Real Food Wednesdays

Birria Jalisciense

/ Ren

Slow-braised Texas cabrito (young goat) in the Jalisco-style, with guajillo chiles, cumin, raw  cider vinegar, cinnamon and cloves..

Birria Jalisciense

(adapted from a recipe by Rick Bayless)

1 pound goat shoulder roast
1 tablespoon leaf lard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, diced and divided
2 Roma tomatoes, roasted and diced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 guajillo chiles, toasted and ground
1 1/2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 cups filtered water or meat stock
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
sea salt
fresh cilantro
fresh lime

Trim the goat of fat and silverskin and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to stand 30 minutes at room temperature.  Melt the lard in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown the meat on all sides.

Add tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chile powder, pepper and 2/3 of the onion and stir to combine.  Add vinegar, stock, oregano, cinnamon and cloves, cover and braise until tender, about 4 hours at 250 degrees.

Transfer the meat to a bowl or plate, then set the dutch over on a burner over medium heat.  Skim and discard any fat, then reduce sauce until slightly thickened.  Return the meat to the pot and taste for salt.

To serve, ladle stew into serving bowls and garnish with the remaining onion, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.  Serve with fresh corn tortillas.

In Austin? Many of these ingredients are available from Farmhouse Delivery

Farmhouse Delivery

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!

(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!

Pan-Fried Rabbit with Creole Mustard Cream Sauce

/ Ren

Pasture-fed rabbit is dusted with Cajun-seasoned sprouted spelt flour, then shallow-fried in duck fat until golden brown.  Served in a sauce of stock, fresh cream, champagne vinegar, thyme, oregano and bay with creole mustard, bell pepper, celery, onions and garlic.  A delicacy, sautéed liver and kidney are served as an accompaniment..

Pan-Fried Rabbit with Creole Mustard Cream Sauce

For the Rabbit

1 fresh whole rabbit with giblets
1 cup sprouted spelt flour
2 tablespoons Cajun-style seasoning
2 teaspoons half-sharp paprika
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
rendered duck fat

Cut up rabbit into serving-size pieces (2 forelegs, 2 back legs and 2 thighs), reserving the loin for another recipe.  Rinse in plenty of cold, fresh water, then pat dry.  Season liberally with salt and pepper, wrap in butcher paper and refrigerate 2-4 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and wipe away salt, pepper and any accumulated moisture.  Dust with flour mixed with Cajun-style seasoning and paprika, shaking off any excess.

Melt duck fat to a depth of about 1/2 inch in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add rabbit to the pan and fry as you would chicken, turning frequently until golden brown and the juices run clear.  Transfer to a side dish, then sauté liver and kidneys in the same pan.

For the Sauce

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, slivered
1 tablespoon duck fat
1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar
2 cups light game, chicken or vegetable stock
1 sprig each of fresh bay, thyme and oregano, tied in a bundle
1/2 cup fresh cream
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt the duck fat in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery and sweat until slightly softened.  Moisten with champagne vinegar, then add stock and herb bundle.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about a third.  Add cream and mustard and continue to simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Discard herb bundle and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eco-friendly and sustainable, pasture-fed rabbit is a very good source of Protein (63%), Niacin, Iron and Vitamins B6 and B12


This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!

Just Some Good Old Roasted Chicken..

/ Ren

You wouldn’t be wrong to describe this as just some good old roasted chicken, but that would partly miss the point.

This is chicken that spent it’s entire life outdoors on grass, breathing fresh air and pecking at bugs and dirt.  These birds were processed on the same farm that raised them, just about an hour’s drive from here.  Jane and Terry want nothing to do with chemicals or cages, and their healthy, happy birds are evidence of that stewardship.

This is God’s food, delicious, nourishing and sustaining.  And that is the larger point..

Just Some Good Old Roasted Chicken

1 very fresh, whole chicken
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary, coarsely chopped
coarse sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
a squeeze of fresh lemon

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces, rinse with plenty of cold, filtered water and pat dry.  Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt, then wrap loosely in butcher paper and refrigerate overnight.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator, wipe away any remaining salt, blot dry and allow to stand 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic, herbs and paprika, reduce heat to low and steep for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.  Toss the chicken pieces in the herb butter and arrange skin side-up in a heavy skillet (use multiple pans if necessary to prevent crowding). Season lightly with salt and pepper and roast in a 385 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Turn chicken pieces over and roast 15 minutes.  Turn chicken once more and roast until skin is crisp and juices run clear, about 10 minutes.  Allow to rest 5 minutes, then brighten with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve with seasonal vegetables, perhaps.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!

Tangerine-Glazed Pork Belly with Ginger and Green Garlic

/ Ren

Fresh pork belly is cured for 24 hours with sea salt, chilies and spices before being braised in stock, white wine, cinnamon and garlic.  Chilled overnight en confit, then pan-fried with green garlic, fresh ginger and tangerines..

Tangerine-Glazed Pork Belly with Ginger and Green Garlic

(adapted from recipes by Michael Symon and Emeril Lagasse)

2 pounds fresh pork belly (Prairie Pride Farm of Minnesota)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon dried red chiles, crushed
grated zest of 1 tangerine
1 red onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, bruised
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick

juice of 2 tangerines
2 bulbs green garlic, thinly-sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, julienned
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon wildflower honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon safflower threads
1 teaspoon roasted paprika
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Skin, trim and rinse the pork belly and pat it dry.

Combine salt, coriander, chilies and tangerine zest in a small bowl.  Coat the pork belly with the mixture, cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Place the pork belly in a Dutch oven and cover with red onion, carrot, garlic, bay, stock and wine.  Put the lid on the Dutch oven and braise in a 275 degree oven until tender, about 5 hours depending on size.

Refrigerate cooled pork belly its the poaching liquid overnight.

Combine tangerine juice, safflower, paprika and cider vinegar in a small, non-reactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon.   Add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in honey and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut pork belly into 2 inch by 4 inch slabs and fry in a tablespoon of rendered pork fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown on all sides. Drain briefly on a napkin or clean kitchen towel, then place on a dinner plate and spoon tangerine mixture over the top.

Real Food WednesdaysThis post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!