This name might describe me as well as the title of this chapter. I love every aspect of pork, “including the squeak,” as the saying goes. Be careful about sausages as well as all other prepared foods; they may well contain wheat flour or bread as a binder. The other parts of the pig not found in this chapter will be in “Other Meats” (page 136).
The ingredients alone make this a gala dish, but it is not all money and show. It is delicious. It goes very well with steamed broccoli.
1 full crown roast of pork, chine bone removed, bones frenched, bones at spine end cut apart to facilitate carving (done by a good butcher)
¼ pound dried morels, preferably small
1 ounce dried porcini
⅔ ounce dried oyster mushroom slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ pound yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ⅔ cup)
⅓ cup loosely packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups cooked quinoa (see page 168)
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Carefully check the inside of the roast. Remember that the inside of the circle is the side of the roast normally on the outside. With a sharp pointed knife, remove as much extra fat as possible from the inside. If the butcher has not already done it, make little wrappings of aluminum foil to cover the exposed top bones. Place the roast in a pan large enough to hold it comfortably.
Boil 2 cups water. Add the morels and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the morels with a slotted spoon and reserve. Line a sieve with a damp tea towel. Pour the morel liquid through the cloth or a coffee filter.
Return the liquid to the pot with enough water to make 4 cups. Bring to a boil and add the porcini and oyster mushroom slices. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack on the second level from the bottom.
Meanwhile, cook the liquid in the pot to reduce to ¾ cup.
Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Coarsely chop the porcini and oyster mushrooms and any large or mushy or torn morels. Toss with the onion, herbs, salt and pepper, quinoa, caraway seeds, and ¼ cup of the reduced mushroom liquid.
Grease a 6-inch square of aluminum foil. Pile as much of the stuffing into the center of the crown roast as possible, patting it down and mounding it. Reserve any extra stuffing. Cover the stuffing with the greased foil. Put the roast in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the foil. Roast for 15 minutes more. Check the temperature of the meat with an instant-read thermometer, making sure the tip isn’t touching bone and goes toward the center into the thickest part. If the temperature has not reached 145°F, return the roast to the oven until it has.
Remove the roast from the oven. Either with a strong commercial hamburger spatula or with hands and two clean kitchen towels, move the roast to a platter. Remove the foil from the bones.
Put the pan on top of the stove. Add the remaining ½ cup reduced mushroom liquid, 1½ cups water, and any leftover stuffing. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve all the meat juices.
Serve the roast carved into chops with a large spoonful of dressing and pass the deglazing liquid as a sauce.
In addition to your carving knife and fork, be sure to have kitchen scissors on hand as string will have been used to form the crown.
SERVES 9
This is a new version of one of my old favorites, boned and rolled loin of pork. It looks and tastes sensational.
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 3-pound boneless pork loin, bones reserved if available
2 pounds cippoline or other small onions, peeled and root ends trimmed
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
Combine the marjoram, sage, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper in a shallow dish large enough for the pork to lie flat. Roll the pork loin in the spice mix until well crusted. Place in a roasting pan, along with the reserved bones toward one side.
Roast for 20 minutes. Add the onions to the pan, turning them in the liquid. Season with the remaining salt. Roast for 30 minutes longer.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast, bones, and onions to a platter. Deglaze the pan (see page 12) with ¼ cup water and drizzle the sauce around the food.
SERVES 6 NORMAL PEOPLE OR 4 OF MANY OF MY FRIENDS
Well, I made the powder for sweet treats, but I found myself licking my fingers and thinking of all the things on which it would be good. There are other recipes in the book that use this powder; but this was the first, which came out of the oven for dinner yesterday—good too. The tenderloins come two to a package. One would probably be a slightly skimpy amount for four, but two would be good for six. I served it with the Quinoa with Celery and Mushrooms (page 168) and sautéed spinach (see page 18). Soup first and berries for dessert.
If the tenderloins are frozen, refrigerate them overnight and then allow them to come to room temperature.
2 teaspoons olive oil
Two 1-pound pork tenderloins (each about 10 inches long and 2½ inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons Barbara’s Five-Spice Powder (page 202)
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack on the second level from the bottom.
Rub the bottom of a 12-×-8-×-1½-inch roasting pan with the oil. Rub each tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of spice mixture. Let rest in the pan side by side—not touching—for about 20 minutes. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn each tenderloin over. Roast for 10 minutes more.
