Dollars to Donuts posts Tagged ‘pork’

Cabbage Casserole

Posted by Dawn Welch

Cabbage is one of the biggest veggie values around. One head makes enough coleslaw to feed an army, and it can also be put to good use in this easy take on stuffed cabbage. Layering semicooked cabbage leaves into a baking dish lasagna-style with browned ground pork, rice, and tomato sauce gets you all the comforting flavors of stuffed cabbage with half the time.

Ingredients
2⁄3 cup long grain white rice
1 head (21⁄2 –3 pounds) green cabbage, cored
1 tablespoon + 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 pound ground pork
1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese

Cook the rice. Bring 11⁄3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, return to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the covered saucepan while you blanch the cabbage leaves and cook the pork filling.

Blanch the cabbage leaves. Place a large bowl filled with ice water next to your stovetop. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, carefully separate the leaves from the head of cabbage (try not to rip or tear them). Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water along with the cabbage leaves and boil until the leaves are just limp, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the leaves from the water and plunge them into the ice water to cool.

Cook the pork filling. Heat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the ground pork. Stir to break it up and cook until it is browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cinnamon and then mix in the marinara sauce and the cooked rice. Mix in the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and turn off the heat.

Assemble and bake. Arrange about one-third of the cabbage leaves in an even layer over the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Evenly cover with half of the meat and rice mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining cabbage and the remaining meat and rice mixture, ending with a final layer of cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, cover with foil, and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is golden-brown, about another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before slicing the casserole into squares and serving.

D2D
If pork sausage is less expensive by the pound than ground pork, then use the sausage instead. Just squeeze the meat right out of the casing. the extra flavor you get from the seasonings and spices in the sausage is a bonus!

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Chops au Poivre and Herbed Spaetzle

Posted by Dawn Welch

chopsaupoivreIn Germany, spaetzle is as popular as French fries, eaten with just about anything. When I started cooking spaetzle at the Cafe, people went so crazy for it that I had to start making extra batches to freeze because diners were stopping in and buying the uncooked spaetzle right off me so they could cook it up themselves at home for dinner! If only they knew how easy they are to make, based on simple pantry ingredients and some fresh herbs. They really class up a simple dish of pork chops, though!

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Chops
4 bone-in pork chops (6 ounces each, 1⁄2″ thick)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil

Spaetzle
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat or whole milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
All-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped tender herbs (such as basil, chives, or tarragon)

Season the chops. To prevent the pork chops from curling as they cook, make 2 or 3 small, vertical cuts into the fat and silver skin surrounding the meat on each chop. Season the chops with the salt. Place the pepper on a plate and shake the plate a little to evenly disperse it in a single layer. Dip one side of each chop in the pepper, then place the chop on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Make the spaetzle. Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the eggs, milk, lemon juice (if using), and salt together in a small bowl and pour into the well. Combine using a wooden spoon to create a dough. Generously flour a sheet pan. Break off pieces of dough (about 1⁄3-cup knobs), roll into a 1⁄4″-thick rope, flatten slightly, and cut into 1⁄4″-long pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Boil the spaetzle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the spaetzle until cooked all the way through, 10 to 15 minutes, and then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and place the spaetzle on it to drain for a few minutes before cooking or freezing (if freezing the spaetzle, leave it on the sheet pan and freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a few quart-size resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months).

Cook the pork chops. While the spaetzle boils, start the chops. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and then the pork chops, pepper-side down. Cover and cook the chops until the pepper is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn the chops over, and continue cooking until the chops are cooked through, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter to rest.

Brown the spaetzle. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough spaetzle to fill the pan in a single layer (you will need to brown them in batches) and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the remaining spaetzle. Transfer the spaetzle to a serving bowl and toss with the remaining butter and herbs and add a pinch of salt if needed. Serve with the chops.

D2D
Avoid small bottles of spices if you can and instead buy spices in bulk at ethnic markets, health-food stores, or warehouse stores for big savings—often up to 50 cents per ounce. that said, buy your bulk spices with caution—it doesn’t pay to purchase a big bag of ground turmeric if you barely ever use it. remember, dried, whole spices only stay fresh for about 1 year, while ground spices give you even less wiggle room at 6 months. so when it comes to spices, just buy what you will honestly use (peppercorns, dried oregano, cinnamon, whole nutmeg, etc.) in bulk—or better yet, divvy up your booty with friends so everyone can take advantage of a manageable amount of fresh spices at a fraction of the cost.

D2D
If you like to try out new wines,
a great idea is to mix and
match different kinds of wine
to create a customized 12-pack
case. Most wine shops offer a
by-the-case discount, which
comes in especially handy for

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Maple-Balsamic Chops with Glazed Carrots

Posted by Dawn Welch

maplebalsamicchopsCast-iron skillets are made to last a lifetime — I’ll take one over an expensive stainless steel frying pan any day. I’ve been using mine for years, and instead of showing its wear and tear, it only gets better with time. Tag sale finds are often already broken-in and seasoned.

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Ingredients
3 tablespoons + 21⁄4 teaspoons table salt
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 bone-in pork chops (6 ounces each, 1⁄2″ thick)
1 pound carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut on the diagonal into 1⁄4″ slices, or 1 pound baby carrots
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
11⁄2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 pods star anise or 1 cinnamon stick

Brine the chops. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt and the sugar in 2 cups of warm water in a large bowl. Add the garlic, 2 cups cold water, and the pork chops. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Parboil the carrots. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the carrots and cook until the carrots are barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.

Sear the chops. Remove the chops from the brine (discard the remaining brine), rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chops on all sides with the pepper. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.

Glaze the chops and carrots. Whisk the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the skillet, add the star anise or cinnamon, and cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until a thick, syrupy glaze forms, about 3 minutes. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn each chop to coat with the glaze, then transfer the chops to a clean plate. Add the carrots to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the chops with carrots spooned alongside.

Cook Smart
Real maple syrup is not cheap, so if you don’t have any for the glaze, make a quick brown sugar syrup by bringing 5 tablespoons of dark brown sugar to a boil with 1⁄4 cup of water.

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