Cuban Roasted Mojo Pork
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced oregano, 2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
- & 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in one piece*
If you have a food processor: Add the orange juice, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves, and pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add this mixture to a ziplock bag, along with the rest of the oil, zest, lime juice, oregano, and cumin.
If you don’t have a food processor: In a large ziplock bag, combine olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Shake it around a bit to mix it up, then add the pork shoulder.
Place the zipped up bag in a baking dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, or several hours at least.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack (I used a cooling rack) over a rimmed baking sheet.
Place the pork on the rack and discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the pork well.
Roast the pork for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned.
Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Roast for another 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160.
Transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest at least 20 minutes.
Carve against the grain and serve.
Pecan Cream Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Blind Bake Crust and let cool
Beat cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form
Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, salt and maple syrup until smooth
Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture; stir in 1 cup pecans
Spread into crust, top with remaining pecans, and chill for at least 2 hours or more
Strawberry Short Cakes
3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup butter, COLD (1 & 1/2 sticks)
1 large egg, cold
3/4 cup buttermilk**, COLD
1-2 tablespoons buttermilk, cold OR ice water
For the whipped cream
2 cups heavy cream***
1/3 cup powdered sugar
- teaspoon vanilla
Start by making the Fresh Strawberry Topping.* Cover and set aside to thicken. You can serve it room temperature or chill it in the fridge.
Make the shortcake. In a large bowl, add 3 cups flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons baking powder. Whisk it together.
Use a knife to chop 3/4 cup COLD butter into small chunks.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and
use a pastry cutterto cut the butter into the flour. See photos. You want to end up with a crumbly mixture and pieces of butter about the size of a pea.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add 3/4 cup COLD buttermilk**. Whisk the large egg into the buttermilk.
Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the flour and use a rubber spatula to stir it together and create a shaggy dough. It’s ok if all the flour is not incorporated.
Cover your hands with flour and knead the dough a few times right there in the bowl, smashing in any loose flour with your hands. If it is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon cold buttermilk or 1 tablespoon ice water to get it to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (I love
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 9×13 inches, it doesn’t have to be exact. Fold the dough in half, then in quarters, then again. Pat the dough out with your hands to make a smooth top, and use the rolling pin if necessary to roll it gently into a rectangle about 1 and 1/4 inch thick.
Dip a 2 and 1/2 inch biscuit cutter into flour and use it to cut the dough. Do not twist the biscuit cutter, it inhibits rising in the oven. Just push straight down.
Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
Place the shortcake in a buttered cast iron skillet or greased 9×9 inch square baking pan. I prefer to make them in a pan that has sides; this helps the shortcakes rise upward instead of falling on their sides in the oven. You want to place the shortcakes snuggly together, either touching or about 1/2 inch apart. They will help each other rise.
If you have time, I highly recommend freezing the whole pan of prepared shortcake for about 20 minutes. Cold dough going into a hot oven is how you get perfect flaky layers. While you freeze the dough, preheat the oven to 425 for at least 20 minutes.
Just before putting them in the oven, brush the top of each shortcake with buttermilk or heavy cream. This will help them brown. Sprinkle generously with sugar (I like chunky raw sugar for a nice crunch).
Bake at 425 degrees F for about 18-22 minutes. You will know they are done when the tops are a deep golden brown, the edges of the biscuits have firmed to the touch, and the bottoms are starting to brown. If you still can’t tell, gently split one of the shortcakes and lift it up to see the center. If it is at all gooey, put it back in the oven. If they are not done but the tops are getting too brown, top with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 2 cups of cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on high speed for 2-5 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. You will know it is ready when the cream has thickened, you can see peaks forming, and when you lift the beaters out they hold their shape in a nice curl. Keep refrigerated if you are not ready to serve right away.
Assemble the shortcakes while they are still warm: split a shortcake in half, top with strawberries and whipped cream, top with the other half, then top with more strawberries and whipped cream.
Make ahead: You can make and freeze the unbaked shortcakes once they are shaped. Seal well and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen: bake at 450 for about 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake for another 15 minutes.
Strawberry Topping
1 & 1/4 pounds strawberries, 4 cups
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
3/4 cup high quality strawberry jam
- tablespoon cornstarch , optional
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
Hull the strawberries and slice or chop them (however big or small you want). Add them to a medium bowl and toss them with 1/4 cup sugar and a dash or two of salt. Stir together, then set aside for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, add 3/4 cup cold strawberry jam and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (the cornstarch is optional! It will make the sauce thicker.) Whisk the jam and cornstarch together until there are no lumps. Set the pot over medium heat and stir occasionally for 3 minutes, until no longer foamy.
Add the jam mixture and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the strawberries and stir together. Let the mixture cool for about an hour. It will thicken as it cools. Serve room temperature or chilled.
