(Not So) Secret Ingredient

I have to give hat tips to the New York Times and the Food Network for the wonderfulness of this dish. Coinciding with my search for the perfect taco in California, NYTimes.com posted a delicious looking entry that could very well win top honors. So when I returned to NYC, I gathered all the ingredients from Trader Joe's and drew up battle plans. The second nod goes out to The Food Porn Network. Unless the Rachel Maddow show is on, it's always at low volume in the background. I think I was updating my Facebook status for the umpteenth time one day when I overheard someone mention cocoa powder. For once, my short-term memory served me flawlessly, because when I racked my brain for a new recipe for the portion of pork loin leftover after the Times' tacos, a light bulb went on, and the rest as they say is... Well see for yourself.

Braised Mexican Pork - a Blog O. Food recipe

1½ lb pork loin roast 2 Tbsp cooking oil 1 medium white onion, cut in half and thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp ground Ancho chili pepper 1 tsp ground Chipotle chili pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp cocoa powder 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained Chicken stock, enough to cover pork loin half way Salt & freshly ground black pepper

By now, my loyal minions, you should have all mastered the rudiments of braising. If not, shame on you! But I'm here to help.

Sear the pork loin on both sides in a little cooking oil (bacon fat for us shameless Mexicans) in a large heavy sauté pan or Dutch oven, anything with a tight-fitting lid. Don't fuss with the cut of meat. Place it in the hot oil, then leave it alone. Allow it to develop some good color.

Remove the pork from the pan, reduce your heat slightly and sweat your onions, stirring occasionally. At the point where they're gonna start caramelizing, add the garlic and cook for one more minute, just until the garlic is fragrant.

Here's where the alchemy begins. Bump up the heat again, add the tomatoes, spices and cocoa, and let everything cook quite through - seven to eight minutes I'd say - before adding any cooking liquid. Stir the contents of the pan, but don't worry if the bottom of the pan starts to get sticky and brown. That's where the magic lies.

Jack the heat up to high and add the chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon to loosen up all the fond (the brown stuff) on the bottom of the pan. You're releasing intense flavors by doing so. Nestle the pork in the center of the broth and vegetables, reduce the heat to it's absolute lowest*, cover and simmer for hours.

Two hours in, I flipped the meat over, gave everything a gentle shake, covered and simmered for another couple hours. By the end, the meat needed little in the way of persuasion to fall apart of its own accord. Just for kicks, I cracked the lid on the pan to let the sauce reduce a bit.

I had some extra red bell peppers lying about, taking up space. I tortured them over an open flame until the entire outter skin was charred black. Adding insult to injury, I smothered them in a brown paper bag for 10 minutes so that their 3rd degree burns would peel right off, leaving nothing but sweet, tender flesh for me to eat with my pork. I'm a monster, I know.

You have to be a little careful with Mexican spices and  hard experience is really the only teacher when it comes to combinations and proportions. I can caution you that Chipotle chili has an INTENSE smoky flavor, with the ability to overpower just about anything it's added to, so take care there. With the fieriness of the Ancho powder, some tempering influence was called for. Hence the cocoa powder. It was just the counterbalancing force I was looking for, and elevated my chili sauce to new heights. Characteristically, I was the first to compliment the chef. Now it's your turn!

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

*Most gas ranges cannot achieve real simmering temperatures without the flame going out. I use the low-tech method of creating a sort of halo with a piece of aluminum foil wadded into a strand and curved into a circle. I put it between the heat and the sauté pan, That elevates the food away from the heat, thus reducing the temperature. It's failsafe.

Slow-cooked Pork Tacos

So if we just ignored the fact that I haven't posted a recipe since December 1, 2010, do you think anyone would notice? Yeah, me neither.

Winter is grudgingly giving way to spring, but not without a lot of fuss and some chilly nights. Why not chase to the blues away with Nature's comfort food - Mexican.

