pork

July 20, 2011

Greek-Style Stuffed Zucchini

mel entree, recipe feta, olives, pork, spinach, zucchini

Greek-Style Stuffed Zucchini

This is my annual and obligatory post about how to use up all your extra summer zucchini. Last year it was Green Curry Zucchini & Spinach Soup, otolaryngologist the year before it was Lighter Summer Squash Red Curry with Basil. This year I took a break from curry and decided I was in the mood for stuffed zucchini. Usually, weight loss I’ll just do a beef and tomato stuffing with mozzarella and Parmesan on top. It’s classic and simple, but I didn’t have everything I needed. What I had was lots of Greek-style stuff. Black olives, baby spinach and feta. So why not try that instead?

Greek-Style Stuffed Zucchini

The result is a dish that might not be super pretty, but it is pretty delicious. I used ground pork instead of ground beef and browned it with onions and garlic. I added diced tomatoes, black olives, baby spinach, feta and a pinch of oregano to make the stuffing. Some panko breadcrumbs on sprinkled on top finish it off.

The stuffing was so good – porky and a little briny from the olives and feta, but still light enough from all the vegetables. I couldn’t keep myself from sampling it straight from the pan. I liked it so much that I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the plain old beef and tomatoes stuffing. This is a very happy way to use all that extra zucchini!

September 28, 2010

Meatballs with Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites lamb, meatballs, piquillo peppers, pork

Meatballs with Roaster Pepper Tomato Sauce

I’m not sure why, unhealthy but I find meatballs to be one of life’s great delicacies. Maybe it’s because it takes so long to season, shape, brown and bake them that by the time I actually get to taste them, they are simply delicious. Maybe it’s because I usually make them as an appetizer to serve with other small plates and my taste buds love variety. Maybe I just really like meatballs.

Whatever it is about them, these were among the best I’ve made. I used a mixture of ground pork and lamb and seasoned them simply with salt, pepper and Italian parsley. I also added some bread soaked in warm milk to keep them super moist. I brushed the top with a thick sauce of piquillo peppers, tomato paste, anchovies and smoked paprika that was sweet and smoky, piquant and salty. A sauce that caramelizes over the meatballs in the oven so that they emerge bright and fragrant and super flavorful.

I wish I had more of these right now. That salad I had for lunch isn’t cutting it when I have meatballs on the brain…

June 3, 2010

Pork Tenderloin with Agrodolce Fennel Sauce

mel entree, recipe fennel, onions, pork

Pork Tenderloin with Agrodolce Fennel Sauce

By now you’ve probably figured out that 90% of my marinades use orange juice. What can I say? I’m a Cuban from Florida. Orange juice runs through my veins. It also makes the most delicious meat. For today’s recipe, ask I marinated a pork tenderloin in orange juice and soy sauce using one my favorite time-saving tricks. As soon as you bring your tenderloin home, tablets place it in a seal-able plastic bag with soy sauce and juice and peel of a navel orange. Poof! Perfectly marinated meat as soon as it thaws. Works great with chicken, beef and pork. I’ve also poured a half a beer in when marinating skirt steak – delicious!

Pork Tenderloin with Agrodolce Fennel Saucev

I cooked up the tenderloin in the usual way – seared then finished in a very hot oven. Meanwhile, I made a fennel agrodolce sauce to go with it. Agrodolce means “sour and sweet” and is an Italian sauce usually made by cooking onions with vinegar and sugar. I had some farm-fresh fennel that I knew would be great with the pork, so that went in, too. The onions and fennel are sauteed in butter and reduced with balsamic vinegar and sugar.

Agrodolce sauce is a great way to dress up pork tenderloin. If you’ve never tried it, I think you should. It’s sweet and tangy and adds just the right amount of flavor to an otherwise dull tenderloin.

November 13, 2009

Pomegranate & Cherry Braised Pork

mel entree, recipe braise, cherry, meat, pomegranate, pork

Pomegranate & Cherry Braised Pork

Last Saturday was one of those busy errand days where you do nothing but run from store to store, denture then come home and clean the house and go for a run. You know – they kind of day that makes you really hungry, but by the end of it, there’s no way you want to cook. Good thing I started this braise hours before dinner, before I’d cleaned the house and expended all my energy. Good thing it was a mostly one-pot meal and I’d already washed and put away all the prep dishes before collapsing. And dinner? Not to get overly Martha, but it was a very Good Thing.

I used pomegranate juice, fresh orange juice and red wine as my braising liquids and dried guijillo peppers and tart cherries for flavor. The juice and wine reduced into a deliciously concentrated sauce, the peppers lent some good spice to contrast the plump cherries and the meat was so very tender that I had a hard time moving it to the serving dish without it falling apart.

