Hi everyone! I'll let this entry speak for itself. It is my first video entry, and while short, its fun and shows the encounter my partner and I had with the food truck from Forever More Cupcakes.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Can it!
Something a little different today, gang.
I thought I'd talk briefly (we'll see if I can keep it brief) about canned chili. My favourite brand of canned chili has always been Stagg® Chili, which is now (maybe it always has been) owned by Hormel®. For some reason, this chili just seems to satisfy what I want in a "quick and dirty" bowl of red, and as they have a wide variety of chili to choose from, I tend to find that I rarely tire of it.
However, its not that simple anymore.
I live in Chicago, the Midwestern United States, and Stagg® is not available here! I can order it from Amazon, if I want to pay the premium (and I've pondered it several times), but with how things are financially right now, I just can't justify that. In my search for a substitute, I found myself trying something else from Hormel®, and I think its a good substitute given my options here. This option is "Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili", in all its varieties.
I thought I'd talk briefly (we'll see if I can keep it brief) about canned chili. My favourite brand of canned chili has always been Stagg® Chili, which is now (maybe it always has been) owned by Hormel®. For some reason, this chili just seems to satisfy what I want in a "quick and dirty" bowl of red, and as they have a wide variety of chili to choose from, I tend to find that I rarely tire of it.
Stagg® Chili
However, its not that simple anymore.
I live in Chicago, the Midwestern United States, and Stagg® is not available here! I can order it from Amazon, if I want to pay the premium (and I've pondered it several times), but with how things are financially right now, I just can't justify that. In my search for a substitute, I found myself trying something else from Hormel®, and I think its a good substitute given my options here. This option is "Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili", in all its varieties.
Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili
I have to say that for a quick and dirty bowl of red, this is satisfying my craving. Its not the most phenomenal thing to hit the market, but I don't care. I'm not diving into this for gourmet chili, or competition chili, I'm diving into this for a quick bit of comfort food, a late night snack, a good movie and a cry, a way to deal with my desire for more specific southwestern foods.
Now for those of you who may live in the midwest and suggest Wolf® Brand Chili, I have tried a bunch of it and it just does not suit me. There is something in it that my palate and my digestive tract do not like. Its not a bad chili, on the whole, but I just can't do it. I definitely suggest you give it a try. I'm partial to the Roasted Tomato and the Chipotle Chicken, but the other flavours are very good as well.
Wolf® Brand Chili
I know this chili has a long long history, 1895 and made by a ranch hand and all that, but even in TX, there is a LOT of debate about what makes a good bowl of red, and for me, this just does not... "minister to me", as a friend of mine would say.
Everyone needs comfort food. For me, that is often chili, and for now, since I can't get my absolute favourite (especially since I think that the flavour I liked the most isn't made anymore, even in the Stagg® line), I have settled, for the moment, on the Hormel® Cook-Off Series™ Chili. May you all find the flavours that best suit you. As I say in another corner of the internet:
May the pods be ever in your flavour!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Results from The Chilly Willie Challenge Regional Chili Cookoff
Hello everyone!
So I went to the Chilly Willie Challenge Regional Cookoff in Orland Park this year, and it was a wonderful time! While I didn't place, but I was in the finals in all three categories (Well, Salsa didn't have a Finals Table, but Green and Red did, and I made it to finals in those)! This is beyond awesome! Especially since this is my second time at a chili competition, and my first time competing in Verde and Salsa.
Congratulations to the winners, and here they are!
Homestyle Chili:
Katy Withers
Salsa:
3. Mike Usiak
2. Don Cullum
1. Scott Barrett
Verde:
3. Jeff Netser
2. Mike Usiak
1. Tom Pardikes
Red:
4. Jim Stoddard (tie for 3rd)
3. Mike Usiak (tie for 3rd)
2. Jeff Netser
1. Jim Weller
I am very very thankful to all who have supported me, helping me to get to my events, and a very special thanks goes to Michael R Brown for providing transportation and for all the help he was at the booth at this event!
I entered with the Salsa recipe from my previous entry, and did fairly well, just not in the top 3. The verde recipe was very similar to a recipe I mentioned in a previous post here, though had a few changes for the competition. I kind of made it up as I went along. Here's a photo!
The cookoff was a blast, and I hope to go to many more until I finally win! Until next time, though, that's all for now! ;)
-Kim
Friday, November 23, 2012
Salsa!
