| Bacon-wrapped Pork Roast Recipe | | | | 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped |
| An easy way to dress up a simple pork roast is to | | | | 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped |
| wrap it in bacon. The bacon fat brings extra juiciness | | | | The cooked meat (about 3 cups - note if you use |
| and flavor to the roast. | | | | more than 3 cups, you will need to increase the |
| 1 pork loin (1 1/2 pounds) | | | | amounts of the other ingredients) |
| Salt and pepper | | | | A molcajete (mortar and pestle) |
| 1 Tbsp olive oil | | | | 8 peppercorns |
| 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary | | | | 5 whole cloves |
| 1/4 lb bacon, thinly sliced | | | | 1/2 inch stick cinnamon |
| 1 cup white wine | | | | 3 heaping Tbsp of raisins |
| 1 Preheat oven to 375°F. | | | | 2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds |
| Season pork wil salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large | | | | 2 heaping Tbsp acitron or candied fruit, chopped |
| cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sear pork on all | | | | 2 tsp salt, or to taste |
| sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove | | | | 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and seeded |
| from heat. | | | | 1 pear, cored, peeled and chopped |
| 2 Rub pork with chopped rosemary; wrap with bacon, | | | | 1 peach, pitted, peeled and chopped |
| overlapping strips slightly. Tie pork roast wih kitchen | | | | Melt the lard and cook the onion and garlic, without |
| twine. Roast in oven, basting occasionally with cooking | | | | browning, until they are soft. |
| juices, until internal temperature is | | | | Add the meat and let it cook until it begins to brown. |
| 145°F on a meat | | | | Crush the spices roughly in the molcajete and add |
| thermometer, 35 o 40 minutes. Remove from oven. | | | | them, with the rest of the ingredients to the meat |
| Transfer pork to a serving dish. | | | | mixture. (If you don't have a molcajete, you can use |
| 3 Make pan sauce. Place the roasting skillet on the | | | | the blunt end of a pestle to crush the spices in a bowl.) |
| stove top over low heat. Add the wine and deglaze | | | | Cook the mixture a few moments longer. |
| the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrap up any | | | | Add chopped peach and pear to the mixture. |
| browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour through a | | | | The Chilies: |
| fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Skim off the | | | | Put 6 chiles poblanos (and you MUST use this type of |
| fat. Reheat to serving temperature if necessary. | | | | chili) straight into a fairly high flame or under a broiler |
| Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce) Recipe | | | | and let the skin blister and burn. Turn the chilies from |
| Guaymas Restaurant in Tiburon is my favorite | | | | time to time so they do not get overcooked or burn |
| Mexican restaurant in Northern California and their Chile | | | | right through. |
| Poblano is the best item on the menu. It is a green | | | | Wrap the chiles in a damp cloth or plastic bag and |
| poblano chili stuffed with a picadillo and covered in a | | | | leave them for about 20 minutes. The burned skin will |
| walnut creme sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate | | | | then flake off very easily and the flesh will become a |
| seeds. I have loved this dish for years and and finally | | | | little more cooked in the steam. Make a slit in the side |
| found the recipe in Diana Kennedy's The Cuisines of | | | | of each chili and carefully remove the seeds and veins. |
| Mexico. Guyamas' version uses a ground chicken | | | | Be careful to leave the top of the chili, the part around |
| picadillo, while Diana Kennedy's version uses a pork | | | | the base of the stem, intact. (If the chilies are too hot - |
| picadillo. "Chiles en Nogada" (chilies in walnut sauce) is | | | | picante, let them soak in a mild vinegar and water |
| traditionally made with pork and is a specialty of | | | | solution for about 30 minutes.) Rinse the chilies and pat |
| Puebla. According to Ms. Kennedy, | | | | them dry. |
| The recipe is said to have been concocted by the | | | | Stuff the chilies with the picadillo until they are well filled |
| grateful people of Puebla, who were giving a banquet | | | | out. Set them aside on paper towels. |
| in honor of Don Agustin de Iturbide's saint's day, August | | | | The Nogada (walnut sauce) |
| 28 in 1821. He and his followers had led the final revolt | | | | The day before: |
| against Spanish domination; as self-proclaimed | | | | 20 to 25 fresh walnuts, shelled |
| emperor he had just signed the Treaty of Cordoba. All | | | | cold milk |
| the dishes at the banquest were concocted of | | | | Remove the thin papery skin from the nuts. (Note, |
| ingredients of the color of the Mexican flag; in this dish | | | | these are Diana Kennedy's instructions. I have found it |
| were the green chilies, the white sauce, and the red | | | | virtually impossible to remove the skins from the fresh |
| pomegranate seeds. | | | | walnuts that come from our walnut tree. The above |
| You must start this dish one day ahead by soaking the | | | | photo shows the sauce which includes the skins. I think |
| walnuts for the nogada sauce overnight. This dish is a | | | | it would be creamier without the skins, but what can |
| bit involved, but the effort is worth it. It really is an | | | | you do? We found that blanching the walnuts did not |
| extraordinary blend of flavors. And if you ever get to | | | | help get the skin off.) |
| Guyamas Restaurant in Tiburon, Mill Valley California, | | | | Completely cover the walnuts with cold milk and leave |
| by all means order it! You won't be disappointed. | | | | them to soak overnight. |
| The Picadillo: | | | | On serving day: |
| 2 lbs of boneless pork | | | | The soaked and drained nuts |
| 1/2 onion, sliced | | | | 1 small piece white bread without crust |
| 2 cloves garlic, peeled | | | | 1/4 lb queso fresco |
| 1 Tbsp salt, or to taste | | | | 1 1/2 cups thick sour creme (or creme fraiche) |
| Cut the meat into large cubes. Put them into the pan | | | | 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar |
| with the onion, garlic, and salt and cover with cold | | | | Large pinch of cinnamon |
| water. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let | | | | Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until they are |
| it simmer until just tender - about 40-45 minutes. Do | | | | smooth. |
| not over cook. Leave the meat to cool off in the broth. | | | | To Serve |
| Strain the meat, reserving the broth, then shred or | | | | To assemble the dish, cover the chilies in the nogada |
| chop it finely and set it aside. Let the broth get | | | | sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves and |
| completely cold and skim off the fat. Reserve the fat. | | | | pomegranate seeds. |
| 6 Tbsp of lard or the fat from the broth | | | | |