Tacos al Pastor

Tacos are the most perfect food in the world, in my opinion.  They contain all the major food groups: bread, meat, dairy, and veggies.  There are an unlimited number of ways to fill up those warm, soft tortillas. You could have fish tacos (grilled or fried), chicken tacos, shredded beef tacos, pork tacos, or even the classic ground beef taco.  Top them with whatever you wish as well: avocado, tomato, hot sauce, cole slaw, even whipped cream if you're making a tasty dessert taco.

These particular tacos are pork.  I generally prefer beef but this roasted pork is too delicious to pass up.  Al pastor is a Mexican term for slow-roasting meats rotisserie style.  I don't have a rotisserie, so the oven works perfectly well.  The meat is perfectly tender and sweet but not so sweet it throws off the balance of the taco.

I found this recipe in Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent by Ellise Pierce.  If you don't have a copy of this book, I suggest you find one.  It is full of beautiful pictures and mouth-watering recipes by one of Texas's own.


Ingredients

Oil (any kind)
2 lb pork shoulder
Onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c orange-flavored liquor, like Triple-Sec or Patron Citronge
3/4 c salsa
1 c water
1/2 pineapple, diced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano

Directions

1. Salt and pepper the pork on all sides.

2. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat.  Add the pork and brown on all sides.  Remove and set to the side.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions.  When the onions soften, (2 minutes) add the garlic. Cook for a couple more minutes then add the orange flavored liquor and stir to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the salsa, water, pineapple, and spices.  Stir, then add the pork and remove from the heat.

5. Tear off a large section of parchment paper and place directly on top of the pork.  There should be enough paper left to go up the sides a small bit.  This helps keep the moisture at the pork level and creates a more tender product.

6. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 to 2.5 hours.

7. Allow to cool for a few minutes before shredding.  Serve in warm tortillas topped with your favorite taco toppings.

Cheddar Pimiento Cheese

Do you despise American cheese as much as I do? I can't stand the stuff. It isn't really cheese at all, just some "dairy" product melted down into a cheese shaped loaf and sliced. It tastes like plastic.  Cheddar, however, is one of my favorite cheeses.  I love a raw Irish or English cheddar. I'll put cheddar on just about anything, or eat it in slices for a snack.

With my profound hatred for American cheese, it should be no surprise that I equally despise prepackaged pimiento cheese spreads.  They all seem to be made from that same processed goop.  However, making your own fresh pimiento cheese at home takes about 5 minutes.  This recipe technically shouldn't be called pimiento since there aren't any pimiento peppers in it.  That's OK though, it is still cheese and peppers and mayo.  It's just a bit fancier and a lot tastier.  Warning: this recipe makes a large batch of pimiento cheese.  You may be tempted to eat it all in one sitting because it tastes so good!

Ingredients

Cheese

4.5 lb shredded sharp cheddar
1 c mayo
2 cloves minced garlic
2 canned roasted red peppers

Sandwich

2 slices bread, toasted
Pimiento cheese
Bacon, fried crisp
Tomato, sliced

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the mayo, garlic, and roasted peppers.

2. If your processor is large enough, slowly add the cheese, scraping the sides occasionally.  If not, pour the cheese into a large bowl.  Add the mayo and mix by hand into a uniform consistency.

3. To make the sandwich: top one slice of toast with as much pimiento cheese as desired.  Layer on the tomatoes, then the bacon last.  Top with the second slice of toast. Serve with homemade fries or hot tomato soup for a filling cold-weather lunch.

Southern Green Beans

 All good Southern cooks keep a supply of bacon grease in their fridge.  They know it's secret: perfect tasting food every time.  Use it anywhere you would normally use butter or oil for sauteing vegetables or meats.  It ads an extra level of flavor to any meal.  So what if it isn't good for your waist line: your hips may curse your name but your taste buds will praise you!

This is how my family has cooked green beans for years.  The beans are tender and packed with flavor.  You'd be hard pressed to find any leftover once the meal is done.  Use frozen beans for this recipe.  Canned are generally sad and packed with too much salt.  Adding the bacon would be overkill on the salt in take.



Ingredients

1 lb frozen green beans
3 strips bacon, raw
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


Directions 

1. Thaw the beans in a bowl of cool water.

2. Into a COLD skillet, use a pair of kitchen sheers to cut the bacon into small pieces.  This saves time on waiting for the bacon to cool enough to chop after it's been cooked.  My cooked bacon never lasts long enough to chop- we eat it straight away and have none left for the beans.  Add the onions and garlic and heat over medium until the bacon is crisped.

3.   Drain the green beans and add to the skillet.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the beans are tender.

Tex-Mex Pie

I am a Texan, born and raised and because of this, I love Mexican food.  I love the spiciness of a chipotle pepper.  I enjoy the flavor of a perfect jalapeno.  I can't get enough tortilla chips fresh from the fryer.  Don't get me started on the wonders of guacamole.

My husband is in the Army and we had to leave Texas for a few years to live in Kansas (we are back in our home state now).  My first experience with Mexican food there was a place called Carlos O'Kelly's.  Automatically, my gut was telling me it wasn't going to be what I was hoping for.  My gut was right.  My enchilada platter was actually a burrito with cheese sauce poured over it and a side of mashed potatoes.  I never stepped foot in there again and warned all my Texas and Southern California friends who moved in to avoid that place as well. 

I found this dish in a cookbook titled Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.  I was a tad hesitant to try these dishes at first.  Texas cooking with a French accent? Turns out though, this woman knows her stuff.  Ellise Pierce is a Texan by birth (actually born a couple of hours from my hometown) and followed her man to Paris.  France isn't well known for it's Tex-Mex cuisine and like most removed Texans, she began to get unsatisfiable cravings.  She learned how to make her favorites using ingredients from the area and created a few recipes of her own.

This Tex-Mex Pie is actually called a Tex-Mex Tart in her book.  Since I don't have a tart pan and used a pie pan instead, I am calling it a pie.  Ellise calls it a big nacho and for good reason: it is a corn tortilla crust, beans, meat, veggies, and cheese.  I have made it with both shredded chicken and taco meat.  Both versions are equally as good.  Feel free to replace the black beans with pintos and change up the veggies to suit your taste.  Also, if you have never purchased masa harina before, don't be frightened.  It is corn flour (not to be confused with corn meal) and can be found in the Latino section of your grocery store.  Use it to make your own homemade tortillas for tacos next Tuesday night.

Ingredients

1 1/4 c masa harina
1 t koser salt
1 1/4 c hot water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T oil, bacon grease, or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 t cumin
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
2 T chili powder
2 t cumin
1/4 t cayenne (to taste)
salt and pepper
2 c shredded cheese, preferably Cheddar or Monterey Jack
1 tomato, diced
1 can black olives
salsa
sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.  In a small bowl, mix the masa harina and salt.  Slowly add the water until the flour is firm, but not crumbly or sticky.  Press in to the bottom of a pie pan and spread up the sides.  Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is firm.  Set aside.

2. Brown the beef with an onion over medium heat.  Drain the grease and add the chili powder, cumin, 1 t garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine and remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, mash the beans.  They don't have to be perfectly smooth.  Heat the oil over medium with the remaining garlic clove.  Add the beans and cook until dry, about 5 minutes.

4. Assemble the pie in the following order: masa crust, beans, meat, tomatoes, olives, cheese.  Spray a small piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the pie.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Top with salsa and sour cream to serve.