Throwdown: Smothered Pork Chops

 

My husband has quite a few favorite dishes, but his all-time favorite meal is pork chops with macaroni and cheese.  He's told me several times this meal would be his last supper.  So, when I saw this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops in the latest Food Network magazine I knew I had to try it. 

After a day of working outside in the cold I decided to indulge my husband with a Smothered Pork Chop Dinner.  I bought four 1" - 1&1/2" thick cut pork chops. Upon looking at the sheer size of my pork chops I started to question cooking them on the stovetop as the recipe suggested.  That's when the idea for a Throwdown came to mind.  I immediately decided to cook two chops on the stovetop simmered in the gravy and two chops seared stovetop and pan roasted in the oven.

Pork Chops Cooked Stovetop:  A little softer and paler in color. Completely smothered in gravy.

   Smothered Pork Chops

Pan Roasted vs. Cooked Stovetop

Adapted from Food Network Magazine December 2011 Issue

Serves 4

4 bone-in center cut pork chops (about 1 inch thick)

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (I omitted this)

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup buttermilk (I used regular milk)

If pan roasting chops preheat oven to 350F.

Sprinkle the pork chops all over with salt and the Cajun seasoning.  Pour the flour into a shallow bowl.  Dredge the chops in the flour, turning to coat, and tap off any excess.  Reserve the remaining flour.  

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chops; cook until browned, 2-3 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate. 

Add the butter, onion, thyme, and a pinch of salt to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved flour to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one-third, about 2 minutes.

If cooking pork chops on the stovetop (in the gravy): Add the buttermilk (or regular milk) and return the chops to the skillet.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the sauce is thickened and the chops are just cooked through, 10-12 minutes. 

If pan roasting the pork chops:  Continue to make the gravy by adding the buttermilk (or regular milk) to the pan you seared the chops in.  You will need another oven safe pan to pan roast the chops in (preferably cast iron).  Season the oven safe pan with about 1- 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add the pork chops, and place in the oven (uncovered) for about 30 minutes.  Remove from the skillet, top with the gravy, and serve.

Pan Roated Pork Chops: Slightly golden and seared on the edges with crispy bits.  Not completely smothered, but instead topped with gravy.

The Results:  I definitely think the pan roasted version of these pork chops was superior for several reasons.  The pan roasted pork chops had slightly seared golden brown edges and we really loved topping them with the gravy instead of having the pork chop swimming in the gravy.  Pan Roasting the pork chops was easier, took only 30 minutes, and the pan was much easier to clean up.  I also think when you pan roast you lock in the moisture and end up with a juicier end product.  I personally find that I'm much less likely to overcook my meat when I pan roast as opposed to other methods. 

The stovetop version tasted very similar and was really delicious.  However, since the pork chops were cooked in the gravy they didn't have as much texture.  Additionally, cooking the pork chops on the stovetop took about 45 minutes to an hour (much longer than the pan roasted version) and cleaning the pan was just about impossible. 

 

Both versions were delicious, but we did prefer the pan roasted version and would alter the recipe to make them this way again.  

Which one do you think you would prefer?

Breakfast Sausage Throwdown and Pioneer Woman's Biscuits and Gravy

For Easter, I bought an entire leg of pork from the butcher. The leg of pork itself was about 20 pounds. Six pounds of the leg became a fresh ham for Easter. The remainder of the leg was ground, equaling about 12 pounds of lean ground pork, as well as two meaty ham hocks. I thought a Throwdown featuring breakfast sausage would be a fun way to use up some of the ground pork, so I opened up my Mark Bittman How To Cook Everything and got to work.

Disclaimer: The leg of pork is a very lean cut. Bittman calls for you to add 1/2 to 3/4 pound fresh pork fatback into 2 pounds of lean boneless pork. I skipped this step in both variations simply because I wanted to keep things on the lean side.

