Braised Pork Chops with Cipollini and Olives

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. Four 3/4-pound pork shoulder blade chops, each 1 1/4 inches thick
3. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. 6 ounces Black Forest Bacon—sliced 1/2 inch thick, cut into 1-inch pieces
5. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
6. 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
7. 2 rosemary sprigs
8. 4 whole cloves
9. 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry red wine
10. 2 cups chicken stock
11. 1 pound unpeeled baby cipollini onions
12. 2/3 cup assorted olives, including Niçoise olives, rinsed
13. 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and add 2 chops to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once until browned, 6 minutes total. Transfer to a roasting pan and repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the remaining 2 chops.
2. Add the bacon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet; cook over moderate heat until the bacon is lightly browned. Add the onion and garlic, cover and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened. Add the rosemary and cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and boil over high heat for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
3. Pour the bacon mixture over the pork chops. Cover the roasting pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the chops, cover and cook for 30 minutes longer.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the onions until barely tender, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool, then trim and peel the onions.
5. Add the onions and olives to the roasting pan, nestling them in the liquid. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
6. Transfer the pork, onions, and olives to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm. Discard the cloves. Set the pan over high heat and boil the liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of red wine to the sauce and pour it over the chops. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

An aromatic Nebbiolo is great with the dish.

Milk-Braised Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. Six 8-ounce well-marbled boneless pork loin chops
3. Kosher salt
4. Freshly ground pepper
5. 1 large onion, chopped
6. 1 large carrot, chopped
7. 2 celery ribs, chopped
8. 5 garlic cloves, smashed
9. 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
10. 5 thyme sprigs
11. 5 bay leaves
12. 2 1/2 cups whole milk
13. 3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
14. 1 cup heavy cream
15. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
16. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chops to a plate.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the vegetables just start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves and 2 cups of the milk and bring to a simmer. Return the pork chops to the casserole, cover and braise over very low heat until tender, about 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and simmer over moderate heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Add the cream and 4 tablespoons of the butter to the saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter is melted. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a bowl, then stir in the warm cream-butter sauce. Season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper; keep warm.
4. Transfer the pork chops to a platter and cover with foil. Spoon 4 cups of the braising liquid and vegetables into a blender, discarding the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and remaining vegetables and liquid. Puree the vegetable sauce until smooth.
5. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over moderately high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until bubbling. Whisk in the vegetable sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk; cook over moderate heat, whisking, until the gravy is thickened and no floury taste remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chops with the mashed potatoes and gravy.

SUGGESTED PAIRING

Bright, medium-bodied Barbera d’Alba.

Classic Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup of minced onion
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1/2 cup of minced green onion, including the onion greens
• 2 teaspoon salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup, divided 1/3 and 1/3
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (chuck)
• 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

METHOD:

1 Preheat oven to 350° F, with a rack in the middle.
2 In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter on medium heat until foamy. Add the minced onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, freshly ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of the ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.
3 In a large bowl, use your clean hands to combine the ground beef, spicy ground pork sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, the cooked vegetables from step 2, and parsley.
4 Press mixture into a loaf pan with 2-inch high sides, or form the mixture into a free standing loaf and place in a rimmed roasting pan. Cover the loaf with the remaining ketchup.
5 Bake the meatloaf in a 350°F oven for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 155°F. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then gently remove by lifting with a spatula to a serving plate, and slice to serve.

Pork Chops with Ginger Pear Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pork chops
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 2 Tbsp minced ginger
• 1 large pear (anjou, bartlett, or bosc), peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1 Salt the pork chops well and let them sit at room temperature while you chop all the vegetables and the pear. Make a few cuts in the outer fat layer of the pork chops, all the way through to the meat, to prevent them from curling up when you cook them. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.

2 Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, when the oil is hot, pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and lay them in the pan. Sear the chops until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot your burner is. Turn the pork chops over and sear on the other side for a minute or two. Then lower the heat and cook until done, 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. Remember you no longer need to cook pork well done. The recommended minimum temperature for cooked pork is now 145°F in the U.S.  (Use the finger test for meat if you don't have a meat thermometer.) When done, remove the pork chops from the pan to a plate to rest.

