A Special Saturday Lunch

12/18/10: Breaded Pork Cutlets with Harvard Beets and Mashed Potatoes

Meal details: Last Saturday I pulled together a nice menu for lunch. It included pork cutlets breaded with simple bread crumbs and egg, beets braised in beet juice, sugar, and vinegar, and home-style mashed potatoes.

Defining moments: I have never made pork cutlets before nor Harvard Beets. Entirely new to me!

Recipe sources: I had no printed recipe for the pork cutlets, I was actually told how to do these by Annemarie. She loves pork cutlets and is really the reason behind me choosing cutlets for Saturday! So I can better remember how to make them later, I will write the recipe down here.

Annemarie's Breaded Pork Cutlets

Ingredients:

• 8 pork cutlets
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups canola oil
• 3 cups plain bread crumbs (I used the Panko variety, but Annemarie typically uses the finer type)
• 6 eggs, beaten with a fork
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Fill a large, deep skillet with 1/4" to 1/2" of oil and start heating oil on medium-low heat. Place bread crumbs and eggs in separate pie plates. Take a single pork cutlet and dredge it in the crumbs, dip it in the beaten egg, then return it to the crumbs. Make sure the cutlet has a good coating.

Check to see if the oil is at the right temperature by sprinkling some bread crumbs into the oil. If it starts to crackle and pop, the oil is ready. If it spurts up at you, it is probably too hot. Gingerly slide the cutlet into the oil, taking care not to spatter. Allow first side to brown, then flip. When second side is brown, remove cutlets to a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Total cooking time is between 15 and 20 minutes. Do second batch, if necessary. To keep the pork cutlets warm, cover them with aluminum foil and place in a warm (200 F) oven.

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The Harvard Beets recipe comes from allrecipes.com. Find it here. Our mashed potato recipe--a staple in my house--is very straightforward. Here is the simple recipe that we use:

Simple Mashed Potatoes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

3 pounds potatoes (about one cookie sheet worth)

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons salt

Directions:

Wash potatoes and cut them into halves. We leave the skins on, we love the flavor and texture that they add. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with 1" of water. Heat to boiling and boil until potatoes are fork tender. For us, it usually takes fifteen minutes to reach boiling point and thirty minutes to cook.

Once fork tender, drain potatoes in colander and return to pot. Mash with potato masher or use an electric, handheld blender. Stir in butter and salt.

What I learned: I am very glad to have chosen these three dishes for Saturday because I have never made them before (in the case of the cutlets and beets), or haven't made them much (speaking of the potatoes). The cutlet recipe is truly remarkable, I think, because there are no fancy ingredients evident at all. All simple, pantry staples: bread crumbs, eggs, and salt. And it isn't that hard to execute, either. May be a bit difficult the first time when coating the cutlets, but you quickly get the hang of things. And, as you will find out later in this post, the results are perhaps the true remarkable facet of this recipe!

I like the beet recipe a lot, too. Very accessible ingredients: beets, beet juice, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch.

Since we still had some beets from our past farming season, I used them for this recipe. I boiled them until they were fork tender and I kept some of the boiling liquid (beet juice) to use for the sauce. By adding cornstarch to the beet juice, I was able to make it thick and smooth.

Any modifications? No.

How did it taste? Everyone loved the pork cutlets, they were tender, crispy, and flavorful. The mashed potatoes--a tried and true side dish--was superb once again. The beets were OK. They weren't as tender as I wanted them to be; they still had a bite to them. Now, I'm not totally sure what this was caused by. Perhaps I didn't boil them long enough? Or maybe they are past their "expiration" date? I'm not sure.

How about a 2nd time? Yes.

