Carnitas Recipe

The first time that I tried carnitas was in Chicago. There was a "super mercado" a couple of blocks from my apartment that sold them from a counter in the back of the store. Since then I have preferred carnitas over similar dishes that feature beef. Although this recipe takes a few hours to prepare, it's worth the wait. Carnitas have alot of flavor and they are inexpensive to make. For this recipe, I used corn tortillas (heated in the microwave for 30 seconds), the carnitas, salsa, cilantro, and diced red onions. Here is how you make them:

Recommended Equipment:
slow cooker

Ingredients:
2 tbspn kosher salt
2 tbspn ground cumin
2 tbspn garlic powder
1 tbspn oregano
2 tspn coriander
1/2 pork shoulder
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup chicken stock
corn tortillas
+ salsa, shredded cheese, diced red onions, sour cream, and/or other toppings.

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients to create a dry rub.
2. Make several deep cuts into the 1/2 pork shoulder.  The idea is to create alot of surface area on the pork to apply the dry rub.
3. Rub spice mixture from step #1 onto the pork.
4. Place the pork in a large, covered bowl.  Refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, place the pork into the center of the slow cooker.
6. Pour the chicken stock around the pork. Try to avoid pouring the stock directly on the pork so that the spices stay adhered to the pork.  Drop in the bay leaf into the chicken stock.
7. Place cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Shred the pork into smaller pieces, place them on a baking pan.  Pour some of the broth from the slow cooker over the shredded pork (about a cup) and then bake the pork in the oven for 30 minutes. This will create a bark on the carnitas.
10. Remove pork from the oven.  Heat the tortillas (10 at a time).  Wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
11. Serve with rice, Cuban Black Beans, tortillas, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, diced red onions, shredded cheese and/or whatever toppings you like.  

Mexico

Torta de Maça Recipe (Apple Pie)

For this Torta de Maça Recipe, you can use two store bought graham cracker crusts or make two crusts from scratch if you like your crust less sweet.

Fresh apples are the key to this recipe so we usually make this dish during the Autumn months. For this pie, we bought a half peck of grade 2 McIntosh apples from a nearby orchard, Iron's Fruit Farm.

This recipe departs from a standard apple pie recipe in that it uses condensed milk to give the apple filling a sweet, creamy texture. I also use a modified pie crust recipe to make the sweet, crumbly topping.

This recipe for Torta de Maça makes two tortas (pies).

Ingredients:
2 store bought graham cracker crust pie shells or make your own pie crusts.

Filling
8 McIntosh apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 tspn cinnamon
3 tbsp condensed milk
1/4 cup flour

Topping
1 1/4 cup flour
pinch salt
3 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 tbsp pieces
1 egg
2 tbsp brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Peel and core each of the apples and slice them into very thin slices.
   
2. Place apple slices in a large bowl and add the sugar, cinnamon, condensed milk, and flour. Mix these ingredients together so that all of the apple slices are well coated.
3. Pour the apple mixture into the pie crusts so that they are distributed equally.
   
4. Next, bake another pie crust similar to the recipe in the previous post. Follow this recipe and add 3 tablespoons of condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the dough and then bake.
   
5. After 20 to 25 minutes, remove the crust and let cool. Pour the crust into a large bowl and break up the crust into smaller pieces.
6. Top both of the two pies equally with these pieces.
7. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
8. Remove from oven and let cool.
   
9. Top with whip cream with ice cream on the side.
   

Brasil

Basic Pie Crust Recipe

This basic pie crust recipe is simple and versatile. It should work with most fruit fillings providing a crust that is buttery with a hint of sweetness. This recipe can also be modified slightly to create a unique sweet, crumbly topping for pies as well. (See my recipe for Torte de Maça).

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tspn sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg, beaten

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
3. On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a circle big enough to cover a standard pie dish.
4. Place dough in dish so that it covers the entire dish.
   
