Tag: cooking

Cheezy Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

Posted on by Admin

Last night’s dinner was inspired by a bottle of raspberry flavoured balsamic vinegar that was gifted to me at Christmas time. (Thanks mom!) The combination of flavours in this dish is very pleasing. Sweet and sour is often paired with pork and for very good reason. I added some herbed Boursin cheese for additional flavour which I think works perfectly with this dish.

Grab your favourite lager and I trust you will enjoy this dish as much as I did!

 

What You Need:

Alberta pork loin
1 package Boursin cheese (I used garlic and fine herbs)
asparagus sprigs 6-8
Approx. 1/2 cup Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/3 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
your favourite spice
salt

To Prepare:

Here is a good illustration on how to stuff a pork loin:
http://domesticfits.com/2012/02/08/how-to-roll-cut-and-stuff-pork-loin/

NOTE: You could easily add some fresh greens, parsley or onion to the cheese mixture, however I just kept it very simple.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow the steps from the link above to stuff the loin. Add olive oil to med sized fry pan. Brown pork on both sides and transfer to the oven. Cook for approximately 30-35 mins or until desired internal cooking temp is reached.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan add raspberry balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and water. Gently bring to a boil stirring continuously until slightly thickened. DO NOT BURN. Pour a little of the balsamic reduction to the pork and finish roasting.

Wash asparagus spears and prepare by breaking off the dry ends. Lightly cook in steamer or sauté in small fry pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

Serve pork tenderloin over asparagus and pour on the remaining glaze. Enjoy!

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Sauce

Posted on by Admin

pork tenderloin bbq

Pork month may have ended but my passion for pork certainly has not. This past weekend we entertained around twenty guests at our home in celebration of Canada Day and, well… BBQ SEASON! It’s always good day when I have an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. But catching up with good friends and sharing laughs with amazing food is what summer is all about, right?

When I was choosing what to serve, my inspiration for this dish actually came from one of our Calgary chef’s pork month specials which included apricots. Pork tenderloin is always a great choice because it cooks up easy, is very nutritious and super tender. This spice combination has a delicate balance of flavour. The bacon contributes more flavour and saltiness while finishing with a warm apricot reduction, I think completes this dish with a perfect zesty sweetness. So… here is my recipe, please eat responsibly! (if you can)

carrie mullaly

 

WHAT YOU NEED

This recipe is for two pork tenderloins, approximately one pound each.
*Note: I am dressing a whole tenderloin in the photo above. 

THE RUB:

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

pinch himalayan sea salt
TIP *Because the bacon adds salt, I used very little additional salt. 

MORE PROTEIN:

1/2 package sliced bacon of choice
*I used side bacon. 

APRICOT SAUCE:

8- 10 fresh apricots

1-2 tbsp honey or granulated sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

HERE’S WHAT TO DO 

Mix all the spices for the rub in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat barbecue grill to low-medium – medium heat.

Clean and trim off excess connective tissue from tenderloin(s) if needed. 

Using your hand, rub the spice mixture evenly across the meat until all of the meat is covered on one side. Roll the tenderloin(s) and continue to rub the spice mixture until it is completely covered.

Next, take individual bacon slices and wrap them around tenderloin(s) slightly overlapping each section. Leave approximately 1 inch on both ends of the loin uncovered.

Wrap the loins in tinfoil and barbecue on medium heat, turning once until internal temperature is just under 71 degrees. (68 or so degrees) Remove and let stand for 3-5 mins. 

While the meat is cooking, prepare the apricots by pitting and slicing them into even pieces. Add them to a medium skillet with the olive oil. 

Sauté apricots on medium heat until tender. Add the sweetener and simmer on low for several minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened and chunky. 

Slice the tenderloin and serve immediately with warm apricot sauce.

6 Ways To Use Braised Pork

Posted on by Dan Clapson
Braised Pork soup
Adding braised pork to something like French onion soup will make everyone around your table very, very happy.

