Chinese Grocery Roast Pork

The Mississippi delta has been described as a "haunted landscape," a beautiful backdrop of alluvial plains and coastal wetlands, marred by the brutal legacies of slavery and segregation. The history has been recorded in both the black and white of history books, but also in the colorful, yet melancholy, notes of delta blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton and Son House. These musicians not only recorded the daily oppression, poverty and strugle of African Americans lives, but they also documented the resilience and strength of both the people and their communities. 

Yet, there are chapters of the delta's history that until, relatively recently, went largely untold. One such chapter revolves around the Chinese immigrants who settled in the Mississippi delta in the aftermath of the Civil War. These immigrants left their homes (primarily in the Guangdong and Canton provinces) in search of the Gam Sahn ("golden mountain"), akin to what we would call the "American dream." These Chinese immigrants ended up on the same cotton plantations previously worked by African-American slaves. They performed the same back-breaking work. The only difference was that the white owners had to pay the Chinese immigrants for their labor. But, the pay was not enough to justify the hard work, let alone support a family either in the United States or back home in China.  

Consequently, many Chinese laborers left the cotton fields, looking for work elsewhere. They made their way to nearby cities, where they established themselves in the community by opening grocery stores. The first such stores began to appear in the 1870s. The work continued to be hard, with early mornings and late nights, but these Chinese-Americans took control of their economic lives. They also relied upon hui, their relatives, to open additional grocery stores. Soon, Chinese-owned grocery stores proliferated across the Mississippi Delta. In the city of Greenville, Mississippi -- an important transit point for transportation between New Orleans, Louisiana and points north -- had 40,000 residents and 50 Chinese-owned grocery stores.  

One of the first Chinese-owned grocery stores in Greenville, MS, at the corner of Washington
Avenue and Walnut Street, photo taken  in 1939 by Farm Security Admin. photographer
Marion Post Wolcott, available at the Library of Congress (Source: KPBS)

The successful exertion by Chinese-Americans of their economic independence had its limits in the racially structured, white supremacist society. The Chinese were not "White" or "Colored," falling into a third category. The Chinese-Americans did not suffer the extreme violence suffered by African-Americans, but they nevertheless suffered from discrimination and segregation. It was in this space that the Delta Chinese soon found that they too had limited opportunities. the only employment available to them involved owning or working in these grocery stores. 

Chinese-Americans navigated within this space. And they did so in a very historically significant way. The Chinese-American owned grocery stores served as critical lifelines for the most oppressed people in the Mississippi delta: the African-American community. The same white supremacist racial and economic order that confined the Chinese to owning and/or working in grocery stores made it difficult, if not impossible for African-Americans to go to white-owned grocery stores.  

Chinese store owners purchased goods from white-owned wholesalers. They then stocked the shelves with foodstuffs (like flour, sugar, canned goods), clothing, farms tools, and much more. However, these grocery stores provided more than a place for African-Americans to purchase what they needed. The stores provided a social environment where African Americans were respected: they could walk through the front door of a store (rather than through the back door) and would be treated with civility. The Chinese-American grocery store owners would offer lower prices and were the only ones to extend credit to African-American sharecroppers, who were paid only once or twice per year.  The two communities -- Chinese and African-American -- worked together in solidarity as they struggled to survive the racist economy, government and society that operated violently along the Mississippi River and across the delta.

(As an aside, immigrant communities in other cities -- like the Italians in Birmingham, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana -- also operated grocery stores that served the African-American community.)

Picture exhibited in 2023 at the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum,
located at the Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi

The grocery stores were not only the business of the Chinese-American communities, they were also their homes. Because of the racist Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese-Americans could not own land. They usually lived in the back of their stores or in adjacent structures. Many of the memories of Chinese-American children revolve around food, which also served as the focal point of gatherings among their community.

