Calabacitas con Costillas de Puerco, Tatuma Zucchini Squash with Spare Ribs

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4 - 6 servings, accompanied with corn tortillas and white rice 

2  1/2 pounds of spare ribs
2  1/2 pounds of Tatuma squash, Mexican zucchini or regular zucchini
3 medium sized beefsteak plum tomatoes
1 medium sized white onion
4 garlic cloves
3 serrano peppers
1/2  green bell pepper
3 whole corns
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/3 cup corn oil
Salt

Chop spare ribs in 3.5-inch chunks. Heat oil until it reaches its smoking point. Sear the spare ribs with salt and pepper. Take them out of the pan as soon as they reach a golden-brown color on the outside (even if they’re not cooked inside), and put them to the side. Dice the squash, tomatoes, onion and green bell pepper in 1-inch chunks. Put the vegetables to the side. Deseed and devein the serrano pepper, and dice it. Mash the garlic cloves and mince them. Cut one of the  whole corns in 3 cm slices, and take the corn off the cob of the other two. Heat oil again in the same pan used to sear the ribs and add the onion, bay leave, garlic, diced serrano pepper and saute for 3 min. then add tomatoes and green bell peppers. Keep sauteing the vegetables until they’re soft. Then add the tatuma squash, the cilantro, all corn and start mixing. Then add the spices: cumin, ground clove, pepper, salt and mix well. Add the ribs with their cooking juice and mix well before adding the serrano peppers. (Be careful not to break them once cooked.)
Cook at low heat for 40 minutes. I recommend checking the bottom of the pot and readjusting the heat if necessary, especially during the first 15 minutes

Photos by Alejandra Martins.

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Arroz con Pato Confitado — Rice with Duck Confit

Serves 6 

1.5 pounds of jasmine rice
1/2 pound grated butternut squash
2 cups cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red bell peppers
6 duck confit legs, see below
2 ají amarillo, seeds removed and puréed
1/4 cup peeled fava beans
1/4 cup choclo corn kernels
1/4 cup peas
2 cups black beer
4 cups chicken or duck stock
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt, black pepper, cumin

Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the duck confit. Remove legs, set aside and transfer hot oil to a deep sauce pan. Add chopped onion, chopped garlic and pureed aji amarillo and saute for few minutes, or until lightly browned. Then add the peas, fava beans, corn kernels, red peppers, grated butternut squash and rice and stir for two minutes. Add black beer and cilantro. Add stock, salt, black pepper and cumin and cook for 8 minutes more. Next return the browned duck confit legs to the pan and cook for an additional 7 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
Serve with salsa criolla, below. 

2 red onions, sliced in very thin half moons
1 - 2 ají or jalapeño peppers, sliced into very thin matchsticks
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley, or both
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the onions in salt water for 10 minutes. Drain and let dry. Mix onion with the rest of the ingredients, let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Duck Confit 

6 uncooked Peking duck legs
1 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
8 cloves crushed garlic
¼ cup black peppercorns
2 crushed aji panca seco (Peruvian dried aji panca)
Fresh thyme
Fresh bay leaf
50 ounces rendered duck fat

Rub the duck legs with kosher salt on both sides. Place them in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Add the lemon zest and slices, garlic, ají panca, black peppercorns, fresh thyme and fresh bay leaf. Seal and massage the duck legs through the bag until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 200 Fahrenheit

Remove the duck legs from the marinade. Rinse them off and pat dry. Place the rest of the contents of the bag into the bottom of an oven safe dish just large enough to hold the legs in a single layer. Place the duck legs skin side down in the dish. Pour the duck fat into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until liquid. Pour over the duck legs until they are completely covered.

Bake for 6 to 7 hours in the preheated oven. Cool. Place in the freezer, where confit can be kept for up to several months.

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