Skillet Pasta with Smokey Pork and Tomatoes

Spring sunshine and cool temperatures called for sweaters and a brisk pace on today's late morning walk. We set out to investigate the sound of chainsaws, near enough to be easily audible indoors. Several lots uphill we found a tree-felling crew taking down four tall evergreens, twelve to sixteen inches or more in diameter. Rumor has it another neighbor purchased the "view rights" on two adjacent properties and cleared the trees to improve their lake view. You can buy view rights? forever? We shook our heads and walked on, lamenting the continuing loss of tall timber in the neighborhood.

Hunger pangs struck as soon as we returned and I quickly gathered miscellaneous ingredients from fridge and pantry. Pork, tomatoes, onions, parsley, Parmesan and pasta soon surrounded the cooktop. Smoked pork bones pack a hefty flavor punch; too smoke-heavy and salty to use "as is". Their smokey saltiness can be overwhelming so I tame them with a preboil and soak ahead of use. Luckily I had cooked them earlier today. Pork, pasta and those few vegetables came together with a simple sauce for a quick and tasty lunch. Fresh fruit for dessert provided a sweet finish... and then I was finished. Surely a little Spring stroll justifies a little afternoon nap.

Skillet Pasta with Smokey Pork and Tomatoes

1 package smoked pork neck bones (1+ lbs)
4 fat handfuls cavatappi pasta (enough for 2 servings)
1 cup white or yellow onion, rough chopped
1 TBS anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic powder)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halves
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shreds
1/4 cup Italian parsley, rough chopped  

Place smoked pork neck bones in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil over high heat; lower the heat, cover and cook at a low simmer for an hour. Leave the pork and liquid in the pot and cool to room temperature. Discard the cooking water, pull the meat from the bones and shred, removing pockets of fat, and set aside. 

Cook the pasta until just tender, it will soften a bit more as it finishes in the skillet. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. 

Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet and saute the diced onion over medium high heat until softened. Add the anchovy paste and stir to incorporate. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, tomato halves and cooked pork; cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, to heat through (and the tomatoes soften).

Stir in 1/4-cup of the hot pasta water and add the drained, cooked pasta, half of the Parmesan cheese and all of the parsley; toss to mix (adding more olive oil and pasta water as needed). 

Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve.
   

Ham and Cheese Bread

...a delicious savory quick bread featuring a soft, moist interior under a crackled and crunchy crust.

A last-minute tweak to the Sunday brunch menu left piles mountains of sliced ham and cheese hanging out in my fridge. "No problemo," I thought since these basic deli ingredients are incredibly versatile. We love loaded chef's salads, open-faced smorrebrod sandwiches, decadent Monte Cristos or Croque Madames, mac 'n cheese minis with ham... and the list goes on. Initially a few late hour snack attacks partnered the ham and cheese with crackers, mustard and pickles. Impromptu nibbles are the best! but we didn't make a dent in the leftovers. It was time to get serous.

Carb cravings kicked in when I ran across a Patricia Wells quick bread recipe, found in her book, Salad as a Meal. Yes, it would be Ham and Cheese Bread to the rescue! 

Wells called for chunks of ham and French comte cheese cut in 1/4-inch dice, but I worked with the slices of Black Forest ham and smoked gouda cheese already on hand. A rough chop of the presliced ingredients substituted for the specified cubes. It worked. Kalamata olives added some welcome salty, savory notes on day one, a tasty match for za'atar flavored chicken thighs and a Greek salad, but the olives were too dominant the next morning on the toasted slices. Was it the contrast with my mixed fruit breakfast smoothie? maybe. I'll try milder olives in the next loaf, or swap in nuts instead. 

The original recipe called for a 25-30 minute cooking time, but it took 45 minutes in my oven for the center to cook through and a cake tester to come out clean. By then the crust was well past golden, but I really do prefer breads with a crunchy, browned crust. Why so long a cook? was it my oven temperature? was it the glass pan? Some quick online research indicated it might be both, or either, or neither. Sigh. Use the listed cooking times as suggestions, checking often with a tester until the interior is done. 

