Prepare Pot-Roasted Pork

Makes 6 servings, enough meat for 20 good-size tacos.

- 2 medium, about 1 ounce total dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

- 4 medium, about 1 ounce total dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

- 2 bay leaves

- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

- 1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped, plus a couple of slices broken into rings for garnish

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs such as marjoram, thyme and Mexican oregano.

- A scant 1/4 teaspoon allspice, preferably freshly ground

- A pinch of cloves, preferably freshly ground

- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rich-lasting lard

- Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

- 3 pounds lean, boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt roast

- or 4 1/2 pounds fresh picnic ham with the skin on just for classic crispy skin.

- 8 leaves romaine leaves, for garnish

- 3 radishes, thinly sliced, for garnish

The chile paste. Place the chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and let stand 30 minutes to rehydrate, stirring occasionally to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of liquid, then transfer chiles and reserved liquid to a food processor or blender.

Use a blender in order to ensure a smoother puree.

Pulverize the bay leaves in a spice grinder or a mortar, then add to the blender, along with the vinegar, onion, garlic, mixed herbs, allspice and cloves. Process to a smooth puree adding a little more water if needed to keep the mixture moving through the blades; press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl.

Set a large 6-quart pot with a lid preferably a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil or lard. When hot enough to make a drop of the puree really sizzle, add it all at once.

Stir constantly as the puree sears, concentrates and darkens into a spicy-smelling paste, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

Seasoning and pot-roasting the meat. Turn on the oven to 325 degrees. If you are using pork shoulder or butt, cut it into slabs roughly 3 inches thick - try to get them all about the same thickness so they cook evenly.

Leave a picnic ham whole, but make 1-inch-deep incisions every few inches all over the meat. Lay the meat into the pot with the chile paste, then flip it over to cover with the chile slathering with a spoon or spatula to give an even coating.

Pour 1/2 cup water around the meat, cover tightly and place in the oven.

Baste the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid and rendered fat that accumulates around it. After about 2 1/2 hours, the fresh ham may need another 1/2 to 1 hour, the meat will be fork-tender and will have darkened to an appetizing and crusty, rich, red-brown.

If all the liquid evaporates during the cooking, leaving only chile paste and fat, dribble a little more water into the pan so you can go on basting. If time allows, let the pork stand, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes to reabsorb juices before serving.

Roasted the meat for three hours and let it sit covered on the counter for 30 minutes. That last 30 minutes is crucial to the moistness.

Serving the meat. Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. With the help of tongs, spatulas or meat forks, transfer the meat to the platter, then taste the pan juices and add a little more salt if necessary.

Spoon the juices over the meat, then scatter the onion rings and radish slices over all, to create a riot of color and texture.

The pot-roasted pork holds well in a low oven for an hour or so before serving. It can be done ahead and rewarmed in a 350-degree oven, though the texture of just-cooked pork is the best.

The chile paste is so deep and smoky. It may work as a marinade for pork chops.


Tourism Observer

Prepare Pot-Roasted Pork

Makes 6 servings, enough meat for 20 good-size tacos.

- 2 medium, about 1 ounce total dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

- 4 medium, about 1 ounce total dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

- 2 bay leaves

- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

- 1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped, plus a couple of slices broken into rings for garnish

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs such as marjoram, thyme and Mexican oregano.

- A scant 1/4 teaspoon allspice, preferably freshly ground

- A pinch of cloves, preferably freshly ground

- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rich-lasting lard

- Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

- 3 pounds lean, boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt roast

- or 4 1/2 pounds fresh picnic ham with the skin on just for classic crispy skin.

- 8 leaves romaine leaves, for garnish

- 3 radishes, thinly sliced, for garnish

The chile paste. Place the chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and let stand 30 minutes to rehydrate, stirring occasionally to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of liquid, then transfer chiles and reserved liquid to a food processor or blender.

Use a blender in order to ensure a smoother puree.

