Honey Apricot Pork Cutlets

In honor of our little porkchop, who arrived a week early on Feb. 18, I made this quick and simple, yet flavorful, pork dish. Our second daughter made her debut a little over a week ago, much to our surprise. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to deliver a baby early. I didn't miss that last week of pregnancy, that's for sure!! She is totally perfect and looks so much like our first daughter that it's uncanny.

So with two little ones around, I'm on the market for easy, quick dinners but at the same time I don't want to fall into a rut - which is so easy to do when you have no time. I will admit, we indulged in a lot of carry-out this past week. It's so much easier to leave the cooking to someone else when you're functioning on 4 hours or less of sleep. The greasy, heavy, mediocre quality of the food however, gets old REALLY fast. So I'm going to try to put some homemade meals on the table as much as possible, but not beat myself up if we need to phone a carry-out friend to get us out of the weeds.

Stay tuned for a decadent roast chicken later in the week that turns into some awesomely comforting homemade chicken stock for a hearty ribollita soup. And along the way, I plan on using the leftover roast chicken in a savory Nigella Lawson pasta dish. I can't wait to tackle those meals!
Meanwhile, I present this Rachael Ray recipe. A tasty twist on traditional pork cutlets. I served it with a nice fresh salad and steamed green beans. I changed the title that is given on the Food Network website, as I didn't think "Honey Mustard Cutlets" really described what the dish consisted of. Call it creative liberties. Enjoy!!!
(Oh and please excuse the crudity of these photos. We didn't eat until 8:30 p.m. that night, after our toddler was tucked into bed, so I snapped a few quick pics with my point and shoot because it was handy. I'm not proud of them, but I always think when it comes to a food blog some picture is better than no picture.)

Honey Apricot Pork Cutlets
courtesy of Rachael Ray, www.foodnetwork.com


4 thin-cut boneless pork loin chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grainy Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 lemon, zested (I omitted this)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange marmalade or apricot preserves
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.

Heat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Trim the fat from the chops and sandwich each chop between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic. Pound the chops to 1/8-inch thickness and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a shallow dish combine the mustard, honey and vinegar. Add the chops and turn to coat in sticky sauce. On a plate combine the bread crumbs with the thyme and zest of the lemon. Press chops in the crumbs to coat evenly. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, a couple turns of the pan, in large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cutlets until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Arrange the chops on the baking sheet with the rack and put in the oven to keep them crisp. To the skillet, over low heat, add the butter and melt. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the preserves, then whisk in the stock. Cook for a couple of minutes to thicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the chops from the oven to a serving platter and douse with sweet-savory gravy before serving.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

WHOA!! Long time, no blog hey??? I know I have been seriously MIA lately, but I have good reason. Once my baby girl started crawling my free time has been literally gone. The only time I can get anything done is nap time. I run around the house like a chicken without a head, trying to get work done - which can include actual office work, since I'm working from home, laundry, vacuuming, wiping down the bathrooms, cleaning, blowing my nose, brushing my hair, showering and possibly eating lunch. Time management has become my middle name!! It's an art form when you have a baby. And...lord help me...I only have one!!! WHOA again.
Anyway, I figured what better time to revive my long-lost blogging days than Cinco De Mayo. If you follow my blog, which I'm not really sure anyone does anymore, or ever did for that matter, you know I'm a fan of Mexican food. If I wasn't Italian, I'd be Mexican. Nuff said. I literally have a sixth sense for Mexican flavors and how to put them together (or so I think). I dream about exotic foodie vacations to Oaxaca to excavate corn fungus. Ok, not really, but wouldn't that be cool? Anyway, I digress.
In the past, my husband and I could be found at the local Mexican restaurant with the other revelers throwing back margaritas, bowls of salsa and pounds of refried beans in honor of this Mexican (not Independence Day I know) holiday. But this year a certain 11-month-old made going out to a crowded Mexican restaurant seem quite unappealing. And we were totally fine with that. We made our own fiesta, and enjoyed watching our little girl get her first taste of guacamole and gnaw on a tortilla. Ole!!
For us adults, I fixed Roasted Poblano Pepper and Pork Quesadillas with Cucumber-Tomato Salsa and a side of Smashed Black Beans . Who needs crowded Mexican restaurants? Not us! We enjoyed our little Mexican feast with some homemade guacamole and my special margaritas and our own little pinata - she's full of sweetness :) Enjoy!