Using Mark Bittmann's, How To Cook Everything, I settled on two breakfast sausage variations. As a jumping off point, I chose Bittman's Basic Breakfast Sausage using the traditional flavoring of sage (pictured above, top photo). To spice things up a bit, I chose his Spicy Sausage with parsley, garlic, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne (pictured below, third photo). I wanted to see which one we preferred in a taste test. I thought for sure I knew which one would win, but I was really surprised by the results.





Bittman's Basic Breakfast Sausage was a combination of one pound ground pork, 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. We served this sausage with scrambled eggs and biscuits. The basic breakfast sausage was superb. It had all the familiar flavors of traditional breakfast sausage, only it was much more fresh and really much better than buying it in the supermarket. There was nearly any fat left in the pan and we really didn't miss all the calories. This is definitely a wonderful way to enjoy breakfast sausage in a healthier way.



Bittman's Spicy Sausage(photo directly above) was also made with one pound ground pork, but was combined with 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. The blend of spices smelled terrific and you could easily see how flavor packed this sausage was going to be. Both my husband and myself love spicy and flavor-packed foods, so we were excited. I served this spicy sausage with Pioneer Woman's Biscuits and Gravy.



Pioneer Woman's Biscuit and Gravy is a quick and easy recipe, link found HERE. After cooking the sausage patties, Ree uses about 2-3 tablespoons of the sausage fat, whisks in 2 tablespoons of flour, and then adds in about 1 cup of milk. The homemade sausage that I used didn't yield any fat, so I opted for 2 tablespoons of butter, followed by 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 cup of milk. We loved this traditional Southern breakfast. It was quick, easy and delicious!

This is my submission to this roundup at Foodie Friends of the Pioneer Woman! If you would like to see what everyone else submitted, please click HERE to be directed to the FFPW site.

WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE BREAKFAST SAUSAGE THROWDOWN?

IT WAS THE TRADITIONAL BASIC BREAKFAST SAUSAGE WITH SAGE!
I was expecting the spicy version to win, but it was the old familiar taste of the basic breakfast sausage that won out in the end!

Which sausage do you think you would prefer?

A Mark Bittman Throwdown: Deviled Eggs

In celebration of our new chef at I Heart Cooking Clubs, I decided a Throwdown was in order. After all, Mark Bittman is well-known for all of his recipe variations and this lends itself wonderfully to a Throwdown. For our first week with Mark Bittman, we are celebrating bites, appetizers or small plates of his delicious food to pass around and share. Is there a better way to celebrate the season than with deviled eggs?

In Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, there are six variations for deviled eggs and then another additional 15 ways to flavor them. I knew instantly that I would be preparing at least two of his variations for Easter Sunday and a Throwdown was born. The first choice was easy. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Bittman's variation for Jalapeno Deviled Eggs. Why hadn't I ever thought of that? It's just pure genius. My husband and I both love deviled eggs and we adore jalapeno. I knew this one was going to be a serious contender.


The recipe for the Deviled Jalapeno Eggs is super easy. For every 4 hard-cooked eggs you will need 2 tablespoons of sour cream (or mayo), 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno and 1/8 teaspoon cumin and desired amount of salt. Bittman says to garnish with cilantro, but I opted to garnish with more minced jalapeno. We really like it hot!

My second choice was Bittman's Curried Deviled Eggs. I finally broke down and bought some curry powder and was excited to try out this new spice (new to me anyway). Bittman's Curried Deviled Eggs are actually a much healthier option. For every 4 hard-boiled eggs you will need 2 tablespoons of yogurt (I used Greek yogurt), 1 teaspoon of curry powder, salt to taste. The curried eggs are garnished with a cilantro leaf.




AND THE WINNER IS.......................................................



The Jalapeno Deviled Egg! We are crazy about deviled eggs and jalapeno, so we knew that this variation would probably win!

