February’s Guest Cook: Gina Zárate
My sister-in-law, Gina is a wonderful cook who loves to experiment and try new foods. She is a very busy mom, but is always looking for recipes that expand her family’s eating experiences but also appeal to a couple of very picky eaters. Gina comes from a large family where the women are good cooks and everyone likes to get together often for meals. Her six siblings and their families make for large gatherings! They often meet at her parent’s home where the number of children is at least 2 or 3 times the number of adults, thus a goodly amount of kid friendly meals are needed. Her husband (my brother John) and their four children have all loved this recipe for pulled pork that Gina prepares and freezes for later use in several different dishes including tacos, fried rice and mixed with coleslaw it makes a yummy sandwich.Gina’s FavoritesMovie: Suspenseful ones!!Dessert: Pumpkin RollsVacation Spot: Southern California beachHobby: Corraling kidsHer claim to fame: The best chicken herder in Nevada (or so her kids think!)
If I got to spend 1 month on a beautiful tropical island all by myself, what 3 things would I take with me:I’d take crushed red pepper, scriptures, it’s a toss up between my pillow and red vines.
Pulled Pork2 boneless pork shoulder roasts (about 5 lbs. each), cut into 1-inch chunks and excess fat discarded6 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 lemon, zest1 lime, zestSalt and pepper1 c. chicken broth (may add more)1.Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450°. Place all of the pork in a large roasting pan. Mix garlic, lemon zest, 1 tbsp. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. pepper in a mixing bowl. Add roast chunks and mix well, massaging the garlic and zest into the meat. Transfer half of the pork to a large rimmed baking sheet and place both the roasting pan and the baking sheet in the oven. Roast until the meat is browned on top, about 40 minutes. Turn the pork chunks over and roast to brown the other side, 15 minutes. Remove both pans from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325°.2.Using tongs, transfer the pork from the baking sheet to the pork in the roasting pan. Pour the pan juices from the baking sheet over the pork and add the broth. Tightly cover the pan with foil. Continue roasting the pork until nicely tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.3.Let the pork cool for at least 15 minutes, then, using 2 forks, shred it a few pieces at a time. As you work, transfer the shredded pork to the clean baking sheet and let cool completely. Pour the juices into a bowl to cool. Skim and discard the fat.
Serves 15FREEZE IT!Divide the pork into 2-cup portions and transfer to resealable plastic sandwich bags. Pour a little pork juice into each, squeeze out the air and flatten. Seal and store flat in 2-gallon freezer bags.
USE IT!
Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour, or pop into the fridge in the morning and let thaw all day. Heat on stovetop.4 WAYS TO CHANGE IT UP!
- Add some oregano or rosemary to the rub.
- Marinate the pork in lime juice, soy sauce and ginger for 1 hour before roasting.
- Toss the pork with adobo sauce, orange juice and chicken broth in Step 2.
- Toss the pork with some BBQ sauce in the last 10 minutes.