During my self-appointed day of cooking on Whidbey Island, I asked if anyone had a dinner request. Without missing a beat Minh-Hai piped up, “Chinese Sticky Ribs!” I like a challenge.
I’d never made sticky ribs before so I had to defer to the experts. But some of the more traditional recipes called for the likes of Chinese rose water, plum sauce and dried oysters, ingredients that the nearby Casey’s Red Apple probably didn’t carry. Luckily Cook’s Country came to the rescue.
Their recipe requires braising the ribs for a few hours in a flavorful mixture of soy sauce, sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, sherry and cilantro sprigs. After the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, it gets brushed with a sticky, sweet glaze followed by a few flips under the broiler until deep mahogany in color.
As we were eating, fingers and faces covered in sticky glaze, Minh-Hai said, “I just dreamt this up and here it is!” That’s exactly what cooking is all about.
Chinese Sticky Ribs
If you don’t have dry sherry on hand, use one part apple cider vinegar and one part water. I wasn’t able to find hot pepper jelly but apple jelly worked beautifully. Since some of the heat was missing, I also upped the spice by adding a tablespoon or two of Sriracha sauce. Next time I’ll add even more! Slightly tweaked from a Cook’s Country recipe.
2 racks St. Louis style or baby back ribs (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 lbs each)
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry (or a mix of 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water)
1 6-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
30 sprigs fresh cilantro stems (reserve leaves for glaze), chopped
8 scallions, white parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces (reserve green parts for garnish)
Optional: extra Sriracha or chili sauce (I added 2 tablespoons)
Glaze:
1 10-oz jar hot red pepper jelly or apple jelly
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Reserved scallion greens, thinly sliced
Extra Sriracha or chili sauce to taste
Adjust the oven rack to the middle and heat to 350°F.
Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. Combine the rib marinade in a large roasting pan. Add the spareribs and coat well. Cover with heavy foil and cook, meat side down, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until just tender. Remove ribs to a plate.
Strain the cooking liquid and put 3 cups into a large nonstick skillet. Skim the fat. Add the jelly and vinegar. Simmer over medium high heat until reduced to 2 cups. Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and cayenne (and Sriracha or chili sauce, if using).
Heat the broiler (don't raise the oven rack!). Pour enough water into the roasting pan to cover the bottom. Fit pan with roasting rack, arrange ribs on rack and brush with glaze. Broil until the ribs begin to brown, flip over, and brush with more glaze. Continue flipping, glazing and broiling every few minutes until the ribs are deep mahogany (I only needed to do this 3 times). Move to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes. Slice, glaze again if desired, and garnished with scallion greens. Serve with sticky rice and lots of napkins!
Have you ever tasted something for the first time and thought, “Where have you been all my life!?” That was me with sorrel.
I wasn’t even familiar with this leafy green until last year when Beryl suggested we plant some in our garden. It tasted so bright and lemony, and I dreamt about turning it into creamy sorrel soup once harvest time rolled around. Well, that time came and went while we were on vacation and the plant bolted. So much for soup.
This year I was determined not to repeat history. I did my research and found that sorrel, which is hugely popular in French cuisine, is often served as a sauce for fish. So I picked our plant clean and melted a heaping bowl of leaves into a just-creamy-enough white wine shallot sauce. Paired with pan fried cod, this immediately shot to the top of the best-dishes-I’ve-ever-eaten list.
I teach monthly cooking classes for clients at work. Many are kitchen neophytes so my lessons tend to cover the basics and include straightforward recipes that require minimal effort. Last week, in a holiday-themed class, we discussed how to handle a butternut squash (peeling, cutting, cleaning and roasting) and since I had a demo squash left over, I was determined to make dinner out of it.
I wanted a dish where the squash would remain king, and then I remembered Ina Garten's Saffron Butternut Squash Risotto (yet another episode I saw at the gym while planning dinner on the treadmill). In all honestly, I'm not what you would consider a winter squash aficionado. I cook it and I eat it but it doesn't have a spot on my favorite foods list... at least not until it's paired with gnocchi, ravioli or a creamy risotto.
This particular risotto managed to knock my socks off. It balances the sweet, savory and creamy components perfectly, and with seared scallops on top, it may actually qualify as one of my favorite meals.
Butternut Squash Risotto
While this risotto is a meal in itself, I highly recommend topping each serving with a few seared scallops. The two flavors and textures are a match made in heaven. Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces pancetta, finely diced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4-6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Peel the squash, halve lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes (about 6 cups). Place the diced squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons), a few good pinches of kosher salt and some black pepper. Toss well and spread in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing once, until the squash is very tender. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Cover and keep hot over low heat.
