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Keep it Simple – Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

Stir fry is a great weeknight meal. You can plan everything out, make use of any vegetables you may have around, any protein that you want to use or any sauce you want to create. You can really do anything you want with them. I had some pork chops that I wasn’t sure how I wanted to cook so I did some searching and found this recipe from Bon Appetit for a very simple pork stir fry that tasted great.

Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1-inch strips

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

Mix the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the honey, half of the garlic, and the crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the green beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots to the green beans in the water; cook for 1 minute. Drain the carrots and the green beans. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer the pork to a separate dish. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet; add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the green beans, the carrots, the ginger, and the remaining garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the pork to the skillet along with the reserved soy sauce-honey mixture. Stir everything well until it is heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the stir fry to a bowl. Sprinkle the stir fry with the sliced green onions and the chopped peanuts and serve.

This is very simple to make and you will likely spend more time preparing everything than you actually will cooking. The green beans are nice and crisp and pick up a little bit of the soy sauce and honey flavor from the pork. If you don’t want to add the peanuts or have nut allergies, you can certainly leave them out of the dish altogether.

I made this dish with some homemade fried rice since we had some leftover rice to work with. I used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that I have used before and was able to use a lot of leftovers we had like the rice, a leftover pork chop from the other night and some frozen peas. All in all it was a very simple meal that you can make anytime and easily substitute out other ingredients if you wish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what other recipes come along. I still have the homemade Shake N’ Bake pork chops and I am planning to make the lemon icebox pie this weekend, so check back for those. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 6, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Rice

Tags: bon appetit, fried rice, pork stir fry, pork stir fry with green beans and peanuts

Back Home For Some Pork Chops and Applesauce

26 Aug

As fun as vacation was. it is always nice to be back home. It also means it’s back to the kitchen for some cooking, which I did for the first time in a week last night. Anyone who is my age remembers the Brady Bunch episode where Peter talked about pork chops and applesauce. They seem like a perfect pairing and since I had picked up some early season apples and some pork chops yesterday when shopping, it made for the perfect dinner last night.

Sautéed Pork Chops with Brandy-Apricot Sauce

4 bone-in rib pork chops

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped medium

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels then season them well with salt and pepper. Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the pork chops on the first side, about 3 minutes.

Flip the chops over and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the chops until the center of the chops away from the bone registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the chops to a clean plate and tent with foil, allowing the pork chops to rest until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees before serving, about 5 to 10 minutes.

While the pork chops rest, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and return the skillet to medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the shallot and cook until it is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bourbon and the apricots, scraping up any browned bits still in the pan. Add the chicken broth and the thyme and simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in any accumulated pork juices from the plate the pork has been resting on and the red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops before serving.

The pork was cooked perfectly and this pan sauce was great. I really like the flavor you get from the apricots and bourbon and the vinegar gives it just that hint of bite and acid. it’s a very simple meal that you can make on a weekend or a weeknight with little effort at all.

Now for the applesauce. Everyone has their own version of the applesauce thhey make, often passed down through families. Applesauce itself is pretty basic to make and all I did was follow America’s Test Kitchen recipe for a very simple sauce.

Old-Fashioned Applesauce

4 pounds apples (about 8 to 12 apples), peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 cup water, plus extra if needed

1/4 cup sugar, plus extra if needed

Pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the apples, water, sugar and salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Mash the cooked apples with a potato masher or against the side of the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Season with extra sugar or add more water to adjust the consistency to your own liking. Add the cinnamon to the sauce and mix well. Serve warm or cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

You can make the applesauce as chunky or smooth as you like it or even run it through a food mill instead of mashing it if you have a food mill. We all like the cinnamon in the applesauce, but you could just as easily leave it out if you prefer just the great apple flavor on its own.I also made some plain white rice and xorn on the cob to round out the meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for more recipes. I do have some things planned for this week that I didn’t get to before I left on vacation, such as the lemon icebox pie, the ciabatta bread and a few other recipes. Keep checking back to see what is next. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 26, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Fruit, Pork, Sauce

Tags: americas test kitchen, applesauce recipe, bourbon-apricot sauce, old-fashioned applesauce, pork chops recipe, pork chops with bourbon-apricot sauce, sauteed pork chops

Jazzing Up Baby Back Ribs with Espresso Barbecue Sauce

15 Aug

AS I was going through the freezer this week to try to just use what I had in the house for meals to avoid shopping before our vacation, I came across some baby back ribs that were perfect to make. Yesterday was a nice cool day here in the Northeast so it was perfect to be able to use the oven in summertime. I came across this recipe from the Cooking Channel and Michael Chiarello for a very simple recipe that makes an outstanding sauce.

