Black Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Reduction

This succulent dish has all the things I love in a recipe; an easy piece of meat to work with, a super simple sauce that tastes like something that took hours, and the classic flavor combination of hot/tangy with sweet/fruity.

Our meat choice, the pork tenderloin, is one of the most user-friendly cuts ever. It requires about 3 minutes of trimming and you’re ready to rock. The sauce is made in the pan after the meat is cooked and the sweet and tangy fruit sauce pairs perfectly with the spicy black pepper crust on the pork. Since most of these tenderloins are pretty standard size at about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each, 20 minutes at 375F after a good sear in the pan is going to give you a perfect medium almost every time.

By the way, you can use any vinegar and fruit preserve in this recipe and it will be great, although there is something about cherry and black pepper that’s magical. Enjoy!

1 pork tenderloin (not loin)
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup black cherry preserves
salt to taste
lots of cracked black pepper
2 tbl butter

Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops – Somewhat, but not quite Blackened

The first culinary fade I can personally remember, was the “blackened” craze of the early eighties. Led by Paul Prudhomme, one of the country’s first “celebrity” Chefs, it seemed like everyone was coating every thing in Cajun spices and cooking it in white-hot cast iron pans until black. Now, this was a really delicious method IF done correctly, at very high heat, in a professional kitchen (which has powerful exhaust fans to remove the cloud of smoke that’s invariably produced).

The problem was that everyone was trying to do blackened fish, pork, chicken, and steak at home and the results varied greatly. The smart home cooks did this outside on the BBQ and made out OK. Many however tried to simulate this “looks great on TV” dish in the kitchen and the sounds of smoke alarms rang out across the land. If fact, I have a conspiracy theory that Chef Prudhomme was “on the take” from the Smoke Alarm companies. Of course, I can’t prove any of this.

This Chili-Rubbed Pork Chop video recipe is a kinder, gentler version of the “blackened” cooking technique. We start on high heat, but cook the chops on medium, and then finish the cooking by wrapping the chops in foil. This produces a very moist chop, as the meat has time to “rest” as it finishes cooking. Also, when you unwrap the boneless chops, there will be several tablespoons of the most wonderful natural juice (or Jus for our French friends). Almost any spice mix will work with this technique so take this method and make it your own. It was a great combination with the Sweet Corn, Shiitake Mushroom and Arugula Sauté recipe we already posted. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 7oz each, about 1 1/2 inch thick)
1 1/2 tbl vegetable oil
salt to taste
Spice Rub:
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ancho chili powder
cayenne to taste (optional)

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Glazed Peaches – A Perfect Pairing in 2 Parts

Ahh, the perfectly ripe peach. My momentary guilt for not just eating it raw was quickly forgotten as soon as I tasted this amazing sweet and savory summer combo. By the way, this was filmed last summer before I even thought about wearing a Chef coat while shooting (thanks mom). So, that’s me in the lime green Polo shirt cooking this truly delicious recipe. This was one of the first recipes I ever filmed for the web (insert standard lower video quality disclaimer here), and it’s still one of my favorites. This was actually posted here back in May, when I converted a bunch of older clips over to this blog, but since peaches weren't in season yet, I doubt too many people payed much attention.

Everything on this plate works so well together, and it’s also a very easy recipe with just a few ingredients. While I used a fresh, ripe peach, jarred or canned halves will work in a pinch. This juicy fruit is first caramelized with aged balsamic vinegar and then used in a salad sitting next to sliced, roasted pork tenderloin. As you’ll hear in the recipe I refer to another meat trimming demo (how to trim a butcher steak), as I remove the “silver-skin” from the tenderloins. Don’t bother looking around the site for that, as it no longer exists, although I plan re-shooting that one soon. I also prepare a very simple pan sauce to finish this amazing dish. This recipe demo is broken into 2 parts because of its length. In Part 1, we make our glazed balsamic peaches, and prep our pork tenderloin. We also “bruise” some rosemary …hey, that fragrant rosemary had it coming! In Part 2, we finish the pork, make our pan sauce, and “plate up” with our glazed peaches and salad. If you’ve only used peaches for summertime desserts, give this a try. You will think about our fuzzy friends in a whole new way. Enjoy!

Part 1:


Part 2:


Ingredients:
whole pork tenderloin (not loin)
3-4 rosemary sprigs
Black pepper and salt to taste
2 fresh peaches
2 tbl butter
2 tbl aged balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
olive oil
mixed greens
slice of toast to garnish

Note: If you are using fresh peaches make sure you get the "freestone" variety, not the "clingstone.” For more info on the difference, click this link to wikipedia.

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Soup

Whenever I get to travel back east in the summer I’m reminded how lucky we San Franciscans are to enjoy such amazingly pleasant weather. We just don’t get many of those hot and humid days that I’ve heard referred to as “the air you wear.” Our cool, grey city, with is natural air conditioning, always welcomes you with a breath of fresh air. While not as foggy a city as its reputation would have one believe, we do get a good layer of fog, especially as the sun goes down in the summer. Most of the time, however, we are treated to mild temperatures and clear blue skies. And that’s why the picture of the beautiful, puffy cloud in today’s post (the other reason for the cloud photo will be explained shortly). This photo was taken near my Mom’s home in Clifton Springs. It is very rare to see such big, tall, shapely clouds like this in San Francisco. Our skies come in three basic styles; blue and completely cloudless, blue with thin little wisps of clouds, or the thin layer of grey fog I already mentioned. That’s pretty much it. In fact, the first time I brought my wife Michele back to meet the parents; she noticed (and fell in love with) these impressive looking clouds right away.

Anyway, today’s video is a re-run of my wonton soup recipe that I posted back in March. One translation of “wonton” means “swallowing clouds” and has always been one of my favorite all-time food translations (and properly made a very accurate one). I’m also having the family over today and wonton soup is on the menu! I’ll be doing it with ground turkey instead of the pork you’ll see in the recipe clip. I’ll just post the video below, but if you click on this link you can go to the original post to get the ingredients and full article. Enjoy!

Stuffed and Rolled Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Pan Jus

I've recently received several emails requesting stuffed and rolled meat recipes. Since I'm still getting set up here at my moms (and recovering from that cheeseburger) I thought I would re-post this dish that ran way back in February.

Sometimes you just have to show off. This is one of my many recipes that looks very impressive to your dinner guests, but in fact is quite simple and easy to prepare. The cut we’re using here is pork “tenderloin” NOT a pork “loin.” This is the “filet mignon” of the pork. Yes, it is more expensive, but it’s all edible, and as you’ll see, it’s a very user friendly cut of meat. They are usually sold two to a package and weigh just over a pound each. If you’re not sure ask the butcher.

Think of this demo as an idea generator, not a specific recipe. Pay attention to how the tenderloin is split and stuffed, rolled and tied, but as you watch you should be thinking of ways to customize this dish to your tastes. I’m using a very standard bread crumb stuffing with garlic, fresh herbs, and dried currants. By the way, I forgot to mention in the clip, when you sear the rolled and tied pork in the pan, place the "seam" side down first to seal this part first.

My next post will cover the Dijon pan sauce I served with this pork, and soon I’ll also demo the cauliflower mash that I used as the side dish. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pound)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbl olive oil
pinch of cayenne
4 tbl dried currants

Smoked Chicken Apple Sausage with Cider-braised Cabbage and New Potatoes – A delicious reminder that it’s not winter…yet.

This recipe clip was filmed last fall and for some reason was never posted when it should have been, which was in February when I started this blog. As I watched it, I was shocked by the difference in quality compared to the clips I’ve done with the new camera. So, please excuse the momentary return to the old webcam technology.

As you’ll hear me say in the clip, this really is a great cold weather meal. But, instead of waiting 6 months to post it, I thought I would put in on the blog now for several good reasons. First of all, while it is a classic winter dish, it’s delicious anytime of the year, and the ingredients are easy to find no matter what the season. Secondly, summer cooking is all about quick and easy, and this one-dish recipe definitely qualifies. Remember “braised” doesn’t always mean slow-cooked. Lastly, what a great reminder to enjoy every wonderfully warm second of this summer, because before you realize it you’ll be raking leaves in a sweater.

One quick note regarding shopping for chicken apple sausage. Due to the recent increase in popularity of these chicken and turkey based sausages; many larger grocery stores may stock as many as 4 or 5 different brands and varieties. But, be sure to check the labels! Some brands (usually the less expensive ones) will have just as much fat as the classic pork-based sausages they’re suppose to be a healthier alternative too.



Ingredients:
4 smoked chicken apple sausage (1 pound)
1 1/2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 pound new potatoes (I like Yukon gold or red)
1 yellow onion
3 cups apple cider or juice
1 green cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
salt and pepper to salt
Dijon mustard and fresh parsley to garnish

Pork Confit - Part 2: The Quintessential Charcuterie Experience

In Part 1 of this recipe, as I hope you saw, we made a classic brine and soaked our pork for 48 hours to impart flavor and moisture. In part 2, we will slow roast the brined pork and then serve it very simply, as a classic Charcuterie plate.

First a definition for those not familiar with “char-koo-ter-eee” from Wikipedia: “Charcuterie (from either the French chair cuite, cooked meat, or the French cuiseur de chair, cooker of meat) is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as sausage and confit primarily from pork. The practice goes back to ancient times and can involve the chemical preservation of meats; it is also a means of using up various meat scraps. Hams, for instance, whether smoked, air-cured, salted, or treated by chemical means, are examples of charcuterie.”

Since the traditional method for cooking our pork confit would be to cover it completely in duck or pork fat, we’ll have to adapt for the home chef. We’ll wrap our meat in plastic wrap and then foil, and roast it in a slow oven which will get us very close to the product produced by the traditional method. After 4 hours at 275 degrees, pork is left to cool completely. This can only be sliced cold, otherwise it would fall apart, so it should be refrigerated overnight. Then we give it a very classic plating with mustard, cornichons, olives and pickled red onions. Throw in a couple slices of toasted dark bread and you are in Charcuterie heaven.

