Mother's Day is Coming....
#11
  Re: (...)
...and, what are we doing for ourselves????????????

Hopefully it will be a sunny day - I'll grill everything, but guess I'd better look at some ideas.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#12
  Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by cjs (...and, what are we ...)
I love Mother's Day because it means the Kentucky Derby is the day before.

Not sure about any type of food yet but I know I am giving my mom some good old fashioned cash. She's going on a trip to Maui in July for my brother's wedding and while he is paying for her airfare and hotel, I know she needs spending money.
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#13
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by Trixxee (I love Mother's Day ...)
Mother's Day, several years ago, is when I drove up from Orlando and my parents drove down from Daytona and met about half way at a small, Cuban restaurant. It was there that I introduced them to Lechon Asado and my mom has been hooked on it ever since.
Quote:


Cuban Roast Pork

Nothing is more delicious than boldly seasoned lechon asado, or roast suckling pig, the highlight of the traditional Cuban Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) celebration, Three Kings Day(Feast of the Epiphany) and many other Caribbean fetes. But if roasting a whole 20-pound pig isn't convenient, try this scaled down recipe for a delicious island-style pork feast.

1 8-pound bone-in fresh ham (shank portion) or boneless pork loin roast
12 large cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon salt (coarse Kosher salt is best)
1 bay leaf, ground
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Tortuga Dark Rum (** Optional. You can substitute more orange juice if you prefer)
1-1/2 cups sour orange juice, or 1-1/4 cups orange juice and 1/4cup Cayman lime juice
2 medium yellow onions, sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Trim off excess fat from pork and make shallow cuts all over meat. Combine garlic, salt, bay leaf, oregano, thyme,cumin and pepper in food processor and grind into paste. Place the pork on a plate to catch any seasoning drips. Rub seasoning mix into the pork, making sure it goes into the cuts in the surface.Put the roast in a large bowl or jumbo resealable zip-top bag.Combine onions, olive oil, and rum and bitter orange juice and blend well and pour over roast, turning so roast is covered with marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or seal bag tightly and refrigerate 24 hours, turning roast occasionally so marinate thoroughly saturates all surfaces.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Remove roast from marinade (save marinade) and place fat side up in roasting pan lightly oiled with olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining pepper and salt. From here, the cooking methods vary according to cook.There are two suggestions from Cuban friends about how to cook lechon asado in the oven.

The first one: roast pork for an hour at350F, turning the meat during cooking so all sides are browned.After an hour, remove roast from oven, pour reserved marinade and onions over roast and tent with aluminum foil. Return to oven and reduce heat to 300. Roast for 2-1/2 hours longer, basting often with pan juices and marinade, or until roast is well done.The other method is to heat the oven to very low heat, 225 and cook the roast slowly, about 7- 8-hours-basting frequently with marinade. Our Latin neighbors like their pork very well done,falling apart tender. Either way, the internal temperature should read at 180 degrees on a meat thermometer. Let stand 20 minutes,covered, before serving. This might serve 6-8 people.


(Copied here because the link to the original source page is dead.)

A few years before that, I cooked Summer Pasta for the first time and that was for Mother's Day, too. That also became a favourite - not only one of my mom's favourites, but also a favourite of just about anyone to whom I've given the recipe.

Summer Pasta

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
  • 8 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper [I like to use cayenne, instead]
  • 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti or penne rigate
Instructions:
  1. In a bowl, toss the mozzarella with the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and kosher salt. Season generously with black pepper and crushed red pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.
  2. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, return the pasta to the pot, add the sauce, and toss well.
  3. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes:
  1. The original recipe uses 1 1/2 pounds of pasta, so it makes a very large batch. Halving or even quartering the recipe works well. My parents always quarter it.
  2. This recipe is best fresh, when it's just been made, so my mom came up with a great way to have "leftovers" without having to try to reheat everything. The secret is in the pasta. If you plan to serve some of this dish as "leftovers," then only cook the amount of pasta needed for immediate use, put only part of the tomato mixture into that, and refrigerate the unused portion of the tomato mixture. The day that you are going to serve the "leftovers," take the tomato mixture out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Then cook a fresh batch of pasta and combine the mixture into that. That way, everything will taste just as fresh as "leftovers" as it did originally.
  3. To add some protein to this without taking away from the great flavour it has, just mix in some shredded or diced cooked chicken.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#14
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by labradors (Mother's Day, severa...)
I have no idea. I'll think on this. What I do know is that I insist that someone cook for me and clean up. Mother's Day is really close to testing and school closing, so I will need all the pampering I can get!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#15
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by Gourmet_Mom (I have no idea. I'l...)
Here's my Lechon Asado recipe. I've been told that it is better than most restaurant (had two of my sons friends who live in NY were Cuban food is plentiful go out of their way to travel up here so I could make them some again). Anyway it is simpler than most but imho just as tasty. I do order a fresh ham (leg) but have the butcher bone it for me. I do keep the skin so I can make chicharones. If a whole leg is too much, I get the top half even do it kills me since it has less skin. If you want Cuban Sandwiches, don't cut all into chunks, save some and into very thin slices and do not put under broiler. I save the slices in some of the cooking liquid (just a bit to keep moist) and food saver and freeze till ready to make the sandwiches (of course you'll need to make Cuban bread first ).

EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK

CUBAN PORK ROAST*****Servings: 12

I marinate it in the foil and close it really well to avoid odor transfer in the fridge. I then take it out of the refrigerator and put it in the oven. It also makes the roaster cleanup much easier. After is is cooked, I take it out, let it rest and then cut it and put it back in the roaster this time with new foil just covering the pan, not the meat, for easier cleanup. I put it under the broiler to crisp it up some and rewarm it. I save most of the liquid from the pan and just put a little of it back in the roaster when I put it under the broiler. I reheat the rest in the microwave and serve it in a gravy boat. along with the mojo of course (the sauce, not the drink).


Preparation Time: 1 hour Cooking Time: 5 hours and 50 minutes
Inactive Time: 72 hours Total Time: 78 hours and 50 minutes

8-10 lbs. front half of a fresh leg of pork preferably boneless
1 cup sour orange juice (can get from cubanfoodmarket.com) or use a combo of oj and dry sherry and a bit of lime juice
1 huge onion
8 cloves of garlic smashed well with some salt
kosher salt
1 TBS. dried oregano (ground if I have it, if not crushed dried leaves
1 TBS. ground cumin

Have the butcher bone the front half of a fresh leg of pork. Save the skin and some of the extra fat for homemade cracklings.

The key to a tasty and juice roasted pork is to marinate it in sour orange juice. If you can't get real sour orange juice (which I buy from cubanfoodmarket.com) I use regular oj and dry sherry and a bit of lime juice

Slice at least one huge onion, 2 if they are just large. Smash at least 8 garlic cloves with some kosher salt, Make holes all over the roast with a knife and Insert the garlic in the holes, top, bottom, side and end (and if boned, I unroll it and do in on the inside as well). I put it both in the fatty parts and the meat. The roast looks like it was hit by an apprentice knife thrower when I am done. Then sprinkle it all over with more kosher salt, dried oregano (ground if I have it, if not crushed dried leaves) and some ground cumin.

Use a at least two layers of foil in the roasting pan, one going the long way and another over that going the short way, enough to cover the roast completely so the fridge does not end up smelling. The roast then goes in the roasting pan, with some of the sour orange on the bottom to cover and a layer of the sliced onions. The roast goes on top with more sliced onions spread all around it and more of the sour orange juice poured over the top.

Let the marinated roast sits in the fridge for at least one whole day, 3 is better.

Take the roast out of the refrigerator at least one hour prior to roasting. Preheat oven to 350°.

Place roasting pan in preheated oven and roast 30 to 35 minutes per pound at 350 °. Be careful when you open up the foil, as it will be very hot and steam will come out. Start with that amount of time and check by sticking a fork in it. I like mine really tender since I am going to chunk it not slice it. So when you can almost pull it apart with a fork it is done.

After it is cooked, take out the roast and let it rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. Then cut it into bite sized chunks. Save the liquid and onions from the pan. Throw away the oil foil and cover the bottom of the roasting pan with a layer of heavy duty foil. Put the pork chunks back in the pan and put a little of the reserved liquid back in the roasting pan with the chunks of pork. Put it under the broiler to crisp it up some and rewarm it.

Reheat the rest of the reserved liquid and onions in the microwave and serve it in a gravy boat. along with the mojito of course (the sauce, not the drink).

Recipe Type: Cuban Food, Grandma Hilia, Main Dish, Meat, Pork

Author: MINE
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#16
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by Cubangirl (Here's my Lechon Asa...)
For roast-pork recipes, NOTHING can beat Lechon Asado! Thanks, Alina.

Quote:

The key to a tasty and juice roasted pork is to marinate it in sour orange juice. If you can't get real sour orange juice (which I buy from cubanfoodmarket.com) I use regular oj and dry sherry and a bit of lime juice




Between Goya and Badia, the sour orange juice is available in the ethnic-food aisle of a lot of supermarkets. Many times, shoppers walk right by it, never knowing it even exists. Then they discover recipes such as Lechon Asado and wonder "Where on earth am I going to get THAT?" when it's been right in front of them the whole time.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#17
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by labradors (For roast-pork recip...)
Mother's day coincides with the annual Fishing Opener here. Or, as I call it, the annual Drinking Opener. Which is all that really seems to happen. It's usually too cold, the fish never bite, etc.
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Laura
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#18
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by luvnit (Mother's day coincid...)
Lechon Asado - I should add this to my bucket llst, don't know how long I've been wanting to make it.

That's funny, Laura
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#19
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by cjs (Lechon Asado - I sho...)
It will be leftovers here, it's our busiest brunch of the year.
Practice safe lunch. Use a condiment.
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#20
  Re: Re: Mother's Day is Coming.... by cjs (Lechon Asado - I sho...)
Quote:

Lechon Asado - I should add this to my bucket llst, don't know how long I've been wanting to make it.




Have you never even had it, or just never made it. Lechon Asado is one of those dishes over which I can never wax rhapsodic enough.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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