Pulverize the bay leaves in a spice grinder or a mortar, then add to the blender, along with the vinegar, onion, garlic, mixed herbs, allspice and cloves. Process to a smooth puree adding a little more water if needed to keep the mixture moving through the blades; press through a medium-mesh strainer into a small bowl.

Set a large 6-quart pot with a lid preferably a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the oil or lard. When hot enough to make a drop of the puree really sizzle, add it all at once.

Stir constantly as the puree sears, concentrates and darkens into a spicy-smelling paste, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

Seasoning and pot-roasting the meat. Turn on the oven to 325 degrees. If you are using pork shoulder or butt, cut it into slabs roughly 3 inches thick - try to get them all about the same thickness so they cook evenly.

Leave a picnic ham whole, but make 1-inch-deep incisions every few inches all over the meat. Lay the meat into the pot with the chile paste, then flip it over to cover with the chile slathering with a spoon or spatula to give an even coating.

Pour 1/2 cup water around the meat, cover tightly and place in the oven.

Baste the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid and rendered fat that accumulates around it. After about 2 1/2 hours, the fresh ham may need another 1/2 to 1 hour, the meat will be fork-tender and will have darkened to an appetizing and crusty, rich, red-brown.

If all the liquid evaporates during the cooking, leaving only chile paste and fat, dribble a little more water into the pan so you can go on basting. If time allows, let the pork stand, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes to reabsorb juices before serving.

Roasted the meat for three hours and let it sit covered on the counter for 30 minutes. That last 30 minutes is crucial to the moistness.

Serving the meat. Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. With the help of tongs, spatulas or meat forks, transfer the meat to the platter, then taste the pan juices and add a little more salt if necessary.

Spoon the juices over the meat, then scatter the onion rings and radish slices over all, to create a riot of color and texture.

The pot-roasted pork holds well in a low oven for an hour or so before serving. It can be done ahead and rewarmed in a 350-degree oven, though the texture of just-cooked pork is the best.

The chile paste is so deep and smoky. It may work as a marinade for pork chops.


Tourism Observer

Chicken Biryani Is What I Enjoy, Do You? Here Is How To Do It

Chicken Biryani, is a delicious Pakistani/Indian rice dish which is often reserved for very special occasions such as weddings, parties, or holidays such as Ramadan.

It has a lengthy preparation, but the work is definitely worth it.

For biryani, always use long grain rice.

Basmati rice with its thin, fine grains is the ideal variety to use.

Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted so that the milk solids and golden liquid have been separated and can be used in place of vegetable oil to yield a more authentic taste.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 pinch powdered saffron
5 pods cardamom
3 whole cloves
1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound basmati rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

- In a large skillet, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee) fry potatoes until brown, drain and reserve the potatoes.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden.

Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp.

It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.

- When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture.

Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender, approximately 35 to 45 minutes.

There should only be a little very thick gravy left when chicken is finished cooking.

If necessary cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.

- Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes.

- In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden.

Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice.

Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.

- In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt.

When the mixture is hot pour it over the rice and stir well.

Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice.

Bring to boil.

Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes.

Do not lift lid or stir while cooking.

Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

Fried Cauliflower Rice

I have been fairly obsessed with cauliflower "rice" ever since discovering it earlier this year. This finely chopped cauliflower is one of those cheater ingredients that actually tastes legit. No joke.

It has also brought Chinese fried rice, once relegated to the "comfort food" category, squarely into my weeknight meal rotation.

This recipe is a pretty direct riff off of our ultimate How To Make Fried Rice from the stir-fry queen, Grace Young. The biggest difference here is that you need to cover the pan and let the cauliflower rice steam for a few minutes before the dish is ready to be served. I also usually throw some thick-cut bacon into my stir-fry (and use the bacon grease for cooking!), although you could really use any leftover bits of chicken or pork you may have — or keep it vegetarian and add crispy pan-fried tofu instead.

