Read Online Bobby Flay's Throwdown! by Bobby Flay - Free Book Online Page B

big pieces, then drizzled the shredded meat with a “sour orange” sauce made from orange juice, lime juice, serrano chile, cilantro, garlic, and olive oil.
    It was a beautiful sunny day and Roberto was busy getting ready for his party at the National Hotel in Miami’s South Beach. Stephanie, Miriam, and I were down the block assembling our Caja Chinas and prepping our pork so that it would be ready to serve at the Throwdown. My lack of patience when setting up the Caja China came back to haunt me at the Throwdown when I realized I hadn’t put the racks in the box. Without the racks in place, my pork would sit in its juices, thereby preventing it from getting a super-crispy skin.
    As I snuck up on Roberto, I found him happily making another Cuban specialty, the Mojito. Drink in hand, he readily accepted my Throwdown and the battle of the Cuban barbecue began. Judge Maria Vasquez, who runs www.cubanfoodmarket.com , an online store for Cuban food specialties, commented on my pork first, saying it was good but needed a little more salt. Our other judge, Chef Pepin, who has been cooking on Spanish TV since 1988 and considers himself to be an expert on pork, thought it was only so-so. Both Maria and Chef Pepin loved the crispy exterior and soft interior of Roberto’s pork, as well as its sweetness. Chef Pepin did come around, and both he and Maria said that they honestly thought both dishes were fantastic, but as for a winner, Roberto took the prize.

     

     
Bobby Flay’s
Cuban Pork with Sour Orange Sauce
    SERVES 8
    1 bone-in pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
    12 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
    ½ cup olive oil
    ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
    3½ cups fresh orange juice
    1¼ cups fresh lime juice
    Grated zest of 1 orange
    Grated zest of 1 lime
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Mojo Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
    1. Using a paring knife, make small slits over the entire surface of the pork. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the garlic for the sauce, and rub the rest into the slashes. Whisk together the oil and the ¼ cup oregano in a large roasting pan. Add the pork, turn to coat, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
    2. Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting.
    3. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
    4. Combine 3 cups of the orange juice, 1 cup of the lime juice, and the orange and lime zests in a large saucepan over high heat. Boil to reduce to 2 cups. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ cup orange juice, ¼ cup lime juice, reserved 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons oregano. Let the sour orange sauce cool to room temperature.
    5. Season the pork with salt and pepper, transfer the roasting pan to the oven, and roast for 30 minutes.
    6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting until the pork is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center reaches 180°F, about 2 hours. Baste the pork with the sour orange sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
    7. Remove the pork from the oven, baste it with any remaining sauce, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve slices drizzled with a little of the Mojo Dipping Sauce.
Mojo Dipping Sauce
    4 cloves garlic
    1 serrano chile, chopped
    3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
    Kosher salt
    ¾ cup fresh orange juice
    ¼ cup fresh lime juice
    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 tablespoon clover honey
    Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, serrano, cilantro, and a few pinches of salt until it becomes a paste. Add the orange juice, lime juice, oil, and honey, and stir to combine.
     

     

Roberto Guerra’s
Stuffed Pork Shoulder
    SERVES 8 TO 10
    1 (6- to 7-pound) boneless pork shoulder, butt end, flattened so that it can be rolled
    ¼ cup sour orange juice, or ¼ cup fresh orange juice plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    6 bay leaves
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    2