Pressure Cooker Garlicky Cuban Pork

McCall's Focaccia 

Oh the Pork!

We saw this recipe for Pressure Cooker Garlicky Cuban Pork in The New York Times and we knew we would have to make it! We loved it. At the bottom of our hill is a great little Cuban Restaurant: El Cochinita. We decided to get side dishes from them. Black Beans, Rice, Maduros (Sweet Plantains), Tostones (Crispy Plantains) made for a perfect Cuban dinner. We loved it so much, we knew on that day what we would be making for Thanksgiving. We decided we didn't like the Tostones as much as the Maduros. Now we know!

Pressure Cooker Garlicky Cuban Pork

New York Times

This cumin-scented, garlic-laced pork is marinated with grapefruit, lime, and fresh oregano for a flavor that’s earthy and garlicky, yet bright from the citrus. The meat itself is as tender as can be, falling to shreds with the touch of a fork. Serve it over rice, or tuck it into tortillas along with some salsa and avocado to create tacos.

Ingredients

8       garlic cloves

Juice of 1 grapefruit (about 2/3 cup) (we used all lime juice)

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

3       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2       tablespoons light brown sugar

1       tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

2       teaspoons ground cumin

1-½   tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1       4 to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces

1       bay leaf

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Hot Sauce, for serving

Tortillas, for serving (optional)

Fresh tomato salsa, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1.   In a blender or mini food processor, combine the garlic, grapefruit juice, lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt; process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pork and bay leaf; toss to combine. Marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate for up to 6 hours).

2.   Using the sauté function set on high if available, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pressure cooker (or use a large skillet). Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and shake the meat to remove any excess liquid. Cook until it is browned on all sides, about 12 minutes (you will need to do this in batches, transferring the browned pork pieces to a plate as you go). .

3.   When all the pork is browned, return the pieces to the pot along with any juices from the plate. (If you used a skillet, add 1 tablespoon water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the skillet well to include all the browned bits stuck to the bottom.) Add the reserved marinade to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 80 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

4.   Remove the pork from the cooking liquid (jus). Taste the jus, and if it seems bland or too thin, boil it down either in the pressure cooker on the sauté setting or in a separate pot on the stove until it thickens slightly and intensifies in flavor, 7 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add a bit of salt if necessary. If you’d like to degrease the jus, use a fat separator to do so, or just let the jus settle and spoon the fat off the top.

5.   Shred the meat, using your hands or two forks. Toss the meat with the jus to taste (be generous—1 1/2 to 2 cups should do it), and serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

We made two recipes from The New York Times. Both were good and we would make them again. Vietnamese Caramel Chicken has a sweet taste that appealed to us. The Sautéed Baby Bok Choy was a perfect accompaniment. We served it with Jasmine Rice.

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

New York Times

Adapted from The Slanted Door by Charles Phan.I tinkered with the recipe, mostly with the portion size. Although I think they have their place, chicken thighs, rather than boneless chicken breasts, are best to use here. I've tried it with all breast meat and the dish is less-appealing made with white meat. For those who insist, a good compromise would be a mix of dark and white meat. Palm sugar is available in Asian markets and online. It usually comes in disks, although it's sometimes sold in tubs, which is harder to portion out. Indian markets carry jaggery, a cousin to palm sugar (sometimes made from sugar cane, and is a bit more stubborn to melt), could be used, although I recommend tracking down palm sugar.

For the caramel

8 ounces light brown palm sugar, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup fish sauce

2 Thai chiles, sliced lengthwise
For the chicken

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

3 medium shallots (about 2 ounces, total) shallots, peeled and sliced into rings

fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. To make the caramel, melt the palm sugar over low heat in a medium-to- large saucepan or skillet, stirring frequently (and breaking it up) to encourage it to melt. It'll take about 10 minutes to liquefy completely. Similarly, you can place the palm sugar in a large glass heatproof measuring cup or bowl and melt the palm sugar in a microwave oven, which will take about 20 to 30 seconds.

2. When the sugar is melted and bubbling, remove from heat and gradually add the fish sauce into the liquefied palm sugar, while stirring. (If you have a hood fan, you may wish to turn it on before adding the fish sauce.) It may also bubble up a bit, so be careful. Add the chiles and set aside.

3. To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a medium-to-large sauté or wide braising pan, or regular-sized Dutch oven. Add the ginger and shallots and cook until they start to wilt, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the chicken and the caramel, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the sauce is just simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (The original recipe said to cook the chicken for 20 minutes, but mine was done sooner.)

Serving: Serve the chicken with rice.

Storage: The chicken is best eaten right after it's made. The sauce can be made up to one month ahead, and refrigerated. Rewarm until liquified before using.

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy

New York Times

2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like canola 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1⁄2-inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced 1⁄4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste

4 bunches of baby bok choy, approximately 11⁄2 pounds, cleaned, with the ends trimmed

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chicken stock or water Toasted sesame oil for drizzling.

1. In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic, ginger and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.

2. Add bok choy and stir carefully to cover with oil, then cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, stock or water, then cover pan and cook for approximately 2 minutes more, until steam begins to escape from beneath the lid of the pan.

3. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is close to evaporated and stalks are soft to the touch, approximately 3 minutes more.

4. Remove to a warmed platter and drizzle with sesame oil. 

Serves 4.

Lobster Fried Rice

Add caption

After eating at (sob, sob) the now closed Newport Seafood on La Cienega Blvd, in Beverly Hills we as always brought the left-over lobster home. We pick the meat out and make Lobster Fried Rice. We also use the shells to make Lobster Stock, which we freeze for future use. You can find the recipe on our blog of: August 18, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe. Not all is lost, the original restaurant still exists in San Gabriel. 

Stuffed Chicken

Crispy Potatoes - Yum

One Big Stuffed Chicken!

We were at McCall’s Meat and Fish. They had prepared a Boned Stuffed Chicken. We never saw that before. It made for a very easy dinner. We simply baked it and served with Oven-Roasted Potatoes Patate al Forno. The recipe for the Potatoes can be found on our blog of: April 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe. I hope they have more ready to heat and serve dishes!