Recipe: Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder with Mexican Style (Achiote) Sauce

Achiote (or annatto) paste is based on originally a Mayan spice blend, orange-red in colour and containing the achiote seeds. It is strongly associated with Mexican cuisine from the Yucatan region.

Achiote seeds in their pods. Image borrowed from Amazon Ecology

Australia's proximity to Mexico does not allow for us to have a strong (and quality, or authentic) Mexican food presence. So not surprisingly, it was difficult finding achiote paste or the seeds in the local supermarket, and I didn't have the time to look further in specialty food places. So getting inspiration from Ferran Adria's The Family Meal, I decided to do some research and come up with my own Mexican (Achiote) blend to marinade my pork shoulder in.

Achiote seeds have been described as peppery, sweet and with a hint of nutmeg. The most distinctive quality of the achiote seems to be the yellow colour, which can also be derived from:

• saffron
• turmeric
• paprika

Being cost conscious meant that I immediately crossed saffron off the list, particularly as it's my first time attempting the Achiote sauce. So I stuck with both paprika (sweet and smoked meant it would add more BBQ styled 'oomph' to the pork and closer resemble the sweetness found in achiote) and turmeric for that distinct yellow colour.

You can play around with the quantities based on the size of the cut of meat, and how much sauce you want left over in the pan. The below yielded approximately two cups of marinade and after cooking, just enough sauce (approximately 3 tablespoons) to smear on the pork.

 
1.7kg pork shoulder (bone out, and if preferred, tied)

1 x white onion, roughly chopped into thick squares or slices

Achiote Sauce

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sweet, smoked paprika

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1 teaspoon allspice powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 oranges, freshly juiced

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

1. ACHIOTE SAUCE: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the wet ingredients.
2. MARINATE OVERNIGHT 8-12HRS: Place the pork in a deep and wide enough bowl and poor the achiote sauce over it, making sure it gets underneath and around all the sides. Tightly wrap the bowl with plastic cling-wrap and place in the fridge overnight. 
3. SLOW COOK FOR 6HRS: Preheat oven to 100-120 degrees Celsius. Place plenty of foil in a deep tray, allowing enough length to go up the sides and contain the meat and the achiote sauce (like a parcel) without leakage. Put the meat in the tray and poor over the achiote sauce leftover from the marinading bowl. Scatter the onions over the pork. Fold over the foil to create an almost airtight parcel and bang the tray in the lowest rack (or floor) of your oven. Cook that bad boy low and slow for 6 hours, or even longer*. 
4. SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Make sure to smear that sweet Achiote sauce (now thickened with the cooking) over the pork. You won't even have to shred the pork or use a knife, it will fall apart with the pull of a fork. Serve with warm tortillas, freshly cut salad (e.g. corn, tomato, lettuce, avocado), fresh chilli, fresh lime and your choice of pickles.

* The longer pork shoulder is cooked, the better and softer it gets. If you love to take your time, you could even take the cooking time up to 12 hours at 100 degrees.

Corn, Pumpkin & Saffron Risotto

I'm back from my three day hiatus. I needed a bit of a break from writing just to well, chill the fuck out. I went to the beach yesterday for a swim and read my book for four hours. It was soooo good!

I was inspired by the Fregola, Corn and Cornbread at Duke Bistro, I needed to get me some of that corn goodness and didn't want to cough up for it (after all, I'm on my lady of leisure budget which doesn't pay as well as a full time job). I had some fresh Salmon fillets and figured a corn risotto side would go down well. I was so right...

Corn, Pumpkin & Saffron Risotto

20mins prep time, approx. 30 mins cooking time, serves 4

olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ leek thinly sliced

1 cup risotto rice

splash white wine

1L fresh chicken stock liquid

1 cup shredded pumpkin

1 cup corn (cut fresh from corn cobs)

pinch saffron

sea salt

freshly shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish and to taste (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a risotto pan with a splash of olive oil.
2. Add the leek and stir until coated.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir continuously until coated, then add a generous splash of white wine, continue stirring.
4. Pour in some of the chicken stock liquid (approx. 125ml) and stir through the rice, as it evaporates add more and continue stirring.
5. Stir through the saffron and pumpkin, then some stock. Stir in the corn.  
6. Taste and add fresh sea salt if needed.
7. Follow the basic process for risotto by alternating between adding the liquid stock and stirring. Do this until the rice is almost cooked and there is still liquid left in the pan so the risotto is sloppy. If the 1L stock is not enough, add warm water until the risotto is ready.
8. Turn the heat off and serve immediately.
9. If desired, add Parmesan to taste and garnish.

