Mexican oregano

Southwestern Pork and Pozole

/ Ren

Similar to the traditional Pozole Rojo, this thick stew features leftover roast pork shoulder that has been cubed and simmered in stock with heirloom pozole, toasted cumin, cracked coriander, canella and Mexican oregano, with roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic and fresh chilies.  Topped with crispy fried corn tortilla strips..

1 pound (more or less) leftover roast pork (including some fat), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 cups homemade smoked pork/chicken stock
1-1/2 cups fresh yellow pozole (hominy)
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, toasted and cracked
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed, toasted and cracked
1 2-inch piece canella
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 large fresh tomatoes, cored and wedged
3-4 large, fresh Anaheim peppers
1/2 head of garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon finely-minced lemon peel
1/4 cup New Mexico chile powder
2 teaspoons granulated piloncillo
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Heat stock to a low boil, then add cubed pork, cumin, canella and coriander and simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in a 500 degree oven soft and charred. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then squeeze out the garlic, chop the vegetables and add to the simmering pork along with the cooked pozole, dry spices (except s&p) and tomato paste.

Partially cover and simmer until the pork is very tender and the pozole has just begun to break apart, about 30 minutes.

Add cilantro, stir and simmer another 5 minutes.  Season to taste with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, then ladle into clay bowls and serve hot with fried tortilla strips.

Chipotle-Roasted Chicken with Mexican Mint Marigold, Tomato Bomba

/ Ren

Bomba is an ancient strain of slowly-maturing rice grown in fresh mountain water around the town of Calasparra in Murcia, using aqueducts first built by the Romans.

Bomba absorbs three to four times its volume in stock (rather than the normal two), yet the grains remain firm and delicious.

Plump, locally pastured chicken (Dewberry Hills) joints are brined for half a day in cold, filtered water with coarse sea salt, cracked cumin and coriander.  Blotted dry, then roasted at 500 degrees until the skin is good and crisp, then transferred to a hot skillet and finished in sauce of reduced chicken stock, chipotles en adobo and a touch of apple cider vinegar.  Served over stock-cooked rice with browned onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes.  Garnished with freshly chopped Mexican mint marigold..

Chipotle-Roasted Chicken with Tomato Bomba

For the Brine (5%)

2 litres filtered water
100 grams coarse sea salt
1-1/2 tablesponns cumin seed, cracked
2-1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, cracked

Bring the water to a rapid boil, then remove from heat.  Add cumin, coriander and salt and stir to combine.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.  Place chicken pieces in a glass bowl and submerge in brine.  Cover bowl and refrigerate 6-8 hours.

For the Chipotle Sauce

2 cups rich, homemade chicken stock
2 tablespoons raw cider vinegar
2-3 chipotles en adobo, minced
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon piloncillo (substitute high-molasses raw can sugar)
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Combine chicken stock and vinegar in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a rapid boil.  Reduce heat to medium, add chipotles, tomato paste, oregano and piloncillo and simmer until reduced and thickened, about 1 hour.  Adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

For the Rice

2 tablespoons cultured butter
1/2 cup bomba
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2-3 green onions, slivered, divided
1 tablespoon minced elephant garlic
1 cup fresh tomato, diced

Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and add yellow onion, garlic and  1/2 of the green onions and saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add bomba and stir to coat each grain with butter.  Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat simmer, stirring frequently until tender, about 30 minutes.

For the Chicken

Assorted chicken pieces, brined and air-dried
Smoked paprika

Arrange chicken pieces skin-side up, without crowding in a large skillet.  Lightly dust with smoked paprika and place into a pre-heated 500 degree oven, cooking until skin is nicely browned and crisp, about 25 minutes.  Chicken should be slightly underdone at this point.

Remove pan from oven and set on burner over medium heat.  Baste liberally with chipotle sauce and continue to cook, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

To assemble

Spoon rice onto dinner plates and place chicken pieces over the top.  Dress with additional chipotle sauce and garnish with Mexican mint marigold.  Serve piping hot.

(Vegetarian) Posole Verde

/ Ren

Posole is a traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew made from cacahuazintle corn (nixtamalized whole hominy) with roasted tomatillos, onions, garlic, fresh green chilies and cilantro.  Typically found in Michoacán, Jalisco and the American Southwest, posole is sometimes considered to be more of a delicacy than an everyday dish..

Posole Verde

Posole Verde (adapted from a recipe by Rancho Gordo)

1/4 pound posole (whole dried hominy)
2 small white onions, peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves, peeled
15 to 20 tomatillos, paper skins removed & halved through the equator
2 poblano chiles
1 serrano chile
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Soak posole overnight in cool, filtered water.  Drain, rinse and add to a heavy saucepan with 1/2 an onion and enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered until barely tender, about 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then drain and set aside.

Roast garlic, onions, tomatillos and chilies in a hot oven until blistered and partially blackened.  Place the chilies in a paper bag or under an inverted bowl for 10-15 minutes to soften, then peel & discard the stem and most of the skin, ribs and seeds.

