Carnitas for Cinco de Mayo

 Tomorrow is May! Yea! Time to think about Mexican themed food for Cinco de Mayo. The May 5 holiday is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but in the U.S. it is a good time for celebrating with Mexican flavors whether you have Mexican heritage or not. 
This recipe for Beef Carnitas is now a favorite of ours. Carnita means 'little meats' and is traditionally done with pork. But we love our beef and this recipe from Chef Alli is easy to get to the table or will wait until all the cattle workers get in. Since I started using my Electric Pressure Cooker, I won't cook a beef roast any other way! Cutting it into chunks and browning it not only makes it cook quicker, it improves the flavor ('brown' is a flavor as well as a color). And I've just discovered a quick thaw trick - put frozen roast in the refrigerator overnight (it starts thawing, but will still be frozen in the morning), then a quick microwave 'defrost' for ½ pound, followed by a short time sitting in a heavy cooking pan (still wrapped) with another pan sitting on it. There is some trick about the metal drawing the cold out! The roast will soon be thawed enough to cut into smaller chunks. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Big Bold Beef Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks, trimmed if needed

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano flakes

1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo

1 yellow onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup orange juice

½ cup lime juice (can use lime zest too, if you want)

Directions:

1.    Set electric pressure cooker (EPC) to sauté setting; add oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, and chipotle sauce; when mixture is nicely hot, add cubed beef. Brown beef in batches, removing to a plate as you work. 

2.    Return all beef to EPC pot; add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and juices; cover pressure cooker, lock EPC lid into place. Choose High Pressure setting for 45-50 minutes. When times sounds, use a full natural release to allow protein fibers to fully relax. 

3.    Remove EPC lid and transfer beef to a large cutting board; shred beef apart. Add shredded beef to a preheated, oiled cast iron skill set over high heat. 

4.    Sear beef over high heat just until it gets a good ‘crisp’ on the outside, watching carefully so beef doesn’t bur, adding cooking liquid from pressure cooker, a little at a time, as needed. 

5.    Serve beef with warm corn or flour tortillas, salsa fresca, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese, as desired. 

Scones for Spring

Scones are a popular treat at bakeries and coffee shops now. Although they sound very English, Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland between 1505 and 1515, and are named for the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. We in the U.S. are now enjoying this crusty and tender quick bread as a royal treat with our tea and coffee. Our local coffee shop makes a wonderful scone with white baking chips and dried cranberries, it is my favorite. 

Making scones is similar to stirring together biscuits. They have similar ingredients - flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, butter, and eggs. Scones can be loaded with add-ins for a boast in flavor. 

Some tips for scones are:
* Make sure the butter, eggs, and milk are cold. The cold fat gives baked products flakiness. 
* Work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse sand with some larger particles, similar to pie crust dough. 
* Eggs add richness and help the dough rise. If your recipe doesn't include an egg, just add one and omit ¼ cup milk or cream in the recipe. 
* Juicy fruits can make the scones soggy. I like to use slightly frozen fruit and lightly dust it with flour. 
* Don't overmix, this can make the scones tough. 
* A new tip for me, and I tried it - Freeze the pan of scones for 30 minutes before baking to relax the gluten and enhance the flakiness of the fat. 

This recipe from the National Festival of Breads is good and can be adapted to be savory or sweet. I used ½ cup dried cranberries and ½ cup white chocolate baking chips. 

Signature Scones 

(makes 12 scones)

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup chopped dried or chopped fresh fruit

2 tablespoons granulated sugar or agave nectar

½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, any flavor

¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil

¼ cup 2% low-fat milk

1 large egg, slightly beaten

Directions: 

1.   Heat oven to 350 degrees

2.   In large bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring just until dough clings together. (Mixture will be sticky; if using fresh fruit, extra tablespoons of flour may be needed)

3.   On lightly floured surface, knead gently for a few turns. Divide dough in half; pat dough into two 6-inch circles. 

4.   Cut each circle into six equal wedges. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Brush surface with milk; sprinkle with sugar. 

5.   Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly golden. The interior will be fully baked but not doughy, just a bit moist. Transfer to a wire rack; serve warm or at room temperature. 

A Sign of Spring - Asparagus!

The first asparagus of the season is one of spring's signals. It is now appearing at the grocery's produce department even though I've not found it in my roadside patch yet. I will check daily as I'm always surprised when I find an 18-inch spear where I didn't see anything a few days ago.



Asparagus is a tender vegetable and pairs well with cheese. This easy and quick recipe will go with anything and is a favorite at our house. Thanks to Taste of Home for this spring recipe.


LEMON-PARMESAN BROILED ASPARAGUS

¼ cup mayonnaise

4 tsp. olive oil (I used lemon-infused olive oil)

1 ½ tsp. grated lemon zest

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. seasoned salt

½ tsp. pepper

ready to go under the broiler.

1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed

2 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1.    Preheat broiler. In a bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.

2.    Spread asparagus in a single layer on a foil-lined 15x10-inch pan. Spread above mixture over asparagus. 

 

3.    Broil 5-6 inches from heat until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Asparagus goes well with anything - especially steak!