Main Dish – Page 2 – Backdoor Hospitality

Roasted Chicken

This morning marks the beginning of week three of Lean & Green Challenge (via Jogo Crossfit Gym). I must report that the lady writing on Paleo day two is quite different from the one writing in front of the computer today. There are some areas that are still the same. For instance, walking into the grocery store and seeing the lovely pastry bat it’s eyelashes at me is a bit tempting. However, what’s most noticeable is my overall health. It’s not just physical energy, but mental energy. So when you hear that phrase, “you are what you eat;” well, I think there’s something to it. My mental state seems to be at its peak. I don’t want to attribute it all to how I’m eating, but I truly believe what I’m putting in is making a difference to thinking more clearly.

It’s interesting when you think of the various methods people deal with stress & anxiety. There are those that I know who attempt to drown out the noises by numbing the pain with drugs. I’ve always thought, “well, at least I don’t do that,” but there is something to be said about what I have used to numb the pain. I never thought I used food as a “way out,” but on Saturday, it seemed like the advise I had given my friend of being mindful, drinking some tea, etc, didn’t cut it. As I’ve briefly mentioned before here, we’ve dealt with various difficulties with our oldest. In front of her, there are many obstacles (in terms of developmental delays) most of which, she has no idea; however, as her mama, I’m fully aware of them. On Saturday we received a letter from a visit we had with a genetic researcher/doctor. It didn’t leave me with warm fuzzies either, but more of that pit feeling. You know the pit. It appears to be an unconquerable wall standing in front of you, and if you look at this way, then that’s what it will be.

It was in that moment, as my stomach turned with that unwelcome old friend “anxiety,” that I wanted a mocha, or something sweet to deal with that moment. But alas, I knew it was my will versus the wall, and I wasn’t going to let it conquer me. It didn’t and I found that my soul needed time to be creative. To let out tears of the unknown, talk with God about it, paint (something I haven’t done in a while) and create, and I found my soul (and stomach) was the better for it. I’m learning a lot about myself (and my jeans have also noticed–in a good way). One of those things is my renewed love of cooking, while baking takes a backseat. This roasted chicken is one of them. It will definitely earn you a couple of “ooos” & “awws” in the kitchen, while not taking much time standing in the kitchen. Again, thanks for reading and sharing with me in this journey. I’m certain that I’m not the only one with that unconquerable wall staring at me, but I’m certain you too can conquer it.

A Year Ago: Traditions

Roasted Chicken (printable recipe)

I love roasted chicken, because it appears that you’ve been slaving in the kitchen much longer than you actually did. Plus, take the carcass and turn it into chicken broth.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
bundle of fresh thyme
coconut oil
3 strips quality bacon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Have ready a dutch oven. Take your chicken and remove all the insides, clip any nails still attached and rinse with cool water. Pat dry the outside & inside of the bird. Be generous in sprinkling salt inside the cavity of the bird, along with ground pepper. Rub coconut oil on the outside of the bird on the breasts, along with under the breast skin. Sprinkle salt & pepper under the breast skin & on top of the breast.

Put the bundle of thyme inside the cavity. Place your whole bird in the dutch oven. By using a dutch oven, you will not have to deal with trussing the chicken. Take the wings and tuck them behind the back of the chicken. Now with a pair of kitchen shears, snip an opening on the fat portion near the birds downside (butt) on both sides, in order to tuck the drumstick ends through the holes (consult picture).

Place the three strips of bacon across the breast and put into the oven, cook for 20-25 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, remove the bacon and turn down the heat to 350. Baste the chicken. Cook for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 (poke it between the drumstick & breast).

Once it hits 165, remove from oven. If you want to make gravy using the drippings go ahead. Serve it up & enjoy. Be sure to use the carcass for some great stock.

Paleo Day 1: Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Before we had children, I participated in the South Beach diet with Ben. The premise is removing grains, some fruit carbs, white potatoes & sugars. You take everything out the first two weeks, then add in some other items the third week. I’m not really one for going on diets, but I was game for this one for Ben’s sake (not his Lemonade Cleanse though). The first day was fine. I had eggs, some veggies, and probably chicken for dinner. The next day took a turn for the worse. This is where that little old friend called “drama” sneaks its way into my head and clouds any clarity or logic.

