I would often tell my husband about our neighbors in Miami who would dig a pit in the backyard and roast an entire pig. Imagine my surprise when I learned they do something very similar in Hawaii, where my sister-in-law and my good friend from college come from! (Hi Anneke! Hi Liz!) If I started digging a huge pit behind my apartment with a huge pig carcass, the cops would surely haul me away, so the next best thing, according to Pineapple and Coconut’s Hawaiian Style Kalua Pork Recipe is a slow cooker and some liquid smoke.

I once watched Alton Brown make liquid smoke from scratch. About 10 hours and a billion dollars later, he had about a half teaspoon of liquid smoke. I decided right then that I was fine buying liquid smoke from the grocery store.

You can get the pink alaea sea salt from Cost Plus World Market or Whole Foods if you are on the mainland. I assume you can find it everywhere in Hawaii. If you can’t find it, coarse sea salt will also work.

You’ll need

• 4 lbs Pork Shoulder
• 1 tbsp Liquid Smoke, Hickory flavor (mesquite flavor is also okay)
• 1 tbsp Alaea sea salt or coarse sea salt

Pierce the pork all over with a fork so the flavor gets deep inside the meat and salt it with the Alaea sea salt.

Pour half an tablespoon of liquid smoke into the crockpot.

Place your salted pork into the crockpot.

Pour the remaining half a tablespoon of liquid smoke over the top of the pork.

Cook on low for 6 hours. My whole apartment smelled like the most delicious bacon.

Using two forks, shred the pork into large chunks right there inside of your crockpot so the meat gets coated in the gravy.

Serve.

Unless you have a big family, 4 pounds of shredded pork can seem like a lot of meat to have kicking around the house. Luckily, there are a ton of ways you can use it. First, it’s perfectly fine to freeze a portion of it in a freezer-safe ziploc bag once it has cooled down. Make sure to put a little of the cooking liquid into the bag with the pork, so that when you reheat it (in a crockpot or in the oven), it will not dry out. Second, you can top it with coleslaw or pickled red cabbage and turn it into a sandwich. Third, mix up a few eggs, some pickled jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and some pork and heat in a skillet until cooked through to make a nice breakfast frittata. The list is endless!

I spent most of my childhood in Miami, Florida. Because of my time in Miami, cooking Latin food makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and reminds me of my youth.

In elementary school, all of us girls were obsessed with “the bar” - a long, u-shaped bar on the playground. We would sit on top of it, grip the bar with our hands behind us, and swing forward. We would dangle there, upside down, talking about our days and what new slap bracelets were out.

One time, a friend and I rushed out to the bar and as we sat on top, we had the bright idea that instead of placing our hands behind us to grip the bar, we would place them next to us, facing forward. This, we thought, would be a truly athletic move. If we swung ourselves fast enough, the momentum would keep us from falling off the bar and we would have perfected a special, secret move no one else could do. The more we talked, the better the idea sounded, and at last we were ready to give it a try.

We sat there, side by side, hands at our sides, and on the count of three we launched ourselves forward with all of our might. Immediately, we face-planted onto the ground. Naturally, the placement of hands did nothing to keep us secure to the bar. If anyone was watching us, they would’ve thought two dim-witted girls climbed onto some playground equipment, made the world’s most ridiculous suicide pact, and then launched themselves with great force straight into the ground. What a ridiculous idea! With dirt all over our faces and sore noses, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and climbed on top of the bar the usual way and never spoke of our experiment. Ahhh, youth.

This recipe is far from the disaster my bar experiment was! It reminds me of going to my friends’ houses and watching Sabado Gigante, of seeing whole pigs roasted in a backyard, and of eating 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve. It’s one of those recipes that makes me want to turn up the music and dance around the kitchen as I cook.

It’s actually a Dominican recipe (Dominican Flavor’s Pollo Guisado, pronounced poy-yo gwee-SAH-doh) with my own Cuban twist.

The olives, capers, and citrus give the sauce a nice tang. If you like anything with a slightly pickled flavor (like Brats with Sauerkraut, Jamaican Escovitch Fish or Fillipino Chicken Adobo), you will love this dish. The flavors remind me of Miami and put a smile on my face.

You’ll need:

• 1 whole Chicken, cut into pieces
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Oregano
• 1/4 cup of Olive Oil (for marinade)
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 cup Sliced Green Olives and Pimientos
• 1/4 cup Capers
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves of Garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 Orange
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of Cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup of Olive Oil (for cooking)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 8-oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup of Water (you can fill the can of tomato sauce with water as 8 oz is 1 cup)

Get a really big bowl and toss your chicken into it.

Add a big pinch of salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano (about a tablespoon of each).

Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil and turmeric.

Rub the chicken all over. This step gives the chicken a deep yellow color. We eat with our eyes, too!

Add the olives and pimiento, capers, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl.

Prepare your garlic, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, green bell pepper, and cilantro….

and add them to the bowl.

Give everything a good squish with your hands and leave this to marinate for anywhere between 15 minutes to 24 hours (beyond 24 hours, the lime juice will start to break down the chicken and change it’s texture).

Add a little olive oil to a large pot on medium high heat.

Sprinkle in the sugar.

Use a wooden spoon or swirl the pan around to make sure the sugar and the oil are well-mixed.

Let the sugar mixture slightly caramelize (turn light brown) and start to bead. This step will give the chicken a slightly sweet crust. You won’t be able to taste the sugar in the finished dish, but your guests will wonder why the skin tastes so good. It’s such a simple step, but it creates such a depth of flavor.

Fish the chicken out of the bowl and place it into the pot, skin-side down. (Don’t throw away the marinade and all the onions, peppers, etc! Set it aside for now.)

Don’t touch the chicken for 4 minutes. This will ensure the chicken gets a nice sear.

Drop the heat down to medium. Flip the chicken over, cover the pot and let it cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover and dump all the yummy marinade contents…..

…and the tomato sauce into the pot, along with 1 cup of water. You can use the same can the tomato sauce was in since 8 ounces equals 1 cup. If you have picky eaters who will not go near chunks of green peppers and onions and olives, toss the marinade in a blender with the tomato sauce and water until smooth and add that to the pot.

Give it a good stir, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.

Latin Braised Chicken (Pollo Guisado)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Latin fusion braised chicken with blend of citrus juices, olives, pimientos, capers, peppers, onions and savory tomato sauce

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole Chicken, cut into pieces
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Oregano
• ¼ cup of Olive Oil (for marinade)
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 cup Sliced Green Olives and Pimientos
• ¼ cup Capers
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves of Garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 Orange
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• ½ bunch of Cilantro, minced
• ¼ cup of Olive Oil (for cooking)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 8-oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup of Water (you can fill the can of tomato sauce with water as 8 oz is 1 cup)

Instructions

1. Get a really big bowl toss your chicken into it.
2. Add a big pinch of salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano (about a tablespoon of each).
3. Add a ¼ cup of olive oil and turmeric and rub the chicken all over.
4. Add the olives and pimiento, capers, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl.
5. Then add your garlic, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, onion, green bell pepper, and cilantro to the bowl.
6. Give everything a good squish with your hands and leave this to marinate for anywhere between 15 minutes to 24 hours (beyond 24 hours, the lime juice will start to break down the chicken and change it's texture).
7. Add a ¼ cup olive oil to a large pot on medium high heat.
8. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of sugar.
9. Use a wooden spoon or swirl the pan around to make sure the sugar and the oil are well-mixed.
10. Let the sugar mixture slightly caramelize (turn light brown) and start to bead.
11. Fish the chicken out of the bowl and place it into the pot, skin-side down (don't throw away the marinade and all the onions, peppers, etc! Set it aside for now).
12. Don't touch the chicken for 4 minutes. This will ensure the chicken gets a nice sear.
13. Drop the heat down to medium.
14. Flip the chicken over, cover the pot and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
15. Remove the cover and dump all the yummy marinade contents and the tomato sauce into the pot, along with 1 cup of water. You can use the same can the tomato sauce was in since 8 ounces equals 1 cup. NOTE: If you have picky eaters who will not go near chunks of green peppers and onions and olives, toss the marinade in a blender with the tomato sauce and water until smooth and add that to the pot.
16. Give it a good stir, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
17. Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 670 Fat: 58 Carbohydrates: 21 Sugar: 11 Sodium: 3274 Protein: 33

