PORK TENDERLOIN, PICCATA STYLE

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Chicken Piccata is a classic, no doubt. I often use pork cutlets or tenderloin in recipes that call for chicken, because to me both cuts behave similarly. We loved the way this turned out, and yes, one more dish that is requested to be in rotation. In fact, it’s already been repeated once. Delicious!

PORK TENDERLOIN, PICCATA-STYLE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen, adapted from several sources)

1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, cut in 1/4 inch slices and gently pounded
1/2 cup flour for coating meat
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
zest and juice of one large lemon
1 tablespoon butter, cold

Season the pork slices with salt and pepper. Add flour to a shallow dish or tray, lightly dredge one side of the meat with the flour.

Heat grape seed oil on a skillet that can hold all the meat in a single layer. Alternatively, be prepared to work in batches. When the oil is hot, place the slices of meat, coated side down, and cook until golden. Flip the pork slices and cook until no longer pink inside, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked meat to a platter, tent with foil as you prepare the sauce.

If there is not enough oil, add a bit more to the pan. Add capers and garlic (if using), cook until fragrant. Stir the teaspoon of flour until cooked through, then slowly add broth, wine and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes, add the meat back to the pan, lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover the pan and cook everything together for about 5 more minutes. Remove the meat to a serving dish, add lemon juice and butter to the sauce, swirl until everything is well incorporated. Spoon the sauce over the meat, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love using my little Le Creuset pan for this type of recipe, it cooks a nice amount of meat for the two of us, with leftovers, which you know I adore. Speaking of it, pork tenderloin behaves even better than chicken breast as far as leftovers are concerned. This would go well with so many side dishes: pasta, polenta, rice. We enjoyed it with some steamed rice and broccoli on that particular evening. On the second time I made it, we had it over pasta, simply dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

1 YEAR AGO: Sourdough Stencil Fun

2 YEARS AGO: Il Pane de Vincenza

3 YEARS AGO: Gruyere Cheese Biscuits

4 YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Korean Chicken Thighs

5 YEARS AGO: Zucchini with Quick-Pickled Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

6 YEARS AGO: Nha Benta (Brazilian candy)

7 YEARS AGO: The Best, The Very Best Hummus

8 YEARS AGO: Chicken Katsu

9 YEARS AGO: Whole-Lemon Marinade: Long Overdue

10 YEARS AGO: Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Almond Vinaigrette

11 YEARS AGO: Eggplant Tomato Stacks

12 YEARS AGO: The Couscous that Wasn’t

13 YEARS AGO: Apple-Cinnamon Bread

14 YEARS AGO: Blueberry Galette

15 YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, August 2011

16 YEARS AGO: Journey to a New Home

17 YEARS AGO: Friday Night Dinner

26Sep2023

PEANUT-GINGER PORK WITH CELERY SLAW

Posted in Pork, Salads, Side dishes, Sous-Vide Cooking by sallybr

This is a sous-vide preparation, but you can change to regular cooking in any way you like to make pork tenderloin. The recipe was adapted from Melissa Clark, via The New York Times (click here for original post). I usually increase the cooking temperature because we dislike pork that is still pink in the center, no matter what the “experts” say. If you prefer it less done, set your sous-vide to 135F to 140F.

SOUS-VIDE PEANUT-GINGER PORK WITH CELERY SLAW
(adapted from The New York Times)

for the pork:
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Sriracha or chile-garlic paste
1½ teaspoons fish sauce
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

for the celery slaw:
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 small celery stalks, cut crosswise into thirds, then very thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
sesame seeds for garnish

Fill a pot with water, add the sous-vide machine and set the temperature to 150 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sugar, Sriracha, and fish sauce. Place pork in a sous-vide bag, then pour sauce all over meat. Lower bag into heated water, weighing the bag down if necessary, and cook pork for 3 hours.
Heat broiler and place a rack 4 inches from heating element. Remove pork from sous-vide bag and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Pour remaining cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a simmer over high and let cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Drizzle pork with olive oil and broil until charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, 5 minutes.

