Duck Carnitas Torta November 2009

PHOTO: MAPLE LEAF FARMS

From: Executive chef/owner Jake Replogle, Haute Taco, Brookfield, WI. Yield: 32 servings.

Meat:

7 lb. fully cooked pulled duck leg meat, defrosted

Duck Adobo:

24 guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded

2 garlic cloves

1 whole white onion, rough chopped into small dice

2 tomatillos

4 cups orange juice

½ bunch cilantro

Black Beans:

1 lb. black beans

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

3 epazote stalks

1 jalapeno

to taste, salt

Roasted Corn Salsa:

6 ears corn

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 red pepper, roasted and diced

1 Tbsp. torn mint

2 Tbsp. lime juice

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Torta:

pulled duck leg meat, 12 oz. per loaf

as needed, adobo to coat duck meat

black beans, warm, 8 oz. per loaf

corn salsa, 5 oz. per loaf

crema fresca, 2 oz. per loaf

queso fresco, crumbled, 6 oz. per loaf

as needed, clarified butter

8 ciabatta bread loaves, 10" × 6"

For duck adobo: Reconstitute chiles in warm water until soft. Add chiles, garlic, onion, tomatillos and orange juice in blender. Puree until smooth. In a pan coated with oil, add the puree. Bring to simmer and reduce until mixture just begins to coat the back of a spoon. Add cilantro and allow to steep. Strain adobo through chinois.

For black beans: Put beans, onion, garlic and water in saucepan (cover by 2 inches). Cook beans at a simmer for an hour; season with salt. Cut slit in jalapeno and add to beans along with epazote. Continue to cook until tender (always keeping enough water to cover).

For roasted corn salsa: Shuck corn and roast on grill or flat top until caramelized and cooked. Allow corn to cool and shuck kernels off. Add onion and pepper to corn mix thoroughly. Add lime juice and olive oil to desired taste. Season with salt and pepper.

For torta: Preheat panini machine. Preheat nonstick pan; heat pulled duck leg meat. Once duck is warm, add enough adobo to coat duck without being runnyTaste; add salt as desired, then set aside. Slice ciabatta bread lengthwise and brush bottom of bread with butter. Begin to make torta. On bottom, put layer of black beans and follow with layer of duck, generous sprinkle of corn salsa, drizzle of crema fresca, generous crumble of questo fresco and top bun. Brush top of bread with clarified butter. Put in panini machine and press until golden. Cut loaf into four equal servings and serve one quarter per person. Serve with plaintain chips.