FireChefs954

This weekend, I had the honor of cooking for Adan’s graduation party up in Georgia 🎓🔥. I wanted to show some extra love, so everything was made from scratch and kept as authentic as possible.

The star of the show was definitely the jerk pork 🇯🇲🐖. It was marinated for over 24 hours in a flavorful blend of homemade green seasoning, jerk paste, and jerk dry rub that was made back home in Miami. To bring that authentic island flavor, we cooked it over pimiento leaves and filled the smoke box with apple wood chunks, fresh thyme, pimiento leaves and berries, whole nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks — all to recreate that traditional pimento wood smoke as closely as possible.

At the same time, a Cuban-style pork shoulder was roasting away in the oven 🇨🇺🔥, marinated overnight in homemade mojo and packed with classic Cuban flavors. Between both pigs, the aromas and flavors definitely transported people straight to the islands.

Everything was paired with spicy pear chutney, abuela’s black beans, cilantro green sauce, and plenty of other delicious sides. Nothing better than feeding family and friends with food made with love❤️🔥

🔥 Bleu Cheese Mashed Potatoes 🔥
These aren’t your average mashed potatoes… you’ve got to put a little love into these. 👨‍🍳🥔🧀
Start by building the infused cream: In a pot, sauté 1 whole shallot, a full head of garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns in olive oil, butter, and a pinch of salt. Let that cook for a few minutes until fragrant. 🌿🧄🧈
Slowly pour in your heavy cream (or milk of choice) and keep it on low heat for about an hour, stirring often so it doesn’t scorch. This lets all those aromatics infuse into the cream. Once ready, strain everything out and set the infused cream aside.
In another saucepan, melt some butter and add your bleu cheese crumbles. I also threw in some Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese and it took it to another level. 🧀🔥
Slowly whisk in the infused cream until the cheese melts into a smooth, rich sauce.
For the potatoes: Let the peeled potatoes soak in beef broth for a few hours before boiling for extra flavor. Then boil until fork tender and drain — but save about a cup of that starchy potato water. 🥔
Place the potatoes back into the hot pot on low heat for a minute or two to help remove excess moisture. Mash by hand or run them through a ricer for an extra smooth texture.
Slowly fold the bleu cheese cream sauce into the potatoes until creamy and velvety. Add a little reserved potato water if needed for consistency. Finish with salt and pepper to taste. 👌
These pair perfectly with grilled tenderloins, steaks, or a slow-braised pot roast. 🔥🥩