No, I don't mean the dance.
I didn't update this blog when I made my batch of salsa recently, so I wanted to post the recipe, so here you go!
2 Medium Tomatoes
2 Serrano Chile
1 Jalapeño Chile
2 Cubanelle Chiles
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 of 1 Large Red Onion
16 oz of pureed tomatoes
1/2 Lime
1/2 small bunch of Fresh Cilantro
1 TBSP Kosher Salt
Cut the Chiles in half and scrape out the seeds. Lay them flat, skin side down, and with a knife placed flat, cut out the ribs, leaving the flesh and skin in tact and cut into 1/4" cubes. (For a more spicy salsa, simply chop the chiles whole into 1/4" cubes.)
Cut the Bell Peppers in quarters and cut them the same way as the Chiles, removing the ribs.
Chop the Tomatoes into 1/4" cubes.
Chop the Red Onion into 1/4" cubes.
Separate the Cilantro leaves from the stems and rough chop.
Combine all chopped elements in a large mixing bowl and add the pureed tomatoes (but not the cans).
Cut your lime in half and juice in hand or over a strainer to remove the pulp.
Stir loosely with a large spoon to combine, chill for 2 hours to allow flavours to meld.
Sprinkle in Kosher Salt to taste; about 1 TBSP.
Serve with your favourite dipping chips. I served it with white corn tortilla chips.
Here's the best thing: It gets better as it chills in the fridge; the flavours just get better and better. :)
Enjoy!
I didn't update this blog when I made my batch of salsa recently, so I wanted to post the recipe, so here you go!
2 Medium Tomatoes
2 Serrano Chile
1 Jalapeño Chile
2 Cubanelle Chiles
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 of 1 Large Red Onion
16 oz of pureed tomatoes
1/2 Lime
1/2 small bunch of Fresh Cilantro
1 TBSP Kosher Salt
Cut the Chiles in half and scrape out the seeds. Lay them flat, skin side down, and with a knife placed flat, cut out the ribs, leaving the flesh and skin in tact and cut into 1/4" cubes. (For a more spicy salsa, simply chop the chiles whole into 1/4" cubes.)
Cut the Bell Peppers in quarters and cut them the same way as the Chiles, removing the ribs.
Chop the Tomatoes into 1/4" cubes.
Chop the Red Onion into 1/4" cubes.
Separate the Cilantro leaves from the stems and rough chop.
Combine all chopped elements in a large mixing bowl and add the pureed tomatoes (but not the cans).
Cut your lime in half and juice in hand or over a strainer to remove the pulp.
Stir loosely with a large spoon to combine, chill for 2 hours to allow flavours to meld.
Sprinkle in Kosher Salt to taste; about 1 TBSP.
Serve with your favourite dipping chips. I served it with white corn tortilla chips.
Here's the best thing: It gets better as it chills in the fridge; the flavours just get better and better. :)
Enjoy!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Chile Head or Chili Head?
Greetings everyone!
How about an early update, since my updates have been rather sporadic lately, rather than regular? A post at the beginning of the month is certainly a great way to do that! But enough of that...
Health issues aside, I've not had much of a chance to get out and show my passion for chili and chiles recently, since the last chili (Chili with an I, to borrow a phrase) competition I was at was in mid October, and I won't likely get to another one until January at the earliest. This means that I need to find other outlets for my passion for not only chili, but chile (that's Chile with an E) peppers as well.
I follow a number of blogs and websites that talk about the newest things in Chili and Chiles, including Scott Roberts' website, and Dick's Chili World. While I can buy chiles at local stores, and can get all sorts from the web, and I can make chili whenever I want, I've not given enough time to specialty stores such as Pepper Palace, which I ambled into today at Water Tower Place in Chicago, IL. Thusly, this entry will be about that experience.
I've been to enough specialty culinary supply stores in malls to see a nice wall of hot sauces, mild sauces, salsas, and other chile pod creations, usually catering to people who have a desire to collect and show off what they buy rather than to actually take these sauces home and try them out. In addition, in my experience, the staff running such stores may have knowledge about one or two of these sauces, but don't have experience with everything on the wall. When I walked into Pepper Palace today, I wasn't sure what I would find.
First of all, I didn't just find one wall of hot sauces, I found an entire store. In addition, I found O'Neill Ryan and James Conroy: two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic gentlemen who love to talk about chiles until they turn blue in the face, and who are serious about educating their customers about anything you can find in their store.