Tips

• Next time I'd whizz the corn to shred it to pieces so it releases that corn creaminess.
• You will need to stir continuously until the dish is cooked/finished. Risotto should never be left unattended or unstirred. Continuously stirring releases the rice's glutinous quality which is what makes the risotto creamy.
• Risotto should be sloppy or soupy i.e runny, as opposed to dry. Also it should be slightly crunchy. Once the heat is turned off, the rice will continue to absorb the liquid and cook through, so by the time its served; its ready. In the picture above, I had let the risotto sit for approx. 15mins (not advised) hence why all the liquid had been absorbed. Risotto is best served immediately.

Chicken Liver & Green Peppercorn Pâté

There's nothing quite like home made pâté. One whiff of the good stuff and I gotta get me a glass of wine. This is not always applicable, especially when I'm spreading pâté on my morning toast.

Rich in protein and iron, you can't go wrong. This is the blood build up power food. It's the breakfast of champions whilst I try to build up my energy over Meditative March. Check out the health benefits in detail here and here.

Pâté recipes often dictate the use of large quantities of butter. Since I'm not a massive fan (of adding fat to my already generous Greek hips), I've kept butter to a minimum.

Chicken Liver & Green Peppercorn Pâté
10 mins prep time, 2 hrs marinating, 15-20 mins cooking time plus refrigeration

500 grams fresh chicken livers
1 small onion, diced
3 tablespoons fresh green peppercorns
sea salt
splash brandy
2 bay leaves
thyme (fresh or dried)
1 garlic clove, crushed with side of a knife
2 small sticks unsalted butter
olive oil
milk

Shove the chicken livers in a large bowl add milk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. I like to use rice milk and refrigerate overnight.

Heat the olive oil and one stick of butter in a pan, brown the onion. Take the chicken livers out of the milk, add them to the hot pan with onion and stir. Add the green peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and garlic.

Douse the ingredients with a splash of brandy. I find the brandy kills any "livery" smell.

Cook for no more than 10 minutes. The chicken livers should not be overly cooked, so inside they're still slightly pink.

 

Take pan off the heat and set aside. Remove the bay leaves and thyme twigs (if any).

Shove the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Add a stick of cold butter and whizz.

Spoon mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate. The pâté will last up to 6 days.

Tips

• If you like your pâté sweeter, add a splash of port when you're whizzing the mixture.
• You can freeze the pâté if it's too much to eat in one hit.
• If you love your pepper and extra heat, after you've whizzed the mixture, stir through some whole green peppercorns.

Open Chicken Sandwich

This is a quick and casual Saturday lunch. Even serves well as a tasty snack!

 
Open Chicken Sandwich
5 mins prep, 5 mins cooking

Sourdough bread slices
Chicken fillet, sliced
Tomato slices
Avocado, mashed
¼ Spanish onion, sliced
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan, then on one corner add chicken fillet to reheat and onion slices on the other corner to cook.
2. Toast the sourdough slices. Then spread with avocado.
3.  Then layer the remainder of the ingredients as follows: tomato, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, cooked onion, reheated chicken, mayonnaise (injected sparingly in small pockets between the ingredients).
4. Serve or eat immediately. 

Tips

• Feel free to add more condiments: I added Tabasco sauce to some slices. 

Ox Tail with White Wine and Dill Gravy

I was watching my porn again, another episode(s) of Anthony Bourdain. It was maybe the Philippines episode where he made some remark about ox tail. Can't say I've had ox tail lately, or that I've ever cooked it.

Inspiration hit when I saw ox tail packaged nicely during my shopping dash yesterday, so I picked some up and decided to experiment. Ahhh, slow cooked meals, the lazy persons guide to cooking a fantabulous dish with minimal effort. The result was again, finger licking good. I even got to some bone marrow hidden inside that tail bone. Yum!


