Today is the feast day of Saint Paul of the Cross. He is not to be confused with Saint Paul the Apostle, author of vast volumes of scripture. This Saint Paul is Italian, born in 1694.
Sometime around the age of twenty Saint Paul of the Cross heard a sermon from his parish priest that ignited in him a light onto his very soul, illuminating for him the depth of his own sinfulness. He would later refer to that moment as his true conversion. From that moment on he dedicated himself to the Passion of Christ through a profoundly deep prayerful life, his writings and public speaking. Saint Paul went on to teach the catechism to children, with a great emphasis on the Passion of Christ. He formed an association of young men and was often known to take long walks with them, speaking at length about faith.
Don’t you just wish time travel were possible? Imagine taking a video camera back in time to record such men as Paolo Francesco Danei. It is said that he was so passionate and charismatic in his preaching that even the most hardened of hearts turned to Christ. We need these evangelists of the truth today. The world seems to be searching for answers and struggling to recognize even the simplest of truths. While time travel isn’t possible, we do have his writings. More than two thousand of his letters have survived and preserved. Nearly all of his writing dealt with spiritual direction and a deep passion for the Cross.
Excerpt from a letter to Mother Mary Crucified
You must correspond faithfully to His merciful action by humbling yourself ever more in your nothingness before His Sovereign Majesty, renouncing all these gifts and remaining in utter nakedness and nothingness. At the same time offer a holocaustal sacrifice of all these gifts and put them in the thurible of your heart so that, enkindled by God’s charity, they may ascend as a fragrant incense before the Most High Majesty of the Supreme Good.
Shredded Beef Taco Braid
Shredded Beef
2-1/2 lbs boneless Chuck Roast
Cumin to taste
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to desired heat
Jalapeño Olive Oil as needed
1/2 cup Beef Stock, divided
1 cup Hatch Green Chili Sauce
Taco seasoning to taste
Hot Sauce as desired
Score both sides of roast with a sharp knife without cutting all the way through. Season to taste with cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper on both sides. Set roast aside.
Coat the bottom of the insert of pressure cooker with a little Jalapeno Olive Oil. Select SAUTE, CUSTOM, LEVEL 6, 7 MINUTES. Press start. When cooker is ready, sear roast for 3 minutes per side. Remove roast from insert, set aside. Remove insert from the pot. Deglaze the insert with 1/4 cup beef stock, scraping up any browned bits, leaving mixture in the bottom of the insert.
Pour about 1/2 cup of Hatch Green Chili Sauce in the bottom of the insert pot. Return roast to the pot. Pour remaining green chili sauce over the roast. Place insert into the pressure cooker. Select PRESSURE COOK, BEEF, 55 MINUTES, HIGH. Lock lid in place, press start.
Note: If the pot is still hot and producing a lot of steam, allow that to subside before engaging the pressure cooker. Otherwise it might not be able to get a good seal to generate pressure.
Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release remaining pressure. Remove lid, lift insert from the pot. Remove roast to a bowl, let cool for about 10 minutes.
Shred roast, season to taste with taco seasoning and a little hot sauce if desired. Set aside.
Taco Braid
1 can refrigerated Pizza Dough
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large Pepper (Jalapeño or Mole work well)
2 firm Roma Tomatoes
6 leaves Iceberg Lettuce
2 tablespoons Butter
Pinch Taco Seasoning
1-1/4 cups Mexican Cheese, divided
Sour Cream as desired
Taco Sauce or Salsa as desired
Sliced Pickled Jalapeño Pepper for garnish
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment. Brush parchment with olive oil. Set aside until ready to use. Heat oven to 375-degrees.
Note: Before lining the baking sheet with the paper I use a marker on the underside to mark the four corners. This is better than trying to eyeball the size of the dough.
Seed and chop tomatoes. Stem and dice pepper. Stack lettuce leaves, shred. Melt butter, season with a pinch of taco seasoning. Set aside until ready to use.
Transfer the piece of parchment to a flat work surface. Place the pizza dough on the parchment and gently stretch it out so that it measures 10-inches by 15–inches. (This is a slow process, but the dough will eventually stay put and stop shrinking back to its original dimensions).
With a pizza cutter, make slices 1-1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long on both long sides of the dough, leaving 4 inches of dough down the center for the filling. Return parchment paper to the baking pan with the sliced dough.
Scatter diced peppers down the center of the dough. Place the shredded roast beef over the peppers. Cover the meat with 1 cup of cheese, followed by the diced tomato.
Beginning at end closest to you, lift strips up and over filling, crossing in the middle. Press ends at next two strips, lift next strips and repeat, moving forward. Repeat the wrapping until the last two. Bring last two over end of braid, tuck and secure with a pinch.
Gently brush the top and sides of the braid with the seasoned melted butter. Clean any “spillage” that may have occurred during the filling and braiding process to prevent it from burning outside your braid. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the braid, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese over the top, return to oven and continue to bake until the braid is nicely browned and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes longer.
Once browned, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Top with shredded lettuce. (For a “cleaner” presentation, carefully transfer braid to a large serving platter before topping with lettuce). Cut with a sharp knife and serve with a large spatula. Serve with sour cream, taco sauce or salsa and sliced Jalapeños to pass around the table. Great with refried beans.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man