After learning about the Chinese-American community in the Mississippi delta, as well as their relationship with their African-American neighbors, I wanted to prepare a dish in recognitionof and to honor that history. I found a recipe for Chinese Grocery Roast Pork. This recipe was perfect: it took a traditional Chinese recipe -- Char Siu, which is usually prepared with pork belly -- but used a cut of pork that is synonymous with the iconic southern barbecue: the pork butt.

CHINESE GROCERY ROAST PORK (MISSISSIPPI STYLE CHAR SIU)

Recipe adapted from James Beard Organization 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar (preferably red)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 star anise
• 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 3-pound shoulder of pork (Boston butt)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, anise, cinnamon and five-spice powder. Simmer for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat under the pan so that the mixture simmers. 

2. Roast the pork. Loosen the skin from the meat in several places, but do not remove it. Place the meat in the liquid, turning several times to coat it with the sauce. Transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes undisturbed, then baste with the cooking liquid and continue to baste every 20 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat is between 170 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. 

3. Finish the dish.  Remove the pork to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and pour the pan juices over the meat, removing the star anise and cinnamon. 

*     *     *

Postscript: To learn more about the experience of Chinese-Americans in the Mississippi Delta, I recommend watching The Untold Story of America's Southern Chinese. Part 2 of the series focuses upon the Chinese in the Mississippi Delta and their history in the region. 

I also recommend the movie, Far East Deep South. Written and directed by Larissa, Lam, the movie follows the story of the Chiu family as they learn more about their family's history and roots in the Mississippi delta. It is availalbe on Tubi. I watrched the movie. Not only is it very informative, it was truly moving to watch and learn alongside the family. 

 PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Spain

As I continue with my Around the World in 80 Dishes personal culinary challenge, I have found that there often is a challenge within a challenge. Take, for example, a country like India. It is a country with thirty-six (36) states and union territories, such as Bihar in the north and Kerala in the south.  There are seemingly as many different cuisines within India as there are states and territories. The question becomes, how to choose a main course when there are so many cuisines to choose from. Admittedly, this challenge within a challenge did not present any troubles in the past. I would simply choose a dish, such as Rogan Josh in the case of India, and make it. 

With my most recent challenge, which involves the country of Spain, I decided to take a different approach.  Spain has seventeen (17) different regions, from the Azores to the Balearic Islands with many regions in between, like Galicia, Castille, Catalonia and Andalucia. Each of those regions has its own cuisine, based upon local ingredients, local cooking techniques and time-honored dishes. So exactly how do I choose a main dish?

After much thought, I decided to do something truly random.  I chose a random address in Spain.  That address would put me in a region from which I would make the main course. I turned to the Internet, which has plenty of various random address generators.  I selected one and out popped an address.  That address was located in Seville, a city in the region of Andalusia.

The random address put me in a small alley just a block or so away from the Maestranza. The best description is a picture: 

That's right, a bull fighting arena. The Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla is a 350 year old bullfighting ring that seats 12,000 people. Although construction began in 1749, the Maestranza was not fully completed until 1881. It is still in use today, with bullfighting matches taking place from March through September. However, it is the matches that take place during the Feria Abril de Sevilla or the Seville Fair that attract the most attention.

Yet, this post is not about bullfighting, it is about cooking and food. And, perhaps Andalusia is perhaps the perfect place for this culinary challenge.  The history of the region's cuisine can be traced back to at least 1100 B.C., when the Phoenicians established Cadiz. The Phoenicians brought grape vines and olive trees.  The Phoenicians were followed by the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths, and, then, the Moors. 

The Moorish rule brought many things to Andalucia, such as irrigation systems, which provided the foundation for large farms and the production of cash crops.  The Moors also brought with them a variety of foods such as oranges, lemons, eggplants, almonds, dates, peaches, apricots, rice, and coffee.  They also brought sugar and spices, such as black pepper, cumin and saffron.

