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Cider Glazed Pork Chop

31 Oct

Somehow I have fallen out of the habit of creating a quick weeknight dinner– but this is just that. Not counting the 30 mins it took to defrost the pork chops in my freezer [remember the defrost trick- put meat in a ziplock and submerge in hot water]- this whole recipe takes maybe 15 minutes. And I always love meals that can be made from things laying around the cupboard. Now perhaps it is the frozen peas/rice/bacon accompaniment I served it with- or the silver US Airways dinner trays I have- but this really reminded me of a retro TV dinner- in the best way possible. Had I had them though- I think some roast brussel sprouts would have been a perfect side dish. And maybe some… dare I say, mashed sweet potatoes? Talk about a fall meal.

Speaking of great seasonal recipes— my deepest apologies for a snafu– i mistype on the measurements for the ginger molasses cookies. it is 1/4 cup of molasses- not 1/2. thanks so much to Jess P. for finding that!

An America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated recipe

Glaze:

½ cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup apple cider or juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

pinch cayenne pepper

4 boneless, center-cut pork loin chops, 5 to 7 oz each, ½ to ¾ in thick

1 tablespoon vegetable oil [I used grapeseed, same difference]

1. Combine all glaze ingredients in medium bowl [or measuring cup]; mix thoroughly and set aside.

Trim the chops by slashing through the fat and silver skin with sharp knife, making 2 cuts about 2 inches apart in each chop (do not cut into meat of chops). Pat chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. [i just lightly scraped them with a knife]

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet.

NOTE: If your chops are on the thinner side, check their internal temperature after the initial sear. If they are already at the 140-degree mark, remove them from the skillet and allow them to rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes, then add the platter juices and glaze ingredients to the skillet and proceed with step. [i didn’t thermometer measure mine- but they were quite thin- so I did only 4 minutes. 1 minute other side. rested for 5. I would say they were perhaps a minute overdone]

3. When chops have rested, add any accumulated juices to skillet and set over medium heat. Add glaze mixture.

Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 2 to 6 minutes. [surprisingly didn’t take long at all]

Return chops to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Transfer chops back to platter, browned side up, and spread remaining glaze over chops. Serve immediately.

Brisket w. Tzimmes, Braised Kale, and Rutabaga Kraut

30 Sep

Have been on the hunt for a good Brisket recipe and finally found one that I’d be happy to make year after year. This recipe comes from Pierce’s mom. It is all about the Tzimmes- which is like this sweet potato and prune mixture. And while I LOVE the taste of the chili sauce/can of coke brisket- I do like knowing exactly what’s in this one. And while it’s not shy on the sugar- there is essentially a caramel sauce for peet’s sake- I still feel like it’s probably less than in the coke/chili. Had some friends over for dinner and I served it w. some red wine braised kale, a quick rutabaga kraut and some cornichons to much on w. wine. I have to say- very well fitting accompaniments. See further down for recipes. Finished w. a refreshing watermelon sorbet- post to come.

5 pounds brisket of beef [can scale up or down. keep in mind that brisket does shrink.]

*** Addendum: I just made with 7.5 pd brisket and I’m not sorry about it. Remarkably it did not effect the cooking time. I also liberally salted the brisket the night before (leave overnight loosely covered in fridge), which I highly recommend to increase tenderness and flavor. Before cooking, I patted dry. Since it was such a large piece of meat, I kept the 1 tablespoon of salt in the tomato juice mixture and it worked out perfectly.

1 pound carrots

1 large  onion (2 small)

3 sweet potatoes, pared

4 white potatoes, pared

½ pound dried prunes

1 cup water

2½ tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup fresh or canned tomato juice (i used the organic bottled juice kind)

½ cup brown sugar (used light brown) [can scale slightly back on this]

step 2:

3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

2 tablespoons water

1½ cups cold water

1. Trim most of the fat from the meat. Slice the carrots crosswise. Slice onions thinly. Cut potatoes into medium-sized chunks. [cut my carrots big- like size of my potato chunks).