Slow-cooked Pork Tacos - From food52.com

2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp Ancho chili powder 1 tsp chipotle chili powder ½ tsp dried oregano 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into ¾" chunks Kosher salt Peanut oil 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1 poblano pepper, finely chopped 1 Serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, with their juices 1½ cups chicken stock 2 large limes Corn tortillas 2 avocados Pickled onions (recipe to follow) Cilantro

Pickled onions

1 medium red onion 1 Tbsp Kosher salt 2 Tbsp sugar ¼ medium beet, peeled Handful cilantro Cider vinegar

Slice the onion thinly and put in a glass container safe for the microwave. Add the salt, sugar, beet and cilantro. Cover everything with 1 part water to 2 parts vinegar. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for another minute. Cool, then cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

Put the cumin and coriander in a small skillet over medium heat. Toast the spices for a minute or two, shaking the pan occasionally, until they're fragrant. (Be careful not to scorch them.) Grind the spices using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in both chili powders and the oregano and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork well with salt and add about half of the meat to the pot. Brown well on all sides, about 4 minutes total, and transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add more oil and brown the second batch of meat, adding it to the bowl once it's done.

Lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onion, poblano, Serrano and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant. Stir in the spice mixture and cook for another minute.

Return the meat to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, and add the tomatoes and chicken stock. (The meat should just be covered in liquid - if not, add a little water.) Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Turn up the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer gently for an hour. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer until the pork is very tender and the sauce is reduced and thick, 20 30 to 60 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning, and squeeze another half a lime into the sauce.

To serve, heat tortillas on a dry griddle or skillet. Peel and roughly chop the avocados and sprinkle with a little lime juice to keep them from turning brown. Cut another lime into thin wedges. Fill each taco with some of the pork, cilantro, avocado, and pickled onion. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing. Don't forget the cerveza Mexicana!

Talk about getting back into the swing of things with a little verve and panache. The roomie was duly impressed. So was the cook for that matter! It's good to be back.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Not a fajita. Not a burrito...

...it's a farrito!

There are three markets within easy walking distance of my front door. All three reflect the different ethnic enclaves of the surrounding blocks. There's some overlap in all of them, but you get a good sense of who their customers might be by sleuthing through the produce and meat departments. Coming back from Manhattan last weekend, I ducked into Villa Juana (yeah, sometimes the name is a dead giveaway) at the Fordham Metro-North station looking for something for dinner. Villa Juana has a whole aisle dedicated to nothing but Mexican foods. It's always like a homecoming browsing through the Goya canned goods, dried beans and chilies. But I digress.

I found some fresh cut beef tenderloin strips and started thinking about a good marinade to flavor and tenderize the inexpensive cut. Food alchemists know the science behind a good marinade, the real trick is combining spices, oils and acids to create something flavorful and complimentary to the dish. The unimaginative will reach for the A-1 or Heinz 57. Their ilk should not be allowed in kitchens in my opinion.

Mexican Marinade - A Blog O. Food creation

¼ cup beer 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 4 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp cayenne pepper Salt & freshly ground black pepper ½ cup olive oil 3 bay leaves

Add the first eight ingredients to a blender, cover and pulse to combine. With feed cap removed and the blender on a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil, making an emulsion. Completely submerge beef in the marinade, making sure to reach all surface areas of the strips. Top with bay leaves, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (I went for four).

Heat a cast iron grill over medium high heat. Once cooking surface comes to temperature, spray with cooking oil. Remove beef from marinade, discarding the excess sauce. Place strips on hot grill leaving some space between pieces. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side, turn and cook an additional two minutes or so. Remove beef to a warm platter, add a little more cooking spray to the still hot grill and sear whole green onions and soften flour tortillas. Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Just look at the beautiful sear marks on the beef, onions and tortillas. One really does feast with the eyes, and that's a pretty picture right there.

Quick, painless, delicious. I used garlic and onion powder for a smooth marinade that would be fully infused with their flavors. Cumin is a Mexican staple, very subtle, but a dish wouldn't be the same without it. The marinade really saturated the beef. The finished meat had hints of spice and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Sour cream and grilled beef, well that's just a classic combo. Beer is the only acceptable accompaniment to Mexican-style dishes. In this case Presidente, a Dominican Republic brew, but close enough!

