Minced Pork with Greens

Minced pork with vegetables is one of my favorite Asian dishes.  Here's one with greens and orange pepper, flavored with hoisin and Korean gochujang pepper bean paste.
1 lb ground pork
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 orange pepper, sliced
1/2 purple bermuda onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 red Serrano pepper, diced
1 bunch Asian greens, You Choy, or Choy Sum, chopped

Sauce:
1/4 cup pale dry sherry
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp hoisin
1 Tbsp gochujang

Heat a dash of canola oil in a wok or wide pan. Brown the pork well, adding the soy sauce in the last few minutes of browning. Allow the liquid to evaporate. Set pork aside in a bowl.

Add the pepper and onion into the wok and stir fry over high heat, adding a dash more canola oil if necessary. After a few minutes, when the veggies are just crisp-tender, add the garlic, ginger and Serrano pepper, and cook another 2 minutes.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Return the pork back to the wok and heat to high. Add the sauce and stir well. Now add the greens and toss well using tongs.

Cook over medium heat until the greens begin to wilt.

Serve over rice.

Serves 4.

Japanese Style Pork Ribs

You talk about umami whenever you talk Asian pork ribs.
1-1/4 lb boneless pork country ribs

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp canola oil
palmful kizami nori roasted seaweed, crushed

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a medium flat casserole.

Lay the pork ribs in the marinade and turn several times. Marinate for about 1-2 hours, if possible, or overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, heat a grill to high and return the meat to room temperature. Grill the pork, cooking both sides, until the internal temperature reaches 145F for medium, or to your taste. Allow pork to rest for about 5 minutes on a plate, tented with aluminum foil.

Slice pork steeply on a bias and serve over fried rice.

Serves 4.

Pork and Pinto Stew

Cooking up beans in the slow cooker is a great way to a fast weeknight meal.  Cooks by itself while you work - what could be easier? So long as you have a few minutes the night before to prep.
1 lb pinto beans
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 lb baby carrots
3 stalks, celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp crushed rosemary flakes
1 Tbsp oregano leaves, minced
1 lb oxtail (two large)
1/2 lb smoked chorizo, sliced
1 lb baby Yukon potatoes
1 quart chicken stock plus 2 cups water to cover

Soak beans for 8 hours in plenty of water. Drain when ready to prepare the stew.

Sauté the onion, carrots and celery in a browning slow cooker or in a skillet. Add the chorizo and ox tail pieces.

Cook about 10 minutes, browning the meat on all sides. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary and oregano and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add this mixture into the slow cooker with the beans, potatoes, stock and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 4 hours on high and then 4 hours on low setting.

Remove oxtails to a plate and then remove meat from bone. Return meat to stew. Gently stir and serve in bowls.

Serves 6-8.

Asian Minced Pork with Broccoli and Noodles

This is a kind of stir fry with noodles.  I cut up the noodles, but you could keep them longer, to your taste.
4-5 dried skiitake mushrooms
1/3 lb medium Pho rice noodles, or angel hair
pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups broccoli flowerets
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes, or to taste

Sauce:
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp Korean Gochujang chili paste, or ketchup
1/4 cup pale dry sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Sesame seeds for garnish

Soak dried mushrooms is 2-3 cups very hot water. Allow to completely hydrate and then drain and slice.

Heat a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, Add the pasta and cook only until just al-dente. This will depend on the type of noodle you use, so look to package instructions. When cooked, drain well and keep warm. Stir every once in a while to avoid sticking together.

Sauté pork in a large skillet or wok with a dash of canola oil. Add the fennel seeds, chili flakes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pork until well browned and then add the garlic and ginger. Cook another 2-3 minutes and remove to a bowl.

Add a dash more canola oil to skillet or wok and brown the mushrooms.

Meanwhile in another skillet, sauté the broccoli in a dash canola oil for about 2-3 minutes.

