Happy Sunday —

We’re very excited about this week’s dishes, and we hope you’re inspired to try them.

As always, a grocery shopping list for the recipes is linked in Notion at the end of this email.

In This Week’s Edition:

Try Something New 🤯 — Steamed Mussels

Throwback Time 🍳 — Mojo Braised Pork

The Leftover Shelf 🥡 — Cubano Sandwiches

Extra Helpings 🤤 — Matcha, Using Leftover Sauces, & More

Shopping List ✅ — Ingredients sorted into categories for easy shopping!

Try Something New 🤯

Expand your home-cooking horizons.

Steamed Mussels

Mussels are a surprisingly friendly protein for the weeknight home cook— they’re inexpensive, widely available, fast to clean and cook, and one of the most sustainable seafood products you can buy.

Dish Components

• 2 lb (900 g) live mussels*

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 Fresno pepper, minced (or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes)

• Additional aromatics/spices of choice: saffron, smoked paprika, etc

• 2 cups white wine (or water w/ a splash of vinegar)

• Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

• Parsley, roughly chopped

• Toasted bread & lemon wedges to serve

*keep on ice, in an open bag (so they don’t suffocate) until ready to cook, preferably within a couple of days of purchasing.

Instructions

1. Wash & rinse mussels: In a colander, rinse and wash mussels of any sand, debris, or broken shells. If you find any beards attached, remove and rinse them off.

2. Sauté aromatic base: In a deep pot, add the olive oil, garlic, shallot, red pepper, & aromatics. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and the alliums have softened but not browned.

3. Steam mussels: Add the white wine and the mussels and lightly mix everything to coat. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, then steam for 3-6 minutes. Check frequently — as soon as all of the mussels have opened, they are ready. Overcooking can result in the mussels shrinking and going rubbery.

4. Adjust seasoning & serve: Turn off the heat and add the parsley. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon if desired. Carefully ladle mussels and their broth into bowls, serving with lemon wedges and toasted bread.

Eating Tips - With the mussel still attached to a shell, scoop up some broth and slurp in one bite, like eating an oyster. Sop up any extra broth with the bread. Unopened mussels should be pried open and inspected/smelled before consuming.

Throwback Time 🍳

This video is a true throwback — back to the days when the recipe was still embedded in the video’s description.

But just like the movie Chef, braised mojo pork is a recipe that stands the test of time. It’s a punchy and savory roast that leaves you with the best leftovers ever, and makes you want to start a food truck…

Plus, pork shoulder is among the most affordable braising cuts of meat, especially compared to beef prices right now. If you want an even easier pork braise recipe, try make-ahead carnitas too.

Either way, here’s the obligatory way to use up those Chef level leftovers:

The Leftover Shelf 🥡

Leftovers are back in style…if you know how to use them.

This week’s move:

Braised Pork → Cubano Sandwiches

If you have leftover mojo braised pork, you’ve got to make cubanos (although the leftovers work great in any other form factor — tacos, burritos, rice bowls, pasta, etc).

Cubano Components

• Leftover braised pork, sliced or shredded

• Deli ham, sliced

• Swiss cheese, sliced

• Pickles, sliced lengthwise into planks

• Yellow mustard

• Cubano roll, or comparable sandwich bread

• Butter for toasting

To assemble:

Set a pan or griddle over medium heat. Butter the outsides of the bread, add mustard to the insides, and then layer the remaining sandwich components and close. Cook and press the sandwich on the pan, flipping occasionally until both sides are golden brown, the inside ingredients are warmed through, and the cheese has fully melted.

If you own a panini press, this is your time to use it!

Extra Helpings 🤤

🚀 Viral Eats

Food trends explained.

Q: Should I be drinking matcha lattes instead of my usual espresso order? What even is matcha?

A: Even though matcha’s history began in the 8th century in China, it gained wide popularity at the beginning of the 21st century, largely from influencers. Matcha is loved by supporters of a healthy lifestyle all over the world. It is made by grinding Japanese green tea leaves into a powder, which releases their nutrition benefits — antioxidants, polyphenols, and 100 times more disease-fighting epigallocatechin (EGC) than any other tea.

Additional health benefits of matcha include regulating blood pressure and improving mood and concentration. Matcha is both a stimulant and a relaxant, thanks to L-Theanine, a caffeine-regulating amino acid. This lets you stay alert and concentrated, or calm down and become more meditative while maintaining energy and focus.

Matcha has a rich, vegetal flavor with hints of freshness and sweetness, which depend on the amino acids present at harvest. More expensive grades, harvested first, have a deeper, richer aroma and a sweeter taste than lower grades made from subsequent harvests. Regardless of the matcha you buy, the herbaceous aftertaste can be softened with the addition of a creamy milk product, which is why the latte format is so popular.

We think that matcha is a trend that’s around to stick. Have you tried it yet?

🧠 Reader Q&A

Q1: “Any advice for using up leftover sauces without getting too bored of them? I’m a single adult and I try to use up all of one or two sauces before I open more.” — Emm T
Q2: “What do you do with leftover Ragu Bolognese? I made the Italian-American version a couple of days ago for lasagna and I have way too much left - and I don’t feel like eating the same pasta for the next week straight.” — David G

A: Great questions, Emm and David. Yes, you can always freeze sauces until you crave them again, but here are some other options too.

For Emm’s question regarding bottled sauces (say salad dressings or hot sauces) the key is to not be defined by what they are normally used in:

Toss wings with caesar dressing, slather ranch on a sandwich, dress cabbage with honey mustard for a slaw, use hot sauce to add heat to your lunch wrap, or use any of the above as a chicken marinade or in place of vinegar in any recipe to add flavor along with their natural acidity.

See if you can combine the sauces with other ingredients to make it applicable in different situations. Hot sauces can be mixed with mayo to become a dip or thicker condiment. Can you mix a bottled sauce with cream or cheese and use it in pasta? Can you braise meat with it?

Next time, instead of buying a whole bottle of sauce, try making it homemade. This way you can control the quantity better, not to mention the quality, consistency, and flavor.

Now for the ragu, David. The key here is mixing up the form factor outside of obvious pasta dishes as you cited. Try using the ragu as the star of an Italian-American sloppy joe, for example.

What about mixing in beans and making chili with it? Serve it over a loaded baked potato with all the fixings, or similarly on top of Fritos for an Italian Frito Pie.

What about in a rice bowl with veggies and leafy greens? Or, use it to bring moisture to a wrap, which would pair well with lettuce, cheese, and slices of lean chicken or tofu.

🏆 Dinner Winner! Reader Photo Submission of the Week

This week’s dinner winner is Chris, who made charred pork tacos with baby spinach, pickled onions, and a ranch chipotle pepper blend sauce. Great job, Chris!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

🍽 More Yummy Content

A Read: Rick Martinez’s Essential Mexican Recipes (NYT)

In a Minute or Less: Low-Calorie Shrimp Tacos​

What We’re Watching: Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Documentary)

Food Science: BLT Breakdown​

Upgrade Your Feed: Connect with Ethan everywhere.​

Ready to shop? 🛒

✅ Shopping List 3/19