Quick Shortcuts For Grilled Pork Skewers With Peppers, Onion And Pineapple

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We all know that meat, in order to be flavorful, needs to marinade before grilling.  We also know that pork tenderloin tends to be dry, as it does not have much fat; thus it must cook in some type of fat to avoid drying out.

One of my favorite shortcuts to marinade meats before grilling is the Good Seasons Italian Dressing.  You know, the one that comes with its cruet and all you do is add olive oil, vinegar and water.  I have been buying it for years, long before I became Lindaraxa and started publishing a food blog, so don't get on my case. Habits like this don't die easily.  It is one of those things that stays with you most of your life.   My daughter is the main culprit these days.   She uses it on the salads she takes to work most every day.    It was actually my brother, the grill master, who turned me on to using it as a marinade, so it runs in the family.

One of the things I found in the freezer while I was cleaning it last week was a piece of uncooked pork tenderloin I had saved from Christmas.  There were fewer of us for the Cuban Christmas Day lunch than I had anticipated so I cut off a piece and saved it for another time.  So here we were three months later.  Part of it was grilled for this recipe and the other went into Sweet and Sour Pork to use up the leftover pineapple as well.   Using up leftovers is a challenge, but it's fun.

Another product we use all the time in our marinades is Mc Cormick's Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning  which is both salty and hot.  We marinade the meat with it for about 30 minutes, together with Worcestershire Sauce. I buy the latter by the gallon and use it in every type of cuisine.  I really don't know what I would do without it.

I am not going to give you a "recipe" for this.  It doesn't need one.  You can make it for two or a dozen.  It's fairly easy and quick and great for when you are having guests at the last minute.

Figure on about 1 1/2 lbs of pork tenderloin for 4 people.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Marinade the pork in the  prepared Good Seasons Italian dressing (about 1/2 cup), or any other ready made Italian dressing such as Paul Newman's, together with some orange juice (about 1/4 cup) and soy sauce (a couple of TB) for at least 30 minutes

Preheat your grill.

Cut (1 each) the onion, red pepper, green or yellow pepper and pineapple chunks in 1 inch pieces.

Thread the pork and the vegetables and pineapple through a skewer, alternating.  Try to place the meat in the middle (it needs more cooking) and the fruit and peppers at the end.  Place back in the marinade for a few more minutes until your grill is hot enough.

Shake some Montreal Seasoning on both sides before grilling.

Grill the skewers for about 5 minutes on each side.  While it is cooking, reduce the marinade on top of the stove and baste your skewers with it after each turn. When done, sprinkle some cilantro and serve. That's it!

Serve with yellow saffron rice.



I have not received payment for endorsing any of the products mentioned above

All photos Lindaraxa

Rustic French Meatloaf

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I have had this recipe tucked away in my files for years and just recently something reminded me of it.  It combines the simplicity of meatloaf with the flavor and depth of a French pâté and goes well paired with buttered boiled potatoes.  Leftover slices naturally make terrific sandwiches, but they’re also wonderful panfried in olive oil. Moreover, it makes an excellent dish, cold or room temperature, for a picnic or tailgating event.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a rustic loaf)

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lb chicken livers, separated into lobes, trimmed, and rinsed

3/4 lb ground pork

3/4 lb ground veal

1/4 cup chopped prunes

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

 2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Accompaniment: Dijon mustard

Directions

•Preheat oven to 475ºF with rack in middle.

•Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl.

•Cook onion, garlic, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

•Purée livers in a blender, then transfer to a large bowl. Add pork, veal, prunes, pistachios (if using), thyme, eggs, bread-crumb mixture, onion mixture, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and gently mix with your hands until just combined.

•Transfer meatloaf mixture to an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch glass loaf pan (see cooks’ note, below) and bake, covered with foil, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 165ºF, 50 to 55 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Cover top of meatloaf with parsley before slicing.

Cooks’ note: You can use a metal loaf pan, but the meatloaf will take about 15 minutes longer to cook.

Serve With: buttered boiled potatoes

Recipe by Kay Chun for Gourmet
Photograph by Romulo Yanes

Pork Chops Shepherd Style

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When you get to be an old timer in the kitchen like me, you can tell by osmosis who is who in the world of food blogging.  Yes, there are beautiful sites with gorgeous pictures but,  frankly, they are more for show than substance.  On the other hand, there are some where the photos may not be as professional (who wants the food to get cold!) but where you know the recipe they are sharing will be great.  Most of them, like me, have a good nose for good recipes from other sources.  They may tweak here and there but why fool around with perfection.