As a fried rice look-alike, this dish can hold its own. The cauliflower is chewy and nubbly in all the right rice-like ways. Bits of egg and tender vegetables also make it a satisfying meal on its own. This still feels like comfort food to me — just comfort food that's sneaking a few more vegetables into my day!

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 pound (8 slices) thick-sliced bacon, optional
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cashews, almonds, or other nut
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or if gluten-free, 1 to 2 tablespoons tamari)

Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding the tough inner core. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces. You should have 5 to 6 cups of cauliflower "rice."

Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Once cooled, roughly chop into pieces. Drain off all but a teaspoon of bacon grease (or use 1 teaspoon vegetable oil), reserving the grease.

Place the pan back over medium-high heat. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the skillet. Quickly scramble the eggs or make an omelet. Transfer the eggs to a cutting board and roughly chop into pieces.

Wipe the skillet clean and warm 1 tablespoon of bacon grease or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and sauté until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Stir the corn, peas, and cauliflower "rice" into the pan, mixing the ingredients thoroughly.

Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in the bacon, eggs, green onions, cashews, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce to taste. Serve immediately.

Stewed Chicken "Dominican Style"

Sharing my dominican stewed chicken makes me so happy because this recipe is part of our tradition and culture. The pollo guisado dominicano, in spanish, is one of the main ingredients of "The Dominican Flag" of our cuisine, together with white rice and red beans. Why we call it so? Because we love this meal and is part of every dominican home. Who in our country haven't enjoyed this delicious food?

My mother cooks our dominican stewed chicken the traditional way by browning some sugar in oil, but I decided to make a sofrito instead. It's easier and I love the result. Try this recipe with my dominican stewed red beans and my white rice recipe. You'll be tasting our delicious dominican flag.

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs cut into medium pieces (you can mix with drumsticks and chicken breasts)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground complete seasoning (Badia is the one I use, but if you have another,
go ahead and use it, just make sure it doesn't have any salt)
Ground pepper to taste (just a bit)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 big garlic cloves or 4 small ones, crushed or minced
1 cup minced white onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
5 stuffed olives cut into slices (optional)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (I use Ragu flavored with meat 'cause it has veggies and tastes
really good)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (remember that extra virgin olive oil is healthier)
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

Let's start cooking this dominican stewed chicken recipe by washing the chicken in a bowl with water and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Cut it into medium pieces and season with salt, oregano, complete seasoning and ground pepper. Mix everything well.

From the cup of green bell pepper take 1/4 cup and add it to the chicken. Then measure 1/3 cup and set it aside in a small bowl. Repeat these steps with the cups of red bell pepper and minced onions. Take the bowl with the 1/3 portions of vegetables to the refrigerator, we'll use them later. Now we use the remaining vegetables for the sofrito.

Let's keep marinating the chicken with half of the garlic, half of the stuffed olives and 1/4 cup cilantro. Add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Mix well and marinate for 20 to 25 minutes.

Preheat a large nonstick saucepan on medium high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil. Saute the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a nonstick cooking spoon to avoid scratching the saucepan. You can see my vegetables while cooking in the first picture to the right.

Add the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and mix (as I did in the second picture to the right). Cook for a minute, then add the chicken pieces one by one and set the liquid aside. Mix everything well and if it's dry, stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of the marinade liquid you set aside.

Cook half covered, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 2 cups water to the marinade liquid and whenever the water in the saucepan consumes, pour in 1 or 2 large spoons of this liquid to the chicken and stir it carefully. I always check it often to avoid my chicken to dry too much and burn.

After aproximately 45 minutes and when the chicken is dry again, add the vegetables you kept in the refrigerator and the remaining marinade liquid. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. I usually let my stewed chicken with some liquid, that way it isn't very thick at serving time.

You can accompany with my dominican stewed red beans and white rice. You'll see what a tasty combination is the "dominican flag" of our cuisine.