5. Cover in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 1/2 hour.
6. Remove from freezer and remove plastic wrap. Put a layer of aluminum foil over the crust so that the foil is touching the dough. Place some dry beans on top of the foil to keep the foil pressed upon the dough during baking.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Remove foil and dry beans from the top of the foil and bake the crust for another 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Let crust cool before adding pie filling.
   

United States

Boston Baked Beans

Baked beans are usually served at cookouts in North America and are also an important component in a Full English Breakfast in the UK. When you are making this recipe, it's OK to use canned baked beans that already contain some brown sugar and pieces of bacon as a starting point.

Ingredients:
28 ounce can baked beans
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 strips bacon

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix all ingredients except the bacon in a casserole dish.
3. Put the 3 strips of bacon on top of bean mixture and place casserole dish in the oven.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
   

United States Massachusetts

Mazatlán Meatloaf

Mazatlán Meatloaf is a Mexican take on an American classic comfort food. It's rich, spicy hot flavor are unforgettable. Try it with Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound chorizo sausage
2 eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tspn kosher salt
1/2 tspn black pepper
1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 tspn ground cumin
1/2 tspn dried basil
3/4 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 of a 7 ounce can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 tspn sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, add the ground beef, ground pork, chorizo, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, porcini mushrooms, cumin, basil, onion, and garlic. Mix all of these ingredients together using your hands to form a loaf.
3. Grease a 4 x 7 casserole dish or bread pan.
   
4. Put loaf in the pan.
5. In a food processor, pulse 1/2 of the chipotle and adobo. Then mix it together with the tomato paste and sugar. Use this sauce to top the meat loaf.
6. Bake meat loaf for 1 hour and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
   

Mexico

Maxwell Street Polish

The Maxwell Polish is a Chicago classic. It is a spicy Polish sausage topped with grilled, caramelized onions and yellow mustard on a toasted bun.

When you make a Maxwell Street Polish, it's important to use a Polish with some heat so you may have to seek out a good specialty meat shop or butcher to find the key ingredient.
I used a "Bahama Mama" sausage, sold at Schmidt's Sausage Haus in Columbus, Ohio's German Village. Schmidt's has been in business since 1886 and they feature a great selection of sausages for carry out.

Ingredients:

• Bahama Mama - cross between a polish kielbasa and a all-beef hot dog but spicier than either - made with beef and pork
• 2 medium yellow onions, cut into strips
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt
  
• mustard, yellow
• butter
• hot dog buns
  

Preparation:

1. Place onions in a skillet with 2 tbsp butter, sugar, and salt. Cook onions over medium-low heat until onions become golden brown.
2. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
3. Cut sausages lengthwise almost all of the way through.
   
4. Place a metal cooling rack on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the sausages on the cooling rack and bake for about 40 minutes until edges of sausage begin to get crisp.
5. Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat. Toast hot dog buns face down on skillet for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
6. Place sausage in bun, apply desired amount of mustard, and caramelized onions. Serve hot.
   

Polish Chicago

Fruit Pancake Recipe

This fruit pancake recipe is another old family favorite. My mom used to make layer upon layer for me and my brothers and sisters. This recipe makes about 7 pancakes so if you are cooking for alot of people, you can increase the amounts as needed.

Fruit pancakes are a great choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The key is to use the freshest fruit possible. As such, I usually make these more in the summer and fall as you have many great choices for toppings during these seasons.



Ingredients:
1 cup flour, sifted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn salt
2 eggs
2 tspn cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tspn canola oil
2 tspn vanilla
+ fruit of your choice (apples, blueberries, kiwi, banana all work well)

Preparation:

1. Sift the dry ingredients.
2. Mix eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients.
4. Prep your fruit. Whatever fruit that you decide to use, try to slice it as thin as you can. Small berries can be put onto the pancake whole.
   
5. Heat skillet over medium heat.
6. Pour a little less than 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet.
7. When bubbles start to form in the batter, add a pieces of fruit to cover the pancake.
8. Flip and cook the other side (about another 2 - 3 minutes).
9. Top with confection sugar, fresh fruit, or both.

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