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Delicious Breaded Pork Chops

Family dinners are always a great memory and inspiration for me. My entire family... mom, dad, sister, brother and I... would gather around the table to a meal that ALWAYS consisted of a meat, starch and vegetable and on the rare occasion a little bit of dessert.  One of my favorite meals was my mother's breaded and baked pork chops.  Oh my, they were so delicious and mom always bought the bone in chops.  Towards the end of the meal my mother would pick up her pork chop bone and start gnawing away.  This kind of grossed me out as a little kid, but when I got older and started gnawing myself I finally figured out why she loved the bones.  The meat that is closer to the bone is always so tender and delicious and the perfect treat.

During my last visit to NYC I had had it with eating out and wanted a home cooked meal. My friend Christian is always game for me taking over his kitchen and I was dying to prepare my very own version of these amazing chops.  Balducci's, a favorite grocery store of mine at the corner of 14th St. and 8th Ave. has an incredible selection of meat.  Although they carried the bone-in chops I decided to grab some butterfly boneless chops for this meal.  I wasn't too sure that bone gnawing wold be an acceptable practice at a friend's dinner table.

These chops are very easy to make and are best served with a dish of risotto and a tasty salad.

Here is what you will need:

- 4 boneless, butterfly pork chops
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups of Progresso seasoned Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix well.  In a large bowl mix together the bread crumbs, cheese and black pepper.  Coat one of the chops with egg and cover with the bread crumb mixture.  Place back into the egg and coat again with more of the bread crumb mixture until fully covered.  Repeat until all chops are breaded.

Place into the oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, check the temperature of the chops with a meat thermometer and if they have reached 150 degrees, remove from the oven. If they have not reached 150 keep in the oven for five minutes and check the temp again.  At 150 degrees remove, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

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Roasted Pork Shoulder With Brown Sugar, Chardonnay and Ginger Glaze

My friends and I just cannot seem to get enough of New May Wah, an Asian supermarket located on Clement St. in San Francisco.  The prices are out of this world and the selection of vegetables, meat and seafood is always amazing.

On recent trips to the market I have noticed a cut of bone in pork shoulder that keeps calling out to me "cook me, cook me".  The greatest thing about this cut is that they leave the skin on. While I was visiting Italy with my parents a few years ago we picked up cut of pork with the skin on the resulting dish was amazing.  When you roast pork with the skin in tact it tends to add to the depth of flavor and keep the meat moist from the fat being released from the skin.

At a price of $1.79/lb we could not pass it up.  We snatched up two 3lb piece of meat and gathered fixins for Chinese long beans and fried rice.  8 people were coming over that night and the total bill was $27.09.  NO KIDDING.  We fed 8 people for less than $30.

This pork is so very easy to make and I highly suggest giving it a try.

- 2 3 lb. bone-in pork shoulders
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, diced
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of dry Chardonnay
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsbp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Place pork shoulders into a roasting pan.  In a large bowl add the remaining ingredients and mix very well.  Liberally coat the pork shoulders with the mixture and place back into the roasting pan.

Place into the preheated 500 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 300 and cook for 20 more minutes.  Remove, cover with foil for 15 minutes, slice and serve.

If you'd like more "sauce" for the meat feel free to mix together the glaze ingredients, place into a small saucepan and cook down for about 5-10 minutes.  Pour this over the pork shoulder after it is done cooking and serve.

Apple and Blueberry Phyllo Tart

Last night a few friends came over for dinner and I was dying to make a dessert.  If you are a regular reader of RecipePhile you probably know that desserts are not my strong point, but I have decided to challenge myself and make something other than my signature apple gallette. 

During a recent trip to Costco I picked up a huge container of blueberries.  My goal was to just munch on them daily for their antioxidant qualities, but decided instead to use them to help fatten me up.  Since I had already devoured a few I augmented the tart with some apples as filler.

