Ping Gai Wings

"Don't be surprised if you see a Ping Gai buffalo wing post in the near future."

- Me

And here is that post. For the few ardent followers of my Chef Bolek blog, you may remember my post about Ping Gai or Laotian Grilled Chicken.  I loved that recipe, which was one of the best (and still remains one of the best) chicken recipes that I have ever made and tasted. 

As the name reflects, the recipe comes from the southeastern Asian country of Laos. Whole chickens are halved, marinated and then grilled over charcoal. The grilling is often done low and slow, which a typical way one would prepare barbecue. The dish of Ping Gai has its place in Lao cuisine, especially on the street where one could buy the chicken with a spicy dipping sauce or sides (like sticky rice or papaya). This dish can also be found across the Mekong River in the northeastern Isan region of Thailand, where it is called kai yang or gai yang. 

Fun fact: prior to French colonization of southeast Asia, the Isan region was part of what was then "Laos." Another fun fact: there are more people of Lao identity and heritage in Isan (about 13 million) than in Laos (about 7.5 million).

Turning to the recipe, the key to Ping Gai is the marinade. At its core, the marinade is the umami combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce, highlighted with fresh cilantro, and underscored with the kick from black pepper and cayenne pepper.  As with any recipe, the marinade used in Ping Gai has its regional, familial and individual variations in how to prepare the marinade. Some of these recipes incorporate ingredients such as coriander, garlic, hoisin sauce, lemongrass and vinegar. 

All of the ingredients in the Ping Gai recipe highlight what separates Lao cuisine from its neighbors, such as Thailand. The recipes in Laos feature herbaceous and bitter flavors, along with the use of dried, ground peppers to give its dishes a spicier kick. Lao dishes rely less on coconut milk (in contrast to Thai cuisine), resulting in somewhat lighter dishes that are not weighed down by thicker sauces. 

Another key aspect of Ping Gai is how it is prepared. As I noted above, the standard method of preparation involves grilling the chicken low and slow over a charcoal fire. Whether over a charcoal fire or a gas grill, I have come to find that grilling is a far better method of preparing buffalo wings than deep frying. The grilled wings have crisp edges and tastier meat (due to the marinade), which cannot be found as much in fried wings. 

In the end, the best chicken recipe (in my humble opinion) produces one of the best buffalo wing recipes that I have made or had in a long time. I think the one change I would make is to take the additional step to prepare the dipping sauce that accompanies Ping Gai. The recipe for the dipping sauce can be found here. 

PING GAI WINGS

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Serves several

Ingredients for the wings:

• 1 tablespoon, freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• Dipping Sauce, optional (recipe can be found here)

Ingredients (for the dipping sauce):

• 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 lime juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons honey or more to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade. Combine the black pepper, cayenne pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and vegetable oil in a bowl. Mix very well to combine ingredients. Add the wings and toss the wings. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

2. Prepare the dipping sauce. Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sambal, fish sauce, cilantro, and honey to make the dipping sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Grill the wings. Heat a gas grill over medium high heat or prepare a charcoal fire. Place the wings on an oiled grill grate and grill the wings for about seven minutes on each side or a total of 15 minutes. Once the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from the heat.  Serve immediately by themselves or with a side of the dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

Wings Around the World

I am a huge fan of buffalo wings. For the longest time, all I needed were deep fried wings bathed in a bowl of Frank's Red Hot Sauce, spices and melted butter. The traditional buffalo wing recipe, such as the one from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, is very good. However, I eventually got bored with those wings. 

I needed change. I needed something different. At first, I thought that all I needed I needed were hotter or spicier wings. Frank's Red Hot gave way to Tabasco sauce. A lot of Tabasco. It was not enough. 

I needed true change. Different types of sauces. I searched the menus of different restaurants and chose wings with sauces like Caribbean Jerk or Thai Curry (Buffalo Wild Wings) or Korean Spicy (World of Beer). I came to realize that what I really wanted to do was find wings that incorporate the best flavors from cuisines around the world.

My desire went further than just the flavors. I also wanted to try different techniques. The need to try different cooking methods became apparent when I realized that I loved grilled wings far more than I love traditional, fried wings.

The combination of experimenting with flavors and cooking techniques has led to this new blog post series, Wings Around the World. I will explore aa variety of marinades, rubs, glazes and sauces from, as well as cooking techniques used by, cuisines around the world. My hope is that, with each post, I will have the opportunity to explore aspects of those cuisines as they are reflected in the final dish. I am working on the first couple of blog posts as we speak. Please check back often. Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Mexican Chocolate Waypost

N onouian

"Here, there and everywhere." - Nahuatl saying

For me, the saying - N onouian - represents the influence that the Aztec and other Mesoamerican indigenous peoples have had across the world. This influence is particularly apparent in the food that is consumed, whether in Mexico, Mozambique, Malaysia or Micronesia. While chiles may have originated in Bolivia, they were first cultivated in what is now Mexico. The Aztecs and the Mayans also developed cocoa as a crop. The Totonacs of the eastern coast of Mexico were among the first to cultivate vanilla. 

Then came the conquistadors and the colonizers. While they brought death and subjugation to the indigenous people, they took chiles, cocoa and vanilla back to Europe and across the world. The complex history of food should never be forgotten. The origins of foods should always be acknowledged and remembered. These principles guide me not only in my quest to learn about more cuisines, but they often emerge in ancillary ways, such as in the beer that I drink.

The few ardent followers of this blog may recall that I have a love of a particular beer style - the mole stout. It is a beer that is inspired by the molli (or mole) sauces of Mexico, whether from Oaxaca or Puebla regions. Those sauces incorporate ingredients that can be traced back to the Aztecs, Mayans, Totonacs and other indigenous cultures that flourished prior to the arrival of Europeans.

While vacationing in the Williamsburg, Virginia area, the Savage Boleks had the opportunity to try a new brewery - Virginia Beer Company. We just happened to visit when the brewery was celebrating its sixth anniversary. One of the anniversary beers was the Mexican Chocolate Waypost, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial milk stout brewed with cocoa nibs, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, ancho chiles and habanero chiles. It is a mole style beer that was right in my wheelhouse. 

The Mexican Chocolate Waypost pours a dark brown, almost fertile soil brown in appearance. The aroma has a sweetness that I don't recall from other mole stouts. That sweetness may come from the milk stout style, or perhaps the combination of coca, cinnamon and vanilla. There was only a faint whisper of the pepper, which I generally associate more with the aroma of a mole stout. The pepper comes through much more in the taste of the beer. As for whether it was ancho or habanero, I have to lean more on the latter than the former. There was more of a kick than a smoky element. That kick kept its presence, even when surrounded by the sweeter elements of the cinnamon and vanilla. All of those additional ingredients make one forget that this beer is also made with Columbus hops and a variety of malts, including but not limited to 2 Row, Munich malt and roasted malt.

This beer makes me want to return to Williamsburg, but it is not one that is offered year around. It should be though. The next time I am in the area, this beer is enough to draw me back to check out the tap room. Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Maine Lobster Rolls

While the first documented lobster roll may have been served at a restaurant in Milford, Connecticut, there is no doubt that the lobster roll is an icon of Maine cuisine. Anyone who takes a vacation in Maine -- from Kennebunkport to Lubec -- will inevitably have the opportunity to try a roll. And, there are many places across the State to get one. 

However, there are a lot of stories behind this sandwich. It is the stories about the lobsters and those who catch them that need to be told more. 

One of those stories is presently unfolding in the Gulf of Maine. Climate change is clearly making its presence known. The waters in the western part of the Gulf of Maine - such as Casco Bay (near Portland, Maine) - are beginning to get warmer. As anyone who has cooked a lobster will tell you, lobsters don't like warm water. As the waters of Casco Bay get warmer, the lobsters move north and east. As one fisher told Norah Hogan, a journalist with WMTW, "[w]hen I started [about 30 years ago], almost half of the lobsters in the state of Maine were landed in this part of the state - Casco Bay region." He added, "[w]e're not in the ballpark anymore." 

Lobsters thrive in waters that are between 54 degrees and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The waters in the western portions of the Gulf of Maine exceed 68 degrees from time to time. This means that the lobsters will migrate to where it is cooler, which is toward the northeastern shore of the State and into Canadian waters. It also pushes the lobsters further offshore, to cooler, deeper waters. 