Move the tenderloins to a serving platter. Pour off any fat in the pan. Place over high heat. Add ½ cup water, boil, and scrape to deglaze. Cut the tenderloins into 1½-inch-thick slices on the diagonal.
SERVES 4 TO 6
This makes a delicious small roast with an Asian flair. Start it well ahead of roasting—even the night before—to let the meat absorb the flavors.
1 cup gluten-free soy sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated ginger (¾-inch piece of peeled ginger)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 to 2 small cloves)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
12 drops Tabasco sauce
1½ pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 to 2 teaspoons safflower oil
Combine all the ingredients except the pork and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into a medium bowl and allow to cool. Place the pork in the bowl and cover directly with a paper towel (the towel will absorb the marinade and make sure the meat never dries out on top). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
A few hours before roasting, take the bowl out of the refrigerator.
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack on the second level from the bottom.
Spread the oil evenly on the bottom of a shallow 12-×-8-inch roasting pan. Shake the excess marinade from the pork and place the roast in the center of the pan.
Roast the pork for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 450°F and roast for 40 minutes longer, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
SERVES 4
ETUDE NUMBER TWO
HORS D’OEUVRE
When we made this, I liked it so much that I thought it would make a great munch with drinks. It does. It can also be a main course.
1 cup gluten-free soy sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated ginger (¾-inch piece of peeled ginger)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 to 2 small cloves)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
12 drops Tabasco sauce
1 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork chops, trimmed of visible fat, bones removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 to 2 teaspoons safflower oil
Combine all the ingredients except the pork and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into a medium bowl and allow to cool. Place the pork in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 hour. Place fifteen to seventeen 4-inch wooden skewers in a bowl and cover with water.
Heat the broiler with the oven rack in the top level. Spread the oil evenly on the bottom of a shallow 12-×-8-inch roasting pan. Place two pork cubes 1 inch apart on each skewer. Spread the skewers out evenly on the greased roasting pan and broil for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.
MAKES 15 TO 17 SKEWERS; SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
This version of the marinated pork shoulder is fancy enough for a party. Remarkably, the tomatoes keep their shape despite the long cooking time. The roast requires a large slow cooker. The natural sauce will be a happy addition to cooked quinoa (see page 168), teff (see page 169), or Garlic Mashed Potatoes (page 165).
1⅓ cups gluten-free soy sauce
⅔ cup rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons grated ginger (1-inch piece of peeled ginger)
1½ teaspoons minced garlic (1 to 2 cloves)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Several drops Tabasco sauce
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1½ pounds (4 to 5) small tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
10½ ounces white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick (5 to 6 cups)
1½ tablespoons fermented black beans
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and Tabasco in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into a medium bowl and allow to cool. Place the pork in the bowl and cover directly with a paper towel (the towel will absorb the marinade and make sure the meat never dries out on top). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 6 hours at cool room temperature.
Place the pork in a slow cooker and pour all the marinade over it. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook for 1 hour on high, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 hours more.
Pour the olive oil into a 10-inch sauté pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Thirty minutes before the pork is done, add the mushrooms and black beans to the slow cooker. When the pork is finished cooking, slice and serve.
SERVES 4
It is amazing how small victories can delight a cook. The other day I had bought a pork chop to serve at dinner. I was admonished that, while my pork roast was delicious and really hefty pork chops came out okay, regular pork chops tended to be dry and tough. I chewed on that for a while and decided there had to be a solution.
It is ironic that as our pork has been bred to be leaner and leaner we are being told that rare breeds—of great price—are to be prized for their fat content. It is of course that fat that kept the meat moist and tender. However, the new, leaner pork is better for us. I cogitated and am delighted to have come up with a solution.
This recipe can be multiplied to make as many chops as there are eaters as long as the sauté pan is large enough to hold them in a single layer.
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 rib pork chop (about ½ pound)
1 ounce peeled ginger, coarsely grated (1 tablespoon)
2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and thinly sliced across
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
¼ pound small tomatoes, cherry or any other shape
Put the sesame oil into a 9-inch pan over medium heat. Put in the pork chop. Cook, turning once, until white on both sides. Put the ginger and garlic around the edges. Pour the soy over all. Sprinkle with the five-spice powder. Surround the chop with the tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until white throughout.
SERVES 1
This dish would be very good served alongside some green beans, which also love sage.
