When I think of fast food, I think, greasy, bland, boring. Foods consisting only of brown & white colors where the ratio of meat to condiment is almost 50/50. The whole experience of eating fast food is completely devoid of the pleasures of aroma and flavor that food can provide.
While recently in San Francisco, I met a friend in Dolores Park who was relaxing on a beautiful day, eating pizza and drinking beer. Which I have to add, friends + outdoors + sunny day + beer, is one of my favorite ways of spending a lazy afternoon. Now getting back to the story, she offered me a slice of pie and it wasn’t your average Sicilian grandmother’s pie. It was an Indian fusion pizza, topped with a chicken & vegetable curry. That’s when I learned of this whole new fad of fusion fast food. You can find Chinese burritos, sushi pizza, Mexican sushi, Thai lasagna, Indian crepes and the list goes on.
While this may not sound appealing to the person who wants their beef and potatoes on a separate plate from their asparagus, lots of people are going nuts for these new concoctions. After mentioning I was going on a road trip across the country, one of the girls in our party lit up with excitement and almost gave me directions to this Chinese/ Mexican restaurant somewhere in Arizona. But just then she changed gears as she remembered the Indian burrito place in Marin county, told me which bus to take and “if you only had a bicycle, that would shorten the walk”… My despise for public transportation in combination with a long journey, surely halters any inclination for me to acquire this treat. However her enthusiasm was super cute!
I realize this story isn’t uncovering any profound discoveries, however I personally found it so interesting I decided to play with my newfound excitement of exotic food pairing and came up with my own fusion recipe:
Carnitas Soba Noodle Stir-fry:
Grilled Pulled Pork and Pineapple atop a bead of Buckwheat Noodles and stir-fried vegetables, in a tomatillo-lemongrass dressing.
Carnitas Ingredients:
2 lbs. Boneless Pork Shoulder sliced in strips
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Dried Chile (halved)
1 Onion (quartered)
4 Cloves Garlic (halved)
2 Cups Water
1 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Pineapple diced
Soba Noodle Stir-fry Ingredients:
1 Pkg Soba Buckwheat Noodles
3 Cups Water
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Bunch Baby Bok Choy Chopped in quarters.
2 Carrots Chopped
Handful Snow Peas
1 Clove Garlic Minced
Tomatillo-Lemongrass Dressing Ingredients:
6 Tomatillos quartered
4 Tbsp chopped Lemongrass
2 fresh Limes
1 chopped Scallion
1/4 Tsp Sugar
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Tsp Salt
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in skillet and brown pork on all sides. Remove from skillet and place meat, cumin, chile, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaf & water to large saucepan. Slow cook on low until meat is tender and shreds easily (about 2 hours). Remove meat from pan and juices, and shred. Any access liquid can be frozen and used to season a future batch of beans or rice. Also, there is always leftover pork, which makes great tacos for lunch the next day.
Place tomatillos on greased baking sheet and roast until tender (20 minutes) at 375 degrees. Let cool. Place tomatillos, salt, sugar, lemongrass, lime juice, scallion and water in blender. Blend until smooth. Save the access dressing, it tastes great on salads.
After the meat looks like it’s falling apart. Start boiling water for soba noodles. Add salt and once boiled add soba noodles and let boil until soft. They cook quickly so be careful not to over cook. Heat skillet with sesame oil. Add garlic and carrots, let cook for a 1-2 mins. Add bok choy and snow peas. Saute to your desired firmness.
Toss noodles and stir-fry in small amount of dressing then plate. Take shredded meat and place in skillet saute for 1-2 mins. Add chopped pineapple, sauté for another minute. Add atop your plate of noodles, and enjoy!
Not only is fusion the new fad for fast food, I think it’s also my new fad. Check back for more exotic fusion recipes to come!
