Food & Wine USA - (10)October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 89

Ploughman’s Lunch

ACTIVE 40 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR

SERVES 10 TO 12

Harking back to the no-fuss, mostly no-

cook lunches of England’s rural laborers,

this modern update from New Zealand
pairs rich cheeses and hearty sausages

with tart elements like mustard and

chutney for balance. Quince pairs beauti-

fully with a host of cheeses—goat cheeses

and cheddars are particular standouts.

Cooking the sugar to a deep golden brown

gives the chutney a lightly bitter depth,

cutting the fruity sweetness of the quince.

Build out the board with sourdough boules

and baguettes and a green salad dressed

simply with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt

and pepper.

QUINCE CHUTNEY

2 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as
grapeseed)

1 medium-size yellow onion, finely
chopped (about 2 cups)

3 /^4 cup granulated sugar

3 / 4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds

1 lb. chopped (about^3 / 4 -inch pieces)
peeled quinces

3 / 4 cup water

1 / 4 cup golden raisins (about 1^1 / 4 oz.),
roughly chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 /^2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 whole star anise

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

3 lb. assorted cooked sausages

1 (2-lb.) wheel farmstead cheese
(such as a firm, soft-ripened cheese
or aged cheddar)

1 to 2 baguettes

1 loaf pain au levain

Whole-grain mustard and Dijon
mustard, for serving

Leafy green salad, for serving

1. Make the quince chutney: Heat oil in a

large saucepan over medium. Add onion;

cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is

just starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add sugar; cook, stirring often, until sugar
melts and turns a deep amber color, 8 to

12 minutes. Carefully add vinegar and

mustard seeds. Cook, stirring occasion-

ally, until mixture is thickened and syrupy,

about 6 minutes. Stir in quinces,^3 / 4 cup

water, raisins, salt, crushed red pepper,

and star anise. Bring to a boil over

medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-

low; cook, stirring occasionally, until mix-

ture is thickened and quince is softened,

35 to 40 minutes. Remove and discard

star anise. Transfer chutney to a medium
bowl. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

2. Serve chutney with sausages, cheese,
   bread, mustards, and salad.

MAKE AHEAD Chutney can be refrigerated

in an airtight container up to 1 week.

WINE Elegant, citrusy New Zealand

Chardonnay: 2016 The Boneline

Barebone

NOTE New Zealand cheddar can be found

at Whole Foods or amazon.com.

Winemaker’s Carnitas Tacos

PHOTO P. 85

ACTIVE 55 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR 55 MIN, PLUS 8

HR REFRIGERATION; SERVES 10 TO 12

These hearty tacos, piled high with crispy

pork and topped with a shower of thinly

sliced cabbage and cilantro, are a love let-

ter to the Mexican cooking traditions that

shaped—and continue to shape—Califor-

nia cuisine. Traditionally simmered in pork

fat, these carnitas are braised low and

slow and then fried in pork fat at the end,

making them extra crispy without being

dry. Dried chiles bring a mild, sweet heat

to the salsa; their slight bitterness cuts

through rich, fatty pork.

1 (6^1 / 2 - to 7^1 / 2 -lb.) bone-in pork

shoulder (Boston butt)

3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. kosher salt,

divided, plus more to taste

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

9 cups water, divided

1 small white onion, quartered

3 medium plum tomatoes, halved

lengthwise

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

Lard, for greasing and frying

5 dried chiles de árbol (about^1 / 8 oz.),

stemmed and seeded

4 dried guajillo chiles (about 1 oz.),

stemmed and seeded

4 dried ancho chiles (about 1^3 / 4 oz.),

stemmed and seeded

11 / 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 / 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano

32 (5-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro

leaves, and lime wedges, for

serving

1. Score fat cap on pork shoulder in a 1^1 / 2 -
   inch diamond pattern, cutting just until
   tip of the knife reaches meat. Flip pork
   shoulder over; cut along bone (about 3
   inches deep) to open up meat. Rub pork
   shoulder all over with 3 tablespoons salt.
   Place on a rimmed baking sheet, and
   cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refriger-
   ate 8 to 24 hours.


2. Preheat oven to 375°F with oven rack in
   lower third of oven. Place pork shoulder,

fat cap side up, in a large ovenproof Dutch

oven. Add bay leaves and 6 cups water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover

and transfer Dutch oven to preheated

oven. Roast until meat is fork-tender, 3

hours to 3 hours and 30 minutes, flipping

pork shoulder after 2 hours. Let cool, cov-

ered, at room temperature 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, increase oven temperature
   to broil with oven rack in middle of oven.
   Place onion, tomatoes (cut sides down),
   and garlic on a lightly greased (with lard)
   rimmed baking sheet. Broil until onion
   and tomatoes are lightly charred and gar-
   lic is softened, 8 to 10 minutes for garlic
   and 10 to 14 minutes for tomatoes and
   onion. Set aside until cool enough to han-
   dle, about 10 minutes. Peel garlic cloves.
   Reduce oven temperature to 250°F.


4. While tomato mixture broils, heat all
   dried chiles in a dry large cast-iron skillet
   over medium. Cook, turning occasionally,
   until chiles are fragrant and darkened in
   spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chiles to
   a small saucepan; add remaining 3 cups
   water, and bring to a boil over medium-
   high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook,
   stirring occasionally, until chiles are soft-
   ened, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving
   chile cooking liquid.


5. Combine onion, tomatoes, garlic,
   chiles, vinegar, sugar, oregano, remaining
   2 teaspoons salt, and 1^1 / 4 cups reserved
   chile cooking liquid in a blender. Secure
   lid on blender, and remove center piece
   to allow steam to escape. Place a clean
   towel over opening. Process until smooth,
   about 30 seconds, adding up to^1 / 2 cup
   additional chile cooking liquid, if needed,
   to thin salsa to pourable consistency.
   Season with salt to taste.


6. Remove pork shoulder from Dutch
   oven; discard braising liquid. Pull meat
   into bite-size pieces; discard bone and
   large pieces of fat. Heat 2 tablespoons
   lard in cast-iron skillet over medium-
   high. Add just enough pork (2 to 3 cups)
   to cover bottom of skillet in a single
   layer, and press lightly to flatten. Cook
   until crispy and lightly browned, 4 to 6
   minutes, flipping meat halfway through
   cook time and seasoning both sides
   with salt to taste while cooking. Transfer
   pork to an ovenproof serving platter, and
   keep warm in 250°F oven. Repeat with
   remaining pork, adding more lard to skil-
   let as needed. Serve with corn tortillas,
   shredded cabbage, cilantro leaves, lime
   wedges, and salsa.

MAKE AHEAD Salsa may be stored in an

airtight container in refrigerator up to 3

days.

WINE Robust, spicy California red: 2015

Robert Sinskey Vineyards POV

NOTE Select dried chiles that are pliable,

not brittle.