This dish is everything I wanted at the end of that long day. And leftovers were just as good or even better. My favorite kind of meal.

October 15, 2009

Pork Chops with Whiskied Pears & Thyme

mel entree, recipe pear, pork, thyme, whiskey

Pork Chops with Whiskied Pears & Thyme

Who doesn’t love a good pork chop for dinner? They’re super easy and super delicious. They’re especially delicious with whiskied pears and thyme on top. Sweet, visit this site salty and pork-y. The pears and thyme add a nice taste of fall and the whiskey adds just the right amount of boozy flavor.

It’s one of those get-home-late-and-throw-down-dinner-in-20-minutes kind of recipes. If you’re weirded out by combining fruit and pork products, prostate you shouldn’t be. Lots of barbecue sauces and glazes are sweet and fruit-based. It’s just plain good.

Related: Pork and Apple Pot Pie

September 3, 2009

Pressure Cooker Pork Ragu

mel entree, recipe pasta, pork, pressure cooker, sauce

Pressure Cooker Pork Ragu

Can I tell you that my pressure cooker is one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten? My mom gave it to me last Christmas when she saw me coveting hers and the speediness in which she could make a stew or a pot of beans. I’ve been happily saving time ever since. I grew up with the sound of a pressure cooker chug-chug-chugging away like a steam engine on my grandmothers’ stoves, discount so I never thought to be afraid of them. Recently, someone posted about their Pressure Cooker Phobia on the Serious Eats message boards. I quickly chimed in with reassurance and recipes, but it got me thinking that some people don’t quite “get” why a pressure cooker is any better than a pot.

Sure, you can cook your food in record time, but I think there’s more to it than that. A pressure cooker traps heat and steam, regulated by a small valve so that it won’t explode. Because the steam recirculates, the liquid and everything inside reaches much higher temperatures than it would in a regular pot. Not only does this cook your food faster, but it also allows the flavors to meld and intensify without drying out.

So, even though it’s still hot down in my part of the country, I’ve been craving a thick, hearty ragu and decided to give it a go in the pressure cooker. Normally, my ragu takes at least 3 hours on low heat until the meat is tender and falling apart enough for me claim success. This ragu took 30 minutes, start to finish. I kid you not. Thirty minutes. And boy was it good!

Instead of the usual lamb, I used pork center loin because it’s what I had. A quick sear, then add the rest of the ingredients, seal the pot and 25 minutes later, a deliciously rich and intense ragu for my rigatoni. I may never make ragu the slow way again.

Related: Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

June 10, 2009

Orange & Five Spiced Pork Tenderloin

mel entree, recipe five spice, orange, pork

Orange & Five Spiced Pork Tenderloin

A couple of weeks ago, rehabilitation I made this Orange and Garlic Roast Pork Loin. It was scrumptious! There’s just something about fresh orange juice on pork that’s like a match made in heaven. It add nice acidity and tang without overwhelming the meaty flavor. It also caramelizes and turns the pork a beautiful, rx deep caramel color. Love it!

I also had a Five Spiced Pork Belly sandwich not too long ago and have been thinking about five spiced pork ever since. Chinese Five Spice Powder is a blend of spices that usually find their way into a Pumpkin Pie, pills not onto a pork tenderloin. It’s a blend of cinnamon, fennel seeds, ginger, cloves and pepper. It’s aromatic and spicy, but still subtle somehow. And it’s great with orange juice.

This is a really simple, delicious and different weeknight dinner. I served it with stir fried vegetables and a little brown rice. Leftovers also make delicious sandwiches, so you may want to make a little extra. I know I can’t wait for my leftovers!

May 12, 2009

Orange & Garlic Roast Pork Loin

mel entree, recipe garlic, lime, orange, pork, roast

Orange & Garlic Roast Pork Loin

I think I’m forgetting how to write a blog post. I’ve been away from my kitchen the past two weekends, approved first to New York for a wedding, seek then to St. Augustine for a relaxing weekend. I hadn’t even been to the grocery store in a month! Sacrilege.

In New York, I ate and ate – things like delicious Cambodian sandwiches from Num Pang and outstanding brussel sprouts and assorted goodies at Momofuku Ssam Bar. (Not to mention the warm cookies and milk at the Milk Bar next door – awesome on a plate!) In St. Augustine, we found the perfect gelato handmade daily by their gelato maker at Cafe del Hidalgo.

But as good as all that food was, I still missed my kitchen. And I’m pretty sure it missed me, too. So, what better way to kick off a week of cooking than with a pork loin roasted with orange and lime juices, garlic and onions? I seared the roast on all sides, then added the other goodies. After about an hour in the dutch oven, the onions and garlic caramelize with the juices and become a citusy, garlicky sauce that’s like pork’s best friend.

