taste

Fixins
Onions- regular or pickled, sliced
Pickles
Buns (I used these baguette buns)

The pork is so tender that you won't work up a sweat getting it this perfectly pulled.

The right bread is key.

1. Get really sad that you were lazy to start your day, and now won't be able to eat until 9 pm.
2. Have your cooking buddy come to your rescue by suggesting you try using a pressure cooker, and then trick him into buying one.
3. Learn how to use your pressure cooker so as not to have it explode. I highly recommend getting an electric one that does pretty much everything for you. There are several kinds of pressure cookers, so be sure you know how yours works.
4. Heat oil over medium-high heat, and use it to brown the pork and saute the onions until a nice color and crust start to form on the pork.
5. Add the pork, onions, red chili flakes, salt, pepper, liquid smoke, garlic and root beer to your pressure cooker (Note: levels of liquid required may vary by size of the pressure cooker but this worked well for our 6 quart one. Also, never start a pressure cooker without liquid).
6. Set your cooker to high pressure for 60 minutes (again be sure to follow whatever safety measures yours requires). When time has finished, allow the pressure to fully release before opening (I let it slow release for ~ 10 minutes then used the quick release valve to finish it off).
7. Remove the pork and pull apart with two forks. Reserve the remaining cooking juice.
8. Prepare the sauce by simmering all the ingredients together until smooth and all carbonation bubbles have been removed.
9. Prepare your sandwich by loading up a bun with pulled pork, onions, pickles, sauce and reserved cooking juice.
10. Bow before the awesome power of the pressure cooker.
11. Note: if you just want to do this with a slow cooker, let it cook covered over low heat for 8 hours and be careful not to let the anticipation build up to unsafe levels.

The sandwich would still be amazing bare bones like so.

Our first experience with a pressure cooker could not have gone better. We managed to cut the time down by 7 hours, while still getting unbelievably tender and juicy pulled pork (seriously this fell apart when you touched it). The pork itself had beautiful flavor with the liquid smoke really coming through to help mask the fact that we didn't spend 8 hours smoking it, and the root beer added some subtle sweetness and acidity. The chili flakes added a fun little kick and the pickles gave that vinegary smack that helps define a good pulled pork. My second try at the baguette buns was even more incredible than my first effort (see Banh Mi Burgers) as I generated a fantastic outer crust, but the pork was so good on its own that the bun isn't even required. The only real disappointment was the sauce, which came out like a fairly standard sweet BBQ sauce (which isn't to say it was bad, it just could have been better). I would highly recommend going to a more traditional heavy vinegar sauce for maximum enjoyment (or just smother on the pickled onions) and adding some more heat as well since that got lost once the full sandwich was assembled.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't stack the pulled pork all the way to the heavens, but I was worried about dropping it on the ground.

Now if you'll excuse us, Kevin and I will spend the rest of the week plotting all the amazing things we're going to make with our newfound toy.

The One Year Later Post: Super Bowl Sunday and Chorizo Boudin Balls

In anticipation of this year's Super Bowl, I asked Maconda about the wonderful Boudin Balls we made for last year's big game. Being from Louisiana, I absolutely love boudin in all its many delicious, fatty forms. I also thoroughly enjoy that on the drive back home from Houston I can pass through entire towns that only have billboards for their "world famous boudin".

One year later, I was thrilled to finally have the recipe in my hands. After reading the extremely long list of ingredients and steps, however, I quickly decided "screw that" and moved on to my baking adventures since I already had two things planned (see my White Mocha Caramel Frappuccino Cupcakes and Double Cheddar Beer Bread).

Even if I didn't have the energy to make them this year, they still deserve to have their story told! Now marvel at me trying to remember the details of the highlight of an event centered around overeating and drinking from over a year ago! At least we could all agree on one important detail- Maconda did most of the work.

Can the collective old minds of Maconda, Kevin and myself do justice to these fried balls of pure artery clogging goodness or will I give up as just typing the instructions makes me tired?

Chorizo Boudin Balls
From The New York Times
Servings: A whole lot of balls (or around 48)
Time: 2 hours (inactive for 1 of those)

It's the liveryest!