In a large pot, heat the pancetta over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes or until most of the fat has rendered and the pancetta is beginning to crisp. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the shallots; cook for 5 more minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add two ladles of stock, the saffron, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the broth is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Continue adding stock, two ladles at a time, stirring frequently, waiting each time for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is cooked through but still a touch al dente, about 30 minutes. Add the butternut squash, Parmesan and a splash more stock, if needed. Toss in the remaining tablespoon of butter, stir well and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.
If you’re cooking a birthday dinner for friends and need something a bit special and positively delicious, look no further.
I’ve had slow-braised short ribs on the brain ever since the weather turned chilly, so when our friend Casey’s birthday rolled around a few weekends ago, I was delighted to have an excuse to buy 6 pounds of meat.
A sweet Asian-style braise was my first inclination but since I had my heart set on serving polenta, red wine made a lot more sense. So I put my faith in Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) for guidance. Her clever technique calls for pureeing a Mirepoix prior to sautéing so that it easily melts right into the sauce. Brilliant.
While this dish takes close to 4 hours from start to finish, you’ll only need to put in about 60 minutes of active kitchen time before letting the oven work its magic. This is slow food at its best.
This dish is perfect for impressing company or for a lazy Sunday. My favorite accompaniment is creamy polenta (shown here) but I'm sure your trusted mashed potato recipe would also do it justice. Adapted from an Anne Burrell recipe.
Serves 8
6 lbs bone-in short ribs
Kosher salt
High heat vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 large cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato paste
1 bottle hearty red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves
Season the short ribs generously with salt. In a large stock pot (one that’s large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables), heat a layer of high-heat vegetable oil over high heat. Working in batches, add the short ribs and brown very well, 3-4 minutes per side (do not overcrowd).
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
While the short ribs are browning, puree the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in a food processor until it forms a coarse paste.
After searing on all sides, remove the ribs from the pan. Drain the fat and add fresh oil to coat the bottom. Add the pureed vegetables and season generously with salt. Brown the vegetables until dark and a browned film forms on the bottom of the pan, approximately 8 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits and let them reform. Scrape them up once again and add the tomato paste; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan (lower the heat if things start to burn). Continue cooking until the mixture has been reduced by half.
Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups of beef broth or just enough to barely cover the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3-3 1/2 hours, turning the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more beef broth or water, if needed. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes to allow browning and to let the sauce reduce. The meat should be incredibly tender when done.
Before serving, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary (I removed the ribs, added salt, stirred well and returned the ribs to the sauce). Serve with the braising sauce.
Not only does Madhur Jaffrey have the notch of award-winning actress in her belt, she's the Julia Child of Indian cuisine. Born in Delhi, she first pursued a career on stage and on the big screen with much success. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that her culinary skills were noticed and she was catapulted into the world of cooking shows and cookbooks. Thanks to her, much of the Western world was introduced to the fragrant foods of India and the Far East.
I’m still somewhat of a novice when it comes to cooking Indian food but when I do, I often seek out Jaffrey’s recipes. So of course I was delighted when Borzoi Cooks (via Knopf Publishing) included a sneak peek from her new cookbook, At Home with Madhur Jaffrey, which will grace shelves on October 19th, in their latest newsletter.
Tandoori-Style Chicken with Mint Recipe
This chicken is incredibly versatile since it tastes just as good cold as it does hot. From At Home with Madhur Jaffrey. Serves 4.
Note: An 8-24 hour marination period is required.
4 whole chicken legs (about 2 3/4 pounds), skinned and separated into drumsticks and thighs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil or ghee
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Cut 2 deep diagonal slits into the fleshy parts of each thigh and 2 diagonal slits into both fleshy sides of each drumstick. Rub both sides with the salt and then the lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the onions, garlic, ginger, cayenne, garam masala, cumin, and yogurt into a blender and blend until you have a smooth paste.
Put the chicken and all accumulated juices in a bowl. Add the paste from the blender and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Remove the chicken from the marinade (smoothing off the excess) and lay the pieces in a single layer on a baking tray. Brush with oil and then sprinkle with half the mint. Bake 15 minutes.
Turn the pieces over, brush with more oil, and sprinkle the remaining mint over the top. Bake another 5 minutes.
My mom is an extraordinary cook so, naturally, I look forward to my trips home. This past July was one of those times. Per usual, I packed at the eleventh hour, got little to no sleep and showed up on the east coast like death warmed over. Mom, being the nurturing type that she is, made sure to have a light meal ready. Enter this pasta dish.
Originally printed in the August 2004 issue of Cuisine at Home, this is admittedly the type of recipe I would overlook. Pasta? Pesto? Been there, done that. But this one is a touch different.
