FILIPINO LECHON, KIMCHI TACO

So, basically this can also be called a kitchen sink dish since i have all the ingredients ready and available, just waiting to be used. But, kitchen sink doesn't sound appetizing hence the name Filipino Lechon Kimchi Taco.

 



Ingredients:

Filipino Lechon - I have the whole roasted pigs' head in the freezer from our Thanksgiving celebration. Pig Roast

Kimchi - Homemade yes ..... i do make my own.

Ramp pesto - i made them last month and froze some for future use. Recipe to follow

 

Onions - i had red onions, but you can use any kind of onion.

 

Cilantro - happened to make guac last week so i had some cilantro left

 

Sriracha Aioli - just mixed sriracha sauce and mayo

 

Corn Tortilla - i had some left over when i made the guacamole. Yes, i fry my own corn chips, given the time. Fry your own

 

 "An amalgamation of delicious flavor" Will definitely make this again. I'm thinking of roasted chicken, i know it'll taste as good.

 

slather a spoon or two of pesto

Then add kimchi, depends on how much you want

Add chopped lechon w/c was broiled quickly just to crisp up the skins



 

Garnish with thinly sliced onions, red radish cilantro and sriracha aioli

Not for the faint of heart...... made some sisig out of this as well. Will blog my sisig taco next ;)

 

 

 

 

CHILI LIME CORN

Easy....easy...easy...yet oh sooo good! You can grill or boil which was what i did, either way, it's so good. Got the idea/ recipe from Foodie (Kim)

Ingredients:

Sweet corn

Chili powder

Salt

Lime (sliced)



Sprinkle the mixed chili powder and salt around the corn. Then squeeze lime juice around the corn.

CHILE SEASONED POT ROASTED PORK TAQUITOS

I'm amazed that 3 dishes were made out of my Chile Seasoned Pot Roasted Pork COCHITO CHIAPANECO . It all started w/ the pot roast seved with flour tortillas then the Cochito morphed and became the filling for my Stacked Green Chile Enchiladas and finally it's my taquito filling. All dishes i must say turned out so delicious. It goes to show how versatile the pork pot roast is.

Ingredients:
3 C pulled pork (Cochito Chiapaneco)
1 C mole sauce ( I love Dona Maria Mole brand)
2 T chopped cilantro
Water if needed
10 pcs corn tortillas
1 Cup GREEN CHILE SAUCE


Shred roast pork with fork. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas and the chile sauce) and mix together. Dip tortillas in warmed oil to soften, then spread a large tablespoon of pork mixture in tortilla and roll up and fry in oil. Can be frozen.

Pulled/Shredded Pork Pot Roast

Green Chile Salsa

Pulled Pork Pot Roast w/ Mole sauce and Corn Tortillas

Quickly dip the corn tortilla in the hot oil, so it'll be pliable and easy to roll.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of the shredded pork, then roll tightly.

These are ready for frying.

Taquitos and the Green Chile Salsa. Yum!

May 2010 DC Challenge- STACKED GREEN CHILE ENCHILADAS

This months Daring Cooks Challenge were hosted by Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food . What a perfect dish to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We sure did sans the margarita! Muchas gracias por la receta Barbara and Bunnee.

I have made enchiladas a lot of times but never made the salsa from scratch. Nothing beats homemade, we like the green chile salsa, i saved some for tamales experiment.

I followed the green salsa recipe to a tee, as i mentioned, we liked it but i will add a little more of the peppers to give more kick.

The recipe called for chicken, i opted to do a Rick Bayless dish that i thought would be just perfect for the enchiladas. This dish was always on the to do list but ends up in the back burner, what a great timing to make COCHITO CHIAPANECO (CHILE SEASONED POT ROASTED PORK.

The end result was exactly how i imagined the enchiladas to be. The preparation for both the cochito chiapaneco and the green chile were laborious but it was well worth it! The cochito can definitely be cooked a day ahead.  And with these two dishes i will be able to make more Mexican inspired dishes such as tamales, pulled pork taco w/ salsa verde, taquitos and more!

Due to time constraints i didn't make my corn tortilla from scratch but posted the recipe should you want to make them.

GREEN CHILE SAUCE:
Ingredients:
1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams - roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!)