Baby Back Ribs with Espresso Barbecue Sauce

2 racks baby back ribs

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Espresso Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

Espresso Barbecue Sauce:

4 tablespoons minced garlic

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 cups ketchup

2 cups honey

Salt

1/2 cup strong coffee or instant espresso

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut each rack of ribs in half along the bone so they can be easily stacked. Lay them out on parchment paper for easy clean up.

Salt and pepper liberally on both sides of the ribs and pat the spices into the meat. Make sure to season both sides and all over the ribs because part of the rub may inevitably come off in the pan during cooking. On a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, stack the ribs close together, about 3 layers high. Place the ribs in the oven and bake for 2 hours, shifting the bottom layer of ribs every 30 minutes until they are tender and almost falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, make the espresso barbecue sauce. Add the olive oil to a preheated saute pan. Add the minced garlic and saute until it gets light brow, about 1 minute. Add the cider vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and honey and stir well. Add a pinch of salt then whisk in the coffee or espresso. Add the freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

30 minutes before serving the ribs, transfer the ribs to a preheated grill. Brush the ribs with the espresso barbecue sauce and close the grill. Continue to turn and brush the ribs with barbecue sauce every 10 minutes, about 3 more times, before serving.

Once the barbecue sauce has cooled, you can store it in the refrigerator and use it for about another 2 weeks. It would be great on other pieces of pork or as a condiment for burgers or any barbecue items. I loved the flavor that the espresso gives the sauce mixed with the honey. It is not too thick but just the right consistency. it’s a great sauce for ribs. I served the ribs with some baked sweet potatoes, fresh corn on the cob and some bread and I also had some of the no-mayo coleslaw left over to use as well. Overall, I think it was a pretty good meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I do have a special meatloaf recipe planned for tonight, so you can check back for that one as it will be my last recipe posted before we go on vacation. Check it out tomorrow and see if you will like it. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 15, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork, Sauce

Tags: baby back ribs, baby back ribs with espresso barbecue sauce, barbecue sauce recipe, Cooking Channel, espresso barbecue sauce, Michael Chiarello

Sweet as Grilled Honey-Glazed Pork Chops and Peaches

06 Aug

I opened up the freezer on Sunday night looking for things I could use to make for dinner this week and I was able to come up with a few ideas for some meals, including this one I found Cook’s Country. I am always a little leery of doing pork chops on the grill because if you don’t watch them closely you end up with burnt shoe leather as your meal. This recipe lays everything out quite easily and is a fast meal, so you can grill this up any night of the week for dinner with just a few ingredients.

Grilled Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

4 (10-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through the fat and connective tissue around the outside of each pork chop. Combine the sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and rub all over with the sugar mixture.

Whisk the vinegar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan until there are no lumps remaining. Stir in the honey, mustard, thyme and cayenne pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the glaze is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 to 7 minutes.

If you are using a charcoal grill, open the bottom vent completely. Light a chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes. When the top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two-thirds of the coals evenly over the grill, then pour the remaining coals over half the grill. Set the cooking grate in place, cover and open the lid vent completely. Heat the grill until it is hot, about 5 minutes.

If you are using a gas grill, turn on all the burners and set them to high, cover the grill and heat the grill until it is hot, about 15 minutes. Leave the primary burner on high and the other burner(s) to medium-low.

Clean and oil the cooking grate. Place the chops on the cool part of the grill and cook (covered if you are using a gas grill) until the meat registers 140 degrees, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Brush the tops of the pork chops with the glaze and grill, glazed side down, over the hot part of the grill until it is caramelized, about 1 minute. Repeat the process with the second side of the pork chops. Transfer the chops to a platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for five to ten minutes.

While the pork chops are resting, there is no better way to make use of some of those peaches you have in season this time of year by grilling them up. Grilled peaches test phenomenal and take just a few minutes to cook, so this gives you the perfect opportunity to throw a couple on the grill.

Grilled Peaches

4 ripe medium peaches

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Drizzle each half with the maple syrup and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Grill skin side up for 3 minutes until the peaches have begun to caramelize and soften.