To name a few of my favorite real cooks, there is Martha's Lines From Linderhof, Penny's Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen and Carolyn's A Southener's Notebook.  Both Carolyn and Penny are friends of Lindaraxa's country blog My Kitchen By The Lake.  Martha is a friend of both and her baking is to die for!

Last week I noticed that Carolyn had posted a recipe from one of my favorite Italian cooks, Lidia Bastianich.  When I lived in New York,  I used to go to her restaurant, Felidia's,  for one of the best Italian meals in town.  Later on she started her own show on PBS and I was just transfixed.  Everything I tried was not only good, it was spectacular.

This recipe is probably one of the best pork chop recipes I have ever tasted.  The three of us, including my daughter and my favorite neighbor,  were just in awe of what we were eating.  No words can express how good this recipe was.  Like Carolyn, I served them with artisanal egg noodles made in Tuscany, something I have been keeping for a special occasion, and a simple Italian salad.  Tiramisu for dessert. I am still marvelling at the combination.

Don't make any substitutions.  I went to the local deli and asked them to cut the provolone in 1/8 in slices which I lay on top of the chops.

This is nirvana.  A simple, no fuss dish that is out of this world and perfect for a Sunday family dinner;  but do get the right ingredients and make no substitutions.  By the way, as there were only three of us, I halved the recipe.

Carolyn, I owe you one.  In the meantime, you might want to try the recipe she cooked for the Pope when he came to this country...Goulash

Pork Chops Shepherd-Style

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 1 inch thick, 6 to 8 ounces each

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

3 plump garlic cloves, sliced

6-ounce chunk provola or provolone, preferably imported from Italy

1 cup white wine

1/3 cup grated pecorino

Recommended Equipment: A heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet or saute' pan, 12-inch diameter or wider.


Method

Trim excess fat from the pork chops, leaving only a thin layer on the edges. Season both sides of the chops with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Spread the flour on a plate, and dredge the chops, lightly coating both sides.

Meanwhile, pour the olive oil in the skillet, and set it over medium heat. Shake excess flour from the chops, and lay them all in the skillet in one layer (depending on the size of your pan, you may have to snuggle them in). Gently brown the pork on the first side, about 4 minutes; turn the chops over and brown the second side, another 4 minutes. Remove the chops to a plate and keep warm.

Scatter the onions and garlic in the skillet, stir them around the pan, season with the remaining salt, and cover. Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, and scraping the pan bottom to mix the crusty browned bits with the onion juices.

Meanwhile, if you'll be finishing the dish right away, set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 400*. Slice the provola in 6 or more thick slices about the size of the pork chops.

After the onions have cooked for 15 minutes or so, and are quite tender and colored with the pan scrapings, uncover, and push them all to one side of the skillet. Lay the pork chops back in, one at a time, spooning a layer of soft onions on the top of each chop. When they're all in the pan, lay the provola slices over the onions.

Raise the heat, and when the meat is sizzling again, pour the wine into the skillet (in the spaces between the chops, not over them). Swirl the pan so the wine flows all through it, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of pecorino on each chop, then carefully move the skillet from the stove to the oven.

Bake the chops for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese toppings are bubbly and crusty. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, and let the chops rest in it for a few minutes. To serve, lift out each chop with a spatula, keeping the cheese topping intact, set it on a dinner plate, and spoon some of the skillet juices and onions around it.

Guess Who's Coming For Lunch...

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I guess Fall is the time of the year to entertain distinguished guests.  Almost a year ago, on a visit to New York City, I had the pleasure of cooking for my dearest friend Reggie Darling. This year, I am thrilled to be making lunch this Sunday for another dear friend, Blue from The Blue Remembered Hills,  a popular blog here in Atlanta.  Blue, the Celt and I have been meeting for dinners in several restaurants in Atlanta but this will be the first time that both of them will be entertained by Lindaraxa at her home.

Believe it or not, it is difficult to choose a menu for first time guests, particularly when they are readers of your blog.  So many things to choose from...that's what usually drives me crazy.  In Reggie's case I narrowed it down to the fact that he was coming back from a weekend at Darlington Hall and New Yorkers love nothing more than comfort food on a Sunday night.  What better than  lasagna bolognese and apple crisp for dessert.  A strange combination but apples were in season.