I wandered in (and my partner wandered away) and was greeted by both of these aficionados, who were more than happy to answer any questions about their store, and even more questions about anything in it. I asked them, after having looked at some of their sauces, and having read a few articles on Scott Roberts' site, if they'd heard about the recent buzz about the Carolina Reaper (aka the HP22B Chile Pepper, article here), to which they answered no and began to research it that moment. After some talk about said chile, O'Neill must have deemed me worthy of some level of chile-head-dom (is that even a word?) and took me over to their tasting table, which included all sorts of hot sauces from the tame to the tail-whipping.
We had talked about the Butch Scorpion, which is used in their Scorpion Stinger sauce, and he asked me to get a spoon. Oh boy, I'm in for it. I politely smiled and asked how soon I'd be dying, talking a little more about my research, and he smiled and simply asked me to hand him my spoon. As much as I'd love to say I woke up later in the ER (for shock value), I'm even happier to say that while there was indeed very significant heat to the sauce, the flavour was absolutely wonderful. Through some sweat, hiccups, and a few screwed up faces, the fruity notes of the chiles came out wonderfully, and the bite, while building and powerful, did its job and then let my mouth rest with a lingering memory of its visit.
This led us to talking more about chile peppers, trying more sauces, such as their Chocolate Habañero Sauce, and even talking about festivals such as ZestFest, and local chili cookoffs. I told them both about my involvement in chili cookoffs, and that the next one I was hoping to attend was in Orland Park, the Chilly Willie Challenge Regional. I asked if they'd ever been to any of the local cookoffs, and mentioned how much I'd like to see them at one. I'm hoping that, based on O'Neill's reply, that they can start to come to a few of them as a vendor. They seemed very interested in drumming up some local interest.
All of this being the wonderful experience that it was, I ended up walking out with what they suggested as the best introduction to their line of sauces, their Ghost Pepper Sauce, and a promise to return soon to talk more about chiles, chili, and to try a few different sauces. I can happily say that while they've only been in this store for 8 months, I hope to visit them at least once a month from here on out, especially since I got my partner to finally enter the store with me, and she found something for herself as well!
All in all, I think that in addition to being a Chili Head, I'm becoming more of a Chile Head than I've ever been through meeting O'Neill and James, and through the knowledgeable and friendly service they offer. If you are in Chicago and have a genuine interest in Capsicums, are just getting started in the world of hot sauce, or just want to learn more about sauces in general, stop into their store. You'll not be disappointed.
How about an early update, since my updates have been rather sporadic lately, rather than regular? A post at the beginning of the month is certainly a great way to do that! But enough of that...
Health issues aside, I've not had much of a chance to get out and show my passion for chili and chiles recently, since the last chili (Chili with an I, to borrow a phrase) competition I was at was in mid October, and I won't likely get to another one until January at the earliest. This means that I need to find other outlets for my passion for not only chili, but chile (that's Chile with an E) peppers as well.
I follow a number of blogs and websites that talk about the newest things in Chili and Chiles, including Scott Roberts' website, and Dick's Chili World. While I can buy chiles at local stores, and can get all sorts from the web, and I can make chili whenever I want, I've not given enough time to specialty stores such as Pepper Palace, which I ambled into today at Water Tower Place in Chicago, IL. Thusly, this entry will be about that experience.
I've been to enough specialty culinary supply stores in malls to see a nice wall of hot sauces, mild sauces, salsas, and other chile pod creations, usually catering to people who have a desire to collect and show off what they buy rather than to actually take these sauces home and try them out. In addition, in my experience, the staff running such stores may have knowledge about one or two of these sauces, but don't have experience with everything on the wall. When I walked into Pepper Palace today, I wasn't sure what I would find.
First of all, I didn't just find one wall of hot sauces, I found an entire store. In addition, I found O'Neill Ryan and James Conroy: two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic gentlemen who love to talk about chiles until they turn blue in the face, and who are serious about educating their customers about anything you can find in their store.
