You will need:
Chicken Breast – boneless/skinned approx. 6 to 8 oz/serving
Fresh Lemon Juice plus zest- One good sized/serving
Fresh Fennel Frond – approx. 1 TBSP/serving – use the bulb as a veggie side.
Sea Salt/Pepper – to taste.
Olive Oil

In a sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken heat one TBSP/serving of the olive oil until it shimmers add breast(s) to hot oil and sauté until a rich brown color is achieved, flip breast over and continue until second side has a rich color also. Place breast on an oven proof dish and place into a pre-heated (350 F) oven until internal temperature reaches 160 F.

Meanwhile, pour any oil from sauté pan squeeze as much juice as you can get out of each lemon and scrape up the fond left from the chicken, add the lemon zest and reduce to about half, add the fresh fennel frond to the sauce and cook for a few minutes more. Remove the chicken from the oven and add back into the sauté pan turning to coat. Place chicken on a serving dish and pour the lemon/fennel sauce over the top. Enjoy!

You will need:

Pork Tenderloin – approx. 6 oz./serving
Cold Apple Juice – enough to completely cover loins (I used 2 liters or about 2 quarts.
Juniper Berries – I used between 6 and 8 which I crushed slightly to allow the release of natural oils.
Table Salt – try to use non-iodized but it’s OK if you can’t find it – approx. 30 grams/liter or quart.
Four sprigs fresh thyme.
Pepper Corns – approx. 12 – I used my personal mixture but any peppercorn will do.

In a nonreactive vessel add all of the ingredients and mix well to make sure all of the salt is dissolved. Clean tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin (you can have you butcher remove the silver skin if you haven’t done this before. Add cleaned tenderloin to the brine making sure it is completely submerged, if it wants to float a little weigh it down with a clean plate. Cover the vessel with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for two hours – you can follow the suggested links below from Rouxbe for times and measures.

Remove the tenderloins from the brine and discard the brine, rinse off the loin and dry thoroughly. In a skillet large enough to hold the loins sear each until you get a good crust. Transfer loins to a roasting pan and roast until done. The internal temperature should be at least 145, remove them from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 or 20 minutes. The temperature will rise as the pork rests. Serve with your favorite side dish/dishes.

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At the time I was shopping one of their suppliers, Cabot® Cheese Coop had a display of their product. What caught my attention was the sales associate’s comment that their cheese products are lactose free and since I have a friend who recently learned that she was intolerant I thought to include them in my repertoire.

So I thought, what goes good with pork and cheese, specifically Cheddar, the one I decided to purchase. Apples, of course. I took my groceries home and developed this recipe for all to enjoy. This recipe will feed two and multiplying is straight forward.

You will need:

2 Thick Cut Pork Chop – I used a bone in chop however a loin chop will work.
2/3 cup diced Granny Smith apple – dice smaller than ¼”.
1/3 cup diced Cabot White Cheddar Cheese – dice same size as apple.
One tsp fresh Sage.
One TBSP bread crumb – I used Panko.
Ground Pepper to taste.

Combine apple, cheese, pepper and bread crumbs in a bowl. Toss and let stand while you prepare the chop. Using a very sharp knife, I use a good quality boning knife, cut a slit approximately 1 1/2″ long in the center of the thickest part of the chop. Carefully work the blade of the knife into the flesh of the chop. Place your free hand on top of the chop so to feel the movement of the blade. Work the knife into the cavity you have created making sure to open enough room leaving at least a 1/4 inch of wall around the entire chop. Carefully stuff the apple/cheese mixture into the cavity pressing it tightly to compact.

In a sauté pan large enough to hold the chops sear on both sides to get a good brown crust. Place the seared chops in a preheated, 350 degree, oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Remove from oven, place on clean plate, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. I served mine with home made egg noodles and sweet corn kernels.

Enjoy!

You will need:

One pound dry white beans (I used pinto).
Two large bay leaves.
Four sprigs fresh thyme
Sea Salt/Fresh Pepper
Two smoked ham hock/shanks (I used a Hungarian Style Shank).
Two medium sized sweet onions – 1/4 inch dice.
Two medium sized red bell pepper – 1/8 inch dice.
One small habanero pepper, seeds removed – finely diced.
One large package frozen corn kernels
Low sodium chicken broth

Start with the beans, in a container large enough to hold the entire package and enough water to cover soak beans for 12 hours or overnight.

Once soaked drain them and place in a large stock pot with enough water to cover by at least two inches. Add all the remaining ingredients except the corn kernels and chicken stock. Bring pot to a slow boil and turn heat down to a low setting. It will take a while to cook but this slow method will help to thicken the final product without the need for a roux or other thickener.

The beans should be done when the ham hock/shank meat separates from the bone. You can also tell by taking a few out of the pot and taste, they should be just at the al denté stage. At this point you have a great pot of beans. You can portion out several meals using some for a side and some for the soup.

Now the soup part. Depending on how many servings you want to make remove a sufficient quantity of the beans and place in another stock pot. Add the packaged corn kernels and chicken stock. How much chicken stock to use is a personal choice. The more stock you use will produce a thinner soup. Some recipes might suggest that you blend a portion of the soup however I find that this is an unnecessary step.

