December, 2011

Our first official epicurean adventure:

Pork Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Qty    Measure    Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
1    Cup    onion, diced
1    Cup    green bell pepper, diced
2    tablespoons    vegetable oil
1 1/2    pounds    lean ground pork
12    ounces    tomato sauce
2    tablespoons    tomato paste
10    ounces    frozen corn, thawed
1    Tablespoon    ground cumin
1    Tablespoon    chili powder
1    Tablespoon    Cornmeal
    To taste    salt & pepper
1    Cup    Flour
1    Cup    Cornmeal
3    tablespoons    Sugar
2    teaspoons    baking powder
3    tablespoons    unsalted butter, melted
3/4    Cup    Milk
1    Large    Egg, beaten
1/2    Cup    Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4    ounces    green chiles,drained and chopped

Instructions:
1. Prepare the pork mixture: Cook the onion and bell pepper in oil over low heat til onion is softened. Add the pork and cook over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up lumps,  until pork is no longer pink. Stir in the sauce, paste, corn, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt & pepper; simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.  Spoon into a 2 1/2 qt. casserole. (This may be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated)

2. Make the topping: Sift together flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, egg and butter. Stir until just combined. Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese and chile peppers. Drop mixtures by large spoonfuls around the edge of casserole.

3. Bake at 400º for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350º and bake another 30 minutes.

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 35 min
Cook Time: 1 hr  20 min
Total Time: 1 hr  55 min