Pork Chops in White Wine Sauce

I used a couple of the boneless pork chops we got with the 1/2 pig. This recipe was easy and very yummy.

Pork Chops in White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 teaspoon of dried sage

- 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- 2 teaspoons of butter

- 1 teaspoon of olive oil

- 4 one-inch thick pork chops

- 1/2 cup of dry white wine and 1/4 cup of dry white wine

Preparation Instructions:

1. Combine the garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Press a little of

this mixture firmly into both sides of each of the pork chops.

2. In a heavy skillet, melt the butter and the olive oil. Brown the pork

chops on both sides, using tongs to turn carefully. Remove and pour off

all but a small amount of fat from pan.

3. Add 1/2 cup of the dry white wine and bring to boil. Return the pork

chops to the pan.

4. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the chops are tender when pressed

with tip of knife (about 25-30 minutes).

5. Once ready to serve, remove the pork chops to a heated plate and cover with foil.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine to the skillet and boil down to a syrupy glaze.

6. Pour over the chops and serve.

Cook's Notes: The chops were tender and juicy. The reduction of the white wine took

about 5 minutes. I will definitely make this meal again.

1/2 a Pig

On Tuesday afternoon following a busy day at GE, I went to the Pinckney Meat Market to pick up our 1/2 of a pig. The meat was frozen and it fit nicely into two coolers for the drive home. I got home about half an hour later and unloaded the pork into our stand up freezer. We are set for beef and pork protein for quite a while. I am really looking forward to experimenting with some cuts of beef and pork that I have not cooked before.

Debrief of Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This meal was nothing short of fantastic. The meal took all of 20 minutes to prepare and cook.

I mixed the mustard and honey, and I sprinkled some salt and pepper on the chops before I put them into the pan. I cooked the chops for 15 minutes and I checked the internal temperature of the meat with an instant read thermometer. The chops were tangy and tender and I will definitely make this dish again.

This little piggy went to market

Deirdre writing, Paul cooking ...
The little piggy purchased through a local farmer came home on Tuesday. Paul picked up the pieces on Tuesday night. And he is making the first recipe with bee-u-ti-ful chops in honey mustard sauce. The honey is local too. Even the BEER is local. :) We've gone native and we are loving it.

6 lean cut boneless pork chops
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
low fat cooking spray like Pam

Mix the honey and mustard together
Spray pan with cooking spray
Brush mixture on while cooking pork chops
Cook until fully done

Stand by for cook's notes and pictures. You know, there are ALWAYS pictures. :)

New Flank Steak - UPDATED

Deirdre writing:

I get updates from GE Appliances based on several purchases during our kitchen remodel. I used to just delete them until I discovered their recipe section. These are SERIOUSLY amazing recipes, so fabulous that I actually sent the people who run the recipes an email of gratitude. To my surprise, I received a response! All recipes are thoroughly tested before publication. Now, that's a job I want!

Here is a new recipe for flank steak. Though we haven't made it yet, I suspect that we will replace the sugar with Splenda.

Marinated Flank Steak Recipe
Yield: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients
1 large flank steak
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1-teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-teaspoon salt
Preparation

1. Slightly score a flank steak diagonally on both sides with the tip of a knife.
2. Mix the other 5 ingredients and let flank steak marinate in remaining ingredients in a zippered bag or large casserole dish for several hours.
3. Grill for several minutes on each side, until desired doneness.
4. Slice in thin slices on the diagonal.

COOK'S NOTES - Paul made this Saturday night and I really wondered about cinnamon and beef. Whoa, it was good but it was missing something. Paul used Splenda instead of sugar and the next time we make it, we will swap out Splenda with brown sugar. I can just tell you that it works and works well.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH BOURBON MARINADE

I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was nothing short of fantastic. We served it with asparagus and a tomato vinaigrette, and washed it down with a bottle of 2005 Lolonis Merlot, conveniently purchased at Art of the Table. This recipe is too good not to share:

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH BOURBON MARINADE

Ingredients:
• 1 cup good bourbon
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 1 beef tenderloin, about 5 pounds, trimmed

Preparation:
Combine bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, cilantro, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, water, and thyme. Fold the tail end of the beef back underneath itself so that it is an even thickness. Secure with cooking twine and place in a nonreactive dish or pan. Pour marinade over tenderloin, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours. Turn meat from time to time to keep it coated with marinade. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the roast into a cast iron skillet or roasting pan and add enough marinade so that there is 1/2-3/4 inches of the marinade in the skillet/pan. Cook the roast, uncovered, basting occasionally. Cook the roast until an internal thermometer reads 127F for medium rare, 133F for medium and 138F for well done. Once the roast reaches desired temperature, remove from the oven and place on a cutting board and reserve the remaining marinade. Loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

While the roast is resting, heat the skillet/pan over medium high heat. Reduce the liquid until it has the consistency of light syrup. After the reduction is done, slice the roast, serve and spoon the reduction over the meat.

Serves 6-8

Cook’s Notes: The original recipe called for 2 cups of water and did not include the reduction. After I cooked the roast, I realized that I should have put more of the marinade into the skillet (I always cook beef tenderloin in a cast iron skillet), and that I had an opportunity to reduce the remaining liquid. The reduction was fantastic, but I barely had enough. The next time I make this recipe, I will ensure that I have at least 3/4" of marinade in the skillet when I place it in the oven.

Shrimp Tacos

I was flying solo Saturday night for dinner. Paul was in GP for a party and I had the night to myself. Given that Paul doesn't eat seafood, I couldn't WAIT to make something good. I found a recipe that was suitable for children (and poor cooks) and I knew that I could handle it. :) From Real Simple Magazine and it is just that.

Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons sour cream
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/4 small cabbage (8 ounces), shredded
* 1 cup corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears, or frozen and thawed)
* 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
* 8 small flour tortillas, warmed

Directions
* 1 In a large bowl, whisk the orange and lime juices, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cabbage, corn, and jalapeño and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes.
* 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes.
* 3 Serve the shrimp with the tortillas and the slaw.

**Cook's notes. I made a couple of minor changes, because well Paul will say that I don't follow directions well. I added two jalapeno peppers instead of one and a 1/2 tablespoon of Splenda to give it a little sweetness. Fantastic!