Green Enchiladas- LA Times

The Mighty Tomatillo

 This seems to be one of the few readily available groceries items that most people disregard. It is truly a shame because beyond that crinkled husk is a perfect combination of tangy and sweet flavors. When picking your tomatillos you want to slightly peel back the husk and check for a bright green color. Pale green or yellow is an indication that it is overripe. The husk should also look green and ideally the fruit will fill the husk. Below is a simple enchilada recipe that highlights the tomatillo as the true culinary star it is. This salsa is so simple, flavorful and fresh you'll never buy another jar of salsa verde again. 

Green Enchiladas- Taken From the LA Times 

Ingredients: 
24 tomatillos, cleaned and husked
1/2 onion, chopped
8 to 10 serrano chiles, stemmed (and seeded for less heat, or to taste)
1 1/2 cups washed, stemmed leaves of cilantro (from about ¼ of a large bunch)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

                    

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the tomatillos and boil just until they darken to an olive shade, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2. In a food processor, combine the boiled tomatillos with the onion, chiles, cilantro and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are blended to form a salsa. This makes a generous 6 cups of salsa, which can be covered and refrigerated until ready to use, up to 1 week.

Tip: taste the salsa at this point. It has been known to cause spontaneous kitchen dancing. :)


Enchiladas assembly

Green salsa
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
12 small corn tortillas
2 to 4 cups boiled, shredded chicken
2/3 cup Mexican cream
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (or Chihuahua cheese)
Salt to taste


1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently heat the salsa in a large saucepan until it is warm. When the salsa is warm, spoon about 1 cup of it to cover the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Gently dip both sides of the tortillas into the oil to soften, then quickly dip each of them into the salsa to coat. (For a lower-fat enchilada, skip the oil. Simply heat the tortillas in a microwave until they are soft and pliable.)

                  

3. Place the tortilla on a plate and fill with a scant 3 tablespoons shredded chicken. Roll or fold the tortilla over like a taco and place in the baking dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas are assembled.
                   

4. Cover the assembled tortillas with the remaining salsa and dot with teaspoon-sized dollops of the Mexican cream. Sprinkle over the cheese.

5. Place the baking dish in the oven and heat until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are warm, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Mario Batali Pork Chops

I came across this recipe in my beloved Bon Appetit. My first endeavor into the world of pork chops. Mr. Batali did not disappoint. The colors and aromas alone in this meal are enough to make it a company worthy meal. The brine adds a subtle salty/sweet flavor to the pork chops and will completely dispell any notions of the dreaded "bland tough pork chop." This recipe yields a tender flavorful dish that is sure to please any palate. :) 

Grilled Porkchops with Cherry Peppers, Cipolline Onions, and Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup coarse kosher salt. plus extra to taste

1/4 cup plus 1 and 1/2 tsps sugar

4 8 oz. pork chops with rib bone attached

1 lb. cipolline onions or pearl onions

1/4 cup plus 2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 bell peppers (preferable 1 red and 1 yellow), seeded, cut into 1/2 inch squares

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes

8 pickled cherry peppers from jar, finely sliced

Aged balsamic vinegar

1. Whisk 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 8 cups of water in a large bowl until dissolved. Place the pork in dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the chops occasionally. Blanch cipolline onions in large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute.  Drain. Cool slightly and peel.  Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add cipolline onions and cook until tender and browned in spots, turning occasionally, 8-10 minutes.


Tip: Before boiling the onions use a pairing knife to cut off the root end. After you boil them make sure to put them directly into an ice bath. Once cooled the onions should easily pop out of their peel when squeezed.

2. Transfer onions to a medium bowl. Increase heat to hight and add 1 tblsp. oil in same skillet.  Add bell peppers and red onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add crushed pepper, and 1 and 1/2 tsp. sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring often, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in reserved onions and sliced peppers.  Cover and keep warm.  



Tip: This will take a few minutes so use your extra time to pull the pork out of the brine and pat it dry. This will make sure you get some great color and carmelization on your pork when it hits the grill.

3. Heat a tblsp. of olive oil over medium in a heavy skillet. Add pork. Cook until the pork is cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.  

Tip: These delicious pork chops look even better with some great gril marks. Place your chops at a forty-five degree angle to the direction of the grill rods. Allow to sear for three minutes and then rotate 90 degrees and let it cook through the rest of the way. I only worry about grill marks for the presentation side, but you can certainly repeat this process after flipping.

4. Place pork on plates, garnish with vegetable mixture and balsamic vinegar.

How you plate is entirely up to you. Pork first or veggies first really won't matter with this dish. A nice drizzle of balsamic on the plate might be a nice touch. As for me... I was too excited to dig in to do anything but snap this quick picture for you :)

Enjoy :)