Notes/Results: I used Bittman's recipe for hard-cooked eggs. It is a simple method of covering the eggs with water, bringing to a boil, turning the heat off, covering with a lid and letting sit for 9 minutes. The eggs turned out perfectly and were very easy to peel. For each deviled egg recipe I had to add either a little more mayo (in the case of the jalapeno version) or a little more yogurt (in the case of the curry version). We like our deviled eggs to have lots of filling. The Curried Deviled Eggs were delicious as well and I was anxious to see what the yogurt would contribute to the filling. The end result was a creamy subtly spiced deviled egg with a little bit of tang from the yogurt. A great deviled egg, no doubt, but definitely a healthier version that would probably be best served on it's own and not compared to a full-fat amped up Jalapeno Deviled Egg. The Jalapeno Deviled Egg is genius! Spicy, creamy and delicious it was our personal preference and the winner of the Throwdown.

NOTE: As the Jalapeno Deviled Eggs sit, the heat intensifies.

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs this week to check out our new chef, Mark Bittman. Better yet, join us by cooking up a Mark Bittman recipe.

Valentine's Throwdown: Prosecco

Alcohol hardly ever gets any love in our house. We live in a dry county, where no alcohol or beer is sold. The next county over sells alcohol, but only in liquor stores, not in the grocery stores or convenience stores. Since I have two small children with me at all times, I usually never get the chance to visit the liquor store. So, when I made a trip to Trader Joe's over the holidays I stocked up on a few things, namely white wine, but also Prosecco.

I had never tried Prosecco before and was excited to try it out. I have an entire list of drinks I wanted to make using Prosecco, so I decided a Prosecco Throwdown was in order for Valentine's Day.

I mixed up three different Prosecco drinks this week. There were so many recipes that I wanted to try, but I settled on a Pomegranate Bellini, a Fruit Fizz with Meyer Lemon Sorbet, and an Amaretto Sour with Prosecco. While I did have a favorite, all of them would be a great drink for your Valentine's Day table.

First up, and probably the prettiest, is Nigella's Pomegranate Bellini. This recipe is the simplest of all three drinks. It only consists of two ingredients (pomegranate puree/juice and Prosecco). The color of the drink is gorgeous, but the drink was a little too tart for me. I think this drink would be best served in smaller amounts, perhaps a champagne glass.
Pomegranate Bellini
1 part chilled pomegranate puree or concentrated juice (I used concentrated juice)
3/4 part chilled Prosecco or other fizzy dry white wine
Pour the pomegranate puree/juice into a glass. Top with Prosecco. One 750ml bottle of Prosecco should yield about 6 Bellini


Next up, was Giada's Amaretto Sour with Prosecco. Back in the day, an Amaretto was one of my favorite drinks, so I was really excited to get started on this one. This was a really tasty drink made with Amaretto, simple syrup, and Prosecco. The glass is dipped into a lemon/lime sugar to coat the rim and the drink is supposed to be served on the rocks. I got a little too excited and forgot to serve mine on ice. This is definitely a sweetly flavored drink that is served with even more sugar on the rim, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the Amaretto mixed with the bubbly Prosecco. I will definitely make this drink again, especially if I had a party or people over. You can find the recipe HERE online at Food Network.
The last drink I mixed was Nigella's Fruit Fizz, which is almost like a dessert because it starts with a scoop (or two) of sorbet. You simply scoop some sorbet into a glass and top with Prosecco. I used a Meyer Lemon Sorbet that I made earlier this week, but almost any flavored sorbet will do. For Valentine's Day, a strawberry or raspberry sorbet would be gorgeous! This drink was cold, crisp, bubbly, fruity goodness and I really enjoyed it. You can find the recipe for the Fruit Fizz HERE on the Food Network.

AND THE WINNER IS..................................................................................................

NIGELLA'S FRUIT FIZZ WITH MEYER LEMON SORBET!!!

Why?

