Tag: Pork

Dairy-free · Holiday Food · Meat

Garlic-Braised Pork Shoulder

Belinda

Adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle

Cooking time 3 ¾ hours

This beginner-friendly, hands-off braise is for anyone seeking fall-apart pork and lots of savory sauce. After browning whole heads of garlic and the pork, the two braise with water or pork stock until the pork is shreddable, the garlic is buttery and the surrounding liquid is as flavorful as can be. Some braises are loaded with many aromatics, but this one zeroes in on caramelized garlic, a heavy hitter that can singlehandedly season a dish. Slice or shred the meat and serve with the pureed braising liquid ( minus the herbs), mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower and leek (I love this)tortillas, or bread for dunking.

Serves 4-6

3½ – 4lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than ¼-inch fat
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
4 cups pork stock made with 4 cups boiling water and 1 pork stock cube, crumbled and dissolved into the boiling water.
3-4 heads garlic, tops removed leaving 2/3 of the garlic
Good-sized bundles fresh rosemary, sage, oregano or thyme tied with butchers string. (I used thyme and rosemary)

Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper (about 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt). You can season the pork up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until using.

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic, turn up to medium-high heat then add the pork shoulder and cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3
Add 4 cups of broth, the garlic and the herbs.
Bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven, turning the pork every 30 minutes or so until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2½ to 3 hours.

Step 4
Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest for about 15 minutes (the pork, that is!).
Use tongs to squeeze the garlic halves until the cloves pop out into the braising liquid. Discard the garlic peels and herb sprigs. As the braising liquid sits, a fat cap will appear: Use a spoon to skim off most of it. Season the liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce so it becomes smooth and very creamy.

Step 5
Slice the pork against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices, or shred the pork with two forks.
Serve with the sauce in a little bowl beside the pork, or dribble some over the sliced meat to keep moist

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Meat · Pasta · Vegan

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles With Pork and Scallions

Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine

With chewy noodles, well-browned ground pork, and crunchy cabbage, this take on yaki udon (stir-fried udon noodles) gets its flavor from an umami-rich punch of soy sauce and mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine. (You might recognize the combination from teriyaki recipes.) It also has green onions for a fresh bite and a drizzle of sesame oil for nutty depth. You can easily make it vegetarian: Simply omit the pork and sub in 8 oz. shiitake or crimini mushrooms instead.

If you don’t have mirin in your pantry already, it’s easily found in many larger grocery stores, East Asian markets, and online. Some brands may be labeled “aji-mirin.” This common product is an imitation of true mirin (the name translates to “tastes like mirin”). Whatever you find will be delicious in this recipe, but if you spot hon-mirin (a.k.a. true mirin, which is quite a bit more expensive) it makes the dish even more special.

This is a weeknight-ready, quick-fire udon noodle recipe, so prepping your ingredients before you start cooking is a smart move. See the step-by-step instructions here.

Serves 4

2 tbsp avocado or vegetable oil, divided
4 cups very coarsely chopped green cabbage (from about ¼ medium head)
2 7-oz packages instant udon noodles, flavor packets discarded
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
8 oz ground pork
5 scallions, white and pale-green parts coarsely chopped, dark-green parts thinly sliced
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup mirin
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Step 1

Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add cabbage and cook, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage leaves are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set skillet aside.

Step 2

Place udon in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don’t have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain in a colander. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Transfer cabbage to bowl with noodles. Wipe out skillet.

Step 3

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is brown, about 3 minutes. The pork will never brown if you’re fussing with it the whole time, so when we say “undisturbed,” that means keep your paws off it and let the heat of the pan and the pork do their thing. When pork is browned, break up meat into small bits. Cook, tossing, just until there’s no more pink, about 1 minute.
Add chopped scallions (the pale parts), ginger, and red pepper. Continue to cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and bottom of skillet has started to brown, about 1 minute. Add udon mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are coated in sauce (be sure to scrape bottom of skillet to dissolve any browned bits), about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and fold in 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds and dark-green parts of scallions.
Top with more sesame seeds before serving.

Holiday Food · Meat

Normandy-style pork and cider braise

Belinda

Recipe adapted from Delicious magazine
Start this recipe at least one day ahead, as you want to let the fat come to the surface and scoop it off, also the flavor have time to “marry” See the *Make ahead note at the bottom.

Nothing beats a hearty, slow-cooked braise during the chilly winter months. This pork and cider recipe will not only fill you with warmth but it will also fill your home with a wonderful fragrance as it cooks too.

Serves 6

Olive oil or avocado oil for frying
4lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2″ cubes
1 lb shallots, peeled
8 oz bacon lardons or pancetta cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3 good-sized cloves garlic, crushed
6 good sized celery sticks, chopped
Large knob (a 1″-2″ lump) of butter for frying
1.5 cups (+ 1 tbsp) (350ml medium-dry hard cider, plus an extra 1 tbsp and a splash (If you can’t find medium dry hard cider, then an appley chenin blanc white wine will be fine)
1 3/4 cups (400ml) chicken or pork stock (I used 2 pork stock cubes, dissolved)
1 tbsp cornflour
7oz (100ml) crème fraîche
2 tbsp dijon mustard
A good handful fresh chopped tarragon

In a heavy braiser, season the pork cubes with salt and pepper. Heat a glug of oil in a large pan. Add the pork in 2-3 batches and brown for 6-8 minutes per batch, transferring with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the whole shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned, then transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon/pancetta with 
a splash of oil for 4-5 minutes until rendered/crisp, then scoop it out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Put the onion, garlic and celery in with the butter, then cook for 6-8 minutes over a medium-high heat until softened.