This means that, as the waters warm, there will be less lobsters around the shores of Maine. Less lobsters mean that the already high prices for lobster rolls will only go higher (as long as the demand is there). In fact, I was quite surprised that the cost of a lobster roll could be from $28 to $38 for each roll. If both my beautiful Angel and I had a lobster roll, we would be looking at paying $56 to $76 for a meal (and that is without any beer or anything else). 

As it turns out, I had brought my trusty steam pot to Maine for our vacation. As I noted in my post about Steamed Lobsters, I was able to find a seafood market that sold whole lobsters for anywhere from $8.00 to $12.00 per pound, depending upon the lobster. The market only had soft shelled lobsters (that is, those who had recently molted). Soft shelled lobsters come with a lot of water since they have not fully regrown into their new shells. So, part of what one is paying for with that $8.00 to $12.00 per pound is water. I knew this fact when I bought them, but I could buy 4 soft-shelled lobsters for the price of 2 lobster rolls. 

With those lobsters, I proceeded to make my own lobster rolls. I found a recipe, which is set forth below, and tried to follow it as best I could. I also decided that I would do the "presentation piece" and have a whole lobster claw served on the top of the sandwich. However, I think in the future that I perhaps do a rough chop of the claw into pieces. I think that would be better than a whole claw.

MAINE LOBSTER ROLLS

Recipe from Food & Wine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh chervil or tarragon
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 1 pound cooked, shucked and chopped lobster meat (from knuckles and 6 pincer claws)
• 6 top split (New England style) hot dog buns, separated
• 2 tablespoons salted (or unsalted butter), softened
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• 6 butter lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare the lobster. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and chervil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in celery and fold in chopped lobster meat. Cover and chill up to 4 hours.

2. Prepare the buns.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Butter the sides of buns and toast in skillet until golden and heated through, about 2 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Fold chives into lobster salad. Place a lettuce leaf inside each bun. Divide lobster salad evenly among buns. Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Thai Hot

When it comes to spiced ales, the typical offerings - pumpkin beers, Christmas ales, and the like - don't usually get my attention, let alone hold it long enough for me to consider buying them. (There are some exceptions, but that is the general rule.) But, when I find a mole stout - a beer incorporating the ingredients that typically find their way into a mole sauce (for example, chiles, chocolate, and nuts), that beer has my attention. Indeed, until very recently, mole stouts were the only spiced ales that I would purchase. 

However, while on a recent vacation, the Savage Boleks visited Fogtown Brewing Company's tap room in Bar Harbor, Maine. According to its website, Foghorn brews farmhouse ales, saisons, sours, spiced ales, and other styles. The beers are brewed with malts, grains and hops that are grown in Maine. 

While sitting at a table, I looked over at the beer fridge. There was a four pack that caught my eyes. The red labels with a golden script that I could not recognize. The only thing that I could understand was the print at the bottom: "Thai Hot." I picked up the four pack for a closer inspection. The beer is an ale brewed with grains from Maine, along with rice, lemongrass, basil, toasted coconut, lime and thai chiles.

The beer pours a golden yellow, with a thin foam that quickly gives way to the liquid. The lemongrass and limes provide featured aromas, but I think I could sense some grass as well. 

The beer has a very light body, with the lemon and lime at the front of the taste. My initial reaction seemed to prepare myself for something along a sour beer; however, any thoughts of sourness soon gave way to the heat from the chiles, which could be felt both on the tip of the tongue and in the back of the throat. 

With an ABV of only 4.7%, this beer would be a very drinkable, except that burn from the Thai chiles can set the pace from time to time. It's a good think that I love spicy food and that I have experience cooking with Thai chiles, so that I know what to expect. 

In the end, if you find yourself in Maine, near Ellsworth or on Mount Desert Island, you should check out Fogtown Brewing Company. And, if you are like me and always willing to try something different, check out the Thai Hot if it is available. Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Togolese Grilled Chicken

I have a hard time keeping up with my cooking hobby. Times have been so busy lately that I need to actively plan to cook. One plan is my effort to make lunches for the workweek. I try to find a relatively simple, yet interesting recipe, and then make it. The end result gets packaged into three to four containers that become my lunches.

