Pork chops and pears agridouce

2 thick pork chops
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. ground ginger, to taste
approx. 1 Tbsp. oil
2 firm winter pears, such as Bosc
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
1/2 -1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
approx. 2 tsp. butter (optional)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Put a little oil in a skillet, just enough for frying, and add pepper and ginger. Stir and heat gently until ginger starts to darken, then add pork chops and brown. Place in a baking dish large enough to hold chops and pears in a single layer (best if it’s a very cozy layer, though). Peel pears, cut in half and core. Place cut side up in the dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Put a dab of butter in the cavity of each pear. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over chops and pears. Pour vinegar over it all. Cover and bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Remove cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chops are cooked through.

Makes two servings (with lots of extra liquid that might be good for cooking rice in)
Adapted from: Cooking for two today / Jean Hewitt.

The rest of the story

I use agridouce here to connote a Euro/Western kind of sweet-and-sour that is more common in classical and medieval recipes but has almost disappeared from modern ones.

The original recipe called for dry sherry, but I don't usually care for any kind of wine in my food (it's rotten grape juice, after all, and no matter how carefully it's been rotted, it still tastes like rotten grape juice to me and you're welcome to it). Usually I substitute an appropriate broth, but this time I didn't have any on hand; what I did have was a nice bottle of balsamic vinegar. So I thought, same stuff fermented with a different yeast, that's all, and tried it.

This also works with thinner chops, but you'll need to adjust the cooking time. It's really best with 1-inch, bone-in chops, but quite forgiving. Don't use Bartlett-type eating/dessert pears, they go to mush when baked.

A couple of other little caveats:
- 3 Tbsps looks like a LOT of sugar, but use it all for your first attempt; if it really comes out too sweet you can cut it back next time, but you've got all that vinegar to balance.
- Be careful taking the lid off, and even just opening the oven; there's a wave of vinegar steam lying in wait to attack your eyeballs and sinus membranes if you give it half a chance!

Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.

Pork Tenderloin in Tomatillo Sauce

Tomatillo sauce:
2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed, washed
2 large jalapenos
1 large onion, cut into wedges
6 - 8 large cloves garlic, peeled
cilantro to taste
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Place an oven rack a few inches from the broiler. Arrange tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on a roasting pan and place a few inches from the broiler. Broil 5-6 minutes, until they start to char. Turn over and broil another 5-6 minutes, until tomatillos are soft and blackened. Remove from oven and cool about 20 minutes. Split the jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (reserve some seeds for a hotter sauce). Place vegetables and their juices in a blender and puree until desired consistency is reached; it should be a little chunky. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and of salt; pulse a few more times to mix. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Pork tenderloin:
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
bacon grease, lard, or vegetable oil, for browning
2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Mexican-style beer
1 recipe tomatillo sauce (above)

Combine flour, salt, and cumin in a large mixing bowl. Add the pork cubes and gently toss to coat. Brown the pork in hot grease/oil, cooking one layer at a time, about 1 - 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside, and continue with the remaining pork. Deglaze the pan with beer, scraping up any leftover browned bits as the beer bubbles. Return the browned pork cubes to the skillet and add tomatillo sauce. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. May be made a day or two in advance; flavor improves with time.

Serve with:
Small corn or flour tortillas
Cooked rice
Cooked beans
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Adapted from The Kitchn

Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.

Gingered pork and peaches

1 lb. pork tenderloin (or pork stir-fry meat)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. finely chopped ginger, or 1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. corn starch.
pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3 medium peaches, pared and sliced, or 16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed & drained, or a can of sliced peaches, drained
6 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
cooked rice or noodles for serving

Trim fat from tenderloin and cut thinly across grain as for stir-fry. Cut any large slices in half. In a skillet or wok, mix soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, pepper, and garlic. If not using a non-stick pan, you may want to add a little oil as well. Add pork and almonds and toss to coat. Turn on heat and stir-fry until pork is done, 6-8 minutes. It will probably look a little dry at this point. Add peaches and stir-fry for another few minutes until peaches are hot. Garnish with onions and serve over rice or wide egg noodles.

Makes two dinners and a lunch, or one dinner and three lunches (about 4 cups)

Source unknown.

Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.