by PenelopeCooks -

Juicy Pork Chops with Wine

This post is meant to introduce you to my fav pork chop recipe. I love pork. It’s a great meat and I really love how the flavor changes depending on the method of cooking. Pork chops are a great weekday dinner for those who want to quickly prepare something nutritious and healthy. They taste great on Sundays too LOL! Here I feature an easy and flavorful pork chop recipe. Let’s make ’em!

Preparing your pork chops

It really is very easy to get them going. First, what I do is give the meat a thorough wash. Then I pat it dry really well with kitchen towels. The dryer it is, the more it will brown and be crispy. The next thing is to slice a clove of garlic in two lengthwise. Get the garlic half and press it on the pork chop firmly. Start rubbing it all over the meat on both sides. Great! Then just season your pork chops with salt and pepper and they are ready for the pan!

Cooking the pork chops

The chops that I got were about an inch thick (ard 2.5 cm) and it took me about 11 minutes to cook them in total. So let’s cut straight to the point. Bring your skillet over medium-high heat and place the meat directly on it. Brown the chops for 2 mins each side. You want to see a golden brown color start forming.

Second, you add the wine. Pour a splash of wine on top and it will go “Shooouuushhh” haha. White or red, either will do just fine. Flip the chops, both sides should be in the wine for maybe a minute or so.  At this point, you will add the oil and lower the heat to medium-low. Pour just a bit of olive oil on top of the chops and turn them once more. You should have around 4 minutes left of cooking. Turn the pork chops once or twice more. A total of 11 minutes cooking should give you a cooked through tender pink chop. If you are using a thermometer it will register about 63 C / 145 F internal temp. If you prefer your meat cooked more, give it another 2 mins, totally up to you.

 

 

Once it’s done, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Drizzle the pan juices on top and let it sit for a few minutes – if you can wait haha. Serve with some tomato-cucumber salad and enjoy your dinner.

Juicy Pork chops with wine

Pork chops are a great dinner any time of the week. Juicy and tender with a minimum cooking time. They are a very healthy option too. They go very well with salad or any type of greens.

  • 2 whole pork chops, inch (2.5 cm) thick
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup wine
  • olive oil

  1. Wash your meat thoroughly and pat it dry really well with kitchen towels. 

  2. Cut a garlic clove in two lengthwise and rub it all over the meat on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Bring your skillet over medium-high heat and place the meat directly on it. Brown the chops for 2 mins each side. 

  4. Pour a splash of wine on top and flip the chops around. 

  5. At this point, you will add a little bit of oil and lower the heat to medium-low.

  6. Cook for 4 more mins turning the chops once or twice more. 

  7. Once it’s done, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Drizzle the pan juices on top and let it sit for a few minutes. 

A total of 11 minutes cooking should give you a cooked through tender pink chop. If you are using a thermometer it will register about 63 C / 145 F internal temp. If you prefer your meat cooked more, give it another 2 mins.

 

 

by PenelopeCooks -

Greek Bekri Meze – “Drunken” Pork Stew with Whisky and Wine

I have been wanting to make this pork stew dish long time now. This dish is a frequent dweller of the taverna menus in the appetizer section. It’s a typical meze dish. Meze meaning, several plates of different food in small portions, so we can enjoy every different taste. I love this concept because it gives you latitude, it helps you understand a cuisine more. The concept of “meze” is long rooted in Greek eating culture. When we go out, we like to order lots of meze plates, never omitting the specials of the day. This way you don’t miss out on anything.  It’s a win-win!

At home there’s always several cooked goodies lying around in the kitchen. Like for example, there’s yesterday’s lamb stew and some baked potato leftovers. But it’s not enough. “Again” my mom would tell herself “I have to cook something everyday!” So, she would come up with a quick idea, like for instance meatballs. Quick, so she feels she’s not a kitchen hostage. Nevertheless good food.  So she goes about her business with a guilt-free conscious. Mom if you are reading this, I love your meatballs. 🙂

What did really happen during dinner time?

While the family would gather around the table, the guest star meze plates would make their appearance out of the dungeons of our fridge or storage room: pickled peppers, olives, spicy cheese spread on rusks, raw artichokes with lemon. Last but not least, there would be the odd dish on the table, the one you didn’t see coming, like chicken soup or grilled octopus. Now this one would come in a main dish size. That’s how you knew, this is what your aunt or grandma or neighbor next door has cooked for today.

Point is, in case you liked that dish more than the others, you kind of disappear silently and knock on the door of your aunt, to join them for dinner. See? You are keeping your options open, you are playing the market!

Now that I think of it, I believe that’s precisely the reason why I cannot make up my mind when I go out for dinner with my husband Rob. I just simply can not do 2 mains and 1 starter. I feel I’m loosing out on all the other stuff on the menu. And it just dawned on me, it’s because of my meze eating culture! But I have talked long enough, let’s get to the recipe. By the way, you can serve this as a main or as an appetizer.

To make the pork stew

Because pork can dry out easily when cooked like this, I brinned it for 10 mins. So take a bowl and add 2 cups of water and 2 tbsps of salt. Mix until salt is dissolved. Add the pork cubes while you are preparing the rest.

 

Chop up the peppers in big pieces. Take the tomatoes and dice them. Additionally, roughly chop the onion. Have all your herbs and spices in hand.

