Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Carne de Puerco Con Calabasitas (Pork with Squash)



This is one of my FAVORITE dishes. It is well seasoned cubed pork-butt/ shoulder cubed or you can use any other cubed cut of pork with little cubes of Italian Squash or Mexican Squash your choice I prefer the Italian Squash it's larger and I think the color is prettier.

Ingredients:
-1 ½ pounds cubed pork (I use pork butt or shoulder it's my fave)
-6 large Italian Squashes or 12 medium to small Mexican Squashes (cut into small bite sizes by slicing the squash in half then cutting 3 long thick strips down and then cuting ½ inch thick slices across)
-4 large ripe tomatoes or 6 small roma tomatoes diced
-½ onion minced
-3 Serrano chili peppers minced finely and teeny
-2 cloves garlic minced finely and teeny
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-Cooking Oil (I use Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, or Lard (only for certain Mexican dishes that really need it) in my cooking traditionally one would use lard or corn oil you can use any edible oil you like)
-Water
-1 Cup chopped Cilantro

Directions:
-Heat a deep large pan. Add pork cubes directly WITHOUT adding oil. Salt and pepper it. Then add water enough to cover pork NOT TO DROWN. Now add a generous drizzle or amount of oil.
-Bring to a boil uncovered let the water evaporate then only the oil will be left and the pork will have releases some grease and it will fry up a little bit let it brown. Bring to a medium high,
-While waiting for the water to evaporate you can chop everything needed and set aside all the condiments
-Now add the minced onion and Serrano chili peppers and sautee until translucent and fragrant now add garlic until fragrant then chopped tomato and add some more salt. When the tomato releases it juices add the squash and mix well.
-And more salt if necessary then cover and simmer on low for abut 10-15 minutes (depends how cooked you like the sqaush)
-Uncover, stir in cilantro and turn of heat you are done.

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