swiss chard Archives - Passion for Pork

Recipe: Swiss Chard with Crispy Chorizo and Lemon

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Dan Clapson

As much as I love my greens, sometimes they need a little spicing up by means of meat. I love trying out all of the different kinds of salami from my local grocery store and this week, I got some slices of chorizo. It’s salty, a little spicy and goes well in almost anything from a basic sandwich with lettuce and tomato to a big bowl of cooked swiss chard like this one.

I also was able to find some crispy-fried hominy (basically like really big corn kernels) on a separate shopping trip recently, so used some of that to finish things off for a little crunch. If you can’t find hominy, don’t worry about it, try using some homemade croutons on top instead!

What you’ll need…

2 tsp canola oil

4 1/4″ thick chorizo slices (diced)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lemon (zest and juice)

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 bunch of rainbow swiss chard (washed, ends trimming and roughly chopped)

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 cup fried hominy (crushed into chunks with a mortar and pestle)

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the diced chorizo and cook until crispy on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to paper towel to absorb any excess fat.

In the same pan, melt butter, then add lemon juice, zest and vinegar and let cook for 1 minute.

Add in the chopped chard and cook until tender, stirring regularly, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish.

Add the crispy chorizo to the dish, toss several times to mix, top with crispy hominy and serve.

Serves 2-3

Total cook time…12 minutes

Recipe: Swiss Chard-wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Posted on August 30, 2013May 31, 2014 by Dan Clapson

This is a bit of an unusual recipe. Since it’s late August, home gardens – and farmers’ markets, of course – are teeming with big, bold leaves of Swiss chard. Chard is a hardy green that holds up to hot temperatures better than spinach. This recipe keeps a pork tenderloin perfectly moist, being nicely wrapped up in some large leaves of Swiss chard.

The filling, made of onion, apricots, tomato and arugula is sweet and savoury. A summer stuffing, if you will. Is that a thing? It should be. Nonetheless, enjoy this for dinner this long weekend!

What you’ll need…

1 pork tenderloin (3.5-4lb)

1 sweet onion

3 cloves garlic

2 fresh apricots

1 cup baby arugula

1 tomato

4-5 swiss chard leaves

2 TBSP sundried tomatoes

1 TBSP dried oregano

2 TSP himalayan (pink) salt

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup white vinegar

salt & pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Take a small pot, fill two thirds with water, add the 1/2 cup of white vinegar as well, and bring to a boil.

While you’re waiting, chop the onion, tomato, apricots and mince the garlic. Place the onion and minced garlic into a medium pan on medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the onions have softened add in the chopped tomatoes and apricots. Add the oregano, 1 TSP himalayan salt turn to low heat and let simmer for 6 minutes. When the time’s up, fold in the baby arugula and remove from heat.

Blanch the swiss chard leaves in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Set aside until you’re ready to wrap the tenderloin. The vinegar just gives the swiss chard a bit of a kick.

If you’ve never ‘roll cut’ a pork loin, the easiest way to explain it is to cut into the loin in a ‘c‘ shape starting an inch from the top and ending an inch before the side. The loin should then fold open easily. Take the tomato-apricot mixture and place into the pork. Fold back up, wrap with the swiss chard leaves (each leaf should be able to wrap around the loin once width-wise). Tie up with 3 pieces of string (also width-wise) and place into a roast pan.

In the bottom of the roast pan add the 1/2 cup of red wine, remaining garlic and himalayan salt. Cover with the roast pan with tin foil, poke a few holes and place in your pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

When the time comes to unwrap, you will have an intensely moist pork roast, with an awesome filling, not to mention a delicious jus at the bottom of the pan. I took the jus and sauteed up some fresh beans and garlic with it. Tasty! Any seasonal veggies would be a great accompaniment, though!

Serves 4

Total cook time…1 hour

Four Ingredients That Pair Well With Pork

Posted on January 29, 2013June 2, 2014 by Dan Clapson

A simple pork roast or tenderloin can be beautiful enough, all on its own, but just like people, meat can always use a compliment or two. Like the dish above, there are a ton of great ways you can fancy up a pork-centric dinner in your own home!

Here are 5 ingredients that can help pork become the centre of attention on a dinner plate.

1. Apples

The sweetness of apples is a great balance to a roasted pork chop. Apple sauce is easy to dollop on, but try thinly slicing a couple apples and sauté them in some butter and salt and pepper until soft. Serve warm on top of pork chops.

2. Red Wine

As lovely as it is to sip on a glass of red wine with a tender pork roast, you can use it in the cooking process too! If you’re popping a roast into your oven or slow cooker for a long while, add a couple cups of red wine to the braising liquid for a nice, rich flavour.

3. Swiss Chard

These vibrant greens add colour and intensity to any plate. Thinly slice and blanch in salted, boiling water under tender. Great served with stew or slow-cooked pork back ribs.

4. Oranges

Their juice makes a nice addition to marinades. Right before serving a pork tenderloin, slice and sprinkle with sea salt and finely grated orange zest for a bright flavour combination!