Great Dinner for Any Night or Any Occasion

 A few months back, I was looking for something to do with white beans. I use white beans when I make my Mom & Dad's Bean Soup/Ham Bone Soup, yet I rarely use them otherwise. No particular reason for this, just that the Bean Soup recipe is the only one I had growing up that used white beans. 

White Beans with Bacon & Thyme

Wandering around the internet in search of ideas, I came on one that sounded promising, called White Beans with Bacon and Herbs on "Jo Cooks." I printed it off, then started to plan what I would do differently. Not that there was anything wrong with how the recipe sounded, as is. Just that I always tinker. Even with my own recipes, I go back and just have to do something different. Maybe I don't have some ingredients and have to substitute. Maybe I just have a hankering for something different than the original flavor profile. Whatever it is, I just seem to have a need to change things.

For starters, I had started cooking a pound of beans from scratch earlier in the day. I tucked in a couple of bay leaves while the beans cooked. Once I found this recipe, I realized that it sounded splendid with the fresh herbs, but I didn't have any! I did, however, have some pesto in the fridge, from my latest batch, and opted to use some of that for flavors instead. I only buy thick-sliced bacon, so I lowered the amount of bacon to 4 slices. There were no onions in the original recipe, so I caramelized a chopped onion, then added in 4 fresh minced cloves of garlic to the mix. I needed more salt, since I was using fresh cooked beans. I always cook my beans or lentils with no salt at all so they cook a bit more quickly, more tender. I add salt once they are already tender.  And that was my plan.

The beans came out so amazingly flavorful. Oh my! And I never once thought of taking photos.

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

So a couple of weeks back, I wanted to repeat this recipe, since it was so very tasty. And then I wondered what to pair with them as a main course? If it was just me in the house, I would have had a salad alongside these scrumptious beans and called it a night. My husband, however, would not be so easily placated. I got out some pork tenderloin and started thinking about what to do with that. 

As it turned out, I created a mix of "Italian" flavors, rubbed the mixture all over the tenderloins and baked them. The mixture is somewhat akin to what I do for things like steaks or lamb chops; a green mixture of garlic, rosemary, olive oil, pepper, salt, and other things that may differ depending on the meat involved. Since this was pork, I used sage and fennel. My preference would have been fresh sage, but again, I had none on hand. Oh, how I do miss having my own herb garden! The whole thing came out so good we both spent the entire meal moaning in pleasure.

White Beans with Bacon and Thyme

Serves 10 or more

White Beans with Bacon & Thyme

1 pound white dried beans, soaked overnight (OR - Pour boiling water over them and let set for one hour)
2 bay leaves
-----
4 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut in 1/4" bits
2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat from pan
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
4 fresh cloves garlic, minced finely
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (no stems)
1 - 3 tablespoons fresh basil pesto
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

If soaking beans overnight, in the morning, drain, then place beans in a large pot with tight fitting lid. Cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch above beans, add in the bay leaves, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender, but not mushy.

ALTERNATELY: If, like me, you don't remember to soak overnight, in the morning place the beans in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak then 1 hour, drain, place beans in pot and cover with water by an inch, add the bay leaves and cook 2 to 3 hours, until tender but not mushy.

Once beans are nearly ready, remove lid and let the liquid cook down until there is only about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid left. Leave on very low heat to keep warm.

In a skillet, fry the bacon to your desired doneness. Remove the bacon to paper toweling and reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pan. Add in the onion with the salt and cook, stirring occasionally at first, then nearly constantly once they start to go golden. Continue cooking and stirring until they are deep golden brown and add in the garlic, cooking another 3 to 5 minutes, until the raw garlic smell is gone. Add in the thyme leaves, pesto and red wine vinegar and stir, then pour all this mixture into the beans and mix well. Cover and let flavors meld for at least 15 minutes before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For this next dish, use the pork tenderloins and not pork loin. Tenderloins are far thinner and will cook more quickly. Pork loins are a thicker cut and will be less tender.

