Serves 4 to 6
Tapenade (page 225)
'A pound (1 stick) butter
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, cleaned and diced small 2 leeks, white part only
2 bay leaves
basil leaves, roughly chopped quarts Chicken Stock (page 240) tablespoon cracked black pepper quart heavy cream pound Roquefort, crumbled loaf baguette-shaped bread cup extra virgin olive oil (or more, if necessary to generously coat the bread)
third.
7. Place the bread, cut side up, in the oven and toast about 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch sections.
8. Ladle 2 or 3 ounces of the cheese-cream mixture onto warm plates and arrange the bread, tapenade side up, clockwise fashion over the cheese. Serve hot.
CARNITAS IN RED CHILI CAKES
with Black Beans, Sour Cream, and Salsa
Carnitas-literally "little meats"-also refers in Mexican cookery to meat that is cooked in a braising liquid until the liquid reduces to the point where only the fat remains and the meat lightly pies in the resulting fat drippings. A meat that has a relatively high fat content is better for a method like this, so pork is the usual choice. The meat should weigh about three pounds, but the addition to the pot of pork bones will enhance the flavor.
This is a case where planning ahead will pay off. Much of the work can be done a day or more in advance.
Serves 8 to 12
3 pounds pork (butt, country ribs, or loin ends)
Ч2 cup virgin olive oil 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 2 Spanish onions, peeled and roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 head garlic, cut in half laterally 12 to 16 black peppercorns, bruised
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch thyme Water
Salsa (page 223)
2 cups sour cream
BEANS (see Note)
'Л cup olive oil 1 smoked pork hock
'h pound smoked slab bacon, rind removed,
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart black turtle beans, soaked in water overnight (remove any stones prior to soaking)
diced small 2 jalapeho peppers, diced small to medium 1 small Spanish onion, diced small to
Ч4 cup ground cumin powder
1 bay leaf
medium
2 stalks celery, diced small to medium lh green pepper, skin and seeds removed,
Salt and pepper to taste
diced small to medium
2 quarts Smoked Stock (page 241), or substitute Chicken Stock (page 240) and double the amount of smoked pork hocks
'/2 cup Spanish sherry wine vinegar
RED CHILI CAKES
6 whole eggs 'A teaspoon salt
'/4 cup chili powder or chili molido, sifted
2 to 2Ч2 cups milk
2 cups or slightly less flour V2 cup clarified butter
1. Cut the meat into 1- by 2-inch strips. Leave all the fat on the meat.
2. Put a large pan on top of the stove on medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the chopped carrots, onions, and celery and the halved garlic head, and stir 5 to 8 minutes. Now add the peppercorns and bay leaves. Add the pork and thyme and stir once. Top this mixture with just enough water to cover the meat.
3. Bring the liquid to a high simmer and skim off any residue that comes to the top. Reduce heat and allow the liquid to cook down, stirring from time to time. When the liquid is gone or almost gone (in approximately 2V2 hours), remove the meat to a bowl and allow to cool. (Any braising liquid that remains can be strained off, reduced, and reserved for flavoring the meat.) Discard the vegetables.
4. Now, if you haven't any black bean soup on hand, prepare the beans: Clean out the pot you used for the pork and heat it again. Add the olive oil, pork hock, and slab bacon. Allow the bacon to cook until just barely medium, then add the diced jalapenos, Spanish onion, celery, green pepper, and the minced garlic. Stir until vegetables are just glazed. Add the black beans, cumin, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Stir. Add the stock and stir again. Allow the beans to cook until they are just soft. Stir in the vinegar and adjust seasoning as desired. (The beans may be prepared ahead and reheated for serving later.)
5. Shred the cooked pork into small, bite-sized pieces, season to taste, and put in a bowl.
6. Prepare the red chili cakes as you would regular crepes (see page 266), and set aside covered with a dry towel.
7. Rub 8 to 12 small souffle-type dishes with a tiny bit of butter on the bottom and the sides. Lay one chili cake (crepe) in each of the molds and press them gently against the bottom and sides. Add a few tablespoons of meat to each of the molds. Lay another crepe on top of the meat and add another layer of meat on top of that. You will notice that the edges of the crepe extend over the sides of the mold, so you should fold the edges of the cake over the meat. Top each mold with aluminum foil. Set aside. (These can be prepared a full day ahead of time and refrigerated.)
8. Prepare the salsa.
9. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the molds on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes (longer if they have been refrigerated).
10. Heat enough of the black bean mixture to cover the base of each plate. With the
aid of a spatula, carefully invert the molds over a cutting board and then slide the camitas onto the beans. Garnish with sour cream and salsa. Serve.
Note: This is another case where you can utilize earlier hard work. If you have made Black Bean Soup (page 27) and had leftovers, you could certainly use them for this recipe.