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Braised Pork Shoulder with Tomatoes, Cumin, Cloves and Chipotle Peppers
Green is going mainstream, and fast. That's right, several fastfood restaurants are greening up! Don't believe us?
Pizza Hut chains, yes the popular pie company known for less than healthy helpings of drippy cheese on white crust, is unveiling a new multigrain crust, organic tomato sauce, and preservative-free cheese and toppings—healthy all around, body and planet. What's more? Their Natural and Natural Rustica pizzas will be packed in a to-go box made from 75% recycled materials. We say we're long overdue for a pizza party, and this is definitely reason to celebrate!
Word on the fast food street is that Burger King is also about to roll out a few greener practices that involve better animal treatment. That's in addition to McDonalds' new eco-attitude shown through their new LEED certified restaurants!
Chipotle Mexican Grill, a nationwide fast food chain, is also on the bandwagon and adopting all sorts of eco practices from using organic and cage-free ingredients to working towards getting LEED certified. According to their manifesto, they serve "Food with Integrity." Beyond a mission statement, the fast food chain serves only free-range, hormone and antibiotic-free pork, as well as "naturally-raised" chicken and beef endorsed by the US Animal Welfare Institute.
But it's not just the food that's in better conscious. Chipotle is working toward LEED certification in new restaurants by putting green practices to work including generating power from on-site wind turbines, using LED lights and efficient faucets and toilets, and collecting rain water to irrigate the landscape.
Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman and CEO, of Chipotle Mexican Grill, believes that these green choices are "changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast food. That started by sourcing food from more sustainable sources and now impacts the way we do just about everything. Great chefs like Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) and Dan Barber (Blue Hill) pioneered the idea of serving sustainably raised food. Now we are taking it to a much larger scale so everyone can eat better."
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Steve Ellis more than just a business owner, he is a trained chef. Enjoy one of his recipes at your home:
INGREDIENTS
| 1 2‑3 lbs | Niman Ranch boneless pork shoulder roast (may substitute pork loin) |
| 2 tbs | olive oil |
| 1 | organic onion, cut in half then thinly sliced |
| 6 | cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise |
| 1/2 tsp | toasted cumin seeds; may substitute cumin powder |
| 4 | medium organic tomatoes, blanched*, peeled, seeded and chopped |
| 2‑4 | sprigs fresh oregano (it's best from your garden) |
| 2 | whole cloves |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 | dried chipotle peppers |
| 1/4 cup | water or organic meat stock |
| salt & pepper to taste | |
PREPARATION:
Method:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- If using pork shoulder, tie up with butcher's twine—lengthwise and around—to hold pork shoulder firmly together. Pork shoulder can be bought already tied.
- Salt and pepper pork shoulder.
- Add olive oil to large, deep pan (large enough to hold all ingredients). Over medium-high heat, sear pork shoulder until very brown on all sides. When pork shoulder is browned, remove from pan to a platter and let rest for 10 ? 15 minutes.
- Dump excess oil from pan, leaving a coating of oil.
- Add onions to pan and sweat over low heat until translucent.
- Make small cuts all over rested pork shoulder and insert pieces of sliced garlic. Return pork shoulder to pan.
- Meanwhile in a small, dry frying pan, add cumin seeds and toast over high heat for about a minute. Remove from heat and crush. Or skip the seed prep and use cumin powder.
- Add tomatoes, cloves, bay leaves, fresh oregano, chipotle peppers, cumin and water to pan.
- Cover and place in oven. Cook for two hours. (Can be cooked on the stovetop—simmer for about two hours or more over low heat.)
- Slice and serve with choice of starch, vegetables.
To blanche tomatoes:
- boil water in medium saucepan. Add tomatoes to boiling water and cook for about a minute. Remove tomatoes to bowl of ice water. This will make them easy to peel. To seed tomatoes, slice across and squeeze seeds out.