We loved thin slices from the still warm loaf, without butter or any other accompaniments (like fig jam). Cooled to room temperature the slices offered less of a flavor punch, but still made delicious snacks and led me to thoughts of a savory bread pudding. Toasted breakfast slices were less well-received; I'll blame it on those assertive olives. Nonetheless the entire loaf disappeared in less than 24 hours. Now it's time to plan some flavor and ingredient tweaks for the next loaf, maybe four mini loaves with two for appetizers and two for the freezer. 

Ham and Cheese Quick Bread

recipe largely from "Salad as a Meal" by Patricia Wells

5 TBS extra-virgin olive oil 
1 cups All-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour   
2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
5-oz cheese, chopped or cubed (Fontina, gruyere or swiss)
5-oz cooked ham, chopped or cubed
1/3 cup olives, pitted & halved (Kalamata or pimento-stuffed green)
additional olive oil or cooking spray to coat the loaf pan

1. Place an oven rack in the center; preheat the oven to 400 F. Generously oil bottom and sides of the loaf pan.
2. Use a large bowl and combine thoroughly the first 7 ingredients, olive oil through yogurt. 
3. Add the cheese, ham and olives and stir to incorporate but don't overmix.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven until the crust is a rich golden color and a cake tester comes out clean. This takes roughly 30 minutes in a metal pan. (It took 45 minutes in my oven using a glass pan)
5. Remove from the oven and place the bread pan on a wire rack to cool. After the loaf cools, tilt it out of the pan to slice and serve at room temperature.

*Patricia Wells notes the loaf can be stored "at room temperature wrapped in foil for up to 3 days."

Power Outage Two-Pork Chili

Power outage?!? here in Seattle? Yes, indeed. Forecasters have broadcast warnings across the Pacific Northwest, warning residents to brace for some really ugly weather in the next several days, with an approaching series of three storms holding the potential for high winds and widespread power outages. While not as extreme as the recent hurricane warnings along the East Coast, these storms might be historic for our region... maybe...  Those warnings sent me to the freezer to see what might spoil during an extended electrical outage. Luckily the freezer was fairly empty, a rarity around here.

Several packages of Mexican chorizo and some pork neck bones prompted this freeform batch of pork chili which utilized random pantry ingredients already on hand. Chili will be easy to reheat using a propane single-burner or even on the barbecue in case of a power outage, or can be packaged into quart containers to freeze if we don't lose power. It feels like a win-win solution, but I really hope the forecasters get it wrong. RL really hopes he's not the one outside on the deck trying to keep the barbecue lit.

We sampled the chili last night, adjusting spicy heat and flavors to please both of us, and declared the recipe a keeper. It will undoubtedly be even more flavorful tomorrow after the beans soak up more broth and the flavors blend overnight. A few scrap paper jottings noted the ingredients and quantities I tossed into the pot, so there is a chance of repeating the recipe... maybe. Ah, but I do like to tinker with ingredients and flavors in each new batch of chili, don't you? 

Power Outage Two-Pork Chili

(recipe adjusted for a smaller batch)

12 oz Mexican chorizo
1 generous swirl of oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 largish sweet mini peppers, diced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 heaping teaspoon smoky paprika (pimenton)
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
3 cans diced tomatoes, low sodium
2 1/2 pounds pork neck bones
3 cups chicken broth, low sodium (more as needed)
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, low sodium, drained & rinsed
2 more cans black beans
1 package (15 oz) frozen SW Blend (corn, beans, poblano chiles, red peppers, onions)
1/4 cup juice from a jar of Mezzetta's Tamed Jalapeno Peppers
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese, diced avocado, diced green onions, jalapeno rings, taco chips, lime wedges, etc.

Use a heavy-bottomed kettle and brown the chorizo over medium heat; remove from the pan, drain the grease and set aside. Wipe out the pan to remove the spicy chorizo grease. Add oil to the pan and saute the onion, peppers and garlic. Add the seasonings, cumin through chile powder, and cook until fragrant. Return the chorizo to the pan; add tomatoes, pork neck bones and enough chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook partially covered at a low simmer until the pork is ready to fall off the bones (about 2-1/2 hours).

Remove the neck bones from the pot; let sit until cool enough to handle and pull the meat from the bones. Discard bones, rubbery fat, tendons and other strange-textured bits. This yielded about 2 cups of meat to add back into the pot.

