Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders - Emeril Lagasse [26]
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
3 medium yellow onions, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
One 3-inch cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican canela, if available
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 pounds coarsely ground pork shoulder or regular ground pork
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon dried Mexican or regular oregano, crumbled between your fingers
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
6 medium fresh poblano chiles with long stems, preferably not twisted or deeply indented (about 1 pound)
8 ounces queso fresco or queso Chihuahua, grated
½ cup Honduran crema or sour cream
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the lard or oil over medium heat. Add two-thirds of the onions and half of the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until they are very well browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes and their juices in a blender or food processor (in batches if necessary).
3. When the onions are well browned, increase the heat to medium-high and add the pureed tomatoes. Make a sachet by placing the cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tying the ends with twine to secure. Add the sachet and ½ teaspoon of the salt to the sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a thick tomato sauce, about 35 minutes. Remove 2 cups of the tomato sauce and reserve. Stir the stock into the sauce remaining in the pan. Partially cover and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 45 minutes.
4. While the sauce simmers, prepare the pork picadillo and the chiles. Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and pumpkin seeds and stir until they are deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lard or oil to the pan along with the remaining onions and garlic. Crumble the pork into the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the pork is completely cooked and the onion is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. If the pork has rendered a lot of fat, drain any excess fat from the pan.
5. Stir the reserved 2 cups tomato sauce, the raisins, vinegar, chili powder, ground cinnamon, oregano, and allspice into the pork mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very thick and most of the excess liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Stir in the almonds and pumpkin seeds, taste, and season with 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt. Set the picadillo aside to cool.
6. While the picadillo is cooking, prepare the chiles by placing them directly onto a fairly high flame or under the broiler. Let the skin blister and burn on all sides of the chiles, turning as necessary and taking care that they do not cook all the way through. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
7. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, rub off the blistered skins and discard the skins. Cut a slit into one side of each chile, starting ½ inch below the stem end and continuing to within ½ inch of the tip. One by one, work your finger inside the chiles, dislodging all the seeds clustered just below the stem. Quickly rinse under cool water to remove the seeds from inside the chiles, being careful not to rip or tear the opening any wider than is necessary;