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

Serves 4 to 6

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

2 pork tenderloins, about 1.25 pounds each
4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced finely
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crumbled (or use fresh sage and mince, measuring out at least 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, minced, OR use 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Trim the tenderloins of fat and silverskin. Set aside.

Mix all the remaining ingredients together and rub the mixture over the meat, coating all sides. Set the tenderloins in their coating into a zip top bag or into a container with lid and set aside for at least a half hour, though overnight in the fridge would be best.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the tenderloins on a rack in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Pour some water into the baking sheet, otherwise the drippings will cause a LOT of smoke. Roast the tenderloins for about 50 to 55 minutes, or to an internal temperature of at least 165. Remove from oven and tent with foil for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing - across the grain and on a diagonal.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Amazing Short Rib Ragu

For me, beef short ribs are more of a pain than they are worth. Generally speaking. As a child, my Mom made a dish that I loved, called Beef with Sweet Cabbage - - - except for the fact that she used beef short ribs and there was sometimes about one bite of meat to a short rib. The dish is one that I reworked, still called Beef with Sweet Cabbage, using brisket instead, cooking the brisket and then cutting and shredding it into manageable bite sized portions. 

Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle Pasta

Aside from the small amount of meat to be had on some short ribs, they are fatty. So fatty in fact, that they will leave a thick layer of fat atop any soup or stew, which then needs to be removed. Eating a "whole" short rib, with the bone and fat and gristle, well, no, that's just not going to happen. Not in my house.

However.

A few years back my ex-daughter-in-law told me about a Short Rib Lasagna, which I went on to recreate as best as I was able. It is delicious, truly. The catch is working with the short ribs.

Okay, I have made that Short Rib Lasagna twice now, and working to get the meat out from all the fat is still a royal pain, but the meat is nice and tender, and already in bite sized morsels, just due to the way the meat is distributed in the short ribs. So, when my son's birthday was coming up and he had a nice Italian Amarone wine he wanted to drink, I said I would work on a dish that would pair with his wine. We discussed what kind of dish to use, what flavors to add, and came up with a Short Rib Ragu. I planned to serve the ragu over homemade pappardelle pasta. In essence, the recipe is not far off from the way I cooked the short ribs for the lasagna recipe, but just a few differences became pertinent to the flavor profile I wanted.

Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle Pasta

Key flavors I wanted to add in with the short ribs were some Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds or "heels", mushroom powder (from dried shiitakes, ground to powder then sieved), lots of onions (I chose red onions for sweetness), a head of roasted garlic, some finely grated carrot (again, for sweetness), tomato sauce & strong wine (Cabernet). In a departure from my norm, to date, I opted to oven braise the dish, instead of using a slow cooker. Fresh rosemary and thyme with some bay leaves were the main herbal flavors. Something my son wanted in the flavor profile was fennel seeds. In all my planning, I did mean to add a substantial amount of parsley, which I completely forgot, and never once did I think of the fennel seeds, though I did a light smashing of some fennel seeds which we added at the table. These certainly would have been good, added in to cook with the ragu.

MAKE AHEAD

It is good to make things ahead when possible, thereby giving oneself time on the day of serving. I made this dish 4 days ahead of serving. Any longer and it would be preferable to freeze until the day before it is needed. To thaw, allow to thaw in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days and then return the ragu to a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid and warm gently over very low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the oven. The roasted garlic can be made ahead. (Cut off top quarter inch from the whole garlic head, set into foil, drizzle with olive oil, crimp foil at top and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Once done and cooled, squeeze out all the soft garlic into a lidded container, drizzle on more olive oil, cover and refrigerate until needed.)

NOTE

Parmesan "heels" are the rind ends of good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. These ends are hard and not usable to grate, but are excellent when tossed into a soup or stew to cook, giving flavor, but not leaving sticky cheese to coat everything. Save these rinds in the fridge or freezer, well wrapped. Cook in any soup or stew, then remove them once the meal is ready to serve.