Happy New Year! I hope you haven’t decided on giving up on all of your resolutions as of yet because I’ve got one more for you to aim to stick to for 2015…finding more creative ways to use braised pork! Obviously! Now, we’ve all had delicious pulled pork sandwiches, but there is so, so much more you can do with the slow-cooked piece of meat that you may have never considered before.

Firstly, here’s a basic braised pork recipe to start off with and here are 6 ways for you to to use the finished product when you’re cooking up a meal at home. 

Biscuits

Try using a simple biscuit recipe and stuffing some braised pork in the middle, folding the dough over-top and then baking. A little pocket of tender, meat-y goodness. Best when eaten warm on a chilly day!

Breakfast Hash

Skip the bacon (gasp!) and try adding some braised pork into your basic breakfast hash. Cook until the pork starts to get a little crispy on the bottom, then top with a fried egg. Breakfast of champions.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

It’s true, you can shove pretty much anything between two slices of bread with some cheese and grill it to perfection. Try smearing the bread with some grainy mustard, a bit of barbecue sauce, topped with braised pork and provolone cheese. The result? An ooey-gooey mess of a meal, but definitely a delicious one.

Pasta

Kick the typical bolognese (meat sauce) and try adding a generous amount of the pork into a homemade tomato sauce. Cook up some spaghetti, then toss the pasta with the meat, along with a splash of lemon juice, pesto and olives for a surprisingly filling dinner that isn’t loaded with a million calories. I mean, it is January, after all…

Soups

As pictured above, braised pork is something that doesn’t grace many soup pot, which is a shame. Such a shame! Everyone’s had a bowl of chicken noodle soup before, so why not try adding in some of this pork near the end of the cooking process instead of the chicken and a richer flavour and more tender texture. Beef and Barley? More like braised pork and barley. Actually, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a soup that the pork won’t go well with.

Vegetable Dishes

Whether you’re roasting carrots, brussels sprouts or cauliflower, give some cooled braised pork a rough cut, toss it with the sliced vegetables along with some oil and spices and roast until everything starts to caramelize. Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and you’re pretty much winning at life, kid!

Recipe: Brined Pork Chops with Peperoncini Tapenade

Posted on by Dan Clapson

Pork Chops and Tapenade

Do you know what kicks ass? Brining your meat. I definitely don’t do it often enough, but when I do I am always amazed at how much flavour gets packed into the pork I’m cooking with. I had a potluck with some friends over the weekend and decided to attempt to dazzle the hungry attendees with some beautifully cooked bone-in chops.

I served them platter-style, by thinly slicing the meat after I let it rest for a few minutes. Keep things simpler at home by serving the chops whole with a little of the tapenade (which is delicious on just about any roasted meat, by the way) on top. Dinner is served!

What you’ll need…

Brine and Chops:

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp pickling spice

3 cloves garlic

1 sprig fresh rosemary

4 bone-in pork chops

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter

Peperoncini Tapenade:

6 peperoncini peppers (diced)

8 kalamata olives (pitted and minced)

1 clove garlic (finely grate, use a microplane if posibble)

1 lemon (zest and juice)

2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)

2 tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

To make the brine, place all ingredients except the chops in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a small, shallow baking dish and pour brine over top. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

In the meantime, you can quickly make the tapenade by placing all ingredients in a small bowl and mixing well with a small spoon. For a less chunky tapenade, use a food processor or blender and puree to desired level of smoothness. Set aside until  you’re ready to plate.

After the pork chops have been brined, remove from baking dish and pat dry with paper towel. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, heat up a large pan on high heat with the canola oil. Once hot, begin to brown the chops. Once the first side is browned, about 2 minutes, flip over and add in the butter. While the chops continue to cook for the next 2 minutes, tilt the pan towards you and carefully spoon the butter/oil mixture on top of the meat.

If you’re using an oven-safe pan, then pop the pan straight into the oven and let cook for 12 minutes, or until the pork chops are a nice ‘medium rare’. If not, transfer to a baking dish to finish in the oven. Let sit, covered with tin foil for 4-5 minutes before serving.

Top each chop with  generous spoonful of tapenade and enjoy!

Serves 4

Total cook time…6 hours, 25 minutes