By 1492, the Moors had been pushed out of the Iberian peninsula. That was also the year that Christopher Columbus set sail to the west. The "age of discovery" or the "age of exploration" (both phrases I find to be completely misleading, as the areas that were "discovered" or "explored" had already been found by their original inhabitants) led to even more foods being introduced to the cuisine of Andalucia and other Spanish regions. These include peppers, yams, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and avocados. These ingredients worked their way into the cuisine of the region, creating the foundation for the wide array of dishes that may find their way to the Andalusian table.

SOUP/SALAD

There is an Andalusian saying, "Del gazpacho no hey empachno." It translates as, "you do not get an upset stomach from gazpacho." There is some truth to that saying.  I have made gazpacho many times, and, I have always enjoyed this dish. But, I wanted to learn a little more about its history. 

The central ingredient in modern day gazpacho is the tomato. Yet, tomatoes did not make their way into Spanish cuisine until at least the 16th century. So, does that mean that gazpacho only goes back to the 1500s? The answer to that question is in the negative. The soup - or is it a salad (that's another debate) - actually dates back to at least the time of the Romans. It originated as a soup made with bread, olive oil, vinegar, water, garlic, and salt. It is believed that the dish traveled with Romans as they made their way to the Iberian peninsula. The dish became a staple of the region in Andalucia, especially among the poor. It was not until the 1800s that tomatoes were incorporated into the dish, creating the base of the soup - or salad - that we know today.

The key to a great gazpacho is the tomatoes. They should be fresh, ripe and off the vine. In fact, all of the vegetables that go into the dish - including the cucumber, green pepper, and garlic - should be as fresh and ripe as possible.  By contrast, it is okay if the bread has gone a little stale. While some recipes call for the use of bread, others will suggest that the bread be left out overnight. Personally, I am not sure that it matters much for the soup (or salad), given it is blended and then strained. But, cutting the stale bread into small croutons (or toasting fresh bread), does a lot when it comes to serving the dish.  

Speaking of service, gazpacho should be served with accompaniments, like those croutons.  While croutons are a traditional accompaniment, so are tropezones or chopped vegetables. These include tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and cucumbers. There may be others, such as ham and egg.  Each one of the accompaniments should be served in separate bowls.  The guest is provided with the bowl of gazpacho and then he or she can decide which accompaniments - and how much - to add to the soup (or salad). 

Finally, as to that debate about soup or salad, I have always thought of gazpacho as a soup.  It is after all a liquid with additional ingredients added to it. However, most Spanish cookbooks refer to gazpacho as a salad or liquid salad. This fact, which I did not know before undertaking this challenge, may require me to reassess my thoughts about what exactly is gazpacho.

GAZPACHO ANALUZ

Recipe from Culinaria Spain, pg. 422-23

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the Gazpacho):

• 2-3 slices of white bread
• 1 pound of ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• Salt
• 2-3 tablespoons of wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 

Ingredients (for the Garnish):

• Cubes of white bread
• Small cubes of tomato
• Bell pepper, diced up small
• Diced onion
• Cubes of ham
• Hard-boiled egg, diced up small

Directions:

1. Prepare the soup. Roughly break up the white bread, and pour some water over, then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.  Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and garlic in a blender, then add the bread and finally the oil.  Puree the entire mixture.  Add enough water as necessary to give the soup the required consistency. 

2. Continue preparing the soup. If necessary, pass the soup through a fine sieve.  Season with salt and vinegar.  Place the gazpacho in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. 

3. Finish the dish. Serve it very cold with separate bowls of white bread cubes, small pieces of bell pepper, diced onion, cubes of ham and diced had cooked eggs, which each person mixes into their soup themselves.

MAIN COURSE

For the main challenge, I was perusing Andalusian recipes when I came across a recipe for Pato a la Jerezana or Jerez-style duck.  This recipe is quintessentially Andalusian based on the "Jerez," or use of sherry in the dish.  The region is known for its production of sherry, which is a fortified wine made from Palomino grapes. The wine is aged using the solera method, which is also use for port or balsamic vinegar.  The method requires the use of as little as three or as many as nine barrels.  One barrel is filled with the sherry, and, over time, some of that sherry is moved to the next barrel, a process known as running the scales. Only the sherry in the last barrel is bottled and sold.  

