Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

The Cooking School is now featuring a recipe in the Jungle Jim's weekly advertisement, available online, at the market, and delivered to homes by DoorStore. The "Recipe of the Week" highlights an ingredient that is on sale that week. All recipes are archived on the Cooking School page of the Jungle Jim's website under the Jungle Recipes tab.

The recipe this week is quick to prepare and can be made in advance. Family friendly and easy on the budget - what more could you want?

Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pork shoulder (Boston Butt Roast) 3-4 pounds, excess fat trimmed

Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly grease a Dutch oven with tight fitting lid.

Combine sauce ingredients (ketchup-pepper) in a medium bowl. Place pork in prepared pan and pour sauce over the top. Cover pan tightly with lid or foil and roast for 3 ½ - 4 hours, until fork tender. Shred meat with two forks, discarding bones and fat. Stir shredded meat into sauce in pan. Serve on rolls or in warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8

Leigh’s Tip: Prepare 1-2 days in advance and refrigerate. Warm gently before serving.


Prepared and ready for the oven

 

Time to eat!

 

At The Chef's Table with Domenico Germano

Domenico Germano from Germano's Ristorante Italiano in Montgomery joined us Monday evening for a great evening of Italian food and wine. The class enjoyed a Fennel Salad, Spaghettini Carbonara con Pancetta, Sautéed Sea Bass with Lump Blue Crab, Capers and Artichokes, Sautéed Spinach and Biscotti with Marsala and Cream.

 

Domenico shared two additional recipes that are equally delicious.

Gamberi al Burro Piccante

4 ounces linguine
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/8 crushed red pepper - or more to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 15 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté 3-4 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add lemon juice, wine and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir to combine; simmer and stir sauce until it is creamy and has reduced slightly. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine with shrimp and sauce. Serves 2.

 

Linguine Amatriciana

4 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup crushed red tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Toss cooked pasta with sauce and serve. Serves 2.

 

Domenico said "the main ingredient in this dish is tomato, the rest of the ingredients are music in the background".

Buon Appetito!

Tapas Class Cancelled Tonight

The weather forecast was right today! It's been snowing since early this morning and the roads are a mess. We decided to cancel class tonight and reschedule for next Thursday, January 14, at 6:00 pm. I hope everyone who was registered will be able to make it next week. We have a few openings in the class, and can take additional students as well. By the way, the classroom was ready on Tuesday for our class. It looks great - we're just waiting on new pictures for the walls.

Jungle (Jim) stopped by the cooking school while we were testing Shrimp and Chorizo with Sherry and Paprika from the tapas class menu. He was happy to serve as an official taste tester and gave us his 'thumbs up' approval.



A cold and snowy day like today just begs for something warm and comforting for lunch or dinner. This recipe is quick, cooks in one pan and I usually have everything in the pantry and freezer to make it. A big plus when the roads are bad and you don't want to venture out.

Stovetop Pasta

2 ounces dry penne pasta (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
3 frozen party size meatballs
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Combine ingredients (dry pasta - frozen meatballs) in a small (1 quart) saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-18 minutes, stirring once or twice, until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Serves 1.

To make 2 servings: double all ingredients and prepare in a 1.5 – 2 quart saucepan.

 

New Year, New Job, New Blog

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the blog for The Cooking School at Jungle Jim's International Market. Today is my first official day as the new director of the school. When we took a break from classes over the holidays, Jungle (Jim) decided to paint the cooking school. The paint job took on a life of it's own and quickly became somewhat of a remodeling effort. We have a busy week planned - I have hands-on classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I am starting to be a bit concerned about how things will look 24 hours from now for class!



It's cold, windy and snowing a bit today...a perfect night to roast a chicken for dinner. I like this recipe because it's quick enough to make after work and everything cooks in one skillet for easier clean up.

Cast Iron Skillet Roast Chicken

4-5 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4-5 large carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
One 2 to 4-pound chicken
salt and pepper



Preheat the oven to 450°. Place potatoes and carrots in a single layer in a well seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet.

Remove giblets from the chicken, rinse and dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the cavity, then tie the legs. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and carrots in the cast iron skillet.



Place the skillet in the oven and roast 50-65 minutes, without basting, until the temperature of the breast reaches 165°. Remove from oven, baste the chicken with the pan juices and let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with potatoes and carrots. Serves 2-4.



Follow us or stop by often for new recipes, class information and other tidbits that we hope will interest you. 2010 promises to be a good year!

Bon Appétit!