Recently, I came across a recipe for Togolese grilled chicken. Togo is a very small country sandwiched between Ghana and Benin along the Gold Coast of Africa. The country has a very thin rectangular shape, with only thirty-two (32) miles of coastline and three hundred and twenty (320) miles of interior. Yet, there are thirty (30) different ethnic groups that can be found in that very small country. The indigenous groups include, among others, the Gurma and the Kwa. Other groups emigrated to this area, including the Ewe, Yoruba and Temba. All of these indigenous groups have contributed to the cuisine of Togo. In addition, as is with much of the African continent, there are European influences as well. In the case of Togo, those influences stem from periods of colonization by both Germany and France.

Yet, for me, this recipe evokes images of food stalls located near one of the markets in the country's capital of Lome, or perhaps a small restaurant in one of the interior cities, such as Kpele, Bassar or Dapaong. (Please note that I have never had the chance to visit Togo, so much of this is my own imagination and speculation.) Some small stall or restaurant where the aromas of grilled chicken - such as koklo meme - fill the air.  The recipe for koklo meme is a traditional Togolese way to prepare chicken. They marinate drumsticks with ginger and garlic, as well as traditional spices, and then grill the chicken over an open flame until the skins are scorched and the juices run clear.

I was very intrigued by this recipe, so I decided to make it for my lunches. I made a couple of changes to the recipe. First, the recipe calls for red palm oil, which is traditionally used to make this dish. I have a source for red palm oil, which is a small local African market. However, that market was not open when I tried to buy the oil. So, I used a substitute - vegetable oil. Better substitutes could be rapeseed oil or sunflower oil; however, regardless, the substitutes lack the one thing that red palm oil can provide for the dish - a slight reddish hue. I added some cayenne pepper, but it is no substitute for the red color. The other change I did was to take the skin off the drumsticks. While this is not the traditional way to prepare the dish, it did make it slightly healthier, which is something that I need to do more of with my cooking. 

In the end, this recipe did fulfill my visions of a possible Togolese street food. They also provided some very tasty lunches for the week. If only I had made some Jollof Rice to go with it. I guess I always need something to improve on when I return to recipes like this one. Until next time ...

TOGOLESE GRILLED CHICKEN

Recipe from Explorer Compassion

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons red palm oil 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper (and/or cayenne pepper, for heat)
• 8-10 pieces of chicken, bone in and skin on
• 1 large white onion, sliced in thick rings
• 2 tomatoes, sliced, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. Since red palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature, place it in a glass bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds until liquid. Mix in lemon juice, followed by ginger, garlic, salt and pepper(s). Roll each piece of chicken in the bowl of marinade and then place in a brining bag or large zipper bag. When all pieces are in the bag, add onions and then seal. Through sealed bag, use hands to further work the marinade into the chicken. Let marinade for at least one hour, overnight is best if you have the patience.

2. Grill the chicken. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove chicken pieces from bag and grill until cooked through, about 15-17 minutes per side. When done, the skins will be almost blackened and the juices will run clear. When the meat is nearly done, add the onion rings and grill to soften them but do not let them burn. 

3. Finish the dish. Serve chicken with grilled onion rings and sliced fresh tomatoes. 

ENJOY!

Steamed Lobster

A lobster does not need a hot tub. It just needs a steam room.

There are many websites that will tell you there are two ways to prepare whole, fresh lobsters. One way is to boil the lobsters. Another way is to steam the lobsters. These websites will engage in a seemingly meaningless discussion about the pros and cons of each method. Truth be told, in my humble opinion, there is only one way a whole lobster should be prepared. It must be steamed. 

A long time ago, at a crab house far, far away, I used to steam lobsters. The kitchen had three large steam pots, as well as another three, equally large pots in a back-up kitchen. The primary purpose of the pots was to steam crabs; however, we always left at least one open to steam other seafood. A lot of mussels and clams, but, every once in a while, a lobster. 

Since that time, I have not steamed whole lobsters very often. The one notable time involved my effort to make Masaharu Morimoto's Lobster Masala. 

