Recipes :)

Cuban Roast Pork

5 to 6 lb. Pork Roast (I use the Butt Pork Roast, but use what you like)

3 to 6 cloves of garlic (8 even if you really like garlic <grin> )

1 1/2 cups of orange juice

1/2 cup each of lime juice and lemon juice

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 large onion chopped

2 tablespoons hot sauce (this is optional)

Wash roast, trim fat (if you want to, I leave it on because to me it makes the roast more tender when cooked)

Peel garlic, cut into slivers, poke small holes all over the roast and insert a sliver of garlic in each hole till the garlic is gone. (If you want to peel additional garlic and use it in the marinade, feel free...only helps the taste if you like garlic especially).

In a large freezer bag, put the remaining ingredients - place the roast in the bag, roll it around in the marinade and put in the refridgerator for at least 48 hours, turning over off and on the entire time...(last time I made it, I marinated it for 3 days).

Preheat oven to 200* farenheit, place roast (the marinade solution goes in the garbage)in aluminum lined roasting pan, cover with foil and bake in oven for 8 hours (turning over once in this time) (over the 8 hours I periodically baste the roast with the drippings) after 7 hours, remove the aluminum foil from the top and take a turkey baster, remove 3/4 of the drippings, reserve them; continue to baste the roast for the next hour (I usually only do it twice more) and remove from oven. Then let rest for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Take the drippings you withdrew from the roast and use the drippings as a base for rice and black beans.

This roast can be cut into slices as the main course or "pulled" to make pork sandwiches, use a crusty bread - it's the best kind... goes great with cuban black beans & rice with a side of fried (sauteed) plantains.

Cuban Black Beans

2	tablespoons olive oil
2	medium onions, chopped
2	stalks celery, chopped (with leaves)
1/2	green bell pepper, chopped
1/2	red bell pepper, chopped   or   1 small can of green chilies (if you don't care for  bell peppers)
4	cloves garlic, minced
2	plum tomatoes, diced with juice
1/4	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1	tablespoon oregano (dried)
2	teaspoons ground cumin
1	teaspoon dried thyme
1/2	teaspoon allspice (ground)
3	smoked pork hocks or shanks
2	quarts vegetable stock or chicken stock
	salt, to taste fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1	lb dried black beans, sorted,washed,soaked overnight with
1/2	teaspoon baking soda    make sure to rinse beans thoroughly after the soaking process before you add to the stock pot

Place a 1 quart stock pot on the stove on high;  In a seperate saute' pan add the 2 tablespoons olive oil, saute' the first 4 ingredients for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking till the onion is transluscent (6 to 8 min approx) add to the stock pot with the stock/broth (make sure and scrape all the good stuff from the bottom of the saute' pan into the pot) - then add the tomatoes and spices - the pork hock/shanks, black beans.  Boil at high for approx. 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 8 hours, stirring occassionally.  Once cooked, take the ham hocks/shanks and shred the pork from the bones with a fork and add back into the black beans, stir and it's ready to serve.

You may use sour cream, chopped hard boiled eggs, crumbled fried bacon, cilantro, wedges of cut lime etc. as toppings.  Me?  I just like the beans on top of some rice...

Okay that's enough for me now, I'll try to do a couple more tomorrow...or maybe this afternoon.

Let me know if you can read these recipes easily and if they are easy to follow ok?  Thanks :)