Still hungry? Not for long: Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder!

I told you next post would be about the accompaniment to that pile of spinach you've been staring at for the last several weeks. So finally, with a fair bit of embarrassment and apologies if your spinach with raisins and pine nuts has been sitting out getting colder and slimier for the last 31 days waiting for the followup, here it is!
Falling under the category of all good things are worth waiting for and yet another hit from Anya von Bremzen's "New Spanish Table" cookbook, where all has been delicious and...so far...not one disappoint on our plates. This also only confirms what I've been saying ad nauseum that I have come to the conclusions that pork shoulder is easily the best bang-for-the-buck chunk of animal flesh going. Actually, leaving price out of it, it is one of the best cooking/eating experiences at ANY price! This particular dish is amazing, another "restaurant quality" plate of food that is thrills your palate with that perfect savory and sweet combination of flavors allied with fork tender chunks of pork shoulder. So easy, and with a luscious sauce and perfectly delectable leftover potential should you and your guests somehow not finish every bite! Oh, and don't forget some crusty bread for this most sop-worthy of sauces.
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Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder With Dried Fruit
(Porc Guisata Amb Fruita Seca)
"Moist slow cooking brings out the best in a humble cut like pork shoulder,
making it fit for the most festive occasions. The sauce, enhanced with dried
fruit and a whiff of cinnamon, is classically Catalan. Try to get
best-quality organic dried cherries and apricots, ones that have some
tartness. If you're using ordinary dried fruit, you might want to reduce the
amount slightly, so the dish doesn't come out overly sweet. Alternatively,
you can add a splash of red wine vinegar to the sauce at the end. The dish
is best made ahead; cool the pork in the sauce and slowly reheat it."- AvB

SERVES 6

ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder, such as Boston Butt (about 4 pounds, trimmed of
excess fat)
salt & freshly ground black pepper (kosher or sea)
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
2 to 3 tablespoons light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 cup peeled white pearl onion, thawed if frozen
1/4 cup kirsch (or brandy)
2 cups full-bodied dry red wine (with a lively acidity)
1 cup stock (beef or chicken or both)
3/4 cup pitted dried sour cherries
1/2 cup dried apricot (preferably Californian, halved or quartered if large)
1 large bay leaf
1 small piece cinnamon stick
2 fresh rosemary sprigs

method:
1. Preheat oven to 325º.

2. Using kitchen string, tie the pork shoulder crosswise, spacing the ties 1
inch apart. Rub the pork generously with salt and pepper and the garlic.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 5 to 6 quart flameproof
casserole or Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add the pork
and cook until richly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Add the
remaining oil while the pork browns, if the casserole looks too dry.
Transfer the pork to a bowl. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and pearl onions
to the casserole and brown well, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the kirsch and cook
over high heat until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, beef stock, cherries, apricots, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and
rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the casserole to
dislodge the brown bits. Season the sauce with salt to taste.

4. Return the pork to the casserole. Cover the casserole tightly and
transfer it to the oven. Bake the pork, turning it once or twice, until it
is very tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 165º, about 1 1/2
hours.

5. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. Remove
and discard the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs. Transfer the
casserole to the stove top and cook the sauce over high heat until it is
slightly syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Remove the string from the pork and discard it. Cut the pork into slices
and arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.

Cooks note: I picked up the dried fruit for the usual extremely reasonable prices at Trader Joe's. And if you're not using frozen peeled pearl onions then you are a prep masochist who needs counseling!- bb

Coma mi espinaca? Por supuesto!!

I promise no one will have to convince you to eat your spinach after this! If you don't own Anya von Bremzen's definitive book on Spanish cooking called The New Spanish Table, then do yourselves a favor and hit your local book supplier and grab a copy. I have been using it regularly whenever I need a hit of Spanish warmth on my dinner table...which is quite often this winter...and have yet to be disappointed. Easy to follow recipes that aren't just ersatz copies of Spanish dishes, but are the real thing with the proper ingredients, serving suggestions, and depth of flavor that makes this food so freakishly satisfying. Each time I make something it's like a mini vacation in my mouth!

The next two things I'll be posting about were suggested to be served together, and like all von Bremzen's suggestions were spot on. If you have anyone in your house who recoils at the mere suggestion of eating spinach then you need to spring this plate on them. The spinach maintained this brilliantly vibrant green color and slightly crunchy texture, and the addition of golden raisins, garlic, and pine nuts that taken together proves why this is a classic Catalan creation. It was perfect with our Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder with dried fruit (next post, I promise!) She also suggests serving it on morning toast with poached eggs which sounds like a too fabulous breakfast. Plus you can also sub chard or escarole should hell freeze over and there's a spinach shortage at the market.
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Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Espinacs a la Catalana
from The New Spanish Table
serves 3 to 4 as a side dish (although w and I ate all of it between us, so you might want to bump up the ingredients!- bb)

ingredients:
5 to 6 tablespoons golden or dark raisins
2 packages (each 10 ounces) fresh spinach or 2 medium-size bunches fresh spinach, tough stems discarded
3 to 4 tablespoons fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
6 to 8 whole small peeled garlic cloves, lightly smashed
5 tablespoons pine nuts
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

method:
1. Place the raisins in a small bowl, add very hot water to cover, and soak until plump, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels, then set aside.