Short Rib Ragu

Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle Pasta

Serves 10 (Freezes well)

4 to 5 pounds beef short ribs
Oil, for browning
I head roasted garlic, cloves all squeezed out of their skins
2 large red onions, in thinly sliced quarter-rounds
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
2 carrots, grated very finely on small holed grater
1.5 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, blitzed to powder, strained
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon red wine
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 - 3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 - 2 Parmesan "heels" if available
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 bay leaves
0.5 cup of chopped parsley, optional
2 - 3 teaspoons whole fennel seeds, optional

Heat oven to 250 or 260 degrees, or whatever temperature will maintain a simmer. Have ready a heavy, large, oven safe pot with tight fitting lid, such as an enameled cast iron pot or braiser.

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add in a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown a few short ribs at a time, not overcrowding the pan. Turn them to brown all sides evenly. 

While ribs are browning, slice the onions and place half the onions into the pot or braiser. Add in the red bell pepper and carrots, part of the rosemary and thyme. As the ribs are browned, remove them to the pot. 

Once all the ribs have been browned and added to the pot, pour off all but a tablespoon of grease from the skillet, then add in the red wine and cook quickly to reduce by half. Once reduced, add in the mushroom powder and stir. This will want to thicken. Scrape all the mushroom/wine mixture atop the ribs in the pot, then add in all the remaining ingredients: tomato sauce and paste, remaining rosemary and thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper, Parmesan heels, parsley and fennel, if using. Set the pot on the heated burner and bring the ingredients to a simmer, then cover with tight fitting lid and set in the oven for about 4 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.

Once tender, remove from oven. Remove the ribs, bones, and any pieces that have fallen off bones, to a plate to cool. Use sheets of paper toweling, set briefly on top of the stew in the pot to remove the thick layer of grease. Discard these grease-soaked paper towels. Repeat with more paper towels if needed. 

Once meat is cooled, remove the meat, shredding if needed. Discard all bones and fat or gristle. Return the meat to the pot and stir. The sauce is now ready to eat, but will taste better with at least a day's rest in the fridge, or freeze if preparing ahead. Also, this is a large amount, so it can easily be divided into two portions, freezing one and keeping one out to eat. Serve over any pasta desired.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Pork and Potatoes Make a Great Dinner

Some years ago, I created a spice mixture I called Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub. It has the most divine flavors. Originally, I made it to use in a Sweet Cocoa Rubbed Pork Loin Roast, made for a special occasion. Still, more often than not, when I choose pork as a dinner option, I make pork tenderloins. They are usually smaller, far more tender, and just plain delicious. 

One day as I got out pork tenderloin for dinner, I pondered what I could do differently. I often grill it, particularly in my Grilled Pork with Indian Spices recipe, as it can just hardly be beat for flavor. But not that day. I thought of the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub, and wondered how that would be, used on the pork tenderloin. I proceeded to clean the tenderloin of any residual fat and silverskin, and then just poured some of the rub onto a longer tray. I rolled the tenderloin in the rub mixture, continuing to pat it on and coat completely. Set on a rack over a foil lined pan and baked? OMG! So good! It is really good with chutney, like a mango chutney, something fruity. It is also great with a nice aioli sauce

Since that day, I have made this recipe repeatedly, yet since my website is now defunct, I hadn't gotten around to re-posting this recipe - remedied here:

Sweet Smoky Pork Tenderloin

Serves 3 to 4

Sweet Smoky Pork Tenderloin

1 (1.25 to 1.5-pound) pork tenderloin(s)
½ cup, more if needed, Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub
½ - 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, optional, to taste
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Set a rack in the pan. (The rack is not 100% needed, but the roast doesn't set swimming in its juices if up on a rack). Trim fat and silverskin from the tenderloin.

Combine the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub, Chipotle powder and salt, mixing well, then pour into a long tray. Set the meat onto the powder and begin turning to coat all sides. Pat the mixture firmly onto the meat, continuing to turn until most of it has adhered to the meat. Set the meat onto the rack and bake the tenderloin for 25 to 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Cover the meat with tented foil and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like potatoes, these roasted potatoes are fabulous. They can be baked along with the tenderloins, then when the tenderloins are done they can be taken out and tented for 15 minutes, while these potatoes finish baking. 