I called up Ben sobbing the second morning saying something along the lines, “I can’t do it. If I eat eggs I’m going to puke. Seriously, I can’t do this anymore–what can I eat? I can’t…” Drama is my middle name and I will never live this down, as Ben has already said today that he is expecting a call tomorrow with “nutty wife syndrome.”

Today hasn’t been too bad of day one Paleo. The hardest is when there are multiple child meltdowns, the comfort of an Americano with cream or a latte is not an option, while I keep pressing on towards the goal. Reminds me of the Apostle Paul, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Granted, Paul was talking about something a bit different from restraining oneself from sugars, grains & dairy; but, I think it’s the connection of seeing the end goal (whatever it might be). Right now I’m choosing to embrace this challenge (hopefully without so much drama like before) and I think tonight’s dinner proved a gold.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon with sautéed Shallot & Fennel (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 lbs Coho Salmon

mustard

2 cups shelled pistachios

sea salt & ground pepper

4 Tb olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Ground pistachios in food processor until nicely ground. Put your salmon skin side down. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Put a thin layer of mustard all over the salmon. Cover with ground pistachios. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Just before the salmon is done, add olive oil to saute pan and turn to medium heat. Saute shallots, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the fennel and keep mixing it up a bit. It’s okay to have some of it brown & get a bit crispy on some of the pieces.

Put some of the shallot/fennel atop a good portion of pistachio salmon.

Celeriac Risotto with Basil Pesto

Tomorrow morning I drop off my girls with my father-in-law, so I can head back up to Bellingham to bake many, many cupcakes for my sister-in-law’s wedding reception. Ben is at a conference down in Seattle until tomorrow, which makes for baking those many, many cupcakes a bit stressful with two little monkeys running around. Before I head off into butter, sugar, eggs & flour land, I find it my duty to introduce you to celeriac–that is if you’ve never met.

Celeriac has a bit of celery coming out, but that part you want to save for making stock. However, it’s the bulbous, root, where the inner beauty lies. You would be fooled by passing it by at the farm stand, market or grocery store. It’s just like it’s name implies, the taste of celery, but a bit more subtle. You can turn it into a puree, roast it or puree to make a soup. Here is a wonderful recipe to make use of it’s subtlety in a semi-elegant way, while really not trying as hard as people think you actually did.

A Year Ago: It’s Called Comfort

Celeriac Risotto with Basil Pesto (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

3-4 Tb olive oil
1 celeriac, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tsp kosher salt
1 leek, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth, keep warm in a small pot on simmer
3/4-1 cup grated parmesan

Basil Pesto (hopefully you have some on hand that you made from summer’s bounty)

Directions:
In a heavy-duty bottom pot or large saucepan, put oil in pan and turn to medium heat. Add celeriac & leeks, stirring often, until celeriac is tender but not browned. Add rice to pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine and mix, allowing the alcohol to burn off a bit and soak into the rice (about 30 seconds).

Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the rice & mix well. Allow the liquid to bubble, turn heat to a simmer and continue adding warm broth in 1/2 cup increments, while stirring often to ensure your rice isn’t dry at the bottom of the pot and getting burnt. It should take about 20-25 minutes, or till the rice is creamy, but a little al dente is good. Add the grated parmesan and mix it in. Serve immediately and put a teaspoon of basil pesto on top.

Comfort of Chicken-n-Dumplings

One of my favorite summer events was going camping with other family’s from our church family. We would go to Indian Hills in the Laguna Mountains right outside of San Diego (one benefit of growing up in a town like Yuma, AZ). The parents would do who knows what, while us kids would find the most willing & easily taken advantage of adult to take us to the pool. We would also try to get some wax paper from the ladies who made the meals, because there was the monster of all slides with other puny playground equipment around.