2. Rinse but do not drain the spinach. Place the spinach in a large saucepan over medium heat and cover the pan. Cook the spinach until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Transfer the spinach to a colander, and squeeze out the excess moisture by pressing on the spinach with the back of a spoon. Chop the spinach coarsely. (The spinach can be prepared a few hours ahead up to this point.)

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over low heat. Add the garlic, pine nuts, and soaked raisins, and cook until the nuts and the garlic are light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the chopped spinach, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring to combine evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.

Toasted Hazelnut Romesco Sauce: putting the past behind me

In keeping with the "simple cooking" theme of the last post, I was reminded of how easy my entertaining life used to be as I was uploading the picture above. Before I fancied myself a sort of culinary explorer, one who was sure that any proper gathering needed some new and interesting route to satisfy the appetites of my friends, the deli aisle in the grocery store provided unlimited pleasures. Back then in my Paleolithic cooking era when I wouldn't even know how to turn on a food processor and was sure that if I did own such an extravagance that the little blade was just biding its time, waiting to add a new and gruesome dimension to whatever else might be thrown into the mixing bowl, a tub of hummus and some sliced bread for appetizers was considered high living. Why would I consider making my own salsa fresca when some multi-national corporation had so thoughtfully prepackaged some for me and priced it so attractively? And Tillamook sharp cheddar, at a premium price I might add, was just the thing to throw on some Triscuits (a current guilty pleasure I have not yet put behind me and has also been considered "dinner").

I'm not pining for the past, mind you. Time marches on and I take ever greater pleasure with every new culinary discovery. And if that new dish happens to be as delicious and easy to make as this romesco from Anya von Bremzen's The New Spanish Table cookbook (a new purchase I love), so much the better. In just 20 minutes...less if you already have the toasted hazelnuts...you can put thoughts of Reser's French Onion Dip far behind and have a complex, flavor popping spread for bread, and I'm thinking if you have extra and add a little more olive oil and some of water from the pasta pot, a pretty good pasta sauce. Now that I have long ago brought my food processor to heel, life is still quite simple, and even more satisfying!
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Toasted Hazelnut Romesco
from The New Spanish Table

ingredients:
1 medium sized dried ñora pepper or ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn into small pieces
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (see below)
2 large garlic cloves
1-1/2 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs (panko bread crumbs worked fine- bb)
1 small, ripe plum tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon sweet (not smoked) paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons best quality red wine vinegar
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

method:
1-Place dried pepper pieces in a small bowl, add 1/2 cup very hot water, and soak until softened, 20-30 minutes. Drain, setting aside the soaking liquid.

2-Place the hazelnuts in the food processor and pulse until they are ground medium-fine. Add the pepper pieces, 1/3 cup of soaking liquid, and the garlic. Bread crumbs, tomato, paprika, and cayenne, and process until fairly smooth but still with some texture from the nuts. With the motor running drizzle the olive oil in until it is completely incorporated.

3-Scrape the sauce into a bowl. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste the sauce before serving, adding more vinegar and cayenne if desired. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.
note: The vinegar is the key here. It really makes the flavors pop so it definitely pays to use a high quality vinegar.- bb

Toasted Hazelnuts....preheat oven to 350*. Spread nuts on rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minuets until skins start to darken and blister. Remove from oven and wrap in dish towel and let cool for 5 minutes. While nuts are still in the towel, rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible. There will still be a fair amount of skin attached to nuts, but it doesn't matter in the finished dish. -bb
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: 1999 Pommard from Burgundy, aka "real" pinot noir!

The King is dead, long live the King!!

Until a few years ago I used to think that ketchup was the undisputed King of Condiments. Heinz ruled the tomatoey kingdom (and still does as far as all things ketchup go). But times change, and with my ever expanding world view (to go with my equally expanding waistline), I am now an Aioli Advocate.