Rich Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

Rich Roasted Potatoes

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1¼ to 1½-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced finely
few grinds of pepper
½ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients except the potatoes in a small bowl. Place the potatoes into a gallon sized zip top bag or a plastic container with a lid. Pour the oil mixture over and seal the container. Toss well to coat all the potatoes. Pour the potatoes into a 13 x 9-inch oven safe casserole. Bake for a total of about 45 minutes, turning them once halfway through the baking time.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Ready for Meatless Monday

I recently made a lasagna, without meat. My husband has been willing to forego meat on occasion, so in an endeavor to make a dish where he might not miss the meat, I made a lasagna, with no meat, and instead adding in spinach and artichokes, as well as mushrooms, all things he really likes. Hubby said he was willing to try, but this was stated without much excitement.

As it turned out, he just loved it! Maybe not enough to say it was better than a lasagna with meat sauce, but it was good enough to be satisfied with, and that is all I can hope for. 

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

I love putting spinach into lasagna, though in past, my husband shuddered when seeing something "green" where it is highly apparent, as there just should NOT be anything green! Oh well. And I also love things like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, as witnessed by that wonderful recipe, as well as others I have enjoyed elsewhere. And, while my husband loves artichokes in things, he just can't - quite - love - spinach. He has never tasted my excellent Spinach and Artichoke Dip, for that reason. Anyway, rambling along here, I just want to say that I know what a great combo those two things are together, so why not in a lasagna together?

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Ever since hubby got me a pasta machine, I have looked for ways to use it, to express my appreciation for the gift. That said, it isn't quite as great as I could wish. Its dies are plastic, not bronze, and they extrude spaghetti that is far too thick to be called spaghetti. Meaning that anything I try to extrude comes out so thick it will hardly cook through. So, of the about 10 different die cutters he got me, I use only two: lasagna noodles and angel hair pasta cutter, which comes out like regular spaghetti. But, I just love the lasagna cutter. The noodles are hardy enough, and work exceptionally well for a lasagna. No-cook lasagna noodles will work in this also, but - I have the machine, therefore I use it.

Another plus to this pasta machine is that I can make whole grain pasta. My favorite grain is Kamut Khorasan grain, which I grind in the Grain Mill he got me as well. Two birds, and all that.  Plus that grain mill is a gift that keeps on giving! I use it probably 3 to 5 times a week. It gives all sorts of new opportunities for unusual flour to try out.

Okay so back to the lasagna. As this one is meatless, I didn't want to go to a whole 9 x 13-inch pan, because if he didn't like it, then it was going to be my dinner for the next week, while I'd have to make him something else! Instead, I made this lasagna in a 9 x 9-inch pan.  And this is what I did . . .

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

How to assemble the Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 green olives, minced
1 tablespoon pesto (or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced finely)
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
½ pound fresh lasagna sheets, or about 6 to 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
16 ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or use 10 ounces fresh baby spinach)
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped
 2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or your preference)
1 (6.5-ounce) jar mushroom pieces, drained

About 20 minutes in advance of assembling, set the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and set on a burner with the lowest heat possible. The object is to steep the garlic in the oil, without browning or burning. Keep a close eye on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Stir the garlic and its oil into the spaghetti sauce, along with the minced olives and the pesto (or basil). Set aside. In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach and pulse with the egg to combine. Set aside.

Grease a 9 x 9-inch oven safe baking dish. Arrange all the ingredients near to hand, then following this order shown here at right above, from bottom to topmost layer, assemble the lasagna. Make a tent of foil that covers the lasagna but does not touch the cheese (it will stick), crimping around the edges of the pan to keep in moisture. Bake the lasagna on a middle to lower rack for 18 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Great Guatemalan Food

I get caught up with Indian foods so often, that I forget to go back to some wonderful Guatemalan foods. Having actually lived in Guatemala, and for long enough to get a really good feel for the flavors there, I should have far more recipes here than I do. But. Mea culpa!