After watching Swiss Family Robinson, I was convinced that living on a deserted island in a tree was pretty much the best place ever. And here in the middle of Indian Hills was a tree house that emulated all I ever dreamed. Aside from the stairs leading up to the tree house (the key was “Don’t Look Down!”), once you got to the top we would run toward our destiny–our anticipated ride down. The ride being the largest slide I have ever encountered. It was as if we were Fred Flintstone for a mere section in the opening credits as he slid down the Brontosaurus’ neck. In fact, the camp specifically had painted on the wooden side enclosing the slide, “NO WAX PAPER.” But we threw caution to the wind. At that very moment, we embraced all that we knew to be a kid. So what did we do? We would sneak some up anyway. There was a thrill knowing we were breaking the rules, in order to gain that perfect amount of speed and a little bit of vertigo. All for round two & three and so one as we raced back to the stairs to start again. It’s no wonder that kids are innately born with tons of energy with no awareness that their play is actually exercise. Any rational person would quickly realize the time it took us to climb up wasn’t worth the ride down. But we were living dangerously with our smuggled in wax paper.

It was also no wonder that when dinner time hit, we were starving like the deserted inhabitants we envisioned ourselves to be. While the Swiss Family Robinson’s dream hit the fan around 4:30, as we whimpered to our parents about our stomachs eating themselves. I strolled on over to the eating area around 4:00 where Gramma Naomi Quinn was preparing dinner for us. Now, Gramma Quinn was that quintessential, older lady that you envision having rhythm in the kitchen. She knew what paired well. She knew how to feed an army. And she knew how to give some of the best, big Gramma hugs a child (or adult) could imagine.

She was known by everyone as Gramma Quinn. When our church did a baking auction to raise money for the Youth Group, her homemade cinnamon rolls were the big ticket item. Because with those simple six words, “They were made by Gramma Quinn,” had more clout than a notary stamp. She came up to me, as I shivered in the cool breeze, and asked, “Kamille, what would you like me to fix for dinner?” By her asking me that question, it made me think the following: a.) I would be picking dinner for everyone else b.) that “Gramma Quinn” only asked me & no one else and c.) knowing she made the best (and only) Chicken-n-Dumplings I ever tasted in my whole seven years of living. “Your chicken-n-dumplings please!”, I replied. She smiled and said, “Well, I think that would be perfect on a cool evening like this. (and indulging me a little bit) And do you think that would hit the spot for you?” “Oh YES!,” I said.

Me (8 yrs), Andrew (2 1/2 yrs), Willy (10 yrs)

That wouldn’t be the only time Gramma Quinn would make me chicken-n-dumplings, but this was the first where she made them to order on my request. Whenever I think about the creamy, salty, buttery dumpling laced with the gravy-like stew sprinkled with pepper on top, I always think of her and how she nourished my body and my soul with her big pot of goodness and her big Gramma bear hug. And so in her memory and my childhood nostalgia, make this hearty pot of chicken-n-dumplings. I think you’ll be recalling your own childhood dinner stories as you take your first bite.

My recipe is a transfiguration of sorts, which I find very handy when you’re trying to cook from scratch with shortcuts..if you will.

Chicken-n-Dumplings (printable recipe)

Now there are so many ways in which you could use chicken for the recipe. You could boil down a whole chicken, then use the chicken stock & the chicken for the soup. Or you could use some chicken breasts & pre-made chicken stock. Or you could buy a rotisserie chicken, remove the meat, then boil the carcass with the veggies to make your own stock. You be the judge.

Ingredients:

One rotissiere chicken, meat removed & cut into bite sized chunks
6 cups water
2 carrots, big chunk slices
1 onion, cut into quarters
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Dumplings

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tb shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Making the broth: In a dutch oven or big stock pot, add your chicken carcass, cold water, carrots, onion, celery & salt. Bring to a boil, cover & lower heat. Simmer for 45 minutes (Time saving tips below). Remove chicken carcass. Strain veggies out & reserve the carrots & celery (discard the onion). Put a sieve over a bowl and ladle the chicken broth to separate any remaining particles. Rinse your pot, pour the broth back in and keep heat on medium heat. Now make those dumplings.

