Carnitas Burritos

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We rarely have fast food, but when we do my #1 choice is always Chipotle. I remember Jon had to drag me there for the first time, almost kicking and screaming. What was I thinking? The burritos became one of my favorite things, loving to try new combinations. At the time, the closest one was 2 hours – so, I started making my own. ChipotleFan is a great source for all kinds of Chipotle “copycat” recipes, their chicken marinade is k-i-l-l-e-r. I haven’t tried a recipe on there that isn’t spot-on. But, time after time I kept coming back to the carnitas with the corn salsa.

So, here’s my homemade version, in all it’s glory. I love the lightly seasoned pork, and the roasted peppers and corn all wrapped up in a soft tortilla. I’ll usually make it with leftover pork, which makes for an easier weeknight meal. The components are great on their own too, as more of a burrito bowl style. I like to keep the filling simple – rice, beans, pork, and salsa. But, a bit of sour cream, cheese, or guac is great inside as well!

Carnitas Burritos with Poblano-Corn Salsa

1 lb carnitas or pulled pork, warmed
2 cups cooked cilantro lime rice
1 (15) oz can black beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 poblano peppers
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste
4 large (12-14 inch) tortillas
sour cream

To make the salsa, roast the poblano peppers on a grill, an open flame, or in the broiler until charred all over. Place in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap. Let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile combine the corn, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Once peppers have “steamed”, remove as much charred skin as you can. Dice the peppers and add to the bowl with the other ingredients. Toss to combine, season to taste with salt, and set aside.

To assemble the burritos, warm the tortillas on a plate covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Lay one tortilla on a flat work surface. Place 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup pork, and 1/4 cup salsa, and a dollop of sour cream on the burrito. Fold the two sides over onto the top or the filling, then fold the bottom up and under the filling, and roll all the way up. Wrap burrito in a small sheet of aluminum foil to serve.

Source: Poblano-Corn Salsa adapted from Chipotle Fan

Garlic-Parsley Fries

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I know, I know – I just shared a recipe for homemade french fries on Friday, but I couldn’t resist sharing this rendition with you guys. My first taste of this wonderful fry flavor fry at Gordon Biersch, a national brewery/restaurant chain. I was blown away by their sheer awesomeness, and immediately went home and tried to re-create them. Several attempts were made, but none of them turned out quite right.

I’d been using olive oil to create the garlic-parsley infusion, which just seemed to make them extra greasy. The next time I tried butter instead. Once I swapped that out, bingo! Right on the money. These fries are drop dead delicious, ya’ll. A pungent bite from the garlic, a hint of lemony-herby goodness from the parsley. Certainly a great side dish, but these stand alone as an appetizer as well. With football season only a few weeks away (can I get an Amen?), I’m going to be looking for fun new munchies to make for my guys during the game. These fries definitely fit the bill!

Garlic-Parsley Fries

1/2 gallon vegetable oil
8 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled
kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced

Pour the oil into a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides and heat to 350 degrees F, use a deep-fry thermometer to determine this. While the oil is heating, peel the skin off the potatoes and cut them into uniform 1/4-inch sticks; feel free to use a knife, mandoline, or French fry cutter. Dry the potato sticks thoroughly to keep the hot oil from splattering.

Fry the potatoes in batches so the pot isn’t crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet. Cook the French fries for 3 minutes, until soft but not browned. Remove the fries with a long-handled metal strainer and drain on brown paper bags.

To make the parsley butter: combine the butter, parsley, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan around until the butter is completely melted.

Increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees F. Return the par-fried potatoes to the oil and cook a second time for 2 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Drain on fresh brown paper bags then place in a serving bowl. Salt the fries while they’re still hot and pour the parsley butter on top; toss gently to combine.

Source: adapted from Eat This Book by Tyler Florence

Fish and Chips

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Today marks the Opening Ceremonies of the XXX Olympiad. London 2012. I always look forward to the Olympics – something about everyone coming together to compete and celebrate. The stories of sportsmanship that arise every year are so moving. I had the opportunity to attend the equestrian events in Atlanta 1996, and it’s something I’ll never forget. My mom and myself went, along with my best friend’s family. The bustling streets filled with people of all different nationalities and cultures; I was only 13 at the time, but I still felt connected to something so much larger than myself. I guess that’s what the Olympic Games are about, really.

