Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

Jan 152012
 
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I have to share this hard to believe story with my fellow foodies. My friend, let’s call him Mark, confided in me the most peculiar aspect of his childhood.  Mark knew what he would be eating every day of his childhood. His mother cooked the exact same thing everyday of the week his entire life in his parents home. This took a while to sink into my foodie soul and conscious.  Mark had cereal for breakfast seven days of the week.  He had bologna or turkey sandwich, only, everyday for lunch. Not even an apple. They never had fruit in their house. Vegetables only came from a can.

Dinner…

Monday: frank and beans.
Tuesday: mac and cheese (from a box, mind you).
Wednesday: chili from a can with fritos
Thursday: hamburger on a bun with some store purchased coleslaw
Friday: fish filet with canned corn
Saturday: hot dog and chips
Sunday: Frozen pizza

No variation to the menu, ever. It was the same menu every week, week in and week out. It never changed his entire childhood. They didn’t even cook something different on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, no turkey. I have a hard time believe that these people are not missing some kind of gene for passion. How did they even find each other to marry?

Mark never went to a restaurant with his parents. They thought it was a waste of money. Mark loved eating over at his friend’s house, but his brother feared it and would avoid it at all cost. Mark  loved the food he was served at the dorm cafeteria when he went off to college. He grow up with such a disconnect from food as pleasure, he was insatiable. He would gorge himself on fresh fruit and would invent a new salad everyday from the array at the salad bar. The first time he had pot roast and mashed potatoes, he had three helpings. He went home with a friend for Thanksgiving and he had his first Thanksgiving meal. He was simply God smacked. Mark said he barely spoke a word at that first Thanksgiving meal and he had to do everything in his power not to cry.  He had only seen pictures of such an event.

Mark’s parents have never been overweight or even fluctuated a few pounds in their weight. They never ate out at a restaurant. That is a waste of money. They never travel to see their adult children. They have never have ever change their diet to this day. They are not close with their children.

 

 

Is the feeding our family the first way we show them love? How we nurture their soul? How we connect with people? Certainly, this family did not use food to celebrate,  console, or masque any emotions that pop up… now everyone in the room turns and looks at me. Okay, okay, guilty as charged.

Bless my father for raising me around some of the most interesting chefs and restaurant people in the US. Bless my mother. Her own passion for food and desire not to eat the same thing everyday, lead to a childhood with an amazing exploration of the world’s cuisines coming from my mother’s kitchen. Pork chops and sauerkraut was something that was an event in our household when I was growing up. The smell of this simmering would make all of us come out of our rooms and gather at the dinner table.

There was a point  that my mother was cooking for 9 people everyday and she would cook this in the electric fry pan. It really helped free up the oven for the rest of the meal. I am a big slow cooker fan. My mom would serve this with mashed potatoes. I have a Czech friend who would simmer dumplings in the sauerkraut while it cooked. I love that idea.

My version is easy, stick to your ribs fare, but on top of it, it is healthy homemade food. I spent ten minutes putting it together in the morning and we have a hearty dinner in the evening.

It is the morning…

Pull out your slow cooker and a skillet.

1. Season 4-6 pork loin chops with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet with some olive oil.
3. Sear the pork chops on both sides. Not cooking, just browning the outside of chop.
4. In the slow cooker add:
2 cups sauerkraut, that had been rinsed
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 apple, grated
1/2 cup carrot, grated
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
8-10 peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T. brown sugar (optional)
5. Place the chops on top, cover and set slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
6. Serve to your family around the dinner table and enjoy each other.

Mark’s brother never developed a taste for fruit and vegetables, but owns a diner. He married one of the waitresses are raising their child in the business. Mark, is an avid runner and his partner is a party planner. They have huge Thanksgiving gatherings and Mark does all the cooking.

The simple act of gathering around the table to share a meal is an important thing. It is love. Please join me anytime around my table.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Save some money.

Jan 022010
 

You have a pork roast or with a few slices of knife, I can have some pork loin chops at a much better price. I bought this roast for $1.99 a lb.