This time I asked the guests to choose a menu.  French, Italian, German or Cuban.  It never fails that they will opt for Cuban and seeing that it's Sunday lunch and not dinner it is the perfect choice.  So I sent another email...picadillo or pork and black beans?  They replied, both! Well, unless it's the last dinner or you are angling for cardiac arrest both is not an option.  So after much soul searching and back and forth consultations amongst each other they chose the pork and black beans.  So here's the menu:

A Cuban Lunch At The Lake

Chorizo in Sherry And Onions

Manchego Cheese

Yucca Chips

Roast Pork Tenderloin, Marinaded in Adobo Sauce 

Black Beans and White Rice

Baked Plantains with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Sherry

Green Salad

Caramel Flan

Baked Meringues

Cuban Coffee

It is going to be a glorious day tomorrow with temperatures in the 60's and no clouds. You couldn't ask for more. Everything is ready and all that is left is a bath for Lucy, the sous chef, to meet her Scottish friends!



Who? Me? Bath? WHY???!!

 

Plates from Gien, France

photos Lindaraxa

Grilled Pork Tenderloin With A Mustard Bourbon Rub

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This recipe comes from Lobel's, New York City's premier butcher shop located amongst the priciest boutique on the Upper East Side.  Get the picture?

I have never bought a steak at this renowned butcher shop but I have pressed my nose to their window often enough to qualify as an authority on their cuts.  With so many great steak houses in NYC it seems silly to buy a prime cut of beef to cook at home.  To me great meat should be cooked outside on a grill, preferably over coals and not gas.  But that is just me and it is the primary reason I have never sprung for one of their steaks.

On the other hand, I have had their pork chops, courtesy of a friend who could afford them. They were bought to complement a great bottle of wine and as it turned out, they were the stars of the evening.  The great thing about knowing how to cook in New York City is people will buy things for you to make.  I will cook in exchange for great ingredients any time, any place.

Although tender, succulent, and elegant, pork tenderloin is also lean and therefore needs a marinade, like the one used here. The spicy brown mustard, in this case, adds some kick to the sweetness of the bourbon and the meat itself. And the bourbon? Well, a little southern charm never hurt anyone!.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp bourbon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 pork tenderloins, each 3/4 to 1 lb, trimmed

vegetable-oil cooking spray

Preparation

1.Combine the mustard, bourbon, oil, thyme, garlic, parsley, and pepper in a bowl, stirring well. Rub into the tenderloins; cover the meat on all sides.

2.Put the tenderloins in a shallow glass or ceramic dish, cover, and set aside at room temperature for no longer than 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 4 hours. If refrigerated, let the tenderloins stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling.

3.Prepare the grill: Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Light the fire and wait until moderately hot.

4.Grill the tenderloins for 12 to 14 minutes, turning with tongs once or twice, until cooked through with an internal temperature of 150 to 155 degrees. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing; the temperature will rise to 160 degrees during the resting period. Slice thin and serve.


Photo: Dorothy Kinderling

Cassoulet With Sausage, Lamb and Duck Confit

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“CASSOULET…that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and herbs, is cooked at great length in an earthenware pot, emerging with a golden crust which conceals an interior of gently bubbling, creamy beans and uniquely savory meats.” Elizabeth David – French Provincial Cooking 1960


If there was ever a time for a cassoulet, this has to be it!  A huge snowstorm is sweeping across the nation, everyone is riveted by the news from Egypt and I have leftover duck and roast pork in the freezer from the holidays.  If you are thinking what I'm thinking you are absolutely correct....it's time for a cassoulet!

Part of the problem of making an authentic cassoulet is having the time to sit around and watch the pot so you can add stuff and stir the beans.  The other is all the components that have to be cooked and added.  That is when planning ahead comes in. 

Cassoulet is  a country dish that takes advantage of leftovers, remember that.  You will never have a great cassoulet at a fancy restaurant;  but you will have an unforgettable one at a French country house. If you go out and buy all the ingredients to make one,  it can be an expensive proposition.  I have been planning and freezing for over a month and now I have everything I need already cooked and ready to go in the pot.  That will save me half the time it would take if I had started from scratch.

Over the holidays we had roast duck and the broth and leftover legs were frozen.  Same with the leftover roast pork we had for New Year's Day. This past weekend, I cooked a small leg of lamb which ,though unnecessary at this point, will make for a nice addition. All I will need now is to soak the beans overnight and make the cassoulet on a day, like today, when it's too cold or snowy to go outside.  If you get a good news day like today, consider it a bonus.