Roasted Poblano and Pork Quesadillas

1 poblano pepper
1 cup of chopped roasted pork loin
1/2 sweet vidalia onion, sliced thinly
1 tb olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 large flour tortillas

Preheat your oven to 350. Preheat your grill. Once the grill is hot, place your poblano pepper over the hot coals and roast until the skin is evenly charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and place in a bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes or until cool. Once cool, you should be able to peel the skin off and deseed the pepper. Once you've peeled it, slice the pepper flesh into strips. Set aside.
In a small skillet heat your olive oil and then add your sliced onion. Cook over medium low heat until softened. Add your cumin and chili powder and cook a while longer until the onion almost caramelizes. Once fully cooked, set aside.
To assemble your quesadilla, get out a pizza pan or baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and lay down one of your flour tortillas. First spread our your cooked onions to cover the tortilla surface. Top with your chopped cooked pork loin. Next top with your poblano peppers. Finally coat the entire tortilla with your cups of shredded cheese and then place your second tortilla on the top.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove and serve hot with your choice of toppings.

Cucumber-Tomato Salsa

This refreshing, cool, salsa crudo was a great accompaniment to hot, spicy Mexican quesadillas and black beans.

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 campari tomatoes or 2 regular tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (or less if you don't want that much)
juice of half a lime
cumin (about 1/4 tsp)
Tabasco (five shakes)
salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro in a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the juice of half a lime and then season to taste with cumin, salt and Tabasco. You may want less or more than I've noted about. It's really just about getting it to where you want it to be flavor wise. This is great with spicy dishes.

Smashed Black Beans

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
crushed red pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
2 tb olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro and Parmesan for serving

Set your beans aside. In a small skillet, warm your olive oil over medium heat and then add your jalapeno and garlic. Let soften slightly and then add your crushed red pepper. Let vegetables soften some more and then add the black beans. Toss to coat with the olive oil and then once warm, smash your black beans with a fork or muddler until your beans have a chunky consistency. Add in your chicken stock to thin them out a bit. Finally add in your lime juice and season again with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the top with cilantro and Parmesan and serve warm.

Manchego-Stuffed Pork Saltimbocca

So dinners at my house have been pretty boring as of late. There are two very good reasons for this. For starters, my nearly 6-month old baby makes planning elaborate dinners nearly impossible. Secondly, my husband has decided he needs to lose what he calls his baby weight and so is on a low-carb diet (the only diet that ever works for him, so he says). Because of this, our dinners lately have been simply grilled fish, chicken or steak with either steamed veggies or a green salad. Nothing much to blog about. However, last night I was sick of the same old thing and decided I could throw together something with a little more flavor and ingenuity that wouldn't take hours.
Enter manchego-stuffed pork saltimbocca .

This is my slightly, kicked-up version of the traditional saltimbocca preparation, which marries prosciutto and woodsy sage with seared chicken or pork in a simple lemon butter pan sauce. I served mine stuffed with nutty manchego cheese alongside some steamed asparagus. It satisfied all our dinner needs, quick, low-carb and delicious! Saltimbocca literally means jump in your mouth and the combination of cheese, salty prosciutto and the earthiness of the sage do just that. Your tongue will be dancing for joy when you taste this easy to prepare dish. Enjoy!

Manchego-Stuffed Pork Saltimbocca


2 boneless pork medallions, about 1 1/2 in thick each (the thicker they are the easier they are to stuff)
2 slices of thinly-sliced prosciutto
4 sage leaves
1/2 cup shredded manchego
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
olive oil

Season your pork with salt and pepper on each side. Cut a pocket in each pork loin, being careful not to split the medallions in half. Fill each pocket with about a 1/4 cup of your shredded cheese. On the top of each pork loin lay two sage leaves and press flat. Finally, wrap your prosciutto around the pork medallion.
Preheat oven to 350. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Once shimmering, add your medallions, sage side down. Let sear for 3 minutes on each side and then place the pork medallions in an oven-safe dish and cook the rest of the way - 20 minutes or until center is not pink.
Meanwhile, add your lemon juice and chicken stock to the saute pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the pork. Whisk in the tablespoons of butter and the dijon mustard. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer and then reduce heat. Allow to thicken and reduce while occasionally whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Once pork is done, serve over top of steamed asparagus and cover with your pan sauce.

