Pork Chops and Peaches

'Tis the season... Stone fruits - peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots - they're all starting to hit the stores. And I am psyched! I am a huge summer fruit fan. I know that most of this stuff - especially berries - are now available year-round, but I just don't like buying stuff out of season from halfway around the world. I'm a fan of buying in season - and buying frozen when it's not.

Frozen fruit gets a really bad rep, but... in these days of industrial farming and produce being grown for it's shipping characteristics, frozen is actually a good choice. Unlike it's non-local counterparts, it's picked at the height of ripeness and flash frozen. And they're less expensive in January than their southern hemisphere cousins.

But when the local produce starts coming into season... I'm ready!

Local peaches aren't quite ready, yet, but some really good ones are coming up just south of us. And the July issue of Cooking Light had a great idea for making a Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Peach Sauce.

Their recipe was a bit more involved than my rendition.

Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Sauce

  • pork chops
  • 2 cups sliced peaches
  • 1 tbsp aronia berry vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 2 tbsp bourbon
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp butter

Saute pork chops in skillet until cooked through. Remove and set aside to keep warm.

Add peaches to skillet and cook until lightly cooked through. Add bourbon, vinegar, and maple syrup. Continue cooking until liquid is mostly evaporated.

Swirl in a tablespoon of butter.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

We had this with baked sweet potatoes - with bacon on top, just because - and steamed broccoli. Fun and flavorful - and easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Weeknight meal... by this time next week, every day is Saturday - and every night is Saturday Night.

Retirement is going to be so much fun!

 

 


pork chops

Pork Chops and Apples

Dinner was definitely going to be pork chops, tonight. I had taken them out of the freezer at 3:30 this morning before getting ready for work. I don't often figure out what I'm going to do with something until I'm getting ready to do it. The beauty of having a well-stocked larder is not having to think - and I'm usually not thinking at all at 3:30 ayem.

So off to work I went. I watched the produce come in and started thinking that the peaches were looking good. I grabbed a few. Needed some potatoes. Grabbed a bag. And then I looked at the wall of apples. The ol' mind started thinking of dinner - pork chops and apples - and a couple of fuji's went into my private stash basket. Yes, I will grab things before the store opens. It's one of the perks of working in a grocery store.

What to do with the apples came into being when I started dinner. Opening up the 'fridge, I grabbed leeks, green onions, bell pepper, a jalapeño, and those two apples.

I peeled the apples, cleaned the leeks, chopped the peppers, and went to work. I sauteed the leeks and peppers in some butter and when they were about half-cooked, I added the chopped apples. I cooked it all a bit and then added a splash of apple cider vinegar and almost the last of my Old St Augustine Minorcan Spice blend a buddy of mine brought me from Florida. There's just a tad left.

I cooked it all a bit and then added a hefty splash of pinot grigio and let it all cook together.

For a wing-it recipe, this one came out damned good! The apples were fully cooked but still had a crunch to them, the unseeded jalapeño added just enough heat, and the bell pepper and leek were perfect foils for the apple. I had sliced up some walnut raisin bread and it became a great bruschetta, too!

Great grilled pork chops - just salt and pepper on them - and roasted potatoes.

Another good one!

 

 


pork tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin

The planned dinner tonight was a pork tenderloin. Planned, as in I took a pork tenderloin out of the freezer. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but then, that's not unusual. I tend to kinda wing things, ya know?!?

After bacon, the tenderloin is pretty much the workhorse of the pig family. They're totally versatile - you can do absolutely anything to them. It's why I don't worry about what I'm going to do - almost anything works and I have two full canisters of propane. If all else fails, grill it!

I came walking in after an early day at work, and Victor smiled and opened the 'fridge. Sitting on a plate was that pork tenderloin - cut, pounded, stuffed, rolled, and tied - with a basting of the French dressing I made the other night! Be still my beating heart!

Victor made a stuffing of:

  • pancetta
  • bread
  • onion
  • carrots
  • mushrooms
  • garlic
  • raisins
  • green onion
  • grated cheese
  • salt & pepper

and then spread that on the pounded tenderloin. Atop that, he added:

  • roasted long hot peppers
  • shredded asiago, pepatto, and provolone cheeses.

He rolled it and tied it and basted it with the French dressing. I baked it off in a 400°F oven, basting it every 15 minutes with more dressing.

Along side the tenderloin were roasted red potatoes with parmesan cheese, garlic, and French herbs. Roasted in the same oven for about 35 minutes.

Dinner was perfect - and the best part was all I had to do was cut up a couple of potatoes and make Nonna baked fish. An easy meal, indeed!

And really really good.

 

 


Baby Back Ribs

It's 45 days to retirement, and the last hurdle has been jumped. We have health insurance starting July 1st. It wasn't easy sorting through the bazillion and one options and plans - and at soon-to-be 66 years of age, this is the first time in my life I have ever had to think about it.

I was in Kaiser for all of my childhood and any time I was living in San Francisco, and any other time, I was covered under an employer plan.  I've always been employed. I've always had health coverage. I've rarely had to use it - but it's been there...

Fast-Forward to today, and I was as lost as lost can be trying to sort out HMO Plans, PPO Plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Gap Plans, Drug Plans... It could not be any more confusing. Okay. Not true. It can - and probably will - get a lot more confusing if these assholes in Congress get their way. If a reasonably well-educated person can't figure this stuff out, I really don't see how the poor and downtrodden in this country can...

We need a Single Payer Health System in this country. Period.

</rant>

So...

In celebration of having health insurance, I decided ribs, baked beans, and corn was the perfect Independence-type Day menu. And baby back ribs the perfect choice.

I'm a bit over the top, right now, when it comes to herbs and spices. Well... right now is a bit of a misnomer. I'm always over the top when it comes to herbs and spices - I'm just a bit more than my normal.

And that doesn't include the baking and salt cabinet. Yeah... there's a whole shelf just for different salts. I'm going to have to see if this particular illness is covered under my new health plan...

I decided to make a batch of rib rub because, why not?!?

Rib Rub

  • 1/3 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Penzeys Ozark seasoning
  • 1/4 cup smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper

Mix and store in an airtight container.

It went all over the ribs, the ribs were wrapped, and put into a 225°F oven for three hours.

When they came out...

They were liberally doused with our own Smoky Sweet BBQ Sauce and placed on the grill for about 15 minutes.

Fall-off-the-bone tenderness...

Corn on the cob and Phoebe's Baked Beans were all it took to complete the meal.

We're eating well in soon-to-be-retirement-land. And if things ever get tight, I know a lot of ways to make beans.

 


Pork Chops Milanese alla Victor

I brought home a couple of pretty nice bone-in pork chops, yesterday. I was thinking a Pork Chop Milanese-style dish was in order. We've been through the chicken and beef rut a few times - it was time for something new.

I called home at lunch, and the first thing Victor said was How about if I make Pork Chops Milanese for dinner tonight? I swooned over the phone. I hadn't mentioned it or the pork chops. He just knew.  ::sigh::

And he knew how to make them perfectly.

He started with an egg and heavy cream dip - no flour - and then into very lightly seasoned bread crumbs. And then into the skillet with olive oil. When they were done, he did a quick sauce of white wine, capers, parsley, the slightest hint of lemon, and butter.

Delicious.

And to accompany... scalloped potatoes - thinly sliced potatoes with cream, chicken broth, cheese, salt and pepper. And fresh peas.

It was just what I had been yearning for - and more - because I didn't make it. Perfectly crunchy outside and perfectly tender and juicy inside. The sauce was perfection, and the potatoes sublime.

And it was done without even having to leave the slightest hint.

Yes, I'm spoiled.

And I rather like it...


Pork Chile Verde

  • 8 fresh Anaheim chiles
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 pounds trimmed boneless pork cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 cups (or more) water

Char chiles. Peel, seed and chop.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add pork; cook until meat browns, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

Add chiles, cumin and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes. Add 4 cups water. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until meat is very tender and sauce just coats meat, about 1 hour. If necessary, increase heat and continue to simmer until sauce is reduced and just coats meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Guava Glazed Pork

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 7 ounces guava paste, chopped (3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Salt
  • Two 3/4-pound pork tenderloins
  • Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate. heat, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low. Add the guava paste and water and cook, stirring, until the paste has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, ketchup and cayenne. Season with salt.

Set the pork tenderloins in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish and brush them all over with half of the guava glaze.

Light a fire or heat a grill pan over moderate heat. Grill the pork, turning and brushing with the remaining glaze, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.


Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

  • 1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • One (1- to 1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Whisk together the honey, vinegar, mustard, and cayenne in a small bowl.

Trim any silver skin from the tenderloin. Turn under the tapered end and tie it in place with kitchen twine, or leave it loose to create a portion that will be very well-done. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well-browned on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes.

Place in the oven to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the end of the pork registers 140°F, about 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the pork to a clean plate.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the honey mixture into the skillet and stir to loosen any browned bits. When the liquid begins to sizzle, return the pork and any juices to the skillet. Gently tilt the skillet so that the liquid pools on one side of the pan and continuously spoon it over the top of the pork until the liquid thickens into a syrupy glaze, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and pour the glaze over the top.


Pork Scallopini Marsala

Tonight's dinner would probably be more fitting on a colder night - but it's in the mid-60s outside. Saturday night, the weather gurus are calling for 3"-5" of snow. Or rain and snow. Or a wintry mix. Sunny on Sunday and back to 67°F by Tuesday.

I could have held it off for a couple more days but I wanted to use up some mushrooms before they became compost.

When we first moved back here in 2001, we could pretty much expect cold weather in the winter and hot weather in the summer. But not anymore... Mentally, I'm still cooking calendar-wise. One of these days I'm going to need to really start adjusting to the reality of what the weather is and not what the weather should be.

Old dog, new trick...

So... back to dinner...

I've been a Marsala fan since forever. My birthday dinner was Veal Marsala when I was a kid. Actually, it was Beef Marsala because we never had actual veal in the house except for Pop's breaded veal cutlets - and come to think of it, there probably wasn't much actual veal in those things, either.

When I was grown and out of the house, I asked her for the recipe and she meticulously wrote it out. I made it a few times but it didn't taste quite as good as hers. I played with it a bit and realized she had neglected to add one ingredient - sage. When I asked her about it, she turned beet red and denied she had intentionally left it out, stammering all the while.

My own mother.

Fast-forward 40 or so years and here I am making a variation on the theme - with a pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloins make absolutely the best scallopini this side of the Tyrrhenian Sea - and at a fraction of the cost of veal. And it's guaranteed tender - not always so with veal scallops, today.

There's not a real recipe for this, anymore... I've been making it for so long - with the sage - that I do it by rote.

I start off by pounding the scallops and then dredging them in a seasoned flour - salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sage. I then saute them in olive oil and butter just until lightly browned.

Out of the pan and I then add mushrooms and cook them down. I might add a bit of onion or shallot... When they're nicely done, I add a hefty amount of Marsala. I tend to use dry for cooking and sweet for desserts, but if I only have one or the other, I don't let it stop me.

When it's boiled down a tad, I add some beef broth and then slide the meat back in, let it simmer until the meat is cooked through, and then thicken it with a bit of the dredging flour, if it needs it. Check for seasonings and adjust, as needed. Stir in a bit of chopped parsley, if you have it.

It's usually served over buttered noodles, but it also works over rice or even mashed potatoes. I haven't bought egg noodles in quite a while since we have so much damned pasta in the cupboard, so I just used the Gigli pasta we had.

It worked. Quite well.

Mom would be proud...

 

 

 

 

 

 


Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Red Onions

What to do with a pork tenderloin when you're tired of doing the same old things with pork tenderloins?!? A variation on a same old thing, of course!

I have a post with the original Lidia recipe from 2009 where I'm talking about how often I make this. It's actually funny how often I make a lot of things. Having a diary of sorts of what I've been cooking since 2005 keeps it all in plain view. But regardless of how many times I've made a variation on the theme, it really is a great recipe - and it can be on the table in under 30 minutes!

Tonight's variation was using pork tenderloin instead of chops, for starters... and then cutting it into 7 pieces. I then seasoned them with a bit of S&P before going into the skillet. I flipped them over, added thick-sliced red onions, and a splash of port. I let it cook down and then added some fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bosc pear. A bit of garlic and a bit of French herbs, and, uncovered, into a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

It 'twas good.

 


Pulled Pork and Fresh Rolls

I love unattended cooking. Saying that, it's surprising that I don't like crock pots. Then, again, an oven is so much more versatile - and I don't have to feed a family 10 minutes after walking in the door. I get their usefulness. I'm just not crazy about the results.

An oven browns and caramelizes and intensifies flavors - like it did today for tonight's pulled pork.

The concept for tonight's dinner came from a Cook's Country recipe for Citrus-Braised Pork Tacos. I just wanted the pork because I was making sandwiches, not tacos, and it looked like it was something that could be played with.

It was.

Pulled Pork

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon annatto
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 2 pound boneless pork roast, cut into 1-inch chunks

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, oregano, annatto, ­allspice, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar, Worcestershire, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper, scraping up any browned bits.

Add pork and bring to boil. Transfer to a 300°F oven, uncovered, and cook until pork is tender, about 2-3 hours, ­stirring halfway through cooking.

Remove from oven, shred pork, and enjoy!

This is what it looked like coming out of the oven after about 3 hours.

And this is what it looked like after shredding into a nice, clean pot.

Of course, one cannot have sandwiches without bread, so off I went to look for a fun roll recipe. I found the Knotted Dinner Roll recipe I've used a few times and decided to just make them as buns instead of knotted rolls.

Easy peasy.

Half went into the freezer for another day. So much for trying to clean it out a bit.

Oh well.

Off to eat a couple of cookies...

 

 


Pork Tenderloin and Tapenade

While I was out in the sub-freezing world, today, Victor was home - our warm, well-insulated home - thinking of things to create with a pork tenderloin. All of that lovely warmth really inspired him - he came up with a tenderloin stuffed with homemade tapenade. Yeah... Victor made tapenade - because that's the sort of stuff we do. What's even crazier is that he was able to think about making it and then actually make it without leaving the house to buy anything.

The perks of having a well-stocked larder!

He used:

  • kalamata olives
  • green olives
  • anchovies
  • capers
  • roasted garlic
  • olive oil
  • grated parmesan cheese

Really simple. Really basic. Really delicious! No measurements or recipe... As the commercial says... Just Do It!

Another great perk in life is having a husband who loves to cook - and is good at it! I am thrilled any time he says he's cooking - I know I'm in for a treat.

He split the tenderloin and spread the tapenade on, rolled it up, tied it, and into a 350°F oven. He also made a rice-a-roni-ish rice with peas to go along with it.

It was picture-perfect yumminess.

Tomorrow is going to be pasta and meatballs because we're still working on cleaning out the freezer, and Sunday... Sunday is the start of the end of Christmas. The taking down and packing away of a bazillion Santas, Trees, Ornaments, and Assorted Decorations. I think a slow-simmering soup may be in order...

Stay tuned.