Well, Nigella's Fruit Fizz was really cold, crisp, refreshing and fun! The Meyer Lemon Sorbet seemed to compliment the Prosecco much more than the Pomegranate juice or the Amaretto. I loved that sour tang from the lemon sorbet and would definitely make this drink again using other sorbets.

Giada's Amaretto Sour with Prosecco still deserves a shout out because it was a really tasty drink. I would be happy to serve it anytime.

Do you have a favorite drink that is mixed with Prosecco?

SUPERBOWL THROWDOWN: CHICKEN WINGS

It's time for another Throwdown here at Stirring the Pot. About a week ago, I put up a poll where readers could vote on the next Throwdown and........... chicken wings won out! Never having made chicken wings before, I had a fun time choosing the two competing recipes. I wanted to compare cooking techniques for the wings, so I kept the wing flavor the same. I didn't want to be confused by which flavor I liked best, I wanted to pick the wing that was simply "cooked the best".

THE CONTENDERS
I chose Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings, which are steamed in order to melt away some of the fat in the chicken skin, baked until crisp, and then rolled around in a garlicky buffalo sauce. I compared Alton's recipe with Paula Deen's Uncle Bubba's Wings, which are marinated for 24 hours, deep fried, and served with two dipping sauces (buffalo and sweet asian chili).

Results/Notes on Alton Brown's Wings: Somewhat of a hassle. I don't have a steamer, so I had to use my metal strainer over a pot of boiling/simmering water. After steaming the wings, they are placed in the refrigerator for an hour to "dry out". After the wings have had a chance to dry out, they are baked, being rotated halfway through and coated in sauce. I felt like this was a lot of work for 12 chicken wings. (Pictured below are Alton's wings)Results/Notes on Uncle Bubba's Wings: Marinate 24 hours in a combination of hot sauce, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. When ready to eat, simply fry them for 10 minutes and you are all set. Simple and easy, the way I like things. (Pictured below are Uncle Bubba's wings)
Sounds like I'm already biased, doesn't it? Which wing do you think you would prefer? I thought I had it all figured out before I even tasted one.........
But I was pleasantly surprised! Alton Brown's steamed and baked wings were actually our favorite. It was a unanimous decision between me and my husband.

Why?

Well, Uncle Bubba's wings were easy and quickly deep fried, but they were a little too crunchy. Maybe this was because they were "dry" and not tossed with any sauce. I thought that I would like dunking the wings in sauce, but it turns out that it isn't very easy to do. Both my husband and I agreed that we like our wings to be messy and coated in sauce. Nonetheless, this was still a good wing recipe and had great flavor and color from the marinade.

Alton Brown's wings were a little more labor intensive, but they were dripping with sauce and messy like you would expect a good wing to be. The skin had a nice crispness about it, but wasn't too crunchy. Alton's wings were more reminiscent of the wings we are used to eating.

All in all, this was a fun challenge! Doing research on wings was fun. There are so many ways to prepare and serve them. I'd love to try wings with Sriracha sauce and I've even seen some tossed with peanut butter and jelly. This challenge has just opened up the door to many more possibilities.

THROWDOWN: Giada vs Ina - Pork Tenderloin

It's time for another THROWDOWN here at Stirring the Pot!! This time around I tested two recipes for pork tenderloin.

The two recipes I chose were Giada's Roasted Pork Loin with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (pictured above) and Ina Garten's Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork (pictured below). Both recipes are simple preparations with few ingredients and use a pork tenderloin around one pound each. There are a few things that set these two recipes apart. Giada's pork tenderloin is roasted and topped with a vinaigrette. Ina's is set in a marinade overnight and grilled.

AND THE WINNER IS ..............................................................................................

INA GARTEN'S HERB-MARINATED LOIN OF PORK!!!

Here is the winning recipe.

HERB-MARINATED LOIN OF PORK -adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight. (I marinated mine overnight)

When you're ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill. (I cooked mine on a new grill pan over the stovetop). Brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15 - 25 minutes (depending on the heat of the coals) until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2 inch thick slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.


