Recently my mom was asking me if I knew of some versatile new seasoning she could try to liven up her cooking a bit. I felt a bit stuck in a rut myself, and remembered that I've always wanted to try making sofrito but have been too lazy... so of course I told my mom she should make it, since she usually has more gumption than me in the kitchen. Luckily my mom has always been very generous, and froze me a cup of this amazing stuff. It can really go in just about anything, particularly any Latin American dish, and make it something really spectacular. Sofrito is so fragrant that its pungent aroma can be noticed through a zip lock bag, after the sofrito has been frozen.
I had a bunch of leftover braised pork shoulder from a ramen experiment, and had no idea what to do with it. I remembered the sofrito my mom had left me in the freezer and knew I should incorporate that. I just started cooking, not having any clue where I was going to end up, but thankfully I wrote it all down because this meal ended up being really tasty. Not to mention fast, which is what I needed the day I made it since my daughter needed my undivided attention, hence the lack of photos in this post.
INGREDIENTS
for the sofrito rice
1 cup of your favorite long grain rice
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup sofrito
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
2 tsp adobo seasoning
for the twice cooked pork
~2 lb cooked pork shoulder (about 4 cups)
-I prepared mine by slowly braising it in a stock that had been made by simmering dried
shitake mushrooms and kotsuobushi, but any way you've cooked it (unless its been
slathered in barbecue sauce) where a mild flavor is yielded should work.
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 heaping Tbsp adobo seasoning
1 tsp cumin
6 - 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup unfiltered cider vinegar
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Place a medium pot over medium high heat and add the sunflower oil and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes, then add the sofrito. Cook till nearly all the moisture has evaporated, then add the rice. Saute for a few minutes till most of the rice has toasted a bit and turned opaque. Add the stock or water and adobo. Bring to a boil, giving it a couple good stirs while it comes up to temp. Cover and dial heat back to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the rice sit for another 10 - 15 minutes, covered. Don't peek!
While the rice is cooking, place a large enameled cast iron pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, quickly pull apart the cooked pork if needed. Add the oil and pork to the pan, followed by the garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and give it a good stir. Cook and stir occasionally till nearly every bit of moisture has evaporated and the pork starts sizzling again. Add a bit more vinegar or hot sauce to taste.
Fluff the rice with a fork and serve in a large bowl, topping it with the pork and black beans. Serve with lots of hot sauce, or some nice crema and cilantro, or serve it along side some corn tortillas or roll it all up in a burrito. Either way, it's going to be really delicious.
*updated 9.24.13
A good friend introduced me to migas when we were living together nearly 10 years ago, and I immediately loved them. It's a simple dish with very little requirements - egg and some kind of bread or tortilla. The rest varies by region and household. Although the migas I make today are a bit more involved than the ones I first had, the basics are still there- crisp corn tortilla, fluffy curds of eggs. I add a good helping of black beans, salsa verde and cheese to round it out a bit. Some crema drizzled over the top never hurts either.
Special enough for company, and much less fussy than an omelet, migas sometimes get put on heavy rotation around here. It's an inexpensive and quick 'breakfast' meal that is really good at any time of day. Pair it with your favorite morning potato, and you'll have quite a stick to your ribs kinda meal.
Since we don't have a dishwasher, I'm usually looking for ways to avoid using unnecessary dishes. This is a neat one I read about a while back, and now makes me look at the bottom of canned beans to find the proper design. There needs to be the same lip as there is on the top, which enables you to use a can opener on the bottom. Yes, not all cans are created equal. By using a can/bottle opener for the bottom to create a few holes, once opening the lid you've got a DIY colander! Check it out:
It may be only my perception, but the beans seem to get rinsed off faster this way, without getting agitated by a toss in a colander.
Another crucial element to a good batch of migas is proper corn tortillas. The more thick and fresh, the better. Here is my favorite local brand, which you can get pretty much any where in Milwaukee-
no substitutes! Or, I suppose you can use your favorite corn tortilla. Migas, to me, aren't the same with flour tortillas, but if you can't stand corn tortillas, give them a go.
INGREDIENTS
6 large eggs with a splash of ice water, beaten till foamy
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed well
4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch square pieces
1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil
3/4 cup salsa verde or tomatillo salsa
1 cup crumbled queso fresco, or favorite cheese of choice (I've used Parm in a pinch, and it's
surprisingly really good in these migas!)
fresh cilantro (optional)
Place a large (preferably 12") non-stick or well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the canola oil and let it get very hot while you chop up your tortillas. Add them to the hot oil and fry for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, till they are evenly golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the oil. Set aside.
Remove all but 1 Tbsp of oil from the pan. Dial heat down to medium and add the black beans. Cook for a few minutes till they start to sizzle, stirring occasionally. Add the beaten eggs and begin to scramble. Pour in the salsa verde a couple minutes shy of how you like your eggs done and give the eggs a stir - I prefer mine quite moist, so I do this while there is about 1/3 uncooked egg in the pan. Add the fried tortillas and cook for a minute or so more.
Once the eggs look almost done, turn off the heat and add the cheese. Let the eggs hang out for a moment while you pull together your plates and any other sides. Give the migas a good stir and serve them up immediately with some of your favorite hot sauce on the side.
Soy Chorizo - I could go on and on about how much I love this stuff. It elevates simple soups, chilies, stews, hashes, tacos, eggs... pretty much everything, to something amazing. Plus the guilt factor is reduced since its vegan and gluten free. My family is neither vegan or gluten free, but I guess it's kind of a bonus when I throw something together that happens to be and I can feed a crowd without worrying about leaving any one out.
This soup comes together super fast, and freezes well - up to 3 months in an airtight container. Perfect for when my ~2 year old is running around the house yelling 'shoop shoop shoop!' and will not wait for me to make a soup from scratch (sort of), and I refuse to keep canned soups in the house... unless it's for the one meal I use them for. But I'll save that one for another post.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, small dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
2 peeled carrots, small dice
2 cans low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 12 oz package Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo
1 quart low sodium chicken stock
1 quart water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
squeeze of lime juice (optional)
Heat oil in a dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes till vegetables are softened.
Remove soy chorizo from casing and add it to the pot. Increase heat to medium high and stir well, breaking up the sausage to a fine crumble. Cook for 5 minutes. Add cumin, smoked paprika and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and water, add the sweet potato and black beans. When the soup starts to simmer, cover and dial heat back to low and let it go (stirring occasionally) for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
Serve with a wedge of lime and your favorite tortilla chips or crusty bread.
