Coffee-Marinated Pork

I 'll continue the pork theme with a recipe from Bon Appetit. I modified it slightly. The original recipe called for a pureed marinade that contained macadamia nuts. After trying the recipe a couple of times, I couldn't really detect what this added to the recipe, so I omitted the macadamia nuts.

I like this recipe a lot. I feel like the sweetness of the marinade goes well with the pork. I also like how the marinade and grilling gives the tenderloin a great caramelized color.

Also, the more I think about this recipe, the more I feel the molasses and maple syrup might be redundant. I'll give this some more thought. I'd also like to use a hotter pepper like a Serrano or Habanero. I think more heat would better complement the sweetness of the marinade.

Coffee-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly ground coffee beans
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 jalapeno chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds)

Directions:

1. Prepare pork tenderloin by trimming the silver skin. This step is crucial. You will end up with a much more tender, flavorful, and appealing final product if this is done. I wish someone would have shared this little secret with me when I first started cooking.
   
2. Transfer marinade and pork to Ziploc bag. Turn to coat the tenderloin, and let it chill in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
3. Prepare grill and cook pork tenderloin over medium heat for 25 minutes or until the center registers 145 to 150 degrees. Be sure to turn the pork a couple of times during the cooking process.
   
4. Transfer to cutting board; let stand 10 minutes, and then thinly slice the tenderloin.
   

Carnitas

"There are two things in the world you never want to let people see how you make 'em: laws and sausages." --- Leo McGarry from The West Wing.

My wife has prohibited me from making my own sausage. I won't go into the reasons for her edict, but a lot of it probably has to do with Mr. McGarry's above observation. Someday I will make my own sausage, and when I start learn the art of sausage making, I'll consult Bruce Aidells, the sausage king. I'll pick up his book on sausage making.

Since I'm barred from making sausage, I've spent time trying recipes from two other books written by Mr. Aidells: The Complete Meat Cookbook, and The Complete Book of Pork. He's a guy who knows how to cook a piece of meat, and both of these cookbooks are indispensable compendiums of recipes, various cooking methods, and information about various cuts of meats.

The carnita recipe is from The Complete Book of Pork. I love this recipe because it's flavorful, it's economical, it feeds a crowd, it freezes well, and it makes great leftovers. Also after the initial preparation, it requires very little effort, so while the pot simmers, I use my time to fix some great side dishes, like guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsa.

Carnitas

Spice Rub

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 3 pounds boneless Boston butt, cut into 1 2/2 inch pieces and trimmed of visible fat

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 large onion, diced

Instructions:

1. Make dry rub by combining all spices in a medium bowl.

2. In a bowl toss pork and coat with dry rub. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

3. In a dutch over or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. In small batches, brown the pork. When meat is browned, transfer to a plate, and continue cooking the remaining pieces.

4. In a small bowl, stir the vinegar with the honey until the honey dissolves. Stir in chicken broth and add mixture to the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.

5. Add the onion and bring the liquid to a boil.

6. Lower the heat until the pot simmers.

7. Return pork to the pot, cover, and cooking until pork is fork-tender, 1 1/4 - 2 hours.

8. Remove the cover and increase the heat slightly to maintain a lively simmer. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated - about 30 minutes.

Chorizo Tacos

Since we'll be out of town this weekend, we're trying to clean out the fridge of any leftovers, so I haven't been doing a lot of cooking this week. I did try a new apple dumpling recipe last night, but you'll have to wait until fall for me to share it.

Today, I thought I'd take a little bit of time to share a fabulous recipe for Chorizo Tacos that I prepared for last Friday's supper. It's a quick, easy recipe from Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures: Recipes and Stories, a book written by Rick Bayless and his daughter. Mr. Bayless is a Chicago chef who has garnered numerous awards, including the James Beard National Chef of the Year. I've tried several of his recipes and haven't been disappointed yet. He seems to be rooted in using simple, fresh, and seasonal ingredients, and he doesn't get too uppity about food.

The success of this recipes hinges on two important elements:

1. Roasting your own green chiles. You could make this recipe with canned green chiles, but I like the flavor of fresh peppers. I also like the whole experience of roasting chiles. I usually use a poblano chile, but you could easily substitute an Anaheim. For a guide to chile peppers, click on the following link at The Cook's Thesaurus: A guide to chile peppers. If you're unsure of how to roast a chile pepper, consult the following link: How to roast a chile pepper.

2. Good chorizo. I'm sure you could make this with a less expensive chorizo, but I like the sausage made by The Community Mercantile in Lawrence. I don't know a lot about chorizo, but I look forward to learning more in the coming years. If you're a vegetarian, there's a product called Soyrizo that you could use in place of chorizo. I haven't tried it, but I plan on slipping it into a meal in the near future.

Chorizo Tacos

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (1 cup) Mexican chorizo sausage
• 3 medium (3/4 pound) red potatoes
• Salt
• 2 medium poblano chiles roasted
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I think you could get by with a little less)
  
• 1 small onion

Condiments

• salsa
• guacamole
• sour cream
• cheese
• cilantro

1. Cook chorizo in large skillet. Break it up as it throughly cooks. If there's a lot of fat, drain it off. Remove chorizo from the skillet.
   
2. Cut potatoes in half, then cut each half into 4 pieces. Place potato pieces in non-metal bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power for 4 to 5 minutes, until completely tender.
3. Pour oil into skillet and heat over medium heat. Add sliced onion and stir regularly. Cook for 2 minutes until onions are translucent.
4. Add potatoes and cook. Stir regularly and cook for 5 minutes until browned.
5. Stir in chiles and chorizo. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes more. Taste and season with salt if necessary (Although I've never needed to salt this recipe because there's plenty of seasoning in the chorizo.)
   
6. Keep warm over very low heat.
7. Serve: Heat corn tortillas according to directions on the package. Serve with your choice of condiments. I usually keep this taco very simple as you can see in the pictures. I usually only eat it with a little cilantro and maybe some guacamole.

Enjoy,
muddywaters