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