I use the frozen duck broth to cook the beans in and after defrosting the cooked duck legs, pork and lamb, add them to the casserole.  It saves quite a lot of time and minimizes the mess in the kitchen, That, to me, is quite an accomplishment!

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 1/2  lb dried white beans (preferably Great Northern)
1/2 lbs bacon
1/2 lbs. fresh pork rind
2 carrots, peeled and sliced lengthwise
4 onions, 1 stuck with  2 cloves and 3 onions chopped
5 garlic cloves crushed
1 bouquet garni, parsley, thyme and bay leaf
3Tb butter
Salt and pepper
1 lb lamb shoulder
1/4 lbs. pork loin or shoulder
1 lbs French garlic sausage or kielbasa
2 shallots, chopped
2 - 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 TB tomato paste
3 pieces duck confit (or duck legs)
Fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Soak and cook beans:

Cover beans with cold water by 2 inches in a large bowl and soak 8 to 12 hours. Drain in a colander.

Return the beans to pot and add bacon, bacon rind, carrot, onion stuck with clovers, 1 garlic clove, bouquet garni, and water (or duck stock) and cover by two inches. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce to low, cooking 1/2 to 2 hour until done and seasoning with salt and pepper.

In a casserole, or casole, melt 2 TB butter, add lamb, pork and duck.  Stir sausages, chopped onions, shallots and remaining 2 garlic cloves. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, season with salt and pepper. Add enough bean broth to cover,  bring to boil, reduce heat and cook  for 1 hour. If the pork and lamb have been previously cooked, only do so for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Drain beans reserving broth.  Remove carrots, bouquet garni, onion with cloves and discard.  In a large gratin dish, spread half pork rind,.  Layer half the beans, half the meats and confit or duck.  Repeat the layers , finishing with bacon, pork rind and sausages.  Moisten with some of the reserved bean broth, sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs and remaining 2 TB butter.  Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

I would serve this for lunch accompanied by a salad and a bagette.  A red French wine from Languedoc would go well with this recipe.


Recipe adapted from Francoise Bernard
Photo David Leibowits

Pate de Campagne

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Just about this time of the year I start thinking about making and freezing pate to serve later during the holidays or give away as gifts.  For years I was lucky enough to live in places with well known specialty stores that sold great French pates at reasonable prices;  but now,where I live,  there isn't a country pate to be had for at least 20 miles... and the prices!  There will come a time again when the dollar will rebound and we will be able to buy pates and champagne at acceptable prices.  Until then...well you are just going to have to make it...the pate, not the champagne!

I have been looking for a simple recipe for country pate for a long time.  Most of the ones I came across usually required ingredients that were hard to find or were just not authentic enough to go through the trouble.   This recipe from an old Bon Appetit finally fit the bill.

Serve the pate at room temperature with a sprinkling of salt, cornichons, Dijon, and a baguette.



Ingredients


3/4 cup Cognac

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup minced onion

2 1/2 pounds ground pork

12 ounces bacon (8 to 10 slices), finely chopped, plus 14 bacon slices (for lining pan)

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 6-ounce piece ham steak, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips

Coarse sea salt

Cornichons*

Dijon mustard


Preparation

Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 350°F.

Boil Cognac until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool.

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saut&é until soft and translucent but not brown, about 8 minutes.

Combine ground pork and chopped bacon in large bowl. Using fork or fingertips, mix together until well blended.

Add sautéed onion, garlic, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme, allspice, and pepper to bowl with pork mixture and stir until incorporated. Add eggs, cream, and reduced Cognac. Stir until well blended.

Line 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with bacon slices, arranging 8 slices across width of pan and 3 slices on each short side of pan and overlapping pan on all sides. Using hands, lightly and evenly press half of meat mixture (about 3 1/4 cups) onto bottom of pan atop bacon slices. Arrange ham strips over in single layer. Top with remaining meat mixture.

Fold bacon slices over, covering pâté. Cover pan tightly with foil. Place pan in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan and transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake pâté until a thermometer inserted through foil into center registers 155°F, about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Remove loaf pan from baking pan and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Place heavy skillet or 2 to 3 heavy cans atop pâté to weigh down. Chill overnight.

Do Ahead : Can be made 4 days ahead up to here.

Place loaf pan with pâté in larger pan of hot water for about 3 minutes. Invert pâté onto platter; discard fat from platter and wipe clean. Cut pâté crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.



* Tiny French pickles; available at specialty foods stores.

Photo: Bon Appetit

An Elegant Summer Menu For the Ladies Who Lunch

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A long time ago, I promised one of my readers that I would post a menu for a ladies lunch.  With all the things that have happened lately in my life,  I frankly forgot.  I hope it is not too late to remedy the situation, particularly since she has been one of my earliest and most faithful subscribers.

Ladies luncheons are fun to have.  My Mother's generation is great at planning these things but, unfortunately, when it came time for my age group, we were all too busy caring for kids or going to work.  I was seldom a party to the "ladies who lunch" set, but I did have a small group of corporate girlfriends with whom to celebrate birthdays at fancy restaurants in Manhattan.  We all had money to spend in those days and the presents and food were terrific.  It was a great time to catch up on other people's real life and good old fashioned gossip.  For just a couple of hours, we were girls again, in spite of the fact that by 3 o'clock we had to put back our armors and go fight another day.

Later, when I moved to Miami, I was reunited with a lot of my childhood friends and my Mother's friends and I have to confess to attending many a ladies lunch.  It was not a labor of love, believe me, those ladies can cook and when they get together, it's all systems go!  Out came the linen tablecloths, and the silver,  china, and flowers.  Nothing was purchased or catered;  they spent days getting ready for the big event, cooking and ironing with countless hours on the phone figuring out what they were going to wear and what they were going to eat.  On the day of the party they came dressed to the nines, as if  they were going to lunch at Cipriani's... pearls, Hermes scarves, Ferragamo shoes and all the accoutrements from days gone by. Oh, and they never broke a sweat, not this group, even in the heat of the day!  It was kind of fun, but it did take planning and outside help.  Luckily, good help is plentiful in Miami  for it's nice to end the party with all the dishes washed and put away. 

But don't despair, although I love a beautiful party, for occasions such as these, I like to put together a menu that I can cook the day before and that doesn't require a lot of last minute fuzzing or outside help.  The soup definitely must be made the day before so that it is very cold when served.  The pork is also cooked and sliced the day before and can be arranged on a platter and placed in the refrigerator the night before.  Do bring it out at least a couple of hours before you serve it so that it is room temperature. The cake and sauce are also made ahead and the squash casserole can be assembled the night before and cooked on the day of the party.  I always like to have one hot dish with a cold lunch and this is a great match for the menu.  Feel free to use any other hot casserole you may have tucked away.

Remember to clean out your refrigerator ahead of time so everything fits in the fridge.  If you set the table the night before, all you will need to do that day is mix the salad.  Notice I have kept hors d'oeuvres light on purpose.  If you want to expand, just do a small  antipasto type platter with perhaps just olives and thinly sliced prosciutto, but don't overfeed them before they sit down.

If you have pretty demitasse cups, you can fill them with the cold soup and pass them around before you sit down to lunch.  This eliminates more dishes and spoons to wash (you have to think that way) and they love it!  They make quite a splash and provide interesting and trivial conversation for another half hour or so...just make sure you chill them before you pour the cold soup in.

White peaches from California are in and you can usually buy a big case at Costco at this time of the year.  Squeeze the peaches to or three days ahead and keep the juice covered in the refrigerator.  Costco also has some very good Prosecco for around $10.00!  Do make the cheese wafers the weekend before.  They can be shaped into rolls and frozen or refrigerated.

The rose wine I recommend can be purchased at Crown Liquors in Coral Gables (my friend lives there) or at most well stocked liquor stores.

This menu is for 8 but it can be easily double.  If you are organized, you will not need any outside help.

Ladies' Lunch Menu

Bellini's

Cheese wafers

Cold Cucumber and Spinach Soup

Cold Stuffed Roast Pork with Fig And Balsamic Chutney

Summer Squash Gratin

Endive and Watercress Salad With a Lemon Vinaigrette

*Domaine Houchart Rose*

Savannah Sponge Cake With Berries And Sweet Madeira Sauce

Espresso

Now I have shown you how versatile some recipes, like this tenderloin, can be. Served hot it can be the main course for an elegant summer or winter dinner, or it can be served cold for lunch or a buffett. If you have left overs, slice thin and save for a Cuban sandwich...now, how versatile is that!

You may also want to check Cool Summer Menus For A Ladies Lunch


Images: Carolyne Roehm

Dinner Party Fare...Stuffed Roast Pork Tenderloin with Fig And Balsamic Chutney

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There are some recipes that are so versatile they can be served hot for an elegant dinner party or cold for a ladies luncheon on the terrace.  This pork tenderloin is one of them and I am going to prove it to you!

The recipe is very loosely adapted from Thomas Keller, he of the French Laundry, Bouchon and others and is very similar to one I had cold at a very elegant lunch in upstate New York.  I was so impressed, I remember the menu to this day. Of course it was a beautiful setting, a racing horse farm with an elegant Federal house that had belonged to a former New York governor.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin With Fig Balsamic Chutney
(Printable Recipe)

Make the chutney first:

Chutney

1 lbs  Dried or fresh Figs chopped
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup beef broth
Pepper


Put everything in a pan bring to a boil and lower to simmer until reduced.  Cool in a glass container and leave at room temperature.  If it is a little runny it's okay, you want to spoon some over the pork.  It will firm up in the refrigerator and can be stored up to a week or two.

Stuffing

8 figs dried or fresh, finely minced
4 slices of prosciutto finely minced
2 TB dried bread crums
2TB. orange juice
2 TB pine nuts
finely chopped parsley

Mix everything in a bowl and set aside.  The bread crumbs aand orange juice are what binds this together so use a little discretion adding more bread crumbs or less oranje juice as needed.

For the Roast.

1 pork tenderloin in two pieces*
juice of 1 bitter orange
1 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves mashed
canola oil
Salt & Pepper

Marinade the pork loin in the bitter orange juice, chopped onions and mashed garlic for at least 4 hours.   As an an alternative, you can marinade in Goya's Mojo Criollo marinade which has all of these ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove and dry.  Take one of the pork pieces lay it flat on a cutting board and spread the stuffing along the length of the loin. Place the other piece on top. Tie the roast at 1 1/4 inch intervals with kitchen twine.  Do not tie so tight that the stuffing comes out. Spread pepper and kosher salt all over the loin.

Place 2 TB of canola oil in a dutch oven or frying pan and brown the roast about 5 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a rack on top of a roasting pan and place in the oven.  Roast  for 30 minutes. If you notice the pork is not browning enough, bring temperature up to 400 degrees, remember not all ovens are created equal. Remove from the oven, spread  some of the fig chutney with a brush all around and return to oven for 5 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 30 MINUTES.  This is important, don't skim.

Cut in 1/4 inch slices* and arrange the slices on a platter., drizzle some of the chutney (which should still be a little runny) on top and place the rest in a bowl to serve alongside.

The pork will be a light pink and juicy.  When you cut it, you might have to hold the slices together with your left hand to hold the stuffing inside.

**you can substitute a 2 1/2 lbs pork loin. which you can stuff by making a horizontal lengthwise cut with a knife halfway from one side and meeting with another cut from the other side.

Menu suggestions:

 Chilled Fresh Pea Soup

Stuffed Roast Pork Tenderloin With Fig Balsamic Chutney

Scalloped Potato Gratin

French Green Beans

Flourless Almond Torte with Chocolate Coffee Sauce

Stay tuned for the second version!

It;s Foodie Friday. Let's see what's cooking at Designs by Gollum

Let's Give Sweet & Sour Pork a Break!

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A staple of Chinese menus, Sweet and Sour pork is the second most researched Chinese food on Google after Beef and Broccoli...who would have thought?!  It is the first Chinese dish I ever had and liked in the days when Chicken Chow Mein was the definition of Chinese cooking.  It is also one of my daughter's favorites and she lived in San Francisco! But she's used to the recipe I make at home and that recipe comes from no other than Martin Yan, the Chinese version of Julia Child.

Nowadays, the mere thought of ordering this dish defines you as an amateur or country bumpkin, perhaps because there are so many awful and syrupy versions kicking around and so many more exciting dishes on the menus of most restaurants. .  Not even my favorite takeout in NYC, Pig Heaven,  can offer a palatable version.  Needless to say, I never order it out. I am a closet sweet and sour pork aficionado.

I cook Chinese food fairly often at home even though we have a pretty good takeout here in Atlanta called Chin Chin.  I figured out long ago that the most important thing in Chinese cooking is getting organized as the actual cooking is fairly simple and takes no time.  Chop everything first, combine your sauce next while the meat is marinading, and if you are serious about Chinese cooking, have all the staples on hand .  Things like rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, plum sauce, oyster sauce and others will get you through most Chinese dishes.  I have a basket in the pantry where I store all my Chinese ingredients so when I'm ready to go, they are at hand.

There are as many versions of Sweet and Sour Pork as there are of chili. The dish originated in Guandong Province, and it is quintessential and classic Cantonese, as well as being perhaps the most well known of all Chinese recipes. The secret of an authentic sweet and sour pork lies in the perfect balance of the sweet vs. sour taste of the sauce. To master this dish, it’s not about the technique of stir-frying nor the use of the freshest ingredients, although both are equally important and wouldn't hurt. The sweet and sour sauce is the soul of this dish. If you fail on the sauce, you fail the dish.  Now that I've given you courage and hopefully, determination, go for it!

By the way, don't be put off by the catsup and Worcestershire Sauce, they are regularly used in Asian cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:


1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 green bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into 1 inch dice)
1/2 red bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into 1 inch dice)
1/2 yellow onion cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup fresh/canned pineapple chunks (cut into small pieces)*
Oil for frying

Marinade:

1/2 cup corn starch
1 egg

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

3/4 cup tomato ketchup
6 TB sugar
3 TB Chinese rice vinegar
1 TB Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 TB fresh lime juice
1 TB soy sauce


Method:

Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinade with the ingredients for 10  minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying ( about 2 inches). Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown 3- 4 minutes. Dish out and drain on paper towels.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Make sure you coat the sides of the wok. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry until light brown (20 secs), then follow by the bell peppers and onions. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers (2 to 3 mins) and then add in the sweet and sour sauce to coat vegetables. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add the pineapple and do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

*For a nice twist, I sometimes substitute mango for pineapple, when in season.

Recipe adapted from Martin Yan
All photos Lindaraxa

Paleta de Puerco - Roasted Pork Shoulder, Cuban Style

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This is a much simpler and easier alternative to the Cuban pig on a spit and what my family has been eating for years on Nochebuena.

Ingredients

1 paleta de puerco o pernil, ( pork shoulder or fresh ham) about 9 lbs.*
4 onions chopped
about 15 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt
1 1/2 TB oregano
2 cups naranja agria (sour orange juice) or 1cup orange juice mixed with  1 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup dry white wine
water

Procedure

Mix the onions, mashed garlic salt, oregano and naranja agria and pour over the pork.  cover tighty and marinade overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook about 3 1/2 hrs. 

In the last half hour pour some dry white wine or vermouth to sweat the pan.  Add some water to the pan if necessary.

Take out of the oven and let rest about 30 minutes before slicing.  The meat should be very tender when you slice it.

* If you are in a Latin community, it is easy to get a pernil or a paleta de puerco.  If not, pork shoulder, fresh ham or picnic will do

Nochebuena...A Cuban Christmas in Georgia!

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Being a hyphenated American, in my case, Cuban American (I hate the terminology), is a great excuse to celebrate two wonderful Christmas traditions within 24 hours of each other. I would have to be in Siberia to  think of skipping one of them even though it involves quite a lot of work. Luckily,  I can always count on a close relative to celebrate one or the other. Not this year.

This week my mother arrives and she is the queen of the black beans. No one can touch her, it's not even close. Her sisters, being younger and very smart, always defer this part of the meal to her and believe me, she relishes every minute of it.  She's shown me the ropes a few times, but every time she makes them, it's a different routine.  As with all good cooks, there is no recipe for my mother's black beans, just a matter of tasting and adding to an otherwise very simple recipe.

As in the case of the Classic Cuban Picadillo, I see all kinds of recipes calling for esoteric ingredients that have nothing to do with the original.  Most Cuban recipes entail making a classic spanish sofrito which is onions, green peppers, garlic and sometimes parsley sauteed in olive oil.  That's it. You then add this to the pre soaked cooked beans, add a few more things and cook until done.  The trick is the beans.  Sometimes, if they are fresh, they take less time to cook than beans that have sat in a supermarket for a long time because they are not popular in that area.

As to the pork, here again, the secret is in the marinade and the time it sits soaking up all that garlic and onions!  It doesn't have to be a whole pig in a pit like in the old days.  A nice roast which can be simply cooked in the oven is very tasty and very Cuban.  Nowadays,  Cubans in Miami, and everywhere else where they can find it, have revived the caja china which is a contraption made of a box with wheels where they cook the pig.  It's an all day/lots of beer affair with friends and relatives dropping in and giving advice on how best to season and cook the pork! I don't have a caja china at the lake nor do I have any intentions of getting one.  My roasted pork in the oven is yummy enough for this family!

Yuca, is an acquired taste.  If you are not Cuban forget it.  I have been working on my children for 30 years and they still don't like it.  I'm afraid it might disappear with my generation.  It is a fairly insipid root quite stringy and buttery and I can't think of any other time when it is served in my house.  That is why lots of mojo with garlic is added for flavor.  Don't even think of kissing anybody afterwards! Now fried yuca is something else, and I can have that any day of the year!

If you can get through this wonderful but heavy meal at midnight, more power to you.  I can't.  In my house, we celebrate the other part of the hyphen, my American part, on Christmas Eve and my Cuban side Christmas Day.  It makes for a better digestive experience, even though most Cuban families will cringe at the thought!

For dessert we usually have turrones of all kinds, jijona, alicante and yema are my favorites.  You can find them at any Latin supermarket at this time of the year or by mail order.  By the time you get to dessert you are in such an acute food coma, especially if you ate at the traditional hour of midnight, that you don't care what you are served.  All you can think of is going home and tearing off whatever you are wearing.  Not that its easier during the lunchtime hour, but there you have the siesta alternative.

A red Rioja or Ribera del Duero is a nice wine to have with this meal, but to me, a cold beer is the best! Try Presidente or Corona.

Nochebuena Menu

Lechon Asado - Roast Pork

Frijoles Negros -Black Beans

Arroz Blanco - White Rice

Yuca con Mojo

Turrones

The black bean recipe is coming up tomorrow and I'll try to post the roast pork also sometime this week.

Poinsettias, pictured above, are called Flor de Pascua or Flor de Nochebuena in Spanish.

Ted's Babyback Ribs

Pin It If there is something I'm very proud of is having two children who are great cooks! My daughter Christina is the baker and her cookies are legendary not only in our family, but also with friends and neighbors. My son Ted, on the other hand, is the grill master. He used to be the burrito king but ever since he moved to Georgia he's developed into a great griller.

Last Christmas he got a smoker from his grandmother in law and since then, no one can touch him. About a couple of months ago, when I visited the family in Atlanta, he served me some of the best ribs I have ever had... no question!

Under his guidance and without a smoker I served these about a month ago and they were outstanding. If you don't have a smoker, he recommends cooking them in beer in a 250 degree oven sealed for about two hours. He makes his own rub (of course!) I had Emeril make mine. The barbecue sauce is all mine!

I am posting this early so you can start planning ahead for your Labor Day Weekend which is a week from tomorrow.

Ingredients

2 Slabs Pork Baby Back Ribs

1 can light beer

2 TB. Emeril's Rub for Pork

Barbecue Sauce (Recipe follows)


The night before you cook them, rub spice mixture over the ribs. I used Emeril's because it was the only good one I could find at the store I went to, but others will do too. Seal in tin foil paper and place in fridge. Before you cook then, open tin foil and pour 1 small can light beer. Reseal tight and place in the oven at 250 degrees for 2 hrs. Remove from the oven bring to room temperature and set aside until ready to grill. Remove from tin foil and place in a medium hot grill. Cook each side for 10 minutes. Brush barbecue sauce on one side and cook an additional 10 minutes. Do the same for the other side. You will be cooking a total of 40 minutes..10 mins. each side without sauce, 10 mins. each side with sauce. Let rest for 10 minutes. You can serve with leftover barbecue sauce on the side.


Barbecue Sauce

Makes 3 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard powder and red-pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds.

Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, molasses, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.

I usually serve ribs with my potato salad and sliced tomatoes with balsamic and fresh basil. An Australian Shiraz or Argentinian Malbec goes well with it.

Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pin It I have been looking for an easy Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe for a long time. I think I've found it in this adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe. What she has done to shorten the cooking time is to break the butt in 4 sections so it will cook faster. If you have never tried Pulled Pork, do...you will be in heaven. This sandwich is a typical dish from North Carolina, which adds coleslaw to the sandwich, but there are many variations. Granted if you could cook it in a smoker all day long, like my son does, I'm sure it would be better...but how many of us do? The leftovers just get better as the week goes on!

Ingredients

Serves 8

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp.paprika

1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split

barbecue sauce, for serving (See below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat.

Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce. Serve with coleslaw

Barbecue Sauce

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup catsup

3 TB dark brown sugar

1 TB yellow mustard

1 TB molasses

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

Combine in a saucepan and cook until sugar melts. Put in a squeeze bottle and drizzle sauce over pork

Makes 2 cups