Dining With The Doc: Braised Pork Tacos with Corn Jalapeno Salsa

The other day, my husband and I were snowed in so I decided to use the opportunity to make a delicious, slow-cooked comfort meal- braised pork tacos with corn jalapeno salsa. You do need to plan ahead a little with this meal because it takes a few hours to make, but it’s well worth the effort. Plus, once the pork is in the oven, you can forget about it for the next 2 hours and watch a movie or read a book. It’s perfect for a Sunday meal or on a blizzard day when you don’t plan on leaving the house.

The secret to my braised pork is the chipotles in adobo. Chipotles are smoked jalapenos peppers that are canned in a delicious flavorful sauce with herbs and vinegar. They can be found in specialty food stores and increasingly in traditional grocery stores. Chipotles are very spicy so I usually remove the seeds (where most of the spice is) before using them. If you touch them with your hands, be very careful to wash your hands thoroughly otherwise they will burn your eyes if you touch them. Unfortunately, I’ve learned this the hard way, so I always mince my chipotles with a knife and fork.

Besides chipotles, I like to use a lot of the spices typically found in Mexican cuisine, like cumin, garlic, and oregano (if you have Mexican oregano, that's even better). I also add some allspice for depth of flavor but you can leave it out or use ground cloves as a substitute. Near the end of the cooking process, I add a touch of vinegar to add some acidity and brightness to the sauce. I also wait to season with salt until the very end because as the sauce reduces, the flavors concentrate and you may over-season if you do it too early.

I use pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) in this recipe. A lot of people are intimidated by the thought of braising a meat, but it’s really not too difficult- the key is that you need to choose a cut of meat that has enough fat in it so that it will stay moist during the long cooking process. Once it's done cooking, it will be so tender that you can pull the meat apart with two forks.  For those of you who don’t eat pork, you can substitute other meats such as beef, lamb, chicken or turkey and adjust the cooking time. If using chicken or turkey, I would select the dark meat thighs rather than the breast meat which tends to dry out more easily.

The corn jalapeno salsa is one of my favorite accompaniments- it's great with tacos and burritos but also as a simple salsa with grilled fish, meat or even burgers. I make it a lot in the summer time when fresh corn on the cob is abundant. I like to drizzle it with olive oil and grill it, then cut the kernels off. In the winter, I use canned corn. The sweet corn mixed with the spicy jalapenos and tangy lime juice are a perfect, bright complement to the rich pork. I also usually serve my tacos with sour cream, lettuce, and lime wedges on the side so that people can use whatever toppings they like.

The leftovers are great, often even tastier the next day as the flavors really seep into the meat. And if you want to try something different the next day, you can mix the pork with barbeque sauce and make a pulled pork sandwich or make a pork taco salad with your favorite vegetables.



Braised Pork Tacos with Corn Jalapeno Salsa

Makes 4-6 servings


Braised Pork:
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2.5-3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 ½ -2 chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can)
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I like to use cider vinegar but you can use any)


Corn Jalapeno Salsa:
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Kosher salt

12 medium soft tortillas
½ cup sour cream
1 head Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, shredded



Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other large oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Trim the pork of excess fat and cut it into 4 or 5 equal pieces. Season the pieces generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pot and brown the meat on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Sweat the onions until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, allspice, diced tomatoes and chicken stock (or water) and stir to combine. Add the browned pork back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook 2-2 ½ hours until meat is fork tender.

While the pork is cooking, make the corn jalapeno salsa. Mix all of the ingredients for the salsa together in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When the pork is done, remove from the pot from the oven. Remove the pork pieces from the pot and place them on a cutting board or plate. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into pieces. In the meantime, bring the sauce in the pot to a simmer on the stove. Add the vinegar and simmer another few minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the shredded pork back into the sauce and stir to coat all of the meat with the sauce. Add more chicken stock or water as needed. The meat should be juicy and coated with sauce but it should not be soupy.

To assemble the tacos, place some of the braised pork on a tortilla. Top with some corn jalapeno salsa. Drizzle with sour cream and shredded lettuce if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.  Enjoy with a cold Mexican beer or beverage of your choice!

Food52 Weekly Winner!

My recipe "Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese" won this week's contest on the website Food52 for the category Your Best Mashed Potatoes!  Thank you to everyone who voted.  To read more about it, click on the following link:  http://www.food52.com/blog/486_week_34

This is my third winning recipe on Food52 along with "Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives" which won the Your Best Stew With Olives contest http://www.food52.com/recipes/1017_braised_moroccan_chicken_and_olives

and "Autumn Celeriac (Celery Root) Puree" which won the Your Best Autumn Vegetable Puree contest
http://www.food52.com/recipes/1077_autumn_celeriac_celery_root_puree 

Thanks to Amanda and Merrill for creating such a wonderful site where people can share their ideas and passion for cooking, and to Sarah Shatz for taking such beautiful photos!  I look forward to seeing my recipes published in their upcoming cookbook.