(O'Neill Ryan (l), and James Conroy (r))
I wandered in (and my partner wandered away) and was greeted by both of these aficionados, who were more than happy to answer any questions about their store, and even more questions about anything in it. I asked them, after having looked at some of their sauces, and having read a few articles on Scott Roberts' site, if they'd heard about the recent buzz about the Carolina Reaper (aka the HP22B Chile Pepper, article here), to which they answered no and began to research it that moment. After some talk about said chile, O'Neill must have deemed me worthy of some level of chile-head-dom (is that even a word?) and took me over to their tasting table, which included all sorts of hot sauces from the tame to the tail-whipping.
We had talked about the Butch Scorpion, which is used in their Scorpion Stinger sauce, and he asked me to get a spoon. Oh boy, I'm in for it. I politely smiled and asked how soon I'd be dying, talking a little more about my research, and he smiled and simply asked me to hand him my spoon. As much as I'd love to say I woke up later in the ER (for shock value), I'm even happier to say that while there was indeed very significant heat to the sauce, the flavour was absolutely wonderful. Through some sweat, hiccups, and a few screwed up faces, the fruity notes of the chiles came out wonderfully, and the bite, while building and powerful, did its job and then let my mouth rest with a lingering memory of its visit.
This led us to talking more about chile peppers, trying more sauces, such as their Chocolate Habañero Sauce, and even talking about festivals such as ZestFest, and local chili cookoffs. I told them both about my involvement in chili cookoffs, and that the next one I was hoping to attend was in Orland Park, the Chilly Willie Challenge Regional. I asked if they'd ever been to any of the local cookoffs, and mentioned how much I'd like to see them at one. I'm hoping that, based on O'Neill's reply, that they can start to come to a few of them as a vendor. They seemed very interested in drumming up some local interest.
All of this being the wonderful experience that it was, I ended up walking out with what they suggested as the best introduction to their line of sauces, their Ghost Pepper Sauce, and a promise to return soon to talk more about chiles, chili, and to try a few different sauces. I can happily say that while they've only been in this store for 8 months, I hope to visit them at least once a month from here on out, especially since I got my partner to finally enter the store with me, and she found something for herself as well!
All in all, I think that in addition to being a Chili Head, I'm becoming more of a Chile Head than I've ever been through meeting O'Neill and James, and through the knowledgeable and friendly service they offer. If you are in Chicago and have a genuine interest in Capsicums, are just getting started in the world of hot sauce, or just want to learn more about sauces in general, stop into their store. You'll not be disappointed.
Friday, October 26, 2012
A Scent of Cumin in the Air
Someone asked me not too long ago why I liked Chili Con Carne so much. To be honest, I'd not given it any real thought beyond the fact that I just happen to like how it tastes. However, I've been giving it some more inspection, and it really is far more complex than that, I think.
I am very much a Pacific Rim girl. Starting there, I was born in California, spent my early life in Hawai`i, have lived in California, Hawai`i, Tennessee, Texas, spent time in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. I've spent extensive time in Baja, Mexico. All of this before I even hit 25. It is only in recent years that I've moved to the midwest, so you can easily say, without a doubt, that I have the Southwest and Pacific Rim in my blood. I have chile peppers burned into me as part of my native cuisine, and so it comes natural to me to crave foods that not only serve up the heat, but that also bring a lot of the flavours together of the region to make wonderfully savoury dishes. Enter Chili Con Carne.
No, its not Molé, which is more authentically Mexican, and its more than Salsa Mexicana. Its also more than just biting into a Jalapeño or Habañero. It is certainly not entering a "Death By Capsaicin" challenge. Its about flavour combined with a bit of a kick. Chile Con Carne, despite all the mystery around its origin, is a great fit for this craving. There is so much variety in making the dish, so much control a person has over the profiles going into it, that it is easy to make the dish a thousand times and never have an identical experience. Chili (Con Carne) is a wonderful melting pot of flavours, is a great food to eat in any season, and for me personally, is a wonderful comfort food.
I know that my partner thinks I'm obsessed, but really, isn't anyone who really has a passion and love for something obsessed to a certain degree? I've been making Chili since I was 12, and have recently started to compete in cookoffs sanctioned by The International Chili Society, learning even more about the varieties and types of Chili that are out there. I never knew there were people who competed on a national level in the preparation of Chili, and when I found these others, I felt like I'd found a new family. The more I got to know them, the more I realized that many of them have the same passions outside of "Competition Chili", and make amazing Chili for the sake of making a great pot of "red".