7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium)212 grams - peel, remove stems

4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams)

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)

¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)

2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)

Hot sauce, your favorite, optional

2 Boneless chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs) (USED CHILE SEASONED POT ROAST PORK-COCHITO CHIAPANECO)

3 tablespoons Olive oil or other neutral vegetable oil (use more as needed)

Kosher salt and pepper

12 Small Corn tortillas (5-6 inch/13-15 cm). (you can also use wheat tortillas or other wraps)

6 ounces grated Monterey Jack, 170 grams (other cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses) can be used. Just be sure they melt well and complement the filling)
(I USED CHIHUAHUA CHEESE)
Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional


Directions:

Roasting Fresh Chiles

1. Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.

2. Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.

3. As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.

4. Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.

5. DO NOT RINSE!

Green Chile Sauce:

1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.

2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.

3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.

6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

GREEN CHILE SAUCE

Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchiladas

SINCE I USED COCHITO CHIAPANECO FOR MY FILLING, I SKIPPED STEPS 1 & 2.

1. Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts.

3. Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.

4. In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.

5. Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).

6. Drain on paper towels.

7. Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.

8. In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.

9. Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.

10. Divide half the chicken (PORK) among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.

11. Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.

12. Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.

13. Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

14. To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.

Roasting chiles: Whether you roast the chiles on a grill, under the broiler, or use the gas burner element on your stove will affect the time it takes. If you do all the chiles at once on a grill or using the broiler, it will take 15- 30 minutes, plus time to steam (10 minutes) and time to peel and remove seeds (20 minutes).

Cooking tomatillos: If you boil the tomatillos, it will take 5 -10 minutes. If you grill them, it will take 2-5 minutes. If you broil them, it will take 8-12 minutes. This can be done the same time the chiles are roasting. After they are cooked, they need to be pureed, which takes a few seconds in a blender.

Cooking chicken: If you grill your chicken, it takes about 5 or 6 minutes per side for boneless chicken breasts- depending on thickness of breasts. Other pieces (thighs, for example) or bone-in chicken will take longer. If you roast your chicken, a bone-in breast takes about 30 minutes (depending on size). Be sure chicken is done but not overcooked, since it will be in the oven in the last stage of the recipe

Corn Tortillas (from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen)

Makes about 15

1 3/4 cups masa harina

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot water

Pour hot water over masa harina, cover and let sit 30 minutes. Add (additional) cool water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is soft but not sticky. Divide the dough into 15 balls and cover with plastic wrap.

Heat a large (two burner) ungreased griddle or two large skillets, one on medium-low and one on medium-high.

Put a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic. If you don’t have a tortilla press, press to a 5-6” circle using a heavy frying pan or bread board or other heavy, flat object. Put the tortilla into the cooler pan or cooler end of the griddle. The tortilla will probably stick, but within 15 seconds, if the temperature is correct, it will release. Flip it at that point onto the hotter skillet/griddle section. In 30-45 seconds, it should be dotted with brown underneath. Flip it over, still on the hot surface and brown another 30 seconds or so. A good tortilla will balloon up at this point. Remove from heat and let them rest while cooking the remaining tortillas. Use quickly.

           I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CORN TORTILLA BRAND

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEXICAN CHEESE.

CHOCHITO CHIAPANECO with the crispy skin and all!

 STACKED GREEN CHILE ENCHILADA (3 LAYERS OF CORN TORTILLA WOULD SUFFICE, UNLESS YOU WANT A MILE HIGH STACK)

TOMATO MANGO CUCUMBER AND RED ONION SALAD

WITH CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

THE SALAD + THE STACKED ENCHILADA= PERFECT COMBINATION

CREAMY PORK ENCHILADAS

I call this dish "Fusion Enchiladas", my go to recipe especially if i crave for one and just don't have the time to prepare the authentic Mexican enchiladas.  This recipe is easy to make and majority of the ingredients are pantry staple.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups chopped pan seared or grilled pork or chicken.

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese, divided

1 cup Sour Cream, divided

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided

12 flour tortillas (8 inch)

2 1/2 cups Picante Salsa

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX pork or chicken, soup, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup salsa and 3 Tbsp. cilantro until well blended. Spoon down centers of tortillas, adding about 1/4 cup to each; roll up.

PLACE, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with salsa and remaining cheese.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining sour cream and cilantro.

 
 
 

 

COCHITO CHIAPANECO (CHILE – SEASONED POT ROASTED PORK )

I have been in a Mexican state of mind not only because of Cinco de Mayo, but also because of a dish that I've been interested to try and what a great excuse to make it, Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. I also intend to use some of the pot roast for another Mexican dish which  I will be blogging soon.

