(no subject)

[yagathai]

Dinner tonight is going to be cuban-themed, I think. There are some nice ripe plantains waiting to be used, so I'll do some tostones (do I want to try buying a tostonera from the local latin market? Maybe! Or maybe I'll save my money and use, you know, a spatula) and some mango-glazed pork chops, maybe double down on the carbs with a side of rice and beans.

Hm. I'll have to stop by the grocery store. We're all out of chicken broth for the rice so I'll have to pick up some store bought (it's just too damn hot to make my own stock right now). Or! Maybe I'll want to pick up some smoked ham hocks instead. Though since the beans are canned, I don't know that using smoked hocks is worth it -- I'd have to add them to the rice and that won't be nearly long enough to get all the flavor out of them. Hmmm. Well, the pork has got to marinate for at least an hour anyway. Maybe if I simmer the canned beans with the hocks for that time? Will the beans survive the simmer or will they just disintegrate?

Feh. Don't want to find out the hard way. Chicken stock it is. Maybe I'll crispy-fry some bacon, crumble it and throw it in there for the texture and umami. Or I can use chicharones.

For the glaze I'm thinking really simple -- deglaze the chops pan with some wine (red or white?), add some leftover pork marinade and some sugar. Reduce, add mango puree, maybe a little red wine vinegar for sparkle, pepper, salt. More garlic? Maybe, but there will be plenty of garlic in the marinade beforehand anyway.

Comments

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

Depending on the kind of bean, they will probably not survive an hour of simmering.

But the rest of that sounds fabulous. :)