Nativity scenes and Christmas cards make the birthing place of Jesus like something out of a “Tennessee Made-for-Television Christmas Special” with Garth Brooks sitting on a bale of hay strumming some of our Holiday favorites in a clean barn with domesticated animals and seats for the children to drink their hot chocolate. Clearly this was not the case for Joseph and Mary. The conditions were crude. We can assume animals were present, but the text never confirms it. Animals probably were at some time housed there since Jesus was placed in a manger, which is a feeding trough for animals. The whole place smelled not only from animal droppings, but also from poverty, scandal, insignificance, helplessness, humiliation and embarrassment.

Randy Smith

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains, Meats	California	Mexico	1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

4		Chiles anchos, cleanrd of seeds and veins
1/4	ts	Of thyme
4		Mexican or Californian bay leaves
10		Whole peppercorns
6		Whole cloves
20		Whole allspice
2		Piece of cinnamon bark(the soft, Mexican type preferred
4		Cloves of garlic, peeled
1 1/2	tb	Of salt
2/3	c	Vinegar, approximately
5	lb	Of pork roast (I've used both loin and butts. The loin is, of
		Course,

INSTRUCTIONS

leaner, but tends toward dryness. The pork butt is juicy but fatty. I
haven't yet done this with leg of pork) 1 cup of warm water THE GARNISH 2
cups thinly sliced white onion 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce DIRECTIONS
Cover the chiles with boiling water and leave to soak for about 15 minutes,
or until soft.Put the herbs, spices, garlic, salt and vinegar into a
blender jar and blend thoroughly.Gradually add the soaked and drained
chiles and blend until smooth,stopping occasionally to release the blades
of the blender-you may need to MORESubj: COCHITO AL HORNO, PART TWO Date:
95-12-11 06:14:06 EST From: Punadero add a little water, but the mixture
should have the consistency of a loose paste. Pierce the meat all over with
the sharp tip of a knife. Smear the meat liberally with the paste and set
aside for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees. Put the meat into a casserole, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
Turn the meat and cook for 1 hour more, still covered. At this point,
scrape up the paste that is sticking to the bottom of the pan and dilute it
with cup of warm water.Turn the meat again and cook for another 2 hours, or
until the meat is very tender, basting from time to time with the -an
juices.When the meat is cooked,there should be plenty of sauce in the
casserole. Serve the meat sliced,with some of the sure from the pan and
topped with plenty of onion rings and shredded lettuce.Eat with freshly
made tortillas. COCHITO AL HORNO, PART ONE
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip

A Message from our Provider:

“A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution. #Billy Graham”