roast

Quesabirria Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Quesabirria Tacos! One of the advantages of living in Florida is the convenience of a year-round food truck park located along a scenic waterway. It attracts a plethora of local vendors intertwining their cultural and generational street foods that offer appealing taste opportunities for locals, tourists, and foodie enthusiasts alike. You’ll see everything from gourmet lobster rolls, decadent desserts, fresh seafood, authentic gyros, sesame tofu, elote fritters, thirst-quenching cocktails at the waterfront bar, and more. When my son visited me recently, he suggested we go check it out. It was there he introduced me to my first taste of Quesabirria Tacos. It was love at first bite. What better way to kick back, bask in the tropical breezes, enjoy the live music, and catch up on each other’s lives. Well done, Son. 

QUESABIRRIA TACOS

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 small onion, quartered

2 guajillo chiles 

1 ancho chile, dried

1 Roma tomato, quartered

2 cloves garlic 

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup beef broth

12 corn tortilla shells

2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Cilantro, for garnish 

Green onions, chopped, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Place a Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. Warm the olive oil. When it is hot, season the beef with salt and pepper. Add beef chunks to the pan and sear all sides, turning as needed. Add half the onions and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat. Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the guajillo peppers and ancho chile pepper. In a medium pot, combine the chiles, tomatoes, remaining onions, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Add 2 cups water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat; turn heat down to simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add oregano, cumin powder, and thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Pour the mixture into a strainer over a bowl. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf; discard. Transfer the solids to a blender, adding the beef broth, and purée until smooth. Return the beef mixture to the burner on medium-high heat. Pour the blended vegetables over the beef. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat, cover pan and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until beef is soft and tender. Once the beef is completely cooked, using tongs, take the beef out of the sauce. Use two forks to shred the cooked meat. Set aside. To assemble the tacos, warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Dip one corn tortilla into the sauce to coat both sides. Place the dipped tortilla onto the skillet. Top with shredded beef and Mexican cheese blend. Fold over the tortilla; frying it for one minute per side until crispy. Transfer Quesabirria taco to a baking sheet. Repeat process until all corn tortillas are assembled. Keep warm in a 250° oven. When ready to eat, ladle birria sauce into individual bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped green onions. To eat, dip each taco into the seasoned broth. Enjoy!

Kalua Pork Roast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Kalua Pork Roast!  This special blend of herbs is a tribute to warm, tropical summer nights. The term, “Kalua”, is Hawaiian for slow cooked. I have put this frozen roast in the oven and let flavors blend all day long for an exotic taste that will have your senses wondering if you’ve been transported to a private paradise. The extra meals provided are a bonus that will have others showering you with praise in the days following. 

KALUA PORK ROAST

Ingredients:

4 pound boneless pork butt roast

1 tablespoon Red Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt*

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning 

2 cups apple juice

2 cups apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 bottle beer

Instructions:

Set oven to 275°. Place frozen pork roast in a covered roaster, fat side up. Pour apple juice and apple cider vinegar over roast. Next apply liquid smoke. Finish by sprinkling the Alaea sea salt and Mrs. Dash herb blend over the pork. Make sure the lid is on securely. You will begin to smell the heavenly aroma as it slowly cooks. Five hours later, check the roast, as the liquid will absorb. I discovered some roasters allow the liquid to evaporate a little sooner than I expected. I have found Le Creuset to be very reliable. If the roast needs more liquid, pour a bottle of beer over it. Keep it covered and slowly cook it at least another three hours. I have let it cook for ten hours total without a problem. It is so fork-tender you will be amazed. And the drippings can be used for gravy or barbecue sauce. 

*Available through Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts. (I receive no recompense for promoting their product.)

Beef Au Jus

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Beef au Jus! Talk about a no-brainer.  This is a great meal when you have no time.  I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long.  By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door.  Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine.  A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance.  Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax!  An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!

BEEF AU JUS

Ingredients:

3 lb. Beef Roast

1 can Beef Consommé 

Herbs de Provence

4 Idaho Potatoes 

1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Directions:

Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °.  Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat will be juicy and fork-tender.  Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover.  Bake for one hour, or until tender.   Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!

