Pinchos (Puerto Rican Grilled Pork Skewers)

 
PREP TIME 10 mins 

COOK TIME 10 mins

MARINATING TIME 1 day

TOTAL TIME 1 d 20 mins

EQUIPMENT

12" or 14" skewers

outdoor grill

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2" - 2" chunks

Pinchos Marinade

1 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 cup sofrito

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sazon seasoning

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons adobo seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoons black pepper

Spicy Pinchos Sauce

1/4 cup, packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons adobo seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons sofrito

1/4 cup hot sauce optional

14 ounce bottle BBQ sauce

To Serve

1 pound loaf pan sobao or soft crust Italian bread, slice 1" thick

INSTRUCTIONS 

Prepare the Marinade and Marinate the Meat

Fill a quart size mason jar with the white wine vinegar, sofrito, olive oil, sazon, granulated garlic, onion powder, adobo, oregano, and black pepper.

Screw the jar's lid on tightly and shake the contents vigorously until well combined.

Pour the marinade over the meat in a large, non-reactive mixing bowl. Toss the meat in the marinade to evenly coat it.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

Make the Spicy Pinchos Sauce

In a 2 quart saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, adobo, granulated garlic, and onion powder.

Add the sofrito, hot sauce and BBQ sauce to the pot and stir together until smooth.

Bring the sauce mixture up to a boil over med-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to discourage sticking.

After 10 minutes, remove the sauce from the heat. It is now ready to be used or stored at room temperature for 2 days in a jar.

Thread the Marinated Meat Onto Skewers

Forty-five minutes prior to grilling the meat, begin soaking your wooden skewers in water. Lay the skewers on a flat platter or sheetpan and cover them with water.

Lay a paper towel over the skewers to keep them submerged in the water.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and use a colander to drain the marinade from the meat.

Preheat your charcoal grill while the skewers are soaking.

After the skewers have soaked for 30 minutes, thread the meat onto them.

Use your hand to measure 3" from the end of the stick- this will serve as a handle for holding the skewers. Thread the meat tightly packed onto the skewers, leaving that 3" space from the bottom of the skewer.

Leave a 1 1/2" space at the top for adding the bread slice later.

Lay the threaded skewers on a sheet pan while you thread the remaining meat.

Grill the Meat

Once your grill reaches 450°F, lay the pinchos on the oiled grate.

Place your foil-wrapped, sliced bread in the coolest area of the grill, or on the grill's warming shelf.

Grill the pinchos on the first side for 3 minutes.

Carefully- the skewers will be hot- turn the pinchos over to the other side. Brush the grilled side liberally with the Spicy Pinchos Sauce and grill for an additional 3 minutes.

Flip the pinchos onto the sauced side. Brush them with more sauce and grill for 2 minutes.

Flip them over one last time and grill for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce is caramelized and the internal temperature of the pinchos reaches 145°F.

Remove the pinchos and bread from the grill.

Tent a large piece of aluminum foil over the pinchos and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. Stick a slice of bread on the end of each pincho before serving.

Leftover Pincho sauce may be heated to boiling and drizzled over the grilled pinchos as desired.

Enjoy while hot.

NOTES

Store leftover pinchos off of the skewer in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

Freeze the meat after marinating in freezer storage bags for up to 6 months. Thaw under refrigeration for 24 hours prior to grilling.

From: https://senseandedibility.com/ 

Nashville Hot Chicken

 Ingredients

8-16 pieces chicken tenders or bone-in chicken pieces 8 pieces of bone-in or about 16 tenders

1 tablespoon kosher salt divided among chicken pieces

Chicken Seasoning

1 tablespoon smoked paprika regular paprika works as a substitute

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoons ground white pepper

Chicken Coating

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon hot sauce I use Louisiana

1 cup whole milk buttermilk can be substituted but it makes the crunch a little softer

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons vodka don't skip this step!!

about 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying

Nashville Hot Seasoning

1/2 cup hot fry oil

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1.5 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

For Serving

sliced white bread

pickle slices

Instructions

Prep the Chicken

Place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet or cutting board and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, dividing among the chicken. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).

In a large bowl, combine the paprika, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder. Use 2 tablespoons (about half) of the spice mixture and sprinkle directly onto the chicken pieces, patting it into the chicken as you go.

Chicken Drudging

Add the flour and cornstarch to the remaining spice mixture in the bowl and whisk well to combine. In a separate medium bowl, place the buttermilk, egg whites, hot sauce, and alcohol and whisk thoroughly to combine.