Add the shredded pork, the 2 additional cans of drained & rinsed black beans, a package of frozen Southwest Blend frozen vegetables and 1/4 cup of juice from pickled jalapeno peppersj back into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat to warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings to suit; add more chicken broth if needed to adjust consistency. RL will reach for the salt and a bottle of hot sauce... always... guaranteed.

Pulled Pork Waffle Sandwich

...wait, I thought you served enchiladas?! The history of this stacked waffle creation is a long, rambling story, and if you don't care about the details just scroll to the bottom for a quick version. I will understand if you want to skip to the how-to details. But if you are interested in how a chicken enchilada lunch turned into pulled pork waffle sandwiches, here's the tale.

It began when ex-Seattlites Char and Bill, two college friends who introduced us eons ago, planned a return trip to the city for some appointments. What a perfect opportunity to visit and catch up on life events over a lengthy lunch here at the house. After checking with Char about food allergies and preferences, I planned an easy-to-prep-ahead menu for our buffet lunch. 

Chicken, Green Chile and Cheese Enchiladas

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas 

SouthWest Corn Salad

Creamy Cabbage Slaw with Avocado

Pickled Vegetables

Butter Pecan Cookies and pecan caramel ice cream

.

.

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and an unplanned serving of Baby Back Pork Ribs

A large rack of ribs, already trimmed and coated with my spicy homemade dry rub, already sat marinating in the fridge. I tossed the pork into the oven early in the day to prebake it low-and-slow, planning to reheat and sauce it for dinner that night or the next day. Lucky decision! That unplanned, spur-of-the-moment rib decision to bake the ribs saved the day. It seems there were just a few more food items to avoid - beans and nuts! Eek! without the pork ribs, "friendly" lunch choices could have been pretty limited. 

The hours flew by as we laughed, reminisced, nibbled away at lunch, talked some more and ate some more. The chicken enchiladas were a major hit, disappearing quickly, but the sweet potato enchiladas were strictly a "girly" choice. The guys preferred the ribs with barbecue sauce, no surprise there. Salads and vegetables were sampled, but no one scooped up a third helping. Eventually two servings of enchiladas and a ton of corn salad, cabbage slaw and various pickled vegetables plus half of the ribs remained to enjoy later in the week. Visualize one refrigerator shelf loaded with plastic containers of tasty leftovers. 

Reheated wedges of sweet potato and black bean enchilada starred as fabulous breakfast fare the next morning - okay, fabulous for at least one of us. Salsa and/or a poached egg boosted the visual appeal and popped the flavor; these might be a better brunch than lunch item. 

Reheated pork ribs, served on the bone, sounded boring the next day. Not terrible, just routine and boring. So I pulled the sauced meat off the bone, shredded it and mentally ran through some sandwich options. Pulled pork on a bun would be tasty, but then visions of Chicken and Waffles danced through my brain. Shazam! inspiration hit - pulled pork on a cheddar cheese, cornmeal-flavored waffle would be even better! and it was. lots better. minus the hot maple syrup, of course. This version made good use of yesterday's lunch leftovers, but I'd make bbq pork again and again just to revisit this waffle sandwich... a pulled pork wafflewich.

Pulled Pork Waffle Sandwich

Serves 3-4 (or more depending on serving size) 

For the waffles: 
I substitute 1/4 cup cornmeal for an equal amount of starter in a double batch of my standard sourdough waffle recipe (link). Sprinkle a small handful of shredded cheddar (or jack or Havarti) on top of the raw batter just before closing the lid on the loaded waffle iron. Cook until crisp; repeat with remaining batter. Place cooked waffles on a grate and hold in a warm oven (the grate keeps the bottoms from going soft and soggy).

For the filling: 
Pull the cooked, sauced meat off the bones of 6 meaty pork spareribs (link), discarding any large pockets of fat, and shred or pull apart the pork into bite-sized chunks. Slice a medium sweet onion into thin strips. Measure a cup or so of your favorite homemade or bottled barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's).