Any type of pasta can be used here (I used brown rice fusilli). If you don’t have any nuts on hand, they can easily be omitted from the pesto. Adapted from Cuisine at Home|August 2004.
For the pesto:
2 cups fresh spinach, tightly packed
1 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, almonds or walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 oz. dry pasta of choice (I like fusilli with all its crevices)
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen (if fresh, trimmed and cut in half)
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or regular tomatoes seeded and diced)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Place all of the pesto ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. If you’re using frozen corn and green beans, add them to the pasta during the last minute of cooking. If using fresh, add them 2-3 minutes before the pasta is finished. Drain.
Place the ricotta cheese in the bottom of a large pasta bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the pasta, vegetables and spinach pesto; toss well.
In a mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes with the white wine vinegar, olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon on top of the pasta. Garnish the entire dish with shaved Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
We left Bill’s with hung heads, teary eyes and hoarse voices. What a way to start a Saturday.
But we had rapidly approaching dinner plans and needed to buck up, fast. We had no idea what we were making and immediately started brainstorming quick menus that were just a notch or two above the ordinary. This particular lamb ragù fit the bill perfectly.
It’s adapted from a Food & Wine recipe that has been in my “must cook” pile for quite some time. What goes better with flavorful lamb than reduced wine, stock, a handful of savory spices, ricotta cheese and fresh mint? Not much.
I was able to get the ragù simmering away in less than 30 minutes, plus the fresh pasta only took about 3. It tastes decadent and complex but it’s simple enough to throw together at the eleventh hour… even if you are nursing some fresh wounds.
Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù, Ricotta and Mint
This has even deeper flavors the next day. Adapted from an Andrew Carmellini recipe in Food & Wine.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (you don’t have to but I added an extra 14 ounce can as well)
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped mint
In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme. Season with a hearty pinch of salt and a few fresh grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, allowing some of that raw taste to cook out of it, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Next, add the diced tomatoes and their juices (and a little extra if you’re like me) along with the stock; bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced and slightly thickened, 25-30 minutes.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it’s al dente (if you’re using fresh pasta, this should only take about 3 minutes). Drain, return to the pot and add the butter; toss well.
Divide pasta among plates and top with a ladel of hot ragu. Place a scoop of ricotta cheese on top of each with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper and some fresh mint.
Back in February I made some very simple and tasty fish tacos. They went over so well that I thought they’d be a fun idea for a casual dinner party, sort of a do-it-yourself affair: a pan of spice-rubbed cod in the center of the table surrounded by stacks of warm corn tortillas and bowls of toppings. So when Erik and Emily came over for dinner on Saturday, I decided to kick it up a notch and add carne asada to the menu.
That ended up being a very good idea.
Carne asada, a dish with roots in Northern Mexico, literally means “roasted meat.” A thin cut of beef, usually flank or skirt steak, is either seasoned with salt and pepper or marinated, and then grilled over hot coals. I took the marination route and used a concoction of citrus juices, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. After a few hours in the fridge, that steak was ready to be grilled, sliced and piled into tortillas. Pretty darn simple.
As for toppings, they included the usual suspects: cabbage slaw, Cotija cheese, Pico de Gallo and radishes. But instead of a standard guacamole, I opted for a creamy avocado sauce, which, if the empty bowl served as any indication, went over swimmingly.
Carne Asada
While Carne Asada is usually grilled, broiling or pan searing (like I did here) works just as well.
For the marinade:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 juicy limes, juiced
Scant 1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon high heat oil, such as safflower, peanut or grapeseed
8 small corn tortillas
1 batch of Avocado Cream (recipe follows)
Cotija cheese
Pico de gallo
Radish slices
Cabbage and carrot slaw
Cilantro sprigs
Using either a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound/pulse the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper until it forms a paste. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and oil; mix well. Place the flank steak in a large Ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the meat, seal the bag and refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no more than 8 hours (or the meat will get mushy from too much protein breakdown).
Heat a large skillet (cast iron works great) over medium-high to high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Add oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat. Add steak and cook for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium rare. Remove to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak on a diagonal across the grain.
*Alternatively, heat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent sticking and carry on with the above instructions.
Heat tortillas either in the microwave (2 at a time for 20 seconds on high heat), in a hot, dry skillet until warm and pliable, or wrap the entire stack in aluminum foil and heat in a 350°F oven (which I did since I was also baking the fish).
Assemble tacos by placing a few slices of beef down the center of a warm tortilla. Top with avocado cream, Cotija cheese, cabbage, Pico de Gallo, radish slices and cilantro sprigs.
