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April Carnitas Tacos with Guacamole
Chips with Mango Salsa ~ Caesar Salad ~ Carnitas Tacos with Guacamole Refried Black Beans with Mint ~ Kahlua Burritos Coffee
If someone else has a recipe that I don’t think I can improve upon for something that I want to include on my menu, will recommend it to you. This is one such recipe. The Mango Salsa in Hugh Carpenter’s Fast Appetizers is delicious, and it’s the one I serve at my house. In fact, I love almost every recipe in that particular cookbook.
Caesar Salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1926.
1 cup French bread cubes 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed
3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 6 flat anchovy fillets 2 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
For croutons: Preheat oven to 350º. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan. Toss in the crushed garlic while butter is melting, and let garlic cook until sizzling to flavor the oil. Remove the garlic and toss the bread cubes in the hot butter and oil until well coated. Spread cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes, until golden and crisp. Store at room temperature.
For dressing: Put garlic through a garlic press or chop very finely. Chop anchovies finely. Put egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender and whirl until combined. With blender going, add 1 cup olive oil in a thin stream. Taste on a lettuce leaf and blend in salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare salad: Toss lettuce with some of the dressing until well-coated. In a separate bowl, toss the croutons with a little more of the dressing. Divide lettuce among 8 plates. Top with some of the croutons and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Caution: this recipe contains raw egg yolks. If you are concerned about using them, use a comparable amount of pasteurized egg.
4 pounds country-style pork ribs 2 cups water 1 cup fresh orange juice 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 teaspoons Kosher salt ¼ cup brandy 24 of the thinnest corn tortillas you can find Fresh salsa (see recipe below) Guacamole (see recipe below)
Place the pork ribs in a wide pot large enough to hold them. Add 2 cups water, orange juice, garlic, orange zest and salt. Simmer, covered, until pork is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
Uncover. Remove the meat from the pot and let cool until cool enough to handle. Boil liquid until it is reduced by half. Stir in brandy. Remove meat from the bones and shred. Return to the pot with the liquid and continue to reduce until the liquid is almost gone and the meat starts to crisp around the edges. Taste and correct seasoning.
Place the tortillas in a plastic freezer bag and warm in the microwave for a few minutes. Check frequently and rearrange tortillas in the stack as necessary so they all warm evenly. Fill each tortilla with about ¼ cup of the meat mixture. Top with a tablespoon of salsa and a dollop of guacamole. Fold the tortilla over the filling to make a taco. Place three tacos on a plate, a serving of black beans alongside, garnish with a mint leaf, and serve.
If you can purchase really good fresh salsa where you live, by all means use that. If not, you will need to make it yourself. The kind that comes out of a jar will not do for this dinner.
½ finely diced red onion 4 cups finely chopped tomato, along with any juice 3-4 serrano chiles, finely minced Juice of 2 limes Kosher salt
Combine all ingredients and add salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
3 large ripe avocados ½ cup fresh salsa (see above)
Just before serving peel and dice avocado, then mash it up a little bit. You want it to be somewhat chunky. Add salsa and stir together.
1 pound dried black beans 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 jalapeño chiles, finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 bunch cilantro sprigs ½ teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon cumin 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon black pepper Kosher salt
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil ¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped ½ cup sour cream, thinned with 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Rinse beans and put in a pot with the onion, garlic, chiles and tomato paste. Add enough cold water to cover. Tie cilantro, thyme, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and pepper in a cheesecloth bag and add to the pot. Simmer 3 hours or so, or until beans are tender. Taste and add salt as needed.
Drain and mash beans. You want them mashed, but still chunky. Stir in chopped mint and taste again for salt. Melt lard or oil in a sauté pan. (Lard is traditional for refrying beans. You can use oil if you prefer, but the flavor will not be quite the same.) Refry the beans for about 10 minutes, turning over several times until they begin to get a little dry and crusty. Serve as a side dish, topped with a drizzle of sour cream.
¾ cup cornstarch 3 tablespoons sugar pinch salt 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon brandy 2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1 ¼ cups whole milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 tablespoon softened butter
9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped 3 tablespoons Kahlua 2 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon instant coffee 1 ½ cups heavy cream
3 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate
For crepes: Whirl the ¾ cup cornstarch, 3 tablespoons sugar, pinch salt, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon brandy in a blender until smooth. Brush a 6” pan with butter. Add 2 tablespoons batter and tilt around to make a crepe. Flip after about 20 seconds and cook until very light golden. Stack crepes between pieces of waxed paper if keeping overnight.
For the custard: Have ready a fine strainer placed over a clean bowl. Heat 1¼ cups milk. Put egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk eggs until thick, about one minute. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup sugar. Whisk in the hot milk by droplets. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour through strainer. Stir in the vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and chill.
For the chocolate mousse: Heat 1” water to a simmer in a saucepan. In a heat-proof bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in 2 tablespoons hot water. Add the Kahlua and chopped chocolate. Place over the pan of simmering water and stir until melted. Set aside to cool until it is room temperature, but has not begun to set up. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold into cooled chocolate. Chill.
Grate 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate into flakes. Keep cool and don’t touch. The warmth of your hands is enough to melt the chocolate.
To serve: Place a crepe attractive side down. Put ¼ cup chocolate mousse on the crepe and roll up, burrito-style. Spoon a puddle of custard onto a plate. Place the burrito on top of the custard. Sprinkle with chocolate flakes. Serve immediately.
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Copyright © 2008 by Charlotte Rose. All rights reserved. |