3 When the pork is done, remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pan. Add the butter, shallots and ginger and toss to combine. Cook this for 1 minute, then add the chopped pear and toss to combine. Cook another minute. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and honey and bring to a rolling boil. Boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by 2/3, about 4-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the rosemary and some black pepper. Add salt to taste.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce on the side.

Smoked Ham with Apple-Riesling Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1. One 18-pound bone-in smoked ham, skin removed and fat scored in a crosshatch pattern
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 bottle Riesling, preferably off-dry
4. 6 red apples such as Paula Red or Empire—halved, cored and skin peeled in stripes
5. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6. 6 scallions, coarsely chopped
7. 1 teaspoon hot paprika
8. 2 tablespoons Calvados
9. Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Set the ham fat side up in a large roasting pan. Add the water to the pan and bake for 2 hours.
2. Pour the wine over the ham. Roast for 30 minutes. Increase the oven to 350°. Baste the ham and arrange the apples around it. Roast for 35 minutes; baste once more. Remove the apples, then peel and chop.
3. Bake the ham for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting frequently, until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°. Transfer to a carving board; let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Strain the pan juices into a bowl and skim off the fat. In a deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the scallions and paprika; cook over moderately high heat until the scallions are softened. Add the Calvados. Using a long match, carefully ignite the Calvados; let the alcohol burn off. Add the apples and pan juices and cook until the apples are just heated through. Season the sauce with salt. Carve the ham and serve with the sauce.

Slow-Smoked Turkey with Cane Syrup-Coffee Glaze

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 gallons water
2. 1 cup apple cider vinegar
3. 1/2 cup ground coffee, preferably chicory coffee
4. 1 large onion, halved
5. 12 large thyme sprigs, tied together
6. 1/4 cup kosher salt
7. 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
8. 2 cups light brown sugar or 3 cups cane syrup (see Note)
9. One 11-pound turkey
10. About 3 cups hickory chips
11. Vegetable oil, for brushing

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 gallon of the water to a boil; keep warm. In a large stockpot, combine the cider vinegar, coffee, onion, thyme, salt and peppercorns with 1 3/4 cups of the brown sugar and the remaining gallon of water. Bring to a boil.
2. Holding the turkey by the legs, carefully ease the bird into the hot brine, neck end down. Add enough of the hot water to the stockpot to cover the turkey and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Carefully remove the turkey from the stockpot. Strain 2 cups of the braising liquid into a heatproof bowl and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Discard the remaining braising liquid.
4. Meanwhile, light a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill. A few minutes before the turkey has finished simmering, add 2 cups of the hickory chips to the coals. When the chips start smoking, brush the turkey breast with oil. Set the turkey, breast side down, on the grill. Cover and smoke over a low fire or flame for 15 minutes. Baste the turkey with the reserved braising liquid; turn it breast side up and baste again. Cover the grill and continue smoking the turkey for about 40 minutes longer, basting occasionally with the braising liquid and adding more coals or hickory chips to the grill as necessary. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Fluffy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces, plus more for the baking dish
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Fill a large pot with the potatoes and 1 inch of water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and steam until very tender, 18 to 22 minutes. Strain and return the potatoes to the pot.
2. Add the milk, cream cheese, butter, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to the potatoes and mash until smooth. Fold in the eggs; transfer to a buttered 8-by-8-inch or another 2-quart baking dish. Bake until set and golden, 25 to 30 minutes (or 40 minutes if refrigerated before baking).

Peel and Eat Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 lemon (thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoon rosemary leaves
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 4 clove garlic (peeled and minced)
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup hot sauce (or to taste)
• 1 pound medium to large shrimp (unpeeled)
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Heat a large (at least 12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter, and cook until melted and foamy, but do not let it brown. Add the lemon slices in a single layer and cook them undisturbed until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes.
Flip the lemon slices and add rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce; bring a simmer. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then add them to the skillet. They should sizzle as they hit the pan. Cook, stirring and turning often, until they are pink and firm to the touch, about 3 to 4 minutes total. Serve on a platter in a big, help yourself heap.