One 2½- to 3½-pound boneless pork loin (8 to 10 inches long), bones reserved, if available
4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and cut lengthwise into thin slivers
10 sage leaves, rolled and cut across into thin strips
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 large turnips (about 2 pounds), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 6 wedges each
½ cup red wine for deglazing
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
With the point of a paring knife, make ½-inch slits toward the center all around the roast. Insert the garlic in the slits, accompanied by a few strips of sage. Rub the roast generously with salt and pepper.
Place the roast and bones in a roasting pan large enough to hold them surrounded later by the turnips. Roast for 5 minutes. Surround with turnip wedges in one layer. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the wedges over. Roast for 15 minutes more. Turn the wedges again and roast for 15 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. The meat might still be slightly pink. Don’t overcook the roast or it will be dry and unappealing.
Move the roast and bones to a platter. Surround with the turnips. Let the meat rest before slicing across, while preparing the sauce. Snip off the strings. The juices will collect better in a platter than on a cutting board.
Place the pan on top of the stove over high heat. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining sage. Scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to remove the glaze that will flavor the sauce. Cook until reduced by half. Serve in a sauceboat or a bowl along with the roast.
MAKES 10 GENEROUS SLICES; SERVES 6 TO 8
Like many cooks, I often shy away from cooking meat on a hot summer’s night—unless someone else volunteers to fire up the grill, of course. But roasts and other large cuts of meat do not have to be forsaken completely when it’s hot outside: simply poach them ahead of time and serve them cool, with a flavorful sauce on top. With a salad on the side, you’ve got an easy supper that cuts down on heat in the kitchen and gives the cook a well-deserved break.
This aromatic pork is accompanied by its very own sauce, which is made by puréeing the vegetables the pork cooks with and then adding a small amount of olive oil. (Be sure to ask your butcher to give you the bones after the pork loin has been boned, because they will add flavor to the sauce.)
Also be sure to turn the pork in the pot so that it cooks evenly.
2 pounds onions, quartered
¾ pound carrots, peeled and cut across into 1-inch pieces
¾ pound celery, peeled and cut across into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup sage leaves
2 cloves
6 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork loin, rolled and tied, bones reserved, if available
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a 10½-inch-wide braising pan or stockpot, bring 14 cups water to a boil with the onions, carrots, celery, sage, cloves, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and the pork bones. Add the pork loin, pushing it down into the pot until it is covered with water. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the pork and simmer for another 30 minutes. Turn the pork and simmer for 15 minutes more or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loin registers 145°F.
Remove the pot from the stove and allow the meat to cool in the liquid. Move the meat to a platter. With a slotted spoon, scoop the vegetables from the pot. In a food processor, purée the vegetables with the remaining salt and the olive oil; there should be about 6 cups of sauce.
Slice the meat across into ¼-inch-thick slices; there should be about two dozen slices in all.
Spread a cup of sauce on a medium platter or in a baking dish. Place a layer of pork slices on top of the sauce and then spread the slices with more sauce. Continue until all the sauce and meat have been used. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
SERVES 6
This may read like an oddity. Instead, it is a sensational summer supper that is also easy to prepare and lovely to look at with its soft colors. This recipe can easily be doubled or halved. The pork chops taste even better the next day, after being drenched in sauce all night.
Make extra sauce. It is also good on chicken and fish.
CLARA’S PEACHY KEEN SAUCE
2 peaches (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon safflower oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and chopped
½ small onion, roughly chopped (about ¼ cup)
¼ cup ketchup
1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar
PORK CHOPS
1 tablespoon safflower oil
Two 1½-inch-thick pork chops (¾ pound each)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5¼ cups Soft Polenta (page 170)
Heat the oven to 450°F.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Place the peaches directly on a burner over high heat and char on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the peaches from the heat, place in a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Pour the oil into a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skin and flesh from the peaches, discarding the pits, and put in the pan, breaking up larger pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the ketchup, vinegar, and ¼ cup water and simmer over medium-low heat until the peaches are fully cooked and most of the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape the contents of the pan into a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and of uniform consistency, about 4 minutes. Set the sauce aside.
COOK THE PORK CHOPS: Heat the oil in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. When the oil shimmers, gently place the pork chops in the pan. Brown the pork chops for 2 minutes, turn over, and brown for 1 minute. Place the pan in the oven and bake the chops for 8 to 10 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, remove the pork chops to a plate, and let rest for at least 5 minutes.
Warm the polenta in the microwave for 2 minutes and then spread on a large platter. Slice the pork chops off the bone into ¼-inch slices and fan out on top of the polenta. Pour the sauce generously over the pork.