1 lb ground pork (or 2 lbs for less work)
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp red chile flakes
2 tsp chile powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 lb roasted pork shoulder, cut into 1" cubes (or none)

2 cups chicken stock (or 1 cup for less work)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 lb chicken livers, cut into 1/2" chunks
6 cups just-cooked white rice (still warm)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup egg wash (1 egg beaten in 1 cup milk)
4 cups panko crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Or you could just stop here and have what probably amounts to really tasty dirty rice

Pre-fried

1. Combine the ground pork, salt, pepper, cayenne, chile flakes, chile powder, paprika, vinegar and oregano in a large bowl. Mix well. Then cover with saran wrap and let sit at room temp for an hour. If you want less work, up the ground pork to 2 lbs and ignore the next step.
2. Instead of relaxing during that hour, poach the pork shoulder in 2 cups chicken stock for about 10 minutes until just done. Reserve one cup of the poaching liquid for later. If you decided you wanted to take the easy way out and used 2 lbs of ground pork, ignore this. Neither Maconda, Kevin nor I could remember how we actually handled this, so let's all assume it was super important.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and brown the seasoned ground pork mix for 5-7 minutes. 
4. Add the onion, celery, garlic and jalapenos and cook until they are tender (8-10 minutes).
5. Add chicken livers and roasted pork pieces and cook until the livers are colored on the outside but remain pink inside (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Chop into small, even pea-sized pieces on a clean work surface.
7. Combine with the warm rice, parsley, cilantro and the reserved poaching liquid (or 1 cup chicken stock for the easier route) in a large mixing bowl.
8. Stir well (about 5 minutes) until the rice absorbs all the liquid and becomes sticky.
9. Realize you've made a terrible mistake and this is entirely too much work but that it's too late to stop now.
10. Set up 3 bowls, one each for the flour, egg wash and panko.
11. Shape the boudin mixture into golf balls. 
12. Roll the balls in flour followed by the egg wash and then the panko. Place on parchment paper until ready to fry.
13. Fill a large (big enough to save you from splashing super hot oil) pot with 3 inches of vegetable oil over high heat. Let the temp get to 375 F then add the boudin balls. Let cook for about 2 minutes or until they turn a nice golden brown.
14. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and rest them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. The balls can be kept warm in the oven at 200 F until all batches are done or you can (and should) just start eating them as soon as they're safe to touch.
15. Reward yourself for all that hard work by consuming roughly your body weight.

    

    Just when you thought it couldn't get any healthier

    And now for the part where I try to remember how these tasted aside from the fact that they were frigging delicious! Fried food is always the perfect compliment to a night of drinking, and these boudin balls were no exception. They were amazingly seasoned and wonderfully crunchy, but the real highlight was that inner rice filling. It really was like one amazing dirty rice stuffed fritter. The hours of hard work and million or so steps of cooking paid off with each and every bite. Why do I find myself still drooling over these a year later? Because they were without a doubt the best thing I had that Super Bowl night. Now, if I can just find the energy and determination to make these again...
    
    
    

    

    All that effort is worth it though, the second you bite into one.

    
    

Once Upon a Time in Laura's Kitchen: Puerco (and Veggie) Pibil

Back in my young and impressionable college days, there was always one person I could count on to stock me up with free candy and pop culture, Laura the RA. Her guacamole was the stuff of legend, and her impressive DVD collection rivaled my own. In the 7 years since I finished college, she may have moved on from her RAdom, but she hasn't stopped buying our friendship with food and booze. This past weekend, she let me in on her most famous meal- Puerco Pibil a la Once Upon a Time in Mexico (a meal so good that Johnny Depp's character killed the chef who made the most perfect version of it ever).

Was Laura just using me to make the massive amounts of prep manageable? Would I be attacked by surprise banana leaf spiders? Could I butcher 5 lbs of raw pork butt without getting completely grossed out? or Would I have a delightful day of cooking, eating and Cards Against Humanity?

Puerco (or Arroz or Veggie) Pibil
From Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Servings: 8-10 (per type)
Time: 6+ hours (4 inactive)

Oh so many spices in one now destroyed coffee grinder

5 tbsp achiote seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
8 whole allspice
1 tbsp whole black pepper
1/2 tsp cloves
3-4 habanero peppers (deveined and deseeded with gloves)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
10 garlic cloves
Juice of 5 lemons
2-3 splashes of good tequila
5 lbs pork butt or chicken breast, cut into 1-2" cubes
or assorted veggies (parsnips, purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and mushrooms), chopped
Banana leaves, rinsed with the stems cut off.
Tortillas and/or rice

My aversion to touching raw meat, Laura's dull knives and 5 lbs of bone-in pork butt were about to put my butchering skills to the test.

Watch for spiders!

Pretty veggies!