However, the Savage Boleks recently vacationed in Maine, spending a week on Mount Desert island. I found a local business, Parsons Lobsters, in Bar Harbor. Parsons is perhaps the only place that I could find in the town that sold live lobsters. Sitting right outside Acadian National Park, Parsons is a family owned business that has been selling lobsters, and other fresh seafood, such as clams, oysters and fish, for more than forty years. 

We visited the Parsons store, because I wanted to purchase some lobsters to prepare for my family. The store is small, but impressive. At the time, the store was holding approximately six hundred (600) pounds of live lobsters in multiple tanks. There were also displays featuring those clams, oysters, fish and more. We purchased four lobsters and returned to the place where we were staying. (The four lobsters were approximately one and one-half pounds each; but, the cost of four lobsters were less than the cost of a lunch or dinner in town.) 

Going back to the original point of this post, I planned on steaming those lobsters. I brought my good old steam pot, the one piece of cookery that ties me to my original cooking experience.  Steaming is the preferred way to prepare lobsters for one reason ... boiling lobster threatens the taste of the meat. One is far less likely to get the sweet, tender meat that creates an amazing culinary experience. By contrast, steaming the lobster provides a way to get that tender meat, and, protect the meat. 

To be sure, steaming a lobster takes more care and monitoring than simply boiling it. Steaming also provides an additional way to provide some subtle flavor. While most steaming uses simple water, I have often substituted that plain ingredient with something like stock, beer or wine. The best stock would be seafood stock, which can be purchased at many grocery stores. As for beer and wine, the thoughts should turn to something on the lighter side. The best beers would be pilsners and summer ales. As for wines, I think the best wines would be white wines, such as Albarinos from Galicia, Spain or Vinho Verdes from Portgual. 

In the end, and in my humble opinion, the liquid does not matter. All that matters is that you steam the lobster, don't boil it. 

STEAMED LOBSTER

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 whole lobsters, live 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Water, seafood stock, beer or wine

Directions:

1. Prepare the steam pot. Fill the steam pot with water, seafood stock, beer or wine, but the level should remain below the steam plate. Heat the steam pot on high heat until it steams. 

2. Steam the lobsters. Add the lobsters. Steam for seven minutes for the first pound of lobster, then an additional 3 minutes for each additional pound of lobster that you are steaming. Melt the butter while the lobsters are steaming. Once they are cooked, remove from the steam pot and serve immediately with the melted butter. 

One final note ... I may have to eat my words about boiling versus steaming the next time I enjoy a lobster boil. But, that will be for another post. 

ENJOY!

Double Dead Rise

Over the past several months, I spent a substantial amount of time writing and publishing my In Search of Orange Gold blogpost series.  The series explored the history of using spice mixes in Chesapeake cuisine generally, as well as the origin of the iconic Old Bay spice mix. I traced the travels of Gustav Brunn, who Jewish-German spice maker who escaped Nazi Germany and came to Baltimore, Maryland. He set up his spice shop. He developed an 18-ingredient spice mix, which he eventually sold to local seafood vendors. Only 15 of those ingredients are publicly known, but I tried to ascertain what could have been the final three ingredients. I ended the post series by trying to recreate Brunn's mix.

It would seem that the next logical step in the series is to explore the ways in which Old Bay is used. A local Maryland Brewery has taken the mix to produce what it calls the Dead Rise. A deadrise is a type of workboat used on the Chesapeake Bay used to catch crabs, oysters, fish and eels. It is also the angle that forms from a boat's bottom to a horizontal plane on either side of the keel. However, for Flying Dog, it is a blonde ale that is spiced with Old Bay.

I have to admit that I have used Flying Dog's Dead Rise more for steaming crabs than I have for drinking. I don't usually drink it, preferring Flying Dog's other offerings, such as the Truth or Raging B. 

However, I recently came across the Double Dead Rise, which Flying Dog describes as an Imperial Summer Ale. That beer caught my attention, which the brewery is very good at doing. The brewers describe the beer in the following way:

... double the spice and double the ABV. This Double Dead Rise will surely blow your taste buds away. Spicy and lemon-y you can almost skip the crabs ... almost.

This is pushing the envelope, as I cannot skip the opportunity to eat blue crabs. However, the words of the brewers did rope me in to try the beer.

The Double Dead Rise pours out a few shades of orange lighter than the Old Bay spice mix itself. A thin blond foam is also present, but it quickly recedes to the edges of the glass, leaving only cirrus-like whiffs floating across the center. 

