Ingredients

• 2 lb pork, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 lg. onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. water
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 2 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 1 can (1 lb., 11 fl. oz.) sauerkraut
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream
• parsley

Preparation

1. Brown pork, part at a time (removing pieces to a bowl as a brown), in butter in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Sauté oven until golden, about 5 minutes, in same pan, adding more butter if needed. Stir in paprika; cook 1 minute longer. Return all meat.

2. Stir in chicken broth, the 1 cup of water, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

3. Drain and rinse sauerkraut; stir into the stew. Simmer 30 minutes longer, or until meat is tender.

4. Blend flour and the 1/4 cup water in a small cup; stir into simmering stew. Cook and stir until the gravy thickens and bubbles 3 minutes.

5. Lower heat; stir 1 cup hot sauce into sour cream in a small bowl until well blended; stir back into the kettle. Heat just until heated through. Do not boil. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Family Circle Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized pork shoulder roast
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 4 c. (or more) chicken broth
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/4 c. (or more) chile powder (pref. New Mexico; see below for alternate with Bueno red chile)
• cumin (to taste)
• mexican oregano (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• corn tortillas (for serving)
• fried eggs (for serving) cheddar cheese (for serving)

Preparation

Brown the 2 tbsp. of flour in a large dutch oven. Add a bit of chicken broth to turn into a roux, making sure to avoid lumps. Cut the pork shoulder into small cubes, and add it to the pot. Add enough broth to cover. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few hours, until the meat is nearly tender.

Add a few tbsp. of the cooking stock to the chile powder in a small bowl, and stir to form a paste. Add the paste to the pot, along with the cumin, mexican oregano, and salt to taste. You may need to thicken by adding either more chile powder or a thickener like flour. Cook the meat with the chile a little longer, until it’s fork-tender.

Limp your corn tortillas in the stock, and serve flat-stack style with cheddar cheese and a fried egg on top.

Another Option: You can replace the 1/4 c. of red chile powder with quite a lot more (maybe as much as half of the standard container, 1-2 cups) liquid Bueno mild red chile. Add some mixture of masa and water (or just flour and water) to the chile at the end to thicken things back up since you’re missing the chile powder.

Ingredients

• 2 medium dried ancho chiles, wiped clean
• 1 dried chipotle chile, wiped clean
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• Rounded 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 pound kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Accompaniments: rice; chopped cilantro; chopped scallions; sour cream

Preparation

Slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a dry heavy medium skillet over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds. Tear into small pieces.

Pulse cumin seeds and chiles in grinder until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oregano, cinnamon, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Cook onions in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then add chile mixture and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in zucchini and kale and cook, covered, 5 minutes. Add zest, sugar, chocolate, tomatoes with their juice, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Gourmet, November 2007

Ingredients

• cubed pork (country spare ribs)
• 2 qts. chicken broth
• 2 lg. onion, sliced
• canned hominy, drained and rinsed, or dried hominy
• red pepper flakes
• green chiles (1/2 to 1 doz., depending on heat)
• 3 cloves garlic

Preparation

Boil the pork in the chicken broth with one of the onions, salt, and pepper until almost tender. Add hominy, a couple dashes of red pepper flakes, green chiles, garlic, and the other onion. Simmer slowly until thickened.

If using dried hominy: rinse and soak overnight. Cook meat as above, then remove it from the broth. Add the hominy, and cook until tender. Then return the meat to the pot and proceed as above.

Ingredients

• 2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 8 ounces (about 2 1/3 cups) orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or other small pasta
• 1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese

Preparation

Strain liquid from canned beans into blender. Add 1 cup beans and puree until smooth. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausages, rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausages are cooked through, breaking up with fork, about 8 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add bean puree, remaining beans, broth, and pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese.

Bon Appetit, February 2001

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts or 4 duck breasts
• 1 slice fresh (uncooked) ham, cubed or 1 pkg. andouille sausage
• 1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves and stalks)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 1 28oz. can tomatoes
• 1 to 2 doz. whole okra
• ½ lb. uncooked shrimp, shelled
• ½ lb. lump crab meat (optional)
• ½ lb. fillet of white fish (any variety)
• ½ lb. fresh oysters, shucked
• 5/8 oz. file
• White rice, for serving
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Boil two whole chicken breasts and ham (if desired) until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken breasts, bone, skin, and cube, and return chicken and skin to the pot. If using andouille instead of ham, slice and sautee, and add to the pot now.

2. Add celery, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, garlic, bay leaf, onion, and pepper. Cook for around one hour on low.

3. Add tomatoes, okra, and shrimp, and cook for around 15 minutes.

4. Add crab, fish, and oysters. Cook just long enough for the fish to flake.

5. Turn off and let sit for a while.

6. Warm again and add file. Check for taste, and also for proper thickening. Add salt if necessary.

7. Serve over white rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 3 pounds flank steak, cut into 3/4-inch-cubes
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cinnamon sticks, roughly 2 inches each
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 1 small can tomatoes, drained
• Salt, to taste

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, paprika, curry powder, garam masala, soy sauce and ginger. Add the beef and turn to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate several hours or overnight.

2. When ready to cook, in a Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the ghee or oil. Add the onion and garlic, then saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, and continue to cook until the onions brown, about another 5 minutes.

4. Add the beef, marinade and tomatoes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

5. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for another 40 minutes.

6. Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, then season with salt.

Nimala Narine

Ingredients

For cassoulet:

• 3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
• 3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 quart water

For garlic crumbs:

• 4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preparation

Make cassoulet:

Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

[To add 8 oz. bacon, slice, then fry until fat has rendered. Then add veggies and proceed with the recipe, omitting the 1/4 c. olive oil.]

Cook leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herb sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, then water, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

Make garlic crumbs while cassoulet simmers:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread in a baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once halfway through, until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool crumbs in pan, then return to bowl and stir in parsley.

Finish cassoulet:

Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with garlic crumbs.

Gourmet, March 2008

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces and skinned
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, for garnish
• 1 cup black Nyons or kalamata olives, for garnish

Preparation

Combine the 3/4 cup flour and the salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag, several pieces at a time, and shake to coat completely.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then arrange in the slow cooker.

Set the sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and the 2 tablespoons flour. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until some of the tomato liquid evaporates.

Pour the onion mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender. At 3 to 4 hours, the chicken will still be firm and hold its shape. At 6 to 8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone.

Divide the chicken among dinner plates and garnish with the parsley, basil, and olives. Serve immediately.

Lynn Alley, Epicurious