Light Stunt: Weeknight Porchetta

Light Stunt: Weeknight Porchetta

If you hadn't noticed from the picture above, I went rustic with this dish.

Porchetta is a traditionally an Italian dish that originates out of central Italy and is traditionally a boneless whole pig, gutted, seasoned with garlic, rosemary and fennel, and slow roasted on a spit over an open flame for several hours. This dish version is considerably faster without sacrificing flavor.

The Challenge

It's been a while, so I thought I'd use this space to explain a Light Stunt. The dishes I publish under this category are quick but flavorful dinners, similar to a #WeekdaySupper.

The Source

Adapted from page 30 of Bon Appétit magazine's January 2015 issue but I also found the recipe reprinted on their website.

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1-pound pork tenderloins
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 slicers bacon
2 heads garlic, halved through the equator

Method

1. Season the pork. Before you head to the office in the morning, combine the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Rub this mixture on all sides of each tenderloin. Cover, and refrigerate until you get back from the office in the evening.

2. Roast the pork. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Scatter the rosemary sprigs in a large baking dish, then place the seasoned pork on top of the rosemary. Wrap each tenderloin in 4 slices bacon, pushing the ends of the bacon slices underneath the tenderloin so they stay in place, then place the garlic heads around the pork and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Roast in the oven until the internal temperature of each tenderloin reaches 145° Fahrenheit, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Once finished, transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Analysis

This dish is very satisfying for a cold winter evening and, from a technique standpoint, is very creative with the use of bacon. As the bacon cooks, it's rendered fat is soaked up by the tenderloin, thereby keeping it moist and adding flavor.

Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Roasted Potatoes for a Farmer's Market Dinner Party

Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Earlier this year, I joined a facebook group of food bloggers that all reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. About a month ago, Renee of Creative Mama, Messy House suggested a farmer's market dinner party. Participants shop for ingredients at their local farmer's market and each prepare one course, not unlike a progressive dinner. This was my original motivation for shopping at the Irvington Farmer's Market where I found the pluots to prepare the ice cream dessert I published about a week ago in addition to the tomatoes and mushrooms I used in the scallop dish I published previously.

I had a couple of issues planning this dish. The first issue I had was with the type of ingredients. One of the questions asked was any diet restrictions bloggers had and several noted a gluten-free diet and was placed in that group. In all honesty, I wasn't prepared to do a gluten free dish, as it's not a niche where I specialize but it turns out that it's not nearly as restrictive as I originally feared. In fact, I discovered many of the dishes I have prepared previously are gluten free and I hadn't realize this, so I must thank Renee for providing the inspiration to learn something new. Gluten free diets are required for those that suffer from celiac disease. Generally, foods-other than many grains such as wheat, rye, and barley-are allowable in their unprocessed form. This includes fresh meats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, and eggs. For more information on this diet, I'll refer you to this Mayo Clinic page which can explain the diet in more detail. The second issue I had was completely of my own making. In my excitement of coming home with my farmer's market finds, I prepared this entreé only to discover later that I was assigned the appetizer course, so I must thank Jane of The Heritage Cook for agreeing to switch courses with me.

The Challenge

Use ingredients purchased at a farmer's market in a gluten-free dish. In this case, I used parsley, mushrooms and potatoes.

The Source

I adapted the roasting method found on page 147 of Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko to a sauce found on finecooking.com. I adapted the potato side from cookthink.com.

Ingredients

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, washed, scrubbed and halved (or quartered, if large)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins, approximately 1 pound each
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, garlic, rosemary, olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the potatoes then transfer the contents of the bowl onto a foil-lined sheet pan. Roast in the oven until the potatoes have a crisp exterior with a soft interior and browned, approximately 35 minutes.

2. Roast the pork tenderloin. Season the tenderloins on all sides with salt and pepper, then place the tenderloins in an oven-safe skillet and into the oven with the potatoes but on a different rack until the tenderloins reach an internal temperature of 135° Fahrenheit, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set the pork aside on a plate to allow for carryover cooking.

3. Prepare the sauce and finish the dish. While waiting for the potatoes, melt the butter in the same skillet used to roast the pork on the stovetop over medium heat. Once melted, sweat shallots with a pinch of kosher salt, approximately 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have browned and the fluid secreted from the mushrooms have evaporated, approximately 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala, scraping any fond, and simmer until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, parsley and any accumulated fluids from the resting pork then taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Cut the tenderloin into 1 inch pieces. To serve, spoon some sauce onto a warmed plate, then several pork slices on top of the sauce and surround with potatoes.