Make the dumplings: Combine the flour, baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt; cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is consistency of coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times–no more, you’re going for biscuit like. Pat the dough down to a 1/4-inch thickness. Set aside.

Bringing it altogether: Put the pot of broth on medium-high heat & bring it to a boil, and stir in the milk & pepper. Correct seasonings, if you so desire. Take the dumplings and pinch off 1 1/2-inch pieces, one or two at a time and drop into the boiling broth & reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir from time to time to keep the dumplings from sticking. Continue dropping in the dumplings until there are no more. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cut chicken, carrots, & celery to the pot and simmer until heated through. Remove from heat, a couple of grinds with pepper & serve.

Time Saving Tips:

Use the rotisserie chicken for the chicken, but use boxed chicken broth instead of making your own.
The original recipe calls for cooking up a whole chicken for 60-70 minutes to make the broth; however, I find an already roasted chicken makes for a deeper & richer broth.

Receiving the Gifter

Our church body has been going through I Corinthians since September. I have to say that it’s been a wonderful & fulfilling process digging through this letter. It hasn’t been a quick study, which makes me feel like I have bypassed those awkward first couple of dates and now I’m building a relationship. One thing we as a large body are doing is memorizing this passage in the Lenten season:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Just the night before I was talking to Ben about stuff in my life revolving around this verse. One of those things was on food and the ability to use it as an idol of sorts, or even use it to snuff other people. What got me thinking about it was my friend Talia asking us moms at our Thursday morning playgroup about advice on cooking a steak. I found myself desperately wanting to give my input and mainly so I would continue to be known as the person who is most knowledgeable about food. I recalled different instances to Ben that I have done this in the past month.

Most of this was due to pride. However, what got me thinking a bit further was how easy it is to turn on a snobbery about food. Not only food, but places I will shop, items I will buy, mantras I will endorse. Food is such a sticky subject when you get right down to it. It serves a basic need and provides a creative outlet. It nourishes & sustains; as well as, stimulates & binds. I love food for all these reasons. I am convicted by what I choose to buy for my family, trying to ensure quality while maintaining a modesty, if you will, for those who are starving. I also understand that as you eat more food, your palate broadens and you become more picky about what you will put into your body.

In Bellingham, we have been a “Green” city long before it was vogue. Composting, buying local, grass-fed, organic weren’t just marketable clichés, but a way of life for many. And as we’ve been studying the church of Corinth and some of their issues it has got me thinking about how as a Christian our issues may be different, but attitude has not. In looking at my culture in my town, these “organic, buy-local, free-range, farmer’s market from the Earth” values are good. It is both the Christian and the non, seeking to be stewards of the Earth. However, where I feel like I personally have gone astray is when I’ve taken these inherently good values and made them more important than the person giving a gift. Let me break it down into a simple story if you’re not tracking with me.

My mom said to me about four years ago that she could get some gift cards from her work (due to some reward thing) for Wal-Mart, which could go towards anything I needed for our first child (I was pregnant at the time). Now, many people shop at Wal-Mart, but at this moment in time, and then, I don’t–due to moral convictions. However, what I said in response to my mom is what I would define as a snobbery, which is putting my “values” ahead of the person. I told her that I wouldn’t really want the gift card, because I don’t want to support Wal-Mart and what they stand for. In my ignorance, I was thinking I was stomping on feet of injustice. But really–I was stomping on the generosity of my mother trying to give anything she had for me. I was putting what I would call a good value ahead of the person. I was lacking love.

It’s exactly as the writer says in the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Whenever I put my own agenda, values, or convictions (even if they’re good) ahead of a person who is created in the likeness of God, I defecate on them, because I lack love. When I snub off a gift of factory farmed chicken, tasteless steak, plastic made toy, dessert from a box, or even (shall I say it) coffee from Folger’s, if I have let these stand above the person, I have lacked love.