Add 1-2 tablespoons water and continue cooking just until the water is evaporated and the broccoli is bright green and crisp tender.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Now mix together the pork, broccoli and pasta in one of the skillets. Add the sauce and heat completely through. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

Choucroute with Apple and Root Vegetables

I end the year with one of my favorite dishes - choucroutte.  Great for a crowd that might be hangin' for the holidays, its hearty and warming, to fight off the chill of the season. Use your favorite cuts of pork, and the best fresh sauerkraut (not canned) you can find. A very quick rinse and drain of the sauerkraut in a colander can soften the flavor edges, as will the dash of white wine specified here.
3 links fresh chorizo sausage
1 large, thick pork chop
1 large pork country rib
1 ring kielbasa

4 small Yukon Gold potatoes
2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1/14-inch matchsticks
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 package favorite fresh sauerkraut, drained
1 Honey crisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 375F.

Brown the sausage, pork chop and rib in a very large 5-quart oven-going skillet or Dutch oven with a dash of olive oil. Cook until all sides are nicely browned. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add the carrot, turnip, onion, rosemary, fennel and cumin.

Cook them for about 10 minutes until veggies are nicely browned.

Meanwhile, poke the potatoes with the tines of a fork all over. Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes, turning them over every 2 minutes. Carefully remove them with a kitchen towel to a cutting board and quarter. Careful - they will be steaming hot.

Gently fold in the sauerkraut and remove half the mixture to a bowl.

Nestle the pork chops, sausages and kielbasa into the kraut base.   Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cover with the remaining kraut mixture.

Now scatter the potatoes, apple and green onions over top of choucroute. Pour the wine about the dish.  Season dish with a dash more salt and pepper.

Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for about another 30 minutes, until all the pork is cooked through and the dish is browned and bubbly.

Serves 6.

Pork Bracciole with Paté

Here's a fun festive dish that can take some time and dedication to make - perfect for when you have a few extra moments over the holidays.
6-8 thin pork loin bracciole cutlets
1/2 loaf very good Italian bread - like ciabatta, cubed 1/2-inch
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and diced
1 yellow pepper, trimmed and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups baby spinach leaves
5 oz pork country paté, crumbled
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp crushed rosemary

Preheat oven to 375F. Sauté the pepper and leek in a skillet in a dash of olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Allow the water to evaporate and the veggies to soften and brown just a bit during sautéing, then add the garlic.

Cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and allow to cook down and release what water it will. Cook a few more minutes to dry the mixture a bit. Remove to a bowl.

Add the bread to the skillet with a dash of olive oil. Brown the bread just a bit.

Return the veggies to the skillet with the bread and mix well.

Remove from heat. Add the paté to the veggie mix and fold together gently.

Pour the crushed tomatoes into an oiled 9x13-inch casserole. Now lay out the pork slices and distribute the bread filling evenly about the slices.

Roll the sliced around the filling and nestle them into the tomatoes. Season with rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake about 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and meat is nicely browned.

Serve over noodles with the tomato sauce. Serves 4-6.

Thrice-cooked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

You can cook ribs over a low slow grill for hours and hours, or more quickly you can cook them consecutively in the microwave, oven and then finish on the grill.

The first method is classic and arguably the best.  The second is fast and arguably still delicious.  This faster method cooks them through and through, and maintains moisture, so they are fork tender.  It also allows for good marination for that deep flavor you cherish with ribs. If you only have about an hour - not six, to cook ribs, try this.
2 racks of pork spare ribs
2 cups favorite BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350F. Place ribs in a microwaveable dish, meat side down. It's OK if you have to cut the racks in half to fit a casserole that fits your microwave. And it's OK if some of the ribs overlap. Microwave for 10 minutes. Flip racks and microwave another 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven.

Pour about half the sauce evenly on the ribs, spreading well with a brush. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat grill to medium. Now finish the ribs on the grill, placing meat-side down for about 7-8 minutes, Flip ribs, baste with sauce and finish them over very low heat for another 7-8 minutes.

