New Years Eve, 2020

 Charlie is not a fan of my traditional New Years Day Southern style dinner so to make up a little, I made one of his favorites for today.  The Kansas City Star had this cartoon today; Top ten moments of 2020= the last ten seconds.

Christmas Day

Charlie asked for a repeat of the Thanksgiving dinner so that is what we had, somewhat abbreviated.

Clementine-and-Garlic Roast Turkey

Active Time 1 HR  Total Time  4 HR 30 MIN  Yield  Serves : 10

Justin Chapple November 2017 Note, I had some compound butter left over and used some of it to thicken the gravy made with turkey broth.

 To make the tastiest, quicket, easiest jus for turkey, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple includes juicy clementines and garlic in the roasting pan, adding excellent flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 6 clementines, zested
(1 1/2 tablespoons) and halved crosswise 

• 4 large garlic cloves, finely grated, plus 6 whole garlic heads, halved crosswise 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme, plus 10 sprigs

• One 12- to 14-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry

• Kosher salt Pepper

• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Step 1    In a medium bowl, blend the butter with the clementine zest, grated garlic and chopped thyme. Run your fingers under the turkey breast and thigh skin to loosen it, then spread the butter mixture under and over the skin of the breast and thighs. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rack set in a roasting pan and let come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Step 2    Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the turkey for about
30 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock to the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Scatter the clementine halves, garlic heads and thyme sprigs in the pan. Roast for about 1 hour longer, rotating the pan a few times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board; let rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the clementines, garlic heads and thyme to a plate, tent with foil and keep warm.

Step 3    Meanwhile, skim the fat off the pan juices and transfer the juices to a medium saucepan. Squeeze the roasted garlic from 1 head and whisk into the pan juices. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season the roasted garlic jus with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and transfer to a platter. Arrange the roasted clementines, garlic heads and thyme around the carved turkey and serve with the jus.

Make Ahead

The seasoned uncooked turkey can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

cream, cheese, or any other of those traditional mashed potato enhancers. Sour cream adds tang, body, and a rich creaminess that cannot be matched.

Everyday Food, November 2011

Needs salt & pepper, more butter and some cream.  I used Yukon gold potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 7 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  1 cup sour cream
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

• Step 1 In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Mash until potatoes are fluffy and almost smooth.
  
  Step 2 In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium-low until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Pour into potatoes and stir to combine. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

 

Cornish hens

 HONEY LACQUERED GAME HENS II

2 game hens

1 C. orange juice

1/3 C. soy sauce

3 inch strip orange zest

1/3 C. honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 C. sesame oil

1/2 inch thin slice of ginger

1 garlic clove, split and peeled

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in water to make a paste

 

Mix all ingredients except cornstarch and hens and bring to a boil. Simmer 5-10 minutes, cool. Place small orange half and garlic inside hens.  Baste with sauce.

Reserve Roast hens according  to package directions. Baste with sauce, serve with rest of sauce on the side.

Pork bulgogi cooked with kimchi and Galbi.

 

Galbi (beef short ribs) and (Spicy) pork bulgogi with kimchi 

Asian style stir fry beef

Panda Express Beijing Beef

• Yield: 4 servingsPrep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 40 minutes
• Author: Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 yellow onion sliced
• 1 pieces red bell pepper cut into 1"
• 1/4 cup cornstarch divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg whites beaten
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 6 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 4 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 teaspoons crushed red peppers
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin 1/4 inch slices.
2. In a medium sized bowl add the beef, egg, salt and 1 teaspoon cornstarch and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
   
3. To make the Beijing Beef Sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, crushed red peppers and apple cider vinegar.
4. After the beef has finishing marinating add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a bowl, add the marinated beef (discard the extra marinade).
5. Heat a small saucepan with the oil on medium-high (I use a small saucepan so that I can get a deep fry on this without using a lot of oil. So I fry in small batches, if you don't mind using more oil, go for a bigger pot and you can fry these up much faster).
6. With the last two tablespoons of cornstarch toss the beef one last time and shake off any excess cornstarch.
7. Fry the slices, in batches, until golden brown (2-3 minutes).
   
8. Heat a large pan on high heat and use two tablespoons of the oil you just fried the beef in.
9. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it just starts caramelizing on the edges.
   
10. Add the garlic in and continue to cook a few more seconds until fragrant.
11. Remove the veggies and put them with the beef on a plate.
12. Add the Beijing Beef sauce to the large pan and cook on high until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
    
13. Add the beef and vegetables into the sauce and toss to combine.
14. Serve immediately.

I used a wok and less oil than mentioned above.

 

Crab Boil Dinner

Charlie was hungry for a crab boil after being over to his cousins house when he took delivery of a big box of frozen seafood.

 Boiled corn, potatoes and eggs for about 10 minutes with Old Bay, Added crab legs on top, covered and steamed another 10- minutes while shrimp was boiled separately because I didn't have enough room in the pot for everything.  They were also  boiled with Old Bay.  An onion was added to vegetables for added flavor.

Thanksgiving Dinner

The family decided a couple months ago to cancel Thanksgiving this year so we all made it for ourselves.  For us, that's just the two of us.  So many leftovers... Yea!

Clementine-and-Garlic Roast Turkey

Note seasoned butter under the skin did not add much if any flavor and the butter left dark blotches on the skin.

Justin Chapple November 2017

 To make the tastiest, quicket, easiest jus for turkey, Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple includes juicy clementines and garlic in the roasting pan, adding excellent flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

•  6 clementines, zested 
(1 1/2 tablespoons) and halved crosswise 

•  4 large garlic cloves, finely grated, plus 6 whole garlic heads, halved crosswise 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme, plus 10 sprigs

•  One 12- to 14-pound turkey, rinsed and patted dry

•  Kosher salt Pepper

•  2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Step 1    In a medium bowl, blend the butter with the clementine zest, grated garlic and chopped thyme. Run your fingers under the turkey breast and thigh skin to loosen it, then spread the butter mixture under and over the skin of the breast and thighs. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rack set in a roasting pan and let come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Step 2    Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the turkey for about 
30 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock to the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Scatter the clementine halves, garlic heads and thyme sprigs in the pan. Roast for about 1 hour longer, rotating the pan a few times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board; let rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the clementines, garlic heads and thyme to a plate, tent with foil and keep warm.

Step 3    Meanwhile, skim the fat off the pan juices and transfer the juices to a medium saucepan. Squeeze the roasted garlic from 1 head and whisk into the pan juices. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season the roasted garlic jus with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and transfer to a platter. Arrange the roasted clementines, garlic heads and thyme around the carved turkey and serve with the jus.

Make Ahead

The seasoned uncooked turkey can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Make Ahead Turkey (Thanksgiving) Gravy

Servings: 2-1/4 cups

Prep Time: 15 MinutesCook Time: 2 Hours 15 MinutesTotal Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

• 2 turkey wings
• 4 ribs of celery, roughly chopped (use leaves too)
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed with the back end of a knife
• 6 cups water
• 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups turkey stock, strained and defatted
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• kosher salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and in a large sauté or roasting pan (I use my large Dutch oven), roast (on a lower oven rack) turkey wings, celery, onion and garlic for 2 hours. Remove from the oven.
• Add water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer on low for one hour, uncovered. Stock will reduce.
• Strain the stock into a bowl with at least a 4 cup capacity. Place liquid into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight and remove the fat accumulated on top.
• In a large sauté pan, melt unsalted butter and whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly over medium heat for two minutes. This will cook out the flour taste. Whisk in defatted turkey stock and cook until thickened. (The gravy should coat the back of a spoon.) Add milk, cider vinegar and salt to taste. If by some chance you cannot get your gravy as thick as you like it, don't panic. It's always possible you measured something wrong. In an emergency, you can always dissolve 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in one teaspoon of cold water and SLOWLY add it to the gravy while whisking. It will be fine. Just remember, gravy often thickens up a bit when it's off the heat and you want a nice pourable liquid for all those lovely side 

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

cream, cheese, or any other of those traditional mashed potato enhancers. Sour cream adds tang, body, and a rich creaminess that cannot be matched.

Everyday Food, November 2011

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 7 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  1 cup sour cream
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

• Step 1 In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water over high. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Mash until potatoes are fluffy and almost smooth.
  
  Step 2 In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium-low until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Pour into potatoes and stir to combine. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Cake Cornbread

 Mix one box JIFFY Golden Yellow cake mix and one box or JIFFY Corn Muffin Mix

Mix both boxes together and all the ingredients that are called for on both boxes.  Mix and pour into 8X8 greased pan.  Bake at the same temp called for on the box. May take a little longer because of the extra batter. Just bake until golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean. 

Second option:  One large Yellow Cake Mix -any brand - and 2 small Jiffy Corn Muffin mix boxes.  Mix together all ingredients called for on each box. Pour batter into 13”X9” greased pan. Bake at 359º.  Probably takes about 40 minutes. Use toothpick to test . It gets high in the middle. 

Sweet Potatoes With Sour Cream and Pecans

Total time: 1 1/2 hours  Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

2 pounds sweet potatoes (4 to 5 medium potatoes), scrubbed but not peeled

1 teaspoon garam masala (or curry powder)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

Large pinch of black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus more for serving

1 to 3 tablespoons whole milk, for thinning the sauce

1 tablespoon lime zest

1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped (see Note)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. If your coconut oil is solid, place it in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. (No need to heat liquid coconut oil or olive oil.)

2. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 or 4 wedges, about 3/4-inch thick.

3. Put the sweet potato wedges in a large bowl and add the coconut oil, garam masala, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the pinch of pepper, tossing everything so the potatoes are well coated.

4. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a large baking sheet. (Lining the pan with parchment paper will make clean up easier, but it’s not necessary.) Roast, using tongs to carefully turn the potatoes after 30 minutes, until soft and caramelized, about 1 hour.

5. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the lime sour cream: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Whisk in enough milk (by the teaspoon) to make a pourable sauce. It should be a bit thicker than heavy cream. Taste and add more salt and lime juice as needed. Set aside.

Unauthorized access.

6. Once the sweet potatoes are done but still hot on the baking sheet, sprinkle lime zest all over them. (Adding the zest to the hot potatoes brings out the lime flavor.)

7. Using tongs or a large serving spoon, arrange sweet potatoes on serving platter. Drizzle the sour cream mixture all over the potatoes, and sprinkle toasted pecans on top. Squeeze more lime juice on top if you like. Serve hot or warm.

Tip: To toast pecans, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until they smell nutty, 7 to 10 minutes. 

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce — Hall of Fame version

Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 10 minutesYield: Serves 6

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce: The title describes this iconic holiday condiment. Winner in countless taste tests over the years, this is my most-requested version. Don’t show up to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without it, and make this a week ahead of your big dinner, for best flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
• Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)

Directions

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, add sugar, water and spices and cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, syrup is clear and comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes. In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones. Add cranberries to boiling syrup and continue cooking, uncovered, just until they begin to pop, about 3-5 minutes (set the timer). Be careful not to cook them too long or they will get mushy.
2. Remove from heat, stir in orange zest and cool to room temperature, uncovered. Ladle into clean jars or plastic containers, label and refrigerate until ready to serve. You may serve it cold straight from the fridge, or serve it at room temperature, which is my favorite way.
3. Makes about 2 1/2 cups sauce, enough to serve 6.

Notes

Recipe source: Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious

Cook’s trick: Make two batches and stick one jar of it in the back of the refrigerator, to be discovered two months later. It will be an utterly delicious cook’s treasure!

Cranberry Chutney 

Ingredients

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup water

2 cups sugar                             

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon salt

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and diced (i use granny smith apples)

2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced

1 small yellow onion

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced or 1 teaspoon of dried ground ginger

Directions Step-By-Step

In a deep 6 quart saucepan, bring cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and salt to a boil over medium heat.

Stir frequently for about 10 minutes, until cranberries start to make a popping sound.

Once cranberries begin to pop, reduce heat to simmer. Add diced apples, pears, onion and raisins, and continue stirring frequently until mixture begins to thicken. (10 to 15 minutes.)

Remove from heat. Stir in ginger. Cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves before serving.

Recipe makes about 3 quarts. I heated my jars and poured in the hot cranberries, sealed the jars with canning lids and turned them upside down until cool. This seals the jars slightly, enough to store them in the refrigerator for a couple of months. Plenty long enough to get you through the holidays.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Linda Rayburn to me

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Rebecca Moore

To: Linda Rayburn

Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:29 PM

Subject: Sweet Potato Souffle

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 Cup Sugar (I thought this was excessive so I only used 1/2 cup. Next time I may omit this completely or substitute

                          1-2 T. apple juice) Note from Norm. I used canned sweet potatoes and 2 tsp. of apple juice.

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 stick margarine or butter, melted

1/2 C milk

1tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish.

Topping:

1/3 stick margarine or butter, melted

1 C brown sugar

1 C chopped nuts

1/3 C flour

Melt butter. Mix together flour and sugar, add melted butter and chopped nuts. Pour over the sweet potato mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

 

Rebecca Moore

913-254-7425

• Deviled Egg with Relish

Relish adds a sweet, tangy kick to the classic deviled egg.

Prep:15 mins  Total: 35 mins  Yield: Makes 12

I used less mayo and relish and added a big pinch of powdered Ranch dressing mix

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 3 tablespoons relish
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard
• Cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt
• Smoked paprika, for serving (optional)
• Directions
• Step 1 Place eggs in a medium saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand 7 minutes. Drain, and run eggs under cold water to cool.
  
  Step 2 Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, relish, mustard, and a large pinch of cayenne.
  
  Step 3 Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, leaving whites intact.
  
  Step 4 Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise mixture until smooth; season with salt. Mound into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, if desired.

Bucatini Carbonara

 It's probably not fair to call this recipe by it's name since I substituted the main ingredients with something else but it was very good anyway.

