Friday, June 22, 2018

Mission: El Metate Pork Chile Verde

(Picture nicked from skootersmexicanfoodblog. Thanks, Skooter!)
Although I haven't personally been to the Mission district in San Francisco (yet), I have heard a lot about the legendary burritos which are synonymous with the area. There is a constant debate as to which restaurant serves the best, but according to Chef Joanne Weir, El Metate is one of her favorites! El Metate, located at 2406 Bryant Street, opened it's doors in 2002. Interestingly enough, Joanne Weir's book, Weir Cooking in the City, published in 2004, makes a reference to El Metate and even offers a recipe for "Pork and Tomatillo Burritos." Could this recipe be El Metate's iconic pork chile verde? I'm not sure, but it is amazingly delicious!

This recipe is packed with fresh ingredients and produces a sweet, tangy chile verde that is quite addictive. I have adjusted the recipe by using freshly roasted tomatillos rather than canned ones, but I will include measurements for both, just in case fresh tomatillos are not available to you. This recipe requires browning the pork first, which can make for a greasy mess, so plan for that. In addition, from start to finish, it should take approximately 4 hours. So plan for that as well. And finally, I've never seen such colorful ingredients cook down to produce a very ugly looking mess. Perhaps that's why they stuff  it into a burrito? Either way, it is a personal favorite and I highly recommend you try it!


Pork and Tomatillo Burritos (El Metate?)

Serves 6 (You can also serve it as a soft taco filling.)

Ingredients:
For the Chile Verde:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 large green bell peppers, chopped (I hate green bell peppers! I think they are too bitter. I use 1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper instead, chopped.)
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 cups canned tomatillos, seeded and chopped (I prefer 1 pound fresh tomatillos, papery skins removed, washed, and roasted under the broiler until slightly blackened, cut in half. I don't bother seeding them.)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup water

For Serving:
6 large flour tortillas
6 lime wedges 
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Fiery Green Salsa (recipe follows) (I prefer Rick Bayless's Roasted Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa, preferably home-made, or store bought.)

*Note: Rice and Beans are natural accompaniments

Directions:
For the Chile Verde:
Heat the oil in a large heavy casserole or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the pork cubes.


Add the pork in a single layer and brown on all sides, 10-12 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove the pork from the pan with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.


Add the garlic and cumin and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatillos, cilantro, and water.


Return the pork to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.


Remove the cover and simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. (In my experience, it takes way longer than 10 minutes!)


For Serving:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wrap the tortillas tightly in aluminum foil. Heat them in the oven for 15 minutes until hot. One at a time, place one-sixth of the hot filling in the enter of each warm tortillas. Roll the tortillas to enclose the filling.

Place the burritos on a platter and garnish with the lime wedges. Pass with individual bowls of sour cream, avocado, scallions, and salsa alongside.

Fiery Green Salsa

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups tomatillos, chopped (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
If you are using fresh tomatillos, peel and wash them. Place them directly over the gas flame, on a charcoal grill, or in a heavy dry skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until blackened all over, 5-8 minutes. (I would just set them on a baking sheet under the broiler until blackened.) Chop the fresh or canned tomatillos.

In a bowl, stir together the tomatillos, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and serrano. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipes adapted from Weir Cooking in the City, by Joanne Weir.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Celebrate Father's Day with Michael Symon's Grandma

Father's Day is almost here, and I don't know of one dad who when asked what he wants for Father's Day doesn't reply, "Nothing." I guess I can understand getting a gift that he probably doesn't want and probably pays for isn't that exciting. Unless your dad's a golfer, a sci-fi collector, or is really into ties, it makes celebrating them difficult. While dad doesn't want to pay for a trip to the Mediterranean, he would love a manly meal from the grill with some Greek flair. I've got the recipe for you - Michael Symon's "Yiayia's Smoked Pork Ribs!"

While I love my recipes for Memphis-Style Spare Ribs and Best Barbecue Ribs, these Greek-style ribs seem a little "lighter" and provide a new twist on classic barbecue. While Michael recommends cooking the ribs wrapped in foil, I think it's easier to cook them over a drip pan, rotating them occasionally. In addition, the combination of spices, herbs, and honey make these ribs truly memorable. I like to serve them with a Greek salad, loaded with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, and feta cheese. Yum! A wonderful starter (although not Greek) would be Bacon-Wrapped, Jalapeno and Cheese-Wrapped Shrimp. After all, you'll have the grill going anyway, and I guarantee any dad will flip for these spicy/cheesy shrimp!

Yiayia's Smoked Pork Ribs

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Rub
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 racks spare-ribs, preferably St. Louis style cut, if possible (I cut them in half so they fit on my Weber.)
Juice of 1 lemon

For Barbecuing
3-4 handfuls applewood chips, soaked in water
1 aluminum roasting pan, to go under the ribs while on grill

For the Glaze
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

For the Garnish
1 lemon, cut in half
Sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle of honey

Directions:
The day BEFORE you plan on cooking the ribs:
Mix together the dry ingredients to make the rub. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the ribs and then coat all sides with the rub, making sure to distribute evenly. Cover the ribs and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to barbecue the ribs:
Whisk together the glaze ingredients, set aside. Prepare a charcoal grill for barbecuing over medium-low heat (300-350 degrees).

Place an aluminum drip pan half full of water in the center of the fire bed. Sprinkle some of the wood chips on the coals. Place the ribs on the grill rack over the drip pan.

Cover and grill and smoke the ribs, rotating them every 30 minutes or so (the ribs along the outside will cook faster, so it's good to rotate to the inside, etc.) and adding more wood chips, more coals, and more water to the drip pan as needed.



After the first hour, brush the glaze on top of the ribs. Continue to cover, grill, and smoke the ribs until they are tender and a toothpick can easily be inserted between the ribs, about 2 1/2-3 hours. 

Just before the ribs are done cooking, grill the lemon halves flesh-side down until nicely marked and slightly soft, 3-5 minutes.

When the ribs are done, let them rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes. To serve, cut the ribs between the bones and garnish with the grilled lemon, sea salt, oregano, olive oil, and honey.


Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.