So, to remedy that, I am going to put two recipes here that, while they do take some effort, are truly well worth the time. One of these is a meatloaf of a sort, called Carne Fria, which translates to "Cold Meat," because of its use on many party platters. It tastes as good cold as warm. It is different from our American meatloaves in that it is wrapped in a thin towel (not terrycloth, please!) or cheesecloth, tied at the ends like a sausage and submerged into a large pot of boiling salted water to cook. Another way it is different is that it has hard-boiled eggs lined up along the center, so when it is sliced, there is a (hopefully centered, but not always) slice of egg. Pretty as a picture. 

Carne Fria

Carne Fria (Guatemalan Meatloaf)

Makes one large meatloaf

Carne Fria

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3 strips bacon, fried (leave fat in pan) & crumbled
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves, finely ground, veins removed
1 sprig thyme (1 tsp fresh leaves or ¼ tsp dry)
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 shots cognac or brandy
2 carrots, finely shredded
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1 slice bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
½ gallon water, + 2 tbsp salt for cooking
- Cheesecloth & Kitchen Twine

Place both meats in a large mixing bowl. Fry the bacon in a large skillet till done, and remove to paper towels to drain. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the bacon fat in the pan and saute until golden. Add to the meats, along with the bacon. Add all the rest of the ingredients, except the hard boiled eggs, and mix well; set aside. (This part can be done a day ahead of time. Store the mixed meat in a container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator.)

On a large flat surface, place a large piece of cheesecloth, folded double. On a cutting board or other surface, place the meat and create a sort of cradle. Take the hard-boiled eggs and cut the ends off to expose the yolk at either end, then set the eggs end-to-end down the center of the cradle in the meat. Begin forming the meat up and around, enclosing the eggs completely, until you have a nice cylinder formed from the meat. Place the cylinder onto one edge of the cheesecloth and roll it, making a nice tight enclosure. Taking kitchen twine, lay out strips, sliding them underneath the roll, using about 3 for the body of the roll, and one at each end. Tie them snugly; trim ends.

Have a large pot or Dutch oven ready with boiling water with about 2 tablespoons salt. Gently lower the meat roll into the water and reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 1 hour. Pour off water, cut twine, and unroll the packet. Slice in about ½-inch slices. Makes about 10 slices, plus the ends. Serve with a Tomato Sauce. 

Steps to Making Carne Fria:

1. Take prepared meat and make a “cradle.” Place the trimmed eggs end-to-end down the center of the cradle.
2. Form the meat up to completely surround the eggs, making a neat cylinder.
3. Lay out cheesecloth or old kitchen towel or flour sack towel, and onto this, place the cylinder.
4. Roll up the towel around the meat tightly, to keep its shape.
5. Cut kitchen twine long enough to tie. Three pieces around the center part of the cylinder, and one at each end work well.
6. Once tied, trim the ends of the twine to short pieces.
7. Have a pot with the half-gallon of water at a boil. Add in the 2-tablespoons salt.
8. Holding each end of the packet, very gently lower the whole meatloaf into the boiling water. Bring back to a boil.
9. Lower the heat until it maintains a simmer; cover and set a timer for 1 hour.

Tomato Sauce For Serving Carne Fria

3 - 4 Roma tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 clove fresh garlic
1 red bell pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil for frying

Heat a broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Set the red bell pepper and tomatoes on the sheet and broil. Turn the pepper as it becomes blackened, until it is blackened evenly, then remove to a zip top bag, closing so it steams. Turn the tomatoes as they blacken in spots, then remove them to a blender container.

Cut the onion into chunks, separating the layers. Set the pieces onto the baking sheet, along with the clove of garlic off to one side for easy removal. Turn the garlic when it browns, and then remove to the blender container. Using tongs, turn/toss the onion pieces until they begin to blacken in spots and smell very appetizing. Once dine, remove to the blender container.

Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, remove all the skins, then remove the stem, seeds and membranes. Place the cleaned pepper into the blender container, then blend until the sauce is mostly smooth. Pour into a heated skillet with the tablespoon of oil and bring to boil. Lower to simmer, add in salt and pepper to your taste and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to meld flavors. This sauce is great with this Carne Fria as well as with Guatemalan Chiles Rellenos.

