The other day, it was time for a one pot meal, enough for a family of 6-8. And that meal was a simple one, just pork and peas. It's been blogged many times, however what the hell? I might as well share with you this one again. If golf magazines can print the same stuff over and over again, why can't I blog the same stuff time and again eh?
My mom and dad made the best pork & peas. I know, someone out there will dispute that opinion of mine. However I think they did it the best. It's plain village food, my parents raised us in the old plantation village growing up in Lahaina, home to sugar plantation workers. We moved out of the camps when I was like 8 years old. Into a more modern neighborhood. But the food remains the same as mom and pop cooked it years ago. In fact, everyone in my family, brothers, sisters, neices and nephews all cook it basically the same way. Well I think they do. So I'm going to share with you how my dad did it. First let's get to the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 lbs. of pork shoulder a.k.a. pork butt, sliced into bite size pieces.
1 1/2 cups of white or apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves broken in half (dried)
1 full tablespoon pepper corns
2 tablespoons of kosher salt, or coars sea salt (more if needed after it is cooked).
1 tsp. cround cinnamon
1 can of low sodium tomato sauce, 12 fl oz. or so.
1 lb. thawed frozen green peas, or canned. Frozen lookes better, the green is brighter.
DIRECTIONS
In a large enough pot, add the oil, and crushed garlic.
Add in the pork pieces, add in the vinegar, bay leaves, pepper corns, salt & ground cinnamon. Mix well with cleaned hands, or wear sanitary cooking gloves. Mix it well, so that the ingredeints are massaged into the meat. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Let it marinate.
Place pot on stove over high heat, bring it so the pork is sizzling, turn heat down to medium high. Using a ladle, stir pork around so that all pieces turn white to start the cooking process. Once all pieces are whitish, turn heat down to low, cover pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes. You want the meat, garlic, pepper corns, bay leaves and vinegar to get into concert with each other.
Uncover pot, add in the tomato sauce, cover pot again, and let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes.
Check if the flavor is good for you. Need more salt? Need more vinegar? Add it in at this point.
Add in the thawed green peas. Mix it well into the pot, turn off heat, cover pot, and let it keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve in bowls with white or brown rice.
My mom and dad made the best pork & peas. I know, someone out there will dispute that opinion of mine. However I think they did it the best. It's plain village food, my parents raised us in the old plantation village growing up in Lahaina, home to sugar plantation workers. We moved out of the camps when I was like 8 years old. Into a more modern neighborhood. But the food remains the same as mom and pop cooked it years ago. In fact, everyone in my family, brothers, sisters, neices and nephews all cook it basically the same way. Well I think they do. So I'm going to share with you how my dad did it. First let's get to the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 lbs. of pork shoulder a.k.a. pork butt, sliced into bite size pieces.
1 1/2 cups of white or apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves broken in half (dried)
1 full tablespoon pepper corns
2 tablespoons of kosher salt, or coars sea salt (more if needed after it is cooked).
1 tsp. cround cinnamon
1 can of low sodium tomato sauce, 12 fl oz. or so.
1 lb. thawed frozen green peas, or canned. Frozen lookes better, the green is brighter.
DIRECTIONS
In a large enough pot, add the oil, and crushed garlic.
Add in the pork pieces, add in the vinegar, bay leaves, pepper corns, salt & ground cinnamon. Mix well with cleaned hands, or wear sanitary cooking gloves. Mix it well, so that the ingredeints are massaged into the meat. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Let it marinate.
Place pot on stove over high heat, bring it so the pork is sizzling, turn heat down to medium high. Using a ladle, stir pork around so that all pieces turn white to start the cooking process. Once all pieces are whitish, turn heat down to low, cover pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes. You want the meat, garlic, pepper corns, bay leaves and vinegar to get into concert with each other.
Uncover pot, add in the tomato sauce, cover pot again, and let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes.
Check if the flavor is good for you. Need more salt? Need more vinegar? Add it in at this point.
Add in the thawed green peas. Mix it well into the pot, turn off heat, cover pot, and let it keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve in bowls with white or brown rice.
Photo above is what it looks like after the tomato sauce has been added in, and simmered for another 30 minutes or so. The pork should be fork tender at this point. Also taste if you need more salt, or more vinegar. Some people like it more on the sour side. I like it even, same on the salty side, and on the sour side. Even Steven.
Once you've made that executive decision that the flavor is just right, it's time to add in the green peas. Stir it up to heat through, off the heat. Cover the pot again, keep it warm until ready to eat. Easy!
Note: These one pots are great for the next day. Cool it off, keep it air tight in a container, and place in the fridge for at least a day or two. Or freeze it. One pots are the best cooking. No fuss, no fancy cutting or slicing of veggies. Just toss em into the pot, and go for it.
WARNING: Keep children away from hot stove, keep pot handles facing away from the front of the stove. Help prevent major burns. SAFETY is a premium in the kitchen.
SAMBRANO © 2018
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