Regional/International recipes - post here!

[Beth Y]

In the old BB, there was a post (by Gail, I think) that suggested that we all post our old family favorites, so that we all could have the opportunity of getting some traditional T&T (tried and true) recipes from various US regions and other countries. I think it sounds like a great idea, so I bring it up again for this new Board.

I am from Virginia and now live in North Carolina, so I will start things going here, with my recipe for Southern Pecan Pie. Now this is pecan pie in its purest form, which I think it the best way. I don't understand why people keep trying to add things to make it thicker or goopier. This pie has a chewy, nutty top and a caramel center, but not too much caramel to make it custardy.

Southern Pecan Pie

1 cup dark Karo syrup
1 tbsp butter (melted)
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans(duh, sorry for leaving this out on first post!)

You just put everything together in a bowl and mix it, then pour into an unbaked pie shell. I use those Pillsbury folded crust, but feel free to make your own. Bake at 300 degrees for about 1 hour. I like a more chewy pie, so I bake it a little longer til it doesn't wiggle at all when you shake it! Let it set and serve it warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or just plain. Heavenly.

I will be posting more soon. Now, ya'll have at it.


[This message has been edited by Beth Y (edited 06-14-2000).]

[TraceyK]

How many pecans?

[Gail]

This recipe is Cuban garlicky cooking at its finest. If you haven't considered rewriting
Oscar Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" so as to include the word garlic in the lyrics,
don't even bother with this one. And if your pork should weigh less than what's written here, I wouldn't even reduce the quantities of ingredients in the marinade (except maybe for salt, which I reduce anyway)-- it only makes it more flavorful.

PIERNA DE PUERCO ASADA
Roast Leg of Pork Creole

one 5 to 6 pound leg or shoulder of pork
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 Seville (sour) orange juice or 1/4 cup sweet orange juice combined with 1/8 cup each
fresh lime and lemon juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 large onions, thickly sliced

1. The night before serving, remove any excess fat from the leg of pork and pierce the meat all over with the tip of a knife. (The soundtrack from Psycho will get you in the mood.) In a mortar, combine the garlic, oregano, salt and cumin, and mash into a paste. Place the pork in a nonreactive pan and rub it well with the paste, sprinkle liberally with pepper, add the orange juice, sherry, and onions, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, turning the meat several times. (If, during the marinating process, the enticing aroma of this concoction does not cause you to salivate wildly, I urge you to run--not walk-- to your nearest ENT for immediate treatment, or to abandon any further designs on Cuban cooking forever!)
2. About 4 1/2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade, pat it dry, and reserve the marinade. Place the pork in an
aluminum-foil-lined roasting pan. Roast for one hour, turning the roast to brown on all
sides. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it doesn't touch bone. Lower the oven
temperature to 325 degrees, pour the reserved marinade over it, cover loosely with
aluminum foil, and cook another three hours or so, turning the meat once and basting
frequently with pan juices, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of roasting, adding sherry if the meat becomes dry.
3. When it is done, remove the leg of pork to a serving platter and allow it to stand,
covered with the foil, 15 minutes before carving. Serve with Mojo Criollo (Creole Garlic Sauce.)
Makes 8 servings.

MOJO CRIOLLO
Creole Garlic Sauce
(sorry there's so much oil. But, to me the sauce is absolutely necessary.)

6 to 8 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium-size onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour (Seville) orange juice or 1/4 cup sweet orange juice and 1/8 cup each fresh
lime and lemon juice
1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil

1. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, crush the garlic with the salt to form a thick paste.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic paste, onion and juice, and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer.
3. Minutes before you are ready to serve the mojo, heat the oil and over medium heat in a medium-size pan until it is very hot, add the garlic mixture (do this quickly because it will splatter), stir, and serve immediately. To reheat, simmer over low heat until heated through, about 6 to 8 minutes. The sauce keeps several weeks refrigerated. I can assure you that during those weeks, your home will be totally vampire-free.
Makes 1 cup

Serve with black beans, white rice and fried ripe plantains.

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-14-2000).]

[Beth Y]

These are great!! Vanessa, is that a type of pepper? I just want to know what to ask for when I go. Also, it would be great if ya'll would include the origins of these, just for our edification.

[Gail]

I've already thanked Vanessa, so thank you Beth. We love pecan pie! I'm looking forward to trying it.

I'm assuming your question about recipe origin is strictly for Vanessa, yes?

[Shirley Panek]

Beth Y --

This is what I got off of the Cook's Thesaurus, since I wasn't sure what they were either!

chayote = cho-cho = chocho = christophene = christophine = chuchu = mango squash = mirliton (in the South) = pear squash = vegetable pear = sousous = choko = custard marrow = pepinella = xuxu Pronunciation: chi-YOH-tay or chi-YOH-tee Notes: This winter squash looks like a wrinkled, pale green pear. Use it like a summer squash, only allow a longer cooking time. Peel it if the skin is tough. The large seed is edible and tasty. Substitutes: zucchini (stonger flavor, cooks more quickly) OR other summer squash OR carrots OR bell peppers (for stuffing) Notes: For more information, see the Wegman's Food Market's page on Chayote.

[Vanessa]

Chayotes stuffed with beef or pork (or turkey)From Puerto Rico
3 large chayotes (look in Latin supermarkets)
8 cups water 2 tab salt
Wash chayotes cut in half lenghtwiseand bring to a boil in the water and salt, reduce heat to moderate. Cover & cook until fork tender
In the meantime using a heavy kettle or saucepan heat 1 tsp olive oil over med high and add 1/2 pound ground beef, pork (or if you wish turkey) 2 ounces lean cured ham, minced
1 tsp salt. Cook stirring until meat looses its red color. Reduce to moserate heat and add the following minced ingredients
1/4 c onion
5 dry prunes pitted
1 clove garlic peeled
_____
Add also1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp capers
2 tab seeded raisins
1/4 c tomato sauce
1/4 tsp vinegar
Mix well and cover,stir occasinally for 20 mins or so.
Drain chayotes remove cores (& fibrous part under core) Scoop out the pulp VERY carefully so you will not break shells. Place shells on a cookie or aluminum sheet. Mash the pulp or chop and incorporate to the meat mixture. Heat throughly.
Fill chayotes with mixture.Sprinkle with bread or cracker crumbs (@ 2 tablespoons) and dot with 2 tab of butter which you will divide among your chayote pieces. Oven 375. Bake until golden brown . This is a very old recipe. You can also use the same concept to stuff other veggies like peppers.


[This message has been edited by Vanessa (edited 06-14-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Vanessa (edited 06-15-2000).]

[Gail]

Originally posted by Beth Y:
These are great!! Vanessa, is that a type of pepper? I just want to know what to ask for when I go. Also, it would be great if ya'll would include the origins of these, just for our edification.

Beth, definitely check Wegman's (www.wegmans.com) or Coosemans (www.coosemans.com) both of which have pictures of chayotes as well as basic information.

[Beth Y]

Hey, Gail, thanks. As I said, I am a beet lover and would love a good T&T borscht recipe. Like you (and most on this BB it sounds like) I also have recipes in my cookbook collection, but was hoping that someone had an old family recipe that they could pass along. Thanks for the offer and remembering me, though.

Anybody else out there have any good family recipes, especially international ones? I can't wait to try the ones already posted.

[Gail]

I'm sorry but I just don't feel like I've arrived until my topic gets one of those little fires. So, to help it along, I'm posting another Cuban recipe.

BOLICHE
Cuban Stuffed Pot Roast

One 4-pound eye of round or rump roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup sour (Seville) orange juice, or 1/2
cup sweet orange juice mixed with 1/4 cup
lime juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 pound ham steak, cut into 1-inch
squares
Small jar whole pimento-stuffed green olives
(use as many as you wish)
5 to 6 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil
2 large onions, thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry sherry
3 cups water or beef stock
4 medium size potatoes (like white rose or red) peeled and halved (Optional)

