Tucked inside the front cover of my well-loved copy of The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers (2002) is Dwight Garner's review of the book that appeared in the December 8, 2002 edition of The New York Times. Garner started his review by calling it not only 2002's best cookbook but "the one people are still likely to be talking about, and cooking from, 20 years down the line." Prescient words. At the end of the review, Garner suggested zeroing in on the recipe for sea bass with leeks, potatoes, and thyme. The dish was "the best thing that had ever come out of [his] kitchen." Garner even went so far as to say that it was something he and his wife would "serve at our last meal."
In the 19 years I've owned The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, I never have tried the sea bass. However, another dish from the same book—pasta with tuna and pine nuts—would make it onto the podium if I were casting about for my last meal. One of the other contenders has always been potato gnocchi with sage butter and Parmesan. And now I think I have my third finalist: Chili Colorado.
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This mahogany-red chili (it takes its name from the color, not the state) was recommended to me in the strongest possible terms by my buddy Ed, who knows his way around a kitchen. I even got to taste a sample that Ed brought me one weekend, along with the Mexican oregano and all of the chiles I'd need to make it myself. When I finally did get a chance to make it recently, Mom and I were not disappointed. It truly is spectacular, and fully worthy of both Ed's high praise and its inclusion in Bon Appétit's "greatest recipe of all time" series.
Chili Colorado
Adapted from Rick Martinez via Bon Appétit (from this video; there’s also an April 15, 2015 article with slightly different instructions)
Time: ~3:30
Martinez cautions you to avoid brittle chiles which are "old and will be flavorless," and to instead "look for chiles that are soft and pliable, like a raisin." Martinez's mother, from whom he got the recipe, served the chili with Mexican rice, beans a la charra, and a stack of homemade flour tortillas. Mom and Ed like it best ladled over plain white rice, while I prefer scooping it up with warm flour tortillas.
5 ancho chiles (see note)
3 guajillo chiles
2 pasilla chiles
8 cups chicken stock, divided
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower or vegetable
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh sage (10 to 12 leaves)
1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. In a large bowl, cover the chiles with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the pork shoulder into ½-inch pieces. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven (now's the time to break out the enameled cast iron if you have it) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the pork and sear until deep golden brown on the bottom, without stirring for a minute or two, then brown the other side. Remove when browned all over, then repeat with the remaining pork.
3. Add the other pork back to the pot, with its collected juices, then stir in the remaining 5 cups chicken stock and the bay leaves.
8 cups chicken stock, divided
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower or vegetable
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh sage (10 to 12 leaves)
1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. In a large bowl, cover the chiles with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the pork shoulder into ½-inch pieces. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven (now's the time to break out the enameled cast iron if you have it) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the pork and sear until deep golden brown on the bottom, without stirring for a minute or two, then brown the other side. Remove when browned all over, then repeat with the remaining pork.
3. Add the other pork back to the pot, with its collected juices, then stir in the remaining 5 cups chicken stock and the bay leaves.
4. Place the steamed chiles and 3 cups chicken stock in a blender. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and sage. Puree until very smooth.
5. Add the chile puree to the pot. Bring up to a boil, then lower to a steady, but not overly aggressive, simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce is thick and a deep mahogany-red color, 2½ hours or more. Monitor the heat as the meat will stick if the sauce boils too rapidly. Serve with warm flour tortillas and/or plain white rice (see note). Serves 4.
5. Add the chile puree to the pot. Bring up to a boil, then lower to a steady, but not overly aggressive, simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce is thick and a deep mahogany-red color, 2½ hours or more. Monitor the heat as the meat will stick if the sauce boils too rapidly. Serve with warm flour tortillas and/or plain white rice (see note). Serves 4.
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