These puppies will melt in your mouth!

 Serves 2.

Mint Chili Jam Pork Tenderloin Caesar

Herbs infuse the pork with rich flavor, laying on a savory bed of slightly charred romaine, and garnished with Caesar dressing.

The classic Caesar dressing uses raw egg yoke, but I use a mix of yogurt and good real mayonnaise to avoid the raw egg.
1 1-lb pork tenderloin
2 heads organic romaine lettuce, sliced in half lengthwise

Marinade:
1/4 cup mint sauce (I used Waitrose Mint Sauce)
2 Tbsp hot and sweet Chili Jam (I used Trader Joe’s)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Caesar Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 anchovies
palmful fresh parsley leaves
palmful fresh dill
1 green onion, quartered
1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup good real mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Pour into a zip lock plastic bag (or use a small shallow casserole). Add the pork to the marinade and toss well to coat.

Marinate at least 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, allow pork tenderloin to come back to room temperature.

Prepare the dressing by placing the garlic, anchovies, parsley, dill and green onion in a small food processor.

Process just to form a fine mince. 

Add the remaining dressing ingredients and pulse to mix well. Taste the dressing and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium. Season the romaine halves with salt and pepper and sprinkle with olive oil.

Remove the pork from the marinade and place on one side of grill.

Place lettuce cut-side down, on other side of grill.

Keep an eye on both and turn as needed to assure even browning. Remove the lettuce after about 5 minutes, or when a slight char has been achieved, but the lettuce still maintains a crunchy integrity.

Cook the pork until it has achieved an internal temperature of 140-150F for medium. Remove pork from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes, covered lightly with aluminum foil. Slice pork on a bias. Lay several romaine leaves on each plate. Top with several slices of pork and garnish with Caesar dressing.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I love using savory jams to cook with meat, especially pork and lamb.  These are two of my favorites.  Waitrose is a higher-end grocer in the U.K. and if you are ever there, pick up some of there mint sauce.

If you don't have mint sauce, use a palmful of fresh mint leaves in the marinade and you'll be fine.

Korean Noodles

Shrimp, Asparagus, Egg

Although cabbage is ubiquitous in Asian cooking, I like to substitute Brussels sprouts because I love them, especially cooked quickly.  This preparation assembles Korean flavors in a noodle dish fortified with shrimp and egg.  Thinly sliced egg omelet is a common accoutrement in much of Asian cooking.
1 lb lean pork, cubed, 1/2-inch

Marinade:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

2 eggs, scrambled

1 sweet onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut 1/2-inch slices, 2-inches of tips reserved
1 doz Brussels sprouts, base cut off, sliced in thirds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 lb fine fresh lo-mein noodles
1 doz shrimp, peeld
juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced

Sauce:
2 Tbsp gochujang
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup water

Whisk marinade together in a bowl and add the pork. Allow to marinate at least an hour.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs together with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Add a dash of canola oil to a non-stick skillet and cook the eggs to make a thin omelet. Use a rubber spatula to lift and pull the eggs to the center as they cook. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the omelet to a cutting board and cover to keep warm.

Sauté the Brussels sprouts, onion and asparagus in a dash of canola oil. Cook about 5 minutes, until crop-tender. Set aside.

Heat another dash canola oil in the pan and brown the pork.

When the pork is cooked through, add the veggies and the lo mien noodles to the pork. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and add to the pork and heat through.

In another pan, sauté the shrimp for about 1-2 minutes per side over high heat, until they are pink and just cooked through. Sprinkle with juice of half a lime.

Gently fold noodles together with the pork, shrimp and veggies.

Heat asparagus tips in a glass dish with a splash of water in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Drain. Slice the omelet into strips.  Turn hot noodles into a serving dish and top with shrimp, omelet, asparagus tips and mint.

Serves 4-6.