MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (4 CUPS), ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 4 PIZZAS
Pull out a big heavy stew pot and get some greens going on the back of your stove for wonderful mid-week eating à la Brittany Luse, cultural critic and host of It’s Been A Minute from NPR. Serve on top of Brittany’s Weekend Grits.
Smoked fish is a multi-step, multi-day process, but it’s not difficult to do. All you do is brine the filet (like you would a turkey, but for shorter), let it dry in the refrigerator, then bake it at a low temperature with some smoldering wood chips. After you’ve smoked the fish, enjoy it any way you like, or go on to make my creamy Smoked Fish Dip.
Cochinita pibil is the pride of the Yucatan peninsula—a dish of smoky, slow-roasted pork marinated in a special blend of ingredients including cinnamon, allspice, and achiote (annatto) seed. Cochinita means “baby pig,” and the real-deal recipes use a whole suckling pig. Traditionally the whole thing is wrapped in banana leaves and then buried in a pib—a pit with a fire at the bottom. Here I use Boston butt and employ a two-stage “grill-and-swim” cooking process to make things a little more convenient and a lot juicier. Pregrilling the meat adds great flavor, while low and slow cooking in a water bath produces especially succulent meat—no pib required. Plus, you won’t have to fire up your grill on taco night, so you can focus on making Homemade Corn Tortillas or that sweet playlist you’ve been meaning to put together.
There are many regional takes on barbecue in the United States, each with its own idea of the perfect sauce to complement barbecued meats. However, Kansas City-style sauces rule supreme when it comes to bottled sauces the supermarket; simply put, it is the style of sauce that most American think of when they think "barbecue sauce." But if you'd rather make your own Kansas City-style sauce at home, try this recipe from America's Test Kitchen. The folks at America's Test Kitchen says they like their barbecue sauce extra-thick. If you like a thinner, smoother texture, the sauce can be strained after it has finished cooking.
We're always game for a good ceremonial burning.