Avocado Cream:
2 avocados
1/2 - 1 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Peel, seed and dice the avocados; place into a blender. Add milk, starting with 1/2 cup, garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, adding more milk to reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt to taste.
Every April Tristan reminds me that Easter has always been his least favorite holiday, and through kids’ eyes, I can kind of see why: boring lamb dinner, mandatory dress clothes and no school holiday. I was determined to change at least two of those things.
Last Sunday was actually a big day for us. Not only were we hosting dinner, we were (finally!) planting our garden. First order of business was buying plant starts from the Sunseed Farm booth at the Ballard Farmers’ Market. They’re known to have an extraordinary variety of healthy, vigorous, organic starts – plus Beryl and Talley get all their stuff from them and have had wonderful luck.
The plan was to convene in the late afternoon, get all of that beautiful kale, chard, kohlrabi, leeks, green onions, lettuce, strawberries and sorrel planted and then head inside for an Easter-like meal. I didn’t want to bore everyone (especially Tristan, god forbid) with the expected lamb roast but still wanted a lamb element present. So I decided to make something that has been on my to-do list for over 3 years: Aushak (Afghan leek ravioli with lamb ragout and yogurt sauce).
My only experience with Aushak was years ago at Kabul, an Afghan restaurant in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. They served the delicate leek-filled dumplings in the traditional fashion with a coriander-spiced ground beef sauce but were more than accommodating to substitute it with their lamb ragout upon request. In my opinion, this made a memorable dish unforgettable.
One word of caution: give yourself plenty of time to make Aushak. Even better, make them a day in advance. About an hour before everyone arrived, I found myself in a tizzy -- Noni bread still rising, sauce ingredients impatiently waiting to be chopped and dumplings yet to be made, which led to a serious moment of panic (thank you Tristan for pulling me back to earth) -- all of which could have been avoided with a bit more planning. It’s really quite fun, but not if it turns into a race against the clock.
Was this a quick, easy meal? Definitely not. Was it worth the time and effort? Absolutely. As a matter of fact, before dinner was even finished, I received requests for a return appearance next Easter.
In the end, Tristan didn’t get a day off from work, but he was able to come to the table in gardening jeans and said that this was possibly the best meal I ever made.
Two out of three ain’t bad.
Aushak
This dish is most often served with a ground beef sauce (simply substitute 2 pounds ground beef for the lamb) but I really like the the mingling flavors of lamb, mint, coriander and yogurt.
Lamb Ragout:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced, fresh ginger
2 pounds ground lamb
2 tablespoons ground coriander
Freshly ground nutmeg, about 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups lamb or beef stock
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and just starting to color, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger; cook for 30 seconds more. Add the ground lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink. *At this point I carefully drained most of the fat from the pan.* Sprinkle in the coriander, nutmeg, salt and pepper; mix well. Add the tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. Sauce should be thick and flavorful – taste and adjust salt to taste.
Dumplings:
3 large leeks, whites and light green parts only, washed well and sliced
1 bunch green onions (5-6 onions), sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 package wonton wrappers
1 egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté leeks and green onions in oil until just softened (you don't want any color), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and add cilantro, salt and red pepper flakes. Toss well and set aside to cool.
When you’re ready to assemble the dumplings, squeeze the excess liquid from the filling. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper, brush all edges lightly with egg mixture, then fold in half to form either a rectangle or triangle. Press edges firmly to seal, being sure to expel any air bubbles as you go. Place finished dumplings on a flour dusted baking sheet and repeat until all filling has been used.
Yogurt Sauce:
For a thicker sauce, feel free to either strain the yogurt through cheesecloth for an hour or two or simply use Greek yogurt. I like regular yogurt since it drizzles nicely.
2 cups natural, plain, whole milk yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried mint or 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste.
To assemble the dish:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add Aushak and simmer for 5-7 minutes (test one for doneness). Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to plates. Top each serving with lamb ragout and a generous drizzle of yogurt sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped mint.
The fact that so many bloggers have both cooked and written extensively about this recipe didn’t dissuade me one bit from doing the same. I’m just embarrassed that it took me so long.
Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter is what I’m talking about. For years it has caused quite a stir, which isn’t surprising considering its delectable flavor. But the real draw is its simplicity. It requires only three ingredients: a can of tomatoes, one onion and some butter. After 45 magical minutes of simmering, these basic pantry ingredients are transformed into something absurdly luscious. When I asked Tristan how he would describe it, he said it’s like that amazing sauce you can only get from a really good home-style Italian restaurant, the kind you can’t replicate at home. Well folks, now you can.
