yagathai: (Burger me)
[personal profile] yagathai
While [livejournal.com profile] kylecassidy has been a good landlord these last few years, one of the things I didn't love about living here was lack of unrestricted kitchen access -- and even when I did use the kitchen, Kyle keeps a vegetarian household. Tonight, over at the new place (I'm still living here in the old apt for the next week or so), I cooked!

Inspired by [livejournal.com profile] xraytheenforcer, I made carnitas, and also an Indian eggplant dish. The eggplant was easy -- roast eggplant, mash it up and cook it with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, peppers. I threw in some cardamom and mustard powder along with some salt and pepper, and it turned out great. I can serve it over rice and it should last me several days.

The carnitas were a bit more elaborate. I bought four pounds of pork butt (aka boston butt, aka fresh shoulder, aka many other things -- that cut of meat has quite a few names!), deboned it, cut it into strips and then braised it at a simmer for just over two hours with three cups of water, three tablespoons of brown sugar, 3/4 cups of lime juice and a quarter-cup of vinegar-based hot sauce. After two hours I turned the heat up, boiled off the water and tested the meat. It wasn't quite tender enough, so I added more water and a little salt over the course of the next half-hour, until the meat shredded easily when I put a fork to it. Next, I cooked it down again until all the water was gone and it was cooking in its own fat (it was a particularly lean cut of shoulder so i helped it along a bit with some olive oil), shredded it with a pair of forks and then laid it out on a baking pan in low, wide mound. I drizzled it with hot sauce and a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar, threw it under a hot broiler until the top was carmelized and crispy.

I served it on corn tortillas with a quick and easy watermelon salsa (3 cups watermelon, 1-2 cups cilantro, 2 chopped jalapeno peppers (no seeds), 1 medium onion, and couple of spoons of balsamic vinegar) that I had prepared earlier and refrigerated, so it was cool and refreshing.

Date: 2009-08-03 03:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com
NICE. I've used the broiler method in the past and like the results -- these last two times, though, I've been particularly lazy and also enamored of the idea of caramelizing the meat in its own fat, so I've done the one-pot method. But one does get a better crisp doing it the way you did.

Enjoy the eggplant, too. I swear that stuff somehow transmogrifies into crack.

Date: 2009-08-03 03:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] yagathai.livejournal.com
Yeah, plus with lean pork like I had the broiler's going to work better.

Date: 2009-08-03 12:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com
*firm nod*

In other realms, I'm glad you can still eat corn -- that gives me some more options for the next time you're eating chez moi. :)

Date: 2009-08-03 01:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] yagathai.livejournal.com
Ja!

Speaking peripherally of which, if I were to come down on Tuesday night, could I get crash space?

Date: 2009-08-03 02:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] misunderstruck.livejournal.com
You may have to fight with Stego for the couch, although now that Mo is coming along, they may be planning to drive back home afterwards. If so, the couch is open for you.

Date: 2009-08-03 03:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] misunderstruck.livejournal.com
Sounds fabulous.

Date: 2009-08-03 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thelastmehina.livejournal.com
I <3 carnitas!

It sounds delicious and wonderful.

Date: 2009-08-03 04:20 am (UTC)
ext_45721: Rabbit lying on a couch, reading large, antique book of Poe. (bliss.)
From: [identity profile] caudelac.livejournal.com
I am going to have to try that watermelon salsa... it would have gone great with my basil and tomato tacos tonight!

Date: 2009-08-03 12:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alanashinean.livejournal.com
That sounds delicious. Intrigued by the watermelon salsa as well!

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