Pulled-Pork Flautas with Roasted-Chile Sauce

Flauta (meaning flute in English) describes this dish’s appearance: a tightly rolled, stuffed tortilla with a flute-like shape. Authentic Mexican flautas are made with small corn tortillas filled with meat, deep-fried, and served with a spicy or savory sauce on top.

Here, I used flour tortillas—both six-inch and eight-inch—fried in one-half cup of canola oil. The method is lighter than deep-frying, and flour tortillas are not quite as dense as corn tortillas.

The roasted chile sauce is made with a mixture of mild and spicy chiles. It’s easy to prepare, and you can adjust the heat up or down by adding or omitting hot chiles.

You’ll need the oven for both the chiles and the pork, so roast the chiles quickly at a high temperature, then turn it down to braise the pork for a few hours.   

Note: You don’t need many filling ingredients because there’s simply not enough room. The tortillas are tightly rolled before frying, and too much stuffing would prevent them from holding together.

Makes 15-20 flautas (depending on tortilla size)

Ingredients

For the Roasted-Chile Sauce

• 4 scallions, white and light green parts only
• 4 large garlic cloves, not peeled
• 4 serrano chiles
• 3 poblano chiles
• 2 jalapeno chiles
• 1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded and stemmed
• olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1 tbsp
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• sea salt
• 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth

For the Pulled-Pork Flautas

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2- to 3-lb pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2 pieces
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4-5 chiles de arbol (or other small dried chiles)
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 15 8-inch or 20 6-inch (or a mixture of both) warm corn or flour tortillas (warm tortillas are easier to roll) 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese (or white cheddar)
• 1/2 cup canola oil, plus more if needed

Onions, Garlic, and Chiles de Arbol

Preparation

For the Roasted-Chile Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Place the scallions, garlic all chiles, and red bell pepper on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat. 
3. Roast 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until all sides of the chiles are charred.

Vegetables Ready to Roast 

Roasted Vegetables

1. Remove the chiles and bell pepper to a paper bag, close tightly, and steam 10 minutes. Place the scallions and garlic on a cutting board and let cool. (Peel the garlic when cool enough to handle.)
2. Remove the chiles and bell pepper from the bag and remove the loose the skin with your fingers or a small paring knife. Place on the cutting board with the scallions and peeled garlic.
3. Remove the stems from all chiles and seed the poblanos. Coarsely chop all the sauce ingredients.

Vegetables Ready to Chop

Chopped Vegetables

1. Place the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Add the cumin and oregano and season with salt. Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed.
2. Add broth and process until smooth. The sauce should be slightly runny.
3. Keep warm in a skillet over low heat until ready to use. (Or make the sauce ahead of time and re-warm gently before using.)

Finely Processed Vegetables 

Roasted Chile Sauce

For the Pulled-Pork Flautas

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 275° F.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Add the pork, chiles de arbol, garlic, and onion to the pot and sear until the meat is browned on the bottom, 4-5 minutes. Turn and sear another 4-5 minutes.

Seasoned Pork Shoulder 

Pork Beginning to Brown

1. Add the broth and bring to a light simmer. Cover tightly and place in the oven. Braise about 3 hours (depending on your oven’s temperature), until the pork is very tender and juicy. (Turn the meat halfway through.)

Pork Ready to Braise

Pork after Braising 1.5 hours

Braised Pork

1. Remove to a large platter or cutting board and let cool slightly. Shred the meat with your fingers or two forks, discarding any fat.
2. Lay the tortillas on a work surface. Working with 1 at a time, place a line of pulled pork (2-3 tablespoons) close to the left edge. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of cheese.
3. Roll up the tortilla very tightly, tucking in the filling as you go. Place on a platter seam-side down and continue making the remaining flautas.

Pulled Pork 

Flauta Ready to Roll Up

Rolled Flautas Ready to Fry

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 cup canola oil. Working in batches, place as many flautas as will fit in the skillet in a single layer, seam-side down, and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side.
2. Remove to a large plate and repeat with the remaining flautas. (Add a little more oil if the skillet becomes too dry.)

Flautas Beginning to Fry 

Flautas after the First Turn 

Fried Flautas

To serve, divide the flautas among plates and spoon the roasted chile sauce on top. Serve right away. 

Cashew-Crusted Flounder with Creamy Lemon Drizzle and Garlicky Green Beans

Various kinds of nuts make great crusts for fish, poultry, and pork. The buttery flavor of cashews goes especially well with a delicate fish like flounder, and it’s a cinch to prepare. Combining the ground nuts with fine, dry breadcrumbs like panko gives a little crunch to the coating.

Salt, pepper, and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice are all you need to season the flounder. I chose to add a simple, creamy sauce for a bit of contrast in taste and texture. Plain Greek yogurt is a good base for a sauce that needs to be lighter than one made with mayonnaise or sour cream. The tangy richness of the yogurt adds its own layer of flavor, and combining it with fresh lemon juice and zest and some earthy garlic results in a robust drizzle that’s still light enough not to overpower the fish.

Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest (outer yellow part only) from the lemon.

Zesting the Lemon

The little bit of garlic in the sauce is complemented here with more boldly flavored garlicky green beans. It’s an easy, fresh side dish loaded with big taste—light, lean, and savory.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Flounder and Drizzle

• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped lemon zest
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup panko (or other fine, dry breadcrumbs)
• 2 6- to 7-oz flounder filets, cut in half crosswise
• flour, for dredging
• 1 large egg white, whisked
• 2 tbsp peanut oil

For the Green Beans

• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small), finely chopped
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Green Beans, Garlic, and Shallot

Preparation

For the Flounder and Drizzle

1. Combine the yogurt, juice, zest, and garlic in a small food processor and season with salt and pepper. Process until creamy smooth. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Garlic and Lemon Zest for the Drizzle

Creamy Lemon Drizzle

1. Clean the processor and place the cashews and panko in it. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. (Don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with cashew butter.) Spread the mixture onto a plate.

Ground Cashews and Panko

1. Working with 1 filet at a time, dredge the fish in flour and dip into the egg white, letting the excess drip off. Press into the cashew-panko mixture, coating both sides.
2. Place side by side on a plate and refrigerate 20 minutes (refrigeration helps the crust adhere to the fish).
3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.
4. Fry until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. 

Cashew-Crusted Flounder

For the Green Beans

1. In a small saucepan, blanch the green beans in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water (to stop the cooking).

Blanched Green Beans

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallot and cook slowly until beginning to soften, 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the green beans to the skillet and cook until hot throughout and crisp-tender.

Garlicky Green Beans and Shallots

To serve, place 1 flounder filet on each of 4 plates and spoon the creamy lemon drizzle on top. Divide and spoon the garlicky green beans alongside.

Pork Scaloppini with Raspberry-Orange Sauce and Roasted Asparagus

Scaloppini is a simple, easy dish to prepare, but it also can be a bit elegant and visually appealing—not to mention delicious. While it’s commonly made with veal, scaloppini is also made with pork, and these small, boneless chops are light, tender, and done in about six minutes.

Since the pork is simply floured and seasoned with salt and pepper before frying (a bit limited on flavor by itself), scaloppini is typically accompanied by a sweet, savory, or herbal sauce. I chose to go sweet and tart for this sauce, with fresh raspberries and fresh orange to top the chops with a bright, bold, fruity drizzle.

The key to (and meaning of) scaloppini is thinness: pound the chops to about 1/8-inch thickness and don’t overcook them. The meat is not only thin but tender, and it should stay that way. Two to three minutes per side is plenty of time.

Thinly Pounded Pork Chops

We all know asparagus is a fairly delicate, quick-cooking vegetable—that’s why it pairs well with quick-cooking scaloppini. Of the many ways to cook asparagus, roasting it brings out some of its deepest, earthiest flavors. 

It doesn’t take long, and the seasoning is simple: a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Because they’re roasted, thicker stalks of asparagus work well in this dish since they stand up better to a high temperature. They should end up tender and browned, not mushy.

Ingredients

For the Sauce and Pork

• 1 naval orange
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 tbsp raspberry preserves
• 1 tsp white sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 4-oz boneless pork chops, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness
• flour, for dredging

For the Asparagus

• 12 stalks of thick asparagus spears, about 8 inches long each
• olive oil, for drizzling
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

For the Sauce and Pork

1. Remove several strips of zest (outer orange part only) from the orange and finely chop enough for 1 tablespoon.

Chopped Orange Zest

1. Combine the raspberries, raspberry preserves, and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Squeeze the juice of the zested orange into the pan (a little less than 1/4 cup).

Raspberry Sauce Beginning to Cook

1. Cook slowly, stirring often and mashing the raspberries as they cook, about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped orange zest. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm while the pork cooks.

Cooked Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry-Orange Sauce

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
2. Dredge the chops in flour and season with salt and pepper. Place in the skillet and fry 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside and just cooked through.

Pork Halfway Cooked 

Cooked Pork Chops

For the Asparagus

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Toss the asparagus spears with oil, salt, and pepper and spread on the baking sheet. Roast 8-9 minutes (depending on thickness), turning once halfway through, until tender and slightly browned. 

Asparagus Ready to Roast

Roasted Asparagus

To serve, place 1 pork chop on each of 4 plates. Dvide the roasted asparagus alongside and drizzle both the pork and asparagus with raspberry-orange sauce. 

Easy Smoked Ham and Black Bean Soup

Soup is a great way to use leftover ham. A couple weeks ago, I smoked a ham for dinner and froze the remainder. There was just enough for a hearty ham and egg weekend breakfast and this rich, smoky-flavored soup with black beans. If you don’t have leftover ham, simply buy a small one (preferably smoked) and make the soup with that.

Leftover Smoked Ham

Sometimes you can get away with opening a can of good-quality black beans to use in a recipe, but try to avoid it this time. Since the beans are one of only two stars in the show, let them be at their best. The preparation is easy—just allow for the parboiling/soaking stage and then everything is ready to cook together in the same pot. Simple, great-tasting, and very nutritious. What’s better?

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry black beans
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups cubed smoked ham
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and let boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let soak 1 hour. Pour the beans into a colander and drain. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain again.

Soaked Black Beans

1. Rinse the same pot, heat over medium heat, and add the oil. Add the garlic, carrots, onion, and bell pepper and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Vegetables Ready for the Soup

Softened Vegetables

1. Add the drained beans and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Beans and Vegetables Ready to Cook

1. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly 1 hour. (Set the pot lid slightly ajar if the soup continues to boil when covered.)

Soup Beginning to Cook

1. Add the ham and continue simmering another 30 minutes, until the beans are tender.

Cubed Ham 

Ham Added to the Soup

1. Add the chopped sage and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Cooked Ham and Black Bean Soup

Divide the soup among 4 bowls and serve with hot sauce at the table, if desired.

Roasted Baby Sweet Potatoes

This is one of those eye-candy ingredients that I just couldn’t pass up in the produce section. The baby sweet potatoes looked too good. They’re available in springtime in many areas, and the best way to prepare them is the simplest way: roasted with salt and pepper. That’s it.

Baby Sweet Potatoes

Baby sweet potatoes have a stronger, more fragrant sweet potato taste than their large, heavy, mature siblings. For a simple roast, scrub the skin (yes, you can eat it), sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and pepper, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast. 

Tip: There’s no inside seasoning, so whether you eat the skin or not, you want the salt to penetrate it during the cooking process. That's why there's generous seasoning on the outside.

This is one of the simplest side dishes you can make. It’s also one of the most flavorful (and prettiest!). If you can find these beautiful, tasty, little gems in your local market, buy them. But don’t over-complicate the preparation. Simple and fresh—that gets the best results.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 6-8 baby sweet potatoes of various colors (about 2 1/2 oz each)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven the 400° F.
2. Scrub the potatoes under cold water and pat dry. Place them side by side on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap over them.
3. Season the potatoes generously with sea salt and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Fold the foil over them to form a packet.

Seasoned Potatoes Ready to Cook

1. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour, or until the potatoes are very soft to the touch.
2. Remove from the foil to a cutting board. Slice in half lengthwise and divide among 3 to 4 plates. Enjoy hot.