3.2.2025

I have a habit of ticking off my husband with my oven usage. It’s not on purpose, it just tends to work out that way.

The first time was when there was a huge summer storm approaching and we were expected to lose power for a few days. We had had some problems with our air conditioning not cooling the place down enough, but I was preoccupied with getting ready for the storm. I loaded up on all manner of convenience foods that I could cook in our gas oven or were ready-to-eat. Right before the storm hit, I made a big pan of baked spaghetti. This required me to use two burners and then the oven for 45 minutes. Almost as soon as I finished, the power went out. Naturally, so did the air conditioner. The temperature in our small apartment quickly soared in the Atlanta heat. As I dished out the spaghetti by candlelight (oh lawd, the additional heat!!), I could feel a pair of eyes staring at me. I looked over at my husband, who was dripping with sweat and annoyance. “Didn’t I say it was a bad idea to fool with the oven when it was already hot in the apartment and the power was going to go out?!” Woops!

On another occasion, he had a very early morning job interview. Naturally, it was very, very important that he get a proper night’s sleep. I thought it might be nice if I had a huge breakfast prepared when he got up, so he could start the day on the right foot. I decided to make bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches with some sliced fruit and coffee. As I was quietly buzzing around the kitchen, I had the bright idea to cook bacon in the oven, to free up some stove-top space. Only, my baking tray was old and cheap (learn from my mistakes!). It quickly warped in the hot oven, bacon grease went splashing over the side, smoke came pouring out of the oven, and the smoke detector went off immediately. Beep, Beep, BEEEEEP! Beep, Beep, BEEEEEP! I was desperately waving a dish towel at the smoke detector when I could see a figure out of the corner of my eye, standing in the bedroom doorway in complete disbelief. Without a word, he turned off the smoke detector and returned to bed. I opened the oven door to take out the (now charred) bacon and the smoke detector immediately went off again. Ha! Thank goodness we are able to laugh about these things now!

Naturally, when I told my husband about this recipe, his eyes nearly rolled out of his head. You’ll see why in a minute.

It’s almost criminal to call this a recipe because it’s so simple. Just two ingredients and a screaming hot oven! This is the easiest way I’ve found so far to get really moist, juicy tenderloin.

You can replace the jerk seasoning with anything that doesn’t have a high sugar content (the sugar will burn in such a hot oven), like low-sugar BBQ sauce or even a dry rub like Montreal Steak Seasoning. The key is to follow the baking instructions exactly.

You’ll need:

• 3 lbs Pork Tenderloin
• 2 tbsp Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning*

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. That’s right, 500 degrees.

Line a baking tray with foil and place your tenderloins on the tray. If you have a baking rack, place the pork on top of that. It will help the pork get an nice outside crust on the underside because it won’t be sitting in the cooking juices. If you don’t have a baking rack, just place your pork straight on top of on the foil. I’ve done it both ways, and it is delicious either way!

Place a tablespoon of jerk seasoning on each tenderloin and rub all over. This jerk seasoning is incredibly spicy, so while it seems like a small amount to use on so much pork, a little goes a long way!

Now, this is the part that requires extra careful attention.

Make sure your oven has fully preheated to 500 degrees. It MUST be at 500 degrees.