Pork Belly here, Pork Belly there, Pork Belly EVERYWHERE!

I may be a little behind the curve on this one, but I'm starting to notice a trend at many local restaurants. Pork belly dishes are showing up left and right on menus around town! Being someone who loves most every pork product derivative, this has intrigued me. Especially because, I'd never really heard of pork bellies outside of the old movie Trading Places . Have you seen this? Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd involuntarily trade social status, but unite in the end to combat two scheming old financial cronies who trade frozen orange juice and you guessed it, pork bellies, on the stock market.

Now prosciutto, bacon, pancetta, lardons, bacon, pork loin, pork chops, sausage, bacon, and in case I didn't mention it bacon, are all part of my regular culinary vocabulary. But pork belly was a new term to me.

First there was the question of what is it? I mean it seems self-explanatory, the belly of the pig. However, there's really more to it than that.

Fortunately, my adventurous husband decided to take this new menu item on head first while we were dining at Baltimore's Cinghiale a few months ago. He did ask the waiter for a quick description of pork belly first of course - you don't go blindly into an entree that costs $30! The waiter described it as one of his favorite things on the menu, cracklin' crispy slab of pork. In my opinion though, he left out some very important details.

A quick google search brought up this very informative article that describes the much-traded stock market commodity as "Bacon in its raw, uncured state, pork belly is the fattiest part of the mature hog, thick stripes of pure white fat and rosy meat." So basically, it's fat. A thick slab of it to be precise. In fact, it's the fattiest cut of the pig you can find. And the fanciest of restaurants in New York has embraced this cut, which was apparently already well known amongst southern cooks, according to the article! It's not surprising though that southern cooks knew what to do with a slab of pure white creamy pig fat before the rest of the country.

Despite it's revival and adoption by mainstream restaurant culture, after my husband's chewy slimy experience with pork belly I think it's one part of the pig I'll be perpetually passing on. I mean honestly, to us it was like being served the part of the meat that one usually cuts off! It was greasy, very rich and just had the chewy consistency of eating, well, fat. Even the so-called crispy parts were too rubbery for my tastes!

Our experience aside, diners must be lovin' the lard because good ole' pork belly has been creeping into local restaurant fare quite a lot recently. From ethnic to American-style restaurants, pork belly has crossed all borders.

For example, Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia features an Espresso Rubbed Pork Belly served with cheese grits and an au jus sauce. They've obviously kept the southern-style to this dish.

In Baltimore, the popular new B&O American Brasserie serves a crispy pork belly cassoulet style, flavored with sage. New Baltimore hot spot Blue Hill Tavern features a pork belly appetizer with red cabbage, apple compote and calvados syrup - it sounds like a gourmet version of Peter Brady's "Pork chops and applesauce". And an old Baltimore favorite, The Brewer's Art offers a Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly appetizer that is accompanied by a sweet potato biscuit, chestnut puree, port-soaked dried cherries and natural jus.

With all this exposure lately of pork's soft underbelly, I tried to encourage my husband to maybe give it another try - even though I myself will stay far away from it. But he said it's hard to go back to a food that never sat right the first time - and wasn't cheap to boot. So while the popularity of this pig fat is a slight mystery to us, obviously others are enjoying it. Have you tried pork belly? What is your take on this fatted pig product? Or have you ever fried up pork belly in your own kitchen? I'd love to hear your experiences.