Let me say something to clarify my position with my partner:
I love my partner to death, but she has a very midwestern palate, and does not tend to get involved in my more fiery adventures when it comes to Southwestern, Mexican, and spicy food in general. I'd never force her to, naturally, because she's got her own tastes, and we have a wonderful time being foodies and adventurers with the rest of the cuisines out there, especially Middle-Eastern and Indian foods. I'm also introducing her to Pacific fish, which she's never had very much of. She's really loving it. She puts up with my Chili hobby, but its just not her thing. No harm done.
For the rest of you, my adventures in Chili have led me to a whole new world (don't you dare sing it aloud!) of rediscovery of Latin American cuisine, from South America to Mexico and Spain. Having been raised with a green thumb (thanks, grandpa!), I want to start raising my own herbs and spices (when possible) to make some of my own blends, once we live in a place that will sustain a garden. I want to learn to make my own Molé, and thanks to some inspiration from Rick Bayless, try my hand at some Yucatán cuisine.
I'm a cook, have always been, and am really thrilled to be able to have this kind of cuisine at home to share with my partner and with my friends. Chili is a great way to do that, because it is such a versatile dish, and can be made so many different ways. Even as a sauce for, dare I say it, seafood. I've found some great ways to make a Chili Con Carne applicable to so many dishes, and there are so many chile peppers out there, that I am likely never going to run out of things to try. I hope to share more of them with you as I do.
I am very much a Pacific Rim girl. Starting there, I was born in California, spent my early life in Hawai`i, have lived in California, Hawai`i, Tennessee, Texas, spent time in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. I've spent extensive time in Baja, Mexico. All of this before I even hit 25. It is only in recent years that I've moved to the midwest, so you can easily say, without a doubt, that I have the Southwest and Pacific Rim in my blood. I have chile peppers burned into me as part of my native cuisine, and so it comes natural to me to crave foods that not only serve up the heat, but that also bring a lot of the flavours together of the region to make wonderfully savoury dishes. Enter Chili Con Carne.
No, its not Molé, which is more authentically Mexican, and its more than Salsa Mexicana. Its also more than just biting into a Jalapeño or Habañero. It is certainly not entering a "Death By Capsaicin" challenge. Its about flavour combined with a bit of a kick. Chile Con Carne, despite all the mystery around its origin, is a great fit for this craving. There is so much variety in making the dish, so much control a person has over the profiles going into it, that it is easy to make the dish a thousand times and never have an identical experience. Chili (Con Carne) is a wonderful melting pot of flavours, is a great food to eat in any season, and for me personally, is a wonderful comfort food.
I know that my partner thinks I'm obsessed, but really, isn't anyone who really has a passion and love for something obsessed to a certain degree? I've been making Chili since I was 12, and have recently started to compete in cookoffs sanctioned by The International Chili Society, learning even more about the varieties and types of Chili that are out there. I never knew there were people who competed on a national level in the preparation of Chili, and when I found these others, I felt like I'd found a new family. The more I got to know them, the more I realized that many of them have the same passions outside of "Competition Chili", and make amazing Chili for the sake of making a great pot of "red".
Let me say something to clarify my position with my partner:
I love my partner to death, but she has a very midwestern palate, and does not tend to get involved in my more fiery adventures when it comes to Southwestern, Mexican, and spicy food in general. I'd never force her to, naturally, because she's got her own tastes, and we have a wonderful time being foodies and adventurers with the rest of the cuisines out there, especially Middle-Eastern and Indian foods. I'm also introducing her to Pacific fish, which she's never had very much of. She's really loving it. She puts up with my Chili hobby, but its just not her thing. No harm done.
For the rest of you, my adventures in Chili have led me to a whole new world (don't you dare sing it aloud!) of rediscovery of Latin American cuisine, from South America to Mexico and Spain. Having been raised with a green thumb (thanks, grandpa!), I want to start raising my own herbs and spices (when possible) to make some of my own blends, once we live in a place that will sustain a garden. I want to learn to make my own Molé, and thanks to some inspiration from Rick Bayless, try my hand at some Yucatán cuisine.
I'm a cook, have always been, and am really thrilled to be able to have this kind of cuisine at home to share with my partner and with my friends. Chili is a great way to do that, because it is such a versatile dish, and can be made so many different ways. Even as a sauce for, dare I say it, seafood. I've found some great ways to make a Chili Con Carne applicable to so many dishes, and there are so many chile peppers out there, that I am likely never going to run out of things to try. I hope to share more of them with you as I do.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
What Happened To July?