The boneless chops at the store were selling at almost $4.00 a lb. I saved almost $2.00 a lb. by cutting my own. Remember when you get anything sliced or chopped at the super market it is more money. I have to admit I rarely buy deli meat anymore because of this fact. I buy a whole turkey breast, then cook and slice it myself.

A simple pan seared chop with a baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli is a favorite meal of my son. I wrapped up the rest of the chops in the freezer.

Pet peeve no.2: Calling standard ground cornmeal “polenta”, then charging three times the amount for it. Forget about it.

Porks chops always seem to make the world a little better.

Jul 282009
 
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first food 041

I love love love pork chops. I like them anytime and any season. It comes as no surprise to me that my sons have this same love for pork chops. Who am I kidding, they share the same love  and passion for all things from a pig.

I call the pork chops above “Whatever I have in the house flavored pork chops.”

I start with bone in pork chops. Bones mean flavor. Period. Pork can handle a lot of different flavors and I usually just go with what I have around.

1.Uncork the wine that you are drinking, pour a glass for yourself and your handy sous chef. A properly chilled bottle of Chardonnay is the choice tonight.

2. Slice up mushrooms and chop up a shallot and a couple of  gloves of  garlic.

3. Heat deep sided fry pan over medium heat. While it heats, I season my pork chops on both sides with cumin, paprika, salt, creole seasoning and then let sit.  Put a couple tablespoon of olive oil in the heated pan.

4. Place mushrooms, onions, and garlic in oil and saute’ until tender. While  they are cooking, chopped up the herbs that you would like to finish with. I picked sage and oregano from the garden and chopped it up finely.

5. Spoon out sauteed veggies and place on side. Place pork chops in pan to brown. Oil might need to be added. Brown each side, then turn it down to low. Pour in some wine over the chops, add mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Put in half the herbs. Cover.

6. I usually can tell if the pork is done by touching it. You will learn this by simply doing it. Do not just lift up the cover and stare at it hoping you can just tell if it is done. Touch it. It should feel firmer then when it is raw. If there is no give, it is probably over cooked a little. Take it off the heat. Have your platter ready to put the chops on, then slotted spoon I scoop out mushroom mixture and place over chops. Then I add a few pads of butter to the juices in the pan and scrap the bottom. Pour over chops and spread the rest of the sage and oregano over the plate.

Now for the side dish…

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Red Potatoes with green beans in a bechamel sauce.

This side dish reminds me of my childhood. We would have this in summer with a variety of different meat from the grill. It goes with everything. I had gone to the farmers market in the morning and they had fresh red skin potatoes and deep green beans. I saw them and I knew what I was having that night for dinner. I knew that I wanted to pass my memory on to my sons.

While I was doing the chops, my trusted sous chef was making the our side dish. On this night my sous chef was my oldest son, Andrew. It is nice he is of the age that we can drink wine and cook together. There is no better moments in life.

The potatoes were cleaned and quartered and the green beans were trimmed on the ends. We  simply steamed them to tender.

Then I go my book. You know the book. The book that every mother must have to teach her children proper cuisine. The book from the master. My hero. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child. Look up … Bechamel Sauce… it is a simply white sauce.  Not hard to make at all. Do not be intimated by it. As Julia says, “Don’t be afraid.”

1.In a 6 cup saucepan melt 2 tbs. butter over low heat. Blend  in the 3 tbs.flour, and  coook slowly, stirring, until the butter and flour froth together for 2 minutes with coloring. This is now a white roux.

2. Remove roux from heat. As soon as roux has stopped bubbling, pour in 2 cups heated milk and 1/4 t. salt all at once. Immediately beat vigorously with a wire whip to blend liquid and roux.

3. Set saucepan over moderately high heat and stir with the wire whip until the sauce comes to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring. The sauce should be thicker at this point.

4. Remove from heat, and beat in salt and pepper to taste.  A little grated nutmeg is nice as well.

This the point that you put the steamed potatoes and green beans in the beautiful white sauce and we added chopped dill on the top.

The creamy summer vegetables with the earthiness from the mushrooms and pork chops  are a great blend. We made a simply mixed green salad with a simple vinaigrette. What a great meal. What good conversation. What an amazing time with my family. Food is love.