Dining With the Doc: Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Photo by Sarah Shatz courtesy of food52

If you're looking for a way to dress up traditional mashed potatoes, try this dish.  This week, it was chosen as a finalist on one of my favorite websites, Food52  http://www.food52.com/. If my recipe gets the most votes it will be published in their cookbook, so check out the site!  You can also watch a video of the Food52 creators Amanda and Merrill making both finalists' dishes at http://www.food52.com/blog/480_your_best_mashed_potatoes
I can't take credit for the beautiful photo above- it was taken by Sarah Shatz for Food52. 

I’ve experimented with many different versions of mashed potatoes, but my favorite recipe uses traditional Russet potatoes. Their high starch content and low moisture make them ideal for creating fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes.  And although I’ve used everything from a food processor to a fork, my tool of choice when making mashed potatoes is a potato ricer- it ensures a light, smooth texture without any lumps.  As someone on the Food52 website noted, the potato ricer is like a garlic press on steroids! 

I like to dress up the classic dish by infusing half and half with garlic and a bay leaf and stirring caramelized onions and goat cheese into the potatoes. The sweet onions add richness and texture to the dish and the tangy goat cheese is a delicious complement.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use

1 tablespoon olive oil

1.5 pounds yellow onions (approximately 2 large onions), thinly sliced

Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1.5 cups half and half (or milk)
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
3 ounces goat cheese
Black pepper



To make the caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir them to coat with the fat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. If the onions get too dry, add a small amount of water to deglaze the pan. Set aside.

Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the half and half, garlic, bay leaf, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, dry pot. Stir them over low heat for 2 minutes until they are dry. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Gently stir in the hot cream mixture a little at a time until the potatoes are smooth and creamy (discard the garlic and bay leaf). You may not need to use all of the liquid. Set aside a small amount of the caramelized onions for garnish and stir the remaining onions into the mashed potatoes. Crumble the goat cheese into the potatoes and stir to combine well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining caramelized onions. Serve hot.

Recipe Resuscitation: Spaghetti & Meatballs

This is my first "Recipe Resuscitation" post where I'll be creating a healthier spin on a classic dish.  This recipe is my version of one of my favorite comfort dishes- spaghetti and meatballs.  Traditionally, Italian meatballs are made using a combination of beef, pork, and veal and most often they're shallow fried before being simmered in tomato sauce.  In my dish, I use ground turkey which is lower in calories and fat.  I also bake my meatballs in the oven instead of frying them (thus using much less artery-clogging oil), and then finish them by simmering them in my quick homemade tomato sauce.  The key to using ground turkey is to infuse it with ingredients that add a lot of flavor and moisture to the meat.  I have two secrets to ensuring a delicate, moist meatball.  First, using a box grater, I add grated onion to the meat.  And second, I incorporate bread that's soaked in milk.  Both add moisture to the meatballs, and the bread also acts as a binder to hold them together.  Be careful not to overwork the meat when you're mixing all of the ingredients together otherwise the finished product will become tough.  Instead of regular pasta I use quinoa pasta.  Although it has a slightly different texture than traditional semolina pasta, it tastes good and my husband Pete and I really like all of its healthy qualities (you can read more about quinoa in my previous post "Ingredient 911: Quinoa- The New Super Food").
So the next time you're looking to make a hearty, comforting Sunday dinner without feeling guilty about the calories, try out this recipe.

Quinoa Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs

Makes 4 servings

1 lb. quinoa spaghetti

Meatballs:

2 slices white bread, crusts cut off

½ cup milk

1 package (1.2 lbs.) ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup grated yellow onion (about 1 small onion)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 28-oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup fresh basil, chopped


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the quinoa spaghetti according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

To make the meatballs, soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine the ground turkey, garlic, grated onion, parsley, egg, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Remove the bread from the milk and squeeze out any excess liquid. Break the bread up into small pieces and add it to the turkey mixture. Mix to combine being careful not to overmix the meat. Form the meat into approximately 16 meatballs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place the meatballs on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, another 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes, and oregano and stir to combine well. Simmer while the meatballs are baking.

When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven and add them to the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer them in the sauce about 15 minutes, until they are completely cooked through. Stir in the fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

To serve, toss the cooked spaghetti with the tomato sauce and place in a large serving bowl. Arrange the turkey meatballs on top. Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil. Serve with crusty Italian bread and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the side.  Mangia!