If anyone out there has a slow cooker, I think this is the perfect recipe for you. Just make sure to sear the meat before you slow cook to release the meaty goodness.

ps. You should stuff tacos with these. You just should!

May 7, 2009

Pork Chops with Goat Cheese & Roasted Poblano Sauce

mel entree, recipe goat cheese, poblano, pork

Will I sound like a broken record if I say I don’t have time to write a post today? What I do have is a really delicious pork chop. That pork chop is covered in a Roasted Poblano and Goat Cheese sauce. And next to that pork chop is a fluffy pile of Cajun rice (though that recipe will come another day). Altogether, capsule a surprisingly easy and delicious meal!

The roasted poblanos add a subtle, smoky, spiciness that plays well with the tangy goat cheese (thanks to Ile de France for providing me with such tasty ingredients!) and a seared pork chop is the perfect vehicle for scooping the sauce.

Overall, delicious, delicious pork, cheese and peppers. The perfect meal.

March 6, 2009

Indian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites curry, indian, pork, sandwich

A couple of weeks ago I piled into the car with Tom, medicine my parents and my sister-in-law and journeyed to South Beach for the Wine & Food Festival. Each year we get tickets to the Grand Tasting tent which is essentially a big tent filled with samples from local restaurants and wine tastings galore. It’s foodie heaven.

So, with empty stomachs and high hopes we headed in to the tents to pig out. Sadly, I was disappointed with most of the food this year. It was mostly forgettable and a lot of places ran out of food by 4pm. (Hello recession!) Of all the things I tried that day, there were a few standouts. One was an Indian-spiced pulled pork sandwich which I used as inspiration for today’s dish. Some others were pork belly sandwiches from Le Meridien, cornbread with olive oil from Bizcaya (weirdly delicious!), bread pudding with vanilla butter from the La Puglra table, and ratatouille from the Whole Foods pavilion. In fact, the Whole Foods pavilion was an all-around winner!

So back to the pulled pork…I know that a lot of you are interested in pressure cooker recipes, so here’s another one for you. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can easily make it in a dutch oven or your favorite big pot.

Pork loin is browned, then simmered with onions, tomato, lemon, hot curry powder, mustard seeds, bay leaves, tomato paste and stock. The onions and tomatoes melt into the liquid to make a spicy, delicious sauce that’s perfect on a bun. I think I’ll add a couple of cucumber slices and some cilantro yogurt to the sandwich next time just to add some contrast, but overall it was delicious. The kind of sandwich that’s a little messy, a little spicy and perfect any time of year. It’s one of those things that tastes even better the next day so make a big pot of it and enjoy it all week.

For those of you wondering where the Taco Salad Recipe is, it’s not coming. I made the salad, and it was good, but nothing special. Maybe next time :)

January 28, 2009

Pork Roast with Prunes, Rosemary & Wine

mel entree, recipe pork, prunes, roast, rosemary, wine

condom Rosemary & Wine ” />

I know most people associate prunes with rather unfortunate circumstances, but that’s not really fair to the poor prune. When used in savory recipes, they add a juicy sweetness that’s particularly good with roasted meats. My grandmother used to make the most succulent roast chicken with prunes that was beloved by the entire family. (In fact, I think I’ll post that recipe soon. Mmm…)

While your meat roasts, the prunes caramelize and dissolve, making a deliciously sticky sauce for whatever else is sharing the pot. This recipe is best for its simplicity. Just sear a seasoned pork loin, add prunes, rosemary, red wine and smoked paprika, cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes. The result is sweet and smoky with a little rosemary flavor. Perfect for slathering on top of your pork roast.

As a bonus this dish makes your house smell absolutely delicious. So delicious, your neighbors will be jealous (and hungry). Make sure you’ve got enough for leftover sandwiches — crazy delicious!

January 19, 2009

Sunday Supper: Pork & Apple Pot Pie

mel entree, recipe apples, pork, pot pie, puff pastry, thyme

If you’re looking for a serious Sunday Supper, information pills the kind of meal that takes all day to make, gerontologist but isn’t very much work, then this dish is for you. The pork and apples and thyme simmer all day until meltingly tender to make the perfect base to a pot pie.

This pie is the ultimate comfort food, but the puff pastry adds that extra bit of fancy which makes it perfect for guests. You can also make it a day or two in advance, then add the puff pastry and pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive and the smell of apples, thyme, savory pork and puff pastry will make your house smell mouth-watering.

Winter is the perfect time for a pot pie. Though this may be a departure from the traditional chicken version, it’s a delicious dish that will warm you right up. How can you really go wrong with something covered in puff pastry?