Drain the water from the pork and pat it dry with kitchen towels. In a cast iron skillet (or wide heavy bottom one instead) heat up some olive oil. How much? Until it barely covers the bottom, but not quite. Saute the onions for 2 mins, just until they soften. Now add in the pork and saute for 10 mins over medium fire, until it’s slightly golden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce fire to low and add the wine and whiskey.

The classic bekri meze is made only with wine. However, the whiskey twist gives the flavor an extra punch. Love it! Scrape vigorously the fond, those browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. It will give a ton of flavor to your food. I learned this from a very dear friend of mine last summer in Boston while making Ratatouille. 

Shortly after, add the peppers, garlich, tomatoes, herbs and spices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook over medium fire for another 20 mins. If you feel that the sauce is “drying out”, add a bit of water to make it saucy. Adjust the spices if you want. Don’t over cook it, the pork will loose its tenderness. Serve warm with baked potatoes or french fries.

Drunken Pork stew with whisky and wine – Bekri Meze

Beautiful and juicy pork meat in a sauce of wine and whisky with tomatoes and peppers! Unique taste that will make you adore it.

  • 700 g (1.5 lbs) pork cubes ((1.5 lbs))
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2/3 cup red wine
  • 40 ml whisky
  • 3 bell peppers, chopped in big pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 450 g (1 lbs) tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small sprig rosemary
  • 2-3 small sprigs fresh oregano, or fresh Za'atar
  • 1/2 cup hot water (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp harissa
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

  1. Preferably brine the port for 10-15 mins. In a bowl and add 2 cups of water and 2 tbsps of salt. Mix until salt is dissolved. Add the pork cubes.

  2. Chop up the peppers in big pieces. Dice the tomatoes. Roughly chop the onion.

  3. Drain the water from the pork and pat it dry with kitchen towels. In a cast iron skillet (or wide heavy bottom one instead) heat up some olive oil. Saute the onions for 2 mins, just until they soften. Add in the pork and saute for 10 mins over medium fire, until it’s slightly golden.

  4. Reduce fire to low and add the wine and whiskey.

  5. Shortly after, add the peppers, garlich, tomatoes, herbs and spices.

  6. Cook over medium fire for anout 20 mins. If you feel that the sauce is “drying out”, add a bit of water to make it saucy. Adjust the spices if need be. Don’t over cook it, otherwise it will become tough. Serve warm with baked potatoes or french fries.

 

 

 

by PenelopeCooks -

Pork tenderloin with Celery – Greek Hirino me Selino

So this is another Greek dish that I have been craving lately. My mother is visiting so we went together grocery shopping. I had a few dishes in mind for my next post, this being one of them. When I found some really nice pork tenderloin, I decided upon it. This is a hearty, meaty stew recipe to put on your table, all the better if it’s a cold winter’s day 🙂 . Now this dish is traditionally made with pork shoulder or leg. However, pork tenderloin is a great cut too. It’s full of flavour, cooks quickly and most of all has 3.5 g of fat per 100 g (abt 3 oz) of meat. That’s as much fat content as in chicken breast! Hello, are you with me? As fatty as a chicken breast. So what are you waiting for?

 

First of all, you start by cooking your tenderloins (I used 2 here). So you wash them and pat them dry. Grind some salt and pepper on all sides. In a Dutch oven drizzle just a bit of olive oil and add a teaspoon of mustard. Mix a little and set your heat to high-medium. Saute the tenderloins for around 7-8 mins, until they have a golden brown color. Put them aside.

 

Add one more tbsp of olive oil and saute the onions for 2 min, add the celery and leeks and keep sauteing for about 10 min. You want them to soften up just a bit. At this point add 3 cups of hot water. Let it cook for 2-3 min more. Then you add the tenderloins and the rest of the olive oil. The meat will cook quickly and should be ready in about 20-25 min over medium heat. Don’t overcook it because this specific cut can become hard. Also, I added some nice fresh scallions 10 min before the food was done.

 

Be sure you check the food’s seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper. I serve this dish with plain rice so I like it saucy. but not too watery. If you want to thicken it up, use cornflour. In a small bowl dilute one tsp corn flour with 2-3 tbsp of water, mix well and add in the pot while still cooking. Stir immediately and check the consistency of your sauce. This dish goes also well with baked potato wedges.

Pork tenderloin with celery

This is a Greek stew like recipe with aromatic celery, leeks and delicate pork tenderloin. It is delicious and guilt-free as pork tenderloin has very low fat content.

  • 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) pork Tenderloin
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 450 g (1 lb) celery (roughly chopped)
  • 200 g (7 oz ) leeks (sliced)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (keep 2 tbsp for sauteing)
  • 1 tsp mustard

  1. Start by cooking your tenderloins. Wash and pat dry. Grind some salt and pepper on all sides. In a Dutch oven drizzle just a bit of olive oil and add a teaspoon of mustard. Saute the tenderloins for around 7-8 mins, until they have a golden brown color. Put them aside.

  2. Add one more tbsp of olive oil and saute the onions for 2 min.

  3. Add the celery and leeks and keep sauteing for about 10 min. At this point add 3 cups of hot water and cook for 2-3 min.

  4. Add the tenderloins and the rest of the olive oil. Cook for about 20-25 min over medium heat. Serve with rice or baked potatoes

  5. If using fresh scallions, add them in 10 min before food is ready.