A Cuban dinner on the porch--no ocean, no jungle

The ocean in front and a jungle behind us were all we'd have needed tonight to set the Cuban atmosphere. But what we had was oh so pleasant--a nice breeze, just the right temperature, and dinner with two good friends on the porch.
I fixed a Cuban pork dish which I didn't realize Elizabeth had eaten before until she said, "I think that's my favorite thing of all the dishes you make." So simple, but you have to start it well ahead of time and pay attention toward the end. (I got to sipping wine on the porch and almost missed that part.) This is a recipe I first learned from an employee probably 25 years ago, but I have since found the same instructions in a magazine.
Use 2 to 2-1/2 lbs. untrimed pork butt. If the butcher will cube it for you, great, but I find their idea of cubes is much bigger than mine, and I usually end up cubing the cubes. Bring 2-1/2 cups water and 1 Tbsp. salt to boil. Put the pork in and turn to a simmer. Let it cook at least 1-1/2 hours, usually more, until the liquid is evaporated; the pork will then brown in its own juices and you have to turn judiciously.
While it's cooking, mix 1/3 c. lime juice, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. cayenne (I'm not a fan of cayenne and left this out). Serve as a dipping sauce for the pork, but also serve lime wedges on the side.
I thought I had enough for Cox's Army and was makng noises about leftovers, but the recipe says "Serves four" and we three had very little left over.
As a side I served black beans which were sort of an experiment. I used a medium size can, rinsed and drained; added 3 crushed garlic cloves (by mistake--thought I was putting them in the lime juice but it turned out great), 1 small onion chopped, and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Let the whole thing simmer almost as long as the meat cooks, so that the juices thicken.
You can also serve rice as a side dish with this but Elizabeth made us a simple spinach salad with olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing, dried cranberries, and roasted almonds.
And, with Sue, my Fort Worth adopted daughter and former neighbor, we indulged in girl talk about loves and life. What a pleasant evening.

Boiled pork?Oh, come on now! With black beans

Yep, that's what I served for dinner tonight. Boiled pork. Years ago a friend introduced me to this--he just sort of did it and roughed out how, but later I found a recipe. You take 2 lbs. pork butt, cubed, and cover with 2 cups water and 1 Tbsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer about an hour and a half until the water is all gone. Then stir the meat in the juices left in the pan until it browns--couldn't be easier. The cubes will turn brown and crispy on the outside and stay tender inside. While it's cooking, mix 2 or 3 good-sized garlic cloves, crushed, into 1/2 c. lime juice and refrigerate. Serve with pork. A half cup was too much--1/3 cup would be plenty. I served this to my gluten- and dairy-free friends Elizabeth and Weldon along with black beans. Found a recipe that called for cooking them from scratch with onion, bell pepper (I detest it and left it out), cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. I cheated and simmered canned beans in that mixture--I have never yet cooked black beans from scratch that were tender, though Weldon tells me the trick is to stir frequently, and each time you stir mash some of the beans against the side of the pot so they incorporate into the liquid.
Anyway, with these beans, after they simmered I drained them, added white wine, white vinegar and a bit of olive oil. Delicious. Elizabeth brought a salad and that was more than enough for supper. They went away with two recipes, and I'll cook that meal again. As a matter of fact, I thought the butcher overserved me--I asked for a pound-and-a-half to two pounds of pork and get two and three-quarters, so I froze one and a quarter. We ate every morsel of the pound and a half I cooked.