For the sandwiches: 

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet and saute thin slices of onion until softened - add slices of sweet or spicy peppers if you like. Add the meat and a cup of  barbecue sauce to the skillet; stir to mix and heat until the meat is warm. 
• Split a Belgian waffle quarter or half piece to separate top and bottom (or use 2 thin regular waffles) and ladle the filling generously over the base. Sprinkle with more cheese (and consider adding slices of avocado, bacon or grilled poblano chile slices). Add the waffle topper and serve. Repeat.
• Note: One quarter of a fat Belgian waffle makes a filling lunch for dainty, ladylike appetites, but half-waffle portions are more the norm in my kitchen.   

Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

Even before opening my eyes I knew, it was going to be one of those days weatherwise. The wind howled outside, rattling the glass and shaking the screens on the sliding glass doors. Rain pelted the windows with a rhythmic rat-a-tat-tat fury. Finally awake and out of bed, I marveled at the three-foot surf racing across the lake to pound against our rock breakwater and roll up onto the small gravel beach. This was a perfect excuse to stay warm and dry inside and make one of our favorite comfort-food soups, pork posole (pozole). 

The recipe may look lengthy, but it is a shortcut version with remarkably little hands-on time for the cook. While the meat simmers low and slow in the oven the kitchen smells heavenly, perfumed with Southwest aromas. The aroma alone recalls fond memories of flavorful bowls of posole in New Mexico during SW road trips. More "authentic traditional" posole recipes call for (1) reconstituting and cooking hominy - field corn boiled with slaked lime and dried  - and (2) building an ancho chile puree from dried peppers  that have been toasted, deseeded, soaked and pureed. Not necessary, in my opinion, this quicker version is plenty tasty without requiring a full day of cooking.   

Posole, likened to a soupy stew, is often a celebratory dish in northern New Mexico, offered red, green or Christmas-style during the holidays.

 New Mexico is the only state with an official question—"Red or green?"—referring to the choice of red or green chile. Combining both red and green chile is often referred to as "Christmas". Wikipedia

We don't need a holiday or special occasion to enjoy posole at home. Red/rojo or green/verde, served with an array of garnishes, this soup can make any meal seem like a celebration. Not fond of pork? Try this delicious Green Posole with Chicken recipe instead. Or get creative and develop your own version.

Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

adapted from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated, Soups and Stews, 2001

6 servings (depending on bowl size and appetites)

1 (3-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (or the equivalent in thick cut steaks or meaty neck bones)

Salt and coarse-ground black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons Canola oil

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 poblano chiles, deseeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (low-sodium)

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1+ Tablespoons Chipotle Tabasco or homemade ancho chile slurry

2 15-ounce cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnish options:

1 lime, cut into wedges

3 radishes, sliced thin

2 green onions, green and white portions, sliced thin

1 avocado, diced

fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

6 jalapeño and sweet mini peppers seeded, sliced thin into rounds

Romaine or iceberg lettuce or cabbage shreds

Pepper jack cheese, shredded

Lime-flavored tortilla chips or fresh tortillas, warmed

Hot sauce or homemade ancho chile slurry

Directions:

1. Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees F. Trim any thick skin and excess chunks of fat from the meat; cut the pork into large pieces of varying sizes along the lines of the muscles. Cut away the bones if using shoulder roast or steaks, but reserve and set aside. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onions and poblanos until softened, but not browned, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion/poblano mix and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add a single layer of meat and bones to the pot and cook until the pork is no longer pink on the outside surfaces but not crisp and browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat in several batches as needed.
4. Return the meat and bones to the pan; add tomatoes and their juices, oregano, cilantro, chicken broth, green Tabasco and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and skim off any ugly gray scum (while it doesn’t affect the taste much, it looks unsavory). Add the softened onion/poblano mix to the pot; cover and cook in the preheated 300 degree F oven until the meat is tender, typically 90-120 minutes.
5. When the meat is cooked tender enough to shred with two forks, remove the pot from the oven and remove the meat and bones from the pot. Add the drained and rinsed hominy to the broth; cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until hominy heats through and the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.  
6. While the hominy cooks, use two forks or your fingers to shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and any large strands or chunks of fat. Return the shredded meat to the pot and simmer until heated, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (usually salt and hot sauce in my kitchen).
7. Spoon off any excess fat that arises to the top if you are serving the posole immediately. Or refrigerate and remove congealed fat before reheating at a later time.
8. Ladle the soup into individual warmed bowls and serve immediately with a variety of garnishes.

Chili Verde Soup

It's always interesting to see what the husband brings home from the grocery store, even when sent with a list. I organize the desired items by department - produce, dairy, meat, frozen, bakery, etc. - but we can still end up with a few surprises. "Sprouts", for example. I had bean sprouts in mind but he came home with Brussels sprouts instead. Oops, I should have been more specific. Quick, revise the dinner menu! "Steaks" were intended to be the beef strip loins that were on sale, but he found a great pork bargain of Buy One, Get Two Free. Suddenly we had a lot of pork shoulder on hand. This impromptu soup was inspired by his recent shopping adventure. Yum, it was welcome comfort food on a stormy Seattle afternoon.

A Peppy Chili Verde Soup

1 Tablespoon canola oil
3 lbs pork shoulder steaks, cut in large chunks
salt and pepper to taste
1 large white onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled & deseeded
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon smoky paprika
1 can green enchilada sauce
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (more as desired)
2 oranges, cut in half through their middle
2 cans beans (red or black) rinsed & drained
1 lime cut in wedges to serve at table 
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
 lime tortilla chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Add oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and heat to shimmering over medium-high heat. Add the pork in several batches to avoid crowding and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate or bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the onion, pepper slices and garlic to the pot; stir until fragrant; cover and sweat for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Uncover and return meat to the pot. Add the next 6 ingredients, oregano through oranges, to the pot and stir to combine.
Cook in preheated 325 F oven for 2 hours or until meat is tender.  Stir in the beans and return to the oven to heat through (or use the stovetop). Add more broth if you prefer a soupier soup. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Ladle into warmed bowls and serve with lime wedges, shredded cheese and lime tortilla chips (optional)
This soup definitely gains in flavor after resting and reheating.

Sweet & Spicy Baked Bacon

Just one whiff of cooking bacon is enough to make my tummy rumble, stir up the appetite, change any eat-healthy resolutions... you get the idea. I love bacon. The aroma is irresistible, but the sound of thick slices sizzling in a pan on the cooktop is a thing of the past. I'm a long-time convert to baking bacon in the oven. While I might occasionally miss the sizzle symphony, I certainly don't miss the mess, or the perfume of cooked bacon that used to cling to clothes and person after cooking a pan on the stove.

Bacon? a recipe post about cooking bacon? Of course. I just couldn't resist after reading this morning's post at Food52 on "The Best Way to Cook Bacon". They almost got it right; baking strips in the oven is the best approach but they blew it on flavor. Gourmet published their ultimate version of Sweet-and-Spicy Bacon ages ago (November 2001) and that has been the real deal, the only way to cook bacon ever since. 

Years ago one of the contestants on Top Chef used this method during a cooking ahallenge and received rave reviews and a lot of positive press over his "original" preparation. Original? not so much. But definitely tasty!

I have adapted Gourmet's method only slightly, laying the bacon strips on a baking rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. This drains away the excess fat and makes for easier clean up after baking. Bacon cooks almost-unattended in the oven for roughly 35 minutes while I prepare the rest of the meal. Forget the mess and try this easy peasy method. Just heat the oven, arrange the bacon on the rack, turn the strips once during baking and sprinkle with the spicy sugary mix, and let the magic happen.

Sweet and Spicy Baked Bacon

1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Generous 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Generous 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 lb thick-cut bacon (typically 12 slices)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover a large baking sheet with foil or parchment. Place a metal baking rack on top of the lined pan. Or use an unlined broiler pan.
2. Stir together the brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.
3. Arrange the bacon slices in l layer on the baking rack and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 
4. Turn the slices over, sprinkle evenly with the spiced sugar. and continue baking until each strip is crisp and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Enjoy!

Braised Kale and Ham Bits with Grits

There is no such thing as too much leftover holiday ham, not when this dish is so delicious and so easy to prepare. You won't think of it as leftovers, I promise. It was Monday, the traditional day to cook up a pot of Red Beans and Rice, and I was tempted in that direction. But that big bag of kale in the fridge made the decision for me; forget the RB&R and work with the pork and kale instead. Savory, salty, tangy, richly flavored and vibrantly gorgeous to look at - what's not to like about Braised Kale and Ham over Grits?! It's even healthy with a ton of nutrients: vitamin B6, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, iron, magnesium, vitamin B1, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, protein, folate and niacin. See, healthy... healthy enough to balance the not-quite-so-healthy Cheese Grits that shared the plate.  

