Lentils with Chilies, Pork, and Fruit

Title:
Lentils with Chilies, Pork, and Fruit

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Mexico,
Beans/peas,
Chili




Ingredients:





          Jim Vorheis


   1/2 lb (1 heaped cup) lentils,


          -brown if available


   1/2 sm White onion


          Sea salt to taste


          The pork:


     1 lb Boneless stewing pork, cut


          -into 1-inch cubes


          Sea salt to taste


          The seasoning and final


          -cooking:


     5 sm Chilies anchos, cleaned of


          -veins and seeds and


          Lightly toasted


   1/4 lb Tomatoes, broiled


     1    Garlic clove, peeled and


          -roughly chopped


   1/4 ts Dried oregano, Mexican if


          -possible


     1    Whole clove


 1 1/2    Inch cinnamon stick


     1 tb Melted lard or safflower oil


     1 md Plantain (about 8-oz),


          -peeled and cut into


   1/4    Inch cubes


     2    Thick pineapple slices,


          -peeled, cored, and cut into


          Small triangular wedges






 The lentils: Run the lentils through your hands to make sure there are no


 stones or other foreign bodies in them. Rinse them in two changes of water


 and put into a pan. Add onion, salt to taste, and enough water to come


 about 2 inches above the surface of the lentils. Set over medium heat and


 bring to a fast simmer. Continue simmering until the lentils are quite soft


 ~ about 3 hours, depending on their age. Keep a pan of near-boiling water


 on the side, ready to add if necessary.


 


 Put the pork pieces into a pan; add salt to taste and water to cover. Bring


 to a fast simmer and continue simmering until the pork is tender but not


 soft - about 25 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth, and set broth and


 meat aside.


 


 Cover the dried chilies with boiling water and leave to soak for about 15


 minutes, until the chilies have softened and become fleshy. Drain and put


 into a blender with 1 cup of the reserved pork broth, the broiled tomatoes,


 garlic, oregano, clove, and cinnamon; blend until smooth, adding more broth


 only if needed to release the blades of the blender.


 


 Heat the lard in a small frying pan, add the blended ingredients, and fry


 over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until


 reduced and well seasoned - about 4 minutes. Add to the lentils and add the


 pork, remaining broth, plantain, and pineapple; simmer together for about


 30 minutes. Adjust salt and add water if necessary. The mixture should be


 like a thick soup.


 


 The Art of Mexican Cooking From the collection of Jim Vorheis


 


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip