Southwest Jalapeño Pork Stir-Fry

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

East meets the Southwest in this recipe, which illustrates the fact that the basic stir-fry technique can be applied to just about any cuisine.

Ingredients

For the Pork:

  • 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced and cut into strips

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, sliced in rings

  • 1 poblano chile, stem and seeds removed, cut into strips

  • 1 small onion, cut into thin wedges and separated

  • 1/2 7-ounce can baby corn

  • 1/2 cup nopalitos (available in Latin Markets)

  • Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

For the Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

  • 2 teaspoons tequila (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth

  • 1/4 cup Southwestern salsa (your choice)

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

 

 

 

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the marinating sauce in a large bowl and stir to mix. Toss the pork in the marinade and marinate for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, combine all the ingredients for the seasoning sauce along with 2 tablespoons water, stir to mix and set aside.

Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot and add the oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

Drain the pork and add it to the wok. Stir-fry the pork for a couple of minutes until the pork is browned. Remove, drain and keep warm.

Add the jalapeño, poblano, and onions and stir-fry until they are just softened; everything should still be slightly crisp, and the chiles should be bright green. Stir in the corn and nopalitos and stir-fry. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan.

Add the seasoning sauce and cook until the sauce thickens. Return the pork and toss to coat. Heat until the sauce forms a glaze over the meat and vegetables.

To serve, mound the pork and vegetables on a serving platter and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with plain white rice.

Red Chile Pork Cutlets, Cervantes-Style

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Serve with your choice of calabacitas, papitas, pinto beans, Spanish rice, or posole. The meat can also be cut in strips after preparation, wrapped in warm flour tortilla and served as a burrito.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork loin, trimmed and cut in 1/2-inch cutlets

  • 1 pound sun-ripened New Mexico red chile pods (thoroughly dried)

  • 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 16 ounces Cervantes Red Chile Sauce (Ready-to-Serve)

Instructions

For the Marinade:

Inspect the chile pods and remove the stems, seeds and white veins.* Rinse and place the cleaned pods in a large bowl or saucepan and add enough hot water to cover. Soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After pods are completely reconstituted (pods should appear bright red and plump), remove them with tongs and place in blender with chile water to cover the pods. Leave about one inch space or more in the blender container. Add oregano, garlic and salt. Blend for 2 minutes (puree setting). If sauce is too thick, add more water and blend until skins disappear completely.

* Be sure to use rubber or latex gloves when handling chile pods.

For the Pork:

In a shallow pan, place the pork cutlets in a single layer. Pour the blended marinade evenly over meat, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. For more intense chile flavor, marinate overnight.

Preheat the grill on high. Reduce the heat 375 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on grill. Reserve marinade for basting. Cook each side 2 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness of the cutlet. Baste the meat with marinade on each side before turning. Watch the meat closely as it will cook quickly, don’t overcook. You will want to keep pork moist inside.

Ladle two ounces of Cervantes Red Chile Sauce (finishing sauce) on each plate. Place pork in center of plate. Drizzle additional Cervantes Red Chile Sauce (approx. 2 ounces) over the meat. Garnish with sprig of cilantro. Serve with your choice of calabacitas, papitas, pinto beans, Spanish rice, or posole. The meat can also be cut in strips after preparation, wrapped in warm flour tortilla and served as a burrito. Smother burrito with Cervantes Red Chile Sauce, add grated cheddar cheese. Melt the cheese and enjoy!

Paprika Pork Chops

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

My husband is an excellent cook of Hungarian foods. Following is his personal recipe for Paprika Pork Chops, a classic dish from Central Europe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon mild Hungarian paprika

  • 1 tablespoon medium-hot Hungarian paprika

  • 4 pork chops (about 1/2-inch thick), trimmed of all fat

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced crosswise and separated into rings

  • 4 to 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 3/4 cup medium-sweet to sweet Hungarian white wine

  • 2 tablespoons Hungarian apricot brandy (barackpálinka) or other brandy

  • 2 tablespoons pure sour cream (containing no additives)

  • Garnish: Strips of pickled mild red peppers

Instructions

Mix the paprikas together in a shallow bowl, spreading the powder evenly across the bottom of the bowl. Rinse the pork chops under cold water, then dredge both sides of each wet pork chop in the paprika, making sure the entire surface of both sides is covered with paprika.

Heat the butter and oil together over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft.

Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Push the onions and garlic to the side of the pan and add the pork chops in one layer. Brown the pork chops on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side. Add more cooking oil if necessary.

Stir in the wine and brandy. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer the pork chops a minimum of 10 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness.

Remove the pork chops to a serving platter and keep them warm. Stir together the onions, garlic, and juices left in the pan. Increase the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is the consistency of a thick soup. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream, mixing well. Pour this sauce over the pork chops and garnish with the pickled pepper strips.

Serve hot, accompanied by egg noodles or boiled potatoes and a medium-dry Hungarian white wine.

 

Jamaican Jerk Pork

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

The “jerk” in jerk pork is a spice mixture that was used to preserve meat before refrigeration. It was developed by the Awarak Indians, and later refined in Jamaica by runaway slaves known as Maroons. These days, the spices are used to season meats for barbecue and to tenderize rather than to preserve. An inexpensive smoker or a covered grill can be substituted for the traditional jerk pit, and is a lot easier than digging a pit in your yard. Note: This recipe required advance preparation.

Ingredients

Paste:

  • 3 to 4 Scotch bonnet chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions, including some of the greens

  • 3 tablespoons crushed allspice (piemento) berries, or substitute 2 teaspoons ground

  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 3 to 4-pound pork butt or loin roast

Instructions

To make the jerk paste, either pound the ingredients together using a mortar and pestle or place them in a blender or food processor adding the oil to make a paste.

 

Place the roast, fat side down in a non-reactive pan. Make slashes in the pork about 1½ to 2-inches apart and almost through the roast. Rub the jerk over the meat, making sure to get it throughly into the slashes. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the pork and bring it to room temperature.

Prepare either the grill or smoker. If using a grill, be sure to use a pan under the pork to catch the drippings. Smoke the pork for about 2 to 3 hours, turning the roast every 30 minutes to insure even browning. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150 degrees.

Variations: Substitute lamb chops, chicken, or rib steaks for the pork.

 

Pork Steak in Lambrequin for Two

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe is from meat mistress Bojana Mirkovic, overall champion at the Leskovac Barbecue Festival. This was one of her winning meals. Lambrequin is lamb peritoneum, or stomach lining, used to wrap steak, pljeskavica, or liver before grilling it. It gives the meat an extraordinary flavor. Ask your butcher for it and hope that he doesn’t laugh at you!

Ingredients

  • 4 pork steaks, 4 ounces each

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • 4½ ounces bacon

  • 4½ ounces your favorite cheese

  • 4½ ounces chopped mushrooms

  • 4 medium pieces lambrequin (there is no real substitute, but you could use aluminum foil)

Instructions

Pound each steak until thin. Add pepper, salt, and garlic to the pounded. Cut the bacon and cheese into narrow strips and place them on the meat. Sprinkle the mushroom over the meat. Fold up each piece of meat and wrap it in the lambrequin. Grill the meat over a hot flame for about 5 minutes per side. Serve on warm plates.