Braised Pork With Salsa Verde Food

PORK SHOULDER BRAISED WITH PORCINI AND RED WINE WITH CAVATELLI PASTA AND SAUCE VERDE

Steps:

• For the braised pork: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toss the pork cubes with the salt and pepper and half of the oregano in a bowl. Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl just large enough to accommodate them and pour the hot water over the top; let stand for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
• Meanwhile, place an enameled 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy, oven-safe pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned pork cubes, working in 2 batches so as to not crowd the pot. Cook on all sides, turning once, until the pieces have begun to brown lightly. Set aside the browned pork cubes in a bowl. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, adding olive oil if bottom of pan becomes too dry. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping loose any browned bits. Add the porcini mushrooms and their liquid (be sure to prevent the sediment at the bottom of the bowl from pouring in), the broth, tomato sauce, bay leaf and remaining oregano and stir to incorporate. Return the pork to the pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pork and check for tenderness. If the pork is not fork-tender, return to the oven and continue to braise for another 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly and taste for seasonings.
• For the cavatelli pasta: Place the flour on a smooth work surface and add 1 teaspoon salt, stirring lightly with a fork to incorporate. Form the small pile of flour into a ring with room in middle to accommodate the eggs. Dump the eggs and yolks into the middle of the ring. Stir the eggs slowly with a fork to mix, then continuing with the fork, draw the flour into the eggs a little at a time, working the pile in a circular motion to bring the dough together without breaking the ring. Once the pasta dough has started to form, knead the dough, rolling and turning the ball until a smooth and silky dough is achieved. Wrap the pasta dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• Lightly dust a work surface with semolina flour. Take the dough ball and roll it out to a 1-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch-thick slices and roll out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Run the long strips through the cavatelli machine to shape. Depending on your type of machine, the thickness of the long strips may vary slightly. The pasta can then be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or cooked immediately.
• Boil a large pot of water over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon salt and 6 cups of the pasta. Cook until slightly chewy, approximately 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• For the sauce verde: Place olive oil, spinach, capers, lemon juice, pepper and parsley in a tall, slender container, such as a pitcher, and blend on high speed using an immersion blender until the sauce has the consistency of a thick paste, about 1 minute.
• To prepare the dish for plating, reheat the braised pork over medium heat. When the pork is steaming hot, add the cooked pasta. Allow the pork and pasta to cook another 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Evenly divide the pork and pasta among 6 to 8 bowls. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce verde over each bowl and top with a liberal grating of cheese.

SALSA VERDE BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Trim excess pork fat. Put meat in a large casserole or Dutch oven with salsa, onion, broth, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, about 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°. With 2 wide spatulas, transfer meat to a rimmed baking pan. Bake until richly browned, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from pan juices. Boil juices, stirring, until reduced to 2 3/4 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.
• With 2 forks, tear meat into large shreds. Add to pan and stir in chopped cilantro. Season with salt. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve with tortillas and more salsa verde.
• Slow-cooker Salsa Verde Pork: Put trimmed pork in a slow cooker (5 to 6 qt.) and turn heat to high. In a pan, bring salsa, onion, broth, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano to a boil. Pour over pork, cover, and cook until meat is very tender when pierced and registers at least 165° on an instant-read thermometer, at least 7 or up to 9 hours. Continue recipe with step 2, using a large pot for step 3.

PORK SHOULDER WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• For salsa verde:
• With processor running, drop anchovies and garlic through feed tube and finely chop. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add parsley, celery leaves, lemon juice, lemon peel, red wine vinegar, chopped rosemary, and chopped sage. Using on/off turns, process until almost smooth. With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Transfer salsa verde to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• For pork shoulder:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Mix garlic, sage, rosemary, coarse kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in small bowl. Brush oil all over pork, then rub spice mixture all over. Place pork on rack set in roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to roast until instant read thermometer inserted into center registers 185°F, about 6 1/2 hours. Remove pork from oven; tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest 15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and serve with salsa verde alongside.

BRAISED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Put the chiles into a small bowl and cover with hot water; set aside. In a large heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Generously season the pork with salt and pepper. Brown the meat well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; remove the meat and set aside. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf; fry until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Stem and seed the soaked chiles reserving the soaking liquid; hand tear them into the pot. Return the meat to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Top the meat with the tomatoes. Pour in the chili soaking liquid, straining out any seeds, until it almost covers the meat; add water if you need more liquid. Squeeze the orange and lime juices into the pot and add the rinds. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender. Remove the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid and reserve.
• Shred the pork. Add some of the reserved braising liquid if the meat is dry. Take a tortilla and place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on top. Garnish with the avocado, radishes, and Salsa Verde; fold the sides up and serve.
• Put the masa harina in a bowl and mix in the salt. Add about 1 cup warm water and mix with your hands; add more water as needed until the dough comes together. Knead for a few minutes to smooth the dough out. The dough should be firm and springy and should not stick to your hands. Test by forming a small disk, if it cracks around the edges you need more water.
• Place a piece of heavy plastic (like from a garbage bag) onto a tortilla press. Form a 1 1/2-inch ball of dough and place it in the center of the press. Top with another piece of plastic, close the press, and push the lever down to form the tortilla. (Alternately, the dough balls can be rolled between plastic sheets with a rolling pin.) Open the press and remove the top layer of plastic. Carefully peel the tortilla off the bottom plastic and place it onto a hot, ungreased cast iron skillet; cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortilla and place it on a clean tea towel; keep it covered to keep it soft and pliable. Continue until you have used up all the dough.
• Yield: 20 (6-inch) tortillas
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatillos are soft but have not burst. Add the cooked vegetables to a blender with the cilantro leaves and lime juice. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and process to a coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cilantro, lime juice, or salt.
• Yield: 2 cups