The typical aromatic elements of this beer -- that is, those that would be produced by the hops, malts or yeast - have to contend with the aromas that come with the use of Old Bay. The aromas have a good hint of spice, but it is not the typical coriander or herbal notes that typically come with a summer ale.

As for the flavor, this beer is what the name implies. The presence of the Old Bay spice mix is definitely amped up over what it is in the Dead Rise.  The spice mix is so present that, in my humble opinion, the beer could probably have been marketed as an Imperial Spiced Ale, as opposed to an Imperial Summer Ale. That is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are someone living in the Chesapeake Bay region who loves Old Bay.  However, the beer acts like a spiced beer, there is a sting in the back of the throat and a sharp finish. A finish reminiscent not so much of the claws of a crab, but its bite. Indeed, the Old Bay makes one forget about the other "bite," that is the 9% ABV of the beer. 

Overall, I liked this beer and I would buy it again. For those who don't like spices generally or in their beer, I would suggest you try it before you buy it. (Or, in the alternative, you can send me the remaining 3 bottles from the four pack.) Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Cochinita Pibil

There is cochinita pibil and then there is cochinita pibil. The former involves a suckling pig (cochinita = little pig) that is first marinated with a mixture of achiote, sour orange juice, chiles and other ingredients, then wrapped in banana leaves, and finally placed in a relatively shallow hole in the ground that is lined with very hot stones or the remnants of a fire (pibil = piib, or Yucatec Mayan for "earth oven"). The hole is covered and the meat roasts for a very long time, often at least eight hours or overnight. By contrast, the latter is a pork shoulder, marinated with the same mix of ingredients, but roasted in either a smoker or an oven. One dish, but two ways to prepare it.

The authentic preparation -- banana leaves and the hole in the ground -- has a very long history throughout the Yucatan peninsula and surrounding regions. That history is tied to the indigenous Mayans, who used this process to prepare wild boar or venison. However, the dish that we know today has been heavily influenced over time. This influence came principally from the Spanish, who brought many things in their conquest over of the indigenous Mayan civilization and the colonization of the Mayan lands. 

Placing the wrapped pork in the pib.
Source: Mexicolores

The influence can be seen in three ways with respect to this dish. First, there is the use of pork. The Spanish introduced pigs to the Yucatan region approximately in 1511, although it would be a few decades later before pigs were brought in significant numbers to the area. The Mayans accepted the pigs as a food source, and, prepared the pork in the same way as the boar and venison. Second, there were the oranges, most notably, the Seville orange. Its sour juices were incorporated into the marinade and preparation of the pork prior to the roasting of the meat (just as the Spanish used the orange juice for marinating fish and meats). Third, the influence of the Spanish can be seen in the banana leaves. The banana tree is not native to the western hemisphere. The tree probably originated in Southeastern Asia, somewhere between Malaysia and New Guinea. The fruit made its way through trade routes in the east. However, the Spanish -- more specifically, Bishop Vasco de Quiroga (the first Bishop of Michoacan) -- brought the banana trees to what would become Mexico in 1554. Thus, cochinta pibil demonstrates how cuisines can change with the introduction of new ingredients and cooking processes.

Turning to this particular recipe, it falls more in line with the latter form of Cochinita Pibil, that is, the one that is prepared in a smoker or oven, as opposed to a hole in the ground. A few notes. First, my beautiful Angel will not let me dig any holes in our yard for culinary purposes. So, no pib. Second, I had to dispense with the banana leaves. While I have occasionally seen banana leaves in ethnic food markets, but I have not seen them recently. However, this recipe provided an interesting substitute: parchment paper. I have a lot of parchment paper thanks to a purchase at the local warehouse store. So, I cut pieces that could be used much in the same way as banana leaves to wrap the pork.

One last thing about this recipe. I decided to use a smoker, which would give me the closest thing to a charcoal fire that would have been used to heat the rocks that would have gone into the pibil. Given I was using a smoker, I also decided to add some wood for smoke. I needed to decide on a wood; and, I went with post oak because I felt that (after doing some research) oak would be as close as I could get to the type of wood that might be found in the region.

