fifi

For reasons beyond my feeble brain, not everyone can see the old RecipeGullet. I am posting the lard instructions here since good lard is essential to tamales. Rendering your own lard produces a wonderful product that is not "bad" for you. It is not the same thing at all as that brick of nasty white stuff you see on the grocery shelf. That stuff is hydrogenated, contains a lot of trans fats, and tastes like plastic to me. Fresh lard is a different product altogether. You have to refrigerate it or you can freeze it. It keeps forever that way. Do put it in a glass jar, though, as it can pick up other flavors from the refrigerator or freezer. I keep mine in the refrigerator because it is easier to dip out. I have used the top of the stove method for chicken and duck fat. 2—5 lb White pork fat (ask your butcher) Chill the fat in the freezer to make it easier to cut. Cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch cubes. I lean toward the smaller size but it isn't critical. The quantities given above do not matter. I just make whatever I am willing to cut up. For either method use a very heavy pot. I like to use my Le Creuset French oven because the light colored interior makes it easier to see the color develop. Top of the stove method: Put 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water in the pot and add the cubed fat. Do not cover. Start on medium to medium low heat. The water will cook off and gets the fat melting a little faster. Stir occasionally throughout the process. Before the bits of fat start to brown, dip off the clear fat. This is a light and mild lard that is good for baking where you don't want pork flavor. Continue to cook until the cubes start to brown. You want to go slow so that the cubes toast evenly. Pour off the amber liquid. This is the product that you want for savory cooking. Don't throw away the bottom dregs of lard and all of the brown bits. This is "asiento". It is used as a savory spread on corn tortillas or bread. This method takes quite a while but doesn't require a lot of attention. Just go slow at first if you want the light stuff for baking. You end up with three products. Oven method: This one is really easy. Just put the fat in the pot with the lid on to start and put it in the oven at about 300F or a little lower. Stir occasionally. When it starts to render, take the lid off. Pour off the lard and save the asiento. Again, you want to go kind of slow here so that the cubes toast and don't burn. For either method, strain out the cracklin's to eat as a guilty treat, add to corn bread, or use as a sprinkle on salads. The picture shows the three products, white lard, tan lard, asiento, and of course the cracklin's. (Maybe that is four.)

Here is the chili recipe from Huevos del Toro. I have no idea why some folks can get to the old RecipeGullet (read only) and some can't. Work in Progress Chili I've tried numerous "championship" chili recipes but have found none to compare with this one (which I've modified a thousand times!). 2 lb Chuck roast 3 T "Pure" chili powder 4 tsp hot or sweet Hungarian paprika 2 tsp toasted cumin seeds 1 tsp ground Mexican oregano 1 tsp MSG (Accent, optional) 1—2 tsp Salt (to taste) 1/2 tsp Sugar 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2—1 tsp Cayenne pepper 2 Garlic cloves, minced 1 Onion, yellow Beef stock as needed 1 Hunts tomato sauce or El Paso Green Chili Tomatoes Mexican bitter chocolate 1/2—1 tsp Balsamic vinegar (optional) 1/2 tsp ground coriander OR minced cilantro leaves (optional) 1. Cube chuck, brown, drain, reserving the juices; set aside. 2. Thoroughly mix next 10 ingredients (dry spices) together. 3. Add dry spices to meat and blend well. 4. Sauté onion and garlic, add to meat and blend. 5. Add liquid ingredients (tomatoes, water, beef stock, reserved juice, (and beer if you prefer). 1-2 cups should be sufficient; combine thoroughly. Add chocolate. 6. Return meat to a simmer for about 2 hours or until almost done. 7. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. 8. Reheat next day - taste and adjust seasonings. You can thicken with regular or masa harina (a couple of tablespoons should be sufficient), but the chili will self-thicken over time. This recipe begs for experimentation. I rarely use the quantities listed here, preferring to taste and adjust as I go. Note: Dice more onion and serve on the side. Onions lose their sharpness when simmered for extended periods. Grated Cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro, pickeled jalapeño peppers, crackers or bread, and ice cold beer or milk may also be served on the side. You could even serve beans for those who insist on them! If you use beer as part of the cooking liquid, Dos Equis, Bohemia, or Negra Modelo might be called for here. Grind all herbs in a mortar, if possible.

So... What are we doing for fillings? Pork with ancho chile, onion, garlic, allspice, ginger, a la Zarela? Chicken with the green stuff? What others?

Our temp just dropped this afternoon and I could open the windows and turn off the AC. I am reheating some of the "Work in Progress Chile". We have such capricious weather it is difficult to match our menu to the weather. BTW... that recipe for chili is the ulitmate. Here is the link. Click here.

I got to a Lucy Devereaux, or at least her answering service. She is apparantly a VP or something so I will keep trying. Only on eGullet could we get so obsessive about ss mushrooms.

I am moving this thread from Texas to Cooking due to popular demand.

Yes, freshly ground masa can "go off" fairly quickly. But it has nothing to do with the lard. Do not even think of using that stuff on the shelf at the grocery. That lard is vile, hydrogenated, transfats out the kazoo, and tastes like plastic. Use your own or your Mexican butcher's fresh lard. It is all the difference in the world. RecipeGullet isn't reactivated yet but you can view my method for lard here.

In the first place, I never thought of using the crockpot for confit. DUH! I am figuring that you can confit anything in there. Now I just have to find some duck fat.

jensen and ladyyoung98... You are heros!!!