This recipe presented an actual challenge for me.  I had to break down a whole duck into its constituent parts (wings, legs, breast and thighs).  I have broken down whole chickens, and, I assumed that the process would be the same.  The process was very similar, except in one respect.  As I was removing the legs, I was looking for the thighs. I separated the leg at the joint, but I could not see much of any thigh. (By the way, ducks are harder to disjoint than chickens.) I went back over what I did and proceeded to the next leg.  I removed it at the joint, but, once again, not much in the way of any thigh meat.  I thought I did something wrong, until I realized something.  Duck legs are shorter than chicken legs, and, as a result, ducks have smaller thighs. This is the reason for duck confit, which is basically the leg and the thigh.  

Once I butchered the duck, pretty much in every sense of the word, I proceeded to making the dish. The recipe is fairly straightforward for a braise: brown the meat, remove, add the vegetables, then some liquid and return the meat back for a period of time.  The time period for the braise - 45 minutes - seemed rather short; but, with the duck broken down into pieces, I assumed that would account for that timeframe. 

Once it was done, the dish was very good and rich. The combination of the rendered duck fat and the bacon made the resulting sauce very fatty (which was probably intended by the recipe's authors and Andalucian cooks).  As I look back on the dish, I probably could have used a separator to remove much of the fattiness, and then returned the liquid to a pot to cook and and become more concentrated. These ideas went beyond the recipe and are good notes for the next time when I try to make this dish.  However, for now, I think that I have completed the challenge!

PATO A LA JEREZANA (JEREZ STYLE DUCK)

Recipe from Culinaria Spain, pg. 422-23

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 duck, weighing about 4.5 pounds
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5.5 ounces of streaky bacon cut into strips
• 2 onions diced
• 2 cloves of garlic diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and cubed
• 7 ounces of pitted green olives
• 1 cup of stock
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, oregano, bay leaf)
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 2 cloves
  

Directions:

1.    Prepare the duck. Wash the duck and pat dry.  Cut into equal sized portions.  Rub thoroughly all over with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a braising pan and brown the duck portions on all sides until nicely golden brown.  Remove the portions and set them aside.

2.  Continue preparing the dish. Fry the bacon, onions and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add the carrots and fry briefly.  Stir in the tomatoes and the olives, and then pour in the stock. Add the bouquet garni and cloves.  Bring to a boil and at that point, return the duck to the pan.  Braise, covered for approximately, 45 minutes.  About 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the sherry and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. 

*    *    *

In the end, I think I can say that I have successfully completed another personal culinary challenge.  The Jerez-style duck was very good. The dish combined culinary elements of Andalucia - from the olives to the sherry - to prepare a dish that utilizes a not so common protein (namely, duck).  While I think that I did a good job with respect to the main course, the true star of this challenge was the gazpacho. The soup - or salad - had the brightness of vegetables, the tartness of the sherry vinegar, and even the garlic. The accompaniments, which went beyond the typical tropezones, also helped contribute to the dish.  

More importantly, I have now completed 40 challenges, which means I am half way through my personal culinary challenge to cook dishes from around the world.  It took over 10 years to reach this point; and, I am hoping that it won't take another ten to finish the journey. I have several challenges in the works, which you can see on my Around the World in 80 Dishes page. Having reached this milestone, I am going to use that momentum to complete more challenges in a timely fashion.  Until next time,

ENJOY!

Mushroom Bisque with Yellow Oyster Mushroom Garnish

Ludwig von Beethoven once remarked, "anyone who tells a lie has not pure heart and cannot make good soup."  So, I should be honest when I say that I don't really make a lot of soups. There are approximately two dozen recipes on this blog, but that is over several years.  Much of my cooking has been focused more on main courses, and, in particular, my interest in barbecue.

