Two Honey Recipes in One
Would you believe that even when I’m on a cruise, I still watch cooking shows to relax? My roommate was diving, and I had a free day. Slept in late and then watched a replay of the Caribbean Episode of Brunch at Bobby Flay’s on the Cooking Channel. I really like this program because I get many insights about various cuisines. One of the things I notice is that quite often honey is used to balance flavors in Mexican, Spanish, and Island cuisines. Bobby’s recipe for Sour Orange Pork with Sweet Potato Hash is an example of how honey is used in Island cuisine to achieve balance when strong flavor profiles are used in a dish. So, we added this to our honey recipes section this week.
Canola Oil
Folks, I don’t agree with Bobby Flay’s use of canola oil, although I realize he regularly uses this oil when he cooks on tv. Canola is a hybrid of rapeseed oil. See Dr. Joseph Mercola’s explanation on how canola is created here. As a woman who has had friends and family members suffer from Agent Orange poisoning (Agent Orange was made from rapeseed.), I just can’t wrap my head around using canola, whether its creators say it is safe or not. So, I don’t use canola. I don’t have it in my cupboard, and I don’t knowingly eat anything with canola oil in it. I think there are many other great oils to cook with, so I don’t miss this ingredient at all.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- Sour Orange Pork:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 12 cloves garlic, made into a paste
- 1 bone-in pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups sour orange juice (or 3 cups fresh orange juice plus 1 cup fresh lime juice)
- 1/4 cup Bee Wild Gallberry honey
- Sweet Potato Hash, recipe follows
- 4 to 6 fried or poached eggs
- Sofrito Hollandaise, recipe follows
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Sweet Potato Hash:
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch rounds
- Vegetable oil
- One 1/2-inch slice country ham
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon Bee Wild Gallberry honey
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Sofrito Hollandaise Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 small Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1/2 poblano chile, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted until foamy
- Juice of 1/2 sour orange
Instructions
- Sour Orange Pork:
- Whisk together 1/2 cup oil, oregano and garlic in a large roasting pan. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sprinkle the pork all over with salt and pepper. Heat the roasting pan with the pork and marinade over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until dark brown. Add the chicken stock and cover. Place in the oven and let braise until a thermometer inserted into the center reaches about 195 degrees F, 3 1/2 hours. Let the pork rest in the braising liquid for 15 minutes.
- While the pork is cooking, put the sour orange juice and honey in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to 2 cups (it will be a syrup consistency). Let cool to room temperature.
- Shred the pork using 2 forks or your hands. In a medium saucepan, toss the shredded pork with the orange honey glaze and reheat over medium heat.
- Serve the pork on top of some Sweet Potato Hash, topped with the eggs and Sofrito Hollandaise. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Sweet Potato Hash:
- Cover the potatoes with cold water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and dice.
- Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the country ham and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
- Toss the potatoes and ham with the cilantro, chipotles, honey and scallions, and mix gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Using a potato masher, gently work the mixture together-it should still be fairly chunky.
- Heat the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the potato mixture and press into the skillet with spatula. Cook, scraping and turning as the bottom browns, until it is hot and filled with crispy bits. Divide among 4 to 6 dinner plates.
- Sofrito Hollandaise Sauce:
- Heat the oil in a small saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and poblano and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sofrito from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Place the vinegar and egg yolks in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk the yolks until pale yellow and fluffy. Slowly add the melted butter, a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk until thickened. Stir in the sofrito and sour orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.
- Assembly:
- Poach 3 or 4 eggs.
- Spoon the Sweet Potato Hash on the bottom of your serving platter.
- Then, add a layer of the Sour Orange Pork.
- Arrange the poached eggs over the Sour Orange Pork.
- Spoon Sofrito Hollaindaise Sauce on top of the poached eggs.
- Sprinkle with torn cilantro leaves.