2. Place meat in the bottom of the large pot, arrange layers of white potatoes, prunes, sweet, onion and carrots.

3. Mix water, honey, salt, tomato juice and brown sugar, pour over meat/veg; simmer for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

5. Heat 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water over high heat until the sugar caramelizes (wait until it turns that amber caramel color), then pour cold water over the caramelized sugar. Add liquid to the tzimmes.

6. Place tzimmes in the oven and bake for 2 hours at 325. Can even let it cool in the oven but not necessary. That might be overkill but you really just can’t over cook it. My butcher says he does his for like 7 or 8 hours. That’s right. I have a butcher. How stoked am I. Cook until the texture you want- mine ended up like the pull apart. Mrs. Weiner also told me that the stovetop cooking which is a bit strange for brisket- might also contribute to that pull apart effect]

As always brisket is good- some say best- the next day. I put the whole pot in fridge, left over night. Skimmed off some fat. and reheated in the oven at 300. Every time it just cooks more and gets better and better.

SO GOOD

 

Mark Bittman’s Red Wine Braised Kale (Collards or other greens)

1 bunch regular curly kale. Can also use 1 ½ pounds other greens- like collards, washed and trimmed.

¼ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, mined

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup chicken stock (I subbed of the fat/stock of the brisket mixed w. water)

½ cup dry red wine

i also added a pinch of red chili flakes. I did towards the end- but if I thought of it sooner, would have added w. garlic

1.tear or chop greens into small pieces. Put oil in large skillet, heat on med-high. Add garlic, and when it colors (just barely and gets fragrant), the green. Toss frequently- cooking 3 or 4 minutes.

2. reduce heat to med, add stock, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

3. remove cover, add wine. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, about 5 mins, until almost all liquid has evaporated and greens tender.

 

Rutabaga Quick-Kraut

I got some Rutabaga from a CSA pick up- and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for. Something fresh and vinegary to cut the density of the brisket. Found through a long-winded google search. Eventually landed on this at wellgrounded.com.

My rutabaga was a bit big so I tampered w. the measurements slightly

2 heaping cups of rutabaga (less than 1 whole big rutabaga)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard [looks like a lot but actually not that strong tasting]

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat honey, apple-cider vinegar and mustard in skillet to combine (on med heat).

2. Add grated rutabaga to pan.

3. Saute on med-high heat until rutabaga is tender and lightly browned [just a few minutes]

4. Add in small amounts of oil as needed to keep rutabaga from sticking to the pan. [I used grapeseed oil but I’m sure olive or whatever you have is fine. I think it is good for taste- not just sticking issue.]

Tastes great room temp.

BBQ sauce

11 May

Believe me when I tell you that homemade bbq sauce is worth the effort.  I take that back, it is not so much effort as a list of ingredients you might have to buy. I remember buying them all the first time I made it– and it seeming absurd to spend so much more on ingredients than just buying a bottle of sauce.But it turned out so damn good- and they all super useful things to have around- and I have made this recipe again and again. Makes a nice summer time bbq gift. The sauce is an America’s Test Kitchen Recipe. It is both sweet and spicy. Pare down on cayenne if you don’t like heat.

1 cup ketchup
1 medium onion- w. 1/4 water juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons molasses [can use 5 tablespoons of molasses and no maple syrup- as per written in original recipe]
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 garlic- pressed through
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional) [i used 3/4 tsp last time- this stuff is strong]

Process onion with the water in a food processor, until it looks like slush. Put in a fine mesh strainer and push down with a rubber spatula, reserving 1/2 cup of onion liquid. Discard solids.
Whisk onion juice, ketchup, molasses, syrup, mustard, hot sauce, black pepper and liquid smoke (if using) in a medium bowl.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add garlic, chili powder and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in ketchup mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer gently, uncovered until flavors meld and sauce is thickened, about 25 mins. Cool bbq sauce to room temperature before using- (you will notice it thickens quite a bit more as it cools). Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

To cook the easy way in the oven:
I took 2 chicken breasts (bone in, skin on) and smothered in about 1/3 of the sauce. Left in a covered tupperware overnight (I am sure a couple hours would have worked fine). The next day, set the oven to 350. Line baking sheet with foil. Put chicken on the sheet and top with sauce collected on bottom of tupperware. Baked for 35 mins or until juices run clear… and temperature (if using a thermometer reads 150 or above). Can brush with extra bbq sauce the last 2 minutes before chicken is done cooking. Also can serve with extra sauce.