***Option:  The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk.  Leave a few lumps for texture.  Top with “au jus”.

Turmeric Roast Beef

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Turmeric Roast Beef! Turmeric is a spice in the world of superfoods. It begins as a plant, but the roots hold all the benefits. Turmeric can usually be found in the spice aisle of your favorite grocery store. Its golden-orange color makes a quick scan for identification pretty easy. The aroma has an earthiness to it, which is a compliment for vegetables and beef. Once you try it, your mind may wander to curry dishes, chili soup, and beyond.

TURMERIC ROAST BEEF

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound chuck roast

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning*

5-6 potatoes, washed with skin on, cut into bite-size chunks

16 ounces baby carrots, whole

10 ounces pearl onions, whole

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions:

Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. Pour beef broth over meat. Sprinkle with turmeric and Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning. Set slow cooker on Low heat for 4 hours. After that time, add the potato chunks, baby carrots, and pearl onions. Continue on Low setting for 4 more hours. Remove roast and vegetables to a platter. Garnish with parsley flakes. Reserve juices for au jus, gravy base, or soup starter.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning.

Turmeric Roast Beef

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Turmeric Roast Beef! Turmeric is a spice in the world of superfoods. It begins as a plant, but the roots hold all the benefits. Turmeric can usually be found in the spice aisle of your favorite grocery store. Its golden-orange color makes a quick scan for identification pretty easy. The aroma has an earthiness to it, which is a compliment for vegetables and beef. Once you try it, your mind may wander to curry dishes, chili soup, and beyond.

TURMERIC ROAST BEEF

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound chuck roast

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning*

5-6 potatoes, washed with skin on, cut into bite-size chunks

16 ounces baby carrots, whole

10 ounces pearl onions, whole

1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions:

Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. Pour beef broth over meat. Sprinkle with turmeric and Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning. Set slow cooker on Low heat for 4 hours. After that time, add the potato chunks, baby carrots, and pearl onions. Continue on Low setting for 4 more hours. Remove roast and vegetables to a platter. Garnish with parsley flakes. Reserve juices for au jus, gravy base, or soup starter.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning Salty Wahine Hawaiian Seasoning.

Juicy Roast Turkey

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Start Smart: Juicy Roast Turkey! There’s nothing worse than dry-as-dust turkey, around the holidays. Watch your guests if they keep asking you to pass the gravy. Today I’m going to give you a few tips to keep that from happening. You can thank me when it’s your turn to host the holiday meal. Number one: Truss loosely, or not at all. The secret is to allow heat to get to all sides of the legs. Cooking the turkey until the legs are done may result in overcooking the breast meat. Number two: Don’t overcook. The timetable on the package is an estimate. Always use a meat thermometer, even if the turkey comes with a pop-up version. Always. Number three: (and this one is the hardest for me) Let the turkey “rest” before carving. I’m talking 20-30 minutes. Evidently, during the roasting process, the oven heat forces all the juices to the center of the turkey. When you allow it to “rest”, after it’s done, the juices seep back into the cavities and make the turkey moist. It’s definitely worth the wait.

JUICY ROAST TURKEY

Ingredients:

10-15 pound turkey, thawed

1/2 cup butter

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 teaspoon thyme

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Wash the turkey, pat dry, and transfer to a roasting pan with a roasting rack. Stuff the turkey as desired. Otherwise, salt and pepper the inside of the cavity. In a small saucepan, warm the butter over low heat. Add the lemon juice, zest, and thyme. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. Cover the roaster with the lid. Transfer pan to oven. Bake for two hours, basting the turkey every half hour. This insures even browning of the skin. Remove lid and roast turkey an additional 1 1/2 hours, continuing to baste at half hour intervals. When the meat thermometer reads 185°, remove the turkey from the oven. Transfer it to a cutting board; cover with foil. Let it rest for half an hour. This makes carving easier and produces a juicy roast turkey.

Perfect Pot Roast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fab Foodstuff: Perfect Pot Roast! Today all chefs get the day off from cooking. Seriously. This one-pot meal will turn out perfectly, as long as you ignore it. Use a slow-cooker or a Dutch Baker in a low temperature oven. I actually begin with a frozen chuck roast and forget about it, that is until the savory aromas lightly waft throughout the house. The liquid turns into a pleasant au jus or can be thickened into gravy. Personally, I ladle the juice into a food storage container to use as a sauce for beef carnitas, but that’s another story. Leftovers promise delicious options.