1. In the center of the roast, make a deep gash, the width of two fingers. (Be sure your fingers are still in tact after making the gash, as this is not the kind of stuffing I had in mind.)
2. Starting at either end and working toward the center of the roast, stuff the meat tightly with the ham and olives, pushing both in with the handle of a wooden spoon. (You'll probably squish some olives, which is fine.) Pierce the roast all over with the point of a knife (Psycho music again.)
3. In a mortar (or small food processor) mash the garlic and oregano to a paste. Rub all over the surface of the meat. Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt and pepper (liberally? Pepper, yes; salt, no.), pour the orange juice over it, cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. About 3 hours before serving, remove the meat from the marinade and inhale deeply
(for no particular reason other than it smells pretty good.) Reserve the marinade. Pat the meat dry and place in a heavy-bottomed casserole that will hold the meat comfortably. Heat the oil over medium heat until fragrant, brown the roast on all sides, and set aside.
5. Add the onions to the casserole and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often to
prevent them from browning. Return the meat to the casserole and add the bay leaves,
sherry, water, and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce
the heat to low and simmer, covered, about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, till tender, adding more stock if necessary. (At the 2 hour point, you may add 4 peeled and halved potatoes if you're a potato kinda person.)
6. Remove the roast from the casserole, allow it to stand 10 minutes and slice it a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the meat on a serving platter, surrounded by the potatoes (if you made them), strain the sauce over it, and serve. You should have beautiful slices of roast, each with a round of pink ham and green and red olives in the center. Very pretty. Especially when arranged in a circle around your plate. Practice looking casual before bringing it to the table... This thing?? It's just a little something I threw together...
Makes 8 servings

[Gail]

I'm sorry but I just don't feel like I've arrived until my topic gets one of those little fires. So, to help it along, I'm posting another Cuban recipe.

BOLICHE
Cuban Stuffed Pot Roast

One 4-pound eye of round or rump roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup sour (Seville) orange juice, or 1/2
cup sweet orange juice mixed with 1/4 cup
lime juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 pound ham steak, cut into 1-inch
squares
Small jar whole pimento-stuffed green olives
(use as many as you wish)
5 to 6 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil
2 large onions, thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry sherry
3 cups water or beef stock
4 medium size potatoes (like white rose or red) peeled and halved (Optional)

1. In the center of the roast, make a deep gash, the width of two fingers. (Be sure your fingers are still in tact after making the gash, as this is not the kind of stuffing I had in mind.)
2. Starting at either end and working toward the center of the roast, stuff the meat tightly with the ham and olives, pushing both in with the handle of a wooden spoon. (You'll probably squish some olives, which is fine.) Pierce the roast all over with the point of a knife (Psycho music again.)
3. In a mortar (or small food processor) mash the garlic and oregano to a paste. Rub all over the surface of the meat. Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt and pepper (liberally? Pepper, yes; salt, no.), pour the orange juice over it, cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. About 3 hours before serving, remove the meat from the marinade and inhale deeply
(for no particular reason other than it smells pretty good.) Reserve the marinade. Pat the meat dry and place in a heavy-bottomed casserole that will hold the meat comfortably. Heat the oil over medium heat until fragrant, brown the roast on all sides, and set aside.
5. Add the onions to the casserole and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often to
prevent them from browning. Return the meat to the casserole and add the bay leaves,
sherry, water, and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce
the heat to low and simmer, covered, about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, till tender, adding more stock if necessary. (At the 2 hour point, you may add 4 peeled and halved potatoes if you're a potato kinda person.)
6. Remove the roast from the casserole, allow it to stand 10 minutes and slice it a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the meat on a serving platter, surrounded by the potatoes (if you made them), strain the sauce over it, and serve. You should have beautiful slices of roast, each with a round of pink ham and green and red olives in the center. Very pretty. Especially when arranged in a circle around your plate. Practice looking casual before bringing it to the table. This thing?? It's just a little something I threw together...
Makes 8 servings

In light of my statement about the little fire, you'll probably never believe that my posting a second time was accidental when I went back to use italics...

--and thanks for refreshing my memory, Beth.



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-16-2000).]

[Gail]

Help me out, Beth? Senility is apparently setting in very early. (Well okay... maybe not quite THAT early...)
Was I looking for borscht or not? (and if I was, was it supposed to have meat?) And if I do post it, you understand it won't be "tried and true."

[Vanessa]

With the tomato season approaching here a recipe from Mexico
Salsa de Molcajete (fresh tomato sauce/dipping sauce)
6 ripe & juicy tomatoes (med size)
2-4 fresh jalapenos stem and seeds remove (WEARGLOVES!)
5 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
1/2 med white onion cut up (red onion though gives it a special flavor)
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed cleaned and chopped
In a saucepan combine tomatoes and chiles with water to cover. Bring to a boil and blanch for no more than 3 minutes until tomatoes are JUST soft; drain. Place garlic, oregano & salt in a mortar (molcajete). Using a tejolote (pestle) grind ingredients together. Add the tomatoes,chile, onion & cilantro. Continue grinding and mixing until desired consistency. Sason with salt to taste
Note If you don't have a mortar & pestle put in Cuisinart and pulse until desired consistency.
Makes 3 cups/ MEXICO