Place your pork in the oven and cook for exactly 6 minutes per pound. Because this tenderloin was 3 pounds, it roasted for 18 minutes. Look at the price label on the package to figure out how many pounds your tenderloin is.

At the end of the proper cooking time (18 minutes in this case), turn your oven OFF.

Let the tenderloin continue to cook in the residual oven heat for 45 minutes.

DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING THIS TIME.

Go for a jog. Or make a stove-top side dish. Or jump in the shower. Whatever you do, resist the temptation to open that oven door.

The first time I made pork this way, I think I sat at the oven window for 30 of the 45 minutes looking at the pork and wondering how on earth this thing was going to properly cook in a turned off oven. I could picture the emergency room nurses laughing.

Another tip is to set a timer for the 45 minutes that the tenderloin is sitting in the oven. On a couple of occasions, I’ve gotten preoccupied with things and left the tenderloin in the oven for a few hours (yikes!). The longer you leave it in the oven, the more it will dry out.

When your 45 minutes is up, take your tenderloin out of the oven, BUT DON’T SLICE IT!

If you slice it up now, all the juicy goodness inside will run right out onto the cutting board.

Leave the tenderloin to rest for at least 15 minutes, but preferably 30 minutes. If I make this while my husband is at home, he is hovering over it with a knife inside of 5 minutes and I have to keep him distracted.

So after 18 minutes of roasting, 45 minutes of baking in residual heat, and 30 minutes of resting, it’s time to slice…

Do you SEE how juicy this is? Even with my terrible camera work??

Dunk it in some Strawberry Ginger Mayo….

and take a huge bite!

Forget about popcorn, this is the perfect snack for watching tv on a lazy Sunday.

* Walkerswood Jerk seasoning consists of scallions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, black pepper, all spice, nutmeg, citric acid, cane sugar, and thyme leaves. The small amount of citric acid is used to give it a hint of tart flavor. Most believe this is not a harmful ingredient. You can read more here at Livestrong’s Is Citric Acid Bad For You. However, there is a risk that the ingredients used to make citric acid could come from GMOs, which you can read about here. If you would rather avoid citric acid or you can’t find Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning, Caribbean Pot’s Jerk Marinade Recipe is also super easy (throw everything in a blender!), all natural, and very good.

I love to cook, but I hate making dinner. It’s so incredibly stressful to work all day, peel out of the office parking lot to the grocery store, finally drop your bags on the kitchen counter… and then have to cook. Early in the day, I will often email my husband about the elaborate meal I’m planning to make in the evening and get his feedback, but by 6:00 p.m., it’s like “Never mind what all I said previously about glazed sea bass with tender asparagus tips and a light citrus vinaigrette, how about this KFC grilled chicken I picked up instead?”

On weekends and at any other time of the day, it’s a different story, but during the week after work, I lose all motivation to cook. Except for recipes like this one. It only takes a few minutes to assemble and then roasts in the oven undisturbed while you can change into comfy clothes, check the mail, and just generally de-stress.

It was originally a side dish created by Ina Garten (who I love!) and adapted by Simply Recipes, and I further adapted it by adding meat to make it a complete dinner. It has a very rich flavor from the roasted cauliflower and the lemon, cheese, and spices combine into something that almost tastes like a super light alfredo sauce.

You’ll need

• 1 head of raw Cauliflower
• 3 cloves of Garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 10 Italian sausage links, cut into fourths
• 1 tsp dried Parsley

As soon as you walk through the door, preheat your oven to 400F.

Get out a baking sheet and line it with foil, so that clean-up will be super easy.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and put them in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Toss in your garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, lemon juice, and sausage pieces.

Use your hands to mix the ingredients until each piece is coated with a bit of olive oil.

Place it all in the hot oven for 40 minutes, uncovered. The top should be lightly brown and the cauliflower should be easily pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and serve.