Memphis-Style Baby Back Ribs

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, I want my baby back, baby back, baby back...BAY-BEEEEEE BABY BACK RIBS!!! Don't you just picture fat bastard from Austin Powers singing this little diddy as he eyed up mini-me?? That is the image that comes into my head when I think of baby back ribs. That and the old Chili's commercial, if anyone remembers that. I found this rib recipe in an old issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. I liked that these were dry ribs - still messy, but not as messy as wet ribs. Plus, I'm not a huge fan of barbeque sauce so dry ribs are much more my speed.

This was the first time I have ever made ribs and I think they turned out pretty well! I even used the leftover meat to make a Mexican-style macaroni and cheese. Delish! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera around to photograph that. But here's the link to the recipe if you're interested Austin Mac n' Cheese Suiza - I followed it to the letter, just added shredded rib meat.

But back to the meat. The spice rub forms a flavorful crust on these juicy ribs. The cooking time might be a bit steep - I found some of them a little dry. I think you could safely cut the cooking time short by a half hour since they continue to carryover cook after leaving the oven. The sauce is quite sweet and almost ketchupy - I didn't really care for it but it wasn't too bad. In my opinion though, the ribs don't need any sauce. The spices add enough flavor. Enjoy!


Memphis-Style Baby Back Ribs
source: Rachael Ray Magazine

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 5 pounds total)
Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preheat the oven to 275°. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Run a paring knife down the length of the bone side of each rack to split the skin, then season all over with the rub.

Arrange the ribs, meaty side down, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, turning halfway through, until very tender, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the tomato sauce, onion, vinegar, brown sugar and hot sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the racks into individual ribs and serve with the sauce on the side.

Cocoa and Chile Rubbed Pork Chops

I saw this recipe in my June issue of Food and Wine Magazine . I love this magazine! It has so many recipes from easy to fancy. The variety is just great. And the photos are fabulous as well - definitely a source of inspiration on many levels.

This particular recipe was great. First you brine the pork chops and then you rub them with a spicy, salty, smoky and slightly sweet rub. The pork chops come out juicy and flavorful. I would definitely make this rub again. It seems like it would also be great on a whole pork loin as well. Or even chicken! Enjoy!

Cocoa and Chile Rubbed Pork Chops

2 quarts water
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
Four 1 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

In a large bowl, combine the water with the red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork chops and let brine at room temperature for 1 hour.
Light a grill and create a cool zone. (For a charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side; for a gas grill, leave one side unlit.) In a bowl, mix the cocoa, sugar and ancho powder with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Drain the pork chops and pat dry, removing any bits of crushed pepper. Brush generously with olive oil. Roll the pork chops in the cocoa rub and pat to help it adhere. Grill over moderately high heat for 4 minutes, turning the chops once or twice until lightly browned. Transfer the chops to the cool zone, cover and grill for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops registers 135° for medium meat. Let the chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Barefoot Bloggers: Coq Au Vin

For this week's Barefoot Bloggers, the choice was Coq Au Vin, which to me is basically a chicken stew of sorts made with red wine. I've heard tales of coq au vin's that take all day to make etc. It kind of takes on the same lore as Italian marinara sauces that simmer for hours or chicken cacciatore recipes, which boast better flavor the longer it cooks. Ina's version of Coq Au Vin is pretty simple to prepare though and can be done fairly quickly.

I did make one major substitution. Instead of using chicken parts, I used a pork tenderloin. That day in the grocery store I found a glorious pork tenderloin for only $5!

It was cheaper than chicken breasts. I decided to cut it into four equal pieces and try it out in my coq au vin. It worked out fine. This recipe, even though it had been scaled down for three people, still made more than enough to feed four people. We had a lot of leftovers, most of which ended up getting trashed since my husband and I are leftover snobs. Oh well. I just found it too heavy to eat for lunch and I'm not really one to repeat meals much twice in the same week. Like I said, leftover snobs. Hey - variety is the spice of life right? Life's too short for leftovers. Don't hate me...please!

Overall though a very good dish indeed. I did find that I needed to add some flour at the end to thicken up the liquid a bit - I found it kind of thin. I served my coq au vin with red-skin mashed potatoes, which made for a nice hearty meal.

Coq Au Vin

2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced


Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.

Add the diced pancetta and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly.

Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot.

Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer.


Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned.

Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Season to taste. Serve hot over mashed potatoes.