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Gastronomy Inc.'s Mexican-themed Café Pierpont opened in 1986 and closed its doors in 2006. In the years since its closure, reader Janet Newman has missed many of the restaurant's dishes, including the pork carnitas, chile verde, refried beans and the mild salsa that was served with tortilla chips. Gastronomy came through by offering recipes for the carnitas and mild salsa, as well as a recipe for black beans instead of the refried beans Newman requested. Also, I was able to find the chile verde recipe online.

Requests • Steve Gardner is seeking the recipe for Greek Shishkabob's red gyro sauce.

Robin Fehlaut seeks a recipe for eggplant in spicy garlic sauce from Long Life Vegi House, as her garden is brimming with eggplants.

Reader Michelle Poorman and Marlene Hjorth are looking for the pressed chicken recipe from Four Winds Restaurant in Provo.

Reader Sid McOmie is looking for the ribs and sauce recipes from La Frontera.

Send requests, responses to lneilson@sltrib.com, facebook.com/tribremix or c/o The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, UT 84101. —

Café Pierpont mild salsa

1 (12-ounce) can of premium diced tomatoes

2 medium fresh tomatoes, cored and diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed

Juice of two limes

¼ cup red onion, diced

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir to combine and chill for 2 hours before serving.

Makes • about 3 cups

Source • Café Pierpont —

Café Pierpont carnitas

Cook the pork slowly so that it forms juices and becomes extremely tender.

1 small can trans fat-free Crisco shortening

3 cups water

3 pounds pork shoulder

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 orange

Flour tortillas

1 cup chopped onions

Chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh pico de gallo

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the shortening. Add the water, pork, oregano, pepper and salt. Cook for 2 hours at a low simmer. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice of both halves into the saucepan. Add the orange halves to the saucepan and cook for another 2 hours. Place the pork on tortillas and serve with onions, cilantro and pico de gallo.

Serves • 6

Source • Café Pierpont —

Café Pierpont black beans

1 pound dried black beans

1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 strips raw bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

In a large pot, soak the black beans in 6 cups water overnight. Do not drain.

The next day, add the onion, garlic, bacon, salt, pepper and cumin to the beans. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the beans are tender but not mushy, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Add more water if necessary.

Makes • About 6 cups

Source • Café Pierpont