COCHINITA PIBIL

Recipe adapted from Glebe Kitchen

Serves several

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 8 cloves unpeeled garlic
• juice of 2 medium oranges
• juice of 2 large limes
• 3 ounces achiote paste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup white vinegar

Ingredients (for the pork):

• 4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder
• chunks of oak wood (for the smoker)
• Banana leaves (or parchment paper)
• Foil pan

Ingredients (for the pickled onions):

• 2 red onions, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, cut in half
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 clove
• 5 allspice berries, whole
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (for the presentation):

• Corn tortillas
• Pico de gallo

Directions:

1. Prepare the pork.  Roast the garlic in their skins. Use a small cast iron frying pan over medium heat and toast them until they blacken slightly and soften. This takes about 3-5 minutes. Peel the garlic. Combine the peeled, softened garlic with the lime and orange juice, achiote paste, and salt in a blender and blend thoroughly. Check to ensure that the achiote paste is broken up. Add the marinade to the pork and ensure that all sides of the meat are covered by the marinade. Marinate for two to four hours.

2. Prepare the smoker. Prepare the smoker to reach a temperature of about 275 degrees to 300 degrees. Soak the chunks of oak wood for about 1 hour in water.

3. Prepare the pickled onions. Combine all of the ingredients except the onions in a pot and bring that pot to a boil. Add the onions and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and let cool, stirring occasionally. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Let the onions rest for at least 4 hours before using.

4. Prepare the pork for the smoker. Typically, the pork is wrapped in banana leaves; however, I did not have access to those leaves. However, I used four pieces of parchment. Scrunch one piece of parchment to form a receptacle for the pork along with the marinade. (The goal is for the pork to be steamed with the marinade while it is smoked.) Take a second piece and cover the pork wrapping it around the pork. Place the pork in an aluminum pan. Place the pan in the smoker and smoke for about 3 to 4 hours or until the pork reaches 190 or 195 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Continue to prepare the pork. After removing the pork from the smoker, let it rest for 20 minutes. Remove the pork from the parchment packets but keep the marinade and juices. Use a fat separator to separate the fat. shred the pork with two forks and then mix the juice back into the meat. 

6. Finish the dish. Serve with corn tortillas, pico de gallo and the pickled onions.

ENJOY!

Achiote Paste

Scientists and botanists refer to a particular plant as Bixena orellana. It is a tree that is native to Central America and the Caribbean. The tree produces beautiful pinkish flowers, which eventually develop into some rather odd fruit. While the fruit is inedible, it nevertheless contains some red seeds that have a very colorful history. 

To shed some light on that history, the proper starting point is the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Mesoamerica. Those people referred to this tree as annatto (in the Caribbean) or by the Nahuatl word, achiotl. Those words give us what we commonly refer to as annatto or achiote.

The red seeds are often dubbed "saffron of Mexico." The nickname comes from the fact that these little red seeds have the ability to create pigment colors that range from yellow to a deep red.  As with saffron, one could add annatto seeds to hot water to create a reddish water that could be incorporated into dishes. However, one of the more common ways of creating color through annatto is its use in what is commonly referred to as "achiote paste." 

There appear to be two different types of achiote paste, at least according to Oaxaca al Gusto, which was written by Diane Kennedy. In areas such as Oaxaca, people prepare the paste using just the annatto seeds. By contrast, in the Yucatan, the paste is prepared with more than just annatto seeds. Recipes call for the addition of coriander, cumin, oregano, cloves, black pepper and garlic. The combination of these ingredients in the Yucatan version produces a mild, somewhat earthy paste that contributes both flavor and color to a wide range of dishes.

I was particularly interested in the Yucatan version of the paste, because I intended to use it as part of my first effort to make Cochinita Pibil, the iconic roast pork dish of that peninsula. Overall, I think the effort was a success, although it produced a paste that was slightly darker than expected. 

ACHIOTE PASTE

Recipe from The Spruce Eats

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup annatto seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup bitter orange juice (or 1/4 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup Mexican lime juice or 1/3 cup white vinegar)

Directions:

Grind the annatto, coriander seeds, oregano, cumin seeds, peppercorns and cloves in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Place the ground spices with the salt, garlic and bitter orange juice in a blender and process until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!