Nevertheless, I think soups are important.  For many people, a soup may be a main course. It may be the dish that is served to the family because, for whatever reason, there is not enough money to go to the market and purchase expensive ingredients, like most proteins. It is far more economical to scrounge around for or use one's money to purchase a few, cheaper ingredients. 

Yet, he use of simple, cheap ingredients can be combined together to produce something almost magical.  A dish that can nourish people, providing the sustenance or fuel for the hard work that they do, day in and day out. That is what I would like to think that the combination of mushrooms, onions, garlic, and rice can do when combined together to produce a mushroom soup. 

I found a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman on NYT Cooking, which served as the starting point for this recipe. While I could make a cucina povera version of mushroom soup, I wanted to use my creative skills to elevate the dish a little.  Those skills were primarily focused on the yellow oyster mushroom garnish. I came across the yellow fungi in a store and wanted to try to use them with this soup.  Hence, the fried mushrooms became the garnish.

MUSHROOM BISQUE WITH 
YELLOW OYSTER MUSHROOM GARNISH

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (for the soup):

1 1/2 pounds of  mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced 

1 leek (white and light green part only, 

     cut in half, cleaned and sliced)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup medium grain rice

4 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or broth

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 Parmagiano Reggiano rind

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

1/2 cup milk or additional stock

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the garnish)

Fresh yellow oyster mushrooms

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, leek and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Do not brown the onions or the leek.  Add the garlic and another pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they begin to sweat and smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Cook the soup.  Add the rice, stock, bay leaf, thyme, Parmigiano Reggiano rind and soy sauce.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the rind.

3.  Blend the soup.  In batches, blend the soup until smooth.  Fill the blender less than half way and cover the top with a towel pulled down tight rater than airtight with the lid because hot soup will jump and push off the top if the blender is closed airtight.  Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, add pepper and the sherry. Add the milk and another cup of stock and heat through, stirring.  If the soup seems to thick, thin it with a little more water or stock, but check the seasoning.  

4.  Make the garnish.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven as it preheats.  Remove the oyster mushrooms from the main stem.  Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the oil and garlic powder. Remove the baking sheet, spray with non-stick cooking spray Spread them onto the hot baking sheet so that there is one layer.  Bake in oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until all mushrooms are brown and crispy to taste.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Pour the soup into a bowl.  Add the crispy oyster mushrooms garnish in the center of the bowl.  Sprinkle the parsley around the crispy oyster mushrooms. 

Tidewater Mushrooms

These are not the prettiest things to ever grace a plate.  My guess is that the cooks at Mount Vernon were not interested in the appearance when they made Tidewater Mushrooms. Medium sized mushroom caps, topped with an overflowing oyster, and drizzled with a combination of white wine and butter before being placed in a fire. With the edges of the oysters curled and the meat slightly firmed, the mushrooms would be removed and put on a plate for service.  

Nothing more.  Not even a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives.

If there was ever a challenge to my general (lack of) ability to photograph food, there is this recipe.  However, the look belies the flavor of these little bites. At first, I did not think that oysters and mushrooms would be a good flavor combination (except when they are oyster mushrooms), even with butter and wine tying the two ingredients together. I checked my Flavor Bible, and, to be sure, for every category of mushroom, there was no mention of oysters.  Then, I checked oysters, and, interestingly enough, there was a reference to oysters.  That got me to thinking a little more.

Mushrooms are perhaps the quintessential ingredient for earthy tones; and, oysters have a briny characteristic that could work well with mushrooms.  To be sure, there are briny oysters that can be found along the Chesapeake Bay.  Fishermen would have brought those oysters to shore and to market, and, they would have made their way to kitchens along the the Bay. The best oysters would be small to medium-sized, briny bivalves.  

