May 25

Fried Pork

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• Fried Pork [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 3.25 pounds pork
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (mashed with mortar and pestle)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion
  • .5 large orange
  • 2 large limes
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • salt & pepper
  • oil

  Instructions

  We start marinating the pork a day before we want to cook it. We cut the pork into 1 inch chunks. We do not trim the fat, we need it to keep the pork moist. We place the chunks into a large bowl and wash up. In a plastic container we combine the garlic, cumin, oregano, onion powder. We microwave the limes for 20 seconds to help them release their juices and then squeeze the juice from the orange half and the limes into the container. We add 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground pepper and stir with a fork. Then we add the oil and stir again. We pour this mixture over the meat and stir with a spatula. We probably should have made more marinade since we have so much meat, but we make do. We cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

  The next day we stir the meat 3 times throughout the day. When it is about half an hour before we want to eat we remove the meat from the fridge. In our dutch oven, we begin to heat an inch of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 360 degrees, we add a portion of the meat, we want the meat to cook in one layer and for it not to be crowded. We fry it, stirring occasionally with our "spider", a chinese strainer, until the chunks are nicely browned and crispy. This takes about 15 minutes. When the batch is done, we remove them to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle them with salt. We could have kept them warm in a 200 degree oven, but we do not bother here. We cover the plate with aluminum foil. We fry another batch when the oil again reaches frying temperature, and freeze the rest of the uncooked pork since we will not be able to eat all of the meat tonight.

  We serve the pork with rice and beans.

• Mofongo [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 3 plantains
  • .33 cup salt pork (diced)
  • .5 tablespoon garlic (mashed)
  • oil

  Instructions

  We start by heating a large pan over medium heat. Using a sharp knife, under running water, we slice open each plantain and then, using our hands, we peel them. Lastly, we cut each plantain into 1-inch pieces on a bias (slant).

  We pour in about an inch of oil into the pan. When the oil is hot, we add some of the plantain pieces, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. We want the plantains to be fork-tender but not too browned.

  We remove the tender pieces one at a time from the pan with a fork, and place back on our cutting board. We flatten with the bottom of a glass and then place on a paper-towel lined plate while we continue with the rest of the plantains.

  When all the pieces are flattened, we add the salt pork to the oil and cook for about 5 minutes. We want the salt pork cooked and the fat rendered. We drain the pieces out with a spoon and place in a medium sized metal bowl. We also add the garlic to the bowl.

  When the oil is hot again, we raise the heat to medium-high and add the plantains back to the pan. We cook for 2 minutes, turn, and then cook for another 2 minutes. We want them browned and crispy. We remove the pieces to the paper-towel lined plate and then place in the metal bowl with the garlic and salt pork. With our pestle (from our mortar and pestle that we used to mash the garlic) we smash the fried plantains with the garlic and salt pork. When it is a nice crumbled consistency, we taste for seasoning, and then press some of it into a prep bowl to give it a shape. We continue until we have all of the mofongo done.

  We serve hot.

• Avocado Salad [View Recipe]

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  Ingredients

  • 3 ounces lettuce
  • .33 cup cilantro (cleaned, leaves picked and stems chopped)
  • .33 cup onion (chopped)
  • .75 cup tomato (chunked)
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • .25 teaspoon garlic (mashed)
  • .5 cup oil
  • 1 avocado

  Instructions

  We start by putting the triple-washed lettuce into a large bowl. We add the cilantro and onion and then salt the chopped tomatoes and set them into a small bowl. We'll add them to the salad with the vinaigrette.

  In a resealable plastic container we combine the lime juice, cumin and garlic. We add some salt and pepper and stir well with a fork. Then we add the olive oil and set aside for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

  When it is time to eat, we open the avocado and remove the pit with our knife. Then we peel and dice the avocado and add it to the salad. We shake the dressing and add some of it with the tomatoes. We toss gently with tongs, add more salt and pepper, and add a little more dressing until the leaves are well coated. We reserve the rest of the dressing in the fridge.

  We serve the salad immediately sprinkled with some more salt and pepper.