Heya gang,
So... I know I missed a month... but what can I say, its been quite the month to miss. July has been full of health issues and family stuff, so I've not had much I could contribute. Things are... well I'm not dead. :P
Ok, so back to cooking. I don't have a lot for you, but I wanted to share some of my more recent forays into the cooking world. Lately I've been working on my Chili, as you know, and I've actually completed a far far better batch... in fact, two batches since the last entry. And in the last week, particularly this past weekend, I got to connect with the competition chili cookoff crew finally, and have been learning a LOT! Thanks to Isaiah Frechette and Jim Stoddard particularly for all their help thus far. I've learned more in the last 48 hours than I've learned in the last 9 months of research and cooking experiments. I'm actually preparing for my next round of recipe revisions, though I don't think we'll see another until September. I'm also hoping to connect with some of these folks in person at one of the upcoming chili cookoffs in the semi-local area. More on that as information becomes available.
We've been eating a LOT of roast pork shoulder. We have a recipe that we based ours on, though I've changed it a bit, particularly due to weight, and have adjusted cooking times appropriately. I've added a few of my own twists as well. One reason for the pork indulgence: The local supermarket has been selling a double pack of whole, bone-in pork shoulder (left and right shoulders, respectively), weighing about 15lb total, and for a very reasonable price. One of these packs lasts us at least a month and a half.
These are extremely useful cuts of meat, very versatile. We've made everything from pulled pork sandwiches to pseudo-carnitas, sliced roast and gravy, cubed pork with a chili sauce... its been wonderful.
Today's lunch, for example, was made from the roast pork we made yesterday, which we shredded, and I reheated in a non-stick skillet today with a chopped up chipotle and its surrounding adobo sauce, as well as some dried ingredients such as cilantro, mexican oregano, roasted granulated garlic, and onion powder. With a little bit of kosher salt to finish it off, I added a little bit of water to the pan and lidded it to let the spices soak in, simmered for about 10 minutes, and then made tacos out of it with some warmed flour tortillas. Great stuff!
I'm afraid that, meager as it is, that is all I have for you this time. I will try to have an entry next time that reflects my usual kitchen geekery. Thank you all again for reading, see you next time!
So... I know I missed a month... but what can I say, its been quite the month to miss. July has been full of health issues and family stuff, so I've not had much I could contribute. Things are... well I'm not dead. :P
Ok, so back to cooking. I don't have a lot for you, but I wanted to share some of my more recent forays into the cooking world. Lately I've been working on my Chili, as you know, and I've actually completed a far far better batch... in fact, two batches since the last entry. And in the last week, particularly this past weekend, I got to connect with the competition chili cookoff crew finally, and have been learning a LOT! Thanks to Isaiah Frechette and Jim Stoddard particularly for all their help thus far. I've learned more in the last 48 hours than I've learned in the last 9 months of research and cooking experiments. I'm actually preparing for my next round of recipe revisions, though I don't think we'll see another until September. I'm also hoping to connect with some of these folks in person at one of the upcoming chili cookoffs in the semi-local area. More on that as information becomes available.
We've been eating a LOT of roast pork shoulder. We have a recipe that we based ours on, though I've changed it a bit, particularly due to weight, and have adjusted cooking times appropriately. I've added a few of my own twists as well. One reason for the pork indulgence: The local supermarket has been selling a double pack of whole, bone-in pork shoulder (left and right shoulders, respectively), weighing about 15lb total, and for a very reasonable price. One of these packs lasts us at least a month and a half.
These are extremely useful cuts of meat, very versatile. We've made everything from pulled pork sandwiches to pseudo-carnitas, sliced roast and gravy, cubed pork with a chili sauce... its been wonderful.
Today's lunch, for example, was made from the roast pork we made yesterday, which we shredded, and I reheated in a non-stick skillet today with a chopped up chipotle and its surrounding adobo sauce, as well as some dried ingredients such as cilantro, mexican oregano, roasted granulated garlic, and onion powder. With a little bit of kosher salt to finish it off, I added a little bit of water to the pan and lidded it to let the spices soak in, simmered for about 10 minutes, and then made tacos out of it with some warmed flour tortillas. Great stuff!
I'm afraid that, meager as it is, that is all I have for you this time. I will try to have an entry next time that reflects my usual kitchen geekery. Thank you all again for reading, see you next time!
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