SERVES 4
I recently made pork chops for dinner and wanted to do something special. I made this very simple spice mixture and have since found it good for chicken and large mushrooms as well. It serves as a replacement for breading and browns well. The mixture can be multiplied and kept tightly sealed to use as desired.
SPIFFY SPICE MIXTURE
2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
PORK CHOPS
2 extra-thick rib pork chops (about 1 pound each)
1 tablespoon olive or safflower oil
¼ cup tequila
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
MAKE THE SPICE MIXTURE: Combine the spice mix ingredients in a pie dish or flat plate. Lay the pork chops on top and turn several times to coat thoroughly.
COOK THE PORK CHOPS: Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan just large enough to hold the chops next to each other over medium-high heat. Put in the chops. Brown on each side for 5 to 6 minutes. Cover and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 12 minutes. Toward the end of the chop cooking time, put the tequila in the smallest saucepan available and heat. Pour off the fat from the chops. Carefully, with a match, flame the tequila and pour it over the chops. Allow to cook until the flames die. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
SERVES 2
Traditionally hash, the quintessential comfort food, has been the perfect answer for leftovers—as long as they included an ample supply of boiled potatoes and some sort of meat.
The ham and sweet potato hash here, adapted from a recipe by James Villas, can use leftover ingredients from a holiday dinner if you have them (if you don’t, just go for it anyway). The potatoes add an element of sweetness, and the ham gives the dish a homey, particularly American touch.
¾ pound cooked lean ham, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 pound sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 small onion, cut into small dice
½ medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, deribbed, and cut into small dice
3 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons safflower oil
In a large bowl combine the ham, sweet potatoes, onion, and green pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sage, and pepper to taste and add to the ham mixture.
Heat the broiler.
Add 1½ tablespoons of the oil to a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ham hash, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 4 minutes, gently shaking the pan occasionally to loosen the bits at the bottom.
To brown the top, invert the hash into an ovenproof dish, drizzle with the remaining oil, and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.
SERVES 4
Whether a luscious purple or a pearly light green, figs are always a special treat. Their somewhat mysterious, deep taste can be emphasized by cooking and can add a gentle, unexpected richness to meaty stews as well as desserts.
The pork stew uses pale green figs, which give the dish a pale color. In this country the green figs are likely to be Kadota, which most of us see dried. They are excellent fresh, however, with lighter meats and desserts.
Green apples add a welcome note of acidity and crispness. I serve this with white rice.
1 tablespoon safflower oil
2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 medium green figs (about 1 pound), stemmed
2 medium tart green apples, like Granny Smith, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, brown the pork, about 1½ minutes per side. As each batch is done, set it aside in a bowl. When the last batch has browned on one side, turn the pork and stir in the onion. Continue to cook, stirring, until the onion is slightly softened and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard and then scrape the mixture into the bowl with the rest of the browned pork.
Lower the heat slightly and place the figs in the bottom of the saucepan. Toss the apples in the lemon juice and then sprinkle the apples over the figs. Return the pork and onion to the pan.
Add 1 cup water and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cover. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The pork will be cooked through, and the figs and apples will be almost completely disintegrated. Stir in the remaining salt.
Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup water until smooth. Add a few ladles of hot fig sauce to the cornstarch mixture and then stir it into the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in more salt if needed and pepper to taste.
SERVES 4 TO 6
While related to chili and gumbo, this stew has an appeal all its own. I serve it with quinoa (see page 168) or rice. The stew gets better with time; ours was left in the refrigerator for two days before we ate it.
¼ cup teff flour
1½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch cubes
¼ cup safflower oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 cups tomato purée (homemade, page 208, or sterile-pack)
1½ teaspoons filé powder
3½ cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
2 cups fresh okra, the smaller the better, hard ends trimmed
2 cups frozen peas or 1½ pounds fresh peas in the pod if young and tender
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce—Trinidadian is excellent
Spread the teff flour onto a large dinner plate. Lightly coat each piece of pork in the teff. Heat the oil in a 4- to 5-quart braising pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, arrange the pork in an even layer in the pot and brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Add the onion, garlic, tomato purée, filé powder, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, covered, for 1 hour. Twenty minutes before the stew is done, stir in the okra. Five minutes before the stew is done, add the peas—unless mellowing stew in the refrigerator for a day or two.
To reheat, cook, covered, over medium heat until warm enough to eat. Ten minutes after it has started cooking, add the peas.
Season the stew with the lemon juice and salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste (be careful and add it gradually).
SERVES 4 TO 6