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Mexican Through and Through

For all you infrequent readers out there (and you know who you are), visits with Pops O'Food revolve around twin suns: food, obviously, and golf. Pops has a regular group of local and snow bird cronies who accompany him on the course several times a week. I am permitted to join them whenever I'm in town. The only reason I took up the game in the first place was to have something to do with my father besides stuffing my face. It has turned out to be a minor passion, especially when my swing is going well. Between bouts of Mexican peasant food were some very good rounds of golf this year. One course in particular took my breath away, Emerald Canyon Golf Course on the Colorado River just outside Parker, AZ. This La Paz County course is an oasis. Impeccably tended fairways and velvety smooth greens, built into the ravines and washes that feed into the river. I have never played a finer course in the country. Even on those idyllic links however, my thoughts frequently turned to what our next meal would be.

Not that it was ever really a worry at Casa de Pops. He had a treasure trove of recipes to offer up.

Pork & Hominy Stew - A recipe by Pops O'Food

1 large can (29 oz) Mexican-style hominy 2 lbs pork loin chops, boned and diced 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ½ cup olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, crushed 3½ cups chicken stock 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 1½ cups homemade salsa*

Drain hominy, and put to a simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, brown pork, including bones, on all sides with dried spices in olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Brown in batches if need be. Remove pork from pot and sweat onions and garlic over medium heat until just soft, but not brown. Return the meat and bones to the pan, add the chicken stock, tomatoes, salsa and hominy. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 90 minutes.

Holy crap, that guy POF knows a thing or two about food! Browning the bones and including them in the stew red-lined the flavor meter. Just remember to separate them from the dish before serving. The slow, long simmer softened all the tough connective tissue in the meat. It practically fell apart on the fork. Pops served Mexican rice and refried beans, and piping hot flour tortillas for sopping up the juices.

We all have dishes that remind us of childhood or other memorable occasions. I was transported that night. This is a meal I'll cook again when I'm homesick or just plain nostalgic. I hope this post prompts you to dust off delicious recipes of your own. Relive old memories or make new ones tonight.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

*Salsa

3 lbs Ortega and yellow chilies, roasted, skinned and chopped 10 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 large white onions, diced ½ cup cilantro, chopped 1 cup, green onions, diced

Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Store in clean mason jars. Flavor will intensify over time. Will keep for about two weeks.

Feliz Navidad

My father, Pops O'Food, is a prodigious cook. Usually, and without heed to any pleas for moderation, the output from his kitchen will resemble something akin to Ford's Detroit production line. Every year, I invariably gain five pounds and have a reputation around town as being - shall we say - an ambitious eater. But it's only because he keeps putting food in front of me! So before traveling to Arizona to spend part of the Holidays with Pops this year, I emailed him with firm instructions not to cook a thing until I got there. All was for naught. He came back with the notion of Mexican food for the week. I know a lost cause when I see one, and acceded to his plans with alacrity.

Mexican food unfailingly reminds me of when my stepmother Anita was alive. God, she could cook. Like me, she absorbed her skills at the feet of her parents. Growing up, I was dependably at her elbow whenever she was in the kitchen. One memory immediately leaps to mind reflecting on those times, her Mexican rice "secret". After toasting her rice and adding the liquid to the saucepan, she would deftly dip an index finger into the broth, claiming it added sweetness. My naive eight-year old mind accepted that like some kind of golden nugget. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. Anita also had a real fondness for albondigas soup, so when Pops suggested a Mexican holiday menu, I insisted on us taking a stab at one of her favorite dishes.

Pops perused the Internet for recipes and we used a couple of those as a launching point for our own effort. I think Anita would have been pleased with the result. There were certainly no complaints from my father and me between slurps.

Albondigas Soup - A recipe inspired by Anita Roberts

½ lb ground beef ½ lb ground pork 1 large egg ½ cup cooked brown rice 1 cup chopped yellow onion ½ tsp dried thyme ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ cup peanut oil 4 cups chicken stock 1 tomato, seeded and chopped 2 Tbsp chili powder 4 cloves garlic, roasted 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen Salt & pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, egg, brown rice, spices, and half the onions, form into ping pong-sized balls. Heat peanut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot and brown meatballs in batches on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomato, chili powder, roasted garlic and remaining onions, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Serve hot with crispy fried corn tortilla strips. Makes 6 servings.

