Pork Chops With Prunes From Ft Oct 2011 Recipes

PORK CHOPS WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from the chops. Mince about one tablespoon of the fat and heat it in a large skillet. Quickly brown the chops on both sides on a high heat in the fat. Remove chops.
• Lower heat and add onion. Saute until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring for another minute or two. Add the prunes, brandy and honey. Stir.
• Return the chops to the skillet along with any juices they may have released upon standing. Season with salt and pepper and baste with the sauce. Cover skillet and simmer very gently until the chops are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Arrange chops on a platter. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

PORK CHOPS STUFFED WITH PRUNES AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the prunes with enough water to cover them by 1/4-inch. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the port and bring back up to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain the prunes, coarsely chop, and set them aside. Reserve the liquid. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the pine nuts, stirring frequently for 1 or 2 minutes, until golden. Add the prunes and the remaining 1/4 cup of port to the pan. Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is reduced to a glaze. Stir in the salt and pepper and cool to room temperature. Cut horizontally into the edges of the pork chops almost to the bones to create a pocket for the stuffing. Stuff the chops loosely (if there is leftover stuffing reserve it for the sauce).
• Secure the edges of each chop with 2 toothpicks. Season the chops generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a roasting pan in it to heat it up. Heat a large, heavy and well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the chops for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to the pan in the oven and finish cooking them for about 20 minutes, until the chops are done through. Meanwhile, add the oil to the skillet which you used to sear the pork. Over medium-low heat, saute the shallots for 6 to 8 minutes, until translucent. Add the port, beef broth, and the reserved prune-cooking liquid to the pan and, if there was any filling leftover after stuffing the chops, add it now. Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid, uncovered, until it is thickened and saucy, stirring frequently. Stir in the butter and lemon juice until the butter is completely absorbed. Serve the chops immediately, spooning the sauce over the top.

PORK CHOPS WITH PRUNES (FROM FT, OCT 2011)

Steps:

• 1. wash prunes and place in a small bowl. Bring wine to a boil and pour over th prunes. let them sit for 2 hrs in wine. 2. remove rinds from chops and lay the rinds fat side down in a large frying pan. on low heat, let them sweat and render their fat for about 5 minutes. then turn up the heat. season the chops on one side with salt and pepper and place this side down in the fat. slip the better into the pan between the chops and let them cook fast enough to color nicely without burning the butter. season the second side and turn the chops over. sprinkle thyme over the shops and finish cooking - about 6 minutes per side. chops should be firm but are still moist on inside. stand chops on their fat and give them an extra couple of minutes so that fat turns crisp. remove chops and hold in a warm spot. 3. Pour off any fat rom the pan and return pan to heat. Deglaze with the lemon juice and reduce this until almost evaporated. Pour in the wine, the prunes, and add chicken stock. Simmer ufor a few minutes until prunes heat through. lift out prunes and add to the tops of the chops. 4. bring sauce to a boil and reduce by 2/3 so that there is a about 1/2 cup of sauce in pan. Pour in the cream, whisk until bringing it back to a boil again and reduce until desired consistency. season sauce with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. pour any juice from the chops and coat the chops with the sauce. 5. serve it up.

PORK CHOPS PARISIENNE WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Brown the pork chops in a skillet.
• Add 1/4 cup of the wine and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
• While the chops are simmering, place the prunes and the remaining wine in an ovenproof dish and bake in 300°F oven for 20 minutes.
• Once done, remove the pork chops from the skillet and add the heavy cream and current jelly to the hot skillet.
• Coook quickly, over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and shiny.
• Pour the sauce over the pork chops and garnish with the baked prunes in wine.

PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat chops dry and season with salt. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chops in batches, turning over once, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Add shallot to pot and sauté until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vinegar and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Stir in water, broth, and allspice and bring to a simmer. Return chops to pot with prunes. Braise, covered, in middle of oven until chops are very tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon. Boil sauce until reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over chops.

BRAISED PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole pan and cook the pork, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown all over, about 10 mins. You need plenty of space in the pan, so cook in 2 batches if the meat starts to steam. Remove from the pan to a plate. Tip out any burnt bits, then add the butter and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the flour, then return the pork and juices to the pan. Pour over the wine and enough stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip in the prunes, top up with stock or water if the meat isn't covered, and cook 45 mins more, uncovered, until really tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.