Cochinita Pibil

Cochinita Pibil, or Roasted Suckling Pig, is a popular cuisine found in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The pork is frequently marinated for 24 hours and then roasted in the oven, wrapped in plantain leaves. This recipe is a quick method, using a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds/1 kilo pork sirloin
• 1 cup Orange juice*
• 1/2 cup Lemon juice*
• 3 tablespoons of Achiote paste
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 dried Chipotle Morita pepper, sliced in half & minced (with or without seeds, depending on how hot you want it)
  
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tablespoons of Olive oil
  

(* In Costa Rica, I use 1.5 cups of Naranja Agria juice in place of the Orange and Lemon juices.)

Directions:

• Dissolve the Achiote paste over low heat. Remove from heat, add the lemon and orange juice and all of the other spices (except for the Bay Leaves) and mix until well blended.
• Slice the pork across the grain in about 1 inch thick and place it in a large bowl
• Pour the juice mixture over the pork, add the Bay Leaves, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-3 hours.
• Coat the bottom of a pressure cooker with the olive oil, arrange the pork in the pot evenly and pour all of the marinade over the meat.
• Seal the pressure cooker and cook at high heat until the pressure valve start to whistle. Set the temperature to low and cook for 45 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, allow the steam to escape and open the pot.
• The pork will be fork tender. Gently remove it from the pot and place it on a serving platter.
• Remove the Bay Leaves and any remaining pieces of the Chipotle pepper from the pot.
  
• Continue to cook the sauce over medium low heat until it is reduced to a rich gravy.

Serve the pork with the gravy on the side. This dish goes well with a mango salsa and rice. It is also delicious served in corn tortillas or taco shells.

Pork

1

Chorizo w/Pork & Turkey *WP*

This is a recipe for Chorizo we developed that is lower in fat than standard recipes. We like our Chorizo hot and spicy. If you want a milder version, just cut back on the cayenne pepper. It will still be delicious...

Ingredients for 15 Lbs.

• 5 tablespoons coarse ground sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons smoked hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon annatto powder or achiote
• 1 tablespoon cumin
  
• 5 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
• 3 tablespoons black coarse pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 12 lbs boned pork butts
• 3 lbs lean ground turkey

20 - 1 3/8" (35 MM) natural or collagen casings

Grinding and Mixing:

In a medium mixing bowl, blend all the garlic herbs & spices with the water and vinegar and set it aside. Grind all the pork buts through a 3/8" grinding place into a large mixing tub. Mix in the ground turkey. Pour in all of seasonings and mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Stuff into casings. Hang sausage on smoke-sticks or drying racks and let it dry overnight.

WP

0

Bizcochos *WP*

"Bizcochos" or "Rosquillas de Queso", a traditional Costa Rica snack food, are corn meal cheese rings. Usually, bizcocho is fried in vegetable oil until golden brown. This baked recipe is a lower calorie/lower fat option.

Like Fritos Corn Chips or Doritos Tortilla Chips? You'll love these!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn flour - I use Maseca Masa de Maíz or Quaker Masa Harina de Maíz (tortilla mix)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 6 ounces of finely grated cheese (Cheedar, Manchego, Monterrey Jack)
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F
• Mix the corn flour and salt in large bowl. Gradually add the warm water and mix with your hands until all the flour is incorporated into a dense ball of masa.
• Add the cheese to bowl and knead it into the masa until it is well mixed.
  
• Pinch off a piece of masa about the size of a cherry and form rings by rolling the dough between the palms of your hands until it's a little more than a 1/4 inch in diameter and about 3" long (the width of your palm is a good measure).
• Place the rings on a cookie sheet and bake until a light golden brown, about 35 or 45 minutes.
• Allow to cool completely and the bizcocho should be very crunchy.

Yield: About 96 rings, 8 rings per serving

For a fun and mildly spicy alternative, add 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper to the corn flour and salt. Then mix 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce into the warm water before you add it to the flour.

WP

0

Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Turkey Sausage, Zucchini & Mushrooms

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 1/2 (16-ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 pound Italian Turkey sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 cup yellow sweet peppers diced
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes diced
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
  
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms chopped
• 2 cups zucchini squash cut in 2-3 inch shoestrings
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat with a tablespoon of canola oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. It should be a little less than al dente; it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it and set it aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the Italian Turkey sausage without the casing and saute until browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add the onion and peppers to the skillet and saute until slightly tender, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the fresh and canned tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, red wine, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to a boil, then simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Add the mushroom and zucchini and cook an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the penne pasta to the prepared baking pan. Pour the tomato sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned , about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Yield: 8 Servings

Turkey

0

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

A quick and easy sauce for grilled sausage...

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Sauce

0