Pork Confit - Part 1: A Fine Brine for Swine

Well, as you may have read in another post a few days ago, I’m getting ready to leave for Sonoma for the Dry Creek Valley “Passport” event. So, as warned, here is another older clip converted from my previous blog. It will be new to most of you and is a classic recipe. In part 1 of this 2 part demo, we will make a “brine” for a pork shoulder which in part 2 we will then “confit.” If you saw our duck confit clips you already know that confit means to cook meat for a very long time, at a low temperature in its own fat and juices. For this pork version we are going to brine the pork first, for 48 hours, to make it even more succulent.

Brines are getting very common these days. Many restaurants brine those big thick pork chops before they hit the grill to make them extra juicy. If you’ve watched Food TV over the last few weeks you probably saw dozens of turkeys getting a dunk. There are thousands of brine recipes, but they usually all contain salt, sugar and some types of spices. The brine you’ll see me prepare here is a fairly standard mix, and a great all-purpose version. Remember, your brine will only be as good as the spices you use in it, so use fresh, top-quality varieties.

By the way, the cut of pork we are using is a pork shoulder, which is more commonly called a pork “butt” in the meat market. Why would they call a shoulder a butt? Well, let me take you back to colonial New England. Back then the upper class preferred the more tender cuts like the loin, which is found along the back (top) of the pig (that’s where the expression “high on the hog” comes from). The lower classes were left with the tougher, “lower,” cuts like shanks and shoulders. These cheaper cuts were packed and shipped in barrels called “butts.” Eventually the pork shoulder became known as a Boston butt, or just plain pork butt. I know…fascinating! With info like this you’ll be a real star at that next cocktail party.

In our next clip, we’ll “confit” the shoulder, and then…well, you’ll just have to watch part 2.



Ingredients:
3 lb Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast
1 tsp whole allspice berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 cups boiling water
2 quarts cold water

Wonton Soup – When was the last time you got to “swallow clouds?”

Half the fun of doing this blog is the research I do about the various dishes, so I can give you all a little bit of extra info in the posts. Even after so many years of cooking and eating, I’m still amazed at the new things I learn. Of course, most of it comes from wikipedia, so it may be complete BS, but what the hell, most of it sounds like it could be right. Today’s clip is a wonderfully easy wonton soup. So, I thought I better find out what exactly a “wonton” is and where the term came from. I found two translations, and boy, are they different!

The term "wonton" is mostly commonly translated as meaning "irregularly shaped pasta." But, the second translation I found is apparently from a popular Cantonese homonym that literally means "swallowing clouds." So, if given the choice between eating "irregularly shaped pasta," or "swallowing clouds," I’m going with the clouds every time!

When making wonton soup there are two basic approaches; make highly-seasoned, full-flavored wontons and cook them in a fairly plain broth, or make a more plain, subtlety flavored wonton and cook it in a highly-seasoned, full-flavored broth. You know we have to consider that old Yin Yang balance thing. My method, as seen in this clip, is closer to the first style. This is also a great soup to clean out the veggie drawers in the fridge, as almost any thinly sliced vegetables would work in this soup.

As you’ll see, the broth part of this dish is really simple, the pork filling is also extremely easy, but what scares the average cook away from trying this dish is the folding of the wontons. I have you covered! Not only do I show you how to do the basic fold in my clip, but below the ingredient list I’ve also added another clip, of another cook demonstrating three different wonton folds (and as much as I hate to admit it, he does a much better job!). So, after watching my clip, check out his clip also (he even uses a baseball analogy). Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For the Wontons:
1 pound ground pork
3 minced green onions
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 tbl fresh grated ginger or puree
1 tbl soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbl dry sherry wine
1 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
square wonton wrappers

For the broth
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock or broth
4 oz sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
sliced bok choy (or any other veggies!)
green onion tops to garnish
Note: according to your taste, you can add more ginger, onion, soy, hot pepper, cilantro, lime, lemongrass, etc. to customize this broth. I went with a very basic broth for the purposes of this demo.

Extra Special Bonus Wonton Folding Demo (thanks to Chris aka cmtoy on YT)

Lentil Soup with Braised Ham Hock

This was a viewer request from a while ago for an easy lentil soup recipe. The key ingredient for my version is the smoked, and amazingly delicious, “ham hock.” For those of you not familiar with this piece of pork, here’s what Wikipedia, had to say (It’s Friday and I was feeling too lazy to actually explain what a hock was myself).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: “A ham "hock" is the end of a smoked ham where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor the foot or ankle, but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone and the associated skin, fat, tendons, and muscle. This piece is generally comprised of too much skin and gristle to be palatable on its own, so it is largely used to be cooked with greens and other vegetables in order to give them additional flavor (generally that of pork fat and smoke), although the meat from particularly meaty hocks may be removed and served.”

If you’re new to soup making, this is a great one to start with since it’s almost impossible to screw up! It’s also very affordable. A little bit of lentils and ham hock goes a long way, and you can feed a very large group for just a few dollars.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry lentils
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart beef broth
salt to taste
fresh parsley