NOTES/RESULTS: This was my very first Ina Garten recipe and it was to die for!! Jeffrey is a lucky man! My husband and I declared it our "go to" recipe for pork tenderloin. Yes, it is that good! The marinade is a simple herb marinade with ingredients that are easy to find/and or usually in your pantry. The pork develops a wonderful crust on the outside that is simply filled with flavor. It was almost tender enough to cut with a fork. I am already craving it again and will be making it very soon. Giada's roasted pork was tender and the sauce was zesty. You can find the recipe by clicking on the purple link above. It was a good solid recipe, but it just couldn't compete with Ina's grilled herb-marinated pork tenderloin.

I finally received my power cord in the mail today and I was so thankful!! I knew I was going to miss my computer, but I was almost about to have some serious withdrawal. I'm looking forward to catching up on all your sites today and reading some great posts!!

Throwdown: Pecans - Nigella vs Paula

Last month I got the chance to see Bobby Flay in person at the Incredible Food Show here in Lexington, KY. Bobby was so charming and full of jokes and laughter. I noticed very quickly that he enjoyed teasing the audience. You can tell that he enjoys good fun and laughter and I think this is why his Food Network show Throwdown suits him so well.

For those of you who do not know, Throwdown is a great show where Bobby is on a "secret mission" to challenge absolute masters in different kinds of cooking. In each show, the cook thinks the Food Network is shooting their dish for a special show. What they don't know is that Bobby is going to show up and surprise them with a cook-off. Surprisingly, Bobby doesn't always win. A lot of times the decision comes down to whether or not the judges prefer the "traditional dish", usually made by the cook OR "Bobby's spiced up version". You never really know in whose favor the judges will decide.

I love the idea of having a throwdown in my own kitchen and deciding which dish we like better. In preparation for the holidays, I have decided to start with pecans first. Candied or spiced pecans make a quick and easy holiday appetizer and everyone usually loves them. In the spirit of the Food Network show, I have picked a traditional recipe and a non-traditional recipe. Both recipes were easy and took the same amount of time and effort.

PAULA DEEN'S GEORGIA SPICED PECANS
VS
NIGELLA LAWSON'S MAPLE PEPPER PECANS

Paula's version is the more traditional version, made with sugar, cinnamon, evaporated milk, and vanilla. These are your traditional version of holiday pecans that you might get at the mall, in a holiday package, or from a friend. They taste almost like a praline.
Nigella's version is the more non-traditional recipe, made with butter, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper. I loved the idea of using maple syrup and adding cayenne pepper. My husband and I love spicy foods and were really looking forward to trying these. My picture of Nigella's pecans didn't turn out to well, but you could see little specks of cayenne pepper running over the pecans - YUM!
THE WINNER: PAULA'S GEORGIA SPICED PECANS

Notes/Results: I was actually surprised by the vote for Paula's pecans. Dare I say that I prefer Nigella's recipes to Paula's any day of the week. Nigella's recipe also had two ingredients that I love: maple syrup and cayenne. Prior to making both pecans, I was convinced I would like Nigella's better. Nigella's pecans were a little more savory with just a hint of heat. I ate a couple and then set them aside. Paula's pecans were sweet and cinnamony and tasted just like those yummy pecans you get during the holidays in the mall. They were delicious and I couldn't stop eating them. I was addicted! I took them to a bunco game and they went over very well.

GEORGIA SPICED PECANS - adapted from The Lady and Sons, Too by Paula Deen
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup evaporated milk
2 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and milk in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook to the soft-ball stage (234-238 degrees on a candy thermometer). Add the pecans and vanilla and stir well. Using a slotted spoon, drop single pecans on a sheet of waxed paper; allow to cool.

Nigella's recipe can be found here, on the food network.

I think there will be more throwdowns in my future!