Make the celery salad: In a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil, rice vinegar, pepper and salt. Toss with celery, fennel and cilantro. Taste and add more salt, sesame oil and rice vinegar if needed.
To serve, slice pork and drizzle with sauce. Top with celery salad, and peanuts. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The sauce is absolutely delicious, I am quite fond of peanut butter in savory preparations, in this particular case it goes well with the ginger and all other flavors. The way the recipe was published it called for 135F for 2 hours, but there is no way that would work for us. Do what you think is best. Whatever method you go for, make sure to incorporate the sauce reduction in the end and drizzle it over the meat. It takes the dish to a whole higher level. The slaw was good in terms of flavor, but the texture of the celery was a bit harsh, so next time I might just do the “microwave blanch”, in which I cook the veggie with a tiny bit of moisture (often just a damp paper towel will do) for 10 seconds or so. It is enough to just kill the raw texture. Plus, since it will be slightly warm it will incorporate the dressing even better. I don’t mind the raw fennel at all, so I would not “blanch” it.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: One gift, one dough, two recipes

THREE YEARS AGO: Rocking the Zucchini Boat

FOUR YEARS AGO: Polenta Bites with Spicy Tomato Sauce

FIVE YEARS AGO: Vague Mousse Cake

SIX YEARS AGO: Cottage Loaf, my very own technical challenge

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pork Ribs: Sticky, Spicy and Awesome

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Sobering Peach Sorbet

NINE YEARS AGO: Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

TEN YEARS AGO: Silky Cauliflower Puree with Almond Milk

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Beef and Broccoli Stir-fr

TWELVE YEARS AGO:Wheat Germ and Sage Sourdough Bread

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:Popeye-Pleasing Salad

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:Summer’s Finale

12Aug2023

SLOW-COOKER PINEAPPLE CARNITAS

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Pineapple is a great ingredient to add to pulled pork, as it offers acidity and a bright flavor. For the past couple of years I’ve been using country style ribs to make an approximation of pulled pork that is lower in fat, but feel free to use the real deal (pork shoulder) if you prefer. The whole preparation will be the same, but if using pork shoulder it is better to brown the meat a bit first on all sides, get rid of some of the fat before slow-cooking it.

SLOW-COOKER PINEAPPLE CARNITAS
(inspired by The Well Plated Cookbook)

3 pounds country style pork ribs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, left undrained
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Lightly coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper and add to the slow-cooker. stir together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. In a separate bowl, stir together the pineapple with its juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the pork, rubbing to try and coat evenly. Pour the pineapple mixture over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the meat is tender.

Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and heat the oven to broil. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick spray. Shred the pork while it is still inside the slow cooker, stir the pieces to coat with the sauce, then place over the prepared baking sheet. Broil until the edges of the meat begin to crisp up and turn brown.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You can enjoy carnitas in many ways, with tortillas and all sorts of tasty toppings, over white rice, mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower… Phil loves it with bolillos, one of his favorite bread these days. I served them with quickly pickled cucumbers and white rice. Leftovers seem to get better for the next couple of days, and you know we adore our leftovers.

ONE YEAR AGO: Three Little Cakes

TWO YEARS AGO: From our Garden to You

THREE YEARS AGO: Lady Bug Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Five-Stranded Braided Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Green Olive Salad

SIX YEARS AGO: Coffee Macarons Dressed up to Party

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Tomato Tatin

NINE YEARS AGO: Headed to Colorado!