This recipe is from Rick Bayless Mexican Kitchen Cookbook. I've been planning on making carnitas, carne asado or anything with braising, slow cooking.  This dish is what i've been looking for, simple, easy yet has a complex flavor. Roasting the chiles were not necessary, according to Rick Bayless, for this type of long cooking dish, you will not be able to distinguish the taste of roasted or not roasted peppers  which was surprisingly true. Don't be deceived or be overwhelmed with the process, it is easy, promise.

The dried and herb ingredients are easy to find, they are all in the Mexican aisle in your grocery store. I used  a 5 lb. pork shoulder picnic w/ skin on.

Note: Pls. wear gloves as you handle the dried chiles. I should have known better! I had my gloves ready, i knew the consequence if you'll not wear one..but..of course i got so excited i forgot to wear my gloves and went ahead rubbed the side of my eye..ouch!! that was one my DUH moment!

You will have to add patience to the ingredients because you'll definitely be on a waiting game and oh ..add torture game. The recipe says at least 2-3 hours for a picnic ham, i cooked mine for 4 1/2 hours. Torture game? yes!! oh the aroma, it was all over the house and made me so hungry, but it was well worth it. Okay..without further a do, here's the recipe and some pictures.

Y: 6 servings (enough meat for 20 good size tacos)

Ingredients:

2 medium ( about 1 0z.) dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

4 medium (about 1 0z.) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons cider vinegar ( 4 T OF CIDER VINEGAR- 2 T  WOULDN'T SUFFICE)

1/2 small white onion, peeled and roughly chopped, plus a few slices for garnish.

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

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

1/4 teaspoon allspice, fresh ground

1 pinch ground cloves

1 ½ tablespoon lard or oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (1 TABLESPOON SALT)

3 lbs. pork shoulder, boneless or Boston butt roast or 4 ½ lbs. fresh picnic ham with skin (for classic crispy skin)

8 romaine leaves, for garnish

3 radishes thinly slices, for garnish

water

Directions


Chile paste:
Place the chiles in a small bowl, cover with hot water and let stand for 30 minutes to rehydrate, stirring occasionally to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving 2/3 C liquid, then transfer the chiles and reserved liquid to a food processor.  (I SAVED ALL THE LIQUID FOR LATER USE.)


Pulverize the bay leaves in a spice grinder or 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. (USED THE SOAKED LIQUID.) (I SKIPPED THE STRAINING STEP)


Set a large 6 quarts pot with lids (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add the lard or oil. 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 F. If you are using pork shoulder or butt, cut into slabs roughly 3 inches thick. Leave a picnic ham whole but make 1 inch deep incisions every few inches all over the meat. Lay the meat in 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 ½ C water around the meat, cover tightly, and place in the oven. (AGAIN I USED THE SOAKED WATER)


Baste the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid (SOAKED LIQUID) and rendered fat that accumulates around it. After about 2 ½ hours ( fresh ham may need about ½ hour to 1 hour) (4 1/2 HOUR TOTAL) the meat will be fork-tender and will have darkened to an appetizing and crusty rich, red-brown. If all the liquid evaporated 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 - 30 minutes to reabsorb the juices before serving. ( I TOOK OFF THE LID AND  BROIL THE MEAT FOR 10-15 MINUTES TO MAKE THE SKIN CRISPY)


Serving the meat: Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. 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 slices, and radish slices over all.


The recipe didn't suggest serving this w/ tortilla but i did, along w/ some of the chili paste.

GUAJILLO CHILE

ANCHO CHILE

Chile Paste! This is really good, i can definitely use this with other dishes. I opted not to strain the paste, i don't think it is necessary. I want it to stay rustic, but if the seeds and other particles bother you go ahead and strain the paste.

Notice the shiny part? that's the crispy skin.

This salad added another layer of flavor to the dish. Good stuff!

Rick Bayless didn't suggest the tortilla, but i think it's a must to the dish.

SMOKED SALMON QUESADILLA

A quick and easy tasty quesadilla. It's my 30 minute meal even less.

Ingredients:

Tortilla
Mexican cheese (shredded)
Smoked Salmon
Chipotle sauce
Cilantro
Sour Cream

Do the basic quesadilla assembly. Spread a handful of Mexican cheese around the flour tortilla.

Add what ever ingredients you would like to use. In this quesadilla i used smoked salmon, then i added chipotle sauce, cilantro.

Top with another piece of flour tortilla.

Heat your pan and add a tablespoon of butter mixed w/ a little of canola oil.

When the butter is melted, carefully put the quesadilla into the pan. Cook until brown and the cheese is melted. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until done.

Cut into four slices.

Serve with Lime slices and Sour Cream.