Slow roasted pork

Carnitas

Serves Eight

Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

4-5-pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or neutral vegetable oil
water
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced

1. Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1- to 3-days. (You can skip this step if you want. Just be sure to salt the pork before searing the meat in the next step.)

2. Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.

3. Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

4. Heat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.

5. Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd’s submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

7. Braise in the oven uncovered for 3½ hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.

8. Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inches (7 cm), discarding any obvious big chunks of fat if you wish.

9. Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how crackly you want them.

I like mine deeply, darkly, crispy brown on the outside.

Our Favorite Pancake Recipe

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleaced all-purpose flour)
1 t aluminum-free baking powder (not necessary, but its good to use aluminum free baking powder in general)
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 cup natural granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1/2 t fine grain sea salt
2 1/4 cups organic buttermilk
2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
2 T butter, melted

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

Makes 12 large pancakes
Recipe from 101 cookbooks

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

5 T unsalted butter , softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1/4 t orange zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

With the oven preheating at 375, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add sour cream and zest. In separate bowl (or sifter) mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Sprinkle half of the dry ingredients into batter, mix until combined, add second half and mixed just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in blueberries. The dough will be thick- resembling a cookie dough. Fill 3/4 of the way full and bake for 25 to 30 minuets, until the tops of the muffins are golden brown. Let cool on rack and serve with a pat of salty butter.

Makes 10 to 11 muffins
Recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

Almond Butter Banana Bread

The simplicity of perfect pairs- a freshly baked loaf of banana bread (still warm) and a good strong espresso. 

While this particular loaf was gluten free, dairy free, and paleo friendly it was not lacking in any way- dare I say it was better than any banana bread I have ever had. Rich and the perfect consistency, it will be making its way to our table more than it probably should be.


Almond Butter Banana Bread
(with chocolate)

1 c almond butter
1 c almond flour
3 ripe spotty bananas
2 eggs
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
Pinch of salt
A few pinches of nutmeg or cinnamon
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)


With your oven preheated at 350 F, combine all ingredients (besides cocoa powder) and mix until bananas are no longer in visible chunks. Pour batter into loaf pan and top with the cocoa powder, than swirl the cocoa powder into the top portion of the batter, just until it is incorporated.

Bake 35 to 40 minuets until the center of the bread is hard to the touch.
Let the bread cool before removing it from the pan, that is, if you can wait that long (We were unable to).

Cookie Styles

How to achieve the following cookie styles:

Cake-y
Substitute 1 egg for milk
Use bread flour

Thin N Crispy
Add baking soda
Higher ratio of white:brown sugar

Moist and Chewy
Use mostly brown sugar
Melt butter before adding
Replace one of the egg whites with milk but add the yoke

Poached Eggs with Avocado Salad and Plantains Two Ways