What brings me the most joy is cooking for the ones I love in my kitchen, having them sit around my table enjoying a glass of wine, tasting my latest creation, and, most importantly, making them feel at home.

As I’ve honed my skills in the kitchen, I realized I could share my joy of cooking with not only my friends and family but with all of you! If I can be a part of your kitchen and help you create delicious food, I feel like a part of your family, too.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes! (find more at inemilyskitchen.com)

Braised Short Rib Ragu and Rigatoni

Ok, this is a dish for a special date night, impressing your in-laws or if you’re just really hungry for something bold, meaty and a little sexy. By sexy, I mean freaking delicious. This sauce does take awhile but time= love. The more love you give this sauce, the better it is. I invite you to totally indulge in this classic and timeless saucy pasta dish.

6-8 bone in short ribs

1 onion – finely diced

3 carrots – finely diced

2 leeks – finely diced

3 celery stalks- finely diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups beef broth

3 tsp. dry oregano- divided

1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic

1 box of rigatoni

Garlic power

Fresh oregano

1/2 cup of AP flour

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil

Mix flour, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. oregano and 1 tsp. garlic power together in flat pyrex. Coat the short ribs in the mixture so all sides are coated. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Le Creuset or other bottom heavy cast ion skillet. Sear all sides of the short ribs until they are browned and caramelized. Spend a good 10-15 minutes just searing all sides and pieces of your short ribs. This will help develop flavor not only in the short ribs but also in the sauce. Next take the short ribs out and set aside on a plate nearby. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the Le Creuset in which you seared the short ribs, and then add the finely diced onion, carrot, leek and celery. It is very important these vegetables are very finely chopped, so they can became part of the sauce. Sauté on medium low heat for 25 minutes, constantly stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. You want these vegetables to transform into a delicious paste as the base for the sauce. Take care of these veggies, cooking low and slow and with lots of love and care. Once they are very soft and almost brown, add the tomato paste and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the fresh garlic and 2 tsp. of oregano and cook for 60 seconds on high heat. Add the 2 cups of dry red wine while it’s on high heat and allow the wine to cook out and flavor the sauce. After about 1 minute, lower the heat and add 2 cups of beef broth. Then nestle the beef short ribs back into the beautiful sauce and top with a few strands of fresh oregano. Put the lid on, turn down to a very low simmer and let it get happy for 3 hours. Check it every 30 minuets to see if it needs more liquid.

After 3 hours, the short rib meat should be falling off the bone. Remove the bones and lightly shred the beef using 2 forks. Continue to simmer. Boil the rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove the rigatoni from the water and put directly into the sauce. Stir until incorporated. Top with parmesan cheese and serve topped with fresh oregano.

Any residual pasta water clinging to the noodles becomes a perfect thickening agent for the pasta and sauce and brings it together in that perfect Italian restaurant way.

Serve immediately and enjoy- this is good stuff!

Don’t forget to finish with a little love + salt.

Braised Pork Taquitos Divorciados

2 pounds of pork butt or shoulder

 

Sauce:

1 bunch of cilantro,

stems removed

Juice of 4 limes

1/2 yellow onion – quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

1 jalapeno

4 cloves garlic

1 pasilla pepper

3 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

3 teaspoons cumin

3/4 cup lager beer

1 can Las Palmas green sauce

 

Pork Butt Rub:

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 teaspoons paprika

 

Canola Oil

Very fresh corn tortillas

 

First, make your rub. Combine all rub ingredients together and massage into the pork, covering every nook and cranny. Sear the seasoned meat in a large dutch oven with a little canola oil. Sear on each side so it creates a nice brown crust. Set aside and turn the heat off.

In a blender, add the bunch of cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 yellow onion, jalapeño, garlic, pasilla pepper, salt, pepper, cumin and olive oil. Blend together until smooth. Add the sauce into the dutch oven and heat on medium. Add the beer and 1/2 the can of the Las Palmas green sauce. Cook until it is bubbly and then return the pork butt into the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Put it in the oven for 3 hours at 300 degrees.

Check on it every hour or so and add more liquid as needed.

After about 3 hours in the oven, the pork should be falling off the bone tender and absolutely amazing.

Shred the meat with two forks directly in the dutch oven with all the delicious sauce.

Next, roll these babies up!

Add 2-3 tablespoons of the meat to the corn tortilla. Gently roll up as tightly as possible and stick with a toothpick to hold it in place. It’s really important to get very fresh tortillas to prevent cracking or breaking of the tortilla.

Once you’ve rolled your taquitos, place a cast iron skillet over the stove on medium high heat. Add  enough canola oil to cover the bottom half of the pan, making sure the taquitos aren’t fully submerged in oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place a small piece of tortilla in the oil to see if it hot enough. If the tortilla begins to fry right away, it’s hot!

Gently place the taquitos into the hot oil. After a minute or so flip the taquitos. Do this until they are light golden brown. They can go from golden to burned quickly, so once they start to turn golden, take them out and place them on a paper towel.

To serve them divorciados style, pick our your favorite red and green salsa and cover each side with the sauce. My favorite is just with red and green Las Palmas and a little sour cream!

They are soooo dang good.

Enjoy!

with a little love + salt

InEmilysKitchen.com