Enjoy!

You will need:

Two parts ground chuck
One part ground pork
One part ground veal or turkey*
One part – stale bread (I used leftover Italian bread)
Milk – enough to soak the bread
Two cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Large eggs – quantity depends on amount of meats used. Typically 2 large eggs is sufficient for four pounds of meat.
Sea Salt/Fresh Ground Pepper
Peanut or other low smoke oil.
Flour

Preparation:

In a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients place crumbled bread and milk with very clean hands work the bread and milk together until it comes to a semi-thick paste. Add the meats, eggs, salt/pepper and cheese and work together until everything is completely combined. Form the meat into balls, I use an ice cream scoop – I like mine large. As you finish each ball place on baking sheet until ready to cook. Dust balls lightly with flour.

Heat skillet large enough to hold meatballs, don’t worry this step can be done in batches, add enough oil to go up to 1/4 the size of the meatballs. When oil starts to dance (shimmer) reduce heat and carefully place balls into oil with room in between each. With a slotted spoon move balls around making sure that all sides are browned equally. If cooking in batches put finished balls on a plate until all are completed.

At this point they are ready to serve, however, I find that if you place them into a pot large enough to hold them all and add your favorite pasta sauce they take on a deep, rich flavor.

Buon appetito!

* The choice between veal and turkey is totally up to you. The taste between the two is relatively minor but the difference in structure might be evident as the veal has a higher fat content.

I came upon a variation of this unique blend of tastes while working an event. The Chef had made a pork roast and used Dijon mustard and Maple syrup to make a gravy for the roast. The resulting flavor of the roast was something out of this world. What I have done here is take the basics for his recipe and with some minor adjustments came up with a pan sauce that is easy and very rewarding. The recipe below will serve one person.

You will need:
One Pork Tenderloin – approx. 3/4 pounds in weight.
Olive Oil – enough to coat bottom of skillet
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper – to taste.
Dijon Mustard – 2 TBSP – I used Grey Poupin
Pure Maple Syrup – 2 TBSP – NB: Pure Maple Syrup only.
White Wine – approx 1/4 cup
Unsalted butter – two TBSP

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove all silver skin from tenderloin then cut loin into approx. 2 inch medallions. Turn medallions onto the cut edge and compress to about 1 and 1/2 inch thick. Heat skillet to medium high, add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Place medallions in skillet but do not crowd, sear on both sides. Remove pork from skillet and place in an ovenproof vessel while preparing sauce.

Pour off any excess oil from skillet, add wine to deglaze the fond form the pan, immediately add mustard and maple syrup whisking vigorously. Remove from heat and hold until pork tenderloin is finished (internal temp reads 140 Degrees F). When pork is finished remove from oven, cover with foil, finish sauce. Return skillet with sauce to medium heat, as soon as bubbles start to appear at edges add butter one tablespoon at a time remove pan from heat and swirl butter, do not whisk or stir as the chances of the sauce breaking are increased, until it is melted into the sauce.

Serve with mashed potato and oven roasted sweet corn nobs.

I started making my own mix of peppercorns many years ago using both well known and little known items then added some other ingredients that enhances the mix. All told there are over 14 items in this mix and have used it on a regular basis. I had some pork tenderloin in the freezer and wanted to come up with something that I had not seen before. I’ve crusted beef tenderloin, made Steak Au Poivre and Pepper Gravy but never tried this before. Contrary to what one might think this recipe does not have a strong pepper bite. I served it with Roasted Garlic/Shallot Linguine.

We were given an opportunity to try a new product from Montillo Italian Foods. Vino Cotto di Montillo is a a semi-sweet reduction of premium wine grapes that has been used in Calabrian cooking for generations. We combined the Vino Cotto with raisens and pine nuts creating a sauce that is not only unique but very satisfying. Even your most demanding gourmand will appreciate this rather simple presentation. As with our other recipes we try to develop new ideas with the home cook in mind. We strive to create a meal that takes 30 minutes or less in cooking time. This pork tenderloin recipe turned out great. The earthy richness of the polenta is a perfect compliment to the fragrant sauce.

You will need:
Pork Tenderloin – approx. 4 oz/serving
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
Olive Oil
Unsalted butter
Pine nuts – approx. 1 oz/serving toasted
Raisens – approx. 1 oz/serving (soak raisens in Vino Cotto – use enough to cover)
Vino Cotto di Montillo – approx. 5 TBSP/serving
Salt free chicken stock – approx. 2 TBSP/serving
Polenta – approx. 1/4 cup dry/serving.

Prepare the pork:
Remove any excess fat and silver skin from tenderloin. Cut into tournedos at least one inch thick, season with sea salt and pepper. In a sauté pan large enough to hold the tournedos without crowding brown until a nice rich crust is formed (about 6 minutes/per side). Don’t walk away from this step as to negate the possibility of burning. If your pan is not large enough you can brown the pork in batches. Remove pork from pan and place in oven preheated to 350° F and cook until internal temperature reaches 140° F. Remove from oven and keep warm. Remember that the pork will continue to cook while it rests and will come to 145 – 150° F for serving.