The phyllo dough I used was purchased from the grocery.  I have heard of people making their own phyllo, but to be honest you'd have to be a crazy person to take this on.  The dough available at the grocery story is fine and can be found in the frozen aisle.

Here is what you will need for this recipe:

- 1 tart pan with removable bottom
- 10 sheets of phyllo dough
- 1/2 stick of butter, melted
- 3 cups of blueberries
- 2 apples, peeled
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp of orange liquer (you can use triple sec)
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Crumble Topping

- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by lining the tart pan with the phyllo dough.  Place a piece of the dough into the pan and brush with butter.  Turn the pan a few inches clockwise and place the dough into the pan and then butter. Continue this process until the entire area of the pan is covered with dough.  Cut off any excess phyllo.  Set the pan aside.

Peel the apples and then use the peeler to peel the apple "meat" into thin slices. Do this into a large bowl and to both apples until you have peeled close to the core.  Cover with lemon juice and evenly distribute on the bottom of the tart pan.

In another bowl add the blueberries, orange liquer, sugar and cornstarch and mix well.  Dsitribute the blueberries evenly in the tart pan.

Place all of the ingredients for the crumble topping into a bowl and mix well.  Distribute onto the top of the blueberries and place into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let cool.  Once cool, remove from the tart pan and place onto a serving plate.

Enjoy

Banana Bread with Vanilla Ice Cream and Graton Ridge Apple Wine Creme Anglaise

Next time you are in Sonoma, CA take a drive along 116 through Petaluma and into Forrestville.  Right before you head into Forrestville you'll cruise by Graton Ridge Cellars. I have written about this winery before and I must say that it continues to live up to its great reputation. 

On our last visit Courtney and I got to taste their apple wine.  Back in the day the winery used to operate as an apple orchard. They've savored some of their trees and use the apples to make a delicious wine.
Sue Bonzell, one of the proprietors, told me about a recipe contest using the apple wine and so I decided to try my hand at something. 

My good friend John has just moved back from London and we really enjoy collaborating in the kitchen.  On Sunday morning we drove off to the grocery store.  I brought along four over ripe bananas that I had been storing in the freezer.  My idea was to use the apple wine in the bread to give it more substance and an interesting flavor.

John added to the mix by saying we should create an apple wine creme anglaise. Crème anglaise (French for "English cream") is a light pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks and hot milk, often flavoured with vanilla.

The final dessert was served with a scoop of ice cream, a slice of bread and some of the creme anglaise.  DELICIOUS.

Okay Sue and the rest of the Graton Ridge team.  This one is a winner.

For the banana bread:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
- 1/2 cup of apple wine (you can use apple juice if you do not have the apple wine)
- 2 tbsp sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir in apple wine and sour cream. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. You may have to cook it a little longer. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

For the creme anglaise:

- 2 cups of Graton Ridge apple wine
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp brown sugar

Simmer 2 cups of apple wine until it reduces to about 1/4 cup.  It will become a little syrupy, this is okay.  Combine a cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup of apple wine syrup, 1 tbsp ginger 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Bring almost to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes.  Strain with a mesh strainer.

Beat together the two egg yolks with 2 tbsp brown sugar and pour in cream mixture.  Re-heat over low heat, but do not bring to boil or sauce will curdle.  Take off heat, let stand another 20 minutes and serve.

To serve -- place a piece of the banana bread onto a plate, top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle creme anglaise on top.

Nightingale Breads - Sonoma California

My oh my oh my. While driving up to Sonoma on Saturday Courtney and I received a text message from our friend Steve urging us to stop at Nightingale Breads on 116 in Forestville.  We walked in and the smell of fresh baked bread was amazing.  We purchased a French loaf and some a sourdough batard as well as herbed butter to slather on top.

I am personally not a fan of sourdough breads, but this one was absolutely amazing.  The French baguette was also very tasty and very fresh.

Next time you are in Sonoma drop by this bake shop.