This dish might be reason enough to bake more ham than you need, just to have some leftover meat. Or you could buy some smoked pork or turkey parts, boil to remove some of the saltiness, and use the smoked meat instead. Substitute bacon or sausage? Of course you can, and it will still be delicious. 

One bunch of kale yields a mountain of raw greens when chopped, but cooks down into a fraction of that volume. Initially the ingredients look sufficient to feed a crowd, but will reduce to enough for 4 ample portions (unless you have are feeding some really big appetites). Serve the kale and ham over a mound of grits and it will feed 6 or more.   

Ingredients:

two-count swirl of olive oil to coat pan
1 onion, chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
2 cups cooked ham bits (or smoked pork bits, smoked turkey bits, chorizo, bacon etc.)
big pinch of salt (optional) & freshly ground pepper 
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tamed jalapeño rings (Mezzetta's)
1 large bunch curly kale, cleaned & chopped
splash of chicken broth (as needed, optional)

Cooked Cheese Grits and some hot sauce to accompany 

Directions:

1. Use a large heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven; lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion for 2 - 3 minutes to soften; add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. 
2. Add the cooked ham pieces, salt & pepper, vinegar and kale; stir to mix. Cover, lower the heat and cook until until the kale is tender, roughly 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash or two of low-sodium chicken broth if the pan grows too dry.
3. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Serve over cooked grits with your favorite hot sauce available on the side.

  

Two-Pork Chili with Stout

Instead of enjoying a brew along with your chili, here's a recipe that puts the beer in the chili as well, as an important flavor component... and yes, of course, you can still enjoy a glass or two as well. I already have scores of chili recipes, my blog recipe index currently notes five of the favorites, so why mess with one more version? Why not? Because... 

• today, February 28, is National Chili Day,
• Two-Pork Chili with Stout tastes so good,
• the chili/chile blend can be adapted to adjust the heat level, 
• it comes together so quickly, 
• and did I mention tastes so good?! 

Disclosure: there are beans in this red-sauced pork chili recipe. Beans? I'm not about to enter the  battle discussion regarding beans vs no beans in an authentic chili (link and link), or even worry about whether pork chili requires red sauce or green sauce. I'll leave those culinary debates to others with strong opinions while I smile and enjoy spoonful after spoonful of saucy, meat-rich, spicy heat with beans. Mmmmm, I do love a good bowl of chili (with beer).

Two-Pork Chili with Stout

2 lbs pork loin, cubed

1 lb pork sausage

1 very large yellow onion, 

1 large red sweet pepper

2 poblano peppers (OR 1 can mild chiles)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Penzey's chile 9000 (chile blend)

1/2 teaspoon ground Chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Gephardts chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 cans diced low-salt tomatoes
1 can stout or winter ale

Chicken broth or beef broth (I used 50/50 blend)

3 large cans red pinto beans, rinsed & drained

Optional accompaniments: chopped green onions, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges and/or diced avocados

Cut pork loin into large chunks or thin slabs. Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven & brown meat on all sides. Do this in several batches, not crowding the pot. Remove & set aside.

Cook sausage until no longer pink. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Discard all but one tablespoon grease. Add vegetables; cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally.

Add spices: stir and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Return meats to the pan along with the beer and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and their juices plus both broths (sufficient quantity to cover the meat). Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until meat chunks are tender. Add additional broth as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Add beans to the pot; cook long enough to heat. Remove pan from heat and let cool. The flavors will blend and mellow with a rest - overnight chilling in the fridge is good but not required. 

Reheat gently; taste and adjust seasonings again as needed. The spicy heat tames a bit overnight so I usually add generous splashes of Chipotle Tabasco or Green Tabasco to the pot. Serve with a choice of accompaniments: chopped green onions, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges and/or diced avocados.

Note:

For thicker chili I often add a handful of crushed tortilla chips, torn corn tortillas or stir in a slurry of masa (corn flour) mixed with water.