Garlicky mayonnaise. Is anything simpler, or more versatile in the condiment firmament? On burgers, with grilled fish, shrimp, veggies. Dipping french fries. Yum!! Plus it takes well to riffing, as the following will attest. Add a few spices into your mix, and you can tailor it to suit any edible exploring that may be happening. I did this particular Smoked Paprika Aioli to go with some sautéed shrimp and fried okra poppers (I'll post those as soon as I get them just right...I'm very close) I was feeding my friends for an app course before a recent dinner party. It was fantastic, and received glowing reviews. And sure, you could make your own aioli from scratch, and I have and it's actually even better, but I agree with Bittman, there's nothing wrong with using a Best Foods (or Heileman's, depending on your geographic location) base. Follow this or do your own take. So good!
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Smoked Paprika (Pimenton) Aioli
adapted from Mark Bittman/How to Cook Everything

This would also be an awesome condiment with the Spanish Roast Halibut mentioned at the bottom of this post, which is divine!

ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic, or to taste

method (now read this carefully, because it gets REALLY complicated):
1- Mix all the ingredients together.

Wow, can you believe you made something so complicated? Take that, Keller!
This actually improved given an hour or two in the fridge, and will last several days for further enjoyment.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Happy Holidays with this incredible Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust

Through suffering comes appreciation....

A person can gain great appreciation through suffering. Take last Sunday for example....









That's me above, early on the snowshoeing trek, in happier times, before I fell over in deep snow and lost a glove while smashing the sandwich that was unfortunately located in my fanny pack in too close proximity to my ass as it hit the snow. And I swear that w was laughing at me and not with me as I was wallowing in the snow trying to get back up. Eventually achieving verticality and continuing on this frozen death march at Old Man Pass only to have......





......w walk away, leaving me behind, tired of hearing my incessant complaints about being hungry and thirsty. But I trudged on, through too deep powder, my snowshoes sinking in a foot or more with every step, finally catching w and begging for understanding. After much eye rolling, she relented, leading me out of the cold and into the warmth of Walking Man Brewing in Stevenson, Washington.......





....where as you can see, I'm thoroughly enjoying my drinking companion. No, not that guy behind me, but the 1/4 barrel of Walking Stick Stout that they were serving cask conditioned right off the bar, an awesome way to deliver malted drinking pleasure. Equilibrium returned, we made our way home where for dinner we had one of my new favorites fish dishes that you might have read about in a previous blog post, Spanish Roast Halibut, which if you haven't tried yet, move this up the list. Adapted from a recipe in Anya von Bremzen's cookbook The New Spanish Table, this was even better than we remembered. A great fish dish that will kill on your dinner table, click on the "Spanish Roast Halibut" link above to get the recipe! A bottle of wine and a full tummy later, I was fairly sure the reward scale had tipped in my favor...at last!

Spanish Roasted Halibut

Are you like me? Always pulling, tearing, and downloading recipes out of newspapers, magazines, and the net? You know you are. I have folders and manila files filled with recipes from various sources, things I saw and thought "Man, I have to make this immediately!" Then my wandering food eye kicks in, and about five other recipes end up piled on top.

Such was the case with last night's dinner. I was looking through one of my recipes files the other day searching for a copy of the Good Eats Meatloaf I posted a couple of days ago. As I was fruitlessly searching for that recipe, this one kind of jumped out at me. I printed it off the NYT website in 2005!! I know, I know...food A.D.D. is a terrible thing! But since we're always looking for new things to do with fish, and on a cold, wet PDX evening something warm and sunny from Spain sounded perfect, this had me salivating. It was worth waiting for, and I'm kicking myself I waited 2-1/2 years to make it. Richly flavored for halibut, the warm flavors of garlic, dried chili, and olive oil with the piquant sherry vinegar soaking into the bed of potatoes were delicious! Another easy to prepare recipe that totally rewards the minimal effort. One of our highest accolades for any new recipe is "Is it dinner party worthy?" I'd throw this down for my friends any day!
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Spanish Roasted Halibut on a Bed of Potatoes
adapted from "The New Spanish Table," by Anya von Bremzen
Time: 1 hour

ingredients:
4 skinless halibut fillets, about 2 pounds
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1.4 pound medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup fragrant extra virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 small dried red chili, like arbol, crumbled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley.

method:
1. Rub halibut with salt and pepper and set aside. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with salted water and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, allow to cool briefly, then slice about 1/4-inch thick with an oiled knife.

2. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Generously coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-proof baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange potatoes in a slightly overlapping layer in pan. Season with salt.

3. Place garlic and remaining olive oil in a small skillet. Heat on medium-low until garlic begins to color, about a minute. Add chili and cook for 15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chili and garlic to a bowl. Add vinegar to skillet and cover immediately. Cook 2 minutes, or until oil stops popping.

4. Pour some of the oil mixture over potatoes, add some of the garlic and chili, then top with fish. Drizzle with remaining oil, garlic and chili. Bake about 10 minutes, until fish is done. Scatter parsley on top and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.