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your view), the only oysters I had were "smalls" that, in reality, were "larges."  (Someone may have had an off day at the packing facility.)  That was a problem when it came to perching the oysters on their mushrooms  I was able to overcome that by using a muffin tray, placing one mushroom in each cup and plopping an over-sized oyster on top. 

TIDEWATER MUSHROOMS

Recipe from Mount Vernon

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of medium large fresh mushrooms

Salt , to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pint oysters (medium size)

White wine or sherry

Directions:

Remove stems from mushrooms, wipe clean.  Drain oysters and pet dry with toweling.  Dip mushrooms in melted butter and place cup side up on a well greased shallow pan.  Put an oyster in each cup, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dot with butter and 1/2 teaspoon white wine or sherry.  Broil under moderate heat until edges of oysters curl. Serve round a dish of cocktail sauce and horseradish for those who wish it.

ENJOY!

Pinchos Morunos (Moorish Kebabs)

Anthony Bourdain once said, "street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race."  That is quite the statement.   And it made me wonder, how could street food deliver the human race from harm, loss or ruin?  Street food is defined as "ready-to-eat" food sold by a vendor in a market or along the side of the street.  The term encompasses the wide range of food prepared, served and sold from booths, carts, and/or food trucks.  

Take, for example, pinchos morunos  or Moorish kebabs.  Small cubes of meat, threaded onto skewers and grilled over a charcoal brazier.  Also known as pinchitos, it is commonly sold by street vendors in Andalucia and Extramadura to hungry customers.  This food may provide some insight into Bourdain's statement.  The name itself reveals its origins: these threaded skewers originated with the Moors who occupied southern Spain during the Middle Ages.  The Moors marinated meat, most often lamb, with olive oil and spices (like garlic, cumin, thyme, oregano and turmeric).  Long after the Moors were defeated with the fall of Granada, these meat skewers continued to be served to hungry people at street corners and in markets.  To be sure, the skewers have evolved over time, with lamb being replaced by pork and chicken.  But, its history ties present day Spaniards with the peoples of the region's past.  

A street food like pinchitos can also tie Spaniards with other peoples.  One need only cross the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco and northern Africa to find vendors serving a very similar kebab, made with lamb at local markets.  A common dish that can be enjoyed together, with friends or strangers.  As people enjoy the skewers, they can start to talk to each other.  They can talk about the food, the area, or a local sporting event.  As they talk, people can realize that -- despite their nationality, religion, etc, -- they actually have a lot in common.  And, that is how street food can start us on the road toward the salvation of the human race.  

There are a variety of pinchito recipes on the Internet, but I decided to use a recipe from one from my cookbooks, Culinaria Spain.  This recipe is also very simple and very cheap to make, which is the key to street food.   It calls for the use of lamb (a nod to tradition) or pork (a nod to current street food). This recipe does not include expensive ingredients, like saffron, which is found in the ingredient list of other recipes.  (I saved the saffron for the rice that accompanied the kebabs.) Finally, and most important, this recipe can be made using the broiler of an oven, which opens it up to those who may not have a charcoal brazier or grill.  

One last note: even if you make this dish at home, you can still fulfill the fundamental potential of street food.   Invite some friends over for a meal, or better yet, invite some acquaintances over for a meal and get to know them better.  Every little step counts.

PINCHOS MORUNOS (MOORISH KEBABS)

Recipe from Culinaria Spain, pg. 432

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound of pork or lamb fillet

1/2 cup of olive oil

3 1/2 tablespoons of dry sherry

1 teaspoon of mild paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the kebabs.  Cut the fillet into 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch chunks.  Make a marinade with the olive oil, sherry, spices and marinate the meat chunks for at least 2 hours.

2.  Broil the kebabs.  Thread the meat chunks onto 4 kebab skewers.  Broil under medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning several times.  Serve immediately with bread, lemon or, in my case, some saffron rice.  

ENJOY!