"Orange" You Glad It's Pig? -- Pork Chops Meet Orange Marmalade

5/16/10: Pork Chops with Orange Soy Glaze and Udon Noodles alongside Hoosier Peanut Bars

Meal details: For the main course I seared 1 inch pork loin chops and braised them in a sauce that had orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and chicken stock. And for dessert I made a really intriguing bar that has a cookie-like bottom layer, a chocolate middle, and a meringue and peanut topping. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

Defining moments: First time using soy sauce for me! Yeah, it looks like I don't usually cook Asian.

Recipe sources: The pork chop recipe comes from Robin Miller, the host of Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller that airs on Food Network. I specifically chose it because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.

The Hoosier Peanut Bar recipe came from the August 2009 issue of Baker's Sheet, a newsletter written by King Arthur's Flour. Here is the recipe for those who are interested:

Hoosier Peanut Bars

Ingredients for Base:

• 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) cold water

Ingredients for Topping:

• 2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 large egg whites (from above)
• 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped lightly salted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper that goes down one long side and up the other, with some extra on each side. Fold the paper so it doesn't droop down into the pan.

For the base: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into another clean mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl; beat in the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the water until the dough is mixed; it will be stiff.

Press the dough into the prepared pan with wet fingers or using a mini pastry roller over a piece of plastic wrap.

For the topping: Spread the chocolate chips over the dough in the pan, pressing them in lightly. Whip the reserved egg whites until they become foamy. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly over the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the edges just pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while still warm. Once the bars are cool, you can pull them straight up and out of the pan using the parchment paper on the sides. Yield: 24 bars.

What I learned: The pork chop recipe was really easy to execute and I can't think of any new knowledge gained by doing this recipe. I do have some notes for the peanut bar recipe. When I was beating the egg whites to form the topping, I was uncertain on what was considered "stiff" as was said in the recipe. I know that you can easily over beat egg whites so I was biting my nails as I carefully watched my KitchenAid. I decided to stop the machine when the whites and added sugar started to look white and glossy. I then started beating it by hand to carry it to the final stage, which was, I am guessing, when it resembled marshmallow fluff. I soon found out that I was right in my assumption because the finished bars looked just like the recipe's photo.

Any modifications? I followed the bar recipe exactly but I substituted egg noodles for the udon noodles called for in the pork chop recipe.

How did it taste? The family loved both dishes! The pork chops were flavorful, tender, and paired very well with the egg noodles. My Papa said they needed more marmalade, though, so I will remember to use the whole jar next time. The peanut bars were very delicious and I love the surprise meringue topping. They look like they would be hard and crunchy but they turned out to be soft and chewy. . . Two textures I love when it comes to desserts. :)

How about a 2nd time? Absolutely.

Note: It seems to me that I almost always give a positive answer to the last question. Now that's encouraging!

My goodness! Look at all that peanut goodness!

That Dick Van Dyke Show episode comes to mind right about now. :D

Is it just me, or is my sister's photos getting better each week?

The Sweet and the Sour : Lemon Pork with Honey Applesauce

3/14/10: Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Honey Roasted Applesauce

Meal details: The sole dish for this meal consisted of a pork loin, crusted with lemon zest, salt, and pepper, seared and roasted in the oven, and served with a sauce of apples, honey, and lemon juice.

Defining moments: First time for me to sear and roast a pork loin.

Recipe sources: Both these recipes came from Michael Chiarello, the host of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello (that sometimes airs on the Fine Living channel). I chose to do these two recipes because I am part of the Food Network Chef Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Thank My Mother blog.

What I learned: One important lesson I learned this week--and this is what I gathered from my Papa--is that pork is a hard meat to overcook. That is good to know because I rather start cooking early, put it in the oven, and forget about it!
When I was zesting the lemons I wanted to try out something I saw on the show Good Eats. Alton Brown recommended placing a layer of saran wrap on top of a cheese grater on the side that looks like little stars and grate the lemons directly onto the saran wrap. And when you were done, just remove the saran wrap and scrape off the zest. I tried it and it worked perfectly! I was afraid that the saran wrap may tear but it worked out just fine and this little trick really comes in handy for me because I am without a microplane. :( Sniff. . . I'm not really crying, I think I can do without that gadget! It's a bit too fancy for me. ;)

Any modifications? Yes, I made a few. For the tenderloin recipe I used only four lemons. Some of the people who commented on this recipe said the lemon flavor was too strong, so that's why I adjusted the amount.
And the applesauce. . . I didn't cut up apples and roast them but rather took three quarts of homemade applesauce from the freezer and used that as a base. I used two quarts of smooth and one chunky and I reduced the liquid on the stove top.