Bucatini Carbonara

Italian carbonara is famously rich, combining pancetta or guanciale (cured pork jowl), egg yolks and cheese. At Holeman and Finch, Linton Hopkins adds his own Southern accent to the dish with house-cured pork and local eggs.   

• 6 ounces bucatini or perciatelli  (I used bacon)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, sliced ( I used ham) 
• 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 shallot, very finely chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• 4 large egg yolks 
• Salt 
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley Freshly ground pepper

How to Make It

Step 1    

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.

Step 2    

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until most of the fat has been rendered, 7 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the cream and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the hot pasta to the skillet and stir to coat, 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water, the 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and the egg yolks. Season with salt. Divide the pasta into bowls and sprinkle with parsley and pepper. Serve, passing more cheese at the table.

Suggested Pairing

Carbonara pairs best with a tannic red to refresh the palate after each luxurious bite. Pour a robust Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, from Tuscany.

Cornish Hens

 Gornish Hens 

2 game hens

1 C. orange juice

1/3 C. soy sauce

3 inch strip orange zest

1/3 C. honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 C. sesame oil

1/2 inch thin slice of ginger

1/4 tsp.  salt

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in water to make a paste

3 green onions  

Mix all ingredients except cornstarch and hens and bring to a boil. Simmer 5-10 minutes, cool. Reserve some marinade for sauce. Place in plastic bag with birds and marinate overnight. Remove wing tips and cover drumstick ends with foil to prevent burning.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place birds in shallow baking pan and pour marinade over. Bake 1 hour or according to package directions, basting hens every 10 to 15 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too much.  Thicken reserved marinate with cornstarch.  Serve with birds, garnish with orange peel.

SPINACH KIM CHE  (SIGEUMCHI NAMUL)    2 servings

10 oz. spinach 1 T. Sesame oil

2 T Soy sauce 1 T scallion, minced

2 tsp Sugar 1 tsp vinegar (optional)

1 1/2 tsp sesame salt salt & red pepper (optional)

BLANCH SPINACH IN BOILING WATER UNTIL BRIGHT GREEN ( ABOUT 2 MINUTES).  PLUNGE INTO COLD WATER.  SQUEEZE OUT EXCESS WATER.  MIX REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND  TOSS WITH SPINACH.  SERVE IMMEDIATELY OR REFRIGERATE UP TO SEVERAL DAYS.

Crispy breaded Pork Chops

Crispy breaded pork chops.

 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

2 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Four bone-in pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick and patted dry (about 11/2 pounds total)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for shallow frying

Directions

• Put the flour in a shallow dish. Break the eggs into another shallow bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix the breadcrumbs with the oregano and thyme in a third shallow bowl.
• Dredge a pork chop in the flour, shaking off the excess, dip it into the eggs and then coat evenly with the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a piece of wax paper or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the chops (about 1/4 cup). When the oil shimmers, add the chops and fry, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels briefly.
  

Grilled Cheese and Carnitas Sandwiches

When I went to the store yesterday to get some salmon, I also asked for a pound of ground pork so I could make some breakfast sausage.  They didn't have any so a got the smallest pork shoulder I could find. It was three pound. i cut off a pound for the sausage and made carnitas with the rest.  I put them in a sandwich with cheeses, apple butter (instead of apple chutney) and I used a store bought brioche instead of sourdough. I didn't use as much blue cheese or as much parm as the recipe but I doubled everything else to make four sandwiches.  We ended up only eating two and a half. They turned out really good.

Carnitas and  Chutney Grilled Cheese Sandwich

CARNITAS

:

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  (such as canola)
• 1 orange, halved
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

:

• 1 ounce Verde Capra blue cheese or other blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 ounce aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• 2 artisan organic sourdough bread slices, lightly toasted
• 3 tablespoons store-bought spiced apple chutney or preserves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

How to Make It

Step 1    

Make the carnitas. Preheat oven to 275°F. Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over moderate heat. Sear pork shoulder until golden brown all over, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove pork from pan. Pour off drippings and discard. Return pork to pan and squeeze juice from orange halves over pork. Add spent rinds to pan along with milk, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover with a lid or two layers of aluminum foil. Roast in preheated oven until very tender, pork is sizzling in fat, and a meat thermometer registers 195°F, 3 to 4 hours. Let pork rest for 20 minutes. Shred pork, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Step 2    

Make the grilled cheese: In a small bowl, fold together the blue cheese, cheddar, Parmesan, parsley, and shallot. In a second small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard.

Step 3    

Spread each slice of bread with the mayonnaise-mustard mixture. Top one slice with cheese mixture, 1/3 cup carnitas, and chutney, then top with remaining bread slice.

Step 4    

Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle over moderate heat. Press the sandwich and top with another skillet or heavy, heatproof plate. Cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes per side.