Ambivalence and Stew

The day after christmas brings us all sorts of emotions. There is sadness because the present giving, and more importantly the present receiving, is over. There is joy from all the post holiday endorphins still coursing through everyone. There is courage, from those of us who dare to brave the post holiday crowds at the nearest mall, in the hunt for holiday bargains. There is relief for many because they are going or coming home and perhaps they no longer have to deal with relatives that, um, test their patience. The emotion I experience most on december 26th is ambivalence. I am still with my mom and sister, enjoying our rare time together and not looking forward to heading back home and missing the days of relaxing by the fire and wallowing in the array of wonderful gifts I have been given. I rarely have the desire to go holiday bargain hunting, as my mom has usually gone overboard with the presents and I have no need to add any new possessions to my already strained suitcase. I simply Am, and that is a wonderful way to be. I have new toe socks on my feet, family that I love around me, no need to change out of my pajamas and plenty of delicious food to experiment with in the kitchen.

Which brings me to the relevance of this blog, the day after christmas culinary creations. Since our christmas feast usually consists of a large roast of either pork or beef provenance, it is inevitable that there will be leftovers for many days. Since no one wants to eat the same thing over and over, I like to save some of said cow or pork product to make into stew the following day. Stew is easy, it requires ingredients that are most often already in the vegetable drawer and cupboard and it is incredibly comforting, especially when the mercury level is in the 20's, which it has been here in Portland recently. For us California ladies, that is practically death weather and clutching a steaming bowl of stew while testing Just how close I can stand to the fireplace is my idea of a perfect post-christmas, emotion-free day.


Chile con Carne

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lb of boneless pork shoulder, or boneless beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch chunks
Kosher salt
4 slices of thick cut bacon, diced
1 sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, halved, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs cumin
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups water or chicken stock
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup sour cream

This dish is even better the second day, so feel free to make a double batch and reheat the extra in saucepan over medium heat.

Pat meat dry and sprinkle with ½ salt. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add meat and cook on each side until well browned, in two batches if pan gets crowded. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add bacon, stirring often, until crisp and brown. Add onions and pepper and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add chili powder and cumin, stirring to evenly distribute and cook 1 minute. Return meat to pan with any accumulate juices, add tomatoes with their juice and water or stock. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook 2 to 2 ½ hours, until meat is fork tender. If liquid level gets low, add another ½ cup of water or stock. Add kidney beans and cook 10 minutes. Season to taste, ladle into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of sour cream. Serves 2-4 main portions.