Good point! Added to "the box". Speaking of thermometers, the remote thingies are a good gift for any BBQ afficiando, though outside of the price range of this discussion. I have given them a couple of times and, once the recipient got past the skepticism hurdle (Ah know when my Q is done) they can't live without them.

Now that I have slept on it... I actually dreamed of making tamales last night. I know that I followed Zarela's advice (Food From My Heart) on the whole process. The adventure started when I ordered a whole fresh ham for Christmas dinner, asked the butcher to trim it to my specifications and save the fat. Little did I know where that would lead. I already had this multi-tiered steamer that I had bought at Hong Kong Market. Here I was, surveying my inventory... steamer=>pork fat=>tamales! Off I go to Fiesta Mart to get the masa, corn husks and banana leaves. I think I remember that I did pork with a Chiapas style ancho paste for the banana leaf wrapped ones. That seemed to fit since the banana leaf wraps become more common the further south you go. Since that took care of the pork, I did a chicken filling for the corn husk wrapped with a primarily "green" seasoning... tomatillos, jalepenos, etc. About half way through the whole thing, I started to understand why this is such a good amiga opportunity.

Thank you, Judith. Tongs and thermometers are now "in the goody box". How on earth could I have neglected those? And I know they don't have thermometers. I get these panic phone calls... "Mom, I have seared the xxx. How long does it have to go in the oven." "I don't know. I just cook it to 140F." "But mom! I don't have a thermometer." "Well, why the hell NOT?"

Chufi... Do you have a recipe for the erwtensoep? That sounds interesting. What kind of smoked pork?

Oh... Thank you for starting this thread. The only time I did tamales was solo, following Zarela Martinez. I even rendered my own lard. This was an arduous journey and should be shared by many friends in the kitchen. That would be a lot more fun. I did the corn husk variety as well as the banana leaf variety. They were excellent. Unfortunately I don't have the exact recipes I used since I did rifs off of Zarela's recipes. I do think that the key to success is the freshly rendered lard. The other sign of success should be a gathering of friends in the kitchen for good conversation and camaraderie. After all, tamales are really rather simple as far as ingredients are concerned. It is the art of the participants in putting them together that makes the difference.

Now that is a great idea. You have just expanded the use of smoked turkey tremendously. My son's roommate is Jewish, not kosher but doesn't eat pork just from life experience, so this thread is going to be very valuable since so many of our favorite recipes depend upon pork products.

I love this stuff. And I am too lazy to look upthread to see if I have already posted this. 15 (or whatever) bean soup. This is usually made after that Christmas spiral sliced ham thing has been reduced to a blob of meat on the shank. I like to use a good dark beer for the liquid. I have to say that my favorite beef stew is an embarassment. You coat the beef cubes with Lipton Onion Soup and put in the bottom of the crock pot with a couple of bay leaves. Potatoes and carrots are added. Then a can of cream of mushroom soup is spread on top. Best tradtional beef stew on the planet. This veal ragout has become a family favorite. We often substitute pork. Veal is impossible to find here with any regularity. Emeril's beef fricassee from Louisiana Real and Rustic. You are basically dumping beef cubes into a scorching hot dark roux. It is fabulous. I use the technique as a basis for beef burgundy as well. Of course... gumbo is always on the menu. I love this kind of cooking.

I was thinking about that problem. It is more geometric than anything else. Turkey legs are a very inconvenient size and shape. I actually saw smoked thighs at my local HEB. There would be more meat on a thigh as well. I would say that if you have room in the pot, say a big pot to sweat down a big batch of greens, I would throw the whole thing in. If I were doing a pot of beans in my little Le Creuset, I might pull off chunks of the meat.

woodburner... What is a Bintje potato? Why don't I know about them? I haven't actually tasted the sweet potato combo yet. But I did hear the rave reviews from a couple of folks that were there. They were so impressed that they called me to find out how to make the confit. The confit epidemic is spreading beyond the confines of eGullet. winesonoma... That doesn't sound half bad. I actually have some smoked liverwurst in the fridge and a little confit left in the jar. Bread is iffy. You could actually concoct a pretty sexy starter with that combo and the little party bread. What just sprung into my head was the little square of bread, mush up the liverwurst so you could pipe it through a large round pastry tip making a circle shaped "dam" and put confit in the middle. I will probably never do this but I can't quit thinking of the theme.

BEANS!

Well, you started this so I suppose that you are starting page 12 is fitting. Did you stick with adding ham or did you ever try it "straight"? I was just remembering how dissappointed I was with the bacon.

heh... heh... This site says they can grow to 6 inches!

I am racking my brain for the name of the shop on Richmond near where you are. Either someone will chime in or I will get past my "senior moment".

Here is what I did way back on page 2 that resulted in the picture I linked: 6 large white onions, quartered and sliced 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) 1/2 cup EVOO 3 sprigs thyme 3 bay leaves about 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (guessing here) 1/2 cup beef demi-glace You maybe didn't have enough fat. I know the demi-glace had something to do with the silky texture but it works out fine without it. I just happened to see the little jar sitting there in the freezer door and thought it was a good idea. BTW... Since then, I have learned that what I had was not demi-glace but glace de viande. At refrigerator temperature, the thing was like a hockey puck so there was plenty of gelatin in there.

Click here For a close-up upthread.

I agree with the rack. Yes it is a pain to clean. I have done it both ways and have gone back to using the rack. Pam helps a little.