Duck Breast w. Pomegranate/Date Molasses

30 Apr

My favorite no-fuss totally satisfying meal is duck breast. It requires barely any ingredients and turns out reliably great every time. I have played with the toppings (like pomegranate seeds, port reduction and crispy shallots, pictured here), but I think the best is with just a schmear of pomegranate or date molasses (these are molasses are made from the refined fruit sugar and are not regular molasses that are flavored with fruit). I used to cook duck breast on higher heat for 10 mins, but an episode of Anne Burrell, convinced me to try it low and slow. So much better! Cooked fast on high heat, the fat cap is chewy and not appealing to eat. When cooked on lower heat, more fat renders out, it becomes crispy and the molasses makes it like this awesome piece of candied bacon on your duck. Amazing. Also– useful for you to know– if you haven’t made duck before, duck is cooked like a red meat- medium-rare– and not all the way through like chicken.

Duck breasts (1 or 2)
Pomegranate or Date molasses
salt & pepper

Take duck breasts. Wash and pat dry. There is a big fat cap on top of breasts. Take a knife, and score (deeply, but not all the way down to the flesh) a cross-hatch pattern. Salt generously (I like kosher salt and big flaky maldon). Place duck fat side down in stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for about 20-25 minutes (i do 20 mins) and fat will render out. Ladle out fat if a lot collects– and save it! This shit is pure gold. Flip over to brown on bottom (2-3) mins, while this is happening, take about a tablespoon of molasses and pour on fat cap side. Smear with a pastry brush or back of a spoon. Flip back over, skin side down for another minute or so for molasses to crystallize. Remove from heat, put on a plate and tent with tin foil. Let rest (necessary!) for 10 minutes. Cut on a diagonal and serve. Pour duck juices from plate back over top. [this makes medium-rare. if you like more cooked, take more time, but it tastes best this way]

Optional port/red wine reduction
red wine or port
pomegranate seeds (optional)

Pour out fat and save. You still have all this goodness stuck to the bottom of your pan.  Away from heat, add a cup of red wine or port. And cook for a few minutes over med. heat for it to thicken a bit like syrup.  Be careful, it can soon turn to hard/sticky like candy- this happened last night- so I just ditched it and ate w. out the reduction. Add duck juices from plate back in. Off heat, add pomegranate seeds if using. Even if not eating/mess up the reduction, wine is great because it deglazes the pan- which helps with clean up. I always  keep unfinished bottles in the fridge, even when past drinkable, for this purpose.

Crispy Fried Shallots
Shallots
flour
vegetable/grapeseed/canola oil

Delicious for topping a piece of duck, lamb, steak. Anne Burrell also using as a butternut squash soup topping.
At first, I attempted to fry in duck fat but didn’t have quite enough so ended up doing it the traditional way.

Very thinly slice the shallots into rings. Separate all the rings out from each other. Using a small saucepan, fill about half an inch of oil. Heat on high.  You know it is hot enough, when you drop one shallot in and it sizzles away.  Put a little bit of flour into a bowl. Quickly douse a handful of shallots in the flour, shake off, and throw into oil.  You don’t want to let it sit in the flour- so flour as you go and be quick. Add floured shallots into hot oil. Cook until brown and crispy- floating to the top. Remove with slotted spoon- and place on paper towels to cool.

Andorra/ Barcelona

12 Mar

I fly into barcelona– take a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Andoora– a tiny country you probably never heard of (unless you went to camp evergreen- then cue to burst into song). i arrive totally bleary eyed- and justin takes me to this tapas place- orders a bunch of things in spanish- and i have no idea what’s going on. but out arrives these amazing little green peppers- fire roasted and covered w. this epic sea salt. A few days later in Barcelona, i went to this restaurant–Paco Merlago thanks to Judy’s friend– and became obsessed with it for the 4 days I was in town. Mark my words- if anyone wants to join me next December– birthday dinner, 30yr old- will be there. i ate some blow-your-tastebuds dishes and still thinking about it a month later- decided to try to recreate some of them. I didn’t exactly have the recipes to guide me so I invited Reed and Rach over for dinner and got to experimenting. Surprisingly, it was a really easy and quick meal to throw together. By the way- if anyone is on their way to Barcelona I have a little googlemap of places I tried. If anyone has these for other cities too– would love to see!

