A love supreme…carnitas
I’m convinced that a good carnitas burrito can’t be found anywhere in this state. Except, in my kitchen. Now settle down folks, no shoving…there just isn’t enough to go around and I’ve called dibs on the last, small little pile of carnitas that’s left. The good news is it’s not difficult to make yourself.
In San Francisco, our neighborhood (Sunset) burrito joint was Gordo’s. They were known for their delectable carnitas burritos that were huge…the size of a baby huge! In fact, pregnant women were known to eat them to induce labor. Of course most women didn’t go that route until they were past due, or at least near their due date. I think I started around my sixth month…I’m not absolutely sure what that says about me. Oh who am I kidding…it says I love pork…we know that already.
Gordo’s worked like this…GH double-parked in front of and I got in line to order. The burrito guys had a assembly line: first they would steam a giant flour tortilla that had some white cheese on it, then they added rice, your choice of beans (I would go with either pink or black), big hunks of perfectly roasted, primo quality, carmely brown carnitas, then salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. All wrapped up like a present. GH, being the wise eater that he is always ordered his “double hulled” as in two tortillas to shore up the vast fillings.
Carnitas is super simple. Take a pork shoulder roast, salt it, put it in a dutch oven, and brown it on the stove over a high heat. Remove it from the heat once it is browned. Toss some spices in… I used a mixture of chili powder, ginger, oregano, cumin, anise seed, mustard seed, ground cloves, and cinnamon. But really, less than a pinch of those last four and I also go easy on the cumin…it can be over-powering and you’re looking for nuanced flavor here.. Also toss in a few cloves of garlic, rough chopped and a bay leaf. Add a liquid of your choice so that it comes up about 2/3 on the roast. I used beef broth because I had an open box in the refrigerator, but you could use chicken stock, water, cola, or milk…all are referenced in this Wikipedia article. Put the lid on the pan, pop it in a 325F oven and let it slow cook for 2 hours.
After two hours check on it. Most of the liquid will be gone and the pork should be fork tender. Remove it from the pan and using two forks shred it apart. Return it to the pan, toss it in the remaining liquid and return it, uncovered to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes.
Serve it up with the fixings of your choice and dig in…I think you’ll agree it’s a love supreme.
Heart of darkness
I went 15 years without a black-bottom cupcake. ‘The horror! The horror!’
When GH and I lived in San Francisco in the late 80’s and early 90’s we spent many a blissful day on Drake’s Beach at Point Reyes, flying stunt kites, sipping California sparkling white wine, and eating Just Dessert’s black-bottom cupcakes. Then Alex was born and those days ended.
My recent infatuation with cake reminded me that I love dark chocolate cake, and the madeleines reminded me that cakes baked in small portions bake up nicely without any of the issues of larger cakes…which together reminded me of the dense, dark black-bottom cupcakes. Google turned up a ton of recipes, all basically the same. Once I set about making these I realized that the cake part of the recipe was the very same “one-bowl chocolate cake” I made so often as a child. I have no idea why I’ve forgotten about this cake but once I saw the vinegar and cooking oil in the recipe I realized that this cake was an old familiar friend.
That basic, one-bowl chocolate cake easily adapts to a dense, chocolaty morning muffin. So quick and easy to whip up and even more fun with some semisweet chocolate chips and pecan pieces thrown in. There is absolutely no reason not to embrace chocolate as a breakfast food. A chocolate pecan muffin and a macchiato is a perfect start to a lazy fall weekend.
Here are the two recipes…do you have a favorite version of this easy one-bowl chocolate cake?
Black-bottom cupcakes
Cream cheese filling
In a mixing bowl put:
8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg at room temperature
Mix on medium until smooth.
Cake:
1 ½ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
5 tablespoons cocoa (not dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola or other flavorless oil
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Butter a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Mix water, oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla together. Combine the two and stir just until combined. Divide evenly among the 12 cups in the muffin tin. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling per cup…just plop it on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cake portion springs back when touched and the cream cheese has turned a light gold around the edges.
Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the cakes from the tin. Eat warm or cool totally.
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Double chocolate pecan muffins
1 ½ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
5 tablespoons cocoa (not dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola or other flavorless oil
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butter a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Mix water, oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla together. Combine the two and stir just until combined. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and lightly stir in. Divide evenly among the 12 cups in the muffin tin.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the cakes from the tin. Eat warm or cool totally.
Printer friendly black-bottom recipe.
Printer friendly double chocolate pecan muffin recipe.
Madeleine…deceptive and addictive
I passed 46 years on this earth before I ate a madeleine. Oh, such a sorrowful waste of time. Since I purchased Dorie Greenspan’s Baking book this summer I make them often and I always double the recipe…they are that popular around here. The deceptive aspect of a madeleine is that it looks so chic, so sophisticated…so it must be difficult to make, right? Not so, mon frere!
They begin as a simple batter that improves with an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Then after brushing the madeleine tin with butter, and a dusting of flour, you plop the thick batter into the molds without worry about evenly spreading the batter or anything… they smooth out, puff up, and fill the scalloped shells so well that it’s magical. When they’re done (10-12 minutes) you bang the pan on the counter and they tumble out…golden brown, fragrant with butter and vanilla.
They’re addictive because of that slight, crisp crunch they have on their edges. Then the outer firm texture gives way to a tender, dry (but not too dry) cake interior with a superb crumb and texture. For me, madeleines represent the best aspects of cake…without any of the drawbacks like sticky frosting, under-baked centers, and over-baked edges.
Alas, there will be no recipe for these lovelies…I actually follow Dorie’s recipe to the letter. If you have the book…make them, if not then buy it or check it out from your local library.
