Category: Meat

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Pork Sausage & Apple Stuffing in Pancetta Cups

Belinda

Stuffing baked in pancetta cups! These are fantastic made on the day but even better the day after because the flavors meld together even more. They reheat very well in the oven – both the pancetta and the tops crisp up again in the oven.

16 slices of pancetta, around 12cm/5″ in diameter (so it fits the muffin tin nicely)
1 lb / 500g Italian pork sausage, casings removed
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 granny smith apple, skin on, finely chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds, roughly chopped
5 cups slightly stale white bread, cut into 1/3″ / 1cm cubes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth (or turkey)
1/2 cup heavy cream (not whipped)
1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried sage)
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F/180C with the oven rack in the middle.
Get 2 muffin trays and partially stack them so you have 16 muffin holes and the “joined” muffin tins will fit on one shelf (Note 4).
Line the holes with pancetta.
Heat a large fry pan over high heat. Add the pork sausage and cook it, breaking up the meat as you go. Cook until the sausage changes from pink to light brown and some of the bits starts to brown – about 5 minutes.
Remove the sausage into a bowl and drain the excess fat.
Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium high. Add the butter, and once melted, add the onion and celery. Sauté for around 3 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the apple and almonds, and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes.
Remove the fry pan from the stove. Add the bread and gently stir to combine.
Add the chicken stock/broth, cream, sage and thyme and sit to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the egg and stir until mixed through.
Divide the mixture between the 16 pancetta cups.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

To make ahead, transfer to a cooling rack. Cover and refrigerate until required. Then reheat in a 180C/350F preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the pancetta and top is crispy.
* Use a good quality loaf like Vienna or cob loaf. This recipe is not suited to supermarket sandwich bread – it becomes too soggy. It is also not suited to sourdough because then there will be a slight sour flavor.
**The bread should be slightly but not rock-hard stale. It is recommended to cut into cubes and leaving it overnight on the counter, uncovered, spread on a tray. I cut it into cubes, put it into a cold oven, turned it on to 180C/350F, then turned it off after 5 minutes and left the bread in there for 15 minutes or so while I got on with the rest of the recipe. This worked perfectly.

Meat

Sweet and saucy pork chops

Belinda

From Bon Appetite Magazine
For weeknight-friendly pork chops that cook in record time but are still succulent, we turn to an unexpected ingredient: sugar.
A pinch sprinkled over the surface helps the chops caramelize and develop a golden-brown crust before the meat has a chance to dry out. For maximum juiciness, we finish cooking them in a buttery-tangy pan sauce that then gets spooned over just before serving

I buy my pork chops from the wonderful website “D’Artagnan” and I get the 12-14oz Berkshire Pork Porterhouse chops. They are so moist and marbled and taste much better than regular pork.

2 1″-thick bone-in pork rib chops (look for the most marbled ones you can find, preferably with some fat cap too)
Kosher salt
1½ tsp. sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 sprigs rosemary
1 Tbsp. drained capers
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Season the pork chops with salt and sprinkle evenly with ½ tsp. sugar. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook chops, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook just until second side is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Transfer chops to a plate (they won’t be fully cooked); reduce heat to medium.

Pour remaining 1 Tbsp. oil into same skillet and add shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.

Add vinegar and remaining 1 tsp. sugar to skillet. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until vinegar is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add rosemary, capers, and ½ cup water (or chicken broth) to skillet; season with salt. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a very low simmer. Add butter and swirl pan continuously (and vigorously) until sauce becomes smooth, glossy, and emulsified.

Return pork chops to skillet, arranging darker side up. Simmer gently in sauce, swirling occasionally, until chops are cooked through, about 3 minutes (a thermometer inserted near the bones should register 135°).

Transfer pork chops to plates and spoon sauce over.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Meat · Rice

Cantonese Beef Rice Bowls

Belinda1 Comment

I keep 3 or 4 1lb packages of organic ground beef in the freezer for those “What am I going to cook today?” sort of days. Here is another lovely recipe with a difference from food blog “The Woks of Life” I highly recommend the blog too.

Cantonese beef rice bowls are made with browned ground beef, simmered in stock, spices, oyster sauce, soy sauce simmered to perfection and served over rice.

1 tbsp oil
1lb ground beef (450g)
1 medium onion (finely diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 cup chicken stock (590 ml)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
steamed rice (to serve)

Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and cook until slightly browned, breaking up any large chunks of beef. Add the onion, garlic, and Shaoxing wine, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the onion is translucent, and then add the chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the peas, and stir-fry for one minute.
Stir up the cornstarch slurry (since the starch will separate from the water when left to sit), and drizzle the slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken until it coats a spoon. If it’s not thick enough, add more cornstarch slurry (a couple teaspoons at a time) or simply let the sauce simmer and reduce a bit longer. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water. You can make these adjustments until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
Serve over steamed rice!

