One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù

 

Pork and Pasta, how wonderful a combination. We love Pasta and this recipe for One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù was a great one! I love the idea of chunky meat sauces. This was a good and easy dinner. Try it!

One-Pot Braised Pork Ragù

New York Times

 

This vegetable-heavy baked ragù is a great way to stretch one pound of meat into a hearty pasta sauce. There’s only about 15 minutes of active work; the oven does the rest. Pork shoulder (also known as picnic shoulder) is a relatively inexpensive cut of pork that takes well to braising, which yields super flavorful and tender meat. Cubing it into small pieces helps it soften faster, while a little heavy cream helps tenderize the meat as it cooks. The versatile ragù can be served over pasta or polenta, and leftovers easily turn into craveable sandwiches the next day. The recipe is easily doubled and freezes extremely well, if you’d like to cook once and eat twice.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

 

¼    cup extra-virgin olive oil

1     pound pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch cubes

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

3     medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (1½ cups)

1     medium yellow onion, diced into small pieces (1½ cups)

5     garlic cloves, minced

2     tablespoons tomato paste

1     (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes

1     fresh rosemary sprig

2     fresh basil sprigs, plus chopped leaves for garnish

¼    cup heavy cream

Cooked pasta or polenta, for serving

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

 

PREPARATION

 

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

1.            In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add half of the pork to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 minutes; using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the pork to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pork and season with salt and pepper.

2.            Reduce heat to medium-low and add carrots, onions and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, then add tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and cook, stirring continuously, until lightly caramelized, 3 minutes.

3.            Add pork and any accumulated juices, then the tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Stir in the rosemary, basil sprigs, cream and 2 cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, cover and bake until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Discard rosemary and basil sprigs.

4.            Serve pork ragù over pasta or polenta. Top with some cheese and chopped basil.

 

 

Cheese Soufflé and Curly Endive Salad

A Thing of Beauty

We invited Tom over for dinner. We started with a Curly Endive Salad. I really like this salad recipe. Spicy Mustard Dressing is delicious. The recipe for the Salad can be found on our blog of: February 4, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.

What is better on a cold rainy night than a Cheese Soufflé? They are easy to make if you follow the directions and they are delicious. We use the recipe from The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It is a classic. We have made many Soufflés and they almost always work out, rising with a perfectly brown top. They are a thing of beauty and fun to present at the table! Besides that they taste great! You can get the recipe from our blog of: Feb. 15. 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

 

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses

I had wanted to grill Lamb Chops, and Cathy found a great recipe: Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses from Cooking with Café Pasqual’s by Katharine Kagel.  You can find the recipe on our blog of: September 5, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made two side dishes to go with the delicious Lamb. Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash was an excellent recipe. The Orzo of course is very mild and an interesting Pasta that looks like Rice. The Brown-Butter and Squash kicks the flavor and texture up several notches. I am sure we will make this again.

The second side we made I didn't particularly like: Whole-Roasted Celery Root with Coriander Seed Oil. You might like it though so I include it for others to try if they want. I found it difficult to eat and also unappetizing to look at on the plate. Oh well!

Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash

New York Times

 

In this autumnal one-pot meal, rice-shaped orzo is cooked with stock and butternut squash until it’s tender and creamy, a little like risotto but without as much stirring. Brown butter, lemon zest and sage add depth of flavor, while red-pepper flakes give this zip and heat. An optional dollop of ricotta intensifies the creaminess but feel free to skip it for a lighter dish. This recipe also works well as a hearty side for roasted meats and fish.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

 

4        tablespoons unsalted butter

¾       cup thinly sliced shallots (2 to 3), or use onion or leek

1        small (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes (3 cups)

1        tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves, or 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary or marjoram, plus more for serving if you like

1        teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, plus more as needed

¼       teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

¼       teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

3        cups vegetable stock or chicken stock

1½     cup uncooked orzo

1        lemon, zested and halved

2        tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

½       cup whole-milk ricotta (optional)

 

PREPARATION

 

1.         In a medium Dutch oven, or a large (12-inch) skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it doesn’t burn.)

2.         Stir in shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add squash, sage, a large pinch of salt, the ¼ teaspoon black pepper and the ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and cook until squash is golden at the edges and begins to soften, 12 to 17 minutes.

3.         Add stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest and the 1 teaspoon salt. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 14 to 18 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the pan dries out before the orzo and squash are tender, add a splash or two of water.

4.         Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed, and a squeeze of lemon juice if the dish needs brightness. Dollop with ricotta if using, and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan and black pepper just before serving, garnishing the top with more red-pepper flakes and sage.

 Whole-Roasted Celery Root with Coriander Seed Oil

Ottolenghi - Simple

Serves four as a starter or side

 

1     large celery root, hairy roots discarded (no need to trim) unpeeled but scrubbed clean (2½ Ib/1.2kg)

3     tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

1½   tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed

flaked sea salt

1      lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

 

I've managed to achieve the seemingly impossible here, of taking a recipe from my NOPI cookbook (full of recipes that would not make it into Ottolenghi SIMPLE) and actually making it more complicated for Ottolenghi SIMPLE. In NOPI, the celery root is roasted whole as it is, for 3 hours, brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt. The results are so delicious and so straightforward that I've taken the liberty of adding one more twist in the form of the coriander seeds. The taste is even more wonderful than before. I like to eat it as it is as a starter, cut into wedges and served with a squeeze of lemon or a dollop of crème fraîche, but you can also serve it as a side to a pork chop or steak.

 

1.            Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.            Pierce the celery root with a small sharp knife all over, about20 times. Place the celery root in a baking dish and rub generously with the oil, coriander seeds, and 2 tsp flaked salt. Roast for 2½2-3 hours, basting every 30 minutes until the celery root is soft all the way through and golden brown on the outside.

3.            Cut into wedges and serve with a lemon wedge, a sprinkle of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

 

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

 

I like crispy Chicken Skin! Of course it is unhealthy, but it seems a lot of good things I like are! This recipe for Buttermilk Chicken creates Chicken with wonderful crispy skin. You can get the recipe on our blog of: June 24, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe. Cathy enhances the recipe by placing Shaved Brussel Sprouts beneath the Chicken. It makes for a great one dish dinner!

We started with Hungry Cat Salad. Even though Hungry Cat, the restaurant, has closed - we continue to make their Salad. I like the avocado, egg and lemon juice. It is a great salad. You can read about why it is called The Hungry Cat Salad on our blog post of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Dungeness Crab Salad

We had been waiting all winter for Dungeness Crab Season to start. When we lived in San Francisco, it was always a time to celebrate the first Crab harvest. I actually had a crab net and used to try to catch them myself in the bay. We often have the Crab shipped to us from San Francisco, however this time we saw Crabs at our local Gelson's and couldn't resist buying them. There are many ways to prepare the Crab and this time we decided to make a Crab Salad using Mark Peel's fabulous Russian Dressing. Tom stopped by and we invited him to join us for the feast. The Russian Dressing is exceptional. We did cheat however and use Sir Kensington's mayo rather than make our own. We crushed garlic into it. This is a fabulous salad. You can get the recipe on our blog of: July 4, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.