Add the pork, bacon, cider and stock, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat. Partially cover the braiser, then simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the shallots, then cook for another 1-1½ hours until the pork is tender (see make ahead).

Mix the cornflour in a small bowl with the 1 tbsp cider, add to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to thicken the sauce.
Stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and most of the tarragon, then season and add a splash more cider. Serve scattered with the remaining tarragon with crusty bread and potatoes or rice.

* Make ahead
Cook until you reach “mix the cornflour”, then cool, cover and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost, then reheat on the hob and continue.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Meat · Whole30 compliant

Bobby Parrish’s easy pulled pork in the instant pot

Belinda

Serves 6 people

FOR THE PORK
3.5-4.5 pound boneless Boston butt
Spice Rub
1 cup red enchilada sauce
Salt
Avocado oil
Water

FOR THE SPICE RUB
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Make the spice rub by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Cut the Boston butt into two pieces and season well with spice rub and a generous amount of salt.

Preheat instant pot to high or stove-top pressure cooker to medium-high with 3 tablespoons of avocado oil. Sear one piece of pork until dark and crusty all over, remove from pot and sear the other piece. Once both pieces are seared, add them both to the pot along with the enchilada sauce, and enough water to almost cover them.

Put the lid on the instant pot and set cook time for 1 hour on pressure cook high. For stove-top, once the pressure has come up, cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour is complete, allow the pork to sit in the pot for 1-3 hours then open the lid. The meat will have completely relaxed and will fall apart when shredded.

Shred the pork with two forks and skim the fat off the liquid inside the pot Use some of the liquid to keep the pork moist, it will also add loads of flavor.

Enjoy!

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Meat · Soup

Pork noodle soup with ginger and toasted garlic

Belinda

This soup, based mostly on pantry staples, can be made with a variety of proteins, noodles and greens depending on what you have on hand. Snow pea leaves are exceptional here, which can be found in many Asian grocers year-round, but spinach, Swiss chard or other dark leafy green would work well. Don’t skip the raw onion, the soup’s finished complexity depends on it.

Recipe by the wonderful Alison Roman

Serves 6
3 tbsp neutral oil, grapeseed, vegetable or canola
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb ground pork
1 ½ tsp red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari, plus more to taste
1 large bunch pea leaves or spinach, thick stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (from about a 1 1/2-inch piece)
6 oz rice noodles (thick- or thin-cut), cooked and drained
½ medium red, yellow or white onion or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped

Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium.
Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the slices become nicely toasted and golden brown, 2 or 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic and set aside.
Add pork and red-pepper flakes to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up large pieces, until the pork is well browned and in small bite-size pieces, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add chicken broth, soy sauce and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or so, until the pork is very tender and the broth tastes impossibly good. (Give it a taste and season with salt, pepper, red-pepper flakes and soy sauce, if you want.) Add pea leaves, half of the onion slices, and all of the ginger. Stir to wilt the leaves.
To serve, ladle soup over noodles and top with remaining onion, cilantro and toasted garlic.

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.

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.

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.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Meat

Roast pork belly with apple, soy and ginger

Belinda

This is a wonderful and simple recipe from the one and only Yotam Ottolenghi

The flavors in this dish are inspired by Filipino pork adobo, in which the meat is cooked in a sweet and vinegary, soy-based sauce. Here, I use apple juice, apple vinegar and whole apples to cut through that richness. Don’t be put off by the long cooking time – once everything’s in the oven, it’s mostly just a waiting game. Serve with plain rice.

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Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 30 min
Serves 4

1 whole pork belly joint (800-900g), boneless
Flaked sea salt
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 oz (40g) fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 whole star anise
3 bay leaves
3 fl oz (90ml) soy sauce
8 fl oz (250ml) chicken stock
8 fl oz (250ml) unsweetened apple juice (I use a cloudy variety)
3oz (70ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
3 medium Pink Lady apples (400g), cored and cut into quarters
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan)/365F/gas 4½. Use a small, sharp knife to score the skin of the pork in a cross-hatch pattern spaced roughly 1½cm apart, then rub a teaspoon of flaked salt into the skin, push it down into the slashes.

Put the oil in a large ovenproof saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the onion, stirring, for three minutes, just to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, star anise and bay leaves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly colored – another three minutes.
Add the soy, stock, apple juice, vinegar, sugar and black peppercorns, and bring to a simmer.

Take off the heat and lay in the pork, skin side up, taking care not to get the skin wet (it should not at any stage be submerged in liquid). Transfer to the oven, roast for 90 minutes, then remove and arrange the apples around the pork, stirring gently to coat them in the sauce and again taking care not to get any liquid on the skin. Return to the oven for 30 minutes, or until the apples have softened but still retain their shape, and the pork is deeply golden.

Gently lift the pork on to a board, leave to rest for 10-15 minutes, then cut into 1½cm-thick slices. To serve, transfer the contents of the saute pan to a serving dish with a lip, lay the pork slices on top and sprinkle with the spring onions.