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

Chinese spaghetti bolognaise

Belinda

Recipe from the blog “The Woks of Life”

I thought this was such a cool idea when I found this recipe. Fusion food at it’s best

8 oz. dried spaghetti (225g)
Salt
1 tbsp oil
12 oz. ground beef (340g)
1 medium onion (finely diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
2 cups chicken stock (475 ml)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions, undercooking it by about a minute (it will finish cooking in the sauce). While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce.
Heat a wok over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and cook until slightly browned, breaking up any large chunks of beef. Add the onion, garlic, and Shaoxing wine, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the onion is transparent, and then add the chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the peas, and stir for one minute.
Stir up the cornstarch slurry (since the starch will separate from the water when left to sit), and drizzle the slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken until it coats a spoon.
Drain the pasta, and add it directly to the wok. Toss until the pasta is coated in sauce. Feel free to add some of the pasta cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick, and add more cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin.
Serve!

Meat

Pork tenderloin with gorgonzola butter

Belinda1 Comment

This is a wonderfully simple and highly flavorful dish to make, especially if you want to impress!

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Serves 6

4 pork tenderloins, approx 2lbs in total
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil, for the frying pan
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
3/4 cup (180ml) whipping cream
1/4 lb (113g) gorgonzola cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp minced chives

Preheat the oven to 350F
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper.
Oil a heavy cast iron frying pan lightly with vegetable oil and heat over high heat.
Add the pork and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins until cooked through but still a bit pink

In a small saucepan, reduce the wine over moderate heat to 1 tbsp (15 mls)
Add the cream and reduce by half.
Remove from the heat and whisk the gorgonzola and butter into the sauce, whisking constantly until incorporated. Season to taste and add the chives.

To serve
Slice the tenderloin into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices and place on heated plates.
Surround with the sauce and serve immediately with some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Meat

Roast pork tenderloin with stir-fry cabbage and spiced figs

Belinda

Recipe by Nigel Slater

This is so lovely with the spiced cabbage and red onion stir-fry.

roast pork with figs Nigel Slater

Serves 3

1lb pork tenderloin, silver-skin removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds ( love to roast my cumin before using)
1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
8 green cardamom pods
3/4 lb cabbage leaves
6-8 fresh figs
6 tbsp white vermouth

Make sure the tenderloin is dry to the touch, patting it with kitchen paper if not, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a roasting tin over a moderate to high heat then add the pork and brown lightly, turning it from time to time so all sides color to an even toasty brown. About 6 or 7 minutes.
Remove the roasting tin from the heat, lift out the pork and leave to rest under a large upturned bowl or a piece of foil.

Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat, add the onion to the fat and oil already in the tin, then leave to cook over a moderate heat, with an occasional stir, for 15-20 minutes, until soft and sweet.

Put the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar. Crack the cardamom pods, extract the tiny brown seeds from within and add them to the spices. Pound to a coarse powder with a pestle. (A spice mill will do it even more quickly.)
Stir the ground spices into the onion and continue cooking.

Wash and dry the cabbage leaves, then stack one on top of another and roll them up. Now shred them into ribbons about 1/8 ” thick. Stir the cabbage into the onion, tossing well with 2 spoons or a pair of tongs, to mix everything thoroughly.

Slice the pork into 1″ (3cm) thick pieces.
Cut the figs into quarters, depending on their size.
As soon as the cabbage has wilted – about 2 minutes – remove the mix to a warm serving dish and cover.
Pour the white vermouth into the pan and let it bubble furiously for 30 seconds, then return the slices of pork and their resting juices, along with the figs, to the pan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the meat, figs and juices over the cabbage and onions and serve.

Meat

Beef and eggplant fatteh

Belinda

Recipe by Nigella Lawson
“This is a subtly textured, richly flavored arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. I think of this rather as a refined, Middle-Eastern form of nachos.”

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Serves: 4-6

FOR THE BASE:
4 pita breads (split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles)
FOR THE TOPPING:
2 cups full-fat greek yoghurt
5 tbsp tahini (at room temperature)
1 – 2 lemons (to give 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)

FOR THE AUBERGINE-BEEF LAYER:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
1 medium-large eggplant (cut into small cubes)
2 tsp ground cumin (I roast mine)
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
1 – 2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1lb ground beef

TO SPRINKLE OVER:
¾ cup pomegranate seeds
⅓ cup toasted pinenuts
1 tbsp mint (finely shredded leaves)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the pitta triangles out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, or until they are crisp. You don’t need them to color, but if they do just a little here and there, that’s not a bad thing. Set the pitta triangles aside for the moment.

Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. Taste to see if you want any more salt. Put to one side while you cook the eggplant-beef layer.

Warm the oil in a wide, though not deep, heavy-based saucepan or casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and carry on cooking it, still stirring occasionally, until soft and a pale caramel color. This will take another 4 minutes or so.

Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the eggplant cubes and stir well to mix with the onion. Stay by the hob as you will need to stir frequently, and cook them for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if they look as if they’re catching.

Stir in the cumin, coriander and a teaspoon each of Aleppo pepper and kosher salt and, now over a high heat, add the ground beef and use a fork to break it up a little and turn in the pan until it’s lost its red color.
Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Taste to see if you want to add more salt, then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yogurt sauce.