Tomato Bread
When you get tapas in Barcelona- you most often get an accompaniment tomato bread- Pan con Tomate- to lap up all your tapas with. It is generally on a bread- a bit wider and a bit less crusty than a baguette.  To make, toast bread (i used ciabatta pannini loaf.) Drizzle olive oil on bread and toast in oven or face down in pan. Take a clove of fresh garlic in hand, rub on toasty bread. Cut the top off a fresh tomato and rub that on bread. Sprinkle w. sea salt.

Chorizo and Egg
I ordered this sausage and egg dish at Paco and it arrives at the table bubbling hot sausage in a little clay pot– then they crack an egg in it table-side and mix up for egg to cook. The sausage in this dish was more of an italian style- but I thought i’d make what we think of as chorizo flavored. I was surprised that i didn’t come across chorizo as we think of it in spain–  there, it is just the word for pork sausage- and I believe generally refers to a cured, hard more salami like. Also, in my research- I learned that mexican chorizo has a wholely different ingredient list.

This is adapted from Emeril recipe. Original calls for 3 pounds pork, cut into 1-in cubes and 1/2 pound pork fat, cubed and involves a meat grinder and cases. But as I didn’t have such- I decided just to make it uncased and start w. 1 pound of ground pork– and the adjusting the spices accordingly. I didn’t have a little ovenproof clay dish for serving- so used a frying pan.

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons paprika [used 1.5 tablespoon smoked paprika, half table sweet paprika- bought some new paprika- the spanish kind in those little yellow tins- so into it]
1 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Put all spices in bottom of a bowl. Take a fork and mix in pork and wine. Let sit for a day or two for flavors to meld. I ate at 12 hours and again 36. Probably a difference- but still super delicious at 12- so don’t sweat it either way. I’m sure if you had to use some immediately would be good too. I just cooked a portion– then left the rest raw to continue to blend- instead of having cooked leftovers.
To serve- cook chorizo on stovetop in oven proof pan. Throw in very hot over for a few minutes (450 or 500 should be fine). Using an oven mitt! bring to table to show your friends. Crack a raw egg or two in- depending on how much you are serving- I used 2 eggs for half the meat. Mix up immediately and egg will cook. Eat w. tomato bread.

Roasted Peppers w. salt
There is actually a recipe for this in an Alice Waters cookbook. And it calls those small green peppers I had in Andorra Padron pimentos- also says Nardello or Lipstick peppers would work. I bought what I could find- which worked very well- labeled red and yellow sweet peppers. I used this amazing salt i bought in barcelona- at this awesome store- called Gispert.

To make. Heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet with a thin layer of olive oil- medium-high heat. Lay peppers on. They will scorch and sizzle. Using tons, flip over periodically. Cook until start to blacken and blister- 5-10 minutes. Put on serving dish sprinkle w. the biggest coarse salt you have. Maldon sea salt flakes would work. Or fleur de sel.

Calamari w. white beans
This was an experiment. I more or less used the chorizo spice list. It was not quite the same flavor I had in Barcelona. But still super tasty. Serve w. tomato bread. The technique for making it was loosely inspired by a warm seafood salad recipe in the Union Sq Cafe cookbook.

1/2 pound cleaned calamari, cut into 1/2 in rings and tentacles
1 tsp tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
1/8 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 15 oz great northern beans or 1 1/2 cups beans– reconstituted and cooked dried beans. cannellini could also work
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced [optional]

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium. Add garlic, spices and tomato paste and let cook to release flavor- about a minute (do not let garlic burn.) Turn up heat to high and add calamari. Cook for 2 minutes- mixing around. Lower heat back to medium. add beans, white wine, cook a little further for wine to cook off and beans to heat. Take off heat. Finish w. salt, pepper and the juice of one lemon and parsley.

 

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