But…I don’t want to end with you (or me) thinking it is never okay to hold to standards we’ve set forth. For me, I have a standard of eating cake from scratch for instance. However, if my friend invited us over for dinner and she made it from a box, I’m not going to say, “no thanks,” because of it. Instead, I’m going to delight that my friend loved me enough to prepare something for me; regardless, if it meets my standards, because she meets God’s standards and that’s what love is. Because I want to receive the gifter more than the gift (yes I know gifter is not a word).

So as any good friend (that I hope to be, even if we’ve never met), I want to share this tangible gift, which comes in the form of creamy, semi-modest, yet flavorful tomatoey (c) goodness. I have made it a couple times, but the most memorable was for a group of graduating college Seniors for their banquet. The director of the group had been to many of these banquets over the years and told me this main dish (and the dessert Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries) was the best Senior Banquet meal he had ever had (that’s at least 20 years worth).

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Pasta (printable recipe)

This is an easy gift to give and I doubt many people would refuse it. It has depth of flavor, creamy, great texture and invites you to serve up another bowl. Recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Ingredients:

3 Tb unsalted butter
1 ounce prosciutto, minced (about 2 Tb)
1 small onion, diced fine (about ¾ cup) [I used shallots this time around]
1 bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 Tb tomato paste
2 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped coarse
¼ cup plus 2 Tb dry white wine
2 cups plus 2 Tb crushed tomatoes (from one 28-ounce can) [I used whole tomatoes and crushed them in the pan]
1 pound pasta (use a short pasta, ziti, penne, or fusilli)
½ cup heavy cream
ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1.Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add prosciutto, onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and beginning to turn light gold, 8 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup wine and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
2.Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add pasta and 1 Tb salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
4.Remove bay leaf from sauce and discard. Stir cream, remaining 2 Tb crushed tomatoes, and remaining 2 Tb wine into sauce; season to taste with salt & pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with up to ½ cup pasta cooking water. Stir in basil and serve immediately. Top with Parmesan.

Crafting Hospitality

Last night as I was pulling the pork apart, I was reminded of my soon to be brother-in-law’s art show back in August. You see, if you’ve ever met Bob without a long sleeve shirt on or a jacket, you are sure to notice the tatoo of a pig on his forearm. It’s quite catching and then a conversation into the land of pork and all things so wonderful around this magnificent of animals comes protruding forth. Bob is marrying my sister-in-law Amber(Ben’s sister) and I can wholeheartedly say how much we all love him and are very thankful he is joining the family. Not only can we talk food shop, but he knows a thing or two about pottery & ceramics.

It was in August that he had his senior project (via art show)/presentation, where he spoke briefly about his ceramic creations, we toured his exhibit, we ate his pulled pork (that he smoked), drank bourbon & whiskey, and had a wonderful time in doing it. What struck me most (that I have yet to encapsulate until now) on that idyllic Seattle summer evening was what Bob spoke about in regards to his work. He said (paraphrasing) that he viewed his pottery as a form of hospitality. He chooses to create cups, bowls, decanters–some of the more practical items with clay, in order to serve the food he loves (pulled pork, bourbon, waffles for post-Christmas breakfast) for people he loves.

It is through his passion of creating, molding, glazing & firing clay with his hands that he is creating unique forms of hospitality. We as the recipients get a taste of appreciation eating and drinking off these tangible pottery pieces. Bob delivers a bit of his passion & hard work (all forms of hospitable acts) to us. So if you’re one of those people wondering “how in the world can I deliver a bit of hospitality?” I would suggest making a special meal that took a bit more time for your family or guests, pulling out the nicer dinnerware just because, or even lighting candles to communicate that we can intertwine ordinary & sacred time together. Seeing that we take the time to give attention to details occasionally throughout our week.

