Peppered Pork With Caramelized Pears And Rosemary Potatoes Recipes

HICKORY-SMOKED PORK CHOPS WITH BLEU CHEESE MASHED POTATOES AND CARAMELIZED PEARS AND ONION STRAWS

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl, combine milk, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper. Place each pork chop in the bowl and allow the meat to marinate for approximately 1/2 hour.
• Over an open-flame grill, sear each side of the pork chops until black grill marks form.
• Remove the meat from the grill. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and place hickory smoking chips in the bottom of the pan. Cover the chips with a lid, which is slightly smaller than the pan, and then place each pork chop on top of the lid. This will allow the meat to smoke and become infused with the hickory flavor. Smoke the meat until it is fork tender. Serve with potatoes, pears and onion straws. Garnish with red pepper and mushroom strips.
• In a large pot, add the potatoes. Cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the water from the pot and place the potatoes in a medium sized bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mash together until you reach the desired creaminess. Set aside.
• In a medium sized saute pan, combine all of the ingredients over medium heat and saute until the pears soften and the sauce thickens. Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine milk, oil, salt and pepper. Slice an onion into long strips and place them into the milk mixture. Shake off any excess liquid, and then dredge the onion strips in flour. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium sized saute pan. Place the dredged onions into the saute pan and cook until they are brown and slightly crispy. Set aside.
• Thoroughly clean the skin of the red bell pepper. Rub olive oil lightly over the entire surface of the skin. Place the whole pepper on an open flame and roast it until the skin is blackened. Remove the pepper from the flame and rub the charred skin with a towel. Once the skin is removed, slice the pepper into thin strips and serve with the pork chops.
• Thoroughly clean the skin of the baby mushroom. Rub the entire surface generously with garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place the whole mushroom into a steamer and allow it to steam for approximately 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove the mushroom from the steamer and slice into strips. Serve with the pork chops.

SKILLET PORK AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Slice the pork on an angle into 1-inch-thick pieces; season with salt. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and bell peppers; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender and slightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the pork and sear over high heat until browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to the plate with the onion and peppers.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, sage and tomato paste to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste turns brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the pepperoncini slices and their liquid, then pour in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the broth and return to a simmer. Arrange the pork in a single layer in the skillet; add the onion and peppers and sprinkle with cheese. Transfer to the oven and broil until the pork is cooked through, 4 to 7 minutes.
• Photography by Antonis Achilleos

PORTUGUESE PORK WITH RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• With a large mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, coarse salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and peppercorns into a fine paste. Transfer to a large bowl.
• With a mallet, flatten the pork medallions to 1/4 inch thick. Place in the bowl with the garlic mixture, tossing to coat. Cover, and marinate 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in the pork and remaining garlic mixture. Quickly brown pork about 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Place red peppers into the skillet, and saute 2 to 5 minutes, until tender but firm. Pour white wine into the skillet, and scrape up the browned bits. Reduce heat to low, return pork to skillet, and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).
• Slice 1 1/2 lemons into thin rounds. Transfer the pork and pepper mixture to a serving platter. Squeeze juice of remaining 1/2 lemon over the pork and peppers, and garnish with the lemon rounds.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH BALSAMIC CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the water, kosher salt, and sugar. Add pork chops to this brine, and let them soak for no more than one hour. Drain and discard the brine. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels.
• In a shallow dish, stir together the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Place pork chops in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 or 2 hours.
• Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/2, about 10 minutes. When the vinegar cools, it should be the consistency of syrup.
• Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high or high heat. Add the onions and pears, and quickly brown being careful to keep the wedges intact. Once the onions and pears are browned, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the reduced vinegar and salt. The recipe can be prepared up to this point several hours before grilling.
• Preheat the grill for medium-high heat.
• Warm pears on a cool section of the grill (in the skillet), while placing the pork chops over the hot part. Cook pork for about 3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove to a serving plate, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for a few minutes. Uncover, top with the pear onion sauce, and serve.