How it tasted? The pork went very well with the applesauce but I couldn't really detect a lemon flavor, unfortunately. It was a good pork, nonetheless, it had good flavor and moistness. I really liked the applesauce! I love the sweet and tart combination.

How about a 2nd time? The lemon zest didn't add much flavor to the meal. . . This lack of lemon flavor could be caused by my lemon reduction but I'm not sure. No, I don't think I will go through the trouble again of trying out this recipe. I'm satisfied with the way we roast our pork already, which is placing the pork in a pan with a little water and seasoning it liberally with salt and pepper. Its simple but it is good that way. If it ain't broke, don't fix.
I will have the applesauce again, though. It was deeelicious!

Blazing Through "Braising"

5/24/09: Pork Chop Supreme and Long Grain White and Wild Rice

• Meal details: Main course, Pork Chop Supreme -- boneless, loin pork chops braised with ketchup and topped off with one slice of onion and lemon and a pinch of brown sugar

Side dish, Wild Rice -- boxed rice from Gordon's Food Service.

• Recipe sources: Annemarie's Betty Crocker cookbook was where I found the pork chop recipe. The wild rice mix we had for a side dish was a boxed rice from Gordon's Food Service.

• Defining moments: First time cooking with pork chops and first time baking rice in the oven. (I've only done it on the stove top before.)

• What I learned: I was introduced to many new things this Sunday. First, I learned that there are three different types of pork chops: shoulder, sirloin, and loin; the third being the most tender because it has the least amount of connective tissue. I used a boneless loin cut for my pork chop recipe.

I also learned what the word "braising" meant. Braising is a cooking technique where the meat (or vegetable) is seared and then later left to simmer with a bit of liquid (typically water or stock) with the pan cover on. This technique allows tougher cuts of meats to become more tender and gives richness to the entire dish because the ingredients have time to intermingle. I was very interested in learning about braising because I realized I have been doing it for years when cooking ground beef. My family likes to use partially frozen meat products when cooking because we find it less messy. (I never like those raw meat juices dripping on the kitchen counter!) Since we use meat in this state we always need to add a bit of water to the covered skillet in order for the meat to quickly, and thoroughly, thaw. In other words, BRAISING. So very interesting, don't you think?

Because I cooked some wild rice for a side dish I decided to read up on this type of rice and find out why it is called "wild." This is what I found. Ahem. Wild rice (aka Canada rice, Indian rice, and water oats) is the name given to four different species that make up the genus Zizania. Three of these species are native to North America and the fourth is native to Asia. Why is it called wild? I couldn't find any source that would answer this question directly, but from what I have read it is because these four species tend to grow along slow-flowing streams and small lakes.

• Any modifications? Nope. Did everything according to the recipe.

• How it tasted? I had rave reviews about these pork chops! They were fantastically tender and full of flavor. The brown sugar and lemon really made it special. The wild rice was a bit hard to chew (that is how wild rice is), but it was mighty tasty.

• How about a 2nd time? Absolutely for the chops, but the wild rice will probably be replaced with a softer variety.

Here are the chops simmering away in our nonstick dutch oven. Boy, it seems like I have to pull that dutch oven out every time I cook!

I'm sorry I wasn't able to take a photo of the wild rice I made--they took a little bit longer than I thought so my mind was more on them being done than on photos! But here is a reference photo from Uncle Ben's website to give you a picture of what I made. My rice resembles it very well.