Remember last year's visit to Lake Havasu? Pops allowed me in the kitchen for a couple of dinners and spent the rest of the time bragging to all his golfing buddies about what a good cook I was. I don't know how he managed it, but this year I was bucked back down to KP duty. What I really suspect is that my father gets as much joy out of cooking for others as I do. In any event, he's always looking for ways to wait on me, as I am by nature a most independent fellow.

What a time we had. Anita's name came up several times, usually at the table. I treasure every loving repast shared with my father. I'm already aching for the next one.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

Da Kine

Brea, California, circa 1965. Aunt Donnie sorts soup beans on my grandmother's linoleum kitchen table. After separating out tiny clods of dirt, she sweeps the beans into the chipped, white enameled colander that I love so well. They get a good thorough rinsing before going into a big pot of water to soak.

As I sorted my own pinto beans this morning, sights, smells and sounds whisked me back to that kitchen so long, long ago. Memory after memory washed over me. Early morning tea (with milk and sugar for me) with my grandfather at that same table. Nimble hands rolling out buttermilk biscuit dough. Fried chicken popping and sizzling in the giant cast iron skillet that was too big for me to lift on my own. The beans clinking into my own colander tapped out a sonata of one family's legacy of formidable cooks. I am just one more link in an accomplished chain. Is it any wonder I'm a food blogger today?

How funny that something as simple as beans could cause me to stray into such nostalgia. But don't let my reminiscence fool you, this is a post about Mexican food!

Championship Week is in full throttle, but a girl's still gotta eat, and I have a quick fix that is healthy and yummy. Like every good southern California boy, I've long since made it a staple: rice & beans. Great sides with any Tex-Mex main dish. Wrapped in a warm flour tortilla with a little cheddar cheese, it's a meal in itself. Sitting in the line up with Matty O'Food back in the day, we would oft discuss what would be for dinner after we finished surfing. If we wanted something warm that would stick to the ribs, it was refried beans, and Mexican rice. We called it Da Kine Mex, and still do.

Mexican Rice - a recipe by Blog O. Food

1 cup long grain rice 8 oz tomato sauce 8 oz water 3 cloves garlic 2½ Tbsp olive oil

Gringos try to complicate everything, but Mexican rice is so easy. Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. While the oil heats, thinly slice whole cloves of garlic. Once the oil is hot, add garlic to the pan and stir constantly. Just as the garlic starts to sizzle and turn color, add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Continue stirring the rice frequently to toast without burning individual kernels. Once the rice has a light toasted color, raise the heat to high, add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Refried bean - a recipe by Blog O. Food*

1 lb dry pinto beans, sorted, rinsed and soaked over night, and rinsed one more time 8 oz ham hock 1½ Tbsp olive oil 2 oz cheddar cheese, sliced Salt to taste

Bring a pot of soaked, rinsed pinto beans to a boil in lots of unseasoned water. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 90 minutes. Begin checking the beans for doneness after an hour. The last 30 minutes of cooking, add the ham hock. The joint adds a lot of flavor the beans. Allow beans cool in their own cooking liquid before draining. Move cooked beans to a sauté pan with hot olive oil. Use a masher or fork to break down some of the beans. When the beans are heated through, stir in cheddar cheese to melt thoroughly. Season to taste. If necessary, cook in batches. The more often that you re-fry the beans, the fuller and richer the flavor will become.

A one-cup serving of pinto beans has only about 240 calories. Combining beans with a whole grain like brown rice results in a complete dietary protein. Pinto beans contain 75% of a day's folate requirements, and are an excellent source of fiber. Studies indicate that men who include pinto beans and other high-fiber foods in their diet obtain as much as a 60-point drop in their total cholesterol.

When I'm starving, nothing is quicker or more delicious than to heat up some tortillas on a burner and roll them up with hot refried beans and rice. If I have an extra minute or two, I'll prepare them chimichanga style by frying the rolled burrito on an oiled griddle, then top with sour cream and hot sauce. A guilty pleasure. My stepmother always eschewed such pretense, preferring instead to take deep swaths of rice and beans with torn pieces of flour tortilla. She worked like a skilled backhoe operator! I would sit mesmerized admiring her economy of motion. She was no slouch, my stepmom.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food

*With considerable help from generations of Mexican cooks