1. Put on awesome Mexican music.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
3. Grind the achiote seeds, cumin, allspice, whole black pepper and cloves together in a coffee grinder (and then never use for coffee again).
4. Combine the habanero peppers, orange juice, vinegar, salt, garlic with the ground spice mix in a blender until very smooth.
5. Add in the lemon juice and tequila (you can keep adding more to balance out the spice).
6. Start hating your friend Laura for her poor knives while attempting to butcher the meat and/or veggies.
7. Marinade the meat and/or veggies in large bowls for at least half an hour.
8. Cover the bottom of a 9"x13" glass baking pan with a banana leaf. Place another, extra long banana leaf going across the width of the pan (it should probably be about three times the width of the pan so you can later fold it over (like you would a letter). 
9. Pour the meat or veggies on top of the banana leaves. Fold the leaves over to cover.
10. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil so no steam can escape then cook for at least 4 hours.
11. Lazily lay on the couch and let the amazing smell take over your house while you try to fight the pibil-lust and successfully wait the 4 hours.
12. Spoon the amazingly tender, seasoned goodness on top of tortillas or rice and enjoy.

I've gotta admit, a little part of me that believes in a magic was really hoping I'd find whole bananas had grown when I opened it up.

Getting this dish to the oven may have taken a lot of hard work, but it was absolutely worth it. The finished product was perfection. Opening up those banana leaves was like Christmas for our senses of smell. The pork and chicken were masterfully spiced and beautifully tender. Whether on rice or inside of a warm tortilla, you couldn't go wrong.

Get in close to really smell the awesome.

The real surprise, though, might have been that the veggies were actually the best part. They drank up the spicy tequila mix much like our former college selves, and became super soft and tasty (special props to the potato members of the dish). Ideally, I'd say the best way to go about this meal would be to make two batches of the marinade, one for the pork and one for the veggies. My third and final taco (I would've had at least 12 if not for saving room for dessert) consisted of a pork and veggie combo that was far and away the best of the night.  Waiting paid off in the end as we were treated to a truly great dinner. In the future, I'd definitely like to fully test my patience by letting these cook for an entire day and then seeing if the taste-time continuum folded in on itself from becoming super saturated with deliciousness.

Notice the lack of juice because these awesome veggies absorbed all that amazing flavor (they really love tequila).

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Once Upon a Time in Laura's Kitchen: Amaretto Lime Tres Leches.

Hatch Chile Extravaganza: Hatch Pork Chops with Hatch & Avocado Puree

The mind is a most wondrous thing. Unfortunately, mine has been terribly addled by my crippling sugar addiction, making this attempt to write about a meal Kevin, Nancy and I made well over a month ago (we'll just call September a wash blog-wise and blame it on a case of writer's meat block) quite the challenge. Now that I've properly hyped it, here is the conclusion of our Hatch Chile Extravaganza, the only entree strong enough to stand up to the delectableness of Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese- Hatch Pork Chops served on top of a hatch and avocado puree.

Hatch Pork Chops with Hatch & Avocado Puree
Adapted from Central Market
Servings: 4
Time: 60 minutes

We looked at this pic for 5 minutes to try to remember what we put in the marinade.

Pork Chops
4 Pork Chops (we used pork ribeyes)
Roasted hatch chiles
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Red Chili Flakes
Garlic

Puree
5 hatch chiles, roasted, skinned and stemmed
1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
1 tsp honey
Juice of one lime
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

1. Mix the hatch chiles, olive oil, salt, pepper, red chili flakes and garlic together in a food processor and blend well.
2. Marinade the pork chops in the hatch chile mix for at least half an hour.
3. Grill the pork chops for ~8 minutes per side.
4. Combine the remaining hatch chiles, avocado, honey, lime juice, vegetable oil, salt and pepper in a blender and puree well. 
5. Attempt to make a fancy streak of puree on the plate, then give up after realizing the avocado is prohibiting this.
6. Lay your grilled pork chops on top of the puree.
7. Make sure each bite is complimented by the awesome hatch chile and avocado hybrid.

It looks like guac, so you know it has to be good.

Chiles plus avocado can only lead to glorious things, and this was certainly the case with our main course. The pork chop themselves were hearty Texas-sized chunks of porkulation with a nice hit of flavor from the hatch chiles and a gentle kick from the red chili flakes. What was a good chunk of meat was turned into something memorable as soon as it was perched atop the hatch puree. Our puree essentially acted like a guacamole that was slightly sweetened by the honey that provided extra moisture and flavor to our chops compliments of the fantastic roasted hatch chiles. It worked so well, that I could see it going on plenty of different meat options (or tortilla chips). Together with our mac & cheese, we had a fancy meal worthy of fine dining to liven up our footballless Monday night (yup, it was that long ago that the season hadn't started yet). Fear not loyal readers, there's plenty more to come from my September of adventures including not one, not two, not three but four down home recipes from my episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with my mom and some bacon loaded pizza from California.

The finished meal. Nancy's green beans rounded things out and kept up the color theme.

Good bye, roasted hatch chiles. We'll see you next year (when you can finally use this recipe!).