What's for Dinner, Tues., July 3, 2018

[NJCher]

It's still so hot here that I'm not cooking, but I am making a tossed green salad to take to work with me. Red and green garden lettuce, chopped green pepper, cucumbers, carrots, and scallions. I'll sprinkle feta cheese over the top. Ranch dressing, my fave.

I have some new type of cracker--it's called a pretzel cracker. And I have a softspread cheese to go on top. Might take a few of those with me.

When I get home, there are a couple cold meatballs in sauce that I'll have if I'm still hungry.

Blackberries for dessert.

[pansypoo53219]

1. no ac. its hot. shaved ham.did make amped pork & beans yesterday tho.

beans, bacon, onion, vinegar, br sugar, mustard.

[Runningdawg]

2. Tacos El Pastor

with fresh pico de gallo, borracho beans in one mini crock pot and queso blanco for chips in the other. Paloma cocktails to start, tres leches to finish. I make everything but the cake - no way can I do it better or cheaper than the panadería.

[Kali]

3. yum! what is your al pastor regimen?

I am wanting to try this soon.

[Runningdawg]

9. Here you go!

It looks daunting at first, but after the first time, it goes quickly.

Tacos El Pastor

3 lbs boneless pork loin ground coarse or diced into ½ “ pieces
2 ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
2 pasilla or guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
½ cup chicken stock
2 T lard or bacon drippngs
2 T Mexican oregano
2 T ground cumin
2 T Thyme
1 T achiote powder
4 T smokey Paprika
¼ teaspoon ground clove
2 canned chipolte chili diced
2 T chipolte chili sauce from can
1 T salt
1 T black pepper
2 T brown sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
3 cloves of garlic minced
½ cup diced cilantro
1 med white onion diced
Juice of 2 limes
Zest from 1 lime
½ c fresh squeezed orange juice
1 t orange zest
¾ c fresh squeezed pineapple juice

1) Place chilies in a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook, turning chilies occasionally, until puffed, pliable, lightly browned in spots, and very aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock (it should boil immediately), then pour contents of pan into a small bowl. Cover loosely and set aside.

2) Wipe out saucepan, add lard, and return to medium-high heat until lard is shimmering. Add cumin, oregano, thyme, achiote, paprika and clove and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add chipotle chilies and sauce and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds longer. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar and remove from heat.

3) When this mixture has cooled to room temperature, put it in the blender along with the small bowl of roasted chilies and chicken stock you set aside earlier, the cilantro, onions and garlic. Blend until smooth. Add juices and zests.

4) Combine this mixture with the meat in a large bowl and mix very well with your hands. Refrigerate 24-36 hours mixing again, with your hands, once or twice a day.

5) Drain any excess liquid away from meat. Working in small batches, over high heat, cook the meat in a large skillet.

Alternate cooking method: Thinly slice, not grind the pork. Cook the slices on the grill, adding some slices of fresh pineapple if you like, then dice together when done.

[Kali]

10. yum, thanks!

I watched a couple videos and though recipes were similar, they were all about the slices stacked on a stick or rotissree rack - that is the part that looked like too much work to me!

[Runningdawg]

11. I've never seen anyone stack it at home

[Kali]

4. a box from Plated came today (after it flew from CA to TN and back to AZ - WTF?)

we are having Old Bay Shrimp Rolls with homemade potato chips. I guess kind of like East Coast lobster rolls. A treat I have never tried! Someday, maybe.

[irisblue]

5. Thai tuna salad on crackers. Hot hot hot here.

[Yonnie3]

6. We're in a rut here

I had Jambalaya again. I made too much and I'm trying to eat it all up and failing.

FLFC had a slider w/ some cheese. He has a sad because TJ went to work. He is telling the door about it as I type.. So no rating on his food tonight. He insisted on a sniff of the Jambalaya again tonight and again gave it zero paws up rating.

[Wawannabe]

7. Shared a pizza with friends

Now I am prep cooking for tomorrow.
Chicken legs on the barbie. I boil the legs ahead. Perfectly cooked on the grill and no burning with raw middle!
Par boiled potatoes for JoJos. Will marinate overnight in canola oil and bacon fat, garlic and herbs. Finish with parmesan after they come out of the oven tomorrow.
Prepped for a wilted lettuce salad.
Fresh garden greens, spinach, green onion bacon and boiled egg. Made the vinegar and bacon fat dressing too. Will heat it to boiling to pour over the salad just before serving.
Red huckleberry crisp. Picked huckleberries yesterday.
Fresh fruit salad in a watermelon basket.

[NJCher]

8. that's a good tip!

about the chicken legs. Gonna' try that.

Personally, I love that spinach wilted salad with onion, bacon, and boiled egg. I remember my mom used to make it and I've made it a regular part of my salad repertoire, too.

I'm envious about your home-picked huckleberries!

All in all, it sounds like you're going to have a classic fourth of July feast!