Pork Shoulder With Roasted Clams And Fresno Chiles Food

PORTUGUESE PORK WITH CLAMS | PORCO ALENTEJANA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss the pork chunks with the red pepper paste. Add the wine and toss again. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and crank up the heat to 400°F (200°C).
• In a colander set over a large bowl, drain the pork, reserving the marinade. Pat the pork dry with paper towels.
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches, add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Add more oil in between batches, if needed. Transfer the pieces to a plate using a slotted spoon. If the bottom of the pot develops a dark coating, tip in some water in between batches and scrape it up.
• Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Pour in the reserved marinade, return the pork to the pot, and cook, covered, over low heat until the meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If it looks as if the liquid will burble away, spoon in a bit of water.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the potato cubes with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, season lightly with salt and with plenty of pepper, and scatter in one layer on a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet. Roast, flipping them once or twice, until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Discard any clams that feel heavy (which means they're full of sand), have broken shells, or don't close when tapped.
• Raise the heat under the pork to high, stir in the clams, cover, and cook until they open, 7 to 10 minutes. Toss out any that refuse to pop open. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• To serve, remove half the clams from their shells, and return them to the pot. Toss out the shells. Line the bottom of the serving bowls with the potato cubes, top with the pork and clams and broth, and sprinkle with the cilantro. Have a large bowl at the ready for the shells.

LIME AND CHILE ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• 1. Pulse the garlic, scallions, coriander, chipotle chile, cumin, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor or mini-chopper to make a thick paste. If the butcher didn't trim the fat cap on the pork shoulder, trim off all but a thin layer of fat. Make deep incisions with a paring knife, at about 2-inch intervals, all over the meat. Rub the garlic and spice mixture into and all over the meat.
• 2. Combine the lime zest and juice, orange juice, adobo sauce, olive oil, and cinnamon in a nonreactive stainless steel or glass bowl. Add the meat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the meat is submerged. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up 2 days. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the pork, fat-side up, in a large Dutch oven. Roast the meat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the marinade to the pot and cover with the lid. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and roast for 2 hours more. Uncover and continue to cook, basting occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 190 degrees F and the meat is a rich burnished brown, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Set aside on a cutting board to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
• 4. For the sauce: Strain the pan drippings through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy separator and discard all excess fat. In a small saucepan, mix the pan drippings with 1/2 cup water and bring to a vigorous boil. Slice the meat and serve with the pan drippings.

SIMPLE ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, spread the mixture all over the pork shoulder.
• Set the meat on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the shoulder reads 185 degrees F, about 4 hours. Remove the pork from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

PORK AND LAGER CHILI VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Combine the coriander, paprika, cumin and 2 tablespoons salt in a small bowl. Coat the pork with the dry rub.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven. Working in batches, add the pork and cook until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until softened, 6 to 8 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the pork back to the pot. Stir in the dried chiles de arbol and cover with the Mexican lager. Bring to a boil and reduce to a rolling simmer. Cook until all the liquid evaporates, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the tomatillos, Anaheim peppers and poblano peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon salt on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven, turning once halfway through, until the tomatillos have browned and the peppers are charred, about 30 minutes. Let cool, about 25 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, place the tomatillos in a blender. Remove the skin and stems from the peppers (keeping the seeds intact) and add them to the blender with the tomatillos. Add the cilantro, lime juice and 2 teaspoons salt. Blend until completely smooth. Hold the sauce at room temperature until the pork finishes cooking.
• When the liquid from the Dutch oven has reduced completely, check the pork to make sure it is tender but still holds its shape. Remove and discard the chiles de arbol. Top the pork with the tomatillo sauce and cook over medium heat just until it begins to simmer, about 10 minutes.
• Serve the chili verde with roasted pepitas, tortilla chips, Pickled Red Onions and Fresno Chiles, crema and cilantro leaves.
• Combine the vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, sugar and 2 teaspoons salt in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Pour the hot mixture over the Fresno chiles and onions in a heat-proof bowl and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use.