Of course, you don’t have to serve the peaches with your meal. You could make them for dessert and serve them with some ice cream or yogurt and you have a nice dessert. To me, they went quite nicely with the pork chops though. The chops were great and using the sugar mixture on them before putting any glaze on them really helped to keep the glaze in place and helped to brown the chops nicely. I served this dish with some green beans, wild rice, the peaches and I even toasted up a little garlic bread on the grill as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again later in the week for some more recipes. I’ll be posting a lighter version of a beer battered fish with roasted sweet potato fries, I plan to try my hand at some ciabatta bread if I get the time, and I also have the recipe for a wonderful looking lemon icebox pie to try out. Check back and see what comes up next. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 6, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Fruit, Grilling, Pork

Tags: Cook's Country, grilled honey-glazed pork chops, grilled peaches, honey glazed pork chops

Cook’s Country Recipe Week Part 3 – Spicy Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

31 Jul

For day three of using Cook’s Country recipes, I picked out this stir fry to give a try . I love making stir fry dinners since they are quick and easy and make good use of some fresh vegetables. Don’t be put off by the name of this recipe; it is not very spicy at all and has great flavor to it. There aren’t a lot of ingredients in this one at all. The only item I had to go out and buy was the Asian chili-garlic sauce, and you could easily omit it or just use any chili sauce you would like as a substitute and I think it would be just fine.

Spicy Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 (16-ounce) pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices, each slice cut into 1/2-inch thick strips

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound broccoli florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks trimmed, peeled, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

Whisk 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, chili-garlic sauce and the sesame oil together in a bowl. set aside. Toss the pork, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch together in a bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the pork, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate. Repeat the process with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and the remaining pork.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a now-empty skillet until just smoking. Add the broccoli and cook until it turns bright green, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and cook, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and the garlic and cook until they are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook until it is thickened, about 2 minutes. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the skillet and cook until the pork is heated through, about 1 minute. Serve.

I did add some yellow, orange and red pepper and a shallot to the recipe, putting them in the skillet and cooking them for about a minute or two before I put the broccoli in the skillet. I think they added some nice color and flavor to the dish. The sauce adhered nicely to the pork thanks to the cornstarch and it had a good flavor with just a little kick to it. I served this dish with white rice and that was it. It is a great, simple dinner that you can have prepared and done in under 30 minutes so it is perfect for any weeknight meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another Cook’s Country for this week. The next recipe up will be for some quick chicken Parmesan sub sandwiches that I am making tonight, so you want to check back for that one. I also have a recipe from Bon Appetit for a wonderful peach-blueberry ice cream pie that I made that I will be posting soon. You don’t want to miss that one. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 31, 2013 in Cooking Tips, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Pork

Tags: Cook's Country, Cook's Country spicy pork and broccoli stir fry, pork and broccoli stir fry, pork stir fry, spicy pork and broccoli stir fry

It’s Never Too Hot for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

17 Jul

With the ungodly heat we have been experiencing here in the northeast part of the country, I have had to find some alternatives to using the oven. I had bought a large pork butt last week to make pulled pork, but there was no way I was turning the oven on if I could avoid it. Thankfully, I was able to pull out the trusty slow cooker and use this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen so I was able to make some tasty pulled pork sliders for dinner instead.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 (5-pound) boneless pork butt roast

1/4 cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cups barbecue sauce

Cider vinegar

Hot sauce

Hamburger buns

Bread and butter pickles

For the pork: Dissolve 1/4 cup of salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons of liquid smoke in 2 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge the pork in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

While the pork brines, combine the mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke in a bowl and set it aside. Combine 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, paprika, and cayenne in a second bowl and set aside.

Remove the pork from the brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub the mustard mixture over the entire surface of the pork. Sprinkle the pork with the spice mixture to coat well.Place the pork in the slow cooker and pour the barbecue sauce over the pork, cover, and cook, on either low or high, until the pork is fork tender and falling apart, 10 to 11 hours on low or 7 to 8 hours on high.

Transfer the meat to a large bow and let cool. Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skin the fat off the surface. Season the sauce with the cider vinegar, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using your fingers or two forks., discarding any extra fat or gristle.

Toss the shredded meat with 1 cup of the cooking sauce, adding more as needed to keep it moist. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately, with hamburger buns and pickles to make the sliders.

You can use any store-bought barbecue sauce you like for this recipe, or you can quickly use this recipe below and triple it to make enough sauce for this pulled pork.

Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup ketchup

5 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before serving, about 1 hour. The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up yo 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Of course, no pulled pork sandwich is complete without some coleslaw. I am always on the lookout for new coleslaw recipes that do not use mayonnaise so they are better for the summer. I found this one from Food Network and it tasted great.

Gourmet Cole Slaw

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 ounces granulated sugar

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped shallots

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 head green cabbage, julienned

1/4 head red cabbage, julienned

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 green bell pepper, julienned

1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

1 green onion, green part only cut into 1-inch lengths

1 teaspoon dry oregano

Salt and pepper

Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients into a bowl. Mix all the vegetables together in a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables, toss and chill for 1 hour or until you are ready to serve.

It is simple and refreshing. You can always use a bag of coleslaw mix instead of handling all the vegetables yourself. I usually have a bag on hand during the summer so that is what I used this time and this recipe has a nice, light flavor to it that will go well with all types of sandwiches and dishes.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again next time to see what recipes come along. I have tried a few things out recently to post, such as a new roasted chicken recipe, french bread pizzas, a new burger recipe, and more. Check back and see what comes up next. until then, enjoy the rest of your day, try to stay cool and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 17, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Salad, Sauce, Slow Cooker Meals

Tags: barbecue sauce recipe, coleslaw, gourmet coleslaw, no mayo coleslaw, pulled pork, pulled pork in the slow cooker, pulled pork sliders, slow cooker pulled pork

Simple Grilling to Beat the Heat: Grilled Sausages

15 Jul

It’s been really hot and humid here the last few days with no immediate end in sight, so that means finding dinner solutions that won’t overheat the whole house and make me a pile of sweat in the kitchen. it also means using the grill more and breaking the slow cooker out to do some cooking. For this particular meal, the grill came in handy for a very simple meal that I picked up from Bobby Flay on the Food Network. While this dish can work as a great party appetizer, we actually had it for dinner and it was quite filling.

Grilled Sausages with Grilled Shallot Relish with Ricotta and Toasted Baguette

1 pound Italian sweet sausage links

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 large shallots

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

2 baguettes, grilled

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling. Brush the sausages with some of the vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill, with the cover closed, until golden brown, slightly charred and just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausages to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing,

While the sausages are grilling, halve the shallots, leaving the skin on, and toss with a few tablespoons each of the vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put them on the grill and cook until charred and slightly softened. Cool the shallots slightly, then remove the skins and chop.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a saute pan on the grates of the grill until it begins to shimmer. Add the chopped shallots, remaining balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme and red pepper flakes and simmer, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.

Arrange the cut sausage on a platter with a bowl of the fresh ricotta cheese, the shallot relish and the toasted bread. Serve the bread topped with a dollop of the ricotta, a few pieces of sausage and a spoonful of the relish, drizzled with honey and olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This was a great meal or can make a great snack. We all loved the shallot relish and I can easily see using that on other dishes, either pork, beef or chicken. Even just having some of that alone on a piece of toasted baguette would be good for me. It was plenty filling with a simple side salad as a meal or as I said, I think it would make a great appetizer for a party as a buffet dish or for any barbecue. I would make this one again for sure.

That’s all I have for today. I do have some pork in the slow cooker today to make some slow cooker pulled pork sliders and a recipe for a no mayo coleslaw, so check back tomorrow for that one and see if you like it. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day, try to stay cool and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 15, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork, Side Dishes

Tags: Bobby Flay, grilled sausage with grilled shallot relish, grilled sausages, grilled sausages with ricotta and toasted baguette, grilled shallot relish, italian sweet sausage

Pork Tenderloin is the Night

25 Jun

The grilling gods must not be on my side yet this summer. Every time I intend to go out and use the grill, we seem to get hit with rain and thunderstorms. The same thing happened to me last night, so I had to make some adjustments to the way I was going to cook this particular recipe that I found in bon appétit magazine. I’d seen this one a while ago and have intended to make it, I just haven’t gotten around to it until now. It is for a pork tenderloin with plum chutney. I have to admit I was a little skeptical as to how the chutney would come out, but it tasted awesome and I could see using that for other pork dishes down the road.

Pork Tenderloin with Plum Chutney

4 red or black plums
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 thin slices pancetta (Italian bacon) or prosciutto

For the plum chutney, peel the plums and halve and pit them. Cut the plums into half-inch wedges. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, mustard seeds, ginger, black pepper, and bay leaf and 1/4 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the plums. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and the juices have thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. The chutney can be made up to one week ahead of time. Cover and chill and then re-warm it slightly before serving.