Ox Tail with White Wine and Dill Gravy
2 mins prep, approx. 2hrs cooking, serves 4 people

olive oil
approx. 1kg ox tail pieces
1 onion, cut into slices
1 cup white wine
approx. 3 cups water
2 cloves garlic, crushed with side of a knife
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
generous handful dill, chopped
fresh, creamy, warm potato mash for serving

1. Heat olive oil in deep pan, add onions and cook until translucent.
2. Season ox tail pieces with sea salt and black pepper, then add to pan with onion. Brown meat on all sides.
   
3. Add dill, white wine and water to the pan. Ensure these is enough water to cover the meat. Adjust seasoning to taste.
4. Cook on low heat for 1hr, making sure to stir occasionally and that meat or onions do not stick to pan.
5. Stir in garlic pieces. Cook for a further 1hr, continuing to stir occasionally. Check there is enough water in the pan for a saucy consistency, top up if needed.
6. Turn heat off and enjoy over a creamy hot potato mash. Alternatively, serve with pasta or rice.

The Ethics of Organic

Coles stock organic produce, they have for a while now. I'm counting on simple economics: buy more from them, create more demand and there will be more supply, driving the price down. Is that ethical? Is that local and sustainable? It's capitalism. It somehow feels wrong combining both those words together: organic and capitalism. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but when it comes down to the dollars, the organic stuff is cheaper there than other places I've seen. I'm happy to be proven wrong.

So I had organic zucchini to use up...but how?

I was leafing through my new French cookbook. Insert a guy holding a baguette and wearing a moustache, here. I can't help it, he's also mocking me in his heavy French accent in my head. So all that's happening and I'm trying to find a recipe which does not use creme fraiche or lots of cheese, or 10 tonnes of butter or more creme fraiche. I get inspired by a few ingredients: namely lemon and the combination of tarragon and chicken which I've been wanting to try for a while. Throw in the zucchini and I make up the following dish.

Lemon & Tarragon Chicken with Organic Zucchini
10 mins prep time, 30-35 mins cooking, serves 4

olive oil
small knob butter
plain white flour for dusting
3 chicken fillets cut into chunks
dried tarragon
fresh parsley, chopped,
½ lemon zest (carved off using a peeler) and juice

2 small organic zucchini, thickly sliced

¼ cup dry white wine

¼ cup water
2 small cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of the knife and torn into chunky pieces
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Lightly dust the chicken pieces in flour and set aside.
2. Place the olive oil and butter in a pan and swish until butter is melted.
3. Add the chicken pieces and slightly brown on both sides.
4. Add freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine and water to the pan, stir.
5. Cook on low heat with a lid for approx. 20 mins until chicken is juicy and tender.
6. Stir in the garlic pieces and parsley. Place the zucchini pieces on top and replace the lid, cooking for a further 5 mins on very low heat, just enough to steam the zucchini. Turn heat off and ready to serve.

 I served this puppy up on stacked polenta, which I boiled, let set, cut into squares and fried.

Fried Eggs with Feta and Spring Onions in Tomato

When I was young, my mum would whip up this dish for either breakfast, a snack, casual lunch or dinner. She would and still does, use farm fresh eggs from her chickens and tomatoes grown in our yard or by one of our neighbours. The spring onion and feta were usually never in the dish, but they could always be found on our table. The feta in large slabs on a side plate and the spring onions whole, so we could crunch right into them.

Fried Eggs with Feta and Spring Onions in Tomato
2 mins prep time,  6 mins cooking time, serves 1

2 eggs
1/3 cup fresh tomato puree
splash olive oil
2 fresh spring onions, chopped
1 piece of feta cheese
toasted sourdough for serving
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

1. Splash some olive oil in a pan to coat it. Add in the tomato puree and simmer on low for no more than a minute, until the water content starts evaporating. Break the eggs and add them in the middle of the pan.
2. Season the eggs with salt and pepper whilst they're cooking. Add a lid to the pan to finish the eggs off. Turn the heat off and sprinkle the spring onion and feta cheese. 
3. Serve with toasted crusty sourdough straight out of the pan. The sourdough is a great tool to mop up the saucy goodness.