Use one hand for the wet mixture and one hand for the dry, take 1 piece of chicken at a time, toss in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, dip chicken in the buttermilk mixture to completely coat, then place back in the flour mixture. Toss as needed to completely coat the chicken, pressing into it with your fingers. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (up to 30 minutes) while you set up for frying and heat the oil.

Place the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep, heavy-bottom pan, attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer, and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is 360°F, about 15 minutes. Set up your serving plates nearby with pieces of white bread. This is where the cooked chicken will land.

Frying the Chicken

Working in batches, place 3 chicken pieces (or 5 tenders) at a time in the oil and fry, using tongs to rotate the pieces every 3 to 4 minutes and adjusting the heat as needed to keep heat at 325°F, until golden-brown with an internal temperature of 165°F (check by inserting a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken without touching bone). About 12 to 15 minutes for whole pieces or 8 to 10 minutes for tenders.

Nashville Hot Coating

While chicken is cooking, carefully ladle 1 cup of hot oil directly from the fryer into a heatproof bowl (I use a stainless steel mixing bowl or glass dish). Whisk in the Nashville hot seasoning rapidly but carefully until the brown sugar incorporates. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. Dip the hot fried chicken immediately into the spice mixture straight from the frying pan. Tossing several times to coat well . Place the finished pieces onto slices of white bread, top with pickles and serve immediately.

From: https://badbatchbaking.com/princes-nashville-hot-chicken-inspired-recipe/#recipe

Beer Cheese Sauce

•  2:1 Flour and Butter
• Beer
• Velveeta
• White Pepper
• Cayenne

Melted down some butter and made a roux with 2:1 flour to butter. Add beer let it cook off then add velveeta 

and seasoning. White pepper and cayenne will make it pop.

From: Anthony

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons flour

5-6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup white wine

3/4 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups Hatch green chiles (canned green chiles also work), seeded and diced

1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

pizza dough

3/4 cup roasted chicken, shredded

juice of 1 lime

shredded mozzarella

chopped fresh cilantro, optional topping

Instructions

1. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the jalapenos and cook until

softened, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the flour and incorporate with a whisk. Continue to whisk until the roux (the butter and

flour mixture) becomes golden brown.

3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Whisk in the white wine and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cumin, cream and 1 cup of Hatch green chiles.

Let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced. Turn off the

heat and add the juice of 1/2 a lime. Stir to combine.

6. While the sauce is simmering, place the chicken into a bowl and top with 1/4 teaspoon

kosher salt and juice of half a lime. Set aside.

7. Turn the oven to 500 degrees.

8. Roll out the pizza dough onto a floured surface. Add a few spoonfuls of hatch chile sauce to

the top of the dough. Be sure to evenly spread out the sauce. Keep in mind that too much

sauce will make for soggy pizza.

9. Evenly distribute the chicken on top of the pizza.

10. Top with 1/2 cup (or more) chopped green chiles and shredded mozzarella.

11. Bake in the oven for 10-14 minutes or until the pizza is golden and the cheese melted.

12. Top with optional cilantro and serve immediately.

https://apleasantlittlekitchen.com/recipe/featured-categories/classics/hatch-green-chile-chicken-pizza/ 2/2

The sauce makes enough for 2-3 pizzas. Double the chicken to accommodate additional

pizzas if necessary. This recipe was also featured in The Dallas Morning News (click here for

full story and recipe).

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

 Ingredients

1 tube crescent rolls or crescent dough sheet

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese icing

4 oz cream cheese room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp whole milk (to desired thickness)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll your crescent dough sheet onto a floured surface or onto parchment paper.

If you are using regular crescent rolls (instead of the seamless dough sheet), you are going to want to push together all the seams so you create one sheet of dough.

Spread melted butter onto one side of the dough.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly onto dough.

Then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Starting with the long end of the dough, begin rolling the dough up using both hands and trying to keep it as even as possible.

Then start cutting, using a sharp knife, into 1-inch rolls.

Gently place rolls onto your parchment-lined cookie sheet (about 2 inches apart from each other).

Bake for about 10-12 minutes on middle rack of your oven.

While the rolls are baking, start making the icing.

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

Once rolls are done baking (they should be a light, golden brown color), start drizzling on the icing or you can dunk the rolls right into the bowl of icing as you eat them.

Self Rising Flour

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt