30 minutes from scratch

I look into the sunset and the glow just feels right, even though the summer heat was creeping into every pore of my body. To figure out what is for dinner is a daily challenge, as most people would experience that there is very little time to prepare a meal, much less for more than one person. With all the advances in technology that has created numerous time-saving gadgets and processes, we seem to have less time than before.

So it is out of necessity that people look to quick recipes, short cuts and the throw-everything-together mantra. You must understand that cooking food, good food, requires serious thought and contemplation. That cooks long before you have struggled to discover ingredients, techniques and innuendos into recipes for future reference. Canned goods, prepared foods, mass produced sauces, etc. are only good for two things: Consistency and for the idiot cook. Consistency is what a real cook strives for each and every time he makes a dish. But only because a real cook knows the principles behind the cooking. The idiot cook, on the other hand, believes that he will never fail a recipe because what comes out of the can will always be the same. Mind you, a lot of professional cooks used canned produce for the sole reason of consistency. And they can produce magic from it. Prepare good food. And more often than not that canned produce will never be the main focus of a meal.

So here is a recipe made from scratch, and can be done in less than 30 minutes. Not because I devised this to be made in half an hour, but because it is such a simple, hearty, beautiful dish that can be built upon. So have a go.

 

Popocali

250 g pork shoulder, diced 1-inch
250 g pork liver
120 g carrots, peeled and diced
120 g potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp sea salt
30 m palm oil
200 ml tomato sauce
salt+pepper

1. In a bowl, rub the pork with sea salt throughly
2. In a sauce pan, heat the oil over medium high heat
3. Add the pork by batches and stir to brown all sides evenly. Remove from pan and set aside, about 3-5 minutes
4. In the same pan, add the liver by batches and stir to brown evenly on all sides, about 3-5 minutes
5. Add the garlic and onions, Stir and cook until tender, about 2 minutes
6. Add back the pork and pour in the tomato sauce. Stir to distribute evenly.
7. Add the potatoes and carrots. Lower heat to a simmer and cover for about 10 minutes until tender. Stir occassionally.
8. If the sauce gets too thick, just add water. Season to taste

Now I have this recipe with steamed rice. It is equally good with some crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Or maybe this can be made into a pot pie. Hmmm…there’s a thought.