TEN YEARS AGO: Farofa Brasileira

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Summer’s Tomatoes

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

2Jun2022

PORK WITH PRUNES, RE-VISITING A CLASSIC

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Years ago (2018, to be exact), I blogged on the classic version, and you can check it out here. Today, I offer you a variation using a leaner type of meat and the crockpot. Lately I’ve been exploring different uses for country style ribs, and this was a crowd-pleaser. Even if it was a crowd of two…

SLOW-COOKER PORK WITH PRUNES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 packages of country-style pork ribs, boneless
(or amount enough to fully cover the bottom of your slow-cooker, some overlapping ok)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup pitted prunes (or amount to taste)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
2 Tbsp capers
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
2½ tsp sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
juice and zest of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
fresh parsley leaves to serve

Place all the ingredients except lemon juice, zest, and parsley in your slow cooker, distributing the pieces of meat with a little overlapping if necessary.

Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove the meat gently from the liquid that accumulates in the crockpot, transfer the liquid to a large skillet and reduce it by half or more, until slightly thick. Add the meat back to the skillet, and allow to simmer with the sauce for a few minutes.

Squirt the lemon juice, add the zest and parsley, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve been on a roll with the country-style pork ribs lately. The crockpot performs miracles with this particular cut of meat, which can dry out easily. Just make sure to stop the cooking at 7 hours, so that the texture is not compromised. Once you open the crockpot, you will have excess liquid, that will be much improved by a little extra step to concentrate it. That is why in the picture you see the meat on a large non-stick frying pan. You can do this final concentrating step later, so the whole meal can be prepared a couple of days in advance, it will only get better.

ONE YEAR AGO: Honeyed-Jalapenos on Spelt Pizza

TWO YEARS AGO: Bulgur and Chickpea Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

THREE YEARS AGO: Purple Star Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Smoked Salmon, Fait Maison

FIVE YEARS AGO: Kouign-Amann, Fighting Fire with Fire

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Yin and Yang

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014

NINE YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

TEN YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs

TWELVE YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls

17Jan2022

CLAY POT PORK AND TOMATILLO BRAISE

Posted in clay pot cooking, Pork by sallybr

No worries if you don’t own a clay pot, just use any other suitable pot and go for it. I used several sources to inspire me for this recipe, and we were blown away by the outcome, The thing I love the most is being able to use a cut of pork that can be a bit tricky: boneless country style ribs. This type of recipe usually calls for pork shoulder, cut in pieces. I hate dealing with it, I end up wasting a lot of meat because… I literally butcher it. In the bad sense of the word. Boneless ribs come in a neat package, I cut each in two or three pieces and that’s all. The clay pot prevents it from getting dry and stringy. Win-win situation. Try it and you won’t be disappointed.

CLAY POT PORK AND TOMATILLO BRAISE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3-4 lb. boneless country pork ribs, cut in pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic (optional, I omit)
1 can crushed tomatoes, fired roasted if possible (28 oz)
10 tomatillos, peeled, washed and quartered
1 Serrano pepper, chopped (seeded if you prefer less heat)
1 tsp chipotle pepper (ground)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
water as needed
fresh cilantro to serve

Soak the clay pot in cold water.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a pan until very hot. Pat the pork dry, season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pork until browned on both sides. Transfer to a bowl as you continue browning all pieces. Add a little more oil to the pan, sauté the shallots and garlic (if u sing). Add the ground spices and let them sauté for 30 seconds or so, stirring constantly.

Add the tomatillos and Serrano pepper, sautee for a couple of minutes, then add the can of tomatoes, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Stir everything and add the pork. If needed, add water to almost cover the meat.

Transfer everything to the soaked clay pot, place in a cold oven and turn it to 375F. Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes if your oven heats slowly (like mine does) or 2 hours in a fast-heating oven.

Serve with fresh cilantro.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The picture above shows how much liquid I add to start the braise. I probably needed to add slightly less than 1 cup of water. The meat turns very tender and with perfect texture for our taste. Such an easy cut of meat to work with!

Although not very traditional, hubby loves to have this pork in a Brazilian-ized way: with black beans…

You can of course use the toppings traditionally paired with chili: guacamole, crumbled Mexican cheese, a little sour cream. Whatever path you choose, I am sure this will be a favorite.