Working in batches, process the vegetables in a food processor until semi-smooth.

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast the cumin until fragrant, then add the corn and sauté until lightly browned.  Add puréed vegetables and cook, stirring often until thick, about 10 minutes.  Add vegetable stock, cilantro and oregano, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and serve hot with fresh guacamole and slivered radishes.

 

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!

Green Chili Stew with Fried Black Beans and Garlic Roasted Chicken

/ Ren

Hatch chilies and roasted tomatillos are simmered in chicken stock thickened with fresh corn flour and served with cumin-fried black beans and garlic-roasted chicken..

Green Chili Stew with Fried Black Beans and Roasted Chicken

For the Beans

1 cup dried black beans
3 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon leaf lard
1/4 teaspoon epazote
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Rinse beans and pick over.  Put in a bowl, cover with cool water and allow to soak overnight.  Drain, rinse and put into a heavy saucepot with 3 cups of filtered water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving some of the liquid and set aside.

Toast cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.  Add lard, onions and tomatoes and cook until onions are brown and tomatoes have lost their shape.  Add beans, a little bean cooking water, oregano and epazote and simmer, uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes.  Add a little water if necessary to keep beans from drying out.  Mash beans with the back of a wooden spoon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Chicken

fresh chicken pieces
1 tablespoon pastured butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt butter over medium heat then add garlic, paprika and chipotle and allow to steep 15 minutes.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Brush liberally with butter mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a 375 degree oven, turning twice until juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

For the Green Chili Stew

1 pound tomatillos
1/3 pound fresh Hatch or Anaheim chilies
1 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white onion, minced and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon piloncillo or rapadura (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse corn flour
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Remove stems and husks from tomatillos and rinse. Split in half across the equator then place face down in a heavy skillet and roast until browned.  Transfer roasted tomatillos to the bowl of a food processor and coarsely pulse together with chilies, cilantro, garlic and onion.  Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add vinegar and piloncillo and simmer 20 minutes.  Add corn flour, stir and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon fried beans in the center of a serving plate,  Ladle green chili stew around the perimeter, then arrange pieces of roasted chicken over the top.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and dress with crèma Mexicana or sour cream.

Ancho-Seared Duck Breast with Mole Rojo and Crunchy Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

/ Ren

Duck breast pan-seared in ancho and garlic-infused rendered duck fat and served with crispy duck skin, classic mole rojo and crunchy tomatillo-avocado salsa..

Ancho-Seared Duck Breast with Mole Rojo and Crunchy Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

For the Ancho-Infused Duck Fat

1/3 cup rendered duck fat
1 large ancho chile, stemmed, seeded and torn
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon organic annatto seeds
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Melt duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  Add ancho, garlic, annatto and oregano and cook just until it begins to sizzle a little.  Turn the heat to the lowest setting and allow to steep 1 hour before straining into a clean container.  Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

For the Crunchy Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa (recipe by Rick Bayless)

8 ounces (about 4 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/2 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped cilantro
Hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 small serranos or 1 small jalapeño), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin
1 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Salt

Roughly chop half of the tomatillos and scoop them into a food processor with the cilantro and green chiles.  Measure in 1/4 cup water and process to a slushy, coarse puree.  Roughly chop half the avocado, add it to the processor and pulse until it is incorporated into the salsa.  Scrape into a serving dish.  Scoop the onion into a small strainer and rinse under cold water.  Add to the salsa.  Finely chop the remaining tomatillos and add them, too.  Finally, chop the remaining avocado into 1/4-inch pieces and stir them into the salsa.  Taste and season with salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon.

For the Mole Rojo

Made right, classic mole is a rather elaborate and time-consuming affair.  If you haven’t made it before, I would suggest studying Rick Bayless’ recipe for Mole Rojo Classico.  In a pinch, you can use store-bought El Conquistador Teloloapan Red Mole.

For the Cracklings

1/4 cup duck skin with fat, julienned
1 teaspoon Ancho-Infused Duck Fat
1/2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
coarse sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Heat duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the julienned duck skin and sauté, stirring continuously, until dark golden brown and crisp.  Transfer to a napkin to drain and toss with cilantro, salt and pepper while still hot.

For the Duck

Use a sharp, thin knife to score a cross-hatch pattern into the fat side of the duck breast, taking care not to cut into the muscle.  Season on all sides with salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg, then lay bay leaves against the flesh, loosely wrap in butcher’s paper and refrigerate overnight (Thomas Keller).

Allow to duck breast to sit on the counter for 20 minutes while you pre-heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the duck breast skin-side down to the hot pan, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, moving often, until the skin is golden brown and much of the fat has been rendered out.

Flip the breast over and sauté for 1 minute, then pour off the fat and place the pan in a 375 degree oven and cook until until rare, about 8 minutes. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and allow to rest at least 15 minutes.

Heat ancho-infused duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add inch-thick slices of rare duck breast and quickly sear on all sides until medium rare.

To serve, spoon mole into the center of a dinner plate.  Position duck on top of the mole standing upright, dress with tomatillo-avocado salsa and garnish with cracklings.