For the sauce:
Pour off any excess fat from the sauté pan. Heat the pan on high for about a minute then off heat add the chicken stock, return to heat and deglaze. Reduce the stock by about 1/2 then add Vino Cotto and soaked raisens. Bring to a rapid simmer then add 1TBSP cold butter and swirl into sauce. Return pork tenderloins to sauce to warm through. Add pine nuts just before serving. Cook polenta according to package recipe. Spoon polenta onto serving plate, top with Pork Tenderloin tournedos and spoon sauce over all.

You will get rave reviews with this one. Enjoy!

To purchase an 8.5 oz. bottle of Vino Cotto di Montillo for the low price of $15.95/bottle just send us a note.

Sure, everyone has their family recipe for Sunday gravy, well that is if you were of Italian heritage, others would refer to this as Spaghetti Sauce. Well I’ve made many a Sunday Gravy, had some failures and some great successes, this recipe has always proved to be one of my best.

This recipe will make approximately 20 cups of gravy.

For the gravy you will need:
Four 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
One small can tomato paste
Two cups beef stock
One medium size sweet onion
Carrots – enough to equal the volume of the onion
Four or five sprigs fresh oregano
Four or five garlic cloves
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt

Two pounds country ribs
Two pounds Italian Sausage (your choice of sweet or hot)

For the meatballs

Two pounds ground chuck
One pound ground pork
One pound ground veal or turkey
Enough stale bread (I used leftover Italian bread) to equal the volume of the ground meats
Two cups milk (or more if necessary)
Two cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Two large eggs
Olive oil
Vegetable oil

In a heavy bottom stock pot heat four tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Place carrots, onion and garlic in a food processor and run until the vegetables are of a paste consistency. Thoroughly brown the country ribs (in batches if necessary) until a nice brown crust forms, remove and set aside. Pour off any liquid from the stockpot, add four tablespoons olive oil, reheat until shimmering then brown the Italian sausage until a nice brown crust forms, remove and set aside. Pour off any liquid, add two tablespoons olive oil, and reheat until shimmering. Place vegetable past along with tomato paste to the stockpot and cook until the mix is somewhat dry. De-glaze pot with the beef stock scraping up all the fond at the bottom of the pot. Add the four cans of crushed tomatoes, the sprigs of oregano and the ribs and sausage to the stockpot. Reduce heat to very low, place lid over pot and simmer for 5 or 6 hours. To reduce the possibility of the gravy burning I take one of the unused burner grates, place it on top of the burner you are using, make sure that it is firmly in place, put the stockpot on that tiered burner. Stir the gravy every occasionally to insure a good mixture.

While the gravy is simmering make the meatballs. Break up the stale bread into medium to small chunks, but into a bowl large enough to hold the bread and both meats. Pour one-cup milk into the bowl, as the bread starts to absorb the milk using a fork start to mash the bread. If there is not enough milk continue adding more until you can mash the bread into a paste. Add the parmesan cheese, the eggs, the meats, salt and pepper (to taste) and using very clean hands or hand covered with rubber gloves and work the mixture until it is thoroughly combined. Form the mixture into equal balls (I like mine large). In a sauté pan large enough to hold the meatballs, heat approximately one-quarter cup of vegetable oil until shimmering. Carefully lower meatballs into oil, do not crowd, work in batches if necessary, and cook until a nice brown crust forms rotate balls until all sides have that same rich brown crust. Set aside meatballs until cooled enough then place in the refrigerator. During the last one to one and a half hours of cooking the gravy, add the meatballs submerging them to cover. During the last half hour taste the gravy for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Once the time used in this recipe is completed, cool to room temperature.

Remove the meatballs, sausage and ribs from the gravy and portion two cups of the liquid into quart freezer bags for future use. Similarly portion out the meatballs, ribs and sausage into quart freezer bags for future use.

Over the holidays I had an excess of pomegranate, and not wanting to waste them, I separated the seeds and froze them in a zip log bag. I knew that I would be looking for something different and just recently came up with this quick dish. Additionally, I had purchased a large quantity of pork loin cut into steaks, it was a deal, price wise, so I just couldn’t pass them up. You can substitute pork chops very easily.

You will need:
Pork Loin Steak – approx. 6 oz./serving
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher or Sea Salt
Pomegranate Seeds – approx. 1 TBSP/serving
Pomegranate juice – approx. 2 TBSP/serving (I used POM brand)
Beef stock – approx. 2 TBSP/serving
Unsalted butter – approx. 1/4 TBSP/serving

Prepare the pork – heat a sauté pan (oven-proof, not non-stick) over medium high heat, brush both sides of pork with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (it is OK to be generous here). Sear pork to get a nice rich color on both sides, put into a pre-heated 350 degree F oven to finish (cook until temperature is 140 degrees)

For Glacé – when pork is finished remove from sauté pan, keep warm by covering it with aluminum foil. Deglaze the pan with pomegranate juice scrapping up the fond. When juice starts to thicken add beef stock, pomegranate seeds and butter. Heat through until butter is emulsified into the sauce, pour over pork and serve. If you don’t have the pomegranate seeds diced dried cherries will work. Enjoy!