So, if you’re up for it…you could make this indoor pulled pork. I’m telling you right now that it takes time, but the end result is full reward. When I was pregnant with my youngest I got addicted to pulled pork sandwiches. And ya know that craving has yet to leave my system and I have yet to find a place in Bellingham that satisfies what I’m looking for. However, after eating this last night, I feel like I’ve found it. I was in line at the grocery store and I saw the Cooks Illustrated magazine with the words ‘Indoor Pulled Pork’ and knew I had to buy it, because I don’t have a smoker and C.I. rarely fails me. Well, after a total of 6 1/2 to 7 hours I finally got rewarded for my hard work (more like my patience). This would fall under the category of a comfort yet special dinner with a touch of Southern goodness.

Indoor Pulled Pork (printable recipe)

I think pulled pork topped with slaw is not only quintessential, but essential. These two have a symbiotic relationship, so don’t forget to top it with slaw. I used pork shoulder rather than pork butt and chose the Lexington Vinegar Sauce mainly because I had all the ingredients for it versus the other two options. I would wager to say that you wouldn’t be able to tell that this was cooked without the use of a smoker.

Pork:

1 cup plus 2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb sugar
3 Tb plus 2 tsp liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (5 lbs), cut in half horizontally or pork shoulder strips
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tb ground black pepper
2 Tb smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Lexington Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 Tb sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
While the pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.
Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into a fat separator (or a big enough bowl and use a baster to get the liquid below the fat) and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests, pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator (or from baster) into medium bowl; whisk into sauce ingredients.
Shred pork either with your hands or with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Toss with sauce and serve on warm rolls topped with coleslaw.

Making the Lexington Vinegar Barbecue Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid and whisk to combine.

Easy Coleslaw:

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced with chef knife

1 peeled carrot, grated

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup (2 Tb) buttermilk

2-3 Tb honey

1 Tb dijon mustard

splash of apple cider vinegar, regular vinegar, or lemon (basically you need an acid)

salt to taste

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and taste. If it tastes too much like mayo, then add a bit more honey, vinegar & salt. Dump on the sliced cabbage and grated carrot and toss.

Posole

…and my daughter LOVES dinner. When my oldest was a baby and young toddler she loved food. The only food she rejected by 11 months was broccoli (still does & I still serve it). I could count on her to fill mama’s affirmation piggy bank when it came to dinner time with her moans of glee. When she turned 18 months, I thought I had it made because she never turned to the dark side (a.k.a. the food refusal face) and I must be doing something right. She ate veggies and I rarely gave her sweets, then it was around 22 months or so and little by little…another food was on the banned list.

Now as we celebrate her birthday week (turning three or “free”), she continues to throw a curve ball during dinner time. As I wait for her to say something like, “This is too gross for me!” She says, “I like my Posole!” Yes, I train my daughter in all things food.

A.) Don’t buy eggs with cracks…to which she continued chanting in the store to check-out.

B.) “Add a little cardamom & nutmeg”…she says this during pretend play (or was it while teaching a baking class about cardamom to her papa & auntie?)

C.) I say, “this is Posole, it’s part of your heritage,”…to which she replies, “more pork.”

And to that I say, “Eat more pork and make yourself some Posole!” It’s like eating pockets of tamales in stew form…doesn’t get much better.

Posole (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from Gourmet. As I said, I find the hominy reminiscient of the cooked masa found in tamales. This is not overly spicy. If you avoid spicy food, then add sour cream as dairy lessens heat. Plus, my 13 month old & almost 3 year old ate it asking for seconds & then some.

Ingredients:

2 dried guajillo chiles

2 dried New Mexico chiles

2 cups water

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 can of stewed tomatoes, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 24 oz)

2 (29 oz) cans white hominy, drained & rinsed

Directions:

Stem and seed chiles. Combine with 2 cups water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer chiles, with cooking water, to a blender. Add remaining ingredients except pork and hominy and blend until smooth (use caution).

Transfer chile puree to a 4-quart heavy saucepan, stir in pork, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add hominy and simmer, covered, until pork is tender, about 30 minutes more. Skim fat from sauce and season posole with salt to taste. Serve with sliced cabbage, corn tortillas, sliced radishes, lime wedges, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or tortilla chips.