Pernil

My first try at making pernil was a success! I brined it and it came out moist, succulent, crispy and not greasy at all.

1 5-6 lb fresh pork shoulder
1 c. kosher salt
5 dried bay leaves

2 tbls prepared garlic paste
1 tbls black pepper corns
3 tbls dried oregano
3 tbls dried thyme
4 c. water
ice

4 tbls olive oil
1 heavy pinch kosher salt

Boil salt, bay, garlic, pepper, oregano, and thyme in water until salt is dissolved and fragrant. Place pork shoulder in a pot large enough to submerge it. Add enough cold water to the pot so it's about 3/4 full. Add some ice to the boiled mixture to cool it. Add the entire mixture to the large pot. Brine in the refrigerator over night or few days.

On the day of cooking, dry the meat with paper towels and let it come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 for 30 minutes. Brush skin with olive oil. Place in roasting pan, fat side up, using a baking rack or coiled up aluminum foil to keep the bottom of the roast out of the grease. Sprinkle skin with kosher salt. Bake at for one hour. Lower heat to 300 and cook until the temperature reaches 150 according to a meat thermometer. Raise the temperature back to 400 and finish roasting for 45 minutes.

Ceviche

A marinated seafood dish that was inspired by Anzuelo Fino's version.

I made a spicy version and a mild version by dividing between two bowls, and adding the habanero to one bowl. It should be VERY finely diced. This is an extremely hot chili. I seeded and chopped using gloves.

Allow at least 3 hours for the seafood to "cook". You can serve room temperature or chilled.

$8.00 1 lb 16-20 raw frozen easy peel shrimp, peeled and thawed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
$3.00 1/2 lb light sea fish fillets such as whiting, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
$2.00 2 c. frozen mote*
$1.50 10 limes
$0.50 2 lemons
$0.50 1 bunch green onion, chopped
$0.50 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
$0.10 1 habanero chili, seeded (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp salt + more to taste
water

ketchup, Valentina hot sauce for servings to be individually garnished according to taste

Boil mote in enough salted water to cover, about 10 minutes, or until tender. While the corn is boiling, finely chop the cilantro and green onion. Drain the mote and let it cool while juicing the fruit. Mix the garlic, herbs, and mote together in a large bowl. In as small a bowl as will accommodate the shrimp, fish, and juice, fold the fish and shrimp together. Pour the citrus juice over the seafood and mix thoroughly. Mix the mote and seafood/citrus mixtures together. There should be enough juice to cover the whole salad.

After one hour of marinating, taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve with optional ketchup and hot sauce.

*A kind of large kernel corn, used in South American cuisine. Don't mistake it for maize choclo nor substitute "American" sweet corn. This link shows "white corn" desgranado which is what I used. It's available in regular supermarkets in Jackson Heights. Specialty Latin American supermarkets may be the only source outside the neighborhood.

Sweet Pea Hummus

I served this with herb-grilled lamb chops, cucumber yogurt sauce, stuffed grape leaves, cucumber -vidalia onion-grape tomato- basil salad, and pitas yesterday for Easter. Today leftover hummus with sardines in vinaigrette along with the grape leaves and grape tomatoes makes a nice lunch.

The recipe originally appeared on the Serious Eats blog.

1 lb frozen green peas, thawed
1 lemon juice
10 mint leaves
1/4 olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse all the ingredients together until you get a hummus consistency. Add water if necessary.

Delicious, fast, cheap, easy, and healthy!