All Meat Pockets are Not Created Equal – The Early Chapters

Meat Pockets:  consumable carbohydrate pouches filled with varying meats, cheeses, sauces, spices and “filler” items, such as potatoes, onion or other vegetables a loved one might be sneaking in on you.  Subspecies of the more broad meat pie category making intercontinental appearances. Not all guaranteed to be faves.

Meat pockets of my life:

• Chapter 1: dating back to my early years in the DL, pasties (past- ees, not paste-ees nor pastries), were all the local rage. However, I found them bland, too heavy on the potatoes and ketchup adding nothing as a condiment except color.  Don’t get me wrong, people love them, not me then and not me now. I have probably just committed a entry level heresy…. but that said, I would try them again. It looks like Anthony Bourdain might have found a place (Pinky’s) to prove me wrong…. just not in DL

• Chapter 2: Pockets consumed in love. Egg rolls and wontons. My favorite MIL – she makes THE BEST eggrolls ever and Hung’s cousin, hands down, has my favorite wonton soup, witnessed to cure many ails. If in the Emerald City, be sure to check out Mi La Cay. What makes these egg rolls so good?
  • Hand made, with love
  • Two-bite size
  • Heavy on the meat (shrimp and pork) and low on the cabbage (F-I-L-L-E-R)
  • Vegetarian are heavy on the flavor and low on the cabbage (see above)
  • On hand in freezer at all times

  

• Chapter 3: Dumplings around the world – Asian Persuasian. Close your eyes and imagine Xi’an, China. Home of Terracotta warriors and some serious dumpling geniuses, especially De Fa Chang. English not needed, picture menus worth a thousand words and we consumed almost as many. Next, Shanghai – soup filled dumplings that you eat with a straw. Why these haven’t taken off in the US is beYOND me? Lastly, Beijing Peking Duck at the one and only Da Dong. Not to be missed. 
• Chapter 4:  Vive bolso del carne! I have a rare nutritional deficiency, hypotaconemia, where I need at a minimum a hearty weekly dose of Vitamin T.  Granted this pocket is open, it is still a pouchish vehicular delivery of food.  From Grasshopper tacos in P. Vallerta to carnitas and chorizo in the taco truck by our house (it’s got swagger, like me and that burro) or at home from the crock pot.
  • Easy crockpot carnitas recipe > here. Tasty, make up some roasted tomatillo salsa too. here is the canning recipe version for some inspiration

Upcoming chapter previews: Fresh Cut Noodle Night, the English have a few food things figured out, Empanada Experiment, Fawaffle Success and items on my “Pocket” list.