A bit of cilantro may be added to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. This will, however, leave little flecks of color. Your choice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other dish is called Pepian, and can be made with beef or chicken, as you choose. The sauce, as with many sauces both sweet and savory, contains sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and various spices that we in the US do not think of as savory spices: allspice and cinnamon. Thickening for this stew, again as with many other recipes, is soaked and blended tortillas, or the use of some corn tortilla masa or flour for corn tortillas. This stew is supposed to be rather runny, but somehow mine generally comes out thick. More water and salt can be added. Since my husband does not like anything runny, my version comes out perfect for him!

Pepian 

Pepian with Beef

Serves 6 - 8

2½ pounds beef stew meat, in 2-inch cubes OR 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, for browning
2 dried ancho or pasa chiles
1 chile guaque or guajillo
2 cups water, boiling in small saucepan
4 Roma tomatoes (tomates)
4 tomatillos (miltomates), husks removed
1 large onion (cebolla), peeled, cut in quarters
2 - 3 cloves garlic (ajo)
¼ cup unhulled sesame seeds (ajonjoli)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitoria)
½ teaspoon black peppercorns (pimienta negra)
2 allspice berries (pimienta gorda)
3-inches true cinnamon stick (canela)
½ - 1 cup cilantro
1½ tablespoons annatto seeds (achiote), or 1 - 2 teaspoons powdered annato/achiote
1½ teaspoons salt (sal)
1 pound potatoes (papas), peeled, in large cubes
2 soaked corn tortillas (tortillas de maiz), or 2 soaked slices bread (pan), or 2 - 3 tablespoons of masa harina - for thickening 

Place the pieces of meat or chicken into a large Dutch oven and just barely cover with water to cook. Add the salt and cook until done, at least an hour for chicken. Beef stew meat, being a tougher cut, will take longer, about 2 to 2½ hours. About a half-hour before the cooking is done, add the potatoes and stir. Other vegetables may be added if desired, such as chayote squash or carrots.

In a saucepan of boiling water, place the 2 ancho or pasa chilies and the chili guaque (or other dried red hot chili pepper such as guajillo) and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until soft. Set pan aside.

Preheat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the heat. On a baking sheet set the whole tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and onion quarters. Allow the skins to blacken or blister a bit, turning as necessary. Allow the onions to separate and blacken the edges and soften and smell aromatic, and then removing all the vegetables to a blender container as they are done.

In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the sesame and pumpkin seeds, with the cinnamon, broken into bits, the peppercorns and allspice berries until the sesame and pumpkin seeds begin to pop. Do not burn the seeds or you will ave to start over. Pour the seeds into the blender container with the tomato mixture. Remove the dried and soaked chilies from their liquid, reserving the liquid aside. Remove and discard stems and seeds and add the chilies to the blender container. Add in the cilantro and blend the mixture until fine. If liquid is needed to blend, use small amounts of the chilie's soaking water.

Once the meat and vegetables are cooked, if there is too much liquid still in the pot, remove some of it to the side to use only if needed. Pour the blender contents into the pot and stir. Bring to simmer.

Place the annatto seeds into the remaining chili soaking liquid and allow them to soak in the hot liquid for a few minutes. Pour the seeds and liquid into the same blender container and blend on the very lowest speed. The goal is to rattle them around and remove as much of the orange outsides of the seed as possible for coloring and flavoring purposes, without actually blending the seeds to powder as the seeds are bitter. You want the color and flavor of the seeds only. Strain the liquid into the pot and discard the remaining spent seeds. Stir well, then cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes to meld flavors.

While the pot simmers, if using corn tortillas to thicken, soak them in some of the reserved meat cooking liquid, then put the mixture into the blender and blend fine and add to the pot. If using corn masa harina, dissolve in a bit of the meat cooking liquid, then add it to the pot. If using bread, soak it in some of the meat cooking liquid and then blend fine before adding to the pot. With any of these methods, once in the pot, stir well and allow to simmer again for 15 minutes before serving. Serve the stew over rice.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.