PERFECT POT ROAST

Ingredients:

3-4 pound chuck roast, frozen

3/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup kosher salt (or less)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon oregano

1 pound baby carrots

3-4 white potatoes, skin on, quartered

2-3 sprigs thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275°. Place frozen roast in Dutch Baker. Combine vinegar, orange juice, and melted butter. Pour over roast. Sprinkle roast with kosher salt, garlic powder, and oregano. Lay thyme sprigs across the top of the meat. Put the lid on the Dutch Baker and bake for 4 hours. Then add carrots and cut-up potatoes to the pot. Reduce oven temperature to 185°. Bake 4 hours longer. The roast is fall-apart tender and ready to serve.

Cottage Ham

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Cottage Ham! I’ve made this dense cottage ham three different ways: slow-cooker, stove-top, and oven-bake. The best results came when I used the Le Creuset cast iron enameled Dutch oven.* It seemed to distribute the heat more evenly. The ham was fork-tender, moist, and juicy. Because the pan locks in the moisture, you can keep it warm in the oven until dinner time by reducing the oven temperature after the first three hours. Any leftover cooking water can be used as a soup base the following day.

COTTAGE HAM

Ingredients:

2 pound smoked shoulder butt

8-10 black peppercorns

1 tablespoon brown sugar

4 bay leaves

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse cottage ham to remove excess salt. Place cottage ham in a 3.5-quart Dutch oven. Add enough water to fill 2 inches above ham. Add black peppercorns, brown sugar, and bay leaves. Cover with lid. Bake cottage ham two hours. Check water level to keep the pan from going dry. If it does, add a little more water. The absorption allows the ham to be fork-tender, not chewy. Bake one hour longer, if necessary. The ham is done when the internal temperature is 160°. Serve with potatoes and vegetables of choice.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.

Pan-Seared Pork Carnitas

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Pan-Seared Pork Carnitas! What if I told you this recipe will give you the crunch of bacon and the tenderness of a roast? And what if I also told you there’s no shame in eating a plate of tender, super-crispy meat without tortillas and refried beans on the side? (It’s true. I actually had these pork carnitas for breakfast one day.) If you’ve ever ordered this house special in a Mexican restaurant, I challenge you to give it a try. I simply threw all the ingredients together before I went to bed and let the slow cooker do its magic overnight. The next morning, the aromas will drive you crazy! Be creative. Have tacos, tostadas, nachos, or simply eat them as is. I did, without regrets. Mmmmm.

PAN-SEARED PORK CARNITAS

Ingredients:

7-pound pork shoulder, bone-in

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons cumin powder

1 tablespoon Hawaiian Rub*

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, sliced

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup vinegar

Fresh lime

Fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Rinse and dry pork shoulder. Pat dry. Cover with olive oil. Rub in oregano, cumin powder, Hawaiian Rub, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place the pork shoulder, fatty side up, in a slow-cooker. Add chopped onion and jalapeño slices. Mix together orange juice and vinegar. Pour over all. Cover. Cook on Low for 10 hours. When done, the meat will be very tender. Remove the roast from the slow cooker. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Shred the meat using two forks, allowing some pieces to remain in bite-size chunks. Strain the juices into a medium size saucepan. Discard solids. Warm the drippings over medium heat to skim off the fat. Set aside. To serve, warm an iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place shredded pork in the skillet and drizzle in a ladle of juices. Avoid overcrowding. Use a screen lid cover to eliminate splatters. Let the juices evaporate for 2-3 minutes so the bottom of the pork appears charred and crusty. Carefully turn over the pork pieces to cook golden brown. Overcooking will reduce tenderness and juiciness. Remove pork from skillet. Take a lime wedge and squeeze fresh lime juice over all. Garnish with cilantro. Leftovers may be divided into storage containers. Pour the juice equally over the pulled pork in each container. Freezing is also an option.

*Available through Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts. I receive no recompense for promoting their product.