Pour some just-boiled water into a fresh pan, enough to come about 1¼ inches up the sides, and put over a low heat. Sit the bowl with the tahini-yogurt mixture on top, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Beat well until the yogurt is slightly above room temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped cream.

Now for the grand assembly: arrange the crisp pitta triangles on a large round plate (I use one of about 12 inches diameter). Top with the eggplant-beef mixture, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper (or paprika, if you’re using that) to give a light dusting. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and, finally, strew with the finely shredded mint leaves. Eat with your fingers, nacho-style.

MADE AHEAD/STORE:
The pitta can be toasted 1-2 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container. The aubergine-meat layer can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate, within two hours of cooking, in an airtight container. Return to the pan and add a splash of water, then reheat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.

FREEZE:
Meat layer can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

One-pot pork shoulder ragu

Belinda

On their blog “Dinner: A Love Story”, Andy Ward & Jenny Rosenstrach call this “Instant Dinner Party,” because you can make the ragu completely ahead, even a day or two before. Whether you serve it that day or reheat it for a party tomorrow, “It will make the house smell amazing,” Jenny said, “Which, in my opinion, counts for more than flower arrangements when having dinner guests.

Whatever ragu is left is a boon: over polenta, in tacos, on sandwiches, or frozen and awaiting more dinners.

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2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast, tied with twine if there are any loose pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small pat butter
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice
1 cup red wine
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 sprigs fresh oregano
1 Small handful of fennel seeds
1 tbsp hot sauce, for smokiness (Andy used Trader Joe’s Hot Chili Sauce, but Sriracha and Tabasco both work great, too)
1 pound Pappardelle pasta
1 handful Freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 325° F.
Liberally salt and pepper the pork roast. Add olive oil and butter to large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high until butter melts, but does not burn. Add pork roast to pan and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes in all.

Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, wine, thyme, oregano, fennel, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, and put in oven.
Braise for 3 to 4 hours, turning every hour or so. Add more liquid (water, wine, or tomato sauce) if needed. (The liquid should come to about 1/3 of the way up the pork.)

Meat is done when it’s practically falling apart. Put on a cutting board (remove the sprigs of herbs at the same time) and pull it apart with two forks, then add back to pot and stir.

Cook 1 to 2lbs pasta according to package directions.
When it’s is ready, put into individual bowls and top with ragu and lots of Parmesan.
Alternately, toss the pasta with the ragu and a bit of pasta cooking water, as needed, and top with Parmesan.

Appetizers · Baking · Holiday Food · Meat · Nuts

Stilton, date and walnut sausage rolls

Belinda

These cook-from-frozen sausage rolls make entertaining a breeze. Love the combination of salty sausage meat and stilton with sweet dates. Give them a go and watch them disappear in seconds.
Recipe c/o Delicious Magazine

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Makes 24
2oz (50g) walnut halves
18 oz (500g) puff pastry, chilled
Plain flour for dusting
1lb (350g-400g) pork sausage meat or 6 good quality free-range pork sausages, skins removed
(5oz)150g stilton cheese, rind removed and crumbled
3.5oz (100g) (about 5) pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
Butter for greasing

Heat the oven to 400F/200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and toast for 6 minutes. Remove and leave to cool, then coarsely chop.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 16″ (40cm) x 11″ (26cm) rectangle, then cut in half lengthways to make two long strips.
Put the pork sausage meat, walnuts, stilton, dates and parsley in a mixing bowl, then mix together with your hands until well combined. Divide the mixture in half and shape each half on a sheet of cling film to make 2 long sausage shapes the same length as your pastry.
Lay one sausage down the centre of each piece of pastry, brush 1 edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg, fold over the pastry and press the edges together to seal. Mark along the edge with the tines of a fork. Cut each strip across to make 12 rolls (see Make Ahead) or chill, spaced slightly apart, on buttered baking sheets, loosely covered with cling film, until ready to bake.
Brush with a little more beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

Make ahead
Layer the unbaked sausage rolls in lidded freezer-proof boxes, separated with pieces of non-stick baking paper, and freeze for up to 1 month. To cook from frozen, brush with lightly beaten egg and bake on lined baking trays for 25-30 minutes until golden and puffed.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Aromatic braised lamb with prunes and pistachios

Belinda

 

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Recipe from Delicious magazine

1 tbsp light olive oil
1.5 lbs (600g) lamb neck, cut into bite-size pieces
2 onions, sliced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp cumin seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
1 tsp ground allspice
20 fl oz (600ml) chicken stock
4oz (100g) soft dried prunes, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp pomegranate molasses to taste
Bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
3oz (60g) shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
Steamed couscous or quinoa, to serve

Heat the oven to 375F/190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole dish (with a lid) set over a medium heat. Working in 3 batches, add the lamb and brown all over, then remove from the casserole and set aside on a plate.
Add the onions to the casserole dish and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the garlic, cumin seeds and allspice, then cook for another minute.
Return the lamb and any resting juices to the casserole, then add the stock. Season, bring to the boil, then add the prunes.
Cover with the lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender.
Add the pomegranate molasses, season, then sprinkle with cilantro and pistachios and serve with couscous or quinoa.