In my opinion, there are two rules to making this sauce: 1) use San Marzano plum tomatoes and 2) don’t, I repeat don’t, replace the butter with olive oil. Like a fabulous Tikka Masala, the butter is what makes it.
I’m a sauce person so in my opinion, this recipe only makes enough for 2 people to douse their pasta liberally. But if you prefer yours lightly coated, then by all means use this to serve 4. Keep in mind that you may not need to add any salt, depending on the tomatoes used. Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
1-28 ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Place the tomatoes, onion halves and butter into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes at a very gentle simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. The sauce is done when droplets of fat float free from the tomato. Remove from heat, fish out the onion halves (save them for another use) and check for salt (you may find that it’s salty enough, depending on the brand of canned tomatoes). Serve warm over freshly cooked pasta.
For the first time in my adult life, I have a garden to tend. I dabbled in container gardening last year from my 3rd floor apartment window (with mixed results) but this is the real deal. We were lucky enough to inherit two garden plots smack dab in the middle of our backyard, plus a narrow strip up against the house. The next 6+ months, I hope, will be filled with all-we-can-eat, -can and –freeze produce.
This may seem a bit confident for a gardening neophyte but I owe my optimism to Tristan’s cousin Beryl (of Houseboat Eats) and her seriously green thumb. She spent last Sunday afternoon walking us through the basics, helping us prep the soil, warning us about greedy slugs and cat poop, strategizing what will go where and generally getting us super stoked about the possibilities. Without her, I’m afraid, it wouldn’t have been pretty.
So what do you feed hungry gardeners after a day of shoveling dirt? Sandwiches. But not just any sandwich, Cuban Roasted Pork sandwiches.
Most Seattleites will agree that the Cuban Roast sandwich at Paseo’s Caribbean Restaurant is pretty much the gold standard in these parts: toasted baguette, aioli, cilantro, crisp romaine, caramelized onions and chunks of the tenderest, juiciest pork you’ve ever had. It’s incredibly messy and delicious, which is exactly what I wanted to replicate.
So I bought a 5-pound pork shoulder and let it soak in a garlicky sour orange marinade overnight. And quite honestly, the oven did the rest of the work. While we were busy outside channeling our inner farmers, the oven slowly turned that shoulder into tender morsels.
Once Talley arrived, I toasted a good-quality baguette (splurge on the good stuff, bad bread = bad sandwich) and set up an assembly line of fixins. I normally encourage self-expression when it comes to food but each of these sandwich components is essential. Leave one out and you’ll be sorry.
Frankly, this endeavor made me a bit nervous since I’m not particularly schooled in the art of meat cookery, but I’m happy to report that the sandwiches were a smash hit. As a matter of fact, when foodies of Talley and Beryl’s caliber say that they were just as good as Paseo’s, I knew this was worth sharing.
Cuban Roasted Pork Sandwiches
Perfect after a day of gardening, for watching the game or for any informal get-together. Have a stack of napkins handy. Adapted from www.icuban.com.
1 pork shoulder (I used a 5-pounder to ensure lots of leftovers), bone-in if possible
20 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups olive oil
For the sandwich:
Toasted baguette
Caramelized onions (recipe follows)
Aioli or mayonnaise
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Romaine leaves, washed and dried
Pickled jalepeños
Place pork shoulder in a deep dish. Using a sharp knife or fork, pierce the meat multiple times on all sides. Set aside.
In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and salt until finely chopped. Add the onion, oregano and juices; pulse until thoroughly mixed. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until warm. Whisk in the sour orange juice mixture and heat through. Pour marinade over the pork shoulder; cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove the pork from the marinade and place, fattiest side up, in a Dutch oven. Transfer to oven and let roast, uncovered, for roughly 1 hour per pound (about 5 hours in this case), basting occasionally with some of the reserved marinade. Pork should easily fall apart with a fork when done. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes.
Drain the accumulated fat from the Dutch oven. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife and/or two forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Add it back to the Dutch oven and mix with browned bits on the bottom. This next step is optional but for maximum flavor, I strained the remaining marinade, skimmed off the oily top layer, and poured the rest (mainly flavorful citrus juices) over the shredded pork. I then brought it to a simmer, partially covered, over medium heat and cooked it for about 10 minutes, adding water when necessary. Season with salt to taste.
To assemble sandwiches: generously slather both sides of the toasted baguette with aioli or mayonnaise and pile on the shredded pork, caramelized onions, pickled jalepeños, cilantro and romaine leaves. Serve immediately.
Caramelized Onions
2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into ¼-inch half moon strips
Salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and sugar and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes or until onions are very soft and have a deep caramelized color.