And, London. London! What a fabulous city to be hosting. So rich in history and lore, the UK is at the top of my travel bucket list. So, for today’s post I wanted to share something that was a nod to this great city – and fish and chips immediately came to mind. I don’t fry fish often, usually preferring to pan-sear or grill it. But, we like to indulge in a good old-fashioned fish fry once in a while! I chose cod, which is a traditional choice for this dish. But haddock, flounder, or tilapia would be fine too. I recommend using a full-flavored beer in the batter, a hoppy IPA is always my go-to choice for this application.

Good luck to all the competitors these next couple of weeks, and go Team USA! Looking forward to curing up with our family tonight and watching the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the torch. Below you’ll find a picture of myself in Atlanta, circa ’96. Right in the thick of Olympic Village, posting next to a full chrome Chevy pickup. I’m pretty sure I was rocking a hot pink fanny pack as well. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fish and Chips

1 lb white, flaky fish (cod, haddock, tilapia)
5 potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1 cup full-flavored beer (such as Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA)
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt
4 cups warm water
vegetable oil

Make the soaking mixture for the cut potatoes by combining warm water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt in large bowl. Mix to dissolve salt. Set aside.

To prepare the potatoes, peel the sides of the potato with a vegetable peeler, leaving some skin at the top and bottom. Slice potatoes length-wise, in 1/2″ slices. Then, slice 1/4″ inch strips from those slices. A mandoline or french fry cutter is very handy here! Place cut potatoes in the bowl of salt water and soak for 15 minutes. Remove from water and place the potatoes on a clean kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes. Dry well to avoid splattering when frying.

Fill a dutch oven with vegetable oil, so that oil comes up a little less than halfway up the pot. Place over low heat and heat to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare your beer batter by combining the beer, 1 cup of flour, and a teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Place remainder of flour in a resealable bag and set aside with the beer batter.

Once oil is up to temperature, fry the potatoes in batches, taking care not to overcrowd. Fry until edges are starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined cookie sheet. Repeat process with remaining potatoes. Once all potatoes have been fried, bring the oil back up to 375 degrees, and refry them. The “twice-fry” is the key to a crispy french fry. Just another minute or two in the hot oil is all you need. Place them on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and keep warm in an oven while fish is frying.

To fry the fish, place filets in the bag of flour to lightly coat, then dip into beer batter, and add to the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning fish occasionally, about 6-9 minutes depending on the size of the filets. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel-lined plate for a minute before plating. Serve fried fish over a generous portion of french fries with wedges of lemon for garnish. Tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side.

Huli-Huli Chicken

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Nothing beats chicken on the grill in the summertime. Whether it’s smoked, BBQed, or marinaded – you really can’t go wrong. It’s an easy dinner that doesn’t heat up the house. Have had this recipe dog-earred to try for a couple years now, but just never got around to it. Last week, I found myself with a few chicken leg quarters (thanks Dad!) so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

The chicken is soaked in a soy-sauce brine for a few hours, then grilled and brushed with an uh-mazing pineapple juice based brine for the last 15 minutes or so of grilling. I changed a few aspects of the recipe – first off, using chicken pieces instead of a halved chicken. It’s what I had on hand, and it cuts down on cooking time. Win, win. Also, I don’t have a charcoal grill (a situation I need to remedy – nothing beats that flavor!), so I just made a packet of hickory chips that I smoked on the grill along with the chicken when it was cooking. If you didn’t want to go that route, you could probably add a drop or two of liquid smoke to the sauce to get a smokey effect.

We all really, really enjoyed it. Flavors we know and love, that are perfect for summer! This would be a great recipe to make for a crowd as well. Something a little more special than burgers & dogs! I served with a big bowl of Hawaiian macaroni salad and fresh pineapple wedges. I have reinvented the leftovers in a couple of different fun ways this week too, so stay tuned!

Huli-Huli Chicken

For the chicken:
1 quart water
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (leg quarters, breasts)

For the glaze:
3 (6-ounce) cans pineapple juice
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 cups mesquite (or hickory) wood chips, soaked for 15 minutes

To brine chicken; combine water and soy in a large bowl. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into soy sauce  mixture. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 8.

To make the glaze; commbine pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili-garlic sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until thick and syrupy (you should have about 1 cup), 20-25 minutes.Set aside.

Prep grill. Seal wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vents on grill. Light about 75 coals. When coals are covered with a fine gray ash, spread evenly over the bottom of the grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low.) Scrape and oil the grate.

Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin side up on grill (do not place chicken directly above foil packet). Grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, 25-30 minutes. Flip chicken skin side down and continue to grill, covered, until skin is well browned and crisp and thigh meat reaches 170 to 175 degrees, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter, brush with half of the glaze, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining glaze at table.

Source: slightly adapted from Cook’s Country, June 2009