BRAISED PORK WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• In a 3 1/2 -4 quart slow cooker place onion and pork. Top with tomatoes, salsa, broth, garlic cumin and pepper.
• Cover and cook on low setting for 6 - 6 1/2 hours or on high heat for 3 hours. Serve with hot cooked brown rice and top each serving with cilantro.

PORK IN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix the cumin, half the garlic and the salt.
• In medium bowl, combine the pork with the cumin mixture and toss well to coat the meat with seasonings. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add the onion and the remaining garlic and cook until softened, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• Scape the mixture into a blender or food processor.
• Add the jalapeno peppers, tomatillos, chicken broth and oregano. Puree until smooth 1 -2 minutes.
• Spray the same large nonstick skillet with veggie cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
• Add half the pork cubes to the skillet and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 5 - 7 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate and brown the remaining pork.
• Return all the meat to the skillet.
• Add the tomatillo puree and simmer until the sauce is thickened, 8 - 10 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro and serve.

TOMATILLO PORK BRAISE WITH PICKLED CHILIS (PUERCO EN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Scoop the tomatillos into a slow cooker and spread them in an even layer. Scatter on the garlic, jalapenos and half of the cilantro. Sprinkle evenly with 1 ½ tsp salt.
• In a large bowl, combine the pork and Worcestershire sauce, mixing until the cubes are well coated. Distribute the meat over the tomatillo mixture. Cover and slow cook on high for 6 hours.
• With a pair of tongs, remove the pork to a bowl. Tip or ladle the sauce mixture into a blender and add the remaining cilantro. Cover loosely and blend until smooth; return the mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the drained beans, taste and add salt as necessary; Stir in a little water if the sauce has thickened beyond the consistency of a light cream soup. Add a little sugar if the sauce is too tart. Return the meat to the pot, let everything warm through and serve.
• Variations:.
• This dish can be cooked in a Dutch oven instead of the slow cooker. In a medium large (4 to 6 quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven, layer the tomatillos, flavorings and meat as described above. Cover with the sauce, set the lid in place and braise in a 3000F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the pork is completely tender. Complete the dish as described above.
• The beans can be replaced with potatoes or small sweet turnips (cut into wedges) or carrots (2 inch lengths cut into sticks). Toss them with a little salt and place them on top of the sauce ingredients before layering in the pork. Take them out with the meat while you finish the sauce.
• Add a big handful of spinach to the blender when pureeing the sauce; a few Tbsp of Mexican Crema or heavy cream works magic on this spinach enhanced sauce. Epazote may be used in place of the cilantro.
• This dish is perfect made with 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Or replace the pork shoulder with 1 inch pieces of beef chuck; double the cilantro and use 2 poblanos. The beef will benefit greatly from browning before slow cooking.
• Either brown the cubed pork in a little oil in a single layer in a large skillet, or spread it out on an oiled baking sheet (with sides) and slide it close up under a broiler. Slide the browned meat into the slow cooker.

BRAISED PORK WITH GREEN CHILE SAUCE OF CHILE VERDE

Steps:

• Trim and discard fat and cut pork in 1-inch cubes.
• In a large frying pan, heat oil over mediun-high heat; add meat a few cubes at a time and cook until very brown.
• Push meat to side of pan and add onion, garlic and bell peppers; saute until limp.
• Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin, salt, cilantro, vinegar, and water.
• Cover and simmer until meat is fork tender(about 1 hour).
• Skim off fat & discard.
• Serve with rice or make burritos or serve in your favorite way.

ROAST PORK BUTT WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Season the pork with 3 1/2 tablespoons of salt and 1/4 cup black pepper, rubbing it in well on all sides. Roast the pork, covered, until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees, 9 to 10 hours. While the pork is roasting, prepare the salsa verde.
• In a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary, combine the olive oil, 6 tablespoons of the vinegar, parsley, oregano, garlic and pepper flakes. Process to a purée, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Season with salt, ground black pepper and more vinegar to taste.
• To serve, pull the pork apart with tongs or forks or slice it. Serve with the salsa and a salad of bitter greens.