For the pork, stir the rosemary, herbes de Provence, and oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork; season the pork with salt and pepper. Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork and tie it at 2 inch intervals with kitchen twine to hold it together.

If you are using a charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire; push the coals over to one side of the grill. If using a gas grill, heat all but one burner to high. Grill the tenderloin over the hot part of the grill, turning frequently, until a crisp brown crust forms on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Move the tenderloin to the cooler part of the grill to gently cook through; cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the loin registers 145°, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve with the plum chutney alongside.

Since I had to cook this in the oven, I had preheated the oven to 375° and placed the tenderloin in a cast-iron pan and roasted it for 25 to 30 minutes until the desired crispness and temperature were reached. I think it would’ve come out a little crisper on the grill, but it tasted just fine when I did it in the oven. I also used regular bacon since I did not have any pancetta and I think it turned out just fine. There is also a bit of a trick if you want to easily peel the plums. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and using the tip of a paring knife make to shallow 1 inch cuts to form an X on the bottom of the pieces of fruit. Add the fruit to the water and cook just until the skin begins to peel back at each X, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water so they can cool. You can then simply take a paring knife and your fingers and easily pare back the skin. If you aren’t that worried about the presentation of the dish you could also just simply either use a paring knife on your own and remove the skin or even use your vegetable peeler.

That’s it for today. Check back again tomorrow and see what recipe I have posted. I still have a couple of things that I made last week that I want to post and I do have a few new recipes planned for this week, including a new chicken dish and one for bay scallops. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day, tried to stay cool and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on June 25, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Sauce, Side Dishes

Tags: bon appetit magazine, grilled pork tenderloin, plum chutney, pork tenderloin, pork tenderloin with plum chutney

It’s Cherry Season – Braised Pork Chops with Cherries

20 Jun

Cherry season really only comes around for a couple of months and I do try to advantage when they are around and get some in. They make a great snack or an addition to a fruit salad, and of course you can make great things like a cherry pie or cherry turnovers, which are both awesome. You can also try incorporating them into your entrée to give some amazing flavor to your weeknight meals. I came across this recipe from Williams-Sonoma a couple of weeks back and knew I just had to give it a try to jazz up the usual pork chop dinner.

Braised Pork Chops with Cherries

4 bone-in, center-cut pork loin chops, each about 1 inch thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons butter

2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup Port wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup fresh pitted cherries, halved or 1/2 cup dried cherries

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the rosemary., patting the seasonings firmly so they adhere to the meat well. In a large saute pan with a lid, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook, turning once, until the chops are golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chops to a plate.

In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the leeks sand saute until they are softened and beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the broth, stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the Port wine, vinegar and cherries.

Return the pork chops to the pan along with any accumulated juices and spoon the liquid over the chops. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pork is tender and barely pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Divide the chops among the plates, spoon the cherry mixture over the tops of the chops and serve.

I love the flavor the cherries give to the entire dish. They make the braising liquid taste great and they add some extra flavor to the pork chops themselves. Not everyone has Port wine around the house and it may seem expensive to go out and buy if you only need 1/4 of a cup and don’t drink port. It does add a lot of flavor to the mixture and goes well with the balsamic vinegar, so if you have some you should use it or just buy a very small bottle to use. If not, I think you can simply omit it from the recipe altogether. I served the dish with some corn on the cob, wild rice and some nice, crusty bread.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again for some other recipes in the coming days, including a high-roasted chicken recipe, a stir fry 101 primer, and a pork tenderloin recipe, among others I am looking to try. The local farmer’s market has started up again for the summer so I plan on going tomorrow to see what I can get as far as some fresh fruit and vegetables. That should affect what I make for dinner next week so check back and see what I come up with. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on June 20, 2013 in Cooking Tips, Dinner, Fruit, Pork, Sauce

Tags: braised pork chops, braised pork chops with cherries, cherries, pork loin chops, williams-sonoma

Weekend Entertaining: Father’s Day Barbecue | Williams-Sonoma Taste

15 Jun

Weekend Entertaining: Father’s Day Barbecue | Williams-Sonoma Taste.

Looking for a great barbecue meal for the weekend for Father’s Day? Williams-Sonoma has this post to help you with all the planning and the menu from appetizers and drinks to the entree, sides and desserts. Check it out and give it a try!