Successful?

Both Mrs. Stuntman and I noted the intense flavor of the dish and she requested I prepare it again. Also, I believe all of the ingredients are gluten free. Am I correct?

Please check out the other courses in this Farmer's Market Dinner Party:

Appetizer
Caprese Skewers by The Heritage Cook

Salad
Warm Green Bean and Tomato Salad by Creative Mama, Messy House

Side Dish
Loaded Mashed Cauliflower by Nosh My Way

Entreé
Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Roasted Potatoes by Crazy Foodie Stunts

Dessert
Vanilla Bean Infused Cheesecake with Peaches in Dark Rum Sauce by Fearless Dining

Poppy-Seed Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Herb Crust and Creamy Cabbage Slaw plus a Giveaway

Poppy-Seed Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Herb Crust and Creamy Cabbage Slaw

I know I've left you for another week, but I have been busy working and I'd like to give an update.

This past Saturday, I attended an event with Carla Hall from seasons 5 and 8 of Top Chef and currently of The Chew in San Jose. She demonstrated a recipe and signed copies of her new cookbook, Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko. I picked up a copy for myself and a second one to giveaway to my readers. More on the details below.

During her demonstration, she noted that the book brings together flavors from different cultures in an attempt to illustrate similarities between them. One example is burgers. She gives tips on how she prefers to prepare them and then adapts the dish by using different spices to make a Persian pita and a Vietnamese banh mi.

The Challenge

Display recipes from the book to entice my readers to want to enter my giveaway.

The Source

The pork recipe was taken from page 147 and the slaw was taken from page 12.

Ingredients

8 cups cabbage, sliced thinly (preferable with a mandolin)
1 1/2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 cup pre-packaged julienned (shredded) carrots
1 tablespoon chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 whole pork tenderloins, 12- to 14-ounces each
1/2 cup fresh dill leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method

1. Prepare the slaw: Start by combining the cabbage and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large colander and let it set. After ten minutes have elapsed, wring the cabbage with paper towels to remove any moisture. While waiting for the cabbage, whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sugar and celery seeds in a large bowl. Add in the carrots, onion and cabbage, then toss to combine. This can be completed up to twenty-four hours before serving but toss again before serving if necessary.

2. Prepare the pork: Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, combine the vegetable oil, paprika, poppy seeds, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Apply this rub on all sides of each tenderloin and let it stand in an oven-safe skillet or rimmed baking sheet while the oven comes to temperature. Roast the pork until it reaches a temperature of 135° Fahrenheit with an instant-read thermometer, approximately 15 minutes. While the pork cooks spread the parsley and dill on a sheet of parchment and set aside. Remove from oven and roll the tenderloin in it's drippings, then in the herbs. Let it rest for five minutes to allow for carryover cooking, then slice each loin on a bias. To plate, spoon some of the slaw off center of the plate then fan the loin slices around the slaw.

Successful?

Due to it's relative ease of preparation, I recommend this dish as a weeknight meal. I also thought about the pairing of these two recipes because I consulted The Flavor Bible which noted that cabbage complements pork well. The fresh herbs used in this application were unusually flavorful.

In other news, Mrs. Stuntman and I celebrated our anniversary earlier this week. Long time readers might remember we celebrated at home last year where I prepared a radicchio appetizer, a lamb entreé, and an espresso dessert but this year Mrs. Stuntman chose The Basin in Saratoga, California.

We ordered two appetizers, but ordered the same entreé.

Croquetas: Spanish jamon serrano, chicken, onion-bechamel, rolled in bread crumbs, lightly fried

Tuna Cruda Picante: Sashimi tombo, sicilian hot chili oil, spanish chardonnay vin, olive oil, fried shallots

Roasted Fresh Duck: 24hr hour brined breast and leg roasted in pata negra “bellota” fat, with a lemon preserve-english-pea-carrot-leek risotto and a forvm agriculce spanish vinegar reduction

Finally, the details of the giveaway:

I am giving away 1 hardcover copy of Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko autographed by Carla Hall. The contest will end on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 12 midnight Pacific Standard Time. This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only. When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. I will then notify the winner through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

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